Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CIV. I. Of Tobacco. II. Whether the Invention of Guns hath done more hurt than good. (Book 104)

THe Herb call'd by the Spaniards Tobacco, from an Island of [ I] the same name in the West-Indies,* 1.1 wherein it grows in abundance, is nam'd by the Indians Petun; by others, for its great virtues, Herba Sancta; and Jean Nicot, Embassador of Francis II. having first brought out of Portugal into France some of the seed of it to Queen Catherine de Medicis, with the descri∣ption of its virtues, it became denominated from him in French Nicotiane, or Herbe a la Reine, (the Queens Herb;) as in Italy it was term'd Herbe de Santa Croce, (of Holy Cross) because a Car∣dinal of that name was the first that brought it to Rome. Some others still call it Antarctical Buglosse, Henbane of Peru, and In∣dian Wound-wort. It grows, many times, to the height of three Cubits, with a straight and thick stalk, so fat that it seems an∣nointed with Honey; it sends forth sundry large branches, with many leaves long and broad, rounder than those of great Com∣frey, somewhat like those of great Personata, or Bur-dock; fleshy, fat, and little rough, of a pale green, unpleasing smell, and bi∣ting taste: On the top of the stalk it hath many flowers, oblong, hollow, and large, in form of a Trumpet, of a white inclining to purple; to which succeed little slender cods or husks, full of a brownish seed, smaller than that of Poppey. Its root is thick,

hath several lobes, is woody, yellow within, bitter, easily se∣parating from its bark, and, like all Herbs hot and dry, (for this is so in the second degree) it requires moist places and shadow, and delights to be cultivated. Moreover, 'tis kept in Gardens, as well for its beauty, as for its faculties of curing abundance of Maladies; to which 'tis the more proper, in that it hath an un∣ctuosity familiar to our Body, whose excrementitious humours (the seed of most Diseases) it potently resolves. For as Plants are of a middle nature between Minerals and Animals; so they are more proper and safe for the preservation and restoring of Man's health than Animals themselves, which by reason of their similitude act less on us; or than Minerals and inanimate Bodies, which through the too great diversity of their nature act with too much violence.

The Second said, That this Herb heats, resolv's, deterges, and is somewhat astringent; whence it is, that its leafs apply'd hot to the head cure the Meagrim and old headach, proceeded from cold or wind; and if the pain be contumacious, you must rub the place first with oyl of Orange-flowers. Moreover, 'tis us'd for the Cramp, and all other pains arising from the same cold humour; particularly, for that of the Teeth, by filling them with the leaf bruis'd. Its decoction in common Water is good for maladies of the Breast of the same kind, as the Asthma, and old Coughs, causing expectoration of the phlegm which produces it. Also, Its smoak taken by the nose, and swallow'd down by respiration, frequently cures the Asthmatick, and such as have ulcers in the Lungs; by the same reason that Galen saith, he saw a Baker's Wife cur'd of one, by frequent respiration of a hot and dry Air, which she attracted as she put her bread into the Oven, and took it out again. The leaves roasted under the ashes, and apply'd hot with their ashes to the Navil, are good for the Wind-collick, and other obstructions of the Bowels proceeding from the above∣said causes; especially, for crudities of the Stomach. The Indian women make use of it to kill worms, making their children take a very little quantity of it with Sugar; but more safely by apply∣ing the leafs to the Navil, and adding a very little of the juice in lotions. The same, apply'd, helps the Stone-Collick, and is high∣ly advantageous in strangulations of the womb, being laid like∣wise upon the Navil; and if Women have their usual swoonings, the smoak puff'd into their nostrils fetches them again. They also ease the pains of swoln limbs, and cold Gowts. Scurf, Itch, Child-blanes, and clefts of the heels, proceeding from cold, are cur'd by being rub'd therewith, as also venomous wounds and bitings: Whereof the Spaniards bear witness, who seizing upon a part of the Indies, the Cannibals assaulted them with enve∣nom'd Arrows, the wounds whereof they cur'd by sprinkling them with prepar'd Sublimate; all their stock whereof being spent, the wounded dy'd, till it was found that the juice of To∣bacco, apply'd, wrought the same effect. Moreover, the leaves

