The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-04 00:00:00

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MAGAZINES.-(CONTINUED.)

FREEMASON'S QUARTERLY REVIEW
Sherwood and Co.

This work is indispensable to all members of the
Masonic body, who are not insensible of the importance
of being familiar with the proceedings of the craft, and
the opinions of the Grand Brotherhood, It is ably
And well conducted. In an article on a recent debate
in the House of Lords, as to whether the laws for the
repression of Secret Societies extended to Masonic
Institutions, it is well observed that Freemasonry has
no connexion whatever with politics. This is a fact
which we believe to be very generally known ;
although there have not been men of narrow minds,
both in Church and State, wanting to question its
correctnes-7. For our own part, though totally un-
connected with all Societies of the kind, we are per-
suaded that a better institution than that of Free-
masonry never existed. In the way of extract, we
present our readers with the following Masonic anec-
dote :

" On the breaking out of the war (after the short peace)
in 1803, Captain Akerman was returning from Newfoundland
to Poole, when he was taken by a French privateer off Port-
land, nearly in sight of his native place (Burton Bradstock,
near Bridport.) On nearing the French coast, as the prize-
master was overhauling the ship's papers, he observed a master
mason's certificate, dated the 10th of September, 1783, show-
ing that the captain belonged to the Lodge of Amity, at
Poole. At sight of the certificate he exclaimed " Mon Dieu !"
gage it to the captain, took his hand, and gave him the fra-
ternal embrace. He then called one of the crew who could
speak English, and through him conveyed to Captain Aker-
man his gr-iat regret at not knowing that he was a mason
before, as he would have put him on shore at Portland or
Albany Head. On landing at Bordeaux, Captain Akerman
was treated kindly, and when he set off for Verdun on his pa-
role, every precaution was taken to render his situation corn•
fortable on the journey. Ho was regularly billetted at the
house of a Freemason, and his property, consisting of dollars,
a watch, silver spoons, &c. &c. placed under the protection of
the gees d'armes at each stage; and, on his arrival, safely de-
livered to him. At that depot this unfortunate victim of war
remained 611 the peace of 1814; but it is worthy of remark,
that, during hig eleven years of imprisonment, he often expe-
rienced the kindness of his captor. While he was at Verdun,
Napoleon passed through the place, and, knowing that there
were several Masons among the prisoners, he inquired how
they conducted themselves; and on being told by the com-
mandant that they behaved extremely well, ordered a dinner
to be given them. They were invited accordingly, and, after
due examination by the proper officers, sat down (on Christ-
mas-day) to a moat excellent dinner. The commandant (as
master of the Lodge), at the removal of the cloth, gave the
health of Brother Napoleon Buonaparte, Emperor of France,
&c. &c., which was drunk with Masonic honours. At the
close a the meeting each Englishman was presented with a
five-franc piece in the Emperor's name, which they gratefully
received, though from the hands of their national enemy."

THE ASIATIC JOURNAL.
Allen and Co.

This Number is an improvement upon the last,
though still not so good as we could wish it to be.
The biographical sketch of Sir Charles Wilkins is in-
teresting ; and the articles on the Indian Army, and
the native irregular Horse, well worthy of the atten-
tion of all who delight in making themselves acquainted
with the military resources of our empire in the East.
The Chinese account of India is a welcome offering to
the lovers of oriental literature.

THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.
Simphin and Marshall.

The second part of the life of the great Henry
Flood, which forms the subject of the Fifth Number
of the " Gallery of Illustrious Irishmen," is not equal
to any of those which preceded it. There is nothing
sufficiently graphic about it. The writer looks about in
vain for a niche in which to place his hero, with a view
to correct the .world's impressions respecting his size
and proportions. We do not agree with him where
be says—" The details into which we have already
entered, and the specimens of his intellectual powers,
which we have laid before the reader, render it unne-
cessary, we presume, to dwell at any great length upon
the character of this great man." The details here
referred to are in a great measure connected with his
unfortunate differences with Grattan ; his appearance
in the British Parliament ; and his correspondence
with the Duke of Chandos relative to the representa-
tion of the borough of Winchester. These details are
by no means sufficient to give the reader anything like '
a correct idea of the surpassing powers of Flood's great
and masterly mind.
" The Boyhood of a Dreamer," is rich in promise.
Many of the introductory lines are very beautiful, and
the whole breathes the spirit of a true poet. We
await with much pleasurable anticipation the com-
mencement of the poem itself, which is promised to
be given in the future Numbers of this Magazine.
The " Em ;grant's Tale " wants power and originality
of conception. There is not an incident in it for
which we could not find a dozen counter-parts in po-
pular Irish Romances. The " Attractions of Ireland"
is a good paper ; and the " Chapter on Cousins" an
amusing one.

THE LONDON AND PARIS LADIES' MAGA-
ZINE OF FASHION. Mason.

We have here forty-four highly coloured figures, all
looking as lovely as well-dressed ladies ever do, when
they have not passed the rubicon of life ; and a few
literary trifles, by way of polite accompaniment, for a
shilling. Can we say more to procure for the work an
extensive patronage ?

THE PARTERRE. Effingham Wilson.
This little 'journal of fiction, poetry, history, and
general literature, is acquiring an extensive, and well-
deserved circulation. Many of the articles' are equal
in point of merit to those published in some of the best
Magazines. The wood-cuts in the Part for June, are
better than the adornments for the month which pre-
ceded it.

THE PICKWICK CL ÜB—No. IV.
These tales and sketches of character are told with
much skill by " Boa," who has a playful and natural
vein of humour that never deserts him. His slight
portrait of the Boots at some old-fashioned Inn in the
Borough, though something caricatured, is yet full of
arch drollery. He ridicules pompous common-place,
too, in a very happy style, and uses a blockhead, as old
Isaac Walton used a worm, " as though he loved him."
Of the two embellishments prefixed to the Number,
one is clever—the other but mediocre.

THE ANALYST. Simpkin and Marshall.
This Quarterly Publication is almost exclusively
devoted to antiqunrian researches—the several branches
of natural history—and the fine arts. The subjects
of which it treats does not come within the scope of
newspaper criticism, inasmuch as they are either un-
intelligible or uninteresting to the mass of newspaper
readers. Thus, whether we agree with, or differ from,
Mr. J. Britton, respecting the architectural orna-
ments of the church of Stratford-on-Avon ; or whe-
ther we approve or disapprove of Mr. Bloxham s
opinions relative to the antiquities of Warwick-
shire, is a matter of the utmost indifference to nine-
teen-twentieths of our readers. It is different with
regard to such articles as Mr. Langston Parker's
Essay on the Imagination of Sleep-walkers, than
which nothing can be more interesting. The Critical
Notices are written with care, evince a sound judgment,
and a correct taste. We may add that the June
Number of the " Analyst" is embellished with a ground
plan, and two several views, of the Free School of
Kin,/ Edwaral VI., at Birmingham.
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