Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

p lates . The first monthly volume will be issued on the 1 st of February . Professor Rogers is commencing a course of twenty lectures " On Political Economy , " afc King ' s College , London . Professor Ramsay will lecture on geology at the South Kensington Museum , on Monday next .

Captain Hall , writing from the Arctic regions to Mr . Grinnell , of New York , says : — " My discoveries hare already been such thafc I am satisfied Frohisher Strait is a myth . Nearly all atlases , charts , globes , etc ., represent Cumberland Strait and Frobisher Strait as both running nearly parallel with Hudson Strait—Cumberland Strait a few degrees north of Frobisher Strait , and Frobisher Strait a feiv degrees north of Hudson Strait . Neither Frobisher

nor Cumberland Straits exist . I am now within the so-called Cumberland Strait . It is bufc a deep inlet , miming W . N . W . and E . S . E ., its head being fifteen miles north-westerly of this harbour ; its extent , south-easterly , thirty miles . The Admiralty charts of the islands north of the so-called Frobisher Strait aro very imperfect . "

Poetry.

Poetry .

GRATITUDE . 311- AN IX . 1 IATE OF Till ! FEEEilASOXS' ASYLUM , CROA-DO-X I live ill a bright little world of my own , It is not all sunshine or showers , I have books , I have work , kind friends , and my plants , For could it be bright without flowers ? From that storehousethe minda book can be found

, , While sitting at work to think o ' er ; Of what use was my reading the books I have read , If I coulcl not enjoy all my store ! With all for my use in my two pretty rooms , What more can a mortal desire ? Ancl now that the earth is all eover'd with snow—In ny grate burns a cheerful bright fire .

I can dig , I can ivork in my own bit of ground , 'The Freemasons' gave it to me , With the fresh smell of earth and the pure air above , And the plants which in fancy I see . I have a kind Lady ivlio brings me some plants , She is clear as the flowers to me ; Which , when all admiring I stand to behold ; 'Tis her iu the floivers I see .

A kind word , or look , how 'tis treasur'd by me , To think over , and over again ; But , oh ! tho harsh word , boiv it grates on the ear , And crushes the heart with the pain . How great is the contrast ! to what it once was , The '' Song of the Shirt" was my theme ; "While stitching away from morning till night , And haunted with shirts in my dream .

With Avords of encouragement , feeling and kind , A Freemason came to my door , He pointed the way that the Widow should go , And helped mo because I was poor . With help from himself anil many more friends , I at last reached this haven of rest ; And , oh ! all tbe storms I have battled before ,

Makes mc think myself doubly blest . I have food , I have lire , and a sweet pretty home , In which to remain during life ; How little I knew of the comforts in store , From being a Freemason ' s wife ; "A Widow indeed" sought and found that relief , Seeming almost too good to be true ;

When worn out with work , ivith illness anil grief , Ancl naught but this hope to pursue . May success then attend all the Freemasons when , Their Festival Meeting is o ' er—May blessings descend on the heads of them nil , Because they reineinber'd the poor . And , oh ! on that day may think with delight ,

While sitting so jovial and glad , Ol tbe Widow and Fatherless , helped by their means , No longer in poverty sad ! WrUleu on the 25 lh of Decemier , I 860 .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

PTHE EwiOK does not hold himself responsible for ant / opinion entertained bij Correspondents . ^ THE CEREMONY OP INSTALLATION . TO THE EDITOIl OF THE KKEEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRKOB . Sue AND BIIOTIIEH , —I was present at the installation of the "W . M . of a lodge last week ; the ceremony was not

performed by the outgoing WM ., but by an old P . M . After the minutes of the previous lodge had been read and confirmed , the "VV . M . vacated the chair , which was occupied bj " tbe P . M . who had consented to install the newly-elected "W . M . His first act was to ask the immediate P . M . for his

collar and jewel . To this 1 objected , ancl mtormect the Installing Master that the proper time to invest the outgoing Master as P . M . was after the ceremony of installing the newly-elected W . M . had been completed . He insisted that he was right , aud afc once invested the W . M . After lodge was over I again explained to the Installing Master my vieivs on the point . As he still persists that he was right , aucl thafc ury ideas on the subject are wrong , I have

written to you to ask to 3 * ou to be kind enough to say when is the proper time to inA-esfc the outgoing W . M . as P . M . AHOAV me to congratulate you on the production of the " Remembrancer , " AA'hich I think will be of great service to the Craft . Yours truly and fraternally , P . M . and Prov . G . S . D . Gloucestershire . Cheltenham ; hth January , 1861 . [ Our correspondent is correct , and the Installing Master decidedly wrong . ]

The Grand Master Of Canada.

THE GRAND MASTER OF CANADA .

TO THE EDITOB OF THE JIlEliMASOXS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC itIKSOS . Sm AXD BROTHER , —I have seen in your numbers of the 24 th ult . and 1 st inst ., letters from an anonymous correspondent— "E . G . 0 . "—slandering the Grand Lodge of Canada and certain of its members . The last one is lvonderfnlly scurrilous , and sadly untrue . To prove to you the degree of credit to ivhich his assertions are entitled , I send youin the first placean extract from the report of the

com-, , mittee , to whom ivas referred the address to the Grand Lodge of my worthy predecessor . It is as follows : — " The committee have given much attention to the paragraph relating to the visit of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . They do not feel that an address to H . R . H . will be exactly in accordance with Masonic usage ; but they venture to suggest that a move in the proper quarter may induce the

Government to invite the co-operation of the Grand Lodge in those important ceremonials connected with the erection of the public buildings afc Ottawa , ivhich are to take place during the visit of his Roj * al Highness . The great ; obligations under which Masomy has ever been placed to the Royal Family of England for its fostering care can never be lost sight of by the Craffc , and the recommendation of the committee against the presentation , of an . address is only

founded on the grounds of Masonic usage already allude J to . " The report , therefore , was my justification . In the second place , there is a Masonic Magazine published in Canada , and my predecessor thought proper to allude to ifc in his address in fche folloiving recommendatory maiiiier : — " I have received several numbers of a Masonic periodical , The Canadian Freemason , published in Montreal ; and I

indulge in the hope thafc the spirit and ability displayed by its proprietor will he suitably acknowledged by fche Fraternity generally . " In addition to this , I affix , the following article , written by him , appearing in the number for the current month , on the subject of the Ottawa business , aud the leading article in your September number : — In connection with this most unpleasant subject , I cannot avoid

referring to an editorial ivhich appeared in a September number of the London FUEEMASOX ' S MAGAZINE , founded upon an article appeared in tho Toronto Globe , with reference to the treatment which of the Masons at Ottawa . The writer of the article referred to must not only have been entirely ignorant of the real facts of the case , but must have been actuated by feelings of personal animosity to our M . W . G . M ., otherwise he would not have written in the unkind ancl unmasonic spirit in which that article is penned ; the position assumed by the G . M ., on the occasion referred to , was undoubtedly the correct one , ancl I am satisfied that lie will be