From Chapter 5: smokers of the period were often curious in tobacco-boxes. Mr. Richard Stapley, gentleman, of Twineham, Sussex, whose diary is full of curious information, was presented in 1691 by his friend Mr. John Hill with a "tobacco-box made of tortoise." Seven years earlier Stapley had sold to Hill his silver tobacco-box for 10
s. in cash—the rest of the value of the box, he noted, "I freely forgave him for writing at our first commission for me, and for copying of answers and ye like in our law concerns; so yt I reckon I have as good as 30
s. for my box: 5
s. he gave me, and 5
s. more he promised to pay me ... and I had his steel box with the bargain, and full of smoake." Apparently Mr. Hill's secretarial labours were valued at 20
s. This same Sussex squire bought a pound
of tobacco in December 1685 for 20
d., which seems decidedly cheap, and in the following year a 5 lb. box for 7
s. 6
d.—which was cheaper still.
