246 The Soverane Herbe 



The divine herb is as acceptable to men of action 

 as to men of mind. Its influence on government 

 has already been pointed out. Washington, the 

 father of the United States, was called from his 

 tobacco plantations to the command of the army 

 and government of his country. With Frederick 

 the Great, says Carlyle, tobacco became ' a political 

 institution, a love of nature, constant as the setting 

 of the sun.' His Cabinet Councils (Tabaks Colle- 

 gium) were conducted amidst clouds of smoke, and 

 Carlyle caustically remarks : ' The substitution of 

 tobacco-smoke for Parliamentary eloquence is by 

 some held to be a great improvement.' 



Napoleon was a great snuff-taker, but could not 

 smoke. The Sultan sent him a fine pipe, and 

 Napoleon's attempt to smoke it is amusingly de- 

 scribed by Constant : ' He contented himself with 

 opening and shutting his mouth alternately, without 

 in the least drawing his breath. "The devil!" he 

 cried. " Why, there's no result." I made him observe 

 that he made the attempt badly, and showed him 

 the proper method of doing it ; but the Emperor 

 still reverted to his kind of yawning. Wearied by 

 his vain attempt, he at last desired me to light the 

 pipe. I obeyed, and returned it to him in order. 

 Scarcely had he drawn in a mouthful when the 

 smoke, which he knew not how to expel from his 

 mouth, turned back upon his palate, penetrated his 

 mouth, and came out by his nose and blinded him. 

 As soon as he recovered breath he cried : " Away 

 with it 1 What an abomination ! Oh, the hog ! My 

 stomach turns !" In fact, he felt annoyed and ill for 



