Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

0 THE " RED CROSS " ORDER . For the information of Bro . Hughan and . those of your readers who may be interested in the subject , I may state that I am now preparing a

report , which ( if approved by the Executive Committee ) will be submitted to the Grand . Council in June next . This document will contain a full account of the conference between Bro . Edward Busher and myself on the one hand ,

and His Excellency the Count Maffei , Italian Charge d' Affaires , on the other , respecting the Italian Order , and the Anglican branch , which is now the only legitimate representative of the Order in the world—the King of Italy having

determined not to confer it , nor to permit any of his subjects to revive it under any pretence iohatever . A personage claiming to be one of the Lascari , at present residing in Rome , asserts that he is the chief of the order , and the Papal Court

supports his pretensions , but as it is well-known that the order became one of tlie public orders of Knighthood of the "Two Sicilies , " now merged in the Kingdom of Italy , it follows that Victor Emmanuel as thc supreme King is now the only

lawful successor of the Parmese branch , and the source and foundation of honor in Italy . There are also Greek pretenders to the dignity , but they have never been recognized since the death of the last of the Comneni . The Report

will also contain particulars of the documents discovered at Freemasons' Hall , London , and which comprise the ritual of the Knights of the Grand Cross , the cash book of the order from 1 S 08 to 1814 , various pipers and letters of Sir

Knights Waller Rodwell Wright , Hypolita Da Costa , and the Rev . George Ad . ims Browne , of Cambridge , including transactions signed "Approved , Augustus Frederick , G . M . " These MSS .,

it may be added , were delivered over to the Grand Council of the Red Cross by the kind permission of the Right Hon . the Etrl of Zetland , M . W . Grand Master , upon the application of Lord Kenlis . R . W . L .

In a short article ( at p . 139 ) headed , "Bro . R . W . Little and the Mark , " Bro . Hughan observes that he has seen a paper signed by the Duke of Sussex , which refers to the " Red Cross Degree " before the Union . Cannot this paper be

published , so that we may see what "Red Cross it refers to ? Is there any document in existence , of more than a few years' age , which allies the Masonic " Red Cross" degree with the Constantinian name ? LUPUS .

THE "HEREDITARY GXAN'D MASTER" 07 SCOTLAND . It has been for long quite customary to write and speak of the St . Cl lirs of Rosslyn as being " Hereditary Grand Masters" of the Scottish

Masons . . Now , I can lind no real foundation for that idea , but consider it to be another of our masonic dreams . The first " Grand Master " of Scotland was a St . Clair , but that was not until thc year 173 6 , when the Grand Lodge of

Scotland was first constituted . The brethren who were intending to follow the example of England , and do so , in ordei , as I conceive , to give ccl tit to their proceedings , and the better to further their intentions and pretensions , entered into a

little plot , and having managed t ••> get hold of St . Clair they first made him a Freemason and afterwards—having got him to go through the form of resigning his title of Patron and Judge of thc Operative Masons , which by the way had

nothing earthly to do with Speculative rive masonry—as previously understood , they elected him Grand Master , the first of his race tint I am aware of being such . In i 6 eS a charier 01 deed was granted to St . Clair by the opera'it \ masons and hammermen , constituting him the

Referee of their Crafts , so that he might authoritatively settle all trade disputes , charges for work , and such like ; but what hid ih . tt to do with our Freemasonry ? Certainly nothing : neither was there any Grand Master in the case until 1736 . So much for masonic fables and manufactured legends ; their name is legion 1 W . P . BUCHAN .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

BRO . " LEO" AND " MOTHER LODGE KILWINNING " { page 139 ) . I read the remarks of your much esteemed correspondent , Bro . W . J . Hughan , on this subject , and am glad to find him stating that my

letter is " substantially correct . " However , I am astonished at his saying , " No one , to my knowledge , has ever pretended that ' Mother Kilwinning is the mother lodge of Scotland , all thc others being offshoots from it , '" and he

charges mc with imagining this . Now I want several years of being 40 , consequently I could have no hand in getting up the first edition of Lawrie ' s History of Freemasonry , in 1804 , ancl it says "After the establishment of the Kilwinning

and vork lodges , the principles of Freemasonry were rapidly diffused throughout both kingdoms , and several lodges were erected in different parts of the island . As all these derived their authority and existence from the two mother lodges , they were

likewise under their jurisdiction and control , ' & c . Who is the "dreamer" there ? Certainly not I . Then , again , Lawrie says , in 1743 , "A letter was read from the lodge of Kilwinning complaining that they were only second on the

roll , while , as . the mother lodge of Scotland , they were entitled to the first place . " Then , again , in Thc Freemasons' Magazine , for May 30 th , 186 3 , Bro . D . Murray Lyon , who was then giving a sketch of the history of " Mother Kilwinning , "

111 alluding to certain ideas current regarding it , says "that the Scottish monarchs were the Grand Masters of tlie Mother Lodge , whose courts were usually held at Kilwinning , " & c . Of course I do not consider Bro . Lyon believes this ; he is

only quoting the ideas or notions then current . Then , at page 85 of Tiic Freemasons' Fade Mccuin , Bro . A . O . Haye , the author , gives us another Kilwinning dream when alluding to the Freemasons " establishing in the parish of Kilwinning , where

they were erecting an abbey , the germ of Scottish Freemasonry . " I consider that the above quotations are quite sufficient to show that what Bro . Hughan alluded to was imagined long before Bro . "Leo" was born , consequently Bro . Hughan

will have to acknowledge his mistake in saying " actually the dreamer is Bro . 'Leo' himself !" However , we both agree in asserting that the idea is a mere dream ; although I am perhaps not far wrong in considering that many brethren , who

know no better , still look upon the notion as a veritable fact ! Bra . Hughan styles his remarks "hurried , " and they must surely have been so when he made this lapiis pennce . As to Kilwinning being " certainly the parent of more lodges

than any other six independent lodges before the institution of Grand Lodge , " I can say little at present , only the assertion is worthy of investigation as to its truth or other . vi . se . In 7 ' hc Freemasons' Magazine fox December letli , 1353 ,

