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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Page 2 of 2
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Masonic Notes And Queries.
Napoleon , ( 2 vols . Paris , 1816 . ) Avec une Gravure representant I'lnitiation de Napoleon par les Illumines . —CHABOT . SONG AGAINST THE CHEVALIERS DE LA PURE VERITE . It is asserted that a Masonic grade was formed among the students of the University of Paris , which called itself the " Chevaliers cle la pure Verite , " aud that in order to suppress the oi
association , the Jesuits hit upon the following novel method rendering the Lodge hateful . They parodied one of the songs of these knights , and distributed copies among all those of their fellow students who were not members of the society , with a strict injunction that on every non-member meeting with a member of the Lodge , thc 3 ' should sing one or two of the most ridiculous lines in the hearing of the latter . This plan was effective : for shortly after the Lodge was entirely abandoned . Can any one tell the querist what was the original song , or furnish a copy of the parody ?—LEVALC .
INITIATION OF HIS SON BV A FOREIGN NOBLEMAN . In most of the early books on our art there is printed "A speech of a foreign nobleman on receiving his own son into Masonry . " Who was the nobleman alluded to?—SENEX . 13 RO . JAMES M ' CONOCHIE . At the time Professor Robison published his Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe , and
sought to implicate the Masonic brotherhood , Bro . James M'Conochie delivered A Short Defence of British Free Masonry before the Lodges Nos . 20 , 25 , and 299 , all of Liverpool . Who was Bro . M'Conochie . and what is remembered of him in Liverpool?—G . B . MASOXIC LODGES REGISTERED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT . As there are various spurious Lodges now meeting in London ,
and the evil seems to be gaining ground , permit me to suggest , as a note , that there is an Act , 39 Geo . III ., in whicli certain certificates are bound to be made to the clerk of the peace for every Lodge holding its meetings within the county , and that under that Act every Lodge , whether regular or irregular , is liable to be treated as a seditious society if it neglects its registration . All Masters of Lodges should look to this and see that they are properly registered , and then there would be no difficulty in suppressing those spurious Masons , who meet in holes and corners to the detriment of the Masonic character . —LEX MASOXICA .
MASONS TURNED ACTORS . In Hitchcock ' s Historical View of the Irish Stage ( 2 vols ., 12 mo ., Dublin , 1788 ) , vol . i ., p . 56 , is the following , which maybe worth preserving in these columns : — ' ^ Masonry , that cement of society , and most benevolent of all human institutions , that divine emanation of love which unites all mankind in the brotherly bands of affection , had , in this kingdom , through some
unaccountable neglect , been suffered for many years to lie buried in the shade of obscurity , and its excellent precepts to remain untaught . About this time ( 1731 ) , however , the clouds which overshadowed it passed away , and its refulgent brightness broke forth to cheer and illuminate the world ; several Lodges which had lain dormant were revived , and several new ones constituted . As it needed only to be known to be admired , many of the first characters in the nation , on its revival , pressed forward and requested to be admitted members of this ancient and
honourable society . " Amongst many good effects arising from the renovation of this institution , the theatre experienced its share . Masons are , in general , warm friends of the drama , which they deem essential to the cause of virtue ; and as charity is one of their leading principles , they constantly devote the profits arising from one night ' s performance at the theatre every season towards the relief of their distressed aud indigent brethrenAt
. this time their laudable zeal carried them so far as to make them bespeak the tragedy of Cato , then remarkably popular , the male characters of which were all performed by gentlemen Masons : the prices were advanced , and so crowded or brilliant an audience had never at any time been seen in this kingdom . " E . C . II .
DERIVATION' 01 * THE WORD l ! COWAN . " No one seems to have replied to Bro . Matthew Cooke ' s note on the above , so I am inclined to offer you the accompanying from Dr . Oliver ' s dictionary as coming more within the pale of our Masonic interpretation . Under the head Cowan , Dr . Oliver says : — " From the affair of htha hraimite termed ' '
Jep , an Ep was a cowan , or worthless fellow . In Egypt a ' cohen' was the title of a priest or prince , and a term of honour . Bryant , speaking of the harpies , says they were priests of the sun ; and as < cohen' was the name of a dog as well as a priest they are termed by Apollonius 'the dogs of . lovo . ' Now St . John cautions the Christian brethren that without arc dogs' ( wee )
Masonic Notes And Queries.
