WHIMSICAL BOXES. 295 



passed happily in the ingenious fabrication of these 

 boxes.* 



Quaint forms are as common to snuff-boxes as to 

 tobacco-pipes. One favourite in the last century was 

 A Ladies Shoe (Fig. 1.), carved in wood and inlaid 

 with threads of silver to imitate ornamental stitches. 



Coffins were also hideously adapted to hold the fragrant 

 " dust." A coiled snake whose central folds form the 

 lid, was a box for a naturalist (Fig 2.) ; a book might 

 serve for a student, and a boat (Fig. 3.) for a sailor. All 

 persons, and all states, may be " fitted " with a proper 

 receptacle for the pungent dust they love so well ; and 

 of which the rhymester last quoted sings : — ■ 



" What strange and wondrous virtue must there be 

 And secret charm, Snuff, concealed in thee ! 

 That bounteous Nature and inventive Art, 

 Bedecking thee, thus all their powers exert ; 

 Their treasures and united skill bestow, 

 To set thine honours in majestic show ! 

 But oh, what witchcraft of a stronger kind, 

 Or cause too deep for human search to find, 

 Makes earth-born weeds imperial man enslave, — 

 Not little souls, biit e'en the wise and brave 1 



* A very interesting notice of this man's habits of life is given in ITone's 

 Table Booh, vol. ii. 



