[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A FARMHOUSE ON THE NORFOLK BROADS, ENGLAND A district to the west of Great Yarmouth watered by three rivers with many open spaces called "broads," roads and long narrow lanes, all of water. Many birds--water-fowl--nest and feed amongst the sedges; pure white swans sail about with majestic dignity and grace, some carrying their cygnets on the back, between the raised wings.] [Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON: THE LONDON RESIDENCE OF THE BRITISH SOVEREIGN] BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON The illustration shows the eastern façade of Buckingham Palace, the residence of King George V when in London. It is taken from St. James' Park. The end of the lake, which is five acres in area, can be seen in the picture. The private gardens occupy fifty acres. The eastern wing of the palace, 360 feet long, was added by Blore in 1846, making the building a large quadrangle. Buckingham Palace was originally erected in 1703 by a Duke of Buckingham, on the site of Arlington House, where it is recorded that tea was first drunk in England. George III purchased it, and it was remodeled by Nash in 1825 for George IV. The exterior is generally condemned as an architectural failure, imposing only from its size, but the interior has some good features. The white marble staircase is considered very handsome. The palace contains a fine sculpture gallery, library, etc. The Throne Room is 66 feet long, the State Drawing Room 110 feet by 60. The Picture Gallery, which is 180 feet long, contains a very fine collection, chiefly Dutch pictures. There are excellent examples of Rembrandt (the great _Adoration of the Magi_--1667), Hals, Teniers, Rubens, Osrade, Van Dyck (_Charles I on horseback_), Cuyp, Potter, De Hooch, Titian, Carracci, Claude, etc. Permission for strangers to visit the gallery is difficult to obtain, but may sometimes be obtained when the court is not in residence. The new monument to Queen Victoria, just unveiled, stands in front of Buckingham Palace. THE GOLDEN CHAIN OF PLATONIC SUCCESSION: by F. S. Darrow, A. M., Ph. D. (Harv.) A key to the interpretation of Greek philosophy, generally neglected except by Platonists and Theosophists, is given by the following statement of Proklos, the "Platonic Successor": What Orpheus delivered in hidden allegories, Pythagoras learned when he was initiated into the Orphic Mysteries, in which Plato next received a perfect knowledge from the Orphic and Pythagorean writings. In this connexion it was pointed out by H. P. Blavatsky, the foundress of the Theosophical Society (_Isis Unveiled_, vol. II, p. 39, Point Loma edition) that Plato himself in his Letters declares that his teachings were derived from _ancient_ and _sacred_ doctrines. In the Seventh Letter of the collection which has come down to us he says: