Notes On Literature Science And Art.

English oak and elm , grew in natural clumps , •the golden wattels were in full bloom , and groups of frees were dotted about as picturesquely as if planned by the hand of a skilful gardener . The light-wood tree , resembling fche evergreen oak , was pointed out to us . It is said that where this tree flourishes the soil must be good . The paddock was kept exclusively for the horses ; wc saw some beautiful Arabs , almost in their wild state . Inferior horses are not bred here . Some very fine cattle were waiting to lie driven down

to Melbourne for sale , and the drays which accompanied them would return with the stock of groceries and whatever else might be wanted for the half year's consumption . We quite rejoiced at the thriving prosperity of our friends . " A writer in the Athenceam on the recent Social Science Congress at Dublin , remarks : — " Here is the great question of popular education . In England you have not settled , and apparently , you

cannot settle , that Hodge and Lobb ought to be taught reading and ciphering , lest the religious principles of the country should be shocked . Your prelates and your presbyters alike declare by their acts that Hodge shall not be taught to reacl the ten commandments and sum up his weekly bills . But in Ireland we have the very best of education , freely placed at the disposal of the poorest people . No man need to be left in ignorance ; and though tbe Anglican and the Romanthe Methodist and the Presbterian

, y , wrangle and growl at each other , and would gladly leave Paddy aud Sandy as much in the dark intellectually as Hodge ancl Lobb , they have not been able fco have their way . Every Irish boy can learn to read and write if his parents please . It is an astonishing but incontestable fact—one which the philosophers have discovered —that Ireland is now a better educated country than England ; and that Irish pupilsas Lord Brougham announcesare graduall

, , y pushing the Scotch from many of those places of trust and emolument which they have long regarded as theirs in right of their superior intelligence . Should Ireland remain exceptionably favoured as regards her secular schools and colleges , we may live to see this substitution carried still further—from business into the professions , and from the professions into journalism and parliament . Irish genius is apt and lastic . When hihltrainedthat genius is

p gy , capable of any flight ; and the zealous who oppose the secular education of the English masses , while the Government allows full play to the Irish system , may find when too late that they have been helping to transfer the intellectual rale of England from Saxon into Celtic hands . "

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Tke ' Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed bij Correspondent s . ANCIENT BANNERS AND STANDARDS . •TO THE EDITOR OS TOE EllEEHASO'S MAGAZINE AND JIASOIUC 3 IIKROB . DEAD , SIE ANO BROTHER . —I last week sent you an extract of my researches into the origin and application of the various standards and banners & cancl I now forward you

, , a further extract culled with fche greatest care from the best authorities , and which may probably not be uninteresting to your readers , more particularly those who are Royal Arch Masons . Banners have been in use from the earliest ages , Zenophon gives us the Persian Standard as a golden eagle mounted on a pole or spear . The raven has been regarded fron very

early ages as an emblem of God ' s providence , no doubt from the record in Holy Writ of its being employed to feed Elijah , the prophet , in his seclusion by the brook Oherith ; and it was a well-known ensign of the Danes at the time of their dominion in this country . In the year 742 a great battle was fought at Burford in Oxfordshire , ancl the Golden Dragon , the standard of Wessex , was victorious

over Ethelbald , the King of Mercia . The banners of several ofthe Saxon Kings were helcl in great veneration , especially those of Edmund the Martyr , and of Edward the Confessor . The latter displayed as an ensign a cross glory , between five martlets , gold , on a blue field , and which may still be seen on a very ancient shield in the south aisle of Westminster Abbey . When William the Norman set out to invade

