As every Humane body (deare Countrey men) how wholesome soever, is notwithstanding subject, or at least naturally inclined to some sorts of diseases, or infirmities: so is there no Commonwealth, or Body-politicke, how well governed, or peacable soever it bee that lackes the owne popular errors, and naturally enclined corruptions: and therefore is it no wonder, although this our Countrey and Commonwealth, though peaceable, though wealthy, though long flourishing in both, be amongst the rest, subject to the owne naturall infirmities. We are of all Nations the people most loving and most reverently obedient to our Prince, yet are wee (as time has often borne witnesse) too easie to be seduced to make Rebellion, upon very slight grounds. Our fortunate and oft prooved valour in warres abroad, our heartie and reverent obedience to our Princes at home, hath bred us a long, and a thrice happy peace: Our Peace hath bred wealth: And Peace and wealth hath brought foorth a generall sluggishnesse, which makes us wallow in all sorts of idle delights, and soft delicacies, The first seedes of the subversion of all great Monarchies. Our Cleargie are become negligent and lazie, our Nobilitie and Gentrie prodigall, and solde to their private delights, Our Lawyers covetous, our Common-people prodigall and curious; and generally all sorts of people more carefull for their private ends, then for their mother the Common-wealth. For remedie whereof, it is the Kings (as the proper Phisician of his Politicke-body) to purge it of all those diseases, by Medicines meete for the same: as by a certaine milde, and yet just form of government, to maintaine the Publicke quietnesse, and prevent all occasions of Commotions by the example of his owne Person and Court, to make us all ashamed of our sluggish delicacie, and to stirre us up to the practise againe of all honest exercises, and Martiall shadowes of Warre; As likewise by his, and his Courts moderatenesse in Apparell, to make us ashamed of our prodigalitie: By his quicke admonitions and carefull over-seeing of the Cleargie to waken them up againe, to be more diligent in their Offices: By the sharpe triall, and severe punishment of the partiall, covetous and bribing Lawyers, to reforme their corruptions: And generally by the example of his owne Person, and by the due execution of good Lawes, to reform and abolish, piece and piece, these old and evill grounded abuses. For this will not bee 'Opus unius diei', but as every one of these diseases, must from the 'King' receive the owne cure proper for it, so are there some sorts of abuses in Common-wealths, that though they be of so base and contemptible a condition, as they are too low for the Law to looke on, and too meane for a 'King' to interpone his authoritie, or bend his eye upon: yet are they corruptions, as well as the greatest of them. So is an Ant an 'Animal', as well as an Elephant: so is a Wrene 'Avis', as well as a Swanne, and so is a small dint of the Toothake, a disease as well as the fearefull Plague is. But for these base sorts of corruption in Common-wealthes, not onely the 'King', or any inferior Magistrate, but 'Quilibet e populo' may serve to be a Phisician by discovering and impugning the error, and perswading reformation thereof.
And surely in my opinion, there cannot be a more base, and yet hurtfull corruption in a Countrey, then is the vile use (or other abuse) of taking 'Tobacco' in this Kingdome, which hath moved me, shortly to discover the abuses thereof in this folowing little Pamphlet.
If any thinke it a light Argument, so it is but a toy that is bestowed upon it. And since the Subject is but of Smoke, I thinke the fume of an idle braine, may serve for a sufficient battery against so fumous and feeble an enemy. If my grounds be found true, it is all I looke for; but if they cary the force of perswasion with them, it is all I can wish, and more than I can expect. My onely care is, that you, my deare Countrey-men, may rightly conceive even by this smallest trifle, of the sinceritie of my meaning in great matters, never to spare any paine that may tend to the procuring of your weale and prosperitie.