The Condition Of Artinthis Country.

but a meagre soil for the nurture of so delicate a plant . But , if we cannot make the life of a poor man beautiful , Ave can at least place beautiful things within the reach of his daily life . We are not a people ivith such spontaneous gifts of art that we can produce beautiful tilings at Avill and without instruction . We need education in taste , and that can only be attained by the contemplation of beautiful objects . There is scarcely a town in France AA'hich has not its museum , furnished with objects of local interest , ivitb a few models of such great works as can be effectively reproduced , AA-ith the productions of local artists , and with specimens of design and execution specially related to local industry . In England A \* e have hardly anything of the kind , ancl yet the climate

of England , as Avell as the ordinary lives and occupations of Englishmen , are far more favourable to the growth of national taste than is the case in France . Nottingham has practically recognized our deficiencies in this respect and made a serious effort to abate Wiem . If art and beauty are worth anything at all , they are certainly Avorth a serious effort to foster and sustain them . Do what Ave ¦ will , it will be a very long process to regenerate the national sense of beauty , but the only way to do it is to place beautiful objects within reach of all , and gradually to create a love for them . It may be long before the seed thus sown bears fruit , but ivhen it does it Avill certainly be found to have been worthy of the cultivation bestoived on it . "

AVe feel that feAV Avords of ours in addition are required to commend the good work to the sympathy and encouragement in auy locality of Freemasons . AVe are bid , as we shall remember , pay attention to all that can develop and improve the mind , and we still believe , that in the love of the artistic , the graceful , the beautiful , lies one condition of a nation ' s advance , a nation ' s greatness , ancl a nation ' s civilization .

The Origin And References Of The Hermesian Spurious Freemasonry.

THE ORIGIN AND REFERENCES OF THE HERMESIAN SPURIOUS FREEMASONRY .

{ Continued from page 33 . ) BY KEY . GEO . OUTER , D . D . CHAPTER Till .

The Reference to the Universal Redemption of Mankind . " Stone Tables Avore used by the Egyptians to ivrite their secret laws upon , in their Mysteries , in unknown characters , which they caff . acred ; but God applied them to the use of public laws , plainly written and openly promulged to all . Nor let anyone be disturbed at the supposition that , in framing the Jewish Laiv , regard Avas had to the prevailing superstitions of those times . For , from this fact , set by this other , that those very laivs , so framed , were , at the same time typical of a more perfect Reli gion , I hope to deduce a most certain argument of the divinity of that Law . "—BISHOP WAIU-UUTOI * .

IT is a curious fact , and displays a remarkable instance of the exercise of a superintending Providence , that rays of truth should have been infused into an institution which Avas considered to be the great depository of every species of false ivorship that existed in the idolatrous ivorld . This consideration makes it extremely probable that the Spurious Freemasonry ivas graciously permitted by an All-wise Deity to flourish in every age , from the Dispersion at Sbinar to the Advent of Christ , " unthe rise and fall of states and ires

influenced by emp , for this express purpose , that some knowledge of His designs respecting His fallen creatures mi ght be preserved , even amongst those ivho had denied His omnipotence and renounced His ivorship . " It is au easy thing , " says Lactantius * " to shoiv that the whole Truth was divided amongst , the several sects of philosophers ; and if anyone would collect the truths scattered among the sects of philosophers , and gather them into one body , he woidd not certainly disagree from the Christians . " Clemens Alexandrinus f thought that the peculiar