Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

— : o :-v We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . AU Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

THE FOUR OLD LODGES . Bv BRO . R . F . GOULD . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR Silt AND BROTHER , —I feel somo delicacy in writing respecting this valuable series of papors now current in the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , as it may be thought I am intruding myself on the notice of your readers , in connection with a subject which Bro . Gould

is treating specifically , and which , until he has completed his task , he has a right to consider his own . However , my present contribution lies outside the palo of his inquiries , and I hope , therefore , ho will pardon the intrusion . After giving Pine's List for 1740 and the additions thereto in 1744-5 , Bro . Gould states that only thirty-eight of tho 19 G Lodges contained

therein aro now on tho roll of our Grand Lodge . The majority of the remaining 158 Lodges havo ceased to bo , bnt some few still exist in foreign countries under tho jurisdiction of what aro now independent Grand Lodges . Thus : — No . 110 of Pino ( 1740)—No , 12 G of Pino ( 1734)—is St . John's . Boston , Massachusetts , tho premier Lodgo nuclei * tho jurisdiction of

tho Grand Lodgo of that Stato . This is tho Lodgo founded by Henry Price , by virtue of tho patent , as G . M . of North America , granted him by Lord Montagu on 30 th April 1733 . At least , 1733 is tho dato assigned by our Massachusetts brethren to No . 1 St . John's Lodge , Boston , on tho roll of their Grand Lodge . Or , it may bo identical with the Grand Lodge itself .

No . 192 Pine ( 1744-5 ) " Union of Angels , Francford in Germany , June 17 , 1742 , " is tho same with " Lodgo xar Einigkeit "—Lodge of Union—Frankfort-on-the-Maine , " 1 Mar . 17 ' 12 " in Van Dalen ' s Kalender far Freimaurer for 1876 . No . 190 Pine ( 174-1-5 ) " St . George , Emperor ' s Conrt at Hamburgh , Sept . 25 , 1743 , " will bo found in Van Dalen's Kalendar

bearing same name and date . It is tho second senior Lodge , in respect of age , holding under the Graud Lodgo of Hamburgh—the oldest Grand Lodgo in Germany . The Lodge No . " l 0 S of Pino ( 1740)—No . 124 of Pine , 173-1—hold in tho city of " Hamburgh , Lower Saxony , " and constituted 1733 , is no doubt tho ono of which wo read in Preston , that Lord Strath more

granted a deputation to eleven German Masons to open a Lodge in that city . Findel says we possess no further information respecting this , and that it was " not till 1737 that a Lodge without a name first camo into active operation " in Hamburgh . In 1741 it assnmed the name of "Absalom , " and in Van Dalen's Kalendar will be found one bearing the samo name , with 6 th December 1737 as its dato of constitution . On turning to Cole's List for 1763 , I find a Lodgo without

a namo meeting m " Decker Street , Hamburgh , " bnt constituted " Oct . 23 1740 . " This is probably tho Provincial Grand Lodge for which , according to Preston , Lord Kintoro , G . M . of England 1740-1 , granted a deputation . The proceedings of tho P . G . Lodge of Hamburgh wero opened in 1741 , and it was then that tho Lodge without a name , of which there is no record in Pine ' s and Cole ' s Lists referred to , assumed tho title it still enjoys of "Absalom . " Fraternally yours , "Q . "

To tho Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR Sin AND BROTHER , —Some timo since yon entrusted me with the duty of reviewing Bro . Hnghan ' s Reprint of Pine ' s List of Lodges for 1734 , and in tho fulfilment of that task I found it necessary to question tho accuracy of his judgment in stating that our present Strong Man Lodge , No . 45 , should bo

traced to No . 128 of Pines List , described as meeting at tho " Duke of Marlborough , Potticoato Lane , Whito Chapell , " on the "Third Fryday , " the date of its constitution being " Novem . ye 5 th , 1734 . " I suggested that present No . 45 was traceable rather to Pine ' s No . 110 , described at the " Ship Coffee House , Near tho Hermitage Bridge , " on the " 1 st and 3 rd Tuesday , " the

dalo of constitution being " 2 nd Feb ., 1732-3 . " Bro . Hughan maintained his point , and argued that if it wero No . 110 , "then it ceased to exist , by tho list of 1776 , long before the ' Union oi 1813 . '" Ho further urged that for many years it had been tho only Lodgo in connection with 1734 , and even in 1776 tho only London Lodge of 1734 , and ho added that , "in tbo

Constitutions of 1 / 38 occurs a London Lodgo of 5 th November 1734 . " I still held to my opinion , however , that it was No . 110 of Pine ' s List for 1734 , the reason I gave for doing so —see FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE for 20 th January 1877—being that the late Dr . Oliver , in his Revelations of a Square , was very minute in his details respecting the Strong Man Lodge , and traced it numerically through a series of lists . I also pointed out that

already there was much confusion as to the dato of Constitution , the text of , and the note appended to , the passage in Oliver giving no less than three dates , namely , in the note " 2 nd February 1734 , " and the text " 2 nd February 1733 , " or " 17 th February 1734 ; " so that Bro . Hnghan ' s " No . 128 , " constituted " 5 th November 1734 , " only complicated matters still further . In his rep y to my argument , Bro , Hughan said ( see FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE " , 27 th January

Correspondence.

