256 SNUFF AND SNUFF-BOXES. 



vately ; it was charged with poison, which she inhaled ; 

 and five days after the present, died of it, complaining 

 of sharp pain in the temples. This excited much 

 attention, and great fears of " accepting a pinch," on 

 the one hand, or offering it on the other. It became a 

 general belief that such poisoned snuff was used in 

 Spain, and by Spanish emissaries to clear away politi- 

 cal opponents, and that the Jesuits also adopted it for 

 the purpose of poisoning their enemies. Hence it was 

 termed " Jesuits' snuff," and a great dread of it was felt 

 for a considerable time. 



One instance of the dangers inseparable from scented 

 snuff is given in an anecdote of the Due de Bourbon, 

 grandson of the great Conde ; who took Santeuil the 

 poet to a great entertainment, compelled him to drink 

 a large quantity of champagne, and ultimately poured 

 his snuff-box, filled with Spanish snuff, into his wine. 

 This produced a violent fever, of which Santeuil died, 

 amid excruciating agonies, within fourteen hours after. 



The general use of scented snuffs at this time is 

 noted in a little pamphlet published in 1710 called 

 The Travels and Misfortunes of the Enchanted Snuff- 

 box, which appears to be a satire on Dr. Sacheverel, 

 whose box is described as filled with a snuff called 

 Orangery : after dinner " the ladies all impatient for 

 the first pinch, put in their fingers almost all at once ; 

 the gentlemen with some respect after." Agreeable as 

 all these scents may be, they are generally unwhole- 

 some, and the " disguise " in the true flavour of the 

 tobacco produced by such means, gives the dishonest 



