Masonic Notes And Queries.

green , crimson , or any other tint you might prefer , "but custom would be sadly outraged by such a display . Either wear white gloves in lodge or go without them altogether , unless you are in mourning , and then no one would object to your sporting the lilac " kids " you so evidently pride yourself upon . ] THE GRAND STEWARDS LODGES .

Which are the lodges that provide Grand Stewards ? —ONE IN ESSE . —[ They are the Grand Masters , No . 1 . Antiquity , 2 . Somerset House , 4 . St . George ¦ and Corner Stone , 5 . Friendship , 6 . British , 8 . Tuscan , 14 . Emulation , 21 . Globe , 23 . Castle Lodge of Harmony , 2 G . St . Albans , 29 . Old Union , 46 .

Felicity , 53 . Peace and Harmony , 60 . Eegularity , 91 . Shakespeare , 99 . Jerusalem , 197 , and the Prince of Wales ' s , 259 . ] THE MASONIC LADDER . How many staves or rounds are there in the Masonic ladder . —W . G . 0 . —[ Three in the Craft degree . Five in the Kni ghts of Malta . Seven in the ISth and 30 th degrees . ]

ELORAL DECORATION 03 ? LODGES . Churches have at various seasons of the year very pretty floral decorations , and it has become almost an art study how to produce these with the best effect . Would not such a custom be quite as appropriate in a lodge room , and who has ever seen it so

ornamented ? Precedents of this kind , describing ¦ what should be done in flowers , and how , will be esteemed by—HORTICHLTURALIST .

CLUBS AND LODGES . Did any lodges have clubs attached to them in the time of the first and second Georges ? A large number of Freemasons belonged to the Beef-steak Club . Did any belong to the celebrated club at Medmenham ?—F . M . —[ We never heard of them . It is to

be hoped there were no Freemasons that ever saw the interior of that disgraceful society . Have a better opinion of the Order than to suppose any of its members votaries of such an unhallowed place . It might suit Wilkes , Potter , Lord Sandwich , and others of the like notoriety , but it would not have done for the fastest of the fast brethren ever admitted to the Order . ]

METAPHYSICAL MASONRY . Where has Freemasonry been treated of metaphy sically ?— -j-.

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor 18 not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND GOOD FEIDAT . 10 InE EDITOR OF TIIE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEEOE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Though not a "Knight Tenrplar " nora " H . B . D . M . K . D . S . H . /' andnot aspiring

to the dignity involved in the very odd ( not to say silly ) designation " Sir Knight , " I have been given to understand , on pretty good authorit y , that Masonic Templary is distinguished from Craft Masonry by being professedly and exclusively a Christian Order , and haying reference to , if not founded upon , the

Correspondence.

most solemn mysteries of the Christian religion . Yet it appears from 3 our last number that the "Boyal Kent Encampment" of Newcastle-on-Tyne , meeting ( appropriately enough ) on Good Friday , " according to ancient custom , " think it decent and becoming on such a day to wind up with " the usual banquet , '

drinking of toasts , and speechifying , and to " spend the evening in that harmony and good fellowship which always , " & c . I am no more a "high puseyite" or " ' formalist " than any of the " Sir Knights , " nor do I make any

profession of excessive sanctity ; yet it appears to me , and doubtless to others , that it is shockingly irreverent for persons making such professions as " Knights Templar" must do , to make such a day the occasion of feasting and revelry , however harmless , or even

laudable , such things may be in themselves . It can scarcely be necessary to tell such distinguished personages that " Good Friday" is instituted to commemorate the " Cross and Passion" of our

Bedeemer—the torture and agony which He suflered for our sakes , and which He closed with the awfully significant declaration , " Consummatum est ; " and it is customary with very many Christians , who do not pretend to be iu any especial sense " soldiers of the sepulchre , " to spend the day in fasting , prayer , and

meditation , or , at least , iu abstinence from anything like extra jollification . Whether they are right or not in so doing is not the question ; but surely the very different proceedings of the " Sir Knights" are calculated to cast ridicule and reproach upon Christianity or Masonry or both . It is due , I think , to

their character , and that of the Craft of which they profess to be exalted members , that they should have an opportunity of explaining the incongruity of their profession and their practice , and with that object I should feel obliged by your insertion of this letter of inquiry and expostulation . Yours fraternally , A MASON , BUT NO " KNIGHT . "

Caution.—An Itinerant Mason.

CAUTION . —AN ITINERANT MASON .

TO TEE EDITOR OF TIIE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIER 0 E . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —There is , at the present time , a Spaniard who professes not to understand English , going about London , Woolwich , and the suburbs , calling upon brethren , and soliciting alms under the pretence of being a brother . The individual

in question is short , with a thin sharp visage , sallow complexion , shaved close , and has very dark hair . He was recognised as having done the same thing some thirteen months ago , when he made a pretty good harvest out of the officers , who belong to the Craft , at Woolwich . This may put some of the unwary on their guard , if inserted in the next MAGAZINE . Yours truly and fraternally , ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHX .