Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . Office : 6 Freemasous' Hall , Great Queen Street , London , W . C . 18 th July 1877 .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —At tho final meeting of the Board of Stewards for the Festival as above , held this afternoon , I had the gratification to announce that the result of the kind efforts of 225 Stewards was the addition to our funds of £ 13 , 535 12 s 6 d . Two lists not received .

With grateful appreciation , I am , yours faithfully and fraternally , FREDERICK BINCKES

HAMPSHIRE AND THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

To the Kditw O / T HE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —Your analysis of the recent subscription list is calculated to convey a wrong impression , which I have no doubt you will obligingly correct . Among tho " eight" Lodges contributing from Hampshire you include " one Southampton ( 391 ) . " The Deputy Provincial Grand Master being a member of the " Southampton "

Lodge , may have recorded himself as representing that Lodge , because , among other reasons , it at once identified the town with the cause . But the mother Lodge in that town of the Worshipful brother , of which he is a P . M . and a subscribing member ( the "Royal Gloucester" ) , contributed 25 guineas to his list , its members

numbering about 80 ; the " Peace and Harmony , comprising nearly 200 members , contributed also 25 guineas ; and the Southampton , with about 50 members , 10 guineas . Thanking you by anticipation for this correction , I am , fraternally yours , A SOUTHAMPTON MASON .

REGALIA . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I regret that a press of engagements bas prevented my replying earlier to the letter of " Q . " in yonr issue of 7 th July . First , let me thank him for his able reply—perhaps tho best that conld be made under the circumstances . I still think that

the whole point turns on the interpretation of the word consistent ; otherwise why was that word inserted at all iu the laws of ttegalia ? According to the argument of " Q ., " the word " appertain" would have been sufficient and explicit . Neither do I think that " Q . " can fairly be entitled to transposo the words of the law as he does thus . The Constitutions sav : —

" No jewel , & c , shall be worn , & c , which shall not appertain to , or be consistent with , those degrees which are recognised , & o . " " Q . " says that this must be interpreted : — "No jewel pertaining to , or consistent with , any unrecognised degree may legally be worn , & c . " I submit that the two readings are mightily difFerent . In tho last part of his letter " Q . " is amusing , but scarcely logical ,

as he declares , since accordiug to his own showing the word " clothing" is used in a technical sense , as referring to sashes aud aprons , just as "jewel" must be understood to mean a medal or badge . However , it is in the second of the laws regarding Regalia that the real > oint at issue is to be found , and in the meaning to be attributed to the word " consistent . " Yours fraternally , R . S . Y . CS .

POWERS'AND PRIVILEGES OL A MASTER

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — " Primus ( and Solus ) , " if he will pardon me the liberty iu saying so , is a genial fellow , who enters heard } into the spirit of a little friendly bauter , and 1 trust he will allow me , in the spirit , if not literally , to shake him by the baud . I trust . further , that he will permit me , with all respect for his usuall )

keen judgment , to point out that " VV . M . Regispcns and I are m . more one and the same person than aro " Primus ( and Solus ) " ami '' Comns . " He may be an acquaintance of mine , and so maj " Primus , " for aught I know to the contrary , as I know very man ; . Craftsmen , but until his true name is revealed , I am as much in tbt

dark as to the personality of " VV . M . Regispous " as " Primus " u about that of the Man in the Moon—if there be such an individual . AH to the point at issue between " VV . M . Kegispons" and myself on the one hand , and " Primus ( and Solus ) " on the other , I faucy it is more apparent than real . I did not understand " VV . M . Uegispons" atsuggesting that a Master should invite a Warden or other qualified

Correspondence.

brother to fulfil his duties for him . I considered he was pleased with the ruling of the Grand Registrar , because it gave a W . M . the opportunity of allowing other than P . M . ' s , who already know the work , to discharge thoso functions of the chair whioh they may reasonably look forward to discharging at some future time . I pictured to myself the case of a W . M . ivho was well enough to

attend the Lodge and occupy the chair , yet not well enough to do all the business of the evening " . Such being the case , I thonght it would be a good thing that the W . M ., if so minded , should give ono of his Wardens the chance of working one of the ceremonies . I feel that I am taking somewhat of a liberty when I interpret " W . M . Regispons ' s " letter in my own fashion , but this was the kind of idea

it seemed tome he had in his mind when I read it . If I understand him rightly , " Primus ( aud Solus' ) " objection is to a W . M . regularly having his work done by deputy , and so is well founded ; bnt the whole thing , from beginning to end , is exceptional . If , says the Grand Registrar , a W . M . momentarily feels himself unequal to the task of fulfilling his duties , then e may invite any qualified brother

