Anothe R Que Stion Of Precedence.

ANOTHER QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Who should take precedence in public Masonic ceremonials in a British Colony : the Senior Grand Warden under the English Constitution or the Provincial Grand Master under the Scotch ? is a subject which has engrossed some considerable attention amongst members of the

respective Constitutions during this month ; and I shall be "lad if you will insert this , so that , through the medium of your widely circulated paper , some light may be thrown on the points in question . ( a ) The District Grand Lodge under the English Constitution has jurisdiction only over the Eastern part of the Island . ( b ) Since the death of the late District Grand Master , Dr .

Robert Hamilton , no appointment has been made by the Grand Lodge of England ; thus for at least three years the District has been ruled by the R . W . brother who the late D . G . M . appointed as his deputy . ( c ) The R . W . brother who was Deputy District Grand Master immediately prior to the R . W . brother who now holds that office retired during the lifetime of Dr . Hamilton , on the ground of ill-health , and having so

resigned , what position does he now hold in the district ? Is it administrative or only honorary ? ( d ) As a fact during this month ( September ) the district has been ruled by the Senior Grand Warden consequent on the Deputy District Grand Master being absent from the island . ( e ) The Provincial Grand Lodge of Jamaica ( Scotch Constitution ) has jurisdiction over the entire island , and

the Provincial Grand Master was installed when in Scotland . The representatives as above of the two Constitutions were requested conjointly to lay with Masonic ceremonial the corner-stone of a church . Each one , supporting , as lie considered it his duty , the dignity of the Constitution under which he serves , vvas unwilling to yield the precedence to the other , and although ultimately and happily a compromise was arranged upon , and each took part in

the ceremonial , yet a repetition of the unpleasantness which consequent thereon existed at one time cannot be conducive to the interests of our Order , and therefore some authoritative expression of opinion is looked for with interest . The Grand Lodge of England has earlier jurisdiction in this island , and had each Constitution been represented by a Worshipful Brother of equal Masonic rank the English District Grand Master would have taken precedence ; but there are many who hold an opinion similar to

, .: ( l ) That the Prov . Grand Master ( Scotch ) being of higher Masonic rank , the precedence was properly his , notwithstanding that the Senior Grand Warden of English Constitution represented one of longer jurisdiction .

( 3 ) That the retired Deputy District Grand Master ( English ) could not take precedence over the English Grand Senior Warden . ( 3 ) That if even the Deputy District Grand Master had been in the island , he , being of inferior Masonic rank to the Provincial Grand Master ( Scotch ) , would have had to yield the precedence .

1 am , yours truly and fraternally , WM . ARBOUIN PAINE , Prov . Grand Warden ( Scotch ) , Past Senior Warden ( English ) . Kingston , Jamaica , W . I ., 21 st September .

ANTIENT AND PRIMITIVE RITE OF MASONRYMEMPHIS AND M 1 ZRAIM . To the Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The members of this Rite are much indebted to Bco . Whytehead and the Freemason for republishing in your valuable medium their solemn protest against ( what they conscientiously believe to be ) the illegal action of the

Grand Lodge of Ireland in suspending several good Masons from their Craft lodges for no other offence than that of joining a Chivalric Order outside the jurisdiction of that Grana Lodge . Unfortunately for Craftsmen in Ireland , no Masonic journal is permitted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland to be published , and in Masonry , as in the outside world , many unwise and even unjust things are done which would never be attempted were their authors subjected to the

criticisms of an intelligent press . In the absenceof a Masonic journal , the persecuted brethren had no alternative but to publish their grievance in a representative paper , such as the Irish Times , or stand condemned before their brethren by such falsehood and deception as is alleged in the solemn protest in question . I was in Dublin at the same time as Bro . Whytehead , and know that it was with painful regret the officers of the 1 . mm ) ^ T .... ! - ¦ .. I ^ AH . A 1 . A £ C-. .. n win f rt tl , a .. ml II tin * fn ^ f 4 C aeie 1 UL 111 ami nnktouiuuuu uai

