long since the first entry of this abuse among us
here, as that this present age cannot very well remember both the first
author and the form of the first introduction of it among us. It was
neither brought in by king, great conqueror, nor learned doctor of
physic. With the report of a great discovery for a conquest, some two or
three savage men were brought in together with this savage custom; but
the pity is, the poor wild barbarous men died, but that vile barbarous
custom is still alive, yea, in fresh vigor; so as it seems a miracle to
me how a custom springing from so vile a ground, and brought in by a
father so generally hated, should be welcomed upon so slender a
warrant."

The king thus reasons against the Virginia staple: "Secondly, it is, as
you use or rather abuse it, a branch of the sin of drunkenness, which is
the root of all sins,[156:A] for as the only delight that drunkards love
any weak or sweet drink, so are not those (I mean the strong heat and
fume) the only qualities that make tobacco so delectable to all the
lovers of it? And as no man loves strong heavy drinks the first day,
(because nemo repente fuit turpissimus,) but by custom is piece and
piece allured, while in the end a drunkard will have as great a thirst
to be drunk as a sober man to quench his thirst with a draught when he
hath need of it; so is not this the true case of all the great takers of
tobacco, which therefore they themselves do attribute to a bewitching
quality in it? Thirdly, is it not the greatest sin of all that you, the
people of all sorts of this kingdom, who are created and ordained by God
to bestow both your persons and goods for the maintenance both of the
honor and safety of your king and commonwealth, should disable yourself
to this shameful imbecility, that you are not able to ride or walk the
journey of a Jew's Sabbath but you must have a reeky coal brought you
from the next poor-house to kindle your tobacco with? whereas he cannot
be thought able for any service in the wars that cannot endure oftimes
the want of meat, drink, and sleep; much more then must he endure the
want of tobacco." A curious tractate on tobacco, by Dr. Tobias Venner,
was published at London in 1621. The author was a graduate of Oxford,
and a physician at Bath, and is mentioned in the Oxoniae
Athenienses.[157:A]

The amount of tobacco imported in 1619 into England, from Virginia,
being the entire crop of the preceding year, was twenty thousand p