Masonic Notes And Qjjeries.

Hughan informs me have never yet been published . I trust that that Masonic reproach will soon be wiped off , and , verbatim et literatim , copies set before us iu the pages of the Freemasons'' Magazine . The past state of our Masonic literature is a disgrace to Freemasonry , and it is Freemasons themselves who are to blame on account of their hitherto iu general almost total indifference to the real diffusion or

reception of that " light" about which they talk so much . I trust that now , however , when the Magazine is reduced to half its former price , it will be encouraged ancl its readers instructed . Sloane 3023 is one of those alluded to by " A Masonic Student , ' ' at page 290 , April 10 th . At same place he also states that the Masonic MSS . " are all

easily found in tlie British Museum . " True , perhaps , for those brethren who live in London ; but ¦ what about the readers of this Magazine who live hundreds , yea thousands of miles therefrom ? and who , many of them at least , may perhaps never even expect to see London ! for themthey miht about as

, g well almost be non est , until at least some kind friend or brother presents us with verbatim et literatim copies of them . I trust that some of our London brethren will see after this , and , whatever they give us , let it be an exact copy—verbatim et literatim—of the original .

I put so much stress upon this verbatim et literatim " point , " because e . g . I received a " copy " of " the ] N ew Articles , " in Harl 1942 , from Bro . Hughan , but upon reading them over I . judged that , had they been written in the beginning of the 17 th century , they would not have been written exactlas I received

y them ; so , to settle the point , I forwarded the copy to Mr . Bond , when he very courteously wrote me back , it agrees with the ori ginal " only partially—the copyist having overlooked peculiarities in many instances . " I therefore suppose that Bro . Hughan had

not taken his copy personally , but got it from some other copy . However , I expect that Bro . Hughan ' s new work , referred to at page 471 , June 12 th , will contain some very interesting and important information regarding our Masonic MSS . as well as upon Ereemasonry in general . Regarding Sloane 3329 f . 102—a of which is

, copy given at Appendix " C , " page 691 , of Eindel ' s history—I would like to know if , as Eindel gives it , it he an exact copy ? If not , I would hope to see some contributor to the Magazine favouring us with a verbatim et literatim copy soon ; more especially as it is short . Eurther , if there be , as I hope there will ,

a great influx of new readers soon , they will naturally say—what ' s the use of speaking about Sari No . this or Sloane No . that ? Tell us what these Harl and Sloane documents , to which you refer , say , and then we will be able to take an interest in the matter , and , knowing exactly what you are writing aboutwe

, will be able to judge of it . I consider the subject of Masonic MSS . and old lodge minutes written before A . D . 1720 , to be one of the most interesting and valuable in connexion with the rise of Ereemasonry in England at the beginning of last century . Anclif they wish to play a due part in

, the elucidation of these , our London brethren will have to pull up or they will be overtopped by the provincials ; further , said provincials , too , in great measure hailing from ' over the border ; " for , to my astonishment , when telling Bro . Hughan that , being

an Englishman , he ought to keep up the Mediaeval JSnglish Architecture , he writes me back— ' I am a Scot aud a Briton . " —W . P . BUCHAN . POSITION Or THE TWO PIHQAES—BOAZ AND JACHIN . B J __A _

North , South , or O or Left Side . Bi ght Side .

D

" West end . Solomon ' s Temple , about 105 feet long ( including the porch ) and 30 feet broad . A , the Porch ; C , the Holy Place ; D , the Holy of Holies , or Oracle . Josephus , Book 8 , chap . 3 , says : — " Its front was "

to the East And he setfive of thelavers on the left side of the temple , which was that side towards the north wind , and as many on the right side towards the south . " Then , 1 st Kings , chap . 7 , verse 21 : — " And he set up the right p illar and called the name thereof Jachin ; and he set up the left

pillar , and called the name thereof Boaz . " The Book of Kings , or the records from which the Book of Kings was compiled , were probably written by some official of the Temple ; hence , speaking of the right and left of the Temple , he speaks of it as one would whostanding within itlooks out from it ;

, , not as a spectator would speak , who was looking at it ; hence he says , Jachin is on the right { i . e ., on the south ) and Boaz on the left ( i . e ., on the north ) . According to Josephus , therefore , the front of Solomon ' s Temple looked to the east , whereas the front of our cathedrals look towards the west , and

their principal entrance is in the west end . As to the area and exact position of the site of Solomon ' s Temple , it will be most interesting to see the plans and explanations of Lieutenant "Warren , B . E ., by-and-bye ; but we are sorry to find that he receives so little encouragement in his researches either from Christian churches or Masonic lodges ; it

is a shame for any of said churches or lodges to know that as yet they have given nothing ! The faith and doctrines of the one and the rituals , & c , of the other are so intimately associated with Jerusalem that they ought to feel proud to have an opportunity of assisting such an interesting and important object . Some lodges have done their duty in this respectthe more reason , therefore , for the general body to follow their example . — ~ W \ P . BUCHAN .

EOSE CEOIX DBGEEE . After your valuable dissertation on this degree , it will be useful to ask for information as to the first inventor of the Christian character of the Rose Croix degree , and whether the ritual is the same in all countries . —J . ~ VV . M .