Original Correspondence.

This being the case , I must , speaking for myself , protest against the practice indulged in by so many Lodge Chap lains ( who are generally clergymen of the Church of England ) of introducing forms of grace at our banquets , and theological allusions in their lectures , which it appears to me are totally at variance with the broad Theistic platform erected by our forefathers for the Craft we love so

well . 1 could give chapter and verse , but 1 doubt not that many of my brethren will , without further remarks on my part , ' recognise the necessity for , and the reasonableness of , my complaint . I remain , dear Sir and Brother , fraternally yours , February 4 th , 1 SS 2 . J . D . 472 .

BEGGING MASONS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I had an application for relief yesterday evening from James D . Baird , who stated that his certilicate had recently been sent to London to help his wife in obtaining

some assistance ; that he had been formerly a member of a London lodge ( I think he said No . 511 ) , and lately of No . 141 S , Stockton-on-Tees ; that he had come from Northampton , where he had received assistance from the D . P . G . M . of Northants , and was now on his way to Bedford .

I appointed to see him this morning at ten o clock , and informed him that I should telegraph to the Secretary of No . 141 S in the meantime . 1 am not surprised that 1 have not seen him again . The reply to my telegram was : "J . D . Baird is not known here , and is no member of Lodgeof Fraternity . "

This plan of making enquiries before giving relief appears to have caused a wonderful decrease in the number of applicants here . I strongly recommend all my brother Almoners to give it a trial , as I believe it to be the only effectual way of detecting impostors . Yours fraternally ,

THOS . TAYLOR , P . M . 1410 , Provincial G . S . W . Berks and Bucks . February . | th . P . S . —Since writing the above I have had another applicant , professing to belong to No . 444 . His time was too precious to wait a reply to a telegram ,

OUR HISTORICAL CALENDAR . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — It seems to mc the Calendar you arc now publishing each month in the Fieemason , giving the dates of many things which have happened in the Masonic world , is very

useful . Besides being a record of events , it might be found useful by Masters of lodges and others who have to make speeches . If they would look what happened on the particular day on which they have to speak , they would lind very often the ground-work of a speech , and be able to make it more interesting than such things often arc . I intend cutting out the Calendar each month and

preserving it . I will only add , in conclusion , that the Freemason being the recognised organ of the Craft ought to be read by every Mason who takes a real interest in Masonry . Every profession and trade has its popular publication read by every one , so ought Freemasons to read the Freemason . Yours fraternally , A YOUNG AND EARNEST MASON .

THE "COSMO . " ' To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 note in the " Cosmo" that the monthly meeting of the Managing Committee of the Royal Masonic

Benevolent Institution is fixed at three o ' clock in the afternoon , whereas the official summons signed by ( Bro . Jas . Terry calls the members together at four . It seems well to note this little discrepancy , fraternally yours , A MEMBER OF THE R . M . B . I .

Reviews.

Reviews .

THE MAGAZINES . Ihe Magazines came before us this month , though to say the truth , we do not quite take the roseate and serene views of serial literature which some enthusiastic writers ajicct to do . Just now it appears to us we do too much abound in gush and above all unreality . Formerly reviews may have seemed tco harsh , and reviewers too nunecnt .

uut wc are not quite certain but such a state of things was good for writers and trade . Just now the reviewers of serial literature seem to us to run always into the Scylla and * -narybdis of contemporary criticism , platitudes , and Personality ; and wc read far too much of that meaningless Praise , or hard incriminating censure , which in both cases , com . es "cither praise or censure worth heeding , or " ^ serving of note or remembrance . in " ' ' ? P Bar" we turn over monthly with mingled feelings of pleasure and pain . We think , ourselves , that it has

