Obituary.

Obituary .

—«—W . BRO . WILLIAM PETTIFOR , P . P . G . S . IV . Leicestershire and Rutland . We regret to have to record the decease , on the 28 th ult , at his residence , Rusbinterrace , Leicester , of the above-named brother , at the age of fifty-one . The

lamented brother , who Avas esteemed and respected by all who knew him , was one of the oldest Past Masters and most zealous Masons in the province . Bro . Pettifor Avas initiated in St . Jbhn ' s Lodge , Leicester , in

the year 1845 , and at the end of the following year hewas appointed Junior Warden . In 1848-9 he served the office of Master , and on retiring from the chair A \ 'as presented with a P . M . ' s jewel by unanimous vote of

the lodge . He was appointed Steward in the Provincial Grand Lodge in 1846 , Superintendent of Works in 1847 , and Senior Grand Warden in 1848 . Having been exalted in the Royal Arch Chapter of

Fortitude , attached to the lodge , he was elected Principal Sojourner , the duties of Avhich office he performed most efficiently ( as he did all which he undertook ) , and having passed through the chairs of j . and

H ., in 1851 he was appointed M . E . Z ., and in 1858 , the Grand Superintendent , Earl Howe , appointed him Third Principal in the Provincial Grand Chapter . He was advanced as a Mark Master in the

Newstead Lodge , at Nottingham , and was one of the founders of the Howe Lodge of Mark Masters , No . 21 , at Leicester ( now removed to Melton-Mowbray ) , in which he served the office ofWarden in the years 1858

and 1859 , and in the following year he was elected Master ; and he had also held office in the Mark Grand Lodge of the province . He was a zealous Mason , and during his membership of more than a quarter of a

century his services were always available in any capacity where required , either in lodge or chapter ; and although more than once declining to preside over the lodge a second time as Master , on two occasions ,

in the year 1855 and 1862 , he accepted the office of S . W . under other brethren . Bro . Pettifor was of the most quiet , unobtrusive manners , and his obliging disposition and strict integrity of character made him to be

universally esteemed and respected . After an illness of many months , he gradually sank , and expired on the 2 Sth ult ., at a comparatively early age , leaving a widow and youthful family to mourn his loss .

At a meeting of St . John ' s Lodge , No . 279 , on the 7 th inst , a resolution expressive of the deep regret of the brethren at his decease , and of their sympathy with his widow and family was adopted , as reported in another part of our paper .

Bro. Lemuel Lyon.

BRO . LEMUEL LYON .

The funeral of the late U . S . Consul at Yokohama , Bro . Lemuel Lyon , took place on Sunday afternoon , 9 th April , at three o ' clock . The desire of the deceased was that he should be buried with Masonic

ceremonies , and his wish was respected by his family and the brethren of the Craft . As his remains are to be conveyed to the United States for final sepulchre , and a fortnight will elapse before tlie steamer

leaves for San Francisco , it was arranged that the coffin should be taken to the Masonic Hall , and there the ceremonies ordinarilyobservedat the grave should take

place , and that the body should then remain in custody of the brethren until the time for shipment . About 3 p . m . a large concourse assembled

Bro. Lemuel Lyon.

at the U . S . Consulate , including several of the consuls of other treaty powers , the personal friends of the deceased , and many of the residents . A preliminary prayer and

address Avere offered by the Rev . Dr . Brown in the large room on the ground floor , in which the coffin had been placed , and then the mourners and visitors awaited the

arrival of the Masonic Fraternity , Avho , having opened the lodge in due and ancient form , . Avalked in procession to the house , and placing themselves around the coffin as directed , with the Worshipful Masters of

tne two lodges now Avorking in Yokohama at the head of the coffin . The usual prayers and formalities appointed to be used at the house having been concluded , the procession formed again , and escorted

the deceased , carried by seamen of the U . S . navy , to the hall , Avhere the very impressive Masonic services were , as before , conducted by Bro . Rains , W . M . of the Yokohama Lodge , and Bro . Mitchell , W . M . of

the O'Tentosama Lodge , assisted by the Past Masters , the officers and the brethren of both lodges , the public being admitted to that portion usually performed at the

grave . This being done , the hall was cleared of all but Master Masons , and the lodge was closed . When all had retired , the Avidowand the immediate friends of the deceased visited the hall .

This is the first time a brother has been buried with full Masonic rites in Yokohama . —Japan Gazette .

Masonic Miscellanea.

Masonic Miscellanea .

BRO . the Rev . Charles Lee , Vicar of Holy Trinity , Haverstock Hill , has been elected to the perpetual curacy of Bilston , Staffordshire , after a severe contest , which resembled a political election . THE Provincial Grand Master for Cumberland

and Westmorland has appointed the Provincial Grand Festival to be held at Kendal , sometime in the latter end of September or beginning of October . The Right Rev . Dr . Magee , Lore ! Bishop of Peterborough , will be asked to preach on the occasion .

AVE are requested to state that Master Masons , wishing to take the Mark and Royal Ark Mariners ' Degrees , will be able to do so at a meeting at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , AV . C , on AVednesday , the 21 st June , at five o ' clock , at a fee of two guineas the two degrees—if they make application to Bro . M . A . Loewenstark , I , Devereuxcourt , Temple , AA ^ . C , previously . - >

ON Friday evening , 23 rd June , the Fifteen Sections will be worked in the Doric Lodge of Instruction , No . 933 , by Bro . Cundick , AV . M ., and fifteen brethren of the United Pilgrim's Lodge of

Instruction , to commence at seven o clock p . m . This novel interchange of working the sections in one lodge by the brethren of another lodge is the result of an invitation by the "Doric" to the "Pilgrims , " who have kindly and promptly accepted the same .

