Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

upon the reputed connection with Robert the Bruce as pure imagination . X . Y . Z .

WILLIAM SCHAW AND THE MASONS . At page 325 we read : " There can be no doubt that the former words—Sacris ceremoniis prcepositus—relate to his holding the distinguished office of General Warden of the

Ceremonies of the Masonic Craft , an office analogous to that of Substitute Grand Master as now existing . " Now , that is a mistake , for where were these " ceremonies of the Masonic Craft" ?

The false notion implied in the above is based upon the idea that our degrees and ceremonies were in existence and practised by the Masons in Schaw ' s time ; but such was not the case , as they did not exist then . W . P . B .

The following extract will no doubt he interesting and instructive to your readers who are Royal Arch Masons , more

particularly those who take an interest in the lectures and explanations of that supreme degree , in which , as in the Craft , the number seven holds a prominent place . A . A . P .

THE NUMBER SEVEN . The number is composed of the first two perfect numbers , equal and unequal , three and four ; for the number two , consisting of repeated unity , which is no number , is not perfect ; it comprehends the primary numerical triangle or time , and square or

quartile conjunction , considered by the favourers of planetary influence as of the most benign aspect . In six days creation was completed , and the seventh was consecrated to rest . On the seventh day of the seventh month a holy observance was ordained to the children of Israel , who feasted seven days

and remained seven days in their tents . The seventh year was directed to be a Sabbath of rest for all things ; and at the end of seven times seven years commenced the grand jubilee . Every seventh year the land lay fallow ; every seventh year there was a general release from all debts , and

all bondmen were set free . From this law may have originated thc custom of our binding young men to seven years' apprenticeship , and punishing incorrigible offenders by transportation for seven , twice seven , and three times seven , years . Every seven years the law was to be read to the people .

Jacob served seven years for the possession of Rachael , and also other seven . Noah had seven days' warning of thc flood , and was commanded to take the fowls of the air in by seven and the clean beasts by seven . The ark touched the ground on thc seventh month , and in seven davs the dove was

sent out , and again in seven days after . The seven years of plenty and seven years of famine were foretold in Pharaoh's dream by seven fat and seven lean beast , and the seven full and seven blasted ears of corn . Nebuchadnezzar was seven years a beast , and thc fiery furnace was seven times hotter

to receive Shadrach , & c . A man defiled was , by the Mosaic law , unclean seven days ; the young of both animals was to remain with thc dam seven days , and at the end of thc seventh was to be taken away . By the old law , man was commanded to forgive his offending brother seven times ; but thc

meekness of thc revealed law extended his humility to seventy- times seven . In the destruction of Jericho , seven priest bore seven trumpets seven days ; on the seventh they surrounded the wall seven times ; after the seventh , the walls fell . Balaam prepared seven years for a sacrifice ; and

seven of Saul ' s sons were hanged to stay a famine . Laban pursued Jacob seven days' journey ; J ob ' s friends sat seven days and seven nights , and offered seven bullocks and seven rams as an atonement for their wickedness . In the seventh year of his reign , King Ahasucrus feasted seven davs , and on the

seventh , deputed his seven chamberlains , to find a queen , who was allowed seven maidens to attend her . Miriam was cleansed of her leprosy by being shut up seven days . Solomon was seven years in building the Temple , at the dedication of which he feasted seven days . In the Temple were seven

lamps : seven days were appointed for an atonement upon the altar , and the priest ' s son was ordained to wear his father ' s garments seven days . Thc children of Israel eat unleavened bread seven days . Abraham gave seven cwc-Iambs to Abirnelcch as a memorial for a well . Joseph niotimc-d seven days for Jacob . Naainan was cleansed of his

leprosy by bathing seven times in Jordan . The Rabbins say that God employed the power of this number to perfect the greatness of Samuel , his name answering the value ofthe letters in the Ik-brew word , which signifies seven ; whence Hannah , his mother , in her thanksgiving , says , the barren hath brought forth seven . In Scripture are enumerated seven resurrections : the widow ' s son , by Elias

