The Magazines Of The Month.

solve , and those who have not worked out any solution of their own , will find much benefit if they consult the answer in these pages . " How I dressed my daughters , " in these days , when every one is judged by their appearances , quite against the old Roman Maxim , " Nimium ne crede Colori , " is worth discussing , and we may add , is here worthily discussed . Mr . A . G . Payne , whose views ou the art oi

dining , are marked by great common sense , and whose suggestions are invariably appropriate , tells us "How to make Dishes look nice . " " Our Paris Correspondent" furnishes much valuable " Chitchat on Dress ; " and there is a capital paper on the question " How to get to Sleep at Night , " in which the writer suggests remedial measures for insomnia . Ordinarily , we think a man who works hard and takes plenty of exercise , and eats moderately but well , will expe .

rienco no difficulty in sleeping . Besides these domestic papers are several others , all more or less interesting , and especially a Biography of the late Sir W . Sterndale Bennett , an article on Vagabonds , and Mr . J . E . Taylor ' s paper on " Earthquakes , and how they aro caused . " The two serials progress , the interest in each being fully sustained . There are two or three neat sets of verses , and generally the illustrations are of a higher quality than usual . Each fresh number of this Magazine confirms our regard for it .

About the most readable article in Temple Bar is " A French Doctor Johnson , " one Gilles Menage who , from the account here given , appears to have possessed many of tho attributes of our great lexicographer , and certainly to have been somewhat more vivacious . Md . iage lived during the 17 th century , and seems to have had a good memory , great scholarship , and great conversational powers , but he

was as tender-hearted , as religious , as sympathetic with misfortune and suffering as Johnson . He was born in 1613 , and early developed a great aptitude for saying caustic things to that extent that we read of a young lady of Angers—his birth-place , who did " nofc know how to define la mMisance ; metis le medisant , e ' est le Menage . " His Mercuriale or Wednesday reunions were held regularly for over thirty

years , and it is chiefl y by what his friends have handed down to us of those Wednesday conversations that we are enabled to appreciate Menage . Among theso Mdnagiana , are included many smart sayings and several witty repartees recorded of other celebrities . Thus , of two Benedictine and Bemardian Monks who met at table , the latter pronounced grace before meat in the words Benedictus Benedicat , and

the former returns the compliment after meat by uttering the prayer Bernardus Bemardat . Again , of the Duke d'Elbcenf , who was ordered by the priest to give satisfaction to an injured servant before receiving the last sacrament . " I was not aware , " said the duke , " that salvation depends on reconciling oneself with a valet . " Of Fuetiero we are told that "just before his death he asked for an account of

disbursements . ' I have paid , ' said the Abbe , ' so much for the Porte Dien , so much for tho men , so much for the two priests . ' ' Abbe Abbe ! ' groaned the dying man . ' Yon have ruined me in sacraments ! ' " We have , further , an illustration of the ruling passion as illustrated by a dying usurer , on whose lips the priest presses a silver crucifix . Opening his eyes , and gazing upon it , the usurer

murmurs , "I can ' t lend much upon that / and then breathed his last . This is not all in Temple Bar that is of interest to tho reader . The further instalment of " Leah : a Womau of Fashion , " the conclusion of '' Ralph Wilton ' s Weird , " and the papers on " Tho Flying Post , " " William Charles Macready , " and " Tho Follies of tho Wise , " are worth readitiir .

Bailey contains , of course , an admirable biographical sketch of the late Sir Joseph Hawley , whoso death occurred so recently , and of a great Cricketer of the olden clays , "Mr . E . H . Budd . " * A further chapter of " Frank Raleigh of Watercombo , " " A Few Casts with a Fly-Rod , " an anticipatory sketch of "Yachting and Rowing" during tho approachiug season , aud " Our Van , " well laden with all kinds of news , anecdotes , and smart sayings make up , with other matter , a goodly number .

As usual , London Society is well illustrated , and contains a variety of matter for tho most part lightly and genially written . Mr . Peyton Wrey continues his notes on "Popular Dramatists . " Mr . Sidney Blanchard contributes " Jenkins Over tho Water , " and there is

Part III . of Sarcelle ' s " Gasfcronornical Rambles . " Tho " West End Notes , " by " The Man in tho Mask , " are pleasant and chattily written . The one drawback is tho continued presence of " Open ! Sesame ! " which is a heavy weight to be tacked onto so much agreeable light literature .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters tintsf bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents .

THE EARL OF CARNARVON ON FREEMASONRY

To the Editor of THE FREKMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAK Sin AND BiioritF . R , —The great Masonic event which took place upon the 28 th nit ., and which is so ably described in your columns , viz ., the Installation of H . R . H . the Princo of Wales as Grand Master , is one which under tho circumstances will , no doubt

prove a landmark iu the history of the Order . The Prince bavinbeen dul y robed and chaired as the Grand Master of the English freemasons , was thereafter addressed or admonished by tho ° Pro brand Master , tho Earl of Carnarvon , in a most admirable speech , which might have been faultless had the Right Honourable speaker not marred it by unnecessarily introducing certain pseudo-historical

Correspondence.

remarks based , as it appears to me , nofc upon fact , bnfc upon fiction * The words which I object to are in the latter portion of the remark " Freemasonry possesses many titles to respect , even in the eyes of the outer world . It has , first of all , a great antiquity , an antiquity ascending into the sphere , I may say , of immemorial tradition . " And , further on , where the speaker says , " Formerly , through the dim

periods of the middle ages , it carved its records npon the public buildings of Europe , upon the tracery of the Cathedral windows , and the ornamentation of palaces . " Now , as a student of the history of Freemasonry , I beg to say thafc according to the records which I have perused , our Freemasonry is not of " great antiquity , " for no evidence has been produced of its existence even so recently as two

hundred years ago ; consequently , to talk of it " carving its records upon cathedrals and palaces " in the middle ages , " is simply absurd . If , however , our Right Honourable Brother is possessed of private evidence supporting his assertion , as yet unknown to other students of the history of Freemasonry , I shall be both ready and willing to withdraw and apologise for the foregoing criticisms so soon as I have

seen and duly weighed this new evidence . In concluding this letter I would beg leave to say that it is written in no captious spirit , but from a pure desire to support or know the truth . I am very glad , indeed , that the void left by the retrogression of the Marquis of Ripon has been more than filled up by tho Princo of Wales , who , 1 trust , will long bo spared to show that he is really worthy of the high position he has been bora heir to .

I am , yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN . Glasgow , 1 st May 1875 .

What The Press Say Of Freemasonry.

WHAT THE PRESS SAY OF FREEMASONRY .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am one of the fortunate ten thousand who were privileged to witness the installation of our Most Worshipful Grand Master on Wednesday last , and since then I have been highly entertained by a diligent perusal of the leading articles upon the ceremony which have appeared in the daily and weekly press ! .

In some of the papers , the comments of tho writers are characterised by harmless , nofc to say good-humonred badinage , in others these degenerate into , vulgar chaff , while in all , as might have beon expected , there is apparent the grossest ignorance . of Masonry and its principles . There is one writer , however , among these in whoso article there

aro displayed such superior vulgarity of expression , such offensive pretence of knowledge , aud such scandalous misrepresentations of the brotherhood of Freemasonry that he deserves to bo singled out from the others for conspicuous obloquy . The paper in which this remarkable specimen of impudouco appeared is called the Weekly Dispatch .

I believe it is a paper that in the world of jonrnahsm occupies a position somewhere between Reynold's Newspaper a , wi tho Englishman , and it has achieved the notoriety it enjoys from its loudly bellowed scorn of tho Sabbath , its derision of tho bench of bishops , and its undisguised contempt for monarchs , princes and lords . Naturally enough , tho election of the Heir Apparent to tho head of an

influential organisation such as ours , has excited the bilo of theso preachers of veiled treason , and tho full volume of their wrath is consequently poured forth upon Freemasons . The scribe of tho occasion depicts us as organised gluttons and wino bibbers , and thero failing in epithetical resource recurs for a further supply to tho obfuscated utterances of Carlyle . That Charlatan of phrases describes our

Order as " Bog-meteor of phosphorated hydrogen , conspicuous in the murk of things . Bog-meteor foolish , putrescent Will o' tho Wisp . ( Forsooth a great Tantologician . ) Harmless fire , but too fatuous ( the fat's in tho fire ) , mere flame circles , cub in the air for infants , wo know how . " The writer who can deliberately quote upon the subject of Masonry

the opinions of such a man as Carlyle , a secluded bookworm who looks upon everything with spectacles for eyes , and literally " through a glass darkly , " is hardly worthy of notice , and I should not have troubled you with this letter but for tho curious piece of braggadocio which terminates this farrago of milk and water malice . " We will venture to say , " asserts this coxscomb of journalism ,

" that we could give as good an account of what went on in the Albert Hall , on Thursday last ( sic ) as if we had been present . " Now , as tho proceedings at tho Albert Hall , on Thursday last , mainly consisted of clearing away the barriers deemed necessary for tho largo influx of visitors on tho previous day , I should think that any student of tho crazy phrase-maker of Chelsea might bo trusted to ovolvo an account of such work from his inner consciousness without

any refereuce to facts . Is this then a species of sport with lies intended to gull the unwary , or is it a genuine slip of tho writer ' s pen ? I shall not attempt to decide the question , but I mast say that pretentious ignorance which characterises tho article from the begining to end engenders in my mind a strong suspicion of the writer ' s candour and good faith . I am , & c . A MASTER MASON . 1 st May 1875 .

Answers To Correspondents.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS .

IGNORAMUS . —Bro . Sadler is the Grand Secretary ' s Messmger , and , we believe , acts as Preceptor to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement .

TRAVELLER . —We shall find space for your contribution in an earl y number . T . T . — -It is a case of custom or tho " unwritten law , " Wo know of DO " written law" ou the subject .