Masonic Thinkers.

MASONIC THINKERS .

By W . W . HIDDEN . An intelligent member of the Masonic Fraternity , who ranks among the first of the Craft in thc Queen City , said to us a few weeks ago : " Masons , as a body , are not a reading people . " The expression vvas sincere , and vvas cvielently uttered with reluctant regret .

We passed from his presence with the reflection that his assertion was probably tme , notwithstanding thc general intelligence of the body in business affairs , and in the general interests of thc country . The conviction is doubtless too common , that the communication of the degrees in the lodge rooms of the Craft , is the chief thing necessary to make one a Mason . Btt however common

this conception , the very idea is erroneous , because it tends to the building up of communities of mere Masonic automatons , who never know anything more of the Craft than tbat it is an old secret society . It is a pity that any such Masons are ever made and turned out upon the world as the representatives of the Fraternity . They misrepresent the true animus of its philosophic antiquity ,

and never learn the great mystic fact that no better foantlation of fraternal and intelligent society has ever been laid than is comprehended in the moral teachings anel philosophic principles e . f Ancient Craft Masonry . To them ignorance and indifference are most unfortunate , for these hold all such in the outer courts , where even Masters compare only with Entered Apprentices , and where

they are never able to work , save where more competent Masters prepare the trestle-board . To te & ch them to think , to act , and to feel , not for themselves alone , but for their fel ' ow men , is the true Masonic philosophy , which makes known to the Craft the higher trestle-board—the grander and more noble work of the moral and social men , where intelligence distinguishes the

good from the bad among the sons of humanity , and where the rewards of virtue add to the distinctions of life and give happier sunsets to its dying scenes . All men may not read , yet they should all think , for thought makes the great differences between man and man , and distinguishes him from the brute and from all lower animals . This , indeed , is an obligation which is imposed on us by

nature itself , and we cannot ignore it without driving from our presence our higher manhood , anel sacrificing the lifetime luxury of delightful travel through the mystic regions of what may be truly termed the Masonic heaven of light and knowledge . If man had not been a thinking being , then it would not have been necessary to hive placed in his hands any

revelation of God or of himself . The primitive elements of his nature might have served him for all time , anel he could have been left to run the race of his generation without an effort of thought or an act of morality . But this is not thc animus of our endowment or thc order of our being . We were constituted in the beginning creation ' s capstone—nature ' s lords—ane ! to us have been committed

thc oracles of God , which obligate us to " read , think and inwardly digest" the Word of Life , and best basis of human civilisation thc world has yet received . To the intelligent Mason this boeek is the more valuable because he remembers that when hc received his first ray of Masonic light the sacreel writings were before him . Thc book was open for him to reael , anel the compass anel

square pointed him to the significant passages of truth which constituted his first lesson in the myslic philosophy of life . Here is where every Mason must meet us and have his memory refreshed ; but , alas , how many stop just there ! They go no further , only as they arc led , as as it were , by a cable-tow . They never learn to walk alone , and thc obstacles in their way appear to be of their

own erection . They bear on their persons the insignia of the Craft , while the inner man knows nothing , comparatively , of that higher life , where . bought kindles its fires and throws the bright glare of its mystic effulgence everywhere along the coiridors of the future . To think , to reflect and to investigate are the manly duties which alone can elevate us in the world of intellectual

life , and he who never enters there may bear physical affinity with our race ; but he knows nothing of that sun that makes the higher , broader and more beautiful sphere where philosophy strews its flowers , and where moral and social activities find the true basis of their enjoyment . Ignorance and Masonry can never travel together ; the one is light and the other is darkness . This lives by

progression , while that finds its home only in the dullness of stagnation . The one demands the elevations of intelligence while the other is pleased to sit down anywhere and listen to the songs of idle pantomimes . Every element of ignorance is anti-Masonic . The bigotry that breathes intolerance—the pride lhat makes distinctions—the tyranny that is cruel and oppresses the

poor—the arrogance that inaugurates its own monopolies , and the selfishness that plants itself within the narrow confines of sectarianism , as well as the devilish nature that lives and dies ignorant of humat . ity and charity , arc all anti-Masonic . The Craft cannot recognize them in any

