68 TOBACCO IN EUROPE. 



given in fac-simile). She was a notorious courtesan, 

 who generally dressed in man's apparel, and varied her 

 profession occasionally as a fortune-teller, pick-pocket, 

 thief, receiver of stolen goods, or forger, as " accident 



suited." Her most notable exploit was robbing the 

 parliamentary general, Fairfax, on Hounslow Heath, 

 for which she narrowly escaped hanging. She lived 

 till 1659, when, according to Granger, "she died of 

 the dropsy in the seventy-fifth year of her age ; but 

 would probably have died sooner, if she had not 

 smoked tobacco, in the frequent use of which she had 

 long indulged herself." 



But tobacco smoking was not restricted to ladies 

 " fair and free," for as many young ladies of Spain and 

 South America, still " indulge in the weed," without 

 offence; and many old ones do yet in England; so when 

 tobacco was first introduced among us, did some few of 

 our own fair dames. Appended is a copy of a curious 



