Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce Part 23

[Ill.u.s.tration: Scotch snuff-mills.]

When first used in Europe snuff was made ready for use by the takers--each person being provided with a box or "mill," as they were termed, to reduce the leaves to powder.

In connection with this, the following may not be irrelevent:--

The following anecdote of Huerta the celebrated Spanish guitarist, is taken from one of M. Ella's programmes:--

"In the year 1826 the famous Huerta, who astonished the English by his performances on the guitar, was anxious to be introduced to the leader of the Italian Opera Band--a warm-hearted and sensitive Neapolitan--Spagnoletti. The latter had a great contempt for guitars, concertinas, and other fancy instruments not used in the orchestra. He was fond of snuff, had a capacious nose, and, when irritated, would e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e '_Mon Dieu!_' On my presenting the vain Spaniard to Spagnoletti, the latter inquired, 'Vat you play?' Huerta--'De guitar-r-r, sare.' Spagnoletti--'De guitar! humph!' (takes a pinch of snuff.) Huerta--'Yeas, sare, de guitar-r-r, and ven I play my _adagio_, de tears shall run down both side your pig nose.' 'Vell den,' (taking snuff,) said Spagnoletti, 'I vill not hear your _adagio_.'"

The anecdote related of Count de Tesse, a celebrated courtier of France, is one of the best of its kind:--

"Count de Tesse, Marshal of France, was an eminent man during the reign of Louis XIV. Though he was a brave soldier and by no means an incompetent general, yet he was more remarkable as a skillful diplomatist and a pliant and prosperous courtier. During the War of Succession in Spain, he besieged Barcelona with a considerable army, in the spring of 1705. Terrible was the a.s.sault, and terrible was the resistance. At the end of six weeks the arrival of the British fleet, and reinforcements thrown into the place, forced Marshal Tesse to retire. Besides immense losses in dead and wounded, he had to abandon two hundred and twenty cannon and all his supplies. Incessantly fighting for fifteen days in his retreat towards the Pyrenees, he lost three thousand more of his men. It ought to be said, in vindication of Tesse, that he undertook the siege by express and urgent command of the French King, and contrary to his own judgment; for in writing to a friend, he said: 'If a Consistory were held to decide the infallibility of the King, as Consistories have been held to decide the infallibility of the Pope, I should by my vote declare His Majesty infallible. His orders have confounded all human science.'

"Soon after the siege of Barcelona, a lady at a fashionable party took out her snuff-box and offered a pinch to any one who wished it. Marshal Tesse approached to take a pinch; but suddenly the lady drew her snuff-box back, saying, 'For you, Marshal, the snuff is too strong--it is Barcelona.'"

In Scotland the dry kinds of snuff are in favor and are esteemed as highly as the moister snuffs. Robert Leighton gives the following pen picture of the snuff-loving Scotchman; it is ent.i.tled "The Snuffie Auld Man:"--

"By the cosie fire-side, or the sun-ends o' gavels, The snuffie auld bodie is sure to be seen.

Tap, tappin' his snuff-box, he snifters and sneevils, And smachers the snuff frae his mou' to his een.

'Since tobacco cam' in, and the snuffin' began, There hasna been seen sic a snuffie auld man.

"His haurins are dozen'd, his een sair bedizzened.

And red round the lids as the gills o' a fish; His face is a' bladdit, his sark-breest a' smaddit.

As snuffie a picture as ony could wish.

He makes a mere merter o' a' thing he does, Wi' snuff frae his fingers an' drops frae his nose.

"And wow but his nose is a troublesome member-- Day and nicht, there's nae end to its snuffie desire: It's wide as the chimlie, it's red as an ember, And has to be fed like a dry-whinnie fire.

It's a troublesome member, and gi'es him nae peace, Even sleepin', or eatin', or sayin' the grace.

"The kirk is disturbed wi' his hauckin' and sneezin'

The dominie stoppit when leadin' the psalm; The minister, deav'd out o' logic and reason, Pours gall in the lugs that are gapi' for balm.

The auld folks look surly, the young chaps jocose, While the bodie himsel' is bambazed wi' his nose.

"He scrimps the auld wife baith in garnal and caddy He snuffs what wad keep her in comfort and ease; Rapee, Lundyfitt, Prince's Mixture, and Toddy, She looks upon them as the worst o' her faes.

And we'll see an end o' her kooshian nar While the auld carle's nose is upheld like a Czar."

Sharp has written some verses founded upon the following singular anecdote in Dean Ramsay's "Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character:"

"The inveterate snuff-taker, like the dram-drinker, felt severely the being deprived of his accustomed stimulant, as in the following instance: A severe snow-storm in the Highlands, which lasted for several weeks, having stopped all communication betwixt neighboring hamlets, the snuff-boxes were soon reduced to their last pinch. Borrowing and begging from all the neighbors within reach were first resorted to, but when these failed all were alike reduced to the longing which unwillingly abstinent snuff-takers alone know. The minister of the parish was amongst the unhappy number; the craving was so intense that study was out of the question, and he became quite restless. As a last resort, the beadle was dispatched through the snow, to a neighboring glen, in the hope of getting a supply; but he came back as unsuccessful as he went. 'What's to be done, John? was the minister's pathetic inquiry. John shook his head, as much as to say that he could not tell, but immediately thereafter started up, as if a new idea occurred to him. He came back in a few minutes, crying, 'Hae!' The minister, too eager to be scrutinizing, took a long deep pinch, and then said, 'Whour did you get it?' 'I soupit (swept) the poupit,' was John's expressive reply. The minister's acc.u.mulated superfluous Sabbath snuff now came into good use."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Sweeping from the Pulpit.]

