Reviews.

REVIEWS .

— : o : — All Books intended for Beview should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 07 Barbican , E . C . — : o : — Memorials of the Masonic Union of A . D . 1813 . Consisting of an Introduction on Freemasonry in England ; the Articles of Union ; Constitutions of tho United Grand Lodge of England , A . D . 1815 ,

and other Official Documents ; a List of Lodges nnder tho Grand Lodge of England , with their numbers , immediately before , and after tho Union , & c . Compiled and arranged by William James Hughan , Past Senior Grand Deacon of England ; Representative of tho Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania , & c , & c , & e . Also , an

exact reprint of Dr . Dassigny ' s " Serious and Impartial Inquiry , " which contains the earliest known reference to Eoyal Arch Masonry . London : Chatto and Windus , Piccadilly . Truro : William Lake , Princes Street . Philadelphia ( U . S . A . ) : Charles Eugene Meyer , 722 Arch Street . 1874 .

It is hardly necessary to discuss the matter contained iu these pages , for every Mason is more or less familiar with the greater portion of the contents . Yet , in justice to the compiler , who has evidently spared no pains in the selection aud arrangement of his materials , wo feel bound to ofl'er him our hearty and fraternal

congratulations on the success which has attended his eftorts . Few people are aware of the labour entailed in collating perfectly trustworthy information on any subject ; fewer still of the difficulties Which a compiler experiences in compressing such information within reasonable and readable limits . AH these difficulties , however , have

been vanquished , and the result is a volume which , it is no mere figure of speech to say , should be in the possession of every member of the Fraternity . The first or introductory portion of these memorials is a succinct and admirably lucid account of Freemasonry , from the Constitution

of the first Grand Lodge in England in 1717 , down to the Union , m 1813 , of the two Grand Lodges , respectively known as the Grand Lodge of the Society of Free and Accepted Freemasons under the Constitution of England , and the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England according to the Old Institutions . The

conference which led to , and the ceremonial observed at this Union are fully described ; the articles of the Union itself being printed in extenso . Part the Second comprises the Constitutions of the antient fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , including the Charges of a Freemason , extracted from the ancient records of Lodges beyond

sea , and of those in England , Scotland , and Ireland ; the regulations for tho government of the Grand Lodge during tho time of public business and of Private Lodges , of Lodges within tho London district , of Country Lodges in districts , and of Military Lodges , together with such other regulations as are appointed to bo observed

by the several degrees of the Craft , on tho proposal of members , tho constitution of New Lodges , & c , and in connection with the transaction of business , regalia , public ceremonies , and Masonic funerals . These were first published in 1815 . Then follows a reprint of the " Serious and Impartial Inquiry , " by Dr . Fiticld Dassigny , printed

in DnUin 174 I , a -valuable ami impovtawt book , bearing , aa it does , on tho subject of Royal Arch Masonry . This " Inquiry " had been lost for a century , all attempts to discover a copy having failed till quite recently . Then follows a list of Lodges , A . D . 1874 , arranged in tabular form , so that tho reader may see , at a glance , those Lodges

on tho Roll of the United Grand Lodge of England , A . D . 1814 , their numerical position in 1813 , prior to the Union , according as they were nnder the " Grand Lodge of England , " ( Moderns ) or the

" Grand Lodge of England , according to the Old Institutions , " ( Ancients ) with the years when the former were constituted , the alterations made iu 1832 and ISO'S , and the order of those still in existence in 1874 .

We trust this brief description of the contents of this volume will serve to convey to our readers a pretty accurate idea of its value . It certainly bears out what wc said in the beginning of this notice , as to the labour attending the compilation of such important

materials . Wc have already offered Brother Hughan our very sincere congratulations on his success , and wc can only express , in conclusion , our firm conviction that his work will meet with that cordial reception from the whole Craft , Avhich it unquestionably deserves at their hands .

History of the Lodge of Tranquillity , A o . 185 , from its origin to the present time . By JOHX CONSTABLE , W . M ., with a preface by W . J . HUGIIAX , P . M . 131 . London : Charles Skipper and East . 1871 . THE history of this Lodge , uneventful as it is , is , notwithstanding ,

well worthy of preservation , and our thanks are due to the able historian who has well performed his task , and to Bro . Hughan for bis carefully written preface , which lightly and agreeably skims the surface pf QUI' ancient lustovic , record . * , Tlie IiQchje of Tranquillity ,

Reviews.

