Reviews.

and the public buildings . After all this , when they divided the spoils of battle , the women ( as was generally the case ) fell to the use of the conquering army , amongst whom was the Princess Cassandra , daughter of King Priam . She was first violated by Ajax , then taken by Agamemnon , who married her and carried her away with him to Argos . It is a strange coincidence that we almost invariably read of these captives becoming more or less interesting in the sequel of the

enterprise . In this instance both Cassandra and Agamemnon were assassinated by Clytemnestra . This was not supposed to have been done out of jealousy , for in fact wives in those days were not permitted to encourage such a vice . Clytemnestra resorted to her sanguinary purpose out of revenge , through being deprived of her daughter Iphigcnia , or , as some suppose , to hide her own shame and infidelity which she had been practising with her husband's cousinvEgysthus . Respecting the

im-, mense fleet of vessels which conveyed tbe troops to tho shores of Troy , we must not be led away with the idea that they were ships of war , for at this period of tbe world ' s history such a thing as a ship of war was not in existence . We are told that Agamemnon alone furnished one hundred and sixty ships out of n number exceeding twelve hundred . Of this one hundred and sixty he used one hundred himself for his own troops , and tho sixty he lent to tbe Arcadians . The ships alluded to were little

more than barges propelled by oars , affording deck accommodation merely , for they had been constructed only for tho purpose of commerce , to convey merchandise . This was the only use known for ships , excepting that some lig ht-built craft were used by pirates , who infested the islands and made it dangerous

to venture upon the ocean . It was Minos , King of Crete , who first augmented ships into engines of attack , for it was be who cleared tbe Isles of the hordes of pirates who had established themselves here the more readily to attack the neighbouring coasts , and secure their own retreat within the narrow and intricate channels of this part of the world . It may be fairly said that the first real naval engagement that took place was between the Corinthians and Corcyreans . This latter people ,

let me tell you , were originally of the same race as the Corinthians , but were banished from their native country with one Chersicratis at their head , which occurred about seven hundred years before the Christian Era . They took up their abode on the island Coreyra , which is situate in the Ionian Sea , and now known as Corfu , one of our own colonies . The enmity between tbe Corinthians and the Corcyreans continued for two hundred during which period they were constantly at war with

years , each other , their engagements principally taking place on the sea . The third great naval power that came into existence was that of Athens , which after awhile became the largest of the three : in fact , the most powerful in tbe world . This was cunningly devised by tbe Athenians in the following manner . They fomented the discord which existed between the Corinthians and the Corcyreans , and when one was disabled , they took care to step in as a mediatorand so appropriate a large

, share of the spoil to their own aggrandisement . This was particularly demonstrated when the Athenians were appealed to to decide between tbe hostile parties , who both laid claim to the town of Epidamnus ; and most lawyer-like did the Athenians conclude the negotiation by giving each of the litigants a shell and keeping tbe oyster themselves .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

REVISION OP K . T . LAWS . Permit me to suggest that the office of Prelate should constitute a qualification for the E . C . ' s chair . As the office ought , invariably , to be held hy a clergyman , it appears a pity that he should also be compelled to hold office as a Captain . As head of the Ecclesiastical Militia every Prelate ought also to be ritually inducted into office

by his predecessor . —A . REVISION OS K . T . RITUAL . Previous to the late revision , the English system of templarism appears to have chiefly been Knight of Malta ; H . E . D . M . Templar K . D . S . H . ; it is now generally reversed in accordance with the Scottish system , and the H . E . D . M . qualification dropped . The latter is a matter of

regret , and should at least be optional with every encampment . The former is a very good as tending to cement the two countries , but yet onr brethren in Scotland complain , although the essentials of the ritual are precisely the same ! Their rituals are , however , apparently more pure and less confused . Are there any reasons [ why ours should not be revised and again

rendered more in accordance with our ancient rituals , and those in use in Scotland ?— A . CHATTER GENERAL OF K . T . A Grand Chapter is imperatively required for Great Britain and Ireland , which should alone have the power of granting warrants , but how is this to be got ? In Scotland , in addition to a Grand Priory or Conclave ,

they have a Chapter general , but they are so unfraternal that we may despair of making any equitable arrangements with them : and to get up a rival is what we ought not to do . —A . KNIGHTS TEMrLAB COSTUME , IN A 1 IEMCA . [ So many of our correspondents desire a description of the American I-LT . costume , that we cannot do better

than present to their notice the following representation of it , taken from an advertising sheet , which we think to bo unprecedently ugly , and not to be worthy of comparison with our own . ]

THE ILiHK DEGREE AND OPERATIVE 3 IAS 0 NRY . At the present day in Scotland the operative masons have an organisation very similar to our own Eree and Accepted Masonry . What is known of their system , P . W . ' s & c . It is most likely from these lodges of three degrees we derive our Mark degrees , of P . O . or Mark Man and Mark Master . This is confirmed by the

minutes of the old operative and non-speculative lodges , and by a poetical quotation of the 15 th century , given in the MAGAZINE some weeks ago . —A . A 3 IARK 3 IASON ? If a brother writes such a hand as to he scarcely intelligible , is he a proper person to be advanced as a Mark Mason ?—Y . L .