Masonic Miscellanea.

Masonic Miscellanea .

MASONIC ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE . —The third meeting of this Institute will be held at the Freemasons' Half , Great Queen-street , W . C , on Tuesday , March 23 rd , at 7-30

p . m ., when a paper-will be read by W . Jiesant , l ' , sq ., M . A , upon " The recent discoveries in connection with the Palestine Exploration Fund . " Chair to bo taken at eight o ' clock precisely . BRO . JAMES TERRY , P . M ., 228 , will work the ceremonies of Consecration and Installation , at the Sincerity Lodge of Instruction , Cheshire Cheese Tavern , Crutched Friars , on Monday next , March 22 nd , at 7 p . m . Musical arrangements ov liro . Seddon .

IN consequence of the lamented death of Bro . George Raymond , the Masonic Concert which was to havo taken place at Benner's Ball-room , Tralce , on Friday evening last , is POSTPONED until further notice .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

^ Announcements Births , Marriages , and Deaths relating to the Craft , or their families , will be inserted , free of charge , if properly authenticated . ] DEATH . On the llth inst ., at Dublin , Bro . George Raymond , proprietor and editor of the Kerry Evening Post , aged 50 .

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Cjjc^freemason,SATURDAY , MARCH 20 , 1 SG 9 .

TUB FnEniiAsoi * is published on Saturday Mornings in time for tho early trains . The price of THB FnKimAsoif is Twopence per week ; quarterly subscription ( including postage ) 3 a . 3 d . Annual Subscription , 12 s . Subscriptionspayablo in advance . All communications , letters , & c , to bo addressed to tho EmiOB , 3 & i , Little Britain , E . O . Tho Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undertake to return them unless aceompauied by postage stamps .

Royal Arch Masonry.

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY .

IT is well known that the ceremony oftho Royal Arch degree , as adopted by the Grand Chapter of England in 1834 , differs very materially from that practised in Scotland , Ireland , or America . Here , it is recognized as the

completion of the third degree , and Master Masons of 12 months' standing are eli g ible for exaltation . Other degrees are interposed , in the countries we have named , between the M . M . and the R . A .

degrees ; such as the Mark Master , the Past Master , and the Most Excellent Master . In some of the States of America they supplement

the R . A . by two degrees called Royal and Select Masters , and the result is , practically , that a brother receives nine degrees iu America , the essential secrets of most of which he can obtain

in England by four steps . This is certainl y a strange anomaly , and we consider that some notice ought to be taken of the fact by the Grand Chapter of England .

The Mark degree m this country is a separate jurisdiction , but the so-called P . M . ' s and M . E . Masters' degrees have no footing amongst us . Cannot wc arrive at some uniformity in this

respect with our English-speaking brethren of other lands ? AVe are strongly of opinion that the English ceremony is complete in itself , andwhen rendered by companions who thoroughly

appreciate its merits—its language is both impressive and sublime . There is at present a disposition in many quarters to weed the Masonic Ritual of those

literary solecisms and anachronisms , which have crept in from time to time through the carelessness of uneducated instructors ; and . no doubt , so desirable a reform will eventuall y be carried out .

We especiall y invite tho attention of Royal Arch Masons to this important subject , and shall be glad to hear the opinions of our brethren generally , both at home and abroad .

The Editor's Portfolio.

The Editor's Portfolio .

A MASONIC ODE . God the Almighty Founder spake , And worlds on worlds from chaos rolled ; The sun , o ' er mountain , vale and lake , In splendour spread like molten gold . The moon , and countless stars were given , Nisrht's chasms of darkness to illume ;

Revealing o ' er the face of Heaven Their radiance ' midst tlie wondrous gloom Since the first sunbeam kissed tbe flowers Of Eden with divinest li ght , The sun with still unwearied powers Clasns Earth in his embraces brisht .

The moon ' s mysterious circlet still Floats calmly thro' the elysian air . — Obeys her glorious Maker ' s will , AVhose eye beholds as everywhere . Thus constant we , from olden time

Unchanged , pursue our mystic lore , And gather knowledge , truth sublime , From spheres of Light for evermore . And may we ever firmly stand ,

Brothers united heart and band , Till all the world shall wondering see , Heaven ' s type in our Freemasonry . R . WENTWORTH LITTLE . AVritten 29 th May , 1861 .

A MASONIC TOAST . If we have but little , how many there are who have less ; so ne ' er let the heart , nor the hand , nor the door be closed to the claims of a friend in distress .

MASONIC EXHORTATION . —FROM THE GERMAN . O thou I whom we have initiated in the doctrines of wisdom , Son of Virtue and Friendship ! listen to us , and open thy heart to the serious precepts of Truth . AVe will show thee the path to happiness of life , the way in whicb thou mayst please thy Creator ;

how thy mayst employ with bening success , for the benefit of mankind , all tbe means which Providence has entrusted thee with , and thus procure thyself the sacred pleasure of benevolence .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

Masonic Jurisprudence .

It is generally known that in Ireland the chivalric and other degrees are recognized by the Craft authorities , but " no jewel , medal or device beloiuniif :

to any Order or degree beyond that oi" Master Mason , in whicb however the Jewel of a Fast Master is considered to be included" can be worn in the Grand Lodge . This is perfectly correct , as every dein-ee in

Masonry ought to be kept separate and distinct , and the strict observance of this law maintains the universal principles of Craft Masonry .

The first or third degree can onl y be conferred upon one brother at a time and one degree only at each meeting according to the Irish Look of Constitutions . Ill Scotland extrani-ilinai-v laxitv ovists

in these particulars , and even in England we have seen four or five brethren "hurried" through a degree at the same time . There ought to be a cosmopolitan law upon this subject .

