Masonic Notes And Queries.

NOTES . OIST LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND ART . THE Government of Madras has taken legislative action in the matter of Romanising native words . It has directed all officials to adhere to the following rules : — ' ' 1 st . —AYhen native terms can be suitably represented in official correspondence by English equivalents tho English word should be used . 2 nd . —AYlien native terms are introduced into

official correspondence they should be expressed in English letters , according to the system originally recommended by Sir "William Jones , and since adopted , with partial variations , by the Asiatic Society , the Madras Literary Society , and by Professor AVilson in bis glossary of Indian official terms . 3 rd . —No . letters should bs introduced into any native word which do not exist in the original , and those which do exist should be expressed strictly in accordance with the scheme . 4 th . —The

only exception from this rule should be in the ease of the names of particular places which have become stereotyped by long usage in a conventional form , such as Negapatam , Mussilipatam , A kag . ipatam , & c . ' ' That officials may learn Sir AVilliam Jones ' s system , the government promise to publish lists of word * and a vowel scale , but conclude the order with that remark .

Mr . Maeready gave a reading from the English Poets , at the Town Hall , Aveston-super-Mare , last week , for the benefit of the Working Men ' s Institute and other educational societies . The visit of this gentleman attracted one of the most crowded gatherings ever held in Avcston , including members of almost every leading family in the town aud neighbourhood . Mr . Maeready read the story of Le Eevre , from Sterne ' s ' •' Tristram Shandy . " Campbell ' s ' - ' Exile of Erin" followed with

, amazing pathos , eliciting unbounded applause . He next read a passage from the Fifth Book of Milton ' s "Paradise Lost , " including Eve ' s Dream and Adam ' s Morning Hymn . Campbell ' s / 'Lord Ulliu ' s Daughter " was the next selection . The reading concluded with an act from Sbakspere ' s "Henry IV . " The Duke d'Aumale has purchased the wholo of the magnificent

library of the late M . Cigongne , amounting in number to four thousand volumes , and abounding in bibliographical treasures . The sum given for it , as we have heard it named , is . £ -15 , 000 , which , considering the number and rarity of the volumes , does not appear too high . Indeed , there is but little doubt that the collection , if sold at public auction , would have fetched more money . The late M . Cigongnewho died in

, May last , was a distinguished member of tho Sociufco des Bibliophiles Eraneais , in which he had filled the office of treasurer since 18-13 . He was a book collector , according to M . Techener , during the whole of his life , having assisted at the sale of Morel . A mde , in 1812 , of Duriez , in 1327 , of the Marquis de Calibre , and of many other distinguished amateurs .

A few evening ago , B . AVatorhouso Hawkins , Esq ., delivered a lecture ( the first of a series ) to the members of the Athenteum , at Bury St . . Edmunds , upon "The Ago of Dragons in Great Britain ; being an inquiry how far the fables , legends , romances , and traditions about dragons arc founded on truth . " AVe have to announce this week , says tho Alhenceum , the death of a gentleman whoso name has been long known among antiquaries , AVilliam

Henry Rolfe , of Sandwich . Mr . Rolfe had something of the antiquary in him by inheritance , for lie was the grandson of William Boys , the author of a well known work on the History of Sandwich and tho Cinque Ports . Mr . Rolfo ' s name became first generally known by the excavations which ho undertook at his own expense on the site of the Roman port town of Rutupirc , at Riehborougb , near Sandwich ; the results of which were published in " The Antiquities of Riehborougb , Beculver ,

and Lymne , " a work dedicated to Mr . Rolfe . Ho had formed a large and extensive museum at Sandwich , consisting of Roman antiquities , chiefly from Riehborougb . ; of Anglo-Saxon antiquities , from his own excavations at Ozongall , near Ramsgate , and from other parts of East Kent ; of coins , and of porcelain . He had parted with his Anglo-Saxon antiquities to Mr . Mayer , of Liverpool . Mr . Rolfe died , after a very short illness , on Sunday , the 27 th of November , in his eighty-first year .

