Great Truths Plainly Told.

" whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased , and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted . " Masonry has always taujiht the universal brotherhood of man . Saving themselves , the Greeks believed all other men were barbarians . The Bomans

were slow to accord protection to any but Bomans , and Israel , the blessed of the Lord , believed that the life of one Israelite was worth more in the sight of the Lord than a whole nation of Gentiles .

The great truth , " No man liveth unto himself , " seems to have been misinterpreted , or was entirely unknown to them . Segregated , haughty and intolerant , the nations of the world held each other at arm ' s length , as if they had been made by a distinct Creator and the world had been made for them alone .

But Masonry recognised bufc one Creator , and one Master of all men to whom every man owes his individual allegiance , and each one may , if he chooses , partake of His infinite knowledge , wisdom , goodness , mercy and love . Masonry has ever taughb harmony with God . To this end she enjoins upon her devotees

the study of the seven arts and sciences , grammar , rhetoric , logic , arithmetic , geometry , music , and astronomy , and last , bufc nofc least , the Holy Bible , which is the " rule and guide of our faith and practice . " [ To be continued . ]

Woolgathering.

WOOLGATHERING .

A BSENT-MINDEDNESS , and temporary absortion from passing events , seem to be diseases to which clever men are especially liable , the Italian poet and author of " Purgatory and Paradise " being no exception to the rule . According to Isaac D'Israeli : — " Poggius relates of Dante that he indulged his meditations more strongly than any man he knew ; whenever he read he was only alive to what was passing in his mind ; to all human

concerns he was as if they had not been . Dante went ono day to a great public procession ; he entered the shop of a bookseller to be a spectator of the passing show . He found a book which greatly interested him ; he devoured it in silence , and plunged into an abyss of thought . On his return he declared that he had neither seen nor heard the slightest occurrence of the public exhibition which passed before him . "

A Forgetful Host . —Samuel Bogers used to tell a comical story about the abstractedness of Topham Beauolerk , Johnson's confrere . One day he had some friends coming to dinner , and , just before their arrival , he went up stairs to change his dress . Forgetting what he was about , he pulled off his clothes and went to bed . A servant , who came to tell him that his guests were waiting for him , found him asleep .

The Height of Philanthropy . —George Dyer , author of the " History of Cambridge , " and also of some very beautiful hymns which are to be found in his " Poetics , " was a very absent-minded man . According to Sir John Bowring , he was once seen in Fleet Street without his stockings , and he took off his inexpressibles to give them to a poor man who was wretchedly clad .

They Forgot they were Married . —It is difficult to imagine anyone , and more especially an actor , making a mistake in connection with his marriage ; yet this occurred in the case of John Kemble , the tragedian . After the marriage ceremony and the dinner were over , he had to go to the theatre to play , and became so completely absorbed in his thespian duties that he absolutely forgot about his marriage , and went straight away from the theatre to his old bachelor rooms , where he slept for two hours before being found by his anxious friends .

A parallel case is thus related : — " In 1816 , Mr . Frere married Jemima Elizabeth , the Dowagar Countess of Brroll . His wife told the story of one of their early meetings . She was then in the zenith of her beauty , and he had been introduced to her at an evening party , and offered to hand her down stairs to procure some refreshments . But he was so much interested in the conversation that , having poured out a glass of negus for her , he drank it himself , and then offered her his arm to go up stairs again , and was only reminded of his mistake by her laughing remonstrance . ' This , ' she added ,

' convinced me that my new acquaintance was , at any rate , very different from most of the young men around us . ' One day Mr . Frere called upon Mr . Murray , in Albemarle Street , and the publisher got so interested in some verses Mr . Frere was reading and commenting on , that he all at once found it was dinner time . He asked Mr . Frere to stay ; but the latter startled to find it so late , said he had been married that morning , and had already overstayed the time when he had promised the Countess of Erroll to be ready for their journey into the country . "

Lord Dudley . —John William Ward , Member of Parliament for Worcester , was not only very eccentric , but one of the most absent-minded men ever met in society . He was appointed by Mr . Canning as Secretary of State for foreign affairs , and discharged his duties so satisfactorily as to be rewarded with an earldom . He was the . first Earl of Dudley , and bore the combined titles of Dudley and Ward .

• A Bose by any other Name . —The first Lord Lyttleton was very absent in company . One day at dinner his lordship pointed to a particular dish , and asked to be helped of it , calling it however by a name very different from that which the dish contained . A gentleman was about to tell him of his mistake . "Never mind , " whispered another of the party , " help him to what he asked for , and he will suppose it is what he wanted . "

Sir Isaac Newton . —The following incident is recorded of this great mathematician . Doctor Stukeley , the antiquarian , going on one occasion to visit , was shown into the private parlour , where he waited for more than an hour without anyone appearing . Beginning to feel very hungry , and not knowing how long it would be before Sir Isaac made his appearance , the antiquarian sat down and made his dinner off a fowl which the cook had prepared for her master . At last Newton came down . He was much surprised

on seeing the fowl half-eaten , and , after a moment's reflection , exclaimed , " I declare Stukeley , I've dined to-day without knowing it ! " Another story is told of Sir Isaac , which , although I would recommend it to be taken cum grano , is nevertheless very humorous . The philosopher was so devoted to his studies that he prosecuted thern even at the sacrifice of his meals . A faithful servant who knew his failing in this respect , had urged upon him the necessity of taking them with regularity . Accordingly she one day

Woolgathering.

supplied him with a saucepan and an egg , so that he might get a slight repast without interruption , but was horrified , when , upon entering Sir Isaac ' s study some time afterwards , she saw the distinguished philosopher gravely contemplating the raw egg in his hand , while his watch was being boiled in the saucepan . To be continued . " The Book of Barities , " by Edward Boberts , P . M .

