Tobacco in English Social Life 65 



Dressed for the day, the gallant of the reign of 

 James I. sauntered out, having first carefully assured 

 himself that his pockets contained his whole smoking 

 apparatus. He is a finished pupil, an adept in all 

 the assumptions of tobacco, the admiration and envy 

 of younger bloods. His supply of the herb being 

 exhausted, his first duty is to replenish it. As likely 

 as not he goes to Abel Drugger, for Ben Jonson in 

 his latest comedy has lauded him as an honest 

 apothecary who does not ' sophisticate ' the tobacco 

 he sells. Having duly laid in a stock of Trinadado, 

 pudding-cane and leaf, he passes through the shop 

 into the smoking-room with which all apothecaries' 

 stores were furnished. Other gallants are there, all 

 engaged in smoking and exhibiting their own special 

 tricks of smoke. About noon he strolls away to the 

 ordinary, puffing his pipe. Passing a bookseller's, he 

 calls in to ' exercise his smoke and inquire who has 

 writ against the divine weed,' for the habit has begun 

 to be attacked already. Then on to the ordinary, 

 where other gallants are met. 



During dinner conversation turns to tobacco, and 

 the gallant ' must observe to know what tobacco is in 

 town better than the merchants, and discourse of the 

 apothecaries where it is sold,' and of the kinds and 

 qualities of pipes — which burn black, which break, 

 which have the best bore. 



While waiting for the serving of the various dishes 

 he draws forth his tobacco-box, his snuff-ladle, his 

 tongs for lighting his pipe with a live coal, and his 

 priming-iron. With careless grace he inhales a huge 

 puff, drinks off a glass of canary, and after retailing 



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