Life Of The Prince Consort*

special attraction . Delightful glimpses of the domestic life of the palace , charming pictures of the children of the Royal household—although these are not too numerous—are interspersed through the memoranda on political affairs that abound in curious revelations , ancl are valuable materials for history . " We may , we think , fitly close our imperfect notice of a very charming book with another extract from the remarks of the same able

reviewer : " While the political interest of this volume is extreme , thanks to those absorbing public anxieties which had engrossed the Prince ' s thought and time , comparatively small space is devoted to domestic matters , with the exception of the marriage of the Princess Royal . But before taking leave of a most fascinating book , we cannot resist quoting a charming passage in a letter from the Prince to his daughter at Berlin about the little Princess

Beatrice , who was evidently a great pet with her father : — ' The little aunt makes daily strides , and is really too comical . When she tumbles , she calls out in bewilderment : " She don ' t like it ; she don't like it ; " and she came into breakfast a short time ago ( with her eyes full of tears ) moaning , " Baby has been so naughty ; poor baby so naughty , " as one might complain of being ill , of having slept too badly , etc' In the concluding volume , which will be anxiously expected , the domestic interest will be painful enough . " W .

Brother Gould's "Four Old Lodges."

BROTHER GOULD'S "FOUR OLD LODGES . "

WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN . THEE title of the work affords but a faint idea of its contents , and , indeed , J- from the varied character of the volume by our able brother , Robert Freke Gould , it would not be easy to suggest a description which would embody the chief features of the book . The main object is to elucidate the eventful history of " The Four Old Lod Founders of Modern Freemasonry

ges , , ancl their Descendants , " and also to present " A Record of the Progress of the Craft in England , ancl the Career of every Regular Lodge down to the Union of 1813 , " to facilitate which we are favoured " with an Authentic Compilation of Descriptive Lists for Historic Reference . " The work is most appropriately dedicated to the R . W . Bro . John Havers , P . G . W ., " In admiration of unrivalled services rendered to English Masonry , within

livingmemory , " and is published for the benefit of the Masonic Charities by Brother Spencer , Great Queen Street . Bro . Gould has endeavoured to do justice to the Lodges which formed the Premier Grand Lodge of the World in 1717 , and has succeeded beyond our most sanguine expectations . There were , as we all—or should—know , four Lodges which , assembled at the "Apple Tree" in 1716 ancl agreed to meet annuallto

, y "chuse a Grand Master from among themselves till they should have the honour of a noble Brother at their head . " Accordingly , on St . John the Baptist ' s clay , " the Assembly ancl Feast " was held at the " Goose and Gridiron , " and the first Grand Master was installed . No " Attendance Book " has been . preserved , so we cannot tell who were the company on these occasions , but Bro . Gould has traced many interesting facts as to this Assemblancl its

y subsequent history , and made the account most readable . What cannot be said for all Masonic Historians , he has compiled the particulars from authentic sources , after most painstaking exertions , to be preserved from errors of any kind . The first of the four of these four old Lodges still exists in the " Lodge of Antiquity , " No 2 . The second apparently appeared on the Roll until 1736 , and was struck off at the re-numbcring in 1740 . At least , this seems to us the