Masonic Notes And Queries.

"Die alte "Weiber sagen , class diss Kraut gut sey fur Gespenst , wenn man es bey sich tragt , daber es auch Fuga Bccmonim soil genennt werden . "—Taberncdmontani Kraterbuclt , ed . Casparum Bauhinum , 1625 , ii . 539 . " Old women say that this herb is good against ghosts , if people carry it about them , on which

account it is said to be called Fnga Bamonum . It sems to have been used much for wounds , internal bleeding , " pleuritis , " to fume women in labour , & e . & c . It is however , I understand , not the Herbe Saint-Jean of the French , theirs being the common wormwood ( Artemisia vulgaris L . ) Either an old poet or an old saying—so often

identical—has"Herbe Saint-Jean , tu portes bonne encontre , '' The children ' s heads in the North of France used to be encircled with wreaths of this Herbe Saint-Jean o St . John ' s Eve , to keep the witches off" All good come running in , all ill keep out . " In the northern parts of Germany it is still

customary for children , poor people , and old women ( the latter most particularly engaged in and attached to such kind of trade ) to carry large basketsful of camomile ( Matricaria- cltamomilh , L . ) and elder-flowers Sambucas nigra , L . ) round for sale at this time of the year . Both are tied up in buudles for drying ,

purported to be gathered either on St . John ' s Eve or St . John ' s Day , Avhich constitutes their great efficacy as a remedy . Old women will extol the value of such Johannishamillen and Johannisholhtnder ; and many a good houseAvife in the country will he afraid of the " evil-eye " that these weird sisters may be

possessed of , and will buy a stock of them to be laid by in case of illness . Joliannislca . nillen ( St . John ' s camomiles ) are considered the thing when wanted during the time of childbirth . Most probable some good old herbalist ( and dear old creatures they must have been some IAVO or three centuries for their

ago , is still an air of cpiaintness , of gentle , soft placidness around their brethren of the present day even ) thought it just the fit time for these flowers and herbs to be cut for medicinal purposes , and superstition took hold of the day to attach a peculiar meaning to such Jlerbes Saint-Jean .

The elder , a sacred flower with the Yandals ( Wenden , vide Nugent ' s History of'Vandalia , 3 vols ., London , 1766-73 ) , is still held in great and just repute in the northern peasant ' s household medicine . Elderflower tea , not too strong and without sugar , is used as an excellent remedy in colds ; foot-baths of ( dried )

elder-floAvers will do wonders in colds in the head ; a jam of the berries , of a somewhat sickly taste thoogh , for cookery purposes ; the bark of the tender branches boiled in milk furnishes excellent mollifying poultices , Elderberry vrine , of that most excellent quality ( don't grudge the brand y in it , ye good

farmers' Avives !) as , " set ou " in country homes of dear old England , is scarcely known across the Channel . I have been told , too , that elder-flower water was a wash much used by our great-grandmothers , just as it is at the present time , superseding the equally . oolirig rose-water , as elder-flower Avine , if properly prepared , can only be superseded by the genuine muscadine wines . —HERMANN KINDT , in Notes and Queries .

THE BLUE BLANKET . This banner or standard , which was first presented to the trades of Edinburgh , by King James III in 1482 , is an interesting old relic , especially if the present one be the same original of 1482 . It is called ' the Hue blanket from its colour . The

Deacon-Convener is the custodian of it . There was an amusing history of it written in 1722 by Alexandra Pennecuik , who tells us in one place that " It had its rise about the 1200 year of God , when the Croisade was carried on by Pope Urban the Second (!) ; and so is older than any of the Orders of Knighthood in Europe , save

that of St . Andrew , or the Thistle , which had its original about the 800 , " & c . Then at another place he says "' tis highly probable , it had its rise from the Croisade , or Holy War : for Monsieur Chevereau , in his history of the world , tells us , that Scotland ivas engaged in that war ! " Ergo in that last circumstance Ave have quite sufficient ground for a foundation upon

which to build a fine legend ; for "having thus accounted for the original of the Order of the Blue Blanket , I may fairly infer that 'tis as ancient , and more honourable than the English Order of the Garter" And "the Craft of Edinburgh , having this ' Order of the Blanket to glory in , may justly take

upon them the Title of Knights of the Blanket . " I need hardly say that as this " banner " did not exist until 1482 , the idea of its being planted upon the walls of Jerusalem , either in or before the thirteenth century , and that too by the " trades of Edinburgh , " is a pure dream . I am not sure bus

Pennecuik was a bit of a wag , and his reference to the Order of the Garter a sly hit at the Masons , whom he mi ght say were still more justly entitled to take upon them the title of Knights of the Apron , seeing their grand distinguishing badge , Avhich was brought out in 1717 , Avas " more ancient than even the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle ! — W . P . B .

TRUE FREEMASONRY , BY BRO . C . P . COOPER , At page 188 of the Magazine for Sept . 5 th , 1868 , Bro . Cooper observes "The definition , "Freemasons ' Magazine , " vol . xvii ., page 168 ( Aug . 31 st . 1867 ) , is a definition of ^ e true Freemasonry . —C . P . Cooper , " Turning to the page 168 alluded to , it says : " The following definition of true Freemasonry has been

sent to me by an Oxford brother : —True Freemasonry admits those who acknoAvledge , and shuts out those who deny the religion of nature ! I can discover no objection to this definition that a feAV minutes reflection will not remove . —C . PUETON COOPER . " Query '—What is the religion of nature ? " . — ENQUIRER .

IHE ST . JOHS ' S FLEA , vide page 276 . This now notorious " Malcolm Canmore Charter " may , perhaps , very properly be denominated " The St . John ' s Flea . " They seem to enjoy having it hopping about among them , it affords considerable amusement , and , no doubt , serves to keep them from feeling dull . It is to be hoped that Avhen the time comes , in the

course of nature , when this interesting little creature departs this life , it will he duly embalmed and thus ,-perhaps serve as a nucleus for a Museum of Masonic Natural Curiosities . However , long life to their "lively flea , " and more power to its horn , so long as they continue to grant such handsome douceurs to charitable purposes . OLIVER G OLDSMITH .