110 A SMOKING DIVINE. 
as in the Seventeenth Century—its supposed virtues as a 
medicine induced many to inhale the smoke constantly. 
This was one reason why tobacco was condemned by so 
many of the writers and playwrights of the day yet many 
of them used the weed in some form from Ben Johnson to 
Cibber the one fond of his pipe the other of his snuff. 
In 1639 Venner published a volume entitled “ A Treatise” 
concerning the taking of the fume of tobacco. His advice 
is “to take it moderately and at fixed times.” Many of the. 
clergy were devoted adherents of the pipe. Lilly says of its 
use among them: 5 
“In this year Bredon vicar of Thornton a profound divine, 
but absolutely the most polite person for nativities in that 
age, strictly adhering to Ptolemy, which he well understood; 
he had a hand in composing Sir Christopher Heydon’s 
defence of judicial astrology, being that time his chaplain ; he 
was so given over to tobacco and drink,’ that when he had no 
tobacco, he would cut the bell-ropes and smoke them.” 
