The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-11


volume, wholly devoted to the praise of to.
bacco, that he found in booksellers attic
in one of his book-hunting excursions. The
book. bound in blue muslin, limp, bears the
imprint of Burgess, Stringer & Company,
New York, 1874, and has this title: "The
history and mystery of putting; or few fra
grant whiffs of the weed, evolving sundry
pleasant, pithy and profitable hints touching
the poetry of smoking; enlivened with divers
curious Illustrative anecdotes. By T..
Backey." In those days tite-page was
almost a catalogue rdisonne. The volume
contains much matter in prose and verse
quite familiar, as Charles Lambs whimsical
farewell to tobacco. Byron's characteristic
eulogy on the naked beauties of cigar, ex-
cerpts from the Hymnus Tobaci of Doctor
Raphaele Thorius, and King James's famous
"Counterblaste," in which, it may be re-
membered, the royal retormer vigorously de-
nounces the "vile and sinking custome"
which ''comes from the wilde, goddess and
slavsh Indians" and says were he TO invite
the Devil to dinner pipe of tobacco would
be part of the refreshment. As Old Nick has
the reputation, in common with some of his
children, of knowing good thing when he
sees it, the pipe would doubtless prove accep-
table-and pleasantly remind him of home
too, for King James AYERS that tobacco is
the lively image and pattern of hell" and
further says: "The smoking of tobacco is a
custome loathsome to the eye, hateful to the
nose, harmeful to the braine, dangerous
to the lunges, and in the blacke and sinking
fame thereof, nearest resembling the horrible
Stygan smoke OF the pit tha. is bottom
lesse."
So much for King James. who is only
quoted as an awful example-for were not
his sins visited upon his son, the Charles who
lost his head? "T. Backey" has "elegant
extracts" for us, as this from Burton's Anat-
omy of Melancholy: ''Diyine, rare, super
excellent tobacco; which goes far beyond all
the panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers
stone-a sovereign remedy for all diseases !"
or this from Bulwer: ga pipe is great
soother, pleasant comforter; blue devils fly
before its honest breath-it ripens the brain,
it opens the heart, and the man who smokes
thinks like a sage, and acts like aSamaritan."
Our author has also discovered that "Iu Lo-
bells botanical work, printed at Antwerp in
1885," tobacco is called Herbd Sancto
Lobel's work, by the way, was first published
in 1881, and about the same time John Lilly
sang of ''our holy herbe nicotiane." For all
his praise of smoking st. Backey' was evil
dently bigoted snuff-taker, tor he speaks of
''the pungent, brain-searching Rapee," and
says: "There is something inexpressibly
in good pinch of snuff. 1t ex-
hiarates the spirits, enliyens the Imagination,
puriies the brain from the cobwebs OF care,
and teammates the entire man."
Much of the matter in this entertaining
little volume is familiar-made so to US by
the magazinists who have drawn literally
upon if, following out with their usual fidelity
Moliere's rule of taking good things wherever
found. Many years ago paper appeared in
Harper's, entitled .'The History and Mystery
of Tobacco" title possibly suggested by
"The History and Mystery of Paffing." Not
a few of the quotations are the same.
The Professor also matches the German
verse in praise of tobacco published in the
Drawer by two sonnets in the French. One
of them is the following, by Lombard (Theo-
dore?):
"Doux charme de ma solitude,
Charmante pipe ardent fonrneau,
Qul pur les d'h1meur mon cerveau
Et mon esprit d'inquietude;
Tabac, don't mon ame est ravie
Lorslue je te vols perdre en- Pair
Aussi promptement qu'un eclair,
Je vols Pimage de ma vie.
Tu remets dams mon souvenir
Ce qu'uu jour je dois d0venir,
eiant qu une cendre animes,
Et, tous confus, e m'apereois
Que, courant apres ia tumees
Je passe aussi vite que toi.''
Observe the tenderness of the charmGnte
pipe, the passion of the ardent fourneau, and
then the gentle moralizing which the kindly
plant provokes.
About the same time was written this con
ceit, which has since occurred to go many
poets aud pYosatears:
"Qui es-tu, pauve mortel-une pipe allumee,
Qui Sc consume ct qui devent ren.
Tes paisirs, ton honneur, ton bien,
Qu' etes vous tous?-cendre ct tum6e."
--"Argosy," richly freighted, brings as lit.
erary cargo a rondeau and a note as bright as
as that brightest and best of all things, a
bright girl. Yorick suspects land pats him
self approvingly on the head for his penetra-
tion) that "Argosy" has as many aliases as a
cosmopolitan adventurer or an Infanta OF
Spain, aud be certainly digniies any name it
peases his caprice to assume. He is kind
enough to say some pretty things about the
Drawer, promising them with the remark
that he cannot slip into Yorick's good graces
by fattery. Oh, no, of course not. That is
understood. Just try it again and see what
happens. Yorick hates fattery, we all do.
However, when it is administered in cap
sule or something OF that sort-and no matter
how thin the capsule is-we take it "unbe-
known-like," and are, perhaps, none the
worse for the dose.
This is Argosy's note:
Your soothing article on pipes and smok-
ing, which was so realistic to the dainty
housewife that she had to find an exit for the
smoke, found even keener response in Argosy.
He was so impressed with the article hat he
could feel the qualmishness of his first at
tempt with the weed that deathly lauguor
which knows no equal. He trusts Yorick
will accept this as a compliment to the force
and pictnresqueness Of the article-it actually
nauseated him. fg
Argosy feels somewhat hesitant In regard
to the note he is about to make. He thinks
he will go ahead, however. In editorial on the
choice OF Governor this week, Argosy saw that
the PRESS considered that the Senate had
chosen the least of two evils Gov. Garcelon.
Argosy thinks it ought to be the lesser of two
evils, and hereby registers his opinion that
the old saw is ungrammatical Is Argosy out
of the perpendicular? Argosy should not
look an old saw in the teeth.
And speSing of that reminds him that a
thought struck MIN few days ago! He has
always wondered if he aods out OF the perpen-
dicular physically as well as mentally. II
not, why in the name of Crispin do his shoes
"ran over" at the heels? Argosy thinks he
is straight, but has concluded that the slope
of our sidewalks outward, giving can't to the
foot, is the foundation of all his troubles. Is
the commissioner in league with the cobbler
Argosv could say many more things, but
feels as if he had said enough for first call.
He thought he would s'make an effort"
Good morning-Oh, stay-by the by -'here
is little thing dashed off this morn as
was cominu down in the harsa oar - IF vOu