Annual Festival Of The Ebury Lodge Of Instruction, No. 1348.

locks , and a belief in the oldest being the best . The Ebury Lodge had gone to the fountain head for instruction , and it had done well in so doing . It had taken up with no novelty , but had gone a straig htforward way to get instruction . The brethren had learned of Bro . AVatson ,

what he was ready to impart and he ( Bro . Cooke ) was sorry Bro . AVatson was obliged through indisposition to leave them that evening , before he had seen how highly they appreciated him . It would of course be a lamentable thing if Bro . VVatson were ill . ; but he ( Bro . Cooke ) had often

said "God send that Billy AVatson was laid up for a year . and then thebrethren would becompelled to do their own work . " If however he was , the brethren of the Ebury Lodge would not suffer , because there were plenty of brethren in it who could do Masonic work well . He hoped they

would continue to keep others in the ri g ht path . Bro . Watson was dear to them all . He had been a tutor , an adviser , a friend ; and there were many brethren in his ( Bro Cooke ' s ) own lodge who venerated Bro . AVatson as their best friend to fly to in cases of difficulty and doubt . He was

a popular man , but he had never taken a part that had stamped him a position in anything . Consequently he had always swam with the stream and was likely to do so to his last home . Himself and Bro . AVatson had worked together for years , in lodges , chapters , lodges of instruction ,

and all p laces where Masons " most do congregate . " Though they had received his name warmly and kindly , they had not done him fair justice . Bro . AVatson . was not present to thank them himself . He ( Bro . Cooke , ) Mould on his

behalf return thanks for him as warmly as it was in his power to do it . TheW . M . next proposed "The Health of Bro . W . Bourne , " who had worked the ceremony of installation that evening , and in doing so said that the excellence of that brother ' s work

augured well for the way in which he would instal his successor in the chair of the Ebury Lodge , when the time came round . Bro . W . Bourne , in reply , said that he was pleased his efforts had given satisfaction to the brethren , but he assured them that he undertook

his duties with much gratification , and had done the best he could . If he had given satisfaction he could not wish to do more . The W . M . in proposing the toast of " The Officers , " anotinced that the Ebury Lodge ,

was well officered , whether by the Senior and Junior AVardens or by the Deacons or Secertary . Bros . Elliot , Summer , and Roberts , having replied , the business of the evening was shortly afterwards brought to a termination b y the Tyler ' s toast .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

SPIRITUALISM AND SPECTRAL ILLUSIONS .

To the Editor of the Freemason , Dear Sir and Brother , — AA'hen the history of this nineteenth century comes to be written it will present some curious pages , as well as some most striking contrasts , and amongst these contrasts few will be

more prominent than the great advances made in scientific knowledge on the one hand , coincident with the rise and progress of S piritualism . Science seems to appeal in vain to . S piritualism for either a satisfactory or rational explanation of anything . AVhen Science does take the matter

in hand these phenomena , said to the work of disembodied spirits , are found to be a curious compound of trickery , credulity , animal magnetism , nervous disorder and spectral illusion . The spiritualistic trickster comes to the seance fully prepared . To night at the mere wish of one

of the company a " spirit" will there and then pluck a bunch of grapes from a Portuguese vineyard and lay them upon a British table in a minute , to morrow a dove will be brought in without either breaking a window or turniii" - a feather , and the next day a tortoise will be carried

in right through the keyhole and still appear on the table as large as life and all alive and a lucking . All of course the work of disembodied spirits . The credulity which believes these phenomena will believe anything . As to the phenomena experienced b y Bro . Carpenter , these

Original Correspondence.

if not assisted by trickery , are the effect of the nervous action of the parties present . Bro . Carpenter may imagine that he has held a conversation for three or four hours with a disembodied spirit , but that does not really prove that

he did so . In my opinion it onl y shows that there is something wrong with his nerves , and if sufficiently prior to the time at which he held this supposed conversation , he had got a dose of the proper medicine , the conversation referred to would never have been held .

In my opinion there is considerable relationship between dreaming and spiritualism in certain of its phases , as the poet says . — " Dreams are but interludes which fancy makes , AVhen monarch reason sleeps , this mimic wakes , Compounds a medley * of disjointed things ,

A court of cobblers , and a mob of kings ; Light fumes are merry , grosser fumes are sad , Both are the reasonable soul run mad ; And many monstrous forms in sleep we see , That neither were , nor are , nor e ' er can be . Sometimes forgotten things , long cast behind ,

Rush forward in the brain , and come to mind , The nurse ' s legends are for truth received , And the man dreams but what the boy believed Sometimes we but rehearse a former play *; The ni g ht restores our actions done by day , As hounds in sleep will open for their prey ;

In short the farce of dreams is of a piece . In chimeras all , and more absurd or less . " So with spiritualism , reason is sent to sleep and fancy allowed full play . Things are not what they are , but what they * seem . The imaginary spirit may * be nothing more than the

scratching of a mouse , the shadow on the wall , or a mote in the eye , but with such a rational or materialistic explanation , spiritualism will of course have nothing to do . I am yours fraternally , W . P . Buc . MAN .

MASONIC JEWELS . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and brother , — By the book of Constitutions , pages 18 , 68 , and iiS , no Jewel shall be worn in any lodge Sec , unless such as are connected with those degrees recognised b y the Grand Lodge as

part of antient Freemasonry * . By the articles of iSr , 3 it is declared that it only recognises the degrees of E . A ., F . C , and M . A 1 ., together with the R . A ., but this article is not intended to prevent any Lodge or Chapter from holding a meeting in any of the degrees of

the Orders of Chivalry , according to the constitutions of those Orders . Now at that period the Knights Templar and the rviii ghts of the Red Cross and K . U . S . were the onl y organized chivalric orders existing in England , and consequentl y it would appear that the above permissive clause applies solely to their members .

