Correspondence.

Correspondence .

Wc do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by out correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

IS FREEMASONRY A RELIGION ? To thc Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In the correspondence on page 3 S 0 , the 13 th instant , under this heading , from Bro . Arthur Lovell , he says— " The word Religion covers an enormous amount of ground . " .... The first requisite is to present a clear

definition of the meaning intended to be conveyed . .... The symbols used are absolutely worthless < o the candidate who has not "the inner eye opened —( 2 Kings , 6 ch ., 17 v . ; Acts 26 ch ., 18 v . )—to see the real , but hidden , meaning . " . . . . In the first leading article on page 375 you tell us " that the open Bible in our lodges is a Masonic principle and one of our ancient landmarks ; " and Bro . Klein , W . M . of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , whose admirable address on Light —( Luke 2 ch ., 32 v . )—you report on page 37 6 , says— " The

framers of our ritual evidently looked beneath the surface of things , and I think this is so with this ancient landmark The Bible . " I am not a scholar , but I venture to suggest that the word " Religion " is derived from our word ligature , and " means a binding back afresh . The Volume of the Sacred Law reveals to us that man is , by nature and practice , entirely estranged from his Creator ; but running through its pages , both Old and New Testament , is the good news of a ligature , which will bring all mankind back again to God if they will believe and accept

it . —( Hosea , 14 ch ., 4 v . ) It appears very clear to me that if brethren will examine this landmark of our Order and its authority as a revelation from the Great Architect of the Universe , surely this is a Religion which if obeyed will be a sure guide for conduct in this world and a certain hope of eternal life in the world to come . We are told of the rising of that bright Morning Star —( Rev ., 22 ch ., 16 v . ) , whose rising brings peace—( Rom ., 5 ch ., 1 v . )—and salvation —( Luke , 19 ch ., 9 v . )—to the faithful and obedient of the human race . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours

traternally , GEO . B . CHAPMAN , Secretary No . 2499 . Bayard Cottage , Bexley Heath , August 13 th .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , My attention has been drawn to a letter by Bro . Arthur Lovell in your issue of August 13 th , entitled " Is Freemasonry a Religion ? " I read the letter with very great interest because I have long thought that something more could and should be made out of Masonry than has hitherto been attempted . As

it at present exists , it is a vast Charity Organisation Society worthy unquestionably of the support of all Masons so far as Brotherly love and relief are concerned , but Masons are apt to forget that Truth is also one of the objects . Any one acquainted with the ordinary meetings of a lodge will at once acknowledge that very little is done towards explaining the hidden mysteries of nature and

science . It is hot necessary that Masons should be Astronomers or Chemists for the comprehenson of Masonic science , which , in my opinion , is a science of human development . Our ceremonies proclaim this in no uncertain voice as we rise from Apprentices to Craftsmen and then to the sublime Degree of Master—a growth which corresponds in our inner selves to our natural development .

What is wanted in oUf lodges is an explanation of this process of development and the application , of the principles of Masonic science to our daily living , It must be confessed that this inner meaning is not taught in our lodges , consequently the individual Mason has no chance whatever of understanding the ceremonial . Given this inner perception , the possibilities of Masonry are immense , and the world would be a far better place to live in were every Mason to live up

to the tenets he has professed to accept and understand . Here , then , is an opportunity for Masters of lodges to signalise their year of ollice by re-vivifying Masonry , and making their lodges real centres of instruction . As a Master , I shall certainly endeavour to do what I can during my occupancy of the chair to further this end , and , in my opinion , the thanks of all true Masons are due to Bro . Lovell for bringing this matter forward . —I am , dear Sir , yours faithfully and fraternally , JOHN SPINT , VV . M . 1425 . 27 , Chapter-road , Willesden Green , N . W ., August 15 th .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . JAMES BRETT . P . G . P . It is with extreme regret we record the death of Bro . James Brett , who was appointed A . G . Pursuivant in 1869 , and G . Pursuivant the following year , while in 1871 he was chosen to fill the office of G . D . of C . in Supreme Grand Chapter , Bro . Brett will doubtless be best remembered as for many years the Senior

Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence , from which office he retired a few years since . He also served very actively on the Committee of Management of the Benevolent Institution , and was a Life Governor of all three Charities , for each of which he had served a Stewardship . We shall give fuller particulars next week .

BRO . C . LOCOCK WEBB , Q . C , P . G . D . By the death of Bro . Charles Locock Webb , Q . C , the Middle Temple has lost one of its oldest members , he having been 7 6 years of age . The deceased was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in April , 1 . S 50 , was made a Queen ' s

Counsel in June , 1875 , and elected a Bencher of his Inn in 1879 . He was next in rotation for the oflice of Treasurer of the Middle Temple for the ensuing year . Bro . Webb was a distinguished member of our Order , having been appointed J . G . D . of England as far back as 1 S 63 . We shall give further particulars next week .

THE DUCHESS OK ST . ALIUNS has left Newtown Anner , her seat near Clonmcl , en a visit to Sir Henry and Lady Ulalte at Voughal , where they have purchased the old m snor house in which Sir Walter Raleigh once lived .

The Tombs Of The Kings Golconda And Mosques Of Haidarabad Deccan Viewed Masonically.

THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS GOLCONDA AND MOSQUES OF HAIDARABAD DECCAN VIEWED MASONICALLY .

