Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-08-31
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST"l.
The fragrant Pinch.


Snuff taking is indeed All odd custom. II
we came suddenly upon it in foreign country,
md had been unacquainted with it before 1t
HnnL] make US split our sides with laughter
i grave old gentlemen takes little caskct out
If his rocket, puts finger and thumb III:
brings away pinch OF a sort OF powder, and
then with the most serious air possible. as II
he we're doing one of the most important actions
If his life. (for even with the most indifferent
suuff.takers there is look of importance, pro-
ceeds to thrust it at his nose after which he
shakes his head, or his waistcoat, or his nose
itself. or ali three, in the style Of man who
has done his duty, and satisfied the most Sc
rous claim of his we'll beng.
It's curious to see the various modes ~
which people taken snuff some do 1t by little
fits aud starts, and get over the thing quickly
These are epigrammatic snuff takers, who
come to the point as fast As possible. and to
whom the puugcncy is everything They gen
orally use sharp aud severe snuff, sort Of
essence OF pin-pointS. Others are all urbanity
aud polished demeau0r; they value the style as
much as the sensation, and offer the box 10
those around them as much out OF dignity AZ
brneyoence. Some take snuff irritably, others
bushfully, others in Il manner as dry ~ snulf
itself. generally with an economy of the rege,,
table; others with luxuriance of gesture and
Il lavishneSs Of supply that announce moister
article, and shed its supertuous honorS over
shirt front and coat DIR. johnson was prob
ABLY snuff taker of this kind. He used to
take it out of his waistcoat pocket instead OF a
box. There is species of long. snuff,
takers that perform the operation in style OF
potent and elaborate preparation. ending with
4 sudden activity But smaller and rounder
man sometimes attempts it. he first puts his
head on one side. then stretches forth the
arm. With pinch in hand, then brings round his
hand as a snuff:taxiDg elephant might his
trunk, and finally shakes snuff, head. nose TO-
vpth .r in sudden vehemence of CONFUSION,
his eyebrows all the while lifted up, as if to
make room for the onset; and when he has end
ed he draws himself back to his perpendlcu-
lar. and generally proclaims the victory he has
won over the insipidity Of the present moment
bya sniff and u great ''Ha y
Snuff, originally introduced as u medicine,
speedily became better known as Il luxury, and
the qualification Of Il pinch was generally IN
dugeL in in Spun, Italy and France during the
early part of the seventeenth century 1t WAS
much patronizcd by the clergy, Il patronage
which led to the anathcma OF Pope Urban
VIII. in 1924, against any person who TOOK
snuff in church. In lie bon Usage du Tabac
en- Poudrc Paris l1uO,l the author says 1t is
the passion of prelatcS and abbcS the rcll-
gouS community generally arc fond OF u and
in spite Of the Pope and his ordinances, the
Spanish priest; will not >crUplc to lace their
snuff. boxes on the altar for their use.
Its, however, to the courtiers of lie Grand
Monurque that VIC owe the introduction of
luxuriouSly- scented snuffS and costly Snuf.boxes
Strange to say, that monarch entertained 4
strong antipathy to tobacco III any form. and
strovc to discourage the Use of snuff by insist
ing upon bis valet>-dc- chambrc disseminating
itS use upon their appointment One OF them,
The buc 4 Iiarcourt, is said to have dieu OF
apuplexy in consequence Of giving upthlS prac-
tice; in which he had previously INDUCED to IL
large extent. The Kings daughters were no
enemies to tobacco, aud had their private snuff
boxes indeed, the fashion, became SO general
in France that u snuff: box of elegant material
was part of the toilet of a beauty of ton.
In these its early days, snuff was made by
rubbing roll or carottc, Of tobacco upon Il
brass crater, then fixed in all snuff boxes the
THUS powdered weed was then scooped up in
Il small spoon or shell, placed upon the back Of
the hand and 50 Snutfed up the nose.
The popularity Of SNUFF in England was much
Increased after the great plague, which added
It powerful impetus TO the consumption OF to-
hacco When William assembled the throne,
il WI, considered the thing to have taste IN
,uuffs magnificent boxes OF every description
warc displayed and al the beaux carried
clorlded canes, with gold or silver hollow heads,
that snuff might be- conveniently inhaled
through the pertarotions, as they srrolled
about town - hunGrrs .ioR,nui