Lodge Reports.

may be termed didactic Masonry , of esoteric teaching . But we do not find that such writing takes with the generality of our readers , and we feel persuaded that our publisher ' s course has been from the beginning , and still is , a wise one , and the only correct one , to give to a large and

increasing clientele , as good an account , hebdomadally , as he can , of Masonic life amongst us at the present hour , superadding those necessary leading articles , those items of intelligence , and judicious selections of passing Masonic I iterature ,

which tend to give variety to the crowded pages of the " Freemason , " and make it alike readable and welcome wherever it goes , a true exponent of the actual wants , and wishes , and feelings , and fancies of our universal Craft .

Masonic Littlenesses.

MASONIC LITTLENESSES .

Tt has been said that ever } body has his littlenesses , and that no one is a " hero to his valet de chambre . " Even we Freemasons are not above the frailty and littlenesses of humanity , and such being admittedly the case , we think it well didactically to impress this little fact on

the attention of our many readers to-day . Now there are two especial forms of these Masonic littlenesses of ours , to tell of no others which greatly affect us as journalists , and to which we feel compelled to allude , though , we trust , in all good humour , and we are sure in a truly

Masonic spirit . One is the readiness of a correspondent to take offence because his special contribution is not put in immediately , or because he sees something which be does not like . Now , we venture to ask our many kind friends and good readers , why do they as Freemasons so

deal with us poor Masonic journalists ? They do not for one moment think of doing so with a profane paper , or , in technical phraseology , that is , the " Times , " or " Standard , " or " Bell ' s Life , " or the "Saturday Review . " Why should they then do so with the humbler" Freemason ?"

They must see many things in all and each they do not like , but in that case they do not quarrel with " their bread and butter . " But no sooner do they notice some trifling matter in the " Freemason , " which they think they may

complain of or find fault with , than , hey presto comes a letter of complaint , or of notice of nonsubscription any longer . Now , we think that this is not quite fair to us , and we must beg to call attention to snch , as we deem them , Masonic littlenesses . That the "Freemason" has been

conducted , and is conducted , with the greatest care and circumspection is , we think , evident to all ; that occasional errors may be exhibited we do not for one moment deny—indeed , we rather affirm that such slips , either of pen or type , are necessarih to be expected . But on the whole we to ch

are ^ quite prepared allenge a comparison with any other contemporary journal , and we must beg therefore all our friends and correspondents to make for us the same needful allowances they make so readily for other newspapers . Mistakes will occur in the best regulated families , and

printers errors are often many and peculiarly trying to the helpless writer , but , such as they are , they are a call for Masonic consideration and patience rather than for anything else . A correspondent can always , as a general rule , have his contribution inserted . He must have a

little patience sometimes , alike with publisher and editor , and it is not fair to visit on their devoted heads what is alike inevitable and unavoidable often is merely a temporary delay , or the admission of what had better perhaps not have appeared . There is an amusing story told of a brother who

met the publisher of a journal and said to hi ; n , " I have stopped the paper . " " Dear me , " said the publisher , " come to the office . " When he got there he said to the kindl y brother , " you must be mistaken , the paper is going on as usual . " " Oh ! " said the other , " I mean I have

stopped my paper . " That , replied the publisher , is altogether another pair of shoes . " When the irate swell of old days said to Hob y , the bootmaker , , l Mr . Hoby , I shall withdraw my custom , " " Thomas , " said Hoby immediately ,

" put up the shutters , Captain Jones withdraws his custom . " And in the same way we sometimes smile , when for some Jittle petty trifle not worth mentioning , we receive the announcement , " I shall not subscribe to ! the ' Freema-

Masonic Littlenesses.

son ' any longer . " At this period of the year , when This good year is growing old , The fogs are heavy , and the weather cold ,

and when all tells us of another closing cycle of time , we are also naturally reminded of another trifling but amiable littleness of many of our worthy confreres . We all remember that agreeable gentleman in "Nicholas Nickleby " who liked to leave little accounts owing ; and just at

this moment we have a vivid appreciation of the fact that we have a good many petty accounts owing for the " Freemason . " Many brethren seem sometimes to forget that the weekl y publication of the " Freemason " costs money , that somebody must pay for it , that printers , and

reporters , and writers have to be subsidized . But they dont like to be asked for " little accounts . " We none of us do , and often when the demand for a year ' s subscri ption is made , there comes back a P . O . Order , with the magic and fraternal word " discontinue . " Now , we hope

all wril take well what we have now ventured to intimate , as we have spoken in all geniality of feeling and all fraternal goodwill . We feel almost as regards some good friends of ours , whose amiable weaknesses we deplore ( as much as we deplore any thing in this queer world ) , like the two Irishmen mentioned in the

following paragraph . " Mike , have you settled that affair with Lewis yet ? " Yes , he kicked me off the step last week , and since that he has stopped bothering me . " Verbum satsapienti .

A New Freemasonry.

A NEW FREEMASONRY .