The following curious article exists amongst thc laws of the . Grand Lodge of Ireland , and , to say the least , is unusual : — " 107 . If a lodge shall initiate any person who shall bo a sheriff ' s , coroner ' s or

mar-mul ' s bailiff , or a livery servant , the ollicers aud members of the lodge present on such occasion shall be suspended during tbe pleasure of the Grand Lodge . Any brother exercising any of these occupations after he has been admitted a member

of tbe Order , shall forfeit all his rights as a Freemason , so long as he shall continue to exercise such occupation ; and any lodge which shall receive or admit among them any brother exercising any of the aforesaid occupations shall bo punished as the Grand Lodge shall direct . "

I > EAR Sin , —Under the heading of" Masonic Jurisprudencc , " you say Regularly Installed Masters under any jurisdiction are permitted to assist at an English Hoard of . I . M . ' s . "Scotch P . M . ' s are inadinissable .

as they know nothing of the secrets restricted to the chair . " Would you kindly in your next , explain the reason why "Scotch Fast Musters , " are debarred from taking part at a Board of English . I . M . ' s . — Yours fraternally , V . M ., Hartlepool , March 17 th . [ In Scotland , a Brother elected to the chair of a

lodge is inducted into ollice in the presence of the Muster Masons , anil does not receive the secrets of an Installed Master , a degree which is not recognised by the Grand Lodge of Scotland—he cannot therefore be admitted to a Hoard of J . M ' s . — ED . F . J

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—•»—Ancient and Accepted Rite . —The statement to which " Rose Croix " alludes as to a warrant of 1721 , granted by The Pretender to certain Loudon

Knights , first appeared in the Freemasons Magazine on tbe authority of Bro . Matthew Cooke , who has the reputation of being well acquainted with ancient documents . So many unfounded attacks are made

on tlie Chivalric Ordez-s , that it requires some little consideration to enable us to see that there is nothing at all improbable in the existence of such a document , which is said to be unquestionably genuine There

are scores of certificates knocking about Lancashire , which date and connect the revised Templar ceremony with a degree , having several points in common the 17 th A . and A . R . i / car of revival 1686 . Were

this date too earl } ' , how came Philip of Orleans iu the yen * 1705 to anathematise the Stuart , or "Scottish Templars with their Brethren of St . John of Jerusalem , " who had established High Grade Masonry at Arras . The Charter , which must have

been forged between 1681 and 1700 , admits they altered the secrets to distinguish them from the Scotch Order . See a copy in Brother Richard AVoofs work on the Order of St . John and the Temple . —JOHN YARKER , Manchester .

Catenarian Arch . —If a rope be suspended loosely by its two ends , the curve into which it falls is called a catenarian curve , and thus inverted , forms the catenarian arch , which is said to be the strongest of all Arches . —ANTIQUARIUS .

Thc Eagle . —An eagle in heraldry , is the symbol of royalty as being the king of birds , and for that reason was dedicated by the ancients to Jupiter . The eagle has been borne as an ensign or standard by several nations , particularly by tbe Persians and

Romans , aud the double-headed eagle with the latter people , denoted the union of the Eastern and Western empires . An eagle on medals imports empire , divinity , or providence ; with tbe word consecratio annexed , it expresses the apotheosis of an Emperor . R . AV L .

The Palmlree . —The Phoenicians gave the name of Phcenix to tho palm-tree , because when burnt down to the very root , it naturally rises again , fairer than ever . — R . W . L .

The Dog . —The figure of a dog was introduced into the ceremonies of the Mopses a pseudo-Masonic Order in Germany , as an emblem of fidelity . —VIATOR .

Rosaic Rile—An able paper on this system by Bro . G . Lambert , was read at the last meeting of the Masonic Arclia'ological Institute I was not present , but Bro . Lambert has since informed me that the " Red Cross of Constantino " formed part oi * Bro . Rosa ' s series of decrees . If the proofs are

susceptible of publication , our well-read Brother would confer a boon upon the Anglican Order of Constantine , by stating all he knows respecting it . Hitherto my impression has been that the " Red Cross" was not a portion of Rosa ' s Bite , but was

introduced into Germany , in 1754 , by Baron ilunde , the founder of the Rite of Strict Observance , a modification of which system embraced a degree called " Master of tbe Red Cross , " since adopted as the summit oftho Swedish Rite . —G . RECORDER .

Tbe lato Bro . Oliver , in his remarks concerning the Three Druidieal Pillars which still remain in Penrith Churchyard , Cumberland , observe s that our best Antiquaries have been puzzled to account for

their being inscribed with a cross But this doubtless , he states , arose from the anxiety of the first Christian Missionaries to transfer the devotional attachment of the natives from a lifeless Image to

the Internal l-od , hy assuming Die great einblem of Christianity , which had indeed been previously used by the Druids , but with a different signification . Now with all due submission to such learned authorities , I should rather suppose that the figure whicb be imagined was made by tbe Missionaries

was the sacred and mysterious character lau , which the Druids were uniformly accustomed to inscribe on all their monuments , although in most eases the character from the lapse of" ages , and the effect of

time is now no longer legible . It is remarkable that there should be three , corresponding iu number with the Thoths or symbolical divinities of the ancient Egyptians , and also to the three Masonic columns , AVisdom , Strength , and Beauty . R . AV . LIITLE .

AVherc can I find a fair and candid statement of the charges which the Roman Catholic clergy bring against Freemasonry , and the grounds on which they base their denunciation of the Craft if Where can I find a good reply to those charges ?—ASHLAR .

His Royal Highness Prince Arthur will , it is expected , be present at the Grand Masonic Hall which is to held at the Exhibition Palace , Dublin , on Friday evening , 0 th proximo .