6 TOBACCO : ITS HISTORY. 



whose mighty advance takes but a small, though 

 adequate, cognizance of mere animal suffering 

 in her great inscrutable developments? For 

 my own part, I cannot believe that so universal 

 a habit — tending, as is proved, to increase with 

 the increase of populations — has been and is a 

 mere whim or fancy of self-indulging man ; but 

 rather is one of those mysterious means by 

 which we are compelled, in spite of ourselves, or 

 with free-will and pleasure, to subserve the great 

 behests of Providence. Possibly indeed the de- 

 tractors of tobacco may have been saved from 

 many a malady by the conjoint indulgence of a 

 world of smokers. The very strength of the pro- 

 pensity assumes, it seems, considerable import- 

 ance in the solution of the problem. Where 

 nature gives a strong tendency, there must be a 

 strong reason in the cause — and still more when 

 she superadds a pleasure, like all otlier pleasures 

 of which we are conscious, but can give no ac- 

 count, after enjoyment, which is the peculiarity 

 of the smoker's pleasure — a point worthy of 

 philosophic consideration. 