1 S 77 ) , "' Strong "Man * Lodgo is still an open question , and there I leave it pro tern . " I felt at tho timo that it was somewhat of a bold venture to adhere to my views in opposition to Bro . Hughan , and was not a littlo gratified that ho so far recognised my prudenco in doing so as to consent to tho snbject remaining an open question . It is all tho moro gratifying to mo to learn , from Bro . Gould ' s papers ,

that his opinion , on certain matters in connection with these old Lists , is in my favour—to this extent , at least : " No . 110 " of Pine 1734 is described similarly in Pino for 1736 ( see FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE , 27 th July 1878 ) ; and last week I find that this No . 110 became in Pine 1740 No . 9 S , which agrees with Oliver ' s note already referred to , except that « 2 February 1732-3 " has becomo " Feb . 2 1734 , "

which also accords with Oliver s statement . Bro . Gould remarks on thi 3 change of date , to " 1734 from 1733 , " that , " The present positions of tho last-mentioned Lodges , Nos . 9 S and 99 , afford a good illustration of tho inconveniences that havo ensued ; No . 9 S , the senior of tho two , being placed after the fair dato of its Warrant as No . 45 ( Strong Man ) , and No . 99 , tho jnni ' or , being placed higher

than its proper seniority , ns No . 35 ( Medina ) , " which had been altered to " 1732 from 1733 . " In Cole ' s List of Lodges for 17 G 3 , contributed to tho Masonie Magazine for December 1877 , tho day of Constitution is altered to "Feb . 17 , " but tho description of the Lodge , which by tho closing up of numbers had becomo " No . 68 , "this also agrees with Oliver—identifies it as being ono and tho samo

with No . 98 of 1710 . Colo ' s description locates it at tho "Sampson and Lion , E . Smith field , late the Ship at ye Hermitage—the italics aro mine . This No . 68 , according to Oliver , became No . 57 in 1770 , No . 44 in 17 S 1 , and No . 41 in 1792 , as which it remained np to the Union , after which , according to Hughan , it became No . 61 , then 1832 No . 53 , and in 1863 No . 45 , as now . Thus Bro . Gould ' s

account , supplemented by Cole ' s account of 1763 , apparently justifies my views . One other point is worth noting . Bro . Hughan , in his reprint of Pine 1734 , says of tho present " Medina" Lodge , No . 35 , Cowcs , that " it was warranted in 1731 , but the foregoing list" ( Pino 1734 ) " contains no such reference , so that it is likely

the Lodge has been removed since its constitution . " Bro . Gould bears ont this suggestion by Bro . Hughan . "Present No . 35 ( Medina ) , " says tho former , " was a London Lodgo np to 1761 , but , in 1762 , was removed , or its warrant , transferred to West Cowes , Isle of Wight . " It is the No . Ill of Pino 1734 and 1736 . described as meeting at the " Theatre Tavern , Goodman ' s Fields , " and constituted

17 th Febrnary 17 ? f" In 1740 it became No . 99 , meeting at the " Fleece , Goodman ' s Fields , " but dato of constitution was described as " Feb . 17 , 1732 . " In Cole ' s List for 1763 wo havo it as "No . 57 , " meeting at " West Cowes , Isle of Wight . " and dated "Feb . 17 , 1732 . " Thus the trace which Bro . Hughan was unable to find is supplied by Bro . Gould , and "Present No . 35 " is , apparently , tho

"No . Ill , Theatre Tavern , Goodman's Fields , 2 nd and 4 th Monday , 17 Feb ., 1732-3 , " of Pine 1734 , only it has since been promoted to " 1731 " according to Grand Lodgo Calendar . When I disenssed this qnostion before , I suggested that some member of the Strong Man might throw light on the subject . Surely there must be among them one sufficiently interested in the fortunes

of their Lodge to say something on this matter ! And it would cost so littlo trouble ! ! So with tho brethren of the Medina , they might / help Bros . Hughan and Gould at the expenditure of a vory littlo time aud trouble ! But wisdom cries aloud in tbo streets—or at least in tho columns of tho FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , and the Craft heed her not . Fraternally yours , YOUR REVIEWER OF HUGIIAN ' S REPRINT OF PINE ' LIST OF LODGES 1734 .

The Goose And Gridiron.

THE GOOSE AND GRIDIRON .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Iu my communication , "Masonio Mysteries , " printed 31 st August , pp 150-1 , I called attention to two rival geese and gridirons , and made a hap-hazard guess , that tho smaller goose was somehow connected with the idea of mnsic ; and it seems that , for ouce at least , I was literally " sound on the goose , " as the following extract from Brewer ' s " Dictionary of Phrase and Fable " will show .

"Goose and Gridiron . —A public houso sign , properly a mnsio houso , like Evans ' . When it ceased to bo a music house , somo facetious landlord , to turn its former nso into contempt , choso for his sign a ' Gooso striking the bars of a gridiron with its foot , ' and wroto below , ' Tho Swan and Harp . "— " The Tatler , with notes , Vol . iv . p 206 . "

I failed to find in the Tatler any reference to the gooso , & c . Mr . Brewer must , thorcfore , have found the above notice in the notes appended to some edition of tho Tatler . The above , if true , settles the question , that the Goose aud Gridiron engraved on Pino ' s Lodge list in 1725 , answering the above description , is the Goose of

1717 . But whether the said public house was known as the " Goose and Gridiron " before 24 th June 1717 ? Whether the Goose on the top of the chimney pot , was the sign of the old music honse ? Whether tho last described Goose was hung up as a sio-n after 1725 ? or whether it was the work of a Masonic wag to pass it off as a joke upon some Masonic editor , remains yet to be discovered .

Respectfully and fraternally yours , JACOB NORTON . Boston , U . S ., 20 th Sept . 1878 .

Charity Stewards.

CHARITY STEWARDS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —ALPHA ' S letter , which appeared last week , is a fair specimen of hypercriticism . The question , as originally