, " >"" u ... j' . cuifji ^ ... . w . . aa men ol honour and brother Freemasons they were boun d in selfvindication to publish this protest . Firstly , to place before their brethren indisputable facts not otherwise ascertainable by the majority ; and secondly , as a reply to the insidious attacks ( by innuendo ) of Bro . Whytehead and his friends . " It is really surprising that a clever writerlike " ro . Whytehead was not sufficiently logical to see that it was the very much besmudged linen of his friends he was

exposing by his attack . The letter by "A Student ot Masonic History " is , however , a grateful relief . It strikes the true keynote of Masonic life—toleration . The members 01 the Antient and Primitive Rite are not an aggresive body —¦ they attack no other community . They admit no one to membership who is not in good standing vvith a Craft lod ge . They have no paid officer ' in their service , all 'he official work being voluntarily rendered that the

M 1 ?* tne ' r surplus funds may be devoted to Masonic charity ; and although not a large body yet four of their chapters are Life Governors in perpetuity ° . f the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , at whose fes-\ vu ' ast year e " Primitives , " whose real character Bro . Wh ytehead is so anxious should be made known , did me the , nour to entrust as their Steward for the year with jfiifi odd

. When the purifying fires of his beloved Rosicrucianjsm have purged our good Bro . Whytehead of misconception or bi gotry , a patient study of our Antient and Primitive system will convince him , as it has others before him , vv \ u founde < l on Antient and Hermetic Philosophy , and vorth y to rank in good fellowship with the learned and bene"ccnt societies of the nineteenth century . —With fraternal greeting , yours faithfully , JOHN H . SOUTHWOOD , London , P . . and P . Z . 1260 .

Anothe R Que Stion Of Precedence.

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — By your kind permission I desire to say a few words in repl y to Bro . Whytehead's letter in the Freemason of the 6 th inst . respecting the Antient and Primitive rite . Bro . Whytehead does not seem to be aware that matters even in Masonry are different in Ireland from other countries . Ireland does not enjoy a Masonic publication . The

policy of the inner circle who control the Grand Lodge is to shroud its proceedings in secresy , so that the Craft in the provinces rarely know what the central body do , and for that reason , being without a Masonic journal , the publication of the resolution of the Grand Mystic Temple of Eri vvas an act of necessity , so as to bring their solemn protest as much as possible under the notice of their brethren . Bro . Whytehead has been careful to make no comment on

the resolution , but it is one that appeals strongly to the sympathy of the English Craft Body , for the reason that certain Irish Craft Masons are undergoing a persecution because they prefer to adopt a well known High Grade System which in no way affects the three first Degrees and in no way enters into rivalry vvith the Craft Body , but is itself a benevolent order , whose surplus funds are devoted to alleviate the wants of distressed members , widows ,

and orphans . Again , Bro . Whytehead by his remarks wishes to cast a slur on the Antient and Primitive Rite . 1 do not expect him to say anything kind of it . The fact cannot be contradicted , however , that the Memphis Rite is the senior body in Egypt , and that it actually formed the Craft Grand Lodge of that country out of its own members , which creation is recognised by the Grand Lodge of Ireland , and there can

bo no stronger evidence than this of its legality . One word more . Bro . Whytehead wishes to open the eyes of Freemasons to the real character of the " Primitives . " I do not know exactly what he wishes to infer , but I can tell him and others who have a desire to know that Antient and Primitive Masonry is a non-sectarian Rite , admitting all good Masons to its ranks who believe in the

fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man , and is a system of 33 learned degrees upon symbolic Masonry , and that we desire to be left in peace and quiet to practice our own system , vvith which we are quite satisfied . MAURICE L . DAVIES , M . D ., 33 . 10 , Lower Sackville-street , Dublin , 10 th October .

"THE LEVEL AND THE SQUARE . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I note in your column of " Masonic and General Tidings " in your last week ' s number a paragraph relating to the above poem , so truly described as ' * the best Masonic poem ever written , and in which the Keystone remarks on doubts expressed as to the paternity of the composition .

It may interest many of your readers to learn that the author of "The Level and the Square , " P . G . M . Bro . Rob . Morris , when in this country in 18 79 , himself recited the poem at the Surrey Masonic Hall , Camberwell , to the great delight of a large number of South London Craftsmen . The event is referred to in your number for 24 th August in that year , when reporting the meeting . In your own words , " Having concluded his address , Bro . Rob .

Morris recited a poem which he had written 20 or 25 years ago , and which , as he said , Bro . James Stevens had made popular in this country . The piece is entitled ' The Level and the Square . "' Since that date 1 have had frequent opportunities for reciting the poem , incited thereto by the approbation and

permission of its renowned and highly esteemed author , whose personal acquaintance I greatly value . There can be no doubt as to the authorship , and whether regarded as a beautiful composition or as a great moral lesson , it should be known to all earnest members of our Order . — Yours truly and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS , P . M ., P . Z . Clapham , October 15 th .

