Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . ] CIPES AND A "TEMPERANCE SOCIETY . "

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) SIR AND BROTHER , —I have been much surprised to peruse a letter from " Cipes" in THE FREEMASON ( page 172 ) . reflecting on a Temperance organization which has been in existence for some years in the United States , and is a most extensive

and useful society . I am not a member of the Order myself , hut wish to be , and have not only been a Mason for a long period , but I have been a Total Abstainer from all intoxicating liquors from birth . I therefore protest against the Order of " Good Templars" being dragged into the pages of THE

FREEMASON , especially when we cannot discuss its merits ia a Masonic Magazine , as its columns are devoted almost exclusively to the Craft . "Cipes" states that this society of " Good Temp lars is clearly contrary to the law of the land , " and is founded in " evident contravention of the law against secret societies . "

This I emphatically deny . The Act of Parliament passed on the 12 th July , 1799 , was made law "for the more effectual suppression of societies established for seditious and treasonable purposes , " and nothing is contained in this Act that would prevent any society having certain " secrets" for legitimate purposes ,

only not taking oaths from its members to keep them inviolate—e . g ., the " Odd Fellows , " "Foresters , " and "Druids" have their secrets , and so have the " Rechabites'' ( of which I have the honour to be a Past Chief Ruler ) , and these societies have been held in Ensrland for many years , and moreover have proved

most useful to many , who would otherwise have become a burden to themselves and the " parish . " I cannot for the life of me see what tho Order of Knights Templar have to do with this Temperance Society . Probably if a few of the former I know were

to join the latter it would be for their benefit and would tend to improve the Order in public estimation , but , otherwise , I really cannot sec what , we as Kni ghts Templar , have to do with Oood Templars . Yours fraternally ,

RES NOiST VERBA . A QUERY .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR BROTHER EDITOR , —Is it permitted to indicate to what tho author of " Papers on Masonry " in your excellent journal alludes , when he mentions the claims another Order have upon him ? Which Order , he says , " never proselytizes " —is " unsectarian

and universal "— "loves to preserve the Religion of the Heart , and scorns to bind itself to the creeds of the hour , " and possesses the glorious traditions he enunciates . Surely , if an Order like this , having such high , noble , holy aims , do not proselytize , it will admit an aspirant

who longs above all things to meet with what is here pointed out , believing such to be the " summuin bonum " here on earth ? Though the name of the writer is hidden , can it not be made plain , and some further insight into the excelling mystery he dimly shadows be obtained ? Yours 'faithfully and fraternally , ROYAL ARCH .

THE MASONIC LIFEBOAT FUND . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Having observed in a recent impression a letter , signed '' C . II . L , " respecting the above Fund , I can assure him , from information received , that the Fund approaches £ 150 , lomc part of which would not have been called in .

but a good round sum having been received and no prospect of it increasing , while it remains in the same bands , at least I take at a fair estimate that if it does not move faster than at present it will take twenty more years to subscribe enough to purchase a Lifeboat with its appliances . Why then , Mr . Editor , should

not the money be returned to the donors , or a statement published , the total amount paid over to the Lifeboat Institution , or otherwise , as the subscribers may wish ? Your correspondent may well say "there » ro ugly rumours abroad ; " I agree with him , and fear there will be great difficulty to come to terms at all . It .

CENTENARY SERMON . ( Tu the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR Sin AND I ^ ROTHKU , —The sermon delivered by Bro . the Rev . Charles Lee , M . A ., to the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 167 , on the occasion of its Centenary , appears at page 183 of your columns . I perused it

there , and as for its historical statements , they are rather wide , I am afraid . He talks of" the celebrated Grand Lodge at York , " which he says " was established by Royal Charter in 92 G , the very original of that Charter rcmiins , I believe , to the present day . " Bro . Bnchan , of Glasgow , is very desirousto see this pretended " Charter , " and if Bro . Lee can get it , and give him a

Original Correspondence.

loan of it for a short time , no doubt but we might get something definite out of it . However , I would respectfully suggest to my Rev . Brother , that before he publishes any more Masonic sermons , to examine into

the real history of the Craft a little better than he evidently has done . He might thereby have his future remarks appreciated as much as his present ones are deprecated . I am , yours fraternally , LEO .