Some years ago it was our lot to preach to a friendly Order , on its anniversary , called the " New Delight . " An old , and kind , and witty friend of ours walked up in the evening to our qtiandom home , and said to us , " I hear you have been preaching to the New Delight . Well , the world

is old , and I am old , and you are not so young as you were , and as most of the old delights are worn out , I am anxious to learn what this New Delight really is . " Somewhat similar will be the anxiety , we think , of our brethren to hear something about a new Freemasonry . " What ' s

the new idea ? " says Bro . Jones . " What is it all about ? " says Bro . Robinson . " What is there in it ? " says Bro . Brown . So we think it well shortly to reply to-day to these fraternal questions . It seems that there is in London a French Bro . Valleton , who has an idea that he

has a call apparently to reconstruct Freemasonry , and to regenerate humanity . He is the same brother who made an attack on English Freemasonry some time back , principally apparentl y on the ground that there were " chaplains " in the lodges , that even " clericaux" were admitted

into Freemasonry in England . It is sad for us in England to note this absurd dislike of the clerical profession per se , which is patent in many foreign writers and brethren . Indeed , it often reminds us how prejudices may become hatreds , if wrongly persisted in , until they culminate , like

as at Paris not long ag . i , in the destruction of unoffending victims , and the cruel murder of the excellent and virtuous Archbishop Darboy . Well , Bro . Valleton , who is , we believe , an able man scientifically , but whose views are clearly verv '' prononces " has invented what he terms "

Maconnerie du Rite Occidental . " Our cautious and able Bro . Caubet , in the " Monde Maconiqne " of September-October , 1875 , tells us that he has received the programme of the " Marjonnerie anthropologique du Rite Occidental , " " autour lequel se commencement

d agitation fait en Angleterre , et sur Ie continent . " We almost wonder that a cautious Masonic old bird like Bro . Caubet could be taken in by such nonsense . As for anything being known about it in England , we can safely say

that nothing is really known beyond some little cafe near " Lester Squarr . " We also can , without hesitation , freely declare that it is not at all likely to meet either the principles , or tastes , or feelings , or views of Englishmen , As a curiosity , we give the programme : —

MACONNERIE DU RITE OCCIDENTAL . NECESSITE n ' tlNE NOUVELLE RELIGION OU u ' l'NE ItEFORM MAC 0 NN 10 . UE . La Francmaconnerie , Religion anthropologique universelle L'Humanisme democratique et social .

A New Freemasonry.

Culte de l'Esprir , de l'Humanite et de l'Univers . Ala Gloire et au Developpement du Prcgres bumain ; A la Gloire de tous Ceuxet Cellos qui , Illustres ou Obscurs . Francmacous ou Profanes , y ont contribue , y contribucnt ou y conlribueront gene ' reuscment ; A l'Union , a la Fe'deration des peuples ! par le triomphe

definitif du principe des nationalite ' s . A l'Unification des Races , des Castes , des Classes , de * situations , des professions , des inttrets ' . A la Solidarite' e ' eonomique I A la Paix , au Bonheur du Genre humain : A l'Association universelle !

Sous les auspices de 1 'Utile , du Beau , du Bien et du Vrai , ainse que de toutes les Institutions philanthropiqu . es qui en sont l'expression progressive ' . A Tous et a Toutes , en ce monde , Libel te , Egaliee , Fraternite

Responsabihte et solidarite par la triple et indivisible formule : Ordre et Progre ' s , Evolution et Re'formes , Conservation et Revolution !

A Tous et a Toutes , en ce monde , Double Immortalite' et Eternelle responsabihte ' d l'Esprit et du Corps . Au 110 m de la Religion nouvelle , La Franmaconnerie anthropologique universelle du Rite occidental .

Au nom de la R . \ sphere No 1 . Occi . \ de l'Humanite . Ze ' n . \ d'Europe . Ph . \ de Londres . H . VA U-ETON * We have not translated the French , for it is

perfectly easy , and our space is limited . We fancy thatfor mostEnglish Freemasons the perusal will be enough , and that they will not be very anxious to hear much more about this new mystico , socialistico , Fourrieristico , revolutionistico , democratistico , androgynistico , Freemasonry .

How any one can call such a programme Masonic , or suppose that he can enlist adherents under such a banner we will not stop to discuss . We will only add our conviction that all English Freemasons who read this programme will prefer " stare super via antiquas , " will recur lovingly and devotedly to the true and better

teachings of our good old Anglo-Saxon Craft , which has weathered the storm of many years , which , ever a friend to order , liberty , and peace , is necessarily opposed to revolution , anarchy , and socialism , and upholds " yesterday , to-day , and for ever , " its own unchanging principles of freedom , toleration , truth , honour , right , and duty , brotherly love , loyalty , and charity .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

I We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of thcopinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play 10 all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion , —ED . }

MASONIC LIBRARIES . To the Editor oj the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — It is impossible to over-estimate the advantages to be derived from a well-selected and well-stocked Masonic library . Masonic books having but a circumscribed field , are , of necessity , expensive ; and so the studentwho

fre-, quently possesses more zeal than funds , is beset with difficulties that are apt to cause him to despair of acquiring the desired knowledge , and ultimately drive him into reinquishing the pursuit . In Masonic , as in scientific or philosophical literature , it is not sufficient to read but one or two books , for one work is so based upon another , or written in refutation , that unless the system can be taken

entire , and in proper order , the process is unsatisfactory and even dangerous . The Entered Apprentice is charged " to make a daily advancement in .- . lasonic knowledge ; " the Fellow Craft is charged " to extend his researches into the hidden mysteries of nature and science ; " yet how few opportunities there arc of carrying out these objects . We have now nearly 1600 lodges on the roll of the United

Grand Lodge of England ; we wonder how many lodges have a library connected with them . We could count them on our two hands , we fear . It seems to us a most surprising matter that in many of the large towns in the Midland and Northern counties why the lodges do not unite in the formation of a Masonic library . Let but a few energetic members in a town get together a

representative committee , which sets to work quielly , getting a grant from each lodge and donations of Masonic books , or money from individuals , and they will be surprised at the amount of support they will receive . Once get the interest of the brethren aroused to the sense of their loss , once get them to feel the manifold advantages of such a

library , and the results ( if they are but small at starting ) will in time gladden the hearts of the promoters ; for the dissemination of the many glorious ( yet hidden ) beauties of our Order , the purification of the mind consequent upon the study of such ennobling works , the exemplification of the Divine truths embraced in the disquisitions of the Craft , require but the proper channel to arrest the at-