HOLLOW-AY ' S OINTMENT AMP PILLS . — Dropsical Swellings . — Whatever may be the remote cause of collections of water in the uman body , itmust be prudent to disperscthem as soon as possible , The readiest nicans of accomplUhing this end are supp'ied hy using Holloway ' s Ointment , to increase ihe activity of the absorbents . Whtn thisOintment is well rubbed upon the bkin , it removes all venous ctngcttion , overcomes ali mechanical obstruction tothe free return of the blood and p * events thc elcposit of scrum and ve-nte * . Holloway ' s Pills likewise augment that absorbing power ; they act powerfully on thc capillaries through the circulation , while this Ointment acts directly through thc skin . Both should lie employed in dropsies and diseases of the kidnevs . —ADVT .

shape or form , and if any of them ever show their heads in a lodge-room , the spirit of Masonry vanishes like ember fires before the instructive avalanche . No , the very first element of Masonry is light , and he that will comprehend it and enjoy its beauties must become a Masonic thinker . —la . Advocate

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

The report of the North London Railway Company , adopteel at the meeiing held on Friday week , at Euston Station , Bro . J . Bancroft in the chair , stated that after payment of interest on the debenture capital , a net balance remains to the creelit of revenue of £ 94 . 343 6 s . lid ., from which the directors recommend thc declaration of dividends for the half-year asunder : First preference

stock , 1 S 66 ( crcateel 1 S 61 ) , 2 . per cent ., making the dividend for thc twelve months at the rate of 3 per cent , per annum ; second preference stock , 18 75 ( created 1871 ) , 2 } per cent ., making the divitlcntl for the twelve months at the rate of 4 . I percent , per annum ; ordinary stock , 3 ' per cent ., making tbe dividend for the twelve months at the rate of Gjj- per cent , per annum , leaving a balance of £ 2812 is . 1 id . to be carried forward to the cunent

halfyear . The annual assembly of the General Grand Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine will be held at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , on Monday next , at half-past five o'clock . The banquet , at which Col . Burdett , Grand Sovereign , will preside , will be prodded at half-past six .

Bro . Arthur Swanborough ( Lodges 189 and 1319 ) , will preside at the Twenty-Second Anniversary festival of the Dramatic , Equestrian and Musical Sick Fund Association , which will take place at Willis ' s Rooms , King-street , St . James ' s , on the Cth inst . ( Ash-Wedncsday . ) Bro . H . R . H . Prince Leopold , attended by the

Hon . A . Yorke , Bro . Collins , Mr . Campbell , anil Mr . Royle and suite , left the Victoria terminus of the London , Chatham and Dover Railway ou Wednesday morning at 7 . 40 for Dover , and embarked at 9 . 30 on board the company ' s special mail packet Samphire , Captain Pittock , en route for Paiis . An appeal is about to be made on behalf of

the family of that admirable official and much respected brother , Supcrintennent Molt , who died sudeienly a short time ago . A provisional committee , comprising Lieut .-Col . C . H . Gregory , C . M . G ., Air . F . West , Mr . G . E . Collette , Mr . A . C . Simmons , Mr . A . Austin , and Mr . Wentworth L . Cole , has been formed , and it is elecided to give a concert at thc Royal Albert Hall , on the 1 st of May .

So many artists have ve _ uiiteer . fi their assistance in this good cause , that the committee have been compelled to inform several e . f those wno had generously preferred their assistance that their kindly offers of help must necessarily be declined . Mr . Wentworth Cole and Mr . A . C . Simmons have consented to act respectively as honorary secretary anil honorary treasurer : a working

sub-committee has been foimed , and thc following gentlemen , among others , have been requested , and will doubtless consent to join the co . nmittee : —Col Fraser , Dr . T . Bond ( the well-known Metropolitan Police Surgeon ) , Sir James M'Garel Hogg , Bart ., M . P ., Mr . Walter Clifford , Mr . Arthur Chappell , Mr . Frederick Cowcn , Sir Julius Benedict , and Sir Michael Costa . The Council of the Albert Hall

