Masonic Notes.

From the returns presented at the annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba , held at Winnipeg on the 13 th and 14 th February last , it appears that the number of subscribing members in the jurisdiction on the 27 th December , 1888 , was 1704 , the

number of chartered lodges being 3 8 , with two lodges under dispensation . The following are the principal Grand Officers for the year now current , namely : Bros , the Rev . Canon J . D . O'Mearn , M . W . G . M . ; W . G . Bell , D . G . M . ; T . Lewis Morton , S . G . W . ; Thomas

McPherson , J . G . W . ; John McKechnie , G . Treas . ; and W . G . Scott , G . Sec . * * « Bro . Tunnicliff sends us a letter relative to the recent final meeting of the Board of Stewards for the late

Boys School Festival . It is not on account of its length or of its not being to the point , that we summarise it instead of printing it in full . One or two personal references are better omitted we think , so we will merely say that Bro . Tunnicliff considers Bro .

Seager has done ri g htly in condemning the action of the Board in voting the surplus of the fees after all expenses are paid to the Hon . Sec , & c , and suggests that the Steward's fee of £ 1 2 s . might be reduced . This , we must point out , is a matter for the Stewards

themselves to decide , and if they express their opinion in what appears tous to be the only practicable way , viz ., by giving their votes at the meeting ; those who cannot or do not attend have no ri ght to complain of what is done in their absence .

As regards tbe question of a balance sheet , we have already said that we see not the slightest objection to one being prepared . Indeed , it is a matter which rests entirely with the Stewards themselves whether one shall be made out by their Secretary or not .

The Scots Lodge , No . 2319 , is to be congratulated on having started on its career under the auspices of so energetic a Master as the Earl of Euston , of whom we publish a portrait this week . It is but two years since that his lordshi p became a conspicuous member of the

Craft , but in that brief period he has been installed Prov . G . Master , has presided at one of our Anniversary Festivals , and has been appointed to one of the most important positions—that of President of the General

Board—111 Mark Masonry . In addition , he has won golden opinions from all sorts and conditions of the brethren , and we are confident the Scots Lodge will Hourish under his genial and capable direction .

The Staffordshire Adcrtiscr of last week contains an ably written history of the Sutherland of Unity Lodge , No . 460 , which celebrated its Jubilee at Newcastleunder-Lyme on Friday , the 26 th ult . Fifty years ago

the Sutherland of Unity was one of six lodges in that province—now there are no fewer than 28 , all of them more or less prosperous . Next week we may give some particulars of the meeting .

'' The Elms , " Avenue-road , Regent ' s Park , was the scene of a very pleasant gathering on Saturday last . In response to an intimation from Bro . and Mrs . Augustus Harris that they were " At Home " on that particular afternoon , a large number of visitors assembled in the

charming house and grounds , where every preparation had been made b y the hospitable owner to receive and entertain them . The Band of the Scots Guards discoursed sweet music on the lawn , and within was a warm and generous , welcome which Bro . Harris and

his amiable wife so well know how to offer . Amongst those present we noticed a large number of well known Craftsmen , including the Grand Secretary , Bro . Fenn , and others . Bro . Harris often produces startling

effects in ' another place , " but we presume the thunderstorm which wound up the proceedings was an unrehearsed effect , although there were many to declare that it had all been arranged .

I he Hereford Masonic Charity Association has just held its annual meeting at Hereford , and the balance sheet shows that the organisation had been the means of raising a considerable sum for the three Institutions . The work ofthe Association is all the

more satisfactory , as it appears from the report that until its establishment in 18 7 8 , " The Province of Herefordshire was somewhat noted in the Masonic world for the . smallness of the sum it had contributed to the Central Institutions , although several Herefordshire children

had been boarded and educated in the Masonic Schools , and some of the ancient local brethren and their widows had for many years received annuities from the

Institutution . We commend this candid avowal to thc attention of the brethren in any other province who may consider they ought to raise a little " conscience money . "

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

OUR BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I am sorry to trouble you again , but there is a misprint in my letter of the 22 nd inst ., which you kindly inserted in yoiir issue ol " last Saturday .

