Knights Templar.

was duly closed . An adjournment was then made to the banqueting room , where a sumptuous banquet was provided . The E . C , Sir Knt . Boughton-Smith , presided . The u-u .-il routine of toasts were duly proposed and honoured . "The Hoolth -of the E . C . " was warmly proposed by Sir Ko * . Tht ; r . i ;; son , anel most heartily received by the Sir Knights . He replied , anil said he felt it a great honour

to be install "d the E . C . e . f the Abbey Chapter Preceptory , and he coulel sincerely say that nothing should be wanting ii . his part to make his year of office a successful one , feeling ceitain he should receive the same support from the Past E . C . 's as others had done before him . After a very enjoyable evening was spent , the Equerry ' s toast at an early hour terminated the proceedings .

PLYMOUTH . —Holy Cross Preceptory ( No . 30 ) . —Tne annual meeting of this preceptory was r . elel at the I luyshe Masonic Temple recently . The E . C . elect , Sir Knight Elliot Square , P . P . G . C , was installed by the retiring E . C , Sir Knight Admiral F . 11 . Glasse , C . B ., Prov . Sub-Prior of the Province of Devon , suppmtcd by the following Board of I . E . C . ' s : —

Sir Knights Col . Fitz Gerald , Past G . C . of England , and P . G . C ; C . Goeltschalk , P . P . G . M . ; S . Jew , P . P . G . T . ; I . B . Glover , P . P . G . T . ; E . Aitkcn Davies , P . P . G . V . C . ; L . D . Westcott , P . P . G . C . L . ; J . H . Keats , P . G . H . ; G . V . Ililson , P . P . G . S . B . At the close of the installation the following Sir Knights were invested as officers : —Admiral Glas-e , P . E . C ; J . S . Short , ist C . ; R . Pengelly , 2 nd C ;

Admiral Glasse , Prelate ; L . D . Westcott , Treas . ; J . Harris Square , Regis . ; Jas . Griffin , Ex . ; A . Vernon Maccall , C . L . j G . V . Hilson , II . ; Lieut . St . Clair , S . B . ; Lieut . Litlledale , Aim . ; Jas . Gidley , T . Smith , Equerries . The preceptory was then closed , the Priory of Malta opened , and Sir Knight I'lliot Square installed as Prior . The E . C , in reply to ihe congratulations of the Fraters on his

accession to office , said before sepira ' . ing he could but notice that the pleasure of their meeting hail a sad gloom thrown over it by the decease ot their distinguished Fraterand Freemason , Sir Knight Richard ltodda . That night week Bro . ltodda was in gooel health and excellent spirits , and hael promised to attend on the present occasion to conduct

the install ilion . Providence had willtil it otherwise . Their brother had bee 11 taken from them , and his remains now lay awaiting the rites ol sepulture on Thursday i . ext . Duiing his busy life Bro . Roelela had been widely known in his sphere as an active and able business man . In the Masonic Order he hael been a thorough Mason , and risen to e-mine . nee in all the vaiious branches of the Oreler . It

hail always been his aim to extenel and benefit the Oreler . His loss , he was sure , wou' . el be very generally felt throughout the Masonic boely , and bis memoy respectfull y cherished by the brethren who knew him . He felt sure all present would join in a vote of condolence with the bereaved family . It was at once resolved : " That the members oi ibis preceptory desire to express their deep

regret at the death of ! -ir Knight Richard ltodda , P . E . C , anel their heartfelt sympathy with the members of his family at their loss . " The P . E . C's among the visitors present , who represented all the other preceptorics in the three towns , joined with the members of the Holy Cross

Preceptory 111 their vote of regret and sympathy . I he vote e . f condolence was directed to be drawn up and presented to the family , signed , in addition to the E . C . of the Holy CF ss Preceptory , by ihe E . C . of the Royal Vtterans Preceptory , and a representative P . E . C . from the Loyal Brunswick and the Royal Sussex Preceptories .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

The catalogue of Masonic books in the British Museum , commenced in the April number of the Masonic Magazine , promises to be of great use to reaelers , and 1 would suggest that the plan of this excellent chart be still further extended , by adding a supplementary list of works , not exclusively Masonic , and , therefore , not catalogued as such , which contain many references and allusions to Masonry . As examples of the class of work referreel to I may instance

Ihe- Arclueologi 1 ; ' " Anthologia Hibernica ( 1794 );" " Wren ' s Parent ilia ; " " Higgin ' s Anacalypsis ; " " Plotl ' s Natural History of Staffordshire ; " "Hope's Essay on Architecture ; " " Dalloway Anecdotes of the Arts in England ; " "De Quincey ; " & c . It struck me as a little singular that such well-known works as " Fort's Antiquities of Freemasonry , " anil " Ktnning's and Mackenzie ' s Cyclopaedias , " were not obtainable in the British Museum .

