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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 3 of 3 Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Page 3 of 3 Article CORRESPONDENCE. Page 1 of 2 →
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Masonic Notes And Queries.
lodges in Burgundy prior to the rule of Pope Clement XII ., condemning our Order ( 1738 ); the other note is an on clit ( whence derived I do not recollect ) that in the early eontiuental lodges Capuchin Monks were numerous . —CHARLES PUHTON COOPER , Chateau Frampas .
THE SQUARE V . THE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE . In Mr . Gilbert Scott ' s most interesting work , Gleanings from Westminster Abbey , page 19 , occurs the following passage : — " I have somewhere heard that in an old work of the Freemasons it is said that good proportions may be obtained from the square , but better from the equilateral triangle : I have little doubt that it is true . " Can any brother oblige me with a reference to the work ? I have an impression myself that I have met somewhere with a like statement . —A . F . A . WOODTOBD .
OPERATIVE FKEE 3 US 0 NR 1 * . The Harleian MS ., 1942 , f . 1 , gives the original of the regulations referred to by " Delta , " and transcribed by Preston . There , under the heading " The new articles , " No . 26 , is in these words : — "Noe person ( of what degree soever ) bee accepted a free Mason , unless hee shalle have a lodge of five free Masons at least , whereof one to bee
a master , or warden , of that limitt , or division , wherein such lodge shal bee kept , and another of the trade of Freemasonry , " No . 30 is also to this effect : — " That for the future the sayd society , company , and fraternity of Freemasons , shal bee regulated and governed by one Master and assemblyand Wardensas said shall think
, , ye company fit to choose , at every yearely generall assembly . " This _ MS . authority places ' the authenticity of these regulations per se beyond cavil ; while it would seem to give to them a superior antiquity than even the G . assembly of 1663 . What " Delta " means by the observation about '• the parade of the operative constitutions by Dr . Plot and others" " a mere blind to deceive the
, authorities , " is really impossible to understand , and hopeless , therefore , to seek to explain . That the Masonic Guilds existed is undoubted . See the testimony of Dr . Leeson on this bead , page 96 , FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , August 2 , 1862 ; that the operative constitutions existed , is undoubted too , for of them there are no less than six MS . copies in the British
Museum , and one printed copy ; besides , there are known to be other MS . copies extant in private lodges . Dr . Plot ' s evidence is very simple and straightforward . He had evidently seen one of these MS . rolls ; indeed , he says so distinctly , aud comments upon it . He was answered , partly , in Dr . Knipe ' s letter to the publisher of " Ashmole's Life , " in the Biographia Britannica , in 1748 , and in the Pocket Companion and History of Freemasonry , in 1759 .
Whom does " Delta " mean , then , by others , as seemingly , too , contemporaneous with Dr . Plot ? One should be glad to know . Upon a former occasion , Aubrey ' s evidence was brought forward by " Delta " to prove that Sir Christopher Wren was only made a speculative Mason in 1691 , though he was claimed as an officer of the operative assembly
considerably before that time . Aubrey ' s evidence , as quoted by Mr . Halliwell , professes to be contemporary ; and unless Aubrey could be shown to be inaccurate in bis dates , or altogether mistaken in the matter , some error has crept in in our received chronology . But there is evidence sufficient to warrant a belief that Aubrey has made some very great mistake in the statement , as we have it now before us .
The Lodge of Antiquity has in its possession three candlesticks , presented by Sir Christopher Wren , in 1688 , to the Lodge of St . Pauls , of which the Lodge of Antiquity is the successor . Aubrey must then have made some mistake . Elmes , in his Life of Sir Christopher Wren , and according to the authoritative MS . in the Lansdowne MSS ., shows us that he was made a Doctor of Civil Law , September 12 th , 1660 , at Oxford , when in
Masonic Notes And Queries.
his 29 th year ; that in 1666 he was made " Architectus et ssdiles" of all the parish churches and public buildings in London , after the fatal fire ; and that in 1669 he was made , by Letters Patent , " Prsefectus" of all royal buildings in England . According , however , to Elmes , so far back as 1661 Wren was sent for from Oxford to assist Sir John Denham , who held the office of Surveyor-General
of his Majesty ' s Works . It is true that Elmes does not mention Sir Christopher Wren's connexion with the Order previous to 1666 , but his appointment as Deputy Grand Master then would imply a previous admission . There is nothing then , in truth , improbable in the statement of the author of Multa Faucis , that in the Grand Assembly of 1661 Henry JermynEarl of St .