In the paragraph— " Are you serious in calling attention to the cost of investing ^ , 5325 ' 1 At a quarter per cent , commission , at which rate any respectable broker will be glad to invest money , it amounts to £ 136 3 s . " These last figures should be £ 13 6 s . 3 d . —Believe me , faithfully yours , ¦ C . LETCH MASON . July 29 .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

THE "REGIUS MS . " * What has been entitled for many years as the "Halliwell , " but lately altered to the "Regius" MS . by Bro . Gould's suggestion , should most certainly be better known to the " rank and file" of the Craft . With the exception of the late fMr . Halliwell ' s

reproduction in 1840 , and a second edition in 1 S 44 , no separate work on the subject has been published until this year . These early books are rarely to be obtained , the two editions being very limited as to numbers ( as in fact all works are by that well-known antiquary ) , and always fetch high prices whenever any occur for

sale . But even with either of these before one , especially the first edition , there is much to be desired , the transcript being far from perfect , and the facsimile portion being only a few lines of the precious ori ginal . Now , however , we are vastly differently situated , as b y the opportune issue of a complete reproduction of the

original MS . in exact facsimile by Mr . F . Compton Price , tluiiiks to Bro . Henry Josiah Whymper , CLE ., P . D . D . G . M . of the Punjab , we have practically this scarce and valuable document in our hands for consultation , as required , without having to journey to the British Museum whenever an examination

of its text was needful . Our opinion is that nothing could possibly be better done than this facsimile , the skilled lithographic artist entrusted with the duty having carefully traced , word for word , the whole of the MS ., and , therefore , Bro . Whymper may take it for granted that " the present production is

absolutely accurate . " We wish we could say so much for the transcript or ordinary re-production of the text which follows the original . It is much to be regretted that this portion has not been done with such scrupulous exactitude , Bro . John Lane having detected several errors in the transcription . Not that these at all affect

the general nature of the work , but it will be as well for all students to compare the Transcript , line b y line , with the facsimile , before accepting the former as final ; or , better still , read the original only . The " Introductory Remarks " by the editor , Bro . Whymper , are both appropriate and interesting , besides being an

important addition to our information on the subject . Whatever Bro . Whymper undertakes , he goes at it with all his heart , as we can tell by referring to his celebrated work on the " Reli gion of Freemasonry " ( which is causing such a stir in India , as well as in this country ) , or to any of his famous addresses .

Mr . Halliwell-Phillipps was the first to draw attention to the character of the MS ., hence its title , though , strange to say , he was not a Mason . We believe , however , that Bro . Hughan does not admit that this Masonic MS . was unknown as such until the fourth decade of this century . Bro . Whymper will kindly set us right if

in error ; but we understand that , whilst it is true that its present cover was not made until 1838 , it was an exact imitation of the binding of the MS . in 1757—that being the year when it and the other valuable books and MSS . of the old Royal Library were presented to the nation . If such be the case , the title on the cover

( most artistically reproduced for Bro . Whymper ) bears the words " Poem on the Craft of Masonry , " as also the " press mark , " as per Casley ' s Catalogue of 1 734 . Bro . Gould has abl y treated of the whole question in his "Commentary" on the MS ., forming the first of the volume of the reprints now published by the " Ouatuor

Coronati" Lodge , No . 2076 . Bro . Hughan has also written a critique in the Freemason of this wonderfull y able examination of the " Regius MS ., " but , as we have neither by us for perusal , we can only advise our readers to obtain them for careful study . The small quarto on vellum is believed to be of the fourteenth century , though some seek to lower it by about 50 years ,

and " is admitted to be the oldest genuine record of the Craft of Masonry known . " Bro . Whymper does not hazard an opinion on this point , but puts the matter fairly as follows : " The age of the MS . has been variously estimated . Mr . Halliwell and the late Rev . A . F . A . Woodford supposed it to have been written about 1 390 or earlier . Mr . E . A . Bond , C . B .,

Reviews.

believes it to belong to the middle of the fifteentl . century . Mr . Price , who has been copying old JV [<* e for thirty or more years , agrees with the period assio- r i by Mr . Halliwell . At his suggestion , typical fttcsii „ ' ii ¦ of writing of both centuries are g iven . " The ' ..' * facsimiles introduced in the work are from W ycliff \

