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deprived cf their main sources of revenue , but are seriously suffering from the abated interest of Members ofthe Order , and will probably become abeyant if not extinct . 5 . That a depression will fall upon the Preceptories from want of encouragement of their

Members ; that they will feel no interest in supporting the Provincial Great Priories , and will become isolated and stagnant institutions of an Order which has hitherto flourished principally from the opportunities of advancement which

the former system offered with encouraging liberality . Your Memorialists therefore pray : 1 . That a revision may be made of the Statutes of the Order and that the Masonic title of

the Order may be restored . 2 . That the Order may become ( as in 1853 ) the Masonic Order of the Temple only or that , if the Union is to be preserved in name , it may

be also preserved in fact , and all enactments and insignia relating separately to the Order of Malta be repealed . 3 . That the privileges and insignia of Past Rank heretofore enjoyed may be restored .

IS THE POPE A FREEMASON ? To ( he Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In the two last numbers of the Freemason the question is asked , " Is the Pope a Freemason ? . " I enclose a photo of him in Masonic clothing , which 1 have had in my possession over 10

years . Bro . General Mott , an American gentleman , told me a few days ago , on his word of honour , that he knew for a fact that the Pope was admitted into the Order when a priest , in a lodge in Philadelphia , and afterwards joined a

lodge in Palermo . I do not vouch for the truth , but enclose the photo , which you will take care of for , Yours fraternally , GEO . LAURIE . Constantinople , Nov . as , 1874 .

Masonic Bibliography.

MASONIC BIBLIOGRAPHY .

Three curious Papal Bulls have come into my possession , relative to " the creation of some Military Knights of St . Peter . The little book is printed at Rome , 1341 . I shall be glad if some brother can give any information as to this Order- The first Bull is issued in 1520 , by

Pope I eo X ., for the erection of a College of Military Knights of St . Peter at Rome . In this Bull the names of the original knights are g iven . The second Bull is one of Pope Clement VII ., confirming the previous Bull . Its data is 1526 . The third Bull is one of Pope Paul III ., re-confirming the previous two Bulls . Its date

is ' 53 . 5-A . F . A . WOODFORD . I see in the latest catalogue issued by thc eminent bookseller and bibliographer , Bernard Quaritch , that some curious works and MSS . are for sale : and I think our good friend , Bro .

the Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , would do well to call in to Mr . Quaritch ' s premises , in Piccadilly , and examine them , especially the undermentioned : — 4 . Chronicles of Englonde—small folio English M . S . on vellum . Written about 1420 .

Printed by Caxton 1480 . 29 * " Metrical Chronicle of England . Rolled Manuscript . " Circa 1490 . Original chronicle compiled about 1430 . 16 4 . " Caxton ( William ) . The Chronicles of England . [ Emprynted by me , William

Caxton , in the Abbey of Westtninstre , by London . Fynyshed and accomplyshed the vii day of Octobre , 1482 , and in the xxii . vere of the regue of Kyng Edward the Fourth . ] Excessively rare , £ 120 . —1482 . " It appears only seven other copies are known —all imperfect .

No . 166 is also another edition of the " Chronicles , " circa 1480 . It would be well to compare " Halliwell ' s " and "Cooke ' s" MSS . with these Chroniclesand I do not doubt but that Mr . Qu-iritch would consent to Bro . Woodford scanning the contents of these valuable MSS . and works . W . J . HUGHAN .

Science Gossip Conversazione.

SCIENCE GOSSIP CONVERSAZIONE .

The fifth annual conversazione of the Ipswich Science Gossip Society was held in the Public Hall on Wednesday . As usual , at this popular gathering , the attendance was large , and the votaries both of science and gossip have every cause to thank the Committee for providing such

a pleasant" reunion once a year . Among the company we noticed the Mayor ( Dr . Chevallier ) , J . P . Cobbold , Esq ., M . P ., and most of the principal townspeople . The arrangements on the whole were good , though the string band

was purchased dearly at the cost of the refreshments which in previous years were supplied to the company . We trust that whatever becomes of the music on another occasion , the tea and coffee will not be omitted .

In a town like Ipswich it is difficult , of course , continually to provide fresh scientific novelties , and many of the objects and processes exhibited ha'd been seen before . The microscopes , polariscopes , spectroscopes , electric and galvanic batteries , attracted thc customary attention , but

do not require special notice . Mr . Ford Goddard , who has always something interesting and new , showed tbe mode of extracting madder dyes , sulphur , & c , from waste products formerly thrown away as gas liquor . At the other end of the hall , Mr . J . Wiggin , the public

analyst , explained how to get rid of gas companies altogether , namely , by buying Muller ' s gasoline , storing it in a miniature gasometer , and sending it into the pipes just as we require it . The price of the apparatus is £ 1 $ , and Mr , Wiggin says that the gas will not cost more than 2 s . per 1000 .

Mr . Garrett , of I yler-streer , Stoke , exhibited a lapidary ' s lathe in motion , on which he cut fossils and other atones . A potter ' s wheel , worked by Mr . Balaam , of Rope-walk , was an object of great interest throughout the evening , the skill with which the artificer turned the

plastic clay into pottery of every shape being greatly admired . Bro . Emra Holmes exhibited three cases of Masonic jewels and clothing , which proved very attractive to the ladies—who looked as if they would have liked to be initiated on the spot .

