Masonic Notes And Queries.

P . Rite of Memphis was not reformed or reduced until 1 S 65 , whilst this'Ordcr calls itself in 1 S 59 by way of distinction , the " Reformed Masonic Order of Memphis . " Moreover this body was never recognised by the true Rite of Memphis , as 1 have all the official documents . In the present position of the Grand Orient 1 should feel inclined to open up friendl y relations vvith the true Kite of Memphis , if it flourishes in France , but not if it recognises this spurious offshoot . JOHN YARKER .

Mark Masonry.

Mark Masonry .

FRANCIS BURDETT LODGE ( No . 181 ) . — A meeting of this lodge took place on Wednesday , the 17 th ult ., at the Albany Hotel , Twickenham , when there were in attendance among others Bros . R . Thrupp ( lion , member ) , acting W . M . in the unavoidable absence of W . Bro . W . Taylor , P . P . G . D . Middx . and Surrey ; E . Hopvvood , P . G . S . B . Middx . and Surrey , S . W . ; Sanders , J . W . ; W .

Hammond , P . G . S ., P . M . Sec ; T . C . Walls , P . G . S . Middx . and Surrey , M . O . ; Handel , acting I . G . ; Harrison , Tyler . The minutes of the previous meeting - having been read and confirmed , the election of W . M . for the ensuing year resulted unanimously in favourof W . Bro . E . Hopvvood ,

who duly returned thanks . W . Bro . W . 1 aylor was elected Treasurer , and Bro . Harrison re-elected Tyler . The byelaws having been read and audit committee appointed , the letter of Bro . Richnell , containing his resignation , was read and received vvith regret . The lodge was then formally closed and the brethren partook of refreshment .

PRINCE LEOPOLD LODGE ( No . 238 ) . —The members of this lodge met in good strength on Tuesday , the 16 th ult ., at Anderton's Hotel , Fleet-street , when there were present , among others , Bros . T . C . Walls , P . G . S . Middlesex and Surrey , W . M . ; A . Tisley , S . W . ; Richnell , I . W . ; W . Wigginton , P . G . S . of Works , I . P . M ., Sec ; Sir Charles Palmer , Bart ., P . G . M . O . Middlesex and

Surrey , M . O . ; I , II . Dodson , S . O . and Treas . ; J . Bcningfiekkj . O . ; ' \ V . E . Farrington ,, J . D . ; C . Brown , I . Gt ; Skelton , D . C . ; and Harrison , Tyler . The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed , several communications from absent members were read , 'The lodge was shortly afterwards closed , and the brethren adjourned to the banquet . 'The visitors

were W . Bros . Webster , P . P . G . R . of Middlesex and Surrey , and Lake , P . P . G . R . of Cornwall . Upon the removal of the cloth the customary toasts were done full justice to . W . Bro . Wigginton acknowledged the toast of " 'The Grand Officers , " and W . Bros . Webster and Lake responded at length upon behalf of "The Visitors . " 'The remainder of the evening having been agreeably spent , the 'Tyler's toast was called , and the brethren separated .

WHITEHAVEN . —Fletcher Lodge ( No . 213 ) . —The regular monthly meeting of this lodge was held on Friday , the 26 th ult ., Bro . Dr . Henry , W . M ., P . P . S . G . W ., in the chair , supported by the following officers and members : Bros . K . Tyson , S . W ., P . G . Reg . ( in the absence of Bro . Gibson ); W . White , I . W . ; | . Rothery , M . O . ; W . Bevvlay , S . O . ; J . W . Miles , J . O , ; George Dalrymple , Sec . and Reg ., P . O . J . W . ; James Robertson ,

S . D . ; J . S . Wilson , J . I ) . ; J . Cooper , Org ., P . G . Org ., G . Sparrow , I . G . ; and J . M . Salisbury , 'T yler . The business before the lodge was the election of W . M . and 'Treasurer . When by ballot Bro . W . B . Gibson , P . S . W . and P . Prov . G . S . O ., was duly elector Master , and liro . W . White , P . J . W ., Treasurer . Other matters pertaining to the general business of the lodge having been disposed of , the lodge was closed with " Hearty good wishes " and according to ancient custom .

Red Cross Of Constantine.

Red Cross of Constantine .

