Masonic Notes And Queries.

neatly cngraccd on copper plates , Svo ., tivo editions , London , 1731 , ive read —• " On Friday , the 27 tli day of . 'December , 172 S , the Eight Hon . the Lord Kingston , Grand Master of the Autient Society of Free and Accepted Masons , bespoke a play , viz ., the second part of "King Henry IV ., '' to be acted on the Monday following , at the Theatre Royal in Drury-lane , for the entertainment of fche brethren , and ordered a neiv

prologue to be spoke on that occasion ; as also a scene to be altered for introducing tho 'Prentice ' s Song , as published in the Constitutions , ivhich was done accordingly , and all the Freemasons in the pit and boxes joined in the chorus , to the entire satisfaction of the AA'holo audience . " AVe omit the prologue and epilogue referring " C . Beachc " to the Book itself . ]

CHARLES MUDIX , Particulars arc wanted ofthe Lodge , dates of initiation , & c , and what offices , if any , were held by the celebrated Charles Dibdin , the naval song writer and composer , AA'ho was one of our brethren . —M . C .

illi . KAXE , THE AMERICAN TKAA'ELLEIi . Being in company with some brother Masons lately , some among them stated that almost all the celebrated travellers ot late years had been , or were Masons , and Dr . Kane was cited as an example . Can you inform me if such is correct?—Burro . —[ If our correspondent will take the trouble to turn to the Freemasons ' Magazine for Jul 1857 . 215 he will there find that a Masonic flag

y , , p , ivas presented to Dr . Kane , by the Masons of Nova Scotia , and presented by our brother , Dr . Kane , to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , upon his return from his Arctic expedition . See also an obituary notice of Dr . Kane , in the Freemasons' Magazine , p . 1 ) 69 , for May , 1857 . ]

AMERICAX MASOXIC PERIODICALS . I am desirous of consulting some of the numerous American periodicals on Masonry , but inquire far and near , as I do , I cannot hear of tiny brother ivho has such a collection , nor do I believe there arc any to be found in our public libraries . It is impossible to purchase all of them , as the cost would be enormous . Lately I had a little JIasonic book imported for me from Neiv York , and after it had

been five months in transitu , from the date of my ordering it , I had to pay eight shillings and sixpence for a pamphlet , published last year , containing just fifty-nine pages ! AVhat I want to knoAv is , IIOAV are we to get a sight of American Masonic publications ? and , if admissible to ask such a favour , can any brother kindl y furnish the readers of this il / tu / astue with a list ol such periodicals ?—S . B . AV .

MASOXIC CHARTS . A brother inquired of me where he could obtain a Masonic chart ? AllIkucAv of thcin was that Jeremy L . Cross published in the United States , The True Alasonic Churl , a Jlierotjlijphic Monitor : containing all ihe , Emblems , explained in ( he Dei / r ' ees oj Entered Apprentice , Fellow Craft , Master Mason , Marie Master , J ' usl Master , AIosl Excellent Master , Jloyal Arch , Royal Master , and Select AlasterDesi

. gned and dulg arranged accordini / lo the Lectures . _ To which is added , Illustrations , Charges , Sou ' gs , frc , icilit Additions and Engravinqs . This , I am informed , has gone through sixteen editions , the last dated New York , 1801 . I was also told that sonic one used to travel about London , offering to sell Alasonic charts to the different Lodges . If any brother remembers this , perhaps he will kindl y afford the information , and also a description of what is known amongst us as a JIasonic chart ?—BiiiLiopoLE .

THE LADY FREEMAKOX . Haiing often heard about the lady Freemason , I am inclined to ask you to solve my doubts on the point , for I have no means of elucidating the facts for myself . Is the legend that a lady was made a Freemason true , or is it only a quiz on the Craft ?—A XOEXG - MASOX . —[ The legend is perfectly true , and may be seen , very happily told , in Burke ' s Anecdotes ofthe Aristocracy , as well in the

as Freemasons' Magazine for July , 1850 , p . 480 . ] DIt . HEMMIXG . Is anything known of the late Rev . Dr . Hemming , who , ivith others , altered the ritual at the Union in 1818 , and sat as Master ot Lie Lodge of Reconciliation . He was , it is said , Chaplain to our late M . AV . G . M . HRHthe Duke of SussexAVhere

