[Footnote 352:  A sclopeta or sclopetta was a hand-gun used by Spaniards.]

[Footnote 353:  Toledo was famous for its sword-blades.]

[Footnote 354:  Salter had an old grey muff, which he clapped constantly to his nose, and by which he was distinguishable at the distance of a quarter of a mile.  His wife was none of the best, being much addicted to scolding.-(Nichols.)]

No. 35. [STEELE.

From Tuesday, June 28, to Thursday, June 30, 1709.

* * * * *

Grecian Coffee-house, June 28.

There is a habit or custom which I have put my patience to the utmost stretch to have suffered so long, because several of my intimate friends are in the guilt; and that is, the humour of taking snuff, and looking dirty about the mouth by way of ornament.  My method is to dive to the bottom of a sore before I pretend to apply a remedy.  For this reason, I sat by an eminent story-teller and politician who takes half an ounce in five seconds, and has mortgaged a pretty tenement near the town, merely to improve and dung his brains with this prolific powder.  I observed this gentleman the other day in the midst of a story diverted from it by looking at something at a distance, and I softly hid his box.  But he returns to his tale, and looking for his box, he cries, “And so, sir—­” Then when he should have taken a pinch, “As I was saying,” says he—­“Has nobody seen my box?” His friend beseeches him to finish his narration.  Then he proceeds, “And so, sir—­Where can my box be?” Then, turning to me, “Pray, sir, did you see my box?” “Yes, sir,” said I, “I took it to see how long you could live without it.”  He resumes his tale; and I took notice, that his dulness was much more regular and fluent than before.  A pinch supplied the place of, “As I was saying,” “And so, sir”; and he went on currently enough in that style which the learned call the insipid.  This observation easily led me into a philosophic reason for taking snuff, which is done only to supply with sensations the want of reflection.  This I take to be an {~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON WITH DASIA AND OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~} [Heureka], a nostrum; upon which I hope to receive the thanks of this board.  For as it is natural to lift a man’s hand to a sore, when you fear anything coming at you; so when a person feels his thoughts are run out, and has no more to say, it is as natural to supply his weak brain with powder at the nearest place of access, viz., the nostrils.  This is so evident, that nature suggests the use according to the indigence of the persons who use this medicine, without being prepossessed with the force of fashion or custom.  For example; the native Hibernians, who are reckoned not much unlike the ancient Boeotians, take this specific for emptiness in the head, in greater