Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC HALL AT BIO JANEIRO . Tbe Masonic Temple in Rio Janeiro was formerly a Theatre , and was begun during the visit of the lloyal Family to the above city , but after their return to Portugal in 1821 , the building association was dissolved and the structure left unfinished . In this condition it

remained until 18-10 , whon the Grand Lodge purchased it from the proprietor , by paying the accumulated ground rent ; the cost , eleven thousand Mil Eeis , Avas advanced by two Avenlthy members of the craft , Avhile the superintendence of the undertaking was entrusted to Bro . John Ciomento Pereu-a , who founded a society under the name of the " Glory of the Lavradio" and among which he

, distributed shares of 50 Mil Eeis each . These shares could only be owned by members of the Grand Orient , or their inferior lodges , and in case of the death of a shareholder , the heirs or creditors received an equivalent for their portion . " With this fund the debt was paid , the building finished and properly arranged . The building contains four halls for the Scottish and

two for the French Rite , also one for a Master ' s Lodge , a Banquet Hall , Audience , and Council Rooms , and a Gallery which runs the whole depth of the building , and contains tbe Archives of the Grand and her subordinate Lodges . Three Castellanes are constantly in attendance , as Avell as the Grand Secretary , AA'ith his clerks .

BRO . BISSETT . Some time since an enquiry was made for particulars about Bro . Bisset . He was an inhabitant of Birmingham , Avell known for his Masonic and other poetical effusions . A portrait of him is preserved in the lithograph of a picture representing a party at the poet Freeth ' s . They Avere nearly all Masons , mostly

belonging to the St . Albans' Lodge , of which Bro . Bissett was a member . He Avas a very active Mason and au accentric character , well known in Birmingham . He kept a curiosity shop in New-street , Birmingham , near Peeklane , called Bissett ' s Museum . He died at a very advanced age at Leamington , Avhither he had retired , and is buried in the churchyard , Avhere there is a stone to his memory . —NOTES BY AN OLD P . M .

LODGE AGREEMENT AVITH " MINE HOST " NINETY YEARS AGO . " I , agree to provide a dinner for the brethren of this lodge , upon St . John ' s Day , for two shillings sterling for each brother that sits at table . I furnishing them with dinner and ale and one bottle of good pur . ch , and the musicians' dinner gratis ; and shall furnish the lodge Avith what punch they may Avant , more than one bottle ,

at sixpense sterling per bottle . And I shall provide candles , tables and cloths , knives and forks , and plates ancl mugs . You furnishing glasses yourselves . " This very liberal offer , it is needless to say , Avas accepted by 113 of the brethren sitting to dinner , but no record is kept of how many preferred glasses to mugs , from which they might quaff the " good punch" so liberally provided for them . —D . M . L .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

'The Editor h not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASON ' S MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DKAK SIR AND BROTHER , —Our Grand Vice-Chancellor , Sir Knt . Shuttieworth , is , by his letter in your last , an advocate for creatina neAV office amongst Kniht

g g Templars or , perhaps it would be better to say , abolishing the term equerry , and substituting for it farrier ! This is put forward on the ground that the household brigade of cavalry thrOAV out tAvo non-commissioned officers , as pioneers , at the head of their regiment or troop , and clothe them with leather aprons . The suggestion is incongruous , because if he will consult R . ' Cannon ' s

Historical Records of the British Army , 70 volumes , SA ' ., London , 1831-47 , he will find that both the 1 st and 2 nd Life Guards , and the Oxford Blues , were originally incorporated , as Regiments , in the time of Charles 1 ., 1625-49 , and the Order of the Temple was suppressed in 1311 , so that betweeen the two there is no analogy But if Sir Knt . Shuttieworth holds that the Order of

Masonic Knights Templar was revived , by Freemasons , in the XVIII . century , then this idea will not be so outre , as , in that case , Knights Templar will only be following the example of the army clothiers ancl adopting a badge of the times representee ! . If , as he wishes , the apron should be done aAvay with by all but the equerry , would the horseshoes be the most

proper emblem for the latter to bear in an encampment ? Let us see what are the duties of an equerry . He corresponds Avith the Tyler of a Craft lodge , and his being a farrier AA'ould bo of no use , as the Sir Knights do not often bring their horses up stairs to be shod ! In some encampments he also aAvaits at table and , if he were really a farrierhe miht smell so "horsey" that

, g "Punch ' s" illustration of tho lady , stable-boy ancl Eaude-Cologne would have to bo very frequently adopted . Allowing , to its fullest extent , the originality of the idea , its adoption is another matter and I think it Avould be much better in this , as lvell as other proposed changes Avhich only tend to unsettle Avhat has now become usage , to" let Avell alone . "

I am , Dear Sir and Brothei-, yours truly and fraternally , ? J . MATTHEW COOKE , 30 ° . " Grand Organist to the Grand Conclave of Masonic Knights Templar .

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR KNIGHT , —Though I cannot boast of the honour of a personal intimacy AA'ith Sir Knight Cooke , the Grand Organist to the Grand Conclave of Masonic Knights Templar , is far too great a person to pass unnoticed in the social circle which he occasionall y dignifies with his presence , and I should have thought him

the very embodiment of a jolly confessor of the olden time , and AA'ho , instead of lending his great Aveight to crush an unfortunate penitent , Avould rather have laid some light penance , even upon so great an offender as poor " Scrutator . " In the early days of chivalry , the violation of tho Oath of Fraternity was the highest reproach . What Avould the preux Chevalier Bayardthe

, Knight sans pour and sans rcproche , have thought of such an attack upon an unoffending brother . I did not ask exultingly if Grand Lodge repudiated us ? I asserted it did , and assert so still , and that in so doing Grand Lodge violates tho second article of union , Avhich runs thus : —That pure and ancient Masonry consists of three degrees— -E . A . P ., F . C , ancl M . M ., and

no more , including the H . R . A . ; it is obvious that this declaration Avas framed to preA'ent thenceforth private lodges under jurisdiction of Grand Lodge practising all other Masonic degrees ; but the article goes on to say , that this article is riot intended to prevent any lodge or chapter holding a meeting in any of the degrees of the Orders of Chivalry , according to the csnstitutions

of the said Orders , the only chivalric Orders then or now existing being the Orders of the Holy Temple and of Saint John of Jerusalem ; for the Rose Croix , Kadosh aud other degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite were then , as IIOAV , purely Masonic , and never laid claim to be anything else . NOAVthough Grand Lodge is by its constitution onl

, y Masonic , and can therefore exercise no jurisdiction over any unmasonic degrees , hy the said second article of union private lodges and chapters are authorised to practise the chivalric orders , notAvithstanding which , Grand Lodge denies the use of the Temple to Grand Conclave ; and the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , the authorised exponent of the Craft , declares Vol . 6 . p . 281 , that