Epistolæ Ho-elianæ familiar letters domestic and forren divided into sundry sections, partly historicall, politicall, philosophicall, vpon emergent occasions / by James Howell.

VII. To Henry Hopkins Esq

•…•…IR,

TO usher in again old Ianus, I send you a parcell of Indian perfume, which the Spaniard calls the Holy •…•…erb in regard •…•… the various virtues it hath, but we call it Tobacco; I will not •…•…y it grew under the King of Spains window, but I am told it •…•…as gather'd neer his Gold-mines of Potosi, (where they report •…•…hat in som places ther is more of that oar than earth) therfore it •…•…ust needs be precious stuff: If moderately and seasonably ta∣•…•…en (as I find you alwaies do) 'tis good for many things; it helps dige∣•…•…ion taken a while after meat, it makes one void •…•…heum, break •…•…ind, & it keeps the body open; A leaf or two being steept ore-nigh•…•… •…•…n a little white wine is a vomit that never fails in its operation: •…•…t is a good companion to one that converseth with dead •…•…en, for •…•…f one hath bin poring long upon a book, or is toild with the pen, •…•…nd stupified with study, it quickneth him, and dispels those clouds that usually oreset the brain. The smoak of it is one of the whole∣somest sents that is against all contagious air•…•…, for it oremasters all other smells as King Iames they say found true, when being once a hunting a showr of rain drave him into a pigstie for shel∣ter, wher he caus'd a pipe full to be taken of purpose; It cannot endure a Spider or a flea with such like vermin, and if your Hawk be troubled with any such, being blown into his feathers it frees him; It is good to fortifie and preserve the fight, the smoak being let in round about the balls of the eyes once a week, and frees them from all •…•…heums, driving them back by way of repercussion; being taken backward tis excellent good against the cholique, and taken into the stomack 'twill heac and cleanse it; for I could instance in a great Lord (my Lord of Sunderland President of York) who told me that he taking it downward into his stomack, it made him cast up an impostume, bag and all, which had bin a long time engendring out of a bruise he had receiv'd at football, and so preserv'd his life for many yeers. Now to descend from the substance and the smoak to the ashes, 'tis well known that the medicinall virtues therof are very many, but they are so common

that I will spare the inserting of them heer: But if one would try a pretty conclusion how much smoak ther is in a pound of Tobac∣co, the ashes will tell him▪ for let a pound be exactly weighed and the ashes kept charily and weigh'd afterwards, what wants 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a pound weight in the ashes cannot be denied to have bin smoak which evaporated into air; I have bin told that Sir Walter Rawleih won a wager of Queen Elizabeth upon this nicity.

The Spaniards and Irish take it most in powder or smutchin and it mightily refreshes the brain, and I believe ther is as muc•…•… taken this way in Ireland, as ther is in pipes in England; one shall commonly see the serving maid upon the washing block, and the Swain upon the plowshare when they are tir'd with labour▪ take out their boxes of smutchin and draw it into their nostrills with a quill, and it will beget new spirits in them with a fresh vigou•…•… to fall to their work again. In Barbary and other parts of Africa 'tis wonderfull what a small pill of Tobacco will do; for those who use to ride post through the sandy desarts, where they meet not with any thing that's potable or edible somtimes three daies toge∣ther, they use to carry small balls or pills of Tobacco which be∣ing put under the toung, it affords them a perpetuall moysture, and takes off the edg of the appetit for som daies.

If you desire to read with pleasure all the virtues of this modern Herb, you must read Doctor Thoriu's paetologie, an accurat peece couc•…•…d in a strenuous •…•…reroic verse full of matter, and continuing its strength from first to last; Insomuch that for the bignes it may be compar'd to any peece of antiquity, and in my opinion is be∣yond 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

So I conclude these rambling notions, presuming you will ac∣cept this small argument of my great respects unto you; If you want paper to light your pipe this letter may serve the turn, and if it be true what the Poets frequently sing, that affection is fire, you shall need no other than the cleer flames of the Donor's love to make ignition, which is comprehended in this Distic.

Ignis Amor si sit, Tobaccum accendere nostrum, Nulla petenda tibi fix nisi Dantis Amor.

If Love be fire, to light this Indian weed, The Donor's Love of fire may stand in steed.

So I wish you as to my self amost happy new yeer; may the

begining be good, the middle better, and the end best of all.

1 Ianuary: 1646.

Your most faithfull and truly affectionat servant, J. H.