I Haue heard it reported, by men of good iudgment, that there is paid out of England and Ireland, neere the value of two hundred thousand pounds euery yeare for Tobacco; and that the greatest part thereof is bought for ready money. Sure I am, that when our Englishmen for these seuen or eight yeares last past, traded for it at Trinidado, or in Ore­noque, [Page] that great store of Gold, Siluer, Coine, and plate was carried hence, and giuen to the Spaniard there in exchange. For so greedy were our English of the Indian Tobacco; as where in the beginning of our traffique there, some yeares since, the Spaniards (as in all new plantations) were prest with all sorts of wants; & had neither cloathes to couer them, nor shooes to tread on, nor bread to eate; and did there­fore exchange their Tobacco for Fish, Wine, Aqua-vitae, all sorts of lasting food, for woollen stockins, hats, threed, hatchets, & the like: they became in a short time so cloyd with all these commodities, as nothing (some Silkes, and Cloath of Siluer and Gold excepted) but rea­dy Money, and Siluer plate could content them.

This Trade therefore, where the Treasure of this land is vented for smoke, cannot but great­ly preiudice the Common-weale: which al­though it were in some sort tollerable, by rea­son that many shippes and Mariners were em­ployed, and that thereby wee kept our know­ledge of the West Indies, and bred many suffi­cient Marriners: yet seeing the Spaniards haue now vtterly banished our Merchants, and put all to the sword, or to a more cruell death, which they can maister, or betray in those parts: I haue thought good, as well for the keeping within the Land of the Treasure before spoken of, then carried into the Indies, and now into [Page] Spaine, as for other respects hereafter remem­bred; to instruct those of our Nation how to sow, plant and perfect this drugge.

For besides the ill exchange made for this fantasticall merchandize, and besides, the ex­treame rate, and price of the Indian Tobacco; of which the greatest part is sold for ten times the value of pepper, and the best of it, weight for weight, for the finest siluer; it is hard to find one pound weight in fiue hundred, that is not sophisticate. The blacke colour which it hath, and for which our Shoppe-keepers praise it, is Artificiall: yea all the Tobacco (the leaues of Hispaniola excepted, which wee call Saint Do­mingo Tobacco) is noynted and slubbered ouer with a kinde of iuyce, or syrope, made of Salt-water, of the dregges or filth of Sugar, called Malasses, or blacke honey, Guiana pepper, and leeze of Wine; to which in some places they adde a red berry called Anotto, and other taw­n [...] Berries, with which the Indians paint their bodies, and their beds. This they doe to giue it colour and glosse, to make it the more mer­chantable, and to giue one and the same coun­tenance to all their rotten, withered, & ground-leaues, which they wrappe vp in the midle of their wreathes, couering them ouer on the out­side with one that is good.

Of this Tobacco, painted with vnwholsome Berries, there hath beene great store brought into England of late, in which the rednesse and [Page] Art was manifest: so hath there beene vented a kinde of filthy leafe, sold by the Portugalles resi­ding in London, the same beeing made vp in rolles of pounds and halfe pounds.

By these Aditaments is the nature and ope­ration of the Tobacco changed, and the Hearbe made vnhealthfull, and extreame dange­rous: for it is well knowne, that how wholsome and medicinable soeuer hunnie it selfe may bee, yet the water of hunnie is starke poyson; and al­though Indian Pepper, scumme of Sugar, or the dregges or leeze of Wine, and the rest, may be wholesome enough some way vsed: yet to take them into the head in fume, cannot but bee greatly offensiue and preiudiciall. But this is not the worst: for since the Spaniards haue obserued, that the English respect but two things chiefly in Tobacco, to wit, the colour, and the biting in the nose, they haue added poyson to the painting, and annoynted the leaues of their Tobacco with common sublimate; by which, though it doe not worke at the instant; yet may the one halfe of all the Gentlemen of England, and many thousands of others be easily poyso­ned in one yeare.