stop the blood of fresh wounds, and agglutinate them. The juice heals old Ulcers, and prevents Gangreens. The Indian Priests, observing all these virtues, transferr'd them to the My∣steries of their Religion: For being interrogated concerning the events of War, they suck the smoak of this Herb with long Canes, then suffer themselves to fall down, and being after∣wards awakened, relate wonders to their hearers, giving them to understand that they have had divine Dreams. They make use of it likewise, to recover weariness, and support hunger, burning certain shells, and powdering them with equal quantity of these leaves, of which they make pills, which they lay be∣tween the lower lip and the teeth, continually sucking their liquor, which, if it nourish not, at least it takes away the sense of the inconveniences of hunger and thirst; which is an admi∣rable secret, whereby they travel two or three days together. Possibly by their example our Sailers, and Souldiers who have been at Sea, take Tobacco with so much pleasure, that since they have once gotten a habit of it, they cannot be broken from it by the severest Laws: For to alledg the prejudice of excessive taking Tobacco, is of no more moment than what should be said against Wine for its abuse; it having been said by many, That those things must be excellent which are capable of being abus'd; and this may always be inferr'd from that immutable practice of Tobac∣co, That there is a great familiarity between it and our Nature; since the Grand Signior cannot hinder his Turks from the use of it, who nevertheless abstain from Wine.

The Third said, That if ever Pliny's condemning and decry∣ing Drugs and forreign Roots was reasonable, it was chiefly at the time when the Trade of the Indies transmitted them to us in Europe, and, with their use, new and unknown Diseases: Amongst which Medicaments, Tobacco, as 'tis the most common, so 'tis the more dangerous, in that a false opinion of health and pur∣gation gives it credit, although its temperament, hot and dry in a high degree, renders it not only contrary to young and chole∣rick people, and to the stomach, which it provokes to vomit∣ing; but by a peculiar malignity 'tis an enemy to the Brain, causing Stupefaction, Vertigo, Lethargy, and a dulness of all its Powers, and by a violent desiccation spoling its natural consti∣tution: For 'tis so far from dis-inebriating, that, on the contrary, by its sharp and biting vapours it fills the head, and intoxicates much more; like Opium, the herb of which it resembles; nei∣ther of them serving for any thing but to trouble the Reason; upon which account Tobacco is a sworn enemy to Hellebore, which every one knows is the remedy for Folly, and promotes the good constitution of the Brain. As for the evacuation of phlegm, for which it is esteem'd; besides that 'tis a dangerous thing to purge such as are in perfect health, as most takers of To∣bacco are; 'tis certain, that all sort of smoak is bad for the Brain, which it clouds and dulls, by stirring the animal Spirits,

and filling the cavities of its Ventricles, which it also infects by its smell, and pricks its Membranes by its Acrimony, inseparable from every kind of fume; it being found, that men have had black scirrhous spots in the Meninges, produc'd by the vapours of Tobacco they were accustom'd to take; which Custom also enuring Nature in that manner to evacuate the pituitous excre∣ments, whereof the Brain is never destitute, if the use thereof be at any time interrupted, great accidents happen by that de∣fluxion, which had gotten a long course that way, and turn'd the Custom of it into Necessity; which use. (besides) being shameful, and proper only to Rogues and Robbers, whom our Arrests comprise under the name of Takers of Tobacco; it seems that the name and effects of this Herb are of as bad an odour as its smoak.