IT being deemed desirable to dispel an erroneous idea that members of the A . and A . Rite , or of the Order of the Temple , will in future be precluded from joining the Order of Constantino , wc are requested to explain that the letter of Lord

Limerick , which was read at the meeting of the Mark Grand Lodge on the 6 th inst ., referred solely to the treaty of alliance between the S . G . C . 33 ° , the Mark Masters , and the Knights Templar , and not to the separate treaty with the Red Cross Order .

THE distinguished services rendered by Lord de Grey in connection with the Treaty of AA ' ashington will , wc are glad to know , meet with suitable recognition . The country will learn with pleasure that his lordship is about to be raised to the rank of Marquis , under lhe title of Marquis of Ripon . This step will , we arc sure , receive the approval of men

of all parties , who will recognise the value of Lord de Grey's labours in the negotiations so happily completed , and the beneficial influence he has been enabled to exert in strengthening the bonds of amity between England and tho United States . Lord Tentcrden , who acted as Secretary to the English members of the Joint High Commission , will be made a civil C . B . —Telegraph .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

-- > Tlie Editor is not responsible Cot the opinions expressed by Correspondents . HALLIAVELL'S POEM ANALYSED .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I presume that many of your readers have heard of Halliwell's poem or Constitution , but that very few have taken the pains to study it . For the information of the majority , I intend to point out what the poem is ,

and what may be learned from it . In 1 S 3 S , Mr . J . O . Halliwell discovered in the British Museum a manuscript poem , written five hundred years ago . It consists of nearly 800 lines , and embodies a constitution , charges , and legends known to the Craft at that time . As this is

undoubtedly the first book which treats of Masons and Masonry , we must try and learn from it what the brethren then knew of Masonry , and afterwards compare their Masonry with our own . The author begins after the following fashion : — "He who will both read and look , may find in an old book "

( what old book ?) of great lords and ladies whose progeny was so numerous that they were not able to maintain them ; so they called a counsell together and advertised for advice , when a " grete clerky yclept Euclyde " undertook to ' organise the youngsters into a Fraternity , commanded them to

call each other brother , and taught them " gemetry , " which he called Masonry . From Egypt the Craft was introduced into England—not by Saint Alban , but in " good Kyngc Adelstoun ' s day . " The said king called an assembly of " dukys , erlys , barnes , knygthys , sawyers , " etc . AVhere or when the

Parliament was held we are not informed . The word York occurs nowhere , nor are we sure that such titles as above given existed in the days of Adelstoun ' s or Athelstan's day . But , be that as it may , the king gave the Masons a charter , divided into fifteen articles , and as many points . Article

1 st , headed " Articulus primus" commands honesty , faithfulness , & c . ; 2 nd enjoins the " Mayster " to attend at the assemblies ; 3 rd , 41 h and 5 th provides that an Apprentice miiut be of sound limb , no bondman , of " gentelle kynde , " of " lawful blod , " and must serve seven years . The law of

" free-born " is attributed , in a later constitution , not to the history of Isaac and Ishmael , but to the noble blood of Euclide's pupils ; and strange to say , later constitutions informs us also that those children of the Egyptian nobility were born of other men ' s wives . This last could not , however , have

been known to good King Athelstan , for otherwise he would not have passed the law of lawful blood . The fifteenth point ordains punishment for the disobedient . These were ordered the Craft to forsake , and if they would not do so , the sheriff was to put them in prison for trespass , take their goods

and chatties to the king , and they were to remain in prison during the king's pleasure . Preston informs us that before the establishment of the G . L . of England , " Masons met together within a certain district with the consent of the Sheriff or chief magistrate of the place . " This fifteenth point furnishes a key to the business of the sheriff at Masonic assemblies .

The 471 st line , headed "Alia ordinacw Artis gemetria , " provides for holding Masonic assemblies . Now , I imagine that 999 out of ever 1 , 000 of our American brethren would not mind betting a dollar that Saint John ' s Day was the day when Masons always met . AVhy ? are we not nightly assured

that the Saint Johns were eminent Masons , Grand Masters , and Grand Patrons ? and do not our most profound St . John ' s Day orators almost swear that our ancient brethren , the Druids , used to hold their assemblies clothed in white aprons , & c , on the Baptist ' s Day ? And yet , strange to say , our ancient brethren living in the days of Chaucer and

AVicliff knew nothing about the Masonry of the Christian saints . The law provides that each year , or third year , an assembly should be held ( not in A ' ork , but ) "In every place wheresoever they would , " and goes on to say , " Time and place must be ordained also . " In short , no time of meeting was specified in the Constitution , but it was left to their discretion when , as well as where , they were to

meet . The 497 th line , headed " Ars quatnor coronotorium , " begins with an invocation to God : And " hys moder , Mary bright" that all the articles and points should be observed by the brotherhood , as did the four holy martyrs . These martyrs , who are elsewhere asserted to have been kings , are

merely here mentioned as Masons and engravers of images . An emperor ordered them to make an image or idol ; they being Christians , refused the job , ancl were therefore put to death . Next we are informed that the tower " Babyloyn" was seven miles high , so that in case of another flood the Babyloynians might ascend to the upper storey so as to be above high-water mark . King Nabogo-