The Literature of Tobacco 233 



some ; when we are old and ugly woman snubs and 

 scolds us. On the whole, then, woman in this scale, 

 the weed in that ; Jupiter, hang out thy balance and 

 weigh them both, and if thou givest the preference 

 to woman, all I can say is, the next time Juno ruffles 

 thee, O Jupiter, try the weed!' The enmity of 

 woman to tobacco is certainly due to her knowledge 

 of its superior power over man. There are two 

 pretty legends which describe tobacco as being 

 created as a solace to woman-harassed man. 



A Persian legend says that tobacco was given by 

 an anchorite to console a youth for the death of his 

 wife : ' Go to her tomb and there thou wilt find a 

 weed. Pluck it, place it in a reed, and inhale the 

 smoke as you put fire to it. This will be to you 

 wife and mother, father and brother, and, above all, 

 will be a wise counsellor and teach thy soul wisdom 

 and thy spirit joy.' 



Even more charming, in a similar vein, is a legend 

 included by Mr. Andrew Lang in his ' Ballades of 

 Blue China.' The habitat of this pretty fairy tale is 

 New Zealand. 



In the distant past man was alone, like Adam, and 

 though happy in an unconscious way under the bright 

 sun in a fair and fruitful land, he yearned for a com- 

 panion. To the great spirits, who had already given 

 him fire, he prayed for one to share his life. One 

 morning he awoke to find the first of women lying by 

 his side. His prayer had been answered, and for long 

 they lived happily together. But human nature was 

 human even in those Edenic days, and soon familiarity 

 bred, if not contempt, at least dissatisfaction with the 



