What Is Freemasonry?

versation and example among men . May every foot of your wall be built in strict conformity to the square and the plummet . May every action of your lives bear the scrutiny of the All-Seeing Eye . " May your oblations of piety and praise

be grateful as the incense , your love Avarm as its flame , aud your charity diffusive as its fragrance . " May the mystic letter Avhich is always before your eye Avhilst in the lodge , be your encouragement Avhen burdened Avith responsibility , or feai'ful Avith

amazing dread . Thus travelling along the level of time , may you , through the merits of your great High Priest , "be admitted Avithin the vail of heaven , to the full enjoyment of life eternal . "

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

A SUGGESTION . Brother , you inquire respecting a suggestion made by me a few years ago . The subjoined copies of four by-laws , which it was proposed should be adopted by all our lodges , Avill suffice to explain my suggestion .- —1 . That this lodge do keep an account of the monies expended by it in charity . 2 . That on the

day of in every year a statement be prepared of the monies so expended by the lodge in tbe preceding twelvemonths . 3 . That such statement , having previously been approved of by the lodge , be sent to the principal Masonic publication for insertion in its columns . 4 . That a statement of the number

of members of the lodge during the twelvemonths to which the statement of expenditure relates , together with such other information as may be deemed useful for enabling the Craft at large to form a judgment as to the performances hy the lodge of its chief duty , be also sent to such Masonic publication . —C . P . COOPEE .

THE CIIEVAEIEE RAMSAY ' S GRADES . In " l'llistoire de la Fondation du Grand Orieut de France , " by our late Brother Thory , there is this passage : — " Ce f ' ut en vain que le Grande Loge de France de ( 176 G ) s'efforoa de demoiitrer rinutilite , la futilite de tons ces grades , la plupart sorfcis du

cerveau de Ramsay . Les loges u'avaient aucun egard a ses avis . Apparemment elles pre ' f ' e ' raient une Magonnerie dans laquelle leurs membres obtenaient des titres d ' orgueil , des diguites et des cordons , a l ' ancienne et primitive Tranche Maoonuerie . " [ See the communication " The CheA-alier Ramsay and Freemasonry , " Freemasons' Magazine , vol . xv ., page 433 . ] From a bundle of Masonic memoranda in Brother Purfcon Cooper ' s manuscript collections .

CHRISTIAN , JEAVISH , PARSEE , AND MAHOMMEDAN EREEMASONRY . Freemasonry—Christian , JeAvish , Parsee , and Mahommedan—each is , at the first , a particular Freemasonry . But by the adoption of the Avise toleration existing in English Freemasonry , the toleration of all

other religions in Avhich there is a recognition of the Great Architect of the Universe and a belief in the soul ' s immortality , the particular Freemasonry be-

Masonic Notes And Queries.

comes universal ( the term universal being taken according to its signification ) , and , therefore , true Freemasonry . From a manuscript iu Brother Purtou Coouer's Masonic collections entitled " Freemasons ' Table Talk . "

THE FRIENDSHIP OE ETHICAL WEITEES AND THE FRATERNITY OE EREEMASONRY . Brother , your argument is , I think , altogether inadmissible . You assume a similarity between friendship , as described by Avriters upon ethics , and the Fraternity of Freemasonry , Avhich , in my judgment , and , in my experience also , by no means exists .. —C . P . COOPER .

SIGNATURES TO AETICLES . I would suggest that brethren Avriting to the FEEEMASONS' MAGAZINE should sign their propernames , and not send in such a thing as " An English-Mason . " Where facts are involved it is very easy for the merest tyro in Masonry to make statements , which , Avhen challenged , they have not the courage * to support . I myself do nut believe in writing undera nom deplume . —A . 0 . HAYE .

THE M . M . DEGREE . I should like to hear a little more from Bro . Hyde ^ Clarke as to the M . M . degree . I have no doubt that , there was an M . M . degree in former times , but that-M . M . degree was totally different from the modern-Family circumstances have prevented me continuing :. " Freemasonry Considered , " but in my next article I . intend to take up this question . —A . 0 . HAYE .

RIGHTS OE VISITORS . Iu composing my article relative to this question the compositor has made a rich mistake . The centre paragraph is wrong . Brethren will please read at theend of the note , " For , granting the right claimed by Bro . Hopkins , our lodges at reading of minutes ,

would , by factious brethren of other lodges be con-A'erted into so many bear gardens . " The sentencethen becomes intelligible . I think the letter from "A Humble Working P . M . " to he in bad taste . Bro . Hughan has never deserved such an attack , aud Bro . Hopkins lias done more for Masonry than any

other six members put together , iu either Jersey or Guernsey , and I question , vrith three or four exceptions , iu England too , for the general good of the : Craft . Attacking persons is the worst of all argument . —A . 0 . HAYE .

SIGN AT PEAYEE . This sign Avhich is used at prayer , and which issupposed by most to be a sign of fidelity , is an ancient sign or rather posture of the "W . M ., and it is be presumed that members seeing the W . M . iu this position at such period imitiated him , and thence it

has become general . It cannot be assumed that a . sign of a second degree should be a sign of the first degree or a third . —HYDE CLARKE .

RIGHT AA'OESHIPEUE . At an early period all lodges and Worshipful Masters were called indiscriminately Right Worshipful or Worshipful . This was by a confusion as to thedignities of guilds , for only some guilds or companies , are Eight Worshipful or of knightly rank , the main number being Worshipful or of Esquire ' s rank . Hence , during the transition period the title of Right .