The Fourth said, That the Brain being the source not only of all cold maladies, but also of most affections of the Lungs, whose scituation and spongy substance makes them the Emun∣ctory of all the superiour Parts; whence the Asthma, Peripneu∣monia, Empyema, Phtisick, Cough, Orthopnaea, and other af∣fections of the Breast, caus'd by defluxion of humidity falling from the Brain upon the Lungs; Physick hath invented three sorts of Remedies to divert the course of those Excrements, namely, Errhines, Ptarmicks, and Apophlegmatisms. Errhines compos'd of Rue, Gentian, Celandine, Origanum, and other detersive Simples, attract the phlegm adhering to the Mem∣branes of the Brain, and evacuate it by the Nose. Ptarmicks, or Sternutatories, which are made of the above-mention'd things powder'd, or of Pepper and white Hellebore, Euphorbium, Castoreum, and Pyrethrum, by their acrimony stimulating the expulsive faculty of the Brain, to excretion of the pituitous Ex∣crements which are in its Ventricles. Apophlegmatisms, us'd ei∣ther in Masticatories or Gargarisms, or by rubbing the palate of the Mouth, are made of Mastick, roasted Raisins, Hyssop, Origanum, bark of Caper-roots, Mustard, Turbith, and such other things as melt and attenuate phlegm, and make it distil down the Palate of the Mouth. Now Tobacco may serve for these three Uses, being taken either by the Nose, or in the Mouth, as a Masticatory; but not in smoak, which is an enemy to the Brain and Spirits.

[ II] Upon the Second Point it was said, That Nature having given wild Beasts Horns,* 1.2 Claws, or Teeth for their defence, has yet produc'd Man wholly naked, and without any other Arms but those of Reason; to shew, that being a Reasonable Animal, he needed no other arms to decide his Quarrels with his like, but Justice and right Reason. Nevertheless, Necessity having ob∣lig'd him to defend himself from Beasts, Robbers, and Publick Enemies, he hath, instead of fifty-cuffs, stones, cudgels, and bones of Animals, his first Weapons, made use of Iron, framing

it into Swords, Axes, Spears, and Javelins; till encreasing in ma∣lice, to offend at greater distance, he invented Slings and Ba∣lists, then ambulatory Machins to enter Places, and beat down the Walls of Cities: Yea, Fire was likewise brought into use; by some, that of Burning-glasses, with which Archimedes burnt the Ships of Marcellus, who besieg'd the City of Syracuse; by others, Granado's, and Pitch-barrels set on fire, as Caesar did at the Siege of Marseilles and Alexandria. But all this was nothing, in comparison to the Gun; which although, according to the Portugal Relations, invented in the 85. year of our Lord, in the Kingdom of China, where most other Inventions began, by one of their Kings, nam'd Vitey, a great Magician; yet appear'd not in Europe till about the year 1350. when it was found out by one named Bertoldus, a German, occasionally, by the experience which he saw happen in a mixture of Sulphur and Nitre, inclos'd in a ves∣sel over the Fire, in order to an operation of Chymistry, where∣of he made profession. This mischievous and diabolical Inven∣tion, having been hatch'd in the Country of the North, (whence the Scripture assures us that all evil is to come) was afterwards carried from thence into Italy, and then into France, Anno 1366. by some Germans, who also gave two pieces of Artillery to the Venetians who besieg'd Claudia Fossa, a Town belonging to the Genoeses, from whom it was presently taken by these new En∣gines; which, although small, and ill made, being only of Iron bow'd, and hoop'd together with Iron bands, yet fail'd not to produce their effect.

The Second said, Since Kings are call'd Gods in Scripture, 'twas reasonable they should be arm'd with Thunder, which might make them reverenc'd by others; there being no better expedient to preserve Majesty, than Terrour. And as the de∣pravation of men renders War in these last Ages as necessary as just; so, without doubt, the most powerful way of overcom∣ing, must also be the most advantageous and considerable. This is it which hath made Artillery so esteem'd by Sovereigns, that they have lodg'd it in Arsenals and Magazens with their Treasuries, and given it in charge to great Masters, principal Officers of their Crown; making a shew of it to Strangers, as the abridgment of their Power, and a mark of their Soveraignty. Moreover, 'tis by this Cannon-Law that all their Quarrels are decided: These are the last Embassadors which carry their Commands with exe∣cution; and those whose ears are stopp'd to their other Reasons, always find peremptory ones in the mouth of their Cannons. For as the Mosaical Law was given amongst Thunders and Light∣nings from Mount Sinai; and that of Christianity confirm'd by a Tempest of Wind and Fire: In like manner, Princes at this day establish not their Laws more powerfully than by help of the Thunder-claps of their Artillery; as the Conquest of the new World makes manifest, the easiness whereof is due only to this Invention, which made those Nations receive Laws of Re∣ligion

