Correspondence.

Melville and his Masonic mysteries , hut such literary bungling as " King Charles " must not pass without remonstrance . After professing to explain what he has been tauoht by your correspondents , the technical difference between Jan . 30 , 1648 and 1649 , he launches out into

misapprehensions and misrepresentations of the olden character . It is first necessary to protest against his statement that he has seen a prayer-hook of 1642 , which contains a calendar of 1642 , with the entry of K CHAE MARTTE on the 30 th Jan . This is a most monstrous misrepresentation of a well known historical fact .

However new the history of the Parliamentarian period is to Bro . Melville , it is well enough known to many Masons and non-Masons , for we have as copious materials for its history as for that of the last century in print and MSS . " Jesuits , " of whom there were not a dozen in Englandand hunted too for their livescould not

, , control the presses of the country or suppress the mass of books . The suggestion of " Jesuits , " and consequent mysteries , and the Assembly of Nice at the vernal equinox , is consequently trash and rigmarole . Another specimen of this is" Indeed Charles' life

, as recorded by historians , who were astrologers , is , I believe , a perfect astrological fiction . " •• I say I believe , because I am unacquainted with the occult science . ' ' There is no astrological history of Charles I ., but

there were many , dealings of astrologers with the political events of the day , and which have no bearing on the subject under discussion . It is finally necessary to protest , for the benefit of readers , who are under no compulsion to make themselves acquainted with the minute facts of the time in questionagainst the parade of quotations and the

, pretension of learning , as it may impose on some one . It is as certain that Charles I . was beheaded on the date usually assigned as that Louis XVI . was afterwards at the close of the next century—and Jesuits had nothing to do with either event . The remarks about the mutilation of Bibles rest

on similar assumptions of ignorance , and do not represent the true state of the facts . He is not obliged to be a bibliographer , but he need not meddle with such matters if he does not know , and does not choose to learn them . There are plenty of books without title-pages . Yours fraternall y , M . M .

Grand Mark Lodge.

GRAND MARK LODGE .

10 TIIE EKITOB OF THE EBEEIIASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBBOJt . Dear Sir and Brother , —I can quite feel for your correspondent , TV . TV ., whose letter appeared on the 3 . 7 th ult .. and , while agreeing with him that there must be great negligence in the Mark Lodge office , I must acquit Bro . Binckes of any share in the charge of mismanagement . I have myself addressed

no less than five letters— -four to Featherstone Buildings and one to Eed Lion-square—without ever receiving any reply . I wrote asking whether any letter with order enclosed had reached the office ; no reply . I wrote a third time , saying I very much wanted some certificates paid for in January ( I think ,

Grand Mark Lodge.

as far as my memory goes ) by a certain day ; no reply . I call at the office , am told my letter had never _ come to hand ; ask that enquiries might he instituted . On my return home I find date and number of the P . O . order , write up about it , forwarding a second return of the names for certificates ; but no reply . Once

again I write and receive no answer ; and then I get a friend to call at the post-office at which the order was made payable , and find that it had never been cashed . I apply to the post-office authorities for a renewed order , which is sent me at once . And this time I send it to Bro . Binckes , at his office in

Freemasons' Hall , and get a kind reply with receipt by return of post . It is clearly impossible that all those letters can have been lost . I state all this not for the purpose of fault-finding , but because I feel that to many the fact of repeated letters being unanswered must act as dampers to zeal

, and I would strongly advise any "W . M . of a Mark Lodge , who wants to get an answer to his communications , to write as 1 did to Bro . Binckes at Freemasons' Hall . Tours fraternally , TV . M .

TO THE EDITOR 01 ! THE TREE 1 IASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBBOB . Dear . Sir and Brother , —I can add my testimony to that of Bro . TV . TV . in your number of two issues back , as to the waste of one's time in writing to the Secretary of Grand Mark Lodge . I have written two lettersand a brother with whom I am well acquainted

, wrote either two or three , and not one word of reply was vouchsafed to either , and I may add they were on Masonic matters ; thus common courtesy would have necessitated a reply . I am a Mark Mason , and Yours fraternally , EXCEESIOE .

The Alylum For Idiots At Earlswood.

THE ALYLUM FOR IDIOTS AT EARLSWOOD .

TO THE EDITOB OE THE FBEEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND JIASONIC MIBBOB .

Dear Sir and Brother , —I thank you for inserting , and Bro . " A . P . " for writing , the kind notice of this national charity in your number of the 10 th ult . Our Institution has peculiar claims on the Craft . The aged brethren , and orphan boys and girls of Masonsare nobly provided forbut from both the

, , boys' and girls' schools the mentally afflicted son and daughter is necessarily excluded . "We seldom have an election for the Earlswood Asylum without one or more Masons' children as candidates .

I am happy to say that several lodges and many brethren are annual contributors , ancl that when I go into the provinces to arrange for a public meeting on behalf of the Institution , I am always most cordially received and supported by the brethren ; in addition to Masonic hospitality , I enjoy brotherly counsel , adviceand assistance .

, I trust the kind appeal of my unknown brother , "A . P ., '' will be liberally responded to , and that I shall have the gratification of enrolling a large number of the Craft as annual supporters . Surely we could have a ward in the new building , the result of Masonic contributions , with a Masonic designation .

Tours fraternally , TV . NICHOLAS , SEOEETAET . 14 th July , 1869 .