The Trial of Tobacco 27 



' Many alchemists have I heard of who turned gold 

 into smoke, but Raleigh is the first who has turned 

 smoke into gold.' 



There is little doubt that Raleigh owed much of 

 his persecution at the hands of James I. to his love of 

 tobacco. In the British Solomon's famous ' Counter- 

 blaste,' after referring to ' the foolish and groundless 

 first entry thereof into this kingdome,' he says : 



' This present age can very well remember both 

 the first author and the form of the first introduction 

 of it amongst us. It was neither brought in by 

 King, great nor learned Doctor of Physic. ... It 

 seems a miracle to me how a custom springing from 

 so vile a ground, and brought in by a father so gener- 

 ally hated, should be welcomed on so slender a 

 warrant' 



This clearly refers to Raleigh. James appears 

 in a far from regal, and still less divine, character in 

 his attitude towards Raleigh and tobacco. But 

 Raleigh's love for the divine herb was unaffected by 

 James's petty hatred and persecution. As it had 

 amused him during the sunny days of his favour with 

 Elizabeth and comforted him during his banishment in 

 Ireland, so in it he found consolation and solace in 

 the Tower. It soothed his griefs, and inspired him 

 to write his famous ' History.' To tobacco he was 

 faithful to the last. Old Aubrey records that Raleigh 

 soothed his soul with a pipe a short time before his 

 execution : ' He tooke a pipe of tobacco a little before 

 he went to the scaffold, which some female persons 

 were scandalized at ; but I think it was well and 

 properly done to settle his spirits.' 



