Poetry.

Poetry .

HOPE AND FAITH . SWEET hope , in all adversity , From weak despondence set me free , AAlieii wand'ring in misfortune ' s shade , And by combining foes dismay'd , Be thou , oh radiant cherub , near , To whisper comfort in my ear ;

Inspire my drooping sold to rise To nobler aims , beyond the skies . Aleek charity , inflame my mind AVith love for all the human kind ; Till , by thy pious lessons taught , I guard each action , word , and thought , Lest I to any give offence , Or wound another ' s weaker sense ;

His follies or his faults make known , But study to amend my own . Aud thou , Almighty Lord of all , On thee , with humble voice , I call ; AVho rais'd the effulgent heav ' ns sublime , Long ere thy will gave birth to time ; AVho hast decreed when time shall cease , And to eternity give place

; AVhose eye , the glorious fount of day , Can all things afc a glance survey ; AVhose breath to nature being gives , The principle of all that lives ; AA'hose hand , the shield of innocence , Is armed with omnipotence ;

AAHiose mandate frani'd , whose lightning hurl'd , Can ruin this stupendous world ; And crush , in one amazing fall , All empires , kingdoms , states , and all Mankind—by swift disastrous doom , Ov erwhelm in one tremendous tomb 1 Oh hear , ancl grant my fervent pray ' r , For vain is every mortal care

Without thine aid—oh . ' cast an eye Of mercy from thy throne on high , On me ancl mine—my ways direct , Aly days from sorrow still protect ; My mind illumine , deign to bless My daily labours with success ; Assist me , by thy jirovidenee , To gain a liberal competence ;

AVhich I may with discretion use , Nor e ' er thy sacred gifts abuse ; So shall I taste the sweets of peace , And happiness my dwelling grace ; Content shall crown raj- humble board , By industry with plenty stor'd ; The kind companion of my days , And little onestheir hands shall raise

, , Thy wondrous mercies to proclaim , And bless , and glorify thy name . Thus we may live , and may ' st thou send Some kind forewarning of our end ; . That so prepar'd our souls shall be , To merit grace in death from thee .

The Battle Of Life.

THE BATTLE OF LIFE .

BY BHO . WHITING . BRETHHEX , how , this lovely morning , Goes the battle with you here ? Are you arm'd to meet with scorning All the hosts of sin and fear ? Human life—it is a battle , AA aged unceasing , clay by day ;

Loud the death shots round us rattle— . Fierce the foes iu dread array . Sin and sickness , want and sorrow , AA itb our frailties are allied , Each from each contrives to borrow Aid to conquer human pride . But , my brethren , there ' s an armour

AVhich is proof to all attack ; A oicc of foes or syren charmer , Power to harm it still must lack . This strong armour is Alasonic , You will find it light to bear ; Three short words , in phrase laconic , Shadow forth ite beauty rare ,

The Battle Of Life.

Faith the helmet , bright and shining—Hope the breastplate , strong and true Charity , whose beams refining , Clothe the soul with graces new . This the armour , whose protection Guards from foes that meet us here ; AVhile to soothe our deep dejection

, AVe ' vc a board of goodly cheer , Lo , the gifts upon our table , AVhich refresh our daily toil ; They to soothe all woes are able—Here they are—corn , wine , and oil !

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

[ THE EDITOR does not hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained by Correspondents . ] EOYAL ARK MARINERS . TO THE EDITOB OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEEOB . DEAE , SIR AND BROTHER , —In reply to your correspondent ,

" C . A . B ., " I have pleasure to inform him , that there is a Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners held at the Turf Hotel , Edinburgh ; and I have no doubt the worthy Secretary , Bro . Alexander Hay , will , with , his usual ready kindness , furnish any information in liis power that " C . A . B . " may wish to obtain relative to the degree that may be communicated to one who has not received the same . I am , dear Sir ancl Brother , yours fraternally , Glasgow , April 30 th , 1860 . K . II .

The Mark Master's Degree.

THE MARK MASTER'S DEGREE .

TO THE EDITOE OP THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — " R . E . X ., " in his letter under the above heading , appears to be labouring to resolve the doubts he has respecting the legality of the Mark degree in this country . By his own admission he belongs to an illegal jurisdiction , as the Bon Accord Lodge of Mark Masters is not to be found on the register of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of

Scotlandthe only authority that grants its warrants for this country—the Grand Lodge of England , Grand Chapter , Grand Conclave , and Supreme Grand Council ofthe 38 ° , all tacitly ignoring its existence , and there being no other Masonic governing powers in this kingdom that I am aware of . The Bon Accord , it is well known , derives its existence from a self constituted source . Consequentl y , if "R . E . X . " is working that degree , he is doing so in Masonic

schism—may well be anxious about his status as a Mark Masonand seems to have arrived at a pretty near guess to the truth , when he says , " a great many brethren have wasted much time and circumstance in supporting an immense fungus . " In another portion of his communication , he states that " the degree is becoming more eagerly desired than formerly . " Now what this " formerly" means it is impossible to discover ; but the legalized working of the degree has for many years had its supporters here ; while the something which of late years arrogates to

itself the name of an English Grand Lodge of Mark Masters is nothing but an abortive attempt to erect an imperium in imperii ) , whieh must , sooner or later , happily die ont . For the information of " R . E . X ., " who seems , like all illegal Masons of every degree , sadly deficient in the history of those degrees to which they profess to belong , I beg to present him with the following list of Mark Master ' s Lodges in England ,

which hold of the only power who can truly authorize them here at present , and are registered on the roll of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland : —Nos . 1 . St . Mark ' s , Freemasons' Tavern , London ; 2 . St . John's , Bolton , Lancashire ; 3 . Thistle , London ; < ± . Arnott , London ; 5 . Joppa , Birkenhead - , 6 . Keystone , Liverpool ; 7 . Canynges , Bristol ; 8 . Liverpool ; 9 . Old Kent ( the charter of which has been recalled ) ; 10 .

Florence Nightingale , AVoolwich ; 11 . Southwark , Bermondsey ; 12 . Fletcher , AVhitehaven ; 13 . Cheltenham and Keystone , Cheltenham ; 14 . St . John's , Quebec ( Canada ) ; 15 . The Second , Liverpool ; 16 . The Langley , Cardiff . For the history which " R . E . X . " seems anxious to discover , he is referred to any of the above regular Lodges where , if he is duly qualified , every information may be obtained . Before taking leave , let me call the attention of all Mark Masters , either legal or illegal , to the indecency of continuall y violating the Book of Constitutions by pertinaciously Aveaving the