Masonic Celestial Mysteries.

( Prov . 31 6 7 )* Dionysius or Bacchus still retains the cup , the branch of the tree from whence suspended is llamus , and the time of execution , the termination of the yearwhenthesun-kinghasrun his course , and is ahvays hanged draAvn and quartered

on the 30 Dec , pendentisqui dei ! The gold and silver age of intellect is indeed passed , and there remains little but spurious brass as the current coin of classic literature . Symbolism is endedmental poetry no longer understood , and brotherl y

love has become a by-word and reproach—silver sixpences instead of bearing little naked boys and palm trees which afforded food for the mind , now have " sixpence" stamped upon them , denoting their value in exchange of food for the body . The

beautiful copper coins of old , impressed with mysterious symbols speaking to the mind of the learned , have been superceded by pence and

halfpence with one penny stamped on the one , and "half-penny" on the other , lest the reading educated multitude should mistake the pence for the half-pence . The school master is indeed abroad and the consequence is , that at home the mind is

not taught and intellect has become no longer requisite . Intellect says Bailey , is " the faculty of the soul . " It may have been so before the 18 th century commenced—before ignorance usurped the domain of intelligence . Since then , what is called

education , has graduall y equalised all men , so that noAV the charity boy oftentimes is better educated than the Lordly Collegian , no wonder therefore that mechanism with matter of facts , have conquered the classics . Modern intellect and knowledge are

scrambling after sixpences for the soul of the Licenciate Pedro Garcias has been transmuted into copper .

The Ancient Records Of "The Lodge Of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel)," No. 1.

THE ANCIENT RECORDS OF "THE LODGE OF EDINBURGH ( MARY'S CHAPEL ) , " No . 1 .

BY BKO . D . MURRAY LYON . Having observed in the MAGAZINE the favourable association of our name Avith the minutes of Mary ' s Chapel , we wish it to be understood that it is to the kindness of the R . W . Bro . Wm . Officer , S . S . C ., and his . colleagues , that the Fraternity are indebted for the opportunity that

is at present being given for a thorough examination of the most ancient lodge records extant , and that in doing so these gentlemen have been actuated solely by a desire to advance the cause of Masonic Literature .

Non-Operative Office-Bearers Or Scotch Lodges In The 17th Century.

NON-OPERATIVE OFFICE-BEARERS OR SCOTCH LODGES IN THE 17 TH CENTURY .

In tracing the early connection of non-operatives with Masonic Lodges , currency has been given to assertions that are inconsistent with fact—the result , in the first instance , perhaps , of carelessness on the part of those examining the MS . from which the alleged information is said to have been drawn .

One of several errors into which the historian of the Grand Lodge of Scotland has fallen is the statement , that " it appears from the minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh ( Mary's Chapel ) , that Thomas Boswell , Esq ., of Auchinleck , was made a Warden of the Lodge in the year 1660 . "

We shall not f urther anticipate the History of "The Lodge of Edinburgh ( Mary ' s Chapel ) , " now in course of preparation , than to say that the minutes of this famous

lodge do not afford ground for the assertion to which we have taken exception . Boswell ' s name appears only in one sederunt of the lodge ' s meetings ; and the minute of that particular meeting-shows that he was not the Warden of the lodge . In the course of his remarks anent the minutes of the old Houghfoot Lodge , to which the

respected P . G . Sec . of Peebleshire has very properly directed attention , our friend Bro . Hughan quotes the version of Boswell ' s connexion with the Lodge of Edinburgh as given by Lawrie ; but it is no fault of his that the statement is incorrect . Like Bro . Findel and others , he has in this instance been misled by a mis-quotation . The

election in 1672 of John Earl of Cassillus as Deacon of the Lodge of Kilwinning , is the earliest instance that we have as yet found of a non-professional architect or builder holding office in a Scotch Masonic lodge . In 1674 Lord Eglinton was Deacon , and one of the Stewarts of Blaokhill Warden , of Mother Kilwinning .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

THE CONFLICT OP JURISDICTION . Is not Bro . Pictus hypercritical when he takes me to task for writing of the " Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge " of Scotland instead of the " Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter ? " For the argument I had in view it mattered not how the names were arranged , and I scarcely expected to offend anyone's

susceptibilities . Bro . Pictus reminds me of a vegetarian friend , who boasted of his change of diet because he had " eggs and potatoes " one day and " potatoes and eggs " the next . If the Grand Lodge of Scotland does " authorise all its daughter lodges to practice" the Mark Degree ,

I was nevertheless quite correct in saying that the degree is " ' sometimes given in lodges , ' ' for Bro . Pictus knows at well as I do that the Grand Chapter are doing all they can to prevent lodges conferring the degree . I also referred to the distinct " autonomy " of the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter in Scotland .

Will Bro . Pictus inform me Avhen , in hia judgment , the Royal Order was instituted and by whom its Ritual was fabricated . Popular ideas may he "imaginary '' and " rubbish , " but AA'here is the proof as to this particular Order ?— J . A . H .