Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters must bear the name and address of tho Writer , not necessarily for upablicution , bat as it guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of otir Correspondents .

THE LIFEBOAT ENDOWMENT .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . BEAK SIR AND BROTHER , —The letter of Bro . Solomon Davis , explaining his reasons for not proceeding with the proposed Endowment Fund ( the cause we must deeply regret ) , makes no reference to the balance in his possession , which Avas intended as its nucleus . I hoped to see , in your last issue , a confirmation or denial of the assertion of

" W . M . " respecting tho sum of £ 22 . Any one Avho is acquainted Avith Bro . Davis will give him credit for great honesty of purpose , and gratitude is eminently due to him for his former exertions . Although not old , the chronic malady under Avhich he suffers so acutely may in future prevent him fulfilling the duties appertaining to the project , hence he Avould the better carry out what he has so much at heart by relinquishing an amount of labour the necessity of the case requires , and which , in all probability , would provo detrimental to his health . Let him , therefore , relieve himself from so weighty a responsibility , by throwing his balance into your fund , and , if desired , I am sure he would acquiesce in the proposition . I suggest that a subscription list be opened at once , to be called

"THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE LIFEBOAT ENDOWMENT FUND , " and the donations thereto paid to any branch of tho London and County Bank , to the credit of the fund at the Aldersgate Street Branch , where you could' easily ascertain particulars of contributions , and publish a list of the same each week , or as necessity demanded . This means Avould , at least , save considerable time and expense ; and to

further the object it Avould be advisable to secure tho co-operation of some of our Grand Lodgo officers , Avhose influence could not fail to be successful to the movement . It is necessary to state that a boat presented to the Lifeboat Institution , without endowment , is a burthen upon its funds . It therefore behoves the craft to take immediate action to relieve the institution of a task their benevolence has imposed . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , LETS BONAC .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read , Avith the most lively interest , the articles and letters which have appeared iu your valuable paper on tho subject of the Freemasons' Lifeboat Endowment Fund . I have been much , struck Avith the fact , so clearly set forth by yon .

that our boat entails a heavy annual charge upon the noble Association in whose custody it is . I think the Freemasons , as a body , cannot bo aware o ? this , or they would Jong since have made an effort to raise such a sum as would make the boat free of tho charitable donations of the public . I venture to suggest to my

brethren that this is a matter which should be toought before the Lodges . I shall make it my business to bring it before my own Lodge , the members of which will , I doubt not , respond heartily to an appeal made in the cause of suffering humanity . At the proper time I shall be prepared with my contribution towards tho fund . I am , Sir , yours fraternally , Great St . Helens , E . G ., 3 rd February . G . J .

Masonic Curiosities.

MASONIC CURIOSITIES .

To the Editor of Tim FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —I read your article on the above subject Avith much interest , Und should be glad to find you follow it up in futuro numbers . I feel sure that much amusing matter is to bo found in old publications , magazines , newspapers , broadsides , & c , & c , on the subject of Freemasonry . A hearty laugh is always pleasant j especially

Avhen people take to ridiculing what they don t understand . Then it is the initiated chuckle with delight over the glaring absurdities of their would-be tormentors . A day or two since I Avas reading Oliver ' s Revelations of a Square , when the following quotation ( in a foot note , p . 30 ) from Dean Swift Btrnck me as likely to amuse your readers .

" As to the secret Avords aud signals used among Masons , it is to be observed that , iu the Hebrew alphabet , there are four pair of letters , of which each pair arc so alike that , at the first view , they seem to be the same . Beth aud Caph , Gimcl and Nun , Gheth and Thau , Daleth and Resch * and on these depend all their signals and gripes . Cheth aud Thau are shaped like two standing gallowses

of two legs each ; when two Masons accost each other , one cries Cheth , the other answers Thau , signifying that they would sooner be hanged on the gallows than divulge the secret . Then , again , Beth and Caph are each like a galloAvs lying on one of the side posts , and Avhen used as above , imply this pious prayer : ' May all

who reveal the secret hang upon the gallows till it fall down . ' This is their Master Secret , generally called the Great Word . Daleth and Resch aro like two half gallowses , or a gallows cut in two at the cross stick at the top , by which , when pronounced , they intimato to each other that they would rather bo half-hanged than

Masonic Curiosities.

name either word or signal before any other but a Brother so as to bo understood . When ono says Gimel , the other says Nun , then the first again , joining both letters together , repeats three times Gimel Nun , Gimel Nun , Gimel Nun ; by which they mean that they aro united as one in interests , secrecv , and affection . "

Among tho periodicals Avhich both abused aud amused tho Craft in the early part ot last century Avere "THE POST Boy " and " THK FLYING POST . " " In the former , " says Dr . Oliver , in his samo work ( see noto pp . 28 , 29 ) , it is asserted that " tho Freemasons put out

a sham discovery to iuvalidato their revelations ; but the only genuino discovery is iu c TnE POST BOY' and the 'THE FLYING POST . '" The Sword bearer ' s song , he tells us , " being read with tho abovo explanation in view will be seen in a new and interesting li ght . " I subjoin tho last verse , which Dr . Oliver quotes in his note .

