of success, when contending with errors so pleasing and therefore so formidable. It would be impossible to detail to our readers the various topics brought forward, and so ably and with such an astonishing perspecuity disposed of by the illustrious Bacon, and therefore we simply state that, in opposition to Aristotle, Bacon proves that EFFECTS can be the only legitimate end of science, for they only are cognizable by the human senses; and although we may undoubtedly from these learn that certain principles or laws produce these effects, yet the nature of these laws are beyond the reach of human ken and comprehension. He also remarks, on the manner of contemplating these results,-By bringing in a large number of particular instances in which certain effects are apparent, and by cross-examining these witnesses, and viewing their various replies, (as he quaintly remarks,) in every possible light, we may generalize or conclude that these are the specific characteristics of all that particular class of creation, even although we may not have beheld a thousandth part. It is evidently that self-same principle that prompts us to expect the same effects under the same particular circumstances, and we can refer this principle to nothing else than an instinctive expectation implanted in our mind by the beneficent hand of the Creator, as it evidently is not the result of experience, but precedes it, since those who entertain it most are those who know the least of the world, and have not so long been accustomed to view the uniform operations of nature; and we find that experience rather contracts than enlarges this original confidence. Now, we do not for one moment assert that a knowledge of the contents of Bacon's Novum Organon has led to the discoveries of scientific men, but we allege that the principles he has laid down so fully and so ably have been acted on as it were instinctively by every true and enlightened philosopher, and these principles we must in justice say, are the same that such men as Erasmus, Luther, and Calvin, imbued with the teachings of biblical Christianity, urged so forcibly against the subtilties of the schoolmen in the sixteenth century, considering such sophistries as hurtful to Christianity as they were to the advancement of sound knowledge. We might mention as instances of this instinctive prompting such men as Copernicus, in the fifteenth century, who, from observation, revived the ancient Pythagorean theory of the earth's motion, and who published his "Revolution of the Celestial Orbs," as explanatory of his system. Tycho Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo, in the sixteenth century, all of whom by experiment and observation made considerable advances in the pursuit of truth, and especially the latter, whose enquiries were in a great degree checked by the persecution of the Inquisition, composed of men who justly deemed that the teachings of a vain philosophy, and a system of faith founded on such a basis, must of necessity fall together, and therefore still endeavoured to maintain the follies and crudities of such a system. But we have never beheld so brilliant a confirmation of the soundness of the inductive philosophy as that furnished by the master-mind of the immortal Newton, who, in accordance with its spirit, has undeniably demonstrated results of the highest magnitude in every department of nature's philosophy. It matters not whether he followed the rules of Bacon, as they are methodically laid down in the Organon; Sir David Brewster seems to think that he did not, but that he proceeded in strict accordance with the teachings of Bacon, and according to the obvious intent of the Novum Organon, neither his biographer nor any one else can for a moment doubt; and though he should never have glanced at a single line of the Organon, yet if the plan of his procedure was similar to that pointed out by Lord Bacon, it evidently, so far from detracting from Bacon's merits, considerably elevates them, because it proves that the path he cut was one that every independent mind, acute, intelligent, and rich with the promptings of common sense, would choose to follow. We could continue on a theme like this much longer, and illustrate the subject by a more enlarged reference to those who have followed in the track of these noble men, bringing them down to our own time; but we have not space, and therefore hope to detail under this head the actual experiments they have made, and the important results educed, and thus still more clearly show the blessings of the Baconian philosophy. THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM.