Agents.

Agents .

AMERICA : Bro . J . F LETCHER- BRENNAN , 114 , Mainstreet , Cincinnati , Ohio . CANADA : Messrs . D KVRIIS & SON , Ottawa . CEYLON : Messrs . W . L . SKEENE & Co ., Columbo .

CONSTANTINOPLE : Bro . J . L . HANLY , Levant rime . GALATA : Irsicii KAHN , Perchembe-Bajar . PARIS : M . D ECUEVAUX-DUMKSKI-, Rue de Harlay-du-Palais , 20 , near the Pont Neuf ; Editor Lc Franc-Macon . And all Booksellers and Newsagents in Great Britain and Ireland .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

BIRTHS . 3 UCHAN . —At 151 , West Nile-street , Glasgow , on the 6 th instant , Mrs . \ Y . V . Buchan , of a son . STOUNEY . —On the 23 rd u ! t ., at 1 , Osborne-villas , Richmond , the wife of Bro . It . Gurney , of a son . SEED . —On the lnt inst . at Uorseferry-road , Greenwich , the wife of Bro . John W . Reed ( Lodge 871 ) , of a daughter .

DEATHS . 3 OOK . —On the 28 th ult ., of heart disease , Bro , Samuel Geo . Cook , of the Royal Oak Lodge , 871 , Deptford , aged 48 . IBBEESO . V . — On June 27 , aged 60 , Sarah , wife of Bro . Joseph Ibberson , Upper George Hotel , Halifax , S . W . of St . James ' s Lodge , No : 4 . 8 BROWN . —On . lulv * 2 ml , in thc 77 th year of his aire , Bro .

Thomas Brown . P M . of the Royal Yorkshire Lodge , No . 265 , Keighley , and also a member of the Airedale Lodge , " 587 , Baildon . Deceased was initiated in 1813 , and during his long Masonic career had been a very active and zealous brother . Up to within the last seven or eight years deceased was able to work cither lecture , tracing board , or ritual for the three blue degrees , as well as work

the R . A . ceremony , and was always willing , either to give instruction to younger members , or attend a Lodge meeting whore assi tancc wa « required . In 1862 , deceased was attacked in the night with a paralytic stroke , which deprived him of nearly the use of one side and caused spialang to be ven' difficult . His friends then succeeded iu electing him an annuitant on the Roval

Masonic Benevolent Society , for which he has often expressed his gratitude . In December , 18 fi 8 , he had another attack , which rendered him so helpless that he had to be carried from bed to a sofa in the daytime , and hack again at night , always remaining in the position in which he was placed until shifted . He gradually grew

worse , and about a fortnight n ; . ; o had another attack , which proved too strong for his now weakened frame . He was borne to his last resting-place by a number of his Masonic friends , and followed liy a numerous assemblage of relations Deceased was highly respected by nil who knew bin ) .

Books Received.

BOOKS RECEIVED .

" Le Monde Mnewwique , ' fur June . " The Itosicnici . nl " No 5 , fur July . "Quarterly Statement of the Palestine *' x | ilnration Fund '' to June 30 . " The Micliagau Freemason , * ' No . 1 July . Kalamazoo , Micha .-aij .

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CjjcJrcemmn, SATURDAY , JULY 10 , I 860 .

Ar00608

TH _ FBBKMA . OX is published on Saturday Mornings in timo for the early trains . The prico of Tun F-Kumnsoic is Twopence por wuekj quarterly nibscriptiou ( im'Uulinn postage ) 3 s . 3 d . Annual Subscription , 12 s . Subscriptions pay able in advance . All coimnunioatior . rt , letters , & c ., to be aildrORHod to the EDITO » , 3 _ •!, Little liritain , r ' .. U . Tbe Kriitor "ill nay careful attention to all JISS . ontriinteil to him , but cannot , umtertake to return them unless accompanied by poslauo bluinpts .

The Coffee Room And Library At Freemasons' Hall.

THE COFFEE ROOM AND LIBRARY AT FREEMASONS' HALL .

