Masonic Notes And Queries.

NEW EEENCH LODGES . The number of old lodges restored last year in France was fourteen , including one each in Paris , Marseilles , and Lyons , and of new lodges there were only five , including one in Paris . —MEM .

LOED SACKVILLE . A Correspondent is mistaken . Kloss , as quoted by Bro . Findel , does not admit that Lord Sackville was an accepted Mason . The passage is before me ; the words are these , " If the incident mentioned by Masonic historical writers , as occurring December 27 th 1561 he trueviz . that Elizabeth was desirous

, , , , of breaking up a meeting of Ereemasons , which took place at York , but was prevented by Lord Sackville , who waspresent , hecomingtbeir surety with the Queen , yet it does not necessarily follow , as has been assumed , that he was present as an accepted Mason , but he may have been at the winter quarterly meeting of the St .

John ' s Festival , as an enthusiastic amateur of the art of architecture , whicli history pronounces him actually to have been . " See the note , Bro . Findel's History , page 77 . *—CHAELES PUETON COOPEE .

BRO . MANNINGHAM ' S LETTER AND THE 1723 CONSTITUTIONS . Had the Master degree been in existence before 1690 , which , however , I do not believe , there would have been no necessity for Dr . Anderson to write in such a particularly cautious and mysterious manner as he does in the 1723 Constitutions regarding the said Master degree . — ~ W . P . B .

SP 1 TEI 0 US EOSE CEOIX CHAPTEES . I am sorry to see that Bro . Matier , in his last article , has styled one of the original Eose Croix Chapters of England " a spurious body" The Yorkshire Chapter to which he alludes was chartered by the Grand Lodge , and is one of the few remaining chapters which have maintained their independency during

the present time-serving . It is , therefore , one of the regular chapters of England ; the bulk of those now working in this country being spurious , as I am prepared to prove , on hearing the grounds upon which Bro . Matier has conferred that epithet on an ancient regular Templar Chapter of Eose Croix . —JOHN YAEKEE .

THE STUAETS V . THE EEEEMASONS AND THE HIGH 11 EGEEES . I have been looking for real evidence of the connection said to have existed between the Stuarts and Freemasonry and the high degrees before 1746 , but I do not as yet remember of having seen it . —W . P . B .

MASONEX IN SPAIN . This is now making progress . The Grand Orient of France has established a lodge at Cartagena , Los Ilijos de Hiram—Sons of Hiram . —MEM . MEXICO . One gratifying event of last year was the fusion of the two Supreme Councils . —E . B .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

GRAND IODGE PROCEEDINGS . The Grand Orient of France has a very useful practice of publishing an index to its yearly series of proceedings , so that any desired subject can be found at once . —MEM . ARAB LODGES .

The Grand Orient of France has authorised Le Liban Lodge , at Beyrout , to work in Arabic , but ithas to keep its minutes both in French and Arabic . —¦ MEM . GOTHIC AECHITECTHEE AND THE EEEEMASONS . To whom are we indebted for the rise and progress

of Gothic architecture during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries ? Not , I believe , to the operative Freemasons , or any other masons of the period ; but although a nineteenth century Freemason and a Protestant , I consider we are indebted for the said rise and progress to the clergy of the Eoman Catholic

Church . Further , we must beware of certain silly dreams , for the said clergy were not speculative Masons in any such sense as we understand the term . —¦ "W " . P . BUCHAN .

" THEY DO THESE THINGS BETTER IN EEANCE '' (?) .. At all events Frenchmen have a way of doing things of all kinds queerly . Masonry not being a political body in these redhot times , a lodge has been founded at Pantin , entitled , ' ¦ Masonic Democracy . " Masonic Democracy ! "We might do better here . " Masonic

Toryism , " " Old Masonic Fenians . "—MEM . OLDEST MASON IN EEANCE . The oldest Mason in France died last year . His name was Boubee , his age 97 , and he had been a Mason three-quarters of a century . He was a Grand Officer . —MEM .

LIBEAEY OE THE GEAND ORIENT . The chief addition to the valuable library of the Grand Orient of France last year was the purchase of the books of Bro . Leblanc de Marconnay . —MEM .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The " Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents EED CEOSS OF EOME AND CONSTANTINE ..

TO THE EDITOK OF THE PREEjrASOJTS' HUGAZITTE AND MASOJfIC UlRSOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —A statement having recently appeared in the pages of a contemporary of an interview with Count Mallei in regard to the Eed Cross of Rome and Constantino in England , in which it is implied that King Victor Emmanuel ,

" only lawful successor of the Parmese branch , " had given his sanction to the continuance of the so-called Masonic Chivalric Order , it was deemed advisable to ascertain how far such statement was founded on fact . There was also a remark about Greek pretenders to the dignitwhich " E . "W . L" falls into the mistake

y . of supposing that the Comneni were Grand Masters of the Order . The list of Grand Masters , compiled by the Abbe * Giustiniani is before me , and in it is not included any of the legitimate emperors and Grand Masters after 1191 , whilst he has inserted a list of characters unknown in history , and , in a great mea-