GENTLEMEN,

A

SI am very fond of mahoganyfurniture, I bave entered on fome experiments for colouring wood, fo as to look like it.

I took two pieces, one of elm and another of plane, both of which I ftained well with aqua fortis.

I then took two drams of powdered dragon's blood, one dram of powdered alkanet root, and half a dram of aloes; from all which I extracted a tincture, with half a pint of fpirits of wine: this tincture I laid over the wood with a fponge for two or three times, and it gave it the colour of a piece of fine old mahogany.

I fhould not have troubled you with this letter, had it not been with a view of exciting fome of your correfpondents, whofe peculiar province this is, to communicate their methods of doing it to the public;

A Lotion for ftrengthening the Gums, TA AKE Spanish wine, and the diftilled water of briar-leaves, of each a pint; of cinnamon half an ounce; cloves, and the peel of Seville oranges, of each two drams; gum lac, and burnt alum, of each a dram: reduce all to fine powder. Add two ounces of virgin-honey, and put all into a glass bottle, which you must place over hot afhes; digeft for four days. The fifth day you must pass the liquor with strong expreffion thro' a thick piece of linen, and then preferve the liquor in a bottle well corked,

and had I not alfo intended to propofe it to the ingenious, who have leifure and opportunity to make the experiment, whether wood may not be more fuccessfully and durably coloured when growing than af

terward.

I have seen the bones of feveral animals very fuccessfully coloured by feeding them with madder roots; and fince the circulatory vefiels of trees are much larger than those of the bones of animals, and fince trees fuck their nourishment from the ground by iuhalent tubes, analogous to the mouths of animals, may they not be fed in like manner with juices impregnated with red, which would communicate an uniform colour over the whole wood? Edinburgh, I am, Sir, your's, &c. Nov. 7, 1764. W. A. S.

and for correcting a fetid Breath.

When you want to strengthen your gums, take a spoonful of this liquor, pour it into a glass, and use one half of it to rinfe your mouth. Keep it for fome moments before you spit it out, and afterwards take the other half, and keep in your mouth a longer or a fhorter time, according as your gums want to be strengthened, You must rub them at the fame time with your finger, and afterwards wash your mouth with warm water. You may repeat the fame operation morning and evening whilft it is neceffary.

MIAEAITM. To Mifs MARIA LLEBIWT.
Vincis enim, moriarque libens: Age ferrea, gaude.
VIRGIL.

COULD I the Mules' aid command
To fing the fairest in the land
But as converfing with the Nine
To poets-laureat 1 refign,
Parnaffus I ne'er dreamt upon,
Nor on the top of Helicon
Nor tafted of that famous fpring,
That I should like the Poets fing.
But fince fo many now you fee,
Write verfe no more infpir'd than me:
Pray let me at this joyful time,

Try to express my thought in rhyme;
Tho' fearful in my humble lays,
To leffen with unequal praife,
Your matchlefs worth, and virtues rare,
Confpicuous as your beauties are.
You're neither a coquette nor prude,
Free in your temper and not rude;
Your bluth is like the morning skies,
And lightning glances from your eyes;
As white as frow your bofom rifes,
Your carriage certainly most wife is.
-Yea! Jove, as we're in story told,
Had got a chain of pureft gold;
Which he when fitting on his throne,
Could hold, and by his ftrength alone,
Pull'd up the gods, and world's whole
weight,

That hung below, and kept his feat.
But had this wond'rous chain been plac'd
Alone round blooming Molly's wafte;
Jove, tho' he'd puli'd with might and main,
To raise the nymph he'd pull'd in vain.
One glance of her bewitching eyes,
Had drawn his godship from the skies!
Oh! kindly hear the wifhes fervent,
Of your flave and humble fervant,
Dec. 14. 1764.

ΦΙΛΟΓΥΝΑΙΚΟΣ.

VERSES to a YOUNG LADY.

་

PRITHEE, Chloe, why affect

Thus to treat with fuch neglect The harmless pleasure of a kifs, Pregnant with fuch ftore of blifs? Callous always will you prove To the pleafing joys of love? Know, the ruthlefs hand of Time Soon will rob you of your prime į

Soon will leave you unadorn'd: Then, dear nymph, în time be warn'd, For when wrinkled o'er with years, Opprefs'd with age, worn out with cares, You recollect your youthful days, Bleft with affluence and eafe, When difdainful you lejected Pleasures ne'er by age expected; Believe, unpity'd you'll deplore The lofs of joys you fcorn'd before. With fighs and tears you'll then repent The precious moments now mifpent: In vain you'll murmur and complain; And with for youth and love again.— Then be happy' while you may, Youth will quickly glide away, Beauty wither and decay. Seize at once th'aufpicious hour, Kindly on your poet show'r Store of foft, transporting bliffes, Melting, love-infpiring kiffes, Softeft, fweetest beft of Miffes.

DECEMBER. ODE.

