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TELEGRAPHICADDRESSES(Inland). For the Freemason Printing Works—FREEMASON , LONDON . For Jewels , Clothing , Banners , and Furniture—KENNING , LONDON .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

THE FOLLOWING UNAVOIDABLY STAND OVERPhcenix Lodge , No . 94 . British Union Lodge , No . 114 . Kingston Lodge , No . 1010 . Morecambe Lodcre . No . w 6 i .

St . Leonard Lodge , No . 17 G 6 . St . Leonard ' s Lodge , No . 1 S 42 . Brixton Lodge , No . 1049 . Eboracum Chapter , No . 1611 . Masonic Entertainment at Manchester .

BOOKS . & c , RECEIVED . " Cadiz Masonica , " " Lancaster Daily Examiner , " " Hull and East Yorkshire Times , " " Court Circular , " ••Watchman , " " Proccedings o £ the Grand Lodge of Scottish Freemasonry in India , " " Cambridge Chronicle and University journal , " " Keystone , "

" Allen ' s Indian Mail , " " Cassell ' s National Library , " "Citizen , " Sunday Times" ( London ) , "Jewish Chronicle , " " Sunday Times" ( New York ) , " Freemasons' Journal" ( New York ) , " Masonic Review , " " Toronto Evening News , " " Texas Masonic Journal , " " Voice of Masonry , " " Liberal Freemason , " " Hampshire Independent , " and " El Taller . "

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SATURDAY , DECEMBER II , 1886 .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of tht opinions expressed by oar correspondents , but we wish in aspirit of fair p lay to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ] -

THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Nearly every member of the Craft considers that London should be divided into provinces , and it would be a

capital way of commemorating the Royal Jubilee . Middlesex and Surrey are quite large enough j besides , why should brethren be obliged to travel 10 or 12 miles to get purple ? Is it fair , when one thinks of Bristol and Bedford with four lodges each ? Could not a meeting be held?—Yours fraternally , "CRUX CORONA . "

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In order to commemorate the Jubilee in a way most auspicious and useful , allow me to suggest to the Executive of the Masonic Benevolent Institutions to make an appeal to the brethren for the purpose of raising a sum sufficient to admit all the girls , boys , and old people who are striving for admission this year . Perhaps our three

energetic and esteemed Secretaries will mention the amount actually required to accomplish this most desired end , and whatever that amount may be , I am sure it would be speedily subscribed . J cannot think of a plan by which the principles of our Order could be better exemplified ,

nor one that would give more pleasure to our most noble patroness . The Treasurers of our lodges and Chapters hold large sums which I maintain might be utilized to carry out the plan I have proposed , and their employment in this manner would be in accordance with the purpose for which they were originally contributed . —Yours fraternally , 3 TREASURER .

WAS THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD A FREEMASON ? To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It has been generally understood that the celebrated Scotch poet , James Hogg , the Ettrick Shepherd , was a Freemason , in consequence of his having held the

office of Poet Laureate of the Lodge Canongate , Kilwinning , No . 2 ( S . C . ) Mr . HoRg , however , never joined the Order , as is seen from the following letter , which you will find quoted in the " Freemason ' s Quarter ' y Review " for > 35 . p . 66 . " Altrive Lake , January 25 , 1835 . " Dear Forbes , " I am 65 years of age this night . I am not a Mason , and never have been , having uniformly resisted

Original Correspondence.

the entreaties of my most influential friends to become one . I am , however , intensely sensible of the high honour intended me , which coming to my hand on the morning of my birthday has I feel added a new charm to the old shepherd ' s life . My kindest respects to the Hon . Master and members of the lodge , and say that I cannot join them , nor be initiated into the mysteries of the

Art , for I know I should infallibly ***** And , alas ! my dear John , I am long past the age of enjoying Masonic revels . I shall , however , be most proud to become nominally the Poet Laureate of the lodge , to have my name enrolled as such , and shall endeavour to contribute some poetical trifle annually . —I remain , your and the honourable brotherhood's most affectionate , " JAMES HOGG . "

It is somewhat singular that the Lodge Canongate , Kilwinning , should have elected Mr . Hogg in such circumstances one of its office bearers . Bro . Gould would find much interesting and instructive information were he to refer to the " Quarterly Masonic Review , " which contains a full record of the proceedings of the Craft 50 years ago . It will be found in the British Museum . —Yours fraternally , W . O ., P . M . 1 ( S . C . )

ADMISSION INTO LODGES OF INSTRUCTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I think the question of a non-subscribing brother being refused admission to a lodge or lodges of instruction a very important one , which should be definitely disposed of once and for all .

