The Romance Of History.

THE ROMANCE OF HISTORY .

There are many remarkable romances ir . history which , though they appeal to our belief and acceptance as venerable " Sagas " of the past , yet we are unable to substantiate them by the accurate enquiries of this critical age . Without going so far as Sir Robert Walpole , and dubbing all history mendacious , we can , we think , afford to reconsider

calmly to-day , ( in the admirable temper , for instance , of the late lamented Sir George Cornwall Lewis , ) some of the cherished traditions of ages , some well-known assertions of bygone days , some of the legends of the bards , and the averments of the chroniclers which delighted us when we were young , liave accompanied us in maturtr years , and to which we still cling when we are old and weary with the

race . For instance , here is a question which just now interests us all as patriots and Freemasons , " was Joan of Arc really burned at Rouen r" Monsignor Dupanloup , the able opponent of our order , has very skilfully put forward the " patriot and martyred virgin , " as a set-off against the Sceptic and Freemason Voltaire ! Well , abstractedly it is a good " set-off , " if we take into

consideration the " essential condition and the " eternal fitness of things" and we do not profess to be at all concerned in this resuscitation of Voltairean memory , neither are we at all prepared to express any approval of his slight connection with French Freemasonry . We cannot think , we are sorry- if we displease any , that the name of Voltaire brings any credit to Freemasonry . For in our Order we do not pro ' ess to admire or to admit

sarcastic scoffers or noisy sceptics . We ask—we demand from all our acolytes , on the contrary , a reverent and seasonable belief in T . G . A . O . T . U . and , making every allowance for the inevitable process of " reaction" on the mind of Voltaire and many more , arising out of Ultramontane destructiveness , we cannot admire the tone and temper of his writings , but are rather always reminded in them of the well-known line .

" And fools rush in where angels fear to tread . " But when Monsignor Dupanloup thus opposes Voltaire 'he " unbelieving and unpatriotic , " as he asserts , to the 'Martyred Virgin , " criticism comes in with its sterner query at once . Is the fact , qua a fact , a fact at all ? Is t positively true ? Is it historically proveable ? Was Joan of Arc really burnt ? As patriotic Englishmen and

Freemasons we sh-ill rejoice if this stain on our national history , ( for stain it is if true ) , could be removed ; and we are toe practical and too religious , even , to waste our time amenting- over unreal occurrences and erroneous legends . If the juificial murder of Joan of Arc be a national or denominational myth , let it at once be given up by all who value historical truth and critical ccrtaintv , not even

exceptng the Bishop of Orleans , and let us surrender , if , perhaps , with a sigh , another pleasant but unverifiable " Romance of History . " Mr . E . A . Viles , in the Times of Thursday last states that the Abbe ? Lenglet , in his" Histoirede Jeanne d'Arc , " 175 , 3 , says that La Pucelle made her app-. arance atMetz sometime . after her supposed execution , whcie she was received with due

honours , " was acknowledged by her two brothers , Jean and Pierre d'Arc , and was married to a gentleman of the house of Armoise , in 14 . 36 . At their solicitation her sentence was annulled in 1456 . But the truth is that so early as 1683 , a letter appeared in the French " Mercure Galant , " in the month of November , adresstd ' to Monsieur de Grammont , which stateil

that Joan of Arc , the " Pucelle d' Orleans , " did not suffer death at Rouen on the 30 th May , 1431 , but having escaped , married in 1436 a Sieur d' Armoises or Robert des Hermoises , and had a family . This was stated on the authority of a MS ., afterwards printed , called the " Chronicle of Mctz , " composed by the Curate de St . Thiebault , of that city and coming down to 1445 .

