Election Of Grand Treasurer.

even o ' clock when no more voting cards can be taken , ind the ordinary business of Grand Lodge will be " You are requested to make these arrangements known to all the members of your lodge who intend to be present , and have been returned by your lodge as qualified to attend . " By command of the M . W . Grand Master .

"E . LETCHWORTH , " G . Sec . " Freemason * ' Hall , W . C , " London , 16 th February , 18 94 .

" N . B . —Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens must wear the regulation collar of their respective offices , and no brother can be admitted to the Grand Lodge unless he is properly clothed . "Constitutions Art . 137 : — " ' The Master and Wardens of every Lodge in the

London district shall after installation and investment respectively sign their names in a book at the Office of the Grand Secretary , and 110 Master , Past Master , or Warden of any London Lodge shall be entitled to enter the Grand Lodge unless he shall have previously signed his name in such book . ' "

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The first of the great anniversary Festivals of the year will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday , the 28 th instant , when Bro . Colonel Gerard N . Money , C . B ., Prov . G . Master of Surrey , will plead the cause of our youngest Charity—the Royal Masonic

Benevolent Institution for Aged Brothers and their Widows . We do not know that we can add anything material to what we have said already in behalf of this admirable Institution . The benefits it confers are well known , and the question which chiefly

occupies our attention just now is not whether the Charity will find favour with those to whom the Chairman will appeal on Wednesday , but to what extent the Craft will be able to assist it , having regard to what it did for it in 1892 , and to the other claims which will be brought to its notice before the close of the

year . * ' ¦> * We do not propose to say anything in the nature of a prophecy on this point , but we are sanguine that a substantial answer written in capital figures will be forthcoming . Bro . Terry ' s eifbrts to strengthen the

Board of Stewards which will support the Chairman have been successful beyond expectation , the number of brethren and ladies whose services he has enlisted being upwards of 280 . But the area throughout which these Stewards are distributed is less extensive than in

ordinary years ; the number of London lodges which have sent Stewards being less than one-fourth of the total , while but little more than one-half the provinces will take part in the celebration . We need hardly say these figures are considerably below the average .

However , though we are very far from expecting that the total of the Returns will be such as Bro Terry was wont to announce , on an average , during the eight or 10 years preceding 1 S 92 , we are , as we have said , sanguine that a good result will be

announced , one , at all events , that will enable the Committee of Management to tide over the year without touching the invested capital . But whatever may be the outcome of the efforts that have been made during

'he last few months , we shall have the satisfaction of knowing it will be the best that could be achieved under the circumstances . The Chairman and the Stewards , and particularly the Chairman ' s Province of Surrey , will do their utmost to secure a large return .

* * * The installation of Bro . Frederick Mead , P . G . S . B ., as First Principal of Chapitre La France , on Tuesday tat , was an interesting Masonic event . Although the « remonies of both lodge and chapter are worked in

French , the offices are not entirely filled by brethren of that nationality . At the meeting of the lodge following 'he consecration Bro . Fenn distinguished himself and somewhat astonished his friends by the perfect manner jn which he performed the ceremony of installation 1

he first chair of the chapter is now filled by an English brother , and , judging from the success of last fuesday ' s ceremonial , Bro . Mead will prove as facile ' » the performance of Arch work as did Bro . Fenn in "at of the lod ge . We shall give a report of the proceedings next week .

* * * The District Grand Lodge of Queensland at its - uarterl y Communication , held in Freemasons' Hall , nsbane , on the Cth December last , unanimously adopted , on the recommendation of its Board of eneral Purposes , a resolution expressive of its deep and sincere thankfulness " for the generous and fra .

Masonic Notes.

ternal contribution of three hundred guineas by the United Grand Lodge of England to the Masonic Relief Fund in aid of brethren who have suffered by the disastrous floods of 1893 . " # # *

Our faith in the saying There is nothing new under the sun " has been somewhat rudely shaken during the past few days . According to the Daily Telegraph , the Dean of Segovia— " a learned priest and author of many works "—has been flogged by the Bishop of his diocese because he had dared to be a member of a

lodge of Freemasons , the priests in attendance chanting the hymn " Miserere mei" while the flagellation was in progress . We are inclined to think the operative bishop in thus punishing his speculative brother priest has succeeded in the somewhat difficult task of establishing a precedent . We have never heard of a case of this kind before .

