To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following stand over-Freemasonry and the Church . Wanderers Lodge of Instruction , No . 1604 .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Die Bauhiitte , " " Jewish Chronicle , " " Sunday Times , " " La . Revista Masonica , " ' "* Hull Packet , " "Citizen" "Keystone , " " Frctmasons' Chronicle , " " Broad Arrow , " " Thc Gem , " " Royal Cornwall Gazette , " " The Atlantic Ocean , " "Conrt Circular , " " Victorian Masonic Journal , " " Rough Ashlar , " " Le Moniteur de la Chance Universcile , " " Canadian Craftsman , " " Proceedings . lime

of thc National Great Prion- of Canada , " " , " "A Reply for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite to thc Pope ' s Encyclical Letter , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " " Tricycling Journal , "" Masonic World , " " La Abeja , " "The American Exhibition London , iSS 6 , " * " Masonic Hints , " " Thc Orcadian , " " York Herald . "

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p * pi > g 5 * * - - ** "g *^ 3 ^^ S ^ fiCT' « a * C ^^^ * S ~ S | Mfreem ^ oig ^^^ f ^^^^^^^ ^^ jf ^^ y ^ Hr ' ^^^ M SATURDAY , AUGUST 30 , 1884 . j ? .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

£ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ] ¦

THE LEGALITY OF FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I constantly find it stated in the Freemason that Freemasonry in this country is expressly allowed by the law of the land , and I have been endeavouring to ascertain on what authority this statement rests .

I find in " Kenning ' s Cyclopaedia the following article , which I quote verbatim et literatim : "Sedition Act . —Is an act which was passed , ( we have a copy of it , ) July 12 , 179 S , to stop the progress and purpose of certain secret and mischievous associations . English Freemasonry was specially exempted from its operations , and recognised as a secret charitable order . "

Now on referring to the Act 39 Geo . 111 ., c . 79 ,, passed on July 12 th , 1799 , which I presume is the one meant , 1 find that all Societies then or thereafter established with oaths not authorised by law or with secret committees , & c , were declared unlawful combinations and the members were to be deemed guilty of an unlawful combination ; however by Sections 5 and 6 all existing lodges of Freemasons were

exempted from the Act , provided that two members of each lodge certify on oath that such lodge has been duly held before the Act , and that the names of all members be registered with the Clerk of the Peace for the county on or before March 25 th in each year . This exemption clearly applies only to lodges existing in 1799 . Again in 1 S 17 all lodges which comply with the

requirements of 39 Geo . III ., c . 79 , were exempted from the operation of 57 Geo . III ., c . 19 , which was a new Act on the same subject . Now I do not know of any other legislation on the matter , and it appears to me that all lodges founded since 1 799 must be " unlawful combinations , " since both the Act of 1 799 and that of 1 S 17 legalise only lodges existing when the first Act was passed . Will you , sir , or will one of your correspondents , correct me where I am wrong in my statement of the case ?—I am , yours fraternally , E , L . HJ

WEST YORKSHIRE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I read your correspondent "Junior P . M . ' s " communication last week with much surprise , and the more so that this week there is no reply to it from this province . I see nothing extraordinary in such a circular being

( thoughtlessly , I admit ) trained in Bro . lews Lodge , St . Oswald . Excess of zeal would prompt it , no doubt , and love is blind . The worst construction that may be put upon it is suggested in the phrase " save us from our friends . " Will you , however , permit me to inform you that my lodge has received no such circular , and to state from my personal knowledge of the W . Deputy Prov .

G . M ., I feel certain he would not allow it to be issued if he knew of it . I will simply add that although I know of no brother more worthy of the distinguished honour of being called upon to preside over this province , I entirely concur with your leaderette of the 26 th ult ., which fairly and most fraternally states the case . I believe Bro . Tew would be the first to deprecate a proceeding which all intelligent

Masons must condemn . In my opinion , if the circular has at any time been seriously framed , ( as your correspondent "Junior P . M . ' s" enclosure leaves no reason to doubt ) , we may be Quite sure that it has been at once discountenanced by Bro . Tew , who , I am certain , would no more seek to interfere with the M . W . Grand Master's prerogative than—Yours fraternally , J . RAMSDEN RILEY , P . M ., Bradford , 23 rd Aug ., 18 S 4 . Sec . 3 S 7 .

