Books Of The Day.

Books of the Day .

BOOKS , music , & c . intended for review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet . Traces of a Hidden Tradition in Masonry and Mediaeval Mysticism . Five Essays , by Isabel Cooper-Oakley ( 3 s 6 d net ) . —Theosophical Publishing Society . A MASONIC book written by a lady appears at first sight something of an anomaly , but Mrs . Cooper-Oakley ' s five essays on the above subject are of

considerable interest to Freemasons , and may be commended to the perusal of all thoughtful members of our Order . Written mainly for the purpose of promulgating the principles of Theosophy , there is so much that is in accord with our most cherished traditions that the student may well weigh the statements of the numerous authorities mentioned by the authoress before rejecting them . Freemasonry , which is founded upon the purest principles of piety and virtue , has a great deal in common with Theosophy . We do not

give preference to any one creed , and in this sense can uphold the contention that " the deplorable scepticism of our own day is tho result of the methods adopted by the Catholic and Protestant Churches in the struggles of the Middle Ages . " Mrs . Cooper-Oakley thus accounts for the bitter attacks against all secret societies in general , our Order in particular . There can ba but little doubt that Freemasonry in some form or another has been known for many hundreds of years ; and though the important documents which

were destroyed by conscientious Brethren in 1720 have deprived English Freemasons of a vast well of knowledge , still other authorities , especially German and Italian , exist , that go far to prove the antiquity of the Craft . The authoress endeavours to show that Freemasonry and Theosophy are strongly linked together , and though we cannot go so far as to endorse her opinion we must acknowledge that her reasonings are deserving of all respect . The book evinces great research and much careful study , and cannot fail to prove interesting to our readers .

Towards Pretoria . A record of the war between Briton and Boer to the hoisting of the British flag at Bloemfontein . By Julian Ralph . With historical forward appendices and map ( 6 s ) . —C . Arthur Pearson , Ltd . ME . JULIAN RALPH is well known to readers of the " Daily Mail , " but this volume should bring him something better than vogue . We can give unqualified praise to " Towards Pretoria . " It is well planned , well written , well edited and well printed . The historical foreword on the Dutch in South

Africa and on the Boer ultimatum and armament is satisfactory from every standpoint . Mr . Julian Ralph never loses his head . He spares us the customary modicum of twaddle about the " iniquity of the Boer , " and gives us instead an excellent resume of events prior to the invasion of Natal , and a still more excellent narrative of things that have subsequently come to pass . Here and there the writer's prose rises into dignified , yet restrained eloquence . Indeed , he writes BO well that , contrary to custom , we cannot

refrain from quoting one paragraph which shows his best qualities in the compass of a few words— " On this eventful morning , for the first time in their lives , perhaps for the first time in British history , the officers threw aside their swords and put on the accoutrements of privates , even to the rifles . Thus I saw Colonel Barter , of the Yorkshires , stride off with his battalion , and thus he lead them into the hell ' s rain of lead , obeying the letter of the new regulation by an attempt at disguise , which took no note of his towering

and athletic figure , or his natural pose and carriage of command . Thus dressed I also saw the gallant commander of the Grenadier Guards lying in the broiling sun , propped against a rock , wounded—and telling the ambulance men to look after his gashed and blood-stained men who lay around him among the rocks . Let it be remembered in all accounts of battles in this war , that if Tommy has the hottest sort of work , he does it side by side with

his officers . Such is the traditional Anglo-Saxon way . " The chapters entitled " Echoes of Modder River " and " Filling Tommy's Water-bottle " form excellent commentaries on the methods and procedure of the present war , and the large map gives an equally good view of the territories upon which the war is being fought out so doggedly on both sides . We are still with our faces set " Towards Pretoria . " Mr . Julian Ralph shows very clearly why it is difficult to advance more quickly .

