The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-09 00:00:00

I oyal Masonic Institution for Boys.

The sixty-seventh anniversary meeting of this
charity was celebrated last evening by a grand din-
ner at the Freemasons' Tavern. The efforts which
have been in progress for some years past to obtain
funds for the erection of new school buildings hav-
ing been so far crowned with success that the new
edifice will be opened in the course of the ensuing
summer, the proceedings were invested with unusual
interest, and the attendance of brethren was more
than ordinarily large. Amongst the grand officers
and other distinguished masons present, were—
The Duke of Manchester, grand master for North-
ampton and Hunts, in the chair ; Brother Colonel
Bowyer, grand master for Oxfordshire ; Brother
Augustus Smith, M.P., grand master for Corn-
wall ; Brother Llewelly Evans, president of
the board of G.P. ; Brother Havres, past grand

warden ; Brother Plucknett, grand deacon ;
Brothers Hopwood, Potter, Hervey, Wilson, Head,
Udall, past grand deacons ; Brothers Wood and
Fenn, directors of court; Brothers Symonds and
Bradford, P.G.D.C., Brother Young, G. 5.8.,
Brothers Patten and Spiers, P.G.5.8., Brother G.
Clarke, G.S., Brother Farnfield, A.G.S., Brother
Dickie, P.G.Pur., &c. The stewards were 85 in
number, of whom 58 represented London and 27
provincial lodges. The musical part of the pro-.
ceedings were conducted by Brother Wilhelm Ganz,
P.M., and the singers were Madame Parepa, Misses
Arabella. Smith and Julia Elton, Mr. Donald King,
Mr. L. Wilson, and Mr. Wallworth. Grace after
dinner was sweetly sung by a number of the pupils
at the institution.

After the usual loyal and patriotic' toasts the
healths of the Earl of Zetland, grand master of
England and president of the institution, and of
Earl de Grey and Ripon, deputy grand master, were
drunk with masonic enthusiasm. That of " The Pro-
vincial Grand Masters and the Present and Past
Grand Officers," was responded to by Brother
Augustus Smith, M.P., grand master for Cornwall.
Colonel BOWYER, grand master for Oxfordshire,
proposed " The Health of the Chairman" in com-
plimentary terms, and said that while noblemen
thus devoted their time and gave the prestige of
position to the interests of Freemasonry the brethren
might rest assured that their charities and their in-
stitutions would show no signs of decay.
The Duke of MANCHESTER, in responding to the
toast, said he believed English noblemen were gene-
rally anxious to do their duty and honourably to fill
the position they were placed in by Providence.
Their countrymen generally acknowledged this, and
as the nobility had no obnoxious and exclusive pri-
vileges to excite hatred and jealousy (which had
been the case in other countries), they were felt not
only to ornament, but greatly to add to the stability
of the social column—(cheers)—and he was proud
to think that it was not only in Freemasonry, but
generally, that the nobility enjoyed the esteem and'
regard of their fellow countrymen. (Loud cheers.)
The boys of the institution were then introduced
into the room, and
The Duke of MANCHESTER rose to propose the
toast of the evening, " Prosperity to the Institution.',
(Cheers.) He believed he might fearlessly state
that the education given to the boys was extremely
good. He was glad to see that classics and mathe-
matics were equally balanced, for he was one of
those who thought that schools generally in Eng-
land gave too great a preponderance to classics.
(Hear.) He did not think that the study of classics
strengthened the powers of the mind to the same
extent as that of mathematics. Some minds, no
doubt, were better qualified for the one than the
other ; and in such cases he would have the natural
iodination of the mind consulted and any special
powers promoted ; but for the ordinary business of
life, in his opinion, the study of mathematics was
the best preparative. (Cheers.) For himself, he
would admit that he knew next to nothing of Ro-
man history, nothing of Latin, and—until the last

year or two, when he had studied it to read Homer

—nothing of Greek, and he found he did very well
without them. (Cheers and laughter.) At the
same time a man could not be a great orator or a
distinguished writer without he studied and became
familiar with the models of antiquity ; but unless
they wished to follow literary pursuits, or take a
prominent part in the debates of parliament, it was
better for the boys to give their minds to mathema-
tical and geometrical studies. (Cheers.) He un-
derstood that there was still wanting about £15,000
before the new building could be started clear of
debt, and he believed the brethren grnerally were
very anxious, and were making great exertions, to
secure that result. (Cheers.)
The toast having been duly honoured,
Brother BINCKES, the active secretary, presented
to the chairman one of the boys, named Thomas J.
Weaver, as the best boy of the year, who had taken
no fewer than six prizes at the school examination,
and now was entitled to receive from the noble
chairman a gold and silver medal. Without invidi-
, oils comparisons he could say that no boy in the
school had ever stood in a prouder position.

