Classical Theology.—Xxxi.

heroine ofthe ffaerie Queene , whilst pursuing the chase , got entangled in certain hunting nets , " retia citiiii , sluTia dicuntur , " whereiqion the fair maid of Crete vowed , in supplicating Diana , to build a temple for her , should she effect her escape unharmed . The goddess heard her prayer , and in grateful remembrance of the benignant aidshe consecrated a temple to Diana Dicfcjoinawheuce

, , they both became distinguished by the same titular name . This statement is in accordance with that ofthe great commentator , Aristophanes ; still , ' by the equall y learned there is another A-ersion of the story , ivhich we are rather disposed to regard as a- continuation of it : Britomartis was the beloved and loving friend of Diana .

They enjoyed the pleasures of the chase constantly together ; but it so happened , as it was of old , is now , and doubtless ever will be , a- lovely young lady may , quite unsuspectingly , kindle the fires of love , independent of the torch of Hymen , even in the breast of a king . Herehoweverwe have only to state the recorded fact .

, , The ardent lover of the beauteous Cretan maiden was the renowned Minos , whose wife , Pasiphae , whom they styled a daughter of Sol , brought forth the monster , Minotaur . "Beauty" does not always fly from the "beast , " particularly when st yled "royal ; " if she lingers , she is soon devoured , the fascination is overpowering ;

the first spring is too often fatal . Poor thing ! she does not know that her beauty is her virtue , and if she keeps that she may do what she likes besides—she may pull the nose of a king with more favour than offence , and bring down the lords of creation on their knees before her . So much the better for the fair in these glorious times of religion , justiceand freedom . In those other earlier

, " good old times , " when the will of the despot was law , Britomartis chose rather to lose her life than her virtue . She fled from Minos ( whom they styled a son of Jupiter ) , and east herself from a rock into tlie sea . The maiden was said to be the inventress of nets , therefore they made out that she was caught in some fishing-netsand

, hence , in one way or the other , her name Diclynna . Diana made her a goddess , as a lasting reward of her virtue , which is said to be its own reward . The ancients , they say , ( Brodceus in Anlhol . ex Bcholiast . Bintlari ) , decreed that as Diana left off hunting on the ides of August , it should not be lawful for any fo hunt during

that time ; though , be it observed , they celebrated a festival in remembrance of it , at which with much merriment , and hanging of garlands of wild flowers round tlie necks of their clogs , by the light of large torches , made of dried and not unfragrant stubble , they hung up their winding horns , boar spears , and other hunting implements .

DA 2 .-GE 110 U 3 JIiMHiiiis . — "Yet there is a class of persons , who , ivhen attracted to the altar of Freemasonry , though free from moral blemish , and ' under the tongue ' of good report / arc far more noxious members of the fraternity than those who arc stained hy vice , and are otherwise unfit to mingle in our mystic rites . They whoso intuitive wisdom scorns the dull labour of extracting knowledge of our institution from the dusty records of its past historybut with the celeritof

, y inspiration , comprehend the defects of our organization , and divines the remedy ; although possessing no hostility against the order , yet dissatisfied with some of its minor details , in their blind haste " to amend , they proceed to demolish ; and while pluming themselves upon thoir successful efforts to improve , arc industriously laying a train that must eventually explode in utter destruction . They sap the foundation of the Order by innovations , which , in thoir

shortsighted notions of policy aud expediency , arc demanded by the progress of the ago ; ancl altera course , more or less extended , in miserable strife and contention , feel , when too late , the necessity of retracing their steps ; or , stupidly hardened in their blundering folly pull down the pillars of the institution , and like Sampson at Gaza , vindictively overwhelm the innocent ancl the guilty in one common ruin . Ilcware , my Brethren , of the wise in their own conceit ,. " —Grand- Master of Georgia , 185 S .

Drawings By Sir Christopher Wren.*

DRAWINGS BY SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN . *

SIR CirBiSTOPiiEB WEEN ' S drawings , preserved in the library of All Souls' College , Oxford , are known to all interested in the biography of the great English architect , though known onl y bj * " hearsay : few of our readers are likety to have seen them ; and better knowledge of them is much to be desired . Such particulars as Ave are able to give from a recent examinationthereforemay

, , be welcome . Mr . Elmes , indeed , refers to the drawings in his ivell-known volume on the life of Wren , and gives somo extracts from the manuscri pt matter in the same collection , including reports and estimates ; but he gives no list of them in that volume , or sufficient account of their general character . He refers , however , to a list

which he had contributed some years earlier , or in 1812 , to the " General Chronicle "; and which was the result of an examination in tlie year 1807 , occupying three or four days . That list , and the comments and particulars interspersed , should be looked at by anyfuture biographer . Although the services of Mr . Elmes are not to be lightly

spoken of , there is still need of an adequate memoir of one respecting whose life , and whose influence on our art , much has been left unsaid in print . The " General Chronicle" was a- periodical of short existence , and is not likely to be found in many architects' libraries ; and the volumes of that work in the library of the British .

Museum , arc imperfect , or do not include the portion of the publication wherein tho list appeared . Those , however , who may be able to procure access to the drawings at Oxford , will find the printed list cut from a number of the " General Chronicle , " bound in the copy of Mr . Elmes' memoir which there is in the same library of All Souls '; and they will also find manuscript catalogues , old ancl new , more or less imperfect and at variance .

The drawings themselves , in several cases , bear memoranda , chiefly iu pencil , which appear to have been made , at the time of the inspection , by the Eev . Mr . Crutch , late librarian of the college , and editor of the " Oxford Annals" of Anthony a Wood , and should have been erased , —or rather not made at all ; for , we can speak to the difficulty which results from them . The printed list

, however , we take as representing the best information to be derived from the combined labours of Mr . Elmes and Mr . Crutch ; and though we have notes of many features of interest in the drawings , ivhich are not mentioned in it , we found its general accuracy , as well as grounds for opinions ivhich Mr . Elmes expresses on the

authorship of a considerable portion of the collection , established , wherever time permitted us comparison and minute inspection . Subsequent to the preparation of the matter of this article , we called to mind that some notice of drawings by Wren hacl been given many years ago at the Institute

of British Architects . All efforts , however , to refresh our recollection from printed records of proceedings of tlie Institute ivere unavailing . Wc were about to conclude that no paper had been read—at least , on the drawings at Oxford , when we came to a rough list of some of the early papers , anclafter a long searchdiscovered the

, , title of a MS . ivhich was subsequentl y found . The paper , which is by Mr . Gulch , the architect , son of the late librarian of All Souls ' , is dated Peb . 10 , IS 3 G , and is entitled " Some Account ofthe ori g inal Drawings and Designs by Inigo Jones , Sir 0 . Wren , and James Gibbs , preserved at Oxford ; with two Catalogues and Eemarks

thereupon by James Elmes , Esq ., architect . " The list of Wren ' s drawings appears to be the same ( copied in MS . ) as that in the ' " ¦ General Chronicle . " The paper includes