26 The Soverane Herbe 



every occasion. In Sir Robert Acton's park he 

 • tooke a pipe of tobacco, which made the ladies quitte 

 him till he had done.' He also sought consolation 

 in his pipe when witnessing the execution of his old 

 friend Essex. 



Before the Queen he also smoked. It is not on 

 record that Elizabeth ever tried a whiff of the divine 

 herb, but it is quite possible she did. Elizabeth was 

 but little feminine ; tobacco was then smoked by both 

 men and women, and it is easy to imagine Henry's 

 bold daughter indulging in a puff or two out of mere 

 curiosity. The Queen, at all events, did not object 

 to, much less condemn, the practice, for she per- 

 mitted Raleigh his pipe in the royal presence 

 Doubtless, however, she had been twitting him on 

 his devotion to it when he replied : 



' I can assure your Majesty that I have so well 

 experienced the nature of it that I can tell even the 

 weight of the smoke in any quantity I consume.' 



' I doubt it much. Sir Walter,' replied Elizabeth, 

 holding it was impossible to weigh smoke, ' and will 

 wager you twenty angels that you do not solve my 

 doubt' 



Gallantly accepting the bet, Raleigh filled his pipe 

 with a weighed quantity of tobacco, smoked it out, 

 and then, weighing the resultant ashes, announced 

 the weight he had smoked away. 



'Your Majesty cannot deny that the difference 

 hath been evaporated in smoke.' 



' Truly, I cannot,' answered the Queen. 



Ordering the wager to be paid, she turned to the 

 courtiers around her, and said : 



