Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

sembled . Monday , the 26 th inst ., being installation evening at this lodge , Bro . Isaac , the present W . AL of the Kingsland Lodge , will act as Installing Master . This lodge of instruction meets every Alonday evening punctually al 8 . 30 .

Royal Arch.

Royal Arch .

GIBRALTAR . —Prince of Wales's Chapter ( No . 153 ) . —The installation meeting of this chapter was held on Monday , the 21 st ult ., at Armstrong ' s-buildings . There were present Comps . Cunningham , Al . E . Z . ; Halliday , P . Z ., acting H . ; and Bacon , J . ; supported by the other officers of the chapter . The minutes of the last meeting having been read and

confirmed , the ballot vvas taken upon behalf of Bro . H . Clarke , 153 , which proved favourable . Bro . Clarke not being in attendance , the business of the evening vvas commenced , viz ., thc installation of the Three Principals elect , which vvas performed in an able manner by Comp . Halliday , P . Z ., assisted by Comp . Francherie , P . Z . The following companions were appointed to the chairs -. Comps . E . Bacon , Z . ; B . While , H . ; li . Barker , J . ; and the

following officers were afterwards invested : Comps . Azopardii , Treas . ; F . J . Lane , S . E . ; J . King , S . N . ; W . Hayward Allen , P . S . ; and A . Pereira , Janitor . The companions then adjourned to their banquet room , where they did ample justice to the good things provided for them , after which the usual loyal and Alasonic toasts were given , followed by speeches from thc officers elect , and songs and recitations by various brethren , and the Tyler ' s toast concluded a most enjoyable evening .

BODMIN . —St . Petrock Chapter ( No . 330 ) . — The regular convocation and installation meeting of this chapter was held in the Alasonic Hall , on Tuesday last . There were present E . Comps . T . C Stephens , P . Z . ; Henry de Legh , P . Z . ; and VV . Tonkin , P . Z . 1151 , Tywardreath ; J . R . Collins , IL ; VV . Rowe , j ; J . Dennis , S . E . ; J . Crang , S . N . ; Col . Bake , P . S . ; J . P . Pagen ,

1 st . Asst . ; T . H . Spear , 2 nd . Asst . ; R . Adams , Std . ; P . Carroll , Janitor , and VV . H . Roberts . 'The chapter was opened at two p . m . After confirmation ofthe minutes of the previous convocation , Ex-Comp . VV . Tonkin addressed the Principals elect , Comps . Collins , Rowe , and Dennis , in relation to their new appointment , and installed them in his usual impressive manner , in the performance of which ceremony he was ably assisted by li . Comps . Stephens and De

Legh ; and subsequently , a hearty and unanimous vote of thanks vvas accorded them for their services , which vvas suitably acknowledged . The appointments and investments for the ensuing year vvcrcas follows : —Comps . T . H . Spear , S . E . ; J . F . Pagcn , S . N . ; B . G . Derry , P . S . ; R . Adams , ist Asst . ; VV . H . Roberts , 2 nd Asst . ; P . Carroll , Janitor . There being no other business to transact , the chapter vvas closed at 4 . 30 p . m .

TWICKENHAM , —Era Chapter ( No . 1423 ) . — The installation meeting of this chapter was held at the Albany Hotel on Saturday , the 10 th inst . 'There were present Comps . E . Thiellay , P . P . G . D . C . Aliddx ., I . P . Z ., and Treas ., acting Al . E . Z ., in the absence of Comp . F . Walters , P . P . G . A . S . Aliddx . ; W . Hammond , P . Z . 1 S 5 , P . P . G . A . S . Aliddx ., IL , Al . E . Z . elect ; T . C Walls , P . G . D . C .

Middx ., J . ; John Baldwin , P . Z . Lebanon , S . E . ; John Mason , P . P . G . O . Aliddx ., acting I . P . Z . ; Faulkner , S . N . ; T . VV . Ockenden , P . S . ; Glover , Goodchild , Gilbert , Janitor ; and others . The minutes of the previous convocation having been read and confirmed , Comps . VV . Hammond , T . C Walls , and J . Baldwin were respectively installed as First , Second ,

and Third Principals by Comp . Thiellay , assisted by Comp . J . Alason . 'The oflicers invested for thc ensuing year were Comps . Tl iellay , Treas . ; Faulkner , S . E . ; T . ' VV . Ockenden , S . N . ; Haslett , P . S . ( by deputy ); and Gilbert , Janitor . The appointments of Assistant Sojourners were postponed until the next meeting . The audit of the accounts also stood over . Numerous letters of apology for

non-attendance having been read and several names handed in for exaltation at the next meeting , the convocation was closed , and the companions adjourned to the banquet . _ Upon the removal of the cloth , the time-honoured toasts in connection with the Order were duly proposed and heartily honoured . Comp . 'Thiellay , in a neat and exhaustive speech , responded on behalf of "'The Provincial