Father Calmet inserted it in his history of Lorraine , and it has always been looked upon as authentic and genuine . How then to explain this historical problem . Is it really a true n ^ rative , or a taking romance ? ft is undoubted that in re than one impostor personated Joan of Arc , one of whom was recognized by the King . The King , too , whose intimacy with Joan before she

fell into the hands of the English was well known , is stated to have recognised her , as her brothers had done , and received her with these words : —Pucelle , m ' amie , soyez latresbien revenus au 110 m de Dieu I" She is then said to have knelt at his Majesty ' s feet and communicated to him the artifice by which she had escaped . But as this staryis also told of an impostor we cannot

lay much stress upon it . It is asserted that the English allowed Joan of Arc to escape and substituted a female criminal for her . Certain it is , that in the Register of Orleans , payment is made between 1435 and M 3 6 to a certain " Renaud Brune , " on the 25 th of July , for letters from " Johan la Pucelle . " A contract for sale in 1436 is said by Father Vignier ,

of the Oratory , who wrote the letter above mentioned in 1683 , to have been read by him , as of the first part , by Robert de Hermoises , Lord of Trichemont , and Jeanne du Lis , La Pucelle de France . There are also in the register of Orleans , various presents and refreshments on the 28 th , 29 th , and 30 th July , 1430 , to "Dame Jehanne des Armoises , " and on the 1 st

August , 1435 , after "deliberation made by thc Council of the City , and for the services rendered by her to thc said city during the siege , " a present is given to Jehanne de Armoiscn of 210 livrcs . Curiously enough , on thc eve of the "Fete Dieu , "

1439 , P ounds of wax arc paid for for the " obsequies of the defunct Jehanne la Pucelle , " but no similar account is found in 1440 . This was previous to the re-entry in Orleans of Jehanne d'Armoises . In 1443 , Charles , Duke , of Orleans , in a deed to Peter du Lis , brother of La Pucelle talks of her " absence , " not of her "death . "

The Romance Of History.

Then on the other hand , there are many works professing to give the account of her accusation , trial , and death , and there are no less than twelve MSS . in the Royal Library at Paris , which record these facts . There are also eight MSS . giving an account of her absolution by papal authority ; there are also nine MSS . giving her general history .

It may be noted that the Abbe Lenglet Dufrenois' work mentioned by Mr . Viles was founded really on a MS . history of " Edmond Richer , a Doctor of the Sorbonne , Paris . " There are several printed prose and poetical histories of Joan of Arc . The earliest in MS . seems to be of dite 1432 ,

the earliest prose about 155 . 3 . Artezin , who was Secretary to the Duke of Orleans , has left a poem in MS ., written about 1435 ; giving a full account of Jeanne , but he merely says 'G od at length perceiving th it France could maintain herself , deprived the kin ^ dum of th" assistance of Jeanne . " He gives this latin epitaph

Tanta erat pudor huic et tanU modestii ut ipsa Esse Viderctur mine L ucretia fama :. Lord Stanhope , in his " Historical Essays" seems to think that the lady who married the " Sire des Armoises " was an " impostor , " but he adds , alluding to the facts and tlocuments already quoted , " these ibeuments appear of undoubted authenticity , yet we are wholly unable to

explain them . " The brothers of Joan of Arc might po > sibiy have had hopes of profit by the fraud , but ho-. v thc people of O .-leans , who had seen her so closely , will hid f mjfht sid ; by side with her in the siege , could be deceived , we cannot understand , nor yet what motive they could have in deceiving . " Lord Stanhope evidently , however , accepts the historical truth of Joan of Arc ' s condemnation . We confess thit

we somewhat doubt , but still we must also bear in mind , that the tendency of the day is to doubt everything , and that this supposed re-appearance of thc "Pucelle" is explainable after all , perhaps as a Roman Catholic " Fraus Pia . " After what we have stated , however , some of ourreaders may not think that Monsignor Dupanloup ' s facts are quite so certain or incontestable as he seems to think evidently that they are .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Leicestershire And Rutland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

The summer half yearly meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Market Harborough , on Wednesday , May 29 th , when a large number of representatives both of the local and other lodges in the province assembled to welcome the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , the Right Hon . the Earl Ferrers , on the occasion of his first visit to the St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 1330 , since its

consecration . The Craft lodge having been opened by the W . M ., Bro . Dr . F . Grant , P . P . G . D ., the Prov . Grand Master and his officers entered , and on his lordship taking the chair he was saluted with thc customary honours . Amongst those present were Bros . G . Toller , jun ., P . G . S . B ., as D . P . G . M . ; W . B . Smith , Prov . G . S . W . ; f . C .