For it is knowne to many that there hath been Tobacco brought out of Spaine, with dissol­ued sublimate, which euery man knowes to bee poyson, and no way so dangerously ministred without suspition, as by fume.

The naturall colour of Tobacco is a deepe [Page] yellow, or a light tawnie▪ and when the Indians themselues sold it vs for Kniues, Hatchets, Beads, Belles, and like merchandise, it had no other complexion, as all the Tobacco at this day hath, which is brought from the coast of Guiana, from Saint Vincents, from Saint Lucia, from Dominica, and other places, where we buy it but of the naturall people; and all these sorts are cleane, and so is that of S^t. Domingo, where the Spaniards haue not yet learned the Art of Sophistication.

There is also a sort of Caraccas Tobacco, which the Indians make vp, and sell to the Spa­niards, which is wholesome enough; but there comes little of it into England

Now besides these harmefull mixtures, if our English which delight in Indian Tobacco, had seene how the Spanish slaues make it vp, how they dresse their sores, and pockie vlcers, with the same vnwasht hands with which they slub­ber and annoynt the Tobacco, and call it sauce Per los perros Luteranos, for Lutheran dogges; they would not so often draw it into their heads and through their noses as they doe: yea many a filthy sauour should they find therein, did not the smell of the hunny maister it; which smell e­uery man may plainly perceiue that takes of the blacke role Tabacco, brought from Orenoque, Trinidado, and else-where.

To the end therefore, as I haue already said, [Page] that the treasures exchanged for Tobacco, may be kept within the Land; that those that delight therin may haue it at a better rate, and to auoyd the danger of the Spanish mixtures, I haue here­under set downe certaine obseruations, by the helpe of which all that are disposed to plant To­bacco in England, may assuredly bring the same to strength and perfection: yea to strength ex­ceeding all that is brought from the Indies.

Now the first thing that you are to take care for, must be the soyle: of which the ground na­turally fertile, is the best, and that which hath not borne any other but grasse: for if you sow your seede in ground enriched with dung, ex­cept you stay two yeare at least, til the dung and the vapour therof be consumed, your Tobacco will retaine the sauour of it.

If you sow it where Cabbage and Turnips haue beene lately sowne; those rootes will also infect your Tobacco with their smell. Nay you must take care that your ground be not ouer-far: for the fattest grounds bring forth so thicke and so rugged a leafe, and so fild with moysture, as it will neuer be brought to any colour, neuer to a­ny strength, nor neuer burne well in the pipe: A good soyle, neither too rich nor too poore, is the best, and the best helpe to better the barren, is dung of sheepe.

The seedes which you are to sowe, are of two kindes, the male and female; the male is the les­ser [Page] leafe, and beares a yellow flower; of which kinde is that of Brasill, which the people of the land call Petun.

The female brings a very large leafe, and farre larger and longer in England, and in France, then in the Indies; by reason of their sandy grounds, and want of raine there; and it beares a pale incarnate flower. If this latter kinde would ripen in England, in certainty it would yeeld farre more profite to the planters, it requireth lesse labour in the gathering, withering, and ma­king vp: and being ripe, it will come to a perfect tawny colour, without any other Art then the stouing: but the lesser leafe is generally the stronger, and subiect to lesse hazard then the greater.

In all the months betweene September and Aprill you may cast your seed into the ground: for as that seed which falleth of it selfe in the end of September, and lyeth as it falleth vncoue­red, doth grow and thriue as well as that which is sowne in Ianuary, February, or March: so doth the last sowing in Aprill prosper as well, and grow as soone ripe as any of the rest. When it is sowne it must bee couered but thinly with earth: for if you rake too much earth ouer it, it will come vp too late to ripen for that yeare.

If the Spring bee dry, you must water it often to bring it out of the ground: your water must be riuer or pond water; for that of welles is too [Page] cold, except you set it all the day in the Sunne.

