British Burmah.

Master , he carries out the work far better than any Prov . G . Master we have yet seen . A new lodge has just been opened , called after him tbe Greenlaw Lodge ( No . 1095 ); under all these circumstances we do hope we shall soon get a Provincial Grand Lodge , and no longer work as the Masons of Burmah now do under two different provinces ; it greatly retards Masonry and the good all here

seem anxious to do . We may say our brother has started a scheme to get up an orphan fund to each province , and it is obtaining great success in each , but Rangoon can do nothing for want of being a body of ourselves . Provincial Grand Lodge takes our fees but feels no interest in us , besides Masonic zeal is at a far lower ebb in other provinces than it is in Burmah . In no place in India , or we may say in the whole world , is Masonry more appreciated or better worked ; and really if we do not get

a Provincial Grand Lodge all we can say is , we deserve it . We have seven lodges , and are a thousand miles from the Provincial Grand Lodges . Singapore with two lodges , and China with three , have a Provincial Grand Lodge . In hardly

any provinces at home have they so many , and Prov . G . M . ' s can easily go to any distance ; here , the difficulties of going firom station to station are very great , consequently Provincial Grand Lodges should be more numerous . There is no doubt that one for these provinces would be of incalculable good to the charitable part of Masonry , for we are tied to Provincial Grand Lodges so far away that they do not care for us . We witnessed a thing in the Craft Lod which shows the

ge true Masonic feeling of the brethren , and might be copied by others . A brother was brought up for non-payment of dues , and it was proposed that he be reported to the Provincial Grand Lodge , and be expelled . The brethren did not do so , but at the W . M . 's suggestion , as he was a brother and unable , perhaps , to pay , that instead of publishing a brother as a defaulterfrom which wc could gain nothingthat the brother's

, , resignation be accepted , and his dues be written off to profit and loss , how much better and more brotherly is this than exposing a brother , so it is in all the brethren of the lodge do , all seems to be done in a kindly spirit . The Lodge is Victoria in Burmah , its kind excellent and worthy Master is Bro . Capt . J . Duncan , who follows well in the steps of Bro . Col . Greenlaw .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

Philocletes : A Metrical Drama , after the Antique . By IT . A . London : Alfred "W " . Bennett , 5 , Bishops "ate Without . 1866 . This volume undeniabl y contains passages of great vigour and beauty . We regret , however , to be obliged to say that we cannot speak approvingly of the spirit that pervades it . It is querulous in the extreme , and

calculated , it seems to us , to foster those feelings of discontent with the Divine dealings which are , unfortunately , but too rife at the present day . There may be certain Providential arrangements which , in our blindness , we should be inclined to arraign . Is it not the part of wisdom to inculcate on men the blessedness of that spirit which tales things as they are , and malces tho test of them ?

The Bards and Authors of Cleveland and South Durham . By Bro- GEO . MABKILUI TWEDDELL , F . S . A . Scot , and Newc ., & o . Part II . contains a continuation of the biogz-aphy of John Gower , noticed in our review of Part I . in our issue of the 14 th nit ., and the remainder of the part is occupied with tho biography and extracts from the writings of

the eminent divine the Rev . Bernard Gilpin , D . D ., born in 1517 , died 1584 . He was one of the brightest ornaments of the Reformation , and , by the ingenuousness of his behaviour , his irreproachable life spent in the service of God and man , earned for himself the enviable titles of "The Apostle of the North of England" and "The Father of the Poor . " As a specimen of the apostolic character of this eminent divine , and , in illustration of his bold and fearless style

of delivery , we give the following from Bro . Tweddell s work : — " Eve- ' . y Thursday throughout the year , a very large quantity of meat was dressed wholly for the poor ; and every day they had what quantity of broth they wanted . Twenty-four of the poorest were his constant pensioners . Four times in the year a dinner was provided for them , when they received from his

steward a certain quantity of corn and a sum of money ; and at Christmas they had always an ox divided amongst them . Whenever he heard of any in distress , whether of his own parish or any other , he was sure to relieve them . In his walks abroad he would frequently bring home with him poor people , and send them away clothed and well fed . He took great pains to inform himself of the circumstances of his neighbours , that the

modesty of the sufferer might not prevent his relief . But the money best laid out was , in his opinion , that which encouraged industry . It was one of his greatest pleasures to make up the losses of his laborious neighbours , and prevent their sinking under them . If a poor man had lost a beast , he would send him another in its room ; or if a farmer had a bad year , he would make him an abatement in his tithes . Thus , a 3 far as he was ablehe took the misfortunes of his parish upon himself ;

, and , like a true shepherd , exposed himself for his flock . Butof all kinds of industrious poor , he was most forward to assist those who had large families : such never failed to meet with his bounty when they wanted to settle their children in tho world . In the distant parishes where he preached , as well as in

his own neighbourhood , his generosity and benevolence were continually showing themselves : particularly in the desolate parts of Northumberland . 'When he began his journey , 'says an old manuscript life of him , 'he would have ten pounds in bis purse ; and at his coming home he would be twenty nobles in debt , which he would always pay within a fortnight after . In the jails be visited , he was not only careful to give the prisoners proper instruction , but used to purchase for them ,

likewise , what necessaries they wanted . ' Even upon the public road , be never let slip an opportunity of doing good . Often has he been known to take off his cloak , and give it to a halfnaked traveller ; and when he has had scarcely money enough in his pocket to provide a dinner , yet would be give away part of that little , or the whole , if he found any who seemed to stand in need of it . Of his benevolent temper the following instance is preserved : —One day returning home he saw in a field several

people crowding together ; and judging something more than ordinary had happened , he rode on , and found that one of the horses in a team had suddenly dropped down , which they were endeavouring to raise ; but in vain , for the horse was dead . The owner of it seeming much dejected with his misfortune , and declaring how grievous a loss it would be to him , Mr . Gilpin told him not to be disheartened ; ' I'll let you have says he

, , ' honest man , that horse of mine , ' and pointed to his servant ' s . 'Ah , master , ' replied the countryman , ' my pocket will not reach such a beast as that . ' ' Come , come , ' said Mr . Gilpin , take him , take him , and when I demand my money , then thou * ' ialt pay me . '

Bro . Tweddell states that the following is the mode in which Bernard Gilpin disposed of his worldly wealth , as described by one of his biographers and distant relatives , Mr . William Gilpin : — "Once , when Bernard Gilpin was preparing to undertake one of his peiilous journeys to the then half-savage inhabitants of the Scottish borderhe received notice from Bishop Barnes to

, preach the visitation sermon on the following Sunday . He immediately despatched his servant with a letter to the bishop , begging him to excuse him , as " there were many who would be willing enough to preach at the visitation , whereas there was not a man who would supply his place in the congregations which were to meet him in the Border district . ' Receiving no reply , he concluded that the bishop was satisfied , and went on

his mission ; but , to his surprise , on his return , he found that Bishop Barnes had suspended him from all ecclesiastical functions . The bishop answered , " Then I take off the suspension ; " and would hear no excuses , but exclaimed , in an angry tone , " I command you , upon your canonical obedience , to go up into the pulpit I" And Bernard Gilpin , though not allowed a moment for preparation , did ' go up into the pulpit ; " and he

preached the bishop and clergy such a sermon as I fear bishops and clergy seldom either preach or hear . " He reproved the prevailing vices of the time , " says Archdeacon Hone , " and finally censured the enormities practised in the ecclesiastical