Notes On Literature, Science And Art.

Berlin ; M . Albert Kolliker , of Vurzl . urg ; and M . dc Vcrnouil , oi Paris . . The anniversary dinner of the Hoyal Geograp hical bocioty took place on Wednesday evcuina . at the Freemasons' Tavern ; Bro . the Earl De Grey and Ripon presiding . His lordship also presided at the . annual meeting when the gold medals were presented to Sir L . JM'Clintock and Lady Franklin . Lord De Grey since has been compelled by the pressure of his official duties to resign the presidency ofthe Geographical Society . Lord Ashlmrton has been elected in his stead , and will immediately

enter upon the duties of the office . At the Society of Antiquaries , on Thursday , May 2-lth , the Karl of ¦ Stanhope , president , took the chair , Ninety-six members attended . The Fellows assembled proceeded to the election of a secretary iu the place of Mr . Akerman , resigned . At the close of tho ballot Mr . Christopher Knight Watson , M . A . . . of Trinity College , Cambridge , Fellow of the Societthe candidate recommended by the councilwas declared to

y , , be unanimously elected secretary . The vote of the society was then taken on the recommendation of the council as to an allowance to the retiring secretary , and the recommendation was unanimously agreed to . As the reading of papers had been suspended for this evening to make way for the above special business , Mr . Franks , the director , provided exhibition of his collection of casts from ivories for the entertainment

au ofthe meeting . Its formation is the work of many years of labour . The collection , with specimens unpublished and but little known , includes the greater number in the well known set issued by tho Arundel Society in 1 S 55 , and originated by Mr . Alexander Nesbit , Mr . AVestwood , and Mr . Franks . The casts are from gutta pereha squeezes from the ivories themselves , from the principal museums and cabinets both hi le

England ancl abroad . They are typical examples of each age and sty , ranging from the second to the sixteenth centuries . Following Mr . Oldficld ' s classification , the collection may be described as comprising Pomaii diptyebs of mythological character ; Roman and Byzantine diptychs of historical character ; ecclesiastical diptychs anterior to A . D . 700 ; book covers anterior to A . D . TOO ; diptychs and book covers of the anterior to

eighth , ninth , and tenth centuries ; miscellaneous objects A . D . 1000 ; carvings ofthe Greek school of various periods posterior to the age of Justinian ( A . D . 483-565 ); ornaments of a casket of the Greek school , of uncertain ago , in the treasury of the Cathedral of Sens ; carvings ofthe Italian school , all probably of tho fourteenth century ; French , English , and Gorman schools , eleventh to the fourteenth century ; sacred subjects , the same of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries ; secular subjects and statuettes , and Italian , French , English , and German schools , fifteenth and sixteenth centuries . It is not a little gratifying to

find , after a review of this very admirable and extensive series , that one of the noblest , if not the noblest , of existing ivories is the property of the nation , aud is deposited in the British Museum ; it is the leaf of a diptych of the fourth or fifth century , ou which is represented a grand standing figure of an angel with a cruciferous globe and a sceptre . The Architectural Congress commenced last Monday week at the great lecture room of Trinity College , Cambridge , under the presidency from

of Alexander Beresford Hope , E-q . After an appropriate address that gentleman , the Rev . Professor Willis delivered a lecture on the architectural history of the University . It gave great satisfaction , and may lie characterized as lucid , learned , entertaining , and practical . The professor has announced a work on the same subject , the appearance of which is anxiously expected . On Tuesday an excursion was mado to El Mr Gilbert Scottthe celebrated architectgave a history

y . . George , , of ' the . Cathedral , and Professor Willis conducted the party round the singularly interesting conventual remains . In the evening there was a , conversazione at tho Town Hall , Cambridge , which , to tell the truth , was a slow affair . On Wednesday the congress assembled at the FitzwiUiam Museum , whence they proceeded to visit the principal buildings in the university and town . Professor Willis acting as guide . In tbe

even in" Mr . Hope , the president , delivered an elaborate lecture on the English cathedrals of the nineteenth century . The proceedings of the congress closed with a visit to Bury St . Edmunds on Thursday . Tho party was received by Lord Arthur Hervey ,. president of the Suffolk Archreological Institute . An ordinary meeting of tho Horticultural Society , for the election of Fellows and ballot for lantshas been held at tho Museum of Science

p , and Art , South Kensington , by permission of the Lord President of the Privy Council ; . 1 . J . Blandy , Esq ., V . P ., in the chair . The chairman having intimated that his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge had been pleased to signify his wish to become a life member of the society , the usual method of ballot was dispensed with iu this instance , ancl his

Notes On Literature, Science And Art.

