Sketches Of Notable Masonic Works.

3 . One rite is independent of another . 4 . The Scotch Mason is faithful and devoted to his country , and submissive to its laws and constitutions . 5 . There can be but one Supreme Council of

Scotch Masonry in the same territorial jurisdiction , which body is the competent judge of points of honour , law and rituals among the Masons subject to its control . For full information on this point , as also of the

historical position of the " Ancient and Accepted Rite " there are a vast numbers of works to be had . The chief being the " Statutes and Regulations and Grand Constitutions" by Albert Pike , 33 ° ( Macoy , New York ) , history of the "Scottish

Rite " by W . B . Pogler , ( New York , 1860 ) , and the book of the Ancient Rite by C . T . McClenashan , ( Macoy , New York . The 2 nd book of the 2 nd part of Bro . Webb ' s Monitor being mostly on the history of Masonry in the United States , Ave will

say no more about the work , as we despair of ever writing a history of the Fraternity in England , and certainly still more of any other country . We will push on with our next series as rapidly as possible .

Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA .

By Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , A . M ., Masonic University of Kentucky , U . S . ; Corresponding Member of the Union of German Freemasons , Leipzig ; one of the Grand Stewards iii the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; P . G . S . W . of Ayrshire author of the "History of Mother Kilwinning , ' ' $ a . { Continued from page 263 ) .

"DEATH AND DR . HORNBOOK . " A contrariety of opinion exists in regard to the circumstances which led to the composition of this " world-famous satire . " Quoting Burns ' s brother , Gilbert , as his authority , the Rev . P . Hately

Waddell , in his splendid edition of the "Life and Works of Robert Burns , " remarks that "some personal pique at the Freemasons' Lodge lay , doubtless , at the bottom of the lampoon . " The subject of the satire himself attributed its

appearance to certain events in connection with the business of a Friendly Society of which Burns and he were members . " Brothers of the mystic tie " may be excused for questioning how far Gilbert Burns was right in naming a Masonic Lodge as

the scene of the quarrel between his brother and the "Doctor , " —the more so , seeing that what purports to be an authentic record of a personal

interview with the prototype of the immortal " Hornbook " furnishes grounds for doubting the correctness of the statement referred to . In 1842 there appeared a work entitled " Joseph Jenkins , " by the author of "The Great Metropolis , " an

extract from which , as bearing upon the point at issue , we beg to submit to our readers : — "At Glasgow , Joseph met at the house of a friend iu which he put up , with an individual [ John Wilson ] who occupies a prominent place

in the pages of Bums , and who is consequently as fairly booked for immortality as the poet himself . The individual to Avhom we refer is Dr . Hornbook , the hero of the popular poem entitled ' Death and Dr . Hornbook . ' . . . Mr . Wilson , though never alluding in promiscuous company , or Avhen in conversation with any stranger , to the fact of his

identity with the Dr . Hornbook of Burns , never betrayed a reluctance to refer to it when in the society of any friend in whom he could repose confidence . Mr . Wilson mentioned the circumstances connected with his history prior to his

acquaintance with Burns .... Mr . Wilson having proceeded so far in his narrative , Joseph inquired Avhether he knew any cause which could have provoked the splenetic effusion . ' Oh , yes , ' replied the other ; ' the cause Avas this- He and I were

both members of a Benefit Society connected with the locality in which we were living . I was treasurer of the society . He was always irregular in his periodical payments , and on one particular occasion had fallen so far in arrears as , in terms of the rules and regulations , to be liable to have his name struck off the roll as a member . I at that '

f I beg pardon for interrupting you ; but was his name struck off the roll ? said Joseph . ' No , it was not , ' returned Mr . Wilson . ' I prevented that by not letting the members generally know the full extent of his shortcomings . Just at this

particular time , he called on me one night and asked the loan of a small sum of money . Knowing his careless habits ... I refused—adding , or rather assigning as the reason , " You know , Robert , that you are deeply in arrears to the society , and that

I am rendering myself liable for some of the payments you ought to have made , by concealing your deficiencies from the other members . " Stung by the refusal to lend him the money , in conjunction with the circumstance of reminding him of his

arrears , he went home and wrote the piece in which I am held up to ridicule . ' .... ' And you think , ' remarked Joseph , 'that your refusal to