Cead Mille Fealthe.

CEAD MILLE FEALTHE .

To THE QUEEN ON HER VISIT TO IRELAND . Welcome , oh ! Queen , to the fair land of Erin , A thousand glad welcomes ! this shall be my lay ; Neglected we have been in past times , and herein Was just cause for envy , forgotten to-day . Midst Scotia's grim mountains thy palace is lying ,

Where oft thou retirest to leave cares of state Has Erin no mountains with Scotia vying ? To loyal hearts answer comes sooner or late . Too seldom the sunshine of Royalty streaming O'er highland glens finds its way over the sea , And yet Erin cries , full of beauty past dreaming ,

. "Your princes and nobles come not unto me . " "The land of the Saints , " this was once my proud title ; A nation of warriors , musicians of fame ; Where sweet legends linger , and the poet's recital Of brave deeds of old , stir the blood to a flame .

Slieve Donard now answers to Mangerton calling ; Rostrevor the beauteous in fairy glen liei ; Sweet vale of Avoca , thy tears are now falling , Yet happiness gleams in each fair beauty ' s eyes The sweet bells of Shandon are joyfully ringing , Our Sovereign has come at last over the sea ;

The children of Erin are gleefully singing , A thousand glad voices sound over the lea . The pageant of Empire passes before us , Our hearts are thy throne , this thou knowest I ween ; Oh ! Empress beloved , we chant in one chorus , His angels now guard thee , and " God save the Queen . " EMRA HOLMES April , 1900 .

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

BRO . ARTHUR W ESTON , photographer , has removed from Newgate-street to 16 and 17 , Poultry . MESSRS . MIRET , PERING , SMITH , AND Co ., solicitors , have removed from Si , Cannon-street , to 7 , Great Helen ' s-place . THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN is authorised to state that the lists for presentation at her Majesty ' s Drawing Rooms on the 1 ith and 14 th prox . have been completed .

THE PRIME M INISTER will give his usual dinner to the Ambassadors and representatives of foreign Courts , in honour of the Queen's birthday , at the Hotel Cecil , on the 23 rd prox . OWING TO THE WAR , the Committee of the Italian Hospital have resolved to abandon the usual festival ball this year ; but they trust that the Charity will not b : allowed to suffer on this account .

MR . AUGUST MANNS ( by permission of the directors of the Crystal Palace ) will conduct a special orchestral programme by the Crystal Palace Orchestra at the Alhambra next Sunday evening , at seven o ' clock . THE T EMPLE FLOWER SHOW . —The 13 th annual flower show of the Royal Horticultural Society will take place in the Inner Temple Gardens on Wednesday , Thursday , and Friday , 23 rd , 24 th , and 2 <; th prox .

THE SPEAKERS at the Literary Fund dinner , on Wednesday , at which the Lord Chief Justice will preside , will include Mr . Samuel I .. Clemens ( Mark Twain ) , Mr . Anthony Hope Hawkins , and Mr . E . H . Pember , Q . C . COUNTY B OROUGH OF WEST HAM . —The Sixth Free Picture Exhibition will be opened at the Town Hall , Stratford , E ., on Monday , 30 th inst ., by F . R . Benson , Esq ., who is at present producing Shakespearean plays at the Lyceum Theatre .

THE SUM OF ^ 250 , the surplus amount subscribed in connection with the acquis ! tion of Golder's-hill , has been handed over to the Metropolitan Public Gardens Asso ciation to be held intrust for buying further land to extend Hampstead Heath .

AN A RMY AND NAVY EXHIBITION will be held at the Royal Aquarium from Thursday , 24 th prox ., until Saturday , July 7 th , under the patronage of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs . Two-thirds of the ticket receipts will be devoted to the Mansion House Fund . BRO . LORD K ITCHENER attended a lodge meeting at Bloemfontein on the 23 rd instant , as proxy for Bro . Lord Roberts . An address congratulating H . R . H . the Prince of wales on his recent escape was proposed by Bro . Lord Kitchener , and passed .

ST . GEORGE ' DAY was observed in the City by the hoisting of a large number of flags and banners . The St . George's Cros 5 , which is the emblem of the City , flew from the flagstaff at the Mansion House . The Bank of England also displayed a large flag . THE GUILDHALL M USEUM . —The enormous and highly elaborate representation of the Royal arms that was removed from the church of St . Micha : ! Bassishaw when it was closed has been placed on the wall at the southern end of the Guildhall Museum . In addition 10 the ordinary heraldic devices , the arms include the City arms , supported by two large figures of cupids .