"Near the Highlands, Where the dry lands Are divided into islands, And distinguish'd from the mainland As the Western Hebrides.

"Stormy weather, Those who stay there, Oftentimes for weeks together Keep asunder from their neighbors, Hemm'd about by angry seas.

"For, storm-batter'd, Boats are shattered, And their precious cargoes scatter'd In the boist'rous Sound of Jura, Or thy pa.s.sage, Colonsay;

"While the seamen, Like true freemen, Battle bravely with the Demon Of the storm, who strives to keep them From their harbor in the bay.

"For this reason One bad season, (If to say so be not treason,) In an island town the people Were reduced to great distress.

"Though on mainland They would fain land, They were storm-bound in their ain land, Where each luxury was little, And grew beautifully less.

"But whose sorrow, That sad morrow, When no man could beg or borrow From a friend's repository, Equall'd theirs who craved for snuff.

"But, most sadden'd, Nearly madden'd For the lack of that which gladden'd His proboscis, was the parson, Hight the Rev'rend Neil Macduff.

"If a snuffer, Though no puffer, You may guess what pangs he'd suffer In his journey through a snow-drift, Visiting a neighboring town.

"From his rushing For some sneishing; But his choring and his fishing Could procure no Toddy's Mixture, Moist Rappee, or Kendal Brown.

"In his trouble-- Now made double, Since his last hope proved a bubble-- To his aid came Beadle Johnnie, In his parish right-hand man.

"With a packet, Saying, Tak' it, It's as clean as I can mak' it, If ye'd save yer snuff on Sabbath A toom box ye needna scan.

"Being l.u.s.ty (Though 'twas musty) To his nose the snuff so dusty Put the minister, too much in want, The gift to scrutinize.

"An idea He could see a Blessing in this panacea; So he took such hearty pinches as brought Tears into his eyes.

"Then to Johnnie, His old cronie, Cried--'I fear'd I'd ne'er get ony.'

'Well, I'll tell ye,' said the beadle, 'Whaur I got the stock of snuff.'

"'In the poupit Low I stoopit, An' the snuff and stour I soupit, Then I brocht ye here a handfu', For ye need it sair enough.'"

The old Scottish snuff-mill, which consisted of a small box-like receptacle into which fitted a conical-shaped projection with a short, strong handle was a more substantial affair than the rasp used by the French and English snuff-takers. (See page 232). Both, answered the purpose for which they were designed, the leaves of tobacco being "toasted before the fire," and then ground in the mill as it was called. The more modern snuff-mill is similar in shape, but is used to hold the snuff after being ground, rather than for reducing the leaves to a powder.

Boswell gives the following poem on snuff, in his "Shrubs of Parna.s.sus:"

"Oh Snuff! our fashionable end and aim!

Strasburg, Rappee, Dutch, Scotch, what'eer thy name, Powder celestial! quintessence divine!

New joys entrance my soul while thou art mine.

Who takes--who takes thee not! where'er I range, I smell thy sweets from Pall Mall to the 'Change.

By thee a.s.sisted, ladies kill the day, And breathe their scandal freely o'er their tea; Nor less they prize thy virtues when in bed, One pinch of thee revives the vapor'd head, Removes the spleen, removes the qualmish fit, And gives a brisker turn to female wit, Warms in the nose, refreshes like the breeze, Glows in the herd and tickles in the sneeze.

Without it, Tinsel, what would be thy lot!

What, but to strut neglected and forgot!

What boots it for thee to have dipt thy hand In odors wafted from Arabian land?

Ah! what avails thy scented solitaire, Thy careless swing and pertly tripping air, The crimson wash that glows upon thy face, Thy modish hat, and coat that flames with lace!

In vain thy dress, in vain thy tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs shine, If the Parisian snuff-box be not thine.

Come to my nose, then, Snuff, nor come alone, Bring taste with thee, for taste is all thy own."

There seems to be as great a variety of design in snuff-boxes as among pipes and tobacco-stoppers. The Indians of both North and South America have their mills for grinding or pulverizing the leaves. In the East a great variety of snuff-boxes may be seen; they are made of wood and ivory, while many of them have a spoon attached to the box, which they use in taking the dust from the box to the back of the hand, whence it is taken by the forefinger and conveyed to the nose.

In Europe we find greater variety of design in snuff-boxes than in the East. In Europe they are made of the most costly materials, and studded with the rarest gems.

In the East they are made of ivory, wood, bamboo, and other materials.

Of late years boxes made of wood from Abbotsford or some other noted place have been used for the manufacture of snuff-boxes. Formerly when snuff-taking was in more general use by kings and courtiers than now--a magnificent snuff-box was considered by royalty as one of the most valuable and pleasing of "memorials." Many of these testimonials of friendship and regard were of gold and silver, and set with diamonds of the finest water.

Among the anecdotes of celebrated snuff-takers, the following from White's "Life of Swedenborg," will be new to many: