Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Review should bo addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C .

Magazines Of The Month.

MAGAZINES OF THE MONTH .

THE opening and closing articles are , perhaps , tho most conspicuous features in Blackwood . The former deals with Army Eeform , from a point of view independent of that adopted iu apapcr ou the same subject last month . The latter is party-political , and will bo admired by thoso of the same way of thinking . " Tho Dilemma " is advanced another stage . Yorko is still iu England , and visits some now people ,

thePeevors , of Peevor and Hancke , tho great Clarified Balsam people , whose hospitality is on a very grand scale , quite overwhelming , in fact , after the manner of parvenu families . Yorko is somewhat smitten with one of the girls , to the extent of a mild flirtation , which it will be no fault of the pater if it should not become something more serious . Teaching young ladies billiards and whist is a

somewhat dangerous game , even for a Victoria Cross man to indulge in too extensively . Of the other contents the sketch of " Alphonso do Lamartine , " which forms No . 10 of "A century of Great Poets , " is au admirable specimen of what such a sketch should bo , while the paper on the recently published volume of Mr . Thackeray ' s sketches , the Orphan of Pimlico and others , contains some of the most delightful reading imaginable .

We are getting ou famously with the two new serials with which the new year was commenced in Tinsleys ' . Mr . Farjeon ' s " Duchess of Eosemary Lane , " bears out the promise of last month . Besides these , we have further " Liltings from the Lowlands , " another of the " Thespian Cartes , " in which tho Court Theatre , its company , aud

the class of entertainment provided is very impartially estimated , another of the " Dreams of a German Jew , " and tho secoud of Dr . Davics's series of " Love Songs of all Nations . " There is too , another of those excellent acrostics which emanate from time to time from the pen of Mrs . Baines . Accordingly we quote it , for satisfaction of our readers .

F ew months so scant as this for poets' lay ; E 'en March is more suggestive of a theme . B ehold the landscape oft-times clad with snow ; E eposing Nature shows no sign of life , U nyielding yet reserving for a time : A nd so a tardy season has its use . E eluetant earth , though holding back her stores , Y ields up her treasures as tho months come round

We would suggest , however , that while , from a scenic point of view , February is perhaps tlie dreariest of months , tho occurrence of St . Valentine ' s clay affords tho poet something very , very liko a poetic theme . There are three other excellent papers which wo commend to tho notice of our readers . These are " Eambles on tho Byways to Health , " No . 1 , by Mr . W . W . Fenn ; "The air we Breathe , " by A . E . Spencer , and W . H . Penning ' s , " Natural Science in the Nineteenth Century .

There is hardly a lino in Belgravia to which exception can bo taken —if we except tho introduction of such a personage as Madge Tenipleton into the story of " "fwixt Bed and Green . " For the life of us we cannot understand why the demi-monde should play so conspicuous a part in so many modern novels . Tho social evil may be a necessity of civilisation , but the less prominence that is given it the better , at

least according to our way of thinking . Mr . Albert Stntzcr might , we think , have made something more than ho has of so famous a subject as " The Theatre in Germany . " However , Mr . Horace St . John writes well on the " Art of Luxury , " and there is a well written sketch of that prince of diplomatists , " Monsieur do Talleyrand , " by Mr . William Stigaud , while Mr . Percy B . St . John contributes " A Talc of tho Polar Regions , " bearing tho title of "The Spectre Ship , "

and Mr . Capon a further " Peep at Domestic Life iu India , " in which we are treated to a description of some marvellous Indian jugglery . " Swells , Past and Present , " and Mr . Talbot's exposition of "How I came to be a Manager , " with a few other contributions , complete the number . Among them , by the way , is an extremely pretty "New Musical Valentine , " by the author of " Lady Andley ' s Secret . " Wc hope to see , in future numbers of Belyravia , more such graceful contributions from the same pen .

Mrs . S . Townshend Mayer's story of " Sir Hubert ' s Marriage , " aud Henry Kingsley ' s , "The Grange Garden , " still form the pieces dc resistance of the St . James ' s , which , under the able editorship of Mr . Mayer appears to have entered ou a fresh career of prosperity . At least , tho general excellence of its contents fully justify us iu expressing a hope that this is the case . Anything associated with the nicmorv of the First Napoleon will always find a numerous class of

readers , and , accordingly , Part IV . of tho sketches of " Napoleou at St . Helena , " by one of his attendants , will be read with interest by very many . Moreover , these glimpses at his life in captivity are worth reading , not only fur the occasional insight wc get into his character , but because they are a good specimen of this class ol writing . We fully endorse the remarks of Mr . Thomas Carlisle , in his admirable essay—if we may call it such—on " Mud Moralists . " We take leave to quote tho following : —

"Then "—that is , following after certain scurrilous publications — " Among the crowd of Christmas books appeared a disgraceful pamph et—The Cominy K— , libelling the Eoyal Family , and from that time each December has witnessed the emission of similar abominations . Garlanded with garbage , frolicking in filth , rolling in refuse , the teachers of this new learning would , however , have ns believe

Magazines Of The Month.

them actuated by high moral motives . They merely gambol among abominations to show all men that

