Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC PERIODICAL . Some time since a question was asked as to the names of Masonic foreign periodicals -, allow me to add one , the title only of which I have met with , viz : —The Ancient Landmarl ; ] iublisked at Michigan , Hnited States . —L . A . S . PAST MASTER ' S CHAMPAGNE . We hear a good deal of the privileges of P . M . s . Is

champagne at an installation one of them ?—S . D . —[ S . D . is , wc presume , the initials for a sad dog , and our correspondent is evidently of a bad breed to ask such a question . If he is a P . M . he must know from his own experience ; and if he is not—what is it to him ? Let him wait until he is . ] THE LAMB-SKIN . Must an apron be always made of lamb-skin ?—GEORGE H . . s . [ It should be , but there are many skins so nearly resembling it that none but good judges can tell the difference . ]

Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND ART .

In The Diary and Correspondence of Charles Allot , Lord Colchester , Speaker ofthe Mouse of Commons , 1 S 02-1 S 17 , just published , "the gentlemen of the press " are designated as " blackguard news-writers . " The llev . John Wortabet , Missionary of tbe United Presbyterian Church , Alep 2 > o , in his recent work , Heligion in the Fast , or Sketches , Historical and Doctrinal , of all the Religions Denomina tions of Syria , says : — " The Druses believe in tbe existence of one

eternal and supreme Being-. The attributes of God , which they evidently borrow from the Koran , and in expressing ivhich they even assume its language , are the same as the Mohammedans in general hold . Unity , in its most significant sense , is the prominent idea attached to the Deity in both creeds , but in the sacred books of tbe Druses it is made so exclusive that every other attribute seems to be lost in God ' s oneness . Their worship of God consists chiefly in a thorough apprehension of this idea ; and the highest degree of perfection in religion is a mystical absorption of the thinking ancl feeling powers of man in the unity of the Godhead . Hence they call their religion C / nitarianism , ancl its followers Unitarianis . "

Of the Drusian secret , Mr . Wortabet writes : — " Like every secret association , they have a general sign by ivhich they recognise each other . That which they have heretofore adopted is , that tbe one party ask the other whether the farmers in his country sow the seed of the mysobalaiuis . Tbe proper answer is that they sow it in the hearts of believers . To ensure recognition , other questions are then asked about the ministers , their names , titles , ancl offices . These being properly answered , the

stranger is admitted to the privileges of the fraternity . It was , we believe , the celebrated traveller Burkbardt that was once asked about tbe seed . He did not know the object of the question , and lie relates the incident with much naivete . The llev . Dr . Eli Smith was once asked the same question , while travelling in tbe Hauran , and though he knew the proper answer , be very wisely , and to the great peace of bis mind , evaded it . They were evidently supposed to be foreign Druses , who had outwardly adopted Christianity , as tbey themselves bad Mohammedanism . "

Mr . John Bell is to deliver a lecture , entitled " The Four Sisters , er some Notes on the Relations ]^) of tbe Fine Arts , " on Wednesday , February 6 th , at the Architectural Museum , South Kensington . lord Brougham ' s new work on The British Constitution : its History , Structure , and Working , bas the following keen remarks on the general blunders ef legislation : — " There is no country in

which tbe government has established a department for superintending- the preparation of new enactments , with due regard in each case to tlio former laws upon the same subject-matter , to the general principles of sound legislation , and to that which the people of every State bave an unqvuwKmiable right to demand of the superior power , the clear , unequivocal , -. rail consistent expression of its will . Inconsistent , even contradictory , provisions are made in the same lawdifferent is used tbe

; language m same sense , and the same language in different senses ; references are maclu i , other enactments as hereinbefore contained , when none such appo . av . commands , or prohibitions , or declarations , are given forth which are capable of various constructions ; repetitions and tautolog ies are used , ivhich both bewilder the reader and give rise to seiious doubts of the law-giver's meaning ; the reasons in tbe preamble sometimes go beyond , and sometimes fell short of ' , the enactments ; the title frequently ill-expresses the subject-matter of the law ; much is left to

private individual legislators , unconnected with-the government , and wholly irresponsible ; one man alters another ' s plan without intending it , by adding or taking away some portion of it , without clue attention to the rest ; one branch of the Legislature adds or changes what the other has done , without intending it , or meaning to change it , leaves it untouched ; in short , nothing can possibly be considered more inadequately performed than this function of the Government , and yet it is among the most important of its functions , the most imperative of its duties , being neither more nor less than letting tbe people know what ri ghts are bestowed on tbem by their rulers , and what obligations imposed . "