R . F . G . Buji .-wi ! , J . uoii ( called also Jacob Bohmcn ) , was Lorn in 1575 , and died in 1624 . He was originally a master shoemaker at Gorlilz , but about 1594 began , it is said , to stud ) the Bible very carefully , anil at the same time the writings of Paraolsus and Val Weigel . He then began with visions , and soon after this appeared as a mvstic

writer . His first work , " Aurora , appeared in 1612 , and in "The Description of Three Principles of the Divine Being" we hear of "sex puncta mystica , sex puncta theosophica . " Bohme ' s fundamental speculation is that " the forthcoming of the creation out of the Divine unity . . . which is itself distinguishable into a Trinity . . . can be contemplated by mystic illumination , and expressed in words . " He seems about this time to have come across

the clergy at Gorlilz ; then in 1624 the " Hanilbuch "tells us he found milder judges among the Dresden Consistory in 1624 , in which year he died . He was called " Philosophus I eutonicus , " because he mule use of the German language , and his works have been published several times since if > 7 n , their first appearance , ten volumes in one edition of 1 G 82 , six volumes in 18 4 6 . The " Handbuch " tells us that a ceitain Jane Leade , in 16 97 , instituted the

Masonic Notes And Queries.

society of " Philadelphists " which made its aim the diffusion of his writings . Some writers have contended that Freemasonry was greatly affected by the " Theosophy " of Jacob Bohmcn , but we think there is a good deal of exaggeration in any such statement , though perhaps his name was often used by those who knew nothing of his writings . Such as we have seen are pure mysticism ,

constituting a jirgon of its own without anything that we can discern of practical utility or good . That Sweelenborgianism was coloured to a great extent by the reveries of Bohme is , we apprehend , undeniable , and that those restless spirits who made up the Rose Croix and Hermetic Adepts of the end of the last century made use of his theosophy is also probably true . But beyond this the evidence docs not go .

ANNIVERSARIES . —The two great anniversaries of the Masonic Oreler are St . John the Baptist's Day , June 24 th , and St . Jeihn the Evangelist's Day , December 27 th . When the custom began of considering the two St . Johns the patron saints of Freemasonry is not very clear . It is in all probability a relic of the eld Guild customs . Many of the Guilds kept St . John the Baptist's Day , many St . John

the Evangelist's , and others kept the festivals of vaiious saints ; anel we have , we are inclined to think , in this association of St . John the Evangelist and St . John tbe Baptist , another witness to the Guild connection . In Bro . D . Murray Lyon ' s valuable work , the " History of the Lodge Mary ' s Chapel , Edinburgh , " he gives us some very early regulations—viz ., 1599— . ' or tbe choosing of the

" Wardenis " on St . John the Evangelist ' s Day . 1 he first election which he records is St . John's Day , 1 O 01 . Nothing is said of St . John the Baptist , and we know from the Westminster Fabric Rolls that in the 13 th century the Masons claimed neither of the two St . John ' s Days , but they belonged to the king , and were working days . The Guild custom seems then to be later , and the Masonic

observance of them is , wc think , not ancient . St . Andrew's Day seems to have been the Scotch Masons' anniversary , just as St . George's Day is for the English Grand Lodge practically now , or rather the Wedneselay following St . Ueorge ' s Day . CARBONARI , ORDER or . —Properly the charcoal burners . The " Handbuch " says , and wc agree with it , that it

sprung up in Italy , 111 the early part of this century , though it may have had something to do with ether such societies , which were prolific at the end of the last century . Some have affirmed that there was a society in France of " Charbonniers " and " Fendeuis , " and " Bons Cousins , " from whom the Carbonari also te ok the appellation of "Bons Cousins . " They claim for themselves a high antiquity ,

and their pair-on saint is St . Theobald . T hey appear to have borrowed many of their forms from Masonry , but as a seciet political order we entirely agree with Mackey that they are " cr . titleil to no place " in a Masonic cyclopaedia , except , perhaps , to give us an opportunity of repudiating the notion that they are in any way , however slightly , really connected with Freemasonry .