73

Yet ftill, even here, content can spread a

charm,

Redress the clime, and all its rage difarm. Tho' poor the peasant's hut, his feasts tho' fmall,

He fees his little lot, the lot of all ;
Sees no contiguous palace rear its head
To fhame the meannefs of his humble shed;
No coftly lord the fumptuous banquet deal
To make him loath his vegetable meal;
But calm, and bred in ignorance and toil,
Each with contracting, fits him to the foil.
Chearful at morn he wakes from fhort re-
pofe,

Breafts the keen air, and carrols as he goes;
With patient angle trolls the finny deep,
Or drives his vent'rous plow-share to the
steep;
[the way,
Or feeks the den where fnow tracks mark
And drags the struggling favage into day.
At night returning, every labour fped,
He fits him down the monarch of a shed;
Smiles by his chearful fire, and round fur-
[blaze:
His children's looks, that brighten at the
While his lov'd partner boastful of her

veys

CHLOE ROMPING.

CHLOE, averfe to prudish airs,

Pert, frisky, young, and gay; Tho' constantly she said her pray'rs, Would fometimes romp and play. Why not? the goddeffes above,

As faucy poets how,
In Jove's all-fpacious palace love
To romp like nymphs below.
Some fages fay, that matter huil'd

Thro' space etherial thither,
By romping atoms form'd the world,
Well jumbled altogether.
Dame Nature first the romp began ;

And ages all evince,

That woman fondly mad hath ran
With romping ever fince.

Thus whilft at balls, with air genteel,

Each flowing form we fee;
Dancing, in fact, is romping still
With regularity.

Hence routs and drums a romp I call,'
Tho' by a duchess made;
And what's the greatest romp of all,

A midnight masquerade.
'Tis hence gay Chloe's airy life

Receives the general stamp; 'Tis hence, before the is a wife,

She fometimes loves to romp.
Yet ceafe, dear nymph, that floral sport,
Whence Love has keener darts;
Tho' you may practise it unhurt,

Too deep it wounds our hearts.
O! whilst you tread with filent pace
Amidft the fhady grove,

Or prefs the chair with eafy grace,
Or in the minuet move;

Or leaning on your fnowy arms,

Just hum a fonnet o'er ;
Aftonifh'd we furvey thy charms;
We gaze, admire, adore.
But round the room in frolic mood

When thus you frisk it so,
And force in brisker tides the blood

O'er rofy cheeks to flow :

While thus you better heedless darte,
Without a certain aim;

At random thrown they pierce all hearts,
Like Jove's ætherial flame.

Sol's chariot thus, which in due place,
Does genial warmth inspire;
Once left to run a giddy race,

Set all the world on fire.

SONG from the New Opera called The CAPRICIOUS LOVERS.

FOR various purpofe serves the fan,

As thus a decent blind,
Between the flicks to peep at man,
Nor yet betray your mind.
Each action has a meaning plain,
Refentment's in the fnap,
A flirt expreffes ftrong difdain,
Confent a gentle tap.

All paffions will the fan disclose,

All modes of female ait,
And to advantage sweetly shews
The hand, if not the heart.

'Tis Folly's fceptre first defign'd,
By Love's capricious boy,
Who knows how lightly all mankind
Are govern'd by a toy.

FOREIGN

TH

E 15th of January next is fixed for the ceremony of the marriage of the King of the Romans with the princess Jofephina of Bavaria. There will not be any triumphal arches or illuminations; all poffible ce-onomy being, as we are told from Vienna, to be obferved on the occafion.

Letters from Warfaw advife, that the coronation of the king, on the 25th of laft month, was performed in the parochial church, and began about nine in the morning. The king confirmed the pacta conventa by a new oath, and by waving his fword in the air. His majesty then afcended the throne with the crown on his head, and holding the fcept e and globe. His drefs was crimfon velvet, bordered with ermine. Te deum was fung under a difcharge of cannon, and the crown and Lithuanian standards were difplayed.

his majeThe next

ter service the king returned to the caftle, under a grand canopy, and received the compliments; and when dinner was ferved up, the king was ed at a table alone, and was waited on by the great officers. When dinner was over, fty retired to his apartment. night there was a grand fupper, and alfo a masquerade ball. On this occafion prince Repnin, the Ruffian ambatfador, prince Czarterinski, general of Podolia, and count Poniatowski, his majefly's brother, were invested with the enfigns of the order of the Black Eagle.

The letter which the emprefs of Ruffia has wrote to the prince primate, and which was prefented to him by prince Repnin, ambalfador extraordinary from her imperial majefty, is as follows:

Monfieur the prince primate,

"It was reafonable that I fhould learn, with much fatisfaction, the election, as free as unanimous, of count Poniatowski to the crown of Poland, which your highnefs acquaints me with, by your letter of the 7th of September. It is an event the moft happy that could happen to your country; and I congratulate you the more fincerely thereupon, as nobody can be more zealous for its welfare than you are. You have fhewn it by your indefatigable cares, and by your conftant attention to fecond December, 1764.

"Sir, and Brother,

It is with much fatisfaction, that I have learned, by a private letter, the agreeable news, that your majefty has been elected king and peffifor of the throne of Poland.

This election, made with fo much tranquility, and fo unanimoudy, will one day enrich the annals of that kingdom; and your fubjects have the greatest reafon to promise themfelves every thing from their fovereign, who, in his own private travels, having feen the different courts of Europe, and known them all, will the better know how of course to govern his fubje&ts as becomes a king, to watch over their prefervation, and defend their laws and their liberries.

"The pleafure I feel in recalling to my remembrance the efteem which I conceived for you on my own part, increases that which I now feel in felicitating your majetty on your advancement to the throne; and I embrace this opportunity with much ardou, to affure your majefty of the fincere friendship with which I am,