MASONIC BANQUETS . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have observed at some of the banquets an absence of system in regard to the seating of guests at these festivals , and in the hope that someplan may be devised whereby to improve on this state of things , X am induced to trouble you

with a few remarks , including a suggestion thereon . It is generally requested that brethren who intend putting in an appearance at these convivial meetings , will give timely intimation to the Stewards or caterers , but the request is but seldom regarded , indeed , it is often the case that brethren do not apply for tickets

until the eleventh hour , and frequently then procure places at the table to the exclusion of others who purchased their ' s a day or two previously . To prevent the dissatisfaction and confusion that is thus occasioned , I would suggest the adoption of a similar plan to that which applies to reserved seats at concerts and

like places of entertainment ; namely , the tickets to bear distinctive copy numbers on the seats which they are respectively entitled to occupy . Thus , the card numbered 1 , will justify the holder of it to occupy the chair which bears the same number . I may remark , that for want

of such a system as this , I have not been able to take my place at a banquet , to attend which and the lodge I had travelled more than 60 miles . Yours , fraternally , A P . M .

MASONIC VERSION OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM . ( To the Editor of Ihe Freemason . ) SIR , —I trust the accompanying version of " God Save the Queen , " which has always been most cordially received by all the brethren who have had the

good-fortune to hear it sung as I have , and especially by those who have heard it in the metropolis of" Erin's Green Isle , " will be allowed a space in your valuable periodical . It is by Bro . J . Fowler , late D . G . Sec . for Ireland . I have the honour to be , Sir , Yours very fraternally , FRAS . BURDETT , P . G . S . W ., Rep . of G . L . Ireland at G . L . England .

Ood save our gracious Queen ! Long live our noble Queca ! God save the Queen ! Send her victorious , Happy and glorious , Long to reign over us God save the Queen !

Hail ! mystic light divine , May ' st thou ne ' er ceaso to shine Over this land . Wisdom in theo we find , Beauty and strength combined ; Masons are ever joined , In heart and hand .

Come then , ye sons of Light ! In joyous strains unite , God save the Queen . Long may Victoria reign , Queen of the azure main ; Masons ! resound the strain , God save the Queeu .

INELIGIBILITY OF BASTARDS AS FREEMASONS . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER Having already pointed out the landmarks , laws , and ancient charges preventing the bastard from being admitted as a Freemason , or continuing to act as such even after he has been initiated , I require to say nothing more in regard to

it ; and have to advise Bro . "Leo , " previous to his saying anything further on the subject , to first study the laws of incest in regard to the law of God , of the land in wl . icli he lives , and also in regard to Freemasonry , To look around him within twelve , miles of his own home ; how bastards escape justice in regard

to crimes too horrid to mention , and if they were admitted as members of the Order , or tolerated to continue to act as such , they could perpetuate monstrosities , which even the savage condemns , and escape punishment either by the present laws of Freemasonry , or of the laws of Great Britain . I

repeat again , study the laws of incest , then , if you are prepared to say members of the ancient and honourable Orderof Freemasons , should beofsuch nscan commit incest and receive ( or rather arc out of the pale of reach ) no punishment , "Leo" places himself in antagonism to the whole Christian world , and to tho highest interests of society .

Original Correspondence.

_ I must retort one charge Bro . " Leo " sets forth in his letter , " that a better acquaintance with the real history of our Order , & c , might have , prevented him from writing as he has done . " I think a better knowledge of the Order would prevent him writing as

he does , and saying impurity shouldenter the thresholdof a Freemasons' lodge . With every fraternal feeling for Bro . " Leo , " whom . I respect in many things , and being truly sorry he has in this question mistaken ideas , I am , yours faithfully and fraternally ,

CIPES . [ We must now close the discussion upon this subject . ]—ED . F . THE ANTIQUITY OF FREEMASONRY .

