The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

AVe shall meet upon the Level there , but never thence depart ; There's a mansion— 'tis all ready for each trusting , faithful heart—There's a mansion and a welcome , and a multitude is there , AVho have met upon the Level , and been tried upon the Square .

Let us meet upon the Level , then , while labouring patient here ; Let ns meet and let us labour , though the labour be severe ; Already in the western slcy tho signs bid us prepare , To gather up our working tools , aud part upon the Square . Hands round , ye faithful Masons , form the bright fraternal thain ; We part upon the Square below to meet in heaven again . 0 ! what words of precious meaning those words Masonic are , AVe meet upon the Level , and we part upon Hie Square !

THE EXCLUSION OE NEGRE 0 S EHOII MASOXIC LOUGES . It is stated in a communication from Chicago that the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois has decided to expunge the paragraphs in the Statutes which stipulate that the negro shall be excluded as a candidate for admission into Ereemasonry ; can any of your American correspondents confirm this statement ?—BEEGTQTTE .

THE " iKISH FEEEAIASOXS CALENDAR . . I heard the other day a brother belonging to an Irish lodge quote " The Irish Freemasons' Calendar . " Can any brother inform me Avhere I can procure a copy ; if it is still published , for the present year ?—HlEEBU ' IAK IN LOBTDOST .

SPECULATIVE EEEEAlASOXRT . As an element of science speculative Masonry is intimately connected with geometry . In deference to our operative ancestors , and , in fact , as a necessary result of our close connection Avith them , speculatii'e Freemasonry derives its most important emblem from this parent science . As the earthly temple Avas

constructed under the correcting application of the plumb , the level , and the square , by Avhich its lines and angles were properly defined , so we are accustomed , in the construction of the great moral edifice of our minds , symbolically to apply the same instrumentsin order to exhibit our work on the great day

, of inspection as " well formed , true aud trusty . " It is not absolutely necessary that Freemasons must be able practically to delineate geometrical figures ; hut it is important that they should be competent to deduce all their action , works , and resolutions from geometrical , or correct principles . —BETA .

THE LETTER G . ¥ ¦ ' This letter is justly defined as being deservedly regarded as one of the most sacred of the Masonic emblems . Where it is used , hoAvever , as a symbol of deity , it must be remembered that it is the Saxon representative of Hebrew Tod and the Greek

Tauthe initial letters of the Eternal in those languages . This symbol proves that Freemasonry always prosecuted its labours Avith reference to the grand ideas of Infinity and Eternity . By the letter G—Avhich conveyed to the minds of the brethren , at the same time , the idea of God and that of geometry—it bound

heaven to earth , the divine to the human , and the infiniteto the finite . Masons are taught to- regard the universe as the grandest of all symbols , revealing to men , in all ages , the ideas which are eternally revolving in the mind of the divinity , and which it is their duty to reproduce in their OAVU lives and in the world of art and industry . Thus God and

The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

geometry , the material worlds and tho spiritual spheres , were constantly united in the speculations of the ancient Masons . They , consequently , laboured earnestly and umvearedly , not only to construct cities , and embellish them with magnificent edifices , but also to build up a temple of great and divine

thoughts and of ever-groAving virtues for the soul to dwell in . The symbolical letter G—« * « "That Hieroglyphic bright , Which none but Craftsmen ever saw . " and before which every true Mason reverently uncovers , and boAvs his head— is a perpetual

condemnation of profanity , impiety , and vice . No brother who has bowed before that emblem can be profane . He Avill never speak the name of the Grand Master of the universe but with reverence , respect , and love . He Avill learn , by studying the mystic meaning of the letter G , to model his life after the divine plan ; aud , thus instructed , he will sfciwe to be like God in the activity and earnestness of his benevolence , and the broadness and efficiency of his charity . —A-

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is jwt responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents , MASONIC ARCHEOLOGY , & c . 10 IHE EDITOR OP THE EHEEJtASONS' MAGAZINE A 2 TD MASONIC MIREOE . Dear Sir and Brother , —Our claims to antiquity should he based on something more than the myths

of Masonry , however beautiful in themselves , and however well adapted to the purposes to Avhich we apply them in the Avorking of the Craft . If our more literary brethren would take the trouble , I feel sure much interesting historic matter might be brought to light Avhich now lies buried in musty

folios among the dust and cobwebs of a dead and forgotten past . I am led to these remarks from reading the letter which appeared in your number of 19 th January . On laying CIOAVU your paper I looked into Avhat I fancy is noiv a rare and scarce Avork , — l : A Mew Law

Dictionary , " by Jiles Jacob , Gent ., published 1739 , to see what it had to say oh the word " Bye-Law , " as itis so commonly incorrectly spelt . It says : "By-LaAVS ( JBilcegi-nes from the Goth . By , pagus and Lagen

Ze . v ) are laws made obiter or hy the liy , such as orders and constitutions , of corporations , for the governing of their members , " & c . I next turned to the word Masons , when I found the following , Avhich I think cannot fail to be of interest to the historic students of our ancient Order ; — " To plot confederacies amongst Masons is declared

felony by an old statute , and such as assemble thereon shall suffer imprisonment , aud make fine aud ransom . " —Stat . 3 , II . 6 , c . 1 . It would seem from this the old Masonic Guilds Avere not so loyal as they should have been , but what particular mischief they Avere up to docs not appear .

Perhaps some learned brother iu law may have an opportunity of looking up these fusty , fuliginous statutes , and giving us the result of his lucubrations ; by so doing he would add another stone to the historic foundation of Masonry , and confer a favour on Yours fraternally , MACCALDUS , 1075 ,