Sonnet.

SONNET .

TRANSLATED BY DIASORAS . Behold yon football , to and fro Tossed by a throng of players , eagerly Who tug ancl strive , and kick and pant , and blow , Each struggling hard to gain the victory .

That throng of players represents full well The eager players in the game of life , AVho rush and run , ancl tug and fight , pell mell , Breathless and anxious in the selfish strife . The ball is filled with wind , ancl to their cost Men often find for wind alone they fight ;

And whether in the game they ' ve won or lost , They find that might can often vanquish right . They also find , whene ' er the game ' s o ' er , That life ' s a breath of wind , and nothing more .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor ii not responsible for ike opinions exprcued hy CorrespandenU , KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . TO TBI ' , EDITOK OF TIIE FflEEJIASOXS MAGAZIXE SSJ > . MAS 0 > "IC MIKKOE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER—Sir Knt . Grovesalias "J "

, , , alias "J . B ., Past G . Capt ., " inquires whether I "mean to say that the G . M . of the Templars cannot authorise a , commission to install a Prov . G . Commander ? He may as ivell say tliat on Friday next ive cannot install the newly elected Grand Master' because we have no Grand Master to do the ceremony . " This quotation enables me to ask "S . B . " who , in the event of a vacancy in the Grand

Mastership through resignation instead of death , is the proper person , indeed I may say the only person , to install his successor ? The answer is obvious—the retiring Grand Master : so , in like manner , is it the duty of a Prov . G . Commander , or Past Prov . G . Commander , to install a Sir Knt . holding a patent of Prov . Commander—if such can be found ¦ Now , at the time referred to , there were no less than

eighteen Prov . G . Commanders , one of whom , I maintain , ought to have been selected to install Sir Knt . Ogle , instead of Sir Knts . J . B ., W . B ., G . H ., and W . P . ; the latter I find was Grand Sword Bearer , and not Grand Expert . Sir Knt . J . B ., after explaining away his " aom cle plume " of Groves , says your correspondent , " has fallen into another error" ( ho has not proved the first ) "wlien lie brings two

examples hy analogy , viz : that of 1 st Capt . installing an E . G ., or a S . W . installing a W . M . elect . There is no analogy , as your correspondent and his colleagues ivere not inferiors or Prov . G . Officers , but ivere equals—Grand Officers of the Grand Conclave of England" ( grandiloquent ) .

"He ' s but a General—wo are Kings . —Ton THUMB . In 1855 I bad tbe honour of being appointed a Grand Officer , and as my friends do uot give me credit for any excess of modesty , I am led to infer that there is no want of development of a certain phrenological organ ; but this I can assure "J . B ., " that I was not led by the grand office to

which I was appointed to consider myself the equal of thoso nominated to higher office , although their installation had not taken place . An E . C . elect or W . M . elect , I consider to be the superior in rank of the Captains or Wardens from which class thoy have been recently elected . "J . B . " will observe that , to gratify him , I have confined myself to the word "install . " The foregoing letter , I think , will sufficiently express my opinion as to prove an answer to "Justus , " and that Sir

Correspondence.

Knt . Vernon , or some other Prov . G . Commander , should have performed the ceremony of' consecration , & c . Apologising for the space I am occupying , I subscribe myself , Yours truly and fraternally , J . ' . TO THE EDITOK 01 THE r _ lEEMASOS"S MAGAZINE A _ tD JfASOXIC JTIEEOK .

DEAR SIR , AND BROTHER , —Your Correspondent ^ in tho North , in last week ' s number , states , " something has been lost from English Templarism . " I presume he alludes to the "Grand Crosses , " instituted in Scotland about half a century ago , though apparently conferred earlier than that in the French system . Would " J " obligo me ( I write for information ) by informing me , how the

Council is regulated , ancl ivho are eligible as members , & c ? and also , if he can do so , how the privilege of conferring this distinction , comes to be vested incur Encampment ? I should presume it to be the prerogative of tho Grand Master . It is a difficult matter to say what is the correct system of the Order , varying as it does in different countries , and is ono among the many reasons why we should endeavour to work out uniformity of statutes and ritual . A WOULD-BE MEMBER , P . Z . and E . C .

Returns To The Clerk Of The Peace.

RETURNS TO THE CLERK OF THE PEACE .

TO Till ! EDITOR OE TnK FIlEE 3 IASO _ fS MAGAZINE ASD IIASOH'IC JflEEOK . DEAR SIR . AND BROTHER , —Thanks for your reference to tho 57 th Goo . III . c . 19 ; it had not escaped my observation . You will remember that , the V . W . the G . Secretary , by circular dated February 25 th , 1360 , drew the attention of all W . M . s " to the law , 3 th Geo . III . c . 79 , which requires that tho names & cof the members of each regular lodgo

, of Ereemasons , " & c , should " be transmitted , before the 25 th of March -in every year , to the Clerk of the Peace . " Hence , reference is made solely to the 39 th Geo . III . c . 79 , by that eminent functionary , and to that we must confine ourselves , as the 57 th Goo . III . c . 19 , sec . 26 , merely protects lodges of Freemasons " provided such loclges shall comply with the rules and regulations contained in the said

Aet of the 59 th year of his ( then ) present Majesty relating to such lodges of Freemasons . " I have a groat respect for your opinion in matters in general , and admire the gentle bearing you hold in your remark to the kind letter of " Lex , " p . 371 , No . 97 . It is nevertheless submitted , however disagreeable it may be , that all lod holding under warrant dated since the 12 th July

ges , 1798 , are not protected , controlled , or admitted within the pale of the law ; no returns required to he made the Clerh of the Peace for any county , stewartry , riding , division , or placeand that such are to all intents and purposes illegal secret societies , and , as such , are liable to all the pains and penalto which secret societies are subject . No such return , herein alluded to , is required or directed to be made by the Book of

Constitutions , and the sooner this subject is brought under the notice of tho Board of General Purposes , the better—thab such measures may be adopted to preserve the exalted position our ancient and honourable society has for ages occupied . Let our own houso be put aright , ere we proclaim others as illegal , spurious , and the like . I am , yours truly , R . E . X . May 13 th , 1861 .

Brahmin Masons.

BRAHMIN MASONS .

TO THE EDITOH OF THE FREEMASONS JtAGAZIXE AXD MASOMC MIREOK . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER ,- —I am surprised at seeing ifc stated in the MAGAZINE for September Sth , by "Inquirer , " Poona , that a Brahmin ivas initiated in Lodge Meridian . Had such been the case , No . 10-15 would be perfectly prepared to defend its act ; but , as the circumstance stands , I deem it duthaving sat as Master on tho occasion

my y , alluded to , to remark that the individual in question was , by his own statement , delivered to me in person , a Christian . Believe me , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , R . P . GOULD , P . M . Nos . 178 and 1015 . Taku Port , China , December 30 th , 1860 .