Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

PAGE THE COUNCIL OF RITES 121 THE E ARL DE GREY AND RIPON 121 F UNERAL OF LADY ARABELLA HESKETH 121 A NCIENT AND MODERN MYSTERIES 122 L EAVES * FROM MY LIBRARY 122 C ONSECRATION OF THE PEMBROKE LODGE ,

NO . 1299 122 & 123 CONSECRATION ' OF THE PYTHAGOREAN ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER , NO . 79 123 ROYAL M ASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS ... 123 THE CRAFT—Metropolitan and Provincial ... ... 124 ROYAL ARCH—Metropolitan and Provincial ... 124 MARK MASONRY—Provincial ... * 12 4 ORDERS OF

CHIVALRYRed Cross of Rome and Constantine ... ... 125 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 125 THE GRAND MASTER-ELECT OF ENGLAND ... 126 OBITUARY—Bro . Richard Reed Nelson 127 MULTUM IN PARVO 127 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCEComp . Brett and the Chapter of Prudent Brethren 128 Masonic Assertions ... ... ... ... ' ... 128

Huram Abif . 128 A Distressing Case ... ... ... ... ... 128 An Appeal to the Craft 128 The " York " Lodge , No . 329 128 The Freemasons' Life Boat ... ... ... ... 129 The Masonic Tobacco-box 129 Jurisdiction of Grand Lodges ... ... ... 12 9 POETRY—The Mason ' s Hope 130

The Council Of Rites.

THE COUNCIL OF RITES .

BY BROTHER J YARKER , P . M ., P . M . ML , P . Z ., P . B . C ., <&¦ *** ., <& -v . I would crave the insertion of a few remarks , masonicaly upon things in general , but bearing chiefly upon the Council of

Rites , advocated by your able correspondent , Bro . Wm . James Hughan in THE FREEMASON , of 26 th February . Any suggestions of mine will probably weigh little with the Craft , but they are , nevertheless , the result

of no little experience in the working of every branch of our Ancient Order , and are now offered for what the Order generally may consider them worth ; premising that a search in thc archives of Grand Lodge might

possibly lead to the discovery of matter which would alter somewhat the views here propounded , and help to lighten the labours of the establishment of such a Council on a sound and firm basis .

Probably all those Freemasons who believe in the transmission of our traditions from the days of Solomon , will find little difficulty in attaching credit to reasonable Masonic tradition , whilst thc more sceptical

will rail at all faith in a way which if allowed to prevail in religious matters would drive Christianity from the face of the earth—I mean , were people silly enough

to believe everything advanced by such sceptics as are at present engaged upon thc Masonic Institution . I am credulous enough to believe a little more than I am able to find " Minutes " for . I hold : —

I . That thc simple operative ceremonial had in England passed out of use , and been superseded by the present more elaborate one of the Adopted or Ancient Masons , prior to 1717 . The proof of this traditional

belief rests chiefly on the Manningham letter , the assertions of Dermott , thefactof Adopted Masons having joined the systematic "Ancients , " and the apparent non-operative character and peculiar working of the

Adopted Masons , coupled with very great resemblance in organisation , belief , ancl even of phraseology , evidently derived from the Rosicrncian Institution . Truly , there is no evidence to show that thc old Society

of Adopted Masons existing in 1691 was derived from thc benefit societies of the Stone-masons , but let that pass . 2 . That thc Royal Arch degree is older

than 1717 , though one of thc high grade s : ries . It is , in my opinion , a very bungling addition to Craft Masonry , and ought to be separated therefrom , ancl if it can be shown that thc lost word was

formerly given in the Master degree , the same ought to be restored to its original order . I would place its governance , along with the Mark , the Arch of Enoch , and the Red Cross of Babylon , under the Grand

Chapter , and revise again the whole ceremonials . The Arch degree contains a large amount of Rosicrncian information , besides

which there is other evidence , satisfactory to my mind , of the existence of the degree long prior to the date 1 740 , assigned by Dr . Oliver .

3 . That the Templar Order and Rose Croix are representatives of the same step , and the York degree of Holy Wisdom and the Kadosh correspondencies . The origin of Holy Wisdom in 1686 is not assigned on

the authority of one certificate , but of all issued by the Early Grand Templars , a body dating as such its zvorking , at least from A . T ) . 1760 to 1780 , and the date 16 S 6 would not have been adopted without some good and

satisfactory reason . I am inclined to give due credit to this tradition , all rambling , partisan , interested , ipse dixit assertions to the contrary notwithstanding . As the Freemasonry practised by the Adopted Masons

and " Ancients " was ceremonially of strict and sworn secrecy , letter , mark , and character , literally interpreted , I should be more surprised at the existence of documentary evidence , either at York or elsewhere , than

I am by its absence , and hence I do not give Bro . Findel ' s opinion a feather ' s weight . If it is true , as asserted by Entick , that Bro . Ramsay made certain proposals to Grand Lodge , search ought to be made in the

Minutes of Grand Lodge , and the precise date and particulars ascertained . I disbelieve the whole tale , but it ought to be considered in connection with the apparent allusions to different workings of High

Grade Masonry in certain extracts by Lro . Hughan from Dr . D'Assigny ' s pamphlet of 1 744 . These two opposite workings might be the Templar High Grade system , and that of some degrees of the A . and A . Rite ,

then prevailing as they unquestionably did . 4 . Thatthepresent Rosicrucian Socictyin England is of Germanic origin , and founded on English Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry . Thc degree of Red Cross of

