To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a Weekly News paper , price 6 Q . It is published every Friday morning , and c nituins the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : United America , India , India , China , & c .

Kingdom . Ihe Continent , & c . Via Brindisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 41 I . Six , „ gs . 3 d . 6 s . 6 d . 8 s . 8 d . Three „ 2 s . 8 d . 3 s . 3 A . 4 s . 6 d . Sa ^ criptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques arc preferred , thc former payable to

GEORGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , the latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications

should be addressed to the Publisher . Communications on literary subjects and books for review are to be forwaidcd to the Editor . Anonymous orrespondence will be wholly disregarded , and the return of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied op application to thc Publisher , IQ 8 , Fleet-street , London .

Important Notice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .

COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month . It is very necessary for our readers to advise

Ui of all money orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them . Several P . O . O , ' s are now in hand , but having received no advice we cannot credit them .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

The F REEMASON has a large circulation 111 all parts ol the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current -week ' s issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on "Wednesdays . SCALE OF CHARGES FOR

ADVERTISEMENTS . "Whole of backpage ... ... ... £ 12 12 o Half , „ ... ... 6 10 o Inside pages 7 7 ° Half of ditto 400 Quarter ditto 2100 Whole column ... ... ... 2100

Half „ ... ... ,.. ... 1 10 o Quarter „ ... ... ... ... ... 1 o o Per inch ... ... ... 0 50 These prices are for single insertions . A liberal reduction is made for a scries of 13 , 26 , and 52 insertions . Further particulars may be obtained of thc Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

A CRI-SADER , —Many thanks . EHRATA . —In our edition of the 1-- . th inst ., referring lo " Legacies to Freemasonry , " the name shoulel have been Frederick Thomas Mothersill , of Marsdcn-strcct , Manchester , and not Frederick Thomas Wethtrsill , of Mansionstreet , Manchester .

BOOKS & c , RECEIVED . "Thc Western Daily Mercury , " " Kelet Orient , " "Broad Arrow , " " Brief , " "Hull Packet , " "Touchstone , " "Thc Alliance , " " The Scottish Freemason , " "Citizen , " "The

Masonic Eclectic , " " The Advocate , " " Bundes Prcsse , " "Our Home , " "Masonic Advocate , " "Insurance Journal , " " Australian Freemason , " " Jersey Express , " " Risorgimento , " " Grand Lodge Records , Connecticut ; Ninetyfirst Annual Report , Vol . X ., No . 1 . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ I he charge is 2 s . od . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heatling . ] BIRTHS . KENSINGTON . —On the 14 th inst ., at Go , Grosvenor Square , S . W ., Lady Kensington , of a daughter . SAVAGE . —At Aubrey Street , Evert-in , Liverpool , on the 7 th inst ., the wife of Bro . Savage , jun ., S . S . of the Dramatic Lodge ( No . 1609 ) , of a son .

DE-1 THS . BIIWI . ES . —On thc 8 th inst ., at Staunton Licey , Salop , tlii . Rev . Joseph Bowles , D . D ., Grand Master of Herefordshire , aged So . D , \ LI .. —On the i ^ lli inst ., at Spring Bank , Lancisler ,

Martha , tlie wife id Frincis G . Dale , I . P . M . 1333 . FIIANCIS . —On the 121 ) 1 ult . ; it Kingston , Jamaica , Joseph Francis , deeply de-ploied . SMITH . —On thc 14 th inst ., sue ! lenly , Josiah Smith , of 28 , Hatton-gaideii , in liis 75 th year ,

Ar00608

THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 22 , 1879 .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Festival.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL .

The more we consider the result of this great gathering the more we are struck with its figures , the more we must applaud the efforts ot" all concerned . The totality of the Stewards' lists is alike a striking fact and remarkable reality , per se , and the festival of Wednesday week will

long remain an ' * ' Alba Dies " in the annals of that useful and benelicient Institution , a ' * landmark , " so to say , in its kindly and useful career . Last week we shortly glanced at a " general resume " ofthe incidents and announcements which accompanied the last festival , to-day we propose to

consider one or two other points in those speaking returns , which may not be without interest to our readers , or without profit to ourselves to peruse and ponder over . The metropolis has returned £ 6300 in round numbers , and in round numbers / 1200 less than Ihe provinces . No

doubt , in the nature of things , this is but natural , and must be expected , seeing that London lodges and brethren stand in relation to the rest of the Craft as one-sixth against five-sixths . Indeed , the metropolitan returns , judged by an ordinary standard , are very marvellous in themselves , and

reflect the highest ciedit on the zeal , energy , and benevolence of our metropolitan brethren , whose hearts , as many of us well know , are always in the right place . In our last notice we pointed out that the six highest returns from London varied from £ _ 2 t 10 s . the highest , to £ 134 tHs . 6 d .

the lowest . But we think it well to supplement that enumeration with the names of a few more lodges , from which , by the aid of the Stewards , three figures have been returned to gladden Bro . Terry ' s heart , and augment the funds of the charity . Such are Lodges 1671 , W . \ V . Medcalf ,

Steward , £ 120 15 s . ; 1178 , J . Stock , Steward , £ 118 3 s . 6 d . ; 128 S , S . T . Goode . Steward , £ 116 ; 259 , J . A . Rucker , Steward , ^ 115 10 s . j 180 , A . L . Annett , Steward , , £ 115 ios . ; 13 S 3 , H . K . Murchison , Steward , ^ 113 18 s . ; 1471 , J . Mather Steward , £ 113 8 s . ; 1613 , G . M . Felton , Steward :

jfni 6 s . ; 228 , R . H . Halford , Steward , £ 112 is . ; 1585 , J . W . Robinson , Steward , , £ 110 1 45 . 3 J . G . Stevens , Steward , £ 110 ; 141 , 6 . Dairy , Steward , , £ 107 ios .: 16 57 , Rev . Dr . Brette , £ 106 us . 66 . ; 1260 , J . H . Southwood , £ 103 ; 657 , W . Maple , Steward , £ 100 16 s . ; and 12 , W . H .

