Original Correspondence.

THE LATE FESTIVAL R . M . B . I . _ To the Editor of " The Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In your excellent account of the Festival of the above Institution , you state ( page 10 S , ) " Bro . George Bland , as Steward for the King ' s Friends Lodge , No . 293

, Nantwich , heading the array with ^ 73 15 s . " I was Steward for the Combermere Lodge of Union , No . 295 , Macclesfield . I feel that it is clue to the brethren of my lodge and of the sister Macclesfield Lodge , the Lodge of Unity , No . 267 , who supported me with their contributions , that thc correction should be made . —Yours fraternally ,

GEORGE BLAND , W . M . 295 . Macclesfield , 2 nd March , 1 SS 5 .

INSTRUCTION MEETINGS , V . INSTRUCTION LODGES . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The meetings of the brethren of a lodge in their own Masonic HaU for practice in the Ritual , I hold , is not an instruction lodge , within the meaning of the Book of

Constitutions , 15 S to 101 . If the same brethren held such meetings for instruction in a public place , an hotel for example , my opinion is that it would be illegal to hold such meetings without thc sanction of a regularly warranted lodge , or other lawful authority . Will you give an opinion on this matter ? The members actually referred to

practically have the sanction of the lodge , so far as that the meetings are presided over by the VV . M . and the officers of the lodge , but they take no minutes . It is very desirable that it be clearly understood what is and what is not" meant by instruction lodges ; and I am one of those who like to uphold the Book of Constitutions , and as a P . M ., set an example . —Yours fraternally , JUSTITIA .

THE STAR IN THE EAST . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Some few years ago , when I was in China , I remember a circular being received from the Grand Secretary relative to the light in the East in the Third Degree , and ordering-the same to be discontinued . The W . M . 's

candle , which ought never to go out , was then placed at the back of the W . M . ' s chair , and until I arrived in England I have never seen the lamp used since . Will you kindly let me know through your valuable journal the date of that circular , and if it is regular for any lodge to use a lamp for the Star in the East . —Yours fraternally , London , Feb . 20 th . M . M ., 525 .

Reviews

REVIEWS

DEBRETT'S PEERAGE , BARONETAGE , KNIGHTAGE , AND COMPANIONAGE . The 172 nd year of publication . Edited by ROBERT H . MAIR . Personally revised by the Nobility , 1 SS 5 . London : Dean and Son , Publishers , 160 A , Fleet-Street , E . C . The Royal Edition of Debrett is one of the handsomest , as it is likewise one of the most complete and accurate , works of reference of its kind with which the public is

annually favoured . The fact of its having been issued during a term of 172 years is evidence enough of its merits , even without any other recommendation that could be urged in its behalf . But , though so venerable an annual , " Debrett , " instead of obeying a well-known law of Nature and shrinking , or , at all events , presenting always the same features , grows more important , and offers a rare abundance of new matter with each successive re-publication .

This , however , is little more than might have been expected . Those who figure in its pages , when they find no pains are spared in order to insure as near an approach as possible to completeness and accuracy , take a personal interest in what is said of them , and we are not surprised to hear , on the authority of the Editor , that during 1 SS 4 upwards of 20 , 000 correspondents furnished him with information as to births , deaths , and

marriages , promotions , & c , while over 17 , 000 have personally corrected or approved the proofs that were submitted to them for inspection . This , as Dr . Mair very justly says , " indicates the extraordinary interest that our nobility and their relatives take in having family events correctly recorded , " and hc rightly adds , "in future years this interest may prove of paramount inportance to their descendants , by enabling them to discover evidence for

legal or genealogical purposes , and to obtain clues that would otherwise be wanting . The constant requisition for old editions of ' Debrett' affords ample proof of its recognised value for referential purposes . " Considering what lias been said of former editions , we are somewhat puzzled to offer any new remarks . That every year " Debrett" of necessity becomes more accurate , especially having regard ' 0 the personal supervision which it undergoes ,

and to which the Editor has very properly called attention , is a matter which goes without saying . Mistakes are inevitable , but their repetition is not , and between Dr . Mair's supreme oversight and the assistance rendered him by his correspondents , there seems to us to be small chance of the perpetuation of even one . How P | - if we can say little that is new , we may do our readers the service of nointinn * out some of the special features of