UNITED GRAND LODGE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I notice in the circular stating the business of Grand Lodge on the 3 rd prox ., that the President will move : " That a donation of fifty guineas be made to the fund

now being raised for the ' restoration of the Church of St . Giles ' s-in-the-Fields . '" I sincerely hope no brother will be so foolish as to second this proposal . If the Board of General Purposes have larger funds than they require there need be no difficulty in disposing of them in a Masonic manner . Whilst

I cheerfully support Christian objects , yet I object to Masonic money being applied in the manner suggested , and if funds are asked for the repairing , restoring , or building new churches , similar sums will shortly be asked and voted for ( . "*) our Noncomformist churches . Our schools , homes , and benevolent institutions can very well absorb any surplus funds , and your readers need not read

Original Correspondence.

many numbers of the Freemason to convince them that there are many poor and distressed Masons , widows , and orphans who have a right to a portion of that fitty guineas which is proposed to be voted away . To some this letter may appear uncharitable . I do not intend it as such . I have for a long time advocated and worked for our Charities , but 1 am afraid my zeal will cool

down if Masonic money is not applied Masonically . I happen to know , in my own province , the many cases and claims brought before our various lodges , and in so few instances can these often deserving cases get anything like adequate help , hence my motive for again urging that Masonic funds should be applied to Masonic objects only . — Believe me , yours fraternally , August 25 th . P . M ., P . Z ., & c .

THE PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Referring to the letter of " One who Knows , " in your issue of the 23 rd inst ., I trust you will permit me , as one of the Surveyors who prepared the bills of quantities , to reply . Your correspondent ' s statements are quite

erroneous throughout , and , taking his allegations one by one , the actual tacts are these;—I . The building committee finally decided that troo Surveyors should be employed to prepare the bills of quantities , and their instructions were carried out . II . I knew nothing about the arrangements of buildings required ; the competition plans , mentioned by your correspondent , having been prepared solely by my partner , Mr .

J . M . Geden . III . By far the greater part of my personal work for years past has consisted of quantity surveying and allied work . IV . Though quite entitled by professional usage ( there being two Surveyors employed ) to charge two and a half per cent ., we have not done so , as inaccurately stated by your correspondent , desiring to be under the usual charge , having regard to the objects of the work . —I am , sir , yours

obediently , WILLIAM DUNK . 3 G & 37 , Leadenhall-street , E . G ., 27 th August , 1 SS 4 .

RE PAST MASTERS' LEVELS , & c . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Permit me to apologise for what must appear to be very stupid in my remarks or comments on the letter of

" G . M . M . C . O . " in yours of the 16 th inst . The query that he put— " Is he no longer to wear the levels ? "—I erroneously and , I admit , very stupidly read as " he is no longer , " & c ., thus transposing a question into an assertion , which stupid blunder I exceedingly regret , and apologise for , and remain yours , very fraternally , P . M .

Reviews

REVIEWS

TRANSACTIONS OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY . New Series . Volume II . In this number of the Society ' s Transactions appears a very able paper , by H . H . Howorth , " On Christianity in Roman Britain . " We do not say that it is perfect , nor do we think that it is exhaustive by any means , but it is an interesting and effective contribution towards our common stock of historical information . Two points come out

interesting for Freemasons . In the one point Mr . Howorth alludes to the famous Chichester inscription , dilated upon by Gale , and frequentl y referred to by Masonic historians , of which a "facsimile" appeared in the "Masonic Magazine" some years ago . Mr . Howorth makes a mistake in construing ' * Fabrum , " contraction for "Fabrorum , " carpenters . Had the word meant carpenters , he would have found out the qualifying word , " Tignariorum . " As

