Masonic Notes And Queries.

widow of a Mason , immediately had herself and daughter placed under special protection , and also resigned to them luxuries to which his position entitled him , at the same time telling her that he felt it a most imperative duty on him to succour and help themas relatives of his deceased Masonic

, brother . The journey of the Avidow and daughter was thereby made comfortable and easy , which , no doubt , under other circumstances Avould have been entirely opposite .

ANCIENT BELIGIOUS CEEEMONIES OF THE IA . PXANDEES . Looking over an old folio history of Lapland , printed " at the Theater in Oxon , 1674 , " and written by Johannes Schefferus , Professor of Rhetoric at TJpsal , in Sweden , I came upon a curious account

" Of the Heathenish Gods of the Laplanders , and their Manner of Worship ; " and thinking that they may serve to fill an odd corner of the PEEEMASONS ' MAGAZINE , when more substantial matter runs short , I have sent some extracts . In the preface to this history it is asserted that " military action , and those

publick murders iu Avhich other histories triumph , have no share here . Amidst the barbarity and darkness Avhich reign in Lapland , there appear strictures of light , which will entertain the eie of the knowing observer , as the stars are no less remarkable than is the sun itself . " We learn that the inhabitants of this cold and inhospitable land were Avorshippers of one God , Avho was at first called Jumela , and was

represented in the image of a man sitting behind an altar , having upon his head a radiated crown adorned with twelve gems , and about his neck a chain , to which was pendant a figure of the moon . "They did not worshi p Jumela everywhere , but in some few places , or perhaps only in that one where , in a thick remote wood he had a kind of temple—not as they

usually build , with walls and roof , hut only a piece of ground fenced as the old llomau temples were ; from hence one might look every way , which could not have bin don had they bin cover'd at ye top . " The Christian religion appears to have been introduced into Lapland in 1277 , but its effects were at

first apparent only in the substitution of a species of polytheism for the former system of monotheism . Thus our author quaintly observes— " An impiety they are guilty of is joining their own feigned gods with God and Christ , and paying them equally reverence and worship , as if God and the devil had made an agreement together to share these devotions between them . "

In addition to the former sole object of their devotion , Jumela , they had now the Scandinavian deity , Thor , " a tall , personable- man , armed with a mallet , " and the Sun , " who is the author of so great blessings to them , and who at his return restores them to the light which they lost by his departure ( and

that not for a day , but for weeks ) , which new day seems more welcome to them by reason of long - absence . " The temples of these deities were placed upon the summits of the hi ghest of hills , or by the margins of the lakes in the lowest of vallies , as is shown by a tabulated list of thirty of these places

of Avorship ; and of them Ave read : — " Eor all these places , Avhen properly dedicated , they have a high esteem , so that they exclude all women from them ,

and prohibit all marriageable women to come near the bordures of the consecrated hills . It is observable that their ceremonies are performed only by men , all women being excluded , they esteeming it as great a crime for a woman to offer sacrifice as to frequent the consecrated places . "

The description of their mode of saying grace at meals is also noteworthy : — " When their meals are ended , they lift up their hands and then say grace after this manner , ' All thanks be given to God ; ' they then mutually exhort each other to faith and charity , taking each other by the right hand , which is a symbol

of their unity and brotherhood . " The incantation ceremonies , and divination by means of a drum and mallet , are carefully described ; but I do not wish to weary the patience of my readers , some of whom may consider even the foregoing remarks uninteresting . —A . " W ., 253 .

EFFECTS OF THE AVAE IN THE ( DIS ) UNITED STATES ON FEEEJIASONEY . At the commencement of the war , or soon after , the Grand Master of the Knight Templars in Virginia issued a circular to the fraternity , in which he declared that his . Northern brethren should be received

with bloodstained hands to hospitable graves , designated by no sprig of Cassia , & c . This terrible threat has been carried into effect ; for the editor of the Williamsburg Times , who was himself present at one of the late great battles , relates that a wounded Master Mason gave the sign of

distress to an advancing Southerner . The latter observing it , remarked savagely , "Tou can't come that game over me now , you Yankee abolition scoundrel , " and bayonetted him on the spot . Thus has perjury been the forerunner to murder ; a violation of Masonic VOAVSthe advancing step to

, national treason and eternal personal dishonour , The perpetrator of this will never die a natural death , and , perhaps , ere this he is summoned to that home Avhere he will meet his reward . —T . R-. S .

INVESTMENT FOR MASONIC PUEPOSES . Can I lawfully- invest money now , so that at my decease a Masonic hall can be erected for the benefit of the Order in my native town ?—No KITH OE KIN . —[ It is very doubtful , but you should apply to a good laAvyer in preference to us . Clearly you cannot

leave money to purchase a real estate to endow , or support , such a hall . The Statute of Mortmain would void it quite irrespectively of the question which some bigot would be sure to raise , viz ., its destination to superstitious uses . If you can do such a good act , why not do it while you are here amongst us ? You

can buy your ground , build , and make over the property in y our lifetime ; and this calls to our remembrance an extract from a will lately proved , in which a noted charitable person said he left nothing to charities , because he had supported many during his life , and it was a blessing to him to have seen the

results of his alms whilst living , and no detriment to his posterity to have their patrimony lessened by a posthumous liberality . Go and do the same . ]

THE 5 IAEK EITUAL . "Under the heading of " Christianity of the Mark " in the number of December 3 rd , you say " the new ritual is a sad jumble , " and you think , if it is any-