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GRAND LODGE OP MARK MASTER MASONS OF ENGLAND AND WALES , AND THE COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES OF THE BRITISH CROWN . THE RIGHT HON . LORD HENNIKER , M . VV . Grand Master . THE RIGHT HON . THE EARL OF KINTORE , R . VV . Deputy Grand Master . A MOVEABLE GRAND LODGE VVill be held under the auspices of thc Britannia Lodge , No . 53 , at the FREEMASONS' HALL , SURREY ST ., SHEFFIELD , On THURSDAY , 22 nd inst . Grand Lodge will be opened at 2 . 30 o'clock precisely . BUSIN-ESS . Installation of V . W . Bro . J . W . Woodall as R . VV . Provincial Grand Master of North and East Yorkshire ; and Installation of Bro . S . H . Gatty , Worshipful Master Elect of the Britannia Lodge , By the M . VV . Grand Master , assisted by his Grand Ofiicers . The Banquet will take place at Five o ' clock . Tickets , 12 s . Gd . each , inclusive of Wine , application for which must be made to Bro . H . A . Styring , Freemasons' Hall , Surrey Street , Sheffield , on or before Monday , 12 th inst . By command of the M . W . Grand Master . FREDERICK BINCKES ( P . G . J . W . ) , Secretary . Ofiice—Sa , Red Lion Square , London , W . C , ist September , 1 SS 1 .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following stand over : Masonic History and Historians . Provincial Grand Mark Lodge , South VVales .

BOOKS , Sic ., RECEIVED . "The Citizen , " " Die Baiihutte , " " Jewish Chronicle , " "Der Long Islaender , " "The North China Herald , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " "The Liberal Freemason , " " La Acacia , " " La Chaine D'Union , " " Freemason ' s Repository , " "Boletin of Del Sup . Cons . De Mexico , " "The Sunday Times , " " Broad Arrow , " " The VVest London Advertiser , " " Hull Packet . "

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THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 10 , 1 SS 1 .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

CVVe tlo not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , thc opinions expressed by ourcorrespondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

THE ORDER OF CONSTANTINE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The other day I stumbled upon , in a French Work , published at the Hague , in 1721 , and entitled " . Histoire des Ordtes Militaires , ou des Chevaliers , " & c

& c , and of which , I believe , more than one edition has been published , a curious dissertation , in vol . i ., relative to the " Order of Constantine , " and where also I found a Medallion with a likeness of Constantino thc Great , with the mystic monogram , and which was worn round thc neck attached to a collar of pearls—at least , so says the writer .

Some doubts exist as to whether this Medallion was to be borne by his Imperial Guard of Fifty , to whom thc "Labarum" was entrusted , or by his Knights , and whether he ever did institute an Orderof Knighthood . It seems , from this writer , that thc " Labarum " was not a purely novel standard , but new only for the Christian

monogram . In 1712 a certain Marquis Maffei wrote in Latin a work on thc Chivalric Orders , and also endeavoured to prove the " fable of thc institution of any such Order ;" and , undoubtedly , there is a great deal of obscurity as to the creation by Constantine of the Order of thc Knights of

the Red Cross , and of the Knights of the Golden Angel . The first official publication of the statutes and ceremonial in Europe seems to have been about 1 G 24 . Partial publications are said to have been made earlier , which do not seem to be authentic , and as the laws are asserted to be the same as those which the Emper Isaac

Angelos Comnenius is said to have drawn up in ujo , he seems to be the real founder of thc Order . The Abbe Justiniani , indeed , asserts that this was the revival of the Order of Constantine . I think wc must give up the old story of Constantino's leprosy and baptism at Rome , and the formation of a

" Christian Militia ; " but r . quites , " or knights were not unknown to the Romans , and it seems not unreasonable to suppose that Constantine , after all , did institute an order of Christian knighthood , as is asserted in the work of the Jesuit Mambrunius , in the seventeenth century , in long poem in Latin verse .

Original Correspondence.

Some of the old rules of the Order of Constantine , which seems to be now historically vested in the Duke of Parma , though the Pope also claims to be its patron and superior , are very curious , and the old vow of the knights deserves notice , viz ., " to defend widows and orphans , to follow the standard of the Christian Militia of St . George , to fight courageously for religion and the church , to be humble

and charitable , and to leave something to the Order when they die . " It seems that there were four classes of the Order : 1 , Knights Grand Crosses and Senators ; 2 , Ordinary Knights ; 3 , Knights Ecclesiastic ; 4 , Serving Knights , the latter arrangement being " unique . "

I note that thc Abbe Justiniani is not credited in all his statements , but that greater reliance is placed on other writers , such as Honorc St . Marie , and , above all , Mr . Basnage . I thought that these facts might interest you , and am , yours fraternally , BOOKWORM .

