Notes On Literature , Science And Art.

Bro . T . B . Whytehead , of York , has printed , at the request of the Sir Knights of the Ancient Ebor Preceptory , a paper read before them , on " The Connection hetAveen the Tenrplars and the Freemasons in the City of York , " of which he has

kindly sent me a copy . Bro . Whytehead says ;— "I am in favour of the theory of a direct succession in the Order , and I believe ourselves to be legitimate Knights of the Temple descended from the ancient Crusaders . " Bro . Whytehead's paper is

full of useful information , but I confess its perusal leaves me unconvinced that there ever Avas any more real connection between the genuine Knights Templar and the Freemasons , than there is between the ancient Foresterswho protected the king ' s

, deer , ancl the excellent , but modern benefit society , which has adopted the name and insignia of a Avidely-differeut class of men . I believe that the multiplicity of degrees were manufactured by the adherents of the rival Grand Lodges , each of whom Avere

anxious to outshine the other ; that all other , than the three first , or Craft , degrees are quite modern , and even those in their present form cannot boast of a higher antiquity than the so-called Bevival . Nevertheless , I will carefull y preserve Bro . Whytehead ' s able paper , as a useful addition to our Masonic literature . The

copies of warrants , etc ., Avhich he gives are very valuable to one who is really anxious to collect facts for a History of Freemasonry in the North of England . The records of every Lodge , Chapter , Preceptory ( a better name than Encampment ) , should be carefully examined Avherever

there is a Brother capable of doing so Avith judgment—and it is pitable to think that any Freemason is incapable—and the results should be communicated to our Masonic periodicals , or pu blished in a separate form . Freemasonry will nut

suffer by this ; but , on the contrary , Avill be all the stronger for the true history of the glorious institution being known , even though some of the absurd pretensions of a portion of its members are swept aivay . Pose Cottage , Stokesley .

My Lord The King;

MY LORD THE KING ;

A MEEE STOBV . BV BRO . E . AtRA HOLMES , Author of " Tales , Poems , andMasoniePajiers ; " * " Mildred , an Autumn Romance ; " "Another Fenian Outrage ; " "Annabel Yaughan ;" " The Path of Life , an Allegory ; " "Noteson the United Orders of the Temple and Hospital , " etc ., etc .

CHAFFER V . TWO YEAttS AFTER . CHRISTMAS-TIDE . THE 24 th December , 1866 . Scene : Tho Great Northern "Railway Station , ancl the morning train . A crowd of people waiting to go off for their brief Christmas

holiday . A thorough winter day . Outside , all frost and snow ; inside , hundreds of passengers , mostly men , Avith hugegreat coats ancl comforters on , walking rapidly up and down the station to get a little warmth into their frozen toes— -a

little colour into their blanched cheeks . Hampers of game without number ; Christmas presents of all kinds and every variety piled up to go by the train ; a cartload of evergreens , amongst other things , sent off into the country by some cynical Avag , no doubt , AVIIO thought it Avould be as good a joke as sending coals to

Newcastle . As the train moves slowly out of tho station , our attention is drawn to a distinguished-looking man in half-mourning , and with a black hat-band , AVIIO has just procured his ticket for York , and takes his seat in a first-class carriage .

After cai'efully adjusting his raihvay rug about his knees , he pulls out a cigar case , and Avith careless politeness offers it to his only felloAy-passenger—an overdressed little man , with a hooked nose , surrounded by haif-a-dozen small packages ,

covered Avith black oil-cloth ( strongly suggestive of samples ) , and ivho , with an OA'erdone air of civility , accepts the proffered cigar , ancl proceeds to lig ht the same , after having carefully Avetted the end all round with his tongue , as is the habit of some connoiseurs of his class .

"Little cad ; bagman , I suppose , " ejaculates the other , sotto voce , as he strokes his long , tawny moustache with the forefinger and thumb of his right hand , and silently