The Disenchantment of Nurse Dorothy . A story of Hospital life . By Florence Baxendale . —Skeffington and Son . READERS of this volume may kill two birds with one stone . The story of the " Disenchantment of Nurse Dorothy " is fluently written and is very readable ; but it is more than a mere story . It is a faithful study of life in a London hospital . The descriptions of ward and work are so realistic ,, so true to the most trivial detail , that they add materially to our knowledge , and

readers are therefore both amused and instructed . We cannot say that , as a novel , this book displays much power or pathos ; but the title does not belie the text , and the writer has handled a subject of some difficulty with considerable success . Nurse Dorothy is a person who possesses some uncommon abilities , without lacking common sense ; and the story of her

doings among patients and doctors is told by one who , to use a favourite phrase of Mr . Guy Boothby , " Knows the ropes . " A hospital , like a ship , is a perilous thing to handle in a fiction unless you know its ins and outs , and unless the writer of this story has served her time as probationer , as nurse , and as sister successively , she has been exceedingly well informed . We hope to read another volume by Florence Baxendale before we are much older .

Some Problems of the day in Natural Science : An introduction . By Alex . Hill , M . A ., M . D ., Master of Downing College , Cambridge . Temple Primer ( Is net ) . —J . M . Dent and Co . THIS is tho best Introduction to Science with which we are acquainted . Dr . Hill , like Huxley , seems to cherish an ineradicable tendency to try to make things clear . Transparent luoidity of treatment is an uncommon merit , and deserves recognition . Some sections of this primer would make admirable articles in a review . The aims and boundaries of science are

discussed with great acumen . As readers will have anticipated , the prominent feature of this little volume is its recognition of the revolution wrought in the scientific world by the now almost universally admitted theory of evolution . Order now reigns where chaos once prevailed . The chapter on the ultimate constitution of matter requires a knowledge of chemistry lor its comprehension ; that on the age of the earth is a fair sample of the arithmetical gymnastics of physicists and geologists . If Messrs . Dent ' s primers are in future as excellent as those already noticed in our columns other publishers must look to their laurels .

Books Of The Day.

Of the House of Chloe . A tale of the times . By Ellis Marston ( 4 s net ) . — Simpkin , Marshall , Hamilton , Kent and Co ., Ltd . THEEE is good writing in this book , which would be a better book still were it not a " novel with a purpose . " We give the writer every credit for righteous and humane zeal ; but are quite persuaded that the many paragraphs concerning vivisection , sometimes so obviously " dragged in , " are very perturbing elements . In fact , we fear this is a good story partially

spoilt . We are the more sorry to n-cord this opinion because Chloo and Hugh are skilfully drawn , and many descriptive passages are happily executed . The intended effect of the special pleading is , moreover , wenkened by tho author being compelled to have recourse to very dubious argumentation . Does the writer really believo that a mother , because her son performs

operations in vivisection , may suffer in her own body tho agonies of the mutilated brute ? or are vivisectionists , in real life , wont to dream that they are being tortured to a slow death somewhere in tho infernal regions ? The " purpose " of this book is so destructive of its art that none save an equally accomplished writer could have saved it from critical damnation . " 'Tis true , 'tis pity , pity 'tis 'tis true . "

A Maker of Nations . By Guy Boothby . Illustrated by Gordon Browne ( 5 s ) . —Ward , Lock and Co ., Limited . WE have read this book with considerable disappointment . Mr . Guy Boothby has done much better woik . His fertility of invention , his eye for local colour , his incomparable vivacity , so well shown in " In Strange Company , " "The Beautiful White Devil , " and " Pharos the Egyptian , " are here but the shadow of their former selves . He is writing too rapidly ,

thereby doing an injustice to himself and to us . No subjects are so congenial to him as the immemorial East , or the Southern Seas , and we trust he will soon return to his old hunting grounds . If we may hazard an estimate the " Treasure of Sacramento Nick " a short story contributed to the " Windsor Magazine , " is the best thing Mr . Guy Boothby has ever done . Now his peculiar excellencies , so strongly evinced in that story , are almost wholly absent from " A Maker of Nations : " hinc illoe lachrymte . And yet

tho subject is not without its attractiveness . Speihnan , a mysterious Mr . Sabin No . 2 , and Durrington , are both well drawn , and the plot to overturn a South American Republic should furnish ample matter for a May morning . But , unless we are greatly mistaken , haste and crudeness of conception have left their impress on every chapter , on almost every page . This is greatly to be deplored , for there are very few writers of fiction so

thoroughly readable as Mr . Guy Boothby when at his somewhat infrequent best . His books , as Mr . Kipling says , sell like hot cakes . We hope he will exercise his dexterity again presently , and show us once more how well he can write . " A Maker of Nations " may interest readers to whom any book is preferable to none . It has doubtless found its market , like other volumes by the same author , but it is not " literature . "

Lodge Meetings Next Week.

