Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

March , 1469 . Sir John Longstrother , Bailiff of the Eagle , and Seneschal of the reverend High Master of Rhodes , was elected Prior ofthe Hospital of St . John of Jerusalem in England in the year 1469 , and swore feality to King Edward on the 18 th of November in that year , and again to King Henry

on the 20 th . of October , 1470 . Being a zealous Lancasterian , he was on the same day appointed Treasurer of the Exchequer . On the 16 th of February following King Henry sent him to conduct the queen and prince from France to England , and granted him " of our Treasourc cc . marc to have of

oure yefte by way of re ward e for his cost and expenses in that behalve ; " and on the 14 th of the same month , in conjunction with John Delves , Esq ., he was appointed Warden of the Mint . He returned out of France with Queen Margaret in April , 1471 , being at that time called Treasurer of

England . William Tournay was prior in 1471 and 1474 . Robert Malton , in 1474 and 1476 . John Weston was prior in 1477 , again in 1485 . John Kendall was prior in 1491 . He died in the month of November , 1501 .

Thomas Docwra succeeded on the ist of May , 1502 : again in 1519 . William Weston was the last Prior before the Reformation . He died on the 7 th of May , 1540 . Newcourt reports Simon Botard , Elias Smethton , Stephen Fulborn , and Walter as Priors , without

attaching dates , although he believes them to have been Priors in the reign of Edward I . Sir Thomas Tresham was Prior on the re-erection of the House , in November , 1557 . The Order was restored by Philip and Mary , who incorporated the Prior and Brethren of St . John with a Common

Seal . In this charter , Sir Thomas Tresham , of Rushton , is named as Lord Prior ; and as such lie was summoned to the first and second Parliaments of Queen Elizabeth . Sir Richard Shelley succeeded in 1566 . The Bailli Terretti was Prior in 1577 .

The Bailli Nari , in 158 S . Sir Andrew Wise was Grand Prior in 1593 . He was nominally Prior in England in 1598 . Being reduced to the greatest extremity , the Roman Pontiff decreed that the langue of Castile and Leon should allow him out of its revenue a thousand ducats a

year . The Spanish Knights , objecting to pay this sum , there was a trial before the Grand Master to enforce it . During the following century the Bailli Zambeccari and the Bailli Lomellino were successively Grand Priors of England .

HABITS . Like flakes of snow that fall unperceived upon the earth , the seeming unimportant events of life succeed one another . As the snow gathers together , so are our habits formed . No single flake that is added to the pile produces a sensible change—no single action creates , however it

may exhibit , a man s character ; but as the tempest hurls the avalanche down the mountain , and overwhelms the inhabitant and his habitation , so passion , acting upon the elements of mischief , which pernicious habits have brought together by inperceptible accumulation may overthrow the edifice of truth aud virtue . — Jeremy Btntham ,

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

Tho Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . HEAR ME AGAIN . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEARSIRAND BROTHER , —I amnot sorry that anything I have written should have called forth , even under a misconception , so good-tempered , and genial a letter as that of Bro . Norton's , which appeared in the last FREEMASON . It does one good to read

so ingenious an expression of liberal opinion , and it would induce me , if I were younger antl had more leisure , to take a trip across the Atlantic to gaze on that good-tempered-looking countenance which it seems to be Bro . Norton's fortune to wear , and occasionally to bring over to England .

Excellent , however , as some of Bro . Norton ' s observations arc , and worth being borne in mind by every Mason , 1 must be permitted to say that all his reasoning upon my communications on ' A Step in the Right Direction" proceeds upon a total misapprehension of what 1 have written , and that none of my expressions will bear the construction

he puts upon tliem . Where have I written a word in favour of introducing religious discussions into a lodge ? Where have 1 written a word in favour of standing up in a lodge in defence of my views of religious truth ? Nowhere . In fact , I expressly repudiated theimputationof having done so when Bro . Norton formerly charged me with it . What I wrote

Original Correspondence.

