Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , MARCR 5 , 1861 .

At the quarterly communication of Grand Lodge on Wednesday last , tlie M . W . Grand Master was unanimously re-elected , and a vote of condolence to the Grand Lodge of Scotland ., on the loss it had sustained by the death of the Grand Master ,

the Duke of Athole , having- been passed , Bro . Havers brought forward what may be considered the real business of the evening—a motion , disapproving of the attempt of a few English Lodges , in conjunction with Irish and Scotch Lodges , to

obtain the consent of the parent Grand Lodges to the establishment of an independent Grand Lodge for Victoria . We shall to-day enter into any examination of Bro . Havers' speech on the subject , suffice it to say that it was argumentative and

conclusive , ancl that the resolution of our E . W . brother was carried unanimously . The subject of the powers of Wardens , which has caused some discussion in the Craft , was referred to the consideration of the Board of General Purposes ; and a

motion relative to increasing the number of black balls necessary to exclude a candidate from initiation negatived .

Classical Theology.—Lxxiv.

CLASSICAL THEOLOGY . —LXXIV .

Juwo AND JANUARY . As the Ekatomphonia was a solemn sacrifice offered by the Messenians to Jupiter when any of them had killed a hundred of the enemy , so among the Argians there was celebrated a festival in

honour of Juno called Ekatomboia , a word derived from Ecatombe , viz ., enaro ^ , and thereby signifying a sacrifice of a hundred oxen . This number of them it Avas usual to offer to the o-od-O dess on the first day of its solemnity , the remains

of which supplied the feast of the citizen . Public sports , instituted by Archinus , one of the sovereigns of Argos , also took place at this time . The prizes awarded consisted of a brazen shield and a crown of myrtle . There were likewise

festivals under the same name celebrated at other places . An anniversary sacrifice , was also observed by the Laconians , for the j ^ 'eservation of their hundred cities that flourished at that time . Under the name of Adeia , or Antheia , otherwise Morinda ( flowery ) , Pansanias tells us Juno had a temple dedicated to her at Argos . And also he

states , under the name of Buutsa , she had a temple built in honour of her by Bunseus ( whence the name ) , the son of Mercury , which in itself shows , without going any further back , how anciently the science of architecture must have been

cultivated , and to what perfection it had arrived in the time of Oonon , who erected the temple of Theseus . Some account of that work will suffice .

Sir Georo-e Wheler informs us it was in the centre of the city of Athens , and resembled in all respects but in size the UapSevtoy , or Temple of the Virgin , otherwise Pavthcnioii sine Templum Minervw ,, aa restored by Pericles . For instance , to extract

from our accomplished traveller , "It was about 2-17 feet in length and 98 feet in breadth , consisting entirely of white marble , ascended by a range of five steps on every side , and supported by 44 lofty Doric columns . On the front ofthe portico ,

and on the frieze round the temple were numerous historical figures of great and admirable beauty aud workmanship . Its entrance was hy a very high frontal doorway . " And altogether for material and art it has been declared . to be the most

beautiful piece of antiquity remaining in the world . It was also called Ercen-o / ipeW , because , as we find elsewhere , it was a hundred feet square . But we will follow again our author , " Several of the columns in its interior were said to be of

jasper , aud others of porphyry , with beautiful capitols of white marjble of the Corinthian order . The Turks , in making use of it as a mosque , had white-washed almost all the beautiful marble

which had enriched it within . It was now itself ill lighted ; the only window it had was at the east end , and this was formed by the early Christians , who had converted the temple into a church . On one part of the ceiling was still left a picture of

the Holy Virgin , in Mosaic work . The preservation of this picture was accounted for , by a tradition , that a Turk once discharged a musket at it , and almost immediately afterwards his right hand withered . From thence the Prophet's followers

have been afraid to injure it . " To let that pass as it may , the temple of Theseus , as seen to this day , and now dedicated to St . George , stood near that place where the Athenian youths used to exercise themselves in games of wrestling ,

quoits , leaping , racing , and by gymnastic performances . It also acquired the privilege of a sanctuary for slaves , and those others who would escape the rjersecution of the powerful , in remembrance that Theseus , while he lived , was