Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must hear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

— : o : — "MASONIC TEACHING , " & c . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have been ranch interested in reading " Masonic Teaching , " by Bro . Lionel Harrison , and consider the Illustrations of the Graft excepdingly appropriate and suggestive . Something similar has jnst been issned by onr Grand Lodge ( Ireland ) in what is termed the " Masonic Ritualist and Lectnrer , "

which is bound up with the new edition of the " Book of Constitutions . " Many advocate an authorised Manual respecting our exoteric teaching , and were such a node meeum issued , it would undoubtedly partake of the character of the admirable Masonic explanations and principles addressed by Bro . Harrison to his dutiful and attached son ( and brother . )

We fail to see any just reason why our Masonic illustrations and teachings should not be made more publio than they have been hitherto , for certainly were thoy better known all clerical opposition to onr Order on the part of the Eoman Catholic priests would fall harmless . As it is , no one can be led to think less than they should of the ancient Craft if they are "forearmed" with letters like those

of Bro . Harrison ' s , but many hnoxo really nothing of the tendency of the Masonic society . If any think we advocate too much being published with respect to onr secrets , we reply that these illustrations of Masonry aro not esoteric , and so no barm is done , but , on the contrary , much good . Preston ' s "Illustrations of Masonry" in 1772

was published by the authority of the Grand Master of England , who was ( strange to say ) a Eoman Catholic , and the Grand Lodge of Ireland even publishes the prayers and other partions of Lodge ceremonials . Yours fraternally , MASONIC INVESTIGATOR .

THE LATE DUKE OF WELLINGTON A MASON . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —There is no doubt , I believe , about the late illustrious Duke of Wellington having been initiated into Freemasonry . I have seen the fact mentioned in several places , and somewhere , I think , it was said he occasionally acted as Senior Warden in Lodges held in Kensington under the presidency of onr lato M . W . G . M . the Dnke of

Susses . The other day I camo across the following footnote in Oliver ' s "Preston's Illustrations , " Edition 1861 . I give it in fall as it may bo interesting to your readers . " The Duke of Wellington , when Colonel in tho 33 rd Regiment of Foot , was initiated into Freemasonry in Lodgo 494 , which was at that time held in the Castle of Dangan , Connty Meath ; the late Earl

of Mornington , his grace ' s father , being W . M . at the time . He was duly passed , after tho usual examination ; and in the phraseology of the Lodge entered at the Southern gate , and afterwards raised . The following brethren being members , were present ; many of them , in tho words of tho Irish bard , " have been famous in story , " Bros . Sir James Soinerville Bt ., Sir Benj . Chapman Bt ., Ham Gorge , 'M . P .,

Delvin , lato Earl of Westmeath , Rob . UniackeM . P ., Rich . Boyle M . P ., John Pomeroy , Wm . Forster , George Lowther M . P ., Earl of Mornington , Marquis Wellesley , F . North , Earl of Guilford , Robt . Percival , Robt . Waller , Richd . Leslie , Arthur Wellesley . " My object in writing , however , is not to announce publicly that I have read this eminently interesting fact , but to inquire if any of

your Irish or English readers can tell me the day and the year when the initiation took place . It was at Daugan Castle , I think , the lato Duke was born 1 st May 1769 , and he was in commaud of the 33 rd at Seringapatam in 1799 , having previously served in the Netherlands under the late Duke of York . Soon after this ho attained the rank of

General Officer , so that his initiation would have taken place some time during the last decade of the eighteenth century . Lodge No . 494 , I perceive from the Masonic Calendar , hold its meetings at Freemasons' Hall , Dublin . Perhaps some member would have the kindness to favour you with these , and any other particulars which may be of interest to the Craft . Yours fraternally , Q .

DISCIPLINE . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Under the above heading your worthy correspondent , Bro . E . Gottheil , volunteers a little lecture to W . M . ' s ., on what he terms " Masonic Common Law , " but I submit that he is entirely wrong in his own interpretation of such law on the point to which he calls attention . If ho refers to tho Book of Constitutions ( p 76 , edition 1867 ^ " of

Masters and Wardens of Lodges , " he will find it thus written : " Should the minutes of the election of Master not bo confirmed , then a summons must issue for the following regular meeing of the Lodge , setting forth that the brethren were again to proceed to elect a JVIastor , and ou the confirmation of the minutes of that election at the following regular meeting of the Lodge , the installation of the master will follow : "—There 13 nothing here , or in the obligation

