Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . R . W . LITTLE . We give to-day an obituary of our lamented Bro . R . W . Little , which , obtained ftom the best authorities , is , we believe , strictly accurate . If it errs at all , it hanlly eloes justice to the Masonic labours of our esteemed and indefatigable brother . Bro . Little died , as he lived in Masonry . Bro . Little was initiated intc Freemasonry on the 20 th

of May , iSoi , in the Royal Union Lodge , No . 382 , meeting at Uxbridgc . He was thc founder of the Rose of Denmark Lodge , No . 973 , of which lodge he became the ~ cond Master , and held the office of Secretary until 1873 . * was founder of the Villicrs Lodge , No . 1194 , and held 1 1 office of Secretary for several years . He was also a mder and P . M . of the Burdett Lodge , No . 1193 , at

impton , and held the office cf 1 reasurcr at the time of . death . Bro . Little joined the Royal Albert Lodge , No . o j . in 1862 , but resigned in i 860 . In the following year S 67 , he joined the Whittington , in which lodge he held the office of Secretary until 1875 . He . joined the Polish Nationa . 1 , No . 334 , in 18 7 6 , and remained a member until his ihath . Bro . Little was exalted , and passed the chairs in

Ihe Domatic Chapter , No . 177 , in 1 S 63 . He was founder and First H . in the Rose of Denmark Chapter , No . 973 , and held the office of S . E . until 1871 . He was also Founeler of the Royal Middlesex Chapter , No . 1194 , and was S . E . until 1874 . Bro . Little was appointed to a clerkship in the Grand

Secretary ' s office in 1862 , and became second clerk and cashier in 186 C , in which position he remained until he was elected Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for GUIs in November , 1872 . There were four candidates for this office , which necessitated an election , the result of which was as follows : —

Bro . Robert Wcntvvorth Little ... 317 „ W . llowlcy Burder ... ... 12 „ II . W . Durnford Green ... 2 ,, Joseph Lockington Potter ... 1 Bro . Little was originally educated for the Church under Bro . the Rev . B . Gibson , M . A ., butdecieling upon a secular

career he entered the Civil Service of the Crown in the Emigration Department at Dublin , and received testimonials of the highest character , both from his reverend tutor and his official chiefs . The following is a copy of the testimonial Bro . Little received from the hands of our esteemed Grand Secretary on his nomination for the Secretaryship of the Girls' School : —

"Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , "November 12 , 1872 . "Having been asked lo express my opinion of the qualifications of Bro . Robert Wentworth Little , I beg to say bat , during the period I have he-lel the appointment of Grand Secretary , I have found his conduct such as to merit my warm approval .

" I have the utmost confidence in saying that , to abilities of a very high order , he unites the indispensable attributes of accuracy , attention , and trustworthiness , and I believe him to be well fitted for carrying out the duties of any office , however confidential , to which he may aspire . " r . Signed ) J HERVEY , G . S . " No one , we think , will deny that the Royal

Masonic Institution for Girls has greatly benefitted by the energetic and wise manner in which Bro . Little administered his eluties as Secretary while he was blessed with health and strength . Thc income of the Institution during his term of office showed a considerable increase on previous years , mainly owing to Bro . Lillle ' s activity . Our late brother was the first Provincial

Grand Secretary of Middlesex , Prov . S . G . Warden 1873 , and was appointed W . Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex in the room of Bro . Sir George Elliot , now R . W . P . G . M ., South Wales , E . Div ., which office he held at the date of his death . In 1 S 73 , he was II . of thc Prov . G . Chapter , which he was instrumental in getting established . He was a

member of many Preceptones , Conclaves , and others » ' the higher grades , amongst which he was principally , instrumental in resuscitating the Order of the Red Cross of Rome anil Constantine . The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in England , in which he was ever an active and hardworking member , having held the various otlices of Grand Recorder . G . Treasurer , etc ., and under his able

management the degree spread into almost all parts of the world where the English Language is spoken . He was a . i Honorary Member of about ninety Lodges , Chapters , anil others , many of which he was the Consecrating Officer appointed as such by the M . W . G . Master . The Rosicrucian Society was also revived by his instrumentality serine years ago , and is now working in Ireland