Grand Oflicers . " " The Health of the M . E . Z . " was given in very complimentary terms b y Comp . Baldwin . In the course of his remarks , he congratulated the chapter upon possessing at its head a companion so well-known and deservedly respected in the province as their First Principal undoubtedl y was . He believed that Comp . Hammond ' s year of oflicc would be in every respect a highly successful

one . The Al . E . Z . having modestlv replied , gave "The Second and I hird Principals . " 'The toast having been duly honoured , Comps . Walls and Baldwin briefly acknovv-1-. Fr 11 C 0 I"Pl'ment . " The 'Treasurer and late Scribe I ' ., followed . In proposing this toast , the M . E . Z . dwelt at length upon the great services rendered to the chapte during its transitory state b yComps . Thiellav and Baldwin .

I hey had succeeded in putting everything in good order , and he believed that in future the affairs of the chapter would , in consequence of their exertions in the past , be carried on in a manner that would leave nothing to be desired . In concluding his remarks , he congratulated the chapter upon electing a verv worthy Scribe E . in the person ° i Comp . Faulkner , who would , he felt surecomplete thc

, STood work so ably commenced by his predecessor in office , * -omp . Baldwin . 'This pledge having been received with excellent "lire , " Comps . 'Thiellav , Baldwin , and Faulkner "" ly expressed their acknowledgments . "The Officers " terminated the proceedings , which were greatly enhanced r . , *; st **» " -ental and vocal exertions of Comps . Glover , Goodchild , Thiellay , and others .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

. . AN INTERESTING FIND , f ; ., / i ' m the Guildl * all Library a very interesting collection ot documents relating to matters of the most opposite cnaracter , which have evidentl y been picked up at odd ; ™ , f *\ nd lro ™ various sources by a curious man , and one ¦ ciined to gather together quaint scraps of informal ! on withto a „! ' , ? uch , dca of arranging them or turning them ¦ » ny useful purpose . The volume containing these scraps

Masonic Notes And Queries.

—which , be it remarked , are evidently , in some cases , cuttings from published journals or records , and in others pamphlets , of the years to which they severall y belongopens with a couple of letters addressed by Vice-Admiral Lawson , in command of the English fleet in the Downs , to the Mayor and Corporation of London . They are both dated in December , i 6 jp , and both _ suggest _ that steps should be taken by the civic authorities to bring about a

reconciliation between the Parliament and the army , and that people should be cautioned against in anyway abetting the designs of Charles Stuart . Another document sets forth the grievances of the four hundred hackney coachmen , the bill by virtue of which they were authorised to ply for hire having expired . A third is in the form of a letter to a friend in the country giving an account of the terrible effects in London of that most disastrous of all hurricanes ,

by which , in November , 1703 , among other grievous losses this country sustained , a whole fleet of war ships , under command of Sir Cloudesley Shovel , was totally wrecked off the Scilly Islands . Then there is a printed invitation to attend Divine service at one of the City churches , and afterwards to dine at the hall of one of the City companies . Others are of a personal character ; several relate to cases of bankruptcy , and in

some , occasion is taken to denounce Papistry . With one or two exceptions the collection consists entirely of printed documents , and though it is possible that other copies exist , the * , ' are , as they have already been described , exceedingly curious . And this remark especially applies to one of mem—a single printed sheet of the year 1730 , bearing the following descriptive title : "The Puerile Signs and Wonders of a Free-mason ; with their ways of

Admitance and Entrance ; being found in the cabinet of MS ., a Brother deceas'd , the 6 th ofAugust , 1730 : Likewise their Oath , and by what means they know a Brother , & c . " Under this , and printed in double columns , is the exposure , entitled "The Alistery of Freemasonry , " and arranged in neat catechetical form . Any of the readers of the Freemason who may be curious enough to inspect this document will , of course , be able to estimate its contents at their

proper value . But the question that will most naturally occur to them , as it did to the writer of these remarks , will be as to the probable authorship of this so-called exposure . There is nothing in it to indicate this ; no printer ' s name , and the back of the sheet is a complete blank , as far as it is possible to see without tearing it , for it is pasted into the scrap book at all the four corners . The only thing to be seen , besides the printed matter , is a capital letter R , rather

