Education.

personally interested ; and as our principles become better known to the world , the Order will be enabled to wield an influence for good greater even , because more

universal , than it exercises at the present moment . We have , therefore , every reason to applaud any movement for the practical education of the people .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—?—Is the Pope a Freemason ? If so , when and where was he initiated and of what lodge ? SUBSCRIBER .

We find the following m the new Masonic journal of Madrid , the " Libertad del Pensamiento : — ; " Few persons know , and that is the reason we take this occasion to relate the fact , that the

present Roman Pontiff , Pope Pius IX ., owes his elevation to the Chair of St . Peter to the influence of Masons , whose principles he solemnly swore to sustain . Pius IX . was initiated into ' The Sons of Hiram' ( Los Hifas des Hiram ) under the symbolic

name of Savola . He became a Knight of the Red Cross 18 ° . There are existing lodges at Madrid which he visited during his residence in Spain , and many brethren who remember these facts . Bro .

Soussing-eas has shown us a fine portrait of the Pope in full Masonic regalia , with the following inscription underneath in Latin : ' Et excommunicate fratres meos , mea culpa . ' If my brethren are excommunicated , it is my fault . "

It is stated that a new society has been started under the name of "The Good Templars , " with the purpose of enlisting Freemasons in the cause of temperance . What would De Quincy have said to this ? No Freemason himself , he

yet claimed to know all about the parentage and growth of the Craft whose origin he would place no further back than 1629 . . We have upon his authority that the first password given to the initiated candidate is " Fork Out , " which

he has to do , the second word being " Brandy , " which they all proceed to discuss . How , then , can temperance connect itself with Freemasonry ? Certainly the two things have not hitherto been connected in the popular idea , which has always

supposed the " labour of the brethren to be by no means co-extensive with the " refreshment . " Indeed , the preservation of Masonic secrets has been partly attributed to the genial character ofthe Masonic supper . —Observer .

THE APRON—THE BADGE OF OUR ORDER . I beg sincerely to thank the various brethren who have favoured us with their remarks on this subject , hut as yet I am unable to withdraw my

remark made at page 545 as to the time when the white apron , as P . H . Newnham puts it , was worn as " the distinguishing badge- of our Order " : —

1 . The " quotation given by Bros . Newnham and " Lupus" as being contained in the Quarterly Review , vol . xxiv ., page 14 6 , has not , as yet at least , been verified , as per Bro . Hughan ' s remarks at page 593 , and also remarks corroborative of Bro . Hughan which I have received privately .

2 . Even although the quotation does exist somewhere in the Quarterly Review , it does not therefore follow that the word " white " may not be an interpolation , just as the word " Grand " was so often interpolated in other cases . I had

this in view , at page 578 , when I said "I should like if the exact words of the entry as it originally stands could be given . " 3 . As to gloves being given to Operative Masons , I think it quite possible they may have been at times given even to work with . Although

not an Operative Mason myself , I know by experience that a glove on the hand that holds the chisel on a cold frosty day in winter is sometimes very acceptable . 4 . A tiled lodge may mean a lodge covered with tiles , so that a lodge " properly tiled " some centuries ago might mean a lodge or building ,

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

the roof of which was so covered with tiles as effectually to keep out both rain and wind . 5 . As to chapters and congregations held by Masons , these , some centuries ago , were mere meetings ofthe operative masons for the

purpose of discussing wages , work , & c , just as any of our present operative masons' societies may doj which , although called " lodges , " & c , have no connection with our Freemasonry , which may be seen by reading the postscript to the 1723

Constitutions , which , speaks of the " statutes of labourers , " and also of" chapters and congregations . " 6 . The remarks by Chas . G . Forsyth about the " Essenian Masons " ate apart from the

present question ; let us get fairly past last century , if possible , before going to them . And as to the pretended connection which the " Encyclopedia Metropolitana " sets up between the old Masons and the Knights Templar , that is purely

imaginary , and is based upon the fact that 1 emplars had to become " gilde brothers " / A / - the purpose of buying and selling merchandise . Lastly , I gladly see our Rev . Bro . iNewnham say ins , "Too much obscurity has been

introduced into the already too obscure history of our Craft by the constant re-copying of unverified assertions . " Such being the case , it becomes the duty of all who wish to see a true history of our Order to examine thoroughly whatever does

not satisfy them . Before last century I constantly see the Masons mixed up with , and also simply on a par with the other trades—the wrights and masons being often classed together in one incorporation , hence , instead of my

abandoning my " often-repeated comparisons of the Masons with other crafts , " as Bro . " Lupus " suggests at page 593 ' , I challenge Bro . "Lupus " to produce "Acts of Parliament , " passed before

last century , which did not also apply to other crafts connected with building , or which may not have applied to the wrights , & c , as well as to the Masons ? W . P . B .

