Multum In Parbo; Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

" ' Thou shalt confess . the Name of the Lord ; Thou shalt make it respecteiU " ' Thou shalt establish 1 lis Reign ; Thou shalt propa-¦ gate His Laws . " 'Than shalt * obey His Thought ; Thou shalt demand it from the Heavens , and Thou shalt execute it on Earth . " ' Thou shalt give to thv poor Brethren thc bread which

the Lord hath given thee . " ' Thou shalt pray the Lord to forgive thine enemies ; thou shalt strike them with thy glave , because they have been the enemies of thy Brethren . " 'Thoushalt plunge into the tempest to succour thy Brethren ; without considering if the tempest may annihilate the ' e ' . ' '

" 'The Lord will help thy weakness ; thou shalt become strong ; tlVou shalt have confidence jn thy strength ; thou shalt not measure danger . " 'Thou shalt be pitiless to traitors , everywhere and always . " ' The Lord will protect thee as long as thou wilt

protect thy Brethren . ' " Now , as in thc ancient days of its glory and grandeur , the Militia or Oriental Order of the Temple is absolutely governed by the Grand Master , named for life by the Convent eif Brethren . 'He is assisted by a Chapter composed of six members .

' T he Militia ov Oriental Order of the Temple is composed of Commanders , Knights , and Equerries . " Ladies are admitted into the Order with the title of Sisters Hospitallers of the Militia or Oriental Order of the Temple . They have a Special Chapter presided over by a Grand Mistress named for life . " The Lieutenants of the Grand Master are employed to

maintain or establish the Militia or Oriental Order of the Temple in all the countries where Christians , resolved to practise the law of Charity , wish to observe the Charter of Constitution of the Order ; and to that effect unite in the bonds of Brotherhood to give their co-operation to the sublime and magnificent work of devoting themselves to unobtrusive and persevering efforts in thc cause of

Christianity and Humanity . " Christmas Day 1874 . " Can any brother tell me anything about this apparently new Order , whose programme is dated " Christmas Day , i 8 ; . ( . " Who i- * Roger de Flor ? Is he a real or mythical pu - linage ? 1 sec this circular states that Jacejues < le Mi lay transmitted his power to Roger de Flor , Commander o ( Catalonia ( 1 do not understand this term in old

Templary ) , and later gave a delegation to Jean de Larmcny . Roger de Flor dates , it is said , his Charter of Reconstitutii . n fiiin Constantinople , Easter Sunday , 1313 , which was ci'i-i ' . i ' med by Sancho dc Vargas in 1316 . This Charter is said to be preserved . Can it be seen ? or is this another " fr . ius pia" lo be added to the long list of unreliable charters , Ac . A MASONIC STUDENT .

Tin-: TAIIOUMS AND MASONIC LEGENDS . Our good friend , thc Editor of the Freemason , promised to report the result of his examination of the "Targumsol the Book of Chronicles , " published at Amsterdam 1715 , and at Cambridge 1725 , from a MS . in the University library of the latter city . I ,-ini anxious to have the report , and hence write again to ask the favour from the Editor , for the subject is an im . porta nt erne . W . J . HL-GHAN .

"The third and last toast was a verse from an old English Masonic song : ' The Craft , the Craft , the brave old Craft , That has weathered thc storm so long ; It has won renown from crozier and crown , And a leaf from the child of song . ' " Where eloes this genial stanza come from ? PAUL PHV .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The Annual l- ' estival of this institution was held on "Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Tavern , the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot , Provincial Grand Alaster of Staffordshire , presiding . The company , consisting of ladies and brethren , numbered altogether about 700 , for whom the excellent arrangements of thc Stewards procured every

possible comfort . Among the brethren at his lordship ' s table were the Rev . C . j . Martyn , Past Grand Chaplain ; Dr . Strong , Hon . Surgeon to the Institution ; Ex-Sheriff Mutton , Professor Erasmus Wilson , Samuel Tomkins , Grand Treasurer ; J . Percy Leith , Grand Deacon ; Major Creaton , Past Grand Deacon ; John Hervey , Grand Secretary ; K . VV . Little ( Secretary Girls' School ); F . Binckes

