Literature, Science, Music, Drama , And The Fine Arts.

The Pope has decided to hold at Rome , m April of next year , a universal Catholic Exhibition . The exhibition will comprise all the productions furnished by industry and the fine arts for the service of religion . The statue of Marshal Keith , presented by the King of Prussia to the town of Peterhead , Aberdeenshire , was unveiled on Monday . The statue is a duplicate in bronze

of a statue of the Marshal now standing in the Wilhelm Platz , Berlin . Mr . Warsop , of Nottingham , has patented an improvement in steam engines by which it is said 40 per cent , of fuel can be saved . It consists in forcing heated air into the boiler—the air and steam passing together to work the engine .

Mr . Edmund Yates is engaged on a new novel ; and Mr . Arthur A'Beckett , editor of the Brittannia , magazine , and Mr . Sydney Daryl , are about to follow the example of Mr . Charles Reade and Mr . Dion Boucicault , by producing a parnership novel . The Athenceum savs that Sir Henry James has received orders to copy the Black Letter Prayer Book , 1638 , with

marginal MS . notes , by his photo-zincographic process , and that a hundred copies of this Prayer Book will be printed for the Ritual Commissioners and sold by them . "New Men and Old Acres : or ; a Managing Mamma , " a new comedy , by Tom Taylor and Augustus Dubourg , was produced at the Theatre Royal , Manchester , a few days ago , by 'Mr . Buckstone ' s Haymarket Company .

The comedy has been written for next season at tlie Haymarket . The Sixth Annual Conference of the British Pharmaceutical Society is being held this year at Exeter , under the presidency of Mr . D . Hanbury , F . R . S ., of London . The strength of the society has increased from 562 to 680 members . An increased uniformity of charges among chemists was advocated . Bro . Hotten has just published a " A Letter to Cardinal Cullen , " which is a Freemason's answer to the Cardinal ' s

attack upon the Masonic Order . It is said to be a racy p iece of writing , and has for its motto the words from Shakespeare ' s " Henry VIII ., " " Now , if you can blush and cry guilty , Cardinal , you'll show a little honesty . " In the Church of San Dominico , at Cremona , now in course of demolition , there has been discovered a sepulchral stone covering the remains of Antonia Stradivarius ,

the celebrated violin maker . The bones are to be placed in the Pantheon , now in course of erection at Cremona , for receiving the remains of its most celebrated sons . The proprietors of the Athenceum , have entered into an arrangement with a well-known writer to edit the journal for a time ; eventually Sir Charles Dilke will take the control of the editorial department . The neiv year will

witness a permanent enlargement of the Athenceum , and the introduction of many new features into the paper . A monster musical festival , the largest ever held in this country , is now in course of organisation by the Tonic Sol-far Association , to take place at the Crystal Palace next month . The "Anvil Chorus" is to be performed on the same scale as at the recent American

Peaca Festival at Boston . Eight thousand performers will engage in the affair . Mr . Dion Boucicault has addressed to a London contemporary a long defence of his new play , " Formosa , or the Railroad to Ruin . " Mr . Boucicault states that he is anxious to save young men of rank and fortune from the ruinous blandishments of the modern Anouyma ,

and he considers that he best promotes this object by means of a highly sensational drama . The editors of the Qaulois have adopted a novel expedient for exciting an interest in their journal . Every Sunday for the next three months a certain number of columns is to be appropriated to the publication of original articles sent in by the general public . At the end of that time a jury of experts will decide which is the best that has appeared , and the fortunate author will then receive a handsome prize .

Literature, Science, Music, Drama , And The Fine Arts.

Lord Lytton ' s " Horace , " the appearance of which has been longed delayed , is now being prepared for publication . The work will consist of the original and the translation in opposite pages . Miss Glyn ( Mrs . Dallas ) is about to undertake a lengthened professional tour . Having traversed the United States she will proceed to California and Australia , and

will probably have to put a girdle round the earth before she returns to this country . The Musical World says thai at a concert lately given by the Auckland Choral Society to the o fficers of the fleet , his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh took part as " lirst fiddle . " In the opening piece he played with Colonel Balneavis and the other violinists . The

Duke subsequently played in Mozart ' s " Jupiter " and other orchestral pieces . In all ho is said to have acquitted himself most admirably . Mr . Henry T . Riley , in fulfilment of his commission to search for and report upon ancient MSS . which are as Sir Giles Overreach says , " stilled cloistered up , " has , we are told , sent in reports ofthe fruits of his visits to

York , Cambridge , Coventry , Nottingham , and Bridgewater . Mr . Riley is now at Wells , whence he will proceed to Glastonbury , and subsequently to Axbridge , where a superb collection of old MSS . is said to exist .

Knowledge Is Power; Or What Is Masonry?

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER ; OR WHAT IS MASONRY ?

To many who have not become connected with our ancient and universal brotherhood , the above is one that frequently comes before the mind to bo resolved , and in vain do they ask , for it is confined to the seeker after light , who is willing to brave something in acquiring sufficient knowledge to bo patential for the greatest good . Agreeable to a promise made in a former article under this caption , to write others from which to establish certain hypotheses , that must be done in order that my

proposition may be firmly maintained . I will , with the courteous indulgence of the readers of the VOICE , proceed to to the statement of the proposition , viz : — 1 . That Masonry as it has been , is only the true and complete development or unfolding of the great and majestic truth , "that knowledge is power . " To come to a proper conception of the proposition I offer to maintain , let us see what is embraced in the two arms of my proposition , i . e ., What is

knowledge or the right arm ? It is defined to be a clear and certain perception of that which exists , or of truth and fact ; the perception of the connection and agreement ; or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas . 2 . Learning or illumination of mind . 3 . Skill . 4 . Acquaintance with any fact or person . Again , AVhat is power ? This is defined to be as pertaining to the mind or intellect , " influence , or that which may move the mind , command the right of governing , or actual

government , & c „ & c . To maintain the proposition , that to understand Masonry properly and truly , is to have a just conception of the only complete manner of attaining a sure government of mind and matter . On entering the Blue Lodge , . the man is completely ignorant of the steps he must take in the attainment of this sublime and grand object .

There he is placed under proper tutelage , and as he advances his mind is becoming illuminated , and light is created , and now once in the line of progress , mind comes into its wonted position , and matter , which beforo , in his ignorance , he permitted to have a ruling power , now is perceived to have met with a resistance which is beyond the scope of its rebutting and repelling influence , and gradually but reluctantly yielding is seen to become less and less appreciated , and mind takes the position prepared for it

when it first left ( reverently I say it ) the brain of the eternal and ever to be adored Jehovah . Masonry , as it exists , and ever since it was instituted by our first Worshipful Grand Master , King Solomon , is a fact , and , to be a Mason in its more elevating and most expressive idea , we must and shall inevitably come-to a clear and complete conception of hoio knowledgo is power trimnphant . The effect of tho lessons we learn in the light of Masonry , brings us—yea necessitates the learning of that truth concealed in the word knowledge , viz ., power , for indeed power is but knowledge seen and