Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/214

 198 BIOGRAPHICAL STUDIES tiana," pp. 38, 39), Culture at home was then tried, but another Act was passed in 1620 prohibiting this. It was also discovered that " the wisest fool in Chris- tendom " had only imposed the monstrous duty on tobacco from Virginia ; and recourse was had to the Spanish and Portuguese possessions, whose tobacco thus came in at the old twopence, to the heavy injury of our own colonists ! These naturally complained, and so in 1624 yet another Act lessened the duty on their produce, and prohibited importation of any other. As the trade began to revive under this, James finished his reign as he had begun it, by an attempt to cut down the inveterate weed he could not uproot ; he had a law made imposing heavy penalties on any one dealing in tobacco without royal letters patent. " A blow so sudden and unexpected occasioned the ruin, we are told, of many thousands, and the trade went rapidly to decay." (*' Nicotiana," pp. 39, 40.) It was by this consistent and enlightened course of conduct that the Most High and Mighty Prince James justified the free and independent gratulations of those who accomplished our Authorised Version of the Bible : " For whereas it was the expectation of many, who wished not well to our Ston, that upon the setting of that bright Occidental Star, Queen Elizabeth, of most happy memory, some thick and palpable clouds of darkness [breathed from myriads of tobacco-pipes] would so have overshadowed this land,. . . the appearance of your Majesty, as of the Sun in his strength, instantly dispelled those sup- posed and surmised mists [by the before-mentioned Acts and the " Counterblast : " but how dispel mists which were not in existence, being only supposed