to speak the words for him . If this ruling is correct , says ' W . M . Keifispons , " so much the better , for a Warden or other brother who hopes some day or ether to fill the chair may thus obtain a practical kuowleJue of its duties . And this is the view of your humble servant and brother . I fully recognise the wisdom of the suggestion that a W . M . should do his own work , bnt in the case I have already suggested , or

in that of his having to perform the same ceremony more than two or three times the same evening , I do not think he would be " shirking his duty " if he allowed some one else the opportunity of gaining a little pracical insight into tho work . I am afraid I have trespassed on yonr valuable space , and , therefore , without further com . ment , subscribe myself , Faithfully and fraternally yours , COM us ,

CHEVALIER RAMSAY AND THE ROYAL ARCH

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I find in the Gentleman ' s Magazine , page 219 , 1739 , the following interesting news from Rome : — " There was lately burnt here , with great solemnity , by order of the Inquisition , a piece in French , written by Chevalier Ramsay ( author of the Travels of Cyrus ) , an apologetical and historical

relation of the secrets of Freemasons , printed at Dublin , by Patrick Odonoko . This was published at Paris , in answer to a pretended catechism printed there by order of the Lieutenant de Police . " I called attention to above paragraph in the November number of the Canadian News , 1876 . I have also written to Bro . Hughan , to endeavour to hunt up the Dublin pamphlet , and to Bro . Findel , at

Leipsic , to try and find the French edition , but so far thev have met with no success . A few days since , I found in the Freemasons ' Quarterly Review , 1851 , in a note to the Revelations of a Square , by Dr . Oliver , as follows : — " An apolosry for the Free and Accepted Masons , occasioned by their persecution in the Canton of Berno , with the present state of

Masonry in Germany , Italy , France , Flanders , and Holland . By J . G . D . M . F . M . Patrick Odnroko , Dublin , 1739 . " The niinio of the Dublin printer is evidently misspelt in one of the above paragraphs , but in other respects there is no antagonism between theuij . the correspondent from Rome described the French edition of the pamphlet , and Dr . Oliver transcribed the title page of

tho Dublin edition , and did not evidently know that Ramsay was its author , and that a French edition was burned in Rome in 1739 , & c . Now , Dr . Oliver must either have owned a copy of that pamphlet , or he transcribed its title page from a copy in the Museum , or from one in possession of the late Bro . Spencer ; anyhow , there must still be a copy in existence , and I should much like to know some more about

its contents ; for , in the first placo , it may throw new light on the Masonic history of that period ; and , second , it may enlighten us about the movements of Ramsay in those days , which may in its turn throw some light on the origin of the Royal Arch Degree . Dr . Oliver informs us , first , that Ramsay lived in England from 17-10 to 1741 . Second , that the first mention or allusion to the

Royal Arch occurred in 1710 . Aud third , that Ramsay first offered to sell his R . A . Degree to the Grand Lodge of England ; bnt , as the Grand Lodge would have nothing to do with it , ho sold or gave it to the Ancients . Now , these statements may be true : but as our Doctor gave no authority whence he derived that information , they may be untrue . One thing is certain , viz ., that the R . A . Degree

was worked in Dublin in 1741 ; for this information we are indebted to Bro . Hughan ' s discovery of the pamphlet by Fifield Dassigni , Dublin , 1741 . Now , if the Dublin pamphlet of 1739 , by Odoroko , or Odonoko , was really written by Rsvmsav , it would support the theory that Ramsay visted Ireland in 1739 , and he may also have visited Eng . land in 1740 , as stated by Bro . Oiver , and I may fnrther suggest

' . hat if Ramsay did visit any part of England or Ireland about that ime , it was not for the purpose of disposing of his Masouic bantling , iiut for political purposes ; his nv-ii'i object must have been to confer with the partiz : ins of the Pretender , and in that case , he may havo isited Ireland before Enjxland , and while he was in Dahlia ho irobably published the pamphlet , ending with six mysterious letters , md he may have left there his new Royal Arch Degreo at the same

oime . Honce , a knowledge of the contents of the 1739 pamphlet nay help to solve that puzzle . ^ But , anyhow , a publication of that early Masonic period must be > f some interest to Masonic inquirers , and if a copy of it is still ireseived , it should bo either reprinted in pamphlet form or in a Vlasonic periodical . I h > pe and trnst therefore that the above hints vill not be in vain . Perhaps Bro . W . Spencer knows something tboat it . Fraternally and respectfully your ? , Boston , U . S ., 6 th July 1877 , JACOB NOBIOK ,