ACORX. 17 



street, and other eminent cabinet-makers. Mr. Penning, 

 of Holies-street, Cavendish-square, has lately wrought up 

 some old oak-trees of such matchless beauty, that one set 

 of dining-tables brought him the unheard-of price of six 

 hundred pounds. This far exceeds any thing of the kind 

 we read of, even in the luxurious days of the Romans, 

 although Pliny says, " Our wives at home twit us, their 

 husbands, for our expensive tables, when we seem to find 

 fault with their costly pearls/' 



" There is at this day to be seen/' says this author, " a 

 board of citron wood, belonging formerly to M. Tullius 

 Cicero, which cost him ten thousand sesterces ; a strange 

 circumstance, as he was not rich." He also mentions a 

 table that belonged to Gallus Asinius, which sold for 

 eleven thousand sesterces, which is about equal to 701. of 

 our money ; and he particularizes a table of citron wood 

 that came from Ptolemseus, king of Mauritania, which 

 was made in two demi-rounds, or half circles, joined 

 together so cleverly, that the joints could not be discover- 

 ed : the diameter of it was four feet and a half, and three 

 inches in thickness. It is related that they set great store 

 on woods of curious grains : some there are mentioned 



o 



with curling veins, which were called tigrina (tiger tables) ; 

 others, pantherirue (panther) ; and some are described 

 waved like the sea, and spotted like the peacock's tail. 

 But those of the highest value were of the colour of honey 

 wine, with shining and glittering veins, or lamprey veined, 

 running across. 



We venture to make this digression, having seen within 

 these last few years oak of such various grains, that out 

 of them the whole of the above-mentioned, and many other 

 curious representations, might have been selected. 



The bark of the oak-tree is a most valuable article for 

 the purpose of tanning ; it is also used to dye woollen of a 

 purplish blue. The Highlanders of Scotland dye their yam 