The Scots Lodge a short timne since celebrated Bums ' birthday right royally , and the brethren listened to a most eloquent speech on Burns as a Mason by Bro , James Gray , J . P ., a P . M . He said it was on the 4 th July , 1781 , when only 22 years of age , that the poet

was initiated in St . David ' s Lodge , Tarbolton , subsequently called the St . James , and ever afterwards continued to take a warm and deep practical interest in everything Masonic . The young poet-Mason worked steadily through the various offices of his lodge , and three years after his initiation filled , when only 25

years of age , the Deputy Master ' s chair ; and performed its duties faithfully , brilliantly , and well . The spirit and principles of Masonry , as they unfolded themselves to him in all their charm of mystery and symbolic beauty , must have been an inspiring revelation to so poetic a nature as Burns ' . Imbued with the

deep religious spirit of his time so nobly embodied in " The Cottar ' s Saturday Night , " and already grappling with the hidden mysteries of the Great Architect of the Universe , the wisdom and intellectual beauty of the teaching of Speculative Masonry , could not have been otherwise than fascinating to him . * * *

One of Bro . Gray ' s happiest hits was his reference to the old saying that Scotsmen had three weaknessbawbees , Burns , and whisky . " Well , " said Bro . Gray , "if Englishmen and our young Anglo-Scotsmen would only just take as naturally and as kindly to Scotland ' s national poet as they do to Scotland ' s national drinl there would be nothing to complain of . " # #

* The Committee of the East Lancashire Hamer Benevolent Institution somewhat sharply censures the lodges in the Province which lie outside the Liverpool district for the apathy they exhibit in supporting this estimable Charity , there having been only 20 out of the

66 lodges thus situated which have contributed towards its Funds during 18 93 . We cannot say the censure is undeserved . The Institution may justly claim the support of all the lodges in the Province , and now that the expenditure is increasing , and likely to increase still

further , it will need their help more than ever . We trust the report for the current year will show that the remarks by the Committee have had the effect of awakening the lodges referred to to a proper sense of their duty .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

THE MARK DEGREE IN 1777 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have quite recently discovered that I have in my possession the first minute book of the Royal Arch Chapter of Friendship , No . 257 , formerly No . 3 , warranted nth August , 1769 . The book is written entirely

in cipher , not a single letter being in ordinary writing . Many years ago when the Phcunix Lodge rooms were done up ( the chapter is attached to that lodge , No . 257 , Portsmouth ) , the book in question was thrown away as rubbish , as no one knew what it was about . It was picked up by Bro . Mark E . Frost , who kept it for some years , and about six years ago gave it to me ,

and from that day it has been in my custody without my having the remotest idea what it contained . About 10 days ago , and quite by accident , I discovered that the first page of what has hitherto been considered to be the first minute book of the chapter ( commencing in June , 1787 ) had been pasted down to the front fly leaf , and that there was writing upon it . After considerable trouble I separated the pages , and found that the

writing consisted of 19 lines in cipher . I then recollected the hook given me by Bro . Frost , and upon comparing the writing found that the cipher used was exactly the same . The difficulty now was to find out what the gibberish was about , as not the remotest clue was given anywhere . I copied part of the first page and sent it to Bro . Hughan , but he was unable to decipher the writing , but told me that the cipher used

Correspondence.

Was A . combination unusual in England . I may say it consists of squares , or parts of squares , angles , and triangles , some of the latter being enriched with a dash inwards from one angle . The triangles are always right angled ones , but letters depicted by angles only ( that is by V-shaped characters ) are always acute angles .

