Eccleston Chapter, No. 1624.

at heart . Comp . Vincent said if ever there was a duty to perform he would try to do it . It was always a pleasure to do anything for the Chapter . The Z . in proposing the toast of the II . and J ., referred to the satisfaction he felt in being supported by two such excellent Principals ; all had witnessed their working , and he was sure

they in due course would occupy tho chair . After a rqply the toast of the Visitors was given , and Comps . Levy P . Z . and Stamp responded . It was gratifying to see such excellent working , and snch

good feeliug and harmony as existed in the Chapter . Several other toasts were given before that given by the Janitor . Comps . Tayler and Isaacs contributed to the harmony , and Comp . Wray wa 3 very attentive to the comfort of the Visitors .

Earl of Carnarvon Chapter of Improvement ,

" No . 1642 . —A Convocation of this Chapter was held at Ladbroke Hall , Notting Hill , on Tuesday , 21 th instant . There was a fair attendance of members , amongst others the following being present Comps . Captain A . Nicols M . E . Z ., P . Monson LT ., Samuel Smout J . and Scribe E ., George Davis I ' . Z . Preceptor , S . H . Parkhouse P . Z .

Treasurer , N . Moss P . Z ., Robert Schofield Scribe N ., J . H . Wood P . S . and W . R . Hatton . The Treasnrer ' s accounts having been audited and found correct , were adopted and ordered to be entered on the minutes . The ceremony of exaltation was then rehearsed , Companion W . R . Hatton being the candidate . Comps . G . Davis Preceptor ,

Parkhouse Treasurer , and Smont Scribe E ., were nnanitnously re-elected to the several offices they had so ably filled during the past year , and a cordial vote of thanks was accorded to them by the Chapter . All Royal Arch Masons are heartily invited to attend the

fortnightly Convocations of this well-appointed and well-worked Chapter , where instruction and practice may be had under able supervision . Tho next meeting will be held , as above , on Tuesday 7 th April , at eight p . m ., and on following alternate Tuesdays .

Lily of Richmond Chapter of Improvement . —Held at the Greyhound Hotel , Richmond , on Saturday , 14 th instant . Comps Briggs Z ., Austin H ., Sapsworth J ., Forgo P . S ., Tucker N ., Blasby , & c . & c . The ceremony of exaltation was rehearsed in a very able manner . This young Chapter of Improvement meets every Saturday , as above , at eight p . m .

The Temple Preceptory of Knights Templar will be held at the Bridge House Hotel , London Bridge , on the 10 th proximo . After the Preceptory is opened , the Provincial

Grand Priory will be opened , when the Officers will enter in procession , and the business of the Priory will be proceeded with , under the presidency of General Brownrigg , C . B ., Provincial Grand Prior for Kent and Surrey .

The installation meeting of the Hiram Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held at the Greyhound Hotel , Richmond , on Thursday evening , when Bro . Lister , who is well known in Masonry in connection with the United

Service and other Lodges , was installed into the chair , in succession to Brother Nettleship . This Lodge is most successful , a result that may be in a great measure attributed to the exertions of Bro . R . H . Thrupp who has always taken the liveliest interest in its welfare .

The Fifteen Sections

THE FIFTEEN SECTIONS

WILL HE WORKED At the St . Luke ' s Lodge of Instruction , held at tho White Hart Tavern , King's Road , Chelsea , on Good Friday next , 3 rd April . Bros . Cleghorn P . M . 1287 W . M ., Stuart P . M . 141 S . W ., Cox P . M . 144 J . W ., John Murch P . M . 27 Secretary .

A SENSITIVE AUTIIOK . —A well-dressed mau , who stated that he was the author of a pamphlet on " Freemasonry : Traced from Prehistoric Times , " applied to Mr . D'Eynconrt , at the Westminster Police-Court , on Friday , for a summons agaiust the writer of an alleged libellous notice of the work which appeared in one of tbe

Masonic papers . He considered the notice more than adverse criticism , for , at the conclusion , the qnestion was asked when the Craft wonld be rid of incompetent brothers who considered " that a score or two of initials clapped on to their names justified them in writing trash ? " As an engineer and surveyor he considered that such

reflections on his works were calculated to do him a irreat deal of injury . He had been a Master Mason 27 years . Mr . D'Eynconrt said it was absnrd to ask for a summons for libel on such grounds as were put forward . Tho comments in tho newspaper would do no harm , but probably help tho sale of tho work . Process was refused .

[ Iu answer to numerous inquiries that havo reached us , j wc beg to state that the notice referred to above appeared in the columns of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . We had no j desire to treat our brother unkindly , but we gave expression

to our opinions on his work fairly and conscienciously . To those of our correspondents who have expressed a desire to know what we did say , we can only refer them to the notice itself ; it will be found on pnge 122 of Volume XX ., issued 23 rd August 1884 . —ED . F . C !]

The Theatres. Court.

THE THEATRES . COURT .