Debrett . " Thus , it is the only work of its kind in which any attempt is made to give the residences of junior members of the families of Peers and Baronets and their collateral branches , male and female ; the clubs and places of education of males ; the issues of females whose lathers were descended from a first Peer or Baronet in the " - ¦ ale line ; special indexes to the surnames of Peers ' children , & c , & c . Information is also given as to Peerages mat

have become extinct or dormant , and there are also Biographical notices of the companions of the various orders ot knighthood . From this , at all events , the reader will be able to form something like an approximate idea of the Character of " Debrett , " or rather of its special claims on the Patronage of the public , but to form a just conception of ? ™ ents one must look into the work itself and see how admirabl y it is compiled ; how ample the information , and yet in how condensed a form it is presented ; how well

Reviews

executed are the armorial illustrations ; and in fact , generally , how complete in all respects is the Royal Edition of this well known and almost indispensable work of reference . VVe must congratulate Messrs . Dean and Son , the publishers , as well as the Editor on thc rc-issuc for the current year of this important volume .

PROVINCIAL CALENDARS . THE LANCASTER MASONIC CALENDAR FOR 1 SS 5 , Lancaster . Bro . H . LONGMAN , Market-street :. VVe have received the second issue of this really useful local pocket calendar , which in a concise form contains dates of meetings and lists of officers of the various lodges , chapters , conclaves , & c , held in the town whence it is

issued . _ It contains also a vast amount of useful local information besides that already enumerated , such for instance as the number of votes held by each lodge for the Aged Freemasons' Institute ; that for the Widows ; and for the Boys' and Girls' School , & c , and with this in his possession , a brother has practically everything relating to Freemasonry in his own district at his " finger ' s end " so lo speak . The value of the work is considerably enhanced by

a very comprehensive compendiary of "Masonic Notes , which have a peculiar interest to the members of the Craft , dating back to the consecration of the Lodge of Fortitude , in 17 S 9 . The calendar is of handy size , containing 32 pp ., and whether regarded for the correctness of its information or for its neatness of workmanship , is equally creditable to our worthy Bro . Longman , P . M ., P . P . G . S . of VV ., & c , the compiler and publisher , and to whom we believe it is a labour of love .

WILTSHIRE MASONIC CALENDAR FOR 1 SS 5 . VVe have been favoured by our esteemed friend and brother , W . Nott , with a copy of this very useful and handy compendium of Masonic information for the good Province of Wiltshire . It is admirably printed and lucidly arranged , and Bro . Nott deserves no little credit for his careful editing and admirable marshalling of facts and

figures . It is now the fifth annual edition . There are ten lodges in Wiltshire and five chapters . They have now 426 members of the province , and 1497 charitable votes , showing a great increase in || successive years . We regret to note the absence of the provincial balance-sheet , as it is not for foolish curiosity that such a return is asked for , but to ascertain , if possible , the whole general returns and charitable work of contemporary English Freemasonry .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

526 ] MASONIC SYLLABUS . "S . R . B . 's" letter in your issue of the 28 th February contains one of the most practical requests possible . The project is leasable , though difficult , owing to the scarcity of some books of great importance . Another difficulty will be that almost every book supports a different theory . But first of all Bro . " S . R . B . " should inform us whether French or German works should form part of the course of reading

and study . I presume a dozen books at most should cover the whole field ; but I find that my list of works which I have studied , and from which " ! have made extracts , and which all have some direct connection with the subject , approaches 400 ! So the choice is difficult . The text book , when completed , will undoubtedly be Gould ' s History of Freemasonry , but even this cannot suffice the earnest student—no one work ever will . G . W . SPETH .

