Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

EARLIEST REVIVAL FACTS . 1 . Four old London Lodges , with some other old Masons constitute themselves a Grand Lodge pro tempore , February , 1717 . 2 . St . John the Evangelist Day , 1717 . Mr . Anthony Sayer elected Grand Master of Masons . He commands the brethren of the four London lodges to meet him quarterly .

3 . Regulations that every Lodge to be thereafter convened , except the four old lodges at that time existing , should be authorised to act by a warrant from the Grand Master for the time being . 4 . In consequence of this regulations several neAV lodges were soon after convened in different parts of London aud its environs .

5 . Bye-laws of the new lodges not to be contrary to or subversive of the general regulation by which the Fraternity had been long governed , and which had been sanctioned by the four lodges , when convened as a Grand Lodge in 1717 . 6 . Resolutions in compliment to the brethren of the four old lodges by whom the Grand Lod was

ge first formed . See Preston , page 157 . 7 . The old Masons in the metropolis , agreeably to the resolution of the brethren at large , vested all their inherent privileges , as individuals , in the four old lodges , in trust , that they would never suffer the old charges and ancient landmarks to be infringed .

8 . The four old lodges then agreed to extend their patronage to every lodge which should thereafter be constituted by the Grand Lodge , according to the new regulations of the society . 9 . The four old lodges further agreed , while such lodges acted in conformity to the antient

constitutions of the Order , to admit their Masters and Wardens to share with them all the privileges of the Grand Lodge , excepting precedence of rank . 10 . The Officers of the four old lodges formed a code of laws for the future government of this society .

11 . The conditional clause , see Preston , page 159 ' ' 12 . After stating the conditional clause , Preston observes : —By this prudent precaution of our ancient brethren , the original constitutions were established as the basis of all future Masonic jurisdiction in the South of England ; and the ancient landmarks , as they are emphatically styled , or the boundaries set up as checks to innovations , were carefully secured against the attacks of future invaders .

13 . The four old lodges , Preston proceeds , in consequence of the above compact , in which they considered themselves as a distinct party , continued to act by their original authority ; and so far from surrendering any of their rights , had them frequently ratified and confirmed by the whole Fraternity in Grand Lod

ge assembled , who always acknowledged their independent and immemorial power to practice the rites of Masonry : 14 . No regulations of the society which might hereafter take place , could therefore operate with respect to those lodges , if such regulations were contrary to , or subversive of the original

constitutions by ivhich only they were governed ; and Avhilst their proceedings were conformable to those constitutions , no power known in Masonry could legally deprive them of any right or privilege which they had ever enjoyed . 15 . The necessity of fixing the original constitutions

at the standard by which all future laws in the society are to be regulated , was so clearly understood and defined by the whole Fraternity at this time , that it was established as an unerring rule in every installation , public and private , for many years afterwardsto make the Grand Master and the Masters

, and "Wardens of every lodge , engage to support the original constitutions , to the observance of which also every Mason was bound at his initiation . —CHARLES FUSION COOPEE .

MASONIC COWANS . In a note on " Cowan , " which appears in a contemporary , my esteemed friend Bro . Hughan , of Truro , has adduced from my former contributions to The Freemasons' Magazine on the subject , evidence of the early use and signification of the word "Cowan" or " Couan . " He might alsofrom the

, same source have given a further quotation in regard to its Masonic import . In reiterating in 1707 its ordinance against the employment of Cowans , the Lodge of Kilwinning describes a Cowan to be a Mason " without The "Word " —an uninitiated person , an outsider . And in this sense the term was retained

by the same Lodge on relinquishing its connection with Operative Masonry . In the ritual which has been in use in Scotch Lodges of Speculative Masons beyond the memory of any now living , we have the term " CoAvans and Eavesdroppers . " Cowans here means uninitiated who miht attempt to

persons , g gain admission " without the word " : Eavesdroppers signifies listeners outside the lodge . Cowan is a purely Scotch phrase , and Avas peculiar to Operative Masons in the olden time , as indicating irregular Craftsmen Avho executed certain branches of mason

and wright work . Such persons Avere , under restrictions , admitted to membership in some Masonic Incorporations , hut their reception in Lodges was strictly prohibited . Besides , as is sheivn by the records of the Lodge of Haddington ( 1697 ) now before me , apprentices indentured to Lodges were taken bound " not to work with nor in company nor fellowship of

any Cowan at any manner of building nor Mason work . " The earliest minute of the Lodge of Edinburgh ( Mary's Chapel ) , July , 1599 , records its deliverance on a breach of the statute prohibiting the employment of Cowans . Nothing can , we fear , be said with certainty as to the etymology of Cowan .

Some Masonic students assign to it a Greek originfrom Kiro ^ a dog . It is worthy of notice that Cu is a ' the Gaslic Avord for dog . May the term , as one of contempt toAvards Craftsmen " without tbe word , '' not have been derived from the Celtic word Cu ? And may it not be in this sense that we find it

employed in "Bob Eoy " by the Great Novelist , who in the dispute between the Bailie and Major Galbraith in the public house , in the clachan of Aberi ' oyle , makes the Highlander , whose broad sword had in a previous brawl the same night been opposed by the Bailie ' s " red-het culter , " speak thus super-