, ... . can a biography of him be found ?—F . R . _ . AYREx ' S CANDLESTICKS . Inl resion ' s Filusii-alions of Masonry , thirteenth edition , corrected and revised by Stephen Jones , Svo . ' , 1821 , page 172 , occurs the lolloAYing note : — " It appears from the records of the Lodge oi

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Antiquity that Mr . AVren at tins time attended the meetings regularly , and that , during his presidency , he presented to that Lodge three mahogany candlesticks , which arc still preserved , and hi ghly prized , as a memento of the esteem of the honourable donor . " Would it be too exacting to request some member of the Lodge of Antiquity to furnish a description of these gifts of G . M . AVren' ?—A NEOPHYTE .

I ; ED CROSS OE ROME AXI > CONSTAXTIKK . Is there such a degree among the higher grades as the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ? And if so , where is it held , and ivho are eli gible to be received into it ?—D——¦ x . LODGE AVARDENS , In an old plate representing the interior of a Lodge room , and published by authority , the Wardens' chairs are placed , both together , at one end of the table , and the Master's at the other . HOAV long did this observance last?—CRITO .

Literature.

Literature .

REVIEWS . WORKS ON ORGANS . 1 . A Short Account of ' Organs Buill , in England from the Reign of King Charles the Seconel lo the Present Time . By SIR JOHN SUTTOX " , Bart . \ London : Masters , Aldersgate-street .

2 . Sciidamore Organs , or Practical Hints respecting Organs for Village Churches and Small Chancels , on J . mproced Principles . By the Rev . JOHX BAROX , M . A ., Rector of Upton , Scudamore , AVilts , and late Michel FCIIOAV of Queen ' s College , Oxford . London : Bell and Daldy , Fleet-street . 8 . The Organ : Lis History and Construction ; by E . J . Hoeiaxs , Organist of the Temple Church . Preceded by an Entirely New History of the Organ , Memoirs of Builders , & c ., - by E . F . RiMBAUi . T , LL . D . London : Cocks and Co ., NCAV Burlingtonstreet .

EACH of these works—the two former of which are comparatively little known , the latter extensively known , and of acknowledged merit—are ivell worthy of a notice iu our pages . Organ building , an art so intimately connected or rather associated with that of church building , as to have become an almost equal matter of interest to the Craft ( whose province it has ever been to promote and encourage the fine arts in any and every department ) with

architecture itself—has made rapid strides within the last tivo centuries , and may now be said to have arrived perhaps as nearly at perfection as can ever be the case with any art . The first tivo of these works seem to tend decidedly to the depression , the latter ns decidedly to the exaltation , of the noble art . Sir John Sutton's work was published anonymously , but there never ivas any real secret as to its authorship , for

independently of its being openly and unreservedly spoken of at the time , the author's views with regard to organ building were so Avell known that it could scarcely have been written by any one else . And one word ivith regard to the author himself , which , as all that ivc have to say of him is in his praise , cannot be considered offensive . At the time at ivhich lie published the work he ivas a FelloAV Commoner of Jesus CollegeCambridgein the beautiful

, , chapel of which ( at the time undergoing a thorough restoration ) he erected an organ , which he undertook to play himself at the chapel services , making provision at the same time for the formation and maintenance of a choir . He has since joined the Church of Rome ( in which step , as he was doubtless actuated by earnest and conscientious motives , no one ivill presume to judge him ) , so that his college is deprived of his future services ; but the organ

which he erected , and the choir ivhich he originated , still remain as monuments of his generous munificence . The list and account of the principal organ builders , from Father Schmidt ( or Smith , as he is more commonly called , ) down-Avards , may of course be relied on , and contains some interesting particulars , giving us at least the probable history of some well known organs , e . ti .:

—"A more celebrated man than Loosenioru , * and indeed than any other of his time , was Italph Dallans , but the remains of his handiivork arc unfortunately very scanty . Amongst those knoAvn we may reckon tho organ ofthe parish church of Kogby , Kbrthanqitonshire ; t and Anthony a AVood says , that he also built the instrument for th . e Music School at Oxford , and that it contains four stops . Now , at the present time , there * Tho builder of the organ ill Exeter Cathedral . I- AVai-ivickshire ?