more than half way down the ornamental rule which runs between thc two columns of the catechism , and it is possible that even that may have no significance whatever . As to the contents , it would obviously be undesirable to produce them in the columns of a Alasonic journal , though , seeing they are open to the perusal of every visitor to the Guildhall Library , no possible harm could result if they were made public . There are , however , one or two

points which may be referred to without rendering oneself liable to a charge of indiscretion . It is quite clear the author of the catechism had picked up somewhere a certain amount of knowledge of Alasonry without being much thc wiser for its acquisition , just as no \ v-a-days a man might learn much about the constitution and government of our lodges , about the Degrees of Craft Alasonry , & c , & c , & c , and yet find himself unable to turn such knowledge to any

purpose . Thus after describing the Constitution of a lodge , thc writer adds a " N . B . " to the effect that " One of them must be a working Alason . " He had evidently learnt that something of the old operative element vvas still retained in some of tlie lodges . The difference between those who have heen in the "kitchen" and those who have "dined in the hall" will raise a smile with most readers . As to the different Degrees , there is some confusion . The young

Alason is , of course , the Entered Apprentice , and such , says thc writer , he remains until he is " made a Master , " or as it is called " pass'd the Master ' s Part . " The Fellow Craft is intended , no doubt , by the " four Fellows " enumerated among those constituting a lodge , and mentioned elsewhere , but the term of "brother Mason " is used in one place in contradistinction to "Entered Apprentice ;" so that it is reasonable to conclude that , while there is a

confusion of terms , which is onl y natural , the writer ' s intention was , evidently , to describe the 'Three Degrees of Craft Alasonry . As to the " Alaster's Part " he mentions that " 'There is not one Alason in a hundred that will be at the expense to pass the Alaster's Part , except it be for interest . " The uncomplimentary exception may be attributed to ignorance , but there is no doubt about the paucity of those who took the Alaster ' s Degree ; indeed , about the

time at which this vvas published , the Alaster s Degree vvas only conferred in Grand Lodge . Only one further observation need be made . In the earlier half of the catechism occurs a question which , from the fact of its having no apparent connection with the one preceding and the one following it , cannot fail to attract attention . 'This question is , " Whence comes the Pattern of an Arch ? " Probably most people have read of that most

sapient member of learned societies , described in the " Pickwick Papers , " who , mistaking the flash of a lantern for a strange atmospheric phenomenon , and a rap on the head for the violent impact of some electric force or body , addressed several elaborate papers to the different societies he was connected with , and at once established himself as one of the most learned men of science of the day . Now , without imitating this philosopher ' s example ,

thereare some , perhaps , who will ask themselves , How came the writer to use the word " Arch ? " Was it a mere accident resulting from his confused ideas of Freemasonry , or is there any chance he had heard anything of a connection between the Arch and Masonry ? Ramsay , to whom is ascribed many an innovation , flourished about the time when this was made public ( 1730 ) . 'There is , of course , nothing to

warrant thissurmisc , but then thereis no reason whatever , having regard to what precedes and what follows , why this question should have been inserted at all . However , to bring this story to an end , is the document in the Guildhall Library , copy of which is enclosed for editorial inspection , of any , and if so , of what value ? Does it , in a confused kind of way , throw any light on the Freemasonry of 1730 , and who is likely to have been the author ? A .

[ VVe apprehend that the " Broadside " discovered by our correspondent " A " is a production of Prichard , being apparently a modification of one of his works of 1730 . It has also one or two paragraphs from the "Grand Mystery , " but the whole we never saw anywhere before . It is , in that sense , undoubtedly a find , and we congratulate our brother upon it . —ED . F . M . ]

Masonic Notes And Queries.

SPECIAL MASONIC MEDALS , CENTENARY , & c . Since I last wrote on this subject , several brethren have kindly sent me sketches of medals , and I now onl y want those herewith enumerated to complete my collection of sketches or drawings of all the special medals allowed to be worn under the Grand Lodge of England . Will those able fraternally assist me to complete the list , that my work may be fully accurate ? W . J . HUGHAN . LONDON LODGES .

Lodge 11 , Enoch . 15 , Old Kent . ,, 30 , United Mariners . „ 9 6 , Burlington . ,, gg , Shakespeare . „ 134 , Caledonian .

COUNTRY LODGES . Lodge 47 , Newstead , Nottingham . „ 94 , Phcenix , Sunderland . ,, 120 , Palladian , Hereford . ,, 140 , St . George ' s , Greenwich .

ABROAD . Lodge 35 6 , Island of St . Thomas , Jamaica . „ 390 , Sydney , New South Wales .

