e
first was an edition of the History of France or of the
Franks, in Latin, written by a Monk called Aimonious, who
lived in the tenth century. The second was a 'Treasury of
the French Language, Ancient and Modern.'"

[Footnote 26: "The Abbe Jacques Gohory, the author of
the first book written on tobacao, proposed to call it
Catherinaine or Medicee, to record the name of Medicis
and the medicinal virtues of the plant; but the name of
Nicot superseded these, and botanists have perpetuated
it in the genus _Nicotiana_."--_Le Maout and Decaisne._]

Stevens and Liebault in the "Country Farm"[27] give the following
account of its early introduction into France and the wonderful cures
produced by its use:

[Footnote 27: London 1606.]

"Nicotiana though it have (has) beene but a while knowne in
France yet it holdeth the first and principall place amongst
Physicke herbs, by reason of his singular and almost diuine
(divine) vertues, such as you shall heare of hereafter,
whereof (because none either of the old or new writers that
have written of the nature of plants, have said anything), I
am willing to lay open the whole history, as I have come by
it through a deere friend of mine, the first author,
inventor, and bringer of this herb into France: as also of
many both Spaniards, Portugals, and others which have
travelled into Florida, a country of the Indians, from
whence this herbe came, to put the same in writing to
relieve such griefe and travell, as have heard of this
herbe, but neither know it nor the properties thereof. This
herbe is called Nicotiana of the name of an ambassador which
brought the first knowledge of it into this realme, in like
manner as many plants do as yet retaine the names of
certaine Greekes and Romans, who being strangers in divers
countries, for their common-wealth's service, have from
thence indowed their own countree with many plants, whereof
there was no knowledge before. Some call it the herbe of
Queen mother, because the said ambassador Lord Nicot did
first send the same unto the Queen mother,[28] (as you shall
understand by and by) and for being afterwards by her given
to divers others to plant and make to grow in this country.
Others call it by