( Secretary Boys' School ); F . A . Philbrick , Q . C , Past Grand Deacon ; I lyde Pullen , Past Grand Sword-Bcarer ; . Mm Sutcliffe ( Gt . Grimsby ) , P . Prov . G . W . Lincolnshire ; C . A . Ci'ltebrune-, P . G . P . ; T . Cubitt , G . P . ; Bro . Charles llorsley , and Bro . C . J . Cooke , P . Prov . G . S . W . of Kent . Grace having been said at the conclusion of the repast , tlie toasts were proposed in regular order as follows : —

I he Chairman : Ladies and brethren , I rise to offer you a toast which , in all assemblies of Englishmen , I am glad to say , is always cordially reciprocated ; and 1 can venture to say as a Mason that it will be enthusiastically received upon this great occasion . It is difficult , in taking Ihe chair , to find words to express , without fulsome adulation , the power of affection that Her Majesty exercises over her

subjects , because , whether we look at her in the aspect of a sovereign , whether we look upon her as a mother of a family , and as the mother of a great nation , she reigns deeply , dearly , and affectionately in our hearts . Let us compare our position with that of the rest of the contincnt , and we shall find that whatever differences of opinion may exist at home , there is but one reigning sen . nicnt towards thc sovereign of these realms . ( Hear

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

hear . ) And , brethren , I regret that to-day I have to ask your sympathy for our sovereign as a mother . We know that one of the princes is down on the bed of sickness , and I need not any words of eloquence to ask you , as fathers of families and brethren , to sympathize with Her Most Gracious Majesty in her present distress . Happily , the tidings are a little belter of I lis Royal Highness Prince

Leopold ' s state ; but when we think of the anxious watching of thc mother , when wc think of the anxiety that must naturally crowd on her mind as she sees danger about one of her children , I am sure that it needs no words of mine to ask the brethren to sympathize with our Queen . I do not do this in a Masonic spirit only , but in a national spirit , and ask you , therefore , to drink the

toast in a way that Masons would desire it to be drunk . The toast having been honoured and followed by the National Anthem , The Chairman again rose aud said : I now rise to give you a toast which is second in all public assemblies of Englishmen , a toast which I venture to say is particularly dear to Masons . Our Craft aspires to high ascendancy ,

and we arc honoured by having one to preside over us , who holds the highest position in this realm , and I can confidently say that that illustrious personage would not have accepted what wc consider a very high dignity unless he thought he could fill it with benefit to the Craft , and honour to himself . When we recollect the emergency that we were placed in by the retirement of one whom we

greatly revered—I mean our late Grand Master—I am sure I may be permitted in this hall to say that every Mason deeply regrr . ts that from conviction he was obliged to leave us , because no man as a Grand Master filled his position so worthily , so honestly , and with such integrity as the Marquis of Ripon . We may regard the loss of the noble lord with regret as Englishmen . I am not here to

obtrude religious feelings on Masonic brethren . Our faith is of so enlightened and free a nature that in my opinion in Ihe dark ages when religion was in difficulty Freemasonry preserved the morality of the country . ( Hear , hear ) . For that reason it would induce me to join the Craft ; and I trust that the day will ceime when the noble Marquis will once more re-join us—when he will be

emancipated from that thraldom which I do noi care to speak of further . As regards our present Grand Master , His Royal Highness the Princ : of Wales , 1 would like to ask the company this question , " Did you ever know His Royal Highness to be called upon that he did not come forward to perform his duty ? " And I think we , as Masons , can say we are proud of our Prince because he knows

thoroughly how to enjoy himself . ( Cheers . ) At the same time , there is no man in Great Britain who has the power of self-denial more than His Royal Highness . I will defy anyone to say that he does not abnegate himself many agreeable duties , to perform those which belong to bis high station in society . Thus we are proud of him as our Grand Master , and our future King . In both those respects , I give