LODGE MEETINGS NEXT WEEK .

Fuller particulars as to place of meeting of the undermentioned Lodges are given in the Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket Book ( published by Grand Lodge for the benefit of the Charity Fund ) .

Monday . 5 S . Geo . & C ' ner Stoie , Jb . M . H . 68 Felicity , Ship and Turtle 957 Leigh , Freemasons' -hall 1366 Highgate , Midland G :. md H't'l . 1670 Adelphi , Freemasons ' -hall 1789 Ubique , Criterion 2030 The Abbey , Westminster

2426 Wood Green , Wood Green 2454 Guildhall School Music , Holb ' n . 2611 London School Board , H . Cecil 40 Derwent , Hastings 61 Probity , Halifax 68 Royal Clarence , Bristol 75 Love and Honour , Falmouth

85 Faithful , Harleston 88 Scientific , Cambridge 89 Unanimity , Dukinfield 104 St . John , . Stockport 105 Fortitude , Plymouth 106 Sun , Exmouth 133 Harmony , Faversham

151 Albany , Newport , I . of Wight 189 Sincerity , East Stonehouse 237 Indefatigable , Swansea 240 St . Hilda , South Shields 264 Nelson of the Nile , Batley 270 R . Faith & Friendship , Berkeley 292 Sincerity , Liverpool

296 Royal Brunswick , Sheffield 297 Whitham , Lincoln 303 Benevolent , Teignmouth 307 Prince Frederick , HebdenBridge 314 Peace and Unity ,. PrestoD 330 One and All , Bodmin 339 Unanimity , Penrith

388 Prudence , Halesworth 408 Three Graces , Haworth 422 Yarborough , Gainsboro ' 433 Hope , Brightliugsea 481 St . Peter , Newcastle-on-Tyne 543 Cleveland , Stokesley 557 Loyal Victoria , Callington

587 Howe , Birmingham 589 Druid Love & Lib ., Redruth 613 Unity , Southporfc 632 Concord , Trowbridge 643 Royal , Filey 665 Montagu , Lyme Regis 671 Prince of Wales , Llanelly

Lodge Meetings Next Week.

699 Roscawea , Chacewater 721 Independence , Chester 797 Hauley , Dartmouth 884 Derwent , Wirkswortb . 893 Meridan , Millbrook 941 De Tabley , Knutsford 1069 United Brothers , Portsmouth 1174 PentangleChatham

, 1221 Defence , Leeds 1237 Enfield , Enfield 1253 Travellers , Manchester 1271 F'dship & Unity , Bradf'd-on-A ' vn 1272 Tregenna , St . Ives 1282 Ancholme , Brigg 1286 Bayon , Market Rasen

1302 De Warren , Halifax 1312 St . Mary , Booking 1350 Fermor Hesketh , Bootle IOOJ ( skelineisdale , Liverpool 1402 Jordan , Torquay 1408 Stamford & Warr ' gton , St ' yb ' ge 1436 Castle , Sandgate

1449 Royal Military , Canterbury 1452 St . Margaret , Lowestoft 1474 Israel , Birmingham 1486 Duncombe , Kingsbridge 1496 Trafford , Moss Side 1505 Emulation , Liverpool 1542 Legiolum , Castleford

1564 St . John , Woking 1375 Clive , Drayton IL'J j Hamilton , Alford 1611 Eboracum , York 1618 Handyside , Saltburn-by-Sea 1656 Wolsey , Hampton Court 1691 Quadratic , Hampton Court

1730 Urmston , Urmston 1792 Tudor , Harborne 1802 Vernon , Retford 1852 Forest , Mansfield 1835 Torridge , Great Torrington . 1914 St . Thomas , Kidsgrove 1948 Hardman , Rawtenstall

1952 High Peak , Chapel-en-le-Frith 1966 Fidelity & Sincerity , Wellington 1977 Blackwater , Maldon 2034 Masefield , Moseley 2144 De Tatton , Altrincham 2185 Ardwick , Manchester 2187 Adur , Henfield