Masonic Notes And Queries.

Haye considers spurious , hacl anything to do with Freemasonry , as some of our authorities seem to think . Some of these profess by the light of Masonry to read the Rosicrucian MSS . It appears the Society did some time ago occupy itself with the philosopher ' s stoue and the elixir of life . What Sir

Humphry Davy meant has not been supposed to favour the researches of Rosicrucians and alchemists , but was founded on the abstract question of the properties of matter , and the theory of all elementary bodies being revolyable into one , of which in physiology pangenesis may be considered the development . If the Rosicrucian Society has nothing to do with Masonry , why are its proceedings recorded as Masonic events in Masonic annals ?—LECTOR .

GUILDS OP MASONS . It will assist the discussion of this subject if a list of guilds of Masons be published in the Freemasons ' Magazine . I can only name the Guild , or Company of Masons in London ; I belieA'e the only one now subsisting in England . Our Scotch brethren can readily begin Avith a Scotch list—Edinburgh , GlasgOAV , Aberdeen , Dundee , & c . —UNION .

THE " FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE " AND MASONIC INQUIRY ' . No . 493 of the Freemasons' Magazine constitutes an era in Masonic history , and it is to be hoped the turning point . HOAV dreary " Notes and Queries " used to be ; a few strav notes from the memorandum

book of some zealous brother , and a chance contribution of importance . During this year , however , drill has been actively going on ; a new school of inquiry has been created , dangerous to the old school of mutually complimented ,: great authorities " of mysterious character . There has been some pulling down

, as there * vas great need , for the rubbish had accumulated , but there has been much reconstruction . No . 493 contains reconstruction in the shape of Bro . Hugkan ' s paper of D'Assigny , aud reconstruction even in the destructive paper of Bro . Haye ou Scotch Charters . There are several subjects now being

discussed m earnest , to the great benefit of the debaters , who will be better men ten years hence , Avhen they have acquired the further results of their mutual labours . We are not out of the Slough of Despond , however , and must not be too jubilant , for Ave still have the Book of Job , the Red ' Cross , Bro . Harris , the Rosicrucians , and A'arious authorities in full force .

What is now wanted is for the Craft to co-operate with the Magazine . Up to this time in England , America , Germany , and France , there has rarel y been such a number of a periodical , not forgetting " good men and true . " Vixere fortes auto Agamemnon . "NOTA .

ROYAL ARCH DEGREE . The important communication of Bro . Hughan as to D'Assigny leaves several points open for " further inquiry , as these for instance . —1 . Was the organized body of men , who hacl passed the chair , in Dublin or in London ? 2 . If in Dublin , Avas it derived from London ? 3 . If D'Assigny printed iu 1744 , at what time before was the organized hody in existence ? 4 . Whether , as the organized body consisted of those

Avho had passed the chair , was there then a P . M . degree ? 5 . Were members put in the chair for a short period to take the P . M . degree ? 6 . Was the P . M . degree then a part of the R . A ., as in some jurisdictions it now is ? 7 . Whether the P . M . degree may not have been developed before other portions of

the R . A . ? S . How far the P . M . and R . A . degrees were expansions of the M . M . degree ? 9 . Whether these or any of them Avern regarded by D'Assigny ancl his school as parts of the 3 rd degree or appendages of it ? 10 . How far any objection of theirs was tantamount to objecting to the separating of auy

portion of the ceremony from the M . M . degree and its separate organization ? 11 . How far the M . M . itself , in its earlier stages , was a degree dependent on passing the chair ? I am very much inclined to doubt AA'hether D'Assigny really does condemn the R . A . The way

I read ifc is this—that in Dublin an impostor had appeared some years ago who professed to be Master of the Royal Arch of a York Rite , aud carried on his scheme for some months , when it was proved by a brother of the R . A . from London to be false , and the impostor was excluded from the Craft . This is a

story clear by itself that some time before 1740 ( no 1744 ) a certain York R . A . Rite was setup in Dublin ' and shortly put down . Then we come to this factthat there was then another R . A . Rite , a legitimate one practised m London . Whether a "lodge" of the London Rite was established in Dublin in or

before 1744 is not clear , but D'Assigny must be taken to mean that the fraternity complained they were not admitted as a matter of right to the " London " R . A . degree . D'Assigny ( p . 465 ) repels this assumption , and defends the conduct of the R . A . " lodge ' ' in not admitting indiscriminately . Again , we find that

" lately , " say 1743 , an itinerant Mason appeared in Dublin professing to have three degrees beyond the three Craft degrees . What these were need not be guessed , but they imply a ne plus ultra degree . D'Assigny pppears to object to these schemes , thafc is , to Avhat is now called Christian Masonry , and not to the R . A . or P . M . degree . —R . Y .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The 'Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents , GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTERS .

TO THE EDIT 01 I OF THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —I see in your number of to-day a report of the meeting of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters held on December 1 st . In the course of proceedings letters were read from several officers and others Avho , from various causes , Avere unable to

attend ; but I was vexed to fiud that my name Avas not mentioned , although I wrote to the Grand Sec . three weeks ago at some length in explanation of my reasons for absence , which I felt sure would be quite satisfactory . Holding a high office in the Grand LodgeI am umvilling to allow that any one should

, consider me inattentive to my duties . Yours fraternally , HENRY HOPKINS , G . J . W . Totnes , December 12 th , 1868 .