Masonic Notes And Queries.

masonry on so substantial a basis , as to constitute the unmixed pride of its friends and defenders , and defy the malice of its traducers and foes , if any such are still to be found amongst those who are indifferent to its progress . " ] WHAT . IS THE moVEB . AGE 10 BE XKITIATED . An old friend asks what is the proper age at which

you make [ Freemasons ? To which I replied twenty-one . Was I right?—A J . AV . —[ Strictly so , but we suppose your querist asked it in allusion to himself , and should recommend all brethren to bear in mind the "three regrets " of an old gentlemen at his initiation . I . That he was old when he became a [ Freemason and has spent the vigour of his youth in darkness . II . That his habits

were formed , that he had not his early facility of intellect in acquiring and retaining knowledge , so as to be as serviceable to the . Order as he wished to be . III . That he was not so good a man as a [ Freemason ought to be , and that his years were but few for improvement . ]

AUTHOR OP A MASONIC PBAVEB WANTED . Who was the author of the following prayer , used at initiatiou and printed in The Mason ' s Companion , published at Ayr , in 1792 ? "O most gracious and eternal God , who art the Chief Architect of the created Universe ! grant unto us , thy servants , who have already entered ourselves into this most nobleancientand

, , honourable fraternity , that we may be sober and thoughtful , and always have a remembrance of those sacred and holy things we have taken on us , and endeavour to instruct and inform each other in secresy , that nothing may be unlawfully or illegally obtained , and that those persons who are now to be made Masons , may be worthy members ; and may they , and all of us , live as men ; considering the great end for which thy goodness

has created us , do thou , 0 God , give us wisdom to contrive , in all our doings , strength to support in all difficulty , and beauty to adorn those heavenly mansions where thy honour dwells ; and grant , 0 Lord , that we may agree together in brotherly love and charity one towards another ; and in all our dealings in the world , do justice to all men , love mercy , and walk humbly with Thee , our God ; and , at last , may an abundant entrance be administered unto us , into thy kingdom , 0 Great Jehovah .

"Now unto the King Eternal , Immortal , Invisible , the . only wise God , be the kingdom , the power , and the glory , forever and ever . Amen . " Is it still used across the Tweed ?—A . K . 0 .

LODGE NOMENCLATURE . Turning over an old foreign list of lodges I met with the names of the following , amongst others : " The Three Golden Trowels ; The ' Holy Emulation ; The Three United Waters-, Tbe Three Pomegranates ; The Three Flames ; The Black Bear ; The Three Elms ; Tho Good Hope and the Green Oak . " Perhaps these may be

suggestive to brethren in want of a title for a lodge . — NOMEN . THE THRONE OP SOLOMON . What was the throne of Solomon like ?—P . M . —[ In the first volume of a series entitled Oriented Collections there is a translation from a Persian MS . on the history of Jerusalem , in which the throne in question is fully described . Whether it has any bearing upon Preemasonry we offer no opinion , but append the extract .

" The sides of it were pure gold , the feet of emerald and rubies , intermixed with pearls , each of which was as large as an ostrich ' s egg . The throne had seven steps ; on each side were delineated orchards full of trees , the branches of which were of preceious stones , representing fruit , ripe and unripe ; on the tops of the trees were to be seen figures of plumage birds , particularly the peacock , the etaub , and kurges . All these birds were hollowed within artificiallso as to

occasiony , allyuttera thousand melodious sounds , such as the ear of mortals never before heard . On the first step were delineated vine branches , having bunches of grapes , composed of various colours of purple , violet , green , and red , so as to render the appearance of real fruit . On the second step , on each side of the throne , were two lions of terrible aspect , large as life , ' and formed of cast gold .

" The nature of this remarkable throne was such , that when Solomon placed his foot on the first step , the birds spread forth their wings , and made a fluttering noise in the air . On his touching the second step , the lions expanded their claws . On his reaching the third step , the whole assemblage of demons , and fairies , and men , repeated the praise of the Deity . When he arrived at the fourth step , voices were heard addressing him in the following manner : ' Son of David , be thankful for the

blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon yon . ' The same was repeated on his reaching the fifth step . On his touching the sixth , all the children of Israel joined them ; ancl on his arrival at the seventh , ancl the throne , the birds and animals became in motion , and ceased not until he had placed himself on . tha royal seat , when , the birds , lions , and other animals , by secret springs , discharged a shower of most precious perfumes on Solomon ; after which two of the kurges descended

and placed the golden crown upon his head . " Before the throne was a column of burnished gold , on the top of which was a golden dove , which held in its beak a volume bound in silver . In this book was written the Psalms of David , and the dove having presented the book to the King , he read aloud a portion of it to the children of Israel . It is further related that on the approach of wicked persons to the thronethe

, lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring , and to lash their tails with violence ; the birds also began to bristle up their feathers , and the assembly of demons and genii to utter horrid cries ; so , for fear of them , no one dared to be guilty of falsehood , but all confessed their crimes . Such was the throne of Solomon , the Son of David . " ]

TEltTLARY IN ENGLAND AND A 3 IEEICA . What are the essential differences between English and American Knights . Templar ?—H . B . —[ Sir Knight McLeod Moore thus states them in a letter to a defunct American Masonic periodical . Of course we are not answerable for the correctness of the descriptions . 1

"You are of course aware that the English Craft and Eoyal Arch ritual is in conformity to the system of work revised and settled after the union of the Grand Lodge of England in 1813 . The Eoyal Arch was revised , as now adopted , by the Chaplain to his late Eoyal Highness the Duke of Sussex , who was Grand Master for so many years afterwards . All the lodges in Canada however , do not strictly adhere to the ritual of the United Grand Lodge of 1813 but mix it up with ( in the United

, yours States ) , or , as we call it , the Athol System . In Toronto there is an excellent lodge and chapter , the St . Andrew's , working well according to the English United system . " I am glad to find the Grand Encampment of the United States entering into Templar matters as regards costumes , etc . I cannot at all agree with your system . The degree of Eed Crossor properly' Kniht of the Sword' which ive as

, , g , you g antecedent to the Knight Templar , has not tho slightest connection with it . Your Ritual of Knight Templar is too much overloaded with ceremonial , number of signs , and sword work ; whereas , we know the reception of a novice in the olden times , was a simple ceremony .

" I have seen a French work lately on the Order of the Temple , published in 1817 , which claims for Prance the honour of being the only legitimate remaining branch of the Templars , stating that De Mobil left the Grand Mastership of the Temple to Johannes Monius Larminices . But this cannot be correct , as no Grand Master ever did or could name his successor . The grounds brought forward by them are slight , and they can show no documentary evidence .

" The present Cliivalric Order in Scotland , which does not require candidates to be Freemasons , claims to be the only body of legitimate Templars , and say that the French Order was first established iu 1705 , and that not one true Templar belonged to it .

" I am quite aware that in the ceremonial the most absurd innovations have crept in from what was anciently observed . But this can readily be accounted for , as no doubt some few of the 'Knights , Esquires , and Serving Brethren , ' in their days of persecution , sought protection from the Freemasons ; and it is well authenticated that , after the Preformation in Scotland , a number of genuine'Knights Templar , Knights of St . John , and Esquires' of the Order , who had embraced the Protestant faith , laid aside their arms and joined a Masonic Lodge at Stirling , and , as Freemasons , elected Grand Masters of their own , and preserved the parts of their ceremonies under the vei