Silence.

Thoug htful men are nofc carried away by too much talking . Loquacity is not a force . The Greeks had a maxim that silence was golden . Again , it has been said that the eloquence of silence has been more effective than

words . Yet , be it remembered , there are occasions , times , seasons and exigences when speech is essential . The man who then talks must know what he has to say . Thoroughly equipped to discuss questions of high import , he who then speaks has a mission to fulfil .

If there is among men a society in which science is a primary rule of its government , it is the Craft of Freemasons . Silence is one of the foundations on which Freemasonry is built . It is forbidden to Masons to talk among the

profane on Masonic subjects . The law of silence is imperative . What is said in the tyled Lodge is not elsewhere to be discussed . Silence veils all the proceedings of Masons in their Lodges . They are tyled to secure silence , that none but those entitled to hear may be informed . The

profane have no right to know . Tho outside world of-tnen are strangers to the truths , lessons , teachings and principles of the tyled Lodge . If they desire to be taught , and to learn , tho way is presented for them to follow , to obtain tbat knowledge .

Silence is the panoply whioh shields the esoterie . In Masonry , it is the " Light" which makes manifest , and that Light is brilliant only to those who have acquired the capacity to comprehend what it reveals . When thus obtained , silence clothes tho Masonic mind

with a reticence that will not allow the use of any other language than that which Freemasonry uses in its tyled Lodges . The Mason cannot be permitted to use that language anywhere except as he was taught by it .

Silence then is a Masonio virtue . In the Masonic Temple the firsfc figure that- is presented to the view of those who enter , is the statue of silence—a figure , graceful , subdued , with the finger of the hand at the mouth in restful meditation .

Silence is a lesson . It is taught in the " Great Light " on our Masonic altars .

There was " silence in heaven , " so that here , it is wisdom to learn and be subjected to the effective influences of silence . Language cannot express the great lessons which silence ofttimes teaches us . —Keystone .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Wo do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . — : o : — CUP AND RING MARKS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Antiquaries and Geologists have always failed to discover the origin of Cnp and Ring marks which may be

fonnd in divers parts of onr island . I do not know that I ever heard them asoribed to onr early Masonic brethren—but , to snob , I believe they owe their birth ! Does thia seem possible to any of my brother readers of the CHRONICLE ?

Fraternally yours , CHAS . F . FORSHAW , LL . D ., F . Gr . S . Edin . Winder House , Bradford .

Between sixty and seventy members and friends of the Royal Albert Lodge , No . 1362 , went to Brighton , on the 17 th ult ., for a day ' s excursion . Bro . E . G . Feild W . M . accompanied the party , who started by the 10 * 6 a . m . train . The weather was showery , but warm , and the members dined together at the Cafe Royal , in West Street .

., HOUOWAX ' S PULS . —Weakening Weather . —The sultry summer days strain we nerves of tbe feeble and decrepid , and disease may eventuate unless some tm 1 0 ratlva sn ° h as these purifying Pills be fonnd to correct the disordering i » fh r " Holioway ' s medicine gives potency to the nervous system , which ma- t * oarce oE iU vital movements , and presides over every action whioh maintains . the growth and well-being of the body . No ono can over estimate "ie necessity of keeping the nerves well strung , or the ease with which these infli a . . C 0 D 1 P lish that end . They are the most unfailing antidotes to anfl h n ^ toegtdar circulation , palpitation , sick headache , and costiyeness , u nave therefore attained the largest sale and highest reputation ,

Death Of The "King Of Panning Island."

DEATH OF THE " KING OF PANNING ISLAND . "

REMARKABLE CAREER OF A SCOTSMAN .