The Stockton Gazette and- Middleslro' Times of last Saturday , in noticing tbe frozen state ofthe river Tees , and the great number of people who were skating upon it the Sunday previous , says ;— " The ice , unlike that of the previous week , was in splendid condition for skating ancl sliding ; and , from the Staiths to Blue House Point—above a mile in length—there was a magnificent and clear run , of which the skaters fully availed themselves . It was

exceedingly pretty to see hundreds going- along this course at fullspeed , and all in one direction . " Ancl it adds : — " There was a large sprinkling of the fair sex present , many of whom ventured upon the long slides ; and , of course , their presence lent still more beauty to the scene . Altogether there could not be less than 4 , 000 people on the ice , and large numbers lhied the banks . We are glad to say no serious accident occurred ,, and that everything went off peaceably and pleasantly . The scene in its tout ensemble was quite

picturesque , ancl will doubtless form one more pleasant reminiscence in the lives of those who were present ; amongst whom we were delighted to see our venerable friend , the author ofthe Pleasures of Some , taking such a prominent part in the exhilarating sport . He seemed to have thrown off as . it were by magic his seventy winters , and took his turn upon the slide with all the vigour and energy of youth , long may the old poet be spared amongst us , for such genial souls as him help to make the journey of life light . " Mr . Henry Heavisides , the poet here alluded to , was born at

Darlington in the year 1791 , ancl has been a resident of Stockton-on-Tees for the greater portion of his life . It was there that , iu 1837 , be published the first edition of his Pleasures of Home , and , other Poems , which has recently reached a third edition ; it is not long since we noticed the publication of a new volume by him , entitled The Minstrelsy cf Britain ; ancl we see by the newspapers that be was entertaining the members of a neighbouring Mechanics '

Institute only the other day with a lecture " On Courtship !" Several literary men have thought well of Mr . Heaviside ' s writings ; and , as a man , we are happy to know that he is beloved by thousands of people in Cleveland and South Durham : we , therefore , fully join in the hearty good wishes towards the Stockton laureate which Bro . Jorclison has so well expressed .

A jailor at Bristol has been , improving tbe treadmill— " that admirably just invention , " as Bro . Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton sarcastically terms it— - "by which a strong man suffers no fatigue , and a week one loses his health for life . " The prisoners , at every step thej' take , call up to view a letter or a word , and are thus taught to read as they work . Such is Mr . Gardiner's grand

discovery . The best thing to do both with the crank and treadmill is to consign them to the museums of the counties or boroughs at whose expense , they were purchased , to be kept as relics of our blundering in the art or science of turning to good use the labour of ablebodied convicts . The waste of labour in cranks and treadmills in

this country is immense . Mrs . Meredith , in her newly-published book , Over ihe Straits : a Visit to Victoria , relates the following snake story : — " A lady of my acquaintance once displayed greater presence of mind than I , with my impulsive , shuddering terror of the dangerous reptiles , could have supposed possible . She was lying awake one dark night , aroused , she believed , by a slight noise in her room , and felt

something come softly on to the bed , and pass over her feet : it glided on , ancl pushed , gently and coldly , against her arm , which lay outside the clothes , across her breast . She then knew that the moving thing ivas a snake , and that to stir—was to die . With wonderful self-command , every nerve thrilling with horror , she lay perfectly still , whilst the reptile endeavoured again and again to nestle itself beneath her warm arm ; failing tn do this , it glided slowly on , over iier = i » o « i , ip ,. and the pillow , ancl thence u-npucd on the floor . With one convulsive plunge , she gained the door ana called for help ; and , when lisrhts came , a large black snake was found anCl