cowans or listeners ; and St . Paul exhorts the Christians to ' bevrave of dogs , because they are evil workers . ' "Sow KVIOV , a dog , or evil worker , is the Masonic cowan . The above priests , or metaphorical dogs , were also called cercyonians , or cer-cowans , because they were lawless iu their behaviour towards strangers . A writer of the Freemasons' Quarterly Review thus explains the word : 'I trace it , ' says he . ' to the Gv ^ ek verb nKovcu , to hear or listen to , from which it is but pared detorta ; and we have high authority for so importing words from one language to
another . ' Our illustrious brother , Sir AValter Sootfc , makes one oi his characters iu Rob Jloij . s-.-iy : ' She does not value a lawsuit mail- as a cowan , and ye may tell Mac Ctillum More that Allan Iverach said sae . '" CRAFTSMAN ,
THE LECTURES IN RHYME . I have scon a scrap of one of the lectures in rhyme , or more properly doggrel , and am told they were much used amongst the Masons " of the past century . I should be glad to meet with one if any brother wilfpoint out where my curiosity can be gratified . That which I have seen runs thus : — ' ¦ ' An E . A .. I presume you have been ?
. 1 . and B . I oft have seen . A it . Mi I was most rare With diamond , ashlar , and the square . If a 301 . you would be , You must understand the rule of three , And M . B . shall make you free , And what you want in Masonry , Shall in this Lodge be shown to thee . Good Masonry I understand ; The keys of all Lodges are at my commapd . " INVESTIGATOR .
THE CHAPTER OF ARRAS AND CHARLES EDWARD STUART . Information is wanted by the undersigned , as to the exact share the Chevalier Prince Charles Edward had in giving a warrant to the Chapitred' Arras in 1747 ?—JACOBUS . MASONIC ARBITRATION . Among the old Charges there are some curious specimens of the manners and customs of our earlier brethren , one of which I . will transcribe . In the last , headed " Finally , " published in Smith ' s Freemasons' Pocket Companion , ( 8 vo . Lond ., 1736 ) , p . 22 it concludes thus : —
" And if any of them do you injury , you must apply to your own or his Lodge ; aud from thence you may appeal to the Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication , and from thence to the annual Grand Lodge , as has been the ancient laudable conduct of our forefathers in every nation ; never taking a legal course , but when the case cannot be otherwise decided , and patiently listening to the honest and friendly advice of Master and fellows , when they would prevent your going to law with strangers , or would excite you to put a speedy period to all law suits , with the and
that so you may mind the affair of Masonry more alacrity success j" but with respect to brothers or fellows at law , the Master and brethren should kindly offer their mediation , which ought to be thankfully submitted to by the contending brethren ; and if that submission is impracticable , they must , however , carry on their process or law suit , without wrath and rancour ( not in the common way ) saying or doing nothing which may hinder brotherly lore , and good offices to be renewed and continuedthat all see the beniinfluence of Masonryas all
; may gn , true Masons have clone from the beginning of the world , and will do to the end of time . " Can any one furnish a case in which Masonic arbitration has been adopted in conjunction with the above charge ? If so , when , where , and who were the brethren , ancl its occasion ?—JURISPRUDENCE .
SCOTTISH LADIKS IN THE OLDEN TIME . — -One of these Montrose ladies and a sister lived together ; aud in a very quiet way they were in the habit of giving little dinner parties , to which occasionally they invited their gentlemen friends . However , gentlemen were not always to be had : and on one occasion , when such a difficulty had occurred , they were talking over the matter with a friend . The one lady seemed to consider such an acquisition almost essential to the having a dinner at allThe otherwho did not see the same necessityquietly added
. , , , " But , indeed , our Jean thinks a man perfect salvation . " There was occasionally a pawky semi-sarcastic humour in the replies of some of the ladies we speak of that was quite irresistible , of which I have from a friend a good illustration in an anecdote well known at the time . A late well-known member of the Scottish bar , when a youth , w-as somewhat of a daudy , and , I suppose , somewhat short and sharp in his tem-He going to visit in the country aud was making a .