a rule " tabrorum , " singly , seems to have alluded to the Masons . The various artizan crafts had each their epithet , as " Ferrariorum , " "Tignariorum , " and many more , and though in some of the later inscriptions , " Marmoriorum" is also found , it is very rare , and " Fabrorum " seems for some reason or other to describe the Masons . We have many inscriptions of " Collegium Fabrorum Tigrariorum , " and even " Carpentariorum , "

but none that we can call to mind where " Fabrorum "' by itself stands for carpenters . Mr . Howorth is , therefore , wrong in this respect . "Faber" reall y meant originally a " smith , " but by usage it came to signify the generic name of handicraftsman in stone , iron , and wood . But the smiths and carpenters always had an adjective to qualify and represent their peculiar trade . Mr . Howorth brings out very well the traditional history of

St . Alban , and his reasons in favour of the truth of the tradition on , to us , unanswerable grounds . He says that 130 years after the Diocletian persecution there is a mention of the event in Constantius ' s life of St . Germanus , written about 473 . Constantius who describes himself as _ very old in 473 was contemporary with Germanus in 432 . Gildas , who wrote in 5 60 , calls Alban "St . Alban of Verulamium" and Venatius Fortunatus ,

, who wrote in 580 , has the well-known line . " Egregium , Albanum fecunda Britannia profert . " Bede , as we know , in the seventh century , apparently resting as Mr . Howorth points out on the anonymous work , the Acts of the Martyrs ( "Acta Martyrorum , " ) gives a fuller history , and places the death June 22 . Some writers fix the year 299 , some give 300 , 301 , 302 , 303 . Mr . Howorth leaves the date

undecided . Mr . Howorth gives up " Amphibalus " we think far too hastily , as his own argument that the change of the names Verulamium to St . Albans is the "best evidence of all , " to the truth of the tradition , may be amplified by the fact that more than one church was dedicated before the seventh century at any rate to " Amphibalus , " just as there were several churches dedicated " to St . Alban . " Mr . Howorth's article is worth reading .

CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITS FOR THE WORCESTER MASONIC SOIREE , & c , August 27 th and following days . Edited by Bro . GEORGE TAYLOR , Prov . Grand Secretary for Worcestershire , with Archa : ological Notes by Bro . W . J . HUQHAN , P . G . D . We opened the pages of this catalogue with pleasant anticipations ; we put it down with feelings of absolute wonderment . Nosuch catalogue of Masonic exhibits of archaeological remains and " curios " connected with our Order , has ever

Reviews

been presented before . The catalogue , as it lies before us , reflects equal credit on our zealous and intellectual Brotherhood , and the untiring energy of Bro . George Taylor . Bro . VV . J . Hughan ' s archaeological notes will help the Masonic student , though , to say the truth , the exhibits speak for themselves , and to the student and expert Mason are full of the deepest interest and importance , Masonically and arch .-cologically . There are 1172 exhibits , and 15 S

exhibitors , and we believe Bro . Taylor could have increased the exhibition twofold had he not closed iton account of the time . To attempt to give an analysis or precis of the catalogue in this brief first notice is manifestly impossible . We shall hope to do so next week . All we can remark " en passant " is , that we recommend all our readers to purchase the catalogue , 2 s . Cd ., and study it carefully for themselves , and if possible to make a Masonic pilgrimage

to Worcester , and see with their own eyes what Masonic reverence has preserved , what Masonic zeal has collected , of older days , older ways , and older Freemasons . And when we realize that this unique collection of medals , and tokens , and jewels , certificates and aprons , paintings and prints , costly relics , MSS . and type , we shall , perhaps , come to the conclusion that even a great deal has yet to be done before we gauge accurately our Masonic collection , and

that those who are seeking to give an intellectual , archrcological , and icsthctical tone to contemporary Freemasonry are very greatly in the right . Surely the triumph Bro . Taylor has won may well induce us to consider whether we might not even elevate that Fraternity we love so well if we encourage heartily such gatherings as

these , and if lodge collections and provincial museums were not the grave exception to the rule . Grand Lodge itself has hitherto been unaccountably antagonistic to anything like a Masonic library or museum . Let us hope for better days ; at any rate , the Worcester gathering and exhibition are a landmark in the history of the progress of English Masonic culture .

