A QUAINT DESCRIPTION. 83 
Nicot could have had no presentiment of the agricultural, 
eommercial, financial and social importance which tobacco 
was ultimately to assume. Nicot published two works. 
The first was an edition of the History of France or of the 
Franks, in Latin, written by a Monk called Aimonious, who 
lived in the tenth century. The second was a ‘ Treasury of 
the French Language, Ancient and Modern.’” 
Stevens and Liebault in the “Country Farm”* give the 
following account of its early introduction into France and 
the wonderful cures produced by its use: 
“ Nicotiana though it have (has) beene but a while knowne 
in France yet it holdeth the first and principal] place amongst 
Physicke herbs, by reason of his singular and almost diuine 
(divine) vertues, such as you shall heare of hereafter, whereof 
(because none either of the old or new writers that have 
written of the nature of plants, have said anything), I am. 
willing to lay open the whole history, as I have come by it 
through a deere friend of mine, the first author, inventor, 
and bringer of this herb into France: as also of many both 
Spaniards, Portugals, and others which have travelled into 
Florida, a country of the Indians, from whence this herbe 
came, to put the same in writing to relieve such griefe and 
travell, as have heard of this herbe, but neither know it nor 
the properties thereof. ‘This herbe is called Nicotiana of the 
name of an ambassador which brought. the first knowledge 
of it into this realme, in like manner as many plants do as 
yet retaine the names of certaine Greekes and Romans, who 
being strangers in divers countries, for their common-wealth’s 
service, have from thence indowed their own countree with 
many plants, whereof there was no knowledge before. Some 
call it the herbe of Queen mother, because the said ambassa- 
dor Lord Nicot did first send the same unto the Queen 
mother, + (as you shall understand by and by) and for being 
afterwards by her given to divers others to plant and make 
to grow in this country. Others call it by the name of the 
herbe of the great Prior, because the said Lord a while after 
sailing into these western seas, and happening to lodge neere 
unto the said Lord ambassador of Lisbone, gathered divers 
lants thereof out of his garden, and set them to increase 
hers in France, and there in greater quantitie, and with 
* London 1606. 
t George Buchanan, the Scotch Philosopher and poet tutor of James I., had a strong aver- 
sion to Catherine of Medicis, and in one of his Latin eptgrams, alludeato the herb being 
called Medicie, advising all who yalued their health to shun it, not_so much from its being 
naturally hurtful, but that it needs must become poisonous if called by so hateful a namie. 
