Masonic Notes And Queries.

the widows aud children of deceased architects left in destitute or distressed circumstances . Some books have of late appeared in London , pretending to be written by detective policemen , but which are mere fiction . As a contrast to these , Mr . James M'Levy , of the Edinburgh police detective staff , has just issued a work entitled Curiosities of Crime

in Edinluryh during the last Thirty Tears . The distribution ol prizes in connection with the Art Union of Dublin is to take place on Wednesday , the 1 st of May . A second series of Mr . T . M'Combie ' s Australian Slcetclies are in thc press . Dr . Smilcs ' s paper on " Workmen's Savings" is being reprinted

from the Quarterly Seciew , and will shortly be issued in pamphlet form . The Garden of Plants in Paris is about to be greatly enlarged . A life of Dante , by Lord Yernon , is on the eve of publication . The French Academy of Sciences are about to offer a prize for the best essay on " The reproduction of Bone when broken or

crushed by Accidents . " The Emperor has contributed ten thousand francs towards the sum . In the recently issued AutoMograpIiy ofthe Rev . Dr . Carlyle , we have the following gi aphic picture of Harrogate seventy years ago — " Harrogate at this time was very pleasant , for there was a constant succession of good and the best entertainment

company , of any watering place in Britain , at the least expense . The house we were at was not onl y frequented by the Scotch at this time , but was the favourite house of the English nobility and gentry . Breakfast cost gentlemen only 2 d . a piece for their muffins , as it was the fashion for ladies to furnish tea and sugar ; dinner , Is , ; supper , Gd . ; chambers nothing ; wine and other extras at the usual price , and

as little as you please ; horses and servants at a reasonable rate . We had two haunches of venison twice a week during the season . The ladies gave afternoon ' s tea and coffee in their turns , which , coming but once four or five week's , amounted to a trifle . The estates of the people at our table did not amount to less than £ 50 , 000 or £ 60 , 000 per annum , among whom were several members of parliament ; and they had not the precaution to order one newspaper among them allthough the time was criticalbut Andrew Millar

, ; , the celebrated bookseller , supplied that defect , for he had two papers sent to him by every post , so that all the baronets and great squires — your Sir Thomas Claverings , and Sir Harry Grays , and Drummond of Blairdrummond—depended upon and ' paid him civility accordingly ; and yet when he appeared in the morning , in liis old well-worn suit of clothes , they could not help calling him Peter Pamphletfor the patron of Scotch authorswith

; generous , his cit y wife and her niece , were sufficiently ridiculous when they came into good company . It was observed , however , that she did not allow him to go down to the well with her hi the chariot in his morning dress , though , she owned him at dinner-time , as he had to pay the extraordinaries . "

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not retpomilUfor Vic opinions expressed ly Correspondents . THE SECEETAEY'S POSITION . TO THE EDITOR OE THE I'MSiarASOXS jrAGAZItfE AND IfASOSIC MIRROR . SIR AND BSOTHEE , —In all regular lodges , the Secretary ' s desk is on the north side , exactly opposite the J . W . pedestal . During the later period of the "Past Grand Secretary ' s term

( Bro . White ) , his desk was removed nearer the dais , in consequence of that brother ' s infirmity of hearing . Now that reason is not existing , why docs not the Grand Secretary ' s desk occnriy its proper position ? Yours truly , A P . M .

TO THE EDITOR or Tire FUEESIASOX- S MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAK SIK AND BUOTIIER , —Bro . Henry T . Bobarts puts the question in your last number— " Is it not desirable that the present \ Of . ( installed in June ) should hold office until the regular lodge meeting in May , and the new Master be elected on that night ?" I beg to submit to you that , whether desirable or not , lie rnnst , or else what becomes ofhis solemn pledge , & c , to hold the office / o-r the ensuing twelve months , & c .

Correspondence.

It is a great liberty to question your opinion on any Masonic matter , but does not your remark following the letter referred to rather favour the conclusion that the W . M . can serve a less lime than twelve months , by your saying the Wardens will be tie only parties affected ( i . e ., if an earlier election takes place ) , as they must serve twelve months to bo eligible for the chair . Bro . Bobart ' s letterwritten in a very considerate spirit

, , opens the important question of the absolute necessity , as I respectfully submit to you , that a Master must always serve twelve months , and I am sure you will not refuse to re-consider your observation in connection with Bro . Bobart's letter , and adopt the principle I affirm , if I have rightly represented the matter now under discussion . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A RULER ovun TWENTY YEAKS -

Poetry.

Poetry .

MASONRY'S SEVEN AGES . ( After ShalcspereJj Ev ' ry lodge is a stage ; The Master , officers , and brethren , all areplay ' rs ; Tliey have their exits and their entrances , And one brother in his time plays many parts ; His acts being seven ages . First , the Enter'd 'Prentice ,

Enrapt in Masonry and all its charms . And then , the Craftsman with his working tools , And shining ev'ning face , trudging to Lodge of Instruction , Most willingly to school . And then the Master Mason , In Masonry most earnest , with a tuneful ballad Made to his Master's installation . Then the Warden , Full of great power , and speaking like a bard , Jealous of his Lodge ' s honour , sudden and quick with gavel ,.

Seeking Masonic reputation _ Ev ' n in the Tyler ' s woutli . And then the W . M . , In fair , round belly , with good capon lin'd , With eyes severe , and jokes well dried and cut , Full of wise saws and modern instances : And so he plays his part . The sixth age shifts Into the hononr'd and respected J ? ast Master , With spectacles on noseand jewT on side ;

, His Mason ' s clothes well us'd , are now too wide For his shrunk shank ; and his big , manly voice , Turning again toward childish treble , pipes And whistles in his sound . Last scene of all That ends this strange eventful history , Is second childishness , and mere oblivion , Sans ladye , sans jewel , sans collar , sans ev ' rything . 0 . J . OSBORNE ,

The Poet's Plea.

THE POET'S PLEA .

Br Bno . GEOHGIE MAiiKinui TIVEDDELL , Author of " Shalcspere : His Times and Contemporaries , " & c . No!—bid me not destroy my rustic lyre , Though its rude notes may finer ears annoy ; For I have felt one " spark of Nature's fire , " And unto me that lyre hath been a joy : Yea , I have lov'd the Muses from a boy ;

And oft wVien Grief did on my spirit press , When woman's eye no smile had got for me , And there ivere none to cheer me or caress , I fled , my dearest Poesy ! to thee ; For thou conldst always cheer my drooping heart , And put Despair ' s dark , hideous train to flight ; Anon , across my darkened mind would dart Inspiring thoughts and visions of delight ,

Till my glad soul forgat Misfortune ' s blight . AJ : Eci-pm .., - CUSTOM . —The Egyptians had a funeral tribunal by ivhich the dead were tried before they could be buried . After death every Egyptian was brought before this tribunal , and if convicted of having in life acted unworthily , he was denied a place in thc burial place of his ancestors . Tin ' s was a great disgrace to his family ; and according to the Egyptian theology it deprived the spirit of the deceased of an entrance into heaven .