The Antiquity Of The Craft.

principles , and however much we may venerate antiquity , we had rather admit that the Order was founded in 1717 than allow one jot , or tittle of those great princi ples to be obliterated or destroyed .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—<»—THE RED' CROSS ORDER . In common with many members of the above order , I have carefully perused the discussion of late , respecting the claims of the " Red Cross of

Rome and Constantine , " ancl have been both interested and instructed ; but more than all , gratified to witness the excellent spirit in which the enquiry has been conducted by Bros . "Lupus "

ancl "R . AV . L . " Surely they are Freemasons worthy of the name , and able to differ without quarrelling , as is too much the case in such discussions . AV . J . HUGHAN .

DC A , . * . - C . •_ ..- * T . __ . . . _ P . S . —As in a former communication by me , I endorse the communication arrived at , as my advocacy has been so from the first .

BRO . VARK . ER AND THE " HIGH GRADES . " Bro . A'arker still " harps " upon the Constitution of A . D . 1722 , which he says contains a reference to the " hautes grades , " which I deny . Let Bro . Yarker produce a copy of the work , or

say where it is that it may be examined , ancl then it will be easily seen that no such references are to be found in the work he names . The brother who is said to have lent the work to Dr . Leeson emphatically denies having done so , and states

positively it was a Masonic work , wholly operative of 1722 , by Roberts . A great curiosity certainly , but not on the " hautes grades . " The work he mentions now for the first time should be known to others . W . J . HUGHAN .

]! RO . " LEO AND HIS CHALLENGE TO I 1 RO .

HUGHAN . 1 shall have great pleasure in accepting Bro . Leo ' s challenge to prove that we , as Masons , " are descended from the Operative Masons . " Having so much in hand just now he will please

exercise a little patience , as I promise him , within the next three months , to give him and others thc grounds on which I base such a conclusion , feeling sure at the same time that the enquiry is made with the best intentions , and

also believing that no Mason has a right to make assertions in THE FREEMASON without being prepared ancl ready to defend them when called upon so to do in a Masonic manner . After my defence , Bro . " Leo , " the champion of Masonic

facts , and the opponent of Masonic fiction ( two laudable duties , fit to engage an enthusiastic Mason ) , will then kindly , either admit an operative origin , or disperse my arguments . \ V . T . HUGHAN .

THE OPERATIVE MASONS AND SPECULATIVE

MASONRY ' . The words used by Bro . \ V . J . Hughan , "The operative Masonic body , from which we are descended , " are quite correct , there is plenty of proof in existence that the operative lodges in

existence , prior to 1717 , taught both operative and speculative Masonry ; but as they have now ceased to train apprentices in the operative art , ancl confined themselves entirely to speculative Masonry , we have conthuted till the present time

m their footsteps , leaving aside a portion , and improving in another , we are justly entitled to claim descent from them , from the fact that lodges are at present in existence which prove the fact . CHALMERS I . PATON .

DRO . " LEO" ON LABOUR AND REIRESHMENT . (\> - = 73- ) A great number of the remarks by Bro . "l . eo "

I can personally vouch for to be the truth . On his remark , "The upper classes in Glasgow , e . g ., holding entirely aloof from us , " is too true . And it is a disgrace to say lliat Glasgow is ruled over

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

by a few individuals , who are neither scholars or gentlemen . Private , good , ancl moral character is not a tiling necessary to be a Freemason in the eyes of the clique who rule and govern

Freemasonry in Glasgow ^ . Although there are many thousands of excellent Freemasons in Glasgow , I speak only of the clique power , whom I will give by name to any brother who may require it . CHALMERS I . PATON .

ST . JOHN S GATE . I have been much interested lately in the perusal of a work by John AVilson , Ar . Milit .

Ord . S . Johan . ITterosol ., on the ancient house of chivalry , St . John ' s Gate , from which I extract the following notes , which may be new to your readers : —

" 1125 . —Cardinal John of Cremona held a council in London . The said John , who in the council had most especially condemned all

priests who kept concubines , being detected himself in the same vice , excused the vice , because he said that he was not himself a priest , but a reprover of priests .

" 1170 . —This year the bones of a giant were discovered in England , the length of whose body was fifty feet . " 1185 . —Eraclius , the patriarch of thc Holy Resurrection , ancl Lord Roger , the master of the

Plospitalars , came to the king at Reading , ancl when they had related the cause of their journey , they excited the king and all their hearers to tears , for the un-heard of desolation of the Holy Land . They also brought to the king many

memorable tokens in confirmation of their position ; namely , relics of the nativity and passion of Christ , and the keys of the tower of David and the holy sepulchre . The king having taken counsel , replied , " That for him to accept the

kingdom of Jerusalem which they offered him , and to go thither to desert his kingdom of England , and expose it to its hostile neighbours , would not be acceptable to God , since this

kingdom was as pleasing to God and as devout as the other . AVhen Saladin heard this he ravaged in a merciless manner the territories of the Christians . " AAYTOR .

