Masonic Notes And Queries.

and endowed with severe and mysterious powers , so as to keep all rebels ancl disturbers in terrore-m . This was very happily hit off by Sir Knight Gallienne , who boldly announced to his twelve affrighted Knights and subjects in Guernsey that he had received from the Grand Imperial Council his di ploma as

Inspector-General of the Guernsey Division . " He hoped no circumstance would arise in which the harsher duties of his office would have to be exercised . Should , however , a needs-be arise [ whatever that may be ] , it must be understood that ( although , as far as possible , mercy would be tempered with justice ) [ and not

justice with mercy ] , justice would ever be duly ad ministered . '' ft is conjectured that Sir Knight Gallienne , Inspector-General for the Guernsey Division , in order to insure that justice shall be duly administered to the twelve Sir Kni ghts , will early appoint several Superintendents aud Inspectorsone

, Turnkey , and one Common Executioner . The Sir Knights have got themselves into a precious pickle by putting themselves under the Grand Imperial jurisdiction of the Red Cross , and they may be assured they cannot evade it , for justice and the harsher duties of the Inspectors-General will follow them to

the end of the earth . The long list of Inspectors-General is now being extended to the colonies and foreign parts , including Vancouvers Island , New Shetland , and the Lake Ngami . —CESAKEA . CENTENABIES is 1869 . The number of centenary festivals in next year will be twelve , viz .:

—183 , Unity . 185 , Tranquility . 180 , Industry . 188 , Joppa . 189 , Sincerity . 190 , Oak . 192 Lion and Lamb .

, 193 , Confidence . 194 , St . Paul ' s . Nine , therefore , will be held in London , and besides—184 , Royal Sussex , Bristol . 187 , Sincerity , Plymouth .

191 , St . John , Bury . In 1873 there will be no centenary in London , ancl only one in England . 1769 was a great year seemingly of Masonic activity , and followed naturally by a collapse . In 1 S 71 there will onl y he three London celebrations . The present year has been a great year

in London , there being five centenaries ; hut next year will bo remarkable in this respect . — -NOTA . THE BOOK OE JOB ( pages 407—429 ) . I do not agree with " Chrononautonthalogos " that a person cannot write sensiblregarding the Book of

y Job unless he knows Hebrew . We can leave the Hebrew scholars to give proper translations , and we can watch the play of the different actors in the reasons they give for their opinions , and we may judge how they make their ideas coincide with known historical data . " The onlooker sees most of

the game , " as when two swordsmen meet , the spectators easily perceive which is killed . Again , it is not the judge or the lawyers who deliver the verdict but the jury . The counsel for the prosecution swears

the thing is black ; the counsel for the defence assert it is white , and practical experience shows that the best way to settle the business is to leave it to the jury . What would he the use of all our traditions and commentaries if they did not greatly supply the want

of a knowledge of the original ? We cannot all see Egypt , yet we may know a great deal about it , and feel it to be almost unnecessary after a number of first-class travellers have visited it and brought home drawings , photographs , aud descriptions of what they have seen .

I am not so bigotted as to consider that Renan is not worthy of high consideration , certainly he is on many points ; but , under the circumstances , I demur to him being the only one thought worthy of consideration , and I also corrected certain mistakes made hy "An American Freemason . " FurtherI do not

, dispose of Renan simply " on such ground that Kenan is in opposition to Christianity ; " for , Christian or no Christian , I deny the truth of the statements made in "An American Freemason ' s " letter at page 351 , no matter where he took them from . I consider that if Moses could step in amongst u &

in propria persona as he existed E . G . 1491 , he would open our eyes a bit with the extent of his knowledge on many subjects . I could fancy him saying , "You have not advanced much since my time in this particular . There were men in those days even as now . " Chrononautonthologos " muofc be careful not to impute to me superstitious or nonsensical notions which I do not possess . —A SCOTTISH FBEEMASOH - .

MXSTic irroiBEits ( page 431 ) . In reply to your correspondent , "S . W . ' s'' query as to the meaning of magic numbers—what are they ., and why so called ? let me inform him that they mean the mystical ages of Masonry , 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , as well as tbe mystical numbers of the twelve gi'and

names—3 with 3 letters , 3 with 5 , 3 with 7 , and 3 with 9 . They are so called because they constitute the mystic numbers of the degree of perfection which your correspondent will attain when he is exalted to the sublime degree of a Royal Arch Mason . However , I venture to tell him that the same numbers composed the ancient Sanhedrim of Jerusalem with the two Grand Officers . —JAMES FEEDEEICK SPUEE , P . Z .

" SCOTCH . " "W . P . B . ' s" notions on the use of the words " Scotch " and " Scotchman " seem to have lost nothing of their eccentricity . In page 251 he tells us that " Scotch is a verb , " and gives an example of its application in that capacity , andignoring the

exist-, ence of the word both as an adjective and as a noun , condemns its use in designating anything as belonging to Scotland . At page 291 he re-exhibits the word as a verb , says " the expression ( ' Scotch and Scotchmen ' ) is both vulgar and incorrect , " and quotes Burns in support of his dogma that " Scots " is the

proper word to he employed to denominate the nationality of the natives of Scotland . At page 329 we ventured to challenge the soundness of W . P . B . ' s dictum , submitted instances of Burns's use of " Scotch " both as an adjective and as a noun—showed how the Bard could ring the changes on Scots , Scotch and Scottish—and concluded by