against was undue sensitiveness or fastidiousness on religious topics in our intercourse with each othera silly affectation of pretending to have no religious convictions at all , for fear of giving offence to any one who happened to differ from us . If I left myself open to misconstruction in my first brief

communication on the subject , I surely guarded myself against it in my second communication , in which I expressly disclaimed the idea of introducing religious topics into a lodge , as a thing "inconsistent with the institution and foundation of Masonry . " And this I put in so many ways that it

is astonishing Bro . Norton should still misunderstand me . Let me now say , once for all , that I fully acquiesce in Bro . Norton ' s judgment as to the evils that would be inseparable from doing what he alleges I am desirous to do . But let me ' close this

short rejoinder to Bro . Norton by showing how infectious good temper and amenity arc , by saying that , upon the topic upon which we have both written , he has expressed my convictions much more intelligently and convincingly than I myself could have done .

I am yours faithfully , WILLIAM CARPENTER . [ We thoroughly endorse Bro . Carpenter ' s sentiments on the subject , knowing well that he would never advance ideas contrary to the principles of the Craft . —ED . F . ]

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I do not quite comprehend the " Doric" dialect ( page 322 ) , and therefore I may possibly misunderstand our learned brother , who so sharply criticises Brother Yarker ' s remarks ( that there arc writers who take up subjects

" for which their education and knowledge unfit them" ) when he says , inferentially , that the '' secrets of nature " may be explored by those who cannot boast a college education . I am not aware that Brother Yarker referred to " secrets of nature , " and 1 have yet to learn that

any have been discovered , or are discoverable , by a Masonic initiation . Bro . Yarker no doubt meant that those who enter the arena of metaphysical and theological discussion ought to have some knowledge of the ancient religions of the world—that they ought to know

something about the Sabccans , the Egyptian mysteries , the Vedas , the Confucian system , the Pythagorean and Platonic philosophies , the Zoroastrian , Scandinavian , and other cosmogonies and mythologies—but he certainly did not mean to deter the brethren from the study of geology , astronomv

chymistry , and mathematics generally , for in such sciences the real " secrets of nature" lie , and a college education is not necessary to those who have a genius for such studies . How competently Bro . Doric is versed in history may be gathered from his recent remarks on the

"Red Cross of Constantino controversy , and I have no doubt that by a careful study of Gibbon he may , in a few years , be qualified to give his opinions more forcibly on historical questionswhich are evidently his forte—without attempting to emulate the fame of Copernicus , Newton , Davy ,

Murchison , Faraday , Arago , and others who have revealed to us the arcana of Nature ; and 1 am sure that Bro . Yarker , when the time conies , will not refuse his plaudits . But ordinary " common sense , " unaided by study , will not suffice for the discussion of questions which arc based on the knowledge of past generations .

And even a cruise in tne "Royal Ark" will not make a Grand Mariner a Maury , but will probably bring him into shallows , from which "Grand Noah " will not be able to extricate him , notwithstanding the patronage of that original Bond of Admiralty which guarantees the success of such sublime voyages . Yours fraternally , SP .

SOMETHING WRONG , ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In your issue of last week I observe a letter under the above heading , which seems to reflect a little on Lodge Saltcoats and Ardrossan , No . 320 . That lodge is accused of

refusing to admit members of Lodge No . 442 , and I am sorry to say the charge is well founded . The lodge in question , however , adopts this unmasonic course for very special and exceptional reasons . They have a ground of complaint against three leading office-bearers ( the Master , Senior Warden ,

and Secretary ; of Lodge No . . 142 , the nature of which need not now be explained . They have tried every legitimate method of settling the dispute ; but they have hitherto failed in even getting the individuals in question to meet thtm'to deny the charges , or admit them . Anneals to the Provincial

and Grand Lodges have been equally unsuccessful . It was , in the opinion of No . 320 , a scandal on Masonry that such a stale of things should be allowed to continue , especially when the Grand Lodge recognised both lodges by receiving fees and issuing diplomas to both . In hopes that the matter would thus be brought to a heating , No . 320 reluc-

Original Correspondence.

