Facts And Fancies.

Stephen Kemble being a very corpulent man , a special chair was made for him , which is still in the hall , and betokens his ample proportions . As Kemble , who weighed 30 stone , stood beside the little Count , who was only 3 8 in . high , the contrast must have been very striking indeed .

MED LEVA L GUILDS . All modern researches seem to point to the fact that the Mediaeval Guilds did not come to us from the Anglo-Saxons , as some have said , but from the Roman " Collegia . " The " Collegia Artificttm " were institutions under the Roman Government , and

during the Roman settlement in Britain would no doubt be founded here . Indeed , the Chichester inscription proves the existence of the "Collegium Fabrorum . " With the fall of the Roman Empire , these Collegia becoming , like everything else , Christian , dispersed in Lombardy and Gaul and Germany , and , eventually reaching

England , carried with them not only the building art , but the organisation of the " Collegium . " It has been before observed , that the history of ecclesiastical architecture in England , for instance , is the history / of the introduction of workmen ; and our traditions are no doubt true which link us on to Roman sodalities ,

and thus illustrate the Guild theory . No doubt there are difficulties attendant on such an explanation of Masonic history , but probably they are less than belong to any other explanation , and they are certainly not insurmountable . Without entering into too many details , it may suffice to say here that lapidary

inscriptions still exist , as in Gruter , and Spon , and others , which serve to show that these colleges were governed by Magistri , Quinquennales ; that the \ ' had officers of various kinds , like as with Free and Accepted Masons ; that they had honorary members , and even admitted a sort of female membership . Some have said that these

societies assisted their brethren , attended their funerals , were bound together by a mutual obligation to help each other , had secret signs of recognition , had annual feasts , and , in fact , were

prototypes of our Masonic Lodges . We confess that we do not think the evidence goes quite so far as this ; but this much , we believe , may fairly be affirmed . The Roman colleges were secret institutions , governed by their own laws and officers , and had special privileges , and kept their art a mystery , and their proceedings from the " profanum vulgus . " They had also probably a

system of probation , initiation , and recognition . After the fall of the Roman Empire came in another practice of the operative guilds —namely , their Christianity ; and how that eventuall y developed into the cosmopolitan teaching of modern Freemasonry is the " crux " which the Masonic student and historian has to confront .

But yet , despite the difficulties of the case—confessedl y many—we are reduced to this : that either we must accept the guild theory , on the reasonable ground of " cause and effect , " or we must find a knightly , or a hermetic , or a 1717 origin for Freemasonry . We , therefore , full y accept the Guild theory , as we have said before ,

going up to the old Roman Collegia ; and we believe that the Roman Collegia had both a sympathy and association with Grecian and Syrian , and even Hebrew , sodalities of Masons . We cannot otherwise account for " Masons' marks ; " neither can we explain many other evidences which attest the existence of these

building Guilds . Bro . Findel has suggested a German theory of origin , which would limit the organisation of the Operative Masons to the thirteenth century , under a sort of monastic protection ; but we search in vain for any evidence which would show that at the epoch he seems inclined to accept as the creative time of Freemasonry through the " Steinmetzen , " the peculiar teaching and character of Masonry could find its arrangement or development .

The Masonic Lodges throughout the Province of Berks and Bucks , presided over for many years by the late Sir Daniel Gooch , are petitioning the Prince of Wales in favor of a division of the Province , and the formation of a Province for each county . There are thirteen Lodges in Berks and twelve in Bucks , the number having increased from ten to twenty-five tinder Sir Daniel Gooch ' s rule .

Among The Bohemians.

Among the Bohemians .