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

the Shunamite ' s son , by Elisha ; the soldier who touched the bonds of the prophet ; the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue ; the widow ' s son of Nain ; Lazarus , and our Lord . Tbe Apostles chose seven deacons . Enoch , who was translated , was the seventh from Adam : and Jesus Christ was

the the seventy-seventh in a direct line . Our Lord spoke seven times on the cross—on which he was seven hours ; He appeared seven times , and after seven times seven days sent the Holy Ghost . In the Lord's Prayer are seven petitions , contained in seven times seven words , omitting those of mere

grammatical connection . Withm this number are concealed all the mysteries of apocalypse revealed to the seven churches of Asia . There appeared seven golden candlesticks and seven stars in the hand of Him that was in the midst ; se ' ven lambs before the seven spirits of God ; the book with

seven seals ; the lamb with seven horns and seven eyes ; seven angels with seven trumpets ; seven kings ; seven thunders ; seven thousand men slain . The dragon with seven heads and seven crowns ; and the beast with seven heads . Seven angels bearing seven plagues and seven vials of wrath .

The vision of Daniel was seventy weeks , and the elders of Israel were seventy . There were also seven heavens , seven planets (?) , seven stars , seven wise men , seven regular ! -ymade Masons , the W . M ., the two Wardens , two F . C . ' s , and two E . A . ' s ; seven champions of Christendom , seven notes in . music ,

seven primary colours , seven deadly sins , and seven sacraments in tlie Catholic Church . The seventh son was considered as endowed with pre-eminent wisdom , and the seventh son of a seventh son is still thought to possess the power of healing diseases spontaneously . Perfection likened to gold seven

times purified in the tire ; and we yet say you frightened me out of my seven senses . The opposite sides of a dice make seven , whence the players at hazard make seven the main . Hippocrates says the septenary number , by its occult virtues , tends to the accomplishment of all things—to be the

dispenser of life and fountain of all its changes ; and , like Shakespeare , he divided the life of man into seven ages ; for as the moon changes her phases every seven days , this number influences all sublunary beings . Thc teeth spring out in the seventh month , and are shed and renewed in the seventh

year , when infancy is changed into childhood . At twice seven years puberty begins ; nt three limes seven the faculties are developed and manhood commences , and we become legally competent to all civil acts . At four times seven man is in full possession of all his strength . At five times seven he is fit for the business of the world . At six times

seven he becomes grave or wise—or never . At seven limes seven he is in his apogee , and from that time decays . At eight times seven he is in his first climacierick . At nine times seven , or sixtythree , he is in his last or grand climacterick , or year of danger ; and ten times seven , or threescore and ten , has , by the royal prophet , been pronounced the natural period of human life .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

—*—The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed hy Correspondents .

"OUR ANCIENT BRETHREN" ONCE

MORE ( To tlie Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR ANII BROTHER , —Kindly favour me with permission to ask Bro . J . Norton to oblige by stating what grounds he finds for believing that the lines ( quoted in his letter to you dated ist May ) , commencing

ror seven of England s royal kings , were composed by A . Mumiy . Thc verses in question are a portion of one of the ballads contained in " A Crownc-Garland of Goulden Roses , " und are usually attributed to Richard Johnson ; Mr . \ V . Chappell , who edited thc "Crown-Garland" for the Percy Society ,

supports this view . ( Sec Percy Society Early English Poetry , Ballads , & . C ., vol . ii ., Introduction , page 5 . ) Evidence for or against Johnson ' s to be regarded as author of any portion of thc " Crown-Garland " will much interest those of your readers who care for this class of questions . Yours fraternally , JAMES II . H . HOWARD . Northlcach , Gloucestershire , Mav 31 , 1871 .

QUALIFICATION FOR THE MARK CHAIR , To the Editor of Ihe Freemason . DEAR SIR AND BKOTIII- , —I am very much irratilied to find that my esteemed Brother \ V . J . Hnghan is disposed to give way , and " will join the

present members in their attempts to procure its [ the present law's ] repeal . . . if it can be shown that the present law injuriously affects any lodge " I venture , with great diffidence , to submit that the concluding paragraph of my letter which you have

Original Correspondence.

been so good as to publish in to-day ' s FREEMASON , does show that the simple fact of the G . M . M . having the power to either grant or refuse a dispensation at his option , an injurious effect may at any time be brought to bear upon the votes of any Mark Lodge who select a Brother for the Mark W . M . chair not

being a W . M . of a Craft lodge . In tlie second paragraph of my letter the words " absolute necessity" occur ; I intended to have written " absolute certainty ?