England , he had his own ensign , the Two Lions of Normand y depicted on the sails of his ship , bufc on the vessel in which he himself sailed , besides some choice relics he had a banner at the mast head , with a cross upon ifc , consecrated . by the Pope to give sanctity to the expedition , indeed it has been the practice in every age for the Pope to give consecrated banners whenever he wished success to any enterprise ; numerous instances of which might be cited

in very recent times . Ancl m our own army down to the present day whenever any regiment receives new banners ( or colours , as the modern term is ) , the regiment is drawn out iu parade , tbe colours are then blessed by the prayers of the chaplains , and afterwards generally presented to the regiment by the fair hand of a lady of rank or distinction . The ancient Egyptians used a great variety of standards ,

each regiment and company had its own peculiar banner or standard , which were consecpiently very numerous and various in their devices . . A beast , bird , or reptile , a sacred boat , a royal name in a cartouche , or a symbolic combination of emblems , were the most common forms . As they appear to bave been objects of superstitious veneration that were selected for this purpose , they must have contributed greatly

to tbe enthusiasm so highly valued in battle ; and instances are common in all history of desponding- courage revived , and prodigies of valour performed cube-half of those objects wbich were so identified with national and personal honour . We bave in the Ninevah sculptures some highly interesting specimens of the ancient Aassyrian standard , consisting principally of two varieties which may be seen on inspecting

these sculptures in the British Museum . Oiesar has recorded a fine example of patriotism to the credit of one of his own officers when he attempted to land his Roman forces on our shores , and meeting with a warmer reception than they anticipated from the Britons ,

considerable hesitation arose among his troops , but the standard bearer of the Tenth Legion , with the Roman eagle in his hand , invoking the Gods , plunged into the waves , and called on his comrades to follow him , ancl clo their duty to their general and the republic ; ancl so the whole army made good their landing . Allusions to standards , banners , and ensigns are frequent

in the Holy Scriptures . The four divisions in which tho tribes of Israel marched through the wilderness had each its governing standard , and tradition has assigned to these ensigns the respective forms of the symbolic cherubim , seen in the vision of Ezekiel and John , —that of Judah being a lion . ; ttat of Kuebon , a mail ; that of Ephraim an ox ; and that of Dan , an eagle .

The post of standard-bearer was at all times of the greatest importance , and none but officers of approved valour were ever chosen for such a service ; hence , Jehovah describing the ruin ancl discomfiture which he was about ; to bring on the haughty King of Assyria , says : " And they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth . " I have on several former occasions simply subscribed

myself " Veritas , " but as a correspondent in your last week ' s number in supporting fche attack of " Observer , " on Bro . Pocock , tho Provincial Grand Secretary for Sussex ( with which I do not concur ) has adopted tho same signature , I shall now , by way of distinction , subscribe myself . Tours , VERITAS , - P . J . G . D , P . G . S . B ., P . P . S . W ., P . M ., P . Z ., P . D . M . M . & c .

The Grand Secretary's Imprimataur.

THE GRAND SECRETARY'S IMPRIMATAUR .

10 TIIE EDITOR 01 ? THE I-llEEHASOSS * MAGAZINE AND HASCWIC 1 IIKK 0 E . DEAR SIR ASD BROTHER , —Two different lodge bye-laws are now before me ; one dated 1854 , ancl signed W . H . ' White , is concluded as follows : — " These bye-laws have been examined , aud appear to be made in conformity with the general laws of the Craft ; " the other signed William Gray Clark , G . S ., and dated 1861 says : " The foregoing bye-laws

, havo been examined , and appear to be iu accordance with the general laws for the government of the Craft . " Prom these extracts ifc will be seen that G . Sec . No . 2 has closely followed G . Sec . No . 1 , and there I must leave tho former for awhile to enable me to show thafc there is no imprimatur of the G . See ' s requisite . The Pook of Constitutions , page 57 ( small size ) , Article 5 , lays down fcbafc " Every lodge has

the power of framing bye-laws for its government , provided they are not inconsistent with the regulations of the Grand Lodge . The bye-laws must be submitted to the Grand Master , or Prov . Grand Master , and when approved , a juir copy must be sent to the Grand Srcrctanj , aud , in the case of a country lodge , also to the Prov . Grand Master ; aud when any material alteration shall be made , such alteration must , in like manner , be submitted . No law or alteration will be