( To the Editor of Ihe Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your correspondent Bro . " Leo ' s" not admitting Freemasonry ( in which we have been initiated ) to be of Jewish origin , is a statement which all Masons acquainted with Freemasonry and its lectures can see denies the very

foundation on which Freemasonry stands . I need not therefore , trouble your readers with any of my remarksabout it . But as to Bro . Leo ' s pretence to know so much about the Jewish History , and his statement that " the Jews were not a nation of builders , '' before I proceed

to make any remark upon the subject , and as Bro . "Leo" promises us that ho will at a future time give us a reply to the argument with Bro . " Cipes , " allow me to quote to him a beautiful Latin saying ; it might be very good advice to him . " Si supiens fore vis , sex serva quae tibi mando , Quid dicus , etubi , dequo , cui , quomado , quando . "

( Translation . ) If thou art willing to be wise , These six precepts don ' t despise ; Both what thou speak'st , and how , take care , Of , and to whom , and when , and where . Now to prove to Bro . " Leo " that the Jews where

a nation of builders , I beg to call his attention to passages in the Book which every Mason is acquainted with . In the 1 st book of Kings , the 7 th chapter , 13 and 14 verses : " Hiram , out of Tyre , the widow's son , of the tribe of Napthali " : a very clever builder , and a

descendant of Israel . Again in the history of Moses building the Tabernacle , wc find a man similar to Hiram in the 31 st chapter of Exodus : " Bezalecl , " of the tribe of Judah , a descendant of Israel . I should be a great trespasser on your valuable

paper , if I were to keep on quoting passages from the Bible on the subject , but let Bro . " Leo" read that Book ; and he will find he is mistaken . All the great men connected with the Jewish history wc find were builders : " Cain buildcd a city called Enoch ; " Noah buildcd an ark , and then an altar ;

Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob buildcd altars . So , we see , that from the beginning of the Jewish history up to the time of Ezra , and no doubt until . the time of the destruction of the second temple , there were men amongst them like " Bezalecl , " "Hiram , " and " Ezra . " After the destruction of the Temple , the Jews were

driven from one counrry to another and mingled amongst the nations . Spread thus over the world to find an abiding place , the Jews did not , and could not , carry on a trade like building . I must leave the subject for your readers to judge if Bro . " Leo" is acquainted with the history of the Jews , when he says " the Jews were not a nation of builders . ' ' I am , yours fraternally , D . STOLZ .

The New Vade Mecum ( invented and manufactured by Charles H . Vincent , optician , of 23 , Windsor-street Liverpool ) consists of a telescope well adapted for tourists , & c , to which is added an excellent microscope of great power and first-class definition , quite equal to others sold at ten

times the price . Wonderful as it may seem , the price of this ingenious combination is only 3 s . fid ., and Mr . Vincent sends it ( carriage free ) anywhere , with printed directions , upon receipt of post-oflicc order or starans to tho amount of 3 s . 10 d . —ADVT .

THE BLOOD PURIFIER . —Old Dr . Jacob Townsend ' s Savsaparilla . Other Medical Testimony . —In speaking of the ' Wood Purifier , " old Dr . Jacob Townscnd ' s SarsapariUa , G . C . Kemott , M . D ., USA . LoniV , says : — " I strongly recommend it in cutaneous diseases anil all impurities of tho blood . " March 24 , 18 C 9 . —In a letter to the proprietors , . lime 6 , 18 G 9 , Dr . Irvine , of Irvinc ' s-town , says : — "I have

been in the habitof orderingyour Sarsaparilla for my patient * with the best results . Send me six quarts and six mammoth bottles . " For all skin diseases , for purifying the system of . mercurial poisons , and building up the hroken constitution it is the only safe and certain remedy . —In Dottles 2 s . £ d „ 4 s ., ¦ Is 6 d ., 7 s . fld ., lis . Sold by all Druggists Pills and

Ointment each in Boxes , Is . lAd ., 2 s . 9 d ., 4 s . Cd . Testimonials also from the Hon . tho Dean of Lismoiej General William . Gilbert , of the Indian Army ; ordcreil also by Apothecaries Hall , London . Caution—Get the red and bluo wrappers , with tho Old Doctor ' s head in tho centre . No other genuine . — ADVT .