Royal Arch.

EOYAL ARCH

ALBANY CHAPTER , No . 151 . fTlHE installation meeting was held on Tuesday , 26 th ult ., at the Masonio X Hall , Newport , Isle of Wight , when Comps . E . G . Smith , F . Pinnock , and J . G . Pinnock were placed in the three Principals' chairs .

Mark Masoney.

MARK MASONEY .

LEWIS LODGE , No . 391 . THB annual meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Lewes , on Tuesday , 2 nd inst ., when Bro . William Gates Prov . G . Eegistrar ( Mayor of Lewes ) was installed as Master for the ensuing year , the ceremony being most impressively performed by Bro . W . Wright Grand Sword Bearer . At the conclusion of the business the Brethren dined at the Bear Hotel , Mrs . Whitcomb providing an excellent repast . '

An excellent musical programme was rendered , under the direction of Mr . Horace Jackson , by Miss Wood ( of Brighton ) and Mr . Albert Barnard ( of Lewes ) .

Woolgathering.

WOOLGATHERING .

( Continued from p . 69 . ) SHEBIDAN'S Pizarro . —Pitt used to relate , with groat gusto , the following instance of a total breach of memory . It was in connection with Mrs . Lloyd , who was nominally a housekeeper at Kensington Palace . One day she was in company with Richard Brinsley Sheridan , without recollecting him , at the time when his tragic play Pizarro was the topic of

conversation , and interrogated him thus : " So this fine Pizarro is printed ? ' " Yes , so I hear , " answered the dramatist . " And did you ever in your life read such stuff ? " she asked . " Well , I believe it's bad enough , " replied Sheridan , " but at least , madam , you must allow it's very loyal . " " Ah ! " cried she , shaking her head , — " loyal ? you do not know its author as well as I do . "

In " Old Times and Distant Places , " by the Eev . John Sinclair , M . A ., Archdeacon of Middlesex , it is related that " a gentleman from Staffordshire prevailed upon Lord Dudley to present him at Court . They got on very well as far as St . James ' s Street , where they were stopped by the line of carriages . His lordship then forgot himself , and , after a long pause , began , ' Now this tiresome country squire will be expecting me to ask him to dinner . Shall I

ask him or shall I not ? No , I think he would be a bore . ' The individual so unexpectedly blackballed was at first confounded , but , recollecting his companion ' s infirmity , commenced in turn an audible soliloquy , ' Now this tiresome old peer will of course be asking me to dine with him to-day ; shall I go or shall I not go ? No , I think it would be a bore . ' This imprompter was well taken ; and the invitation was given in earnest and accepted . "

One day his lordship asked Sidney Smith up to dinner to meet—himself I " Dine with me to-day , and I will get Sidney Smith to meet you . " The wit acknowledged the temptation , but said he had engaged to meet himself elsewhere . Another time " he paid a morning visit to an accomplished lady of title . As was customary with his lordship he relapsed into a sudden fit of abstraction which his hostess found it difficult to dispel . At last , his

lordship breaking the long fit of silence , muttered , ' A very pretty woman this Lady M— . She stays a detestably long time—I wish she would go . ' He had reversed their relative positions , and thought that he was the host , and Lady M— a visitor to his house . " In politeness this was about equal to that of the man who , although dining out at a stranger ' s table , got up after dinner , and in pure absence of mind , apologised to the company for the meanness of the fare , and the detestable cooking .

An Absent-minded Canon . —The following incidents in the life of the Bev . Ozias Linley , who was equally as absent-minded as Lord Dudley , are related in " Old Times and Distant Places , " previously referred to . The Bev . gentleman was brother-in-law of B . B ' . Sheridan , he having married the latter ' s sister , a very celebrated vocalist . " Ozee , " as the parson was familiarly called , related the story himself . He says : " While I was a

minor Canon at Norwich I went one evening to my tobacconist's , and , having filled my snuff-box , was about to leave the shop , when , I know not how it happened , but I took up the two brass candlesticks that were standing lighted on the counter , and was walking into the street with them , one in each hand , when the tobacconist recalled me to myself by exclaiming , ' Surely , Mr . Liniey , you do not intend to carry off my candlesticks I' "

" In 1825 , my friend Linley was among the vast number who considered themselves on the verge of ruin . Speaking of that great monetary crisis , he would say , " Nearly all that I possessed was in the hands of Sir John Lubbock . In an evil hour for him some crazy old woman , staggering along the Poultry , fell down at the door of his bank . The passers-by stopped to pick her up ; a crowd collected ; a report was raised that Lubbock ' s bank

was in jeopardy , and a run upon it began . The alarm reached Dulwich , and I was urged on all sides to hurry off to town , and endeavour to secure my money . I dressed accordingly , put on my hat , took up my walking-stick , and then sat down in my arm-chair for a few minutes to meditate . After some hesitation , indolence or shame prevailed , I struck the floor with my stick , and exclaimed , ' I will sink or swim with Sir John I' You know what followed . The run ceased , and my magnanimity was rewarded . '"

