Among the documents in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland there is a letter patent under the great seal of Charles I, in 1634, granted for the purpose of correcting the irregular sales and restraining the immoderate use of tobacco in Scotland.  The letter states that tobacco was used on its first introduction as a medicine, but had since been so largely indulged in and was frequently of such bad quality, as not only to injure the health, but deprave the morals of the King’s subjects.  These were sentiments worthy of King James.  Mr. Matthew Livingstone, who has calendared this document, says that the King therein proceeds, in order to prevent such injurious results of the use of tobacco, to appoint Sir James Leslie and Thomas Dalmahoy to enjoy for seven years the sole power of appointing licensed vendors of the commodity.  These vendors, after due examination as to their fitness, were to be permitted, on payment of certain compositions and an annual rent in augmentation of the King’s revenue, to sell tobacco in small quantities.  The letter further directs that the licensees so appointed shall become bound to sell only sound tobacco—­an admirable provision, if a trifle difficult to enforce—­and to keep good order in their houses and shops.  “The latter clause,” adds Mr. Livingstone, “would almost suggest that the tobacco was to be sold for consumption on the premises,”—­as I have no doubt it was—­“and that the smokers were probably in the habit at their symposiums of using, even as they may still, I dare say, other indulgences not so soothing in their effects as the coveted weed”—­a suggestion for which there seems little foundation in the clause to which Mr. Livingstone refers.

One inference at least may be fairly drawn, I think, from this document, and that is that smoking was very popular north as well as south of the Tweed.

Tobacco was certainly cheap in Scotland.  The following entries are from a MS. account of household expenses kept by the minister of the parish of Eastwood, near Glasgow, the Rev. William Hamilton.  They cover two months only and show that the minister was a furious smoker.  The prices given are in Scots currency, the pound Scots being worth about twenty pence sterling: 

  Maii, 1651

  It. to Andro Carnduff for 4 pund of Tobacco L1. 0. 0. 
  It. to Robert Hamilton Chapman for Tobacco 0. 18. 0. 
  It. 9 June to my wife to give for sax trenchers
        and tobacco 1. 13. 4. 
  It. 10 June, The sd day for tobacco and stuffes 0. 14. 4.
      28 June, It. for tobacco 0. 13. 9.

It may perhaps be interesting to compare with these prices, from which, apparently, it may be inferred that near Glasgow tobacco could be bought for some 5d. a pound, which seems incredibly cheap, the occasional expenditure upon tobacco of a worthy citizen of Exeter some few years earlier.  Extracts from the “Financial Diary” of this good man, whose name was John Hayne, and who was an extensive dealer in serges and woollen goods generally, as well as in a smaller degree of cotton goods also, were printed some years ago, with copious annotations, by the late Dr. Brushfield.