TOBACCO IN EUROPE.

The discovery of the tobacco plant in America by European voyagers aroused their cupidity no less than curiosity. They saw in its use by the Indians a custom which, if engrafted upon the civilization of the ओल्ड World, would prove a source of revenue commensurate with their wildest visions of power and wealth. This
was particularly the case with the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, whose thirst for gold was gratified by
its discovery. The finding by the Spaniards of gold, silver, and the balmy plant, and by the Portuguese of
valuable and glittering gems, opened up to Spain and Portugal three great sources of wealth and power. But
while the Spaniards were the first discoverers of the plant there seems to be conflicting opinions as to which
nation first began its culture, and whether the plant was cultivated first in the Old World or in the New.
Humboldt says:--
"It was neither from Virginia nor from South America, but from the Mexican province of Yucatan that Europe
received the first tobacco seeds about the year 1559.[20] The Spaniards became acquainted with tobacco in
the West India Islands at the end of the 15th Century, and the cultivation of Tobacco preceded the cultivation
of the potato in Europe more than one hundred and twenty years. When Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco
from Virginia to England in 1586, whole fields of it were already cultivated in Portugal.[21] It was also
previously known in France."
[Footnote 20: Mussey in his Essay on Tobacco records "That Cortez sent a specimen of the plant to the king
of Spain in 1519." Yucatan was discovered by Hernandez Cordova in 1517, and in 1519 was first settled.]
[Footnote 21: Spain began its culture in Mexico on the coast of Caracas at the islands of St. Domingo and
Trinidad, and particularly in Louisiana.]
Another author says of its introduction into Europe:--
"The seeds of the tobacco plant were first brought to Europe by Gonzalo Hernandez de Oviedo, who
introduced it into Spain, where it was first cultivated as an ornamental plant, till Monardes[22] extolled it as
possessed of medicinal virtues."[23]
[Footnote 22: Pourchat declares that the Portuguese brought it into Europe from Tobago, an island in the West
Indies; but this is hardly probable, as the island was never under the Portuguese dominion.]
[Footnote 23: Monardes wrote upon it only from the small account he had of it from the Brazilians.]
Murray says of the first cultivation of tobacco and potatoes in the Old World:--
"Amidst the numerous remarkable productions ushered into the Old Continent from the New World, there are
two which stand pre-eminently conspicuous from their general adoption. Unlike in their nature, both have
been received as extensive blessings--the one by its nutritive powers tends to support, the other by its narcotic
virtues to soothe and comfort the human frame--the potato and tobacco; but very different was the favor with
which these plants were viewed. The one long rejected, by the slow operation of time, and, perhaps, of
necessity, was at length cherished, and has become the support of millions, but nearly one hundred and twenty
years passed away before even a trial of its merits was attempted; whereas, the tobacco from Yucatan, in less
than seventy years after the discovery, appears to have been extensively cultivated in Portugal, and is,
perhaps, the most generally adopted superfluous vegetable product known; for sugar and opium are not in
such common use. The potato by the starch satisfies the hunger; the tobacco by its morphia calms its
turbulence of the mind. The former becomes a necessity required, the latter a gratification sought for."It would appear then that the year 1559 was about the period of the introduction of tobacco into Europe.
Phillip II. of Spain sent Oviedo to visit Mexico and note its productions and resources; returning he presented
"His Most Catholic Majesty" with the seeds of the plant. In the following year it was introduced into France
and Italy. It was first brought to France by Jean Nicot of Nismes in Languedoc, who was sent as ambassador
to Sebastian, King of Portugal, and who obtained while at Lisbon some tobacco seed from a Dutch merchant
who had brought it from Florida.[24] Nicot returned to France in 1561, and presented the Queen, Catherine de
Medicis, with a few leaves of the plant.[25]
[Footnote 24: Parkinson in his Herball [London, 1640] says:--"It is thought by some that John Nicot, this
Frenchman, being agent in Portugall for the French King, sent this sort of tobacco [Brazil] and not any other
to the French Queene, and is called therefore herba Regina, and from Nicotiana, which is probably because
the Portugalis and not the Spaniards were masters of Brazile at that time."]
[Footnote 25: "Sir John Nicot sent some seeds of it into France, to King Francis II., the Queen Mother, and
Lord Jarnac, Governor of Rochel, and several others of the French Lords."]
As the history of Nicot is so intimately connected with that of the plant, a short sketch of this original importer
will doubtless be interesting to all lovers of the weed:--
"John Nicot, Sieur de Villemain, was born at Nismes in 1530, and died at Paris in 1600. He was the son of a
notary at Nismes, and started in life with a good education, but with no fortune. Finding that his native town
offered no suitable or sufficient field for his energies, he went to Paris and strove hard to extend his studies as
a scholar and his connections as an adventurer. He made the acquaintance of some courtiers, who felt or
affected an interest in learning and in learned men. His manners were insinuating; his character was pliable.
When presented at court he succeeded in gaining the esteem and confidence of Henry II., the husband of
Catherine de Medicis. Francis II., the son of Henry II., and the first husband of Mary Stuart, continued to
Nicot the favor of which Henry II. had deemed him worthy, and sent him in 1560 as ambassador to Sebastian,
King of Portugal. He was successful in his mission. But it was neither his talents as a diplomatist, nor his
remarkable mind, nor his solid erudition, which made Nicot immortal. It was by popularizing tobacco in
France that he gained a lasting fame.
