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 be briefly treated of in the second part of this book.

Next, with respect to differences between philosophers as to the nature of tobacco: mirabile dictu these are few and trifling, there being little dispute upon the matter. Only, as I have mentioned before, some would consider tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes separately, thinking thus to prevent those disputes which we shall come upon shortly as to the nature and essence of pipes. And in some wise there is wisdom in this, for if their division should obtain a great part of the grounds of difference between the philosophers of the bowl and the philosophers of the tube would be cut away, and they might be at one; but yet on the other hand these same contentions have led to an infinite amount of learned ingenuity and metaphysical refinement, which 'twere surely pity to render of no account. And further, besides that expediency is on our side, the present concatenation is assuredly good, valid, and just, and worth retaining for its own sake. For to sepa-