Masonic Notes.

and it must be pleasant for him to feel that time increases the number of his friends . He cannot help making many every year when they note his devotion to his official duties , and all long for his continued health and valuable services .

The Voice of Masonry records the death of a very distinguished member of the Fraternity in Florida—Bro . De Witt Clinton Dawkins , who held the oflice of M . W . Grand Master of the Grand Lodge in that State in i 860 , 1861 , 1862 , and 1 S 66 and 1868 , and had served

as Grand Secretary of the same body from 1869 till his death towards the close of 1892 . Bro . Dawkins was also Grand Secretary of the Grand Chapter , a member of the Order of the Temple , and a 33 ° in thc Ancient and Accepted Rite under the Supreme Council

of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States . He is described by Bro . Angus Paterson , M . W . G . M . of Florida , as having been better known and more beloved than any other member in that jurisdiction , and as one whom the humblest brother could approach at all

times with ease and freedom . Bro . Dawkins died at his residence in Jacksonville on the 5 th October last , and two days later his honoured remiins vvere borne to their last resting place by his brethren . He is succeeded as Grand Secretary by Bro . William A . McLean , who is also a Past Grand Master of the jurisdiction .

* * * The Grand Chapter of Virginia , which held its 85 th annual convocation in Richmond on the 1 ith and 12 th October , 1892 , has on its roll 38 private chapters , vvith

an aggregate membership of 1985 . Comp . William Lewis Jeffries was elected and installed G . H , Priest for the ensuing year , while Comp . W . B , Isaacs was reelected to the office of Grand Secretary , vvhich he has filled for many years past with so much ability ,

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

f We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish In a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

RULE 130 OF THE BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The letter in your last issue , on the above subject , is readily answered . During my sojourn in

Australia the point at issue twice cropped up . Firstl y in connection with a Sydney lodge , and secondly in Melbourne . The decision of the V . W . Grand Registrar—I forget at the moment whether Bro . Philbrick or his predecessor , Bro . M'Intyre—settled any doubt that might arise for all time . I have not the exact

words by me , hut the opinion was to the effect that the election of W . M . is not completed until the minutes are confirmed , by vvhich time he has , of course , served the office of Warden for one year , as laid down in Article 130 . I am unaware of any other dispute of the kind than the two I have referred to . On the other hand , I can

call to mind many instances in which a J . . or S . W . — the latter not having served the office of J . W . —has been elected to the chair without the sli ghtest question as to eligibility . "R . W . O . ' s" query of nearly five years ago in the Freemason on this point has truly been " sleeping , " as he remarks . —Yours fraternally , W . F . LAMONBY .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I remember the query put by "R . W . O . " having been put before , and rather thought it was answered by some one , if not by myself , but I am away from town , and cannot refer to books and papers . I think there is little doubt upon the point . The

service counts from the time of investment , and when the regular meeting comes round , the Bro . Warden will have served his " one year as Warden . " Of couise , if at the date of installation he has not served the year , it would be open to any brother to object to the confirmation of the minutes , and this risk is for the brethren to consider upon the ballot . —Yours fraternal lv , LEX SCRIPTA .

To ihe Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , " R . W . O . ' s" query ought to admit of only one reply , for it is difficult to see how a brother who has been invested ( for the first time ) in December can be deemed to "' have served for one year" in the

following-November—an interval of 11 months only . In practice , however , it will be found that a Warden who has thus served II months only is not unfrequently elected , and on the following month installed as Master . It is held by some brethren that the subsequent words of Rule 130 cover the difficulty , viz ., that " at the next regular meeting thc first business after the opening of the

Correspondence.

lodge shall be the reading of the minutes of the preceding meeting , and if they be confirmed , so far at least as relates to the election of Masters , he shall be deemed to be elected . " Thus the confirmation of the minutes ( which is absolutely essential to render the previous election valid ) is evidently regarded as the necessary completion of the act of election , which duty , however , the members actually performed at the previous

meeting . If such an interpretation is correct , the language of the Rule should be made more explicit , for as it stands it appears impossible that a brother could be eligible as having served a whole year when he has actually served only n months . Surely the words " have served" refer to an accomplished fact , and cannot possibly mean " vvho shall have served " on the day of installation , generally four weeks later at least . — Yours fraternally , ARGUS .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