"It is said that it was at Lisbon that Nicot became acquainted with the extraordinary properties of tobacco. But
it is likewise stated with quite as much confidence, that a Flemish merchant, who had just returned from
America, offered Nicot at Bordeaux, where they met, some seeds of the tobacco, telling him of their value.
The seeds Nicot sent to Catherine de Medicis, and on arriving in Paris he gave her some leaves of tobacco.
Hence, when tobacco began to creep into use in France it was called Queen's Herb or Medicean Herb.[26] The
cultivation of tobacco, except as a fancy plant, did not begin in France till 1626; and John Nicot could have
had no presentiment of the agricultural, commercial, financial and social importance which tobacco was
ultimately to assume. Nicot published two works. The first was an edition of the History of France or of the
Franks, in Latin, written by a Monk called Aimonious, who lived in the tenth century. The second was a
'Treasury of the French Language, Ancient and Modern.'"
[Footnote 26: "The Abbe Jacques Gohory, the author of the first book written on tobacao, proposed to call it
Catherinaine or Medicee, to record the name of Medicis and the medicinal virtues of the plant; but the name
of Nicot superseded these, and botanists have perpetuated it in the genus Nicotiana."--Le Maout and
Decaisne.]
Stevens and Liebault in the "Country Farm"[27] give the following account of its early introduction into
France and the wonderful cures produced by its use:
[Footnote 27: London 1606।]
"Nicotiana though it have (has) beene but a while knowne in France yet it holdeth the first and principall place
amongst Physicke herbs, by reason of his singular and almost diuine (divine) vertues, such as you shall heare
of hereafter, whereof (because none either of the old or new writers that have written of the nature of plants,
have said anything), I am willing to lay open the whole history, as I have come by it through a deere friend of
mine, the first author, inventor, and bringer of this herb into France: as also of many both Spaniards,
Portugals, and others which have travelled into Florida, a country of the Indians, from whence this herbe
came, to put the same in writing to relieve such griefe and travell, as have heard of this herbe, but neither
know it nor the properties thereof. This herbe is called Nicotiana of the name of an ambassador which brought
the first knowledge of it into this realme, in like manner as many plants do as yet retaine the names of certaine
Greekes and Romans, who being strangers in divers countries, for their common-wealth's service, have from
thence indowed their own countree with many plants, whereof there was no knowledge before. Some call it
the herbe of Queen mother, because the said ambassador Lord Nicot did first send the same unto the Queen
mother,[28] (as you shall understand by and by) and for being afterwards by her given to divers others to plant
and make to grow in this country. Others call it by the name of the herbe of the great Prior, because the said
Lord a while after sailing into these western seas, and happening to lodge neere unto the said Lord
ambassador of Lisbone, gathered divers plants thereof out of his garden, and set them to increase here in
France, and there in greater quantitie, and with more care than any other besides him, he did so highly esteeme
thereof for the exceeding good qualities sake.
[Footnote 28: George Buchanan, the Scotch Philosopher and poet tutor of James I., had a strong aversion to
Catherine of Medicis, and in one of his Latin epigrams, alludes to the herb being called Medicie, advising all
who valued their health to shun it, not so much from its being naturally hurtful, but that it needs must become
poisonous if called by so hateful a name.]
"The Spaniards call it Tobaco, it were better to call it Nicotiana, after the name of the Lord who first sent it
into France, to the end that we may give him the honor which he hath deserved of us, for having furnished our
land with so rare and singular an herbe: and thus much for the name, now listen unto the whole historie:
Master John Nicot, one of the king's counsell, being ambassador for his Maiestie (Majesty) in the realme of
Portiugall, in the yeere of our Lord God, 1559. 60. and 61. went on a day to see the monuments and northie
places of the said king of Portiugall: at which time a gentleman keeper of the said monuments presented him
with this herbe as a strange plant brought from Florida. The nobleman Sir Nicot having procured it to growe
in his garden, where it had put forth and multiplied very greatly, was aduertifed (notified) on a daie by one of
his pages, that a yoong boie kinsman of the said page, had laide (for triall sake) the said herbe, pressed, the
substance and juice and altogether, upon an ulcer which he had upon his cheeke, neere unto his nose, next
neighbor to a Noli me tangere, (a cancer) as having already seazed upon the cartilages, and that by the use
thereof it was become marvellous well: upon this occasion the nobleman Nicot called the boie to him, and
making him to continue the applying of this herbe for eight or ten days, the Noli me tangere became
thoroughly kild: nowe they had sent oftetimes unto one of the king's most famous phisitions, the said boie
during the time of this worke and operation to make and see the proceeding and working of the said Nicotiana,
and having in charge to do the same until the end of ten days, the said phisition then beholding him, assured
him that the Noli me tangere was dead, as indeed the boie never felt anything of it at any time afterward.
"Some certain time after, one of the cooks of the said ambassador having almost all his thombe (thumb) cut
off from his hand, with a great kitchin knife, the steward running unto the said Nicotiana, made to him use of
it five or six dressings, by the ende of which the wounde was healed. From this time forward this herbe began
to become famous in Lisbon, where the king of Portiugal's court was at that time, and the vertues thereof
much spoken of, and the common people began to call it the ambassador's herbe. Now upon this occasion
there came certain days after, a gentleman from the fields being father unto one of the pages of the said Lord
ambassador, who was troubled with an ulcer in his legge of two years continuance, and craved of the said
Lord some of his herbe, and using it in manner afore mentioned, he was healed by the end of ten or daies. After this yet the herbe grewe still in greater reputation, inasmuch as that many hasted out of all corners
to get some of this herbe. And among the rest, there was one woman which had a great ring worme, covering