After your seedes are growne vp to a stalke of three inches high, you must take them vp and replant them, leauing two foot betweene each plant of the lesser kinde, and three foo [...] be­tweene each plant of the greater. If you leaue your plants so long on the ground ere you set them abroad, that the stalke haue sixe inches in length, then must you either bury in the ground foure of the sixe inches, or else they will hang the head, and be long ere they recouer: and ha­uing set them in so deepe you bury that part of the stalke which would bring out your fairest and strongest leaues: you must therefore re­plant as soone as you haue a stalke able to be set abrode.

You must also take care to water your plants once a day: in the morning, if the Spring bee cold; in the euening if it bee warme; otherwise they will wither, or stand long ere they reco­uer.

After they are growne a foote high, or some­what more, they will offer to knob, and cast out little buttons for seede; which they will doe the sooner if you sowe them in the increase of the Moone, which you must auoyd. These knobbes you must euery day nippe off, so must you doe all the by-branches that it casteth out, and all the stalkes but one that shoots out of the same root: you must leaue but one stalke, and vpon it not [Page] aboue 8 or 10 leaues. This pruning must be con­tinued from the time that your Tobacco be­gins to yeeld shuttes and buttons for seed, euen to the time that you gather it: which if you shall neglect, coueting to haue many stalkes, because many leaues, your Tobacco will be weake and worth nothing.

Your next and greatest care must bee, your patience to attend the ripening: for if you ga­ther your leaues before they change colour on the stalke, they will be good for nothing. Your corne and all other fruits and graines may teach you this, that nothing hath any great vertue where nature is preuented. When your leaues be toward ripening, they will bee full of yellow spottes, which you shal best discerne if you hold a leafe betweene you and the light.

And yet you must not so loue your owne as to take it greene: for if when you cut it and dry it, how strong soeuer it proue in the taking of it, the greatnesse shewes that either it wants ripe­nesse or fermentation; it must looke yellow at the least, otherwise it may proue equally harme­full with that which is sophisticate. I must also aduise you, not to slubber your English with Mel rosarum, and other trumpery, as many of our owne Artificers do, therby to bring it to the Indian colour: it is an impious practise to play with the health of men, and to make profite by their destruction. Your English Tobacco if you [Page] giue it time to ripen, and time to ferment, will change colour, and cast off all her naughty and vnwholsome moysture, and change her greene garment for that which is perfect yellow or tawny, without any art or addition.

When you haue gathered the ripe leaues; for all will not be ripe at once, you may lay them in the Sunne for two or three houres, otherwise they will be so brickle, as they will breake in the stringing: and if the weather bee cloudy, then you may leaue them in your baskets two or three dayes, and then string them vpon threed, and so hang them in a close roome, where no winde entreth, or lay them on a cleane boorded floore, till they wither and become yellowish, which they will do in 10, 12, or 14 dayes, but you may not ouer-dry them; for then they will not sweat and change colour.

When they are thus withered, but not dried to crumble, you must stoue them in heapes, in a heat somewhat stronger then a hot-house, and like vnto the heate of an Ouen after the bread drawne: for if your heate bee too great, it will burne, if too little, it will require a long time in their sweating, or fermentation, ere they bee brought to perfection. But if you suffer your leaues to be perfect ripe ere you gather them, then they will ferment in a short time, and ob­taine a perfect Indian colour, I meane the natu­rall Indian colour, though not the artificiall and [Page] blacke. He that weares cloath to the end it was inuented for, to wit, to defend him from cold, and wet, cares more for the goodnesse then the colour: howsoeuer it is better to accept of our owne with some little fault, then to vse the India with a great deale of filthinesse.

In the meane time, and vntill we haue store of our owne, I aduise my Countrey-men to take the leafe of Saint Domingo, or the leaues of Do­minica, and of the Ilands adioyning, or those Indian leaues that are of a deep yellow, or slight tawny, which colours are naturall, and forbeare the blacke which is foule, the dyed Tobacco, which is red, and the leafe brought in by the Portugalles, and the like slubbered stuffe.