and State from such as shot the first Cannons amongst them, at the report of which they presently yielded; conceiving that there was something divine in those Machins, which have likewise been the Keys of Gold, wherewith they have enriched Europe by another way of Alchimy than that to which the Dis∣ciples of this Science employ it. Moreover, by this Invention, which secures Commerce, the boldness has been taken to over∣run the World, and despoil it of all its Riches; the Conquest whereof hath been more or less easie, according as its use was known or unknown to the invaded Nations. The truth is, he that shall make comparison of the ancient Machins, Rams, Slings, Balists, or Bows, with any Fire-Arms whatever, will find that theirs were but Childrens-play, in respect of our true Combates. And so far is this Invention from doing wrong to Valour, that (on the contrary) it advances the same to its high∣est point: For if Valour appears only proportionally to the dan∣gers it incurs, then there is most room for the exercising of it where the greatest are present. Now the ruine of some particu∣lar Persons, is not considerable, in respect of the publick advan∣tage, to which the good of every one, consider'd by himself, is subordinate; seeing that these Arms serve as well for the Defen∣sive as the Offensive, the one and the other being only respective, regard being had no those that employ them; that which serves for defence to one, being offence to the other. And besides, the Sword, which for so many Ages hath kill'd many more, would be more subject to this blame. But, on the contrary, the excellence of a Weapon consists in killing and terrifying, since 'tis an Instrument of War, whereof the principal end is to exter∣minate Enemies; for the fewer are left, the sooner it is ended; and in the speedy razing of their Fortresses, consists the beating down of their Pride and Confidence. Wherefore, seing no Invention in the World can be without its inconveniences, one or two cannot counter-balance the good which Artillery hath brought, by the Conquest of so many Kingdoms and Riches; so that if Arms are most usefull for the preservation and amplifica∣tion of a State, the Invention of the Gun must be the more so, inasmuch as it is the most powerful Instrument of War, surpassing all other Arms in execution; and making a Prince not only obey'd during War, but also respected and redoubted in Peace, during which 'tis employ'd to testify the publick rejoycings and gladnesses.

The Third said, As Philosophy is the noblest exercise of Man, so Morality is the fairest part of Philosophy; whence Socrates acquir'd the honour of having brought it down from Heaven. The most excellent part of Morality is the Politicks, of which the noblest piece is the Art Military, as Mechaniques are the noblest part of this Art. Hence Caesar is more particularly ex∣act in describing the construction of his Bridges, and other En∣gines, than his war-like exploits. Since then the Gun is with∣out

dispute the goodliest part of the Mechanicks, it follows that the Gun and its Invention is the goodliest thing of the World. For the excellence of an Engine consists in moving a great weight speedily, and to the greatest distance that may be, as the Cannon alone doth, whose power would be judg'd impossible, did not Experience attest it: Nor doth its violence depend upon the ordinary rules of Nature, the Principle of the regular mo∣tion of every Body; but 'tis caus'd by the same Nature consti∣tuted in a violent state, in danger of admitting either a Vacuum or penetration of Dimensions; to avoid which, she sometimes breaks the Cannon; or, if the same be too strong, she violently drives out the iron bullet, which hinders the free eruption of the inflamed matter, which, by reason of the rarefaction of its parts, requiring 10000 times more place than before, and not finding the same in the Cannon, issues forth to seek it; by the same rea∣son that an Exhalation inflam'd in the middle Region of the Air, disengages it self from its prison, by breaking the Cloud which holds it inclos'd in its belly, thereby forming the Light∣nings and Thunders, whereof the shots of the Cannon are true Images upon Earth, where nothing comes nearer Thunder; and consequently the Power of God, who oftentimes imploys those Arms to punish the crimes of men: Whence Pagan Antiquity assign'd indeed severally a Trident, a Sythe, a Bow a Helmet, a Lance, a Club, a Sword, and such other Instruments, to their false Deities; but all attributed Thunder to the mightiest of the Gods.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of Tobacco.
• * 1.2

  Whether the Invention of Guns hath done more hurt than good.