A Counter-Blaste to Tobacco | Page 3

them from whence it came, I am sure they
would haue bene loath, to haue taken so farre the imputation of that
disease vpon them as they did, by vsing the cure thereof. For Sanis non
est opus medico, and counter-poisons are neuer vsed, but where poyson
is thought to precede.
But since it is true, that diuers customes slightly grounded, and with no
better warrant entred in a Commonwealth, may yet in the vse of them
thereafter, prooue both necessary and profitable; it is therefore next to
be examined, if there be not a full Sympathie and true Proportion,
betweene the base ground and foolish entrie, and the loathsome, and
hurtfull vse of this stinking Antidote.
I am now therefore heartily to pray you to consider, first vpon what

false and erroneous grounds you haue first built the generall good
liking thereof; and next, what sinnes towards God, and foolish vanities
before the world you commit, in the detestable vse of it.[D]
As for these deceitfull grounds, that haue specially mooued you to take
a good and great conceit thereof, I shall content myselfe to examine
here onely foure of the principals of them; two founded vpon the
Theoricke of a deceiuable apparance of Reason, and two of them vpon
the mistaken Practicke of generall Experience.
First, it is thought by you a sure Aphorisme in the Physickes, That the
braines of all men, being naturally colde and wet, all dry and hote
things should be good for them; of which nature this stinking
suffumigation is, and therefore of good vse to them. Of this Argument,
both the Proposition and Assumption are false, and so the Conclusion
cannot but be voyd of it selfe. For as to the Proposition, That because
the braines are colde and moist, therefore things that are hote and drie
are best for them, it is an inept consequence: For man beeing
compounded of the foure Complexions (whose fathers are the foure
Elements) although there be a mixture of them all in all the parts of his
body, yet must the diuers parts of our Microcosme or little world within
ourselves, be diuersly more inclined, some to one, some to another
complexion, according to the diuersitie of their vses, that of these
discords a perfect harmonie may bee made vp for the maintenance of
the whole body.
The application then of a thing of a contrary nature, to any of these
parts is to interrupt them of their due function, and by consequence
hurtfull to the health of the whole body. As if a man, because the Liuer
is hote (as the fountaine of blood) and as it were an ouen to the
stomache, would therefore apply and weare close vpon his Liuer and
stomache a cake of lead; he might within a very short time (I hope) be
susteined very good cheape at an Ordinairie, beside the cleering of his
conscience from that deadly sinne of gluttonie. And as if, because the
Heart is full of vitall spirits, and in perpetuall motion, a man would
therefore lay a heauy pound stone on his breast, for staying and holding
downe that wanton palpitation, I doubt not but his breast would bee

more bruised with the weight thereof, then the heart would be
comforted with such a disagreeable and contrarious cure. And euen so
is it with the Braines. For if a man, because the Braines are colde and
humide, would therefore vse inwardly by smells, or ontwardly by
application, things of hot and drie qualitie, all the gaine that he could
make thereof would onely be to put himselfe in a great forwardnesse
for running mad, by ouer-watching himselfe, the coldnesse and
moistnesse of our braine beeing the onely ordinarie meanes that
procure our sleepe and rest. Indeed I do not denie, but when it falls out
that any of these, or any part of our bodie growes to be distempered,
and to tend to an extremetie, beyond the compasse of Natures
temperate mixture, that in that case cures of contrary qualities, to the
intemperate inclination of that part, being wisely prepared and
discreetely ministered, may be both necessarie and helpefull for
strengthning and assisting Nature in the expulsion of her enemies: for
this is the true definition of all profitable Physicke.
But first these Cures ought not to bee vsed, but where there is neede of
them, the contrarie where of, is daily practised in this generall vse of
Tobacco by all sorts and complexions of people.
And next, I deny the minor of this argument, as I haue already said, in
regard that this Tobacco, is not simply of a hot and dry qualitie; but
rather hath a certaine venemous facultie ioyned with the heate thereof,
which makes it haue an Antipathie against nature, as