tantly adopted the courseofwhichyourcorrespondent complains , naturally concluding that the members of No . 442 refused admission to our lodge would demand redress either from Nos . 320 , 442 , or , better still , from the Grand Lodge herself , and thereby bring the matter to a final issue . Several

of the rejected members of No . 442 were loud in their protestations , but there the matter invariably ended , and No . 320 was never called upon to explain why such treatment was meted out to brethren . Bro . Taylor is the first who has openly broken the ice , and the brethren of No . 320 only

hope that the question of dispute will now be thoroughly investigated , and matters placed on a satisfactory footing . Personally , I am not surprised that Bro . Lawrie did not reply to Bro . Taylor ' s letter , as I have unmistakeable proof that up to the 10 th inst . Bro . Taylors name did not appear in the

Grand Ledge books as a member of No . 442 , although he has been a Master Mason since the middle of March last—paid his fees entitling him to his diploma , and to be entered in the Grand Lodge book as a member of said lodge . However , the leading feature of the Grand Lodge ' s

proceedings , as far as I have seem , seems to be diligence in receiving cash , while matters deeply affecting the welfare of the Craft ( such as the dispute in question ) are systematically overlooked . As far as I can judge , the withholding of Bro . Taylor ' s diploma is quite against Masonic usage , and not

according to the system pursued by No . 320 ; but is quite in accordance with the rule pursued by No . 442 , as that lodge seems to have invented a new style of Masonry suited to their own peculiar circumstances . Hoping that for the benefit of the

Craft in general you will insert this in your first impression , and give it as much publicity as possible , I am , Sir , yours fraternally , DUNCAN WILKIE , Secretary . Ardrossan , June 29 , 1870 .

AN ERRATUM . ( To the Editor of 7 he Freemason . ) DEAR BROTHER , —In to-day ' s issue you have made a slight mistake in my extract from " The Stukeley Collection , " which alters the reading materially , by inserting a full stop after the word " London . "

It should read as follows : — - I was the first person made a Freemason in London for many years ; wc had great difficulty to find members enough to perform the ceremony , " & c , & c . Fraternally yours , G . BACON , Sec . 297 . 46 , Waterside , N ., Lincoln , June 25 , 1870 .

"BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE . " ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In yourpaperof 25 th ult ., I read , under the head " Board of Benevolence : ""Two were dismissed as ineligible , and it may

be well to state that in future foreign Masons cannot be relieved , unless for the purposcof sending them home to their own countries . " The Pactolcan stream of English Masonic charity will practically , therefore , cease to flow for all outside the ' English Pale . '"

May I be excused for asking who are thus meant when the term "foreign Masons " is used ? I know foreigners who are members of English lodges , and consequently contribute to our funds . Should they not participate in their distribution , if they unfortunately need it ?

Masonry , I understand , is universal in its membership , and " the sun never sets " oii its followers . I imagine , if such is its character , it must be so also in its institutions . Has a Mason power to turn his back on a brother in need ? Is he not bound by every duty to succour

and assist him ? Your kind reply to the foregoing may clear up some doubts in my own as well as in the minds of others of your readers , and oblige , Yours fraternall y , London , July I , 1 S 70 . Z .

THE BLOOD PURIFIER . —Old Dr . Jacob Townsend's Sarsaparilla . Other Medical Testimony . —In speaking of the " Blood Purifier , " old Dr . Jacob Townscnd ' s Sarsaparilla , G . C . Kcrnolt , M . D ., L . S . A . Bond , says : "I strongly recommend it in cutaneous diseases and all impurities of the blood . " March 24 , 1 S 69 . —In a letter to the proprietors , June 6 , 1 E 69 , Dr . Irvine , of Irvinc's-town , says 1 " I have been in the habit of ordering your

Sarsaparilla for my patients with the best results . Send me six quarts and six mammoth bottles . ' '—For all skin diseases , for purifying the system of mercurial poisons , antl building up the broken constitution il is the only safe and certain remedy . In hollies 2 s . Gil ., 4 s ., 4 s . 6 tl ., 7 s . 6 d ., lis .

Sold by all Druggists . Pills and Ointment each in boxes , is 2 /<< l ., 2 s . 9 I , 4 s . 6 J . Testimonials also from the Hon . the Dean of Lismore ; General William Gilbert , of the Indian Army ; ordered also by Apothecaries' Hall , London . Caution —Get the red and blue wrappers , with the old Doctor ' s head in the centre . No other genuine .