Archæology.

Exhibition of Ancient Plate , aud other articles of antiquarian interest belonging to sonic city companies . An opportunity of seeing these various objects brought together in the apartments of the Society at Somerset House , should attract an unusual gathering ofthe FolloAVs .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

THE IT . rXCV . OV AVALES'S LODGE . Tin-: above Lodge has long been knoivn as one of the foremost for the engagement of musical brethren at its banquets ; does it possess a musical library , for many of our best glee writers have written especially for its service ?—M . C . iiAsoxir . ' I'OE'is . Has any list been compiled of poets of fame who have been

members of our Order , or is anything known of the biographies of those who have tried their hands at versification for the amusement of our Lodges at the festive board ?—E .... n II s . HIGH GT ! A 1 > ES LIBBAUY . Have the Chapters , Consistories , & c , of the high grades in England , any library , if so , where , and ivho are eligible to consult it?—KNT . E . & AA ' .

MASONIC 11 KAX FEAST . Some time since I saw a fragment only of a large poster headed " Masonic Bean Feast at— " * * * all the rest was torn away . AVho can tell me where they hold Masonic Bean Feasts?—PuraTF . u ' s DEVIL .

MASONIC PORTRAITS . In reply to an inquiry as to what Lodges have Masonic portraits , I have to inform you that my Lodge ( the St . James's , No . 707 , Handsworth ) , have a most excellent likeness of Bro . "William Lloyd . P . M ., and founder ofthe Lodge . —LEWIS .

TIIK LATE rruivv : OF WELLINGTON NOT A FREEMASON . In answer to your correspondents may I beg to refer them to a notice which was sent by me to Notes and Queries , and appeared in the second scries , vol . i ., p . 508 . June 28 th , 1856 . '' l- ' . Af . tho Duke of AVellington presents his compliments to Mr . AValsh . lie has received bis letter of the . 7 tU nit . The Duke lias no recollection of having been admitted a Freemason . Ke lias no knowledof that association

ge . " The above note appeared for the first time in print in the Freemason ' s Quarterly Magazine for April , 1851 . By its publication the oft mooted question among Masons whether or no the late Duke ivas a member of the Craft , is finally and effectually disposed of . —AV . AV ., AV . M ' ., Union Lodge , No . 588 , Malta , May 17 , I 860 . —[ We beg to refer Bro . "AV . A \ . " to pp . 149 , 168 , 18-1 , 20 !) and 230 of r ol Series

, , A . I . ( Sew ) , of The Freemasons ' ' Magazine , from June to December , 1850 , where there ivill be found several communications on this subject which prove that the late Duke of AVellington was a Freemason . Perhaps it ivill be the best way to present a summary of what has been receiveci on the point in question . At page 1 . 49 the editorial answer states , on the authority of the Dublin Freemasons' Calendar , that the Duke of Wellington ivas initiated on the 7 th of December , 1790 , in the Irish . Lodge , No . -494 , held at Trim , which Lodge had been presided over by his grace ' s father and brother , the Earl of Mni-nmo-.

ton and tbe Marquis AVellcslcy , who had both held the office of WM . of that Loelge . At p . 168 , the 111 . Bro . M . Furnell , the originator of the Irish Masonic Calendar , states that although the Lodge does not meet yet it exists on the Grand Loel ge register , and " possesses patent CA-idence of tbe initiation of our late brother , the immortal Duke of Wellington . " And he also refers us top . 91 of Oliver ' s History of Freemasonry from 1829-41 . At 184

p . ., Bro . J . Rankin Stebbing—a ivell known brother whose veracity no one can doubt—writes so important a reply that we will reprint the greater portion of it . He says the Diike was a Freemason , " ancl I am in possession of two notes from his grace to myself , one stating- that he was not a Freemason , and one acknowledging that he was . In the latter he says , "I . do not consider myself a Freemason , never having been in a Loelge but and that

once , many years ngof or words to that effect . " These notes arc carefull y put away and I cannot find them at this moment , but when I clo you shall have copies . " At p . 209 , Bro William Lloyd , of Birmingham , tells us that the Lodge , No . 494 . ' at the time of the Duke ' s initiation , was held in the castle of Dangan , in the county of Meatb , and "that he was dul y passed after the usual examination , and ( in the phraseology of the Lod" -c ) entered at the southern gate , and afterwards raised . " Bro . Llo . 'd also gives the names of no less than fifteen brethren ( many " of them subsequentl y Avorld-renowned ) as being present : and he

states that iu order to preserve so eminent a Lodge from oblivion , Bro . Christopher Carleton , W . M . and Sec , never surrendered the ivarrant , but has paid the dues out of his OAVU privy purse , to keep the warrant on the list . At p . 230 , ouv 111 . Bro . Hyde Clarke states the duke was an affiliated member of La Clenientc Amitie , Lodge of Paris , and in that capacity is commemorated "by the Lodge in the official list . " But he acids though the

