Reviews.

functions or compare ourselves in character to the genial spirit to whom we have adverted , we feel that in resuming our labours we , too , should at the commencement of our second volume announce our presence to our friends and patrons , as a token of our desire and willingness to cater in the future , as wc have done in thc past , for their amusement and instruction .

" Here then , we are ! embarked on the second volume of the National Freemason , with the determination , if aided by prosperous gales , which means a goodly list of subscribers , to make a voyage which shall redound to the pleasure and profit of all who will venture on board of onr Craft .

"If we give our patrons a second vol time as good as was the first , we arc sure they will be content with our bill of fare . For our part , we have no compunctions of conscience on account of the passage money that we have received . Wc reall y believe wc have given the money ' s worth .

"That we are not singular in this opinion of the work may be judged from the commendations we arc daily receiving . Just while we are writing the present article comes to us a letter from one of the most intelligent and best-read Alasons of the West , who says to . us , when sending his

subscription lor another year : — ' I would as soon do without my dinner as miss your invaluable magazine . I consider it as decidedly the ablest Alasonic magazine ever published . I devour every word of it as eagerly as a child does a sugar plum , and then long for more . The wonder to me

is how you are able to go through the herculean labour of writing so man ) ' articles as you do . ' " We could Jill many pages with extracts like this from our pile of letters . But we abstain , and will let the Freemason speak for itself . "And now \\ ebes _ rin the second volume with n

disposition to do as well , and an endeavour to do better . We think the present numb-. r is a fair specimen of what we intend to do . The article ol Bro . Hughan , to which we specially invite attention , is itself worth all the money that will be paid for the whole number .

" From the same and from olher sources we hope for future contributions that willcontinuc to adorn and ' enrich our pages . We shall do our part . Will our friends and patrons do their part ? " And , now , what is it that we ask them to

do ? Simply to interest themselves in the circulation of the National Freemnsi u ; to drop : it their convenience a good word in our behalf , ind with a very little labour , a very slight iimount of trouble , for each one to secure r . s an additional subscriber . An effort successfull y

made in this direction by every one of our friends would soon double the list of our subscribers . And in that case we promise to well , not to be ungrateful . Wc will not say what we will do , but we may assure our readers that they will lind no room to reproach us at the close of the volume .

" Come , Inends , therefore , lo our assistance . Send us your clubs of ten or more at reduced rates , and where it is inconvenient or impossible to accomplish this much , send us what you can . The smallest favours will bc accepted . We want to please yuu , and we want you to help us . Nelson , went going into bailie , gave the signal

to his fleet that , ' Fngland expects every man to do his duly . ' And in starting on our second year ' s voyage , we hoist as our signal , ' The Xut ' rmal Freemason expects its friends to do their duty . ' " The proprietor of The PreenniMiii , London , will send the above magazine , post free , for i--s . per annum , prepaid .

I it :...-, K LIST . — l-. i-i . e . Ci , 1-., _ i ..-f , i .. _ Ti . it ! . . is a rn . Mi . mi ixo . — "Hi -i thi , i ,. ii . . ; h kiiiiMli-ilj . . .- 1 , 1 the nam .-aI laws uhi . I , , . I .-II _ lhe opt-in ' - lain , ., l , li ! . i-.: n , n an . t mini , mn , ami bi a . aiiTnl a | , ] , li .: a [ i , iii i , l tin-Lai- | ii-i . | , i-ilii--nl w .-il-M-k-. u . I ,-, „ ,,:,, , M ,-. I- ; ,,,,., ! , ; , „ ,,,, „ i , | .-, | „„ biv . : 1 , 1 a- ! mblis Mill , a iU-liian-. \ . r .. li ,, „ u-il bin ran-, whhli mav i-aii- n-. many hi-. uy i ! mTi , v . ' l . i ' . U . " - -. Vi- ;| 5 , i-. a , v _ '; ,. ¦ .. _ ., , ¦ . Made . •• inijiK wuli l ; ,, ilin _; WaUTi . r Milk . | , ; ,, | , ,, a , ki-t is labdlial—• J . ir . ii . _ - I-. IT _ - _ -. Ci ,., Ilinnii-i'l ' . - ithii- l hi-mUs , l . omluti . "

I Ii , i . i . ii-. v . \ i " s I'll :. , will lie lonnil tobir lhc must ri-li .-iblcii-im-ilii .-s wlu-ii M inter iho ks , tn a i nm-iili-iabli- irr . ti . nl , tin- natural cxhalinii-nlMjl llit- .-l . in , ami an . iltir . itive is reqniri-ii i 0 iranslcr tlii-m u-. lircli Ir . an the l . oily lliron ^ h sonnr iilln-r < haimi-l . These Villi , i- . in be i < , iili . ! inlly lei i . mmi'ideil as tin- lasiiral , surest , ami > ali--l na . ni- ,, ] . l ! l ,, inln _; llii , . h .-irahie i-ml , without wiukeiiin . ; tin- nu . sl lib , ale- in- im-,, inmoilim : the I li-i-bk-. When iron , tri-mient ila . l . i nr in . jM . n- air tin . bl I lav .-, lonl , ami the si-ii'i-iinnf -. iliaii-a , the . r rill .-, pria-i-nt a iimivaml i-Huh n : iman--of i Ican-ine nn- luiniiT .. mil n . rreniiu tin- l . ilii-r . li mav fail Iv In- i-aiii ni this tea-hi , iti-il nitihiiiir thai a i . nliialh ¦ KIIII , II > nil liorrtirii anil ilinwlilirrilji ; element :, Horn lilo .-i stem . —Al _" . 1 .

Masonic Meetings In Town Halls.

MASONIC MEETINGS IN TOWN HALLS .