Bateman , Steward , £ 100 . The other numerous returns vary from £ cj 6 15 s . to £ 5 5 s . There is one p ' - 'int we feel bound to note , namely this , that from No . 1700 only four metropolitan lodges subscribe anything , and the amount sent by these lodges is /" 21 C 17 s . 6 d . That , no doubt , is a

good average , as it would give £$ 0 per lodge , but still we regret deeply the fact that only four metropolitan lodges from 1700 have sent anything , leading to the inevitable conclusion that it is to old friends , not to new , at any rate from No . 1700 in the lodges , that the Royal Masonic Beneis

volent ^ Institution indebted for these goodly returns . Wc wish we could believe that our lodges and chapters were doing their proportion of this work as lodges and chapters . Is it not to be feared that our lodges and chapters are spending all their available income , especially in the

metropolis , on ' * creature comforts , ' and have little to spare for charity in general or in particular ? Is ifc not the fact , that far too many metropolitan lodges and even chapters are in debt to their Treasurers , often in large amounts , rendering the position of such bodies , not at all a

wholesome or a safe one ? We do not ask these questions in a spirit of censorious complaint or uncomplimentary cavil , far from us be any such " animus , " but we do ask them honestly , fearlessly , and fraternally . that so these " spots" on our " feasts of charity " may gradually disappear

from among us , and we may enjoy a far healther and more satisfactory condition of things both in our lodges and in our chapters . As regards the province ! * : , what can we say but that they are doing their duty ? Since West Yorkshshire set the stone a rolling , something like nineteen years

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Festival.

ago , how wonderful has been the developement of provincial efforts for our great metropolitan Charities j and long may it so continue . Long may the metropolis and the provinces run a race of friendly zeal and eagerness , like those gallant boys , the Austrian and English " middies , " in

Syria , some few years back , toplant their national flag on the walls of the surrendered fortress , each endeavouring to do as much as possible for these excellent Chaiities of ours , which reflect such credit on our Order , and are speaking witnesses both of its goodly profession and its truthful practice , its utility , its reality , its blessing for mankind .

Masonic Sarcasm.

MASONIC SARCASM .

Whether sarcasm is in itself allowable we must leave , we think , to the moialist and the casuist . There are those who declare that sarcasm is not permissible ever , as it constitutes a breach of the spirit of God ' s great moral law of love . On the other hand , we must not forget , it

seems to us , that the sense of the ridiculous , the gift of irony seem to be born with some of us , just as the powers of the mind , the gift of imagination . It appears to us , however , though we are aware we tread on debateable ground in

saying so , that sarcasm may sometimes be profitably employed and lawfully made use of in the affairs of life , in the contests of the world . Some of us may remember when the poet , appealing to a great and sarcastic satirist , says ,

" Bethink thee Gifford when some future age Shall miss the promise of thy playful page , The hand which brushed a thousand fools away , " & e , and , we confess , that in the ineptitude of the hour , tho weakness and the " folly of fools , " we are are often led to believe that such powers of

sarcasm are a great gift , to be legitimately used and " properly applied to their destined purpose . " The historian of humacity might well also declare that to sarcasm we owe a great many of the most legitimate triumphs of common sense and right reason , alike in the affairs of men and

the whirlpool of the world . Some are so constituted as only to be moved by sarcasm , and though some hides are so thick , as is often said , that nothing , " not even sarcasm , " can touch them ; yet as we ourselves know , there seems often to be a most legitimate sphere for its direct and

prevailing use , either when " fools rush on where angels fear to tread , " when we have to wage a warfare hourly with folly in various shapes and hues , when we have to contend to the loss of our temper , sometimes with that mournful vacuity of intellect ,

and that perversity of purpose which anta gonize the best efforts and mar the most philanthropic plans . But what can we say of Masonic sarcasm ? Is it justifiable ? Can it be justified as between professed brother and brother , true to each other , whatever betide , " true and faithful , "

though oceans divide , though slanderers betray , though the faithless bewray , though the whole world stand in opposition and persecution ? To deny to the Masonic mind the sense of the ridiculous , the gift of satire , irony , sarcasm , would be , we venture to think , excessively unreasonable

and absurd , but then , by the moral law which Freemasonry promulgates , being that of God ' s Word , we are taught to control our tempers and our tongues , and to refrain from the full flow of indignant honesty , or justifiable complaint . In the progress of life and human affairs we often

see those "jests , " or sarcastic effusions , which if witty , amuse , if genial , delight , if seasonable and pointed , excite our hearty admirat'on , and so far all is well , and many of us can recal to-day the pleasant " pasquinades" of happier and cheery years , when we took life easily enough , when

health was good , friends were many , cares were few , " the attic salt" of many a laughing rhyme , and merry " skit" still lingers with us agreeably though time has moved on rapidly since then , and memory seems to point with weird find wasted finger to vacant places at our board , to

eyes that are dim , voices that are hushed , and hearts that are cold . But if what is most kindly and intellectual be allowed , what shall we say of those lamentable effusions we sometimes read , which betray nothing but personality and vulgarity , which are the offspring of wounded vanity