A Run Round Holderness.

including a chain of lakes or lagoons , and very much land now swallowed up by the greedy sea . In the earliest days it was a hind of forest , alternating with swamp and morasses , its inhabitants being the wild boar , wolf , crane , bittern , bustard and beaver , there being no tradition of any inhabitants until it was colonised by a tribe of Teutons called Parish ' ,

believed to have been Frisians from the opposite coast . Ihese were herdsmen , living in wattle huts on the higher ground , aud constantly at war with tho warlike Celtic Brigantes , who hold the wold country on their western boundary . The Romans overran the district , and of course made a good road across it , for road-making was their special forte . The road ran from York ( Eboracum ) right across

the perilous swamps , by way of Beverloy , to a place on the coast , probably Spurn point . VVhen the Savons and Danes came the Spurn was their place of landing , and tho Scandinavian freebooters soon took possession of tho rich lands of Holderness , where they have left perpetual memories of themselves and their enterprise in the names of many of tho villages and towns . In tho days of Edward

the Confessor the principal landed proprietor was one Ulphus , a Dane , who built a castle at Aldborough , where he resided . He also built a church , a relic of which still exists in the form of a cross , bearing the inscription— " Ulf commanded this church to be erected for the souls of Hanurn and Gurthard . " It was Ulphus who endowed the cathedral at York with his large estates in the East Riding ; who

brought his huge ivory drinking horn full of mead before the high altar at York , and drained it , and afterwards presented the beaker to the church a 3 a title-deed to the land , the identical horn being still preserved and exhibited to visitors to York Minster . When William the Norman came , he divided the District as far as he could ( barring the possessions of the church , which even old-world robbers

ever regarded as sacred , and winch it has boon reserved for latter day radicals to covet and desire ) , amongst his followers , in baronies to hold in capite by military service . Two days spent in visiting spots of interest in this neighbourhood passed most pleasantly , and another day was devoted to Hull , where we found many Masonic friends , and where no less than four Masonic

Halls are in existence—tho Humber , the Minerva , the Kingston and the De la Pole , having each its own establishment . The two former are old Lodges , and possess many Masonic relics of valuo . Some of the earliest Lodges on record met at Hull , and the old minute books and rolls of Lodges prove the existence of Lodges there during last

century that have now disappeared and died out . And so ended a bright little holiday—such a spell as a journalist in this country is only too glad to secure , and here I am at work again , but seizing a few minutes to remind you of my existence , and i-o wish tho Keystone all prosperity .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters must hear the name anl address of the Write ) - , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

EXTRA OFFICERS . To the " Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —There are two subjects which are exercising the minds of many Brethren in the Province in which I reside , and I should thank any Freemason who can write with authority on the subject kindly to ventilate these vexations . 1 st . Can a Provincial Grand Master , on the advice of his Deputy

Provincial Grand Master , increase the number of his Provincial Grand Officers , by nominating duplicate , or assistant Provincial Grand Officers , on his own authority , when the number of Lodges is below a certain number ? 2 nd . Is the Provincial Grand Treasurer in order in declining to receive the fees of such Assistant Grand Officers , till assured the appointments are sanctioned by the Grand Lodge of England ? Yours fraternally , P . P .

TRADING ON MASONRY

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Will yon permit me to thank yon for your able exposition , on a system which has outgrown even the bounds of your own very potent belief , as to the extent in which tho emblems of the Masonic Craft are prostituted for the sake of gain ? That such a practice cannot be too strongly condemned is patent to all who are

in any way conversant with it . The professions of an initiate when he seeks admission to the privileges of the Craft are naturally of a crude , but honest impulse It cannot be otherwise . Ho craves to know the sublime mysteries of which he may have gleaned some slight conception from tho conversation of friends , or from obtorva . tion of Masonic practices which are patent to the world . And with a heart void of all selfish desires or mercenary proclivities , he answers

frankly the question which is put to every man who treads tho chequered floor , and which is his innocent—and perforce his naturally honest avowal of the motives which prompt him to seek a participation in the mysteries and privileges of the Craft . But how often , when the freshness and " novelty" of the thing has subsided , brethren ignore the pure impulses which stir them in the beginning , and sco their way to " make uouietbiug " out of tho profusion to which they

