Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

} Ye do not hold oxirselves responsible for the opinions of our C / orrespnndents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must bear the name ant address of the Write ); not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

ELIAS ASHMOLE , WINDSOR HERALD , AND FREEMASONRY .

To the Editor of the FREEMASONS CHRONICIE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In various Masonio and non-Masonic publications the initiation of Elias Ashmole into Freemasonry at Warrington , in the year 164 B , has been alluded to as tho first instauce of the regular initiation of a " gentleman , " of which there now remains mitlientio contemporary documentary evidence . Bnt although his

Diary still exists , and was printed many years , probably a century ago , the writers who have chronicled the ceromony named above have never , so far as I know , quoted several other interesting particulars which Ashmole thought worth recording , and which give further information regarding English Freemasonry towards the close of the seventeenth century , including the name of the " Master of the

Masons Company , which seems to have been equivalent to the " Grand Master of England , " in 1682 . I therefore introduce the following extracts recently made verbatim from the entries in Ashtnole ' s original manuscript diary which is preserved in the Bod leian Library at Oxford , they being the whole of the references to Freemasonry contained in the volume : —

" 1646 . Oct : 16 . —4 30 ' p . m . —I was made a Free Mason at War" rington in Lancashire with Coll : Henry Mainwaring of Karincham "in Cheshire . The names of those that were then of the Lodge " [ wore ] Mr . Rich : Fenket , Warden . Mr . James Collier , Mr . Rich : "Sankey . Henry Littler . John Ellam . . Rich : Ellam , & Hugh Brower . "March 1682 .

" 10 : Abont 5 " p . m . I rec a Sumons to app ? at a Lodge to be held " the next day , at Masons Hall London . " 11 : Accordingly I went and . about noone were admitted into tho " Fellowship of Free Masons , " S : William Wilson Knight , Capt : Rich : Borthwick , Mr . Will : "Woodman , Mr . Wm : Grey , Mr . Samuell Taylour & Mr . William

" Wise . " I was the Senior Fellow among them ( it being 35 years since I " was admitted ) . There were p sent beside my selfe the Fellowes " after named . " Mr . Tho : Wise , M * . of the Masons Company this p eent yeare ,

Mr . Thomas Shorthose , Mr . Nich : Young , Mr . John Shorthose , " Mr . William Hamon , Mr . John Thompson , & Mr . Will : Stanton . " Wee all dyned at the halfe Moone Taverne in Cheapeside , at a "Noble Dinner prepaired at the charge of the New = accepted " Masons . "

Ashmole recorded tho exact hour of most of the events in his life for astrological purposes usually quite as exactly as the " 4 hours 30 miuutes p . m . " given above . Colonel Henry Mainwaring , of Kermincham , was a kinsman of Elias Ashmole ' s first wife , and this will account for their having gone through the ceremony of initiation on the same occasion , Ashmole beins on a visit to Cheshire .

Before closing this letter , I wish to quote a remark of one of the officials at the Bodleian Library , in order , if possible , to save trouble to the librarians there , as well as to inquy-ers after an imaginary Masonic manuscript , which I have heard spoken of more than once .

He says in a letter to me : — " There is a MS . said to be here of very early date , but its existence in the Bodleian is a myth . It is , however , a matter of some trouble , for it is always being inquired for . I have myself been written to about it twice within twelve months . " I am , Sir , yours fraternally , SCRIBE E . AND J . W . 148 .

Grand Lodge Scotland And The Gael Lodge, Scotland.

GRAND LODGE SCOTLAND AND THE GAEL LODGE , SCOTLAND .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am very glad to find from your report of tho last Quarterly Communication of the G . Lodge of Scotland that it has endorsed the vote of censuro recorded by the G . L . Committee on tho Gael Lodge , Glasgow , for having issued a begging circular , not only among our Scottish brethren whose interest in tho

subjectmatter of the letter may be considered as direct , but also among brethren belonging to other jurisdictions , whose interest is certainly of a very indirect character . I remember to have seen a copy of one of these circulars , and it struck me the plaintive appeal it contained was out of place and most unworthy of any Masonic Lodge . It is uo doubt most laudable on the part of tho brethren , who are familiar

with the Gaelic language , and are desirous of carrying oat our rites and ceremonies in that tongue , that they should advocate the maintenance of a Lodge csppcially for Gaels . But then it is the duty of Hie members to support thoir Lodge , and if it fall into difficulties , to extricate it therefrom . What limit wonld there be to tho demauds

made upon our brethren if every Lodgo . established for a special object , and finding that object beyond its reach without extraneous bol p , should appeal to them for support ? Tf Masonry rendered in Gaelic is not snfTiemmly popular with Hie Gaols to secure tho noedfal support , is it likely it will obtain the requisite means of support among brethren to whom Gaelic is as unintelligible as Japanese or

Grand Lodge Scotland And The Gael Lodge, Scotland.

