Wbitty

WBitty

SELECTIONS FROM POETRY OF THE SEVENTEEN ! CENTURY . ST . VALENTINE'S DAY . BY DRAYTON . Musi : bid the morn awake , Sacl winter UOAV declines

-, Each bird doth choose a mate , This day ' s St . Valentine ' s . For that good bishop ' s sake , Get up and let us see What beauty it shall be , That fortune us assigns . But lo ! iu happy hour

The place wherein she lies , In yonder climbing tower Gilt by the glittering rise ; 0 , Jove I that in a shower As once that fclnmd ' rei- did When he in drops lay hid—That I coulcl her surprise .

Her canopy I'll draw , With spangled plumes bedight , No mortal ever saw So ravishing a sight , That it the gods might awe And powerfully transpierce The globy universe , Outshooting ev ' ry light .

My lips I'll softly lay Upon her heav'nly cheek , Dyed like the dawning day , As polished ivory sleek ; And in her ear I'll say 0 , thou bright morning star 'Tis I that come so far My Valentine to seek .

Each little bird this tide Doth choose her loved pheer , Which constantly abide In wedlock all the year ; As Nature is their guide , So may AA'e tAvo be true , This year nor change for neiv As turtles coupled were .

The sparroAA ' , swan , the dove , Tho' Venus' birds they be ; Yet are they not for love So absolute as we ; Eor reason us doth move ; They but by billing -woo , Then ti-y what ive c-.-m do , To whom each sense is free .

Whilst we have move than they By livelier organs swayed ; Om- appetite each way More by our sense obeyed , Our passions to display This season us doth fit , Then let us follow it ,

As Nature us doth lead . Let ' s laugh at them that choose Their Valentines by lot ¦ ; To wear their names that use , Whom idly they have got . Such poor choice we refuse , Saint Valentine befriend AVe thus this morn may spend , Else , Muse , ' awake her not .

_ FIHBKDLY COUNSEL . —I haA-e an anecdote from a descendant of Pi-iupipal Robertson , of an address made to him , ivhich showed the real importance attached to all that concerned the system of drinking in his J ay . The Princi pal had been invited to spend some days in a country Uouse , and the minister of the parish ( a jovial character ) had been asked lo meet him . Before dinner , he went up to Dr . Robertson and addressed him confidentiall y , " Doctor , I understand ye are brother of my glide ti-eend Peter Robertson , of Edinburgh , therefore I'll gie ve a piece 'ff a < iI , r S nd WBel t 0 the Madeira at dinner , for here ' veil get little o * after . —Dean Samsag . "

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

, - [ T HE EDITOR does not hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained hy Correspondents . ' ]

GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND . TO THE EDITOR Of THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAU SIR AND BROTHER , —I regret having again to intrude upon your columns , and that the subject this time is not of a more pleasing nature than to give a short passing notice to an

anonymous letter—intended , doubtless , to be very telling and galling to me , but which I , and those to whom I have shown it , consider a most silly production—appearing in your valuable Magazine of tlie 25 th instant , signed " A Lover of Fair Play , " who portentously dates , " House of Commons ; " and having first given himself the foregoing misnomer , tries , like the " hired bravoes " we read of iu Italian lore , by muffling himself in obscurity , to stab in the '

dark—a proceeding as contemptible as can be well imagined in any one professing to be a brother . Aud , so far as I am concerned , in darkness and obscurity let him lie , as I shall not condescend to answer any of his unfraternal insinuations , which I hold at the value they deserve ; but I would strongly recommend him to blush for himself first , as he says he did for his country , and then to take a dose of his own prescription— "forbearance and brotherly

love" —before he rushes into print and exposes his OAVII thorough ignorance on a matter respecting which Bro . Cooke had long ago frankly acknowledged his error , and which was therefore set at rest till this " Commoner " thought fit to revive it . Your editorial remark on this person ' s letter is of the same kind ancl conciliatory tone as others I have seen from your pen ; the only question being— -is it not too much so' ?

Should your anonymous correspondent think fit to indulge in any further remarks , I shall not consider myself bound to take any notice of them . I am , clear Sir and Brother , very fraternally yours , 4- JOHN H . GODDARD . Representative Prov . Grand Lodge , Portugal , . " at the Grand Lodge , Ireland , 15 , Nelson-street , Diiblin , February 28 th , 1860 .

Bro. Distin.

BRO . DISTIN .

TO THE EDITOR 01 ? THE MtEEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AXD BROTHER , —I am sorry to inform you I am still very unwell , otheru'ise I certainly should have called to see you . The doctor AA-IIO is attending me advises a change of abode , and I shall clo so in a little time if possible . Under these circumstances , I should wish those brethren who may feel kindly disposed to assist me in my present difficulties ( for independent of the debts

incurred through the concert at the Crystal Palace , there remain those of Exeter Hall , which I grieve to state I have not the means of lieuridating ) , to remit all through you . 1 am induced to mention this , from having seen the notice you so kindly inserted , in the last number of the Magazine . Since my last letter to you , I have received a very kind note from Lord Leigh , with a donation of tivo pounds . I hope I shall be better in a few days

and able to come out , when I shall clo myself the pleasure to call and p ersonally thank you for your very great kindness to me . I remain , Sir and Brother , yours very truly and fraternally , 2 , Chapter Terrace , Neidwitou , S . Jonx Drsxix , SEX .

A LINK WITH TIH : PAST . —At eight years of age I was consigned to tho care of my grand uncle , AA-1 IO died , at the age of ninety-one , in 1806 . He was born in 1 / 15 , so that I could have derived impressions from him of events one hundred and twenty-live years ago or upwards from the present time . Then take his traditionary and personal communication ancl he could tell of a man and of what a man told him who had himself witnessed the execution of Charles I . This at first si ght seems somebufc it will be evident

what startling , quite on a moment ' s reflection . My uncle , at the age of fifteen , being then a younger son , was placed iu a mercantile house in London ; that being in the year 1730 , and one of the partners being an aged man , eighty-nine years of age , would easily alloiv him to have beeu eight years old when his father took him to witness that fearful scene at Whitehall in 1 G-19 . He could have told my uncle , therefore , from personal recollection , inimitia ) of details which , would easily escape the pen of tbe historian ,