Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—¦ >—. T was mtich p leased with the explanation given in THE FREEMASON of the Royal Arch Jewel from Sir William Drumraond ' s work—it is verygood . Who and what was he , and where did he live ? W . W .

MASONIC UNION . There would be an easy way of effecting thia if the Grand Conclave of K . T . and the Supreme Council could be brought to consider the matter . The York Rite of 16 ci 6 was R . A . ¦ K . T . ; Holy Wisdom ( being a Royal and orthodox

Constitution ) . Let the S . C . require the Royal Arch , and rank their degrees : R . A . ; R . C * Kadosh ( wise , holy ) . There are certain points of secrets common to K . T . and R C , and to H . W . and KH . ( This rite being p hilosophical and democratic , our French brethren assert that one of the Kadosh ' s -was founded by Cromwell . )—J . YARKER . Jun .

" KNIGHT TEMPLAR JOTTINGS . In reply to Bro . W . J . Hughan , I may remind him that he has not shown the date of the Belgian Constitution of 1 / 22 to be erroneous ; because he was evidently writing about one book , and

Bro . Dr . Leeson another . The Modern Grand Lodge chartered Masonry in Dunkirk and at Mons in Belg ium in 1721 , and although they had not at this date printed their laws , yet there can be little doubt that manuscript copies of the laws

passed ia 1720 would be furnished to the lodges . These mi g ht be printed in Bel g ium in 1722 , as Dr . Leeson has stated over and over again ; and if so , the whole cause of fig ht between the " Ancients" and "Moderns" is put iu black and

white . One thing may be supposed to militate against their authenticity : the high grade terras are those of the Scotch , and not the English , system . As , however , there must have been Masons in France anil Belg ium before a lodge

could be chartered , so these Masons may have been Scottish followers of tho Stuarts . In the ritual of the S . C . of Charleston ( kindly lent mo by a brother on the pevnt of giving some very important documents to the American press ) one

of the old names of the Rose Croix is said to bo "Knight of St . Andrew . " If these Bel g ian Constitutions aro genuine , I take them and the James III . Rose Croix warrant to prove modern Templary an engraftation of 1 715 , under Princo Charles Edward Stuart . —JOHN YAUKEH , Jun .

THE CEREMONIES AND TRADITIONS OP OUR FREEMASON'HY ( page 1 S 9 ) . I am not aware of the Freemasons from the 12 th to the ISth century possessing or promulgating our doctrine of tho universal brotherhood

of man . That was reserved for tho speculative Masonry which arose about A . D . 1717 . I consider that it is not nt all impossible that our ceremonies , rituals , Sec ., havo been manufactured and elaborated since 1717 ; more , I believe such to

be in reality lite case . Further , our so-called traditions and legends have also sprang up since 1717 . Desnguliers and Co . studied the Bible and other ancient histories , hence our Masonic drama , though quite recent , comparatively speaking ,

itself , contains allusions to ancient per .-onages and their actions , while the background , & c , is filled up with imaginary ideas taken out of the author ' s own head . M y drift" in saying so is to get at tho truth ,

because I consider I hat wo dishonour Freemasonry when we are trying to bolster it up with untruths , Just as if it needed any such bolstering or propping up ! Jt is the princi ples of speculative Masonry that aro its grand

recommendation , and it is tlie carrying out of those principles into action that is our recommendation . Show mo your Masonic schools , asylums , ifcc ., and I can dispense with your pretended

antiquity . Tho Augustan ago of operative Freemasonry is past ; the Augustan era of speculative Masonry , I trust , has yet to come . M y "drift" has been , and I intend will be , to assist a little in bringing it on . LEO . MASONIC wonic . St . George ' s Chapel , Windsor A . D . 1507 . —

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

William Vertue , a Freemason , executed the groined ceiling at St . George ' s Chapel , Windsor . Eton College , A . D . 1441 , December . —There were thirty-five Freemasons' employed .