"ccomc a little duller than of yore , and despite friendly th p t and aiIm '" f ? paragraphs , wc do not think that ne 1 ' cbruary number rises much , if anything , above the r « 1 n Somc of thc ar ' cs are , however , most sri -li and trll , y interesting . Among them we may specially note and mention the authoress of " Auld Robin Yhul' " , Potcmkin , " "Three Great Dictionaries , " "Marie , R « . Queen - " The three stories , " A Ball Room Fr ? C" anCe ' " Thc Stor > ' of Maric Dumont , " and " The " « , are all , more or less interesting , and , as usual ,

Reviews.

well written . What they want , _ it seems to us , is alike reality of character and practicality of moral . But , then , we are terribly old-fashioned . "All the Year Round . " This is , a wonderful serial for nine pence . It is always full of interesting matter and effective tales , and we like the tone and " morale . At thc same time we do not profess to have ever <* ot into the

involutions and digressions which mark the story of "Jack Doyle ' s Daughter . " We like , however , "Lad ' s Love , " " Open Sesame , " " Shepherd ' s Sunday , " " A Notice B Meeting , " and " Daffodil " very much . "Daffodil , " which now begins with Chapter 1 , promises to be full of interest , and , we think , power . " The Century" keeps its foremost place , alike in

literature and illustrations , that is to say , " scion nous . " Wc are too much citizens of the world to cpiarrcl with any one ' s fancies , or proclivities , or approvals , or disapproval ; and though we do not go so far as George Borrow , in quoting approvingly the Spanish proverb which bids you be " of the same religion and politics as the man with whom you happen to dine , " we yet have long realised how

true is the 1 ' rench adage" tous Ies gouts sont respectables , and , as good Freemasons , we arc tolerant and enduring . " The Tile Club Ashore" is full of intellectual and . esthetic power , and deserves attentive perusal , and call for much enjoyment . Wc can commend the article on "Frederick Robertson" and "Stolz's Beat . " "Esmeralda " is a little bit too mininir for us , though its moral

be good and its characters be true . " Euphcmia among the Pelicans " is simply delightful ; and who has forgotten " Rudder Grange ? " Does not the Irish echo answer , " No one who has had the pleasure of reading it in ' Scribncr's ' happy pages ! " "A Literary Success , " in " Bric-a-Brac , " is very good ; and somc of our experienced lawn tennis players will like to see the American idea , though we may fancy

that our go-a-head cousins have yet to learn a wrinkle or two from the old , old country . We think that it does not comport with American gallantry to have forgotten the ladies ; and we beg to say , in the clearest and most dogmatic way possible for a reviewer and a F ' reemason , that we greatly prefer , " sous tous Ies rapports , " the " pose " of the young

ladies , —the angels in pini < and tlie angels in blue , —to any possible amount of male tennis playing . "The Bibliographer , " No . , •„ is very well got up , and is full of matter which interests those whose taste lies in old books . We cannot , however , commend thc tone or temper in which the article "Thc Bishop ' s Bible" is written . In such a serial , and in such a professedly aichicolocrical essay

we do not want to be confronted with the dead and buried ghosts of obsolete controversies and partizan terminology . We want facts not theories ; we ask , especially in "The Bibliographer , " for the hard , stem certainties of archaeological research , not thc animus and thc vernacular of the " odium theologicum . "

"The Antiquary , " No . j ( i , vol . v ., is , as usual , replete with matter which gratilies amiable " Dryasdusts , " and cheers up desponding bookworms . Wc can conscientiously commend thc work , as it conies before uson its own merits , which , we think , entitle it to public approval and public patronage .

PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS IN RUSSIA . Spottiswoode and Co ., New Street-square , London . This pamphlet , reprinted from the Times , must affect all thinking persons and humane minds with much pain and sorrow at the too lucid , and , wc fear , irrefragable evidences it sets before us of almost unheard of cruelties and barbaric outrages directed towards an industrious and inoffensive

population , and only because they are — Jews . Wc who , as Freemasons , solemnly profess ever manfully to denounce the debasing practice of persecution under all circumstances and in all lands , will , and indeed nil benevolent persons , a wc before remarked , must regret to think , that we have still to realize , in 1 SS 2 this fanatical outburst of savage fury , of atrocious insults , outrages , sufferings oltcn tnan ueatn iisen 10 oi actual