After wasting many hours in trying to work out a key to the problem without the least success , I showed the book to a brother who , quite by way of a guess , suggested that certain letters at the bottom of the first page might be the names of the three Principals . Knowing who the first Principals of the chapter were , f found that the number of letters in each line

corresponded with the number of letters in each brother ' s name ; the key was found . Here I had the translation of 18 different characters , and a word written in large characters and between inverted commas , which I decided to be " Friendship , " the name of the chapter , gave me two additional letters , making a total of 20 with which to commence work . The rest was « asy ,

but the reward was great . The book proved to be the first minute book of the chapter , containing minutes from 1 st September , 1769 , to 7 th Jane , 1786 . . Quite apart from its value as a chapter minute book , I think its contents will be recognised as being of the greatest historical importance . The very first minute tells us that Thomas Dunckerley was present ; that he

was a Mark Mason ; and that he made the brethren present Mark Masons and Mark Masters . And it further appears that we are to thank him for the cipher used in the book . This reference to the Mark DEGREE is nearly eight years earlier than any other , the earliest mention of the Degree hitherto known being dated gth August , 1777 .

In November , 1770 , we have mention of Excellent and Super-Excellent Masons . [ Can any brother tell me the first mention of these Degrees in England 7 ] And in October , 1778 , we find Dunckerley giving the chapter permission to " make Knight Templars , " and I fancy this is 13 months earlier than any other mention of them in England . ( See Hughan ' s " Origin of the

English Rite , " page 68 . ) In the same minute the members are called " Companions " for the first time , being only eight months after the first use of that word in R . A . minutes of which we have any knowledge . ( See " History of Freemasonry and Concordant Orders , " page 601 . ) The minutes are without exception of the greatest

interest , and in my " History of the Phoenix Lodge , & c , now in the press , I shall give a complete translation of every one of them , and a facsimile of the first one , which contains the important reference to the Mark Degree . I may say that the Mark chosen by each brother is appended to his name . The book has been submitted to Mr . Scott , Keeper

of Manuscripts in the British Museum , and pronounced by him to be a genuine document . I have taken this precaution since the book 13 not produced from the proper custody , and , therefore , is not strictly first-class legal evidence ; but as it can be traced to the chapter , the defect is not of much importance . —Yours fraternally ,

ALEXANDER HOWELL . 109 , High-street , Portsmouth , February 17 th .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"THE BRILLIANT TEXT BIBLE" ( Oxford University Press Warehouse , Amen Corner , London : 33 , East I 7 th-street , Ateti York , and all Booksellers ) . This is unquestionably the smallest complete Bible ever printed , and is a most remarkable typographical curiosity . It is more than that , however , for so opaque is the paper , notwithstanding it being so thin , and so clear is the type ,

that the text is much easier read than many larger books . Minature editions have appeared before , such as the " Thumb Bible " of the seventeenth century , and later , but such booklets have only contained portions of the Bible , whereas this extraordinary little volume gives the whole of the Old and New Testaments , as also coloured maps , and runs to over 1200 pages ! Yet its size is only three-and-ahalf inches by some two inches , and but a trifle over half

an inch in thickness , its weight , bound in limp morocco being but 2 J 0 Z . I Surely this is a triumph of the printer ' s art , and should be as widely circulated as it so richly deserves . In the conferring of the Knight Templary and Rose Croix Degrees , this pocket edition of the " Volume of the Sacred Law , " would be lound both handy and useful , and so for the scriptural extracts in the Mark and Royal Arch ceremonies . We commend it most heartily to the Craft .

"JOTTINGS—A Magazine for collectors " ( Accrington : Henry Girside , 201 , Burnley-road ) . — This is a new candidate for the patronage of collectors of all kinds , its special aim being to gather , in a permanent form , available for handy use , information on all matters interesting to collectors . Certainly it may be said of magazines , as of other things ,

" Still they come , and still they go . This quarterly is both practical and readable , including several excellent articles on Coins , Crosses , Medals , Stamps , Pottery , Book Plates , Coats of Arms , and Sales . Illustrations are promi-ed in subsequent issues , and to the extent that the Magazine is supported . The wider and larger its

circulation , the more will be done to make it worthy of still larger support . We hope there is room for it , and , at all events , it makes a good claim for the hearty support of collectors and students of antiquities ; it is well printed in quarto size , and will make a nice volume , when it comes to be bound . Copies will be sent post free for seven penny stamps , or will be forwarded to any part of the world , p 03 free tor 2 s . - \ i . per annum .