Sanscrit ? If I wero a Scotchman I should probably look npon Gaelic as the finest language that ever has been spoker by man , just as I might picture to myself tho bagpipes as being the most melodions of musical instruments . Being an Englishman , however , I

am unable to appreciate oithor Gaelic or tho bagpipes . This may be owing to a great want of tasto on my part , but I cannot help it . _ I say nothing as to the grave impropriety of any Lodgo soliciting aid to extricate it from difficulties to which all Lodges alike aro equally liable . Grand Lodge of Scotland has determined that . Fraternally yours , AN ENGLISH MASON .

The New Finsbury Park And Sir Hugh Myddelton Ball.

THE NEW FINSBURY PARK AND SIR HUGH MYDDELTON BALL .

A COMMITTEE meeting was held at the Old Cock Tavern ( Bro , Baker ' s ) on Wednesday last . Present : —Bros . Weston , Hollis , Swynyard , Jackson , R . G . Thomas , Greenfield , Berry , Speller Hon . Secretary , and others . Tho accounts wore duly audited , aud , thanks to the exertions of tho brethren of tho Now Finsbury Park Lodge , the Ball proved financially a succoss . A vote of thanks was

unanimously passed to Bro . Baker for his kindness , at so short a notice providing for the use of the meeting ono of tho private rooms of the Hotel . In reply , Bro . Baker said at all times it would be his

endeavour to promote the comforts of similar meetings to tho utmost of his power . A Committee was then formed for a joint Ball , to be called ( subject to the opinion of tho next meeting ) the Holloway and Finsbury Park Ball , and 150 tickets were at once vouched for .

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., has been pleased to confer tho Grand Mastership of the Province of Staffordshire , rendered vacant by the death of the late Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot , on Bro . Major G . Singleton Tudor , heretofore D . P . G . M . Bro . Tudor has

filled the office of Grand Superintendent of Royal Arch Masonry in this Province since the summer of 1871 , and as he is one of the most popular members of the Craft , not

only within the county of Stafford , bnt likewise outside its limits , his appointment cannot be otherwise than most gratifying , and we feel sure will prove to be in every way beneficial to the Freemasons of Staffordshire .

We beg to offer to Bro . T . Entwisle , of Bolton , our sincere tribute of respectful sympathy with him and his family in their present grievous affliction . Ou Friday last , Bro . Entwisle ' s second son , Mr . Ethelbert Entwisle , aged only twenty and nine years , was skating in Bradford Park , at

Great Lever , when the ice gave way , and ho was seen by the spectators on the bank to be struggling in the water at a distance from them of only about twenty yards . Steps were immediately taken to rescue him from his perilous position , but ineffectually , and it was some time before the

body was recovered . Attempts were made , according to the approved method of Dr . Sylvester , to restore animation , but the body had been too long immersed , and the endeavours proved fruitless . Mr . Entwisle was a young

gentleman of great promise . He had won many and high distinctions in the course of his scholastic career , and there was every prospect of his achieving still more substantial successes in connection with the firm of which his father

was the head , and himself a member . The sudden death , in all the vigour of early manhood , of so able and popular a townsman has around in Bolton a wide-spread feeling of sorrow , which , we trust , will prove , to a certain extent , some consolation to the bereaved family in the midst of their grief .

The Fifteen Sections

THE FIFTEEN SECTIONS

WtkL BE "WORKED At the Boacoutreo Lodgo of Instruction , No . 1228 , at Bro . Barford ' s , Red Lion , Lcyston 3 tone , ou Tuesday evening next , at sevou o ' clock precisely . Bro . W . H . Myers P . M . Nos . 820 and 1445 will preside , supported by Bros . William Hogg P . M . 1349 S . W ., R . Duroll S . W .

1349 J . W ., G . W . Verry P . M . 554 I . P . M ., George Edward Walters P . M . 1598 Honorary Secretary . First Lecture : —Bros . Sampson , Skolt , Loane , Livermore , Musto , Calvcr , and Durell . Second Lecture : —Bros . Roberts , Walters , F . C . D . Fenn , W . Hogg , and Macgregor . Third Lecturo : —Bros . Stewart , McDonald , and Verry .

TioLT . owA-sr ' s OtiroiMT AND PILLS . —Pew persona fire so favoured by circumstances , or so fortified by nature , as to enable them to pass unscathed tho sore trials of an inclement season . With catarrhs , coughs , anil influenza * everywhere abounding , it should be universally known that Holloway ' s Ointment diligently rubbed upon the chest , chocks the worst assaults of these maladies ,

and securely wards off more grave and dangerous diseases of the throat and lur . gs . The truth of this assertion must remain nuqucstinncrt in the face of thousands of unimpeachable living witnesses , who have personally derived tho utmost , possible benefits from this treatment when their present sufferings wore appalling , and their future prospects most disheartening . Both remedies act admirably together .