as many of our readers know , received its dispensation from the so . called "Ancient Grand Lodge of Freemasons , " which was founded early in tho last century , by some malcontents who seceded from the Grand Lodge of England . It is not our business just now to trace tho history of this remarkable heresy in Masonry , which is

very clearly sketched by Bro . Constable , who traces it from the year 1739 to 1813 , when harmony was restored to tho English Masonic world . Happily , in these times there is no danger of any disturbance of our peace ; Masons are united in the bonds of a perfect brotherhood , and arc proud to own allegiance to the Grand Lodge ,

which exercises sway over tho Craft . The Lodge of Tranquillity was founded on the 20 th December 1787 , the Earl of Antrim being Grand Master of tho "Ancient Grand Lodge . " Its early career was comparatively humble and unobtrusive , and from the quaint extracts which are given from the Minute Books we infer that some of tho

successive secretaries lacked culture . Oddly enough the Lodge which has since had so much reason to be proud of its Jewish brethren , passed a resolution in the year 1791 absolutely excluding any candidate of the Hebrew persuasion . This resolution was agreed to in direct violation of the grand principles upon which the

Order is founded . That it originated in narrow bigotry , unworthy of Freemasons , few will deny , but in those days toleration was imper . fectly understood , even by the Masonic brotherhood . We . regret extremely that several volumes of the minute books of this period are lost , and that we have no record of tho rescinding of this

obnoxious bye law . But in 1819 the almost moribund Lodge waa resuscitated by Jewish brethren , who since that time have been amongst its most active and able members . Bro . Joseph Abrahams has tho honour of having founded the Benevolent Fund of the Lodgej which now reaches tho respectable sum of £ G 0 O , invested in 3 per

cent , consols ; since 1856 £ 650 has been paid away to deserving brothers , and notwithstanding that the application of the fund is confined to members of the Lodge , the brethren have not forgotten the general Masonic charities , to which they have largely subscribed , Amongst the members of the Hebrew persuasion who have distin .

guished themselves in the Lodge of Tranquillity we may mention Bro . Alex . Levy , P . M ., the seconder of Bro . Abrahams ' s motion for founding the Benevolent Fund , Bro . Saul Solomon , who greatly distinguished himself when filling tho office of W . M ., Bros . Barnet Moss , D . Lazarus , and Joseph Abrahams . The Lodge , in fact , is decidedly

Jewish , and we cannot but congratulate it upon the fact that these distinguished Masons with their colleagues have , in furthering the interests of the Lodge of Tranquillity , fullfilled tho Golden rule . Indeed , they have returned good for the evil intended their race by the misguided brothers who passed tho excluding resolution to which we have referred . Our space forbids us to follow the history of this Lodge further , and , in conclusion , wo cordially recommend the work to our readers .

Who ' s Who , in 1875 ; A . II . Baily and Co . Cornhill . This handy little volume has again made its appearance . The

contents are as completely arranged as ever , and as a work of reference it cannot bnt bo acceptable . This year is , we believe , the 27 th of its issue , which shows the appreciation in which it is held by tho public .

Magazines Of The Month.

MAGAZINES OF THE MONTH .

SECOND NOTICE . Bat ' . I J will never want for readers , its contents are so varied and interesting , so genuinely sportsmanlike in tone , and so tho « roughly English . Among the contributors , too , we often meet with such well-known MOWS deplume as " Amphion , " " Old Calabar , " & c . In the present number there is an admirable paper , by our " Stale Contributor , " on the subject of the " Irrepressible Savage" our own

, English Savage , who has been so often and so prominently before the public of late in connection with those truly Christian practices of wife-beating and kicking men to death . The writer evidentl y regrets the decline of tho ring , or , at all events , of the old English custom of settling diflbreuces in a manly stand-up fight . He seems to think that the knifo and the knuckle-duster have superseded the fist in such cases , because this custom is so often strictly forbidden

by the police . There is , perhaps , something in this suggestion , but we greatly fear the brutality lately displayed by the " proteges of Mr . Peter Taylor , Taylor ' s Lambs we will call them , is inborn . There is a sketch of sport in Jamaica ; while " Our Van , " always cleverly driven , contains plenty of sharp criticism , and several recent jokes , interspersed among all kinds of hunting , and other appropriate news of the month .

Reviews of Sir A . Hclps ' s " Social Pressure , " by Mr . Thomas Hughes , of " The Grevillo Memoirs , " by Mr . Stapleton , and a criticism of the critics' comments on the new Hamlet , are tho leading features in Mncmillun . Wo fnlly agree with the first , we heartily endorse even tho severest comments in the second case , while as to the last wc leave the judgment to the taste of our readers .

It were hardly too much to say that the present number of the Gentleman ' s is one of the best we have seen for months past . The first chapters of " Dear Lady Disdain , " b y Jfr , Justin McCarthy , bead .