Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

MASONIC FLAG . In reference to tha recommendation to adopt a French Masonic Elag for nautical purposes , I suppose before this time some of your nautical P . M . s and M . M . s must have reminded your readers of the old Masonic flag with the square and compasses . This is used extensively by the English , Americanand Northern maritime nations ,

, and in this part of Asia we see it frequently . The square and circle we never see , because the Erench have less shipping and fewer Masonic captains . I have known many interesting incidents of the square and compasses . I shall content myself with one lately related by one of the foreign captains of the Homer Lodge ( No . 1108 ) . He found himself windbound for some days near Mytelene ,

with eleven sail . One day he thought he would try how many Masonic ships there were , and hoisted the square and compasses . This was responded to by three , two English aud one Swede . The next day seeing a flow of wind , and knowing by local experience a passage through a narrow channel , he again hoisted the square and compasses as a signal , which was acknowledged by his companions , and they followed his lead to the amazement of the strangers who started too late . —HYDE CLARKE , D . Prov . G . M ., Turkey . Smyrna , December 23 rd , 1862 .

BRO . ELIAS ASHMOLE . I think it is very desirable to ascertain from the records of tho Mason ' s Company for 1682 , whether , besides Mr . Thomas Wise , Master of the Masons' Company for that year , Sir W . Wilson , Captain R . Borthwick , Mr . W . Woodman , Mr . W . Grey , Mr . S . Taylour , Mr . W . Wise , Mr . E . Shorthosewere members of the Masons'

Com-, pany . I think it very likely that Mr . W . Wise was a member , and that it will be found that this lodge consisted chiefly of members of the Mason ' s Company , if it were not , indeed , the lodge of the company . —HYDE CLARK .

SIR . W . WILSON . Who was Sir W . Wilson , Knt ., member of the lodge at Masons' Hall , 1862 ? ( THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , No . 180 , p . 466 . ) Some record of Knights should give us this . —HYDE CLARK .

DR . KNIPE . Who was our Bro . Dr . Knipe , of Christ Church , Oxford , contemporary with Bro . Elias Ashmole . ( THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , No . 180 , p . 466 . )—HYDE CLARK . GENERAL TOM THUMB . The Bridgeport ( Connecticut ) Standard has the following paragraph regarding General Tom Thumbwhoit

, , says , is twenty-six years of age , and has amassed enough money not only to render himself , but his mother , two sisters , and a younger brother independent : — " His habits are unexceptionable , and his intellect and general business ability are such that he personally attends to his own finances , and transacts all the business appertaining to leasing his houses , loaning his money on bond

and mortgage , and looking after his estate in general . He owns a fine yacht , bearing his own name , which he sails himself with as much ' nautical skill as any ' old salt' who sails out of Bridgeport harbour . He also keeps a pair of Shetland ponies and a splendid fast horse for his own driving , as well as a highly-trained pair of hunting dogs . His rifle and fishing tackle were of course

made expressly to suit his diminutive size , and he is a very successful sportsman . He killed several deer while travelling in the West last year . A few months since the little General ivas made a Freemason . He has already taken three degrees , and expresses a determination to ascencZ ihe mystic ladder until he has readied the top round . Although General Tom Thumb has alread y led a life of excitement

, and twice after retiring to- private life has felt compelled to exhibit himself again to keep off the envmi , he remarked to the writer of this article last week ,

while quietly turning his elegant little moustache , of which he seems quite proud , that he hoped one of these days to get married . ' In which event , ' he added , with a roguish look , ' I gess that the cares of a family , added to my ordinary duties , would give me enough to occupy my attention and prevent the necessity of again seeking the excitement of a travelling exhibition ! ' The General

is something of a politician , he contributes liberally to charitable objects , and is highly respected by his fellowcitizens . He has been offered his candidacy for several public offices , but he says he leaves such honours for smaller men !"

PROGRAMME EOR A GRAND FEAST . ^ The programme of the Grand Eeast , held on the 7 th of May , 1794 , may interest some of your musical and other readers . By what strange applicability the "Entered Apprentice Song" followed the health of the Grand Master is not to be discovered in the present day . —J . D .

"JOHN DENT , Esq . M . P . for Lancashire , in the Chair . "After dinner , "Non Nobis , " by Mess . Johnstone , Incledon , Lignum , Fawcett , Davies , kc . & c . —Toast , King and Craft—Music , God save the King—Toast , His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales , G . M . —Music , "Apprentices Song " —Song , Digwum , " The joys of an humble state . " —Toast , Lord Moira . —Music , Britons strike home . —Song , Lncledon , " This day a stag must die . " —ToastDuke of York and the army . —MusicSee the

, , conquering hero comes . —Glee , " When Arthur first at court began . " — Toast , Duke of Clarence and the navy of Great Britain . —Music , Rule Britannia . —Song , Johnstone , " Land of potatoes . "— -Toast , John Dent , Esq . ( the Chair ) . —Song , Fawcett , " Father and Mother and Suke . " —Toast , Grand Wardens . —Duett , " Wine cannot cure . "—Toast , Sir P . Parker , D . G . M . — Music , Hearts of Oak . — - Song , Angela , " With a double

voice . " —The Grand Officers were announced from the Chair . — Toast , Peace , harmony , and unanimity to Masons in general . — Song , Williams , " What folly boys to be downhearted . " —Toast , Board of Stewards . —Toast , Prince Edward . "

GNOSTIC AND TEMPLAR PERSECUTIONS . "What men conversant with real Freemasonry and history , can swallow tbe legendary stories of the grand mastership of the monk St . Austin , St . Swithin , St . Dunstan , and other monkish saints , confessors , cardinals , & c . Is it not more probable that , instead of patronising and protecting a society that was then supposed to raise

and converse with familiar spirits , they would have excommunicated them by bell , book , and candle , and by a thundering anathema , consigned them over to the devil . Did not the behaviour of their contemporaries and successors favour this opininon . "—Dermott . —A

ON PREMASONRY . From the travels _ of Alexander Drummond , Esq ., Consul at Aleppo , written at Smyrna , in the year 1745 . Passing a booksellers shop I observed an old volume of the Imperial Magazine , 1760 , open at an engraved plate of the sword of Gustavus Adolphus , as presented to the Grand Lodge of England , in 1730 , by the Duke of Norfolk . Here are one or two scrapsworthy of

preser-, vation in "Masonic Notes and Queries . "—A . " At this carnival season they have an assembly here , to which Mr . Consul Crawley did me the honour to introduce me ; and , as I had formed a lodge of Freemasons in the place , the ladies had conceived a strange notion of my character ; for I had been represented to them by some priest , as a conjuror of the first magnitude , who had the devil at my command , and raised the

( lead by my diabolical incantations . These terrible prepossessions , instead of frightening them , had only served to raise their curiosity ; aud when I entered the room they surveyed me with truly female attention . After they had satisfied their eyes with a most minute examination , they seemed to think I did not differ ranch from the other children of Adam , and became so familiar to my appearance that one of the number

¦ was hardy enough to desire me to dance with her ; and as she escaped without danger , I was afterwards challenged by a pretty little blooming creature with whom I walked seven minuets during the course of the evening . "As I have mentioned the lodge of Freemasons , I cannot help congratulating myself upon the opportunity I had of