Masonic Notes And Queries.

AUTHOR 01 ? REMARKS WASTED . In your last number you published some beautiful remarks which you add you thought you had seen before . Very likely . They are extracts from the speech of the Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Illinois , Bro . Stephen A . Hut-lbut , delivered upon the occasion of the installation of officers in that Grand Lodge . —Ex . Ex .

" MASONIC MASTER-KEY . " Can you or any of your readers give any account of a work , published more than half a century ago , entitled Browne ' s dfasonic Master-Key ? Is it a forbidden book ? Can it be hacl by purchase , and where ? And if so , has any one the secret words by which the contents ( printed in cypher ) can be read ? —JONES AND ROBINSON .

THE TEMPLAR S GOSPEL . AS I would much like to see this gospel , would you kindly give us the full title and publisher . I suspect its genuineness from the fact of its being divided into chapters and verses " the same as those now in use . " Eor it is said Cardinal Hugo first divided the Scriptures into chapters about 1250 , ancl the present

arrangement into verses ori ginated , I believe , with a Parisian printer of the name of Stephens , about 1551 . Still the Templars might have found such a division convenient , and the question is , Do the chapters and verses correspond precisely w ith the Erench Testament ? Tiie reference to the Mount Athos monks is most interesting and appropriate .

—A-ONE AND TIIREE-HAIITENNY DEGREES . This is an old Yorkshire charge for the Mark , and is said to be the value of half a shekel , there being a tradition ( which means a fifty years' old invention ) that the Avages of a Mark Man and Mark Master were paid in shekels . Until recently the Mark Link and Ark were given together , and was probably the "Diluvian Order" of which Dunckerly w-as G . M ., and thence came to be connected with Templary .

—A-MASONIC ENGRAVING . I have seen a very Avell-executed line engraving—I should think it old—in Avhich is represented three candlesticks in a triangular position surrounded by many stars , a delta with glory at the top , squares , levels , and plumb rules at the base , ancl in the corners people being killed by soldiers . To Avhat does it allude?—S . D . —[ It is a mutilated title-page of Leger . ]

" THE CRAI-TY CRAET . " Wanted to peruse a . copy of an old ancl forgotten abusive pamphlet entitled The Crafty Craft . Any brother having it , ancl being willing to lend it for a few days , Avill much oblige—A BOOKWORM . THE INCOME OF THE GRAND LODGE .

What has been the income of the Grand Lodge of England during the past ten years—the expenses of the Executive—ancl the amount of benevolence doled out to claimants during that period ?—STATIST .

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CONSTANCY is a reasonable firmness in our sentiments ; stubbornness , an unreasonable firmness ; modesty , a consciousness of the deformity of vice , and of the contempt which follows it .

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEMS . The Devonshire Provincial Grand Lodge is appointed to be held on AA'ednesday next , the 27 th inst ., in the Masonic Hull , Exeter . The consecration of the St . Anne ' s Lodge ( No . 070 ) , Looe ,

Cornwall , and the installation of the W . M . by the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Augustus Smith , M . P ., will take place on Tuesday , the 26 th inst ., at twelve o'clock .

The Girls' School.

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

On Thursday , the 11-th inst ., a Quarterly General Court of the Governors of the Royal Ereemasons' School was held at the offices of the Institution , Great Queen-street , for the purpose of placing children on the list for the election in October next , as also of declaring the number then to be elected , and on general business . Tbe meeting was presided over by Bro . John Udall ,

Vice-President . The minutes of the previous general court and those of the intermediate committee meetings having been read and eonfirmed , Bro . PATIEJJ , Sec , road a report from the general committee , to the effect that the number of children at present in the school

was ninety-two , three of whom would leave in October next , when the term of their residence there would expire , and which wotik ! reduce Hie number to eighty-nine . The number of unsuccessful candidates left over from last election having been fourteen , which had been increased by seven additional applicants since , the committee recommended that eleven out of

these twenty-one candidates should be elected in October next , which would increase the number of children in the school to one hundred . It was also stated that a contract had been entered into for the improvement of the play-room of the school , the contract price being £ 121 , and that "the tradesmen ' s bills and salaries for tbe past quarter had amounted to £ 830 4 s . Qd .

while the subscriptions and donations received on the occasion of the anniversary dinner now amounted to £ 3 , 800 . The report was adopted , several brethren present expressing their satisfaction that the financial position of the Institution was such as to enable them to maintain , clothe , and educate so large a number as one hundred female children .

The other business , which was of a routine character , having been gone through , the proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

DEVONSHIRE . EAST STOXEIIOTTSE . — Lodge Forlihule ( No . 105 . )—This centenary lodge held its monthly meeting on the evening of Wednesday the 13 th inst , at seven o ' clock , the duties of tho evening being to initiate and pass , the latter duty being discharged in the most able maimer by Bro . R . Rotlda , I . P . M . P . G . Reg ., the former by Bro . S . Jew , P . M . Tho pleasures of the evening were much enhanced by an official visit from the AVorshipful

Master , tbe Past Master , and Wardens of Lodge St . Aubyn ( No . 95-1 . ) During the evening it was unanimously resolved , after an able speech from the I . G ., that a minute be entered on the records of the lodge of the recent testimonial to Bro . Rodda , a full report of which was given hi a recent number of our MAGAZINE . The duties were then brought to a close , and the brethren adjourned for refreshment . Bro . Thuell introduced the toast of the visitors , particularly naming the officers