HISTORICAL. 13 



gander," as all other nations surpass us in the 

 habit of smoking, the doctor must admit that 

 others are " sinking " also by means of smoking, 

 and we must necessarily remain in statu quo pro- 

 portionally — equals being added or subtracted 

 from given quantities, the latter must remain 

 relatively the same. If we have been giants " in 

 the scale of nations," and all nations be made to 

 " sink " together, we may still remain as General 

 Tom Thumb to an infant of three months ; and 

 that will be some consolation at all events. 



The nimble-witted Jesuits replied to James's 

 Misocapnus in their Anti-3Iisocapnus — perhaps 

 through theological spite, but most assuredly with 

 infinitely more sense and decency. Other writers 

 of note joined in the defence of the proscribed 

 and persecuted weed — Neandri, Thorius, Lesus, 

 Braum, in prose and verse ; but all to no purpose 

 against the prejudice of the " high and mighty " 

 who undertake to make a providence for man. 

 In 1 624 Pope Urban VIII. published a decree of 

 excommunication against all who took snuff in the 

 church. Ten years after this, smoking tobacco 

 was forbidden in Russia, under the pain of having 