Our Book of Constitutions says , vide Article 152 : " No brother who has ceased to be a subscribing member of a lodge shall be permitted to visit any one lodge more than once until he again becomes a subscribing member of some lodge . " This , in my opinion , is exceedingly hard upon a brother who , having been compelled to resign the membership of

his own lodge , perhaps through financial circumstances , or perhaps otherwise , finds himself , no matter how great his sympathies with the spirit of Freemasonry as taught in lodges of instruction may be , at once outside our Order . On the other hand , it is difficult to understand why

lodges of instruction are not governed by the same Constitutions as regular lodges are , and if not , why not ? Doubtless , some well-enlightened brother or Grand Lodge Officer could answer the above in a thoroughly " constitutional" manner , which , 1 trust , he will speedily do for the information and instruction of—Yours fraternally , MASTER MASON .

GRAND LODGE AND PROVINCIAL HONOURS . _ To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Under the above heading your correspondent "L . V . W . " in your last week ' s issue raises again the important subject of the sub-division of the Metropolitan lodges into four Provincial Grand Lodges , which excited so

much attention in 1 SS 2 . " L . V . W . " sets forth the exact plan of sub-division which I then endeavoured to submit through the agency of a recommendation by the Grand Lodge to the Most Worshipful Grand Master for his consideration j and if your correspondent will refer to your report of the Quarterly Communication of June 7 th , 1 SS 2 'Freemason , Vol . XV .,

No . 692 ) , and the correspondence thereanent , he will see how that attempt was met and defeated . It would be mere waste of time to reiterate the arguments then advanced in favour of the proposal , notwithstanding that , owing to the considerable increase in the number of Metropolitan lodges since that time , such arguments could be greatly strengthened . Not only for the purpose of affording opportunity for

conferring on worthy and zealous London brethren similar distinctions to those enjoyed by the members of Provincial lodges in their respective Provincial Grand Lodges , but for the far more important reason that the lodges existing within the vast Metropolitan area would have a closer and better supervision in regard to Masonic working , would such subdivision be of great advantage .

_ The proposed system works well in every respect in relation to another Masonic organisation , and would do so if applied to what is denominated " pure and simple Masonry . " Whatever difficulties may appear against the adoption of the proposal are not of such a nature as cannot be easily overcome if once the necessity for such sub-division be admitted by Grand Lodge . The first and most important

is the abrogation of the Regulation 152 in the new code of laws , without which , I presume , not even the M . W . G . M . himself could take action . That being done , his power of constituting Provincial Grand Lodges as suggested would follow , and a recommendation from Grand Lodge itself to that effect would then , doubtless , have his favourable consideration . —Yours faithfully and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS , P . M ., P . Z . Clapham , December 6 th .

AN APPEAL . To the Editor of the " Fretmason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I trust you will allow me , with your usual courtesy , to make an appeal , through the columns of your valuable paper , at this season of the year . There are already signs of great privation amongst the respectable poor . Our

visitors report cases of " no work " coniinually , and great distress prevails . During the past year we have been enabled to benefit upwards of 3500 persons weekly . We are most anxious to provide a Christmas dinner for 700 of the homeless , and for 600 poor families in the neighbourhood , and to replenish our Fund for the relief of distress .

811 persons were maintained in the Homes and Refuges in the twelve months , 1747 attendances were made at the creche , 34 , 7 S p at the religious services for adults , and 65 . 931 at the Bible schools and other children's meetings . Broken food was given away 29 , 477 times , whilst 10 , 326

quartern loaves , and 2600 quarts of soup were distributed , and 338 persons were placed in , or assisted to obtain , employment . We earnestly hope we may receive the funds necessary to continue these benevolent operations in a full state of efficiency . —I am , dear sir , yours faithfully , December Sth . PEREGRINE PLATT , Sec .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

6 94 ] "SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY . " Liro . John Richardson , of Harrowgate , tells me he has a copy of " Solomon in all his glory , " London printed , and Dublin reprinted for T . Wilkinson , A . D . 1777 . This work has the plates to which I referred ( in my articles on the Constitutions 1767-76 ) bound up with the octavo edition of

the Regulations 1769 , and which arc in part mentioned on the curious and lengthy title page . I have no doubt as to the plates doing duty for the both works . The first edition of Wilson ' s " Solomon in all his glory " was published in 1766 , and a second issue in 176 S . I never remember seeing the original of 1766 , but know the later editions . All those of last century are now rarely met with . W . J . HUGHAN .