1021 ] THE NISMESIAN THEORY OF BRO . C . C . HOWARD . I quite agree with Bro , Howard that the first thing to do in arriving at a full understanding of the Old Charges is to have a minute critical examination of the text , such as Bros . Howard and Begemann have at various times undertaken , and for which both are eminently qualified . With regard to Bro . Howard ' s

special contention , that the Greco-Roman Saracenic town of Nismes , in Southern France , was the instructor in Masonry of Charles Martel , and not a person of the name , I still think much more may be said in its favour , and I will ask your permission to give , in a few lines , a further proof of its probability—I think we may almost say certainty . There is , in French , an

old romance of the 12 th century entitled Les Quatre Fils Aymon , by Huon de Villeneuve . This will serve Bro . Howard ' s turn if vve can show , as 1 think vve can , that the Masons of early times looked upon it as a Masonic allegory , but the almost certain fact of it will be quietly ignored , because it will tend to confirm a very unpopular theory , which would necessitate the

re-writing of history . The earliest notice of Charles Martel as a patron of French Masons is in France , under date 1258 ; in the Cooke MS . preface it is Carolus Secundus , which no doubt means Charlemagne , and may date in England not later than the 14 th century . At a date not earlier than 1525 , vve return in our numerous modern Charges to Charles Martel ,

and the author has found a name for his instructor—Naymus Grecus , who ( he tells us ) had been at the building of Solomon ' s temple ; also that the Four Sons was running in the mind of the author is indicated by the fact that he informs us that Aymon was the name of the artist whom Hiram of Tyre sent to Solomon , for that must be the original form of

spelling , and not Aynon , as Bro . Howard supposes . Charlemagne returns in 768 from a bloody war against the Saracens ; his colleagues are Solomon , also qualified of Bretagne , and his friend and councillor , the Duke of Naismes . His anger is inflamed against Prince Aymon , of Ardennes , and his two brothers , inasmuch as they had not joined in this war , and the Quatre Fils

—Renaud , Allard , Guichard , and Richard—leave the Court in search of adventure . They defeat the Sarancen chief Bourgons , and restore Yon , King of Acquitaine to the throne , and cause Bourgons to become a Christian . Renaud marries the king ' s daughter and builds Montauban , and is urged to make peace vvith Charlemagne . Accordingly the four

brothers set out with olive branches in their hands and are treacherously waylaid , but are relieved by the appearance of their cousin Maugis , and " the cypress is changed for the palm . " Richard is taken prisoner , but Maugis disguises himself as a pilgrim , hangs the executioner , and releases Richard . Charlemagne now attacks Montauban , but peace is eventually nude upon

condition that Renaud departs as a pilgrim for the Holy Land . This he does hnd meets with his cousin Maugis , together they defeat the Saracens , and restore the old Christian King of Jerusalem to the throne . Renaud now obeys a request of Charlemagne to return to France , when he finds his wife , and his old father and mother dead , and his late

antagonists—Naismes , Oger , and Roland—slain at Ronciveux . Five years later Charlemagne visits Aix-le-Chapelle , and seeing a crowd assembled , he questions an old woman , who informs him that she " comes from the village of Crosne , where dwelt a holy hermit , tall and strong as a giant . He was minded to aid the Masons at Cologne in building the Church of St . Peter , where

he maneuvered so well that the others , jealous of his ability , killed him whilst he slept , and threw his bod y into the Rhine , where it floated surrounded with light . " She goes on to say that the body had been exposed in the nave of the church , that it might be recognised , and had wrought miracles upon the sick . Charlemagne went to view the corpse , and beheld

Renaud de Montauban , and his two sons and three brothers , vvho accompanied the Emperor , mingled their tears over the body . Then the Bishop spoke , and said : " Comfort ye ! He whom you mourn has obtained the immortal palm . " Charlemagne ordered a magnificent funeral , and a rich tomb .

Now , apart from the unmistakeable references to the Masonry of the French Compagnionage in this extract , there are other curious things worthy of note . The body of Osiris , when slain by Typhon , was thrown into the Nile ; Renaud ' s into the Rhine ; the address of the Bishop is almost word for word with the consolation

Masonic Notes And Queries.

addressed by the old Hierophants to the mourners on the revival of Osiris , Bacchus , Adonis , Amnion , or the sun-god , under various names ; the branch , ivy , laurel , palm , varied in these mysteries . Lastly , the substitution of another life for that of Richards corresponds to the Gnostic relation of a substituted attend , and for our Saviour . Finally , the Masonic theory which it involves , by the confusion of Charlemagne ' s era with the

Crusades , produces an allegory corresponding with Ramsay's speech of 1737 , of the Palestinian origin of one of our Rites , and if we allow this much , there can scarcely be a question that the S jlomon ' s temple which this Mason helped to erect vvas that vvhich James of Vitry states vvas a spacious structure at Jerusalem called by that name to distinguish the Temple of the Chivalry from that of Christ . JOHN YARKER .

