Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

iegious hands : a class of persons , generally supposed to consist of scholars and gentlemen , demean themselves as live cargo discharged from a Margate steamer on a Sunday afternoon . Thus is eivilisation laying its poisoned axe at the root of these as of so Hsany ancient stems ; and , in another generation , the cedars of Ihebanon may exist onlv in the Song of Solomon and the dirges of the Prophets . " "We are sorry to have to record the death of Mr . George Smith ,

a native of Saddleworth , Yorkshire , but whose name has been Sir- many years associated Avith those of the Lancashire poets , as well as the prose Avriters of that county , in ivhich the principal part of his life ivas passed . He ivas the "Brother Poet" of J . C . JPrince .. Mr . Walter Thornbury , in his recent book , Turkish Life anel

Character , relates the folloiving as bis mode of dealing with " . \ iTkish porters : — "Stolidly imperturbable , the ragged Turk strides to the watering-place , and throws our saddle-bags into a caique . It tnfcos more than all my Turkish to explain to him that Ave have no change , but ivill reimburse him for his trouble as a guide on our return from the Turkish ' city of Avaters . ' He clutches the bags io > his dirty breast , and manifests a strong desire to return with

thorn to JVIisseri's unless ransomed hy many piastres . I call out to lam all the ivords expressive of future time , such as , "fo-morron-, my ally ; ' "The day after to-morroiA-, my friend ; ' 'Monday week , say succourer , ' & c , ivhich so beivilders him that he throws doivn ihe- " bags ( breaking my pomatum-pot ) , mutters a curse , shakes his Siead , addresses tlie boatmen in a short harangue against the treachery of infidels in general , and vanishes unpaid up the hill . " "W ' e fancy that such conduct as Mr . Thornbury boasts of is not

Mkefy to elevate Christianity in the eyes of the Mussulman , or to give a poor Turk much insight into English civilisation . AVe ¦ would give a trifle to see Jlr . Walter Thornbury try the same game on with one of our English navvies , AA-1 IO would soon break someslilng more than " my pomatum-pot !"

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

jTt ' nE EDITOK does not hold himself responsible for any opinion entertained by Correspondents . " ] ' WHAT IS NOW FEEEMASONBY IN FRANCE ? BO TIIE EDITOR Ol' Till ! l'RliliUASOXS MAGAZINE JUTD MASOXIC JtlKHOII . SIK AiiD BROTHER , —Since my residence in this country , after question has several times been put to mc in general

JSnglish correspondence , " AVhat is note Freemasonry in France ? " No better answer has occurred to mc , as " yet , than the following passage , contained in a letter addressed % the Paris Lodge , Henry the Fourth , to Abd-el-Jetader ( resident at Damascus ) , in consequence of his noble conduct on an occasion well knoivn to all of us . " La HYanciuaconiierie a pour principc rexistenco de Dion cfc

i . 'immorfcalifcc del anio , ct pour base de ses actes l ' amour Ac riiumanite , la pratique dc la tolerance , et de la fratcriiite HiiAYerscttc . " Yours , fraternally . CHARLES PURTON COOPEE . Chateau Fraiitpas , Moii / iereiidcr , Gha-riqutgnc , Jan . 7 th , 1861 .

"The Voice Of Masonry."

"THE VOICE OF MASONRY . "

TO THE KD 1 TOK Of T 11 H FltlilSlIASO . XS EUAGA 7 . IXE AX 1 ) EMASOKIC MIIIHOl :. DEAR Sin AND BROTHEII . —Might I ask you to say for mc fco-my foreign subscribers that the irregularity in the reception df this journal for several weeks , and for which I am truly grieved , results , so far as I can learn , from a rule of the PosfcoHiee to charge letter postage for papers in vdiicli Ike sulmrriiicrs' names are icrittcn . Being unaware of this rule , our

clerks have erred . Henceforth , wc will avoid the mistake , and make such arrangements as ivill secure a return to former jiiuictuality . AVith fraternal regards , HOB . MORRIS . Office of " The Voice of Mason n / , " Louisville , Ky ., U . S ., Dec . 21 . [ No such arrangement exists in the British Post Office ; and ws have authority of half-a-dozen brethren for saying that the

"The Voice Of Masonry."

" Voice has never been presented even with a demand for postage . For ourselves , we may say that ive have not received a number since August . — -ED . J

A Strange Proceeding.