per . was pay a , great fuss about his preparing and the putting up his habiliments . His old aunt was much annoyed at all this bustle , and stopped him by the somewhat contemptuous question , " lYhaur's this you're garni , Hobby , that ye mak sic a grand wark about your claes ? " The youiig man lost temper , and pettishly replied , "I ' m going to the devil . " "' Deed , Hobby , then , " was the quiet answer , " ye need na be Rae nice , he'll just tak ve as vc are !" — Dean Raima' / .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
Napoleon , ( 2 vols . Paris , 1816 . ) Avec une Gravure representant I'lnitiation de Napoleon par les Illumines . —CHABOT . SONG AGAINST THE CHEVALIERS DE LA PURE VERITE . It is asserted that a Masonic grade was formed among the students of the University of Paris , which called itself the " Chevaliers cle la pure Verite , " aud that in order to suppress the oi
association , the Jesuits hit upon the following novel method rendering the Lodge hateful . They parodied one of the songs of these knights , and distributed copies among all those of their fellow students who were not members of the society , with a strict injunction that on every non-member meeting with a member of the Lodge , thc 3 ' should sing one or two of the most ridiculous lines in the hearing of the latter . This plan was effective : for shortly after the Lodge was entirely abandoned . Can any one tell the querist what was the original song , or furnish a copy of the parody ?—LEVALC .
INITIATION OF HIS SON BV A FOREIGN NOBLEMAN . In most of the early books on our art there is printed "A speech of a foreign nobleman on receiving his own son into Masonry . " Who was the nobleman alluded to?—SENEX . 13 RO . JAMES M ' CONOCHIE . At the time Professor Robison published his Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe , and
sought to implicate the Masonic brotherhood , Bro . James M'Conochie delivered A Short Defence of British Free Masonry before the Lodges Nos . 20 , 25 , and 299 , all of Liverpool . Who was Bro . M'Conochie . and what is remembered of him in Liverpool?—G . B . MASOXIC LODGES REGISTERED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT . As there are various spurious Lodges now meeting in London ,
and the evil seems to be gaining ground , permit me to suggest , as a note , that there is an Act , 39 Geo . III ., in whicli certain certificates are bound to be made to the clerk of the peace for every Lodge holding its meetings within the county , and that under that Act every Lodge , whether regular or irregular , is liable to be treated as a seditious society if it neglects its registration . All Masters of Lodges should look to this and see that they are properly registered , and then there would be no difficulty in suppressing those spurious Masons , who meet in holes and corners to the detriment of the Masonic character . —LEX MASOXICA .
MASONS TURNED ACTORS . In Hitchcock ' s Historical View of the Irish Stage ( 2 vols ., 12 mo ., Dublin , 1788 ) , vol . i ., p . 56 , is the following , which maybe worth preserving in these columns : — ' ^ Masonry , that cement of society , and most benevolent of all human institutions , that divine emanation of love which unites all mankind in the brotherly bands of affection , had , in this kingdom , through some
unaccountable neglect , been suffered for many years to lie buried in the shade of obscurity , and its excellent precepts to remain untaught . About this time ( 1731 ) , however , the clouds which overshadowed it passed away , and its refulgent brightness broke forth to cheer and illuminate the world ; several Lodges which had lain dormant were revived , and several new ones constituted . As it needed only to be known to be admired , many of the first characters in the nation , on its revival , pressed forward and requested to be admitted members of this ancient and
honourable society . " Amongst many good effects arising from the renovation of this institution , the theatre experienced its share . Masons are , in general , warm friends of the drama , which they deem essential to the cause of virtue ; and as charity is one of their leading principles , they constantly devote the profits arising from one night ' s performance at the theatre every season towards the relief of their distressed aud indigent brethrenAt
. this time their laudable zeal carried them so far as to make them bespeak the tragedy of Cato , then remarkably popular , the male characters of which were all performed by gentlemen Masons : the prices were advanced , and so crowded or brilliant an audience had never at any time been seen in this kingdom . " E . C . II .
DERIVATION' 01 * THE WORD l ! COWAN . " No one seems to have replied to Bro . Matthew Cooke ' s note on the above , so I am inclined to offer you the accompanying from Dr . Oliver ' s dictionary as coming more within the pale of our Masonic interpretation . Under the head Cowan , Dr . Oliver says : — " From the affair of htha hraimite termed ' '
Jep , an Ep was a cowan , or worthless fellow . In Egypt a ' cohen' was the title of a priest or prince , and a term of honour . Bryant , speaking of the harpies , says they were priests of the sun ; and as < cohen' was the name of a dog as well as a priest they are termed by Apollonius 'the dogs of . lovo . ' Now St . John cautions the Christian brethren that without arc dogs' ( wee )
Masonic Notes And Queries.