THE DATES at which it is proposed that brigades of London and Home District Infantry Volunteers shall form their camps for a month ' s training under the special scheme for the present year are as follows : North London Brigade , at Pirbright , July 2 ist ; East London , on Salisbury Plain , J uly 21 st ; West London , at Pirbright , August 3 rd ; Surrey , at Pirbright , July 27 th ; Home Counties , at Shorncliffe , July 28 th . The South London Brigade had proposed to encamp at Yarmouth , but the purpose has been abandoned , and other proposals have not yet been made . The propositions for the other brigades are now under the consideration of the War Oflice .

HOMES FOR LITTLE BOYS ( Farmngham and Swanley , Kent ) . —The 36 th anniversary banquet will be held in the Whitehall Roams , Hotel Metropole , on Friday , May nth . Bro . Sir Alfred Bevan , P . G . Treas . ( Sheriff of London ) , will preside . From their foundation , in 1 S 64 , the Homes for Little Boys have had a tender regard for the orphans of soldiers and sailors . At the present time there are more than Go out of the 450 boys in the cottages at Farningham and Swanley whose fathers have given their lives for their country . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , Patron , has graciously consented to enquire and nominate for admission some boys whose fathers have fallen in the present

war . THE SCENE of the summer outing this year of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 207 G , which is devoted to historical and literary research in connection with Masonry , will , upon the invitation of Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith , P . G . D ., Dip . Prov . G . M . of Gloucestershire , Bro . G . Norman , Mayor of Cheltenham , and Lodges Royal Lebanon , Royal Gloucestershire , and Zetland of Gloucester , Foundation and Royal Union of Cheltenham , and Cotteswold of Cirencester , be these interesting localities . The visit will extend from Wednesday , July 4 th , to the following Sunday ; and Gloucester Cathedral , the Roman remains , and the Abbey Church at Cirencester , and an inspection of Cheltenham will be included in the itinerary .

Masonic And General Tidings.

BRO . SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY returned to Carlton House-terrace on Thursday from Cassiobury Park , Watford . LADY BLYTHSWOOD has arrived in Seamore-place from Bath , and will be joined by Bro Lord Blythswood at an early date . THE PRIME MINISTER will give his usual dinner to the Ambassadors and representatives of foreign Courts , in honour of the Queen ' s birthday , at the Hotel Cecil , on the 23 rd prox . ""

BRO . SIR HENRY DRUMMOND WOLFFF , British Ambassador to the Court of Spain , left London on Wednesday morning for Madrid , on the conclusion of leave of absence from his official duties . UNDER THE genial chairmanship of Bro . Alderman Frank Green , president , a large companyof members and friends of the Vintry Ward Club dinsd together at ths Cannon-street Hotel on the 23 rd inst .

THE ARTICLE CLUB . —Dr . Robert Farquharson , M . P ., will preside at the next monthly club dinner and debate on Wednesday , May 2 nd , to be held at the Trocadero Restaurant . Subject of debate , Art and Commerce . ROYALTY AT THE MANSION HOUSE . —Bro . the Lord Mayor will entertain at a dejeuner at the Mansion House , on Tuesday , the 22 nd prox ., the Master ( the Duke of York ) , and the Elder Brethren of Trinity Honse .

As THE CHAIRMAN OF THE Bridge House Estates Committee , Mr . Benjamin Turner has issued invitations for a dinner at the Albion Tavern , on Monday , 7 th prox . Bro . the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs will be the principal guests . THE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATES . —The Australian delegates will visit Warwick Castle on the 12 th prox ., and lunch with Bro . the Earl and Countessof Warwick . If his engagements will allow him , Mr . Chamberlain will accompany the party .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . —H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , K . G ., has been pleased to fix Tuesday , ioth July next , as the day on which he will preside over the 102 nd Anniversary Festival , to be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton . ROYAL DONATION TO THE RAGGED UNION . — Mr . John Kirk , of the Ragged School Union , has received a cheque for £ 50 from the Queen for the funds of the Ragged School Union , in consideration of the fact of her Majesty being the Patron , and as a mark of the Queen ' s sympathy with the society's great work .

THE GERMAN EMPEROR ' S Meteor is completing her outfit at Southampton , and will sail for home waters very shortly , and the American schooner Lascar , which has been purchased for a German owner . Dr . Von Bruening , is also leaving for Kiel . The sport is going ahead very fast in Germany and there should be some good schooner matches sailed this season .