(Cheers.) He also presented W. Hobbs Adams,
who had been elected by the boys themselves, as the
boy they most esteemed, to receive the prize of £5
given by the Canterbury Lodge for that purpose.
He had received 58 out of 67 of the votes of the
boys.

Several toasts and songs concluded the proceed-
ings of the evening.

LITERATURE.

Shattered Idols. 3 Vols. Hurst and Blackett.

Report gives the authorship of this novel to an
accomplished lady of title, and if it be a first work,
the graceful style and pleasant manner in which the
story is narrated reflect credit upon the writer,
whom, however, we cannot congratulate upon the
theme of her selection. The manner of the tale is
infinitely better than the matter. The plot is very
ingeniously contrived and skilfully worked out, but
the characters are, without one solitary exception,
singularly unattractive, and some of them most re-
pulsive. The first chapter opens with one of those
horrible " effects" to which, as (compulsory)
readers of sensation novels, we are becoming habi-
tuated, we cannot say reconciled. A medical
student, who, a little later on, developes into
another Palmer, brings home a dead body to experi-
ment upon. Waking from an uneasy dream, the
votary of science beholds the corpse "with its eyes
open, and gleaming full upon him. The lamp still
burning shone upon the ghastly features, which
seemed to express inquiry and astonishment." The
scene which meets the eyes of the startled house-
keeper, who enters shortly after her master has left
the house is still more ghastly. She sees the student,
as she believes, seated in his chair, robed in his
dressing-gown, and on his head a cap of lace and
blue ribbons belonging to herself. The whole
room bearing tokens of bewildering confusion.
" Monsieur must be mad," thinks the house-
keeper. The figure turns, " and then, as
if shot through the heart, the old woman
fell to the ground, convulsed with terror,
for the face that turned towards her was
that of the corpse," the supposed corpse having re-
covered physical strength, but with intellects con-
siderably deranged. This opening does not certainly
prepossess the reader with the tale, and Castelle,
the medical student, remains throughout surrounded
by- an atmosphere of morbid gloom—alternately
mesmerising and poisoning his victims, being appa-
rently as devoid of sensibility or sentiment as the
strange hero of Sir Bulwer Lytton's " Strange
Story." Some of Castelle's iniquities are suggested
to him by one Father Jerome, a Jesuit priest, drawn
after the most approved melodramatic style—a
regular Bogy, with the sheet and the turnip's-head.
This worthy gentleman writes to Castelle to come
and attend a wounded man, who happens to stand
in the way of Castelle's designs. " Your object
will be best promoted by your immediate arrival and
careful attendance on the invalid prepared for you"
—this suggestion being significantly written in
italics. Castello comes, and assidiously devotes him-
self to the invalid, who grows worse and worse not-
withstanding the surgeon's reputed skill. Yet more
revolting is the picture of the deathbed of Clelia, who
is doomed to death only because she is the wife of
Castelle's most devoted friend, upon whose property

he has designs. The dying girl is continually thank-
ing her murderer, and her heartbroken husband is
constantly summoning to her side the beloved friend
whose treacherous hand is destroying all his hopes
and happiness. The situation is very painful, but
Castelle passes through it undismayed; We need
not further particularise the incidents of the tale.
When next the fair authoress takes up her pen, we
trust she may devote it to some more pleasant task.

The Journal of Agriculture. No. 88. New series.

Wm. Blackwood and Sons.

The contents of this journal are for the most part
devoted to live stock. The first article, "On the
Means of Increasing the Number of Live Stock
and the Production of Meat," treats of a subject
which is not only very important to the farmer, but
to the consumer. The high price of meat is a serious
evil to our labouring classes, and if by any means
the amount of production can be increased, and the
price consequently lessened, it will be a very great
boon to them, and tend considerably to improve the
public health. An account of the Arab Horse of
Africa will be read with interest, so much having
been said of the beauty and docility of that race.
" The Linen Trade" is another important question
which should be carefully considered by all interested
in the welfare of Ireland. The Farmers' Note-
Book, the agricultural summary for the quarter, and
the tables of average prices are continued as usual.
The transactions of the Highland and Agricultural
Society of Scotland are given at length, and give
some valuable information respecting the applica-
tion of chemical science to agriculture.

Mr. Romford's Hounds. Part XI. Chapman
and Hall.

This number is very entertaining, and although
it relates chiefly to domestic life instead of to the
sporting scenes of which the story more particularly
treats, it may be considered in some respects the
most amusing Part that has yet appeared. The
description of the supper is very ludicrous, and the
raid that was made by the hungry party outside
forms quite a dramatic scene. Mr. Romford's
amaze at the transformation of a quiet evening,
with " rabbit-pie," into a grand ball, with an ele-
gant supper, is ably depicted. The day of reckon-
ing may not be quite so agreeable when:it arrives ;
it may, however, be presumed. The irruption of
the Goths and Visgoths into the gay scene forms
another diversion, and the illustrations of the fight
and the invasion of the supper-table are very well
done, and present a good idea of the scenes referred
to.