Correspondence.

afterwaras be initiated , and that this fee should be made a part of the charity fund for the relief of the indigent and distressed brethren , the Kilwinning Lodge petitioned that this fee should not be demanded from the operative Masons , many of whom found it difficult enough to advance tlie dues to their respective lodges . This request of the Kilwinning Masons

, however , was rejected ; and the Grand Lodge decreed that those who refused or neglected to pay the entrymoney , should receive no aid from the charity fund . " "The Kilwinning Masons " do not seem to have been well pleased at their petition being rejected , for shortly afterin 1743 Bro . Laurie again tells us ( page

, , 162 ) , that " a letter was read from the Lodge of Kilwinning , complaining that they were only second on the roll , while , as the mother loclge of Scotland , tbey were entitled to the first place . The Grand Lodge decreed that , as the Lodge of Kilwinning had produced no documents to show that they were the

oldest lodge in Scotland , and as the Lodge of Mary ' s Chapel had shown their records as far back as 1598 , the latter had an undoubted right to continue first on the roll . " The then Grand Lodge seems to have been composed of sensible men , who justly refused to

acknowledge the Lodge of Kilwinning ' s foundationless pretensions to be " the Mother Lodge of Scotland . " Mary ' s Chapel was , therefore , allowed to keep her position of No . 1 . Kilwinning then breaking faith with the G-rand Lodge , withdrew after seven years association , and set up , most unwarrantablya sort of rival Grand

, Lodge of its own . I say "breaking faith , " because the ground of excuse for their withdrawal was false . They wished to supersede Mary ' s Chapel , because , says Kilwinning , we are " the Mother Lodge of Scotland . " The Grand Lodge of 1743 , however , could not see that , no proof of any such assertion

being forthcoming ( nor I fear ever will ) ; so "Mother Kilwinning " taking the huff , as I said , breaks faith , and without any just or true reason leaves the Grand Lodge . In' 1807 , however , a new generation of Grand Lodge existed , composed it would seem of a greater number

of believing brethren , many of whom no doubt sucked in a certain portion of faith for the Kilwinning assertion ( or legend , being now 64 years older than in 1743 ) from the veritable fountain of Bro . A . Lauries ' lately published " History of Freemasonry , " 1804 .

( A query arises—Was there any ill-feeling between Mary ' s Chapel and Bro . Laurie about or before this time ?) In 1807 , therefore , the lodge of Kilwinning finding their legend now likely to have more practical effect * joined the Grand Lodge again , having the assurance to ask what it unfairly receivedviz . precedence of

, , "its ancient metropolitan rival , " and not that alone , but that its Master was to rank as Provincial Grand Master , and the fees for recording its entrants were to be considerably lower than those of its sister lodges in the kingdom . Of course this is the Kilwinning idea of Masonic equality . "What shall we

say , however , when it is now found that Mother Kilwinning ' s pretensions are simply an imposition , and its boasted motherhood of Masonry in Scotland false ?

Correspondence.

The least we can say is that justice to its sister lodges demands that its false plumes should be stripped off , and the Kilwinning lodge put upon the levelas it surely ought to be— -with its sister lodges . Bro , Lyon tells us , page 201 , that in 1807 " a solitary individual of Mary ' s Chapel entered his protest against the arrangements then made . " The name of this

"solitary individual " deserves to be recorded , and to be had in reverence by the brethren of Mary ' s Chapel . It is by the simple efforts of a few solitary individuals that we have gained so much Masonic knowledge lately . Galileo was a ' solitary individual" when he pronounced the words , "E pur se' muove . " Yet he

was ri ght , and the haughty multitude who surrounded him wrong , and I need not multiply examples . In regard to the ' * ' Ordinance " affecting Mother Kilwinning , said to have been written in 1589 , and subscribed " William Schaw , Master of "Wark , "Wairden of ye Maisons " ( a copy of which is given page 302 of the Magazine for April 1883 ) , I am not sure of its being genuine this idea rises from certain remarks , & c , which it contains . However , I shall think over it .

Bro . Lyon admits the value of Professor Lines , , opinion , and Mr . Innes says , "no Masons'lodge in the world can have had a charter from any Malcolm king of Scots . " "Well Malcolm IV . died in 1165 , and the Kilwinning brethren say their "lodge" was formed in 1140 . If it could have been then in existence what should prevent it getting a charter from

Malcolm IV ., seeing they were—at least so they say — " the mother lodge ? " when the builders of Glasgow Cathedral got one from his brother "William the Lion in 1190 , which Glasgow charter , Professor Innes says , " would make faith in any court of law . " Leaving our esteemed brother D . Murray Lyon to solve that problem , * I am fraternally yours , "W . P . BUCHAS " .

Masonic Discipline. By Crux.

MASONIC DISCIPLINE . By CRUX .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EKEEMASOXS' MAGAZINE AUD MASONIC MIIIROB . Dear Sir and Brother , — -As the little fraternal " spar" between Bro . Pictus and myself may now be considered at an end , will you allow me , through the medium of your columns , to thank ' him for his good wishes , and also to assure him that I fully

reciprocate the feeling ' with which he comments upon my articles . I trust that should he , or any other brother not agree with any remarks that I may make , they will attack me in the same fraternal spirit . I shall defend myself of course , as every contributor to your valuable columns is bound to do , and in doing

so I shall be actuated by the same motives that have influenced me in everything that I have had to do with the Craft , namely , the advancement and welfare of the true interests of our Order . Yours fraternally , CEUX . London , 22 nd March , 1869 .