-No. I. TOBACCO. [UNDER this head, we purpose to give from time to time short and popular treatises upon the more important members of the vegetable kingdom, and their principal productions employed by mankind. We commence with tobacco, a herb that has gained the notice of all classes of the community, that has occupied the pen of royalty and the attention of our legislators, and which forms almost a necessary part of the daily subsistence of the generality of our peasantry. This will be followed by opium, alcohol, &c. &c.] According to Dr. Johnson, the term tobacco is derived from “Tobacco or Tobago in America;" others trace its origin from Tobasco, a town of New Spain; and others, with greater appearance of truth, from tabac, the Haytian name for the tube employed in smoking. The source of the weed itself has been very much disputed; but without entering into detail, we may state that there is every reason to believe that the Asiatics have cultivated and used it, both for sensual and remedial purposes, from time immemorial. They do not seem, however, to have imparted it to the Europeans, who undoubtedly learnt to chew, smoke, and snuff, from the savages of the New World. For when Columbus first landed at Cuba, on October 28th, 1492, we are told that some of his men who were sent to explore the country, returned with the information, that "by the way they saw many people, who always carried a lighted firebrand to light fire, and perfume themselves with certain herbs, which they carried along with them;" this is the first notice of smoking tobacco, which it subsequently proved to be. In the year 1559, Hernandez de Toledo introduced the plant into Spain and Portugal; and soon afterwards Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to the court at Lisbon, presented some of the seeds to Catherine de Medicis and to several others of the nobility of France. In 1586, it was first brought into England by Sir W. Raleigh, as is generally supposed, although the honour has been likewise claimed for Sir F. Drake, Capt. Lane, Sir Richard Grenville, and Heriot. All these four were connected with Raleigh's second adventure to Virginia, of which the following account has been extracted from Buckingham's excellent work on the Slave States of America. "In 1585, the first actual colony was formed by the landing of 108 workmen at Roanoak, brought out in seven ships, under the command of Sir Richard Grenville. They were left here under the command of Capt. Lane, assisted by Amadas, one of the commanders on a former voyage, and Heriot, a mathematician and astronomer, who excited the admiration of the natives by his telescopes and other instruments; but unfortunately the thirst for gold was so intense, that in pursuit of it they neglected all other objects, consumed their provisions, quarrelled with the Indians, and were reduced to the last extremity, when Sir F. Drake touched at the colony from the West Indies, took them all on board, and conveyed them back to England." It was by the remnant of this abortive colony that tobacco was first introduced into England. The plant was in great repute amongst the Indian tribes as medicine; and some of them believed it to be inhabited by one of those invisible spirits, which they supposed to dwell in all the powerful and remarkable products of nature. Capt. Lane and some of his associates had learnt the art of smoking it, and taught this to others; and Sir W. Raleigh not only proved himself to be an adept pupil, but an excellent teacher; for it is stated on the authority of the historian Stith, that Queen Elizabeth herself had learnt the practice of smoking tobacco from Raleigh, and enjoyed it! The following anecdote is told by him of the Queen and her favourite : One day as she was partaking this new indulgence, Sir Walter laid the Queen a wager that he could ascertain the weight of the smoke, which in a given time would be puffed out from the royal lips; and the Queen deeming this impossible, accepted the wager. When she first filled her pipe Raleigh weighed the tobacco; and when she had finished it, he weighed the ashes that remained, and the difference he assumed as the weight of the smoke that had escaped. The Queen admitted that he had won the wager, but added, "that she thought he was the only alchymist who had ever yet transmuted smoke into gold." The example of the court soon rendered the employment of tobacco general throughout the kingdom. It encountered, however, severe opposition, and endeavours were repeatedly made to restrain its consumption. In 1624, James I. attempted to abolish its use in this country by means of heavy imposts; and in Turkey, Amurath IV. published an edict which constituted smoking a capital offence, on the ground that it rendered his subjects sterile. Pope Urban VIII. excommunicated all those who took snuff in churches; and ten years afterwards the luxury was likewise prohibited in the Russian dominion, under the penalty of amputation of the nose. The police regulations of Berne, which were drawn up in 1661, were arranged according to the decalogue, and the enactment respecting the use of tobacco was placed immediately after the commandment against adultery. In 1660, the first act of parliament was passed restricting its cultivation in England; not