LAMB’S POEM. 293 
Parr who used the finest kind of tobacco in a pi 
with salt. It was no easy task to relinquish die io ne 
and it cost him many a struggle and much determined effort, 
In writing to Wordsworth he says:—“I wish you ma: think 
this a handsome farewell to my‘ Friendly Traitress.’ Tobacco 
has been my evening comfort and my morning curse for 
these five years. I have had it in my head to do it (Fare- 
well to Tobacco) these two years; but tobacco stood in its 
own light when it gave me headaches that prevented my 
singing its praises.” 
Lamb’s poem is without doubt one of the finest pieces of 
verse ever written on tobacco, and seemingly contains both 
words of praise and dispraise—the latter however in some 
selse are insincere. 
“May the Babylonish curse 
Straight confound my stammering verse 
If I can a passage see 
In this word-perplexity, 
Or a fit expression find, 
Or a language to my mind, 
(Still the phrase is wide or scant,) 
To take leave of thee, GREAT PLANT! 
Or in my terms relate 
Half my love, or half my hate ; 
For I hate, yet love thee so, 
That whichever thing I show, © 
The plain truth will seem to be 
A constrain’d hyperbole, 
And the passion to proceed 
More from a mistress than a weed. 
Sooty retainer to the vine, 
Bacchus’ black servant, negro fine ; 
Sorcerer, thou mak’st us dote upon 
Thy begrimed complexion, 
And for thy pernicious sake, 
More and greater oaths to break 
Than reclaimed lovers take 
'Gainst women: thou thy siege do’st lay 
Much too in the female way, 
While thou suck’st the lab’ring breath 
Faster than kisses or than death. 
Thou in such a cloud do’st bind us, 
That our worst foes cannot find us. 
And ill fortune that would thwart us, 
