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sonic Notes and Queries , " and hope to receive a satisfactory reply through that medium . —G . WAS HIRAM ABIPF A SLAVE ? I was somewhat astounded when the above question was put to me by a newly raised Master Mason . It is so totally at variance with all our preconceived ideasthat I was desirous of

, knowing how such a thought coulcl have originated , and questioning my questioner on the subject , he told me he had read it in one of Dr . Oliver's hooks . Although I do not admire Dr . Oliver's works in general , yet I told my young brother he must be mistaken , ancl he shortly afterwards produced The Golden Remains of the Early Alasonic Writers , vol . i ., " On the value of Masonic Secrets , " by the Rev . Daniel Turner , and at p . 2 G 5 , in one of the

editor's elucidatory notes (!) is the following : — "The King of Tyre also furnished artificers of every description ; not only expert Masons , but also men who excelled in the working of gold , silver , and precious stones ; and also in dyeing scarlet , purple , and blue , in which the Tyrians greatly excelled . But the most valuable PRESENT he made to Solomon on the present occasion was a dirinelg endowed architect and artistwho was a Tyrian by birthbut the son

, , afaiaklomofthciribeofNapthcdi . This man was a treasure to Solomon , and he constituted him overseer of the work and Grand Master over all the Lodges of workmen wheresoever distributed , " & c . I have g iven the passage entire , and at rather more length than was necessary , to show the context , ancl am not at all surprised at any one being led away to think Hiram AbifF ivas a slave by such slipslop writing . It is to be hoped Dr . Oliver willif any future

, edition of the work in question is called for , correct tliis very serious and destructive note , for it aims at the freedom of the Craft ; and to say that Hiram Abiff was a present to King Solomon is nowhere , that I know of , avouched in Scripture or the Tahnudists . — O . 0 . s . r . n . +. 18 ° .

THE ENTERED APPRENTICE ' S SONG . In . all tbe early prints and books containing " Come , let us prepare , " the fifth line invariably reads" Our wine has a spring "which has been altered to " Ec he beggar or king" in tho modern copies . Agreeing ivith the improved sentiment , that the change is for tbe better , yet . 1 should like to know who altered it , or , if that cannot be ascertained , when the new reading was first adopted . —Aroi . T . O .

" MUSTARD SEEDS . " A page of some book having come into my hands , as a wrapper . I was about to throw it into the waste paper basket when my eye caught the word "Ereemasons , " I thereupon read it and found it to be some old fashioned squib , in which the brethren were called the Order of Masonic Mustard Seeds . Wanted a clue to its application , by—C . G . TEHUY . —[ This is no squib . The Ordre dc

la Graine de Seiiove was one of the earliest interpolations in Masonry . The members styling themselves " The Fraternity of Moravian Brothers of the Order of Relig ious Freemasons , " were instituted about 1710 . The motto of the society was " No one of us lives for himself , " which was engraven on rings to bo worn by each of its members . The jewel was a gold cross , surmounted by a mustard plant , and surrounded by a legend to this

effect" What was it before ? Nothing ' . " This was suspended from a green collar and ribbon , ami the whole ivas founded on the parable of our Saviour , related in the 4 th chapter of St . Mark . We believe there arc no Mustard , Seeds now . ]

BATE OE TIIE EARLIEST ROYAL ASCII CHAPTER . AVhat is the date of the earliest Royal Arch Chapter at present in existence?—DAN . —[ The earliest , of which the records arc in existence , a minute book , dated 1713 , is the Royal Arch Chapter of Stirling , N . B ., and it contains proof that the higher degrees ivere worked under the form of a Royal Arch Chapter . In Scotland no other Chapter has been able to produce documentary evidence of its existence prior to 1 . 705 , although iu that year several Chapters were in existence and accounted as old . ]

MASONRV AMONG THE NATIVES OE INDIA . I have been told that among the Brahminical priesthood of India they have signs and tokens agreeing in some measure with ours . Any information on the subject will be acceptable . —VATKS . - —[ Our late Bro . Godfrey Higg ins tells us ( Auacalypsin , Vol . I ., p . 707 ) the following : — " I was also told by a gentleman who was in the strictest intimacy with tlie fate — - Ellis , Esq ., of the Madras establishment , tbat Mr . Ellis told him that the password and forms used by the Master Masons in their Lodge would pass a person into the sanctum sanctorum of an Indian temple ; that ho ( Mr , Ellis ) had by means of his knowledge as n

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Master Mason , actually passed himself into tbe sacred part or adylum of one of tbem . Soon after Mr . Ellis told tbis to my informant ho was taken suddenly ill , and died , and my informant stated that lie bad no doubt , notwithstanding tbe mistake wbich bis friends call it in giving some medicine , tbat be was poisoned by bis servants for having done this very act , or for being known to possess tbis knowledge . Wow , when this is coupled with the fact of the Masonic emblems found on the

