Masonic Notes And Queries.

a meaning is appropriate for a lodge , one of whose cardinal principles is temperance , a principle which I have not the least doubt that the worthy members of Manhattan Loclge duly observe . There is , besides all this , an incongruity in borrowing the appellations of a great religious ancl scientific association from the language of savage and idolatrious tribes . " The same incongruity forbids the use of the names of the heathen deities . The authors of the " Helvetian Code' condemn

the use of such names as the Apollo , the Minerva , the Vesta , etc . ' as being- heathen and furnishing ideas of idolatry and superstition . ' From this rule I ivould however except one or two names of pagan divinities which have in philosophical language become the symbols of ideas appropriate to the Masonic system . Thus Hermes as the symbol of science , or Vesta as denoting the fire of Masonry which burns undimmed upon its altars , may be

tolerated ; but such titles as Venus and Mars , both of which I have found in an old list of Russian Lodges , are clearly inadmissable . " These rules and the principles on which they are founded , are by no means unimportant . If the old Latin adage be true , ' boaum nomen , bonum omen , '—if , in every circumstance of life , a good name is found to be more propitious than a bad one , — then it is essential that lod

a new ge , in making choice of a name by which ifc shall for ever thereafter be known , should rather select one that is appropriate , euphonious , and expressive , than one that is unfitting , uncouth , ancl meaningless . I do not mean to exaggerate the importance of names , but while I admit that a good lodge with a bad name is better than a bad lodge with a good one , I only contend that a good lodge with a good name is better than either . " ] ^/

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The JZditor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . THE GIRLS' SCHOOL AND RAILWAY COMPENSATION . TO THE EDITOll 01- THE 3 ? KEEMAS 02 fs' MAGAZINE iSD MASOXIC IffilEOK . DEAE SIE AND BEOTHEE , —A report is travelling about

to the effect that tho managers of the Girls' School have been outwitted by a railway company . I have heard it stated that the company wanted a portion of the land , and that no notice was given to the trustees that such would be required ; but that somebody , on behalf of the railway , had offered to somebody , on behalf of the school ,

a sum varying from fifteen to eighteen hundred pounds ; but these two somebodies , nobody seems to know who they were , not being officially credited to conclude any such arrangement , did nothing farther in the matter . The company have now required a slice of the land , ivhich will cause the infirmary to be removed to the other side of fche building , or elsewhere , and reconstructed at an expense of at least six hundred pounds to tho school ,

whilst the railway have offered , and it has been accepted , compensation amounting to five hundred pounds for this destruction , the land required , and the general insecurity to the building , which must arise from the nearer approach of the trains . The railway having stipulated for all these contingencies , as included in its five hundred pounds .

If this be true , ifc is a sad state of things , and there is gross neglect somewhere . Do let us know how much of iMs _ report is founded on fact , ancl to whom wo may ascribe tho somewhat doubtful honour of having made so had a bargain for the charity , a most deplorable blunder , ivhich , when contrasted with the push that is being made for another institutioncannot fail to induce

, subscribers to be more chary of thoir subscriptions , and so materially undermine the genuine operations of our Pet charity . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Tours truly and fraternally , INQUIRER .

Ancient Records Amissing.

ANCIENT RECORDS AMISSING .

TO THE EDITOK OP THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZIXE AXD MASOXIC 3 IIEE 0 II . DEAE SIE AND BEOTHEE , —Some time ago that indefatigable and accomplished Masonic antiquarian , Bro . Matthew Cooke , favoured the Craft with extracts from certain ancient records he had discovered in the by-nooks of the British Museum , ancl for which he claimed the distinction of being " ' the oldest lodgo minute book in

existence . " While , in common with the reading-members of the Order , fully appreciating the good service Bro . Cooke has , by the public resuscitation of those antique documents , rendered to the Craft , wo can tell that talented bibliographer that on crossing tho Border he will find minute books in some of our Scottish lodges of much older date than 172-1-26 . For instancein the venerable

, lodge to ivhich we have the honour to belong , there is a complete set of lodge minutes extending to the year 2 ii-ior to that in which was fought the battle of Marston Moor , so damaging to the interests of the unfortunate Charles I ., of England . These records are bound in four volumes . Vol . 1 contains the minutes of the mother lodge meetings from December 20 , 16-12 , to December 5 ,

1758 ; vol . 2 from December , 1758 , to December , 1807 , the year in ivhich she relinquished her rights as an independent Grand body ; vol . 8 , from April , 1808 , to December , 1842 ; and vol . 4 , from December , 184-2 , to the 2 } i'esent time . But our thus addressing you is not so much with a view of enumerating what Mother Kilwinning has got ,

as it is our desire to let the Craft know what she wants , and the more readily do we do so , seeing it is tho belief of many here that certain missing minutes of that celebrated lodge may still be found ignobly hidden under an accumulated load of dust upon the shelves of some ancient bibliopole within the bounds of the great metropolis ; and in making known the loss to which the mother lodge has been subjected , we would fain bespeak the kind

offices of Bro . Cooke and others like-minded , in endeavouring to discover and bring to light documents of so much interest to the Scottish fraternity . In the beginning of the present century there was preserved , in the archives of Mother Kilwinning , a volume of minutes carrying tho recorded acts of that loclge , to within a few years of the time of the

immediate successor on the English Throne , to Queen Bess of illustrious memory . In an evil hour , some forty years ago , the then Secretary of the mother lodge , lent those records to a Mr . Ross . We never could learn for what purpose this unjustifiable act , on the part of Bro . Crawford , was committed , or why he allowed the book to go out of his possession without a guarantee for its safe

restoration . Indeed we cannot tell whether Mr . Ross was a member of the mother lodgo , or even a brother . When he borrowed these minutes he was Secretary to Hugh , 12 fch Earl of Eglinton , ancl afterwards went to Loudon , where he filled an important situation iu the General Post office . Some twelve or fifteen years since inquiry regarding the lost minutes was made of

the family of Mr . Ross , who had died some time previously , but nothing of them could bo found , none of that gentlemen ' s family had the slightest recollection of ever seeing any such book in his library . Ancl here ends all trace of the minute-book in question . The lasting gratitude of tho mother lodge , ancl the highest honours at her disposal await the brother whose

researches would lead to a knowledge of the whereabouts of those minutes ; and their restoration to the venerable lodge from which they were so reprehensibly allowed to be abstracted , would be hailed with the utmost satisfaction by every Craftsman within the Scottish jurisdiction . Hoping the insertion of this notice in tho MAGAZINE will lead to the desired result .

I remain , vours fraternally , D . MURRAY LTON , P . J . W . of Mother Kilwinning , Ayr , July , 29 , 1862 .