Mr . Jerome K . Jerome , who has fallen foul of Mr . Hare , is supposed to have written a very funny piece in " New Lamps for Old , " and Bernard Gould , the artist—who has been weaned back to the boards—is to show us what he can do in this piece . * * * Bro . Brickwcll's contemplated holiday has been knocked on the head , but

perhaps the charm of a double salary during the absence of Bro . Terry will make him think more favorably of murky London in the month of February . * # * There is no smarter acting-manager in London than H . T . Brickwell . He started young , indeed , for at twenty he managed the Theatre Royal at Leeds . Being out of an engagement , he conceived the idea of collecting all his

testimonials together and printing them in the form of a pamphlet , which he sent round to all the lessees in the kingdom . Much to his surprise he received a letter asking for terms from a certain provincial star named Edward Terry , who was just starting a four months' tour with a company of his own . The terms were sent with a specially-prepared cabinet-portrait , but nothing more was heard of Edward Terry , the terms , or the portrait . After a time young

"Brick" became still more imbued with his own dignified importance , and wrote again to the touring proprietor , suggesting that if the photograph was returned he might put it to better advantage . Instead of his portrait an invitation was received by the next post , asking the applicant to visit Mr . Terry at Bradford . To Bradford he went , and , after cooling- his heels in the street for a couple of hours , left the town with a four months' engagement in his pocket . That engagement has been renewed from time to time , and for the last eleven years the business connections of the two men have been sweetened by a firm friendship which has sprung up between them .

# # # There need be no surprise at the refusal of George Augustus Sala to accept the editorship of the Sunday Times . Mr . Sala is past editorial work . His pen is as brilliant as ever it was , far too brilliant in fact to be wasted around the thousand mechanical duties of a " chief , " and his fee from the Daily Telegraph alone prevents the idea of troubling his brain much more at his

time of life . His marriage was certainly a great surprise to many of his friends , but marriages now are mostly surprises , and it is becoming a fashion for men to sneak off to some far-off spot , and blushingly return with a wife for whom they apologise . Here's long life yet to " G . A . S . " and his clever and charming bride .

# # # Banquetting Toole is being played rather low down , and there is just a question whether Brother "Don" does not enjoy the little bit of dinner with dear Henry much more than the public feasts at which every speaker has to excuse himself to the company . J . L . Toole is a splendid specimen of a Bohemian , and he has been known to have no sleep for over sixty hours .

A good fellow to everybody , a friend to the afilictcd , with a purse which possessed very weak strings when real charity pulled at them , dramatic " art " has not seen a better gentleman " these many summers " than J . L . Toole . # * # The publisher of John Rusk ' m ' s works has taken that charming little place in Bell-yard until recently occupied by Mr . Maxwell , the law publisher . Now that the bank is finished at the corner , and the Bell and Dragon rebuilt , Bell-yard , under the shadow of poor Street's solid tower , is one of the quietest and sweetest spo'ts in the vicinity .

* * Sir Henry Thompson ' s " little dinners , " or " octaves , " says the Star , " are well known and appreciated . Eight well-chosen guests and eight wellcooked courses constitute a dinner as complete and refined as a sonnet . Though an epicure in taste , Sir Henry is very abstemious in reality . He holds the opinion that many of the ills flesh is heir to come from eating and drinking too much , and for many years he has restricted his own diet to fi « li ,

fowl , and vegetables . Sir Henry's house in Wirnpole-street contains many fine pictures by Alma Tadema and his own splendid collection of Nankin blue . He has a country house at Moulsey , where he recently put up an observatory , in which he makes astronomical and meteorological observations . Many years ago Sir Henry married Kate Loder , the pianist , whose sweet touch is still remembered by those who heard her play . Lady Thompson , who is a confirmed invalid , is devoted to works of kindness and charity . "

* * * Bro . T . \ V . Boord , M . P . for Greenwich , who has been installed the first Worshipful Master of the new borough of Greenwich Lodge will , if his right hand has not lost its cunning through his long absence from Masonic Lodge work , make an excellent W . M . Some fifteen years ago , before his Parliamentary duties took up so much of the time he could spare from his business , there was not a harder working member of the craft . A Past Master of his Lodge ( St . Andrew ' s in the East ) and P . Z . of his Chapter ( the Royal York ) ,