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"The colouring part is formed into lakes for painters: a sort of Spanish wool for the ladies is also prepared with it; and as a dyeing material, it is in very general

use.

"The resinous part is even em ployed to form grindstones, by melting it, and mixing with it about three parts of sand. For making polishing grindstones, the sand is sifted through fine muslin; but those which are employed by the lapidaries, are formed with powder of corundum, called by them Corune*.

"But, in addition to all the above uses to which it is applied in India, as well as to those which cause it to be in request in Europe, Mr. Wilkins's Hindû ink occupies a conspicuous place, not merely on account of its use as an ink, but because it teaches us to prepare an aqueous solution of lac, which probably will be found of very extensive utility.

"This solution of lac in water may be advantageously employed as a sort of varnish, which is equal in durability, and other qualities, to those prepared with alcohol; whilst, by the saving of this liquid, it is infinitely cheaper.

"I do not mean, however, to assert that it will answer equally well in all cases, but only that it may be employed in many. It will be found likewise of great use as a vehicle

Phil. Trans. 1781, p. 380.

for colours; for, when dry, it is not easily affected by damp, or even by water.

"With a solution of this kind, I have mixed various colours, such as, vermilion, fine lake, indigo, Prussian blue, sap green, and gamboge; and it is remarkable, that although the two last are of a gunimy nature, and the others had been previously mixed with gum, (being cakes of the patent watercolours) yet, when dried upon paper, they could not be removed with a moistened sponge, until the surface of the paper itself was rubbed off.

"In many arts and manufac tures, therefore, the solutions of lac may be found of much utility; for, like mucilage, they may be diluted with water, and yet, when dry, are little if at all affected by itt.

"We find, from the experiments on lac, that this substance is solu ble in the alkalis, and in some of the acids. But this fact (consi dering that resin is the principal ingredient of lac) is in opposition to the generally received opinion of chemists, namely, that acids and al kalis do not act upon resinous bodies. Some experiments, however, which I have made on various resins, gum-resins, and balsams, fully establish, that these substances are powerfully acted upon by the alkais, and by some of the acids, so as

The alkaline solutions of lac are evidently of a saponaceous nature, and, like other soaps, may be decomposed by acids. The entire substance of lac is not however completely dissolved, as appears from the turbidness of the liquors. Three of the four ingredients, namely, the resin, the gluten, and the colouring extract, appear to be in per Lect solution; whilst the wax is only partially combined with the alkali, and forms that imperfectly soluble saponaceous compound which has been formerly mentioned, and which remains suspended, and disturbs the transparency of the solution.

From various circumstances, it does not seem improbable, that the long sought-for, but hitherto undiscovered vehicle employed by the celebrated painters of the Venetian School, may have beeu some kind of resinous solution prepared by means of borax, or by the alkalis.

to be completely dissolved, and rendered soluble in water.

"It will be a very wide and cu rious field of inquiry, to discover what changes are thus produced in these bodies, especially by nitric acid. Each substance must form the subject of a separate investigation; and there cannot be a doubt but that much will be learned respecting their nature and properties, which hitherto have been so little examined by chemists.

"The alkaline solutions of resin may be found useful in some of the

arts; for many colours, especially those which are metallic, when dissolved in acids, may be precipitated, combined with resin, by adding the former to the alkaline solutions of the latter. I have made some experiments of this kind with success; and perhaps these processes might prove useful to dyers and manufacturers of colours. It is probable also, that medicine may derive advantages from some of this extensive series of alkaline and acid solutions of the resinous substances.

1804,

POETRY

POETRY.

BRANKSOME HALL.

[From Mr. SCOTT'S LAY of the LAST MINSTREL.]

I.

HE feast was over in Branksome tower,

Tand the Ladye had gone to her secret bower,

Her bower, that was guarded by word and by spell,
Deadly to hear, and deadly to tell-

Jesu Maria, shield us well!

No living wight, save the Ladye alone,
Had dared to cross the threshold stone.

II.

The tables were drawn, it was idlesse all;
Knight, and page, and household squire,
Loitered through the lofty hall,

Or crowded round the ample fire.
The stag-hounds, weary with the chace,
Lay stretched upon the rushy floor,
And urged, in dreams, the forest race,
From Teviot-stone to Eskdale-moor.

III.

Nine-and-twenty knights of fame

Hung their shields in Branksome Hall;

Nine-and-twenty squires of name

Brought them their steeds from bower to stall;
Nine-and-twenty yeomen tall

--Waited, duteous, on them all;

They were all knights of mettle true,
Kinsmen to the bold Buccleuch.

IV.

Ten of them were sheathed in steel,
With belted sword, and spur on heel :
They quitted not their harness bright,
Neither by day, nor yet by night:

They

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They lay down to rest

With corslet laced,

Pillowed on buckler cold and hard;

They carved at the meal

With gloves of steel,

And they drank the red wine through the helmet barred.

V.

Tén squires, ten yeomen, mail-clad men,
Waited the beck of the warders ten.
Thirty steeds, both fleet and wight,
Stood saddled in stable day and night,
Barbed with frontlet of steel, I trow,
And with Jedwood-axe at saddle bow.
A hundred more fed free in stall-
Such was the custom of Branksome Hall.

VI.

Why do these steeds stand ready dight?
Why watch these warriors, armed, by night?
They watch to hear the blood-hound baying;
They watch to hear the war-horn braying;
To see St. George's red cross streaming,
To see the midnight beacon gleaming;
They watch, against Southern force and guile,
Lest Scroop, or Howard, or Percy's powers,
Threaten Branksome's lordly towers,

From Warkworth, or Naworth, or merry Carlisle.
VII.

Such is the custom of Branksome Hall.

Many a valiant knight is here;

But he, the Chieftain of them all,

His sword hangs rusting on the wall,

Beside his broken spear.

Bards long shall tell,

How lord Walter fell!

When startled burghers fled, afar,

The furies of the Border war ;

When the streets of high Dunedin

Saw lances gleam, and falchions redden,
And heard the slogan's deadly yell-
Then the Chief of Branksome fell.

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No! vainly to each holy shrine,
In mutual pilgrimage, they drew;
Implored, in vain, the grace divine

For chiefs, their own red falchions slew :
While Cessford owns the rule of Car,
While Ettrick boasts the line of Scott,
The slaughtered chiefs, the mortal jar,
The havoc of the feudal war,

Shall never, never be forgot

I

WILLIAM of DELORAINE.

[From the same.]

I.

F thou wouldst view fair Melrose aright,
Go visit it by the pale moon-light;
For the gay beams of lightsome day
Gild, but to flout, the ruins gray.

When the broken arches are black in night,
And each shafted oriel glimmers white;
When the cold light's uncertain shower
Streams on the ruined central tower ;
When buttress and buttress, alternately,
Seem framed of ebon and ivory;
When silver edges the imagery,

And the scrolls that teach thee to live and die;

When distant Tweed is heard to rave,

And the owlet to hoot o'er the dead man's grave;

Then go-but go alone the while-
Then view St. David's ruined pile;
And, home returning, soothly swear,
Was never scene so sad and fair!

II.

Short halt did Deloraine make there;
Little recked he of the scene so fair.
With dagger's hilt, on the wicket strong,
He struck full loud, and struck full long.
The porter hurried to the gate—

Who knocks so loud, and knocks so late?' 'From Branksome I,' the warrior cried; And straight the wicket opened wide :

For Branksome's chiefs had in battle stood,
To fence the rights of fair Melrose ;

And lands and livings, many a rood,
Had gifted the shrine for their souls repose.

3

III. Bold

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