Obituary.

Obituary .

URO . THOMAS WESCOMBE .

( P . M . 905 ; P . Z . 382 and 657 , - W . M . No . 1 , Mark Masters ; Im . P . Sov . Premier Conclave ; Past G . Sword Bearer , Mark Graud Lodge ; Grand Standard Bearer ofthe Red Cross Order ; ' Torch

Bearer , Council K . JI . S . ) One of thc kindest-hearted men that ever breathed has gone from amongst us . On Monday morning , thc 6 th inst ., Thomas

Wescombe departed this life , at his residence , Burton Cottage , Finchley , after an illness of some weeks' duration . Our late lamented brother was initiated in the Union Waterloo

Lodge , No . 13 , Woolwich , on the 12 th April , 1848 , and he continued a member of that lodge for many years . On thc 22 nd Februarv , i 85 .. | ., he joined thc dc Grey ancl

Ripon Lodge , No . 905 , Uford , in which he duly served thc office of W . M . On the 26 th May , 1864 , Bro . ' Wescombe was exalted in the Canonbury Chapter , No . 6 57 , and

became a VAL ., not only of that Chapter , but also of the Royal Union , No . 382 , Uxbridge , which he joined on the 21 st October , 1865 . lie was advanced in the Old Kent Lotlge

of Mark Masters , and was one of thc revivers of thc St . Mark's Lodge , now No . 1 , in May , 1 S 67 , and held the office of W . M . for the

present year . On the 30 th May , 1365 Conqi . Wescombe was installed a Knight ol the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine , in the Premier Conclave , and ever after-

Obituary.

wards took the deepest interest in promoting the welfare of the Order . He was elected M . P . S . in 1869 , and had only just resigned that position , his successor having been

inducted on the 30 th ult . He was created a K . H . S . in the Mount Carmel Sanctuary , with eight other knights , " on the 3 rd January , 1867 , and held the post of Torch Bearer in

the Patriarchal Council . On the 25 th February , rS 6 S , he was elected a member of the Red Cross Senate with the rank of

Grand Herald , and was subsequently promoted to the office of G . Standard Bearer He was also a Past Grand Sword Bearer of

the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters , and a Past Prov . Grand Officer for Kent . Such , in brief , is an abstract of the Masonic career of the lamented deceased , but to this we must add that his hand and heart were ever

open to the cry of distress , and that to every good work he lent willing and efficient aid . By those who enjoyed the privilege of social communion with Bro . Wescombe

his loss will be deeply and sensibly feltthe well-known face , beaming with genial bonhomie , will no more deli ght our eyes , and the voice never heard in anger is now hushed for ever in the silence of the grave .

Bro . Wescombe had been for many years the London manager of the well-known firm of Ind & Coope , by whom he was greatly

respected , so much so that on his retirement through ill-health , about six weeks ago , thc firm awarded him an annuity of ^ 500 , which unhappily he did not live to enjoy .

1 he remains of the deceased , were interred at Highgate Cemetery on Thursday , the 9 th inst ., thc obsequies being strictly private ; there were , however , several brethren present ,

amongst whom we observed Bros . States , Buss , Todd , Bcrri , S . May , Applcbee , Wright , Terry , Hoare , Nix , Jacobs , and Warr .

Bro. John Harvey Boys.

BRO . JOHN HARVEY BOYS .

( P . D . G . M . Kent . ) Wc regret to announce thc decease of Brother John Harvey Boys , of Margate , the P . D . G . M . for thc Province of Kent , who was much esteemed by the brethren in the

Province , to most of whom , and more especially the elder ones , he was intimately known , from his assiduous attendance to his Masonic duties for nearly a quarter of a

cent ui' )' . The deceased brother was initiated into Freemasonry in the Union Lodge , No . 127 , Margate , in October , 1847 , served the office

of P . G . Steward in 1848 , and was elected to the Master ' s chair in 1850 , in which year he was also appointed Provincial Grand Senior Warden , ancl a vote of thanks was accorded

to him in P . G . Lodge , on the 18 th of August , 1851 , on the motion of the then P . G . Master , Bro . L . C . ITumfrey , Q . C , "For the efficient manner in which he had performed thc

duties of that office , and also for thc care he had taken in preparing a new set of byelaws for thc Province , which were then and

there approved and adopted . " In 1859 he was appointed D . P . G . Master , which office he held till the following year , when he was