Notes On Literature, Science And Art.

ritau Free Hospital for AVomenand Children , in Edward Street , Portmaii-square . The subject of the lecture will be the fairy legends of Ireland , with illustrative a . 'id eharasteristie anecdotes—one of great interest in the hands of ar __ e , but which Mr . Hall , with his well known powers , cannot fail t ( . ron , > ' * abundantly attractive . The firm of Asher & Co ., of Be . iia , have , we understand , purchased the entire library of Baron v , n Humboldt , which , it ivill be recollected ,

was bequeathed by the philosopher to his servant , M . Seifert . The collection embraces ten thousand volumes , many of them of great rarity . It abounds in presented copies , containing autograph inscriptions from the donors , among which will be found the copy of Cathorwo . od ' . s " Travels" sent to him by the Prince Consort , and about which Humboldt wrote so vexatiously to his correspondent , A ariih ; igen von En . se . Many of these presented books are also on large paper , dear to

bibliographers , which , of course , much enhances their value . One of the finest works in the collection is , we believe , a magnificent copy of the " Cabinet du Roy , "—a collection of engravings published by order of Louis the Fourteenth , in twenty-three folio volumes , of ivhich it is difficult to procure a perfect copy . Humboldt ' s was given to him by His Majesty Louis Philippe ; and , besides being perfect , is one of the finest copies known . The sale of this collection will , in all probability , take place towards the end of the present year . Our readers will remember Mr . Gladstone ' s exultation , when intro- I ducing his budget , over the free ingress of cheap continental reprints of

copyright English books , now that the luggage oi travellers returning home is to be subjected to a minimum of inspection at the Custom House . AVe observe that in Paris arrangements are already being made for the supply of the Tauchnitz editions to English tourists visiting the French metropolis during the ensuing summer and autumn . " C . Reinwald , " of—but , no , we shall not give the address—advertises in the Paris papers that he keeps on hand a supply of the Tauchnitz editions . " The

Mill on the Floss" is offered at two francs ; Lord Maeaulay ' s ' ' William Pitt" aud "Atterbury" together , "A AVoman ' s Thoughts about Women , " by the author of "John Halifax" and "Guy Livingstone , " are also retailed by M . Reinwald at the same moderate price . So is Mr . Tennyson ' s "Idylls of the King , " to whicli ( without extra charge ) is added the Poet Laureate ' s "Maud . " Mr . Thackeray ' s "Virginians , " in four volumes , may be had for four francs , and Mr . Dickens ' s " Tale of

Two Cities" for half the sum . AA'hat pleasant news for Mr . Gladstone , hut scarcely so pleasant for the publishers of the works detailed , the Messrs . Blackwood , the Messrs . Black , the Messrs . Parker , the Messrs . Moxon , and Messrs . Bradbury and Evans . The prices are certainly very low , but then it must be remembered that M . Taiichuitz does not pay for copyright a tenth part of the sums disbursed by the English publishers of these works ; and what is almost as important , he rims no chance of failure . He picts out for republication the English books of which the success is ascertained , and incurs no speculative risk whatsoever .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

^ , [ THE EDITOR does not hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained by Correspondents ., ] THE GLEE ROOM CRUSH . TO THE EDITOB 01 ? TIIE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MlimOI ! . DEAU Sir . AKD BnoTHKit , —In reading the report of the festival of the Girls SchoolI find that you complain the meeting in the

, glee room was uncomfortably crowded ; I do not wonder at your remarks , and , when I tell you , I think you will not blame the ladies stewards for it . I was one of tliem , and did all in my power to prevent it , but I am sorry to say all the stewards did not support me ; indeed , I was grossly insulted by one of them and his friend because I ivould not let him pass without a ticket . I was then obliged to give way , and thus arose the crowded state of

the room . I ask you to be kind enough to insert this in your next number , and also to say if you think I was right , or wrong , in asking every brother for his pass ticket ; and you will oblige Yours fraternally , No . 5 , liwy-slreel , Lower Bast Smith-field . 3 . H . "WYNNE . [ Bro . Wynne was certainly in the right , and ive are sorry to

hear of any brethren conducting themselves in so unmasonic and ungentlemanlike a manner . Bro . AA ynne's fellow steward ought also to have recollected that he was breaking the rule which he had himself participated in imposing . —ED . ]

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEMS . Tun Prov . G . Loclge of Berks and Bucks has been postponed , owing to the resignation of the Prov . G . M ., and the continued indisposition of the G . Reg . TUB drawing for the Masons' Regalia , in aid of the building of the Masonic Hall , Skibbereen , is postponed to the 3 rd of August , by which time it is hoped that sufficient tickets will have been subscribed for to enable the brethren to complete their hall . The subscription asked for is only five shillings .