527 ] LES CHEVALIERS DE L'ORIENT . I have read all that Bro . Speth has said on this head . But I do not see that he advances his case much . He admits that all the French authorities , and he might have added Findel , are against him , and that he himself stands alone in this contention . He seems to rest on Tschoudy , —but Tschoudy is , I said before ,

not a safe authority , and a manuscript concocted at St . Petersburg , May 6 , 175 S , is , critically considered , worthless . Tschoudy founded a somewhat similar chapter himsell at Metz , and is in my humble opinion , a very unsafe guide to follow . A curious little point crops up . Kloss gives us the names of the French members of this chapter in 17 GG , and calls them members of the Grand Lodge of

France . But not one of these names is to be found in 1771 as in any way connected with the Grand Lodge of France . If this be so , then the presumption is , as Kloss honestly admits , there may have been two Grand Lodges under the same G . M ., and which he also seems to think joined together in 1762 , when Pirlet , probably , founded the " G . Conseil de Chevaliers , " & c . The college ol

De Valois , if a real body , was undoubtedly an ephemeral body , and was defunct , as Kloss admits himself , in 1762 . Daruty ' s argument about Pirlet deserves atttention . He does not sign Stephen Morin's Patent in 1762 , and probably then was founding or re-founding the Conseil des Chevaliers , & c . Kloss speaks doubtfully as regards Pirlet , though he gives 1756 as the exact date of the

Chevaliers—mainly on Tschoudy's alleged manuscript authority . Bro . Speth talks of De Valois as a Mason : was he so ? 1 can lind no trace of him anywhere . There was a De Valois said to be Grand Master of The Templars , but all I can find is a "College de Valois " which emanated from the Conseil de Empereurs ! See Handbuch . No French writer mentions De Valois personally . Perhaps Bro . Speth can give us some reference to

his personality . " If these laws of 1758 of the Chevaliers at St . Petersburgh are signed De Valois , I should at once feel sure they were apocryphal , which I am much disposed to do even now . Can Bro . Speth give any reference to them except on " the dicitur" of Kloss , who does not tell us where they are . This very week a MS . List of Officials and Venerables of the F . G . Lodge of 1765 has fallen into my hands , and I will call attention to it next week . A . F . A . VV .

52 S ] MASONIC TOBACCO BOX . We are indebted for the following account of a rare Masonic relic to the kindness of Bro . Lamb Smith , of Worcester , who , we think , is right in his conjecture that it

Masonic Notes And Queries.

will prove interesting to the readers of this journal . This Masonic tobacco box is of brass ; oval 111 form , and its dimensions are 5 * in . by 2 V in . by 1 in . in depth . The particulars of its history and appearance are as follows : — It was given by the Duke of Perth at the defeat of the Pretender , in 1746 , toa lady , who afterwards became the great grandmother of the present owner , and has been

handed down in their family as a Masonic relic , and as the box of the Hon . John Drummond , who , in 16 S 5 , became Earl of Milford . This is consistent with "Burke's Peerage , " as he was the only member of the Perth family who had a right to heraldic bearings , coupled with an esquire's helmet . The Masonic insignia are on thc lid ; the armorial bearings on the bottom of the box .

THE INSIGNIA . Three columns form the centre of box , with a double scroll at each end formed ; towards the centre , from the top of the left-hand scroll is suspended a square , and from the centre of the scroll cross-keys . The left-hand column is marked E , and on thc top is the sun with rays . In the centre hangs a square badge , with Hebrew characters . On the base stands the Volume , square , and compass . lhe

second , or centre , column is marked S . It has a moon with rays on the top , with three stars and a comet on the left , and seven stars on the right . On the centre hangs a dial , with one hand pointing to 12 . On the base a mallet , square , and 24 in gauge . lhe third column , marked W , has on the top a bust of a man with rays . On the centra hangs a badge similar to one on the E , and on the base a . scroll of paper , a square , and rule . On the right scroll , to

match that on the left , hangs compass , quadrant , and sun in centre ; from centre of scroll hangs the cross-pens . The columns are attached by a loose rope , or chain , and from the centre , between Eand S , hangs a circular-pierced jewel , the letter G being the prominent feature . ( There were some of them in the last Exhibition . ) On the ground below

stands a smooth ashlar . Suspended between S and W is a circular jewel , with what seems to be an ephod in the centre and the letter G . ( I have never seen a jewel such as this . ) On the bottom of the box is the ' coat-of-arms , with an esquire's helmet above ; a crest ; dog ; motto , " Gang Warily . "

J D 1670 The box was photographed some time since by T . E . Seed , Weston-super-X'Iare , and I have a photo now before me . L . S .

