Original Correspondence.

the query : What can we do to improve matters ? As he well observes , intellectual improvement —as things are in our lodges—instead of being a living something , is nothing but a dead name ; a mere mummy , capable somehow of producing a mechanical , out-of-the-way , " parrot-like

repetitions of the rituals . " Surely this ought not to be . Why we do not go on " continuing our education " in our lodges I cannot understand . It cannot be because we have in office "headless and brainless peers and dumb members of Parliament , " for all our brethren are not of that class . I am afraid that our mistake has been in

supposing that Freemasonry is not progressive . Now , that is wrong ; nothing human ever made , invented , or manufactured ever became perfect all at once—it had to follow the law of development , and grow up to manhood . To talk , as many do , of the " ancient landmarks " is simply

humbug , and a cloak to ignorance , imbecility , and do-nothingness . The fact is , Freemasonry ought to go on progressing ; and if we , who profess to be Freemasons , do not put our shoulders to the wheel and help it on , we simply ail to do our duty . The brethren who " instituted " Speculative Freemasonry in 1717 did a

noble work , and did their part in setting it a-going ; it ought to be our pleasure , as it is our duty to aid its progress by every lawful means in our power . I trust that your esteemed correspondent will continue his contributions , and I sincerely wish him good speed . I am , yours fraternally , LEO .

THE PRINCE OF WALES .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR BROTHER EDITOR , —At a time when ah hearts are alive to the momentous deliverance vouchsafed by the G . A . O . T . U . to our nation , and especially to our beloved brother the

Prince of Wales , let me invite my brethren to consider whether any , and what , mode of demonstration could he devised for the purpose

of evincing our loyal attachment to the throne , and our appreciation of so near alliance of our Order to that throne in the person of our brother the Prince .

I perceive that other bodies have commenced action by passing resolutions expressive of thankfulness and sympathy . Why should not the members of the Craft do the like ? 1 would throw out for consideration a mode

by which a demonstration might usefully be made—viz ., by the convention of a Special Grand Lodge , who should proceed to St . Paul ' s Cliurch , upon which occasion our brother the Bishop of Pctcrboro ' should be invited to preach .

Or , if each Prov . Grand Lodge could meet in the cathedral town , and proceed in a body to the cathedral ( all meeting on one day ) , then each province would be benefited by listening to the eloquence 1 if our Prov . Grand Chaplains ,

or others who may he selected for the occasion ; and I am quite sure that a very large amount might be securedfor either the hospitals or other medical charities of the place , by way of a Masonic thanks-offering to AlmightyGod for His

past mercy vouchsafed . I hope to find these suggestions meet with some favour , and if our own Charities do not benefit by their being carried out , I trust that others may .

Believe me , very truly and fraternally , THE W . M . OF A COUNTRY LODGE . "THE CAULD HOUSE O' CLAY . "

( To the Editor of 1 he Ireemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The late Isaac D'Israeli says that when literary forgeries are published , by those whose character hardly admits of a suspicion that they are themselves

the impostors , the difficulty of assigning a motive only increases that of forming a derision ; to adopt or to reject them may be equally dangerous ! The assertion , in part , is peculiarly applicable to the above-named poem (?) , which

Original Correspondence.

appeared in your issue of the 2 nd inst . as " the last composition" of our immortal brother , Robert Burns . I certainly cannot assign a definite motive for this literary forgery ; but there are many reasons in favour of a decision which refuses to acknowledge it as a genuine

emanation from the pen of " one who could feel so strongly and describe so well . " " He who , " in the eloquent language of his scholarly commentator , Professor Wilson , " woo ' ed each maiden in song that will , as long as our Doric dialect is breathed by love in beauty ' s ears , be

murmured close to the cheek of innocence trembling in the arms of passion . " He who gave his native land a new title amongst nations —whose inspiration revelled in the beautiful , and faithfully reflected the sublime ; he whose versatile genius , allied to the capacity for the

profoundest thought , enabled him to " raise the lily or to smite the rock , " could never write anything so worthless as " The Cauld House o ' Clay . " What authority exists for supposing Burns to be the author ? Have we the critical and accomplished Wilson , the enthusiastic

Cunningham , the classical Lockhart , or any other recognised historian ? Is there any poetry in the entire production ? any sign of the " Guinea stamp" about it ? Would any one , however slightly acquainted with the poems of Burns , do him the injustice to think him capable of writing as follows : —

Farewell to my sorrows , and farewell to my cares , The old frail folks , and the lassies so dear At kirk where I promised from folly to part The one that ensnared me I lie without smart . "

This , I may inform your readers , I have copied verbatim . Wh y , sir , this is neither rhyme , rhythm , nor common sense . I also find the following lines , which , to me , are perfectly unintelligible : —

•Our place may be higher than , those who more firay , When eased from our lang hame , thc cauld house o' clay . " After which I notice : —

\ ou'Il move round Sons o' Fellowship , yearly move round On the long Summer-day say a part to St . John . " The above are only a few specimens , but quite sufficient , I trust , to warrant the assertion , that the production , of which they form a part , owes very little of its existence to Robert Bums .

