Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

PAGE REVIEWSThe English Nation identified with the Lost House of Israel 253 KNIGHT TEMPLAR J OTTTINGS ... ... 253 & 254 THE SYMBOLISM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF

NUMBERS 254 OBITUARY—Earl Howe 254 & 255 THE CRAFT—Metropolitan , Provincial , and Bombay 255 , 256 & 257 ROYAL ARCH—Metropolitan and Provincial ... 257 BIRTHS , MARRIAGES AND DEATHS .-. ... 2 ^ 8

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 258 BUSINESS TO BE TRANSACTED IN GRAND LODGE 258 MULTUJI IN PARVO * .. ... ¦ ... 259 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCEHear the other side .. .. ; .. ... ... 260 Grand Officers .. .... ... ... ... 260

Lodge . St . John , Melrose ... ... .. .. 26 c The Symbolism of Numbers . ..... .... ... 261 The Legend of Joshua ... ... .,.. ... 261 RED CROSS OF ROME AND CONSTANTINE ... 261 PROV . GRAND LODGE OF NORTHAMPTON AND HUNTINGDON 261

JOTTINGS FROM . MASONIC JOURNALS ... .. . . 262 THE CIIIVALRIC ORDERS IN CANADA ... .. 262 INSTRUCTION ... ..- . 262 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR 263 ROYAL ARK MARINERS , 263 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK ... ... 263

Reviews.

Reviews .

—«—The English Nation identified with the Lost House of Israel by Seventeen Identifications . Price 4 d . Stevenson ,

Paternosterrow . The Lost House of Israel has been an interesting search in all ages , and it is singular to observe that when people have been found that have been thought to

correspond with them , the belief was mainly urged because Freemasonry was found existing with such people . Thus the halfcivilised tribes of the North American

Indians were said to be lost Israel as much from the fact that Freemasonry formed them into brotherhoods as from anything else , and the same may be said of the Nestorians .

The book before us gives considerations of Israel that appear to have been overlooked , and with much scriptural evidence insists that Israel , when lost , was to become the chief of the nations , the most powerful

111 army and navy . That its mission was to " possess the gates of his enemies , " to become an island nation with large colonicsbecoming " a nation and a company of nations . " That it was given to Israel only

to have possessions , that should form a kind of cord , or measuring line , that should encompass all the other nations of the earth . That they were to have the multitudinous seed , to be in a position able to abolish the

slave trade , undoing " heavy burdens , " letting the " oppressed go free , " and breaking " every yoke . " That they were to be foremost in Christian and missionary spheres , to " blossom and bud and fill the face of

tlie world with fruit . " The author gives . seventeen identifications , that are most striking , and although Freemasonry is not included amongst them it certainly would make an eighteenth , and if the identity

could be received as established it would at at once account for the deep-seated root that Freemasonry has in this country , and should fortify us with additional authority

to extend the ramifications of our brotherhood throughout our land and colonics . Wc therefore recommend the brethren to give the work a perusal .

"I ll . VVK 11 . - -0 I Perry Davis .-i Vegetable Pain Killer in my family for bronehiti .-i and bowel complaints , and often given it to my workmen , si : i . 1 always with the most complete sue ' ec ; .- ; . 1 consider it the very best family medicine in us .- . —joiix WINSTAR LEY , Car , ' 1 ' roprkio , ; Liver tool , Jan . 2 , 186 9 . —perry Davis & Son .

Knight Templar Jottings.

KNIGHT TEMPLAR JOTTINGS .

( Continued / - ' -: ptge 269 , vol . 1 . ) In resuming our sketches of the Masonic Knights Templar , we only do so for a short while ; as this one and the next will conclude our " Jottings " on the above subject . Various circumstances have conspired to prevent our

writing the " parts regularly , but we intend this and the next to follow consecutively , and then hope to proceed with other departments' of Masonic work which we have in hand . We do not believe in a connection between the Masonic Order and the Ancient Templars

at all . The origin of the degree seems to be thus : Several Masons anxious to Christianise Freemasonry ( and thus alter its universal and unsectarian character ) , started the Masonic Knights Templar about the middle of the last century—just as with the Knights of the " Red Cross" and other well-known chivalric

degrees—and thought they would secure their success by thus linking the Masonic element with the original orders so-called . Bro . Lawrie , in his " History' of Freemasonry " and the " Grand Lodge of Scotland , " says , " That to prove that the Order of Knights

Templars was a branch of Freemasonry would be a useless labour , as the fact has been invariably acknowledged by Freemasons themselves . " We know the Knights Templar not only possessed the mysteries but performed the ceremonies , and inculcated the duties of

Freemasons . We , too , believe that to attempt to prove the Knights Templar a branch of the Masonic Order would be an useless labour , but not for the same reason as Bro . Lawrie . We consider such proof cannot be given , as no such connection between the two bodies ever existed .

Not the shadow of any evidence has been forthcoming to establish such a claim , and it is only placing a powerful and influential society on a false foundation to assert it to be a branch of Ancient Freemasonry . Tlie only pretension the Order has to be considered as allied to

Masonry consists in the fact that its members are . now chosen from the latter society . The excellent historian of the " Knights Templars and the Hospitallers of St . John" ( Bro . Richard Woof , F . S . A . ) is careful not to claim such a distinction for these orders , and it would

be well for those who are anxious to know facts to readhis excellent little work , beforebeing committed to Bro . Lawrie ' s opinion . Some go so far as to state " The different Orders of Masonry are without doubt only counterfeits of the Order of tlie Temple , which have arisen in the different countries where the first Knights had

retired . " This notion is a most absurd one , as it can be easily proven that the Operative Masonic body from which we are descended existed long before Knight Templary . Bro . Woof vcniarks that such a claim is " too comprehensive as referring to Craft Masonry simply , there being reasonable proof of its existence before the retirement of any of the Knights became necessary .

