Social Progress of Tobacco 87 



' Pray, then, Mr. Head-waiter, bring me a pipe and 

 tobacco.' 



' I am sorry sir, but you cannot smoke at the Bush.' 



' Why, man, I've smoked in the dining-room of 

 every nobleman in England. The Duchess of Devon- 

 shire said I could smoke in every room in her house 

 but her dressing-room, and here in this dirty public- 

 house of Bristol you forbid smoking ! Amazing ! 

 Bring me my bill.' 



The reaction against smoking was complete. It 

 arose when the pipe was favoured by all classes in 

 the reign of Queen Anne, and before the end of the 

 century it was as discredited and repudiated socially, 

 and hence morally, as it had been esteemed before. 

 It was not that smoking was regarded as injurious 

 physically or morally ; it was infinitely worse than 

 vicious — it was vulgar. 



The solace of the weed was confined until well after 

 the middle of the last century to artists and Bohemians, 

 and to what are invidiously known as the ' working 

 classes.' John Wesley forbade his preachers to smoke 

 or take snuff. Adam Clarke ' could not help deem- 

 ing impiety in the use of this herb,' and, Methodist 

 though he was, hailed Urban VIII. as an 'apostolic 

 man ' for his Bull denouncing tobacco. Thus does 

 a common hatred make strange allies. The words of 

 Aubrey, that ' within these twenty years it was con- 

 sidered scandalous for a divine to take tobacco ' 

 apply aptly to the present day. 



In all classes smoking was regarded as more or 

 less scandalous and vicious. The works of Thackeray 

 well reflect the ill-favour with which tobacco was 