GRAND LODGE . THE business of the approaching Grand Lodge will consist of the presentation of the report of the Board of General Purposes , in which there is no point likely to lead to discussion ; the Colonial Board referring to the affairs of St . Thomas ' s to which we recently called attention ; and the report of tfie proceedings of the Royal Benevolent Institution

for Aged Masons and their Widows , when two resolutions passed at the recent meeting , as reported in another column , will be submitted for approval . On that being brought forward giving the holders of proxies the power of transferring them , incase of the death of one candidate , to another , Bro . H . G . Wan-en will move that it be not confirmed . The M . AV . Grand Master has given notice of a motion for tlie presentation of a t 33 timonial to Bro . Jennings , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers ., for his

long aud efficient services to the Craft . The M . AA . Grand Master has also given notice of a motion for conferring past rank on Bro . J . Smith , Prov . G . Purs . ; on whicli Bro . Barrett will move as an amendment , that he be also presented with a jewel of the value of £ 20 . Bro . J . R . Stebbing has given notice of a motion— " That the Board

of General Purposes be instructed to take into consideration the desirability of amending sec . 1 , page 29 , Book of Constitutions , so that whenever the office of Gi'aud Master shall from any cause hereafter become vacant , other than by the annual expiration of office as respects the present Most AA ' orshipful and distinguished Grand Master , no future candidate for that high position shall be eligible for re-election beyond three successive years , excepting in the case of a prince of royal

blood , the restriction then to apply to the Prov . Grand Master . " Bro . Savage has also given notice of two motions , having for their object the making compensation to the two poor ladies who are represented to have been , through an error of the scrutineers , wrongly advertised as elected at the late election of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and their Widows , by voting them , from the funds of Grand Loclgea sum equal to one year ' s pensionto which

, , they ivould have been entitled had they been really elected , viz . —¦ Mrs . A ule , £ 25 , and Mrs . Cooke , £ 15 . In the course of the proceedings , a letter will be read from Bro . Mark Oliver Iron , the AA arder of the Asylum at Croydon , thanking Grand Loclge , on behalf of the inmates , for the vote of £ 50 for coals , as most seasonable and grateful .

ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . THE annual meeting of this institution for Aged Masons and their AVidows was held on Eriday the ISth inst . The minutes of the last meeting having been taken as read , Bro . Farnfield , the seeretaiy , read a letter from the M . W . G . M ., expressing his regret that lie was unable to attend , and appointing the last AVednesday in January next for the next annual festival .

The report of the committee was next read . Ifc stated that the committee had the pleasing duty of directing the attention of the governors and subscribers to the increasing interest taken by the Craft in the welfare of the institution , as instanced by the liberal augmentation of its funds . At the festival which took place under the authority of the M . AA . G . M . on the 25 th of January fast , forty-eight brethren volunteered to act as stewards , and the subscriptions announced amounted to £ 2 , 090 19 s . Gd . The Supreme Grand Chapter had transferred to the trustees

of the institution £ 200 Three per Cent . Consols for the benefit of the male fund , and a like sum for the widows' fund , thus raising the funded property on account of the male fund to £ 12 , 950 , and the widows' fund to £ 4 , 500 . The permanent annual income , including the grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , was £ 988 10 s . for the male fund , and £ 485 for the widows' fund . After the last election there were sixty-two male annuitants , of whom eight hacl since died , and the committee recommended the election of twenty , which would increase the number to seventy-four . After the same election there were twenty-nine widows on the fund , of whom four had since died , and the coinmittee