The " Speculative " New Departure.

your non-oporative Masons were Speculative Masons r The above outline of specious reasoning will show how a real lawyer , who is trained to magnify mole hills into mountains , and who always has a dozen authorities at his finders' end to prove either side of a case , how , with

the above Tailoric " accumulated evidence , " he might have made out a case in behalf of Tailoric Speculativeness equal at least to Bro . Gould's Masonic Speculativeness . Space will not allow me , at present , to criticise Bro . Gould ' s items . I shall , therefore , merely add that ,

with Bro . Gould ' s method of reasoning , ho could have proved equally well the antiquity of Royal Archism , Masonic Templarism , Crypticism , Scotch Riticipm , Memp hisism , Misraimisra , Rosicrucianism , Mystic

Shrineism , and numerous other humbugging isms which Masonic charlatans havo imposed uron pious , credulous Masonic dreamers as genuine and ancient , and all which stuff is still believed by some Masons as " Gospel truth . "

Now , if the Quatuor Coronati Lodge really and truly means to enlighten the Masonic fraternity , then ^ instead of flying to all out of the way regions in order to find excuses for propping up the antiquity of Speculative

Masonry and of Masonic degrees , thoy ought to havo long since boldly proclaimed that beforo the year 1717 , the notious of Speculative Masonry a ; id of Masonic degrees were totally unknown to the Masonio Fraternity . BOSTON , U . S , 16 th May 1890 . -

Freemasonry In Gloucestershire.

FREEMASONRY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

THE Freemasons' Calendar and Directory for the Province of Gloucester , for the year 1890 , is now in course of issue to tho Brethren , through the agency of their respective Lodges . The i 3 sue takes place later in the year than that of ordinary calendars—and has , indeed , been somewhat delayed thi 3 year by exceptional circumstances— but this is explained by the fact that it has been found of

late years convenient to include in the Annual the first two moutha of the new year , so to take note of the many changes in the officering of the Lodges which are made at the festival tneotings , nf which so large a proportion are held in January and February . The present publication is tho twelfth of tho series , the first four , 1879-S 2 , having been compiled by tho late Bro . Col . B-isevi , l ' . Dist . D _ > p .. G . Af . Pimi

when Charity Secretary to the Province , and the snbsequont issues having been tho work of Bro . B . V . Vassar-Sinith , whose service to the Craft is represented by the two important offices he holds of Deputy Grand Master and Charity Secretary to tho Province . The most interesting feature of the yearly Calendar is that which seta out the charitable work of the Brotherhood , and it is one to which the

Brethren may refer with pardonable gratification . Taking firat the contributions of the Province to the great Masonio Charities , viz ., the Boys' and Girls' Schools , and the Male and Fetnaio Benevolent Institution , the growth of the Bnpport given by the Province h iudicated by the steady increase in the number of votes it is able to oast at elections of candidates . Iu 1879 , when the Calendar was firat issued , the number of votes held in the Province wus 936 , and each

year since there has been an increase more or Jess considerable upon the number of the year preceding , until now the aggregate of votes is 31-20 , and this notwithstanding that the numerical strength of the Bjbscribers has decreased during the iutcrval . The "prideof place " in the generous rivalry between the various Lodges in connection with the Charities , is held hy the Cotteswold Lorlgp , No . 592 , at

Cirencester , which with fifty-four members holds 033 votes ; and next stands the Foundation Lodge , No . 82 , of Cheltenham , which holds 591 votes , the third place being held by the Royal Gloucestershire , No . 839 , of Gioncester , with 565 votes . In addition to the more general oharities , the Province has of late years maintained a Provincial Benevolent Fund for . the education and advancement in

life of the children of Masons of the Provinc , and for the relief of the " poor and distressed , " and by this fund useful work has been done . The little book gives the usual details of tho internal economy of the Lod ges of the Province , interesting more especially to the members . In one particular there has been an alteration , which will

generally be considered an improvement , in the plan of the Calendar , a considerable space being given to a " Record of Masonio occurrences" in the Province , which , if followed up , will bo found useful . joture reference . The Calendar is admirably compiled by ita indefati gable editor , and has boen , as usual , excellently printed by ¦ ftir . Bellows . —Cheltenham Examiner .

The Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Middlesex and onrrey will be held at the Mark Masons' Hall , Great y , ueen Street , W . C , on Tuesday , 24 th inst ., at 5 o ' clock "J tho afternoon . The banquet will take place at the Aiolborn Restaurant .

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fl LI ™ ,, i-stantly , night or day . Entire safety . Kovised safety n uto T ? - ^ j ^ ^"' room with proper vent pipe , ensuring Any ^^ ± l , " " u 8 htai .. g ' Geyser , 3 W Baston Road , r . ondon . N . W . m » . r Ws mvi " n » 1 , 5 . ? ° - manufac . iiro , fixed without vent pipe , After . . hat Se ^ valu ^ wiU n ^ W . Bpp * iD ? * ° m } M ° K mU JuMlm

A Chinese Masonic Funeral.

A CHINESE MASONIC FUNERAL .