AN OLD WORK . In reply to " Bro . J . W . T . " I beg to say that commerciall y the value of the book he mentions is about forty shillings , more or less . Holland's works , though not unvalued by booksellers and book collectors , are not of any very great value or rarity . Holland was a voluminous translator , and perhaps one of his most valuable books is his translation of Pliny's " Natural History . " This was

my hrst idea when I saw Bro . J . W . I . 's query , and on enquiry from an " expert , " I find that it is just as I have stated above , and the price is of his valuation . Fuller in his " Worthies " has this annotation : " Philemus Holland , " where born to me unknown , vvas bred in Trinity College , Cambridge , a Doctor in Physic , and fixed

himself in Coventry . He vvas the translator-general of his age , so that the books alone of his turning into English will make a country gentleman a competent library for translations ; so much that some one has said , Holland with his translations so doth fill us , He will not leave Suetonius tranquillus . " A . F . A . W .

JACHliN AMU tSUA / .. I am sorry to differ with Bro . Hughan , but we must " agree to differ . " He is not affected by my arguments , I am not convinced by his . I am glad to hear that he accepts now the fifth edition of 1764 , and perhaps some day he may come to the conclusion that old Oliver was right after all . I am not displeased to find myself with Oliver , Mackey , and Walter

Spencer , in upholding the reality of the old doctor's original averment . I have been too often deceived by title pages to set much store by the mere absence of distinctness there . As 1 remarked before , the edition of 1 799 might on the same grounds be adjudged to be a second edition , as it is only termed "a new edition , " though reference is made to a " plate " of 17 6 ( 1 . Even in an edition published at Alaidstone in 1 S 19 , the plate being by Walter Adlard ,

Doctor ' s Commons , vve only lind " a new and improved edition . " I note that Bro . Hughan vvas previously aware of the 1767 edition . I confess my ignorance of it , though 1 have searched everywhere for editions of the book , and I have never seen it even alluded to previously . Kloss knew nothing of it , just as Oliver knew nothing of it . But be that as it may , as the old parson , 1 " stick to my

text , that the "onus probandi" rests upon those who wish to disprove Oliver ' s date of 1750 , and that it is not sufficient to say that an edition was printed in 1762 , which docs not profess to be a second edition , unless vve know its exact history . It may have been a pirated and surreptitious reprint . The statement of Bro . Walter Spencer so far has not been disproved , that he saw an edition of 1762 . If that edition can be found , "cadit qurestio . " ED . F . M .

I do not quite understand what Bro . Hughan means in his last notes " as original editions . " He evidently thinks the epithet important , as he italicises it . But does the word actually occur in the title page ? or does Bro . Hughan only mean that as nothing to the contrary appears there , he takes the edition of 1762 to be thc original edition ? I hope vve may soon see a careful transcript of the 1762 title page . As this 176 7 edition has turned up unexpectedly , and unknown to most Alasonic book collectors , it is , to my mind , just possible that a 1 750 edition may yet also turn up . A AIASONIC BOOK . COLLECTOR .

[ Bro . Walter Spencer , whose attention had been called to the progress of this little controversy , sends us a communication , as below , which places the . matter very fairly and forcibly before our readers . —ED . F"M . ] " If , as would appear from Bro . Hughan's letter , two copies of "Jachin and Boaz" exist , with the imprint "original edition , " 1762 . it would favour thc view that an impression or impressions had been earlier issued . Otherwise I cannot see a motive for a publisher characterising an edition as "original . " It would seem as though meant to uphold or to counteract some fraud in these issues . But if the words " original edition " do not appear in the title page , that of 1762 may then claim to be the first edition , until an earlier one can actually be found . That might happen some day , but until then the advantage of actual proof seems to lie with Bros . Hughan , Carson , and Bower . " VV . SPENCER .

LONG LIVERS . Who Eugenius Philalethes vvas , ( the writer of this book ) , is so far , I believe , not exactly known . He says that he had written the "Treatise on the Plague , " and vvas " F . R . S ., " if that statement be true . Can any one tell me anything about the " 'Treatise on the Plague ? " It may be found in the British Museum . I apprehend that the reason why the writer used the name Eugenius Philalethes is plain . Under that name Thomas Vaughan , the old mystic and

Hermetic , who vvas born in 1615 , had written , and as there was a story current among Hcrmetics that he was living , and alwajs present at the great meeting of the Hermetics annually , this writer ingeniously put his name to perpetuate the myth . Or he may have given himself the name , as Hermetics sometimes did . Had Thomas Vaughan been alive he would have been 107 . If any brother can give me a clue to the * ' History of the Plague , " by the same writer , I shall be obliged . ED . M . M .