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TheAneio- THE Deputation , consisting 0 f Bros . GEORGE REYNOLDS , American Lodge _ , _ „ ,-. « T « »> . •<• . -. Dpiuation Secretary , and J SKINNER , P . M . 538 , Director 01 Cere-* ° s ? ate "' monies , of the Anglo-American Lodge , No . 2191 , which

sailed for the United States at the end of August for the purpose of presenting Bro . SHRYOCK , G . Master of Maryland , with an illuminated address of thanks for his kindness to the lodge when on a visit to this country in the summer of 1887 , has returned home , after accomplishing its purpose most successfully , and in a manner which cannot but reflect credit

upon the brethren composing it and the lodge they represented . They had a prosperous , but somewhat prolonged , passage out , and a rough but rapid one homewards , and in the interval between the two they experienced a reception which will materially strengthen the bonds of fraternal friendship already existing between the brethren of the two

countries . In Philadelphia , in Baltimore , in New York , and wherever else they visited , the members of the great American Fraternity of Masons vied with each other in showing them hospitality and doing them honour , both for their own good qualities and out of respect for the lodge which had sent them on their errand of courtesy , and likewise

because for the time being they represented the great English Masonic Brotherhood . We cordially congratulate Bros . REYNOLDS and SKINNER on the admirable manner in which they carried out the purpose of their journey , and in their name and on behalf of that English Masonry of which we have been the representative organ for so many years , we venture

to thank the brethren generally of Philadelphia , Baltimore , and New York for the very great kindness and courtesy they exhibited towards their visitors . The visit of the Anglo-American Lodge Deputation to the United States is a pleasant episode in the current history of Anglo-Saxon Masonry , which is worth recording permanently for the edification of future generations of brethren .

* * * _ . _ . , IT is clear , from the Report we have received of the Punjab The Punjab . ' . . r . . J Masonic Masonic Association for the year 18 S 7 , that the position of the ssociation . charity ^ ^ en materially strengthened during that period .

A decided improvement is announced in the amount of lodge subscriptions , the number of children on the fund has been augmented from 26 to 28 , and the invested capital of the Charity has been increased from 55 , 600 rupees , yielding 4 per cent , interest , to 60 , 250 rupees . This is conclusive evidence that our Puniab brethren are actuated by that spirit of benevolence which

is one of the essential characteristics of true Freemasonry ; and we congratulate them most sincerely on the progress their Association has made since its establishment , and its greater ability , in consequence of that progress , to continue the good work which it has been thus far able to effect . It was shown at the annual general meeting in Freemasons' Hall , Lahore ,

on the 10 th February last , ^ hat the income from all sources amounted to upwards of 11 , 261 rupees , of which 9321 rupees were derived from subscriptions and donations , while the balance of 1940 rupees represented the year ' s interest on Government 4 per cent , paper . The expenditure amounted to upwards of 6508 rupees , of which nearly 4993 rupees were for

" School Fees and Board , " and over 654 rupees for Clothing Expenses , the rest having been expended in Travelling Expenses , Postages , Printing , Clerk's Salary , & c . The balance remaining in hand at the close of the year was 4753 rupees , and of this it was resolved to invest 4650 rupees , raising the total invested capital to 60 , 250 rupees , as stated already . The

Budget Estimate for the year 1 S 88 is set down at 7690 rupees , the increase over the recent expenditure being accounted for by the augmentation in the number of children , all the eight candidates , at the annual meeting in February , having been elected without ballot in commemoration of the

Jubilee , and the increase in respect of Clothing Charges , Travelling Expenses , and other contingencies . These figures , which we have purposely given in some detail , speak of good work done by the Punjab Masonic Association during the past year .

"Ars Quatuor Coronatorum."—Part Iv.

"ARS QUATUOR CORONATORUM . "—PART IV .