: ind Scotland , and there are colleges in many of the Urge centres in England . He was supreme Magus of the Order , in which he has been succeeded by his next in command Bro . Dr . Wcodman . Our deceased brother was editor of the Rosicrucian , and author of many interesting and important works on Freemasonry . He was sincerely esteemed lor his many genial qualities , which endeared him to all

with whom he came in contact , and Ins loss will be deliloreil by a large circle of sympathising frienels . Our lamented brother , after a long anil painful illness , ronsuniption , passed away to his rest on Friday night , A pril 12 th . We are permitted to add , ( though , perhaps , it is » i't always desirable to raise the veil which shrouds the death-»« l of men , ) that our late friend and brother passed away i" a deeply religious anel reverential frame of mind , full of

lri Htand faith and hope and repentance , in charity with all nun . His end . emphatically was peace ! The entire sympathy of the I . raft will be offered , with heartfelt sl "cerity , to his afflicted widow . Hro . Wm . Dodrl , of the Grand Secretary ' s office , is his Weeutor . The funeral of Bro . Little took place on Wednesday at "' c Cemetery of St . Giles , Camberwell , Honor Oak , Fore-st

Obituary.

Hill , a burial ground which the deceased brother frequently expressed his wish to be buried in , as he viewed it from the Chatham and Dover Railway when he went down by that line to the Crystal Palace . The funeral , which was of a very simple character , consisted of a hearse and pair , one mourning ceiach , and a private carnage . The cortege left the deceased ' s house at Slockwell shortly alter

eleven o'clock , and arrived at the cemetery in time for the interment to be conducted at high noon . The brethren present comprised Bros . S . Rawson , Past District Grand Master for China ; Colonel Creaton , P . G . D ., Vice-Patron and Trustee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ; Col . Peters , W . Mann , J . Coutts , P . G . P . ; W . Roebuck , George Kenning , P . M . 192 ; Rev . Dr . Brette , W . M .

1637 ; H . Massey ( Freemason ) , H . Browse , P . G . D . ; W . Paas , J . Boyd , P . G . P . ; Herbert Dicketts , J . Terry , Secretary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , Prov . G . D . C Herts ; B . H . Swallow , W . F . C . Moutrie , Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D . ; Rev . P . M . Holden , Rev . J . M . Vaughan , H . C . Lcvander , P . G . S . Middlesex ; C . F . Hogard , John Mason , George Adamson , P . P . G . A . D . C . Kent ; H .

Muggeridge , late collector of the Girls' School ; A . Haynes , of Liverpool , representative of the Province of West Lancashire ; H . A . Dubois , James Stevens , James Spilling-, F . Keily , P . Prov . G . Treasurer Middlesex ; E . Letchworth , George Bolton , Charles Hammerton , George Faulkner , A . H . Tattershall , E . H . Thiellay , W . H . Hubbard , P . Prov . G . Supt . of Works Middlesex ; Thomas

W . Wfeite , Thomas Cubitt , F . G . P . ; Thomas Kingston , W . Stephens , G . J . Robinson , Province of York ; Charles Atkins , P . M . 27 , Secretary 1260 ; and J . Gilbert , Prov . G . Tyler , Middlesex . These brethren went by thc 11 . 8 a . m . train from Ludgatehill , and met the funeral at the gates of the cemetery . ID the mourning coach were Bros . W . Dodd ( executor ) , A . A .

Pendlebury , Dr . Woodman , of Exeter , Bro . Allen , and Bro . F . It . W . Hedges . In the private carriage were Bro . the Rev . Dr . Brette , of Christ's Hospital , and Bro . George Kenning . The coffin was of polished oak with black iron handles . On the plate was inscribed the deceased ' s name , elate of death , and age . Thc lid was covered with a cross anel circles composed of exquisite camelias and

roses , placed there by the brethren who occupied scats in the mourning coach . The impressive burial service was beautifully read by thc Rev . J . W . Mills Ellisen , Chaplain of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . On leaving the chapel the brethren marched in procession to the grave , which is situated a short distance behind the chapel . Immediately

about the grave stood the Rev . J . W . Mills Ellison , Bro . Dodd , Bro . Hedges , Bro . Pendlebury , Bro . Allen , Bro . Woodman , the Rev . Dr . Brette , and Bro . George Kenning . The other brethren stood in close proximity at the two sides and the foot of the grave . The coffin was then lowered into the grave , and the Rev . J . W . M . Ellisen completed the service in the same impressive style as hc had

read the portions in the chapel . When the ceremony was concluded all the brethren advanced to the cde » e if the grave , took a last , long , lingering look at all that was to be seen of an old , dear friend of a'l of them , scattered sprigs of acacia on the coffin , and with a sincere si gh of regret for the loss they and the Masonic Order had sustained , left to his last earthly home , Bro . Robert Wcntvvorth Little .