I would therefore ask your numerous readers whether a member of the K . T . or Red Cross S ; c , can , as a matter of ri ght , insist on wearing the jewel of these latter orders in a Craft Lodge . Yours fraternally , II .

THE ENGLISH LANGUE OF THE ORDER OK ST . | OIIN .

lo the Eilttor of The Freemason . Dear Sir , and Brother ,- — It is painfull y obvious that Bro . Holmes has no knowledge whatever of ( hesubject on which lie assumes to write , and as he now thinks it well to supplement unsupported

assertion , and bold misrepresentations , hy the element of insult , I decline any further participation in a controversy involving weapons to which I am , happily , a stranger . I must however crave space for a distinct and emphatic denial that this discussion was

originated by me , as stated b y Bro . Holmes , lie full well knows that it was commenced b y himself , on the i 6 thof November last , and continued b y him .-it the meeting of Grand Conclave on the i 3 th of December ; and that

notwithstanding an explanation by me , in your columns , of the valid Constitution of the English Order , and a remonsranee against the cou 7-. se pursued b y Bro . Holmes , he wilfully pursued the same action on the 4 th of January last , and thus in-

Original Correspondence.

voked the humiliating consequences to which your readers saw him exposed ; consequences unhappil y extending far beyond the personal defeat he so well merited . Bro . Holmes adds one last grievous blunder U

the long catalogue of his mistakes . He thinks the Order of St . John is dedicated to the Almoner a dedication which has been abandoned for th ' not very short period of about 750 years . The Order has been , during that time , as still is , dedi cated to the Baptist .

In common with many others , I deepl y lament the indiscretion which has ptovoked this controversy , and whilst I deplore its unfortunate results I am glad that the responsibility rests not on my hands .

Fraternally yours , LUPUS . [ We have , inserted the above communication at the earnest request of our esteemed correspondent . But we now must positivel y state that no further correspondence upon this subject will be published in The Freemason' ] .

Masonic Tidings.

Masonic Tidings .

A warrant has been granted for a Council of Royal and Select Masters , to ba called the Carnarvon Council , and to . meet at Havant , Hants . The consecration "' of St . Matthew ' s Lodge No . 1447 , will take place at the Volunteers' Hal ! , Barton-on-Humber . ; on Monday , 20 th instant .

The AV . M . designate is Bro . Robert Taylor . St . John ' s Gate , which , it was stated , had become the property of the Kni ghts of St . John , whose meeting placa it was to be , still remains as a tavein , with all its antiquarian and literary features unchanged . Mr . Gay has succeeded Mr .

Wickens in the proprietorship . A meeting of the members of the Royal Arch Chapter of Improvement , and the Metropolitan Chapter of Instruction , will be held at the Jamaica Coffee House , St . Michael ' s Alley ,

Cornlull , on Tuesday , the 21 st inst ., at seven p . m ., precisely , to confirm resolutions for their amalgamation under the title of the Metropolitan Royal Arch Chapter of Improvement , and then removal to the Jamaica Coffee House ; also to revise the scale of fees .

I he annual banquet of the Constitutional Lodge of Instruction ( No . 55 ) will be held at the Wheatsheaf Hotel , Hand Court , Holborn , on Tuesday the 28 th inst ., at 7 p . m . Bro . J . 11 . Stacey will preside .

Ihe fifteen sections will be worked on Friday , the 7 th proximo , at the Metropolitan Lodge of Instruction ; held at the Portugal Hotel , Fleetstreet . Bro . J . L . Coulton , W . M . 382 , will preside . The fifteen Sections will be worked in the Star

Lodge of Instruction ( No . 1275 , ) at the Marquis of Granhy , New Cross R 0 . 11 I , on Saturday , October 25 th , by Bro . IT . Sadler . Lodge will be opened at half-past six , punctually . We have reason to believe that Bro . Sadler will be assisted by several brethren from the Emulation Lodge of Improvement .

AVe are informed that Bro . the Rt . Hon . Lord Tenterden , Past S . G-W ., has been appointed to succeed the Rt . Hon . Edmund Hammond , as Permanent Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs . The Finsbury Park Lodge of Instruction ( No . 1288 , ) commenced its meetings for the winter season , on Wednesday last .

ihe hvit . moveable assembl y of the General Giaim Corfclave of the Masonic and Military Order of the :-Red Cross of Constantine and Appendant Orders , will be held at the Freemasons" H ( ill , Leicester , on Tuesday , 21 st inst ., at two o ' clbck .

Hide your time without anxiety . Changes of tempera " tmc pici-ilcnf in , -tutumu frequently upset persons wlio are most cautious of their he-Jtli anil most paiticular in their diet . Holloway ' s coricclive purifying anil gently aperient pills , ire the best remedy for all defective action ol tiie digestive organs . They augment the appetite , strengthen the stomach , correct biliousness anil carry oft

all that . is noxious from the system . Holloway ' s 1 'iH * . composed of rare ' balsamic matter , " anil on that account are particularly well adapted for the young , delicate , . i" ' aged . The liell of beneficial work done " by I Iollow ** iy ' well known and widely appreciated pills , is too large f ° any attempt to catalogue all the diseases and distempers remediable by them . — ADVT .