Masonic Notes And Queries.

be unknown until the time that God shall gather her people again together , and receive them into mercy ; then shall the Lord show them these things , and the glory of the Lord shall also appear ; ' and Jeremy the prophet commanded them that were carried away to take care of the fire , as it has been signified . " And

after the return of the Israelites from Babylon , the same authority informs us , " Now after many years when it pleased God , Neemias being sent from the King of Persia , did send of the posterity of those priests that had hid it , to the fire ; but Avhere they told us they found no fire , but only thick Avater ; then

commanded he them to draw it up , and to bring it , and when the sacrifices Avere laid on , Neemias commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood , and the things laid thereupon , with the water , Avhen this was done ; and the time came that the sun shone , which afore was hid in the clouds . Then was a great fire

kindled , so that every man marvelled . And Avhen the sacrifice Avas consumed , Neemias commanded the water that was left to he poured on the great stone ; when this was done , there was kindled a flame , but it was consumed ( or extinguished ) by the light ( the brilliant delta ) that shined from the altar . " Again ,

Ezekiel , in his vision , tells us , "He put forth the form of an hand , and took me by a lock of mine head , and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven , aud brought me in a vision of God unto Jerusalem ; and ivhen I looked , behold , a hole in the wall ; then said lie unto me , Son of man , dig

now in the Avail ; and when I had digged in the wall , behold , a door !" It will be seen that neither Dr . Jones , in his beautiful dramatic arrangement of the Craft Royal Arch Degree , nor the corresponding degree of the Knight of the Ninth Arch , iu the series of the Ancient and

Accepted Rite , follows A'ery closely the description of the cavern and the approaches leading to it in the Holy Scriptures , and both are guilty of a slight anachrocism in making use of a keystoned arch in connection with a Corinthian Temple ; but it may he interesting to remark that , in the Royal Arch ritual ,

the candidate had formerly to creep through a narrow passage , and , in the ceremony of the Knight of theNinth Arch , the neophyte has to pass nine sentries before he can reach the Sacred Yault . Both these are evidently based upon a tradition of the Avinding entrance leading into the Sarcophagus Chamber of the Great Pyramid . —ROSA CRUCIS .

MASONIC APRON IN CROMWELL ' S ARMT . Can any of your readers inform me the authority for the following passage in Sir Walter Scott's novel of "Woodstock ? " It is from the speech of Col . Harrison , from the forest scene : — " Down on your right knees , front rank—spare not the spoiling of your blue aprons . Zerubbabel . Ay , that is the word . " — ROSA CRTJCIS .

THE DAIS . We often hear allusions to those on the dais . What is the meaning of the term ?— -A JUNIOR WARDEN . —[ Dais is the French for a canopy . It also became incorporated into our own language by . the Normans , and signified the same . In old French it was written

dois ; in the Provencal , deis , and then signified a table . This was derived from the Latin discus . In Italian it was desco ( literally a desk , in English ) . In German , tisc 7 i . Dais is a corruption of dois , similar to epias

Masonic Notes And Queries.

and espois . The word was then applied to the raised step upon which a table Avas placed , and , in the middle ages , these tables were covered by a canopy . In the course of time canopies were disused , and the step still retained the original name . From this it will he seen that a dais is a seat of honour raised

above the other portions of a table or hall . Where there was no dais the salt marked the division of superior and inferior . To sit above the salt w as honourable ; beloiv it , inferior or menial . ]

FREEMASONS AND PHILOSOPHERS . . In what philosopher's writings can Freemasonry he recognised?—P . M . —[ In scores . Take Bacon ' s New Atlantis , for one . ] LOSING THE KEY . What is the meaning of losing the key ?—an

expression I heard from a foreign brother ( Swiss ) . — P . M . —[ It is an allegorical way of saying he parted with the secret ; whether hy revelation or forgctfulness you are the best judge . ]

FREE-MASTER . What is a free-master ?—P . M . —[ A person free of a guild or corporation . Quentin Metsys Avas admitted free-master of the guild of S . Luke ( that of the painters ) , at Antwerp , in 1491-92 . His two sons Pete ' r and James , were admitted apprentices into tho same guild iu 1510 . ]

NAMES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES . I should he very glad if you would give the English meaning of all the names of the tribes , & c , in the second chapter of the Book of Numbers . — THIRD CHAIR . —[ Moses , taken out of the water . Aaron , a lofty teacher . Judah , praise by knowledge .

Issachar , recompense . Zebulon , habitation . Reuben , son of visiou . Simeon , to hear and obey the word of God . Gad , happily armed and prepared to fight the battles of Israel . Ephraim , vegetating power . Manasseh , forgetfulness of God . Benjamin , son of the right haud . Dan , judgment . Asher , happiness . Napthali , comparison . ]

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents MASONIC FUNERALS IN SOUTH WALES .. TO TUB EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Notivitbsraudmg our Provincial Grand Mason and his satellite have been

endeavouring to use their influence to prevent brethren in this province supplying you with communications , I am fully persuaded your sole aim is to benefit the Craft , and if there are any corrupt practices , to expose them—not for the purpose of destiningbut to amend and conserve an institutionto the

, , study of the laws and constitutions of which you have devoted so much attention as to have become the recognised authority of the Order . I am equally convinced that your consistent and persistent expo * sures of everything like Masonic abuses , hoAvever unpalatable they may be to the evil-doerswhose

trans-, actions Avill not bear the light of publicity amongst their brethren , so far from being fraught with danger to our Order , as the transgressors would have us believe , are directed solely by an earnest and praise-