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¦ p OYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION I ^ FOR BOYS , WOOD GREEN , LONDON , N . PATRON : HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN . PRESIDENT : HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G ., M . W . G . M . EIGHTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL , ROYAL PAVILION , BRIGHTON , WEDNESDAY , J UNE 29 , iSSr . TITE MOST HON . THE MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY , K . P ., R . W . PROV . GRAND AIASTER OF DURHAAI , in the Chair . OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF STEWARDS . PRESIDENT : LIEUT .-COL . SIR HENRY EDWARDS , BART ., V . Pat . of Inst ., P . G . W ., Prov . G . M . of West Yorkshire . ACTING PRESIDENTS : V . W . BRO . REV . C . J . MARTYN , M . A ., P . G . Chap ., D . Prov . G . AL Suffolk . W . BRO . GEO . LAAIBERT , G . S . B ., P . Prov . G . W . Herts , P . M . 19 S , V . Pat . of Inst . BRO . A . J . DUFF FILER , P . G . S . B ., P . AL 657 , V . Pat . of Inst . VICE-PRESIDENTS : VICE-PATRONS AND VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE INSTITUTION . PRESENT AND PAST GRAND OFFICERS . PRESENT AND PAST GRAND STEWARDS . PRESENT AND PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND OFFICERS . HON . TREASURER : W . BRO . VVM . ROEBUCK , G . Steward , 29 , Prov . G . S . W . Middlesex , & c . By permission of Col . Tester and the Officers of the Regiment , the BAND OF THE FIRST SUSSEX ARTILLERY VOLUNTEERS will play on the Lawn throughout the afternoon . Other Musical Arrangements arc in progress . The Special Train for Brighton will leave London Bridge at 11 . 30 . a . m ., calling at Fast Croydon , 11 . 50 a . m ., for passengers by Ordinary Train . Alain Line from Victoria at 10 . 55 **••¦¦• DINNER , Provided by Alessrs . Saycrs and Alarks , Brighton , will be on the table at 4 p . m . Particulars as to prices of dinner tickets and railway arrangements may be had on application to the ollice . The names of brethren willing to act as Stewards may still be receiver ! ,. Support is urgently needed , thc number of Stewards being below the average of recent years . The Annual Fete , Stewards' Visit , and Distribution of Prizes , will be held on Tuesday , 2 SU 1 June , under the presidency of thc Alost Hon . the Alarquis of Londonderry . FREDERICK BINCKES , P . G . Std ., and Pat . of Inst ., Sec . of Inst ., Hon . Sec . Office , G , Freemasons' Hall , VV . C , June , 1 SS 1 .

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NOTICE OF REMOVAL . The Publishing and Printing Offices OF "THE FREEMASON " HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO 16 , GREAT QUEEN STREET , ( Opposite Freemasons' Hall , ) LONDON , W . C .

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TO OUR READERS . THE FRKEM . SSON is published every Friday morning , price 3 d ., aud contains thc fullest and Litest information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscriptions , including l'or-ta . nc : — United Kingdom . C ^ gcoM- '" t ^ lSt ^ c ?'" 13 s . 15 s . 6 d . 17 s . 6 d .

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GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS OF ENGLAND AND WALES , AND THE DEPENDENCIES OF THE BRITISH CROWN . BENEVOLENT FUND FESTIVAL . THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL will be held at the CRYSTAL PALACE , SYDENHAM , ON WEDNESDAY , 6 th of JULY , 1 SS 1 . The Right Hon . LORD HENNIKER , M . W . G . M . M . M ., IN THE CHAIR . Dinner on the Table at FIVE o ' clock p . m . Gentlemen , £ 1 is . Ladies , 15 s . Applications for Tickets must be made , not later than AlONDAY , the 4 th of JULY , addressed to the Stewards , at No . SA , Red Lion Square , VV . C . FREDK . BINCKES ( P G . J . W . ) , Grand Secretary .