Bro . 1 ) . M . Lyon gives a list of 3 : of " Mother Kilwinning ' s dmtg . ' t . ' crs , bat any one of these is before 1717 , viz ., the Canongate-Kihvinning , and one other befjre 173 ' ) , vi . * ., Torpic * ien-Kilwinning ; all the rest are after 1737 . The great

point , therefore , especially is to find out how many more lodges , if any , hailed from Kilwinning before 1717 ; thereafter to find how many between 1717 and 1736 . And also , of course , to find out what lodges were erected by " other independent lodges" before 1717 , and before 173 6 . L :-: o .

Bro . W . J . Hughan says , "Bro . 'Leo' falls , 1 think into an error" in deciding tin . * date which live Mother Lodge , Kilwinning claims to dale from . Would Bro . W . J . Hughan say exactly what elate this lodge claims its first existence in

Seotl . ind ? I am ol opinion l . iey claim from 11 . p . On this point I am sutiaiie 1 , and do not wish to raise any objection * . Bro . W . J . Hughan again says , "This grand old ! xlge was the mother of very many lodges , not oalv in . Scotland , bat

elsewhere ; and hence fr r . w being one ol the oldest , and in "i . st certainly the parent of more lodges linn of any other six independent lodges before the institution of (' irand Lodge or since . " Would Bro . \ V . | . Hughan kindly say on what

: 111 thonly he makes tins statement . Thero seems to be no recorded authority that the Mother Kilwinning Lodge ever granted charters until the Grand Lodgo of Scotland was formed and had adopted the system of granting of charters .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

I am aware that in 1743 the Lodge of Kilwinning receded from the Grand Lodge ol Scotland , in consequence of its having been placed second on the roll of lodges , and that it held an independent position until October , 1807 , when a

reunion was effected by a committee of both ' lodges ; when it then again came into the bosom of the Grand Lodge , along with all her daughter lodges , and accordingly renounced the right of granting charters , that being left in the

power of the Grand Lodge alone . So that it seems it was only for the sixty-four years that she stood out . against the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and had consequently assumed a sort of Masonic supreme power , that there appears to be any record of its having granted charters . But I

shall feel pleased to know of any charter granted by the Mother Kilwinning Lodge prior to 1 743 . In the hope that Bro . W . J . Hughan will inform me as to the exact date Mother Kilwinning Lodge claims to date from in Scotland , mentioning at same time the name of the lodge or any lodge that received a charter from the Mother

Kilwinning prior to 1743 . ONE WHO WISHES FACTS .

RISE AND PROGRESS OF SPECULATIVE FREEMASONRY . There are now many thousand lodges in existence which practise on Speculative Masonry , with its beautiful and complete system of three

degrees and its noble principles , yet taking the whole continent of Europe , tlie whole ol Asia , Africa , America , and Australia , where can a single lodge be pointed to that was in existence and practised said Speculative Freemasonry in or before A . D . 1717 ? I know of none . All the

lodges that afterwards sprang up upon these Continents adopted and copied the English system of Freemasonry-manufactured in London in A . D . 1717 . The Grand Lodge of London of that date is therefore the Mother of our Speculative Freemasonry throughout the world . W . P . B .

THE "YORK LODGE . I have been much pleased to hear th . it the M . W . the Grand Master has consented for the " Union" Lodge , No . 236 , to be called the " York " Lodge , as the latter name gives the lodge much

more of a distinctive character than the former . The "Union" was granted before , and was active at the dissolution of , the "Grand Lodge of all England , " held at York , and no doubt received as members several of the Ancient Body . There

are now at York records preserved that are many years earlier than any produced by cither of the lodges that assisted in the "Revival" at London . Although the title Grand Master does not occur until June 24 th , 1729 , yet a Grand Lodge

virtually was in working order at York before then . I visited the ancient city on roth Jul )' , 1 S 67 , and intend writing a sketch oi" the extinct Grand I . odge when time permits . Gentlemen were admitted

and sworn as Masons before the Grand Lodgeof England was formed at London . Thc Lodge at York was not a Grand Lodge before 1720 , although it worked as an independent lodge long before then . WILLIAM J AMES HUGHAN .

UOStCRUClAN SOCIETY OF ENGLAND . I find that Bro . " Leo" wishes information about the above Society , ancl as many more desire the same , I hasten to say that the " Rosicrucian Society of England , " or the Society of

Brethren of the Rosy Cross , is totally independent , being established on its own merits ; and as a body is no otherwise connected with thc Masonic ' Order than by having its members sclcc ' cd from that fraternity . There are

ninety-nii ! . ' member . ; allowed for the lirst four degrees ; thirty-six for lhe next three ; six for the S '** ; and three for the cf . The Right Hon . Lord Kenlis is the Honorary President , and there aro a number of most distinguished Masons who are proud to hold subordinate positions .

The Rosicnici . ru is a i / uar . 'erly record , edited by my esteemed friends Robert Wentworth Little ! and William Robert Woodman , M . D . The Right Hon . the Earl of J er . sey , Frederick Martyn Williams , MI ' ., and Colonel Franxis Burdett are Vice Presidents . I write this much , not for