While admitting that there are several poems extant , and published insome of the best editions of the works of the poet , upon which some of the ablest commentators disagree as to the authorship—for instance , "The Tree of Liberty , " which Allan Cunningham rejects , but which Professor

Wilson accepts , and says it was in the poet ' s handwriting , in the possession of Mr . James Duncan , Mosesfield , near Glasgow , and was first printed in Mr . Robert Chambers ' s edition in 183 S . ( The mere fact , however , of the poem being in the liainhvrithigof Bumsdoes not prove

him to be the author . ) And "The Ruined Maid ' s Lament , '' which Wilson strongly suspects to be the production of Motherwell . These somewhat doubtful effusions have , however , considerable merit . andwill always be considered worthy of regard ; but " The Cauld House of Clay " has none at all , and will never succeed

in being recognised as anything but an insi pid , ungrammatical piece of rubbish , foolishly attached to the name of a great genius . Let me now take a genuine extract from Burns , from his " Farewell to the Brethren of St . James' Lodge , at Tarbolton : "—

' •Oft have I met your social band , And spent the cheerful , festive night ; Oft . honoured with supremo command , Presided o ' er the Sons of Li ^ ht . And by that hieroglyphic bright , Which none but craftsmen ever saw , Strong memory on mv heart shall write

Those happy scenes when far awa' . " All I can now say is : " Look upon this picture , and upon that . " Fraternally yours , WILLIAM BERNARD . Hull .

Reunion Of The Shakespere Lodge, No. 1009, Manchester.

REUNION OF THE SHAKESPERE LODGE , No . 1009 , MANCHESTER .

On Monday , the 4 th mst ., there was a most brilliant Masonic reunion , at the Freemasons ' Hall , Manchester , under the auspices of the above lodge , on the occasion of the visit of the R . W . Provincial Grand Master of East

Lancashire and other Provincial Grand Officers . The members of the lodge mustered in great force , the W . M ., Bro . C . E . Austin , being supported by the following officers and Past Masters in addition to a goodly number of other members : Bros .

W . H . Pratt , S . W . ; Thos . Biddolph , J . W . ; Rev . S . Y . B . Bradshaw , M . A ., I . P . M . ; Alfred Nicholis , Treas . ; Frederic Hepton , Sec . ; Thos . Brown , J . D . ;• E . H . Downs , Org . ; Caston Edmonds , I . G . ; R . L . Mestayer , A . Marshall ' and George Macbeth , Stewards ; J . W . Pelly ,

P . M ., P . G . J . D . ; Vincent Kilborn , P . M ., Capt . E . J . Heaps , P . M . ; Thos . Alderson , P . M . ; C . A . Coates , P . M . ; Richard Hartley , P . M . The visiting brethren also assembled in great

numbers , and included Bros . Col . Le Gendre . N . Starkie , 126 , R . W . P . G . M . ; AY Romaine Callender , jun ., 64 , W . D . P . G . M . ; Thomas . G . Gibbons , P . M . 6 4 , P . G . J . W . ; R . H . Hutchinson ,

345 , P . P . G . S . W . ; J . L . Hine , P . P . G . S . W . ; Col . Thos . Birchall ( of Preston ) , 11 3 , P . P . G . J . W . West Lancashire ; James A . Birch , P . P . G . S . D . Cheshire ; J . H . P . Leresche , W . M . 64 , P . P . G . R . East Lancashire ; T . H . Jenkins , 1147 , P . G . S . B . ;

John S . Veevers , P . G . S . D . ; T . H . Baldwin , P . P . G . S . B . Cheshire ; Councillor Wm . Batty , 44 ; Councillor J . R . Hampson ; Thos . Charlton , W . M . 152 ; John Raines , M . D ., W . M . 204 ; Edward Clay , W . M . E . 204 ; E . Nathan , P . M .

204 ; John Mountain , P . M . 204 ; John Brocklehurst , P . M . 204 ; Edwin Simpson , P . M . 645 ; C . J . Petty , P . M . 992 ; E . G . Simpson , W . M .

1357 ; J . A . Eastwood , P . M . 317 ; W . Mathews , M . D ., W . M . 993 ; John Wood , M . D ., 78 ; T . Guttridge , P . M . 1055 ; T . R . Gospel , P . M . 155 ; J . Bentley and T . Coulton .

The lodge was opened in due form by Bro . Austin , W . M ., at forty-five minutes past five p . m ., and the minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed . A deputation of several Past Masters of the lodge having been sent to

receive the R . W . Prov . Grand Master and his officers , they were reported by Bro . Edmonds , I . G ., to be outside the door of the lodge seeking admittance , whereupon the W . M . instructed the Inner Guard to admit them , and called upon the

brethren , who rose to order and received the Provincial Grand Lodge according to ancient custom . In the unavoidable absence of Bro .

Past Master Austin Shellard , D . C , P . G . D . C ., Past Master C . A . Coates officiated as Director of Ceremonies , and gave the honours to the R . W . P . G . M ., W . D . P . G . M . and the other P . G .

officers . The lodge was opened in the second degree and Bro . Paul Schulze was passed by the W . M .,

assisted by the Senior and Junior Wardens , and by Bro . Coates , P . M ., who also acted for Bro . S . L . Pettit , S . D ., who was prevented by illness from being present .

The lodge having being closed in the second degree the W . M . read two letters he had received from Lord de Tabley , R . W . P . G . M . of Cheshire , couched in truly fraternal language , and expressive of regret , that an important prior

engagement would deprive him of the pleasure of being present at the Shakespere Lodge on so interesting an occasion as the visit of the R . W . P . G . M . and W . D . P . G . M . of East Lancashire .

Bro . J . W . Petty , P . M ., P . G . J . D . proposed , and Bro . Captain Heaps , P . M ., seconded the following resolution , which was carried unanimously : " That the Shakespere Lodge pledges itself to contribute five pounds sterling to the Binckes' Testimonial Fund . " The W . M . called