have offered thc use of the buileling free of cost , anel that offer has been accepteel . —Jl' hilehall Review Bro . F . B . Chattetton ' s complimentary benefit will take place on Monday morning next at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane . As the present lease of this noble theatre shortly expires , it has been thought by an influential committee , a fitting opportunity for professionally

and publ < cly marking the estimation in which this popular lessee and manager is he-It ' . Many eif the most distinguished members of the theatrical profession bave offered their services , and we eloubt not a most successful result will ensue . The Medical Society of Antwerp has established a " black book" in wbich thc members arc invitel

to enter the names of patients , who , without sufficient reason , such as poverty or the like , fail to pay their bills . Doubtless there are not a few English towns in which a similar book woulel form a very useful guide to general practitioners . —Medical Examiner . We deeply regret to learn that Mr . Chapman , for many years associateel with Mitchell ' s Library , whose

courtesy vvas well known and widely appreciated , his been struck with paralysis , whereby he has lost the use of his limbs and thc power of speech . It has been felt that , under this severe affliction , the opportunity suggests itself for offering him a testimonial purse . Contiibutions , which are earnestly solicited , will be thankfully received by Mr . Mitchell , of 33 , Old Bond . street ; or Mr . Burrage , 45 ,

Trcgunter-road , S . W . —Morning Post . The Duchess of Abereorn , accompanied by Lady Georgiana Hamilton , leaves at the end of the week for Biarritz for a few weeks . The Duke , after completing his mission to Rome , will join the Duchess at Biarritz . The " U'hitehall Review , " of to-day contains a crayon por t rait with a biographical sketch of Bro . the Right Hon , the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., R . W . P . G . M .

Derbyshire . At a meeting at the Mansion House on Wednese ' ay last a resolution , recommending the raising of a funel of £ 25 , 000 , for the erection of new premises on a central site , suitable to the growing requirements of the Birkbeck Institution , was adopteel on the motion of the Earl of Northbrook . A committee was formed to solicit subscriptions .

The Stock Markets on Thursday were heavy at the close , and prices showed a fall all round ranging from i to J per cent ., chiefly upon the unfavourable Bank return , snowing a fall in the proportion of reserve to liabilities of 5 percent ., to 42 J . Consols closed -J- per cent , lower , at 95 to 93 J for money and the account , after being quoted 94 J to 95 , At the Bank £ 16 , 000 in gold was witheirawn for South America .

Masonic And General Tidings.

We regret to announce the death of Bro . Major George Barlow , which sael event occurred on Tuesday last at his residence , 7 6 , Colcshill-strett , Eatonsquare . The eleceased brother was a P . M . of Lodge 321 , Past Granel Mark Master Overseer , a member of the 33 , of the Studholme Mark Loelge , No . 197 , and a Comp . of the Royal Arch .

Reform in the length of ladies' drgsses is being attempted in Vienna , where some of the principal ladies of the Court recently organised a ball at which short costumes were compulsory . Exttavagane being another object of reform , all the te ilettes were of calico , and the ball proved the most successful of the season . Calico balls are familiar features in England , but the innovation

of short dresses for daneing might well be introduced into our ball-rooms , where the absurdly long trains of the present day are damaging alike to tempers , comfort , anel pockets . The study of cookery in Scotland vvas taken up with great vigour last year . Acccr . iing to thc report of the Edinburgh Schoel of Cookery , the classes held in

thc capital , Leith , and ether towns for demonstration and practice , were almost universally successful , particularly the evening classes for cheap cookery , where in many towns the attendance varied from 500 to ; o _ , and in three cities reached ioco . Branch classes were established in fortyone places , and applications fc r similar in ; titutions have been received from all parts of Scotland , while considerable

improvement m cookery and economy 111 thehomes of the working people is reported from the district where these classes have been held . The Newspapers published in tie United Kingelom now number 1744—of which England claims 1352 ; Scotland , 173 ; Ireland , 141 and the Isles 19 . Of these London alone publishes 3 ^ 6 journals , while the elaily

papers amount to 112 , m England , 21 111 Scctland , 19 111 Ireland , 3 in Wales , and 3 in the smaller islands . The Press of thc count "/ has more than doubled ia the past twenty years , according tothe "Newspaper Press Directory for 1878 , " which notes that only 868 journals were issued in 18 5 8 , while the increase ii specially notable in the elaily papers , which now number 15 S against 37 in 18 3 8 .