CAPTAIN WILLIAM GREIG , who was known all over the Pacific Ocean as the " King of Fanning Island " is dead ( says the San Francisco Examiner ) . He died at the residence of hia son-in-law , Captain J . Reed , 932 Fillmore Street , at the advanced age of seventy-one . Captain Greig was a native of Ayr , Scotland , and went to sea before he had got into his teens . At the age of twentythree he waa master of a fine barqae trading from Great Britain to

the ports of South America . Forty years ago he made his first and only voyage to the Pacific , and left his vessel in Valparaiso . From there he went to Honolulu , and spent several years trading among the islands . Thirty-five years ago he bonght a schooner and went to Fanning Island , then owned by an English firm . Greig liked the place , and undertook to develope a trade in guano ; bnt the firm

failed , and Greig bought the entire island from them . His first move was to get married , but in order to do BO he had to go to Honolulu , nearly 1 , 000 miles away . The daring Scotchman made the voyage safely , and carried his bride back to his lonely island kingdom . He then sailed in his schooner in quest of labour to work the guano deposits and look after the big grove of coooanut trees

whioh were growing on the island . Contented and happy , Greig passed many years on the little island and reared his family , oaring nothing for tbe world from whioh he was divided by hundreds of miles of broad ocean . The first visitors to Captain Greig and hia island home were a couple of British warships , the Caroline and Cormorant , commanded by Captain Sir William Wiseman , who

presented Greig with a handsome flag and placed the island under British protection . On the following day the entire crews of tha ships landed , and the flag was hoisted and honoured with a Boyal sainte . Greig entertained his visitors royally—and was dabbed by the Officers of the ship , " The King of Fanning Island . " Soon after Greig took possession of Washington Island , about sixty miles from

Fanning , and shortly had natives at work there also . He made frequent trips from his home to Washington , as he called his new possession , and several times narrowly escaped being wrecked . Both islands are coral reefs , and have been the scenes of some disastrous shipwrecks . Not long after Greig took up his , residence on tha island a French barqae was driven ashore daring a storm , and but for

the assistance rendered by Greig the whole orew would have been drowned . The boats were gone , and the dismantled wreck waa lying on her side with the breakers going clear over her . The orew . were all on the after part of the wreck holding on for their lives , totally unable to help themselves . Greig dragged a small skiff over the reef , and at the risk of his life rowed ont to the wreck fire times ,

and got every man safe on shore . Had the boat been upset , the sharks , with whioh those waters abound , would have made short work of the daring sailor . As the years went by many a ship called at the island for copra and guano , and quite a trade was built up with the two islands . As his family grew old enough to require schooling they were sent to Honolulu to be educated . It was while

at Honolulu that Greig became a Freemason , and he had never failed to visit a Lodge when on business in San Francisco . At different times thonsand of natives of the South Soas have worked for Greig on his lonely islands , bnt he was never known to have the slightest trouble with any of them , and he was loved and respected by all who knew him . His family are now grown np .

His oldest daughter is married to a man named Anderson , who is Governor of Washington Island . Another resides in this city , and is the wife of Captain Reed , owner and master the brig Douglas , and it was at their honse he breathed his last . One of his sons is a recent graduate of Hoald ' s Business College , and was with his father when he died . Mrs . Greig is still alive , and is down on the island . She knows nothing of her husband ' s death , nor will she until the brig

Douglas sails into the harbour at the island with the body of the island monarch on board . Captain Greig ' s death was caused by gangrene , whioh set in after he had had his left foot amputated . Fanning Island is a coral reef , and is circular in form . It lies in latitude 3 deg . 51 min . north , longitude 159 deg . 22 min , west . The estate will be divided among the eight children , and the buaineaa will be carried on by them just as if Greig was still alive .

Masonic Sonnets.—No. 11.

MASONIC SONNETS . —No . 11 .

Bi Bao . CHAS , F . FOESHAW , LL . D ,, 2417 , — : o : — . THE GAVEL . Respect the Gavel , brethren , nor forget That ' tis but wielded by a master-hand } And well remember that ye here are met

Under the rulership of its command . Our Master is bnt human , he may err" To err is human , to forgive divine " — And each true Mason is a worshipper , And bows when this great emblem is hia shrine ! For as the Gavel smote from off each stone

Its rnde deformities , and made serene All that before badjnost unshapely been , So may we take this lesson for onr own : — To gavel down each harsh ignoble deed That otherwise would rank dissension breed Winder House , Bradford . 29 th August 1892 ,