529 J THE GRANDE LOGE DE LA FRANCE . Clavel seems to think that in its initial years it was also called G . L . Provinciale of France , or , Provincial G . L . of France , but there seems to be no warrant for the statement . Bro . Speth seems to doubt if there be any evidence of any "Statuts" emanating from G . L . Anglaise . Rebold affirms that it was so termed in 1736 , and that in that year it adopted Scottish Masonry .

A statement without the shadow of foundation . As Findel truly says , we are indebted to aGctman source for its earliest Statutes . As the Statutes of 1 755 do not profess to be thoseota G . Lodge , butof " the Kespectable Lodge . " I am myself not aware of any printed form emanating Irom "the G . L . Anglaise , so-called , though Findel seems to say so , that some were printed about 1744 . Those of i 77 iareof the G . L . de la France . " But the " consensus "

of all writers , including Kloss and Daruty , gives to the G . L . Francaise the original name of " G . L . Anglaise , " and Findel seems to assert that it so called itself specifically for the first time in 1744 . It would be well to see what is the heading of the Statutes translated or reproduced in the " Zeitschrift . " The Statutes of 1 755 have not been printed , as far as I am aware in French , as originally given , thus far . Kloss translates those

clauses he makes use of , though it is a great pity he did not give us the actual French . The copy he used is of a doubtful parentage . It is professedly of a High Grade chapter , and in possession of a Frankfort lodge , not copied until 1761 , on parchment , with Masonic illuminations , and among them the Bridge of the Knight ol the Last , pointing

unmistakeably to a High Grade chapter and its real origin , lt may still be at Frankfort . I do not myself believe much reliance can be placed upon these ' * Statuts , " further than as an emanation irom the Chapitie de Clermont . They certainly had nothing whatever to do with the Grand Lodge of France properly so-called , and it is a " chimera of chimeras " to perpetuate such a blunder . MASONIC STUDENT .

53 ol I have seen Bro . Speth ' s communication of last week . I do not perceive that what he says much affects the question between us , with all due deference to him . Everything rests upon Kloss . There is no French publication which contains these laws in French , and Kloss himself does not anywhere give us the original French , or preserve for us the original words . As

everything loses by translation , this system of handling documents is most unskilful , and uncritical , and unfair to the student , as a good deal may turn , and must turn , on a particular word in the original language . I am not aware that either the document translated in the Zeitschrift , which was Kloss's sole authority , or the 1755 Statuts , are available for study . With all respect for Bro . Speth , Kloss does not say he had himself seen the minute book of the " Lodge de la Chambre

du Roi' in 1 745 , and refers the readers to the Altenburgh Zeitschrift for 1 S 36 . His history of French Freemasonry was written in 1852 . He does not even say he had himself seen the Statuts of 1755 once in the possession of the Lodge " Einigkeit , " and his description may be hearsay ; but we may assume in this case , being at Frankfort himself , that he had seen them . In the lormer case he does not use a single word to show that the minute book had

ever been seen by him , and therefore his authority rests on the Zeitschrift , which produces in 1836 an authority of 1 745 , very nearly 100 years before . Where is that minute book now ? When we can see these evidences , and study them in the original language , we shall be in a better position to realize their importance , critically , than we can now . lt is remarkable that these two sets of laws are not recognized

by any work I am aware of as emanating from the G . L . Francaise . They probably have been put together from Varcntraapps and La Teirce ' scompilations . At present , for any purposes of critical discussion or historical evidence , they cannot be safely adduced or relied on . Indeed , assuming the Articles of 1745 , Versailles to be genuine and authentic , they utterly upset the theory of . the Scottish develope-