The Tobacco which comes from the Barmu­da is cast away either by neglecting to prune it, or else because they nourish ouer-many leaues on one stalke, which they do either out of Igno­rance, or for that they couer to haue the grea­ter quantity, or otherwise; because, as I heare, they imitate the Spaniards in iuicing it: that place would otherwise giue vs that which is ex­cellent, and so would Virginia.

For the rest, after you haue taken your Tobac­co out of your stoue, you must layit abrode some three or foure dayes: for if you make it vp too moist, it will grow mouldy.

For conclusion, because there hath beene much dispute about this hearbe, whether it bee [Page] wholsome or harmfull: I will let my Countrey­men know, what by long experience, and confe­rence with others, I finde.

It is taken in all America, euen from Canada to the straights of Magellan, in all Affrica vpon the coast, from Barbary to the Cape of good hope, and so till you come to the mouth of the red sea; it is also vsed in most of all the king­domes of the East Indies.

The Spaniards and Indians of the West giue vs three principall reasons why they vse it: the first is because it opens the body, and lets out the heate by the pores which is praeter naturam with­in them: the second is, the consumption and a­uoyding of superfluous moysture wherewith they are filled by eating of fruits abundantly, by drinking of water, and in all the In-land Coun­tries for want of salt: the third is, because it staies both hunger and thirst, and doth refresh them after great trauaile and toyle: these be the general vertues and knowne to all: but the Spa­nish Physitians, their Priests, and others that are learned, finde somewhat else, and of more im­portance in this hearbe: for they vse a confecti­on of Tobacco in all Callentures or burning feuers, and they take it in smoke to defend them in long nauigations from the scuruy, and they cure with it all sores and vlcers: yea it is cer­taine, that the iuice of Tobacco, mixt with a lit­tle sea-water, doth resist the venome of poyso­ned [Page] arrowes, wherewith the Spaniards (how slight soeuer the hurt bee) are without such a help wounded to death. The Brasilians say that it is cordiall, and they also take it to stay hunger and thirst when they trauel and want sustenance. The people of the South-parts of Virginia e­steeme it exceedingly, and so doe the rest: they say that God in the creation did first make a wo­man, then a man, thirdly great maize, or Indian wheat, and fourthly, Tobacco: they vse it for the curing of wounds, and in smoke as we doe; and they are superstitiously led to beleeue that when they are in danger of drowning, in foule wether, that if they cast Tobacco into the water, that the billow will fall,L. 1. Simplicium medicament. ex nouo orbe dila­torum. and grow lesse. Monardus the Spaniard commends it in all pains of the head, growing by defluctions or windy vapors, in the tooth-ake occasioned by cold rume, in all disea­ses of the breast, old coughes, asmaticall passi­ons, and the like, in all paines of the ioynts, and swellings, if the leaues roasted vnder imbers be often applied; which the Indian women admi­nister to their children for the coldnesse of their stomacke, and windinesse. The same Au­thor affirmeth, that in the suffocation of the ma­trix, it is a present remedie, if the leaues made warme be applied to the nauell or bottome of the belly; in all greene woundes and vlcers, and in the gangrene he prizeth it aboue all other ve­getables: yea hee affirmeth that an experience was made in the presence of King Philip the se­cond [Page] of Spaine, vpon a dogge poysoned. These be Monardus his words, as I finde them in Clusi­us, Rex ipse Catholicus, eius vires experiri volens, Cani vulnus infligi iussit in gutture, & toxico quo ven [...]atores vtuntur, illini; & paulo post foliorum Tobacci succum satis copiose instillari, & ipsa folia trita super vulnus ligari: liberatus est canis non si­ne omnium admiratione. The Catholicke King willing to make triall of the vertue of it, caused a dogge to haue a wound made in his throat, and to be anointed with poyson which the hun­ters vse; and a while after he made the iuyce of Tobacco to bee plentifully powred into it, and the brused leaues to be bound vpon the wound, and the dogge was healed, to the no smal admi­ration of all that were present. The same Author commends this hearbe for the cure of the Poly­pus, and doth avow that he himselfe hath cured it with the iuice of Tobacco.

