Correspondence.

Herostratus set fire to the Temple of Ephesus B . O . 356 , and " John Slack " writing a letter to the Prince of "Wales and receiving an answer published loth A . D . 1 SGS—all for a niche in the Temple of Parne . As P . M . says , "time has revealed" so much , wo shall therefore await the pleasure of time to reveal more .

Yours fraternally , MASON . TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —Every Mason who has the

good of the Craft at heart , must feel deeply the offence that has been committed by our unworthy Bro . " Slack " against the vital principles , constitutions , and landmarks of our ancient ancl honourable fraternity . H . B . H . has in reality shown himself better acquainted with the institutions of Preemasonry

than Bro . Slack , by declining to comply with a request that H . R . H . ought to have been aware should never have been made . Our Bro . Slack has committed a double misdemeanour ; he has committed a breach of confidence and a breach of discipline . The one is a matter for his own conscience , the other for the

Grand Lodge of Scotland . Had he privately been guilty of the offence of " undue solicitation , '' it might have been known to none but himself ; but openly to proclaim arte scribendi , how lightly he esteems , how ready he is to violate " his honour as a man and his fidelity as a Mason , " is an affront to the whole Craft ,

so flagrant in character , and so glaring in appearance , as to merit the public censure and punishment due to a renegade delinquent , and the private condemnation of everyone who has the misfortune to be connected with him , in the ties of Masonic brotherhood . As his offence was public , so let his chastisement be public also ; as he has cast a slur upon the whole

Craft , so let every member of it be acquainted with the name of the offender , the " heinousness of his crime , " and the penalty he has incurred . The man who commits a breach of confidence , although he may be a recreant to his oath , unfaithful to his vow , and a traitor to his obligation , sins nearly as much

against himself as against others ; but he who incurs a breach of discipline not only deserves the punishment due to the disobedient , but imperils the safety of the whole community . One mutinous soldier will corrupt a whole regiment ; and who can tell what the contaminating effect of unfaithful and rebellious

brethren might not result in among Maaons if their offences be not followed by prompt and stringent measures . Unmindful of his solemn obligation , regardless of his honour , reckless of the consequences of his officious audacity , Bro . Slack did not even take the trouble to ascertain whether his unjustifiable and

sycophantic request was likely to be complied with , but with the most unblushing effrontery has subjected himself individually , ancl the whole fraternity collectively , to the mortification of a temporary refusal to join our body from the highest male personage in the land . Under the circumstances H . B . H . acted the

part of a gentleman and a man of honour , although there is no question but that H . R . H . must have been astounded at the nature of the request , and particularly the source from which it emanated . It is rare among the members of our illustrious Order

Correspondence.

that a case so unparalleled in its violation of everything that a Mason holds clear , is brought under the notice of our authoritative tribunals ; but , nevertheless , the contingency is provided for in the admirable constitutions of the Craft , and every Mason will exclaim , let them be made available in the present

instance . Examples must be made at times of the offending members of every existing society or community on behalf of the welfare and safety of the remainder , ancl in the case of Bro . Slack let it be done . Fiat eccperimentum in corpora vili . Yours fraternally , CEUX .

The Masonic Lifeboat.

THE MASONIC LIFEBOAT .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBEOH , Dear Sir and Brother , —I sympathize with the remarks at page 343 of the Magazine . "When " even Sunday-school children with their pennies have raised a sufficient sum to pay for a lifeboat , '' surely Masons will not be backward with their shillings . Although

I am not an English Mason , I beg to enclose my shilling for the fund , and other brethren doing the same , the Masonic lifeboat would soon be afloat . A shovelful' of shillings is as good as a handful of pounds , aiid more Masonic ( I dont refuse the pounds though ) , because all may therefore have a share in

the duty . Imagine a ship in distress giving tho Master Mason's sign of distress and no response ! "Where are the Masons ? "Where is the Masonic lifeboat ? Echo answers—where ? Yours fraternally , EXOEISIOE .

Grand Lodge Of Mark Masters.

GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTERS .

TO THE EDITOR 01 ? THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir ancl Brother , — "Will you bo good enough to inform me how to proceed in order to obtain my certificate as a Mark Master , which degree I received in Sydney more than 12 months ago . The certificate has been duly paid for ,

Certificates from the old country seem to be very difficult to be got at . Our lodge has only received two or three in two years . Yours fraternally , X . Y . Z . AUSTBALIA .

A Compliment.

A COMPLIMENT .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASOHIC MIHUOE . Dear Sir and Brother , —I feel much pleasure hi forwarding you an extract from the report of tha proceedings of Lodge " Mars et les Arts , " held on Tuesday , October Sth , at Paris , recorded in the Monde Maconnique , honourably mentioning the visit of om . "

highly esteemed Bro . J . A . Horner , viz . : —¦ ' * An English visitor , Bro . J . A . Horner , assisted at the meeting of October Sth . Bro . Homer is one of the contributors to the Freemasons' Magazine , in . which he has published highly interesting articles on his visits to the lodges of Jersey , Guernsey , St . Malo ,