worse , say notning anu wilful destruction of property and life . The savages in Ireland and thc savages in Russia seem very much on a par just now ; and we can , and must , all of us grieve to believe and to know that nothing seems to change the natural degradation and baseness of humanity when roused by thc hateful linlluencc of unceasing fanaticism , to throw off ,

amid the exultation and excitement of loathsome cruelties , thc temporary veneer of sanctimonious theories . The dastardly cruelties to dumb , helpless beasts in Ireland , thc painful and despicable persecution of poor Jews in Russia , will long remain on the pages of our memory as two of the saddest chapters in thc annal of contemporary civilization , ( Heaven save the mark ! ) and progress .

KNOWLEDGE . Wyman and Sons , Great Oucenstrect , W . C . 11 Knowledge , " though a weekly periodical , has also a monthly issue , and terms itself " An Illustrated Magazine sf Science . " Wc liked it much when it first appeared , we arc still move pleased with its remarkable progress , and glad to note , indeed , that its scientific character does not

prevent it being clearly understood by its now many friends . " He who runs" may truly * 'read . " We continue to think that it supplies a great desideratum in our contemporary literature , inasmuch as , without being pretentious , it is learned , sound , temperate , and lucid . It may not please the sciolist—it may not recommend itself to that large" class now which has a smattering of many things , but knows

nothing thoroughly correctly , —but for all true students , wherever thei r vocation be , and whatever their favourite subject may be , it sets before them in well-chosen and suflicient words the data , the facts , the evidences , the reasoning power on which , if they be true loyal students , not mere amateurs playing with science , they will be able to rear a safe and steady building of thought , of inference , of induction ; nay , of positive accuracy .

REPORT ON THE CITY DAY CENSUS , 1 SS 1 . By the Local Government and Taxation Committee of the Corporation of London . Second Edition . Lond on Longmans , Green and Co ., 1 SS 1 . Most people will agree with the remark of Dr . Farr .

placed as a motto on the title-page of this report , to the effect that , in considering the relative importance of the City of London , it js fair to take into account the fact that persons haying offices in the City sleep out of it . This is not taken into account in the Census , and , consequently , thc mere figures contained in that return cannot be taken as the true index to the actual importance of thc City

Reviews.

proper . We will even venture further than Dr . Farr , and say , that the figures contained in the Census returns , so far as they affect the City of London in comparison with other cities and towns in thc United Kingdom , ate calculated to produce an impression thc reverse of thc truth . This is clearl y enough shown in the report before us . The night population of the City as taken on the Srd and 4 th April ot last year was in round figures 50 . 000 , being a

decrease since 1 S 71 of nearly 25 , 000 . On thc other hand , the Day Census shows the number of persons " residing , occupied , or employed , " were over 261 , 000 , or close upon 91 , 000 more than in 1 S 6 O . Over 797 , 000 persons frequent the City in the course of the twenty-four hours which make up day and night , being an increase since iS 6 fi of more than 6 S , ooo . Nearly 72 , 000 vehicles enter it in the course of thc twenty-four hours . Its net rateable value is over

jb 3 > 5 oo , ooo , or sevenfold what it was in 1 S 01 , while in order to show its liscal position , its net profits charged to Income Tax , under the Commercial Schedule D in 1 S 79-S 0 , amounted to £ 39 , 263 , 424 , or more than the total so charged for thc next seventeen "largest" incorporated cities and towns of England and Wales taken together . Further , and taking tlie same ground of comparison , the total profits charged to Income Tax , under Schedule D , for the City and the eight Parliamentary

divisions of the metropolis , namely , Marylebone , Westminster , Finsbury , Southwark , Lambeth , Tower Hamlets , Chelsea , and Hackney , amount to , £ Si , oSS , 3 <> s , of which the aforesaid £ 39 , 263 , 424 belong to the City alone . His unnecessary , however , to pursue the comparison and quote further details . Those who arc curious in statistics of this description will find abundant matter for study and reflection in this interesting and important report , than which , indeed , it is hardly possible , having regard of course to the limited area it traverses , to conceive one that is more valuable .