AMONG other improvements consequent upon the erection of thc new buildings at Freemasons ' Hall , the establishment of a Collee Room and

Library for thc use of the Craft occupied no small share of attention on the part ofthe Committee to whom the superintendence of the work was entrusted . Iu was considered

essentially necessary tl at suitable accommodation should be provided for those brethren who take an interest in the literary aspects of Freemasonry ,

and who desire to trace its history from authentic sources . Nearl y every Grand Lodge in the United States of America possesses a library , and similar facilities for the acquirement of

The Coffee Room And Library At Freemasons' Hall.

knowledge are to be found throughout the Continent of Europe . The Building Committee ri g htly determined that the Grand Lodge of England should not , for the future , be obnoxious to the reproach that the richest and most

powerful Masonic body in the world utterl y neglected the intellectual culture of its membera . Two handsome rooms have , accordingly , been provided , one to be used as a Coffee Room , where the brethren can obtain refreshments at

a fixed tariff , and the other as a Library and Reading Room . The books at present in possession of the Grand Lodge are not very numerous , nor do they comprise what are now recognised us standard works on Freemasonry .

Thus , we look in vain for "Findel ' s , Oliver ' s , Ragon ' s , or Mackey ' s works ; but there are , nevertheless , several rare aud curious volumes well deserving perusal and consideration . The room is also well supplied with the daily ijaijers

and periodicals ; it is airy , cheerful , nnd wellventilated . It ' will thus be seen that the Building Committee have done their best to accommodate the Craft , and onr readers will doubtless expect to hear that the Coffee Room

and Library are extensively patronised b y brethren residing in the metropolis . We regret , however , that truth compels us to aver that the appearance of a brother in either room is rather a phenomenon than otherwise , and as our object

is solel y for the good of Freemasonry , we are bound to state the reason wh y this is the case . A subscription of one guinea per annum is payable for the privilege of using the rooms , and the result is that brethren are practically

excluded from the benefits provided . We desire at once to avow our sympathy with the idea which ] prompted the Building Committee to recommend the payment of a subscription , as they were naturally anxious that

some return should be obtained by Grand Lodge for the heavy expenses incurred in connection with the new buildings . But the

experiment has not been successful , very few brethren have subscribed , and the inexpediency of maintaining tlie tax , for such it is considered bv the Craft , is thus fairly demonstrated .

Upon this subject we have heard the sentiments of very many eminent Masons , and all concur in opinion that the Coffee Room and Library should be thrown open to all members

of Grand Lodge . We believe the time has arrived for making these views known to thc authorities , who , we are certain , will , without hesitation or reluctance , reconsider the present arrangements .

So far as our suggestion is concerned , its adoption will not cause tiny appreciable loss of income , while , on tho other hand , a substantial

boon will thereb y be conferred upon brethren who are sincerely anxious that English Freemasonry .-hould still maintain its place in the vanguard of human progress and civilisation .

f . et ns have a real Library , in which the Masonic classics . shall find an honoured p lace . Wc do not propose that , any great expense should be incurred , because the allocation of an annual grant of , say , . C 20 per annum , for a few

years , would , under judicious management , be amply sufficient for the piireha « e of interesting works . We shall then be able to show our foreign brethren that English Masons are uot

' ' ilivious of their duty to seek for knowledge and propagate the liberal arts and sciences . We shall then be enabled to crown the material work of our new Masonic Temple with the

The Coffee Room And Library At Freemasons' Hall.

enduring laurels of literature , by erecting within its sacred precincts a shrine consecrated to the intellectual faculties , and devoted to the advancement of Masonic knowledge .