have loyally subscribed their names ? I think probably yon administered a rather severe rebuke to thoso brethren who , perhaps , with good intentions decorate their premises with emblems of the Masonic Craft ; but from conversations I have overheard respecting the practice , 1 am inclined to think it may have a salutary effect . For my own part no such cabalistic display outside an hotel would induce me to

patronise it ; on the contrary , Ishonld be disposed rather to go farther afield . Neither should I be disposed to seek the aid of a tradesman of any description merely from tho fact that he was so " decorated " with the signs . Still they must not all be classed in the same category . What think you of abrother , who is an undertaker , looking up the obituary notices of tho daily newspapers , and sending " emblematic "

solicitations for funereal orders ? I was recently shocked b y the intimation of such a case , and my disgust was only appeased b y the information that the delinquent was not a Mason . However , there is too much of this trading by " puff , " and whether it be by Mason , Forester , Oddfellow , or whatever name it is perpetrated under , the system is a nefarious ono , and the Craft will thank you for so promptly and unmistakably calling attention to it , with a view to its

suppression . I am , Sir and Brother , Yours vory fraternally , YORKSHIREMAN Hull , 7 th June 1882 .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read with interest , not unmin . gled with a certain degree of pain , yonr article under the above heading in the last issue of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . AS a matter of fairness and justice to the Craft , I think you will be free to admit that the imputation of " unworthy " and " despicable " motives is going

somewhat beyond the bounds of charity , construing the term in its literal meaning . It is scarcely to be concluded that , because a man exhibits ou his trade circular the emblems of Freemasonry to brethren he is actuated by " mercenary " aims , or that he uses the symbols as a " catch penny " mode of " promoting his own aggrandisement . " Experience has taught me that your remnrk as to the signs being freely

used by members of other Orders is quite correct : bnt I fail to see the wickedness of a member of our own Institution wearing his heart upon his sleeve , so to speak , and shewing to the world that he is a Mason . Very possibly your indignation might have been aroused by some flagrant case , such as the one yon mention in whioh " advertising spiders so adroitly invited the Masonic flies to walk into their

parlours ; but I am convinced that anything so abject would be scouted by sensible brethren and treated with the disdain it deserves . I am neither a publican nor a chemist ; nor do I display any of the sacred emblems of my Masonic profession ; but let me say at once , and for all , I do not see any greater sin in a tradesman betokening to his fellows ( and to the outer world , if that is all ) that he is a Mason , for

whatever might be said by a few of the ignorant and uninitiated , I cling to the proud belief that the popular idea of a Mason is that he is at least an honest man , and that so far from his being an advertising quack , he is actuated by a profound desire to make himself " more extensively useful to his fellow creatures . " I feel assured

that in delivering myself of these sentiments you will in common fairness exculpate many of those who adopt the means of communieating to others of the Craft , of which they are trusted and honoured members , and not impute to them altogether unworthy and mercenary motives .

I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yours , A YOUNG MASON , Peckham , 6 th June 1882 .

GRAND LODGE FUNDS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHEONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Is it not a somewhat curious way of phrasing it , for the Committee appointed in March to report upon the financial position of the Board of General Purposes , apropos of Bro . Eaynham Stewart ' s motion for doubling the grant to the Benevolent Institution , to announce " as the result of their

investigations , that at the present time Grand Lodge is in receipt of an average nett income of £ 4 , 000 per annnm , which is however liable to considerable fluctuations in proportion to the number of admissions of members into the Order and various other causes . " As a matter of fact , this £ 4 , 00 p is the balance which remains after every description of expenditure

has been provided for , so , that even after the additional outlay necessitated by this grant of £ 800 , Grand Lodge may reckon on having an average yearly balance of over £ 3 , 000 , a sum which may be safely set down as sufficient to meet all probable contingencies . I write thns in no captious spirit , but because I think it is just as nett

well to speak of a spade as a spade , and though because a " income" and "balance " are interchangeable terms , tho word " nett with most people is likely to escape attention , and it will be thought that the " income " of Grand Lodge is £ 4 , 000 , whereas it is folly £ 10 , 000 a year , as shown in the tables you published a little white

ago . I remain , faithfully and fraternally yours , R . N

Ad00602

RHEUMATISM. THE only real remedy for this complaint is the Northern Cure L ( patent ) . In bottles Is Ud each , to ho had of till Chemists . ™ P ™™ % " £ ,, AUumfaeturors , Edwards aud Alexander , 29 Blaekett-utreet . NowciusUe-un ly