Masonic Notes And Qeries.

burghers in the towns—the latter were free , and some were freeboru . To admit a serf to the privileges of a guild , was to expose the guild aud burgh to hostilities from the baron to Avhom the serf belonged , and hence it was necessary to ascertain the quality of the candidate , and that none but freeborn men \ vere

admitted . A genuine relic of the middle ages , to be identified by any ordinary student of their history , is made a plaything for fanciful inquirers . —LIBER . GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE ; CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE . The following is taken from Mr . Sharpe ' s " Seven Periods of English Architecture : " — Eroin A . D . to A . D .

1 . Saxon Period - - 10 G 6 2 . Norman , or Romanesque Period 1006 - 111-5 3 . Transitional Period - - - 1145 - 1190 4 . Lancet Period - 1190 - 12-15 5 . Geometrical Period - - - 1215 - 1 . 315 6 . Curvilinear Period - - - 1315 - 13 G 0

7 . Rectilinear Period - - - 1360 - 1550 —W . P . BUCHAN . MEDAL . In "Notes and Queries , " 4 th S . III ., p . 427 , "Belfast" writes : — " Any information a brother could

give me relative to the medal I describe would much oblige . Obv . CAROLVS . SACKVILLE . MAGISTER . E . L . NATTER , 1713 . His bust . Rev . AB . ORIGINS . Nudo figure ( the Genius of Secresy ?) left arm resting upon the column ; the cornocupia in the hand ; the plumb rule , the level , the square , aud other emblems of Masonry at his feet . "

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents

MASONIC CELESTIAL MYSTERIES .

"OMNIA VINCIT VERITAS , " VERSUS "EORTIOR QUI MELIOR . " TO TilE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIItr . OK . Dear Sir aud Brother , — "Omnia A'iucit Veritas , " when you can get it ; but truth lies at the bottom of a welland it is not one who cau bring it out

, every ; therefore , "fortior qui melior , " he is the better man who can do so . Eor this some time hack , Bro . Melville has been writing _ upon the wonderful subject of " Celestial Mysteries , " his object being , as he says , to enlighten his brethrenbut as the lettersetcivhich have

; , ., appeared lately in your columns show , his success would seem to have been but small ; in fact , some have taken the liberty of asserting that Bro . Melville ' s " light " has been but " darkness visible . " This has raised Bro . Melville ' s ire , who at page 391 , ivaxing fierce , throws his gauntlet on the ground , daring any in

one propria persona , to take it up . Mrgo—as a humble contributor to the Magazine , I lift it , and shall touch him up a hit . Bro . M . gives out that he is writing for the purpose of imparting instruction to his benighted brethren ; but I am sorry to say that , although I read all his articles , I as yet have received none—from him . In case this was owing to my reading them over too hastily , I , a few nights ago ,

sat clown and perused them all over again , and , for Bro . Melville ' s sake , I am very sorry to say that , having done so , the conclusion I came to wns that the style of Bro . M . ' s articles was far too mystical for common mortals to comprehend or receive any benefit from . I was also almost half-ashamed of own

my ignoi'aneo of , or incapacity to understand , such a sublime subject as " Masonic Celestial Mysteries , " aud asked a few of my acquaintances if they could make anything of it ; but , lo ! they were as bad as myself ; consequently , this set me a thinking , and , remembering that I could with pleasure and edification peruse

the works of some of the best scholars of the day , who have ( what Bro . M . seems to want ) , viz ., the art of making you understand Avhat they mean , thereby imparting to their readers the knowledge which they possess , my courage rose , and , to Bro . Melville ' s delight , no doubt , I do not intend to use here a nam de plume or attack him from " behind a wall , " but face to face .

Bro . Melville writes a great deal about the " points , " but he forgets a most important one—viz ., to write to the " point . " Another silly custom he has , is a pretended anxiety lest he should unwittingly disclose any sacred or important " point . " As a Ereemason , I beg to express my disgust at this pretension . It

is , I consider , a poor , transparent , and unmanly attempt at imposition . Bro . Melville says " the points must not be divulged . " Bosh ! Let Bro . Melville publish or tell all the mysterious points he knoAvs (?); only let him do it in a more concise and intelligible manner than he has yet done . If he cannot do so , the sooner he folloivs the example of Eve aud " elopes " the better .

The great use of language ( when used by anyone who desires to impart instruction ) is to speak so as that what you mean may be easily and at once understood by those to Avhom you are addressing yourself ; so also , if possible , ought it much more to be with Avriting ; and if said writing be intended to he

understood by thosej ^ o . " whom it is Avritten , the meaning of every sentence ought to them to be as clear as day ; "light" sparkling from every word and period ; the writer being a " suu , " and his ivriting a " diamond . " Bro . Melville , however , seems not to have got the length of understanding thishe being simply a

, " cloudy moon " shining upon a piece of coal , alias a " black diamond ; " Avere there sufficient heat in him to set the coal on fire , we might get up a temporary bit of a sparkle ; but , no , there is nothing to be seen or felt throughout the Avhole expanse but " darkness visible . "

Bro . M . asks that such portions of his writings as appear " inconsistent or incomprehensible " should be pointed out to him , aud he will , if in his power , " render them more lucid . " But the great difficulty I find is to discover any substantial portion that is comprehensible , at least to ordinary minds . There

is one wise remark , however , Avhich I shall extract , viz ., " The tropic of Capricornus ending ivhere the tropic of Cancer commences , and consequently Capricornus commencing Avhere Cancer endeth . '' This could only be equalled by another " Masonic Celestial Mystery which I shall give—unless , indeed , Bro . M . has discovered it before me—viz ., the day endeth Avhere the night commences , consequently the day commences where the night endeth .