A STRANGE PROCEEDING .

TO THE EDITOK OF THE FUEEITASOEVS ltA . GA . ZtXE A . XD ATASO ^ IC Hlr . ROP .. DEAK SIR AND BKOTIIEK , —Will you kindly oblige me by inserting the enclosed in your next , and then , perhaps , Bros . Bagslian-e , Wilton , Ashby , and AVilkinson ivill explain ivhat appears a paradox ; premising , for yonr information , that no lodge has been held here to-day , and that I have attended all the way from Abergavenny on purpose to install the AA . M .

elect . I bog to remain , yours fraternally , II . J . HIGGINSON , AV . M . 1120 , P . M . IS . Prov . G . D . C . Monmouth . Bro . Amcrfs Hotel , Bath , Jan . 16 , 1861 .

Royal Cumberland Lodge ( No . -IS ) . Freemasons' Halt , Corridor , Fatli , 4 th Jan ., 18 G 1 . DKAH SIR AXD BROTHER , —AVe are directed to inform you that the installation of the AV . M . elect , Ilro . Thomas B . Moutrie , ivill take place on AVednesday , the ICth day of January , 1 SG 1 , at four o'clock p . m . At the conclusion of the ceremony , the brethren ivill adjourn to the banquet , Avhich will be on tho table , at Bro . Amery's Hotel , at

six o ' clock precisely , to which , and also to the ceremony , you and the brethren of your lodgo are fraternally invited . In order to facilitate onr arrangements , may ive request tho favour of a reply , addressed to the Stcivards , at Bro . Amery's Hotel , not later than tbe l-fth of January . Wo arc , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , E . L . BACSKAWE , P . M ., " ) T . P . ASIILEI " , P . M ., [ Steivards . F . AVILKIXSOX , D . C , ) Tickets , including dessert and ivaiters , 7 s . Gd . each .

Xalliwicl- JZcelory , Jan . Uth , 1 SG 1 . ltoyal Cumberland Lodge ( No . -IS ) . DEAR Sin AXD BROTHER , —I have received from a member of the lodge a protest against the holding of a lodge on the lfa'th inst ., to install the AA' . M . elect , in consequence of the same not having been properly convened by the W . M ., as required by the Boole of Conslilnlions , the proposedmecting being simply an invitation from the SteAvards appointed to make arrangements for the banquet .

As 1 must admit the legality of the protest , I shall decline to hold a lodge on that occasion , and forbid the brethren assembling . The circular issued by the Steivards ivas not submitted to me and the acting Secretary , the AV . JI . elect , received no directions or authority from mc to call the Lodge ; and my name , as AV . M ., is altogether dispensed ivith by the SteAvards in their circular . 1 certainly ivill not , wliilst I am the acting AA ' . M . of the lodge , consent to my authority being usurped by others , or to a lodge

being convened without my express directions . Since the last lodge , according to ancient usage , I convened a meeting of the Past Masters to meet the AA ' . JI . elect , and such meeting ivas fixed betiveen him and myself to suit his convenience ; he , hoivever , although in the lodge , declined to meet them , and has given me no explanation ivhy lie thought proper to depart from the practice heretofore in this lodge observed by bis predecessors . I shall in due course call a lodge to install the AV . AI . elect . I am , yours fraternally , Tnos . AVIITOX , AV . AI . ( So . dS ) .

lioyal Cumberland Lodsre , No . -IS , Corridor Uooms , Balk , Jan . Uth , 1861 . Brother , —As doubts have been raised as to the legality of the summons for the proposed meeting of Lodge -18 , for tbe purpose of installing fche AV . M . elect on AA ' cdnesilay next , 10 th January , I have the pleasure of forivarding to you copy extracts of the minutes of the last , lodge meeting on the 3 rd inst ., and to inform you that the lodge ivill meet as adjourned , and the banquet take

place aftenvards as arranged at Bro . Amery's . . ! , therefore , beg tlia' you Avill attend at the Corridor Booms on AA ' ednesday next , at four p . m ., to proceed to the installation of AV . JI . ' I am , Brother , yours fraternally , Einiuxo ST . BACISUAWE , P . M . and SEC , NO . 48 . ( Copy Extract . ) * « ¦ % a » i' i decide this lodge closed until AVednesday , lGth inst ., at four p . m ., " & c .