Early Mention Of The Royal Arch.

Eighthly , two excellent Masons , one bearing a Level and the other a Plumb Rule . Ninthly , then appeared all tho rest mnst gallantly dressed , following by Couples , each of them having a Square hanging About his Neck to a blue Ribbon . "

Hitherto tlie earliest mention of the Degree has dated from 1 744 , and is to be found in Dr . FIFIELD DASSIGNY ' S " Serious ancl Impartial Enquiry , " which was published in Dublin in that year shortly before the authors death . The passage in which it

occurs was quoted by Bro . HENRY SADLER in an article which appeared in this journal on the 27 th October , 18 94 , and in which he traversed certain statements by Bro . JACOB NORTON to the effect that the Royal Arch was introduced into England by Bro .

LAURENCE DERMOTT , the Grand Secretary of the " Ancients . " This passage wc take leave to reproduce . "Now as the land marks of the constitution of Freemasonry arc universally the same throughout all kingdoms , and are so

well fixt that they do not admit of removal , how comes it to pass that some have been led away with ridiculous innovations , an example of which I shall prove by a certain propagator of a false system some few years ago in this city , who imposed on

several very worth y men under a pretence of being Alaster of the Royal Arch , which he asserted he had brought from the city of York ; and that lhe beauties of the Craft did principally consist of the knowledge of this valuable piece of Masonry .

However , he carried on his scheme for several months , and many of the learned and wise were his followers , till at length his fallacious art was discovered b y a brother of probity and wisdom , who had some small space before attained that excellent

part of Masonry in Loiiihin , and p lainl y proved that his doctrine was false ; whereupon lhe brethren justly despised him , and ordered him to be excluded from all benefits of the Craft , and altho' some of the fraternity have expressed an uneasiness at

this matter being kept a secret from them ( since they had already passed thro' the usual degrees of probation ) , I cannot hel p being of opinion that they have no rig ht to any such benefit until thev make a proper application , and are received with due

formality , and as it is an organis'd bod y of men who have passed the chair , and g iven undeniable proof of their skill in Architecture , it cannot be treated with too much reverence , and more

especiall y since the character of the present members of that particular Lodge are untainted , and their behaviour judicious and unexceptionable : so that there cannot be the least hinge to hang a doubt on , but that they are most excellent Masons .

" I cannot help informing the brethren that there is latel y arrived in this city a certain itinerant Mason , whose judgment ( as he declares ) is so far illumin'd , and whose optics are so strong lhat they can bear the view of the most lucid rays of the

sun al noon-day , and altho' we have contented ourselves with three material steps to approach our Su milium Bonum , the immortal God , yet lie presumes to acquaint us that lie can add three more , which when properly p lac'd may advance us to the highest heavens . "

Here , then , as Bro . SADLER points out in his article , we have evidence lhat the Degree was introduced into Dublin from York " some few years" before 1 744 , and also "some small space before " from London , nor is il a wholly unreasonable inference

to draw from the facts recorded b y I ) ASSIGNV and the familiarit ) with which he speaks of "lhat excellent pari of Masonry" and of Royal Arch Masons as being " an organis'd bod y of men who have passed the chair , " that it must have been known and

practised as a separate Degree * some time previous to its introduction into Dublin , which might have taken p lace * say about thc year 1740 . Organised bodies of men do not spring into existence suddenly . The work of organising them must be spread over

some time , not necessaril y a protracted time ; but it cannot be done in a moment . Some lime too must have been consumed in evolving the Royal Arch as a separate part from the whole system of Masonry , and in determining who were those upon whom it might

be conferred . At all events , This nol unreasonable inference lends countenance to the theory propounded b y Bro . CRAWLEY that the Arch was designedl y introduced b y ANDERSON into the

Frontispiece of his Book of Conslilutions and in the text , and as designedly adopted b y PEN'NELI . in his Irish Constitutions of 1 730 . The passage in which this theory is set forth is as follows :

Early Mention Of The Royal Arch.

"Taken by themselves , ANDERSON ' S verbal and pictorial allusions cannot be considered pointless or purposeless ; taken in connection with PENNELL ' deliberate repetition of the design and elucidation of the language , their relation to the Ritual

cannot be ignored . Let those who ' can read between the lines appreciate the elaboration with which ANDERSON ' S intended climax is wrought out b y the more skilful PENNELL . ANDERSON would never have introduced the formula , PENNELL would never

have taken the pains to recast the paragraph so as to end with this carefully-planned culmination , neither would have adopted the allegorical design , if the succession of symbolic events in the esoteric Ritual had not supplied them with an analogy which they felt sue the bretrhren would grasp .

" We can fairl y infer first , that the Ritual led up to , and ended in , the Arch ; secondly , that thc nomenclature Royal Arch was unfamiliar to the writers ; and thirdly , that the ceremonial had not yet become consolidated into a separate step or Degree .