IONIC ORDER , THE . —One of the three famous Grecian Orders of Architecture , and so called from Ionia in Asia Minor , it is averred . It is distinguished by what architects term the volute of its capital , and is , as Mackey well puts it , more delicate and graceful than the Doric , and more simply majestic than the Corinthian . Preston preserves a traelition that it was formed after the model of an

agreeable young woman of an elegant shape , with her hair carefully dressed , as a contrast to the Doric , which was said to be formed after the model of a robust young man . We doubt our old historian in this instance much . It has been also pointed out that the distinguishing features of the Ionic order are these—the body of the pillar is usually

channelled or furrowe . 1 with twenty-four gutters , and its length with the capital and base is twenty-nine modules , the chapiter being chiefly composed of volutes or scrolls . It represents with us symbolically the W . M ., and is supposed to be an emblem of wisdom . —Kenniug ' s Cyclopaedia if Freemasonry .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . JOHN JOHNSON . Bro . John Johnson , S . D . 1423 , J . W . 1623 , 176 , Caveac Chapter , M . C . 176 , Eta , Mark , eYC , died on Saturday , March 29 th , at his official lesidcnce of the Gas Light and Coke Co ., 148 , Goswtll-road , after a short but painful illness , lie was initiated at the Era Lodge , No . 1423 , in the early part of 187 ; . lie commenced office by being

appointed D . C . 111 187 O , and was J . W . nominate at his decease . He was a founder of the West Smithfield Loelge , also we believe of 1719 , Evening Star Loelge . He was exalted into Royal Arch Masonry at the Caveac Chapter 17 ( 1 , and was afterwards a founder of the Era Chapter , 1423 . He was advanced to the ancient and honourable degree of a Mark Master Mason at the Era Lodge , 176 ,

was a founder of 211 , Hammersmith , Mark , and 223 , West Smithfield , Mark , Lodges . He was a Past Steward , and a Life Governor of all the Masonic Charities . His last public act in Masonry was representing his 1623 , West Smithfield Lodge , when the large sum of over £ 14 , 000 was collected at that auspicious anniversary . He was always found to be a kind , genial friend , a worthy

brother , and one beloved by all who knew him . He has left a widow and sorrowing children to lament his early decease , besides a large circle of relations and friends , who deplore his loss . Our deceased brother was a native of Leicester , and by profession a gas engineer , in which business he greatly distinguished himself . He was in his 51 st year .

W . BRO . A . J . WHEELER , P . M . It is with deep regret we learn that this worthy brother , who was Editor of the Masonic Jewel at Memphis , Tennessee , has fallen a victim to that dreadful scourge—the

Obituary.

yellow fever . He remained at Memphis during the lat 2 trying times , and took up the heavy work connected with tbe Secretaryship of the Masonic Relief Fund , and did his utmost to relieve the sad suffering that surrounded him . Through his zeal for the good of his fellow men , he was constantly visiting those stricken by tbe fell disease , and at last became one of its victims . Tne Masonic Jewel held

a high place in American Masonic literature . We had missed its regular issue for some months , but considered the terrible plague that was ravaging the southern portions of the United States was the cause of its silence , anil hoped to see it again as soon as things were more settled But the sad fate that has now met its editor being known , we fear one peiiodical , which so ably advocated the cause

of Masonry in the great Republic , will be lost . The loss will be a serious one , for the true spirit of Masonry was infused in its pages , and it was conducted with that ability characteristic of our American Masonic journals . Bro . Wheeler died at his post . He . did his duty unflinchingly . He shared the toils and perils of that trying period

bravely—a peiiod most terrible that has visited America for years . He was as honest and conscientious in the discharge of his duties as he was ready and able with his pen in defending the rights of our noble Order . May he meet with his reward in the Grand Lodge above !—Masonic Record of If esttrn India .

Funeral Of Bro. R. Rodda, Of Stonehouse.

FUNERAL OF BRO . R . RODDA , OF STONEHOUSE .

