Bro. Melville's Articles.

May I ask " Senex " to give us a little further information on this head ? The reference to Ruth , chap . 19 , is , of course , an error . As to Bro . Melville's wonderful discovery , I can only say the sooner the new light is shown us the better , if there is really any light to show . Tours fraternally , EXCELSIOR .

10 THE EDITOK OF THE " FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —I have just read rather a bold assertion in the Magazine of the 17 th ultimo , page 305 , in the foot-note to Bro . H . Melville's "Masonic Celestial . Mysteries , " viz .: 1 . "That no living English brother ever heard read a single verse

iu open lodge . " Of what ? The Bible ! Nonsense ; I know better than that ! Not long since , when I was W . M . of the Gosport Lodge , I had the pleasure of initiating a clergyman of the Church of England . The S . V . was opened on that occasion at the 133 Psalm . At an opportune momentimmediatelafter

, y having directed the initiate's attention to the Great Light itself , I requested him to read aloud those beautiful Masonic verses , when the brethren present reverently rose with one accord to their feet . And he did read them—most impressively—to the evident satisi ' actiou of himself aud his hearers

. I may add , that it was rather the exception than the rule not to read , or , at least , to draw the attention of the initiates to the passages of Scripture upon which The Book was opened , bearing on the working of each degree , as recommended in Dr . Oliver's "Book of the Lod / ' chapter 5

ge . If you deem this worthy of notice—well ; if not , commit it to the waste basket . Iu either case , I remain , dear Sir and Brother , — Tours fraternally , W . J ., P . M . 257 .

P.M.'S And The Working Brethren Of Lodges.

P . M . 'S AND THE WORKING BRETHREN OF LODGES .

10 THE EDITOR 01 ' THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —On reading the letter of "H . II . " iu the Magazine of the 24 th ult ., I could not refrain from smiling ( albeit , perhaps , rather un-Masonic ) at the way in which he would put me down for the simple reason that , instead of occupying two lines with si

a gnature and a whole host of letters aud figures , my communication was signed "O . P . " But , Sir , I have yet to learn , that such letters are positive proof of anything more than social rank , for I know a P . P . S . G . W ., aud several P . M . ' s who are totally unable either to initiate a caudidate , open a lodge , do Masonic work

or auy beyond presiding at a banquet ; and _ possibly many others know the same . I mention this , not to say that I disapprove of brethren of eminence and social rank being elevated ° to high position , but to maintain that the " written opinions of some 20 or 30 P . M . ' s " may be of very small value , affords

as H . H . " us no means of judging " of their experience . Mark the partiality of H . H . with respect to the letters of ^ 'B ^ and O . P . The former agrees with him , consequently must be patted on the back , although he gives no proof of his experience , except , perhaps , in his signature ; the latter takes the other

P.M.'S And The Working Brethren Of Lodges.

side , and , of course , must he put down . This of itself is sufficient to prove what I say—that a P . M . ' s opinion i 3 not always of value . Mark , also , his silence with respect to the main point in my former letter , viz , — " the right of a W . M . to nominate a brother to preside iu his absence . " Let him obtain the

" opinions of some 20 or 30 P . M . 's " on that point , and see who they agree with iu that respect . But , Sir , you are aware of my being entitled to wear the much-coveted " purple and gold , " of my being a P . Z . of one Chapter and Z . elect of another , and other circumstances numerous enough to implthat lought

y to be experienced , without it being necessary for me to blazon it forth to the world , as it by no means follows that the drum , although a large instrument , discourses the sweetest music .

I , like H . H ., desire to see the matter discussed in a calm spirit , and agree with him that some of our laws and customs require amendment , or rather alteration , but differ from him in the mode of carrying these into effect . I contend that our laws , while they are in force , should be regarded , and our superiors in

office respected , and not indirectly set at defiance because we think them wrong , and want to carry out a crotchet of our own—as , for instance , the baby work of placing a second pedestal in front of the W . M . Such is not a good way of obtaining reform in our laws . Agitate for and advocate alteration , if required , say I ; but obey while not repealed . Tours fraternally , O . P .

P . S . —In my former letter the following sentence got rather misplaced : —But I have seen it often occur , in the attempt to put a " liberal and intelligent construction "f [ other words , for " makethem read to suit your purpose " ] upon certain laws , that the said laws have been so distorted and strained as to put , in my opinion , almost the reverse of their meaning .

Masonic Impostors.

MASONIC IMPOSTORS .

TO TnE EDITOR OS THE FREEMASONS' JTAGAZINB AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —I cry—Oh ! ye Masons , beware of a Masonic impostor that is travelling about seeking whoever he may rob ! On Tuesday , the 27 th ult ., a man presented himself at our Union Lodge , No . 31 . 0 , Carlisle , as a visitor ; he signed his name , John

Dee , Lord Leigh Rifle Volunteer Lodge , No . SS 7 , Birmingham . As he had no certificate he was severely tested by a worthy P . M ., and Bi'o . Dee was then passed into the lodge , where he stated that he resided at No . 125 , Stafford-street , Birmingham , where he was keeping a hairdresser ' s shopand that

, he had received intimation of his daughter running away from her employment at Liverpool , where she was serving her time as a milliner , and , of course , made all haste to Liverpool to find that his daughter had flown ; he therefore proceeded to Whitehaven , and thence to Carlislewhere he had onljust arrived

, y , and , being short of money , he now applied to this lodge . Well , Sir , I proposed that we should give him 5 s . —perhaps a small sum . —but I find it was enough for an impostor . The members thought it would not last long , and Bro . Dee said that if the lodge would give him 5 s . and lend him 15 s ., he , upon his arrival

home , would remit the same . Consequently he received £ 1 , promising to pay back , and also signed a paper to that effect . The best description I can give