Masonic Jottings.—No. 54.

RELIGION OE ENGLISH FREEMASONRY . 1717 , Revival , Religion not altered . 1723 , all denominations of Christians admissible . 1738 , all Christian , Jewish , Mahommedan , Parsee , and Natural Theists admissible . —From

the papers of a deceased Provincial Grand Chaplain . REIGNS OE GEORGE THE EIRST AND GEORGE THE SECOND . The Religion of our Freemasonry Avas not the

same throughout the reign of George the First . In like manner it was not the same throughout the reign of George the Second . GENERAL ETHICAL PRECEPTS . Brother , —In Freemasonry , general Ethical

Precepts are by no means irrelevant , seeing that in Freemasonry Ethics are a necessary ingredient . THE UNIVERSE , ITS ARCHITECT . Wondrous is the Universe . HOAV wondrous then its Architect !

Masonic Notes And Queries. Lothair And Secret Societies.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES . LOTHAIR AND SECRET SOCIETIES .

D'Israeli in his " Lothair" deals with history freely , according to his own fancy , and more so than Walter Scott , even fantastically—but using facts as the texts on which , or it may be from Avhich , his themes arise and spread out . In his delineation of the struggles between Popery and Secret Societies in Italy and Francehe refers to the Freemasonsthe Societies of

, , Mary Anne , and that of Madre Natura . He describes the practice of Fenianism under the garb of Roman Catholicism , among the Irish . Of the Freemasons , he does no more than mention the name . As to the other societies he is diffuse . Now , am I right in my conjecturethat Madre Natura represents the body of

, the Carbonari ? It may be urged that D'Israeli held this as an ancient society , descending from the Roman times , and having for its chief and secret purpose the abolition of pagan worship , but then he says that it has at various times assumed different worldly forms of association , as Freemasonry is reputed to have

done on the theory of its long continued or perpetual succession . I consider that it is a fancy sketch of Carbonarism , because it is pourfcrayed as the leading society in Italy , and its relations with Louis Napoleon , are such as those of Carbonarism are presumed to have been . The Emperor is treated as having been an initiate , false to his vows , exposed to the penalty

of assassination , as having had attempts made on his life , and as being in occasional personal relations with the body of his ancient fealty , and enjoying a truce from its persecutions during the Italian war . It is of little moment , because the picture is not and cannot be a true one , although it attracts , because it is the draught of Avhat a political secret society is

supposed to be , and sometimes has been . Perhaps some of your learned correspondents will confirm or disprove my suggestion . —W . X .

THE AVALLS OF JERUSALEM . In a letter to the " Christian Union , " Rev . D . C S . Robinson describes a walk about Jerusalem : " Every step brought us up against some freshtheme of meditation , which alone would have beenworth a visit . The main difficulty here is

alwaysfound in the absolute inability of the mind to hold its strain unrelaxed and unbroken under a series of such high excitement . Memory leaps from one precious recollection to another , until the impressions fairly become incoherent , and the intelligence is compelled to wait for a moment ' s . rest in order to

catch a Bew grasp . " Jerusalem is surrounded entirely with walls of stone . Those that now meet our eyes were constructed in the eighteenth century . The materials , however , were mostly on the ground , being fragments of former walls , debris of edifices , anything and everything , indeed , which war and decay , alike and together , might be conceived to cast into heaps of rubbish .

Hence the presentation is often times singularly promiscuous and careless . Pillars , shattered columns , with and without capitals , have been worked into the layers lengtliAvise , without even the trouble of hewing them into proper size , or arranging them symmetrically . Cornices and sculptured devices appear anywhere on the surfacewith no regard to beauty .

, " The height varies from twenty-five to eighty-feet , according to one ' s position and the nature of the soil . These walls may have been intended for protection in time of siege , and perhaps would even now be quite a defence against arrows or slung pebbles ; but they seem ridiculous to oue who has ever stood

beside modern artillery . Two or three dischargesfrom a twelve-pounder would blow almost any length of the concern down . Narrow slips have been left between the stones , indicating the ancient purpose Avhen archers manned the battlements . The whole appearauce _ of these ramparts now is insignificant and slight .

" The wall is pierced at five points for gates ; all of which , are in present use but one—that is solidly walled up on the eastern side . These gates are closed ' at sunset , and then the belated traveller would find himself in serious trouble to obtain entrance , were the remedy not as easy there , in the Holy City , as anywhere else under Moslem dominion . Indeed the

ancient wisdom of Solomon , learned in these very precincts possibly , has not at all failed yet— ' money answereth all things . ' The Jaffa gate , however , so called because facing the road from Jaffa , the seaport , is allowed to be open a half hour later than theothers . "

ASTRONOMY . One of the sciences which is taught and revered by Masons , is that of astronomy , and to the inquiring mind presents unparalelled instances of the wisdom ,, strength , and beauty of the Avorks of the Supreme Architect of the Universe . Anything , therefore , relating to this science is of particular interest to the Masonic Student . The following , in reference to-