Masonic Notes And Queries.

only given myself a sort of rub up , or half-wash . However , the best of friends must part , so adieu ! Sir Knight , adieu !"—give the , and , immediately after , both heads vanish down separate chimneys , shouting out , " Sweep hoy—hoy—oy ! " St . John ' s Masonry is a noble institution . These spurious Masonic Orders of Knighthood are simply bosh—fit playthings for children .

The editorial note at page 352 was certainly most necessary . Do some brethren think with their stomachs , or where do their brains lie ? or have they ' no discrimination bump ?—EXCEISIOE .

THE BED CEOSS OBDEB . "There are more tilings in earth ancl heaven , Horatio , Thau are dreamed of in yonr philosophy . " —sttalcespeare . I have read with considerable interest the various ¦ ebulitions of wrath , of envy , or of scorn , ivhieh have succeeded each other with accumulating potency

anent the Eed Cross Order , the Eosicrucians , & c , in the columns of the Freemasons' Magazine , for some time past , but frankly confess until I perused the logical remarks of " Horatio , " I bad no idea of the importance of the subject , or of its manifold ramifications . Now , however , that the light of so able a

dialectician shines upon our benighted souls , we may boldly advance into the psychical labyrinths and interlunar recesses of this great mystery , beating down on the one hand the false and faded traditions of the Ancient and Accepted Rite , and on the other hand demolishing the fantasies of the Eed Cross , the

Templars , and other kindred " chivalries . " Yes , ivith the assistance of our unmounted champion , Horatio , we have quietly settled Frederick the Great , and , in like manner , let us decently inter his great rival , Oonstantinus Magnus . Let us ignore all individualitiesall lingering dreams of the antique or the mediasval —all inspirations—utterances or theories of the past , and throw ourselves liilldlv nunn tli « nnrmnf . of t . Iip .

actual present , without one fond or foolish glance at the shadoivy unrealities of days gone by . I hacl written thus far when the lines prefixed to ' this paper recurred to my memory , and , horrible to relate , the thought stole dimly ou my soul , " What if the great Horatio himself be wroug—ivhat if the judge be

himself imperfect—if the anatomist , whose incisive weapon probes the wounds in the body Masonic , be himself pervious to the delusions , the anomalies , the incongruities , that enter into and become a part of man's inner life ? Has he alone sounded the loAvest deep of dogmatic hilosophand evolved from thence

p y , the doctrine that there should be no religion of the past—no spiritual communion with the mighty dead —no kindling of thought—no inspiration at the remembrance of historic deeds ? Must Ave no longer band ourselves together for purposes not ignoble nor devoid of significance , although based upon the ivied

and venerated traditions of our forefathers ? Must we see the grim figure of "Utilitarianism at all our feasts , like the Macedonian ' s death-foreboding slave , and still the sympathies of the heart in obedience to the claims of reality ? Verily , " the world is too much with us " as it is , and a descent into the mystic dominions of antiquity is to some natures as refreshing as Horatio ' s diurnal ablutions are to his corpus vile . If , to narroiv the subject , Horatio ' s remarks

Masonic Notes And Queries.

are not really levelled at all the knightly Orders , but mainly directed against the Eed Cross degrees , which he possibly considers the least authentic of all—and consequently the most vulnerable—he is so accomplished a writer and so worthy an opponent that his assaults cannot fail to elicit explanations from the

parties concerned ; and in the didactic essays of " Horatio ' ' the readers of the Freemasons' Magazine will find something instructive and intellectual , if not quite so amusing as the gin and water lucubrations of Bro . Harris , P . M . —HAJMJIET .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . A COMPLAINT . TO THE EDITOH OB THE EREEHASOKS' MAGAZINE AMD MASONIC 1 IIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother—Believing that publicity

, corrects as well as prevents many abuses , I venture to ask you to insert the following abbreviated statement of facts in your journal . About twelve month ' s since , a body of Masons , numbering nearly 20 , were , by the exigencies of the public servicecompelled to leave one Masonic

pro-, vince and take up their residence in another . Having had cause to admire the principles of their Order , several of them sought to obtain admission to the lodge existing in their new location ; but , to their intense surprise , they were refused affiliation . _ No reason was assigned for their exclusionand no

, valid reason for it could exist , as they were honest Masons , free and of good repute . Being thus deprived of privileges dear to them , they sought redress at the hands of the Provincial Grand Master , but were informed that , as they were not subscribers to any lodge in the provincethey

, could not be heard . They then submitted their case to the then Grand Secretary for the information of the E . "W . G . M ., asking for aid or counsel ; in reply they received an unmasonie sneer from the late G-. Sec .

Still anxious to obtain their just dues , they asked the Prov . G . M . to recommend the G . M . to grant them a warrant for a new lodge , the petition being signed by the Master , Wardens , one P . M . and several members of the existing lodge—a curt refusal was the result . Patiently , yet persistently , they

endeavoured to ascertain the cause of their failure to obtain justice , but in vain . Many letters were forwarded ; some elicited brief replies of an unfavourable nature , ancl some are still unanswered . Can nothing be done to ameliorate our condition ? It is productive of much injury to the

Craft , and the treatment we are receiving is in direct opposition to the professed principles of the Order . I have refrained from personalities , trusting that an amended state of affairs will obviate the unpleasant necessity of having recourse to them . Trusting you will excuse this trespass on your space , and feeling

sure of receiving justice , I am Yours fraternally , E . S .