Correspondence.

taken by every W . M . on installation , binding the outgoing W . M . in tho case in question to act for another twelve months , which would be a monstrous hardship , and inconvenience in many cases , and is , therefore , wisely provided for by the above regulation quoted from the Book of Constitutions . Yours fraternally , W . Q . M .. P . M . 297 .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — "Masonic Investigator" iB perfectly correct in his assertion that "if the election of W . M . is not confirmed , then a summons must be issned for the following regular meeting of tho Lodge , and the election must then be proceeded with . That is just what the brethren of the Lodge in question failed to do , and , therefore , must he deemed guilty of , " not to put tod fine a point on

it , an irregularity , which , should it come to the knowledge of the Board of General Purposes , the collective wisdom of that august body will be bound to take cognisance of . I trust that at least some members of that board subscribe to "THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , " as I should much like to learn what measures are taken in a case of the kind under discussion . Yours fraternally , E . GOTTHEIL .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Keview should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . — : o : — The Spirits' Book , containing the Principles of Spiritual Doctrine . Collected by ALLAN KARDEC . Translated from the hundred and twentieth thousand . By ANNA BLACKWELL . London : Triibner . 1875 .

THE rise and spread of spiritualism during the last twenty-five years , regard the matter from what light we may , form assuredly one of the most astonishing religions phenomena of the present century . Not only in America , where the apostles of this faith claim to be able to connt their converts by millions , bnt in England , France , Germany , Spain , Italy , and Russia , the countries the most advanced

in civilisation , this belief in the active intervention of spirits has taken a powerful hold upon the imaginations of men . In England , at the present day , we have some three or four periodicals to represent their views , whilst in France , Italy , Spain , and America , the subject has been discussed from almost every point of view , in books and pamphlets that have commanded as extensive a sale as a popular

poem or novel . The present volume , for example , is a translation of a French work , Le Livre des Esprits , by Allan Kardec , which has , in its original tongue , gone through tho . almost incredibl y largo issue of one hundred and twent y thousand copies , besides being translated into Italian , Spanish , and other languages , with great , though inferior , degrees of success . We are assured by

the translator , Miss Anna Blackwell , that the number of periodicals now devoted to the advocacy of the Kardec philosophy in various parts of the world , is over forty , and when it is considered that this school iucludes only a part of the great multi - tude who acknowledge Spiritualism as a great and living truth , it must , we think , be obvious that the movement can no longer be

adequately disposed of by a smile of derision , or a curt condemnation . Spiritualism , if a fraud , is certainly one that has achieved , a gigantic success—so gigantic , in fact , that stronger weapons than a mere " Pooh ! pooh ! " are required to overturn it . If it be only a delusion , whence comes it that our spiritual teachers , our priests , our professors , our government appointed instructors , have never been able to

demonstrate its absurdity ? Instead of this , not a few of those to whom the multitude look for advice have gone over to the enemy . Goldschmidt and FIammarion , the astronomers , Wallace , the naturalist , Hoefflo and Crookes , the chemists , Varley , De Morgan , Secchi , and we know not how many more have given in their adhesion to the new philosophy , and maintain it in their published works . For our own

part , we can only marvel that men of science have shown themselves so indifferent to the spread of these opinions . Here we have a book of some four hundred pages , purporting to contain a series of communications upon matters of vital interest to every human being , which the writer declares to have been directly inspired by spirits .

The book has had a wonderful sale on the Continent , and now , trans , lated into terse and vigorous English b y the facile hand of Miss Blackwell , who will say that it may not find its thousands of readers in this country ? And yet , our newspapers are constantly telling us that Spiritualism is played out . The book is admirabl y printed , and does credit to the taste of its authors and publishers .

Magazines Of The Month.

MAGAZINES OF THE MONTH .

SECOND NOTICE . THERE is still the usual amount of serial fiction in Tinsley's , and with one exception , to which wo have before referred , we feel that we can cordially recommend them , as before , to the notice of our readers . " With Harp and Crown , " by the authors of " Ready-money Morti

boy , indeed , is a specially interesting tale . Dr . Davies ' s " Social Status Quo " is not quite so ecclesiastical or clerical this month ; he seems to have felt the force of sundry criticisms , and pleads that "' Tis my vocation , Hal . " Beit so , but the writer of this class of article should not yield too readily to a very natural temptation . He