The funeral of the late Bro . Richard Rodda , for twentyone years high bailiff of the Stonehouse County Court , took place on Thursday , the 2 Jth ult . The cortege at twenty carriages proceeded from the deceased ' s residence in Durnford-street , Stonehouse , to the parish

church of St . George , of the congregation of which Bro . Rodda was a member . There was a large attendance , including many prominent Freemasons , among whom the deceased hail helel high office . In the first mourning coach were Mr . Jonathan Rodela and Mr . Ckarles Rodda , sons of the deceased ; Master Rodda , grandson ; Mr . William Rodda , brother ; and Mr . Thomas

Roelela , nephew . Second—Mr . Martin Thomas , of Manchester , nephew ; Mr . John hey , of Penzance , nephew ; Bro . W . J . Hughan , Past S . G . D . of England ; and Mr . George Cox , Manor-office . Third—Mr . R . G . Edmonds , Registrar of the County Court ; Messrs . J . E . Curteis and T . S . Bayly , the executors ; and Mr . J . 11 . Ncwcombe . Fourth—Bearers : Four P . E . C ' s of the Masonic Kni ghts

Templar—Fraters Colonel 11 . C . Filz Gerald , It . It . RoiW , J . Sailer , and I . Watts . Fifth—Bearers : Four Past Masters of Lodge Fortitude , No . 105—3 ros . George Ililson , G . C . Bignell , VV . H . Anthony , and John James . Among others present were , in the first cab , Messrs . Divey , Field , anil Castle , clerks of the County Court , and Mr . Mugfoid , clerk to Mr . Charles Rodda ; in the next , the bailiffs of the

court , and in the others , Dr . Wilson , Messrs . S . Jew , S . Hyne , S . Vospcr , F . R . Tomes , | . S . Roach , G . Temple , T . W . Bistow , R . P . Culley , It . M . Bennett , G . V . Hilson , VV . Brown , M . H . Rickard , J . E . E . Dawc , J . F . Veal , W . Powell , W . Woods , J . V . B . Hodge , F . A . Thomas , W . J . Thuell , P . Ilamley , J . Williams , J . Baxter , J . Ingram , Mark F . Oldrey , high bailiff of the Totnes County Court ;

F . Lake , VV . VV . Bray , W . Harries , E . Aitkcn Davies , M . Watts , Horswill , II . Cochrane , VV . Mitchell , H . Scott , E . Taylor , and 11 . E . James . Mr . Matthew Fortescue , judge of the County Courr , wrote expressing deep sympithy with the family in their bereavement , and adeled that he woulel have been present at the funeral but for severe indisposition . Letters of sympathy had been sent by several other friends ,

who regretted their inability to be present to pay a last token ot respect for the deceased . At the church gate the corpse was met by the Rev . Percy R . Scott , the vicar , and Bro . the Rev . V \ . Whittley , P . P . G . Chaplain of the Freemasons , and minister of the Independant Chapel in Batter-street , Plymouth , who walked together into the church , wheie the vicar read the

Psalm anil the lesson , Bro . the Rev . W . VVhittley occupying a chair by the reading desk , Mr . Scott having had one placed theic in order that Bro . Whittley might remain near him . The hymn , " A few more years shall roll , " was sung , and as the mourners left the church the D .-ad March in " Saul" was played on the organ . Mr . Scott and Bro . Whittley rode together to the Plymouth cemetery ,

where a vault in which rested the remains of the deceased ' s second wile had been prepaid ) for the reception of the body . This vault is situated in the Nonconformist portion of the ground , and here the concluding portion of the beautiful service of the Cnurch was reael by Bro . Whittley , Mr . Scott standing by his side , and leading the responses . At the close of the servi -e , Bro . Whittley gave a brief address to

the Masonic brethren present . He pointed out the suddenness of the death . In the full vigour of life on the Monday evening , an inanimate corpse on the evening of the following Saturday . Cut of before the usual span allotted to man . How scon for aught they knew might that be the fate of any one of them . What a solemn admonition to live so that it might be a life of preparation for the certain lot ol

all . Might they all be looking forward to that hopeful reunion promised to all that proved suie . and faithful . A large number of the brethren gathered around the grave to take the last farewell of their brother according to the rites of the Order . The deceased , although he suffered much in his illness , died in perfect consciousness . His end

was one of hopeful faith ; almost his last words were , "The blond of Jesus Christ clcanseth us from all sin . " The coffin was covered with floral remembrances ; among them Lodge Fortitude contributed a large and handsome wreath containing the sr , uare and compasses in camelias , azalias > and lilies of the valley , a similar wreath with a triang le came from the gardens of Mount Edgcumbe , and another