Meetings Of Learned And Other Societies.

MEETINGS OF LEARNED AND OTHER SOCIETIES .

ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY . —The Duke of Teck presided at a meeting of this society on Saturday , last when the following members of the Council were chosen to be the vicc-presielents for the year : —The Marquis of Bristol , Lord Aveland , Lord Cilthorpe , Lord Chesham

Lord Londcsborough , Lord Rcndlesham , the Right Hon . Sir William Hutt , Sir Walter Slirling , Sir Richard Wallace , and Sir P . D . Pauncefort Duncombe . ARTISTS' BENEVOLENT FUND . —The annual dinner in connection with this fund was held on Saturday , evening last at the Freemasons' Tavern , Mr . George Godwin in the chair . The attendance was meagre . In proposing

the toast of the evening , the chairman expressed regret at the array of empty chairs , as well as at the fact that not a single representative of the Royal Academy was present . He urged" the claims of the Fund , whose object was to relieve the widows anil families of deceased artists , to exist side by side with the better-known Artists' General Benevolent Institution . Fifty-eight widows and a large

number of children were now , he stated , in receipt of annuities , the former of £ 20 and the latter of £ (> . Mr . C . J . Dimond , lion , secretary , in replying to the toast , remarked that the socitty had more widows to provide for at the present time than ever it had had before . THE ROYAL INSTITUTION . —Professor Dewar , in the course of a lecture which he delivered at the above

institution , showed anil used the apparatus employed by Cailletet last autumn in Ihe hqucfication of oxygen . The Professor had been illustrating how hydrogen and carbon may be made to unite directly under the influence of an electric are and how acelyline results The liquefication of acetyline by means of the apparatus was now shown , and its fluorescence was specially pointed out . CANTOR I ^ ECTURES . —The first lecture of the

third course , on "Some Researches in Putrefactive Changes , and their results in relation to the Preservation of Animal Substances , " by B . W . Richardson , M . D ., F . R . S ., was del . vered on Monday evening , the 8 th inst . These lecture - will be published in the Journal ol Ihe S » -. i'ty if Arts

eluiing the recess . More than £ 200 has been promised for the proposed agricultural exhibition in London . The subscription list includes a donation of a hundred guineas from the Queen and f . zo from the Prince of Wales .

Notes On Art, &C.

NOTES ON ART , & c .

POMPEII . —In the excavations carried out on April 4 in the presence of Prince Leopold at Pompeii the following objects were found : —Gold—an armlet ; a ring with engraved agate ; and another plain ring . Bronzea candelabrum ; two vases in the form of a lagena ; a pastrycook ' s ¦ ' shape ; " a ring ; some bosses ; a large va « . e

in fragments . Glass--a blue vase with one handle , a bottle , two ampullae , one small vase . Terra cotta—a lamp , two small pots , two olive flasks , a porringer . Iron —a candelabrum . Lead—three weights . —Academy . THE PARIS SALON . —The pictures for the Salon were all sent in last week . Among the chief contributions to the Salon are a river scene , by M . Berne

Bellecour , " Les Avants-Postes ; " two sacred subjects bv M . Henner , "Christ at the Sepulchre" and a "Magdalene ;" two portraits by M . Bonnat , the painter of M . Thiers ' famous likeness last year ; portraits of the two Paris Divas of Opcra-Bouffe—Mesdames Zulma Bouffar aud Jeanne Gamier , in their characters of Irgigzne and the Petit Due ; and an important landscape by the late artist Daubigny .