This consolidation took p lace within the lifetime of the founders of the Grand Lodge of England , for we have a crowd of evidence to show that the Royal Arch was widely spread and in full working order before the year 1 743 . "

We say this is a theory which contains within itself a large amount of probability ; whether we shall ever be in a position to prove lo a demonstration when , how , and where the Royal

Arch became "that excellent part of Masonry" which DASSIGNY describes it as being , is a point on which , in the present state of our knowledge , it is impossible to offer an opinion .

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ENGLAND .

The Quarterly Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Freemasons was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Tavern . . Comp . the Rev . J . Studholme Brownri gg , Grand Superintendent of Bucks , occupied thc position of G . Z . ; Comp . Bruce Seaton , that of G . H . ; and Comp . General J . C . Hay , that of . G . J . There were also present :

Comps . Edward Letchworth , G . S . E . ; F . Ernest Pocock and Geo . E . Fairchild , G . Std . Brs . ; Frank Richardson , P . A . G . S ., G . D . C ; Howard H . Room , Asst . G . D . C ; Harry Tipper , A . G . D . C . ; VV . Lake , A . G . S . E . ; Eugene Monteuuis , P . D . G . D . C ; Wm . P . Brown , P . A . G . D . C ; Thos . Minstrell , P . A . G . D . C ; S . Vallentine , P . A G . D . C . ; Alfred C Spaull , P . G . S . B . ; C . Herbert J . Adams , P . D . G . D . C ; S . V . Abraham , P . A . G . D . C ; W . G . Lemon , P . G . Std . Br .

T . W . Whitmarsh , P . G . D . C ; Edwd . Stanton , P . G . Std . Br . ; Fredk . Alead , P . D . G . D . C . ; Perceval A . Nairne , P . G . Std . Br . ; Ritchie , P . D . G . S . B . ; J . C Hay , P . A . G . S . ; G . H . Hopkinson , P . G . S . B . ; George Lambert , P . G . S . B . ; Lennox Browne and Chas . Belton , P . G . Std . Brs . ; C . F . Matier , P D . G . D . C . ; R . Clowes , P . G . S . B . ; P . H . Waterlow , P . D . G . S . B . ; R . Clay Sudlow , P . D . G . D . C ; Ralph Gooding P . A . G . S . ; F . W . Macdonald , P . G . S . ; G . H .

Hopkinson , P . G . Std . Br . ; Edgar Goble , P . G . Std . Br . ; Alfred Savill Tomkins , P . G . S . B . ; Peter de L . Long , P . G . P . S . ; William Vincent , P . Z ., S . E . 1604 ; Henry A . Tobias , P . Z . 241 , 1 5 , H . elect 1017 , P . P . G . D . C . West Lanes . ; W . Smithett , M . E . Z . 58 ; J . Noyes , P . Z . 58 ; W . A . Scurrah , P . Z . 2271 ; C Trevor Mold , P . Z . 617 ; F . G . Swinden , P . Z . 254 , 587 , 729 , 1630 , Prov . G . S . E . Warwickshire ;

B . A . Smith , P . Z . 1556 , P . P . G . J . ; Neville Green , P . Z . 1524 ; T . C . Edmonds , P . Z . 1507 ; W . Darley Hartley , P . Z . 1824 ; Walter Adams , M . E . Z . 73 ; C . W . Brander , P . Z . 1503 ; C . Filhon , Al . E . Z . 1305 ; J . G . Alilbourn , M . E . Z . 79 ; E . Cutler , 2060 ; F . W . Robinson , H . 1423 ; W . I . Collins , P . Z . 3 ; and T . J . Eckle , P . Z . 141 .

1 he minutes of the last Quarterl y Convocation were read and confirmed . On the motion of Comp . FRANK RICHARDSON , seconded b y Comp . SCURRAH , the report of the General Purposes Committee , which follows , was taken as read : —

IHE RBI-OKT OK THK COMMITTEE OK GENERAL PURPOSES . , To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the accounts from the 16 th April , to the 16 th July , 18 95 , boih inclusive , which they lind to be as follows :

I * o Balance , Grand Chapter £ 801 ig 9 „ „ Unappropriated Account ... 203 12 S „ Subsequent Receipts .. 43 S 10 11 £ ' 444 3 4

By Disbursements during the „ Quarter £ 377 9 S „ Balance 1504 7 6 „ „ Unappropriated Account ... 202 6 2 £ i 444 3 4

which _ balances are in the Bank of England , Law Courts Branch . The Committee have also to report that they have received the following petitions : ist . From Comps . Thomas William Faulkner , as Z . ; George Augustus Mursell , as H . ; Henry Haven Wheeler , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Medina Lodge , No . 35 , to be called the Asher Barlield Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Cowes , in the Isle of Wight .

2 nd . From Comps . Walter Wellsman , as Z . ; Oliver Claud Robson , as H . ; Edmund Robert Bartley Denniss , as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to be attached to the Willesden Lodge , No . 248 9 , Willesden , to be called the Willesden Chapter , and to meet at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , London .