Duncombe as Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . F . Richardson , Prov , G . Chap . ; S . S . Partridge , Prov . G . Sec ; T . Cooke , Prov , G . S . of W . ; S . Cleaver , Prov . A . G . D . C . ; G . T . Willan , Prov . G . S . B . ; M . H . Lewin , Prov . G . P . ; E . R . Cust , Prov . A . G . P . ; Webb and Gibson , Prov . G . Stwds . ; Rev . W . Langley , P . P . S . G . W . ; Rev . J . F . Halford , P . P . G . C . j Dr . T . Macauley , P . P . G . S . D . ; C . E . Stretton , and R ,

Dalgleish , P . P . G . Sups , of Works ; Dr . J . Hunt and R . Boughton-Smith , P . P . A . G . Dirs . of Ccrs . ; J . R . Douglass , P . P . G . Reg . ; and A . M . Duff , P . P . G . D . Visitor : Bro . E . | . Orford , P . P . G . S . W . Norths and Hunts . The Prov . Grand Lodge having been opened , the minutes of the previous meeting confirmed , and the other loutine business disposed of , the report of the Provincial Charity

Committee was read by Bro . Dr . Langley , the Hon . Sec . Thc report , after speaking of the successful result of the efforts of thc Committee , in supporting the application of a local candidate for the Girls' School , and the arrangements made for promoting the case of a boy candidate , son of the lately deceased Prov . G . D . C ., at the Octoberelection , concluded with a reference to the continued and increasing

interest taken in this province in the central Masonic Charities , the liberality evinced by the large contribulions made to thc Boys' School in 1877 having being equally displayed during the present year on behalf of the Girls'School , which Institution received at its recent Festival , donations from Leicester and Rutland amounting to the sum £ 233 16 s . Upon the proposition of Bro . Duncombe , seconded by Bio .

Duff , the report was unanimously adopted . Votes of thanks were passed to Bros . W . J . Hughan , P . G . D . of England , and Colonel Basevi , Secretary of the Gloucestershire Charity Committee , for valuable assistance rendered in the case of Dora Bolton , the local candidate for the Girls' School at the election in April last . Bro . Toller in proposing these votes of thanks referr ed to the

advantageous position 111 which the Province was placed in consequence of the establishment of the Charity Committee , and of the arrangements entered into with other Provinces for the lending and exchanging e > f votes , by means of which a local candidate was successful on her first application at the recent election , and a considerable reserve of votes still remained available for a case for the Boys' School next October .

A donation from the Charity Fund was voted to a brother , who from losses and illness was in deep distress , and whose application for assistance was supported by the Charity Committee . Bros . C . Stretton , P . P . G . W ., and Dr . J . Hunt were unanimously re-elected as representatives of the Provincial Grand Lodge on the Committee of the Leicester Masonic Hall .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Leicestershire And Rutland.

A vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to Bro , Partridge for his services as Charity Steward for the Province at the recent festival of thc Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . Bro . Partridge in acknowledging the vote expressed his great obligations to Bros . Macaulay and Willan , and other membrrs of the Provincial Charity-Committee for the efficient assistance they had rendered

to him 111 their respective lodges in canvassing for subcriptions and generally in supporting him in his appeals to the brethren on behalf cf the Institutions he had represented , and alluded with feelings of pride and gratification to the fact that during the list two years , the small province of Leicester and Rutland , having a muster roll of under 400 brethren , had contributed to the funds of the

Boys' and Girls' Institutions the very liberal sum of nearly £ 650 . Apologies for absence from the P . P . G . M ., Bro . Kelly , Bro . C . Stretton , P . P . G . W ., ( Mayor of Leicester ); Bro . W . Hardy , Prov . G . J . W ., and others , the Provincial Grand Lodge was closed in the usual form .