M . CROCIUS , Stationmaster of the Brussels Northern Railway Station , received on Tuesday a visit from a Secretary and an Attache of the British Legation , who were specially deputed for the purpose by Sir Francis Plunkett . These gentleman presented M . Crocius with a beautiful scarf-pin from H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , accompanied by a most flattering letter from the Minister . The pin represents the Prince ' s coronet , ornamented with fine brilliants and rubies , and bearing the Prince ' s motto .

AT THE annual general court of the governors of the Orphan Working School on Wednesday , it was resolved , on the motion of Bro . Horace B . Marshall , treasurer , seconded by Mr . W . S . Card , vice-president , to admit six children , sons and daughters of non-commissioned or warrant oflicers who have fallen in the war in South Africa , to the benefits of the institution without election . The cost of maintaining and educating a child in the institution is £ 26 per annum . Taking the average duration of a child ' s stay in the school to be seven years , the total cost of the Orphan Working School of these children would amount on these figures to _ Cioo 2 .

THE WHOLE of the infantry of the City Imperial Volunteers—1000 strong—have reached Bloemfontein , where the mounted section of 400 men had long preceded them , having shared in the capture of Jacobsdal and many of the subsequent actions . Lord Roberts inspected the new arrivals on Tuesday , and in his report issued Wednesday night by the War Oflice , he says , "they are in fine form and look very workmanlike . " The Daily Telegraph War Correspondent reports that , amid much cheering , they marched through the capital looking " all fit and jaunty with their 16 barrister cyclists , " on their way to Glen , sime 10 miles north . In a march of 17 miles on the dry sand only a few of the battalion fell out .

AN AFTERNOON THEATRE . —At the Strand Theatre on Wednesday , the 2 nd prox ., the first of a series of special matinees will be initiated by Mr . Yorke Stephens and Mr . James Welch . The play that they have chosen for the first six performances is Mr . G . Bernard Shaw ' s pretty comedy , "You Never Can Tell , ' ' which will be played on the afternoons of Wednesday , Thursday , and Friday , and also on those of the Monday , Tuesday , and Wednesday in the following week . Messrs . Yorke Stephens and James Welch believe that the ever growing demand for matinees in London warrants them to establish , if possible , an afternoon theatre , and the present series that commences on

Wednesday is somewhat in the nature of an experiment . Should their belief receive confirmation , the series will be repeated , and afterwards they will continue to present a succession of plays by the best authors , and performed in each instance by only wellknown London artistes . Their plan is an eminently attractive one , and appears to contain all the elements for the successful establishment in London of an afternoon theatre . The following will be found included in the cast of " You Never Can Tell " : Miss Mabel Terry Lewis , Miss Elsie Chester , Miss Audrey Ford , Mr . Herman Vezin , Mr . Yorke Stephens , Mr . George Raiemond , Mr . Charles Charrington , Mr . W . Graham Browne , and Mr . James Welch .

WE HAVE BEEN REQUESTED to publish the following correspondence : — THE LODGE OF EDINBURGH ( MARY'S CHAPEL ) , No . 1 . Secretary ' s Oflice , 47 , Frederick-street , Dear Sir , 23 rd April , 1900 . AV ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES ( Grand Master Mason of England ) . At the last meeting of this lodge , of which his Royal Highness is a

member , it was unanimously decided to convey to H . R . H . the congratulations of the brethren on his escape from the bullet of the assassin , and the following acknowledgment has been received through the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England . —Yours faithfully , R . WOOD HAWKS , Secy . No . 1 .

United Grand Lodge of England , Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , London , W . C , 20 th April , 1900 . Dear Sir and Brother , I am desired by the Most Worshipful Grand Master to ask you to be so good as to convey to the members of the Lodge of Edinburgh , No . 1 , his

Royal Highness ' s warmest thanks for their kind and fraternal congratulations on his providential escape from the recent attempt on his life . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , ( Signed ) E . LETCHWORTH , Grand Secretary . W . Bro . R . Wood Hawks , Secy . Lodge of Edinburgh , No . 1 , S . C .

Death.

DEATH .

PRATT . —On the 22 nd inst ., at 22 , Dane-road , St . Leonards-on-Sea , Jane , wife of ^^ Benjamin Pratt , aged 65 years ; formerly widow of the late Henry Dowell , of Brancepeth House , Woodford Green , Essex .