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T R . Lee , handed in £ 132 65 . Last yeir the contributions to the three Institutions amounted to £ 577 ios . ; in 1885 . £ & 95 2 S - ' ^ in 1 S 84 to X 646 6 s ., so that there is ev-ry reason to anticipite that when the Boys ' School Festival is ovenhe Stafftfrdshire totil lor 18 S 7 will compare favourably with that of the three preceding years . Four of the 21 lodges in

SUFFOLK sent up Stewards on Wednesday , the aggregate of their lists reaching the comfortable sum 01 £ 219 9 s ., which , following as it does on the splendid total of £ 418 19 s . raised by three Stewards in February , shows there must be sterling brethren in this part of the country . Not that we have ever permitted ourselves to question this point . We have always found Suffolk well to

the front on these occasions , the latest evidences being a series of contributions in 1884 , 1885 , and 1886 , amounting to £ 1871 and a fraction , of which this Institution obtained £ 674 17 s . 6 d . ; the Benevolent , £ 774 6 s . 6 d . ; and the Boys' School , £ 422 is . When a Province works in this fashion , it must , as we have said , have men of sterling worth on its roll of members . The Province of

SURREY , with its 32 lodges , sent up a pretty strong contingent of eight Stewards , of whom seven acted for as many lodges and one for a chapter , the sum of their lists being ^ , ' 269 is . 6 d . Considering how energetically it worked last year , we might well have excused the Province had it elected to rest awhile . It is no easy matter to raise £ 1829 in a single year , yet this is what

Surrey did in 1886 , General Brownrigg , when he presided at the Festival of this Institution , obtaining support to the extent of £ 1345 and upwards . But , notwithstanding these efforts , it went to work with renewed vigour in February , when it raised over £ 370 for the Old People , and it has now followed this up with the very serviceable total already mentioned , the contributions so far during the current year being - £ 639 13 s . Well done , Surrey \

SUSSEX ( 26 lodges ) was represented by a brace of Stewards at the Festival in February , and showed to great advantage at the Boys' Festival at Brighton last year , when the total of its contributions reached £ 420 . Its greatest achievement , however , was at the Festival of

this Institution in 1885 , when the late lamented Bro . Sir W . VV . Burrell , Bart ., occupied the President ' s chair , and the Province supported him to the extent of ^ 1850 . On Wednesday , Bro . G . Ford , D . P . G . M ., took upon himself to act for the Province , and handed in a list of £ 31 ios . We have more than once expressed our belief that

WARWICKSHIRE , which has a roll of 31 lodges , might occasionally shovv to greater advantage , but there is no doubt that its Athol Lodge , No . 74 , Birmingham , is a regular and resolute Supporter of our Charities . On Wednesday , a band of 13 Stewards from this lodge manfully compiled a list of £ 136 ios . A somewhat similar thing happened at the Boys' Festival in June last , when 18 members

of the same Athol Lodge made up a joint list of £ 231 , two other lodges in the Province supplementing this with a further £ 52 ios . At the Benevolent Festival in 1884 the lodije had seven Stewards , whose lists amounted to ^ 78 15 s ., and at the Boys' Festival in 1883 there were again seven Athols , whose total amounted to £ 63 . Of course , there have been contributions from other lodges at these and other intermediate Festivals ; but we may in

reason commend the example set by this particular lodge , greatly at the instigation of our worthy Bro . James Moffat , to the remaining 30 lodges in the Province . We are confident that if a majority of the latter will only go and do likewise from time to time , the position of Warwickshire will be greatly strengthened . Adjoining

W O RCE STE RSHI RE , with its twelve lodges , has done very well , its five Stewards making up amongst them £ 212 5 s . Of this sum , the two Worcester lodges are responsible for £ 134 lis ., Bro . A . B . Rowe ' s list for No . 280 beine £ 80 , and Bro . Alderman Williamson ' s , for No . 529 , £ 54 us . Bro . James Turner , for the Harmonic Lodge , No . 252 , Dudley , figures with £ 56 4 s . to his credit , and Bro . A . F . Godson , M . P ., unattached , and Comp . Consterdine