Clusius in his experience affirmeth,Fol. 310. that in all old vlcers putride, and of a maligne quality, in the gangren, in the scabbes, clouds in the eyes, &c. he hath vsed the vnguent of Tobacco with happy successe.

M^r Gerald in his history of plants, or great herball, tels vs, that the dropsie hath been cured with the iuice of Tobacco; and in the same book,Fol. 288. he teacheth the cōposition of an vnguent made with the lesser or male Tobacco: which booke, because the poorer sort are not able to buy, & that the said Gerald doth so highly com­mend [Page] the vse of this hearbe, I thought good to take it out word for word, for the com­mon good of all poore people needing such a remedy, and these be his words. I do make here­of an excellent balsame to cure deepe wounds and punctures, &c. which balsame doth bring vp the flesh from the bottome very speedily, & also heale simple cuts in the flesh, according to the first intention, that is, to glew or soder the lips of the wound together, not procuring matter or corruption vnto it, as is commonly seene in the healing of wounds. Take (saith he) oyle of roses, oyle of Saint Iohns wort, of either one pint, the leaues of Tobacco, stamped smal in a stone mor­ter, two pound, boyle them together to the con­sumption of the iuice, straine it, and put it to the fire againe, adding thereunto of Venice Turpen­tine two ounces, of Olibanum and Mastic, of ei­ther halfe an ounce in most fine and subtill pow­der, which may at all times make it into an vn­guent or salue, by putting therunto wax and ro­sin, to giue vnto it a stiffe body. He further saith, that the iuice or distilled water of the lesser leafe is very good against catharres, the dizinesse of the head, and rhumes that fall down to the eyes, against the paine called the Migrame, if either you apply it to the temples, or take one or two greene leaues, or the drye leafe moystened in wine, and warmed on Imbers, and apply it. Many notable medicines are made hereof against the old and inueterate cough, a­against [Page] asthmatical and pectorall griefes, which if I should set downe at large, would require a peculiar volume. So farre Gerald.

For the taking of it in smoke, if the Tobacco be cleane, and not poysoned with iuices, and o­ther Art, I know that it is an excellent remedy for the head-ake, for the vertigo & dizines of the head, for moist & watery stomakes, it preuaileth against the rumes & defluctions, & all the pains of the ioynts therby occasioned, and against all affections of the head, watering of the eyes, and tooth-ake, that it keepes off the gout and sciati­ca, and taketh away the rednesse of the face, that at sea it preserueth those that take it both from the Calenture or burning Feuer, and from the Scuruie, that it openeth obstructions, and is exceeding profitable in the falling sickenesse. The syrope is a good vomite, and so is a draught of white or renish wine, wherein so much of the leafe as weigheth sixe pence hath beene stee­ped all night: the oyle that droppeth out of a foule pipe, killeth Tetters, and all of that kinde.

The Hearbalists and other Physitians make diuers kindes or species of this Tobacco; they commend that which beareth the great leafe, and pale incarnate flower, and call it the true Tobacco, a second sort they call Petum, and a third Nicosian.

