Solutions of the Mathematical Questions in our last. 483

to give us pain; we may play for trifles in mixed companies, to amufe ourfelves, and conform to cuftom. Good company are not fond of having a man reeling drunk among them; nor is it agreeable to fee another tearing his hair, and blafpheming, for having loft, at play, more than he is able to pay; or a rake, with half a A X-mole, crippled by coarse and infamous debauches. Those who practise and brag of these things make no part of good company; and are most unwillingly, if ever admitted into it. A real man of fashion and pleasure observes decency; at leaft, he neither borrows nor effects vices: and if he is fo unfortunate as to have any, he gratifies them with choice, delicacy, and fecrecy.

We fhould be as attentive to our pleasures as to our ftudies. In the lat ter, we should obferve and reflect upon all we read; and in the former, be watchful and attentive to every thing we fee and hear; and let us never have it to fay, as fome fools do, of things that were faid and done before their faces, That "indeed they did not mind them, because they were thinking of fomething elfe." Why were they thinking of fomething elfe? And if they were, why did they come

there? Wherever we are, we should (as it is vulgarly expreffed) have our ears and our eyes about us. We fhould liften to every thing that is faid, and fee every thing that is done. Let us obferve, without being thought obfervers; for other wife people will be upon their guard before us.

There are liberal and illiberal plea fures, as well as liberal and illiberal arts. Sottifh drunkennels, indifcriminate gluttony, driving coaches, ruftic fports, fuch as fox chaces, horseraces, &c. are infinitely below the honeft and induftrious profeffions of a taylor and a fhoemaker.

The more we apply to bufiness, the more we relif our pleasures; the exercife of the mind in the morning, by fludy, whets the appetite for the pleafures of the evening, as the exercise of the body where the appetite for dinner. Bunefs and pleafute, rightly underflood, mutually affift each other, instead of being enensies, as foolish or dull people often think them. We cannot tafte pleasures truly, unless we earn them by previous business; and few people do bufinefs well, who do nothing elfe. But, when I fpeak of pleasures, always mean the elegant pleasures of a rational being, and not the brutal ones of a fwine.

For the BOSTON MAGAZINE.

SOLUTIONS of Mathematical Questions in our last Number.

T

x+y=m=25 acres.

x=m-y

8m-8y=5y
z=8m-3y

3y=8m-2 acres.

y=8 m―z=16 worst fort.

3

x=m-y= 9 best sort.

Refult.

x=9 beft.

y=16 worst.

QUESTION IV. By another hand.

HE four numbers in geometrical progreffion are 6.. 36 .. 216 .. and 1296--the fum of the fecond and fourth of which is equal to fix times the fum of the firft and third---the cube root of the third is 6, and the fquare root of the fourth is 36, the product of which roots is equal to the product of the firft and fecond.

New Questions.

A Lady walking in a garden (with

three lovers) plucked from a tree a certain number of apples, and as fhe went out of the garden which was kept by three porters, he gave to the firft porter half the took and half an apple over; to the fecond half what remained, and half an apple over;

II.

Man hires a labourer for 36 days

A upon condition that for every

day he worked he should receive 26.6d. and for every day he was abfent he fhould forfeit 1f. 6d. At the end of the 36 days there was due to him 21. 18. How many days he worked, and how many he was abfent,are required? ΠΙ.

and his wife found by ex

to the third fhe gave half that refidue Aperience that a barrel of beer

and half an apple over, and had one left for herself. She did not cut the apples but gave the porters all whole ones. The lover who folved the problem was to be the diftinguished gentleman.

The Number is required?

would laft them both, is days, and would laft him in her absence 20 days.

Required the time it would laft her in his abefence.

Poetical

Poetical Effays, for September, 1784.

For the BOSTON MAGAZINE.

The Contest of the SEASONS: Or WINTER triumphant,

S

PRING, Summer, and Autumn, had once a dispute,
Which Seafon among them was moft in repute;

Spring bragg'd of her nightingale's finging all night,
And her lambkins that skipp'd about, foon as 'twas light.
Old Summer grew warm, and faid, 'twas enough,
That too often he'd heard fuch common-place Ruff:
That to him the bright fun, all in fplendor arifing,
Was an object by far more fublime and furprizing.
All your pleasures, quoth Autumn, are nothing to mine;
My fruits are ambrofia, and nectar my wine.

'Twas thus that these three were by turns holding forth,
When rough Winter thus roar'd from the bleak frofty north,
Not one of you think Winter merits reward,

Or that Winter amusements are worthy regard.
You, Spring, brag of nightingales giving delight,
Han't I fiddlers like them that can warble all night?

You talk too of lambkins that prettily skip it,

Don't my miffes at

as merrily trip it.

Then good Summer, your fun never fhines but he scorches;
Tis not fo with my chandeliers, flambeaux and torches;
Nay, they're better than funfhine, as fome fages say,

For they light us by night as well as by day.

For you, Autumn, your time on high flavours you wafte,
As if you alone monopoliz'd tafte.

Alas! in a ribband of mine, or a feather,

There's more tafte, than in all your fine fruits put together.

Add to this, I've ridottos, plays, operas, drums,

And affemblies quite private, where all the world comes;

I've fine Ladies that bring me the bon ton of France,

And gentlemen grown, that are learning to dance.
All time, with the gay, but the Winter is loft,
As a Dutchman is never alive, but in froft.
Befides my dear Seafons, I'd have you remember,
We're now got as far as the month of September.
That you Spring and Summer, are both run away;
That you Autumn, wont venture much longer to stay,
You can't but then own, if you hearken to reafon,
No amufements but mine are at present in Season.