Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ Announcements of Births , Marriages , and Deaths relating to the Craft , or their families , will lie inserted , free of charge , if properly authenticated . ] DEATH . FARRAR . —Feb . 11 , near Grass Valley , Nevada County , California , aged 44 , Bro Wm . Kershaw Farrar , son of Mr . Farrar , formerly of the Mitre Tavern , Halifax .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

? We are unavoidably compelled to postpone the report of the Denison Lodge , No . 1248 , and several other meetings . L . F . —Ton had better call at 3 , Little Britain , not later than half-past six next Tuesday evening , and we will give yon a full explanation .

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Cjrc Jfrcewasint , SATURDAY , APKIL 17 , 1869 . TUB FRBIMIBON is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early trains . The price of Tim FHHEMISON- is Twopence per week ; quarterly subscription ( including postage ) 3 s . 3 d . Annual Subscription , 12 s . Subscriptions payable in advance . All communications , letters , & c ., to be addressed to the EDITOB , 3 & 1 , Littlo Britain , K . U . The Editor will pay careful attention to allMSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undortake to return them unless accompanied by postage stamps .

" Place Aux Dames."

" PLACE AUX DAMES . "

" A secret society of ladies , glorying in the name of the Order of the Sacred Temple , has been inaugurated in Missouri . "—A mcrican Papers . OUR contemporary the Daily Telegraph recently

favored its readers with a quaint and p icturesque description of the meeting of a New York sisterhood which has doubtless been formed upon similar principles to other associations of ladies from which the sterner sex are excluded . But

as our contemporary , if we recollect ari ght , did not allude to the mystic element which lends so great a charm to these sisterhoods , or to the orig in of similar societies as the avowed rivals of masculine mysteries , the subject , we conceive ,

possesses some additional interest from a Masonic point of view . The laws of Freemasonry , which exclude females from tho Order , are of course founded upon the ancient operative character of the

institution , but however necessary and proper , these regulations arc not appreciated by the ladies . In France , during the reign of the encyclopedists and philosophers , women jilaycd no unimportant part in the social and intellectual

movement which culminated in the Revolution . Their exclusion from Freemasonry , when the salons of science and the halls of art were freel y opened to their demands for admission , naturall y intensified the dislike which those literary ladies

felt towards the Masonic Order , and gave birth to several ephemeral associations of a mystic character into which both sexes were admitted . Among these were the " Order of Felicity , " the "Orderof the Anchor , " and the "Knights and

Nymphs ot the Rose ; " when , to counteract the superior popularity of these androgynous clubs , the Grand Orient of France made an attempt to supersede them b y introducing a pseudo-Masonic Order for ladies , called the "Rite of Adoption , "

This Order flourished for some time in France and was followed b y Cagliostros mystery of mysteries , " Egyptian Masonry , " into which astounding system of imposture the fair sex . wero also welcomed . Another development of adoptive

Masonry was called tho " Ordre des Dames ecossaises de 'I Hospice du Mont Thabor , " the objects of which were undoubtedl y praiseworth y

and useful , inasmuch as they inculcated the practice of benevolence and the love of social and domestic duties . In Germany , as early as 1737 , the society of tho Mopses received females ,

" Place Aux Dames."

and other minor parodies of Freemasonry were enacted in Italy and other countries . But the most impressive and beautiful system of the kind is the ' Eastern Star " degree , now practised in America , and which is confined to

the wives , widows , sisters and daughters of Master Masons . The lodges , or classes , of this degree are termed "families , " and are composed of not less than five ladies ; indeed , strictly speaking , the degree itself may he subdivided

into five parts , under the names of " " Jephtha s Daughter , " " Ruth , or the Widow , " " Esther , or the Wife , " " Martha , or the Sister , " and "Electa , or the Christian . " There is another degree conferred in the

United States , called the " Heroine of Jericho , in which the story of Rahab and the spies is commemorated . But we have said enough to show that the feminine society in New York , whose doings have been so eloquently depicted

in the Daily Telegraph , is but a reproduction , in another shape , of an old idea founded mainly upm the exclusively masculine character of Freemasonry , aud a fanciful resistance on the part of the ladies to the gregarious tendencies of man .

The Editor's Portfolio.

The Editor's Portfolio .

SEVEN LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES . 1 . Grammar's rules instruct the tongue and pen ; 2 . Rhetoric , teaches eloquence to men . 3 . By Lome , we are taught to reason well ;

4 . Music , has charms beyond the power to tell . i"i . The use of numbers numberless we find , I ) . Geometry gave measure to mankind ;

7 . The Heavenly system elevates the mind . All these , and many secrets more , The Masons taught in days of yore . MASONIC WORKING TOOLS . Let cverv Mason knock off evil dispositions by the

Gavel of righteousness and mercy " , measure out his actions by the Rule of duty , fit them by the Square of prudence and virtue , bring them up by the just Level of perfection , adjust them by the Plumb-rule of brotherly love , and spread them abroad with the Trowel of peace .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

Masonic Jurisprudence .

—?—PROVINCIAL . —No . The brother cannot be raised within the prescribed period of four weeks .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—>»—Rite of Misraim . —Will some of my brethren kindly furnish me with information respecting the Rite of Misraim ? Is it worked by the Grand Lodge of Ireland V ( it is acknowledged by their Council of

Rites . ) What lodges in France work it ? Who arc its chiefs ? What works are published on the subject ? I am aware that Marc Bcdaridc has published a history of the Order , anil that Kagon gives a short sketch of each degree . —K KADOSII .

The Mark Degree . —Perhaps Bro . Hughan could favour me by stating whether there is any dillerenee between the recorded marks , if sueh exist , of the "Mark Masons " ( who must previously have

been passed F . C . ) , and the " Mark Master Masons " ( who must previously have been raised M . M . ) of the Lodge of Banff , as practised about a hundred years ago , many new notions , ideas , or " degrees , " being introduced during last century?—LEO .

