Masonic Notes And Queries.

colts ,-which swarmed , in both the English and French courts , was exiled from France for some mad frolic , or wild boundings , and that he selected England for his penal settlement , having been previously well received by the King . Perhaps , like M . de Grammonfc , of whom he was a younger brother , and the Sieur de St . Evremont , he worked out his claim for pardon , like a good Frenchman of that day , by becoming a spy for the Grand Monarch "

. ' ' For the favours received from the English Monarch , M . le Grand Prieur seduced one of these minors from their allegiance to her Sovereign Lord , the King , who , at that time so passionately adored the Cytherean nymph , that he demanded her restitution as a favour , offered the courtly ravisher money , and engaged to adjust his affairs -with the French King , and obtain permission for him to return to France . The Grand

Prior held his ground , the King forbade him his palace , the commandant laughed , and went every day to the play in company with his fair captive , and seated themselves opposite the King . In this extremity Charles did his utmost to prevail upon his royal brother of France to recall this unlicensed sportsman , and , at length , succeeded . The Grand Prior replied , that he found himself very happy in England , and continued his gay career . This conduct so incensed the Kingthat he

, wrote confidentially to the French Monarch informing him of the Grand Prior ' s poaching in the Royal Preserve , which so touched the sensitive heart of Louis le Grand that lie sent an order so prompt and absolute , which made the offender against the purity of the English Court incontinently return to Paris , to amuse the no less chaste circles of Versailles with his anecdotes of sporting in England . "

The next note I shall make is one in which Freemasonry is spoken of at p . 34 ? , at seq , in the year 1698 . " Sir Christopher was also elected a second time to the honourable and distinguished office of Grand Master of the Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons , on the resignation of the Duke of Richmond , and continued to preside over the fraternity till the death of King William in 1702 . " The introduction of Freemasonry into England is supposed

to have been prior to the Roman invasion , and the remains of those gigantic works , Stonehenge , Abury , Silbury , and other immense circles , called by some Druidical , are adduced as proofs of the proposition . The fraternity flourished with varied success in England till the reign of Charles I ., under whom his eminent architect , Inigo Jones , presided as its Grand Master . The civil wars and the prevalence of Puritanism in the times of Cromwell , interrupted its progress , but prevented not its meetings , which are

more than suspected to have contributed by its secret emissaries , to the restoration of monarchy . Charles II . certainly patronised the brotherhood , both in exile and on the throne . In 1666 Wren was nominated Deputy Grand Blaster under Earl Rivers , and distinguished himself above alibis predecessors in legislating for the body at large , and in promoting the interests of the lodges under his immediate care . He was Master of the St . Paul's Lodgewhichduring the building of the Cathedral

, , , assembled at the Goose and Gridiron , in St . Paul's Churchyard , and is now the Lodge of Antiquity , acting by immemorial proscription , and regularly presided at its meetings for upwards of eighteen years . During his presidency he presented that lodge with three mahogany candlesticks , beautifully carved , and the trowel and mallet which he used in laying the first stone of the Cathedral , * which the brethren of that ancient and distinguished

lodge still possess and duly appreciate . " " During the building of the city , lodges were held by the fraternity in different places , and several new ones constituted , which were attended by the leading architects and the best builders of the day , and amateur brethren of the mystic Craft . In 1674 Earl Rivers resigned his Grand Mastership , and George Villiers , Duke of Buckingham , was elected to the dignified

office . He left the care of the Grand Lodge and the brotherhood to the Deputy Grand Master Wren and his Wardens . During the short reign of James II ., who tolerated no secret societies but the Jesuits , the lodges were hut thinly attended ; hut in 16 S 5 Sir Christopher Wren was elected Grand Master of the Order , and nominated Gabriel Cibber , the sculptor , and Edward Strong , the Master Mason at St . Paul ' s and other city churches , as Grand Wardens . The society has continued with

Masonic Notes And Queries.

various degrees of success to the present day , particularly under the Grand Masterships of the Prince of Wales , afterwards King George IV ., and his brother , the late Duke of Sussex ; and since the death of the latter , under that of the Earl of Zetland ; and lodges under the constitution of the Grand Lodge of England are held in every part of the habitable globe , as its numerical and annually increasing lists abundantly show . "

In the list of " Wren s ArchitecturalWorks , appended to Bro . Elmes ' s very readable volume , page 428 , he tells us : — " In 1710 , when "Wren had attained the seventy-eighth year of his age , the highest stone of the lantern on the cupola of St . Paul's was laid with Masonic ceremony , by Mr . Christopher Wren , the architect's son , attended by his venerable father ,

Mr . Strong , the Master Mason of the Cathedral , and the Lodge of Freemasons , of which Sir Christopher was , for so many years , the active and acting Master . " Going on to page 433 , amongst the public halls enumerated by Bro . Elmes , as built by Sir Christopher Wren , is ( No . 30 ) : — Masons' Hallin Masons' Alleybetween Basinghall Street

, , and Coleman Street ; a small but commodious structure formerly used by the Grand Lodge of Freemasons ; since that time for various other purposes , as for auctions , debating societies , and more recently for a tavern and public dining rooms . " MATTHEW COOKE .

SMYRNA AND EPHJESUS . I was very glad to see again brought forward W . Bro . Drummond ' s account of the oldLodgeof St . John of 1745 . In consequence , we now mean to have a commemorative tablet in the lodge room . The Swiss Lodge ofl 788 has been revived by me , under a warrant of the M . W . G . M ., and we have the orig inal warrant . I am now trying to

revive the old French Lodge . We have many curious Masonic relics here , besides the old charter of 1198 , the chapter relics , the old lodge and R-A . jewels , the spurious G . L . records , the sptuious G . Chapter robes , & c . 'I am now engaged in forming a summer lodge at Ephesus , where the Eleusinian mysteries were celebrated above 2000 years ago . I shall be glad to have commumcatious on this head . —HYDE OLABKE .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . ANTIQUITY 01 ? MASONIC DEGREES . TO THE EDITOH 01 ? THE FREEMASON ' S ITAGAZINB AND MASONIC MIIIROR . DEAR SIB . KSS > BROTHER , — "Ebor" complains that I have used au unmasonic expression . I admit that it may be thus considered and regret it , written as it was in a

moment of irritation at what I conceived to be unworthy treatment on bis part , since shown to be an error of the press . The term , however , was not directed personally against " Ebor , " but brethren generally who wilfully reject every proof against a strict stone masons' theory , because it gives them fancied grounds on which to dispute the authenticity of the High Grades .

If you will allow me , I will again , briefly as possible , reply to " Ebor . " First . Let your readers wholly dismiss from their minds the idea that we are , or ever were , as speculative or accepted Masons ( a term according to Dr . Leeson derived from the Coptic , and signifying a "loving brother , " ) governed by the operative constitutions . The Grand Lodge of 1717 never believed any such thing .

Anderson distinctly asserts that the speculative Masbns of the time of Henry YI . were the directors of the operative ; those constitutions undoubtedly bear within themselves unmistakeable evidence that they were framed by a lodge of speculative Masons . There are still , I understand , both in England and Scotland , operative unions governed in a similar manner , but they do not on that account claim to be Eree and Accepted Masons . The question remains was there a speculative assembly at