Royal Highness was elected by acclamation . The following ladies and gentlemen were afterwards balloted for and elected Fellows : —Mrs . E . Edison , Sir Charles Knightley , Bart ., Rev . T , W . Franktyn , Charles Pao-et , Esa ., M . P ., Lady Ashburtoii , Mrs . J . AV . Bm-mester , D . C . Marjoribaiiks , Esq ., M . P ., Mrs . Newman Smith , Mrs . M . W . Savage , Thomas Newall Arber , Esq ., Robert Pulsford , Esq ., Samuel Sandars , Esq ., Lady Filmcr , Mrs . Chesterfield Gayford , Mrs . Bailey Denton , tho Earl

Grosvenor , M . P ., the Earl Spencer , the Countess Spencer , James Cawlcy , Esq ., Wm . David Howard , Esq .. F . B . Bernard Natusch , Esq ., Ralph Neville GhcmuUe , Esq ., B-obert Mvo-adwater . Esq ., and H . G-. Poole , Esq . The ballot for plants was thou proceeded with . It appeared that three hundred and thirty seven Fellows had given notice of their desire to share in the distribution . Of most of the plants there were a sufficient number to supply all the applicants ; but for several a ballot was necessary in order to determine who should have them ,

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

- —~— -- — - - ^ fr—¦ ¦¦¦ ' - " [ T UB EIHTOI . does not hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained by Correspondents . ) TO THE EDI'IOll OS' THE 1 ? REEMASOiIii' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIIU _ OI > .. DEAK Sti : AND IhiOTiuEi ., — -In your report of the last Grand Conclave of Knights lar I am represented to have said that

Temp the Knights of Boston were addressed by the President of the United States and his officers while on their way to New York . This is a mistake . The Knig hts of Eichmond , A'irgima , visited Boston , Massachusetts , and were entertained in very grand style by thc Knights of that city . Subsequently the Knights oi Providence , Rhode Island and Boston returned the visit , and it while ' their to EichmondA irginiathat they were

was on way , , addressed hy the President ; ancl on their arrival at Eichmond . they were welcomed in the warmest manner hy Governor AA ise , the executive of the state . T am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , Er . isiiA D . C OOKE , K . T ., Kentucky , United States .

The Tor V. The Thorn.

THE TOR v . THE THORN .

TO Tin : EDITOR Ol' THE .-T . EE . U . VSO . YM' MACIM-VE AND MASONW _ l ____ _ tO- ? . DEAI . Sin AND BiiOTiiEfi , — -In the report of the Colston Festival T wrote distinctly the word Tor . —Your printer has made it Thorn ; he , I dare say , has read the legend ofthe " Holy Thorn , " which is said to bloom every Christmas eve iu the Abbey of Glastonbiuy . Now the Tor is a most interesting tower on a lull near the town , 1 ours fraternally , Tun REPOT ; - ™ .,

Tin- Wi-nn 'WOIIKIXC .. —In a recent address , the M . W . G . M . of Vermont observed ;— " I now state , what I suppose was well understood before by every well informed Mason in the United States , that AVebb abridged as well as changed the arrangement ofthe lectures of Preston . " Ou this , Bro . Leon Hyi . cman , in the American Mirror and Keystone , remarks : —" That is certainly . in admission that the Webb lectures are not the same as the Preston ' lectures . The question may well be asked , what rWit had Webb to abrid and change the arrangement ol the .

ge lectiires ° of' Preston ? The Grand Master does not inform us if the Webb work , as he understands it . is the Webb work of 1797 , 1 S 02 , ISO :, or any of the intermediate , years to 18-2-1 , as we . suppose every tolerably well informed Mason in the United States knows that Webb changed Ins own work almost as often as nature changes her garments . " M . SONRV WELT . T AUOJIT . —The Grand Lecturer of Michigan , Pro . S . Blanchard in recent communication observes that he teaches Masonry

a . , npon tho following basis : — " 1 . As we teach by symbols morality , science , and religion , in the consecutive degrees . 1 . urge uponi my pupils that the lectures are the guides of the work . 2 . That everything we do in the Lodge is symbolical , and has its own meaning , o . In Ins report to his Grand Chapter , in January last , ho beauti idly observes : — At an early period Masonry took me by the hand , bid mo follow my conductor and fear no danger . Thus was I led into the peaceful and introduced to multitude of honourable and

virhumane temple , and a tuous men , who have made darkness light , who have ever been , and to the close of my life will continue to be , my constant , ardent , and devoted friends . Its teachings have been food to my mind amid all the vicissitudes of my life . This is the relation which Masonry created , and by whicli it has ever been recognized ; and which now , as my pathway is darkened , fills my heart with love and gratitude to . our benevolent fraternity . "