fixed under the travelling wire-cloth. In these a partial vacuum is made by powerful air-pumps, and the pressure of the atmosphere forces the water through the wire into the boxes, leaving the pulp comparatively dry. Water-marks, such as names, dates, figures, &c., are given in this damp state by means of a light wirecovered roller, called "a dandy." The required pattern is worked on its surface with brass wire, which, penetrating partly through the moist pulp, leaves its impress at each revolution. The same "dandy," according to the way in which it is covered, makes the difference between "laid" and "wove" papers; the former is produced by a covering of parallel wires, fastened at intervals of an inch or so; the latter, by a cover of similar character to the wirecloth on which the pulp travels. The "laid" appearance is well seen in ordinary foolscap. The sizing makes the difference between blottingpaper and that used for writing or printing. In ordinary printing paper it consists of a resinous soap, and is added to "the stuff" in the beating engine. In the higher qualities a thin glue is used, and this is invariably done at the "paper-making machine," and the requisite machinery is shewn in the accompanying fig. A, is a reservoir for size; B, a trough for the papers to dip into; C, the reel of paper to be sized; D, rollers to press out all super fluous size; E, a pulley to keep the paper on the stretch; FF F, a succession of hollow "drums" to prolong the passage of paper through the air of the drying-room, which is heated by the furnace G and the tubes I I; HH are openings to admit fresh air, and K, openings to allow the exit of the steam from the paper as it dries; L, is a series of rollers to glaze it. But the process as conducted by hand will give a much better notion of how paper is formed from the pulp. A reservoir is filled with pulp (which is supplied by a wheel in the box to a strainer) and passed to a vat; a man takes in his hands a mould, consisting of a shallow frame of wood of the size the sheet of paper is to be, having a bottom of fine wires laid side by side, and also crossing at intervals, to keep them firm (the marks of these wires may be seen in any sheet of laid foolscap paper held up to the light); he dips this mould edgewise into the reservoir, and brings it up horizontally full of pulp; this he gently shakes, to make the pulp lie level and allow all superfluous water to drain through the wires. It is then handed to another man, who has a sheet of flannel or felt spread out on a table, on which the mould is inverted, and the sheet of pulp left on the flannel, which sucks up more of its moisture. Over this is placed another piece of flannel, and then another sheet of pulp on it, and so on to the number of five or six dozen; then the whole is put into a powerful press, and screwed down till all the water is squeezed out. When they are pretty firm, they are lifted out and hung on lines to dry; after which they are immersed in a cistern filled with thin size, made by boiling clippings of skin in water, and having some alum dissolved in it, and are once more pressed and dried. What is called "hot-pressed" paper is pressed between smooth sheets of pasteboard, having a hot-iron plate placed. between every three or four dozen sheets; this gives it a a smooth surface. The names, dates, and other marks seen on hand-made paper, bank-notes, &c., are formed by wires worked into the bottom of the mould, which, projecting, make the pulp thinner in those places, LOOKING GLASSES. THE mirrors of ancient times were formed of polished metal, those of the Jewish women, as we learn from Scripture, were of brass. It is doubtful at what time, and by whom the covering of mirrors of glass with quicksilver and tin was first accomplished; like other inventions, probably, this was discovered by several artists, perhaps, at the same time, and independently of each other. The manner in which the manufacture is at present carried on is as follows:-A slab of stone of any requisite size is ground perfectly level and smooth; this slab is surrounded by a frame-work of wood, which rises several inches above it; but the slab itself is so fixed that its surface is raised from the back of the frame, so as to leave a kind of groove, or gutter, all round, between the stone and the wood. The slab, with its frame-work, is mounted so as to form a table, but so adjusted by means of screws that it can at any time have its surface thrown into an oblique position. The table being thus prepared, its surface is covered with tin-foil, and mercury being poured over it, a hare's foot is used to spread it over the surface of the tin and cause it to amalgamate with the latter metal; more quicksilver is then poured on it, until the surface is covered to the depth of nearly a quarter of an inch. The plate, or plates of glass (for it is not necessary that the table should be occupied by one plate alone), are rendered perfectly clean, and a piece of smooth paper is laid over the edge of the frame nearest the workman, dipping into the mercury. The workman holds this paper in his right hand, and taking the clean glass in his left, lays it flat upon the paper and slides it gently into the mercury, causing the edge to dip just below its surface. When the whole of the plate has passed on to the mercury, it is gently floated to the farthest end of the frame; another plate is treated in the same way, until the table is wholly covered. Leaden weights covered with green baize, and each weighing seven pounds, are then placed upon the glass nearly close to each other; these are allowed to remain on from twentyfour to thirty-six hours; they are then removed, and the table being gently raised by means of the adjusting screws, the superfluous mercury flows along the gutter towards the lowest corner, at which place there is a hole, furnished with a plug, through which it is drawn off to be used on another occasion. The plates of glass are left for a few hours more to drain, and then, being lifted off the table, are placed on a shelf resting against the wall, to get rid of the fluid mercury that still remains; this shelf is also provided with an inclined. gutter to carry off the liquid metal. The loose weights used in this mode of silvering are considered by some manufacturers to be dangerous, as they are likely, at times, to slip out of the workman's hand by accident; to obviate this danger an apparatus has been invented, in which a steady pressure, by means of screws, is substituted in the place of that produced by the weights. In silvering the commoner kinds of looking-glass the plate is lifted from the table the instant it has the tinfoil attached, and set on its end to drain, without sustaining any previous pressure. Concave and convex glasses are silvered on models made to fit them exactly. In silvering globes of glass, a metallic amalgam is prepared and poured into the globe, which is moved about in all directions until the amalgam has attached itself to the surface of the glass: this succeeds best when the glass is made hot. KING HENRY V. HENRY the Fifth (who, at the beginning of his reign, made a public prayer in the presence of his Lords and Commons, that he might be cut off by an immediate death, if Providence foresaw he would not prove a just and good governor, and promote the welfare of his people), manifestly derived his courage from his piety, and was scrupulously careful not to ascribe the success of it to himself. When he came within sight of that prodigious army, which offered him battle at Agincourt, he ordered all his cavalry to dismount, and, with the rest of his forces, to implore upon their knees a blessing on their undertaking. their undertaking. In a noble speech, which he made to his followers immediately before the first onset, he took notice of a very remarkable circumstance, namely, that this very day of battle was the day appointed in his own kingdom to offer up public devotions for the prosperity of his arms, and therefore bid them not doubt of victory, since at the same time that they were fighting in the field, all the people of England were lifting up their hands to heaven for their success. Upon the close of that memorable day, in which the king had performed wonders with his own hand, he ordered the 115th psalm to be repeated in the midst of his victorious army, and at the words, "Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy name be the praise," he himself, with his whole host, fell to the earth upon their faces, ascribing to Omnipotence the whole glory of so great an action. KING HENRY THE FIFTH. CHORUS. THE poor condemned English, Like sacrifices, by their watchful fires Sit patiently, and inly ruminate The morning's danger; and their gestures sad, So many horrid ghosts. Oh, now, who will behold The royal captain of this ruin'd band Walking from watch to watch, from tent to tent, Let him cry-Praise and glory on his head! Bids them "Good-morrow" with a modest smile, S. VI. E |