Masonic Notes And Queries.

clog , of no more benefit than sticking a pea upon the point of a man ' s nose ; it binds down the imagination to earth , and prevents it going off naturally , as it would otherwise do , into infinity . —W . P . BUCHAN , ARCHITECTURE . —A THOUGHT .

The Egyptians were great as architects . The Greeks were Idealists ( or , shall I say Artists ?) and carried Beauty to perfection . The Romans were architects , partly fromnecessity , their position , or circumstances . The Medieval Builders were great as architects they built houses to God . —W . P . BUCHAN .

JOINING BRETHREN AND INITIATIONS . In the last number of the Freemasons Magazine it is stated by the respected Bro . >_ . B > $ < that " no person can be initiated , neither can any joining member be admitted on the same day that a new lodge is opened and consecrated . " To me this is quite new ;

nor do I find in the Book of Constitutions any authority for it . I suppose that it is based on the fact that , the lodge not having been yet formed , proper notice cannot have been given , even by inserting the names on the circular at seven days , which is a very common practice , though hy law it should be adopted

only in cases of emergency clearly defined . It occurs to me that it is no uncommon case for the members of a new lodge to hold meetings , to transact business , and even to perform Masonic rites , under dispensation , before the consecration . In such instances , proper notice having been possible—if my surmise be

correct—surely there can be no impropriety in performing the ceremony of initiation on the day of consecration ; and on this supposition , in reply to the query of > k ~ B > Z < , I cannot see any possible objection to the reception of propositions for admission or joining at that period . Whatever the law may beI

, am quite sure that , in point of fact , admissions of new members of the Order ; and the performance of the ceremonies connected therewith , have in many cases taken place on the day ofthe opening of a new lodge , and I am curious to know the ground on which our brotherwhose opinion is of some weiht

, g , pronounces such an occurrence to be inadmissible . I candidly confess that some few years ago I initiated several brethren , the Prov . G . M . himself being present , immediately after the ceremonies of consecration and installation . —H . H .

EREEMASONRY RATHER OLDER THAN 150 YEARS . King Edward III . had an officer called the King ' s Freemason , or General-surveyor of his buildings , whose name was Henry Yevele , employed by that King , about A . D . 1326 , to build several abbies , and St . Stephen ' s Chappel at Westminsterwhere the

, House of Commons now sits in Parliament . " Page 31 . The Constitutions of the Pree-masona , year of Masonry 5723 . — "In the third year of King Henry VI ., the Parliament made an Act that affected onl y the loorlcing masons , who had , contrary to the Statutes for Labourers , confederated not to work but at their

own price and wages ; and because such agreements were supposed to be made at the General Lodges , call'd in the Act Chapters and Congregations of Masons , it was then thought expedient to level the said Act against the said congregations . Tertio Henrici Sexti , Cap . 1 , AN . DOM . 1425 . " The Act of Parliament

Masonic Notes And Queries.

is then quoted . It is ordained that " such chapters and congregations shall not hereafter he holden , and if any such be made , they that cause such chapters aud congregations to be assembled and holden , if they thereof be convict , shall be judged for felons , and that the other Masons that come to such chapters and

congregations he punished by imprisonment of their bodies and make fine aud Ransome at the King ' s will . " Idem , p . 35 . —SAXELBY .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opi ? iions expressed by Correspondent * INELIGIBILITY OE CANDIDATES EOR EREEMASONRY . IO THB EDITOB OF THE FBEHHASOIfS' MAGAZINE AUD MASONIC MIBEOB . ] Dear Sir and Brother—I was very much amused

, at reading in to-day's Magazine , p . Ill , the letter of " W . L . " upon the above subject ; from the 17 th ult . to the 2 nd inst ., the matter seems to have been work- ; ing upon him , until at the latter date he reaches the " off" point , and out comes his grand explosion ! Nitro-glycerine shall be nothing to it , says he . I'll

blow these " arrant innovations " to the winds . To think of Bro . Buchan promulgating the scandalous idea that " good moral character" is the chief requisite in a candidate is , " according to my training and obligation , " preposterous ! It is the outside of the cup and platter I view . He is , therefore , past all

" absolution , " besides , it is a question whether he has not been guilty of " a Masonic fraud" and " liable to a penalty . " Yea , verily , send him

to"A vast unbottom'd , boundless pit , I . ill'd fu' o' lowin' brumstane , Whase r'agin' flame , an' scorchin' heat , Wad melt the hardest whun-stane !" An keep him there . Between miscarried , silly , or fruitless courts-martial ( vide p . 117 , Eeb . 6 th ) , and pits "o'

lowin'brumstane , " it is a wonder that Bro . B . is still alive and kicking . But to return to " W . L ., " I can fancy the look of holy horror which spread itself over the visage of a member of" this once pure Order " when he read my remarks at page 45 . I see him waxing wroth in pious indignation until , to keep himself from bursting , he—let ' s off the steam . Yea , says he , Heaven may admit the lame or the blind , the

onearm'd or the no-arm'd ; but into our " pure Order " none such shall enter , the Miltons and the Nelsons , the one-arm'd philanthropists and the one-legg'd patriots are all alike inadmissible into our fraternity ; it is not mind , character , knowledge , or virtue that we require ; no , it is arms and legs ! So virtually says "W . L . " thereby showing howthoroughly

, , ignorant he is of the spirit of speculative Masonry . His ideas mig ht have suited the old operative lodge of two centuries ago , when apprentices came forward to learn the Mason trade ; but to apply these obsolete ideas to Ereemasonry is manifestly absurd . It is not matter we want in our lodgesit is mind ; we

, have to excess of the former ; but oh ! how scarce is the latter ? "W . L . " strains at a gnat and swallows a camel , and , possibly , while passing his next candidate , he might initiate an eunuch , which would be a