PREMIER CONCLAVE . —The November mectng of this conclave was held on Monday last , at the Freemasons' 'Tavern . 'The Sir Knights present were Sir Knights P . M . Holden , M . P . S . ; Geo . Powell , P . S ., JCiiscbius ; T . Cubitt . P . S ., 'Treasurer ; II . C . Levander , Grand Treasurer , Recorder ; K . 11 . 'Thiellay , Senior General ; George Kenning , P . S ,, junior General ; Shirley ; ] . G . Marsh , P . S . ; II . A . Dubois , P . S . ; Holman ; T . C . Walls ,

John Mason , Thos . Kingston , P . S . ; and George Micklcy . The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed . Bro . George Micklcy , M . A ., M . B ., P . M . 449 , P . P . G . D . Herts , was installed by Sir Knight Holden , the tradiliun . il history being delivered by Sir Knight Shirley . The Sir Knights dined together , Sir Knight Kingston presiding . The routine of toasts followed , Sir Knight Holden responded upon behalf of " The Grand Officers . " " The Health of the acting P . S . " was ably given by Sir

Knight T . Cubitt , and duly acknowledged by Sir Knight Holden . "The Newly-installed Knight" having been toasted , made a brief reply in acknowledgment of the honour conferred . "The Health of the Treasurer and Recorder " was most warmly and eloquently proposed by Sir Knight Holden , and this toast having been heartily honoured , Sir Knights Cubitt and Levander duty expressed their acknowledgments . 'The proceedings shortly afterwards terminated .

London Opinion is the title of a new shilling magazine , which is said to be " a critical and literary journal for the expression of independent ihoiight upon current topics and existing abuses . " It is edited by Major W . Minto .

Sonic hitherto inedited MSS . n-l-iling to Ahclard have been discovered at the Public Library of Orleans . Onc is a copy of his " l . ogica , " formerly in the library ol Fleury , and the oilier is a Latin poem , almost contemporaneous , on the misfortunes which have made his name so famous . Hoi . unv-. VY ' s Pll . l . s . —All nur _ I- \ 'Kullies . —Almo-t : i ! l . Ksnvders of the human hoile are disliiutly lo brtr . u ' e . l Io impure blooil . 'Die iniriliratioii nf ihai llui . l is ihe first step tim .-inl .-. health , llnllmv .-iv ' s

Tills recommencl themselves 1 n the ; iUentioii of all MltVerers ; 11 ( 1 injurious consequences cm result f mm their u . a-, nn mi .-t : ir . e cm he maile in ( heir ; nhniu--tr . 'ition . In intis-vstum , ronliimeil dyspejii .-t , ami chronic constijialinn Ihe most benelirhil etlects h : ive been , ami always must he , obl . iined from the v . hol-some poW .-r exerted hy these purifyii )| X l'ills over the ili ; ie > lion . Persons whose lives have been restored lo case , slreni ; th , and perfect health by Ilolloway ' s Pills , after fruitless trial of the whole pharinacftpu-ia ot Physic , attest this fact . —[ ADIT . ]

Pianos For The Melbourne Exhibition.

PIANOS FOR THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION .

Extract from the London Figaro , Sep ! . 1 , 1 SR 0 . The chief exhibitors of British pianos nt ( be forthcoming Melbourne Exhibition -vill be ( . lie celebrated firm of Messrs . John Pu-insmead and Sons , who , by the way , at the recent Sydney Exhibition , gained the highest award and a special

mention above . such eminent ( inns as Stcinvv . iys and Chickcrings , of . America : Erard , Uord , Corbel ! , and Paling , of Paris ; Beclistein , Bliilhncr , Gcmther , Aschorberg ,. I . ipp , Schicdmayer , Kbnisch , Neumcyur , Neufeld , rand HoU ' mg , and Spangcnberg , of Germany ; and Pohlmann , Wornum , and Chappell , of England . Following up the success they have gained for our country in Sydney , Messrs . John

Brinsmcad and Sons propose to even improve their pianos , even if ( being the highest ) they cannot improve their position , for Melbourne . ' A few weeks ngo they gave a public recital at St James ' s Hall , on the pianofortes they intend to send to Melbourne . These pianos are not specially manufactured for the occasion . 'They are , indeed , taken " out of stock , " although they are doubtless among the best of

Messrs . John Brinsmcad and Sons' ordinary manufacture : such , in short , as are not expressly made for exhibitions , but as arc sold to the general public . The first piano is what is called a " full-concert grand , " and is , in , fact , the piano used for concerts . It is in an oak case , and it has various patented improvements , which \ vc shall proceed to describe with , as far as possible , an

avoidance of technicalities . 'The " check-repeater action " allows each note to be sounded as rapidly as the nimblest pianist can play it . 'The " sostencnte sounding-board " allows the whole sound board to he used instead of only a small portion of it , and it greatly improves the sustaining and other powers of lone . The " sound-sustaining pedal " allows onc or more notes , or a chord , tobesounded

for a minuteor more , the hammers and dampers being held from such notes , while the other notes can be sounded independently . Other pianos to be sent to Melbourne are a grand , suitable for drawing-room use , with the . sound sustaining pedal before described , and vvith bridges of reverberation ; a short iron grand piano , a grand oblique piano , the strings

of which are placed obliquely , and which , having gained a medal at Philadelphia , is called the "Centennial Oblique ; " an overstrung grand oblique piano with the newly-invented tone renovator , which we shall presently describe ; and an upright iron grand . All these pianos have a complete iron frame which makes the piano last a lifetime , and they all have the " sostencnte sounding board" and the patent