Tower of London . — The Freemasons' work between the 4 th of June "laste paste" unto September 7 th , 24 th year of Henry VIII , is described by a document now in the

Chapterhouse , Westminster . Louth Steeple , . D . 1 G 27-2 S . —The spire was repaired b y " Thomas Euglefield , Freemason and steeple-mender . " VINDEX .

BROS . D . M . LYON , W . J . HUGHAN , AND W . P . BTJCIIAN ON SPECULATIVE FREEMASONRY . Bro . Lyon says :- - " Non-operatives cannot be shown to have to any extent been admitted members of lodges before 1 G 34 , and then onl y were admitted as fellows of the Masonic Craft ,

just as in our day the Prince of Wales or any other non-professional gentleman may be received as an honorary member of the Fishmongers ' Society . Such admission had something to do in paving the way for the more easy adoption of

the speculative Freemasonry that was afterwards manufactured b y Desaguliers and Co . " Bro . Hughan says : — " Freemasonry as we have it now was not in existence before the 1 Sth centnry . The crafts were provided for from , the

15 th century , and afterwards , without any special distinction for masons . ' Wrichtes and maisones ' were often classed together , and certainly there was nothing special in the latter , so far as may be gathered by the Acts of Parliament . We

read of the " wardens and deaknes " of crafts , but never os applied exclusivel y to Masonry . Why ? Surely because that as a bod y it contained nothing requiring different legislation to the others . " Bro . Buchan says :- ¦ - " Desaguliers , Payne , and

Anderson were the originators of Freemasonry , in the second decade of the lb'th century A . D , and to them belongs the honour of its foundation . Freemasonry , as an exponent of the ideas and princi p les , & e ., of 'Speculative Masonry , ' did

not arise until the time of the so-called 'revival ' of A . D . 1717 , which so-called ' revival' was in reality the first establishment of Speculative Freemasonry as an institution ; consequently , said Freemasonry 13 now just one hundred and fifty-two years old . Before last century , so far

as becoming speculative Freemasons waa conconcerned , gentlemen mi g ht as well have joined some of the other old trades' societies . Operative Masonry was the spoon which Drs . Desaguliers and Anderson made use of in administering the new idea . " LEO .

Can you inform mo if there is a Masonic explanation of the Peutangle ? If so what is the price ? W . WAYNE . The following explanation is given by Oliver : — Pentalpha—In the Royal Arch Degree , the name of God is depicted in the centre of old floor-cloths , by a double interlacing trian » le , thus

v inscribed within a dark circle , representing unlimited space beyond the reauh of light , and the top representing the "light shining in darkness , " and the "darkness comprehending it not . " This had been used as a Christian symbol , to denote the two natures of Jehovah , the Godman , also as an emblem of the Trinity , for centuries before the Royal Arch Degree was ever thought of . Iu this form

in or the abovo it was called the pentangle , or seal of Solomon , and the shield of David , and was employed all over Asia as a preservative against witchcraft , in which superstition the Jews aro said to have participated , for they used written charms enclosed in the above hexagonal or pentangular figure , and di-pnsed cabalistically , which were worn about the necks . It constituted the Pythagorean pentalphu , and was the symbol of health .

A MEETING of Roman Catholic gentlemen has just taken place at Fribnrg , in the Grand Duchy of Baden , to reorganise the Order of the Kni ghts of Malta , which course has been authorised by the Pope . Eight gave their adhesion to the rules , which do not comprise the vows of celibacy or poverty , but only those of obedience . The new chevaliers , who have a cardinal for Grand Master , will wear a crimson uniform with gold epaulettes , and a Maltese cross on tho breast .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ The Editor is not responsible for the opin i ons expressed by Corresponden ts . ]

THE MASONIC LIFE BOAT FUND . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —My attention has been drawn to certain communications with regard to . this Fund . As late Secretary , permit me to state that a verv considerable sum has been subscribed by the

brethren , but while acting ( gratuitously ) as Secretary I failed either to obtain , for publication , a list of the subscribers , or of the amounts of their subscriptions . My duties were confined simply to conducting the necessiry correspondence , acknowledging receip t , of stuns received , and enclosing the Treasurer ' s receipts .

