Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

Mrs . Augustus Peele has a new novel ready for immediate publication , entitled . Retribution . Frederika Bremer has in the press Life in the Land of the Eireworshippers , a novel in the form of an auto-biography . A volume , entitled Beyond the Orange Elver , or Scenes in Southern . Africa , 'is announced for immediate publication , but

without the author's name . AVorks of fiction may do well enough published anonymously , but surely matters of fact demand tb . e author ' s name as some small surety that they may be relied on . AVho durst quote an anonymous book in support of any assertion ? A cheap edition of The Autobiography of a Seaman , by the late Earl of Dundonald , has been published .

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is re-issuing Miss Anne Pratt's work on The Flowering Plants of Great Britain , in monthly parts , with coloured plates . A correspondent of the Gartenlaube , Leipsic paper , asserts that the music of the famous Marseillaise Hymn was composed by a German , named Holtzmann , of Meersburg , Hof-Capellmeister of the Count Palatine . It is said to have been discovered among Holtzman's manuscripts by Herr Hamma / the organist at Meersburg , and was intended for sacred music . So Rouaet must have the credit of

the words , and Holtzmann of the music , of the most celebrated political hymn or song in history . At the Stratford celebration of Shaksperc ' s birthday , on the 23 rd ult ., our Bro . the Rev . Granville Granville spoke as follows ( we quote , from the Era ) : — " It was a privilege to live in the midst of such interesting Shakspeviaii associations as those of that neighbourhood ; he , for one , deeply appreciated liis residence in the town

where all those associations centered . They would pardon him , perhaps , for adverting to a topic connected with the subject , ancl one in which lie had a personal interest . They had , probably , heard of two articles which appeared in the Athenceum , one signed AV . H . D ., which brought against him the serious charge of taking upon himself to restore the bust of the immortal Shakspere , placed in the church of which he had the care , to its original colours . He had not the slightest personal feeling against the authors , and would , in

fact , be as pleased as any one to see AV . II . D . in Stratford-upon-Avon again . No one could be more ready than he to receive any suggestions or hints which AV . H . D . ' s researches ancl literary experience would enable him to give . But , at the same time , he would most emphatically deny that the alterations recently made in the bust of Shakspere had been effected on his own exclusive responsibility , for the restoration had been carried out with the concurrence of the highest authorities in that town . It might not be generally known that some twenty-five years ago it was actually agreed that the bust should be restored to its original colours ancl state ; and this was about to be done , when the then "Vicar of Stratford , being

somewhat advanced in years , was persuaded that the stone of which the bust was composed was of a soft and friable nature , and he accordingly countermanded the work . He ( Mr . Granville ) regarded it as a matter of feeling rather than of taste , ancl the majority of those present would , probably , agree with him , rather than approve the spirit shown when Alalone ' s suggestion was adopted , avowedly 'to suit the taste of the age . ' He believed the general feeling was in favour of the restoration of the bust to its general coloursto mark

, tbe style in which the work was clone , and the period at which it was executed . This was certainly the decided impression of every person with whom he had conversed on the subject , and he had an opportunity of testing the feelings of the different Shaksperian pilgrims who hacl come to the Poet's shrine from all parts of the world ; ho hacl never heard one word expressed to the contrary , with the exception to which he hacl referred . Every one said ,

. seeing tho work covered with the whitey- brown pigment left upon it by Malone , ' AA'hy don't you restore it to its original colours ? ' He made these remarks because he was anxious to set himself right in the opinion of his parishioners ; for it had been his earnest desire , ever since he had been at Stratford , to do everything in his poiver to keep in preservation that beautiful edifice raised to the glory of Almighty God , and which contained the ashes of their Immortal Bard , without doing violence to the feelings of one Stratfordian .

If he hacl not thus acted , he should have considered himself unworthy of the kindness they had so undeviatingly shown . " Having quoted the charge against our Rev . Bro ., it is clue to him to give the defence , which was well received at the meeting . To

" set himself right in the opinion of his parishioners " is commendable enough in our Rev . Bro ., but we hold that it is a matter which no more concerns his parishioners than it does the admirers of

Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

Shakspere ' throughout theworld . If , however , the original colours of the Stratford bust have heen faithfully restored , ive certainly must commend the step taken by Bro . the Rev . G . Granville , whatever may he thought of it in an artistic point of view . When the monument was put up , the fine arts were at a low ebb in England ; and it is not as a work of art that the Stratford bust is to be valued .

The Athenceam informs ns that " AVilliam Oldys's " account ofthe London libraries in his time , which has been so long inquired for by literary men , has at length been discovered in the library of the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow , and is about to bo printed in Hotes and Queries . " Oldys died on the 15 th of April , 1761 . The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival , in aid of the funds

of the General Hospital , is to take place on the 27 th , 28 th , 29 th , and 30 th of August , under the patronage of the nobility ancl gentry of the midland counties . The Critic says : — " The Article in " the Quarterly Beview on the Essays and Eeviews , which sent the Beview into a fifth edition , has been variously ascribed to the Bishop of Oxford and to Dr . Sewell ; it is now beyond questionwe believeto be attributed to Professor

, , Mansel . The article in the Westminster Beview , which the Bishop of London fairly charges with originating the tumult , was written it is said by Mr . Harrison , Barrister-at-law . The article in the current Edinburgh Beview is by Canon Stanley . " Mr . Theodore Martin ' s translation of Catullus is to be out in a few days . A certain sensation appears to hav e been made by Herr Schachner's

"Israel's Return , " recently produced at Berlin . A literary interest , too , may bo said to belong to the oratorio , from the circumstance of its text having been arranged by Herr Giebel ( the elegant German poet ) for Mendelssohn ' s unfinished "Lorely" from Moore ' s Sacred Melodies .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed ujf Correspondents . REGISTRATION OF LODGES . TO TIIE EDITOR OS THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MHIEOH . DEAR SIR AXD BROTHER , —If you will refer to 57 Geo . III . c . 19 , s . 26 , you will find that it does not remove the difficulty

2 iointed out by your correspondent , " JR . E . X . " The exemption in the later statute only applies to those lodges which comply with the requirements of the earlier Act , which it is obvious that lodges holding warrants dated smee 12 th July , 1799 , aro unable to observe . Why does your amiable correspondent , " Anti-Spurious Mark" confine his attentions to the Mark degree . Such of

, them as havo any foundation aro as well applicable to the high grades and Templars' Degree , as to that which he so amusingly assails . Yours fraternally , LEX . [ We have the authority of some most eminent lawyers for stating that the Act alluded to refers to all regularly constituted lodges . ]

Knights Templar.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

TO THE EDIT 0 E OF TUB FREEMASONS MAGAZINE ANE MASONIC MIRE 0 E . SIR AXD BROTHER , —Docs your worthy correspondent , " % :. " mean to say that the G . M . of the Templars cannot authorise a commission , consisting of three or four of his Grand Officers , the senior of whom was the 1 st Grand Captain of the Grand Conclave of England for that year , to install , as I still prefer to call it ( we are a very antiquated race hero : we

have becu working the K . T . degree and other degrees of Knighthood , when even thc Grand Conclave was dormant , but we never stopped ; therefore prefer our antiquated . ivords to any neiv , however well traced words , not in uso by our prcdecesors ) . —I say , to install a Prov . Grand Commander ? He may as well say that on Friday next we cannot install thc newly elected Grand Master , because ive have no Past

Graud Master to do the ceremony . Not onl y were the members of the commission appointed Grand Officers of Grand Conclave , hut all Past Commanders , and something else