Biographical Sketch Of The Late Sir Archibald Alison, Bart., &C,

departed brother has left behind him . And we may here , in conclusion , endorse the words of the noble orator , who , in the course of his address to the assembled multitude of brethren at the funeral lodge held at Glasgow last week , in memory of the

illustrious departed brother , AVIIOSO loss we so deeply mourn , remarked , " that Avhen history opens the volume to record her favourite son's name in it , we shall see that " History Avritos with a pencil of light That illumes the whole volume Avith Alison ' s name . " Eo . F . M . ]

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

A QUESTION" XOS PUT BUT IMPOSED . Thanks , Brother , for your A'ery kind letter . The questions put should be answered in due time ; but there is oue question not put , yet sufficiently implied , AA'hich must be answered immediately . You belong to a noble family , and the peerage therefore

records your age . It someAvhat exceeds the " threescore aud ten . " You haA'e never been married . You have unexpectedly come into the possession of £ 10 , 000 a year . It is plain you desire to be informed what , under these circumstances , a Freemason ought to do . You shall have the opinion of the Past

Provincial Grand Master for Kent . Without delay you ought to make yourself a Vice-President of our four excellent Charities—the Girls' School , the Boys ' School , the Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons , and the Benevolent Institution for the WidoAvs of Freemasons . —C . P . COOPEE .

CEETAIN EEEATA . There must be a strange lack of acuteness in the Entered Apprentice Avho writes complaining of certain errata in my communications . He should erase the words " of tbe preseut volume ' ' [ vol . xvi . ] , coming after the worda and figures " pages 207 and 20 S , and 186 and 370

, and 90 aud 110 , " and should substitute for them the words " of the fifteenth volume . " He will then find that the formidable obstacle now lying iu the way of his Masonic studies has been removed , and that the much-desired information respecting the God of Anaxagorastho religion of Socratesand

, , the religion of Freemasonry as a universal institution , the Duke of Orleans ( Egalite ) , and the making the commencement of a pocket edition of the Constitutions the locality of a lodge is easily accessible . — C . P . COOPEE .

THE HIGH CEADES . Dear friend and brother , if , as you assert , the high grades are useless , valueless ( I purposely use two only of your epithets ) , how clo you account for their having existed amongst us so many years , and for their being , as I am told , more flourishing noAV than at former time ?

any English common sense rarely tolerates , much less favours , what has no value , no use . —C . P . COOPEE . onions' OF THE nioii G-EADES . „ Brother , you make obscurity of origin the foundation of an argument agaiust the high grades ,

Masonic Notes And Queries.

If you are consistent you must , as it seems to me , equally make obscurity of origin the foundation of an argument against modern English Freemasonry . —¦ C . P . COOPEE . THE SLOANE JIANUSCEIPT . —BEO . HUGHAN . If a description of the Sloane manuscript is

inserted iu the Notes and Queries of the Freemasons ' Magazine such that an individual , having access to the ' reading room of the British Museum , can ask for its production , I probably shall be able to procure gooct information as to the period at ivhich it ivas Avritten . This , I regret to say , is the only point in which I can help my Brother Hughan . — C . P . COOPEE .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Tlie Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . BOYS IN OHB SCHOOL AT WOOD GREEN LEARNING FBENCH . TO THE EDITOR OF THE EREEMASOXS' 1 UAGAZIXE AND MASOXIC MIRROR . DEAE SIE AND BROTHER , —I have just received a letter from a friend at ParisAvhichI trustwill

, , , be thought to deserve the attention of the boys in our school at Wood Green who are learning French . My friend proposes a prize—a book , value twenty francs — for the boy whose conjectural emendations of the errata iu my communication , Freemasons' Magazinevol . ix . page 20 "Decalogue Maconnique "

, , , , found in the pocket of a dragoon killed at the battle of Solferino , shall come nearest the true readings . The book to be chosen by the master of the school . The twenty francs have been remitted to me . Yours fraternally , C . P . COOPEE .

Chateau Frampas , Montierendeo , Haute Marne , July 30 th , 18 G 7 .

THE W . M . 's LIGHT . TO THE EDITOR OP THE EREElUSOXs' S 1 AGAZIXE AND 1 IASONIC ATIREOR . DEAE SIR AND BROTHER , —Probably the experience of most of your readers corresponds Avith my own as to the arrangements for one of our ceremonies in Avhich a lamp is used . A feAV evenings

ago I Avas requested as a visitor to take the chair and Avork this ceremony , Avhen I found that no provision of the kind Avas made , but that in its stead the W . M . ' s light AV ; IS substituted . Having never before seen this plan adopted I inquired the reason , and Avas informed thatwhile the office of Grand

, Secretary Avas filled by Bro . White , a circular was issued to all lodges , for the express purpose of stating that the plan usually folloAved by the introduction of a lamp was irregular and incorrect , and that the ordinary light of the W . M . must be kept burning at all times Avhen the lodge is open . To me this is quite

new , though I am a Masou of twenty years' standing . I desire , therefore , to make inquiry on the subject , ivith a view to obtain some corroboration of the statement made to me , and to ascertain if the alleged directions of the circular are anyivhere acted upon —for , certainly , I never before Avitnessed it—and if

they are to be considered as still in force . Yours fraternally , H . H . Birmingham , July 31 st , 1867 .