Reviews Of New Books.

In this land of liberty each one can sit under his own vino and fig tree , and eat the bread which he honestly earns in peace . Here he can worship God in the way he believes to be rigut , without any to molest him , and this great boon , this inherent privilege , and the establishment of a platform on the principle of a universal fraternity , the human family had not enjoyed since the days of the Hebrew Hepublic , only in those secret convocations in which it was often attended with danger , and sometimes with death , to congregate . "

With the niceties of the American language ( as distinguished by tbe late Emperor Nicholas from the English ) we do not pretend to be acquainted , and we cannot in the least tell what is meant by the "platform " which is here spoken of . We are accustomed to associate that word ivith certain timber erections used at Exeter Hall for oratorical , and at the Old Bailey for judicial purposes ; but we can assure Bro . Hyneman that all the privileges mentioned in the preceding paragraph can beand areenjoyed in this

, , benighted " old country" without any "platform" at all , and even without the aid of a second Moses . Some of us even go so far ( both Jews and Christians ) as to assert that liberty and Freemasonry both flourish even better on our congenial soil than in the model republic itself ; and for our part , we think that our own constitutions , both Masonic and monarchical , would not be in the least improved by an assimilation to the " platform " of the ancient and modern Moses . In the present state of public opinion in

this country , we trust that our allusion to this subject will not be considered as of too political a character for these pages ; it is not so meant , but is merely given to display the author ' s peculiar Masonic views . The invention of the ballot , which he considers the safeguard of America , is by him seriously attributed to Moses , from whom he assures us it has been

regularly handed down to the present day . As a Freemason and as an American it would be strange indeed , if our author were not an enthusiastic admirer of the fair sex ; and accordingly many pages are devoted to setting forth the charms and benefits of female society , which he considers with the most praiseworthy carefulness . And here again Moses and his institutions are brought upon the scene . Females , says Bro . Hyneman , were treated as they ought to be by the Jews in the

days of Moses , and they are equally cherished in America in our own times —another astonishing parallel . lie also takes great pains to explain the reasons why they are not admitted to the Order of Freemasons . " We trust that any of our fair friends who may meet with the work will be satisfied with his explanations—for our own part we regret to say we are compelled to class this part of the book as twaddle pur et simple . But our remarks have already run to too great a length and we must

hasten to a conclusion . There is one more point , however , upon which wc must animadvert , and that is the babbling upon Masonic subjects which characterizes too many works of the present day—the productions of men who from , their age ancl experience should be considered discreet and worth y brethren , but who do not hesitate to write and to print that which should never meet the public gaze , and should only be discussed in the bosom of the Lodge . Many instances of the kind occur in the volume before us

; but not more flagrant than others which we have remarked in books which are likely to be preserved for their value in other respects . It is hi gh time that our authorities looked to this matter . "Audi , vide , tace" the ancient rule of the Craft—appears to be ignored so far as the last clause is concerned ; and even where secret matters are not actually disclosed , sufficient is unveiled of our mysteries to excite the unlawful curiosity or the empty sneers of the ignorant aud the profane ,