DR . SCHLEIMANN . —The excavator of Troy and Mycenas was in town at the beginning of the w . ek , with the intention of spending two days in improving the arrangement of his Trojan collection at the South Kensington Museum . This design , however , he was compelled to abandon for a time , being recalled to Paris by serious tidings of the state of Mrs . Schliemann ' s health ; but as

soon as she is convalescent he hopes to carry it out , and to resume next month his archaeological explorations in the Troad or in Greece . The sale of the Munro Turners on Saturday week realised no less than £ 60 , 453—thirty-two wat t - colour drawings by Turner bringing in 16 , 015 guineas , and the nine oil paintings being sold for 41 , 5 60 guinei- ; .

Pictures by other artists went comparatively cheap . Thus two Hogarths , the only remaining scenes of a series bu-uc in the Beckford Collection , went for 8 zo guineas ; twel » e works of Etty's for £ 1161 13 s . ; Wilkie ' s "Gentle Sh | - herd" for £ 157 10 s . ; and a "Spaniel ' s Head , " by Sir

Edwin Landseer , said to be his first oil painting , for £ ( 7 10 s . Sir J . Reynolds' "Kitty Fisher" was sold for £ 1 ,-, and his Contemplation" for £ 3150 . M . Renan is reported to be engaged on a continuation of Shakespeare's " Tempest , " in which Pro - pero , Caliban , and Ariel are the chief persons .

The well-known French historical paintei , M . Claudius Jacquand , died the week before last in Paris , at thc age of seventy-three . An enormous vase ornamented with Bacchanalian figures . Fauns , and Dryads , has been sculptured by M . Gustave Dore ; for the Paris Exhibition . Professor Karl Wiener , who recently returne . l

to Europe after a prolonged journey of exploration in So . tit America , has successfully performed thc first ascent cv . , made of the Illimani . Dr . Weiner was accompanied in hi * ascent by two Germans , Herren Grumkow and Von Ohfeld . It was the south-eastern summit of the mountain , ljing 6131 metres above the level of the sea , which he reached , and he has named it the " Paris Peak , " with the consent

of the Bolivian Government . The ascent was made from Catana . Of seven native servants who accompanied ti e expedition , only three held out to the end . The other four at the height of 6000 metres , were quite unfit to go furth r . The American explorer Gibbon , when he attempted the Illimani , reached only the height of 4500 metres . The National Gallery has been closedlthis weik .

for cleansing purposes . It will re-open on Easter Monda -, and the public will be admitted every day in Easter week , including thc two students' days , Thursday and Friday . The Old Playhouse of Edward Alleyn—the actor and the founder of Dulvvich College—supposed to bj the first theatre established in London , is shortly to be pulle I down . It stands in Playhouse Yard , St . Luke's , and as it

is in a very dilapidated condition , the owner intends to buil . I on thc site . A colossal statue in bronze of Jan von Eyck has just been completed at Haeren , by the Electro-Metallurgical Company of Brussels , on the galvanic-depos ' t system . The process has been in operation for several months , the metallic deposit on the model measuring eigne

millimetres in thickness . It is a great success , the line ; being sharper and thc work altogether far clearer than would have been the case had the statue been cast on ths old method . Arctic and tropical exploring expeditions are in full activity just now . The new head of the Bel gian International African Expedition left Brindisi last week foe

Zanzibar ; and on the same day two delegates of the Paris Geographical Society started from Bordeaux for Afric , intending to make a journey from east to west , from Senegal to Algeria . Gerhard Rohifs , the German traveller , h s been preparing for a journey for the last five years , and wilt shortly start with an expedition of 300 persons . Trip li will be his starting point , and he will explore the whole ;

eastern poition of North Africa , which has been little visit , el save by Dr . Nachtigall and by Browne in the last centur . Turning to colder regions , the Dutch Arctic Expedition intended to follow up Barents'discoveries , leaves in May , the vessel ( the Willem Barendsz ) having been launched last week . Lastly , the Danes have b . cn exploring the : waters between Iceland and Greenland , and hive found a

westeily cold stream flowing along the coast of Greenland , and an easterly warm stream surrounding the Icelai . d . ; shore . The Princess Mary of Cambridge ( Duchess of Teck ) , accompanied by Lady Caroline Cust , honoured tlu Twenty-fifth Annual Exhibition of Pictures by Continc 11 l . il Attests , at the French Gallery , 120 , Pall-mall , with a vUit nil Mirnrl . 'rv .