Masonic Notes And Queries.

a clear and unmistakable demonstration of the fraternising influences of the Masonic Order , irrespective of kindred , country , or language . A triumph of pure principles , overlooking all distinctions save that of common manhood . History , with her ample pages , records no instance of the interchange of such mutual cordiality , at the first meeting of personal strangers by blood and birth , as pervaded this assembly on the very first interview . The reason is obvious—they were all Masons .

" It is believed that the Masonic fraternity has herein given the very first example to the world , where men have thus convened , under the openly avowed appellation of brothers . "It is an event , too , which I cannot doubt will constitute a memorable era in the Masonic world , to which the Ci-aft in all coming time will point , as the crowning achievement of their highest aspirations .

"At this meeting , commissioners were appointed to designate the time and place for holding the next general congress , and to give due notice of the same . ISTo enterprise , in my judgment , more promising in its ultimate results as favouring friendly intercourse among nations , has ever been entered upon by the great body of the fraternity ; and so far as the influence of example is felt , it is a movement that would seem to suggest to

every mind the desirableness of national peace , on the ground of common humanity . The greater the number of true-hearted Masons in any country , mingling with the citizens , and influencing public opinion , both by precept and example , in such fraternal intercourse as the above , the less danger would exist of national hostilities . "Indeed , we might venture the assertion , and I think the

brethren will bear me out in the opinion , that if all civil power were iu the hands of Masons , actuated solely by the pure principles of the Order in all their international policy with each other , hostile collisions would seldom if ever occur . "Agencies thus favouring friendly relations among mankind , and on so broad a scale , go far in confirmation of what the Craft has always maintained , ' That Masonry was the handmaid of religion , and strictly accorded with the principles of Divine revelation in bringing aR men under the universal reign of the Prince of Peace . '

"IHere can be no question , therefore , as to the importance of sustaining , encouraging , and perpetuating the meetings of this universal Masonic Congress , not only for enlarging the sphere of fraternal intercourse among Masons of all nationalities , hut as the clearest exemplification of good will towards all mankine .

" On the announcement of the next congress ,. it is hoped every Grand Lodge in every country may be duly represented . Such a gathering of Masonic nationalities would he the most august assembly ever convened on the acknowledged platform of universal brotherhood the ivorld ever witnessed . It would , indeed , be a most perfect demonstration of the unity of the Order among all nations , and an open acknowledgment the world overof all those great moral truths and relative duties

, embodied in our system , ancl hereby pronounced equally binding on the entire race . " In relation to the Grand Lodges of this country , there is at present , a serious embarrassment , which it is hoped may he speedily removed . Each State , liaving an independent Grand Lodge , must of course he represented by one of its own members , or by uniting with others on a proxy . In the former case ,

the expense would be too onerous ; and , in the latter , the proxy would lack much desirable information , in relation to many of the bodies he represented . But , by constituting a General Grand Lodge , composed of the Grand Officers of the State Grand Lodges , there would he brought to the same point such an amount of knowledge of the several grand bodies collectively as would furnish its representatives sufficiently for their hih

g mission . The delegates from a General Grand Lodge of such dignity as this would be , constituted by the officials of some thirty State Grand Lodges , would entitle them to high respect , and from their numerous constituency in detail give them a standing in the counsels of the congress worthy of our Masonic nationality . Other weighty considerations for such an organisation might be urgedwere this the proper place .

, "In this noble movement of the Masonic world it would , moreover , seem highly important that all the symbolic materials , thus separately wrought from different national quarries , should here be joined in symmetrical order , for the completion of this central , overshadowing , Masonic temple . Hence it is hoped that the commissioners ( one of whom is an American ) , who are to designate the time and place for holding the next

universal congress , will extend the invitation to the several Grand Chapters , provided the difference in the mere organisation in Europe and America should present no serious obstacle ; and especially should it include the orders of Knighthood . I think I can see results ia prospective , directly flowing from such a world-wide gathering of all orders of Masons , and one in which so great an accumulation of influences would be brought to hear on the friendly relations of mankind at largeas could

, not be surpassed , in their fraternising tendencies , by any other agencies whatever , except the pure religion of the Bible itself . How could it be otherwise , when from this full fountain swelled , by commingling streams , flowing in , harmoniously , from both hemispheres , and thence returning to their original sources , conveying the friendly salutation of a body composed of all nationalitiessent forth to greet each aud every member of the

, Order the world over ? We repeat it , how could such intercommunications fail to inspire every Masonic heart with the pure spirit of universal philanthropy ? Truly we live in an age of unprecedented progress in every ddpartment of human perfectibility ; encompassed by various societies , devising measures , accumulating means , and putting forth their mightiest efforts in behalf of the moral and social , the intellectual , physical , and

religious condition of the world . And while other associations are thus engaged , it certainly behoves our fraternity to stand forth in the full panoply of her professional mission , as tbe untiring advocates of those moral virtues that adorn society ; that expansive benevolence which desires the well being of man , and that genuine spirit of brotherly love which disregards all distinctions in name or nationality . Masonry was never destined to move in the rear rank of any humane or

benevolent association ; nor be second to any in efforts to do good , save the pure religion of the cross . She stands confessedly on high vantage ground , inasmuch as she now has an arm that encompasses the globe , and an all-pervading spirit of fraternity capable of putting forth a moral power co-extensive with the sphere in which she moves . "Thus we see that , from recent movementsthe world is

, becoming our field ; and , according to tbe inspired oracles of revealed truths , all its inhabitants are destined , at some future day , to acknowledge a common brotherhood . In this great enterprise , Masonry , according to her ability , has ever been engaged ; and as her facilities sor co-operating multiply , it is hoped her efforts may never be second to any others , except those of pure Christianity . "

MONKS MEMBERS OF THE OLD FRENCH LODGES . A Roman Catholic , having very strange notions of our institution , with whom I travelled in a South Eastern Eailway carriage from London to Canterbury , in the summer of 1859 , requests me to communicate to THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , which he is so fortunate as to see at the house of a distinguished brother , tbe

particulars of a statement which I then made to him , that Monks were members of the old French Lodges . The ensuing is the detail of what I said on the occasion , my memory now , however , being slightly aided by a diary kept by me at one period of my life . " In the autumn of 1831 , whilst on a visit of importance to the ' domaine ' of La Faveo , near tho village of St . Eusebe des Bois , in

Burgundy , then belonging to myself , but now belonging to my grandson , Arthur , Viscount Dolagucriviere , I became acquainted with an octogenarian lady , the Countess De G— , owner of another ' domaine' in the neighbourhood . The Countess , finding that I was a Mason , spoke with singular delight of her ' reception au grade d ' apprenti' in a Paris Lodge about 1780 and

re-, gretted that a sudden and lasting change of residence—France to Italy—bad prevented her proceeding to a higher degree . Her early days had been spent with her mother and grandmother , at Dijon , both of whom had been members of lodges there—one of the Lodge La Concorde , the other of the Lodge Les Arts reunis . There was an Abbey of Benedictines in Dijon before the

Revolution , and the Countess had often heard her grandmother say that when the lodges were first established several of the Monks were initiated , and became zealous and active brothers . " ^ Neither memory nor diary affords anything more on this subject , except that in the margin of the latter are two notes—the one that there were