CONTROVERSIES. 9 



weed that ever the earth tendered to the use of man." 

 Look at the quarto volume The Triall of Tobacco, 

 by Dr. Edmund Gardiner, " practitioner of Physicke," 

 (published . in London 1610), or to that more portly 

 tome by Dr. John Neander of Bremen (published at 

 Leyden, 1622), who prescribes it for almost all the 

 diseases of life. Did not the " famous Physician " 

 Raphael Thorius smoke till he became inspired with 

 Latin poetry, and gave the world his Hymnus Tabaci ? 

 The "common verse" which concludes' his preface 

 may sum up the question, 



" Usus habet laudem, crimen abusus babet." 



The disputes on tobacco remind one of that on 

 Eab Eoryson's bonnet, as told by Tannahill : — 



"Some maintained it was black, some maintained it was blue, 

 It had something of baitb, as a body may trew. ? ' 



There is a narrowness of spirit among the opposi- 

 tionists which takes a persecuting feature, and induces 

 dislike and doubt of their tenets. 



The same poet says elsewhere : — 



" I've heard some fouks descant sae freely 

 On ither people's matters, 

 As if themsel's war' real perfection, 

 "When bad they stood a fair inspection, 

 Th' abused war' far their betters." 



In the words of a popular author the controversy 

 may be accepted as " An admirable illustration of the 



