136 TOBACCO IN EUROPE. 



upon it a tobacco-roll, and the inscription "John 

 Poyntting, in Cloath-fair (Smithfield), his halfpenny, 

 1667." Both are in the British Museum* 



There is an anecdote related in Hones Table Book, 

 vol. i. p. 384, of a man named Parr, who opened a 

 tobacco-shop on Fish Street Hill, and attracted cus- 

 tomers from an old shop opposite, by writing over his 

 door " The best Tobacco by Fan:" This attracted the 

 sailors, who deserted the other shop, till the owner put 

 up a new sign, inscribed " Far better Tobacco, than 

 the best Tobacco by Farr" Now this story, absurd 

 as it may appear, is literally true; his shop-cards are 

 still in existence, in which among rich scroll orna- 

 ments and emblematic figures, occur the words " The 

 finest tobacco by Farr." 



In the early days of tobacco we have seen that the 

 Apothecary was its salesman ; after that the tobacco- 

 nist combined other trades with his own. He sold 

 liquors, as is proved by the engraving from Brath- 

 wait's book, on p. 88, and later he dealt in grocery. 

 Thus the shop-bill of Benjamin Parkes at Worcester, 

 (temp. Geo. I.) informs us that he " manufactures all 

 sorts of tobaccos and snuffs ; likewise sells coffee, teas, 

 chocolate, lump sugars, and hosiery goods, wholesale 

 and retail." London dealers had the same general 



* In Bushneli's Catalogue of American Tokens (Sew York, 1858), is 

 one struck in condemnation of tobacco. He describes it as having upon 

 the obverse a figure of a boy trampling upon leaves of tobacco ; and the 

 words, " I will never use tobacco in any form." The reverse contains the 

 motto : " Tobacco tends to idleness, poverty, strong drink, vice, ill 

 health, insanity, and death." The metal is, very appropriately, brass. 



