The Beginning of Smoking 13 



with Florida, and sent them to the Grand Prior of 

 France, describing the plant as a • herb of peculiarly 

 pleasant taste, good medicinally and in fevers.' 

 From the name of its recipient tobacco was first 

 known in France as Herbe du Grand Prieur. Nicot 

 returned to Paris in 1561, and presented some tobacco- 

 plants to Catherine de Medici. Her acceptance of 

 them caused the name to be changed, out of compli- 

 ment to the herb's royal patron, to Herbe de la Reine 

 and Herbe Medicie, 



In France, as elsewhere, tobacco was strictly re- 

 garded as a medicine. Physicians described its 

 remedial powers as miraculous, and for a long time 

 in France it was cultivated as a drug in botanical 

 gardens only. It was prescribed by doctors in the 

 form of snuff, and in this guise tobacco has always 

 been most popular in France. Though the smoking 

 of it was unknown then, it possessed titles enough to 

 satisfy the pride of a Spaniard. It was variously 

 known ^% panacie antarctique (southern heal-all), herbe 

 sainte, herbe sacr^e, herbe propre d, tous maux, herbe de 

 Pambassadeur (in reference to Nicot), but its most 

 popular title was that of nicotaine, from its god- 

 father, the Lord of Villemain. The part he played 

 in introducing the divine weed into Europe has 

 invested his name with immortality in the word 

 nicotine.' 



From Portugal, also, tobacco was introduced into 

 Italy. Remembering how in after years it fell under 

 the ban of the Church, it is curious that in Italy, as 

 in France, it was introduced under the sponsorship of 

 a Churchman. In 1589 Cardinal Prosper de Santa 



