The Old Masonic Poem.

To death he let them thou go ; Whoso will of their life yet more know , By the book he may it show , In the ( 3 ) Legent of Sanctorum , The names of quatuor coronatorum . Their feast will be , without nay , After All Hallows the eighth day . ( i ) Ye may there as I do read ,

That many years after , for great dread That Noah ' s flood was all ( 5 ) y-ronne , The tower of Babylon was begun , As plain work of lime and stone , As any man should look upon ; So long and broad it was began , Seven miles the heighth shadoweth the sun . King Nebuchadnezzar let it make ,

In great strength for man ' s sake , Though such a flood again should come , Over the work it should not ( 6 ) nome Since they had such high pride , with strange boast , All that work therefore was lost ; An angel smote them so with divers speech , Tha t never one knew what [ the ] other should reach . Many years afterthe good clerk Euclid

, , Taught the craft of gemetry wonder wyde , So he did that time other also , Of divers crafts many more : Through high grace of Christ in heaven , He commenced in the sciences seven :

Grammatica is the first science certainly , Dialectic * the second , so have I bliss , Rethorica the third , without nay , Mtisica is the fourth , as I you say , Astronomia is the fifth , by my snout , Arsmctica the sixth , without 1 doubt , Gemetria the seventh maketh an end , For it is both meek and ( 7 ) heude .

Grammar forsooth is the root , Whoso will learn in the book ; But Art exceedeth in its degree , As the fruit doth the root of the tree ; Khetoric measures with ornate speech ( 8 ) amonge , And music it is a sweet song ; Astronomy numbereth , my dear brother , Arithmetic showeth one thing that is another

, Geometry the seventh science it is , That can divide falsehood from truth ( 9 ) y-wys . These are the sciences seven , Whoso useth them well , he may have heaven . Now dear children , by your wit , Bride and covetousness [ see ] that ye leave it , And take heed to good discretion , And to good nurturewheresoe ' er come

, ye . Now I pray you take good heed , For this ye must show need , But much more ye must ( 10 ) wyten , Than ye find herepn ] written . If thee fail thereto wit , Pray to God to send thee it . ( To be continued . )

( 3 ) Legent ; Legend of the Saints . ( i ) 8 th of November . ( 5 ) Y-ronne ; rained . ( 6 ) Nome ; take . ( 7 ) Hende ; gentle . ( 8 ) Amonge ; at intervals . ( 9 ) Y-wys ; certainly . ( 10 ) W yten ; know .

The New Morality.

THE NEW MORALITY .

( Continued from page 18 . ) 0 huge mistake ! yet in this shifty time , When trust is wavering , faith appears a crime ; When ancient truths and wisdom seem to fade ,

We like our thoughts like clothes—all ready made ; We have not time old folios to peruse , We get our principles from the morning news ! And thus each passing day but serves to show How very little many care to know ; And how our youth , as laughing ladies tell , Betrays its ignorance of how to spell !

Not only this , but some now boldly say , " We ' ve put morality and fear away . These were the teachings of departed schools ; Ours are wiser ways and safer rules . What matters this ? What matters that indeed ? Why should we still to pedant voice give heed ? Life is enjoyment , let us take our fling , Our later days will serious feelings bring ;

But now ' s the time , the festive hourjs here , And as youth ' s season hastes to disappear , Let ' s prove that , free from custom ' s chilling rule , We are apt scholars in enjoyment ' s school . "

How many thus give up the sterner laws Of olden days , and , mid the vain applause Of silly compeers , think that they can cast A freshness on their race by being " fast . " Yet this great recklessness of a wise control , This idle wasting of the hours that roll In quick succession by , in folly ' s train , Make us desire those better days again ,

When all that decency and right could teach , Could govern ecmally our ways and speech ; When though with weakness , which is mortal ever , Our ' s were feeble strivings , frail endeavour , We yet could ever homage humbly pay To Virtue , nor did we seek with boasts to disobey The ancient laws of duty and of right ,

Honour ' s grave dictates , ever fair and bright . But those who live alone for pleasure here , Who laugh at scruples , and who banish fear , Though sometimes kind to others they may be , Are of all selfishness the Epitome . For them this life is nothing but a game , Which all can share in pretty much the same , And so like cheerful actorso ' er and o'er

, , They play as others play'd the comedy before . 0 vain delusion ! in this life of ours , With all its radiant hopes and goodly powers , How great are all those duties which belong To each one of us in that giddy throng , Which fills to-day each dusty road of life With shouts of anxious care and fevered strife . None are exempt from truth's unfailing laws

; None can desert unpunished honour ' s cause ; To none is given those right rules to break ; To none is given duty to forsake , Which still for man , mid trials every hour , Bind the still conscience in their golden power , And teach , and warn , and govern , and restrain Our mortal race under their happier reign