THE HISTORY OF THE IMPORTATION OF THE TOBACCO PLANT INTO EUROPE, AND THE
ORIGIN OF SMOKING IN ENGLAND.
The earth, perhaps, has never offered to the use of man a herb, whose
history and adoption offer so varied a subject for thought and the mind's
speculation, as tobacco. In whatever light we view it, there is something
to interest the botanist, the physician, the philosopher, and even the
historian, while, from the singularity of its discovery in a corner of the
world where it had remained so long concealed, it would almost seem
intended by Providence, to answer some especial purpose in the creation.
Few things ever created a greater sensation than it did, on its first
introduction into Europe. It was adopted with an avidity, so far from
decreasing with time, that the experience of nearly three centuries has
but rendered it universal. That the habits of snuffing, and smoking, are
not beneficial to the human constitution, has been asserted as a fact by
many _savans_, and more powerfully defended by others. Probably, after
all, the most singular thing in favour of these habits is, that the
practice of them, which should perfect our knowledge, advocates so
strongly their use as agreeable stimulants, promoting cheerfulness, and
mild and gentle in their operation when not adopted to too great an
extent. This will be found the belief among the most enlightened, as well
as the millions who echo its praises, from every clime and corner of the
habitable globe.
The precise introduction of the tobacco plant into Europe, from the varied
and contradictory accounts that exist concerning it, is involved in some
obscurity. That it was unknown to the Europeans, till the discovery of
South America by that indefatigable voyager Columbus, is certain;
although Don Ulloa,[1] a Spaniard, and a writer of celebrity in the last
century, would fain have shown that the plant was indigenous to several
parts of Asia; as China, Persia, Turkey, and Arabia. He asserts, with some
ingenuity we grant, that the plant was known and used in smoking in those
countries, long previous to the discovery of the New World. But, as the
Old Testament and the Koran, books that treated of the most trifling
Eastern customs, make not the slightest mention of it, and more especially
as no travellers have ever recorded its existence previous to the
discovery of America, we cannot but dismiss the supposition, for want of
data, as idle in the extreme.
Although we cannot, with the powers of observation Columbus is said to
have possessed, but imagine the plant must have been known to him,
particularly as it was so popular among the natives, yet no mention is
made of that fact or of its introduction into Spain by him. On the
contrary, one account furnished us, attributes it to Hernandez de Toledo,
and another with a greater show of probability to Fernando Cortes.
This latter adventurer, after the death of his great and ill-fated
predecessor, succeeded to the command of a flotilla to prosecute those
researches in the New World, as it was then called, that promised such an
influx of wealth to the nation. It was in the year 1519 that Cortes,
flushed with the sanguine expectations of an ambitious people, set out to
take possession, in the name of the Spanish sovereignty, of a country
whose treasures were deemed boundless.
Coasting along for several days, he came to a part of the shore of a very
rich and luxuriant description, which induced him to come to anchor, and
land; the natives asserting that it abounded in gold and silver mines.
This place was a province of _Yucatan_ in the Mexican Gulf, called
_Tobaco_, the place from whence tobacco is supposed to have derived its
present name. There it was that the plant was discovered, in a very
thriving and flourishing state. Among the natives who held it in the
greatest possible esteem and reverence, from the almost magical virtues
they attached to it, it was called _petun_, and by those in the adjoining
islands _yoli_. So singular a production of the country could not but
draw the attention of the Spanish commander to it. The consequence was,
that a specimen of it was shipped home with other curiosities of the
country, with a long detail of its supposed astonishing virtues, in
pharmacy. In the latter end of the year the plants arrived at their
destination, and this may fairly be deemed to have been their first entry
into the civilized portion of the world.
A dreadful disease, first brought from America by the last return of
Columbus, raged about this period with a fearful and unchecked virulency
in Spain, committing dreadful devastations on the human frame, and finally
ending in the most horrible death imagination could picture. This
circumstance served to procure it a most sanguine welcome; for the sailors
composing the fleet, having learnt it from the natives, had disseminated
the belief, that it was the only known antidote against its ravages,--that
it in fact answered the purposes of mercury in the present day, a belief
welcomed with enthusiasm, and ending in despair.
No sooner, however, was its inefficacy perceived, than it sunk in the
estimation of its worshippers, as low as it previously had risen. Indeed,
into such obscurity did it fall after the hopes it had vainly excited,
that nearly forty years elapsed, ere it obtained any notice worth
commemorating. At about the end of that period, however, we find that it
had regained the ground it had previously lost, on a surer and better
footing, as a soothing and gentle stimulant.
