Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

pain and death are not unfamiliar visitants to our homes ; nor can the noblest or the most prosperous claim exemption from the common ills of life . Let us each ,

therefore , help to bear a brother ' s burden ; let us each endeavour to lighten his load of care , and to smooth his troubled passage to the grave . " Behold the night cometh "

when " no man can work ; " but the present is ours , and can be woven by kindly words and generous deeds into a pleasurablyremembered past . The knowledge and the conviction that we have striven to do our

best for the comfort of our fellow-creatures will not only awake happy memories in our hearts ; but when the awful hour of dissolution approaches , our thoughts shall not be

haunted by visions of vows forgotten , bright opportunities wasted , and paramount duties neglected . No hideous spectre shall affright our souls , because we shall have

carried out in their entirety and truth those principles which are the glory of our Order by caring for the widow and orphan , and giving the homeless and shelterless where to lay their heads .

The Ancient And Accepted Rite.

THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE .

We have received , and hold over , several letters relating to Bro . Yarker and the Ancient and Accepted Rite . All are personal to a degree which rendeis their

insertion impossible , unless carefully pruned ; and one signed by " A . S . P ., of the Palatine Rose Croix Chapter , " is not accompanied by the name and address of the writer . Bro . Yarker ' s communication contains

historical facts of an interesting nature , but is intermingled with observations respecting the Supreme Grand Council 33 ° which we cannot publish .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries .

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

9—BRO . YARKER AND THE SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL 33 ° That there are two sides to ever ) ' question may be accepted as au indubitable

fact ; and I should be sorry that the ten thousand readers of THE FREEMASON should be allowed to suppose that Bro .

Yarker ' s ex parte statement of his own case does not admit of being looked at from a point of view somewhat different from that which he has selected .

I propose neither to criticise nor to refute the arguments contained in his statement ; but as a humble yet entirely independent

member of the A . and A . Rite , I wish to invite the attention of all brethren to a most important matter of principle which is involved in the present discussion .

Every member of this Rite , when he is obligated in the 18 ° , whether as a newlyadmitted candidate or as an affiliated member of one of the old independent bodies ( which last I gather to have been

the case with Bro . Yarker ) , voluntarily takes a solemn obligation whereby he binds himself , among other things , at all times to render proper allegiance to the Supreme Grand Council n ° . Bro . Yarker , by his own confession ( at page 11 ) , admits that he publicly announced

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries .

his intention of " againworking the old Templar Kadosh . " Now , whether he be right or wrong , personally , in his wish to see this degree again worked , there can be no doubt that his intention was a direct infringment

ofthe regulations established by the S . G . C . 33 ; and , consequently , that he was bound by his sacred word of honour to submit his private judgment to their decree ; and in contumaciously refusing conformity thereto

he must , in the judgment of all rightminded Masons , be held to have unjustifiably violated his obligation of obedience , and to have deserved the penalty which has been inflicted .

Let me illustrate this position by supposing a parallel case . We know that in former days the " Ark , " and many other " side degrees , " were habitually worked in some private lodges ; but , I ask , what

would be said now should Bro . Yarker rise at a P . G . L . banquet , and publicly announce his intention again to work the old Ark or the Mark Degree in a Craft lodge ? I

think there can be no doubt that , if he persisted in the assertion of such an intention , the sentence which would be passed upon him by G . L . would not differ materially from that which he has suffered at the

hands of the S . G . C . I must avow that , to my mind , this matter of playing fast and loose with Masonic obligations , and declaring that " no subordination is due " to those whom it suits our

own private purposes to accuse of " usurpation , " is a very serious matter indeed . Granted that our governing body is nonelective , and that it consists of " a small minority of nine men , " Bro . Yarker knew

all this when he submitted himself to that body ; and they were just as much usurpers when he was likely to " become a zealous member" of their Rite as they are now , when they have refused to be guided by his

individual opinions . A few weeks ago wc were all crying shame upon Russia for her faithlessness in repudiating solemn engagements at the first moment that it suited her personal interest to do so . But what

difference is there between her conduct and that of any brother ( whether at Bath or at Manchester ) , who , after having entered into solemn engagements , in order to obtain a certain Masonic rank , or the possession of

real or imaginary secrets , or some other advantage best known to himself , is , nevertheless , ready , the moment he finds his opinions differing from those of others ( who , after all , may possibly be as well qualified

judges as himself ) , to abjure , propria mo tit , the most sacred obligations ; and to ignore the truth which he was taught on first

receiving " the Light "— namely , that a Mason ' s honour is inseparable from fidelity and obedience . P . H . NEWNHAM , 30 .

