Reviews.

also some useful remarks " About Gas Meters , " which will prove of interest to householders , intending or actual , as the case may be . The principal features iu The Leisure Hour are , in the first place , " The Siege of Stralsund , " by Jacob B . de Liefde , whose Great Dutch Admirals and The Beggars have been so justly appreciated in the literary world . The siege was one of the leading incidents during

the ever memorable Thirty Years' War . Wallenstein was the heart and soul of the Imperialists , while inside the revolted town prevailed at various times a number of serious dissensions , which threatened its safety . But though Wallenstein impiously swore he would take it even though it were tied to heaven by iron chains , the siege had to be raised . We have in the present number only a portion of the history ,

but what we have , and what , no doubt , will follow in future numbers , is eminently readable . Then Mr . Henry Walker discourses pleasantly of " The Birds of London , " and some of our readers who have given little thought to the matter , who think , perhaps , the London sparrow and the pigeons at Somerset House and the Guildhall are about the only representatives of the feathered race this dirty metropolis of ours can boast , will be not a little surprised to find so many others

included in the list . There are some pleasant " Natural History Anecdotes , " a paper entitled , " Down the Eoad With a Gentleman Coachman , " No . IV . of " Caricatures and Caricaturists , " in which the career of the great Gillray is sketched , the majority of his best and happiest hits being re-counted . Lastly , we have brief notes of the " Norwich Vivisection Prosecution , " and a short biography of Daniel O'Connell , apropos , of course , of the recent centenary celebration of the great Liberator's birth .

Sunday at Home is equally interesting . Dr . Edersheim ' s series of papers on " Jewish Life in the Time of our Lord , " is continued , tho subject of the present essay being " Commerce . " There i 8 a most valuable paper on the "Nnsairiych and their Eeligion . " These dwell in Palestine , in the neig hbourhood of Antioch aud its vicinity , and

tho writer furnishes au excellent account of them as well as of the tenets they profess . " The Kaiser ' s Gift" and " Jeannio Wilson of Lammermoor , " are also pleasant reading , while the general matter exhibits all the usual points of excellence , for which this perodical is so justly known .

Correspondence

CORRESPONDENCE

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

MASONRY AND THE EGYPTIAN MONUMENTS . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BUOTIIER , —The articles that have appeared from timo to time in your columns , upon tho Antiquity of Freemasonry , have been read by me with deep interest . Though but a young member of the Craft , I take great delight in all that pertains to its

history , and would fain discover if the great nations of antiquity comprehended its principles and obligations in the sense in which we understand them at the present day . I call to mind some verses I once read , entitled an " Address to a Mummy in Belzoni ' s Exhibition , " in which the lines occur : —

"Perhaps thou wert a Mason , and forbid By oath to tell the secrets of thy trade ;" And wonder if the recent deciphering of Egyptian inscriptions can havo thrown any light upon this question . It is quite certain that tho Egyptians in architecture , mechanics and astronomy had attained a very high degree of excellence . We need no further

proof of this than is afforded by tho pyramids aud other architectural remains , and that even moro remarkable monument still , the volume of Euclid ' s elements . My object in writing to yon is to endearourto obtain from yon , or from one of your numerons correspondents , some elucidation of this , to me , most interesting question , or if not this , at least some information as to the sources from which such knowledge

may be obtained . I cannot help thinking , Sir , that thero are many of our fellow Craftsmen who would welcome , as I should , a series of articles showing what light , if any , has been thrown by recent researches upon the supposed connection existing between the ancient Egyptians aud our glorious Craft . I am , Sir , & c . NEOPHYTE .

STEWARDS FOR OUR FESTIVALS . To the Editor of TIIE FREEMASON ' S CHKONICLE . DEAR SIR , —I have been a subscriber to your paper from the first , and have watched the progress you havo made to carry out tho programme you set yourselves with great concern . You certainly seem nob to have lacked energy . Wo have had presented all sorts of fare ; you have been early in the field in giving us reports of the various gatherings that have been held during the year , and you seom to

have tided over the slack period , if I may so express myself . Iu a few weeks we shall have our Lodges assembling , J . ncl the various questions so parainouut to the success of the Craft will come under discussion . Arrangements will Lave to bo made that the buveral Lodges shall appoint good men and true to work for our Old Men and Women , our Girls , and our Boys ; we have done well thisyoar , it is true ; but our numbers have materially increased , and larger amounts must necessarily be collected to meet the increased demands