Lodge has some high grades attached to it , the duke hud not been admitted to airy higher degree , " but is entered as J 1 . 31 . " At p . 170 ofthe present volume , "Galen , " a correspondent , inquires if the notes alluded to by Bro . J . Rankin Stebbing have conic to hand ? to which we replied t-hcy had not . " AV . \ Y . " is IIOAV in possession of what ire consider prima facie evidence that the Duke of Wellington was a brother Masonbut in order to

, strengthen and determine the point , we shall take the liberty of asking , in this public manner , the favours of our several brethren , who haye contributed as above , to reply to the following requests on our part . To Bno . EUIVNELL we should be much obliged if be can procure us the extract from the " patent evidence" of the Lodge books of

No . 494 , sending us a tracing of Sir Arthur A \ cllcsley's signature to any document he signed as well as a copy , not necessarily a fac similie , of the document itself . Of BRO . J . RANKIN ST ' EIIUING , Ave earnestly beg to search for the two notes promised us last year , and further ask him to send us tracings of them . BRO . AVILLIAM LLOYD , of Birmingham , ivill confer a favour

if he has any interest with Bro . Christopher Carleton , and can prevail on that brother , if living , or those who have the possession of the warrant , and most likely the books , to forward all the information thej' can afford us on the subject . From the Lodge Clemcntc Amitie , of Paris , or its Secretary , wc should consider it a personal favour if they would send ns an extract of the date when tbe Duke visited their Lodgeand also

, his name as it is enrolled in their official list . If these requests are compiled with the matter will at once be placed beyond the doubt of any individual ; but for our own part we are so well satisfied with the good faith of the abovenamed brethren , that we entertain no suspicion of the accuracy of their word ; still Ave ask them to oblige us in this endeavour to convince the sceptical and set tbe eiuestion at rest for ever . ]

ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS . A Correspondent , "B . B . " , at p . 92 ofthe current volume , inquired for the passages of Scripture used in working the above degrees , and there is an editorial reply extracting the information required from some American Monitor . Where are the degrees conferred?—E . A . F . —[ In America . The following is the form of warrant for a council of these degrees : —

DEC'S . UEl' -UQUE JUS . To all to whom these presents may eome , greeting : —Know yc that ; , by the high pcuvers in me A-esfced by the Grand Constitutions of the thirty-third degree , ancl by the special patent to me granted for that purpose , I do hereby authorize and empower the following illustrious Companions , viz . : Isaac II . Tyler , Olii-er AVilson , Isaac Stewart , James It . Goring , William D . Payne , AVillis Steivai-fc , James W . ISreeden , Nathaniel Hardy , and S . A . AIcLfee , to form themselves into a just ancl

legal Council of Koyal and Select Masters , by the name of Council No . 4 , to be holden at Louisville , in the State of Kentucky . Anel I do hereby confirm and sanction their choice ancl appointment of illustrious Companion Isaac Hughes Tyler to be the first thi-ice Illustrious Grand AIaster , Illustrious Companion Oliver AA'ilson to be the first Deputy Illustrious Grand Master , and Illustrious Companion Nathaniel Hardy to be the first Principal Conductor of the AVork . And I do hereby empower the abovenamed Companions and their successors , with their constitutional number

, to assemble and open a legal council , to confer the degrees of Koyal Master and Select AIaster , to admit members , ancl to do all other business appertaining to said degrees , conforming in all their doings to the by-laws of their council anel the rules and regulations of councils of Select Masters : for which purposes this shall be their sufficient warrant . Given under my hand and seal , at Louisville , hi the State of Kentuckthis 20 th clay of SeptemberA . D . one thousand eiht hundred

y , , , g and tAventy-soven , and in the year of deposit two thousand eight hundred and tiventy-seven . JOHN BAIUCER , K . H . ; S . P . li . H ., Sovereign Grand Inspector General of tho Thirty-third Degree , and General Agent of the Supreme Council in tlie United States of America . !

FliEEMASONUY AND TIIE SOC'IETV 01- ' l- 'IlIl-l . N'n . S . A query ivas propounded in the last volume of the Magazine . ( p . f ! 7 . 'l ) as to the admission of Quakers in the Craft . This ivas replied to by a former member of the society , at p . -118 , statin ^ that no member could consistently become a Freemason , although the writer knew several that had , thereby rendering themselves