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METROPOLITAN MEETINGS . Joppa Lodge ( No . 188 ) . —The installation meeting of this centenary lodge vvas held on the 2 nd inst . at Freemasons' Tavern , Bro . A . Cohen , W . M ., presiding . Among those present were Bros . E . Letchworth , Grand Sec ; A . Cohen , P . M . ; J . S . Lyon , Treas . ; Lewis Lazarus , P . M ., Sec . ; the Rev . S . J . Roco , Chap . ; H . S . Onken , D . C ; H . Massev . P . M . 610 and maS :

Orlton Cooper , P . M . 211 ; S . Dancyger , P . M . 205 ; W . Lyon , P . M . ; John Botibol , J . Bird , C A . Webb , H . Lazarus , P . M . ; Isaac Botibol , P . M . ; A . G . Dodson , P . M . ; Lewis Wall , P . M . ; VV . J . Gardner , P . M . ; M . Siegenberg , S . D . ; S . Frantz , J . D . ; L . J oseph , M . Chapman , W . Thomas , A . E . Todd , S . C . Kaufman , A . Jacobson , M . Bash , Asher , 1 , 1 S 5 ; Myers , P . M .: A . F , Casperd , John Bassett , las . Edwards , R . L . Parkes . E .

Ansell , G . Van Valen , H . Rosenbourn , A . C . Cohen , E . J . Emanuel , M . Hent , W . M . Carter , A . P . L . Tebbitt , and J . Hyman . The VV . M . initiated Messrs . Henry and Edward Emanuel and George Heilbuth . Bro . H . Lazarus , I . P . M ., then installed Bro . H . Garrard , S . W ., and W . M . elect , as Master of the lodge for the ensuing year , and the following brethren were then invested as oilicers ;

Bros . Wiegal , S . W . j M . Siegenberg , J . W . ; J . S . Lyon , Treas . ; L . Lazarns , P . M ., Sec ; Rev . S . ) . Roco , S . D . ; Davy , J . D . ; H . S . Onken , I . G . ; A . G . Dodson , P . M ., D . C . ; Rosenberg and Thomas , Stewards ; and Gaskell , Tyler . After a handsome Past Master ' s jewel had been presented to Bro . A . Cohen , I . P . M ., a vote of thanks to Bro . H . Lazarus , P . M ., for performing the ceremony of installation vvas passed , and ordered to be recorded on the minutes .

The lodge was then closed , and banquet followed with the customary toasts , and a very nice concert , in which Miss Mildred Dubois , Miss Florence Leoni , R . A . M ., Mr . Rechab Tandy , Bro . Roland Henry , and Herr Vorzanger , under the direction of Bro . Henry Prenton , took part . The comfort and enjoyment of the brethren was most assiduously attended to by Bro . A . G . Dodson , P . M ., D . C . The loyal toasts were first proposed and honoured .

Bro . Cohen , I . P . M ., in proposing " The Health of the W . M ., " said all the brethren would thank the W . M . for the able manner in vvhich he had presided that evening at the banquet table . The W . M . vvas also highl y capable of conducting the work of the lodge . He and the W . M . had gone on in the lodge step by step , and had worked in Masonry side by side , and now it had given him great pleasure to see him installed as W . M . Wishing him a very

happy and prosperous year of ^ office , the asked all the brethren to drink his health . The Worshipful Master , in reply , said that during his year of ollice he should try to the bjst of his abilities to carry out the duties of the chair with credit to himself and honour to the lodge . He then proposed " The Joppa Lodge Benevolent Fund , " and as the lodge had three initiates that night , he should call on the senior Vice-President , Bro .

Lewis Lazarus , to respond to it , as he knew more about it than anyone else . He looked upon the Benevolent Fund as the thermome .-r and the barometer of the lod ^ e , for when the funds were high the lodge was prosperous , and when they vvere low it showed that the lodge vvas passing through a period of depression . Bro . Lewis Lazarus , P . M ., Sic , in response , stated that the fund was started 40 or 50 years ago , and it must have

been a great boon to Grand Lodge , for its example had been followed by many other lodges throughout the United Kingdom . The boon to Grand Lodge vvas that when members of the lodge were reduced to a position when they miithtmake a claim on Grand Lod ge they came first to that lodge . In his time there had beun as large an amount as £ 1400 in the . fund , vvhich was no mean sum for a private ludge . When they came to consider the Urge number claiming on it , they must see the fund could not be kept up

without considerable subscriptions . 'They gave as much as £ So last year ami had taken but £ 15 . The brethren that evening had , however , subscribed liberally . Bro . Lazarus then read a list of subscribers to the amount of £ itj and said that in itself showed that the brethren were opening their eyes now and prjving what an interest they took in the Benevolent Fund . He hoped tint in future the brethren would make themselves Vice-Presidents by subscribing a sum of five guineas .

The Worshipful Master in proposing " The Initiates , " said that by the election of good men and true in ancient days Masonry occupied its presmt proud position . He thought that tint night they had followed the go jd example , and made an excellent choice of new members . Each of the Initiates responded .

'Ihe W . M . next proposed "The Immediate Past Master , " and hoped that he and every succeeding Master might quit the chair witb the same good feelings shown to them as were shown to Uro . A . C ihcn . It had been quite a treat to see how well Bro . Bro . Cohen and Bro . H . Lazarus had worked together for the past 12 months in the lodge , and at the banquet table .