" check-repeater action " already described . I he special invention to be exhibited at Melbourne is , however , the patent tone compensator and renovator , by which the pianoforte , which has hitherto been at a disadvantage as compared with oilier stringed instruments , may be so modulated as to preserve a definite and equal quality of tone , which can easily be renewed at atiy lime . It should be

remarked that when , for instance , the tone of a violin deteriorates through age , or from other causes which _ have nothing lo do with the original soundness and perfection of the instrument , tbe strings have to be adjusted to a different height from the body of the instrument by means of a new bridge of greater height . A similar effect is produced by the compensating mechanism in these pianos ; the strings pass

over the top of the compensating bars and then on to the bridge of the sounding board , and a series of screws regulate the position of the bars as may be required for the purpose of securing or restoring complete unity and fulness of tone , the adjusting pressure bar so controlling tbe pressure of the strings on the bridges as to increase or diminish it at once . It would be difficult to attach too much importance

to this invention , especially as it can beapplied equally well to the overstrung oblique and the upright as also to the horizontal grand pianos . An equally valuable consideration is the fact that after many years of _ service a piano constructed on this principle can in a few minutes be restored to its original purity and power of tone . We may acid that Messrs . John Brinsmcad and Sons

have , owing lo the large increase of their business , been obliged to commence the buildingofan extra and large factory at Kentish 'Town . The new factory vvill have five floors , 140 feet long by ., 5 feet wide , divided into fifteen workshops . 'The roof vvill form a magnificent fiat for drying timber , this roof being served by a hydraulic lift capable of lifting or lowering two tons of wood .

Literary, Art, And Antiquarian Notes.

Literary , Art , and Antiquarian Notes .

Mr . R . II . Major has been compelled b y ill health to retire from his post of Keeper of the Maps in the British Museum . According to Notes and Queries another volume of Sir Sibbalir Scott ' s " 1 listory of the Army " will shortly be issued . The British Museum lias acquired some interesting old botanical drawings made by John Millar in 171 ) 3-4 for the Karl of Bute .

The Academy says that Professor Saycc has started on a tour in the Levant , which will probably include Rhodes , Cyprus , and Phoenicia . He intends likewise to visit Dr . Schliemann , who is beginning his excavations at

Orchomenos . The Aeivlemy stales that Mr . F . dmund \ V . Gosse is preparing a selection of thc ^ best English odes , from Spenser lo Swinburne , with a critical and historical preface . An authorised German translation has appeared

at Leipzig ol the first volume ol Mr . Justin M Carthy's History of England . The translator is Herr l . eopuld Katschcr . It is said that some fresh materials from the biography of the first Napoleon have been discovered by M . Paul de Remusat amongst the letters and papers of his pranclfalhcr , who was a Prefect of the place .

A new journey of exploration in the Sahara lias just been undertaken by M . Lcprovost and .-mother French traveller . One of the principal objects of their expedition is lo ascertain Hie practicality of boring artesian wells in Ihe Sahara , which would materially aid the construction of the projected Trans-Sahara Railway , as well as the future settlement of the region which would follow in its wake .

Literary, Art, And Antiquarian Notes.

At the last meeting of the Academic des Inscriptions , M . Kggcr called attention , in some eulogistic remarks , to thej paper on the "Cypher of Samuel Pepys , " read by Mr . j . E . Bailey , P . S . A ., before the . Manchester Literary Club .

Messrs . Chapman and Hall announce the intended issue of an "edition de luxe" of the works of Charles Dickens , In this edition , which will be modelled on one of the works of Thackeray issued by Messrs . Smith , Elder , and Co ., the original steel plates and wood engravings will be used , as well as a number new ones . The number of illustrations vvill exceed 700 . The price will be a sliding onc , advancing as the publishers ' stock becomes exhausted .

Ihe English Dialect Society has read y for issue the following publications for the current year : — "A . Glossary of Words in Use in Cornwall ; " the portion relating to West Cornwall is by Miss M . A . Courtney , whilst East Cornwall has been done by Mr . Thomas O . Couch . ; "Glossary of Words and Phrases in Use Tn Antrim and Down , " by W . Hugh Patterson , M . R . I . A .