you his very good health . ( Cheers . ) The Chairman : I hope you will not think that I am precipitate in getting through the list of toasts ; but I am anxious , as I said in the early part of the evening , that you should have that pleasant intellectual enjoyment in the other hall , which , 1 hope , will give you gratification . And now 1 regret that on this festive occasion , whilst offering

you thc toast of "The Health of our Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon , " I have to ask your dee-pest sympathy for him in what you and I will consider the greatest distress that can possibly happen to mortal man . When I tell you that the noble Earl reigns in our affections , and when I tell you thai he is a personal friend of my own , as was nlst > the late I-ady Carnarvon , who

has just left this world , I trust and believe for higher realms , I can hardly suppress my emotion and can hardly tell how , as a friend and a Mason , I sympathise with my noble friend , and I ask you if you will do me the kindness on this occasion to permit me to be your echo of the feelings which I am sure exist throughout this great assembly at the proper lime to convey lei Lord

Carnarvon the deep sympathy of his brother Masons in his bereavement . I am glad , however , to think that the noble lord knows really where to look for comfort ; but when we are in distress as well as in joy the sympathy of our friends is most soothing and charming . I hope 1 may be permitted to convey from this great assembly our deep sympathy with him in bis bereavement . I am sure you

will drink his health with cordiality on this occasion . But now let me pass to a more joyous topic . When I think of the Deputy Grand Master , my noble friend , Lord Skelmersdale , a man whose comely presence does one ' s he-art good to see , whose Masonic conduct in his province has endeared him to all his brethren , I feel I am offering you a toast which will meet with the

cordial acceptance of all brother 1-ceemnsons . When I tell you that Lord Skelmersdale holds one of the offices of the Court as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard , when your humble servant tells you that he has the honour of commanding the Gentlemen-at-arms , I trust that it will not be impertinent of mc to say that I trust thc day will come when Freemasonry is recognised at Court . I

shall be glad to see the day when Masonic clothing is worn at Court . 1 know that there are no subjects more loyal to the throne than Freemasons , and though it would be far from me to attempt to initiate ¦ any change , because I be-long to the old conservative Craft , yet belonging to this Craft I should like to see that honour conferred , which I , particularly as we are presided over by His Koyal Highness the Prince of Wales , should

esteem a valuable one . I know also that it would bc very gratifying to the Fraternity to be received in our Masonic capacity nt Court . Bro . Ex-Sheriff 11 utton , Grand Deacon , replied , and after expressing his own sympathy with Lord Carnarvon , said he should lie very glad to sec , when the Prince of Wales came to the throne , Masonry recognised at Court . He did not however , think there was a great probability of it . Bu .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

if such a subject was mooted , he would endeavour to sup . port it . He then thanked the brethren and ladies for their attendance , and said he hoped that the position of Masonry in England vvould be a guide to the whole world as showing what'it could achieve , and what charity could accomplish . The Chairman next proposed a special toast , "The Due dc Manignon , " and addressed the company in French .

The Due de Manignon having replied in French , The Chairman said : I have another important duty to discharge , and reverting to my native language is a relief to mc , and though I feebly attempted to convey your sentiments to the illustrious stranger , permit to to say that I feel I had your kind co-operation , because Masonry is above language , because it is the language of the heart . You heard what the noble Due said to us about the wants of

the poor , about the wants of the child , about the wants of the aged widow and of the aged Mason . I feel he has given me a text upon which , if time permitted , I would dilate . But brethren , I am proud to think that this is the third time that I have had the honour of advocating the cause of Masonic charity in this chair , and I venture to appeal to this meeting I address , to say the first one that

every Freemason ought to desire to support is this . What is Royal Arch ? What are all the honours of Masonry to thc honour of a good conscience and a knowledge of having done your duty ? If I may be permitted for a moment in the presence of friends whom I greatly respect and whom I deeply thank for being present here upon this occasion , I may ask them to corroborate the sentiment that since I

have been their Provincial Grand Master , my chief , object has been charity ! charity ! charity ! Not that I vvould for a moment deny the cordial friendship that must exist between a Provincial Grand Master , of necessity and the Provincial Grand Lodges and Grand Lodge , because 1 believe that in no time lias Masonry been so ascendant as it is at the present time , and I should not like to anticipate