I have found my original authority for the extract in reference to the " white aprons and gloves . " It is Mackey ' s " Lexicon of Freemasonry , " 3 rd edition , 1867 ( revised by Donald Campbell ); article , "Clothing , " "P T-T XTTJIITHTTT HI *

I think the condensed summary of " indirect proof" in favour of the " white aprons and gloves being worn when not at labour " an excellent one , and well worthy of the careful attention of all students of Freemasonry , and I have much

pleasure in supporting the remarks made by Rev . Bro . P . H . Newnham . That peculiar secrets were known to , and worked by , the ancient Masons , differing in some respects from those of other guilds , is to me

certainly proved by reference to ancient records ; although I do not think such secrets were of the elaborate nature some think they were . Without doubt the " lodge " was a secret place of meeting , and where cowans had no right to

attend , neither were the uninitiated permitted to participate in their ceremonies , whatever ( or however simple ) they may have been . The oath alone is proof sufficient of this . W . J AMES HUGHAN .

The small discussion on the antiquity of the Masonic apron for other than the purposes of labour appears to result in a very serious blow to the assertions of the 1717 theory , which have been of late so confidently proclaimed in all the

courts of Masonry . The proof so fairly given from the records of the Warkworth ' and Alnwicke Lodge not only demonstrates the use of the apron at religious services , but affords complete evidence to any reasonable inquirer that , on the

20 th January , 1708 , a lodge of Freemasons was assembled at Alnwicke which was not an " operative " meeting . Thus , out of a simple though fortuitous discussion the very positive , if not celebrated , 1717 theory is in imminent

danger of the same tragic fate as the well-known " Humpty-Dumpty , " the old and lamented friend of our nursery days . It may , however , be said that this meeting only occurred nine years before the magic date so positively pre-

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

scribed as the year in which " Speculative Masonry" was , invented . Upon this let me have another word to say , although I have not been a participant in the controversy . " Some time since it was my good fortune and pleasure to be a subscriber to the publication , by Bro .

Matthew Cooke , of a transcript made by himself from a Masonic MS . in the library of the British Museum . It is a genuine fifteenth century MS ., and is called "The History and Articles of Masonry . " The preamble of the MS . is devoted to the offering of thanks for knowledge

vouchsafed to the Craft next occurs a description of the liberal sciences , and then follows a detail of the origin of Masonry after the manner which many of us now deem to be somewhat apochryphal . It then continues : — " And soon after that came Saint Adhabell into

England and converted Saint Alban to Christianity . And Saint Alban loved well masons , and he gave them first their charges and manners first in England . And he ordained convenient ( times , ) to pay for the travail : And after that was a worthy king in England that was called Athelstan , and his youngest son loved well the science of geometry , and

he wist well that hand-craft had the practice of the science of geometry so well as masons , wherefore he drew him to council and learned ( the ) practice of that science to his speculative , for of speculative he wab a master and he loved well masonry and masons . And he became a mason himself , and he gave them charges and names as it is now used in England and in other countries . "

Now , whether the MS . is correct or not in its facts , we have here a statement in a document written probabl y before 1500 , that the son of Athelstan learned the practical part of Masonry in addition to speculative , of which he was a master . It matters not to us whether Athelstan

had a son or not , or whether he knew anything about Masonry , or ever heard of it ; but it does matter , and very considerably , too , that an authentic document of this date should make a clear and unmistakable distinction between Speculative and Operative Masonry .

Again , referring to the Council which has before been mentioned , the MS . says : "This Councir is made by divers lords and masters of divers provinces and divers congregations of masonry , " & c . I have given the modern orthography as being more convenient for the present

purposes . J . 0 . Halliwell , F . R . S ., has transcribed a fourteenth century MS . which is preserved in the Old Royal Library at the British Museum , and of which the authenticity has never been questioned . This MS ! also refers to Athelstan , and thus describes his council : —

" A semble" thenne he cowthe let make , Of divers lordis , yn here state , Dukys , erlys , and barnes also , Knythys , sqwyers , and mony mo , And the grete burges of that syitd , They were ther alle yn here degre " . "

This assembl y is said to have made certain laws , the second of which declares" That every mayster , that ys a mason , most ben at the generale congregacyon , so that he hyt resonably y-tolde Where that the semble' schal be holde ; And to that sembld he most nede gon , But he have a resonabul skwsacyon . "

I leave my unprejudiced brethren to say whether these small portions of evidence alone are not enough to settle the question , unless the authenticity of the MSS . is impeached . XV . P . B . has told us , in effect , he is prepared to believe that before 1717 everything excepting

the operative element of Masonry applies equally well to other guilds ; but I take leave to hope and believe the preparation will be of no avail , and that our brother , with all the intelligence he possesses , will think , and admit , that the language of these old documents—one written before

1400 , and the other before 1500—is inapplicable to a guild possessing nothing more in its constitution than the hewing of stone and the spreading of mortar . One of these documents recognises " Speculative" Masonry by name *

and this is no mere accident of words or confusion of sound , but it is a plain fact that before 1500 this writing alleges that the son of Athelstan learned the practice of the science , "for of Speculative he was a master . "

I am not aware of anything which even encourages a supposition that in 1717 the brethren who were then the distinguished and prominent