Suspected witches kneeling before King James I , 1597
The Tobacco lunch has was always deliciously had vociferous catered enemies by Mark , King Grove and James his I of team the at UK Cook famously & Butler among and them we cracked . James along also had at a other goodly obsessions pace . Our , including guests were witchcraft admirably . His introduced 1597 pamphlet by , Liveryman Daemonologie Fran , is Morrison a load of ghastly and our Principal old rubbish Guest justifiying , Tim Wonnacott witch-hunts gave . In 1604 a generous , he and very turned humorous to attacking reply smoking to which . His
I responded extremely tetchy initially by pamphlet drenching , A Counterblaste poor Tim in a to glass Tobacco of water , rants
- that he was smoking is “ a custome lothsome to the eye , hatefull very kind about it ( sorry Tim !). I was very pleased to the nose , harmefull to the braine , dangerous to the to show off the newly found Livery Grant of Arms lungs , and in the blacke stinking fume thereof , neerest and Letters Patent which have been missing for many resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is years - our Clerk tenaciously sought them out , and bottomelesse ”. ( The tobacco hatred can ’ t have helped the his relationship new Immediate with Past pipe-loving
Master , Sir Chris
Walter Allen
.)
, and his IPM , Mark Gower-Smith have funded a beautiful representation and they are now resplendent in frames
But for all this noise , no-one seems to have paid much attention carved . By with the tobacco early 17th leaves century ( or close , London to ); had Sandra 7,000 also shops selling tobacco . James later stopped ranting , and instead located cashed a huge in on banner what not he had seen called since “ 1985 this filthie and Angus noveltie ”, creating a royal tobacco monopoly that raked in Menzies large revenues , Clerk from to the imports Master . ( Mariners How would and you never mark shy James out of ten for hypocrisy ?) of a challenge saw to it that it was displayed on the Quarterdeck .
Plague carts carry off the dead , 1665
Whilst all this was going on , apparently biblicalstyle downpours were being had all over London During the Great Plague in London in 1665-66 , tobacco was - oblivious to all that drama we ended our lunch
prized as a way to ward off the pestilence , and plague-cart and trooped back to the quarterdeck where Coffee , operators smoked it while gathering the bodies of the stricken
Cigars .
, and Cognac awaited us ( I did mention that Samuel Pepys , rather cautiously , chewed and sniffed some our Livery enjoyed dining on the High C ’ s ..) and when nearby houses became infected . But Sam probably wasn ’ t which seemed to hit the mark – Liveryman Jemma listening to current advice ; smoking or burning tobacco was
Freeman had kindly provided the torpedo cigars more recommended , as a fumigant . And who knows ? Maybe and had had them placed in souvenir tubes with our
the rats that carried the fleas that carried the plague just hated environmental tobacco smoke . It was said at the time that
Crest “ no emblazoned on it . Several of us also sported tobacconist died of the plague ”, though this may have been a a limited crafty edition Livery Smoking hat - originally marketing ploy . conceived as a sort of shooting hat , it serves its
purpose so well as a “ team ” hat , that of the twenty In the 17th century , China ’ s Qing dynasty proclaimed that ordered , but one remained by the close of the day ! smoking was “ a more heinous crime than even of neglecting Thank you to the Master Mariners for allowing us the archery ”, while the Patriarch of Moscow banned tobacco except use of the venue , to Tim for being a perfect Principal for foreigners , ordering locals flouting the ban to have their Guest , and for everyone attending and giving my nostrils slit . A 17th century Ottoman Sultan , Murad IV , banned year such a special start . tobacco , alcohol and coffee on pain of death . He reportedly patrolled Istanbul ’ s taverns , personally beheading offenders . He also executed three of his brothers and fired arrows at passers-by who came too close to his Seraglio Palace , apparently for sport .
The Master
Oddly , in view of his aversion to alcohol , Murad died of cirrhosis of the liver aged 27 . His successor , Ibrahim The Mad , revoked the tobacco ban . Today , some would no doubt argue that he was mad to do so .
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