Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—? A MASONIC VETERAN ; . I have had a few particulars sent me of a Mason who was initiated fifty years ago , and beg to submit them to the notice of the

Craft . Bro . David Milne , who died on the 24 th June , 1869 , aged 79 years , was initiated in the year 1818 in one of the regimental lodges under the Grand Lodge of England , No . 426 , as his lodge certificate testifies .

We enclose a careful copy of that old document , which was kindly sent us by the zealous and intelligent Mason , Bro . Robert Walker , Past Master of St . Ntnian ' s Lodge , Brechin ,- Scotland . It appears that our

aged brother when very young joined the 92 nd Regiment , and served through the Peninsular war , when he was discharged with a pension , and subsequently settled at Brechin . He joined the ancient Lodge

St . Ninian s ( which has minutes from A . D . 1714 , to which we shall refer ere long ) , and was appointed Tyler about the year 1840 . After twenty-five years' service the members had his portrait taken in his

appropriate clothing as guardian of their mysteries , and in appreciation of his genuine character and Masonic worth . We are glad to hear that the brethren were exceedingly kind to the valiant old man , and we are

told that his regard for the lodge was so great that he left them his earthly treasures , viz ., his diploma and medals . There is something suggestive of solemn thought , when thus recounting a few of the many

virtues of this aged Mason , who served his country faithfully , and then , in his " green old age , " was buried by the Fraternity whom he loved , with full Masonic honours . The funeral service of the Craft

was most appropriately and impressively read by Bro . Robert Walker , the Immediate Past Master of the lodge , in the presence of a large concourse of people who had

assembled with the members of the Mystic Tie to consign to their last resting-place the mortal remains of a man who had lived and died a Mason .

W . JAMES HUGHAN . Sit Lux- ct Lux Fuil . Lodge No . 426 , 92 Regiment of the Grand of England . This is to certify—That our Zealous

and Indefatigable Brother David ( Ribbon . ) Milne was of his own FW and under the BANNER of T . P . F . J ., truly Initiated into the first degree of Masonry 7 And after due

examination made FREE as a Fellow Craft 5 by being P in the S to that honourable Degree . Through the Assistance of B . L . R . T . and having experienced the amazing trials and dangerous vicissitudes of this our ANCIENT ,

HONOURABLE , and ROYAL ORDER

We have for his Perseverance and Labour supported by F H M—R him in the W— to the sublime degree of Master Mason 3 and as such do recommend him to all the enlightened Fraternity round the Globe .

Given under our hand and seal in open Lodge at Castlebar , this 12 day of Novr . in the year of our Lord 1818 and of Masonry 5818 . D . MCKENZIE , M . WM . MILNE , S . W . ( Seal . ) J A . COMME . J . W . D . BAXTER , Secy .

HRO . YARKER AND THE " HIGH DEGREES . " I challenge Bro . Yarker to prove the first few opening sentences of his interesting communication in THE FREEMASON for

May 6 th , 1871 . Bro . Yarker says he can " produce printed evidence showing that certain high grades ( which after 1 744 were popularly believed to be associated with Rosicrucianism ) wqre known 17 ; i , 1754 ,

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

and 1744 to the Grand Lodge of 1717 . " Mark the word " produce . " I hereby deliberately challenge him to produce the evidence mentioned with respect to the

year 1721 . I believe he cannot do so , and I know well that no one has yet done so . Bro . Yarker brought forward claims sometime since about the Constitutions of A . D .

1 7 , mentioning the "high degrees ; ' but these were exploded , as he and your correspondents know , by Bro . Hughan in THE FREEMASON sometime since . He cannot prove his statements concerning the "Royal

Order" in 1717 either , but enough for the present . Bro . Yarker has written in a public Masonic journal , and is bound to make known the evidence which he says he can produce . 333 .

•STIRLING PLATES AND BRO . " LUPUS . I notice your esteemed correspondent , Bro . " Lupus , " states that " Probably , if Bro . Forsyth can procure the loan of the engraved plates discovered at Stirling , the

editor of THE FREEMASON will not object to give impressions in his issue . " I hope Bro . Forsyth will be more fortunate than the writer in obtaining a sight of these plates , or even in procuring any definite and

trustworthy information about them . I spent some weeks , in odd hours , looking up the question a few years ago , and wrote officials in Edinburgh and at Stirling , and also made special inquiries at Stirling by kind

co-operation of Masonic students who also investigated the matter ; but all our many attempts only resulted in confirming what I was told at the outset , viz ., that " No one knows aught about them either in Stirling

or elsewhere . The friends at Stirling say the plates were sent to Edinburgh , and never returned , and the Fraternityat Edinburgh declare they were returned , and have since been lost " !! W . J AMES HUGHAN .