An excellent banquet WHS afterwards served by the worthy host of the Three Swans Hot 1 , Bro . Armstrong , at which the Provincial Grand Master presided , and the proceedings generally were of a most satisfactory character , the admirable arrangements of the local reception Committee adding greatly to the comfort of the brethren and the general success of the meeting .

Our Royal Grand Master.

OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER .

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught , attended by Colonel Ellis and Sir Howard Elphinstone . left London fur Paris on Friday last . Their Royal Highnesses were received at the South-Eastern Company ' s station at Charing-cross by Sir Edward Watkin , M . P ., the chairman , and travelled by special train , which was under

the charge of Mr . John Shaw , the general manager , leaving at 8 25 p . m ., and arriving at Dover at 10 15 p . m . The special steamer Maid of Kent , Captain Pittock , left the Admiralty pier a few minu ' es after the arrival of the train for Calais . Their Royal Highnesses proceeded to Paris by the mail train at 1 20 a . m ., and travelled in thc saloon carriage of the South-Eastern Company , which

has been specially fitted up far the Prince of Wales s accommodation . Thc arrangement' ; were under the direction of Mr . Kannc , the director of Royal journeys . In the same train there travelled the Duke and Duchess of Manchester , the Duke of Hamilton , the Marquis of Hartington , Sir Augustus Paget , Lord Calthorpe , Colonel Reilly , Colonel Kingscoti 1 , and Admiral Glyn .

The Freemasons Lifeboats.

THE FREEMASONS LIFEBOATS .

The Masons' lifeboat , stationed at Hope Cove , on the coast of Devonshire , is to be publicly launched at Kingsbridge to-morrow ( Thursday ) , under the auspices of the Freemasons resident in the West of England . It is one of the two lifeboats presented by the English Masons to the National Institution to testify their loyal gratification at the safe return from India of their Grand Master , the Prince of Wales . Their other lifeboat is stationed at

Claeton-on-Sea , and thc ceremony of public naming and launching that boat is also to take place shortly under grand auspices . It may be mentioned that the lifeboats are respectively 34 feet and 35 feet long ; they row 10 oars , double banked , and possess the usual characteristics of the boats of the Institution in regard to self-righting , selfejecting , & c . It is expected that Princes Albert Victor and George of Wales , who are receiving their nautical

education on board her Majesty ' s ship Britannia , stationed at Dartmouth , will be present to name the Hope Cove lifeboat the Alexandra , after their mother , the Princess of Wales . It may be here stated that the Institution has now 268 lifeboats under its management , 3 6 of which arc stationed on thc coasts of Devon and Cornwall . Not a winter passes without some of these boats rendering important service in saving life from shipwreck on these iron-bound coasts . —Daily News , June 12 th .

THE REMEMBRANCER . —The office of Remembrancer of the City of London has become vacant by the resignation , after 14 years' service , of Mr . William Corrie , who , before his appointment , was one of Ihe stipendiary police magistrates of the metropolis . His predecessor , Mr . Edwarel Tyrrell , is still living , and in receipt of a handsome allowance from the Corporation . The

duties of thc office are partly Parliamentary and partly ceremonial , and involve daily attendance at the House of Commons during the sitting of Parliament , and the constant watching of all measures introduced or proposed which may be likely to affect the interests or privileges of the City . The Remembrancer enjoys thc privilege of a seat within the House itself . The ceremonial duties are in

connection with the presentation of addresses to the Royal Family and communications with the Government . It is understood in the City that the City solicitor ( Mr . Nelson ) will be a candidate for the more agreeable , though slightly less remunerative office of Remembrancer , and , if so , his success is almost certain , but there are other competitors in the field , including Bros . Macrae Moir , Mr . A . Turner , Captain Pim , M . P ., and others .

The Athenamm says it is understood that the Postal Congress held thc other day at Paris has agreed on an amended treaty to come in force on the 1 st of April next , by which the limit of weight of books to be carried by the Postal Union Mails is raised from alb . to 41 b , Nothing appears to have been agreed upon that will hamper free delivery by post in America of English books . This will probably lead , sooner or later , to the abolition of duty levied by the United States on books .