In Bro . Kenning s letter last week , referring to the proposed testimonial to 13 ro . Hughan , thc words " Bro . Hughan ' s life work " vvas printed "Bro . Hughan ' s life works , " which conveys a totally different meaning from that intended .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

w- 246 ] COMPARISON OF THE CONSTITUTIONS . I am exceedingly pleased to see the comparision of the old with the revised " Book of Constitutions , " which has been so well made by Bro . Riach and Bro . Hawkins . Such a compilation is most timely , and so far as I have tested it , exceedingly well done . fXvill be of great assistance to

us all who are engaged from time to time in examining the old and the new Regulations , and prove both handy and useful during the next month or two whilst the criticisms of the alterations are exercising the minds of the Craft . At all events , I beg to tender my thanks to our brethren for their capital compilation . VV . J . HUGHAN .

PORTRAITS AT FREEMASONS' HALL . Referring to the letter of Bro . H . Sadler in last week ' s Freemason , I may say that the portraits of H . R . H . Edward Duke of Kent , and H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , painted by Sir Wm . Beechy , were engraved by Wm . Skelton . T . B . WHYTEHEAD .

247 ] DERIVATION OF STEINMETZ . Bro . " Masonic Student" will doubtless remember that some weeks back we had a friendly discussion in this paper on the derivation of Stcinmetz ; he maintaining that it meant stone cutter—I that it signified stone measurer . I , at the time , acknowledged that the weight of authority vvas in his favour , but took leave to differ from the recognised

authorities . Curiously enough I now find myself supported by no less a power than Krause , and I think " MasonicStudent " will admit that whatever Krause ' s faults may be as a historian , he at least carries great weight as a philologist . I append Krause ' s words , 2 nd edition , part iv ., page 362 : " The low Dutch [ expression—Metselaer , Metzelaer , Metz —Steinmetz appears to me to be equally derived from thc

Masonic Notes And Queries.

original root m-t , m-s , mets , mess , masz , because the chief occupation of the stoneworker is to form stones according to correct measure . " Further on , page 3 C 1 : "In almost every tongue the original sound of m-t , m-s denotes to define the boundaries of an object ; thence in general , to define , invent , measure , work according to measure . " From this he also deduces that our word Mason is derived

from the same fundamental idea , and denotes a defincr , measurer , inventor , artist , and that it was not by any means confined in the beginning to a worker in stone only ; also , that it has no connection vvith maejon , maclion , & c . ; that it is , in fact , identical vvith the German metz . He also states that as late as the writings of Chaucer " mase " signified an artistic building , and "to mase , " to think out ; to

discover . Readers of Chaucer will perhaps tell us if he is correct . Bro . Gould has adopted Krause ' s opinion , for , on page 10 S of his great work-, he says , " hence the literal English translation would be stonemeasurers , identical in all . points with our term stonemason " ( the italics are my own ) . But since coming across the confirmation of my views I am naturally in doubt whether that , at the time I

wrote , I took to be an original discovery of my own was really so . It strikes me as probable that Krause ' s words had been mentally noted and forgotten by me , and that when the idea cropped up once more , in consequence of our argument , I mistook the echo of Krause ' s words for the results of my own reasoning . This is of very little importance , but it shows how easily a writer or musician may unwittingly be innocently guilty of plagiarism . G . WM . SPETH .

24 S ] TWO QUERIES . I take the following from the British and Colonial Printer and Stationer for October 4 : "FIRST PRINTING PRESS IN AMERICA . —This wasset up at Cambridge , Massachusetts , in 1639 . Glover , at whose expense it vvas established , died in his passage out ; the printer's name was Dayle . The first thing which was

printed was thc "Freemason s Oath , " thc second vvas an almanac calculated for New England by Pierce , a seafaring man ; the third vvas the Psalms , newly turned into metre . " "A NORMAN PRINTER TO THE ENGLISH CROWN . — William Faques , a printer of the City of London , who died in 1511 , was a Norman , and learnt the typographic art at Rouen , whence he came over to this country for the

improvement of his fortunes . Although he cannot have resided in England for more than seven years , he was appointed king ' s printer . He is so designated in the colophon to a Psalter , which he gave forth in 1504 . He was excellent in his profession ; and his types , which were specially good , are said to have been used by VVynkyn de Worde after his death . His name does not appear in any works printed abroad , and there are extant only seven

produced by him in this country . Faques used one principal device , which consisted of two triangles crossed , the one white and the other black , vvith an inscription on each . Besides the device he had also a cypher , consisting of a black letter capital' G , ' containing a lower case ' i' in the centre of it ; and an arrow cut in outline , finishing to the left , passing horizontally through . " Can any correspondent throw any light on them ? MASONIC STUDENT .