Some of the jewels , which Bro . Holmes had collected from many of the leading Masoss in Ipswich , were of great antiquity and very curious . The Tyler ' s Jewel of the British Union Lodge , of massive silver , with a figure of a Tyler in the costume of George the First , we believe , in high

relief upon it , and surmounted with the figure of the Pelican feeding its young ( what do our Rose Croix brethren think of this ?) and with a silver trowel pendant , was s * pecially remarked . Bro . G . S . Findley kindly lent some 8 or 10 interesting jewels ; to what degrees they

appertained we could not always discover . One old Templar Jewel had the letters H . M . upon it , evidently an allusion to a connection with the Rose Croix , or Royal Order , or both . Another old one had the Brazen Serpent upon it

( no doubt the 25 th degree ofthe A . and A . Rite ) . A third , an oval jewel , had a heart in flames pietced with daggers , and the legend " memento mori , " with a skull and cross bones on the obverse . We do not know what degree this is .

Another jewel consisted o a hammer and chisel , richly chased , suspended from a partlycoloured ribbon , and which , we fancy , must have some connection with the Mark Degree .

Uro . Pitcher also lent a fine old gold jewel of the Ancient Baldwin Camp of Knights Templar , at Bristol , which has four fleur-de-lis between the four arms of the Cross , pointing to a French origin without doubt .

Bro . Geo . Cresswell , 18 , lent a case of Masonic minature jewels . Bro . Schulen , P . M ., lent the old British Union Lodge jewel , a sort of quasi-chivalric five-pointed star , with a coffin and acacia branch upon it , together with an old silver circular jewel with Masonic symbols cut

out upon it . Bro . George Turner contributed a very old silver medal , with a figure resembling a man upon it , but which , when examined closely , was found to be made up of Masonic symbol-i , together with the Perfect Friendship Lodge private jewel . Another star , evidently imitated originally

Science Gossip Conversazione.

from the badge of the Chivalric Orders , with two hands clasping each other in the centre of it . These private lodge jewels are , of course , illegal , and brethren have no more right to wear them at lodge meetings any more than those of the High Degrees . Indeed , it is doubtful whether , under

the articles of union , certain of those Orders , notably -. The Templar , Rose Croix , and K . H . 30 , all of which were given them in 1813 , mig ht not claim recognition , and their insignia be worn in Grand Lodge , the statutes to the contrary , notwithstanding . Bro . Holmes himself

exhibited a gold Prior of Malta jewel , and 31 degree , and the clothing and jewel of a Provincial Grand ; Registrar of Suffolk , all from the manufactory of Bro . George Kenning . Bro . Kenning also very kindly sent down a case of jewels and Masonic Regalia , which were very much admired .

The Sttff'olk Chronicle spoke in terms of great praise of the workmanship and skill displayed in the manufacture of these articles and the Suffolk Mercury remarks as follows : — " A very handsome case of Masonic jewels and regalia was exhibited by Bro . George Kenning , of London , Liverpool , and Glasgow , the leading manufacturer of each article in this country-.

The case contained the collar and gauntlets of a Grand Deacon of England , a marvel of gold embroidery laid on garter blue silk the collar and apron of the 18 th degree , S . P . Rose Croix , crimson and gold the baldrick of a Knight K . H , 30 degrees , besides the costly silver and gold

jewels appertaining to various High Degrees in Masonry . " A beautiful M . W . S . gold jewel , manufactured by Bro . Kenning , and presented to the Rev . R N . Saunderson , 30 , by the Victoria Chapter , Rose Croix , was also shown , amidst a large

number of other jewels . A collapsible lifeboat , invented by the Rev . G . L . Berthon , Vicar of Ruinsey , Hants , was lucidly explained by Mr . George , while close by was Mr . Wood , of Harwich , ready in case the lifeboat sprung a leak to stop it effectually with

Wood ' s patent leak stopper . The nuts , boughs of beech , and other relics of antiquity dug up from the Orwell forest were arranged in a case , looking as if they had been under water 12 months instead of 10 , 000 years . The Rev . Dr . Acland , of Colchester , who was at Iceland during the recent celebration of 100 years of Danish

rule , contributed some valuable Icelandic books , & c . ° A new system of printing in facsimile without ink , was also shown at work . In a suitable ante-room were exhibited a number of lime-light representations of some of Sir Edwin Landseer ' s works which had a fair share of visitors . Messrs . W . Ladd and Co ., of London , exhibited a number- of scientific instruments of

various kinds , including one of Trotman s patent governors for steam engines , Messrs . Cowell exhibited a ruling machine at work , while Mr . Piper printed the musical programme on a treadle " Cropper . " Mr . Ayres , of the postal telegraph , had a new sounding

instrument at each end of the hall , messages being sent from one to the other during the evening . Mr . Vick , of London-road , displayed a superb collection of photographs , and among the other articles and processes exhibited were—illustrations of water power ; the manufacture of

Prussian blue from " spent oxide , working model of the great Geyser , galvanometer with thermo-pile ( by Messrs . Ladd and Co . ) , the Syren , the great Domesday Book of Ipswich , Bacon ' s " Chronicles of the Courts of Ipswich , " the great court trumpet , anciently used for

summoning the court ( by the kind permission of the Mayor , B . Chevallier , Esq . ) , specimens of permanent photographs , lent by the Woodburytype Company- porbeagle and other sharks recently caught off * Suffolk ' coast ; photographic

group of the Queen and Royal Family , by Mr . M . P . Parker , of Brook-street ; collections of geological specimens—flint and bronze implements , coins and medals , dried ferns and plants , Japanese "egg shell , " mud from deep sea soundings , diatoms from the mud of the Orwell ,

Sec . Twice in the course of the evening Mr . J . E . Taylor , F . G . S ., gave a lecturette on the " Forest Bed " recently discovered in the River Orwell , which was listened to with great ; interest . Mr .