The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-10-24
That he had never given any counsel, oil
whch.w mle dying he repented
ANTIQUITIES AND CURIosETIES

SIR Haiier R1ieigh'S Tobacco Bor.-in
the cabinet Of the American Antiquarian
Saclcty Is alead.n vessel, ascer tained by
we'll authenticated history To have been
,hr deposit of Sir " liter Raleigh's tohae.
CO. Any rclict Of man So celebrated, Of
one equally distingn,rd by his daring
spirit of adventure and unhappy fate, is
greatly Interesting. OF his fonduess for
the plant, which at this tIme has become
luxury 10 most persons aud Il necessary of
life 10 numbers, many records are prcsety.
ed. In the letters which are ascrbcd 10
Sh.t spearc, the writer remarks on the do
nleatic habits Of Sir Walter, at IsIiogton
" where that great man. shut III, often
taketb pipe Of his new plant, called II
bacca, IN a morning whilst the 1hnir
world ~ too narrowe for his thought,
which hear helpeth It much, aud NAV be
said, for "A truth, 10 enable him 10 draw
light from smoke" The story u. tie.
servant is well known, who approached
hl4 masters study, with a tankard of ale,
while he was regalng himself with ms
pipe; seeing the daIky wreaths Of smoke
freely issuing from the mouth Of the gal
Iant Knight, and seized with constrrnatlnn
at the strange appearance, he lncontincntly
concluded that his head was ON fire. and
for the purpose Of extingulshing tae con-
A,gatlnn, threw the beverage In his face
and He'd.
More satisfactory testimony of his love
for the Indian weed IS tuaishrd by the
dimensions OF the box uscl or its rrcrp-
ton, SO ample that the most inveter,te
fryD IL If l,u tuanI
ty In replcush the magazine mure than
once in a week, should it be stored To lis
hrim for his accommodation. The vessel
IS about four inches in diameter, two ia
depth, and OF the capacity of half pound
of the kite foot" or a half pint liquid
measure. At the top, its rim is defended
by an embossed circle and the bottom is
secured and ornamented by similar pro-
lection ofchased and wrought metal. The
whole is of lead, and its appearance Is mas
siye aud singular.
The most obstinate derider of those rpl-
les preserved by the antiquarian with 81
affection 81 true, anda veneraton 5" pro-
found as almost To amount TO ioltry and
superstition, would hp tempted tn relax
his rigid and ster6 contempt for the inno-
cent acquisitions Of The collector of curi-
osl'cs, when contemplating this simple
memeuto OF one of the greatest minds of
England. No vivid exercise of Imagination
is requisite 10 paint the gallant Sir Walter,
accompanied by this companion, during
bis long confinement IN the tower, in the
solitude of his dungeon, regallng himself
with his pipe, and Thlle the dusk> folds Of
smoke curlrd aud wreathed around its
walls, forgetting the long series of calami-
ties, the alienated favour of the, tickle mul.
ttude, and the severity of a capricions
prince, and dreaming of the golden visions
of the western continent, which afterwards
allured him 10 his fate. Wicklow not for how
many bright inventions IN his curious his
tories we are indebted to TINS spacious ma
gazinc. But we do know, that whether
It's association with Raleigh was during the
summer time of his coutt favor with the
manly Ehzabeth, the dark days of his res
idence in. the Tower undrr the w0nanke
James, his adventurous voyages to the new
world, when he eloquently pleaded for his
life and liberty before the Judges OF the
realm, when he masnanimopsly resigned
himself to death, or whatefr sicisaitude
oI his eyentfuI life, il is d.eplA interesting
Tor the memory OF the exaltSi gnwers aud
bold sprit of its former possessof.