Masonic Notes And Queries.

is not an uncommon Masonic sign in the earliei periods . The reader of Notes and Queries would be glad therefore if any Manchester brother can throw any light on what promises to be an interesting legend . So much for the Note , but the Query may lead to more . —N . & Q . VII , 267 .

THE POUR OLD LONDON LODGES . These four old operative lodges Avereneither acquainted with nor practised our system of Speculative Ereemasonry before A . D . 1716-17 . They were simply made use of hy Drs . Desaguliers and Anderson in founding our present system , they naturally required some sort of foundation upon which to build and they

found it in these four old lodges . These lodges , observe , were neither the structure , nor the stones out of which the structure was built , they were merely the foundation upon Avhich it pleased the architects to rear the structure . If this fact be kept in mind many imaginary objections to the 1717 theory will soon vanish . And in connection with this , I may observe that no proof has ever yet been given that the Sloane M . S . 3329 f . " 102 is so old as 1717 while it may have been written after that date . — "W . P . BAJCHAH .

DISPUTATION—THE IGNORANT MAN . There is in the ninth Decade of Bro . Purton Cooper ' s Precepts , one which a Correspondent is recommended to bear in mind : — "Disputation with the ignorant man , philosopher , and prudent Freemason alike avoid . "—See Ereemasons' Magazine , vol . 17 , page 427 . —A PAST PECTINCIAL GEAHD MASTEB .

LOUD BROUGHAM . Lord Brougham , it is well known , was a Freemason . * The verses ascribed to him a Correspondent will find Freemasons' Magazine , vol . 19 , page 130 . The original manuscripts of his judgments when Chancellor , 1830-1834 , form part of my Collection in the Library of the Honourable Society of Lincoln ' s Inn . —CHAELES PUETOS COOPEB .

THE FINITE , —THE INFINITE . In the Excerpt , " "What is traceable to Operative Masonry ? " Freemasons' Magazine , vol . 23 , page 488 , for " the vain attempts of the infinite to answer the questions of the finite , " read , "the vain attempts-of the finite to answer the questions of the inliuite . "CHAELES PUETON COOPEE .

METAPHORS . A critical Correspondent is right in his conjecture . The communication taken from a Bundle of Masonic Excerpts , and so full of Metaphors , comes from the pen of an excellent American Brother . —CHAELES P-JETON * COOPEK .

A MASONIC PEDIGREE—STEPHEN JONES . Bro . Stephen Jones was , in the last century , conductor of the " Freemasons' Magazine , " a periodical devoted to the craft , Avhich flourished eighty years ago . He was the eldest son of Mr . Giles Jones , Secretary of the York Buildings Water Company , and a cultivator of literature in one of its humbler walks , but not without fame , for he was the author of several of the children ' s books of Mr . John Newbery , including the

Masonic Notes And Queries.

famous " Goody Two Shoes , " aud " Giles Gingerbread . " It is said he wrote "little Tommy Trip . " His brother was also a literary man , Griffith Jones , a . friend of Johnson , Smollett , and Goldsmith , and editor of the "London Chronicle , " and other daily

papers . From this literary family , which we take to he of "Welsh origin , it was natural that Bro . Stephen Jones inherited literary propensities . Of his history we know little aud we seek information . He must havebeen initiated before 1790 , and had access to several of the leading Masons and Masonic fraternities .

Heknew Bro . Wm , Preston , and all the chiefs of high degrees . Bro . Stephen Jones was editor of the " Whitehall Evening Post , " and of the " General Evening Post . " He succeeded Isaac Eeed as editor of the " European Magazine" and Dr . S tanner Clarke as editor of the

, " Naval Chronicle . " To this a contributor , who was acquainted with some of the " European Magazine " set , adds that Bro , Jones owes his connection Avith that then

influential magazine to the circumstance that its proprietor Avas a distinguished brother Mason , well known in the beginning of this century , ancl of whom a portrait has been published . To this same connexion he probably owed his introduction to the " Naval Chronicle , " for the same party founded the Naval Architecture Society to

which H . E . H . the Duke of Clarence ( William IV . } , Col . Beaufoy , F . K-S ., Mr . Isaac Sogers , and others of that connexion belonged . Bro . Jones ' s younger brother ivas John Jones , who succeeded Stephen in the editorship of the " European Magazine" and "' Naval Chronicle" and

wasthere-, , , fore , very likely a Mason . The son of John Jones , and nephew of Stephen , is Mr . J . Winter Jones , Principal Librarian of the British Museum . He may know something as to the Masonic connexions of his family . —AniEKiEUir 378 .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expregse y CorrssfpomUnis , PEBFOBMA . NCB OF MASONIC WORE . TO THE JEDITOll OE THE FKEEilASOZfS SIAGAZISl ! AJNJD ATASOJSIC JHIRJROE . Dear Sir and Brother , —I have read the remarks upon this subject , by Bro . Eounseville , at page 221 ,

and , judging from what has come under my OAvn observation , I can only say that his strictures are hut too well-founded . Instead of everything being begun and carried on in due order and . propriety it is oi ' ton the reverse , while in many eases the nominal " work " only serves as a sort of prelude to the drink . A few days ago I met a gentleman who had got his first

degree , and upon asking when he intended taking the second , he observed that he did not intend taking any more , being quite disgusted and disappointed with the former proceedings , and upon further enquiry it turned out that the office-bearers—the very men who ought to have set a good example—behaved in quite a contrary manner . While , not to go beyond my own