, Albans , was Grand Master , Sir John Denham his Deputy Grand Master , Sir Christopher Wren and John Webb Grand Wardens . On the contrary , all the known facts of Sir Christopher Wren's life tally exactly with those of our Masonic writers in this respect . In the Sloane MSS ., 3 S 29 , f . 137 , " Delta " will find enough to convince him that his reiterated statement
that " the 3 rd degree was not originally part of the ' system , '" is , in truth , altogether a delusion . He is , however , not singular in his theory . Dr . Oliver , in his last work , the Freemason ' s Treasury , endorses the same view , with his reverend authority , but quotes as his proof Sloane MS . 3848 . ( See Masonic Treasury , page 284 . ) Previously to this , in an article called " Primordia et
Recentiora vera , " published in the Freemason ' s Qitartcrly Magazine for 1853 , page 651 , the writer , who signs himself " William Bell , Phil . D ., " alludes to a personal search of his in the British Museum , and quotes the same MS ., Soane , 3848 , as his authority for ' a like statement . But Dr . Oliver and Dr . William Bell have made some mistake , for Sloane M . S ., 3848 , is only a copy of the Masonic Constitution , with this endorsement at tbe close : — " Finis per me , Edwardus Sankey ,
Decimo sexto die Octajbris . 1646 . " Indeed , the MS . is a copy , with very slight variations , of the Lansdowne MS . 98 , f . 78 . There is n MS . among the Sloane MSS ., 3329 , f . 137 , to which it is probable , by some mistake of reference , both Dr . Oliver and Dr . W . Bell allude , but which is
most decisive as against their theory and statement . Let " Delta " peruse it himself carefully , and with all due allowances , as an expert Mason , and he will concur , I feel certain , in my last observation . —EBOR .
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . FBEEMASONRY IN FRANCE . TO THE EDITOlt OF- THE HtEElTASOJfs' MAGAZINE AKD SIASOKIO SIIKKOE . DEAR SIK AND BROTHER , —In your edition of the 28 th inst ., under the head of " Intolerance of the Romish Priesthood , " wherein you mention their refusal to
celebrate the rites of the Church on the occasion of the funeral of Bro . Victor Lejeune , I may state that such proceedings on the part of the Romish Priesthood are very frequent . To my own knowledge a similar case happened a few years ago in Alexandria , Egypt . But you are , perhaps , not aware that the French police actually interfere in such matters . On the 11 th
December , 1862 , 1 visited in Paris , the Lodge Mars et les Arts , at the Grand Orient de France , 16 , Rue Cadet . The business that evening was the drawing up and signing of a protest ( to be forwarded to the G . M . ) , against the scandalous behaviour on the part of the police , on the occasion of the funeral of a brother of that lodge . It appears that the deceased brother was buried on the Sth or 9 th December , and that , as it is customary in France , his Masonic decorations were displayed on the top of the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
lodges in Burgundy prior to the rule of Pope Clement XII ., condemning our Order ( 1738 ); the other note is an on clit ( whence derived I do not recollect ) that in the early eontiuental lodges Capuchin Monks were numerous . —CHARLES PUHTON COOPER , Chateau Frampas .
THE SQUARE V . THE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE . In Mr . Gilbert Scott ' s most interesting work , Gleanings from Westminster Abbey , page 19 , occurs the following passage : — " I have somewhere heard that in an old work of the Freemasons it is said that good proportions may be obtained from the square , but better from the equilateral triangle : I have little doubt that it is true . " Can any brother oblige me with a reference to the work ? I have an impression myself that I have met somewhere with a like statement . —A . F . A . WOODTOBD .
OPERATIVE FKEE 3 US 0 NR 1 * . The Harleian MS ., 1942 , f . 1 , gives the original of the regulations referred to by " Delta , " and transcribed by Preston . There , under the heading " The new articles , " No . 26 , is in these words : — "Noe person ( of what degree soever ) bee accepted a free Mason , unless hee shalle have a lodge of five free Masons at least , whereof one to bee
a master , or warden , of that limitt , or division , wherein such lodge shal bee kept , and another of the trade of Freemasonry , " No . 30 is also to this effect : — " That for the future the sayd society , company , and fraternity of Freemasons , shal bee regulated and governed by one Master and assemblyand Wardensas said shall think
, , ye company fit to choose , at every yearely generall assembly . " This _ MS . authority places ' the authenticity of these regulations per se beyond cavil ; while it would seem to give to them a superior antiquity than even the G . assembly of 1663 . What " Delta " means by the observation about '• the parade of the operative constitutions by Dr . Plot and others" " a mere blind to deceive the
, authorities , " is really impossible to understand , and hopeless , therefore , to seek to explain . That the Masonic Guilds existed is undoubted . See the testimony of Dr . Leeson on this bead , page 96 , FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , August 2 , 1862 ; that the operative constitutions existed , is undoubted too , for of them there are no less than six MS . copies in the British
Museum , and one printed copy ; besides , there are known to be other MS . copies extant in private lodges . Dr . Plot ' s evidence is very simple and straightforward . He had evidently seen one of these MS . rolls ; indeed , he says so distinctly , aud comments upon it . He was answered , partly , in Dr . Knipe ' s letter to the publisher of " Ashmole's Life , " in the Biographia Britannica , in 1748 , and in the Pocket Companion and History of Freemasonry , in 1759 .
