Masonic Notes And Queries.

OPERATIVE AND SPECULATIVE LODGES . As to my opinions on holding offices in operative and speculative lodges before and since the Revival , until Bro . Lyon has made known the character ofthe St . Mary Chapel Records of Edinburgh , on which he is now engaged , and until the History of Mother Kilwinning , Ayrshire , is published . With these two

forthcoming works to guide us , and with such extracts from old lodge minutes as Bro . J . S , and Bro . Buchan are now so kindly affording us weekly in the ' Freemasons' Magazine , we shall surely have a good foundation to build upon . In my " Analysis of Ancient and Modern Ereemasonry" will be found my general ¦ views on the history of the Craft , which is contained in the Freemasons' Magazine for October 12 th , 1867 , and many subsequent numbers . —W . J . HUGHAN .

ADMISSION OU APPRENTICES A _ XD HASTEBS BOOKED Since penning my remarks at page 103 , anent the admission of Masters or Bellows of Craft in the 16 th century requiring to be " orderlie buikit , " I came upon the following remarks by Bro . Binckes , at page 411 , of date November 20 th , 1869 : — " The O . B . imposed on initiate called him to keep

every upon concealed and unknown the fact of his initiation , the place where , and by whom , he was initiated . Under these circumstances , the absence of records , memoranda , or histories , may be readily understood . " So says Bro . Binckes , but he is wofully mistaken , as the old records of Edinburgh , Kilwinning , Glasgow ,

Aberdeen , and many other truthful , though perhaps rather plain and unfanciful , records and memoranda prove . At page 103 , the quotations given alluded to the admission of Masters , so I give another anent Apprentices : — " Item , That na Maister ressave ony Prenteiss without he signifie the samyn to the Wardene of the Ludge quhair he dwellis to the effect that the said

Prenteissis name and the day of his ressavyng may be orderlie hrilcit . " So says the Ordinance of 1598 , and at page 268 of the Magazine for April Srd , 1869 , will be found an old minute of the Lodge of Glasgow , of date 1613 , recordiug the entry of John Stewart as an Apprentice , " conform to the acts ancl liberty of

the lodge . " Then at page 448 of Laurie ' s History of Ereemasonry , in certain " Actis ancl Statutis " promulgated in 1636 , we read that all Masters " within the spaice of fyfteiu dayis eftir the makeing of the Endentors hdh their Prenteissis with their Servands and Jornaymen in the Craftis buiks of thair companie

and the entries of the Prenteisses to he onelie reput fra the date of thair luiieingis , " & c , ( tbe Italics are mine ) . In short there are many good and true records still extant , which it only requires time and money to set up , after which the mind will feel satisfied , and truth will be triumphant , while falsehood and manufactured legends will be deservedly disgraced . — W . P . BUCHAN .

THE TEMPLARS AND EREEMASONEY . ( pp . 81 and 101 ) . _ Allow me to express my thanks to Bro . Lupus for his interesting and valuable remarks upon the above subject . —PICTUS . THE WITCH 01 ? ENDOR . When lately reading the 28 th chapter of 1 Samuel , which records the visit paid by Saul , the King of Israel , to the " witch " at Endor , I found that I could not see my way to agree with the commentators .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Scott enters into a long explanation to show that it was Samuel who appeared , and . not Satan . Dr . Chalmers , again , considers "that God did raise Samuel . " Dr . John Campbell also supports the idea " that Samuel actually appeared to Saul . " Now I cannot see my way to agree with either of the

aforesaid ideas . Saul no doubt really visited the woman , who would in all likelihood soon recognise her visitor ; more , she would probably know something of the state of matters , and when Saul asked for Samuel , she would no doubt remember the latter onltoo wellconsequently she soon set her tricks to

y , work and brought up " An old man , with a mantle . " Then to make herself master of the situation , she proceeds—verse 15—to question Saul , and so get all the information she required . She therefore would draw her gloomy picture of the future in her own wayand Saul's fears would add strength even to

, very commonplace remarks . Thereafter when the " two men "—verse 8—who went with Saul would afterwards tell their story the " witch" would get credit for more than she deserved . Eurther , and I speak it' reverently , seeing God refused to answer Saul in the legitimate I cannot fancy Him

way , acceding to an illegitimate request . In short , while I admit Saul's visit to be a fact , I consider that he neither saw Samuel nor Satan , but simply the woman's tricks . —W . P . BUCHAN .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

TO THE __ DI _ OK 0 _ THE OT-EEMASOUS' MAGAZINE AUD MASOUIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —I . have recently returned to England , after a long sojourn in the East , and I learn with surprise , from letters which have appeared in the Freemasons' Magazine , that attempts have been made to establish , as a Masonic degree , or in connection

with Ereemasonry , the Order of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantino ; and having , within the last few days , read up long arrears of the ' Freemasons ' Magazine , I am not a little surprised to find , what appears to me , a series of gross deceptions attempted

to be practised upon Englishmen , and those Englishmen , too , being Masons . Of course all Ereemasons would be glad to learn what noble orders have flourished and been fed from under the wings ofthe Craft . Ereemasonry has truly

outspread her wings over many strange chickens . Might I suggest to those who are interested in foisting this spurious Masonic order upon the public , before they attempt to maintain the ground they have taken , although they appear by the correspondence to

have been shifting about , whilst promulgating their order as legitimate , whether Walter Rodwell Wright , although everything , perhaps , that his new godfathers say of him , was not a self-delusionist , and fancied falsehood to be truth ? And , furthermore , do the

The Editor is not responsible for the opinion * expressed by Correspondent * THE RED CROSS OE ROME AND CONSTANTINE .