I had nothing whatever to do with the money matters and I regret therefore that I am unable to give any account either of the sums received or of what has become of the Fund . I am , yours fraternally , ANTHONY ONEAL

IIAYEFREEMASONRY . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) SIR , — " Notes from our London Correspondent , " in the Yorkshire Gazette of 30 th ult ., we have a letter which seems to require attention . It is not my intention nor my province to correct the writer in his careless and erroneous application of words , but I may be

allowed to say , that it is notcommon for either scholars or gentlemen to use the words , " pleadcry , bumptious , asinine , guzding , aud unmitigated snob , " as they are . used in that letter . I also pass the announcement , that " The Government have been guilty of a nice little job , in sending

an Ambassador to Spam , and that this said Ambassador is the bumptious , conceited , arrogant and irascible Mr . Layard — Nineveh Bull-discoverer Layard . " Permit me to ask ; Is this hyphen in the right place ? Ought "discoverer " to have a capital D , and lastly did Mr . Laynrd rcalli / find a bull ? Was it a real bull , oris

the London Correspondent speaking in parables ? As newspapers take . such a prominent part in the education of the people , would it not be well for us in all onr leaders and letters to attempt the combination of elegance and accuracy . If York citizens have attained a high degree of intellectuality by means of newspapers ,

I cannot think it attributable to such letters as that of the London Correspondent . I wish to reply to the paragraph on Freemasonry , which iu substance is as follows : "Mr . Conway was appointed Master of the Lodge in January last , and hasdefrauded his employers of £ 1 , 000 and ODD . Being

an Englishman , he could not do less than entertain the members to a dinner which cost £ 11—bill unpaid . It strikes me that Freemasonry is made the excuse for much unnecessary guzzling . 1 have known more than one man who traces his RUIN to connection with a Masonic Lodge . If Mr . Conway is a sample of tho

Masters of Lodges , & c ., & c ., how mankind could be served , or philanthropic objects promoted by thirtynine persons dining at a cost , of £ 11 ( bill still unpaid ) , I am at a lo ? s to conceive . It would be well for Masons who dine together to see the dinner paid for , beforo thev ATE it . Ye Gods ! it is enough to make one dio

with laughing . " If this account of Mr . Conway is true , he has done wrong , his conduct is extremely wicked , and as I look at it I am pained to think any man should so disgrace himself ami his family . I cannot laugh at it , nor do I envy the man who

can . Whatever may have been this man ' s defalcations anterior to his c lection , they wen ; unknown to the members of the lodge , or he would not e \ cn have been nominated , nor would lie have been admittid as a meniliT . It is not the leading feature of Englishmen

to invite thirty-nine people to u dinner costing £ . \ A \ and leave , the bill unpaid . Men do not guzzle , or rob their employers because they are Freemasons , but because they are gluttons and scnurdrels . I do not believe that , people who accept an invitation to dinner do so to serve mankind , or even to promote

philanthropic objects , but are influenced in the . sumo way that London Correspondents are , namely , to enjoy a good dinner . If , iu return , a London Correspondent asked some friends to dine , / should think it discourteous , if after grace , the guests said , " We beg pardon , and hope we may not he misunderstood or considered as

busy-bodies , but London is a curious place—no place on earth like it , and remembering Unit we are at tho talk of a London Correspondent , to prevent unpleasant mistakes—pray IS this dinner paid fur ? It is the established rule and general custom among Freemasons for each man to pay hi * sh ire of tho

expenses of any banquet or social gathering , even beforo lie leaves ( lie room . Our constitution and by-laws are considered wise and good , at least so wise and good as to be incapablo of improvement by the London Correspondent . That part of the paragraph which seems to mo to have tho least manliness , and the utter absence of good-