TOURS IN IRELAND . A HAPPY sign of the times is the increasing popularity of Ireland as a holiday resort , writes the compiler of an illustrated official guide to Greenore , Carlingford Lough , the Mourne Mountains , and the Boyne Valley , which has recently been published by Messrs . Ward , Lock and Co ., under the authority of tho London and North Western Bail ¦ ray Company , and the Great Northern Bailway Company of Ireland . The work is profusely

illustrated , and has maps of the district which must prove of great service to the tourist . From the particulars and views given we can imagine the spot most suitable for the enjoyment of a pleasant holiday , while the well known splendid rail and boat services of the London and North Western Company make the journey a comparatively easy matter . To those who have not yet visited this part of the Emerald Isle the book may safely be recommended as

supplying some most interesting as well as instructive particulars . The London and North Western Company have likewise issued a third edition of a more modest little pamphlet , descriptive of the attractions to the Tourist in the same district , which is also illustrated with some pleasing views , and may be had , wo believe , on application to the Superintendent of the Line , at Euston Station .

COOK'S TOURS . THE third edition of Messrs . T . Cook and Son ' s " Programme of summer tours to various places of interest at home and abroad " should be consulted by those who desire information as to routes , fares and other particulars of holiday trips . The variety and extent of Messrs . Cook ' s business is too well known to require notice at our hands , and if a perusal of their programme does not provide what is desired we know that a visit or a letter to one of their offices will be almost sure to supply the deficiency .

The Great Western Bailway Company announce that in addition to the usual weekly excursions to the West of England , Weymouth , Channel Islands , North and South Wales , Islo of Man , & c , excursions will be run every Friday and Saturday to Chippenham , Bath and Bristol , from Paddington Station , allowing a week , a fortnight , & c .

CASSELL ' S MAGAZINE for August presents the usual variety of attractive articles aud provides some most interesting reading . " Colonel Bose ' s tunnel out of Libby " describes an " escape of escapes " which appears to be almost impossible of belief , but then we know men in desperate positions have often adopted most desperate remedies . " A little less than king" introduces us to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and his official

residences , Mary Spencer Warren supplying many details of interest to the general reader , and some fine photographs of different parts of Dublin Castle . " The mummy of Thompson-Pratt " and " One hour in Cuba " ara the next items , and these are followed by a further instalment of the Cornish story " Trevanion . " "On the Lagoon " introduces a new sphere of operations for

the visitor to Venice ; and is followed by a third article tn the series " Iu the chains of crime . " "Ministers in their dens " is well illustrated with views of the different rooms at the House of Commons and chief government departments occupied by the Cabinet Ministers , while other items in the number are " The Earl and the Bobins , " " Sand Shows " " In the arena , " " The sun dried king , " & c . Altogether a fine addition to this well known serial publication .

By the kindness of Bro . C . A . Hamann , Industry Lodge , No . 361 , who is traffic manager to the firm of Messrs . S . Fitton and Son , Hbvis Flour Mills , Macclesfield , we have received a " Hovis loaf , " baked from their celebrated flour . Others have recommended it on account of its nutritive and digestive qualities ; it only remains for us to state that for quality it far excels any bread of its kind which wo have been privileged to taste . *

The Theatres, &C.

The Theatres , & c .

Criterion . —On Monday , Bilberry of Tilbury . Vaudeville . —8-20 , The French Maid . ( Last day . ) Daly ' s . —8-15 , A Greek Slave . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Savoy . —8-20 , The Gondoliers . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Prince of Wales ' s . —8-15 , La Poupee . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Gaiety . —8-15 , A Bunaway Girl . Matinee , Wednesday , 2 . Strand . —8-15 , No credit . 0 , What happened to Jones . Matinee , Wed

nesday and Saturday , 3 . Comedy . —8 , Constancy . 8-30 , Lord and Lady Algy . Matinee , Wednesday , 3 Terry ' s—8 , Meadow Sweet . 8-45 , Our Boys . Matineo , Wednesday , 3 Shaftesbury . —8 , The Belle of New York . Matinee , Wednesday , 2 . Grancl . —Next week , The White Blackbird . Queen ' s Opera House , Crouch End . —Next Week , The New Mephisfco . Alexandra . —Next week , The New East Lynne . Alhambra . —7-50 , Variety Entertainment . One of the Boys , & c .

Empire . —7-50 , Variety Entertainment . " The Press " Ballet , & c . Palace . —7-45 , Variety Entertainment . Now American Biograph , & c . London Pavilion . —8 , Variety Entertainment . Royal . —7-30 , Variety Company . Saturday , 2-30 also . EgyDtian Hall —3 and 8 , Mr . J . N . Maskelyne ' s entertainment . Crystal Palace . —Varied attractions daily . Alexandra Palace . —Open Daily . Constant Amusements .- Baloon Ascents Fireworks , & c , & c . Royal Aquarium . —Open 10 a . m ., closo 11-S 0 p . m . Constant Amusement