From Spain, the plant was carried into Portugal; and from thence,
gradually exported to the different kingdoms throughout Europe. Shortly
after this, it was sent to the East, where it soon came into notice, as a
narcotic, and consequently found a ready market. Peculiar facilities at
this time too presented themselves to the Spaniards, above every other
nation; for Vasco de Gama, another of its adventurers, had discovered and
explored a great portion of the countries lying beyond the Cape of Good
Hope. Among other articles, exchanged in the way of commerce with the
natives, was tobacco: and this, despite of the reasoning of Don Ulloa
mentioned some time back, was the first channel through which Hindostan,
Arabia, and China, received the plants, now so common throughout the whole
of the Eastern Empire. This occurred about the year 1560, shortly after it
had been carried into France and Italy.
While the nations of the Peninsula were thus distinguishing themselves,
and in the meridian of their glory, extending their discoveries,
conquests, and trade to the furthermost parts of that world which they had
opened to the eyes of astonished Europe, England, for a time, was
incapacitated from pursuing a similar course by intestine broils and
factions at home. And even when Elizabeth ascended the throne, her
naturally enterprising and ambitious spirit was almost solely confined to
arranging domestic discords, and settling foreign quarrels.
Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a plain blunt soldier, instigated by feelings of
emulation and national enterprise, was the first to direct the attention
of the maiden queen towards the benefits that would naturally result from
planting a British colony in America. At his request a patent was granted,
empowering him to plant and colonize some of the southern districts. He
accordingly fitted out a squadron at his own expense, and proceeded on his
voyage, which, from different circumstances that occurred, miscarried. A
similar fate attended two subsequent attempts, when Sir Humphrey's
half-brother, the after-celebrated Sir Walter Ralegh or Raleigh, as it is
now spelt, returned home from the wars in the Netherlands.
Inspired by a restless ambition that ever distinguished this great man, he
succeeded in persuading the knight to undertake a fourth voyage, offering
to accompany him himself. Combining courage, enterprise, and perseverance,
with a degree of knowledge little known at the period we treat of, few men
were better qualified for the successful execution of such an enterprise
than Raleigh. The sequel proved the truth of this remark, Newfoundland was
discovered and taken; though the original gallant projector, Sir Humphrey
Gilbert, we have recorded, was drowned on his passage home.
In the year 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh applied for the renewal of the
letters patent in his own name, which the queen immediately granted him.
Having fitted out a squadron, he put to sea, and after a somewhat tedious
voyage, discovered Wingandacoa, which he afterwards called _Virginia_, in
honor of Elizabeth. On his return, he was received with peculiar favour by
the queen, who testified her satisfaction by making him a knight, while
she lent a willing ear towards the colonizing schemes Sir Walter opened to
her aspiring view.
In pursuance of some of these, Sir Richard Grenville, another relation of
Sir Walter Raleigh's, was sent out with Captain Lane, whom he left in
command of one hundred men in one of the southern districts of the
country, appointing him at the same time to act as governor; and promising
to return to him before the next spring with stores and fresh provisions.
Circumstances, that have never yet been properly explained to this day,
prevented Sir Richard from keeping his word, in consequence of which, the
colony was reduced to great distress. Shortly afterwards, taking the
advantage of Sir Francis Drake's return from the Spanish wars, they
embarked on board his ships for England, where they arrived in the month
of July, A. D. 1686, with their commander, Lane. Among the specimens of
the productions and peculiarities of the country, they brought with them
that which forms our subject, the tobacco plant.
This, by some, is said to have been its first importation into Great
Britain; Lobel, however, asserts, it was cultivated here in 1570, a
statement plausible enough, we admit, considering the previous length of
time the plant had been known in Spain and Portugal, but yet
irreconcileable with the data our own historical research gives us. That
it might indeed have been introduced from France previous to its
importation from Virginia, and cultivated in trifling quantities, is
highly probable, inasmuch as the French date its first appearance among
them in 1560, just ten years previous to Lobel's affirmation. _Linnaeus_
likewise mentions that the plant became known in Europe the same year the
French date from, and _Humboldt_ so far corroborates him, as to state that
seeds of it were received from Yucatan in 1559.
That it was known in France, some years previous to its being carried into
England, from the above accounts handed down to us, we cannot doubt. The
French history of the importation of the plant into their country,
attributes it to _Jean Nicot_ of Nismes, who was their ambassador at the
court of Lisbon in the reign of Francis II. Some of the seed, we are
informed, was given him by a Dutchman, who had brought it with him from
Florida. This, we imagine, must have been shortly after it had begun to
regain notice in Spain.