Correspondence

that are sui'e to arise from the accession that has been made to our numbers . I would strongly urge upon those brethren who may be called upon to serve as Stewards to consider well the responsibility they take upon themselves . It requires that a man should use great discretion in finding a fit and proper opportunity ere he solicits his acquaintances for their donations . I may mention an instance that

ocourred to me a short time back . A worthy and most energetic brother , one universally respected , called upon me , and exhibiting a long list of names , told me that he was about to pay them his outstanding business accounts , and that ho meant- to get something out of them for the Charity he was then working for as a Steward . This was perhaps all very well for the Charity , but it occurred to me that

he was using a kind of thumbscrew , and that it might not raise our institution in the opinion of those interested , some of whom would , I venture to say , consider themselves victimised . A form in frequent use among a certain class is something of this kind : " Ah ! Bro . I have put you down on my list for one guinea ( or any other amount ) , same as the others ; I suppose that is right ? " and as this

is , perhaps purposely , said in the presence of comparative strangers , it generally goes for " right . " Then we havo the over cautious brother , who is afraid to ask for subscriptions except by printed circular or a short letter , and although most of the best men in our Order nevor require asking twice , there are more who require a great

deal , and among the latter class can be named men who , to use a business term , can best afford it . The characteristics of our Lodges are so different that I fear there is no hope of our even having "A Eoyal Eoad to Canvassing , " as what would be successful in one case might offend half the members in another . Yours , & c . ONE WHO HAS NOT YET SERVED .

A MASONIO LIST . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICXE . SIR , —Notwithstanding the works and journals published iu connection with Freemasonry , there is an obvious requirement that has not yet been fulfilled—one that I believe tho brethren generally will acknowledge and support—I mean a complete list , not only of the various Lodges , bnt of their several members , officers , & c , with the

dates of initiation of the former , and appointment of tho latter . Such lists , if carefully revised annually , would bo of great utility in scores of instances , as it would show at a glance the really active and effective members of our noble Craft . I believe that Grand Lodgo would approve of such a work , and that every secretary would gladly furnish the desired information . I am , Sir , yours fraternally , 1227 .

A BOUGH COMPUTATION . —On calling at the residence of tho modest and unobtrusive medical practitioner , Levcrrier refused to say who he was , but in the most abrupt maimer , and in tho most authoritative tone , began , "It is then you , sir , who pretend to have observed a new planet , and who have committed tho grave offenco of keeping your observation secret for nino months . I warn von that I have como here

with tho intention of doing justico to your pretensions , and of demonstrating either that you have been dishonest or deceived . Toll me then unequivocally what you have seen . " Tho doctor then explained what he had witnessed , and entered into all the particulars regarding his discovery . On speaking of tho rough method adopted to ascertain the period of tho first contact , the astronomer inquired what

chronometer he had been guided by , and was naturally enough somewhat surprised when the physician pulled out a huge old watch , with only minute hands . Ifc had been his faithful companion in his professional journeys , ho said : but that would hardly be considered a satisfactory qualification for performing so delicate an experiment . The consoquence was that Lcverrior , evidently now beginning to conclude that

the whole affair was an imposition or delusion , exclaimed , with somo warmth , " What , with that old watch , showiup only minutes , dare you talk of estimating seconds ? My suspicions aro already well founded . " To this Lescarbault replied that ho had a pendulum by which he counted seconds . This was produced , and found to consist of an ivory ball , attached to a silken thread , which , being hung on a nail in the wall , is

made to oscillate , and is shown by the watch to boat very nearly secouds , Leverrier is now puzzled to know bow tho number of seconds is ascertained , as there is nothing to mark them ; bnt Lescarbault states that with him there is no difficulty whatever in this , as ho is accustomed to "feel pulses and count their pulsations , " and « in ivifch ease carry out the same principle with the pendulum . The telescope is next inspected ,

and pronounced satisfactory . Tho astronomer then asks for tho original memorandum , which after some searching is found , " covered with grease and laudanum . " There is a mistake of four minutes on it when compared with tho doctor ' s letter , detecting which , the savant declares that the " observation has been falsified . " An error in the watch regulated by sidereal timo accounts for this . Levcrrier now

wishes to know how tho doctor managed to regulate his watch by sidereal time , and is shown the small telescope by which ifc is accomplished . Other questions aro asked and satisfactorily answered . Tho doctor ' s rough drafts of attempts to ascertain the distance of the planet from the sun , " from the period of four hours which is required to describe an entire diameter of that luminary , are produced , chalked on a

board . Lescarbault's method , ho being short of paper , was to make his calculations on a plank , aud make way for fresh ones by planing them off . Not being a mathematicinn , it may be remarked that he had not succeeded in ascertaining the distance of the planet , from the Sun . The end of it all was that Levcrrier became perfectly satisfied that an

infcra-mcrcurial planet had been really observed . He congratulated the medical practitioner upon his discovery , and left with the intention of making the facts thus obtained tbe subject of fresh calculations . — From "The Planets put in Lcrerrier ' s Balance , " in the " Cnruhill Magazine" for September ,