HELD UP TO RIDICULE, 99 
which is fostered in the Indies, and brought home by 
Mariners and Traffiquers, is to be used.” But not alone 
were Poets and Dramatists inspired to sing in praise or dis- 
praise of tobacco, Physicians and others helped to swell in 
broadsides, pamphlets and chap-books, the loudest praises or 
the most bitter denunciation of the weed. Taylor, the water 
poet, who lost his occupation as bargeman when the coach 
came into use, thought that the devil brought tobacco into 
England in a coach. One of the first tracts wholly devoted 
to tobacco is entitled Nash’s “ Lenten Stuffe.” The work is 
dedicated to Humphrey King, a tobacconist, and is full of 
curious sayings in regard to the plant. Another work, 
er.titled “ Metamorphosis of Tobacco,” and supposed to have 
been written by Beaumont, made its appearance about this 
time. Samuel Rowlands, the dramatist, wrote two works on 
tobacco ; the first is entitled “ Look to it, for I'll Stabbe Ye,” 
written in 1604; the other volume is a small quarto, bearing 
this singular title: “ A whole crew of Kind Gossips, all met 
to be Merry.” This is a satire on the time and manners of 
the period, and is written in a coarse style worthy of the 
author. In 1605 there appeared a little volume bearing for 
its title, “Laugh and Lie Down, or the World’s Folly.” 
This work describes the fops and men of fashion of its time, 
and shows how popular the custom of tobacco taking had 
become. In 1609, in “The Gull’s Horne Book,” a gallant is 
described as follows: 
“ Before the meate comes smoaking to the board our Gal- 
lant must draw ont his tobacco box, the ladle for the cold 
snuff into his nostrils, the tongs and the priming iron. All 
this artillery may be of gold or silver, if he can reach to the 
price of it; it will be a reasonable, useful pawn at all times 
when the current of his money falles out to rune low. And 
here you must observe to know in what state tobacco is in 
town, better than the merchants, and to discourse of the 
pose where it is to be sold as readily as the potecary 
imself.” 
“One of the severest tirades against tobacco appeared in 
1612, “The Curtain Drawer of the World.” In speaking of 
the users of the weed, and especially noblemen, he says: 