Multun In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multun in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—?—The following extract from Aubrey ' s " Natural History of Wiltshire , " p . 277 , a manuscript im » the library ofthe Royal Society , will be read with interest . It appears that Sir Christopher Wren in 1691 , waa enrolled among the members of the fraternity : —

' •Sir William Dugdale told me many yeares since , that about Henry the Third ' s time , the Pope gave a bull or patents to a company of Italian freemasons , to travell up and down over all Europe to build churches . From those are derived the Fraternity of adopted masons . They are known to one another by

certain signes and watch-words ; it continues to this day . They have severall lodges in severall counties for their reception ; and when any of them fall into decay , the brotherhood is to relieve hini , & c . The manner of their adoption is very formall , and with an oath of secrecy . —Memorandum : This day , May the 18 th ,

being Monday , 1691 , after Rogation Sunday , is a great convention at St . Paul's Church of the Fraternity of the adopted masons , where Sir Christopher Wren is to be adopted a brother , and Sir Henry Goodric of the Tower , and divers others . There have been kings that , have been of this sodality . "

The earliest recognised specimen of printing in the Greek character is the grammar by Constantine Lasearis , " Grammatica Greca Greece , " printed at Milan , in 1476 . The volume consists of * seventy-two leaves , of which the first two contain a preface in Greek , with a Latin translation by 1 > emetrius Cretensis , the editor . —ANTIQUAIUUS .

Crypto—A word which means secrecy or mystery , from whence we derive cryptographic or secret writing ; cryptonymus , or one who conceals his name ; crypto-catholicism , the crypt of a cathedral , & c . The Americans call the two degrees " Royal and Select Masters , " cryptic masonry , because it is

alleged that thc ark of tho covenant-, a pot of manna , the rod of Aaron , and a copy of the Sacred Law were deposited in a dark and secret vault . The late Edgar Allan Poe was an adept in cryptography , or the art of deciphering secret writing . Few ciphers , if any , could elude his penetrating mind . — MYSTES .

The Labarum was the celebrated sign which appeared to Constantine in the sky , and which he afterwards adopted on his standard * , it is formed by a combination of the letters X and P , these being the two first letters of the name of Christ in Greek ; it is simply a monogram and is variously depicted , the P

always standing upright , and the X across it , sometimes the uprig ht stem of the P is made to serve as one limb of the X , in which the figure consists of a long upright limb with a cross bar near the top , and the half circle of the P on the top limb above tbe cross ; another style is the P in connection with two

palm branches crossed to form the X ; or the monogram within a wreath open at the top is another form ; another is the monogram within a whole circle of laurel leaves , the wreath of victory , these may be in allusion to the motto said to have been inscribed on the Labai-utu " EN TOYTfl NIKA" that is—conquer

by this . In the Catacombs there is an example of a Lamb with the Labarum resting upon its head , signifying , no doubt—Christ , the Lamb of God . Another interesting example is the X and P in conjunction , within a circle with the six letters r . < dius ( i . e . est dens ) as a motto , one letter between each limb , this example would therefore read—Christ is Cod . The X P in

Xoiirrd . ( Christos ) is equivalent , to Chr . in Christ . In < iiblion ' s "I ' ecliiie and Fall of tho Roman Empire , " cap . " . ' 0 , p . - . "J 9 , I find him observing that the derivation and meaning of the word "Labarum" is unknown ; however , I venture to suggest the following , which has just struck me ( although the true meaning

may bo given elsewhere , if so , I have not sucn it ) , viz . Libarinn seems to me to be derived from the Latin lalio , lab-are , to quail , or to fiiil in one ' s courage ; which by a course of reasoning easily understood upon reduction , under the circumstances would cause the sign to be called labarimi , or the feur-dispeller ;

i . e . the cross of Christ , or Christ , is the " fear-dispeller . " Constantine might say , " When courage fails , a look at the cross of Christ dispels fear , therefore conquer by this . '" In that sense we can easily perceive what effect it would have upon the minds of the soldiers ; and how it came to be depicted , not only upon the

grand standard , but also , upon the arms , shields , & c , of the soldiery , would reverence it as a precious talisman . I merely suggest this interpretation at present , and shall be glad to hear any remarks , while I also shall think over it ; but I may add that I consider that the true meaning . and derivation , whatever it may reallv bo , will be quite simple . —LEO .