There are now 8 39 Magazines and Quarterly Reviews published in the year , and of these 264 are of a decidedly religious character . The Paris Press is thus divided among the political parties : —The Republican party possess 22 newspapers , with a circulation of 200 , 000 copies ; the Legitimists , six newspapers , with a circulation of 25 , 000 copies ;

the Orleanists , five newspapeis , with a circulation cf 30 , 000 copies ; the Bonapartists , seven newspapers , with a circulation of 70 , 000 copies ' . The Figaro , which has the largest circulation of any Paris newspaper , cannot be classed under any head . —Athenamm . The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught left Berlin at ten ei'clock on Monday evening for

Darmstadt , on a visit to the Grand Duke . Tbe German Crown Prince anil Crown Princess saw their brothers to the station . Lord Odo Russell wis in attendance . Three Adjutants-General of the Emperor were likewise present . As the Prince of Wales entered the waiting-room Miss Katie Gill , daughter of Mr . James Gill , stepped forward from the throng of English residents assembled in an

aeljacent room , and presented a beautiful bouquet , wishing thc Prince of Wales a happy journey . An annotated edition ( with glossary ) of Milton ' s " Comus , " by Bro . B Montgome ie Banking , Inner Temple ( sometime Secretary of thc Royal Archtrological Institute ) , author of " Fair Rosamond , " and other poems , " Streams from Hidden Sources , " Sec , and Bro . D . Fearon

Ranking , M . A ., Hertford Coll ., Oxon ., Head Master of Wallasey Free Grammar School , 'Chesbire ( both of the Prince eif Wales's Lodge , 959 , Ipswich , ) with Introductory Essays on the Masque as an entertain ment , and on the history and sources of this particular poem , is in the press , and will be published shortly by Mr . Henry West , 301 , Marestrcct , Hackney .

The consecration of the Jordan Lodge , ( No . 1726 ) , is fixed to take place at Bognor on Wednesday , March 13 th . The ceremony will be performed by Bro . J . H . Scott , Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Sussex . Bro . John St . Clair , P . Prov . Granel Purst ., and P . M . 3 8 , is to be the first W . M . The Past Masters' Centenary Club attached to

the Royal Athelstan Lodge , No . 19 , held its ninth anniversary at the Freemasons' Tavern on Weelnesday , the 28 th inst ., Bro . Daniel Nicholson , P M ., in the chair , suppoited by Bro . John Charles , W . M ., and many of the Past Masters of tbe lodge . Bro . Alexaneler T . I Iollingswotth having completed his year of office as W . M ., was

formally introduced as a member of the club , anel invitee ! by the President to paitake of the loving cup , ( the gift of Bro . W . M . Bywater , P . M . ) Bro . George Champion , P . M ., was unanimously elected as Chairman of thc club for the ensuing year 1878 . The banquet , served by Bro . Best , proprietor of Tthc Freemasons' Tavern , was everything that could be desired .

The installation meeting of the Wolsey Lodge , 16 5 6 , will take place at the White Hart Hotel , Hampton Wick , on Monday next , the 4 th inst ., at 4 . 30 , when Bro . Bernard Sharp , P . M . 168 , will be installed by Bro . Wm . Hammond ( ihe retiring- W . M . ) , into the chair of K . S .

Constitutions of the Ancient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , containing the Charges , Regulations , E . A . Song , & c . A copy should be in the possession of every brother . It may be obtained for 2 d . at thc office of the Feeemason , or will be sent free to any part of the Uniteel Kingdom , on receipt of twenty-five penny stamps . Adtlress , Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London . — ADVT .