Masonic Notes And Queries.

under the notice of brethren , and as they are commonly signed by the officers of the lodges for the year , they afford , as in this instance , materials for a record . If , therefore , brethren will avail themselves of the opportunity , we shall by means of THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE collect some interesting particulars . For instance , we are very desirous at Constantinople and Smyrna of obtaining facts as to the older lodges , which once existed . —HYDE CLAM , Constantinople , April 22 , 1861 .

KNIGHTS OP CONSTANTINOPLE . In your MAGAZINE of January 5 th , ] S " o . 79 , there is a query about the jewel of Knights of Constantinople , which you did not answer . As I am an Illustrious Sovereign of the Order , I can give you the correct description of the jewel , which is sold by Bro . E . Spencer , of Great Queen-street . The jewels are of two kinds , viz ., of Illustrious Sovereign ,

one heart between two poignards , silver , banging from a red riband , in the centre of which there should be an imperial crown , in gold . The jewel of a Companion is thc same , with the exception of having a crescent and star , instead of a crown on the riband thus , all in silver . The Illustrious Sovereign must be a P . M . of a lodge , and the Companions M . ' . M . - . I enclose my card , but do not wish to have my name published , although I am one of your admirers , and have been a subscriber of your MAGAZINE , from the 1 st of January , 1857 .

LODGE NO . II , IN 1735 . Which lodge is it that in 1735 was JNo . 11 , and met at the Queen ' s Head in Knaves-acre , and was constituted Feb . 27 th 172-1 ? also , where was Knaves-acre?—C . E . T . HAM , AND TIIE ASK AND MARK DEGREE . What is the reason that Ham , Shah ' s son , is excluded from the Ark and Mark degree ?—T . A . T . —[ If you have taken that degree you ought to know the second answer in the lecture . If not , read your Bible , and you will find out .

" THE MORGAN INVESTIGATOR . Has any one in England a copy of a periodical entitled The Morgan Investigator , which appeared for some eighteen months at Batavia , United States , at the time ofthe Morgan excitement in 1826 . —Ex . Ex . LODGE SEALS . What lodges have peculiar , emblematic , armorial , or other

descriptions of dies , or seals . —A COLLECTOR . HENRY MOZLEY . Is anything known of ono Henry Mozlej ' , of Gray ' s Inn ? I have an old book of French Masonic songs , with the music , and this is the name and address written on the cover . — M . 0 . WAS SHAKESPERE A MASON ? In "Antony and Cleopatra , " act ii ., scene 3 , Antony says : — JMv Octavia ,

. Read not my blemishes in the world ' s report , I have not kept my square ; but that to come Shall all be done by rule . The words in italic are , I presume , intended to convey the meaning of a Mason . Was Shakespere a Mason ?—A . B . —[ If every word that is used in Shakespeare ' s plays is to betaken as conveying that the author belonged to the Craft

that employs' them , then indeed Shakespere must have been pretty well everything , and he has been called almost everything by turns . JNothing is easier than to turn to Ayscough ' s , or Mrs . Cowden Clarke ' s Concordances , and hunting up all the terms knoivn to exist , in one art , or business , make the poet ' s ivords prove him to have belonged to that calling . There is a vast deal too much idle nonsense

talked about Shakespere , by people who , if they had a little sense , would not try to make an author beeomeless than he was by pulling him down to their own level . ] MASONS CLOTHED IN IVHITE . There is a report that in the last century Masons in Germany , France , Holland , and Denmark , used to be entirely clothed in ivhite when in lod . At what time was such a

ge practice prevalent ?—F . C . MASONIC EXPULSIONS . Is there any record kept of those brethren who have been expelled from Masonry ?—Civis . —[ We hope not . Many have , in former clays , suffered the disgrace , but , thank God ,

none of late years . Would not CIVIS be more charitable if he refrained from seeking'for such ? Let us hope all who have been expelled havo repented . Our pages cannot bo made the vehicle to re-open their shame ] . UNRECOGNISED DEGREES . I should be glad if any of your correspondents who are in possession of unrecognised degrees , by which I mean such

as do not come within the list of any of the existing authorities here , would kindly communicate to me , through the Editor , what they arc , and who belong to them . —S . A . S . TRACING 0 E A CURIOUS MEDAL . [ It won't do ; we cannot engrave it . The plumb rule yon allude to is nothing of the kind . We keep a good g lass , and are not so easildeceived . You tried our gullibility once

y before with a sham apron . JNhxt time you waut to exercise your pencil , try some one else , or we shall be compelled to attend lodgo JSTO . , at the Hall , and ask the brethren what they think of your facetiousness ] .

1 SURPLICES IN LODGE . I ^ am chaplain of a lodge . I think it more becoming to that character to do my duty in a surplice . Can any oneof your readers favour mo with a precedent , as I have no desire to be an innovator?—M . A ., Cantab . sm KNIGHT . AVhat is the meaning of using the title Sir Knight , by

Knights Templar ? It jarred painfully on my ear when I was lately installed . —AAA . —[ AVe used to think as you do , but have come to regard it differently . Knights Templar are made Knights , but it ivould be ridiculous to speak of a nian as Sir Humphrey Brown , who is neither a Baronet or Knightbachelor . Therefore , in an Encampment , such a one is addressed as Sir KntHumphrey Broivnandhf a Baronet or

. , Knight is present , he does not feel that we are in any way infringing-upon his legal and recognised status in society , but knows that the Humphrey Brown , aforesaid , is a Masonic Knt . Templar . ] ,

HEREDITARY MARKS OF MASONS . As in the operative Craft of Masonry many men havo marks which have been handed down from father to son , is there , in the Mark degree , any brethren that use marks which their fathers adopted before them?—S . 0 . SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL . It has been said that tho 33 ° , or Supreme Grand Council ,

is older than Craft Masonry . Is this the case ?—E . A . T . — - [ Who has said so ? Every assertion should be founded on a reference , and the latter correctly given . The Supreme Grand Council was established in 1786 by Frederick II ., of Prussia , and has gradually spread into various countries . ] HEALING A MASON . AVhat is meant by healing a Mason ? I lately read iu a

continental paper that Bro . ( I forgeu thc name ) was formally healed in a lodge . I am sure my translation of the word "hcilen , " to heal , is correct . —C . JE . —[ To heal is correct . It means that , when a brother lias taken a degree under a clandestine , or non-recognised authority , and presents himself to a regular lodge for re-obligation , he is said to be healed . It is an expressive term , ancl fully conveys its own meaning . ]

IVAS HIRAM ABIF MARRIED ? Was Hiram Abif married , ancl if so , to whom ?—X . E . — [ Some say yes , some no . Ask Adonhiram the first time you meet him . ] WAS HELD-MARSHAL RI . UClIET . A BROTHER ? I have been reading a life of Blucher , and it appears to mo that either he was a brother , or the writer of it was one .

Can any one tell me if Field-Marshal Blucher was a Mason ? -CE . KNIGHTS OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE . AVhat is a Council of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre , and to what order , or system , does the degree belong?—A KNT . OR CALATRAVA . MEDAL OP THE RISING STAR LODGE .

Iii 1844 , Bro . Burnes founded the Rising Star Lodge for thc natives of India . They , in commemoration of the event caused a medal to be struck by AVyon , the Engraver to the Mint here in London . Has any one a copy or impression of that medal ?—P . P .