Cyclopean ruins of Agra and Mtuidorc , I think , without fear ot contradiction , I may venture to assume that the oriental origin of Freemasonry cannot be disputed . " ST . ALliAN AND 'HIE FIRST CSHAND LOBGE . In the calendar among the remarkable events we are told St . Alban formed the first Grand Lodge in Britain , in the year A . D . 287 . Taking this for granted , when was Masonry introduced into '

this country?—W . A' . . . . s . —[ Our querist must not suppose that Masonry had not flourished here before the time of St . Alban , for all that ive are ( informed respecting him is that he founded . ihe first Grand Lodge . Now , in a very curious anonymous little book , entitled Multa Panels for ihe Locers of Secrets , i 2 mo , Loud ., 17 C 0-5 , there is the following : — " A . M . 297-1 , Ebrank , King of tbo Trojan race , is accounted the first of the cities

British architect , and historians ascribe to him tho building of York and Edinburgh . Bladud , who flourished A . M . 3100 , was educated at Athens , and became a great mathematician and architect , and upon , his return brought with , hbn four great philosophers , whom be placed at Stamford , making tbat town a sort of university , and built the city of Bath . In A . D . 42 , Claudius sent Aulus Plautius into Britain , and ordered Ostorius Scopula , with other Roman architects , to build many forts and castles . Afterwards Vespasian sent Julius Agrieola , who de and Forth

conquered as far as the isthmus between the Firths of Cly , and fortified the same against the Picts . Adrian fenced the Roman province in Britain with ramparts , extending from Tynemouth Haven to Solway Firth ; A . n . 131 , Lnd , the first Christian King of Britain , built many churches , and religious bouses . In tbe following century , Covdian sent many architects over , who constituted themselves into Lodges , and instructed tho craftsmen in the true principles of Masonry ; and a feu-years later Carausius made of tbe British Islesamibeing a great

was emperor , , lover of art and science , appointed Albanus Grand Master of Masons , who employed the fraternity in building the palace of Vortilam or St . Albans . " Such is the legend . For further information consult Alban Butler ' s Lives of ilia Saints , tit . St . Alban . ]

KNIGHTS OE MALTA . As a Master Mason , am I elig ible to be made a Knight of Malta ? and how often do they meet ?—[ A convocation of Knights of Malta and of the Mediterranean Pass is holden once in every year , on a day appointed by the E . G . of the Knights ¦ Templar ' Encampment . To the other question : Consult a Knig ht of Malta , the practice varies in different places . ]

WAS TIIE LATE DU . SYMONDS A MASON 'i Reading an account of the Peninsular War , ami more particularly tbat portion of it referring to tbe retreat of Sir John Moore , and his death at Corunna , I found that Dr . Symonds ivas an army chaplain at that time , and present at the retreat . In opposition to the beautiful song , "Not a drum was heard , " the narrative tells mc that Dr . Symonds read the burial service over the

commander-in-chief . Was lie a . Mason ?—[ Dr . Symonds was a Mason ; he was made in Portugal , ancl on his return to this country was appointed chaplain to one of the royal dukes , and . died very suddenly about three yews since . At Ihe lime of ins death lie was vicar of All Saints parish , in the city of Hereford , and was a , P . Prov . G . Chaplain of Herefordshire . ]

JOHN KORISON . The following , extracted from the article " Robison , John , " " m the eig hteenth volume of the Encyclopedia- Brhamii-ca , eighth edition , recently published , may interest some of your readers . — RlOIIAKD Sl'ENCEl ! .

" It is not altogether with so high approbation that his friends and his biographers have mentioned a work , of a nature rather political than philosophical , entitled Proofs of a Conspiracy ogainnl all the Religious and Governments of Europe ( Edhi ., 1797 , Svo . ) , though it went through several editions . Tho principal part of tho book consists of tlie history of the Illuminati and the German Union , whom be considers as having become the chief agents in a plot first formed by the Freemasons , at tbe suggestion of some ex-Jesuit , who proposed for their model tbe internal and whatever foundation

economy of tbe order which he bad quitted ; tbis outline may havo had in truth , there is no doubt tbat the maimer in which Professor Robison has filled it up betrays a degree of credulity extremely remarkable in a person used to calm reasoning and philosophical demonstration : for example , in the admission of a story told by an anonymous German author , that the minister Tin-got was the protector of a society that met at Baron d'ltolbacli ' s , for tbe purpose o £ examining the brains of Ih'ii'il cWrcib hi order to discover the prin-