BROWNE ' S ¦•MASTER KEY ( p . 232 . ) The only copy of this curious work I have ever met with was lately presented by me to the Freemasons' Hall Library , in this town , and , I presume , is the first edition , that of

1809 being a reprint . It is a square 12 mo . volume , printed " A . L . vmdeexciv ., A . D . mdecxeviii ., " and was formerly in the possession of a brother who was Provincial Grand Secretary half a century ago , and

the last Mayor of Leicester under the old regime in 1835 ; who was hence popularly designated as " Richard , the last of the Plantagenents , " WILLIAM KELLY , P . G . M . Leicester , May 8 , 1871 .

ALLEGORICAL SCULPTURES IN MEDI / EVAL CHURCHES . The following , bearing upon this subject , which appeared at page 267 of the Building News for 7 th April , 1 S 71 , will , I have no

doubt , both be interesting and useful , especially to such brethren as took an interest in the matter when it was being discussed in THE FREEMASON during the month of June , 1869 , viz .: "The second paper—in

' The Sacristy '—is by Herr B . Ecke , on what he calls the ' Beast Epic , ' in which the fox is more particularly described . These sculptured animals in sacred costume , which we so frequently find in churches ,

are shown to be nothing more than allegories of the deceits of the devil , and , in fact , they are the lineal descendants of . / Esop ' s fables . The latter indeed , are often found literally

rendered : thus among the precious series of incised stones in the cathedral of S . Omer we find , inter alia , the fable of ' The Fox and the Crane . '" W . I' . tfVCfW .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

ANNUAL FESTIVAL .

The festival in celebration of the eighty-third anniversary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was held on Monday night at Freemasons' Tavern . The chair was taken by H . R . H . the PRINCE of WALES , a Past Grand

Master of the Order , a circumstance which no doubt greatly contributed to the unqualified success of the meeting . The attendance of brethren of all grades in Freemasonry , and of every rank in society , was very large , thus

testifying not only their respect for the Royal brother who presided , but the deep interest they take in the welfare of this most laudable charity . That our fair sisters feel equally concerned in its prosperity the presence of about two hundred

ladies after the banquet was sufficient proof . The Institution—which was founded between eighty and ninety years ago by the Chevalier Ruspini , and till within the last fifteen or sixteen years had its "local habitation" in the

comparatively dingy district of the Westminsterroad—now boards , clothes , and educates above 100 girls , taking the entire charge of them from seven to fifteen years of age , at a handsome and spacious schoolhouse at St . John's-hill ,

Battersearise , well known to all railway travellers by the Clapham Junction route . The number ol inmates will shortly be increased , it having been deemed advisable to abolish the infirmary which now forms part of the building , and allot the

space thus freed to the reception of additional scholars , a separate establishment being in the meantime erected in the extensive grounds for the treatment of all cases of sickness . These , it is pleasant to notice , are generally rare , the

locality being salubrious , and the care taken 01 the children all that a mother's tenderness could bestow . But during last winter , scarlatina broke out in the school , and as many as 33 girls had to succumb . The medical officer , however

carried them all through it successfully by dint of constant attention , which the General Committee so fully recognise that they are about to present him with a testimonial . Should an epidemic break out again , it was thought that the

infirmary was too close to the healthy pupils ; and hence its removal and a consequent addition to the number of children to be educated . The Institution , in an educational point of view , is admitted by all who know anything about it to

be successful , and many of the scholars have obtained at various times honours at the Oxford and Cambridge Middle Class Local Examinations . Prior to each annual festival , a visit is paid to the school by the Stewards and their

friends , and such a visit was paid on Tuesday last , when the pupils went through an inspection , and gave satisfactory proofs of their proficiency in their studies , and exhibited as happy and healthy an appearance as any loving father could desire to see .

Among the distinguished Freemasons who supported the Prince of Wales , we noticed His Serene Highness Prince John of Glucksburg the Earl of Clonmel , Viscount Macduff , Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild , the Marquis of

Hamilton , the Hon . A . T . Fitzmaurice , SirH . Pelly , Sit RGrahamSir Patrick Colquhoun , Bros . C . Sykes , M . P . ; M . Guest , MP : H . Petre , the Rev . W . L . Onslow , V . Knollys , Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) , R . J . Bas haw , SirPryse Pryse , Horac ?