6 95 ] MASONIC EDUCATIONAL FUNDS . I am exceedingly glad to see that Educational Funds , supported by various provinces , are now becoming so general . Of course we cannot expect them all to increase to the same extent as those of West Lancashire and Cheshire , with some 150 children being thus benefited in those two provinces , but the good work is going on , with a

maximum of benefit , at a minimum of cost , and now , most large provinces are devoting their energies to taking care of the number of orphans who cannot ever expect to get elected into our London Institutions . We see , by the excellent report just issued for Durham , by Bro . John

Hudson , Prov . G . Sec , that fourteen children are being educated in 1 S 86 , being an increase of seven from the previous year , and the capital has also considerably increased . Similar prosperity is attending the movement in Devon and other counties , full particulars of which I shall be glad to have from time to time . W . J . HUGHAN .

Reviews

REVIEWS

A GENERAL HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY Translated and Compiled from the Masonic Histories of Dr . Rebold by J . FLETCHER BRENNAN . ISSS . Rebold's histories , in French , have long been familiar to Masonic students , for what Kloss and Findel have done for Germany , Mackey and Mitchell for the United States , and Gould and Hughan for England , Rebold has achieved

for France , and , like some of these worthies , he has not failed to write a general history of the Craft as well . No work that we know of devotes such attention to the intricacies and contradictory accounts of Freemasonry in France . The author has aimed at " omitting nothing which would interest a young Mason , " and he has also inserted much that is of value to the brother who is more advanced ; in fact , no one who seeks to understand the history of the

Craft can afford to neglect this able contribution to the subject , for many of the facts and suggestions are of considerable value , and the arrangement of the work is all that can be desired . The ancient mysteries are duly described , and from them is indirectly traced the institution of the Collegia . Artificum ( by Numa Pompilius ) , from which in time came the Masonic Corporations of the British Isles . " Wherever the legions established intrenched camps , the

Masonic Corporations erected cities more or less important . It was thus that York , called by the Romans Eboracum , and subsequently celebrated in the history of Freemasonry , became one of the first that acquired importance and elevation to the rank of a Roman city In the transalpine provinces of Gaul the Masonic Corporations , contemporaneous with those of Britain , increased in a no less extraordinary manner . " During the fifteenth century

there existed in Germany a great number of lodges of Operative Masons , which , following the example of the English lodges of the same period , recognised a few principal lodges of master workmen and architects , to whom they accorded the title of high , or Grand Lodges . " We prefer the term hi gh or chief lodges , to that of " Grand , " as the latter designation suggests the modern organisations whichas we all

, know , have little in common with the older Masonic Bodies in Germany , which have been proved to be quite distinct from the Freemasons who flourished during the same period as the Steinmctsen in England and Scotland . In treating of the general transformation of Freemasonry from an Operative to a Speculative or philosophical Institution , the author expresses the opinion that " if the Craft has ceased to erect temples , it has not less continued its work of moral

and intellectual culture , and its success in this respect has been far more satisfactory than those who planned its design as a Speculative Institution ever hoped to achieve . " The abridged account of the progress of Freemasonry in France 1721-72 , is of special interest , as also the chapters which follow relative to other countries and Grand Lodges , and though we are not able at the present time to accept all his statements , we cannot but admire the uniform diligence

displayed by Dr . Rebold in the search after light , and his enthusiasm in the study always appears unbounded and inexhaustible . His history of the " Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite " is full of most important facts and details , and is quite a feature of the work ; for he has well-earned the title of " a careful and impartial Masonic historian . " conferred on him by the Grand Orient . He is severe on the Rites of Misraim and Memphis—though not too much we think—and , as he is also unfavourable to the A .

and A . Rite , we may rest assured that the " high degrees " generally , are not any favourites of his . We think , however , he has dweit too long , and too exclusively , on the abuse of these additional Degrees rather than their right use ; and at all events in this country we can have nothing but good to say of their character , management and progress . Unhappily , on the Continent , the " hautesgrades " particularly , have been utilized for unworthy purposes so frequently , that those familiar with such prostitutions of essentially non-political societies , can find plenty of excuse for Rebold ' s animadversions . The translation