cowans or listeners ; and St . Paul exhorts the Christians to ' bevrave of dogs , because they are evil workers . ' "Sow KVIOV , a dog , or evil worker , is the Masonic cowan . The above priests , or metaphorical dogs , were also called cercyonians , or cer-cowans , because they were lawless iu their behaviour towards strangers . A writer of the Freemasons' Quarterly Review thus explains the word : 'I trace it , ' says he . ' to the Gv ^ ek verb nKovcu , to hear or listen to , from which it is but pared detorta ; and we have high authority for so importing words from one language to
another . ' Our illustrious brother , Sir AValter Sootfc , makes one oi his characters iu Rob Jloij . s-.-iy : ' She does not value a lawsuit mail- as a cowan , and ye may tell Mac Ctillum More that Allan Iverach said sae . '" CRAFTSMAN ,
THE LECTURES IN RHYME . I have scon a scrap of one of the lectures in rhyme , or more properly doggrel , and am told they were much used amongst the Masons " of the past century . I should be glad to meet with one if any brother wilfpoint out where my curiosity can be gratified . That which I have seen runs thus : — ' ¦ ' An E . A .. I presume you have been ?
. 1 . and B . I oft have seen . A it . Mi I was most rare With diamond , ashlar , and the square . If a 301 . you would be , You must understand the rule of three , And M . B . shall make you free , And what you want in Masonry , Shall in this Lodge be shown to thee . Good Masonry I understand ; The keys of all Lodges are at my commapd . " INVESTIGATOR .
THE CHAPTER OF ARRAS AND CHARLES EDWARD STUART . Information is wanted by the undersigned , as to the exact share the Chevalier Prince Charles Edward had in giving a warrant to the Chapitred' Arras in 1747 ?—JACOBUS . MASONIC ARBITRATION . Among the old Charges there are some curious specimens of the manners and customs of our earlier brethren , one of which I . will transcribe . In the last , headed " Finally , " published in Smith ' s Freemasons' Pocket Companion , ( 8 vo . Lond ., 1736 ) , p . 22 it concludes thus : —
" And if any of them do you injury , you must apply to your own or his Lodge ; aud from thence you may appeal to the Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication , and from thence to the annual Grand Lodge , as has been the ancient laudable conduct of our forefathers in every nation ; never taking a legal course , but when the case cannot be otherwise decided , and patiently listening to the honest and friendly advice of Master and fellows , when they would prevent your going to law with strangers , or would excite you to put a speedy period to all law suits , with the and
that so you may mind the affair of Masonry more alacrity success j" but with respect to brothers or fellows at law , the Master and brethren should kindly offer their mediation , which ought to be thankfully submitted to by the contending brethren ; and if that submission is impracticable , they must , however , carry on their process or law suit , without wrath and rancour ( not in the common way ) saying or doing nothing which may hinder brotherly lore , and good offices to be renewed and continuedthat all see the beniinfluence of Masonryas all
; may gn , true Masons have clone from the beginning of the world , and will do to the end of time . " Can any one furnish a case in which Masonic arbitration has been adopted in conjunction with the above charge ? If so , when , where , and who were the brethren , ancl its occasion ?—JURISPRUDENCE .
SCOTTISH LADIKS IN THE OLDEN TIME . — -One of these Montrose ladies and a sister lived together ; aud in a very quiet way they were in the habit of giving little dinner parties , to which occasionally they invited their gentlemen friends . However , gentlemen were not always to be had : and on one occasion , when such a difficulty had occurred , they were talking over the matter with a friend . The one lady seemed to consider such an acquisition almost essential to the having a dinner at allThe otherwho did not see the same necessityquietly added
. , , , " But , indeed , our Jean thinks a man perfect salvation . " There was occasionally a pawky semi-sarcastic humour in the replies of some of the ladies we speak of that was quite irresistible , of which I have from a friend a good illustration in an anecdote well known at the time . A late well-known member of the Scottish bar , when a youth , w-as somewhat of a daudy , and , I suppose , somewhat short and sharp in his tem-He going to visit in the country aud was making a .
per . was pay a , great fuss about his preparing and the putting up his habiliments . His old aunt was much annoyed at all this bustle , and stopped him by the somewhat contemptuous question , " lYhaur's this you're garni , Hobby , that ye mak sic a grand wark about your claes ? " The youiig man lost temper , and pettishly replied , "I ' m going to the devil . " "' Deed , Hobby , then , " was the quiet answer , " ye need na be Rae nice , he'll just tak ve as vc are !" — Dean Raima' / .