Sheridan Knowles . —This celebrated Irish dramatist was one day walking with a friend—a well-known London actor—in the Strand . Knowles suddenly detaches himself from his friend ' s arm , and pours forth a volume of hearty salutations on a gentleman passing by . The gentleman on his part looked somewhat aggrieved , and held himself aloof . "No doubt you are glad to see me , Mr . Knowles , " said he , " but I hardly think you have treated me with great courtesy . When I met you last I invited you to dinner . You fixed your own day , and your own hour . We waited , but you neither

put in an appearance nor did you send an apology . " " Why bless ray soul , " answered Sheridan , " ye don't say so ! But I have such a memory . A thousand pardons ! Come now , my friend , when do you dine at home again ? " " Wednesday , and we shall be delighted to see you . " " At what hour ? " "Six o ' clock . " "Six o ' clock , done—I will be with ye , my boy . God bless you . " The gentleman walked off . The dramatist joined his friend , to whom he said a minute afterwards , " I'd give you a thousand pounds , me b ° y . if ye'd tell me who that man is ! " Left in the Stocks . —Lord Canibden , when a barrister , took a curious fancy to understand how one would feel who was put in the stocks . He got

Woolgathering.

a friend to fasten him in , but the former being very absent-minded forgot all about the matter , and left him to the enjoyment of the situation for nearly a whole day . By this time the victim seemed to have had enough of it , for he entreated a countryman , who was passing , to relievo him , but the man declined to interfere , and went his way after gravely telling him that people who got in there did not get in for nothing .

Hard on the Baby . —An almost incredible instance of woolgathering ia told of the Count de Brancas , brother of the Due do Villai's . The count , who was the original of the " Menalcas " of La Bruyere , was one day reading by the fireside , when his infant child was brought to him . Belinquishing his book for the more precious charge of the baby , he soon became absorbed in his new occupation . Before long , however , a distinguished visitor was announced , and De Brancas , forgetting that he had not then the book in his hands , threw the child carelessly on to the table , to attend to his visitor . )

A French Author . —La Fontaine , the author of the celebrated " Fables , " is reported to have been one of the most absent men . He attended the burial of one of his friends , and some time afterwards he called to visit him . At first he . was shocked at the information of his death , but recovering from his surprise , said , " True , true , I recollect now that I went to his funeral . "

A German Politician . — " Afc a certain session of the German Reichstag , " says Mr . C . J . Dunphie , " Herr Wichmann was calling the roll , and coming to his own name , called it without getting any response . He repeated the name again in a louder tone . Still no answer , and he spoke it for the third time at the top of his voice , upon which the laughter of the House brought him to his senses , and he marked himself present .

An American Traveller . —Mr . Dunphie also relates the following : — " There is authentic mention of an American traveller who , alighting from a railway train one day piteously complained thafc he had lost something , but could not for the life of him remember what . ' A woman and five children are crying like rain at the other end of the platform , ' kindly suggested tha guard . ' Them ' s um 1 ' exclaimed fche delighted Yankee . "

A Forgetful Juryman . —I must not conclude this article without recording an instance of woolgathering which occurred during the middle of last month . At the conclusion of the inquest held by Mr . S . F . Langham , the Southwark Coroner , at the St . John ' s Vestry Hall , Horselydown , the coroner requested the jury to sign individually for their two shilling fees . Thirteen jurymen signed their names without trouble , but the last juror , when requested to add his signature , went to the desk and put the letter

" C ' only , and then stood gazing vacantly at the paper . Mr . Heslop , the clerk , drew his attention to what had occurred , but the man said he could not remember what his name was . Mr . Heslop .: " Surely you know your owh name ? " The juror : " No , I don't . " Mr . Heslop : " But you answered to it when the inquest started . " The juror : " Yes , I should know it if you mentioned if . " ( Loud laughter ) . The coroner : " What is

the trouble ? " Mr . Heslop : " A juryman says he can't remember what his name is . " Tho coroner : " What is the matter with him ? " The juror : "I cannot think at all of my name . " He was at last identified as Charles Jackson . When the clerk called the name out the juror said , " Yes , I think that is my name , but I am not certain , but I will sign that name . " This he did , and the court was closed . Subsequently it was stated that the juror suffered from absent-mindedness . " The Book of Barities , " by Edward Eoberts , P . M .

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