THE COLONIZATION OF NEW GUINEA , liy R . S . DE RICCI , Barrister-at-Law . P . S . King and Son , King-street , Westminster . This is one of those quasi-political questions which almost transcends the limits of the Freemason to descant upon , or deal with effectively . At the same time , we think we may fairly say that , on two grounds , we see no " prima facie " reasons why we should not express our opinion on the

subject of colonization in general , and of Ncw Guinea in particular . We entirely sympathize with our fellow-countrymen in the Antipodes in their just and dignified objection tothesweepingsof French jails , and theoff-scouringsof "la classe dangereuse ; " while , at thc same tune , we think that full play should officially be granted to the enterprizing genius of our fellow countrymen for extended and successful colonization . The cold shade of official apathy

has been far too often manifested towards our colonists , who , "bone of our bone , " and "kin of our kin , " deserve fully all the encouragement and help that mother country can bestow or offer . We ourselves believe in the entire feasibility of the colonization and absorption of New Guinea , and we hope success will attend the energies and efforts of our great Australasian

^^ colonies . The history of English colonization is a wondrous chapter in the annals of the Empire , and being both Freemasons and patriots at the same time , we do sympathize with those who have gone out from us because the land was "too strait" for them at home , and by their courage , energy , industry , and self sacrifice have created practically another if a distant empire .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

3 S 9 ] THE CHICHESTER INSCRIPTION . What authority has Mr . H . Howorth for saying before this Historical Society that the word " Fabrorum " in the Masonic Inscription , means carpenters ? I doubt the fact very much indeed . A FELLOW OF THE ROYAL HISTORICAL

SOCIETY . 390 ] SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN . So much is alleged " pro and con . " Sir Christopher Wren ' s Masonie membership , that it seems to us we must begin anew , and endeavour to validate , or consent to give up , the various allegations of writers , Masonic and un-Masonic . For instance , what truth is there in the oftreoeated assertion , that in 1 C 60 . on the oth of July , the

Sheldonian Theatre , built by Archdeacon Sheldon , the work of which was " conducted and finished by Deputy Wren and Grand Warden Web , the Craftsmen having celebrated the capestone , was opened with an elegant oration by Dr . South ? " This statement is either true or untrue . There surely must remain some record of the

event , and I hope , therefore , some worthy brother at Oxford , or in the Bodleian , like our Bro . Allnutt , will try and help us in this matter , as the controversy about Sir C . Wren is very unsettling , and is exercizing - both the patience and faith of many worthy Craftsmen . Whence did Anderson obtain these facts , if facts : 1 GNOTUS .

391 J ' THE CONSTITUTIONS OF 17 C 9 . It would be interesting if we knew who was the editor of this issue by Kearsley . The editor had evidently studied the evidences carefully , as he interpolates effectively many important additional paragraphs , I might allude to many additions to the older text well-known to careful students ;

but simply to-day call attention ( to p . 77 ) . where , from the extract of the well-known " Panegeyric " of Eumenius to the Emperor Maximianus he connects to the " artificers " ( builders Masons ) with a "Roman Brotherhood , " * or " Fraternitas . " , „„ . „ , MASONIC STUDENT .

392 ] SIR CHKISIOPHKK WKI ' . N . I am informed that a large quantity of Sir Christopher Wren ' s papers still exist in the possession of one of the descendants of his son Christopher . Can any one help us to discover the locale ? The question as to Sir Christopher Wren ' s Grand Mastership is not yet , for various reasons ,

to my mind at all clear , and I deprecate hasty assertions , that Sayer was first Grand Master , which , for one , I do not believe . If he was , he was invested with the insignia of his rank newly-made , instead of as the text and context reads , of old usage . A , F . A . WOODFORD .