BRO . JACOB NORTON sends is the fol ' oving slip , " to comfort , " as he says , " Masonio Antiquity hankorers . " NEW YORK , 7 fch May . The great Chineso funeral was the sens & t on of the week . Tin resident colony of Colestuls assembled almost to a man i .-i

Mott Street ou Monday to pay the last honours of a Masonio funeral to Ynng Choo Yang , a distinguished physician and Hisb , Grand and Noble Secretary oF the Sang Gee Tang , the Ciinese Masouio Lodge of this oity . Barely has the mean and shabby qnaiter in whioh the Chinamen are crowded together been so enlivened by colour , picturesque grouping , and graceful , albeit barbaric , ceremonies as on

Monday . The display of silk and satin robes—violet , purple , red and yellow—was ravishment to the eyes of the female beholders , many of whom braved the environing throng of hoodlnms in order to see them . The Chinese Colony here is capable of great things when its public

spirit is aroused , and it seems to have as much publio spiut as any of the other foreign populations . The thing which su < prised the spectatoi-3 most was the richness of the paraphernalia exhibited in connection with the Masonic ceremony . Sotno of the robes must have cost hundreds of dollars before thev reached New York from

far Cathay . The funeral was held in a huge stable , convened for the nonce into a temple , hung with oriental black aud white draperies . Horses in tho stables on a second floor where heard impudently stamping their feet above the heads of the grave aud impassive Chiuamen ,

who Eat or stood around the coffin in whioh the dead M > us » i > lian Mason lay . Lights in the handsome brass caudelubra on either t-ids of the coffin threw a strange theatrical glare over the whole assembly . Nearly all the men held their hands folded and concealed within their flowing sleeves , and their faces seemed absolutely expre « ion . less . A Rembrandt would have found there a subject with which .

to immortalize himself . The body cf the dead Mason was dressed in a silken blouse of blue , with navy blue trowsers and sandals of the same tint . Iu the breast of the blonse was placed a fan , and on tho head was a black cap . Above the funeral tablet wa 3 a representation of tho All-Seeing Eye , and below was tho square and compass . On the left hand sido waa a Corinthian Column , and the inscription , " We M -et

Up iu the Level . The funeral ceremonies were very complicated , but their main features wero the dipping of the lingers in the blood of the sacrificial goat , which was placed on a little pedestal ; the burning of iunamerable sticks of bamboo punk , which sent forth a faint , sickening odour ,

unpleasantly suggestive of tho charnel honse , and the off ring of rich viands to the spirits of the dead , snppnsed to be hovering a out in pursuit of any of the leavings from the feast . The musio was of that weird , wailing order with which frequenters of the Chinese Theatre are familiar ; doubtless it has character , but it is altmwt

impossible for an Anglo-Saxon to discover it . The official mourners were numerous , and had much hard work . One of them , delegated to keep tho evil spirits from nipping the unf irtnnate Yang Chee Yang in his coffin , and bearing him away to the Chinese inferno , was armed with a wand , was dressed grate qnely , and had his face painted hideously in black and white , so that be

might scare away even the devil , should he happen along . But intelligent Chinamen say that this child's play is kept up only out of respect to the past—very likely as mummers are still maintained at an English funeral—and that no one believes in it . Opposite the devil scarer was painted , on the coffin itself , the figure of a beneficent looking old man . with a long , white beard .

This personaga represented a good spirit , whose spectral task was to amuse aud divort the demons hovering in the air until Yung Chee Yang could ba safely pat under tho sod . After the ceremonies there was a feast of roast pig , of tea , of cakes , agreeably interspersed with fragrant cigarettes , and when the last morsel was ehten , and the last drop was drunk , tho procession of Celestials , sotno on horseback , some in " hacks , " and all as grave

as if going to their own execution , went through the streets to Evergreen Cemetery , where , after burning tho dead man ' s Masonio robes , and genuflexions innumerable by the crowd , the Chinamen dispersed . They were persecuted of hoodlnms along the route , bat piid absolutely no attention to their persecutors , and the monrners whose duty it was to frighten the demons scowled vigorously until the very last tnra waB piled upon the breast of Yung Chee Yang .

The Camrlen Lodge of Instruction , No . 70 i , meets every Thursday evening , at 8 o ' clock , at the Lewishara Masonio Rooms ( adjoining White Hart Hotel , 116 High Street ) . W . Bro . Jas . Stevens P . M . P . Z . Preceptor , Bro . Walter Robin Secretary .

A rich window , from the studio of Mr . Taylor , of Burners Street , has been erected in the Church of Bedwas , in Sooth Wales , in memory of the late Rector , the Rev . W . Williams . The peculiarity of

treatment consists , in the three subjects , of " The Nativity , " " Resurrection , " and " Crucifixion , " being limited to two figures in each , very successfully .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . — Confidential Advice free per post to all in weak and failing health , vrith loss o £ strength and vitality . Fifty years experience in Nervous Ailments . Addresa , The Secretary , 3 Fitzallan Square , Sheffield . Form of Correspondence Free . Writs to-day .