REPRESENTATION OF TEXAS IN GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As the courteous letter of jthe Grand , Master of Texas appointingmehisrepresentativein England appeared in your columns , I think it only right and proper that the enclosed

copy of a letter just received should also be made public , in justice to myself and to thc Grand Lodge of Texas . Perhaps if representatives of foreign Grand Lodges reported annually to thc bodies they represented , mistakes and misunderstandings might be avoided , and the Craft benefited thereby . Fraternally yours , EMRA HOLMES , F . R . H . S . September Oth .

[ Corv . ] " Office of the Grand Master of Masons , " Austin , Texas , August 19 th , 1 SS 1 . " Right Worshipful Emra Holmes , Fowey , Cornwall , " Dear Sir and Brother , — " In addition to communication from yourself , addressed to Bro . H . M . Holmes , my private Secretary ,

I have this day received a communication from Bro . S . H . Gierke , Grantl Secretary Grand Lodge of England , in answer to mine of the 28 th March , in which he says that Bro . Jas . Wilde holds commission as representative for Grand Lodge of Texas , dated in 1 S 47 , and that , ' until his patent is formally revoked , the Grand Lodge of England must continue to consider him as your Giand

Representative , and cannot accept the appointment of Bro . Holmes , of whom our Grand Lodge knows little , as he lives in the far west of England , and very seldom attends our meetings . ' " Now , as it was not my intention , in the first place , to supersede any one , but only to fill , what I supposed to be , a vacancy ( and justly so supposed , as our Grand Secretary ,

who has filled that ofiice for eighteen years , had never heard of this person ) for the present , until I enquire more into this matter I must recall your commission , or rather request you to take no action thereunder until you hear further from me . In my answer to Col . Gierke , I make use of the following language in reply to thc paragraph quoted : ' In reference to the appointment of Bro . Emra Holmes , I

would say that 1 do not deem it essential that our representative should reside in London ; and that he is known here as a zealous and able Craftsman , a well-informed author on Masonic subjects , and , I believe , with all fraternal deference , would represent us as well as a brother from whom we have not heard for eighteen years . ' " I believe that your commission ipso facto annuls and

cancels the former appointment , but I do not desire to raise this question or to seem arbitrary and harsh to a brother who in good faith may deem that he has done his whole duty by the Grand Lodge he represents , and whose actions , or want of action , have never been called in question by his constituents , because they were in ignorance that they occupied that position . I shall fully enquire into

this matter and advise you of the result . " I am , my dear Sir , fraternally "J . II . MCLEARY , Grand Master . " [ Bro . Holmes states that he never sought this appointment , and that when first asked whether he would accept it he demurred , and forwarded to the Grand Master a copy of the Cosmopolitan Calendar in which Bro . Wilde ' s name

appeared as representative . He was informed , however , that nothing was known of Bro . Wilde in Texas , and it was concluded that he was dead , as nothing had been heard of him for many years . Bro . Holmes then accepted the appointment subject to approval . It would certainly seem

desirable that representatives of foreign Grand Lodges should make , as Bro . Holmes suggests , periodical reports to their respective Grand Masters , as otherwise it is hard to understand what is the use of representatives at all unless they are mediums of communication between Grand Lodges . ]

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE FREEMASON . To the Editor of thc "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 am greatly obliged to "Masonic Student" and Bro . Robert Whitfield for their courteous replies to my query . After writing my former letter I did , what I ought to have done at first , viz ., studied Brand Mackenzie , Sykes Richardson , Src , & c . The whole of those " Local

Historians" agree in stating that in 1215 " King John constituted in Newcastle a Society of Free merchants ( i . c ) " Merchant Adventurers ; " therefore lhc word Freemason which occurred in the " Annals of the Northern Counties " was cither a " lapsus penna ; " on the writer's part or a misprint of his printers . Yours fraternally , NOVOCASTRIAN .

Reviews.

Reviews .

HEREAFTER . By A . F . HEATON , B . A ., Senior Curate , Worksop Abbey . Provost and Co ., 40 , Tavistockstrcet , Covent Garden , London , VV . C . This a poem , by Bro . Heaton , printed in a somewhat peculiar mode , and which novelty of form we cannot say we like , either for appearance or convenience . The work is difficult to read in this method , more so as printed , than in the common-place manner . We don't think that this novel idea is likely to command readers , or obtain general

approval . Thc poem—in the form of a dialogue and blank verse—seems both able and sustained , animated and effective , and will , we feel sure , give pleasure to many in its perusal . The poem deals with abstruse and serious subjects , but wc are carried along by the words of the writer until wc enter both into the truth and spirit of thc dialogue between "Christianus" and "Theophil , " and until we think we see that wc can yet expect better and

stronger poetry from the author . Just now there is a great deal of most indifferent so-called " Poiesis " afloat , and that there arc " poets and poets " is a truism which each reviewing column attests . It is , therefore , pleasant for us to turn away from thc " waste " and " rubbish " of mere " windbags " of so-called "poets , " who arc not " poets , " and never will be poets ; " of young gentlemen who " write with ease , " but have mistaken

