Masonic Notes And Qeries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QERIES .

1 IST OF ANCIENT IiODGES . I note this , that , up to 1765 , all the English lodges have public-house designations , and the foreign lodges alone have symbolic titles . It would appear the practise of giving symbolic titles came from the Continent . The old English

titles that appear now to be symbolic , are , after all , only tavern titles . I observe very few American lodges , and I therefore suspect that lodges established try Provincial Grand Masters were not entered on the Grand Lodge rolls in all cases . It is , howeverto be noted that the

, York Grand Lodge supplied many warrants for America . In the last part of the list there are two lodges in Honduras . A significant circumstance with reference to the relations with the Grand Orient of Holland , is that

two warrants were granted for lodges in Amsterdam so late as 1762 . A lodge founded in 1761 is called "Eight Lodge at Calcutta . Lodges are referred to as held in private rooms . In 1762 a warrant was granted for a naval lodge on board H . M . shi p Prince , at Plymouth . —NOTA .

MASONIC I . AXITY ( p . 42 ) . " Crux " makes some very good remarks on Masonic talk before waiters . I have heard ceremonial discussed . —M . M . DISCREPANCIES IN THE RITUAL . The " discrepancies" in the practise of the

ritual pointed out so ably by " Crux , " arise from want of a comprehensive knowledge of Masonic subjects . Some of the dicta of Freemasons' Hall have been most absurd , and have made confusion worse confused . Many of the blunders are on authority . The late Bro . White is responsible for many , and he had no

qualification for being a shining light . The late Bro . Bro . Gray Clarke found himself made into an authority before he had learned much of Masonry , for his Masonic career , prior to his being appointed Secretary , was not such as to give him any experience or enable him to expound Masonic law . —J . H .

The remed y for these is the constitution of a Board of Rites , but it would' be composed of the most ignorant members elected by Grand Lodge , or the most self sufficient members of some degree named by the M / W . G . M . "Crux" will do material good to the Order by ventilating the subject . —AN OBSERYANT

BEABEE . STARS , & c , IN MASONEY ( pp . 10 and 31 ) . I have no knowledge of stars and other symbols borrowed from the firmament being incorporated with , or used in , Ereemasonry previous to last

century . As I am not well posted up in the history of Eriga-Masonry , 1 am unable to say when that illustrious fraternit y first established fellowship with the starry firmament or dabbled in Masonic Celestial matters ^ ; but , perhaps , Bro . Melville may oblige by elucidating that small point ?—W . P . BUCHAN .

Masonic Notes And Qeries.

FOREIGN CEREMONIES . I put it to you whether your very zealous correspondent should enter into such particulars as he does with regard to foreign ceremonies , preparations , & c He may consider Erench Masons fair game , whether they happen to have retained the ancient

ceremonial or altered it ; but what would he think of a Frenchman going to Freemasons' Hall , seeing our ceremony for the first time , and giving a full account of it , showing how it differs from his standard ? It is very possible to do a large amount of harm in this way , not in satisfying idle curiosity , but in satisfying the enemies of our continental brethren by supplying them with what they will call authentic information .. —A MASON .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by

Correspondents-KING CHARLES .

TO THE EJHTOB OE THE FBEEJTASOIfS 2 HAGAZCTE . AJTD MASONIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —In your number 512 , page 332 , it says , — " The Romans burnt the books of tho Jews , of the Christians , and of the Philosophers ; the Jews burnt the books of the Christians and Pagans ; the Christians burnt the boobs of the Pagans and Jews & c . "

, Before 1 refer to the destruction of books , let me set at rest , as far as I am concerned , the decollation of Charles I . I have been abused by some writers for publishing titles of books which certified that the eveut occurred in 1648 . A reference to Hansard ' s Parliamentary Debates , Vol . 3 ., will probably silence

the doubt j it is an extract from the warrant for the execution of the King , which commences : — At the high Court of Justice for the trying and judging of Charles Stuart , King of England , January 29 , Anno Domini , 1648 . The execution , it will be admitted , took place the

next day , 30 Jan ., 1648 . I will explain how it has been made to appear that Charles was beheaded in 1649 , Jan . 30 ; but , be it strictly understood , that in doing so I merely follow iugenious Jesuitical authors , who after 1642 gave false interpretations to the mysteries connected with Carolus . In the first place , it will be desirable to consult the interest of the Act passed- in 1751 altering the style : —

"Whereas the legal supputation of the year of our Lord beginning on the 25 th March is inconvenient , not only as it differs from the usage of neighbouring nations , but also from the legal method of Scotland , and from the common usage throughout the whole kingdom , causing mistakes , & c . That , instead of the year beginning in March , it shall for the future begin in January , & c . And

whereas the Julian Calendar now in use has been discovered to be erroneous by means whereof the vernal or spring equinox , which at the time of the Council of Nice in A . D . 325 , happened on or about the 21 st day of March , now happens on the 9 th or 10 th of the same month , and the error is still increasing , and , if not remediedwould in of time occasion the equinoxes and

, process solstices to fall at very different times to what they ought to do , & c , and whereas a remedy is advisable . Be it enacted that , in 1752 , the 2 nd of September shall be followed next by the 14 th of September , and consequently the 9 th of March be followed next by the 21 st