I ' ne "Grand Chapter " of Scotland is believed by many to hold a superior position ( in fact / . ' . ' /////; ' ) with respect to the Order of the Temple . In the sLUutcs of A . D . 1856 , which we have before' us , wo find that " there is but one chapter General and one Grand Master for the whole

world ; and from the Order having been suppressed in 1309 in all countries except Scotland , it sh til always be held in that Langue . " A more presumptuous statement or unfounded claim was never mule by any body , and savour : ; so much of credulity and sheer disregard of facts that we

really wonder it was ever allowed to appear in any work or document authorised and issued bv the " Chapter General . " H . R . M . the Dtike of Kent , then Grand Master of the English branch , granted a warrant to the Scotcli Templars , by virtue of which tlie charter dated 19 th June , 18 ir , constituted them " Knights ofthe Holy Temple , "

ike ., and Alex . Deuriur was appointed Grand Master ad vit . im . An-r which followed Admiral Sir Divid . Mi ! : ; , G . C . ii ., and others . Hence to pretend to :: siip .-r ; o ; "hv under such circumstances would helii ; . " : ; : ; l :. i ;; . ; ' . - Graft lodee established

A . ; J . i : ; ii setnog il- ; . , 1 up as a superior body to the Grand Loci . . ; e which w , v ; : \\ nted it . We believe that the ' Early Grand Encamp-

Knight Templar Jottings.

ment " of Ireland had a Craft origin—viz ., from " Mother Lodge Kilwinning , " Ayrshire , Scotland ; not , however , to propagate Knight Templary , but the three Craft degrees , in a lodge called the High Knight Templars . Some curious correspondence with reference to this

subject , in which Bro . Lyon , of Ayr , was able to prove clearly that " Mother Lodge Kilwinning " knew nothing of the Knights Templar degree , ii ^ . ver did ,, and is never likely to , and that the warrant rvas granted for purely Masonic purposes . The Grand Encampment of Ireland ,

however , assumes no such prominent and anomalous position as the body in Scotland . Bro . Woof well observes of himself that he . was influenced by the statements made by the Scotch authorities , " but failing to procure information which he could offer as from an official source , he could

present only the result of his own inquiries , and he is bound to say that in this result he finds no stronger claim than is possessed by those institutions of the Order from time immemorial existing in England . " We go further , and say that the perusal of Bro . Woofs " sketch" will show

the writer does not believe that the claims of Scotland re Knight Templary are so good as England . We think not , either . For some curious accounts of Knight Templary in the North of Scotland we respectfully refer our readers to the history of the lodges at Banff we

wrote in THE FREEMASON when it was first started . Generally speaking , the Royal Arch was required as a pre-requisite for Knight Templary ( the only exception we know of being when non-Masons were introduced under the Scottish rule for a short time ) , and as Royal

Arch Masonry has not been shown to have had an existence prior to A . D . 1740 , we think it pretty clearly established that Knight Templary under the wing of Freemasony had its origin somewhat later in the same century . We are told that the Knights Templar and the Red

Cross of Rome and Constantine are mentioned in the " Rite of Observance" by Baron Von Hurcl A . D . 1 745 . We should like this point cleared up . Much has been said about the connection of Knight Templary with the Grand Lodge of all England held at Yoik . Bro . Yarker

is an authority on this point , and in his admirable " Notes " proof is given that makes this connection ( to say the least ) appear very probable . However , nothing older than 1779 has been discovered with respect to the Grand Body and Knight Templary , and so far , the United States

appear to possess the oldest document in reference to the degree—viz ., 1769 , particulars of which are given by me in THE FREEMASON for December 17 th , 186 9 ( Xo . 41 , vol . 2 ) . The extract in question is to be found in Moore ' s Masonic Magazine , December , 1865 . We do not

state it to be thoroughly trustworthy , but merely mention the fact of this reference to Knight Templary so early as 1769 in connection with Royal Arch Masonry in the United States , to secure confirmation or otherwise . Weare just looking at the " Laws and Regulations ' ' of the "Cross of

Christ Encampment , " London ( when Bro . Dr . R . T . Crucefix was the E . Commander , A . D . 1 S 37 ) , prior to finishing these hurried notes , and are reminded of the claim made by some brethren that Bro . Dr . Henry Beaumont Lccson was a York Mason , and by virtue of such authority

he had power over the ancient Order of Harodim , and was especially qualified to be the Grand Commander of the thirty-third degree , ike , and also absorb the Rose Croix and X . P . U . given by Knight Templar Encampments . We think this a ' ole brother was well qualified to be

the chief of any such Order , as he has few equals in Masonic knowledge or research , but wc would not rest his claims on the foregoing bases , as wc believe tlie learned doctor was initiated under the Grand Lodge of England , took the Royal Arch degree under similar authority , was made a Knight Templar in the above Encampment ,

and , what is more , received the degrees of Rose Croix and " N . l ' . U . " in the same Encampment on the 5 th May , 1 S 37 . Some time since 18 37 the Knights Templar appear to hive waived their right to give these two degrees ( excepting such as the Jlaldwyn Bristol ) , -but it is rather curious to note that the former chief of the Order that now claims authority throughout England .