The fourth part of Volume I . of the transactions of the justly celebrated " Lodge Quatuor Coronati , " No . 2076 , Freemasons' Hall , London , is at length published , and will , we feel assured , obtain a most hearty welcome from the ever-increasing band of members forming the " Correspondence

Circle , numbering now some 400 , scattered over the "four quarters of the globe , " as well as by the more select and learned bod y composing the lodge , the fellowship of which may well be termed the "blue ribbon" of the Society by those who are the literates of the Fraternity , and know how to value such a solid distinction .

As the part runs to 55 pap es ( closely printed ) , in large octavo size , it is not po-sible to do more than glance at its interesting contents , but should any of our readers desire to continue their researches , they can easily so do by simply sending halt a guinea to the energetic Secretary , Bro . G . W . Speth , btreatham House , Margate , which nominal sum will secure this issue and also Part III .

At the lodge held on May 4 th , 188 S , Bro . R . F . Gould , P . G . D ., the W . Master , being in the chair , the Secretary presented ( on behalf of a worthy brother ) to the library a curious and valuable MS ., obtained through the kindness of Bro . Cama , Past G . Treas . ( by whom it was donated ) , of the eighteenth century . The text resembles that of the noted " Kilwinning MS ., " the new treasure thus acquired being appropriately named the " Cama MS . "

A photographic facsimile of the important "Scarborough" MS . was also presented to the lodge , the gift of Bro . J . J . Mason , Grand Secretary of Canada ( in which Grand Lodge the original of 1705 circa is now preserved ) . A similar roll ir > owned by Bro . W . J . Hughan , who exhibited it at Hull and Sunderland , when lecturing on Freemasonry there lately . It is one of the longest known , its great value , however , being due to an endorsement , reciting particulars of a lod ge held in Scarborough in 1705—hence its title .

"Ars Quatuor Coronatorum."—Part Iv.

We hope that the reference to these two MSS . may lead to the announcement of other rolls , for it is not likely that the list is yet exhausted ; at least we hope not . Bro . Speth read a paper on "Scottish Freemasonry before the era of Grand Lodges , " so as to carry one step further the series of elementary historical papers inaugurated so ably by Bro . Gould , the W . M ., to which

we alluded in a previous number . The " pendant , ' as the author terms it , is worthy of a more ambitious title , for the essay is valuable , interesting and scrupulously accurate as to details . He treats of Oral tradition written Tradition , and Documentary evidence , just as his distinguished predecessor did . As to "Oral tradition , " we agree with him " Practicall y

¦ it does not exist . " His suggestion that many of the traditions " across the border , " which really arose after 1736 , were due to the anxiety of the mem . bers of certain old Lodges "to secure to themselves a high place on the Roll , " is new to us , but none the less welcome , as , on the face of it , there is much to favour such a view .

Written tradition , or the evidence of the Old Charges , is treated but briefly , simply because the ground has already been so well covered , and a paper accompanies this part , by Dr . Begemann , about which we shall have a word to say further on . Bro . Speth believes his suggestion to be " quite new , " relative to the English Lodges in former days being "legitimated " by receiving from others , still older , copies of these " Old Charges , " and

that without such rolls , & c , no Lodge could be regular , as they were required to be read to candidates . In a communication sent b y Bro . Hughan , and read at the same meeting , he pointed out his agreement with the Secretary on that point by quoting from his " Origin of the English Rite , " published in 1 S 84 ; so it is most satisfactory to find that two such

experts take the same view of the subject , especially as it evidently is one that will bear examination . Still earlier , Bro . D . Murray Lyon , in 18 71 , spoke of "Mother Kilwinning" selling copies of its "Old Charges " to other Lodges , thus bearing out Bro . Speth's belief , and proving the accuracy of his surmise .

The " Documentary evidence " as respects the Scottish Craft , is ( as Bro . Speth puts it ) , simply overwhelming , and must have made his "task of condensation " far from easy work . He , however , has managed to present "a bird ' s e 3 'e view of the state of Freemasonry in Scotland during the centuries immediately preceding the formation of the Grand Lodge of

Scotland in 1736 , " in such a comparatively small compass , as to render this Part IV . of considerable importance and utility to students of the Craft , and will , we venture to affirm , make it eagerly sought after by all brethren who desire a reliable digest in brief , of the evidence accumulated of late years respecting the old lodges from the sixteenth century downwards .