Chadwick , of Chapter No . 377 , complete the quintette with their personal donations of ten guineas each . In February Bro . Godson did duty for the Province , and handed in his thirty guineas as unattached Steward , while for the years 1884-5-6 the contributions reached £ 1236 17 s ., giving an average per year of over ^ 412 . Here , too , it is evident there are some willing and regular workers . A Hull lodge—the De la Pole , No . 1605—did duty for

NORTH AND EAST YORKSHIRE on Wednesday , and very well did Bro . Ansdell , who acted as its representative , play the part he undertook , his list amounting to £ gi 7 s ., or not far short of the Returns compiled by three Stewards in February last . However , during the last four years the Province has raised , on an average ,

£ 545 per annum , and , therefore , it only needs a substantial effort next month for it to maintain its position . As there are 29 lodges on the roll , this ought not to involve a serious amount of difficulty , nor have we any misgiving as to the heavy requirements of our Institutions being lost sight of during the coming Jubilee festivities at York in July . Knowing , as we do , that the Province of

WEST YORKSHIRE sent up 33 Stewards , with a total of £ 750 , at the Benevolent Festival in February , and that it is now engaged in raising ^ 2100 to purchase two Perpetual presentations to the Widows' Fund of that Charity as a memorial ™ Queen Victoria ' s Jubilee , we are not surprised that its contingent of stewards should have been less numerous on Wednesday , and that the total

they were able to compile should have reached the comparatively modest fi gure of ^ 350 . We are aware it will be represented at the Boys' Festival n pt month , and that its then contribution will amount to some few hundreds oi Pounds . But it is clear that if it stands committed to raise an exceplionjj " y large sum for one of the three Charities , the other two cannot look to "fi favoured to the same extent as in ordinary years . The great feature about

this Province is that it gives largely and regularly , and that any fall-! ng off from the average there may be in the case of one of the Institutions | " > e year is invariably counterbalanced , and probably more than counter-Y . anced , the year following by a contribution in excess of the average . One Y" & is tolerably certain—namely , that West Yorkshire , before the year °° 7 has run its course , will have raised some £ 3600 , and this will be quite « ' 5 oo ahead of its average of the last 12 years , With Returns such as « e , we need not concern ourselves about the minor details .

Cataloge Of Masonic Books And Mss. (Iii)

CATALOGE OF MASONIC BOOKS AND MSS . ( III )

In concluding our notice of the English works in this rem irk . ible collection , we shall have less to say than originally contemplated , as sevjril have been written for lately , and thus considerably lessened the number of " specials . "

One of the best of Dr . Oliver's works is No . 245 , in the two editions of 1856 and 1864 , and especially so because this " Book of the Lodge" relates to the building of the Masonic Halls according to the known requirements of the Fraternity . The transcript of the York MS ., No . 5 , of 16 70 , circa , is of interest , because certified by the late Bro . William Cowling , so long Treasurer of

the " York " Lodge , to whom Bros . Findel and Hughan were so much indebted for many valued kindnesses . In this connection the " Eariy History and Antiquities of Freemasonry" ( No . 264 ) , by Bro . G . F . Fort , shoald be mentioned . Bro . Fort is an American , but has travelled much in Europe , and fitted himself , by study and various pilgrimages to the Masonic shrines , for the task of writing a history of the Craft from a purely archaeological

stand-point . Of course , his work is not exhaustive and comprehensive as Bro . Gould ' s , but on the other hand it is a most attractive book , and is one of our Masonic standards . The author revels in the York legends and MSS ., and , indeed , has made what wouldbe considered a dry study usually , a most interesting and readable volume . The "Early History and Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , 1730 to 1809 , " published in

1877 , by Bro - * - " E . Meyer , as the Chairman ot the Library Committee ( No . 253 a ) , makes a grand volume typographically and Masonically , the whole of the celebrated " Libre B ., " of 1730 , & c , being reproduced , having the accounts of an old lodge from 1731 . Many of the portraits are exceedingly good , and the reprints are faitnfully rendered . The facsimiles are of

great interest , and for usefulness in relation to the early history of American Freemasonry , no other book can equal it , so far , in value and importance . There are also other books relating to the Cralt in America , such as 270-1-4 and 276 . Lodge Histories by Bro . McCalla , & c . Also proceedings of American Grand Lodges , the value and interest of which few know and appreciate as they deserve to be , in this country .