more than half a pole being allowed "in a physic or university garden, or in any private garden for physic or chirurgery." But other means besides edicts and imposts were resorted to in attempting to put down the use of tobacco, and it is said that even upwards of a hundred volumes were written in its condemnation. Foremost amongst these stands out the celebrated "Counter-blaste to Tobacco," by that "gude mon" king James I. This treatise, which consists of argument, abuse, and expostulation, will ever be preserved as a monument of his royal energy, and unexampled power of expression. We have only room for the following pathetic appeal:-"Now, my good countrymen, let us, (I pray you) consider what honour or policie can move us to imitate the barbarous and beastlie manners of the wild, godlesse, and slavish Indians, especially in so vile and filthy a custome. Shall we, that disdain to imitate the manner of our neighbour France, (haveing the style of the greate christian kingdom,) and that cannot endure the spirit of the Spaniards (their king being now comparable in largenesse of dominions to the greatest emperor of Turkey);—shall we, I say, that have been so long civill and wealthy in peace; famous and invincible in war; fortunate in both; we that have been ever able to aid any of our neighbours (but never deafened any of their ears with any of our supplications for assistance);-shall we, I say, without blushing, abase ourselves so far as to imitate these beastlie Indians, slaves to the Spaniards, the refuse of the worlde, and as yet aliens from the holy covenant of God? Why do we not as well imitate them in walking naked as they do; in preferring glasses, feathers, and toys, to gold and precious stones, as they do? yea, why do we not deny God, and adore the devils, as they do? Have you not the reasons to forbear this filthie noveltie, so basely grounded, so foolishly received, and so grosslie mistaken in the right use thereof? In your abuse thereof sinning against God, harming yourselves both in persons and goods, and raking also thereby the markes and notes of vanitie upon you; by the custome thereof, making yourselves to be wondered at by all forreine civill nations, and by all strangers that come among you, to be scorned and contemned; a custome loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmfull to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible stigian smoke, of the pit that is bottomless." Several other authors, besides the royal penman, attacked "the filthie noveltie," and amongst the most curious of these is Joshua Sylvestre, who published a satirical poem entitled, "Tobacco Battered, and the Pipes Shattered about their Ears that Idolize so base and barbarous a Weed; or at least over love so loathsome a Vanitie," from which the following is an extract: ON THE LOATHSOME OFFENCE IN SOCIETY, OF THOSE WHO ACCUSTOM THEMSELVES TO TOBACCO. Offend their friends with a most unrespect, Offend their wives and children with neglect ; Woe, woe to them by whom offences come, Honest old Burton likewise joined the anti-tobacconist party, and has brought into the following strange sentence all the vices and virtues of the herb: "Tobacco, divine, rare, superexcellent tobacco, which goes far beyond all their panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers' stones, a sovereign remedy to all diseases. A good vomit, I confesse, a virtuous herb, if it be well qualified, opportunely taken, and medicinally used; but as it is commonly abused by most men, which take it as tinkers do ale, it is a plague, a mischief, a violent purger of goods, lands, health; bellish, devilish, and damned tobacco, the ruine and overthrowe of body and soul." But in spite of all this opposition, and in some measure probably as a consequence of it, the use of tobacco rapidly increased, and is now universal throughout the known world. In London, there are at present, according to Pigot's Directory, 1200 tobacconists, and only 2200 bakers; and during the year 1839, between 200,000 and 300,000 lbs. of tobacco were imported into England in some form or another. We have now concluded this somewhat curious and interesting history of the tobacco-plant; we must next proceed to treat briefly on its botany, culture, chemical composition, manufacture, and action upon the animal economy, all of which, however, must be reserved for a future occasion. When knowledge, instead of being bound up in books, and kept in libraries and retirement, is obtruded on the world in distinct sheets; when it is canvassed in every assembly, and exposed upon every table, I cannot forbear reflecting on that passage in the Proverbs,-"Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets; she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the opening of the gates. In the city she attereth her words, saying, how long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in the scorning, and fools hate knowledge?"-Spectator. |
