Mark Masonry .

MARK MASONRY .

FAST LANCASHIRE . MANCHESTER . —St . Andrew ' s , ( 22 S . C . )—Thequarterlymeeting of this lodge was held on Thursday , the 30 th ult ., at the Bush Hotel . The lodge was opened at six o'clock by Bro . C . Fitzgerald Matier , R . W . M ., assisted by the following brethren : — Bros . W . AVayne , S . AV . ; Whyatt , J . AV . ; Turner , M . O . ; HopkinsJ . C . ; John ParkerD . C ; Edwin Simpsonand about

, , , twenty other brethren , among whom we noticed Bro . Entwhistle , P . M . for St . John's Lodge , No . 2 , S . C , Bolton . Owing to the fact that several craft lodges in Manchester ancl the neighbourhood held meetings on the same evening , only four out of the eighteen candidates on the circular presented themselves for

advancement . The ceremony was rendered with the customary solemnity hy tho R . W . M ., Bro . Matier , assisted by the officers , and the congratulatory charge was given by Bro . Entwhistle , P . M . According to the laws of the S . G . R . A . Chapter of Scotland , the election of R . W . M . must take place immediately after the autumnal equinox , and this having just passed , the brethren proceeded to elect a Master for the ensuing twelve mouths . It was proposed by Bro . E . Simpson , and seconded by Bro . W .

AVayne , S . W ., that Bro . C . Fitzgerald Matier should he re-elected to that position . This was carried by unanimous acclamation ,, and Bro . Matier returned thanks for the honour in suitable terms . He then requested the present office-bearers to occupy

their positions for another year , which they unanimously agreed to do . The routine business being then disposed of , the lodge was closed with solemn prayer at eight o ' clock , and the brethren proceeded to refreshment . After a sumptuous banquet , served by Bro . Harvey , of the Bush Hotel , the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were duly honoured by the brethren , as also "Tbe health of Bro . Entwhistle and prosperity to St . John ' s Lodge of Bolton . " Aftor a very agreeable eveningenlivened by songs

, from Bros . Robberds , Whyatt , Bibby , and others , the brethren separated at 10 . 30 p . m . in peace ancl harmony . The following were among those nresent : —Bros . C . Fitzgerald Matier , AVm . Wayne , J . A . Whyatt , AV . G . Turner , VV . H . Hopkins , Edwin Simpson , John Parker , AVm . Parker , S . J . Phillipson , AVm . Abbey , E . Nathan , C . Henry , J . Swalwell , Dethick , Henry Turner , H . T . Eobberds , Bibby , Gillman , Burns , Dodgson , & c .

AVe believe there is a possibility of some sort of union between the conflicting jurisdictions in the Mark degree , and for our part we shall be only too pleased when the happy day shall arrive .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

Notes on the Order of the Temple and St . John , and on the Jerusalem , Encampment , Manchester . Collected by Bro . JOHN YAKKER , jun ., P . M . ; P . M . Mark ; P . Z . ; P . E . C . ; T . PT . ; E ^<; & C .. & C . Manchester . 1869 . IT is well known that Bro . Tarker has devoted much time and attention to the careful investigation of old Masonic and other records , and in looking into the

constitutions of the different bodies— -in what are known as the higher grades in Freemasonry ; and he has brought together in the work before us a mass of very interesting matter relating to the chivalric Order of the Temple —the different languages thereof , and to the Knights of Malta , and the Grand Priors , Masters or Commanders in England who presided over the members of those

Orders . Bro . Tarker has given a very interesting sketch of the connection which is supposed to exist between the Ancient and True Chivalric Order of the Temple and the present body of " Masonic Knights ' Templar , " together with a number of very interesting notes and extracts from certain Masonic Knight Templars' proceedingswhich merit the most attentive

, perusal . W e propose to give , from time to time , extracts from Bro . Tarkers' work , as opportunities offer . The following is from the first portion of the book :- — " The origin of the ceremonials of the early military fraternities is lost in the mist of antiquity ; analogous rites may , however , be traced amongst the ancient

Teutonic , Celtic , Persian , and other allied races , but what is now known as Christian Knighthood , in its present form , is not of older date than the period when Christianity became the dominant religion . "The term Knight is of Anglo-Saxon origin , and signified servant or soldier of the king ; but the equivalent French term—Chevalier— -is derived from clieval

, equestrian accomplishments being more strictly insisted upon in Prance than in the land of the Angles . In Saxon times the ceremonials of Knighthood were in a great measure in the hands of the abbots and priests , and were therefore of an eminently religious character in England ; but not so in France , where the rites still retained their old warlike character ; regardless ,

however , of these differences in terms , usages , and ceremonials , the laws of chivalry strictly enjoined the virtues and courtesies of the order , which are at present thoroughly embodied in Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry , and required their strict observance amongst the-Knights of all nations . It was common also for Knights to form brotherhoods-in-armsin which they bound

, themselves by oath to share each , others good or bad ! fortune in common . "It is , however , more particularly to the Crusades , in which whole nations fastened to their cloaks the Red ' Cross of the Crucified one , that we are to look for the development of this our Order . These wars placed Godfrey de Bouillon upon the throne of Jerusalem . At

this time was found to exist in the Holy City the small and pious hospital foundation , which subsequently gave birth to the noble Order of St . John . In the reign of Baldwin IL , nine French Knights in 1118 formed ai fraternity in arms for the safe escort of pilgrims , and in . a few years became known as the Order of Knighthood of the Temple of Solomon , and poor fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ . About the same period the hospital fraternity before referred to , having grown in favour as well as in riches , assumed the profession of arms , in

addition to their former duties of providing for the sick and needy , and beca . me known as the Order of Knights Hospitallers of St . John of Jerusalem , of Palestine , & c . The constitutions of the two orders were very similar ; the names of their officers ai * e found in our present Maltai degree ; but the Templars styled their rulers and houses Preceptors and Preceptories ; the Knights of St . John

Commanders and Commanderies . They were divided into two principal orders or classes , and a fixed ceremonial of reception was drawn up by their first Grand Masters , and nearly identical in both Orders ; the ritual , however , being varied to suit the duties of the two classes . First , the brothers of noble descent , who had received knightly honours ; second , the lower class of

men-at-arms , who from want of the advantages of birth were ineligible for knighthood . Taking rank between these was also a class of priests , or chaplains , who conducted their religious ceremonies . But the Templars refused admission to any one who had not already received the honour of knighthood , whilst the Knights of St . John conferred the dignity upon the noble

noviciate , and even allowed him to enter the lower class of serving brothers and men-at-arms , until such time as he was prepared to take upon himself the vows of knighthood . These two great Orders , for such they became , of the Temple and St . John , with some others , fought and bled side by side in the East , until in A . D 1291 they were expelled by the Saracens , and took re-,

fuge in Cyprus . Soon after this , Raymond Lulli , the pioneer of the Rosicrucians , advocated the union of all orders of knighthood , but Jacques de Molay , the Grand Master of the Templars , refused his consent before Pope Clement Y . ; and at length the large estates of the Templars caught the repacious eye of Philip le Bel , of France , and the no less infamous Clement V ., and the doom of the Order of the Temple was fixed . These monarchs suborned witnesses , who brought the most unfounded and damnable accusations against the valiant