FOR months past a persistent atmosphere of adverse fortune seems to have hung over the Court Theatre . In its dual cont ' ' , and ministers working under its flag , it numbers some of the abl est artists on the English stage , but though French , American , and English drama have been successively mounted , the result may

bo represented at zero . Mr . Clayton and Mr . Cecil , Miss Marion Terry , Mrs . John Wood , and their clever coadjutors , have made many artistic successes , bnt " Art for Art " is too cold an abstraction for even a stony-hearted critic to desire . " Reculeo pour mieux sauter " is often excellent strategy , and the management of the Court have

for a time abandoned romantic drama or higher comedy to seek the aid of that frisky Muse Thalia the eccontrio . Last Saturday night tho little honse was crowded from stalls to ceiling when the curtain rose upon Mr . Pinero ' s comedy " The Magistrate . " The play bill assures us the work is original , and though to a sophisticated old

playgoer it may seem to bring a whiff , not of hay , but of Meilhac or Halevy ; and a little playhouse nearer tho Palais Royal than Sloanesquare—still—no matter ! The play ' s the thing , and when it is a thing so good as "The Magistrate " it would be vile ingratitude to inquire as to its pedigree . It is cleverly and closely constructed ;

the characters all possible men and women , moved by the feelings or follies of humanity . Tho dialogue runs briskly , the situations follow upon each other with a fatality as of iEschilian tragedy , whilst with them the fun mounts in an ever-rising crescendo till the triumphant close arrives . On Saturday night the laughter of the audience again

and again threatened to make the dialogue inaudible ; while amongst them none seemed to enjoy the humour of the situation more than our beloved Princess of Wales , who , with the Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince George of Wales , honoured the " first night" with their presence . Tho management have had to seek recruits for the cast , and

have secured the fittest exponents within their reach . Mr . Pinero has indulged in a certain touch of Gilbertian humour , that fits perfectly to his story—which may be thus briefly summarised . A benevolent police magistrate ( Mr . Posset ) has married a lovely and lively widow , who has declared her age to be five years less than is

actually the truth , and too late awakens to the awful dilemma of accounting for her son having reached nineteen years ; who , as a consequence , sho has to dress and treat as a schoolboy of fourteen . His precocity is a matter of wonder to his father-in-law , as also to the innocent Httle music mistress who has been engaged to instruct

him . This lively youth has plunged into debt at a tavern , and persuades his new father to go with him to settle the account . His maternal parent , in the meantime , finds that Colonel Lukyn , an old friend of her first husband , is coming to London , and that he is staying at this same tavern . She , in terror of her secret being divulged ,

hastens there , and meets the Colonel . But it is too late . The police find the house open after prohibited hours ; they search the rooms , and after a most exciting scene take the Colonel , with a friend of his and tho two ladies , into custody . How the Magistrate

and his precocious son escape , by the balcony , how they are pursued ; how the old gentleman reaches his office dishevelled , splashed with mud and humiliated ; how he , in his agitation , afterwards sentences his wife and her sister to seven days' imprisonment , and how a brother magistrate intervenes when domestic wreck and ruin seem

imminent ; how all this is worked out , doubtless all London will go to see . Mr . Clayton as the Indian Colonel , tho soul of honour , maddened with the indignities heaped on him , is a capital portrait , the creation of a master . Mr . Cecil as the meek , painfully conscientious hnsband , hurried from misery to misery , is no less

excellent . Mrs . John Wood—who of late has been almost carried away by her own supreme talent , seemed on this occasion in danger of sinking her individuality in the George Cruickshank style of caricature—played tho distracted mother with artistic self-restraint and finish ; indeed , when the situations were most extravagantly farcical

she kept the tone within the limits of comedy . Miss Marion Terry , as her sister , gave brightness and grace to a small part—indeed we must congratulate this charming young lady on tho gracefulness and refinement she imparts to the picture . Mr . F . Kerr gave effective individuality to a languid young comrade of tho Colonel , while Mr .

Eversfield was the big-collared Eton-jacket boy to the life . Miss Norreys as the music-mistress imparted simplicity and girlishness to a part that would in many hands have proved dangerous . Miss La Coste is a smart soubrette , but we think it would be in the

interest of good taste if her business with Mr . Eversfield were cut out . It is the one point in the play whore the fun leaves an unpleasant impression . The play must have been rehearsed with great care . Each part was as carefully filled as to detail as the work of the princip-il artists . We congratulate the management on an assured success .

DRURY LANE .

DRTJUY LANE on Thursday afternoon , when so many of our most distinguished actors gave their services for the " Theatrical Fund , " was filled from floor to ceiling . A crowd besieged the " early door , " and when tho curtain rose at 1 . 30 there were but few seats unoccupied . Mr . Wilson Barrett's recitation , " Gono with a handsome man , " lias never been given with more unstrained force

I ar . d pathos . Ho held the house , and went straight to the hearts of i his audience . In " Tragedy and Comedy " there was a treat in store . ! Miss Anderson , curried away , perhaps , by the occasion , seemed bi ; foi'g . ' -t the attuudinizinu which so materially mars her acting . In

the difiieult part of C ! ari ? so she was siucere and passionate , losing herself in the emou-ms which vise in ever-increasing poignancy till the actress is merged into the agonized woman . She fairly carried away her audience . Mr . Terriss played admirably as the