Impressed with the current account of its properties as a medicine and
luxurious stimulant, he sent a portion of it home, where it arrived, and
under high court patronage soon became popular.
In England--and we shall now proceed to note our own accounts of the
subject,--the first importer is very commonly thought to have been Sir
Walter Raleigh, who is said to have brought it from Virginia in 1586--a
period when the tobacco plant was known throughout nearly the whole of
Europe, while whole fields of it were cultivated for commerce in Spain and
Portugal. If it is to be attributed to an Englishman, few possess a better
claim to the honor than Sir Francis Drake, as he had made several voyages
to the _New_ World in 1570-2-7, ere Raleigh had undertaken his first. This
idea is exactly in accordance, too, with the dates furnished us by
_Lobel_, _Linnaeus_ and _Humboldt_. Independent of this strong
circumstantial evidence, Bomare[2] and Camden[3] both attribute its first
appearance to him,--authority not to be disputed for a moment.
That Sir Walter was the first distinguished individual that set the
fashion of smoking, we have recorded, although this, we are again told,
was taught him by the notorious Ralph Lane, whose adventure, we have a
page or too back slightly touched upon. Lane had himself learnt the habit,
from the Virginians, and having brought several of their pipes home with
him, communicated it to Raleigh, who indulged in it greatly, as a pleasant
pastime. It was during one of his pleasing reveries under the soothing
influence of the pipe, that the well-known anecdote is said to have
occurred of a lacquey drenching him with water, supposing from the smoke
he saw issuing from his nose and mouth that he was internally on fire. To
such a degree, indeed, did he adopt and set the fashion of smoking, that
he was frequently in the habit of giving entertainments to his friends, in
which the fare consisted of pipes of tobacco, and ale seasoned with
nutmegs--a somewhat curious origin of smoking-parties, or divans, in
England. The result was, the example of a man so justly celebrated and
popular was soon imitated by the court, and in the course of years
gradually became common among the lower orders of people.
Elizabeth, notwithstanding her strong and powerful mind, possessed the
sex's natural vanity and love of novelty to a great degree, and would
seem to have very warmly patronized the custom; some writers of the period
have gone as far as to affirm, in her own person. We are further borne out
in this statement by the authority of the _Biographia Britannica_, that
the _ladies_ of the court indulged in smoking the fragrant herb, as well
as the noblemen and gentle men. That the queen therefore set a personal
example, is by no means so strange. What a striking contrast does this
afford, in regard to the taste expressed by the sex in the present day
towards tobacco!
In reference to the nomenclature of the tobacco plant, like that of most
things handed down to posterity, it admits of many versions. As we have
previously observed in America, it was termed among the natives, _petun_
and _yoli_, besides other barbarous names, probably each appellation
peculiar to a different tribe. On the appearance of the plant in England,
it received the name it is still recognized by, namely, Tobacco. This
word, by some writers, is supposed to have had its derivation from
_Tobago_ in the West Indies, while others assert it is derived from
_Tobaco_, a different place altogether; which latter, from its closer
approximation to the word _tobacco_, we cannot but imagine correct. In
botany it is more particularly known under the scientific appellation of
_Herba Nicotiana_, so named on its introduction into France, in compliment
to her ambassador, _Jean Nicot of Nismes_, from whom it was received. It
was also well known under the imposing titles of _Herba Reginae Catharinae
Medicae_, and _Herba Reginae_: the first given in honor of the queen, and
the latter of a grand prior of the house of Lorraine, both of whom were
the first receivers of the plant, and fostered it on account of the many
virtues it was supposed to be possessed of in pharmacy. In different
countries its names were various. In Italy at that time it was called _St.
Crucis_, taken from _St. Croix_, an apostolic legate who brought it into
the country, somewhere in the middle of the 16th century. The Dutch call
it TABOC, or _Taboco_, indifferently. Some of the German writers describe
it under the name of the _Holy_ or the _Indian Healing Herb--Heilig
wundkraut_, or _Indianisch wundkraut_. In most other countries _Tobac_ or
_Tabac_ prevails.
Notwithstanding the extreme popularity that attended the introduction of
the plant generally throughout Europe, there were not wanting those
sovereigns who testified an antipathy at first to the tobacco plant,
little short of that, for which king James was afterwards remarkable--of
whom we shall have occasion to speak anon.
Amurath the Fourth forbade its introduction in any form whatever within
his dominions under very severe penalties. The Czar of Muscovy and the
king of Persia issued edicts of a similar nature, while Pope Urban the
Eighth made a bull to excommunicate all those who took tobacco into
churches.