,, Bible , late fourteenth century , and Occleve ' s poem r 1412 circa . These two are not far removed from earl other in point of date , but we are bound to take th . side of those who favour the older period , though f course , the differences between the two standards ' ar . not very marked or strongly depicted . Like with late

versions—if this may be so described as one (| , . scribe commences with a stirring description of horn > difficulties in respect to due provision for large families when Euclid opportunely stept in and had them ' audit Geometry or Masonry . The introduction of the Craft into England is- then narrated , and the laws and

customs of the Fraternity are duly recited . Fifteen " Articles " and as many " Points " contain the germ of our present Book of Constitutions , and are so quaint and suggestive that they need but to be read to secure for the wee treasure a most hearty welcome b all

y lovers of the Fraternity . The religious , moral , anti social duties and observances then follow , which assuredl y did not concern the Craftsmen of that period in their entirety or even generally , the last two lines

beinc—Amen ! Amen ! so mot hyt be ! Say 11 c so alle per charytc . " The corrections , supplied so as to bring Halliwell ' s transcript in harmony with the original document , add to the value of Bro . Whymper ' s very elegant little book , which has been reproduced in the most choice

style , without regard to the heavy outlay , and has made the Craft a great debtor to our brother , whose pleasure it is to aid Masonic Students whenever and wherever possible . As an organ of the Universal Craft , and particularly of the English speaking Fraternity , we tender him our heartiest thanks for this important contribution to Masonic literature .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

3 Si ] A GROTESQUE MASONIC CEREMONY . In reply to B . B . ( note 849 ) , I have no recollection of having seen in any French Masonic work an allusion to the ceremony which he describes . In it , however , there is nothing inconsistent with the way the French brotherhood undoubted ] ) ' have of casting out from among them an erring member with every manifestation of ridicule and contempt ... Of this a good example is given by Perdiguierin his "Livre du Compagnonnage , ' ' which is thus quoted in Vol . I ., p . 228 , of my " History of Freemasonry " : "The Grenoble convoy ( condnik dc Grenoble ) is called into requisition when a

companion has disgraced himself or his Society . In full assembly he is forced on his knees , the fellows standing round , and drinking to his' eternal damnation' in flowing cups . Meanwhile , he is compelled to drink until nature rebels , and he is unable to imbibe any more , when it is poured over him in torrents . The g lass which he uses is broken into fragments ; his colours arc

torn from him and burned ; the Rouleur then leads him by the hand round the room , each companion bestowing a buffet , less to hurt him than as a sign of contempt ; and the door being opened he is finally led towards it The concluding scene can only be decorously hinted at by comparing it with a verse of the ' Lay ot St . Ninhnlas '—

' And out of the doorway he flew like a shot , For a foot Hew up with a terrible thwack , And caught the foul demon about the spot Where his tail joins on to the small of his back . R . F . GOULD .

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS .

tfraft flDasoiu ^ . Metropolitan rifeeetiuos .

Henry Levander Lodge ( No . 20 i r \ C-l ^ installation meeting of this lodge was held at the W ' Hotel , Harrow Station , on Saturday , the 27 th ult-, » Bro . Philip Cheek , tlie W . M ., was so far rccoverccU ' the illness , which has necessitated his absence for sonic ^ past , as to be able again to be present at the working ^^ was not sufficiently well , however , to do more than ope . lodge , and therefore Bros . Axford , P . M ., and Sci ^ P . M ., performed the work between them . _ 1 bis '" ^ , \ . the raising of four brethren—Bros . T . E . ChceU , ¦ Wall , Thomas Henry , and John VV . John to the Su " ^ Decree of M . M ., which was done by Bro . E . J- ' ¦ . ,.

P . M . The next business was to install the W . n ' j ^ & Bro . R . M . Surridge , the S . W . for the past 12 > " ° " " , a nel this duty was performed by Bro . W . A . Scurrah , y ' ^ y jl ., Treas ., who was presented for installation by the ^ Bro . Cheek , Bro . Stiles , P . M ., acting as D . C ""''"' r reremainder of the ceremony . There is no necessit ) , ; t cording the performance of each step in the cl j ' . ' jn to tI | C is sufficient to say that Bro . Surridge was installe d cri ) us chair of K . S . by Bro . Scurrah in the presence of a n [ d Board of Installed Masters . Thc newly-installou