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PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OK MARK MASTER MASONS 01-MIDDLESEX AND SURREY . THE R . W . BRO . SIR FRANCIS BURDETT , BART ., Provincial Grand AIaster .

THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE

OF AIA . RK AIASTER AIASONS OK THE PROVINCE OF AIIDDLESEX AND SURREY , Will be holden at the STAR AND GARTER HOTEL , RICHAIOND , On Saturday , July 2 nd , 1 SS 1 , When all Present and Past Provincial Grand Officers , together with the Worshijiful Alasters , Past Alasters , and Acting- Wardens of Lodges in the Province , are hereby SUMMONED to attend , and al ! Mark Alaster Alasons are invited to be present . Thc Provincial Grand Lodge will be opened at Four o'clock . By command cf the R . VV . P . G . AI . AL , VVM . G . BRIGHTER , P . M ., P . Z ., & c , Provincial Grand Mark Secretary . 4 , Bishopsgate Street , Without , E . G ., iCtli June , 1 SS 1 . Banquet at Five o ' clock . Tickets One Guinea each , including Wine

Brethren intending to be present should notify their intention to the Provincial Grand Secretary on or before Wednesday , the 29 th June .

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fo ( EoriTSpontieitts * BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "The Citizen , " "The Broad Arrow , " "Der Long Islaender , " " Keystone , " " La Gran Logia Revista Alason ica Quincnial , " " New York Dispatch , " "The Independent , " "The Freemason ' s . Monthly , " "The National Baptist , " " Boletin Olicial del Gran Orient de Esjiana , " " Bullitin du Gran Orient de France , " "The Sunday Times , " "The Hull Packet , " "Allan's Indian Mail , " " Caygill ' s Tourist ' s Chronicle , " "The Biograph and Review , " " Australian Freemason , " " Alasonic Hearald , " "Thp Mercury . "

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THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , J 25 , 1 S 81 . -A

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ Wc tlo not I 10 M ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed liy our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to al ! to permit—within certain necessar ) limits—free discussion . 1

AIASONS' MARKS . Dear Bro . Kenning , — As all matters relating to the advance of Alasonic archrcology are interesting to you , and may be of use to Alasonic students , I think it right to call attention to a paper in the part i ., vol . v ., of the "Transactions of the

Cumberland and Westmoreland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society , " communicated by Air . Win . Thomas Creed , Clerk of the Works at Carlisle Cathedral , and some remarks by the learned editor , R . S . Ferguson , F . S . A . It seems that Mr . Creed lias collected Srom thc

Cathedral at Carlisle , and the buildings in its precincts , no less than 31 C specimens , and most interesting they are . The Editor says there are 300 distinct marks . Reference is made lo some other collections of marks , such as " Vol . xxxiv . Archrcologia , p . 33 , " from Scotland , and a plate of Masons '

Original Correspondence.

marks from the cash book of the Alasons' Lodge Brechin , N . B . The Builder , lor 1 S 41 , 1 S 44 , and 1 SC 9 contains , as many of us know , some papers on marks . The Editor also refers to the "Proceedings of the Antiquarian Society , Scotland , " for a " large collection of Masons' marks , copied from Melrose Abbey , DryburgTi , Edinburgh ,

Elgin , and several other places . He also refers to a short paper by J . A . Smith , M . D ., Sec . S . A . Society , to which we shall refer again shortly . All of us who are interested in the question of Alasonic archaeology have long since seen the importance of Masons ' Alarks , though how they became " part and parcel "of our

system is far too long a subject to treat upon now . There are still some difficulties connected with " Masons' Afarks , " but gradually the ground is being cleared away . That they originally were alphabetical , and increased by the " accretion" of diverse languages , is , I think , now beyond a doubt . Probably their origin is to be found in

