Freemasonry.

this number , some one hundred and seventy are iu London , or within ten miles of the Freemasons ' Hall in Great Queen-street ; over five hundred and sixty are scattered over other parts of England and Wales . Rutlandshire has none ; Bedfordshire , but three ; while Lancashire has nearly one

hundred . There are others in the Channel Islands , India ( there are ten in Calcutta ) , Cape of Good Hope , West Indies , North and South America , Australia , New Zealand . The 1 st , 6 th , 12 lh , 14 th , 31 st , ancl 89 fch regiments of foot have lodges attached to their respective In addition to

corps . these , there are nearly one thousand Royal Arch Chapters under the same jurisdiction . In the above numbers are not of course included lodges in Scotland , or Ireland ; each of Avhich countries has its OAVU Grand Lodge .

In round numbers , there are about one million and a quarter of Free and Accepted Masons scattered upon the face of the globe . Of this number , some one hundred and fifty thousand are English Masons ; one hundred thousand , Scotch ; fifty thousand , Irish . There are about six hundred

thousand on the continent of Europe ; half that number in the United States ; and fifty thousand in other parts of the world . In England , there are two or three thousand persons initiated each year ; and papal allocutions and feminine denunciations notwithstanding , the Masonic body is said to be everywhere increasing .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

POETS DAUKEATE . I observe in your report of the recent presentation to Bro . Murray Lyon , that some brethren have attached to their names , the title of Poet Laureate . "Will any of your correspondents inform me , if many of the Scotch lodges possess Poets Laureate ; and also if the office exists , or has at any time existed in our lish ?

Eng lodges —¦ M . M . THE BUDDHISTS . The Buddhists , Avrites a Lancashire brother , are estimated at 400 millions , more than one-third of the human race ; and he makes some suggestions as to the admission of certain Buddhists into

Freemasonry . But not one of those suggestions , as it appears to me , meets the great difficulty . Buddhism is an Atheistical Religion ; and a Buddhist cannot he received into a lodge unless he preAuously changes his creed . Conversion to Theism must precede initiation in om < Institution . "Corame les Uonddhistes n ' admettent

pas , en dehors des quatre elements , d'Etre supreme qui aurait cre ' e le mcnde , on ne pout discouverir qu ' ils ne soient atliecs dans le sens habituel du mot . " — Diet . Sci . Phil . —CHAEIES PUETOH COOPEE . THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONAEY AND THE ENGLISH PEEEMASON .

The letter from Canterbury has been duly brought to me by an East Kent brother . The ensuing lines ? iavoroferenne to the chief passage in it . The Christian Missionary , on some fitting occasion , speaks to the Atheist , or to the Pantheist , or to the Polytheist . or

Masonic Notes And Queries.

to the Fetichist , of Christianity , but ( as alas ! too often happens ) unsuccessfully . His task is ended . He had a holy duty to perform , and it is now performed ; and he can speak of nothiug more . The English Freemason also , ou some fitting occasion , speaks to the Atheist , or to the Pantheist , or to the

Polytheist , or to the Fetichist , of Christianity , and unsuccessfully . His task , however , unlike that of the Missionary , has not ended ; it is only beginning . His duty is not yet performed , and there is something more of which he can speak . Accordingly he speaks of Natural Religion . He speaks of the One "

living God , the Great Architect of the Universe . He speaks of the obligation to do what is right and not to do what is wrong , of Charity , of Rewards , and Punishments in another Life . He speaks of the great Truths , discoverable by the just exercise of man ' s reason , and without the assistance of Revelation . — CHAEDES PUETOX CooPEE .

MOWOTHEISAt OP THE ENGLISH PEEE 3-IASOX . I refer a correspondent to my communication , " English Freemasonry essentially Monotheistic , " pages 72 and 168 of the present volume . Notwithstanding what a correspondent may have heard , it is , in my judgmentas probable that an Englishman

, should call his wife , or sister , the Goddess of Reason , and substitute the Avorship of such Goddess for Christianity , as that the English Freemason should substitute the Pantheism of a German Philosopher for his own Monotheism . —CHAELES PUBTON COOPEE .

USAGE OP A PEOVINCIAI , GBAND DODGE OK" CELEBEATION OP ITS YEAELY PESTIVAL TO PBOCEED TO CHUECH . In answer to the letter of a brother upon this subject I say—that where it has been the usage that a Provincial Grand Lodge should on the celebration of its yearly Festival proceed to a Church in the

neighbourhood of the place where the Festival is held , and divine service having been performed , hear the Provincial Grand Chaplain ' s sermon , it appears to me , considering the very unsatisfactory state of Freemasonry , as regards the religious element , in many countries of Europe , most inexpedient that such usage should be discontinued at the present time . —CHABEES PUBTOS COOPEE .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents , TO TUU UD 1 TOB OP TnE TREEJIASON 3 * HAGAZINE AND 3 IA 50 XXC 111111103 . PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIP" WRECK . SIE —I Avish to ask through the medium of our

, valuable paper Avhat are we doing by Avay of lending a' helping hand to the cause of the " Shipwrecked Mariner ' s Society , " or the " National Lifeboat Institution ?" I am glad to see that certain public bodies , as well as private individuals have provided lifeboats for

places along the coast where no proper provision existed for saving life in case of shipAvreck . Such places are , alas , too numerous ! A _ glance at a chart of wrecks that has been lately published cannot fail deeply to impress every true