Rome and Constantine , arising out of the Templar lecture , whence it ought again to be relegated . If , however , thc latter will not be abandoned , that would leave a

Council of Rites to deal with about four varying rites , the steps of which ought to be ranked as coequal , and not , as in Ireland , placed one upon thc head of another : —

1 st class , G . LoJf ; c , ) ,-,. .. .. .. .. 3 Craft desrecs . ( dlUo dlUo dlUo 2 nd class , G . Chap . ) Arch scries . ( " >• " 3 rd class , G . Con . j « t , „ ( Rosi- ) ( R + of Templar scries . j IS * * * ° j crucian \ ( R . & C

The 31 , 32 and 33 , rank with the Templar Grand Ofiicrs ancl members of Grand Conclave of any one of these recognised rites

ought to be admitted at reduced fees to any corresponding degree of the other rite , and such concession should bc a sine qua non to thc recognition of any rite .

Thc first step towardsthcestablishmcntof a Council of Rites , ought to be thc revision by England , Ireland , and Scotland of thc Craft and Arch Rituals , in thc way now

undertaken by thc Templars . The English ceremonies are isolated , and have really nothing to recommend them . The next step should bc thc election by thc three sister countries of a MOST EMINENT ANDSUPREMEGR \ ND

MASTER of a Supreme Grand Council of flitcs , having complete jurisdiction over the degrees of Freemasonry and its attendant higher Orders ; and assisted by Councils

The Council Of Rites.

( Grand Officers ) of these Higher Orders with himself , ex officio President of all , and entitled as such , to preside as Supreme Master of any recognised Order in any province . Each Grand Lodge , Chapter and

Conclave , to form its own laws , subject to the approval and revision of the General Council of Rites , which should hold its meetings alternately in each of the sister provinces , and the attendant expenses

equitably borne by the three Grand Lodges . Installation by the Councils of the High Grades of the Supreme Chief in each Order , to be absolutely necessary for the recognition of his control . All Patents , Warrants , Certificates and other documents to bear

the signature of the Head of the Province , and the confirmation of the Supreme Chief ; but each Grand Lodge , Chapter , and Conclave would have to retain its own

accumulated funds , unless some equitable arrangement could be come to for their amalgamation with the Supreme Council of Rites .

Such a Supreme Council of Rites would be nothing more or less , then the -revival of the Ancient Grand Lodge of All England held at York , as shown in my recent pamphlet entitled " Notes on the Orders of the Temple and St . John . "

The Earl De Grey And Pipon.

THE EARL DE GREY AND PIPON .

In our article this week we have gh'cn a brief resuniii of the Masonic career of the Grand Master-Elect , but have refrained from alluding to the highly distinguished position he holds as an able and consistent politician . A brief sketch of his career as a statesman may not , however , be inappropriate at

the present juncture . In June , 1859 , Lorddc Grey was appointed Under Secretary of State for War ; in February , 1861 , he was transferred to thc India Board , but in . July of thc same year he returned to the War Office . Since then he has held the appointments of Secretary of

State for War , and for thc Colonies , and is now Lord President of Her Majesty's Council . His lordship married , in 1851 , his cousin , the daughter of Captain Henry Vyner by his wife , Lady Mary Gertrude , daughter of the first Earl dc Grey , and

has issue a son , Frederick Oliver , Viscount Goderich , born in Carlton Gardens , 1852 . The Earl and Countess arc , wc arc informed , lineal descendants of Oliver Cromwell , the Lord Protector of England .

Funeral Of Lady Arabella Hesketh.

FUNERAL OF LADY ARABELLA HESKETH .

The remains of Lady Arabella Fermor hesketh , wife of Sir Thomas George Fermor Hesketh , MP ., Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire , were interred in a new vault in RulTord churchyard , on Saturday . About ten o ' clock in the forenoon the school children , to the number of 160 , assembled at the schoolroom , and , decorated with their mourning

favours , proceeded in thc direction of tlie hall . Thc male tenantry , to the number of 100 , wearing hatbands and black scarfs and gloves , met at thc hall , for thc purpose of accompanying thc funeral cortege to the church . A little after eleven o ' clock the procession left the late residence of thc deceased l . idv , the principal mourners being Sir Thomas

George Fermor Hesketh , Bart ., M . P . ; Master George Hesketh and Master Hugh Hesketh , sons of the deceased ; Sir Lawrence Pall ; , M . P ., Colonel Ogilvy , and the Rev . W . Seymour . Numerous letters of condolence had been received at Rufiord from co' . mly families , many of whom asked permission to forward their private carriages ; but a special desire had been manifested to keep the

funeral as private as possible , and Sir Thomas was therefore compelled to decline * all the requests that were made . Tlie corlcgj was confined to . 1 hearse and two mourning coaches , each being drawn by four horses . The church was in the fullest mourning , and the blinds of all tlie houses in the neighbourhood were drawn . Thc funeral service was read bv the Rev . J . F . Goggin , the rector of Kufford . ¦—Preston Herald .

THE MASONIC BALI , AT WARRINGTON * . —It is fourteen years since a Masonic Ball took place in Warrington , and judging from the attendance on Thursday , February 24 th , it is likely lo become an annual event . About 150 were picsent , and the arrangements , music , & c , gave general satisfaction , Bros . Capt . Cartwright and John Bowes , P . M ., &* c , were the secretaries .