Masonic Notes And Queries.

faces , " we know different now . Study the subject closely , and never be above confessing that you know but little of it , and that j r ou may be wiser to-morrow than to-day . Freemasons , generally , have no idea of what even the Craft symbolism covers . Cut down , hacked to pieces , as it has been by tiukering and interested brethrenaud 3 > -et there remains a most

won-, derful structure . The brother you mention , instead of devoting his talents to the good cause , is a great enemy , he is impatient of all others who do not think as he does . Keep your knowledge for those who can appreciate it , and hope for the better days which are in store for us . Days when enquiry shall

be encouraged aud not thwarted ; when sense and not sound shall be the goal ; and true Freemasonry shall expand its Catholicity , as of old , to all who hold the name of Freemason . At present , English Freemasonry is the most sectarian , narrow , and illogical , of doctrines . It has no comprehensiveness , none of

the charity pointed out by the Apostle , and fears , instead of courting , enquiry . Proceed in the path you have marked out ; ponder well ; learn daily to distrust the assumptions of interested partisans ; pray fervently ; watch diligently , and " more light "—that desire of Bro . Goethe on his death bed—will be TOUTS . " ]

THE PEOPEE TIME TO HOLD A LODGE . "What is the proper time to hold a lodge . Must it be in the evening or after part of the clay ?—AN EAELY RISER . —[ No . Any hour in the twenty-four that suits the convenience of the brethren . Why not go out at daybreak aud hold it under the canojiy of celestial colours , with the birds for musicians , ¦ the

smell of the refreshed earth for a banquet , all nature in its glorious sheen testifying to the wondrous works of God , and instead of the heated room , the wine cup , and exhausted spirits , go forth in the fresh beams of day to offer up the works of love and truth , pure and unpolluted , at our Maker ' s footstool ? There is no furniture like the Creator ' s , no jewels like health , no offering so acceptable as early prayer and praise . ]

THE ESSENES . Is there any other work which gives an account of the Essenes and their origin , besides Josephus ?—G-. C . S . —[ Several ; but the most copious is the work of Philo , of Alexandria . It is a scarce book , but can be seen in most public libraries . ]

AN INDIAN BRANCH OE EREEMASONS . In the Sunday at Home , of the 9 th inst ., page 236 , an Indian Chaplain , speaking of the Gosaius , a learned priestly class , states , " These Gosaius hand down from one to another a secret name or sentence , which is allowed to be told to no one of the uninitiated , this is called objuntra . "

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TnE WOET . 1 ) . —The course of a rapid river is the best of all emblems to express the variableness of all our scenes below . Shakespeare says , "HOUR ever bathed himself twice in the same stream , " and it is equally true that the world upon which we close our eyes at night is never the same with that on which ive or / en them in the morning . ADVEBSITV . —He that has never known adversity is but half ,

acquainted with others , or with himself . Constant success shows us but one side of the world ; for , as it surrounds us with friends who will tell us only our merits , so it silences those enemies from whom alone we can learn our defects .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not respor . sihle for the opinions expressed 6 v Correspondents . THE MEDINA LODGE .

10 THE EDIT 0 B OB THE FKEE 5 IAS 0 SS' MAGAZINE AXD MASOTSIC mSSOB . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Considering , as I do , that disputes between members of lodges are not altogether consistent with the princip les of our Order , I have read with much pain a correspondence which has lately appeared in your MAGAZINE , with

reference to the presentation of a Past Master ' s jewel to a member of this lodge ; more especially I have perused with great regret the last letter you inserted on this subject , because "; he writer—whose name , by the way , is very well known here—under ' an appearance of

moderation and an affectation of charitable zeal , conceals a spirit of animosity which cannot be too severely reprehended . As one desirous of knowing the truth , I have been at the pains to make myself acquainted with the sentiments of a large number of the brethren

who were not present at the lodge when the jewel was voted , and , strange to say , I cannot find one who does not cordially concur iu the feeling which dictated the presentation of a testimonial to one whom they all profess to regard as a well-meaning , painstaking , conscientious Mason , and an honest man . I was the

more stimulated to pursue my inquiries , because the brother who signs himself "Anti-Toady , " so far forgot his Masonic profession as to say that not only would he resign himself , but that a dozen others would relinquish their membership if the resolution of the lodge were carried out ; but of none of these

can I discover any trace . Like Falstaff ' s men in buckram , they have vanished and are no more to be seen , so that I am driven to the conclusion that the opposition of " Anti-Toady" and the other dissentients arises from the meanest of all feelings , namely ,

personal jealousy . To put the matter in its plain lig ht . The brother to whom the presentation was made ( and who refused a subscription jewel ) possesses a large fund of Masonic information which he is both willing and capable to impart in the shape of instruction to his brethren .

He has consequently attained to a position of welldeserved intluenco in the lodge , by which " Anti-Toady , " not being himself so well versed in Masonic lore , is placed somewhat in the shade ; and there you have the secret—which , however , is no secret at all to those who know the parties . It is a pity that these

things should occur , and , unfortunately , the Medina Lodge is not the only one which possesses one or two members who do their best to sow dissension and make everything disagreeable . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Faithfully and fraternally yours , VERITAS .

April 11 th , 1864 . [ This correspondence must now stop . It is getting far too personal . —ED . ]