Egypt or Phoenicia , or the old Greek alphabet , though that they gradually incorporated the "Runes" in their worldwide " tokens , " and even the so-called magical or hermetic alphabet , is hardly ' now disputable . To Air . George Godwin , a non-Alason , the able Editor of the Builder , is to be fairly ascribed the merit of calling

attention to Masons' | marks out of Alasonry , and my lamented fellow-labourer , Bro . E . VV . Shaw , Alasonically , was the lirst , about 1859 , to call the attention of Freemasons to the subj ' ect , though Lawrie had alluded to them before any one in his "History of Freemasonry , " published at Edinburgh , in 1 S 04 , and probably written by

Sir David Brewster . Bro . Shaw had collected 11 , 000 marks , but , unfortunately , his papers are not ' now available , thoughtV-rxtant ; yet those who remember his lectures on his pet topic will recall to mind both his lucidity and . cnthusiasm on the subject . Thete are two errors in the able paper alluded to in the

" Transactions 1 have mentioned , which deserve noting . I . The one is , that the " Pentacle " represents "Solomon ' s Seal . " It cannot be too often pointed out that this common mistake has no real foundation in fact . The " Pentaculum Salomonis , " or " Pentacle , " or " Pentegram , " is simply a sign of the Hermetic Schools and the

Hebrew Cabala , " was afterwards adopted by the later alchemists , and figures Jargely in all astrological treatises and magical formula ; . It is a very old " sign , " whatever it may point to , and may be found all the world over . But it is not Solomon's Seal—which , as all who have travelled in the East know , is the "Double Triangle , " sometimes

called the " Hexapla , " " Hexagram , " and is also very old in its Oriental , and probably also Hermetic , use . It was also adopted by the Christian builders as a favourite doctrinal symbol . But it represents the mystic sign and seal of King Solomon , and may be found in the East to-day in mosques and on articles of all kind as a saving sign , as

well as on old stones , in some of the most ancient buildings . 2 . The next little mistake I wish to allude to , all courteously and deferentially , is Dr . Smith ' s theory of the odd number to make the " mark" of the " passed Alason . " There is no warrant , as far as I know , for any such theory , and it could be disproved in many ways , as all who have

studied the " marks as long as 1 have , know . 1 here arc " even marks" and "uneven marks , " but that the uneven marks represent the passed Mason , and the even the Apprentice , is clearly a grave mistake , and founded on an imperfect appreciation of the marks themselves . Bro . Shaw , who had made them the study of years , once stated

that he could distinguish the marks of the Alaster , Master Masons , Fellows , Apprentices , and " blind marks , " as the marks of those hired to work , but not members of the Guild . One illustration is as good as any . The double triangle is an even mark as to points ; it is found constantly , but to assume that it represents an Apprentice is out of the

question . It is very doubtful whether the " Apprentices had marks at all . " As far as the evidence of the Scottish Lodge minutes go it is , that the marks were taken and given at the passing or crafting of the " Fallow of Craft . " Apologising for the length of my letter , I am , yours fraternally , THE EDITOR OF YOUR " CYCLOP / EDIA . "

BRO . HUGHAN'S " . MASONIC REGISTER . " To the Editor ofthe "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Finding that all the copies of my " Numerical and Medalic Alasonic Register of Lodges " were subscribed for , save a few in the hands of the publisher , Bio .

George Kenning , I have asked him to send them to me , so as to forward them either to Masonic Lodge libraries cr Masonic students generally . I shall not re-issue the work , the coloured plates being so costly to produce . Any brethren desirous of obtaining copies " , will please apply to me as soon as convenient , and transmit a P . O . O .

for ios . Cd . for each copy that may be required ( to include postage ) instead of 12 s . Cd . as heretofore . I trust the few remaining in Truro will fall into good hands , as the labour of compilation will be more than repaid if Ihe circulation of the volume leads to an increased attention being paid to the history of all old , and especially centenary , lodges under the English Constitution . VV . J . HUGHAN . Truro , June 20 th .