Bro . Speth " scores one" in insisting that "in Scotland when we first became acquainted with the lodges , and for years after the establishment of the Grand Lodge they were still active , legal recognised authorities , empowered to control and direct their trade , exclude offenders against their laws , and admit members to the freedom of the Craft . "

This point , he considers , has not been sufficiently insisted upon in comparing Scottish with English Freemasonry , as in the latter country Guilds had ceased to exist ( when we first meet with indications of Freemasons ' lodges ) having been suppressed in 1547 . He rightly claims that " It is the key of many difficulties , and a cogent reason why we must be careful in our attempts to deduce a picture of English Freemasonry from glimpses of Scottish lodge life . " We consider there is a deal in such a view , and hence the caution should be remembered on perusing his excellent paper .

Brethren familiar with Bro . Gould ' s remarkable Chapter VIII . of his history , will be thankful to Bro . Speth for his able summary , especially as so frequently the particulars are dovetailed between his own original suggestions and explanations , thus providing a digest and a commentary of absorbing interest and wealth of detail .

The roll of lodges given prior to 1717 offers an extraordinary contrast to the meagre one that can be supplied for England extending over the same period ; the extraordinary number of 31 being well established , and even that estimate might fairly be extended . We should like much to follow Bro . Speth through his masterly description of the Masonic customs prevailing in Scottish lodges , especially

during the 17 th century , but we dare not ! The space at our command is too contracted for such a purpose , and totally inadequate ; but we commend the perusal of such to our readers , and can promise them such a repast as to satisfy the most fastidious or the most incredulous as to the vitality of the Craft during that period . Our brother has not gone into the question of Degrees , the subject being too vast for that paper , but he

remarks therein that " since the lamented death of Bro . Woodford , all the best authorities , Lyon , Gould , Hughan , Officer , and others , are agreed that ancient Scottish Masonry comprised only one Degree , and that the ; second and third were introduced in recent times from England . " It ap- , pears to us that when the thorough discussion of the question of degrees prior to the Grand Lodge era comes be considered , Bro . Speth will not be j

on the side of those who believe that only one esoteric ( separate ) ceremony , prevailed in England before 1717 . Judging from the references scattered j over his essay , he is inclined to uphold the existence of two Degrees at least , as anterior to the Grand Lodge era . If so , we may anticipate no lack ol debating power on either side when the question falls to be exhaustively treated . i

In the discussion time papers were read from Bro . J . Ramsden RileV ( who styled the essay " a valuable contribution , " ) and Bro . Hughan , « ho j expressed the hope that the author would yet be " a convert to the theory j that there were no separate Masonic Degrees prior to 1717 ; " but as to that , j we shall , doubtless , hear further on . Bro . E . Macbean took part in the debate , j as also Bro . F . H . Goldnev . the historian of Masonic Wilts , and the W . M- I

delivered an excellent address , Bro . Speth concluding . A signed article ( a- j Russell Forbes , Rome ) , on " The Roman Legend of the Quattro Incoronati j j with four illustrations , will , doubtless , interest some of the " Circle , " though' , as the name of the lodge is purely a fanciful one , it does not seem at a j necessary to justify its selection now that it has been adopted . j Bro . John Yarker contributes a few notes to his former pap ^ ° j "Unrecognised Lodges and Degrees of Freemasonry , " followed by

paper entitled " An attempt to classify the Old Charges of the B "' Masons , " by Dr . Begemann ( who is the present Prov . G . Master 1 Mecklenburg , to the great satisiaction of his numerous friends in this a other countries ) . This learned brother arranges the MSS . ( exclusive the oldest two , strictly speaking not versions of the O . C . ) into four # families , viz ., 1 , " Grand Lodge , " 2 , " Sloane , " 3 , ' -Roberts , " a" * . ^' " Spencer j " these names representing four valuable versions , rang ^ from the sixteenth to the present century . It is not for us to presum _ criticise this contribution , but we anticipate that either in this Journal 0