Consecration Of A New Mark Lodge In The Isle Of Man.

CONSECRATION OF A NEW MARK LODGE IN THE ISLE OF MAN .

On Tuesday , thc gth inst ., a lodge of Mark Master named the Pcveril , No . 323 , under warrant from the Grand Mark Lodge of England , and the first of the Degree ever known to be held on the Island of Mona , was dedicated and constituted to the Order by Bro . Geo . Dalrymple , G . A . D . C , Prov . Grand Sec . Cumberland and

Westmorland , assisted by Bros . B . Craig , VV . M . 216 , P . G . D . C , as S . W . ; H . Peacock , VV . M . 229 , P . G . I , of VV ., as J . W . ; Richard Wilson , 216 , P . G . Swd . Br ., M . O . ; Geo . Lovvden , 216 , S . O . ; VV . A . McKovvn , 237 , J . O . ; Thos . H . Nesbitt , 213 , acting Sec . and Reg . ; G . H . Smith , 201 , l . C , S . D . ; H . P . Mayle , 66 , J . D . ; G . M . Lofthousc , 6 c , Org . ; Thos . Mason , S . W . 229 , P . G . Stwd ., I . G . ; John Johnston , 215 , Tyler ; CM . Challcnder , 113 ; W . Fairhurst , 112 ; and others .

Ihe brethren were formed in procession by Bro . Craig , P . G . D . C , and marched to thc lodge , which was opened , and the presiding officer explained the nature of the meeting and called upon Bro . Thos . H . Nesbitt , acting Sec , to read the petition and warrant . The petitioners having signified their approval of the officers named , the elements of

consecration were duly applied . Bro . Geo . C . Heron , W . M . M . Designate , was then presented and installed in the chair as first Master , and appointed the following as his officers : Bros . Henry Brearley , S . VV . ; Chas . F . Johnson , J . W . ; L . G . Hannay , M . O . ; Thos . H . Nesbitt , S . O . and Sec . ; M . A . McKovvn , J . O . ; J . A . Brown , Treas . ; I . Morrison ,

S . D . ; J . H . Stretch , J . D . ; VV . J . Brown , l . C ; Richard Smith , Org . ; and J . Lanaghan , Tyler . The usual addresses were delivered to the newlyinstalled and invested officers , and nine candidates were advanced to the honourable degree and two joining members accepted and 10 candidates proposed for advancement ' Letters were read from the following Provincial Grand

Officers of Cumberland and Westmorland , conveying " Hearty good wishes " to the Master , officers , and me inhers of thc Peveril Lodge : W . Bros . Col . Sewt-il , P . M . 229 , D . P . G . M . ; W . B . Gibson , P . M . 213 , P . P . G . S . W . ; James Gardiner , P . M . 151 , P . P . G . S . W ., P . G . Treas . ; J . H . Banks , P . M . 151 , G . I . G . of England ; J . Nicholson , P . M . 151 , P . P . G . S . W . ; Tom Dixon , P . M . 2 S 2 , P . G . M . O . ;

VV . H . Lewthwaite , P . M . 229 , P . P . G . D . C ; J . Harper , P . M . 216 , P . P . G . S . D . ; Thos . Atkinson , S . W . 213 , P . G . Stwd . ; and others . A vote of thanks vvas passed with a round of applaus c to the visiting brethen from Cumberland and Westmorland for their services , when , with a ring of " Hearty good wishes , " the lodge was closed . It would not be giving honour to whom honour is due if

we did not make special mention of Bros . Nesbitt and McKovvn . Their zeal and admiration for Mark Masonry has this day founded a lodge that we predict will be heard of for years to come , marked with a success worthy of imitation . The brethren to upwards of 30 , at the kind invitation of Bro . Heron , W . M ., retired to the Peveril Hotel , where to the "wee sma' hours , " a very agreeable evening was spent , the Tyler ' s toast bringing the proceenings to aclose . The lodge was furnished by Bro . George Kenning .