Tobacco and Genius 247 



an hour. He gave up his attempt to learn to smoke, 

 calling it a habit fit only for sluggards.' 



A sight for the gods indeed was the spectacle 

 of the mighty Emperor, at the height of his power, 

 utterly defeated by the simple pipe. The tyrant of 

 Europe and the ever-victorious General met his 

 first defeat at the hands of tobacco. Wellington, 

 like his great antagonist, did not smoke, hating 

 tobacco, as we have previously seen. Marshal Ney 

 smoked constantly, even in battle. Blucher had a 

 servant to attend to and serve him with pipes. He 

 perfected his plans of battle over a pipe immediately 

 before engaging. 



Talleyrand declared that snuff- taking was an 

 accomplishment essential to diplomatists. The taking 

 of a pinch and the manipulation of the box enable 

 them to conceal their emotions and gain time for 

 decision without the appearance of hesitation. 

 Similarly Lord Clarendon, who turned the Foreign 

 Office into a smoke-room during his tenure of the 

 portfolio, declared he could always settle a quarrel 

 if he knew beforehand whether the plenipotentiary 

 smoked cavendish, Latakia, or shag. 



Bismarck was a man of tobacco as well as of blood 

 and iron. The best smoke he ever had in his life, 

 he declared, was a cigar which he did not smoke. 

 At Koniggratz he had only one cigar left, and this 

 he carefully guarded during the battle, anticipating 

 the hour of victory when he could smoke it. Riding 

 over the field after the fight, he came across a poor 

 Dragoon lying helpless with crushed legs, and pray- 

 ing for something to refresh him. Bismarck had 



