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  • The Masonic Mirror
  • Dec. 1, 1855
  • Page 44
  • LITERATURE.
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The Masonic Mirror, Dec. 1, 1855: Page 44

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    Article CORRESPONDENCE. ← Page 3 of 3
    Article LITERATURE. Page 1 of 1
Page 44

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Correspondence.

never ought to be allowed ; it , although not forbidden , is evidently not contemplated by the Book of Constitutions . As anew member , I do not like to be the one to create any unpleasant feeling , but as I know your publication is read by some of the members , the appearance of this letter may perhaps draw their attention to the matter . I am , yours , & c ., SURREY . October 12 .

Literature.

LITERATURE .

THE LIFE OF HENRY FIELDING ; with notices of his writings , his times , and Ms contemporaries . By FREDERICK LAWRENCE , of the Middle Temple , Barrister-at-law . HALL , VIRTUE , & Co ., 25 , Paternoster Row , London . A life of Henry Fielding—the greatest of English novelists — in a compact and readable form has been long much required ; and the author of this volume has rendered good service to Literature by supplying the desideratum . Amongst the books

of the season it will hold a high rank , both as a gossipping , chatty , and pleasant narrative , and as a carefully digested record of entertaining facts . Tho subject of Mr . Lawrence ' s biography was a most interesting personage . In early life a dramatist and man of pleasure ; then a barrister , periodical critic , and author-of-all work , and finally a paid justice of the peace for Middlesex and Westminster , in which equivocal position ( for so it was considered at that time , ) he distinguished himself by his energy , intelligence , and public spirit- The following passage selected at random from the

volume before us , conveys a good notion of the state of the metropolis in Fielding ' s days;—" The times are strangely altered since Henry Fielding presided in the justice-room at Bow Street , committing rogues and vagabonds to Bridewell , and highwaymen to Newgate . Every facility was then offered to the proceedings of the lawless depredator and bold-faced villain . The streets of the metropolis were dangerous after nightfall . When a peaceful tradesman had to take a journey of fifty or sixty miles , he made his will before ho took his place in the Mail . Notorious highwaymen and swindlers swaggered about in public places , winking at the officers of justice , and enjoying the

admiration of the rabble . To prevent the commission of crime , and to detect and secure offenders , the very feeblest means were employed . The nocturnal guardians of the ill-lighted , narrow streets of London were infirm old men , who would have been chargeable to a parish , and shut up in a woikhouse , if they had not been employed in protecting the lives and property of the devoled inhabitants of the metropolis . Fielding himself has admirably described the London watchmen of these days , and . has not , in all probability , exaggerated their impotence and incapacity : — ' To begin / he

says , ' I think as low as I well can , with the watchmen in onr metropolis , who , being to guard our streets by night from thieves and robbers—an office which at least requires strength of body—are chosen out of those poor old decrepit ! people who are , from their want of bodily strength , rendered incapable of getting a livelihood by work . These men , armed only with a pole , which some of them are scarce able to lift , are to secure the persons and houses of bis Majesty ' s subjects from the attack of gangs of young , bold , stout , desperate , and well-armed villains . '"

In conclusion , we may remark , that in a work frequently quoted by Mr . Lawrence , written by a clergyman of Bath , ( Some Account of the English Stage ) there is evidence that the genial and high-minded author of Tom Jones and Amelia belonged to the Craft to which our pages are specially addressed . On more than one occasion his plays were performed for the benefit of different Lodges , —a fact , perhaps slight in itselfj but furnishing a proof , with which most Masons will be gratified , that one who had so glorious a sympathy with humanity , was connected with the most humanizing institution on earth .

“The Masonic Mirror: 1855-12-01, Page 44” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 28 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mir/issues/mmg_01121855/page/44/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
THE EDITOR TO THE CRAFT. Article 1
THE EDITOR OF THE "MONTHLY MAGAZINE" TO THE CRAFT. Article 3
BON ACCORD MARK MASONS. Article 4
"THE WINK OF INVITATION." Article 6
FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND. Article 7
MASONIC REMINISCENCES. Article 17
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 26
PROVINCIAL LODGES. Article 32
INSTRUCTION. Article 37
ROYAL ARCH. Article 37
THE COLONIES. Article 40
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 42
LITERATURE. Article 44
MUSIC. Article 45
SUMMARY OF NEWS FOR NOVEMBER. Article 45
Untitled Article 48
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Correspondence.

never ought to be allowed ; it , although not forbidden , is evidently not contemplated by the Book of Constitutions . As anew member , I do not like to be the one to create any unpleasant feeling , but as I know your publication is read by some of the members , the appearance of this letter may perhaps draw their attention to the matter . I am , yours , & c ., SURREY . October 12 .

Literature.

LITERATURE .

THE LIFE OF HENRY FIELDING ; with notices of his writings , his times , and Ms contemporaries . By FREDERICK LAWRENCE , of the Middle Temple , Barrister-at-law . HALL , VIRTUE , & Co ., 25 , Paternoster Row , London . A life of Henry Fielding—the greatest of English novelists — in a compact and readable form has been long much required ; and the author of this volume has rendered good service to Literature by supplying the desideratum . Amongst the books

of the season it will hold a high rank , both as a gossipping , chatty , and pleasant narrative , and as a carefully digested record of entertaining facts . Tho subject of Mr . Lawrence ' s biography was a most interesting personage . In early life a dramatist and man of pleasure ; then a barrister , periodical critic , and author-of-all work , and finally a paid justice of the peace for Middlesex and Westminster , in which equivocal position ( for so it was considered at that time , ) he distinguished himself by his energy , intelligence , and public spirit- The following passage selected at random from the

volume before us , conveys a good notion of the state of the metropolis in Fielding ' s days;—" The times are strangely altered since Henry Fielding presided in the justice-room at Bow Street , committing rogues and vagabonds to Bridewell , and highwaymen to Newgate . Every facility was then offered to the proceedings of the lawless depredator and bold-faced villain . The streets of the metropolis were dangerous after nightfall . When a peaceful tradesman had to take a journey of fifty or sixty miles , he made his will before ho took his place in the Mail . Notorious highwaymen and swindlers swaggered about in public places , winking at the officers of justice , and enjoying the

admiration of the rabble . To prevent the commission of crime , and to detect and secure offenders , the very feeblest means were employed . The nocturnal guardians of the ill-lighted , narrow streets of London were infirm old men , who would have been chargeable to a parish , and shut up in a woikhouse , if they had not been employed in protecting the lives and property of the devoled inhabitants of the metropolis . Fielding himself has admirably described the London watchmen of these days , and . has not , in all probability , exaggerated their impotence and incapacity : — ' To begin / he

says , ' I think as low as I well can , with the watchmen in onr metropolis , who , being to guard our streets by night from thieves and robbers—an office which at least requires strength of body—are chosen out of those poor old decrepit ! people who are , from their want of bodily strength , rendered incapable of getting a livelihood by work . These men , armed only with a pole , which some of them are scarce able to lift , are to secure the persons and houses of bis Majesty ' s subjects from the attack of gangs of young , bold , stout , desperate , and well-armed villains . '"

In conclusion , we may remark , that in a work frequently quoted by Mr . Lawrence , written by a clergyman of Bath , ( Some Account of the English Stage ) there is evidence that the genial and high-minded author of Tom Jones and Amelia belonged to the Craft to which our pages are specially addressed . On more than one occasion his plays were performed for the benefit of different Lodges , —a fact , perhaps slight in itselfj but furnishing a proof , with which most Masons will be gratified , that one who had so glorious a sympathy with humanity , was connected with the most humanizing institution on earth .

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