TOBACCO IN KUROPE. 103 
confesse, a vertuous herb, if it be well qualified, opportunely 
taken, and medicinally used; but, as it is commonly abused 
by most men, which take it as tinkers do ale, ’tis a plague, a 
mischief, a violent purger of goods, lands, health, hellish, 
divclish and damned tobacco, the ruine and overthrow of 
body and soul.” 
‘The duty on importation had been only twopence per 
pound, a moderate sum in view of the prices realized by the 
eale of it. - 
The King now increased it to the enormous sum of two 
shilling and ten pence. James termed the custom of using 
tobacco an “evil vanitie” impairing “the health of a great 
number of people their bodies weakened and made unfit for 
labor, and the estates of many mean persons so decayed and 
consumed, as they are thereby driven to unthriftie shifts 
only tomaintain their gluttonous exercise thereof.” * Brodi- 
gan says of the “ Counterblast:” 
“ Tlowever absurd his reasoning may appear, it unfortu- 
nately happened that he possessed the power to reduce his 
aversion to practice, and le may be considered as the author 
of that unwarrantable persecution of the tobacco plant, which 
under varying circumstances, has been injudiciously continued 
to the present time.” 
Other royal haters of the plant issued the most strenous 
lawst and affixed penalties of the severest kind, of these may 
be mentioned the King of Persia, Amuroth IV. of Turkey, 
the Emperor Jehan-Gee and Popes Urban VIII. and 
Innocent XII., the last of whom sho-ved his dislike to many 
other custoins beside that of tobacco taking. 
One of the edicts which he issued was against the taking 
of snuff in St. Peters, at Rome; this was in 1690; it was, 
however, revoked by Pope Benedict XIV., who himself had 
aequired the indulgence. 
 Tarly in the Seventeenth Century tobacco found its way to 
Constantinople. To punish the habit, a Turk was seized and 
a pipe transfixed through his nose. 
*“King James violent prejadiccs azainst all use of tobacco arose from his aversion to 
Sir Walter Raleigh, i:s first Importer into England whom! he intended a sacrifice to the grat- 
ification of the King of Bpain.” 
¢The Empress Flizibeth was leas severe, She decreed that the anuff-hoxes of those who 
nade usc of them in church should be confiscated Lo the use of the beadle. 
