Knights Templary In Devonshire.

A chapter of the H . R . A . was convened Rt . W . Mr . Anthony Cooper in the chair , when the following officers were chosen , viz : — Anthony Cooper , R . W . M . \ Jno . Young , S . W . * E .. S .. E .. Hardman \ &

Jno . , J . W . Davd . Sinclair , ~ ) T .. / H .. R .. A .. Wm . Henbury , | Levites 7 Anthony Cooper , Z . \ David Sinclair , H . j Benj . ElyJ .

, John Young , Ezra , Royal Arch . John Hardman , N . Willm . Henbury , P . S . I Jno . Trickett , Tyler . / Bros . Robt . Brooks , Jno . Hole , and Francis

Jose De Cruz , Geometric Master Masons , who had just and lawfully passed the chair , being recommended by the Master and Wardens was installed into the sublime degree of * E .. S .. E .. and H .. R .. A .., after part of a lecture went round , the chapter was adjourned in due form , and good

harmony at 10 o ' clock . The Encampment met on Good Friday , April 4 th , 1806 , also on Sunday April 6 , 1806 , Business being over , Encampment closed till it shall please God it call them together again . The next meeting was under warrant from the Duke of York .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

QUEUY . Will you kindly allow the following query to appear in your Magazine : When a member of a lodge makes a protest as well as a complaint against the ruling of a W . M ., and makes an entry in the Secretary's books to refer the same to the Grand Lodge , the said member demands

copies of said minute ; is it in tie poiver of the said WM . to refuse to give the copies , although frequently written to do so by the aggrieved brother ? If this is law , how can a brother refer his case home so as to get justice in . England . Books and documents can be sent to Grand Lodge , but in the Colonies

we cannot send home our books . —A P . M . oi ? THKEE LODGES . 3 TEEEMASONEY ABOUT TWO UtTNDBED YEAES 01 D . "A Masonic Student" cannot have read my remarks at page 22 S very carefully , or he would not have much

so misunderstood what I said , or misquoted me as he does at page 267 . JS . g . He does not even give the title correctly ; then he alters my meaning and words altogether when he states , " Pictus alludes to the lodge dinners of these early fraternities . " Now I deny making such allusionwhat

anv ; I said was—that after the establishment " of the corporation "— " the lodge meeting would be often in a great measure another name for the annual dinner . " Again , I distinctly place the " building

Masonic Notes And Queries.

fraternities " in the " 13 th and 14 th centuries , " while I as distinctly implied the " corporations '' were after them , viz ., —in the 16 th and 17 th centuries ( some Masonic corporations may , perhaps , be somewhat earlier ) , and onwards till now , though they have now lost their trade privileges .

He then says—Pictus is quite incorrect in asserting " that the Master Mason ' s degree is a new creation about the beginning of last century ; '' and he adds , " there is plenty of incontestable evidence , as it appears to me , to prove that its landmarks were known long before the revival * in 1715 . "

Well , Pictus admits that " the landmarks were know long before the revival , " said "landmarks " being the Bible , the histories of different countries in Europe and of Egypt , with the customs , & c , of the peoples , out of which " landmarks" certain individuals fabricated our Master Mason ' s degree about

A . D . 1700 . "The Master Mason ' s degree" being quite a different thing from a " Master Mason , '' or a "Maister of Work , " who employed or overlooked his workmen . But if " A Masonic Student" asserts that said " Master Mason's degree" was in existence before Ashmole ' s time , about 200 years ago , let him

prove it . If Pictus can be shown to be wrong , let there be led—proof—proof—proof ! Name the individual raised to the M . M . degree and the lodge which gave it . I promise most readily to admit my error if it can be proved that I really have erred . I am afraid "A Masonic Student" makes a mistake about the education required or possessed by

operative Masons ; the best educated men are not necessarily the best Craftsmen . Tradesmen get intoa sort of knack at working , and with a little writing and figuring ( or some other plan ) so that they may mark off their work , they can do anything almost in the building way . When once one structure has

been executed , they can easily build a thousand like it , and they can add improvements as they go on . The history of Gothic architecture gives one a sort of idea of " follow the leader . " However , the question is not what they could do , but what did they do ? f In order that there may be no unnecessary

misunderstanding of ideas betwixt us , I would respectfully ask of " A Masonic Student , " if he be content with placing the antiquity of Freemasonry at the utmost in the middle ages , or does he go as far back as Solomon ?—PICTUS .