• ' An Early English Hymn of the Fifteenth Century , " with a Phonetic copy soon after ; this has been edited bv F . ] . Furnival , M . A ., and Mr . A . J . Ellis , F . R . S . ; " "Old Country and ['" arming Words , " gleaned from agricultural books , by Mr . James Britten , F . L . S . The first publication

of the Society for next year is nearly ready . It is "The Dialect of Leicestershire , " by Sebastian Evans , I . L . D ., and contains particulars as . to pronunciation , grammar , literature , place names , Domesday measurement , a list of local names , a glossary , and a collection of proverbial sayings and rhymes .

ART IX INDIA . — -The thirteenth annual exhibition of pictures and water-colour drawings has just been opened at Simla by the Viceroy , Lord Ripon , who is the patron of the Society . There are about two hundred and fifty works exhibited , several of them of great merit . The number of pictures is less than last year , owing , as was

explained by his Excellency , to many of their exhibitors being on active service in Afghanistan . Several prizes were awarded , amongst others to Dr . Willcocks , Major Pullan , Lieut . Oswald Radford , Captain Strahan , and Major Strutt . Lieut . Radford's sketches have occasionally appeared in The Graphic .

According lo the Academy , Mr . Tennyson ' s new volume of " Ballads and other Poems , " already referred to , will contain : — " The First Quarrel , " "Ri / . pah , " "The Northern Cobbler , " "Ihe Revenge : a Ballad of the Fleet , " " 'The Sisters , " "The Village Wife , or the Entail , " " In the Children ' s Hospital , " "Dedicatory Poem to the Princess Alice , " "The Defence of Lucknovv , " "Sir John

OUlcnstle , Lord Cobham , " Columbus , "The Voyage of Maeldune , " " De Profundis : The Two Greetings , and the Human Cry ; " the Prefatory Sonnet to the Nineteenth Century , and Sonnets to the Rev . W . II . Brookfield and Victor lingo and on Montenegro ; "'The Battle of Brunanburh , " "Achilles over the Trench , " "To the Princess Frederica of Hanover on her Marriage , " "Sir John Franklin , " and "To Dante . "

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

Bro . C . F . Barnaul , S . W ., was installed W . M . of the St . Leonard Lodge , No . ijGCi , at the'Town Hall , Shoreditch , on Wednesday last . The proceedings , which were eminently successful , will be fully reported in our next . NATIONAL GALLERY . —Until further notice the

public will be admitted to the National Gallery after twelve o ' clock on students' days ( 'Thursdays and Fridays ) by payment of an entrance fee of sixpence . Bro . Kuhe ' s scricsof concerts , which have formed so important a feature of the Brighton musical season , was brought to a termination at the Dome on Monday last , every part of the spacious building being- densely thronged .

H . R . H . the Prince of Wales telegraphed on Monday from Sandringham to Mrs . Mark Firth , expressing the sorrow with which the Princess and himself had beard of the death of her husband , and their synpathy vvith Mrs . Firth and her family . Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Beatrice left Windsor Castle on Monday morning on a visit to Prince

Leopold , P . G . W ., at Ctaremunt House , Esher , returning to Windsor in the evening . Bro . Alderman Hanson entertained the members of the Committee who promoted his election as Alderman at the Albion 'Tavern , on Wednesday week . Slig ht shocks of earthquake were felt on Sunday evening in Scotland—at Invcrary and Callander—and in the

North of Ireland . 'The Directors of the Crystal Palace Company admit to the Palace . soldiers in uniform on shilling days at sixpence each . The forty-ninth season of the Sacred Harmonic Society is announced to commence at St . James's Hall on the lid inst ., under the conductorship of Bro . Sir Michael

Costa . Bro . C . E . Willing , P . G . O ., presides at the organ . Bro . J . R . Foulger presided on Wednesday week at the annual dinner of the City Police Cricket Club , held at Champion ' s Hotel , Aldcrsgatc-strcet . About sixty sat down . Bro . H . F . Griflin , Master of the Fan Makers ' Company , presided at the annual dinner at the Guildhall

'Tavern on Friday last , the _( 3 th ult . Bro . Alderman S . C . Hatllcy presides at a lecture on "'The New Jerusalem , " to be delivered by Mr . 'Thomas Hughes , Q . C ., this ( Saturday ) afternoon , at the Working Men's College , Great Ormond-street . During the past v- " -- 'u' the sum of £ 73 10 s . was

given to the Masonic Charities by the Emulation Lodge of improvement . Bro . George Lambert , 32 , p resided on Monday last at the thirteenth annual dinner in aid of the Goldsmiths' and Jewellers' Annuity and Asylum Institution , at the Guildhall Tavern , Grcsliam-street .