LECTURE ON FIRE INSURANCE . Explanatory of the Principles on which the Perpetual and General Fire Insurance Company , Limited , has been founded . By Bro . E . C . MASSEY . Published by Winter and Bailey , 24 , Chancery-lane , E . C . It is a mere truism to say that thc subject of fire insurance is one of universal interest . Wherever men congregate together , whether in larsre numbers , as thev do in

cities and towns , or in small numbers , as in hamlets or houses standing alone and far removed from each other , there is ever present to them the danger to life and property from fire . The utmost precautions may be taken to guard against this danger , but it is , of course , impossible to insure absolute immunity , and it has now come to be recognised almost as a duty that is imperative to effect an insurance against the loss

to property by conflagration . Hitherto this has been done by the payment to one or more insurance societies of an annual sum called a premium , but this " Perpetual and General Fire Insurance Company " ( Limited ) , of which our worthy Bro . E . C . Massey is the General Manager and Secretary , has been established with a view , as its name implies , to effecting at once and for ever such insurance . This is a new and undoubtedly an important feature ,

and one that cannot be too strenuously urged in connection with fire insurance . The manner in which it is effected is simplicity itself . A policy contract , " applicable to the buildings and contents of approved dwellinghouses" is issued to each applicant on payment of half-acrown on deposit , and £ \ 2 s . 0 d . on allotment if approved . This policy contract is then exchanged for a perpetual policy of insurance ^ against damage or destruction by lire to the extent of i ' loo . In other words , by a single

payment of twenty-five shillings , the owner of £ . 100 worth of property in a private dwelling-house is insured against loss through cither its partial or complete destruction by fire . It docs not need thc wisdom of a Solon to point out the advantages of such a scheme , and wc are confident our readers will join with us in wishing the company which has inaugurated it , and its worth y Secretary and . "Manager , Bro . E . C . Massey , who in this lecture has so lucidly explained the plan , all possible success .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

A MS . RITUAL . Can any possessor of thc above lend it to the undersigned for a special comparison and collation ? Great care will be taken of it . EDITOR " FREEMASON . " iC , Great Ouccn-strect , W . C , February 4 , 1 SS 2 .

FREEMASON . What is the name of thc earliest dictionary in which thc word Freemason is found ? Nicolai , according to lleldmann , says that in Elisha Coles ' s Latin and English Dictionary , 16 77 , he finds Freemason as derived through Ciemcntaiitis and Lapidarius . MASONIC STUDENT .

THE THINKER UPON FREEMASONRY , ecc . Can Bro . Hughan or any one ' give an account of this work credited to London , 1752 ? I have searched for it in vain . Equallylhavc I hunted for " Printof a Freemason , " formed out of his own materials , London , Tringham , 1754 , though 1 fancy I have ; scen somewhere an allusion to it . How greatly do we want an English Bibliography of Freemasonry . BOOKWORM .

ANCIENT MASONIC MEDAL . I have just added to my collection of Masonic medals a silver one , described to me as of thc time of George II . The following description of it , as given at page 29 of " Marvin's Medals of thc Masonic Fraternity , " may not be uninteresting : "Obverse—Arms of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; azure , a chevron between three castles

argent ( the compasses are omitted ); crest , a castle argent . A collar of thistles and thistle leaves encircles the shield , passing behind the crest ; from the collar is suspended a jewel containing St . Andrew and his cross . Legend , ' In thc Lord is all our trust . ' Reverse—A mosaic pavement , over which two brethren are approaching ; a temple in the

back-ground , in front of which stand two pillars . Above the temple , on theleft , is the sun ; on the right the moon and seven stars ; and over the centre the All-seeing eye , darting its rays upon the taller of the two brethren , who holds his companion by thc hand , and with his right hand points to a female figure , seated on the right . At her feet is a