Masonic Notes And Queries.

WliHX AM ) MASONIC HISTORY' . -V doubter has addressed the following letter to the Building News , of May 20 th : — " . Sir , —lu a very interesting article on page 1 , 02 , 5 , of your List year's volume , entitled , ' Freemasonry and Architecture , ' the writer litis stated that 'Wren was ( irand Master of England , and that be held a Lodge in regular working throughout the building of St . Paul's . ' 1 know that the usual histories of Freemasons assert this mastershi factbut do not ive authoritfor doingI inclined

p as a , gany y so . am to doubt it for two reasons : —first , that there was no office of Grand Master until alter the year 1717 , when the four Lodges then in Loudon met together , and constituted themselves a ' Grand Lodge , ' which was after Sir C . "Wren had given up bis interest in the association ; and , secondly , that "Wren was not made a Freemason until iG' 91 . ( See flalliwelPs Early History of Freemasonry , ISM , page 40 ) . This - date is long after the commencement of building St . Paul ' s ( 1675 ) , and therefore ho could hardly ' have held a Lodge in regular working . ' 1 believe I have seen some notices of there having beeu a Lodge of working Masons at St . Paul's , but of this

course has no connexion with the Freemasons who , even at that time , comprised little else than jovial clubs of good fellowship , regardless of practical experience . If these few lines should meet the eye of any of your readers who may be versed in the history of the Order , I should be glad of seeing a satisfactory reply ; ,-md if he can refer me to some historical documents which will testify to . ( 'harles II . and "William III . having belonged to the Freemasons , as usserted , I . shall be greatly oblied for tho information . After much research , my own opinion is , that there is no authority whatever for the statements ; that , in fact , the history of

Freemasonry requires to be wholly rewritten , and cleared from tho absurd stories put forward by Anderson , Preston , Oliver , and their followers . " I am , & c , "As ARCHITECT , "

What the editor of the Building News may say to "An Architect , " rcnuuiis to ke seen , but wc do not suppose any brother will think it necessary ti > afford any answer as to the working of the Lodge of Antiquity . With regard to his doubt of Wren's Grand Mastership of England , this originates in his notion , that as four of the Lodges iti London elected a Grand Master in 1717 , no Grand Master could have existed before . Perhaps he supposes no Lodge existed before that date .

There is no call for Masons to open their records to an architect , any move than to the rest of the public ; but we are not surprised that any man ol ordinary historical knowledge should characterize the stories put forward by Anderson , Preston , Oliver , and their followers , as absurd , MASONIC SONG BOOKS . At Sb 9 of the Freemasons'' Magazinefor 185 Sis a interesting

p . , , , very list of Masonic song books , in illustration of the Entered Apprentice song . We think it may be useful to give this list , with some extension , dames Audcrson , Book of Constitutions , -ito . London , 1723 . Constitutions , Ito . Philadelphia , ly . 'll . dames Calender's Masonic Odes and Songs , 8 vo . London , 1758 . The Secrets of the Freemasons Ecvealed , Ito . London , 1759 . The Pocket Companion , 12 mo . London , 1702 .

Wyld ' s Songs of Masonry , 8 vo . London , 17 ( il . The Freemasons' Pocket Companion , 12 mo . Glasgow , 177 . 1 . Wilson's Collection of Masonic Songs , 12 nio . London , 17 SS . Masonic Songs , 21 mo . Waterford , N . Y ., 1789 . Preston's Illustrations of Masonry , 8 vo . London , 1775 . Koortliouck ' s Anderson ' s Constitutions , Ito . London , 1781 , 3 U