very forry to commit high treafon, without dreaming of fuch a thing. Befides, whenever the Sunday paper is received, and I read it to my ploughmen and neighbours, they are fure to ask me a score of fuch questions as I have been asking you, and dang me, if I fometimes know how to answer them, thof I'm reckoned about as cute a hand as any in the county..

A MAN OF KENT.

PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN.

[From the Morning Post]

NOW fee my goddess, earthly born,
With fimiling looks, and sparkling eyes,
And with a bloom that shames the morn,
New risen in the eaftern skies.
Furnish'd from Nature's boundless store,
And one of Pleasure's laughing train;
Stranger to all the wife explore,

She proves all far-fought knowledge vain:
Untaught as Venus, when the found
Herself firft floating on the fea,

And, laughing, begg'd the Tritons round,
For fhame, to look fome other way!
And unaccomplish'd all as Eve,

In the first morning of her life,

When Adam blush'd, and ask'd her leave
To take her hand, and call her wife.
Yet there is fomething in her face,
Though fhe's unread in Plato's lore,
Might bring your Plato to difgrace,
For leaving precepts taught before.
And there is magic in her eye

(Though the 's unfkill'd to conjure down
The pale moon from th'affrighted fky)
Might draw Endymion from the Moon,

And there are words which the can speak,
More easy to be underfood,

More fweet than all the Heathen Greek,
By Helen talk'd, when Paris woo'd.
And she has raptures in her power,
More worth than all the flattering claim
Of learning's unfubftantial dower,
In prefent praise or future fame.
Let me but kifs her foft warm hand,
And let me whisper in her ear,
What knowledge would not understand,
And wifdom would difdain to hear!

And let her liften to my tale,

And let one smiling blush arise,
(Bleft omen that my vows prevail)
I'll fcorn the fcorn of all the wife.

SUBSTITUTES FOR BREAD *.
From the Telegraph.]

WHILE our nobility are generously eating brown bread for the good of the country, it gives me much pleasure to find that the newspapers are no less

*The above whimsical letter appeared at the time of the great fcarcity, when the Privy Council recommended the eating of meat and vegetables as fubftitutes for bread. This was very wife; meat and vegetables being ftill dearer than the article instead of which they were to be used. Other perfons, with Sir John Sinclair, and economifts of the fame ftamp, at their head, made bread of flour and potatoes mixed. This was alfo very wife; as a very indifferent compound was produced by the combination of two things, perfectly good when eaten alone, without a fingle grain of fuftenance being gained. Others first made potatoes into flour, and then into bread. This was wifer ftill! for by these means much of the nutritious fubftance of the potatoe was loft, the fæcula, by far the fmaller part, being alone preferved. In short, not one of the wife heads, who are good enough to regulate all our concerns, was able to difcover that the only remedy for a scarcity is to diminish the confumption, or increase the ftock of provifions; till at laft fear did what reflection could not, and a bounty was given for the importation of corn.

generously

generously feconding their efforts, by recommending various fubftitutes for bread, and that the Lady Bountifuls of the metropolis have given up the entire copyright of Sunday puddings and cakes, which may be ufed inftead of bread.

I fhould be forry if my pen were idle on fuch an occafion. Permit me, therefore, to recommend, what I have from experience found to be excellent fubftitutes for bread; and what, you will perceive, are not only as well fuited to the ability of the common people as any which have been recommended, but alfomust be eafily procured by a nation abounding in wealth and commerce, the natural confequences of a fuccessful, juft, and neceffary war.

My firft fubftitute, Sir, is butcher's meat of every kind, particularly veal and beef, neither of which are yet at a hilling a pound. Houfe-lamb, when in feafon, is alfo an excellent fubftitute: a quarter of houfe-lamb feldom exceeds twelve or fourteen fhillings, and would make one very good meal for a man, his wife, and four children,

Poultry has lately been fo moderate, that it is wonderful it has not been more ufed. At all times, a couple of nice chickens may be had for feven or eight Shillings; and I am certain the poor would find them exceedingly relishing, if they would but make a trial.

But my great and grand fubftitutes yet remainvenifon and turtle. Venifon is very cheap this year, owing to the difcontinuance of public dinners; and you will pleafe to obferve, that it has a fuperior advantage to every other kind of meat, inafmuch as the monopolizing and foreftalling butchers cannot take in the public, becaufe none of them deal in the ar ticle. I lately dined on a very fine haunch, which coft only two pounds fourteen fhillings; and as we aşe to have no more public dinners, I have no doubt that

H 6

the

the price will foon fall, perhaps to a couple of guineas. A haunch of this price would, I imagine, ferve for dinner for fix men of good appetite, befides what might be ferved up next day in the form of a bafb. I am greatly mistaken, if the poor would not take very kindly to this diet, were it once fet before them.

There can

As to turtle, which will be foon plenty, from the arrival of the Weft India fleet, and cheap from the fame caufe as the venifon, I need fcarcely fay how very nourishing it is; in that refpect indeed, excelling all other food. The fuccefs of our armies in Flanders is juftly imputed to the Commiffaries ordering greát quantities of plump turtles to be fent over. be little doubt that the price will not exceed eight sbillings a quart; and, at that price, I am fure the poor would find it a moft delicious and palatable food, provided they have no natural antipathy to it, as people fometimes have for what they are not used to. By way of inducing them to give up fuch whims, they might be advised to take a rummer-glass of punch be tween every three or four mouthfuls, which I have always found very relishing. Indeed, this is a fact which has often been warn to before the Aldermen of London.

To thefe valuable substitutes for bread, and, by the by, before I proceed one step farther, let me remark, that it is the opinion of many learned phyficians, that bread is not quite fo wholefome as fome people ignorantly think. They fay that it creates wind. Now, if the existence of wind be known by its effects, I think it is very obvious that the poor are afflicted with it, from this very caufe-for among the poor, you are always fure to hear more grumbling than among the rich; it is but fair to attribute this to their not being able to raise the wind. Such would not be the cafe, if they could be induced, to use the diet I here recommend.

Leaving

Leaving this digreffion, let me obferve, that to the above fubftitutes for bread, may be added fish of all kinds, particularly turbot, with lobster-fauce, which is highly nourishing, and far more fattening than the produce of a wheat-field can poffibly be. Now, Sir, a very nice turbot can be bought for seven or eight fhil lings, and ferve three moderate eaters very well. Indeed, I have made all my calculations for the fcale of moderate eaters, because my object is to ferve the who are confeffedly of that clafs.

poor,

With refpect to vegetables, they ought unquestionably to accompany the above courfe of diet; but they ought to be eaten only at the beginning of the feafon, when they are young. The fame remark may be extended to fruit, particularly pines, melans, and peaches. A very good fized pine may now be purchased for fif teen fhillings, and is a moft delicious fruit. But I must confefs, that I would not have the poor to indulge too much in thefe articles, unless they are plenty, and the warmth of the weather requires a vegetable regimen..

It may be expected I fhould fay fomething of li quors with regard to them I have, however, only to remark, that gin is a very unwholefome liquor, and is lately rifen in price. Wine is much more to be preferred; but in order to drink it pure, it fhould be pur chafed in the pipe, and kept for fome time before it is hottled. Experto crede. I think that, in the prefent. ftate of affairs, French wines may be difpenfed with by the poor.

Having thus difcharged a duty to them, and to the public at large, I am, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,.

MAZARINE MUNCHET..

COSMOGUNIA,