Masonic Notes And Queries.

by "* b J . D . M . " as to its description , wkbh I am not aware of its being responded to , if not I should again respectfully call attention to the request of " * J . D . M . "— PICTUS . MASONS' MAEKS ( p . 307 ) . On page 30 S for « letters of the Greek alhabet "

p , read "letters of the Greek and other alphabets , '' such as Eunic or Eoman letters , & c—W . P . B . Burgh Becords , 4 th May , 1484 , page 30 S , for " resaint " read " resauit , " for " work " read " wark , " for " personn " read " persoim . "—W . P . B .

"A COMING ' LIGHT . '— "WHAT NEXT ?" The above is the heading of a letter which appeared in the "Scottish Freemasons' Magazine , " for June , I 860 , said letter being signed by " your humble servant , Henry Melville . " Iu it Mr . Melville ( now , I understandBroMelville ) "It is admitted

, . , says , an fact that the Masonic mysteries are lost , and that it would be beneficial to the Order could the brethren re-discover them . I am in possession of them , " & c . "The knowledge was not communicated to me Masomeally , and therefore I am not bound by any obligationand can reveal the secrets if I think

, proper , " & c . Nearly three years have now passed , and at page 241 of this Magazine we have " Masonic Celestial Mysteries , " by Henry Melville , in which he says , " I am about to present to my Masonic brethren a series of papers relating to our ancient Order . " Bro . Melville then goes on to tell about certain ancient

astronomic ideas or mystical teachings , or remarks anent ancient astronomy , which Bro . D . J . Godfrey , at page 290 , tells us is an "Astro-Masonic paper , or Masonic Astronomv . The idea somehow enters my head that it might be called pseudo-Masonic , so far as " the real and valuable secrets of the ancient

Order of free and accepted Masons " is concerned ; further , I add that there are no Masonic " secrets " about it , and there is not the slightest necessity for pretending to conceal these " valuable Masonic secrets " from anybody . The real secrets of Freemasonry are safe in their simplicity , which is also their

beauty' Like the cerulean an avcli we see , Majestic in its oivn simplicity . " The most serviceable and common-sense plan for Bro . Melville to adopt , would be to write and publish all his valuable "lost Becrets" without making any unnecessary fuss about the matter , then , if there

were anything relating to our system of Preemasonry in his book , Freemasons would know what to do . As to Bro . D . J . Godfrey ' s remarks at page 292 , they are making rather too much of nothing —print the hook first . I am astonished that brethren could for a moment imagine that Bro

. Melville , or any other body , is or could be able to tell us about such pretended " lost Masonic secrets . " Masonic secrets ! — Masonic nonsense— any true Masonic secrets worth disclosirjg , would be something ahont practical Masonic construction , i . e ., practical Masonry or architecture At 304

. page , Bro . Melville says , "Enough has been shewn of Egyptian mysteries ! "Were more proofs brought forward it might probably allow the uninitiated to -obtain a clue by which all the secrets of Masonry might become unravelled . " Is Bro . Melville

laughing at us ? or is he trying to impose upon the public ? So far as Bro . Melville can write and speak of ancient Assyrian or Egyptian astronomy or mythology , or the ancient mysteries—religious or civilwell and good , but when he begins to tell us that these are Masonic secrets—lost Masonic secrets , & c ,

—it won't do . And when Bro . Godfrey gives out the idea of starting a Masonic School where these " lost secrets " may be discovered , he is , to say the least , coming it rather strong . There is one secret which many Masons seem to have lost , and which would be worth discovering , viz ., the secret of understanding common sense . —PICTUS .

EEEEMASONET ABOUT TWO HUNDEED YEAES AGO . The Lansdowne MS . 98 f . 48 , to which allusion has been made by Pictus , is in the handwriting of the early part of the 17 th century , the water mark is found in paper dated about 1620 . Mr . Halliwell is , therefore , perfectly accurate in the date he attributes

to the MS . As the question of the MSS . has been raised , I may be tempted some other day to forward a further communication in respect to them . I do not think that Pictus's note in the last Magazine calls for much reply . I would only say that the " building corporations " may be traced from the

fall of the Roman Empire to the end of the 16 th century , but that by the end of that century they were clearly rapidly decaying in prestige and power . They were at their height in this country probably between 12 S 0 and 14 S 0 . I can only repeat that the statement of Pictus that " certain individuals

fabricated our Master's Degree about 1700 , '' appears to me to prove that Pictus has not yet himself studied the question of evidence as it bears on the history of Preemasonry in England . Any theory more opposed to the real facts of the case cannot be well imagined . I have already stated that I unreservedly accept the tradition of our Order which connects us with King . Solomon and the Temple . —A MASONIC STUDENT .

LODGE MINUTES , ETC . NO . 3 . ( p . 289 ) . I give a few more extracts from the old minutebook referred to at page 268 . — " That all quarriers be warned to the courts held by the Incorporation as brethren thereof , they bearing burden with the masonsall in terms of the

, charter ( 11 th December , 1600 ) . " In minutes of 1604—5 & 7 , " visitors " are elected as office-bearers to the corporation . In a minute of 1681 it says , — " All who ride to burials or other common raids hereafter , shall ride upon their own charges , and shall not be allowed out

of the common purse . " In another minute of 1681 , a member is found " to be in the wrong for calling the said Andrew a mansworn seducer in presence of the old and new Deacon , and therefore descerning the said James to pay £ 4 * penalty to the Deaconand to ask the said Andrew ' s

, forgiveness upon his knees in all humility . " Special meetings "that any person causing the Cratt to be convened shall pay 20 s . to the Graft for each time they convene to be drunken . " ( 1 st Nov . 1619 . ) On 29 th December , 1602 , Gilbert Peddie , on being