Occasional Papers.—No. Ii.

which had been granted by the Directors to the wifu of general de X ., a lady who had notoriousl y fought in several actions in masculine attire . Then it transpired that this was the lady herself , ancl , Frenchman like , the brethren excitedly passed a resolution to confer the first

degree on the brave woman . She , when told of tho resolve , said , " I have been a man for my country , and I will bo a man for my Brethren , " and was forthwith introduced and initiated , and frequently attended the First Degreo workings of tho Lodge .

In America attempts have been made to introduce Androgynous Masonry , the most successful being the Order of the Eastern Star , invented by Bro . Rob Morris in 1855 . It consists of five degrees —( 1 ) Jephthah ' s Daughter or the daughter ' s Degree , ( 2 ) Ruth or the Widow ' s

Degree , ( 3 ) Esther or the Wife ' s Degree , ( 4 ) Martha or the Sister ' s Degree , ( 5 ) Electa or the Christian Martyr ' s Degree . There are also in America certain Androgynous Side Degrees conferred on both Males and Females , the conditions being with regard to the latter that they shall

be female relatives of Masons . Thus " Mason ' s Wife can be conferred" only on Master Masons , their wives , single daughters , sisters and widowed mothers . " Heroine of Jericho" can only be conferred on R . A . Masons , their wives and daughters ; and " Good Samaritan " is conferred on R . A . Masons and their wives .

A system of Female Freemasonry was invented in 1777 by the impostor Cagliostro , who found many dupes in London and the Continent . His system was very curious

and elaborate , but , of course , had no foundation whatever or claim to antiquity , and lasted but a short time , the inventor being very soon exposed as an unscrupulous charlatan . His life and his Masonic swindles would alone

occupy an entire paper . On the Continent the idea of admitting women seems to have been to secure the pleasures and advantages of Female society in the Lodges . In America tbe idea is to furnish

the female relatives of Masons with the means of making themselves known and thus claiming the assistance of the brethren , and many instances are related where these means have conduced to the succour of members of the

Eastern Star in circumstances of peril or distress . It was not until the first Book of Constitutions , compiled by Anderson , was published that any explicit law was promulgated excluding women from Masonry , but there it is laid down that " no women " can be admitted members .

We have often been accused as a body of want of gallantry in thus excluding women from our meetings , and most Masonic writers have cudgelled their brains to find reasons in justification of the law as it stands . For my own part

I think it is apparent that the presence ot the fairer sex would he so constantly distracting that work could not progress in the Lodges . Conversations and flirtations would engross the attention of the brethren , to the detriment of business .

As for the Androgynous and Adoptive systems , they are not really Freemasonry , and are no part of any genuine system , and women who join them under the impression that they are becoming participants in Masonic secrets are utterly deluding themselves .

Perhaps the most graceful explanation I have seen given as to the exclusion of women from Masonry is that of a leading American Mason , who has said that Freemasons are symbolically a race of builders , hewers and squarers of

stone , toilers in the heat of the day , and it would be out of all character with such an idea to permit the fair and fragile frames of our sisters to be subjected to the rough labour and weariness Avhich must ever attend manual toil .

Freemasons however will I hope always be amongst the staunchest admirers of the excluded sex , and the truest defenders of Female honour and fame , and that character they already hold . A man was never an unkind husband ,

a careless father , a boorish brother or a faithless lover , because he was a Mason , and I trust we shall all unite in proving the truth of poor old Bro . Birkhead's lines , doggrel though they

be" No Mortal can more The Ladies adore Than a Free and an Accepted Mason . "

But although woman have not been admitted into English Masonry it has been reserved for an English woman to write one of the most able of modern treatises on the Craft . I can heartily recommend Mrs . Blake ' s

Occasional Papers.—No. Ii.

" Realities of Freemasonry " for the purchase of any Lodge Library . The authoress has studied every available author , and has produced not only a readable , but a learned work . It is easy to see that she has had no assistance from any member of the Craft , because there are technical

errors which an outsider would naturally fall into , but it is most marvellous to notice how few she has made . Her great authorities are Findel , Clavel , Lyon , Hughan , Steiubrenner , Mackey , and others . But she has made the

blonder of appealing to Carlilo as an authority , and she seems also to be a believer in the American Morgan fable However , much valuable matter is collated in Mrs . Blake ' s pages , and although not exactly a friend to the Order , she certainly cannot be counted as one of its foes .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

THE Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of the Koyal Arch Masons of England was held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday evening . General Brownrigg , C . B ., Grand Superintendent of Surrey , occupied the chair of M . E . Z . ; Capt . N . G . Philips P . G . S . N ., the chair of H . 5 and Lieut .. Col . Creaton Grand Treasurer , the chair of J . There were also present Comps . Col . S . Clerke S . E ., Robert Grey S . N ., General Clerk P . S ., Eev . Ambrose W . Hall 1 st A . S .,