Whom does " Delta " mean , then , by others , as seemingly , too , contemporaneous with Dr . Plot ? One should be glad to know . Upon a former occasion , Aubrey ' s evidence was brought forward by " Delta " to prove that Sir Christopher Wren was only made a speculative Mason in 1691 , though he was claimed as an officer of the operative assembly
considerably before that time . Aubrey ' s evidence , as quoted by Mr . Halliwell , professes to be contemporary ; and unless Aubrey could be shown to be inaccurate in bis dates , or altogether mistaken in the matter , some error has crept in in our received chronology . But there is evidence sufficient to warrant a belief that Aubrey has made some very great mistake in the statement , as we have it now before us .
The Lodge of Antiquity has in its possession three candlesticks , presented by Sir Christopher Wren , in 1688 , to the Lodge of St . Pauls , of which the Lodge of Antiquity is the successor . Aubrey must then have made some mistake . Elmes , in his Life of Sir Christopher Wren , and according to the authoritative MS . in the Lansdowne MSS ., shows us that he was made a Doctor of Civil Law , September 12 th , 1660 , at Oxford , when in
Masonic Notes And Queries.
his 29 th year ; that in 1666 he was made " Architectus et ssdiles" of all the parish churches and public buildings in London , after the fatal fire ; and that in 1669 he was made , by Letters Patent , " Prsefectus" of all royal buildings in England . According , however , to Elmes , so far back as 1661 Wren was sent for from Oxford to assist Sir John Denham , who held the office of Surveyor-General
of his Majesty ' s Works . It is true that Elmes does not mention Sir Christopher Wren's connexion with the Order previous to 1666 , but his appointment as Deputy Grand Master then would imply a previous admission . There is nothing then , in truth , improbable in the statement of the author of Multa Faucis , that in the Grand Assembly of 1661 Henry JermynEarl of St .
, Albans , was Grand Master , Sir John Denham his Deputy Grand Master , Sir Christopher Wren and John Webb Grand Wardens . On the contrary , all the known facts of Sir Christopher Wren's life tally exactly with those of our Masonic writers in this respect . In the Sloane MSS ., 3 S 29 , f . 137 , " Delta " will find enough to convince him that his reiterated statement
that " the 3 rd degree was not originally part of the ' system , '" is , in truth , altogether a delusion . He is , however , not singular in his theory . Dr . Oliver , in his last work , the Freemason ' s Treasury , endorses the same view , with his reverend authority , but quotes as his proof Sloane MS . 3848 . ( See Masonic Treasury , page 284 . ) Previously to this , in an article called " Primordia et
Recentiora vera , " published in the Freemason ' s Qitartcrly Magazine for 1853 , page 651 , the writer , who signs himself " William Bell , Phil . D ., " alludes to a personal search of his in the British Museum , and quotes the same MS ., Soane , 3848 , as his authority for ' a like statement . But Dr . Oliver and Dr . William Bell have made some mistake , for Sloane M . S ., 3848 , is only a copy of the Masonic Constitution , with this endorsement at tbe close : — " Finis per me , Edwardus Sankey ,
Decimo sexto die Octajbris . 1646 . " Indeed , the MS . is a copy , with very slight variations , of the Lansdowne MS . 98 , f . 78 . There is n MS . among the Sloane MSS ., 3329 , f . 137 , to which it is probable , by some mistake of reference , both Dr . Oliver and Dr . W . Bell allude , but which is
most decisive as against their theory and statement . Let " Delta " peruse it himself carefully , and with all due allowances , as an expert Mason , and he will concur , I feel certain , in my last observation . —EBOR .
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . FBEEMASONRY IN FRANCE . TO THE EDITOlt OF- THE HtEElTASOJfs' MAGAZINE AKD SIASOKIO SIIKKOE . DEAR SIK AND BROTHER , —In your edition of the 28 th inst ., under the head of " Intolerance of the Romish Priesthood , " wherein you mention their refusal to
celebrate the rites of the Church on the occasion of the funeral of Bro . Victor Lejeune , I may state that such proceedings on the part of the Romish Priesthood are very frequent . To my own knowledge a similar case happened a few years ago in Alexandria , Egypt . But you are , perhaps , not aware that the French police actually interfere in such matters . On the 11 th
December , 1862 , 1 visited in Paris , the Lodge Mars et les Arts , at the Grand Orient de France , 16 , Rue Cadet . The business that evening was the drawing up and signing of a protest ( to be forwarded to the G . M . ) , against the scandalous behaviour on the part of the police , on the occasion of the funeral of a brother of that lodge . It appears that the deceased brother was buried on the Sth or 9 th December , and that , as it is customary in France , his Masonic decorations were displayed on the top of the