Masonic Notes And Queries.

Yarker is the historian of Bro . Rhodoeanakis , he ought to he in the position to answer these simple questions , and he is a man of too much sincerity and ability to be misrepresented by " Argive . " It is a very dangerous thing , under such circumstances , to impute ignorance to adversaries . " Argive " has attempted to delude your readers by two

impositions ; the one is the citation of theEnglish succession , when it is the question of succession which is challenged , and the other is the quotation of Greek philo ' ogical points , which have nothing to do with the matter . This may puzzle your readers , or some sutor who cobbles up such concoctions as those in question ; but it will not satisfy scholars that in the Byzantine period the present people called Rhodocanaeki bad their names transmitted from Rhodes

Anax , as having been Emperors of Rhodes . —His-TOEICUS . MASONIC CEEDUXTTY . Our learned writer , Bro . John Yarker , P . M ., has landed himself and us in a controversy in the pages of Notes and Queries , which is not proceeding

satisfactorily or complimentarily for the Craft . Mr . W . Pinkerton , after handling the Queen Elizabeth story and other matters , including the famous MS . of Henry VI ., observes , — "I have conducted many antiquarian researches , but I candidly must say that I never have met with such disgusting frauds as have

been practised during the last one hundred and fifty years by the "Freemasons . ' Mr . Pinkerton promises in bis next communication , " a complete exposure of the fabulous assertions respecting Ereemasonry and the Stuarts . " These subjects are now likely to undergo a fiery

ordeal , from which it is to be expected they will not escape , nor will ridicule be spared on those who have propagated these fables and those who have believed them . —S . R .

THE XOEIC MASONS—ADOPTED MASONS . Mr . W . Pinkerton , who attacks a number of Masonic fabrications in . Notes and Queries , states his belief that , besides the Eree and Accepted Masons founded in 1717 , there was an older society in England , generally called the Adopted Masons . He says the Adopted Masons immediately assumed the legend

[ Query . In what meaning does he use the word . Is it simply the legend or title , Eree and Accepted Masons ?] invented by the Eree and Accepted Masons , but presuming on their antiquity did not join their lodges . He evidentl y believes these Adopted Masons were the York Masons .

These questions arise : —What authority is there for the title aud pre-existence of Adopted Masons in the 17 th century ? Is it true that the independent lodges constituted the York rite or organization ? It appears almost certain that there were before 1717 lodges besides the four in Londonas the

War-, rington Lodge , for instance . What became of these lodges ? It is possible that some of them enrolled themselves under Drake ' s concoction of the York Grand Lodge . —S-R .

ME , KAYANAGH , M . P . I observed Bro . Hughan stating that Mr . Kavanagh , " the extraordinary M . P ., '' had been initiated in some Irish lodge . I am very g lad to hear of this , and should like to know when , and where , and in what lodgfe he was made ?—W . P . B .

MTSTEEIES AND 3 IYSTEEIES ( p . 421 ) . While I am obliged to Bro . " Reitam " for his able assistance in disposing of these wonderful " Masonic Celestial Mysteries , " I dissent from the remark that " We find the Sun worship to be the primal basis of all the worships and mysteries of antiquity" for with

, the Jews and other Semitic races such was not the case ; they worshipped the Great Architect of the Universe , i . e ., the Creator Himself , not the thing created . Their idea was—there is no God but Jehovah . Again , I think it to be a lowering of our Master Mason degree to make H . A . a mere

representation of the Sun or of any other portion of these so-called ancient mysteries ; although it has received a partially antique dress , yet the spirit in it , as I have always seen it worked , seems to me to point to something different , which something enables it to merit the title of " sublime . " —W . P . B .

EEEEMA . SONEY AMONG THE EED INDIANS ( p . 409 ) . 1 STothing is easier ; the Indians were mixed up in the American War of Independence at the end of last century ; consequently , what was to hinder them getting it from either the Erench , Americans , or the English , ' and , having once got it about that time , what should prevent them retaining it ? There were also other ways by which they may have got it . — W . P . B .

TEADE PEOCESSIONS . In the 16 th century processions we see the Masons mixed up with , and simply marching among , the other trades ; and 1554 , second to the smiths , as per page 428 , May 29 th ante ; whereas , in the 18 th century , speculative Masonry gave the Masons a lift , and , as

per page 404 , we find them now by themselves and at the head of the poll . Of course among them at the latter date are now all sorts of men , classes , professions , and trades , under the name of "Ereemnsons . " This admixture may perhaps partly account for Hirama brassfounder or metal workerbeing raised

, , to the dignity of an architect , and even called tiie Architect of the Temple ; whereas , as per 1 st Chron ., xxviii ., 11 th to 19 th , King David left tbe plans to Solomon . Again , we find another metalworker , viz ., Tuhal-Cain , a " smith , " holding one of the highest positions among the Masons I which starts the query .,.

Was this done on purpose by the ISth century manufacturers of speculative Masonry , so as to please certain of the other trades and thereby disarm their opposition ?—AY . P . BUCHAN .

HISTOEY OF FEEEMASONEY . How is it that we have so little reliable of Masonic history from ' . D . 1603 to 1717 ? while tins was the period of Inigo Jones , of the great fire of London , and of Sir Christopher Wren , ancl when , as is said , Kings Charles II . and William III . where initiated ,

only we do not know where ! Then how did the Masons with their secret Utj M fall into the mistake of calling the Composite—which is only a variety of the Corinthian—a separate order of architecture ? and so on . Perhaps when Bro . Hughan writes his which he alludes to at 322

articles , page , on "Operative and speculative Ereemasonry before A . D . 1716 , " he may kindly throw a ray of light , if possible , upon these and other points in this hitherto dark Masonic period . —W . P . B .