77 te Ancient and Accepted Rite . —I am indebted to Bro . Yarker for his kindly-written letter relative lo the Templars , and the Ancient and Accepted Bite . His conclusions are certainly legitimate , if the premises tire admitted . I beg , however , to object to the latter most strenuously . " Written

proof must bo sought at York , London , and Bristol for onr Templar traditions . " 1 ask what traditions ? If the connection of * the Order of the Temple with Ahisiiurg before 1770 in meant , then it is quite useless to go to either of those cities lor records or other information in proof thereof , for none such exist . No

records of any Masonic Templar meetings in London , Bristol , or York exist of an earlier date than 1779 , and then , after all , it is but a certificate dated in that year at York . Neither at Bristol nor at London , are any known so early even as 1779 . The next decade , though , witnessed the degree being worked in the two other cities . Stirling contains no records on Templars

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

of any use whatever in this discussion , and therefore I cannot see why Bro . Yarker mentions that town . Dr . Leeson must be in error when referring to a Belgian Craft Constitution of 1722 , which he said contained allusions to the Knights Kadosh . I have made every possible enquiry in Germany about the

matter , of the very best authorities , and the answer is —No such work ever had an existence at the date named . Bro . J . Howe , in his work on Freemasonry , mentions Dr . Leeson ' s remarks , I know , but that does not prove their truth . Let the work be submitted to some competent and neutral brother to decide , and I

am content to abide the test . The first copy of Constitutions in England was not published until A . D . 1723 ; and therefore to suppose that a country like Belgium , that actually obtained its knowledge of Masonry from England , printed a book of Constitutions one year earlier than the mother Grand Lodge

of the world did , is to me simply preposterous . Ramsay was an impostor , undoubtedly . I do not mean the term offensively , but lie certainly foisted on Freemasonry ( pure and simple ) , degrees foreign to the Order , and nothing but the creations of his wild brain . The " Ancient Masons " did not avoid "

extracagant s ' atemenls . '' I am quite surprised to hear Bro . Yarker say they did , when all historians of importance unite in condemning Bro . Dermott and his party for the manner in which they exalted their Grand Lodge over the only legitimate Grand Lodge in England , with its seat at London . Let anyone

read " Ahiman Rezon" of 1756 , 1764 , and other editions issued by the " ancients" ( so called , but really the moderns and innovators ) , and I am persuaded but one opinion will be expressed . The " ancients " pretended to have authority as " York Masons , " whereas the Grand Lodge of York never

recognised them ! If no written or printed proofs of an Order of which the exiled Stuarts were the chief ' s , can be found , I would like to know what superior power Bro . Yarker has to what I have , to enable him to know what was done in their day , and yet for him to escape being deceived , as we all know how their

adherents told all sorts of tales to advance their cause . The allusions to the " Ked Cross of Rome and Constantine " I trust the Editor of THE FREEMASON will deal with , as that Order can , at least , boast of records as early as any chivalric degree ROSE Cnoix .

1 would modify my late remarks ( written in haste to " Rose Croix " ) by saying that there is another view of the Rose Croix degree , which makes it to represent , ceremonially , the present Templar of St . John ; thus explaining the anomalous position of the Royal Order of Scotland , and their claim to represent Bruce ' s Templars , with the Scottish kings as Grand

Masters . The Royal Order of Scotland was revived at Edinburgh in 17 o 8 , and made to consist of two degrees — ll . R . M . and Rosy Cross ; whilst the degrees conferred at the same date at Stirling were Red Cross , or Oak , and Templar of St . John . This , apparently , points to Arras as the source of revival . — JOHN YAKKKII , Manchester .

Operative Lodges . —After careful consideration of Bro . llughan ' s letter , in No . 5 , I must say that 1 see no reason to alter the opinions I have expressed . The only proof of the Master Mason degree yet adduced in Scotland , is the allegorical representation at Uoslyii Chapel . 1 made no assertion of

difference in working between England and Scotland ) beyond that of the hereditary Grand Mastership of Scotland , which is the gist ol * the whole matter . The MSS . Constitutions of about MOO ( Ilalliwcll ' s ) and luOU ( Cooke ' s ) , both contain references to the Master Mason and to the General Assemblies , but they would

fail to convince , being merely confirmatory of oral tradition , and evidently do not come up to Bro . llughan ' s standard . The following seems to mo to be the principal evidence in the case of Stirling-rock Chapter , and it is desirable that it should be sifted , and endeavours made to ascertain what further there may be : —1 . The lodge minutes , showing the

performance of its initiatory ceremonies in the old abbey , and patronage of King James . 2 . Three brass plates reaching to Malta Order , and thought to be of the early part of the seventeenth century . 3 . A forged lodge-charter mentioning the Cross-legged Knights ; thought to be as old as 17 o 6—proving old tradition at that date . 4 . The chapter minutes from 17 * 13 , the previous ones being lost . JOHN YAUKBH .

MASONIC LITEBATUUK . —An American gentleman , Mr . Morris , of Kentucky , who has recentl y been travelling in Syria and Palestine , is now preparing for publication in the United States his observations on the Holy Land from a Masonic point of view . The book will be called " Ilandmarks of Solomon ' s Builders . " Mr . Morris wishes to dedicate it to Iblsehid

lasha , the present Governor of Syria , who is u Turk and a Moslem , but , nevertheless , —like , the chivalrous Abd-el-Kader , too , the ex-Kmir of Algeria , —a Freemason and an enlightened man . The book will be illustrated with portraits of these and other Oriental Freemasons . It is to be hoped that Air . Morris , during his travels , had his eyes open for Masons' Marks . Builder ,