We give the following lines willing insertion , as apart from their historical value in reference to an event said to hare occurred in the far past ; they singularly enough , in more than one leading point , remind us of the refusal within the last few weeks , as recorded in our Journal ,

of an Irish Board of Town Commissioners to rent their Assembly Hall for use as a Masonic lodge , and the uncouth and ungenerous manner i n which the proposal of the brethren was received by some members of the Corporation in

question on that occasion : — In Bletherim Town in Ireland , The Township Fathers all , 'Mongst other things met to decide , If they should rent their hall

At a sum for space , and fire , and light , To be considered fair To some brethren in attendance , Of the plummet , rule , and square . Three hundred years or more have pass'd ,

Since this event occurred , ' The place is now called Talkee , And I ' ve oft heard word for word

How these Masons were deputed , Their case to fairly state , And on that morn in all due form , On thc Township Fathers wait .

The Township Fathers all were met , From breakfast freshly sped , And ready for the day ' s debate , By chosen chicftans led .

And sonic were high and some were low , Some wise , and sonic lack'd sense , As in assemblies still we see , Of greater consequence .

The Chair that morn was taken , By Milo , man of mig ht , With worth y Doctor Parkinson Close by him on the right ;

Close by the Chair the Doctor sat ; As V . C . at the end Sat his noble son , the barrister , The people ' s steadfast friend .

And all round about the tabic , Themselves the others ranged , That their views on township matters Might there be interchanged .

That lamps at ni ght they might not light , Nor roads put in repair , But in stuck-up pride the cock-horse ride , O ' er those who sent them there .

The deputation soon appear'd , And then the talk began , CIIAIK said : — " To let them have thc * hall . Would be a useful plan ; Some official ' s paltry salary

1 he Board could then augment , Or poor men employ who find it hard To live and pay their rent . " Outspoke the doctor like a man . " Hard times , " he said , " I fear

Are coming on , for aught wejuiow , They may be very near ; Let us like just representatives , By right and truth abide , And should want assail thc township , Have the Masons on our side . "

" Think of our poor , " the V . C . said , " Think of the ills they bear , As by chill misfortune broken Thev sink down in despair ;

And that Masons oft are foremost found . Ere their last hopes give way , Their wants and sufferings striving To soften or allay . "

Thereon another Father said ( Could I but learn his name , Herein I'd place it on the roll Of never-dying fame ) ,

" In plain numerals or fractions I can compute aright , And I find the sum we ' re oller'd Comes to sixteen bob a night . "

Masonic Meetings In Town Halls.

Then said O'Rook , a man of wealth , " For such a paltry sum Must our mediaeval Town Hall A Masonic lodge become ? What signifies their rent to us ,

Whose coffers all are filled , Let them go elsewhere , and hire a house , Or lease a plot and build . " " That here in friendship men should meet , United hand and heart ,

And of ev ' ry creed and party !—¦ Why at the thought I start ; My royal ancestor of yore Would not [ this prank allow , To it , as chip of of the old block , I refuse mv sanction now . "

Uprose another orator , Who said "I'll second dat ; Dh point I'll ne ' er consent to yield ( Savs HardstufF—that ' s the chat ) ,

Don ' t talk to me of saving , sir , Is ' nt de trick before my eyes , Its far from my object here dis day , Rates to economise . "

Then his bristles bold nprearing , And waxing wroth , he said , " To speak my mind out freely I was never yet afraid . And my mind is , Mister Chairman ,

Dal ilccse Freemasons all , Should peg slick off " , for here ' gainst me Dewsc / ves dry shan ' t instal . " So did this vain and angry man Of shoemaking renown ,

Grasping at higher fame , aspire To dictate to the town , But fame his grasp eluded , for On hearing his tirade , Ne si / tor ultra crepitant , Was what most people said .

Then t V Chairman put the quest'c . " , , Which was one , lie said , to try , " Should they to the Masons rent their hall , Or let it useless lie . " But in dividing ' twas found out

That " Orrell had turned coat , And clink went the resolution , Lost by a single vote .

And so the faction triumphed , The Hall would not be let ; Dissensions were created , which All good men should regret .

But such quarrels now we seldom see , For , as I ' ve said before , This thing took place long , long , ago , Three hundred years , or more . B .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Leicestershire And Rutland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

CKRB . MONY OV LAYING TIIK FOUNDATION STONI : OF THI- ; EARL HOWK MEMORIAL CHURCH . The annual general communicaton of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Freemasons ' Hall , Leicester , on the 14 th instant , under the

auspices ofthe John of Gaunt Lodge , No . 523 . The meeting was summoned for the transaction of the general business of thc Province , and also for the purpose of laying , with Alasonic honours , the foundation stone of a new church ,

to be erected as a memorial to that honoured and beloved nobleman and worthy Alason , the late Earl Howe . The attendance of P . G . Officers , visitors , and other brethren , was very large . Amongst

the ' members present were—The R . W . Bro . William Kelly , F . R . U . S ., Provincial Grand Alaster ; the \ V . Bro the Right Hon . the Karl Ferrers , D . P . G . AL ; Bros . Sir If . St . John Halford , Bart ., P . S . G . W . ; Revs . J . Denton , f . Spittal , W . Langley , and Bro . L . A . Clarke , P .

Prov . S . G . Works ; H . Deanc , P . J . G . W . ; the Revs . J . F . Halford and P . H . Phelps , P . G . Chaplains ; the Rev . Dr . Haycroft , P . Prov . G . C . ; William II . Smith , P . G . Treasurer ; Albert Pell , ALP ., P . G . Registrar ; C . Stretton and G . Toller , jun ., P . Prov . G . Registrars ; S .