Masonic Notes And Queries.

TWO OLD MASONIC PRAYERS . The two following Masonic Prayers , together with some elucidatory words , are taken from Bro . Hughan ' s curious and well-known communication to our periodical : — " No . 1 . The oldest prayer said to be used by Christian Masons at the initiation of a brother in

the reign of Edward IV . ( " Scott's Companion , " 1754 , page 309 , and in many other works ) , is this : The mighty G-od and Father of Heaven , with the -wisdom of his Glorious Son , through the goodness of the Holy Ghost , three persons in one Godhead , be with us at our beginning , give us grace to govern us

in our living here , that we may come to His bliss that shall never have an end . " " No . 2 is from the same work : Most Holy and glorious Lord God , thou Architect of Heaven and Earth , who art the giver of all gifts and graces , and hath promised that when two or three are gathered together in Thy name , Thou will be

be m tbe midst of them . In Thy name we assemble and meet together , most humbly beseeching Thee to bless us iu all our undertakings , to give us Thy Holy Spirit to enlig hten our minds with wisdom and understanding , that we may know and serve Thee aright , that all our doings may tend to Thy glory and the salvation of our souls . And we beseech Thee 0

, lord God , to bless this our present undertaking , and to grant that this our brother may be a true and faithful Brother amongst us ; endow him with divine wisdom , that he may , with the secrets of Masonry , be able to unfold the mysteries of godliness and Christianity . This we humbly beg in the name and

for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour , Amen . " This last prayer is said to be in vogue now in Ireland , and to be given verbatim in the last edition of the Constitutions of that country , under the heading of " A Prayer which is most general at the initiation of a Candidate . "—CHABLES PTJETON COOPEE .

National Art Versus National Morals.

NATIONAL ART VERSUS NATIONAL MORALS .

Should an English school of art establish itself it is to be hoped for the sake of the true and lasting welfare of the nation that it will be void of that air of lasciviousness in which previous schools of art have , to their loss , far too often indulged . A high standard of morality is of far more importance and lasting benefit to a nation than any system of

ornamental art , consequently the latter should be made subordinate to the former , nevertheless , there is nothing in this to hinder the highest developement of art , although it would keep it , as it ought to he , pure . A log-cabin , where peace , plenty , honour and purity dwell , is a thousand times better than the most

palatial Corinthian mansion , where dishonour and immorality stalk about all ablaze with gold and gems . "Whenever art appeals to man's animal passions , instead of lo his higher nature , both are thereby degraded , while what ought to be a real thing of beauty and a joy for ever becomes tbe cause of man ' s

destruction . In proof of which we have only to review the histories of some of the great nations which have already preceded us , whose downfall and its causes ought to serve as beacons to us . —W . P . B .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editors is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents ST . JOHN'S LODGE AND ITS PEOCEEDINGS .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASON'S . MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and brother . —Permit me to ask , through the medium of your columns , what St . John ' s Lodge is drifting to when we find such sentiments as the following expressed within its walls , — -viz —( see page 178 ) . "He ( Bro . Baird ) also observed that by so doing the Grand Lodge had thereby broken the laws

of the land , and that , therefore , he considered that this lodge had sufficient reason for throwing overboard its allegiance to Grand Lodge '' ? It appears to me that the foregoing smacks rather strongly of masonic treason ; however it is quite possible , remembering the exhibition made of himself by the speaker

at Grand Lodge on Gth February , that there may be very little in it , or that on some occasions he does not know the meaning of what he says , e . g ., after the imaginary story which he related to Grand Lodge in reference to some arrangement affirmed to have been entered into between himself and Bro . Coghill , and the way in which Bro . Coghill stood up and contradicted the whole statement , amid the roars of laughter from the whole members of Grand Lodge

assembled , the E . W . M . of No , 3 bis should keep very quiet . He went to Grand Lodge striving to set up a lot of absurd pretensions , and finding himself baffled , he , in order to cover his defeat , strives to throw dust in the eyes of his lodge by talking about not getting justice in Grand Lodge , and that therefore in order to

get things all their own way they ought to start on their own hook , by setting up a Grand Lodge of their own , and I suppose , of course , putting him on the " throne " as their first Grand Master ! Bro . Coghill no doubt may thank his stars he was not a member of No . 3 bis , or he would have caught it for daring to

call in question any remark made in support of the pretensions of No . 3 bis , no matter whether said remark was right or wrong ! The ideas promulgated by St . John ' s on this matter seem to me so absurd that I am afraid your readers can only look upon them as a mere farce . In fact so much so that some of

their own members even have repudiated them . It will be time enough for St . John ' s to think of throwing over its allegiance , when Grand Lodye has broken " the landmarks of the Order . " I am yours fraternally , A MEMBEE OP GEAND LODGE .

Freemasonry And The War.

FREEMASONRY AND THE WAR .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASON ' S MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother : —The nonchalance and perhaps I might say the impertinence with which your ( so-called ) contemporary treats in his leader the very just reproof of the Acting G . M ., The Eight Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , in Grand Lodge , is most astounding , so also is the assertion that he " has no

inspiration from head quarters ; " now that is a deliberate falsehood , as it is well known that a clerk in the Grand Secretary ' s office is the Editor of the publica-