of what ought to be the rent of the tenement in the condition he left it; and with this aid, the committee [of the Philadelphia city council] ought, I conceive, to be as little at a loss in determining what it should rent for, with the additions and alterations which are about to be made, and which ought to be done in a plain and neat and not by any means in an extravagant style; because the latter is not only contrary to my wish, but would really be detrimental to my interest and convenience, principally because it would be the means of keeping me out of the use and comforts of a home to a late period, and because the furniture and every thing else would require to be accordant therewith."

Washington was convinced that the committee was delaying with the intention of having the rent paid by the public, to which he would not consent; and he was not willing to have the place fixed and furnished in an extravagant manner, and thus be subjected to pay extortionate prices for the same.

"I do not know," he said, "nor do I believe that any thing unfair is intended by either Mr. Morris or the committee; but let us for a moment suppose that the rooms (the new ones I mean) were to be hung with tapestry, or a very rich and costly paper, neither of which would suit my present furniture; that costly ornaments for the bow windows, extravagant chimneypieces and the like were to be provided; that workmen, from extravagance of the times, for every twenty shillings' worth of work would charge forty shillings; and that advantage would be taken of the occasion to newly paint every part of the house and buildings; would there be any propriety in adding ten or twelve-and-a-half per cent. for all this to the rent of the house in its original state, for the two years that I am to hold

it? If the solution of these questions is in the negative, wherein lies the difficulty of determining that the houses and lots, when finished according to the proposed plan, ought to rent for so much.

"When all is done that can be done, the residence will not be so commodious as that I left in New York, for there (and the want of it will be found a real inconvenience at Mr. Morris's) my office was in the front room, below, where persons on business immediately entered; whereas, in the present case, they will have to ascend two pairs of stairs, and to pass by the public rooms as well as the private chambers to get to it."

In making suggestions to Mr. Lear about the proper arrangement of the furniture, even in minute detail, Washington said: "There is a small room adjoining the kitchen that might, if it is not essential for other purposes, be appropriated to the Sèvres china, and other things of that sort, which are not in common use." He undoubtedly referred to the sets of china which had been presented, one to himself, and the other to Mrs. Washington, by the officers of the French army. The former was a dull white in color, with heavy and confused scroll and leaf ornaments in bandeaux of deep blue, and having upon the sides of the cups and tureens, and in the bottoms of the plates, saucers, and meat dishes, the Order of the Cincinnati, held by Fame, personated by a winged woman with a trumpet. These designs were skilfully painted in delicate colors.

These sets of china were presented to Washington and his wife, at the time when the elegant and costly Order of the Cincinnati (delineated on page 130) was sent to him. That

Order, I omitted to mention in the proper place, cost three thousand dollars. The whole of the eagle, except the beak and eye, is composed of diamonds. So, also, is the group of military emblems above it, in which each drum-head is composed of one large diamond.

Several pieces of the Cincinnati china, as it is called, are preserved at Arlington House. In the engraving is shown a group composed of a large plate, a soup tureen, custard cup, and teapot.

The set of china presented at the same time by the French officers to Mrs. Washington, was of similar material, but more delicate in color than the general's. The ornamentation was also far more delicate, excepting the delineation of the figure and Cincinnati Order on the former. Around the outside of

each cup and tureen, and the inside of each plate and saucer,

is painted, in delicate color, a chain of thirteen large and thirteen small elliptical links. Within each large link is the name of one of the original thirteen states. On the sides of the cups and tureens, and in the bottom of each plate and saucer, is the interlaced monogram of Martha WashingtonM. W.-enclosed in a beautiful green wreath, composed of the leaves of the laurel and olive. Beneath this is a ribbon, upon which is inscribed, in delicately-traced letters, DECUS ET TUTA MEN AB ILLO. From the wreath are rays of gold, which give a brilliant appearance to the pieces. There is also a delicatecolored stripe around the edges of the cups, saucers, and plates. A few pieces of this set of china are preserved at Arlington House. The engraving represents a cup and saucer, and plate.

Mrs. Atkins of Germantown, granddaughter of Dr. David Stuart, who owns Washington's telescope, already mentioned,

has a single piece of porcelain ware that belonged to the household goods of Mount Vernon. It is a white china butterbowl and dish, with a cover. It is entirely white, with the exception of a gold stripe along the edges of the bowl and

made at the Sèvres manufactory, the art of decorating porcelain or china-ware with enamel colors and gold being then not generally known. The colors used are all prepared from metallic oxides, which are ground with fluxes, or fusible glasses of various degrees of softness, suited to the peculiar colors with which they are used. When painted, the goods are placed in the enamel kiln, when the fluxed colors melt and fasten to the glazed surface, forming colored glasses. The gold, which is applied in the form of an amalgam, ground in turpentine, is afterward polished with steel burnishers.

The first Monday in December was the day fixed upon for the assembling of Congress. The seat of government, as we have observed, had been transferred to Philadelphia, not per manently, but temporarily. As early as December, 1788, the legislature of Virginia had offered to present to the United States a tract of land ten miles square, anywhere within the bounds of that commonwealth, for the permanent seat of government. Maryland made a similar offer. The citizens of New Jersey and Pennsylvania asked to have it upon the Delaware, within a tract of land ten miles square, to be ceded