Then let us laugh , since we ' ve imposed On those who make a pother , And cry , " The Secret is disclosed By some false-hearted brothor , " The mighty secret's gain'd , they boast , From " POST BOY" and from "FLYING . POST . "

I trust others Avill follow my example , aud contribute of their reading anythiug that strikes them as specially interesting to the Craft . Q % 0 >

Masonic Minstrelsy.

MASONIC MINSTRELSY .

To the Editor of TnE FREMASON s CHRONICLE . SIR , —Your strictures on Masonic Minstrelsy iu the last issue of THE CHRONICLE are very just , and I , in common with tho writer , think it is time that the reproach of fathering the doggrel to which he refers should be at once removed from the Order . Strangers who may come across a stray copy of these "lyrics" must imagine

that Ave Masons are a set of silly dogs , too much muddled with the wine of our banquets to care for poetic excellence , and perhaps too ignorant to appreciate literary excellence of any sort . We have in our ranks a large array of men of letters , and it is strange that something is not dono to improve Masonic " poetry . " Good songs , expressing tho appropriate sentiments of

the Order , set to good music , would be sure to sell . But it Avould almost seem that neither speculative nor practical Masonry has power to inspire the pens of our Avriters of verse . Possibly the dearth of good songs arises in some degree from tho persistency with which we have clung to these shreds and tatters of Grub-street . A man who might feel inolined to pen a A erse or two for the brotherhood no doubt

remembers the gusto withAvhich these things are sung , and turns from the work Avith positive disgust . Yet , Sir , there is ample scope for tho lyric poet in tho grand history and present objects of the Order . The pathetic , tho hnmorons , and the tragic abouud in the archives of Masonry . The grave , the gay , the lively , aud the severe , might all iu turn form the subject for a popular lyric . The social aspect of Masonry supplies the truo basis of song , aud hero tho poot might

revel to his heart ' s content . " Brotherly Love , " " Relief , aud "Truth , " might each form the subject of a noble poem , Avorthy of being set to undying harmony . Of tho humorous , Burns gave us a taste in his celebrated "Address to the Doil , " but tho lines aro only incidental , and I cannot but regret that he , a Mason , did not writo a few verses for tho benefit of the Craft . Tho lines iu questiou are , as yon doubtless know , as follows : —

" When Mason's mystic word an' grip , In storm 3 an' tempests raise you up , Some cock or cat your rage maun stop , Or , strange to tell ! The youngest brother ye wad whip Aft' straught to hell . "

The allusion here to the old belief , that when the devil Avas called up by incautation , some sacrifice must necessarily be prepared to avert his wrath from the wizard , is exceedingly good . Unhappily this fragment and " The Farewell to the brethren of St . James ' s Lodge , Tarbolton , " to Avhich yon refer in your article ,

comprise all the contributions of this gifted Child of Genius to tho literature of tho Craft . Trusting that an abler pou thau miue will further ventilate this subject , I remain , Sir , Yours fraternally , MEMI ' HIS .

The Archeology Of The Craft.

THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE CRAFT .

To the Editor of lid ; FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —Your article on the . " Archiuology of tho Craft" startled me very much . I am au old 'Mason , and have boon accustomed to regard tho Temple at Jerusalem as the greatest monument of the age in which it Avas built . 1 confess 1 never thought of looking iuto the Bible for its dimensions , but siuce reading vour article I havo done

so , and am constrained to confess that your view is the correct one . Here , then , Sir , goes another of my early dreams ' . Indeed , I have been getting rid of so-called prejudices for the last tweaty years , and if I go on at my present rate of progress I shall find myself like Socrates , conscious ouly of my own ignorance . History has been ve-Avritten since I was a boy . Geology , Avchuiology aud Philology

have become sciences of the first rank , and s ; me of my old fogy friends are really frightened at the steady march of those " ologies " over the old debatable ground , and tho contiuual controversy which rings in our cava . Of ono thing I am assured , and that is , that Masonry is based upon the eternal truths of Nature , and must last for ever . f am , Sir , yours fraternally , Chelsea , 5 th February , tf , rj ,