Tobacco Warning Labels by King James I

[pitchfork]

Saw this on Twitter - tobacco warning labels based on King James I's "A Counterblaste to Tobacco" (1604).

 

[ashdigger]

luckily for me I don’t speak the king’s English.

 

[fightnhampster]

Love it! Very cool indeed.

 

[danimalia]

I like think of King James seeing someone speak highly of smoking tobacco, and deciding to power up the ol' laptop to feverishly compose this counterblast.

Why should I take him seriously though? That King James couldn't even dunk!

 

[Servant King]

I like think of King James seeing someone speak highly of smoking tobacco, and deciding to power up the ol' laptop to feverishly compose this counterblast.

Why should I take him seriously though? That King James couldn't even dunk!

But he's in prime position to fart right in that defender's face. "Hmmm...smells like Captain Black Red Sky!"

 

[mso489]

They have the idiom down pretty well. Someone is well read in 18th Century English lit.

 

[verporchting]

I recently ran across a reprint of King James’ pamphlet in a used book shop and bought it.

He was not a fan of smoking, that’s for sure. An interesting read, glad I found it.

 

[kcghost]

When you become King you think anything you think should be the law of the land.

 

[Toast]

Those are awesome!

 

[Jaylotw]

Why is the letter “S” only used at the end of words, but in the middle of words they used “f”. Unless it’s capital letters. I’m asking the real questions.

 

[workman]

That is great!

 

[Casual]

Why is the letter “S” only used at the end of words, but in the middle of words they used “f”. Unless it’s capital letters. I’m asking the real questions.

I confefs to knowing only a little, but I believe it developed from the conventions of old Latin handwritten script.

There were a whole set of rules of when to use the f-like long s, or the short s. Eventually we gave it up.

 

[pitchfork]

I confefs to knowing only a little, but I believe it developed from the conventions of old Latin handwritten script.

There were a whole set of rules of when to use the f-like long s, or the short s. Eventually we gave it up.

That's right. What we now call the "long s" was just the lower-case/miniscule "s" in Latin handwriting and its use survived until the late 18th century (more or less), both in print and in script.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I know that many of the Germanic countries of the time passed laws requiring others to beat anyone caught smoking tobacco with sticks. It was your patriotic duty to join in and help beat the shit out of them.

 

[olkofri]

That's right. What we now call the "long s" was just the lower-case/miniscule "s" in Latin handwriting and its use survived until the late 18th century (more or less), both in print and in script.

We still use it in Sütterlin script.

 

[Jaylotw]

I’ve seen it spelled “smoake” which I love. Also, soote. Love it.

 

[pitchfork]

We still use it in Sütterlin script.

Thanks. Yeah, I should have qualified that ("survived in English").

 

[condorlover1]

Sort of died out in the late 1790s. Personally I see nothing wrong with it. The only issue I would have would be with technical support in those days.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I know that many of the Germanic countries of the time passed laws requiring others to beat anyone caught smoking tobacco with sticks. << Snipped bits out >>

Chopsticks? Seems rather awkward to use sticks to smoke tobacco. Strange times....