J . Samson Peiree 2 nd A . S ., H . 0 . Levander Swd . B ., James Lewis Thomas P . G . S . B ., A . J . Dnff-Filer P . G . S . B ., Rev . C . W . Arnold P . A . S ., Joshua Nunn P . A . S . P . G . D . C ., C . A . Mnrton P . A . S ., Magnus Ohren P . G . D . C , H . J . P . Dumas P . G . Swd . B ., Raphael Costa P . G . D . C , Wilhelm Ganz P . G . Organist , J . Henderson Scott P . A . S ., James Glaisher P . A . S ., H . G . Buss P . Standard B . A . S . B ., Thomas Massa

Z . 1293 , Hugh E . Diamond J . 435 , Benjamin Fuilwood Z . 328 , T . Monnt Humphries P . Z . 539 , W . H . Lee P . Z . 1524 , Neville Green P . Z . 1524 , William Dodd P . Z . 1194 , H . Massey P . Z . 619 , W . H . Perryman Z . 1348 , Edward F . Storr Z . 1014 , John Tomkins J . 945 , H . Sadler Z . 169 . After tbe reading and confirmation of the minutes , Charters were granted for the following new Chapters : —The St . Bede 1119 , Jarrow

Castle of Harmony 26 , London ; united 1341 , Victoria , Hong Kong ; West Kent 1297 , Anerleyj Chapter of Industry 48 , Gateshead Charters of Confirmation were also granted to the Otago Chapter 844 , Dunedin , New Zealand , and tbe Chapter of Harmony 300 , Farebam , Hants , the original charters of these Chapters having been destroyed by fire .

Brunswick Chapter , No . 159 . —The annual convocation of this Chapter was held on Wednesday , afc the Ebrington Masonio Temple , Stonehouse . The minutes of the last meeting having been confirmed , and a brother of a neighbouring province having been exalted , a Board of Installed Principals was opened , and herein Ex-Companion Anthony R . Lethbridge P . Z . as H ., and Ex-Companion

Benjamin S . Johns as J . Amongst those present who assisted at the ceremony were Companions E . Aitken-Davies , Samuel Jew , Rev . T . W . Lemon , R . Lose , J . R . Lord , James Bartletfc , J . R . H . Harris , 3 . N . Page , T . Searle . After the installation , the following Officers were appointed for the ensuing year : —Comps . Aitken-Davies S . E ., C A . Nicholson S . N ., C F . Williams P . S ., R . H . Carter 1 st A . S .,

A . Soper 2 nd A . S ., J . Hardy Treasurer , J . Bartlett Jan . Other business consequent on the close of the year was satisfactorily disposed of , and the Companions adjourned to Comp . Finney ' s Hotel , where a very substantial dinner was provided , and under the presi . dency of the newly installed Principals , a very pleasant finish to an nstractive meeting was made .

The North London Chapter of Improvement ,, No . 1471 . —Held its weekly meeting at the Jolly Farmers'Tavern , Southgate-road , on Thursday , 27 th ult . Present—Comps . W . M . Stiles M . E . Z ,, H . Stiles H ., T . C Edmonds J ., Osborn S . E ., W . Cook S . N ., C . Sparrow P . S . ; also Comps . Parkes , Hunter , Sheffield , Pearcy , Ferguson , Gregory , Gillham , Kidder , Knight , Gibbs , Hyland ,

Cusworth , Fysh , & c . On this occasion the members of the Metropolitan Chapter , No . 1507 , having accepted the invitation to work the ceremony of exaltation , the whole of the Officers' positions were occupied by them . After the Chapter was declared open , they proceeded with and rehearsed the ceremony so efficiently as to give general satisfaction to the members presentall of whom expressed their gratification

, at having spent a very pleasant evening . Comps . W . M . Stiles and H . Stiles , of the Metropolitan Chapter , No . 1507 , were elected mem . bers . Comps . Cusworth , Osborn and Hunter were appointed to the chairs of Z ., H . and J . respectively ; Comps . Parkes as S . N ., and Sparrow as P . S ., for the next meeting . A cordial vote of thanks , to

be entered on the minutes , was unanimously passed to Companion W . M . Stiles as M . E . Z ., and the members of the Metropolitan Chapter , for their kindness in accepting the invitation of this Chapter of Improvement , and for the very able and efficient manner they had discharged the duites of tho Chapter that evening . The Chapter was then closed , and adjourned .

HOIXOWAY ' OIITTMBOT AND PILLS . —Diseases of the Skin . —No case of disease of the skin , bo its nature what it may , has failed to he benefited wnen these potent remedies have been property applied . In scrofulous and scoroncw . affections they are especially serviceable . Scurvy and eruptions , whica una resisted all other modes of treatment , and c-radnlly become worse from year 1 " ii

year , have been completely cured by Holloway ' s cooling Ointment "' purifying Pills , which root out the disease from the blood itself and lea ^ M "; constitution free from every morbid taint . In the nursery Holloway ' s 0 intI " ,, L should be evernt hand ; it will # ivo case in sprains , contusions , burns , sea" and infantile eruptions , and may always safely be applied by any orumai ^ attendant .