Mr . Alfred Tennyson is writing a new poem for " Macmillan ' s Magazine , " to bo entitled " Sea Dreams : an Idyll . " The Kreus Zeifung states that the marriage at Munich of Ivan Golovin , the well known literary refugee , was telegraphed to the Emperor of Russia , and his majesty immediately replied , " My imperial , paternal blessing . All is forgiven , all forgotten . " Messrs . J . AV . Parker and Son announce a volume of Essays and Reviews , by the Rev . B . Jowett , M . A ., Regius Professor of Greek , Oxford ; Rev . Rowland AVilliamrs , D . D ., A icc-Prmcipal , Lampeter College ; Rev . P . Temple , D . D ., Head Master of Rugby School fltev , Badeu Powell ,

M . A ., P . R . S ., Savilian Professor of Geomotry , Oxford ; Rev . MarkPattison , B . D . ; C . W . Goodwin , M . A . ; Rev . H . B . AVilson , B . D ., Vicar of Great S'taughten , Hants . " George Eliot" complains thus in the Times : —Mr . Newby , the publisher , in issuing a work under the title of " Adam Bode , Junior , " Las not only made use of my title , but has so worded his advertisement as to lead many persons into the belief that I am the author of his so-called

"Sequel . " The . bxtent to which this belief has spread urges me to come forward with a public statement that I have nothing whatever to do with the worlc in question , or with Sir . Newby . I am not the first writer who has had to suffer from this publisher's method of trading . The readers of Currer Bell's life will remember a very unpleasant illustration of it . At the last meeting of tho Royal Society of Literature , Mr . Hogg read

a paper " On the Karaite Jews , " in which be gave an account of the leading facts relative to the history of this remarkable sect , with some notice of their present settlements , and especially of that at Tchufutkaleh , near Baghehi-Serai , in the Crimea . The principal abodes of the Karaites in modern times would seem to have been in Poland , but there are still a few families resident in the Holy Land and at Constantinople . They bear the character of being an exceedingly honest , hardworking

population , devoted much more to commercial than to literary pursuits . It is known , however , that they have long had in Poland a small literature peculiar to themselves , some notices of which may be found in J . C . AVolf ' s " Bibliotheca Ilebrrea . " A paper was read , communicated by Col . Leake , " On Greek Archeology and Topography , " containing critical remarks upon some passages in the recent translation of Herodotus , by the Rev . G . Rawlinson , and on the Rev . Mr . Clark ' s "Travels in the Peloponnesus . " Col . Leake pointed out that Mr . Rawlinson was in error whon ' he states that "there were two cities named Telmessus in Asia Minor : one in Lyeia , on the coast ; the other , called also Termessus ,

in Pisidia "—and that , in fact , there were two Telmesai and two Termessi , the former deriving their names from r ' s \ pa , a marsh ; the latter from rippci , a boundary . Col . Leake also showed that his own copy ( made as long ago as 1 S 00 ) of tho celebrated Midas inscription in Phrygia was more accurate than the subsequent one of M . Texier , on which Mr . Rawlinson had apparently relied . Col . Leake further expressed his dissent from Mr . Rawlmson ' s views as to the origin of Greek coinage ,

and adhered to the opinions he had promulgated in bis "Nuniisrnata Hellenica , " viz ., that it was much more likely that this refinement ol : civilization should have begun in Greece Proper than in the semi-barbarons states of Asia Minor . In conclusion , ho called attention to the difficulties any traveller would have naturally experienced who , like himself , more than fifty years ago endeavoured to reconcile the often

vague descriptions of ancient writers with tho existing features of the country . No French map of the Peloponnesus , constructed carefully by very able engineers , then was in existence , and Col . Leake had to make his geography before ho could understand Strabo or Pausanias . The work of M . Coulvier-Gravier , on "Shooting Stars , " has been received with the greatest honour in the world of science . The question of the formation , the purpose , and the final destination of tho vast quantities of shooting stars , whoso existence has hitherto presented the " ¦ reatest difficulty of explanation to tho astronomers of all ages , is bore

solved by M . Coulvier-Gravier , whose appointment to a most important post at the Obscrvatoire has given universal satisfaction . Pour shares in the Qlolc evening newspaper were offered for sale last week . The proprietary shares are sixty-two in number , the dividends on which have beeu £ Si , but the average for the last three years has been £ 10 per annum . The auctioneer stated that tho last shares sold in that place , about two or throe years ago , produced , £ 500 per share , and

the proprietors' present pre-emption price is £ -100 per share . The highest bid was £ 127 10 s . per share , and this offer being under the reserve price fixed by the Court of Chancery , no sale was effected . It was reported in tho room , but not officially , that the reserve price was . £ ' 250 pet- share . Tho opening of tho new schools in Paris for tho study of tho living Eastern languages is announced for Monday next . This foundation , duo

to the activity of the Convention , was first endowed on the 10 th Germinal , in the third year of the Republic , with tbreo professorships for the Arabic , Turkish , aud Crimean Tartar languages . Nine chairs have been instituted since that time , and bestowed upon the most learned savants of our time . Tho ancient school founded by Louis Quatorzo for the education of interpreters , destined for the divers missions in the Levant , is still in existence , and still furnishes the dragomans for the embassy at Constantinople .