Bro . Terry ' s agreeable announcement , that I understand he lias been enabled to make by your kind support of me in this chair , because I feel that I should be a poor man , and indeed a very peior Mason , if I could not sacrifice one evening to come among one of thc most influential and respectable assemblies that can possibly be congregated in the Craft . When I think , brethren , of the influence

that permeates throughout thc width of the land when I know that I speak to hundreds of thousands this evening , it makes a man proud who has nobility to boast of , that he should be permitted also to be a representative . of the people in promoting what he sympathizes with , the great cause of Christian charity . I know not whether . Bro . Binckes or Bro . Little is here to-day . ( Bvo . Terry -. 'Yes ,

my lord , both . ) Then let them recollect that I am the slave of Bro . Terry , ( laughter ) , and kindly forget alLLhave said on behalf of the Boys' School and the Girls' School . Re-collect , brethren , that time passes , that I began at the wrong end , that 1 ought to have advocated the claims of the aged before I advocated the claims of the boys and girls . But I do not see why I cannot go round again .

( Hear , hear . ) I am glad to know that I have the cordial approval of the brethren of my own province , when I say that Masonry necessarily attaches itself to the heart of a moral and respectable man ; it inculcates cordial good feeling inwards one another , and I may say that in the position 1 have occupied in my own district , nothing has tended to make me more cordial to different classes of the

people than this Craft to which 1 have the honour to belong . It is that which cements , and adopts , and helps that kind feeling which is wanted . I have always inculcated in every lodge that it should never assemble without paying a quota to live charities . I say if you drink a bottle of champagne which costs ios . fit ] ., put ios . 6 d . in thc box ; if you drink a glass of spirits which costs 3 d ., put 3 d . in

the box . You have then done your duty like a man . I need not , I think , trouble you with the details of this great Institution , but I want just to say one word , because , lerb . aps , if I refrain from pressing the point upon you , you will put your hands in your pockets without any further observation ; but when I tell you that there are a great number of applicants—68 applicants , and only 12 vacancies

—I ask you , what arc you about , Brother Masons ? You are tbe representatives of this great city : what are you about ? When 1 tell you that there are 35 widows , and only 3 vacancies , I ask you again , what arc you about ? 33 male candidates , and q vacancies ; and . *?¦; widows , and 3 vacancies ! Now what are you about ? Why , you have been drinking champagne instead of gin-and-water .

Perhaps it is my fault to have too great a tendency to geniality , but , 1 say , let us recollect our Masonic duties first , and our pleasures afterwards . Wc arc a very high , honourable , and distinguished body ; wc have the most distinguish- * .- !! persons connected with us ; but let us practise abnegation . 1 heard of a lodge last night—I did not visit it because I was with the Prudent Brethren where those

principles are inculcated—I ought to have visited those brethren wbo indulged in celery and cheese . I believe that morals may he inculcated , perhaps in a pleasant manner sometimes ; and there is a moderation in all things . Masons , I think , know how to bc moderate , and know how to be cordial and friendly ; but if such a hint as 1 have given you this night would swell the funds of

these great charities , do not you think we should have cause to be more proud of ourselves than at present ? Our permanent income is about £ 2 , 200 , and we want about £ 8 , 000 or £ 0 , 000 a year . Is it necessary that wc should meet at our banquets and our festivals and our musical assemblies to know what is our duty ? Let us enjoy ourselves by all means ; let us meet on every opportunity . I

am proud to take this chair . I want to inculcate what I now elo without fear—that the basis of Masonry is charity —charity first , pleasure and cordiality and good-fellowship second . You may , perhaps , think , I have administered a lecture to you ; but 1 shall call upon thc Secretary to cad that list which is a gratification to us all , and then ee if you cannot give a little more the next time . I have