Others (and thinke they speake learnedly) call our English of the lesser leafe, yellow Henbane, or Hoscyamus Luteus, and the greater Hoscya­mus [Page] Peruuianus; yea they make a difference be­tween the Tobacco of Paria and Trinidado, and that of Peru; although I am well assured, that there was neuer any one pound of Peru Tobacco seene in England or in Europe. But if the hearb which we call Sage, differ in kind from the same hearbe, because the French cal it Searge, and the Latines Saluia, and so all other hearbs, which di­uers nations call diuersly: then doth the Petum, the Nicosian, and the Tobacco differ; otherwise there is nothing between them: But the great­nesse & littlenesse which we distinguish by male and female, as in many other hearbs we doe the like: for the Spaniards which first found this plant in the Isle Tobaque, did therfore call it after the name of that Island: and it is true, that because there is no better soile in the world, and that it hath raine & heat sufficient, the Tobacco there growing is very large. Of this very kinde (found euery where in America) it was that Iohn Nicot, Clusius & Seres Theuet. Cos. gen. born in Nismes in Languedoc, & Embassa­dor in Portugall for Henry the 2^d of France, sent of the seed to Queen Katherine of Medicis, after called, Queene Mother of France, wherevpon it was by some called, Queen Mothers hearbe, by o­thers it was and is still called Nycosian, and yet Theuet vaunts that he sent it into France 10 years before Nicots Embassage. Now as the Brasilians call this Tobacco, Petum; so in the West Indies it is cald Vicielt, saith Monardus: and Ouiedus. lib. 11 c. 5. saith, that in Hispaniola it is cald Perebecenut, Simp. Medicam. [Page] the Guianians call it Tamoi, other Nations Te­kel, & the Virginians Opoak, & it is euery where, and in England it selfe, greater, according to the soyle: yea it diffe [...]s in taste, thickenesse, large­nesse, and goodnesse almost in euery Garden wherein it is planted.

True it is, notwithstanding that there are found manifest differences in the male and female, or in the greater or the lesse, both in flower & large­nesse, though both of one kinde, the same being found in many Hearbes, Plants, and Trees be­sides.

Now for those that make Tobacco a kinde of Hoscryamus, because it stupifieth as Hoscryamus, or Henbane doth, they may as wel say that Opiū is also a kinde of Tobacco, or Tobacco a kinde of Opium, or that Stramonium is of that species which benummeth more then either Tobacco or Opium. For the rest, this is true, that as it is vsually taken in England, it hath more of the ill then of the good. For those that take Tobacco with wine, do absolutely alter the propertie of it, & make it the Artificer of many ill accidents and diseases, I meane all those that drinke wine betweene meales, and presently after the taking of it. For where God hath giuen this hearbe for a remedy to those poore people that want both wine, spice, and salt, that doe often swim riuers, and diue vnder water, that goe naked, and are beaten with showres, that feed aboundantly vp­pon fruits, that suffer hunger and thirst, that liue [Page] in a region violently hot: we in this part of the world vse Wine of all sorts, and all sorts of Spi­ces, we eate salt with our meat, and powder our flesh and fish with it, and thereby drye vp, and sucke out the corrupt and harmefull moysture that it hath: we that, besides Wine, haue strong Beere, & strong Ale, that couer our bodies with garments, and are prest with cold for three parts of the yeare, do not need any such drying fume at all.

It is true that those that haue decaying bo­dies, those that are of yeares, and opprest with moysture and fleame, those that are subiect to rhumes and the cough, that haue cold sto­mackes, and are inclined to the gout, or haue it, or that are subiect to any of the imperfections before named, for those it is a singular remedy. But it destroies all our youth that take it without cause, and euery houre of the day, it makes them tender and not able to endure the aire, it makes them dull and sleepy, brings them to the rhume and tooth-ake, marres their teeth, except they cleanse them often, begets in them a drouth, and consequently a desire to drinke: yea and an entrance to drunkennesse it selfe: for many of them finding some little sickenesse in their sto­mackes when they take strong Tobacco, do pre­sently drinke of the strongest Wines: the To­bacco opens the body, and makes way, by which the wine inuadeth the liuer, and drieth it vp: yea taken in that manner with strong drinkes it con­sumes [Page] the radicall moysture, and hastneth on old age: the Indians doe therefore forbid it the children, till they haue taken wiues and haue had children, as wee in England were wont to forbid maides and yong men the vse of Wine: for though Tobacco stirre the appetite, yet is it no friend to generation, vsed with wine as be­fore remembred. He that desireth further know­ledge of this Hearbe, let him reade Oliuer de Serres, L. of Pradel in his Agricul­ture, and Car. Stephanus vpon the same subiect, lib. 2. c. 76.