I hope now we shall have our worthy Brother W . J . Hughan enrolling his honoured name amongst the converts to the opinions held by many Mark Masters , as indicated in the letters of Yours fraternally ,

A CRAFT AND MARK P . M . London , 27 th May , 1871 . "FREEMASONRY AND ISRAELITISM . "

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The above subject , which has been touched upon by our esteemed Bro . Carpenter at page 323 , is one which has also crossed my own mind occasionally , especially lately . I do not consider that , whatever the solution may be ,

there is anything mysterious in it . Possibly , Drs . Desaguliers and Anderson held views in regard to Christ ' s teaching which were much in advance of theirage , beingpossibly similar to those now held by " Rationalists " or Unitarians . Hence , if they were really Antitrinitarians , and looked upon Christ

merely as a great man who gave out noble and humanizing ideas , there was nothing more natural than that while acknowledging God as T . G . A . O . T . U ., they should fall back upon the Bible , or Old Testament , as a foundation of their system . Seeing also that by so d-ing they got their monotheistic or

Masonic ideas engrafted upon a foundation which was respected both by Jew and Christian alike . Since God has bestowed upon man the gift of reason , He surely expects that man will do so . In fact , it is man ' s duty so to do . However , had Desaguliers and Anderson , in 1717 , spoken out in

the same manner as the Rationalists of 1871 , they might have fared rather differently ; instead , they promulgated their universality ideas , with God as T . G . A . O . T . U ., which was only Christ ' s grand idea of thc Fatherhood of God in another form . It is when we come to look upon God as T . G . A . O . T . U .,

or as " Our Father , " that we are able to cast aside the petty , and I trust temporary , animosities which differences in creed , language , or nationalities set up between man and man . The foregoing is part of my own ideas on the

matter , only as yet I have not had time to think it out properly , but perhaps Brother Carpenter may favour us with something further regarding it . I am , vours fraternally , W . P . B .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

Iris Chaffer , No . 255 . —A meeting of this distinguished chapter was held at tlie Greyhound Hotel , Richmond , on Tuesday , the 30 th ultimo , when the chair of M . E . Z . was occupied hy Comp . R . Wentworth Little , P . Z . 177 and 975 , by special request , in consequence of the absence of E . Comp . Lord Tenterden , P . Z ., from England , and the inability ofthe M . E . Z ., Comp . Victor Buckley , to attend

in time for the work . Comp . Lieut .-Colonel A . Macdonald filled the chair of II ., Lieut .-Colonel F . Burdett that of J ., and Comp . R . II . Thrupp performed the duties of P . S . most efficiently . The chapter having been duly opened , the minutes were read and confirmed , and Bro . Kirke , of the Lodgo of Harmony , No . 255 , being in attendance , was duly prepared , introduced , and exalted

to the degree of a Royal Arch Mason . Thc chapter was then closed , and the companions sat down to a banquet comprising all the delicacies of thc season . Comp . E . R . Hills , V . ' L , presiding , until the arrival of Comp . Iittckley , M . E . Z ., later in thc evening . A most agreeable evening was spent , and the customary toast , " May harmony ever be the characteristic of our chapter , " was duly honoured .

The M . E . Z ., Comp . Buckley , in proposing " The healths of ihe Past Principals , " coupled with it the name of Comp . Little , who had performed so well thc ceremony of exalting the candidate . The toast was received with loud applause , and Comp . Little briefly returned thanks , and expressed his readiness to assist at all times in thc work of Freemasonry when called upon by the brethren or

companions . Comp ; H . I . Cole , P . Z ., proposed " The Iieallh of the M . E . Z ., " and took occasion to extol the perfect working of Comp . Little , as witnessed that evening . The to . ist was received enthusiastically , anti Comp . Buckley responded in a very genial and felicitous manner . The Presiding Officer then proposed the S . E ., Comp . W . Owen , the P . S ., Comp . R . A . Thrupp , and other ofiicers ,

aud complimented them highly upon the manner iu which they performed their duties . Comps . Owen nnd Thrupp expressed tlieir sense of the good opinion enunciated by the M . K . Z ., and the latter made an earnest appeal to the compani .-ns so study the ritual , the ceremonies , and ihe

teachings of !• reemasonry , which would tend to instruct and ennoble their minds . The Janitor ' s toast was then [• ivon , after which coffae was served , and the companions separated . Ainmn ; other companions present were : Comps . Clark ( P . Z ) , Maj . ir-Gcncral A . Fleinyng Capt . Wyndowe , F . Morgan , j . Bun-owes , and Rev . W , Parramore .