In Constitutions , there are English editions of 1853 , 186 7 , and 18 73 , the first of which is not an every-day sight in catalogues , and there is also Vol . 1 of Bro . Kenning ' s Archaeological Library , which contains a complete reproduction of the premier Book of Constitutions of 1723 , for lewer shillings than the original can be had in pounds , and the noted Wilson MS . of tne " Old Charges " of the seventeenth century is in same volume .

The first six volumes of the --Freemasons' Magazine" 185910 1 S 62 ( quarto ) is a most desirable set , particularly ior a lodge library , and so also is that " sporting lot" No . 28 9 , ot various Grand Bodies , bound in 19 vols ., and the " Miscellaneous Pamphlets on Freemasonry and other subjects in 11 vols ., these being offered tor the cost of binding or even less . Ol Sermons and Lodge Histories there are a few , the latter being printed

privately as a rule , causing such pamphlets to be scarce and valuable . Of this class we should mention the History of the "' Anchor and Hope " Lodge , No . 37 , Bolton , from 1732 10 18 S 2 , by Bros . Brockbank and Newton , and the History ot the " Lodge ot Tranquility , " No . 185 , by Bro . J . Constable , with introduction by Bro . VV . j . Hugnan . The History of " Cheshunt Great House , " the home ol the " Gresham Lodge , " No . 869 , by Bro . F . D . R . Copestick , is a handsome small quano volume , andthesi-eionby

that well-known brother has but to be read to be appreciated ; another " sketch " in the collection being by the veteran Bro . Binckes , on the History and Persecution of the Knights Templars . Those who are afraid to tackle the large volume by Addison , will find this brochure an acceptable guide tor the main details of the History of that great Order , and the terrible persecutions through which so many of its distinguished members had to pass .

The "Pocket Companion" of 1764 , with the list of lodges ( No . 345 ) and the " Origin and Early History ot Freemasonry , by Steinbrenner , are well known works , and require no praise or recommendation to English Freemasons .

The six engravings by Bro . P . Lambert de Lintot , R . A ., of the years 1787-9 , bound in cloth , are treasures , and make a handsome set ot these scarce and very valuable productions . The first was dedicated to the M . W . G . M . of that period ( H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland ) and another was intended to compliment the Chevalier Ruspini , founder of tne present Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . They relate to the Craft and " Hautes

Grades , " and considering their age , are in a capital condition . We need not refer to Bro . Gould ' s * ' Atholl Lodges , " as the utility and accuracy of that work has been demonstrated ' -time after time . " Finally the copy of " Hutchinson ' s spirit ot Masonry , " original edition of 1775 . makes a good number for us to close our references to this collection . Tnose ot Foreign publication will be referred to in due course , many ot which will be found to be of the utmost rarity and value , and of exceptional interest .

MYSTERIES OF HINDOSTAN . —Much has been written about them , and a good deal more advanced on a very slender foundation , as it seems to us , and based rather on an active imagination than absolute fact . It is sufficient to say that the mysteries of Hindostan were very ancient , though what they were is by no means clear . Whether they are anterior or subsequent to , or synchronous with , the Egyptian mysteries , is also a matter of much doubt ,

and is a point which we fear can never be satisfactorily settled . There seems good evidence to warrant the belief that the Brahmins , or Brahmans , have a form of " secreta receptio" somewhat akin to Freemasonry ; and there is a society , of curious name , which professes 10 preserve a portion , at any rate , of the old Brahminical mysteries . Some have said that the Hindoo gods , Brahma , Vishnu , and Siva , forming a triad , were represented

as presiding over the mysteries , which wete celebrated , it is averred , m tne famous Cave of Elephanta , and also that ot Salsette ; and no doubt there has always been a statement , correct or incorrect we know not , that Archdeacon Robinson was acknowledged in his capacity as a Royal Arch Masor * by the chief priests of a Hindoo temple . But the chief difficulty in ail such

matters and inquiries is , to separate the colouring of ardent imagination from what is positively true and historically correct . If the . accounts of some writers be correct , the Hindoo mysteries were very much like the alleged descriptions of Egyptian and Greek mysteries ,, altnough , as we have before pointed out , much has been written about the mysteries which is clearly more figurative than real . —Kenning ' s Cyclopaedia of Freemasonry