"their vocation ; " and thc wearisome utterances of a very unpoetical school , to greet lines which can fairly be commended for their truth and sense—their perceptible " reality , " and the latent and even evident tokens of the " sacred fire , " which probably will yet burn more brightly still—than in this interesting little " pome . " Indeed , the poem is itself a developcment of the well-known , if somewhat misused apothegm , " Mors janua vita ; . "

NOTES ON ST . BOTOLPH WITHOUT , ALDERSGATE . By J STAPLES , F . S . A ., Alderman of the Ward of Aldersgate . This very interesting work , printed for private circulation , has come before us , and , we think , deserves "note and comment" especially , as our readers will see , in the Freemason . It seems the origin of the work was an address delivered on thc occasion of the opening to the

public as a recreation ground the garden formerly reserved as the burial ground of St . Botolph—a very seasonable and judicious proceeding — and that address , somewhat amplified , has now been printed . We may pass over some "facts , " and " jottings of antiquity " dear to intelligent and zealous " Dryasdusts , " and come to what has a special interest for our readers . We may remark that the book is very well printed and is very easy and pleasant reading ,

a compliment we cannot always pay to a good deal of type outcome to-day . It seems that there were three guilds , or fraternities , or brotherhoods in the church of St . Botolph , first , that of the Holy Trinity ; secondly , that of St . Katharine ; and , thirdly , that of Fabian , and St . Sebastian . The Guild of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1374 , and five years afterwards , it being enlarged , a chaplain was appointed " pro operariis et laborariis , " we may fairly

understand " Masons" under such terms , who went to the church for the religious services of the day . That chaplain , the worthy alderman tells us , " still officiates , " if in altered form . This brotherhood was suppressed , with all other guilds , in 1547 , the first year of Edward VI . The hall and old chapter of the guild , if still really existing , now belong to thc parish . The fraternity had a master and wardens and male and female members . They met annually on Trinity Sunday . It seems that by a supplementary

charter of 144 G Henry VI . gave license to Joan Astley , his nurse , and Richard Cawode and Thomas Smith , to establish a perpetual guild , consisting of one master , two custodes , or wardens , and " brethren and sisters " of the parishioners of the same parish and " others who would be of the same fraternity , in honour of his consort and himself . " This seems to be a sort of " revival" of the old guild . The date of the origin of the Fraternity of St . Katharine is not known , but

in 13 S 0 the wardens of this fraternity appeared before the Council of thc Lord the King at Westminster , on the 30 th of January , and presented a return of the authority , foundation , inception , continuation , and regulations of the said fraternity , as are more fully set out in the schedule hereunto annexed . " Let our readers note what follows . " The first ' poynt' in thc said schedule is , ' that when a brother or sister shall be received that they shall be sworn upon a book

to the brotherhood for to hold up and maintain the poynts and the articles that be writ after following , each man to his power , saving his estate ; and that every brother and sister , in token of love , charity , and peace , at recei / ing should kiss every other of them that be there . If any of the brotherhood suffer from poverty , old age that he may not help himself , sickness , or loss by fire or water , he shall have fourteen pence a week ; also , what

man is to take on to be a brother shall pay to the alms at his entry as the Masters and he may agree ; and every quarter , for to maintain the light and the alms of the brotherhood , ' . threepence . And if he have a wife , and she will be a sister , the two lo pay sixpence for thc quarter , or 2 s . a year for them boih . ' 1 he brethren and sisters to associate together in the Church of St . Botolph on the day of St . Katlierinc and hear a mass , and 'offer in the worship

of her —( a strongish order !)—and on thc afternoon of tlic same day , or the next Sunday following , together to choose their masters for thc year following . The brethren and sisters arc to attend the burial of a brother or sister , file gild shall pay costs of worshipful burial of any brother dying within ten miles of London 'if he were not of power to pay them for himself . ' Loans may be granted to the brethren in such amounts that one may be eased as

well as another . " This gild was also dissolved in ist Edward VI . The Fraternity of St . Fabian and St . Sebastian was founded 51 Edward 111 ., A . D . 1577 . There was a return madc . of the guild in 138 9 to the King Richard II ., according to Act of Parliament . The masters ot the guild were Johannes Duncastre and Ricardus Spaignc . Ihe following were the regulations : When a brother or a sister shall be received , he shall be sworn on a book to

maintain thc points and articles of the brotherhood , and every brother and sister " atle receyvynge" should , in token of love , charity , and peace , " help all of those that live there . " Weekly help , to the extent of fourteen pence , is lo be given in cases of suffering from poverty , old age , sickness , lire or water , or any other mishap , so it be not through his own wretchedness . The young that fall into " meschef , " and have nought of his own to help himself