192 The Soverane Herbe 



are sold for los. There is a sale for them among 

 City men and stockbrokers, especially in times of 

 financial crisis. After the Jameson Raid the great 

 ' slump ' in South African shares created a big demand 

 for these cigars. Dealers proclaimed the security of 

 their position by smoking cigars at £^0 the hundred. 



There are scores of smokers — big solicitors, wealthy 

 noblemen, opulent merchants — who never demean 

 themselves by smoking less than a seven-and-sixpenny 

 cigar. On the other hand, experts declare that the 

 best cigar can be had for is., and that beyond that 

 price the smoker is paying for some peculiarity merely 

 in the shape or leaf, and not for any superiority in 

 the quality of tobacco. 



It is popularly supposed that the King smokes 

 the most expensive cigars, but it has been stated 

 that he never pays more than los. 6d., generally 

 4s., and even as low as is. 3d., for a cigar. The 

 costliest cigars ever made were those which Marshal 

 Prim had manufactured specially to present to 

 Napoleon III. Each cigar was made of the finest 

 Havana leaf, was tipped with gold, and stamped with 

 the Imperial ' N.' in gold. Each of the 20,000 cigars 

 represented 30s., the whole batch costing ;£'30,ooo. 



The Rothschilds are credited with habitually 

 smoking the most costly cigars, the Henry Clay 

 Sobranos, costing 53. each. They are wrapped in 

 gold-leaf, and packed in inlaid cedar-wood cabinets 

 containing 14,000 cigars. Three cabinets form the 

 millionaire prince's usual order. 



Cigars are rarely adulterated, and the stories about 

 cabbage, rhubarb, dock, or lettuce-leaf cigars are 