BY BRO . FRANK STEVENS , P . D . G . S . B . MADRAS .

Much has been written at various times , and in various places , regarding the Temple at Jerusalem , and this the more so , as the data at hand are so meagre , that it has been a comparatively easy task for any society , religion or sect to claim a connection with that venerable edifice , now , alas ! lost almost as completely as the genuine secrets of a Master Mason . Practical architects and antiquarians have , more nearly than any , reconstructed the ancient

fane as it existed , and to them be all honour for the light they have shed upon this , the most interesting feature of the Old Testament History . But , while doing all justice to these able and scientific investigators , we cannot but deplore the terrible want in Masonry , as it is now understood , of any thing like a definite idea of that edifice , or of its history . We are possessed of lectures and explanations of certain tracing boards , which have come to

be regarded , despite their comparative novelty , as landmarks ; but these explanations—to use the words of the late Bro . Albert Pike—are " no explanations , " and only calculated to confuse , rathe * : than instructive novice . True it is that in the present day thinking Masons are beginning to see that their tracing boards are but a " will 0 ' the wiso , " a seeming light .

which offers much promise but little realisation , and on the strength of this they are with commendable energy devoting themselves to individual research , which it is to be hoped will eventuall y place the Craft in possession of some more authentic and trustworthy notions on leading matters , and dissipate some of those mists of verbiage which enshroud the salient points of Masonry .

Such , then , is the endeavour of the present effort—one which has been undertaken in a true Masonic spirit , and with a view to make that daily increase in Masonic knowledge as forcibly impressed upon the novice in Masonry . A careful and detailed study of architecture in the city of Haiderabad Deccan revealed a very curious Masonic coincidence , which from its frequent and invariable occurrence in all Moslem places of worship and tombs in that

city , demonstrated beyond doubt that the coincidence was the result of a set purpose , and not of mere hazard . It is now necessary to inform those readers who are unacquainted with Haidarabad or Mahometan cities in general , that there are two special forms used in the building of religious edifices—the one is that of the mosque or musjid , and the other that of the tomb . As a rule , these two buildings are to be found in close proximity , though the mosque is more often to be found standing alone , but the tomb is never unaccompanied by the musjid .

Let us first take into consideration the musjid , or place of prayer . This is an oblong building , built so as to face Mecca , or very nearly east and west . The east end is open , and it is from this point that the faithful approach for the purpose of prayer . Standing then in the east , facing the west , the first objects which strike the eye are the two large pillars , or

minarets , which adorn the north-east and south-east corners of the building , and which stand at the porchway or entrance to the mosque . These pillars are of a purely ornamental nature , and , as a rule , are elaborately decorated , though it is a very striking and most important fact , that among the hundreds of minarets which adorn the city the form of decoration never varies in the slightest detail .

'Ihe minaret is surmounted by a spire , which is generally " cast in brass ; " below this is the dome , which is ornamented at its base with a pattern of " lily work , " while this in its turn is supported by a moulding decorated with " net work and pomegranates . " This is no fanciful description , but an actual fact , the decoration being most marked and well finished . In other words , these two minarets answer exactly to the description of the

two great pillars as given in the Second Degree tracing board . The globes or spherical balls which surmount these pillars are undoubtedly the domes of the Moslem minaret , and it will be noticed that the lines of latitude and longitude are clearly defined on them . This at first when collecting information for this article escaped the writer's notice , till on visiting one of the two stone mosques in Haidarabad for the purpose of

gaining further information , the whole matter became clear . The lines of latitude and longitude were nothing else than the joints in the masonry , for the individual stones , of which the dome was composed , were all shaped and dressed , in courses , with the utmost regularity , and the lines of the courses and the breaking of the joints at once elucidated the whole idea . The next point worthy of notice is the position of these two pillars . It has been

already noticed above that the two minarets , which stand at the right and left hand of the porch , are at the north-east and south-east corners of the building . If the reader now were to imagine himself as standing in the porchway looking out towards the east , the pillar on his left hum ! would be situated at the north-cast cjnier of the building , while that on the right would be at the south-east earner . The association of these two pillars with these two

points of the compass will at once suggest itself to the Masonic reader , who will remember that the north-east corner is always traditionally regarded as the point whence the building should be commenced , while the left hand pillar is equally associated with the First Degree . Similarl y the completion of the course of earthly study is typified by the south-east corner , in thu Second Degree , whicli is associated with the name of the right hand pillar .

We may thus assume the lessons of the first two Degrees in Masonry to bs that man is taught to conduct himself honourably throughout life , at the same time making such progress as he is able in worldl y knowledge , and these the mosejie typifies Masonically by the two minarets , its chequered pavement , and the Holy verses from the Koran , which embellish the centra of the building .

The minarets have already come under discussion , but there yet remain the chequered pavements and the verses of the Koran . The mosque floor is divided into rectangles each sufficiently large to permit one man to pay his devotions within its boundaries . This pavement cannot but suggest the Masonic flooring of the lodge . The verses of the Koran are still more

curious . A visit to the tomb of Meer Mahmood Sahcb on the banks of the Meer Alum Tank , which necessitated the removal of our boots before we gained admission , revealed several very perfect specimens of the ineft iblc name of Allah , which constitutes the Sacred Symbol in the centre of the Moslem mosque—this is represented by the Arabic characters of the name of Allah , arranged in a kind of sacred monogram , within an irradiated slat-