' Vice is a monster of such frightful mien , As , to be hated , needs but to be seen . ' This hypocrisy is nauseous . Bailing Thersifces , polluting and defaming all things , animate and inanimate , with his scurrilous tongue , is anything but a pleasant spectacle . But when Thorsites pretends that his obscure vocabulary is employed for a noble object , and that he has to discharge a high moral mission b y mud-throwing , the spectacle becomes doubly repulsive . "

The paper concludes thus : — " Enthusiasts in natural history declare that all creatures have their proper functions in the universe , and that the destruction of any one species must upset the equilibrium of creation . This may be so , though the disappearance of Mastodons , Ichthyosauri , and their-congeners , has not , so far , acted thus destructively . Bo that as it may ,

no reasonable person will doubt that , if tho Mud Moralist followed tho Dodo into tho limbo set apart for creatures no longer useful , immense benefit would result to the public . His purpose may be of tho loftiest , his mission noblest , his virtue immaculate , and his self-abnegation perfect . But it is hard to believe that scurrilous defamation , dono into dirty doggrel , and spiced with suggestive nastinesss , can have any other end in view than that of filling Sir Pandarus' pocket

with dirty gains . At all events , it is absolutely certain that English literature would bo greatly benetited by tho summary suppression of the prurient parasites now clinging to his skirts . We aro not ordinarily in favour of reviving obsolete institutions . Nevertheless , it is impossible to help , occasionally , wishing for a temporary renaissance of the stocks and pillory , even if tho humane spirit would not tolerate cropped ears . "

Wo aro certain there is not ono of our readers who does not hold similar views . Vicious attacks on tho fair fame of the Eoyal Family will find no favour among Freemasons . Wc cannot speak too highly of tho domestic contributions to Cassell's Family Magazine . All aro excellent , but , perhaps , the most useful paper of all is Mr . Payne ' s " How to make Tempting Food for

Invalids . " Headers of this periodical havo already had numerous opportunities of testing , if they were so minded , the merits of Mr . Payne ' s sensible papers on matters culinary . Invalids too often fare indifferently at the hands of the cook , who imagines that any preparation will do for the sick room . An order from the medical man to a patient to be put on " slop " diet is generally interpreted in a literal

sense , and the unfortunate invalid gets any quantity of washy stuff called beef-tea , mutton broth , gruel , & c , the one effect of which is to add dyspepsia to his other ailments . However , if tho simple directions laid down by Mr . Payne for tho preparation of beef-tea , mutton or chicken broths , gruel , barley-water , and toasfc-and-water are followed , the invalid will have reason to bo thankful . It always has

occurred to us that the careful preparation of any kind of food involves certainly no moro trouble than tho careless . It happens occasionally , indeed , that a want of care is in tho end moro troublesome . At all events , there is every reason why tho invalid should be well treated in the matter of food . People iu rude health can take care of themselves . The other papers of this class are those on " Little Accidents ,

and how to deal with them , " "On some Minor Points of Etiquette , " " Home Dressmaking , " and " Domestic Service for Gentlewomen , " by Mrs . Crawshay , with the usual "Chit-chat on Dress" of " Our Paris Correspondent . " A family doctor gives good advice as to " How to Preserve Eyesight and Hearing , " and any who may wish to become citizens of London will leai-n all the various modes in the article " How

to become a Freeman of the City of London . " Should any of our readers be desirous of becoming " gentlemen of the long robe , " let them consult Mr . Tysscn ' s paper , " How to become a Barrister , " and they will soon learn all about tho mysteries of preliminary examination , eating terms , & c . The Gatherer ' s collection this month is a goodly one , and tho serial tales maintain their interest .

Tlie Leisure Hour has , as usual , a most excellent programme of contents . The first on the list is " 1876 : A Tale of the American War of Independence , " in which the characters of Captain Devereux and Constance Delamero aro admirably drawn thus far , and in which we begin already to get some inkling of tho course the tale will run . Mr . E . Whympcr follows suit , with an account of " Arctic Expeditions of the

Nineteenth Century , which has tho merit of beiug clearly and concisely written , not too burdened with detail . Dr . Eimbault contributes from his treasure house of musical lore an interesting article on "American National Songs , " and to tho Eev . Canon Eawlinson wo aro indebted for a very scholarly paper on " Egyptian Civilisation . " The series of articles , " Concerning Shoes and Shoemakers , " contains a fund of information respecting thoso of whom

the worthy St . Crispin is held to be the tutelary deity . Besides these , we havo a continuation of the account of the Eev . W . Wright ' s "Trip to Palmyra and the Desert , " a sketch of "Duck Island , St . ¦ James ' s Park , " with abundant information respecting its numerous inhabitants . " Antiquarian Gossip on the Months " and " Weather Proverbs" ought to find a host of readers . Wo quote , from the latter , the following , relating to the 3 rd , 6 th ami ii- ' i of this mouth . As to the 3 rd , St . Vincent ' s Day , the proverb run , chas :

" Bcmember , on St . Vincent ' s Day , If that the sun his beams display , Be sure to mark his transient beam , Which through the casement sheds a gleam ; For ' tis a token bright and clear Of prosperous weather all tho year . "

This relates to the Sixth— " Old " St . Paul ' s Day : " If St . Paul ' s Day be fairo and clearo It doth betide a happy yearo , But if by chance it then should rain , It will make dears all kinds of graino