" A COWAN . In response to Bro . W . Carpenter ' s interesting communication on the word " Cowan , " I will not lose sight of the subject , and hope before long to write a few lines thereon .

Permit me , however , to say that I know no one better qualified to speak on the subject than Bro . Carpenter himself , and I

feel sure it is only owing to his being of such a retiring disposition that he has refrained from speaking more fully and positively on the subject .

His connection with the literary world for at least half a century , and the knowledge that he has of the mysteries of the Craft , both ancient and modem , would warrant us , I feel certain , in receiving with every

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries .

attention , not only his " crude ideas , " but also his mature thoughts on the subject . W . J AMES HUGHAN .

MASONIC WRITERS AND CORRESPONDENCE . May I be permitted to remind the brethren who write any time to object to the statements made by several writers in THE FREEMASON , that we simply

communicate our information ( often obtained after considerable labour , and frequently at no slight cost ) for the benefit of the Craft universal , without any pecuniary fee or reward ; and that therefore we , who thus write , are

as anxious to receive light as those can possibly be to whom we wish to give light . Hence , their objections should be supported by facts , and not offered in an unruly or ungentlemanly manner . I must say that

unless such is the case I shall not trouble to attempt to aid or advance the literature of the Craft ; and although my withdrawal

may be of little consequence , as it will for certain lead others to do likewise the fact will then be of consequence . BETA .

MASONIC RIVALRV IN GLASGOW . There has been a grgat struggle going on for long among several of our Scottish lodges for precedence in regard to their antiquity , while the wonderful discoveries

that are sometimes made are often rather curious . One of the latest—which , however , requires further explanation—is in reference to the Glasgow St . Mungo Lodge , No . 27 , and its new ciate of " 1051 . " On

looking over the list of Scottish lodges for years back , I find the date of St . Mungo Lodge given as " 1729 . " Yet , shortly since I was shown a large and gorgeously-painted " , silk banner , with the inscription in large

gold letters upon it , " Glasgow Lodge St . Mungo , 27 , A . D . 1051 . " Tin ' s date therefore of the St . Mungo Lodge throws the St . John ' s , with its " Malcolm Canmore"

fraternity and pretended " 813 thAnniversary , " completely in the shade ; for does not 1051 carry us back to the classical times of the immortal Macbeth ? What next ? However , pray tell us all about it . L .

THE APA . M / EAN MEDAL . I must apologise to Bro . Craig , at page 688 , December , 31 st , for being so long in replying to his query , but three things kept me back : I had to wait until the other

notes I forwarded had their turn to appear ; I had not a copy of Hugh Miller ' s work beside me , and I was engaged otherwise . However , I have now seen the "Testimony of the Rocks , " page 2 S 3 , where the

engraving of this old medal occurs , as also " Calmet ' s Dictionary , " which I have , and in which , under " Ark , " a similar print appears , only a little smaller , and I have now great pleasure in stating what I think about it .

This medal shows us Noah and his wife in two different situations ; first , in point of time , wc sec them seated within the ark , which is floating upon the water ; then we sce ' them after leaving the ark , and walking

away from it . In this latter wc perceive that Noah and his wife have their right hands elevated in token of adoration and thankfulness to God for his mercy in saving them . This position was quite

common as a posture of prayer , Sec . Ps . cxli ., 2 : " And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice ; " and 1 Tim . ii .,

and 8 : " I will therefore that men pray everywhere , lifting up holy hands . " Prov . i ., 24 : " Because I have called and ye refused ; I have stretched out my hand and