Another Lady Mason.

as she pointed to the pin , " Soldiers , let me make one more effort for my brother . " The soldiers , startled at the strangeness of her manner , unloosed then- grasp upon her , and in a moment she bounded away to her brother , shielding his body again with her person at the very moment that the guns were descending to receive the word " fire . " Turning her back to her brother , and

facing the file of soldiers , she stood forth a stately woman . There was no scream , no tear , no agonising expression , but , calm and erect , she SAvept the field with her eye , and then advancing three steps , she gave the grand bailing signal of tbe Master Mason . None but Masons among those soldiers observed it , and there were many of them in that command who now stood mute with

astonishment at the strange and mysterious spectacle before them . There was a captain who came forward , and in a loud voice said " that , owing to the distress and interference of the young Avoman , the execution would be postponed until nine o ' clock the next day . " The guard was then ordered to be doubled , and a strict watch kept over tbe prisoner during tbe niht .

g Notwithstanding this precaution , it ivas discovered iu tbe morning that both the boy and the sister had made their escape . In what way they accomplished it has been a mystery with the company from that time to this . During the early part of the evening there was a meeting of the Masonic members of tbe company at the captain ' s head-quarters , when the girl was examined , and

found to have passed all tbe degrees in Masonry , to that of a Master Mason . Where or how she acquired these degrees she declined to say . She and her brother had been in the United States but about ten weeks , having gone from Ireland for the purpose of purchasing a farm , intending , when they had done so , to send for their mother and younger brothei * . The boy did not know that his sister was a Mason , and only knew his father , when living , was master of a lodge in their native town in Ireland .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

OPERATIVE FREEMASONRY . In the nsual Masonic histories I find the following regulations were adopted at an assembly held in 1663 , Earl St . Alban , elected G . M ., who appointed Sir John Denham his deputy , and Messrs . Wren and Jebb his Wardens . " That no person , of what degree soever , be made or accepted a Freemason , unless in a regular lodge ,

whereof one to be a Master or Warden in that limit , or division , Avhere such lodge is kept , and another to be a craftsman in tbe trade of Freemasonry . That for the future the fraternity of Freemasons shall be regulated and governed by one Graud Master , and as many wardens as the society shall think fit to appoint at the annual general assembly . " I see no reason , to disbelieve the

foregoing , but what does it mean ? It is clear that this claims to be the first general assembly in recent times ; it is also clear , to me , that non-operative lodges had been held , but that tho operative from this time commenced to lay claim to the accepted degrees . I can see no connection between the old ceremonies of the latter and Operative Masonry . Is it not probable that

the parade of the operative constitutions , mentioned by Dr . Plott and others , was a mere blind to mislead the authorities ? It also appears from regulation four , as given by Preston , that every effort was used to unite tbe Tvhole of the Operative and Accepted brotherhood , jwhich latter designation , according to old York Masonry , was applied more particularlto the third degreeIf these

y . " general assemblies were regularly held until 1691 , it is evident that Sir 0 . Wren ' s acceptance , " was when he took his 3 rd degree , and we have an acknowledgment , in the very manner of conferring the degree , that it was act originall y part of their system . I shall be glad to nave the opinion of Masonic students in this point . —A ;

THE MYSTERIES , LOTUS FLOWER , AND SPRIG OE ACCACIA . The chevalier Ramsay , in his Travels of Gyrus ( 2 nd ed ., 1727-8 ) , quoting from the Greeks , shews that the ancient Brachmans , held that the second person of their trinity was formed from this flower , he also states that the death aud resurrection of Osiris ( by whatever name known ) was typical in every country of a Saviour . 'Every

Master Mason can apply this for himself . These vols , are remarkable for the manner in which _ fc ?_ "ft are repreented . Those acquainted with the Master's degree and -the vere-adeptus will , I thmk , find little difficulty in tracing ' the lesser and greater mysteries , as shadowed out by Yirgil and others , Faber shews that all the

mysteries were the same . Hutchinson states that the Druids existed in France as a recognised association in 1140 . In England , after the introduction of Christianity , the Arch Druids of York , London , and Carlisle , became archbishops , and St . Augustine a presumed Grand Master of our rite , and whose rule the Templars followed , professed to reform the Pagan rites and slaughtered 1200 of

the descendants of the British Druids ( who had many customs similar to our own ) , in their white robes , and burnt a magnificent library at Bangor . The Essenian , a precisely similar association , existed down to the 5 th

century ; the Gnostic sects and the Roman mysteries down to the Sth , all probably being celebrated long after this in secret . The Egyptian , Persian , & c , ceremonies are yet practised by the Mohammedans . Are we to imagine that in Europe only this mass of ceremonies have passed from existence ? In some cases they were sworn to transmit them . Wm . of Malmesbury speaks of Rose

Croix emblems in tbe church of Glastonbury ( one of the oldest in the world ) , as of ceremonies which he understood ; here King Arthur is said to have been interred . Faber thinks Merlin ancl Arthurs' knights are a myth referring to the mysteries . We are informed by our Bro . Campbell that the Royal Order of Scotland , connected by Bruce with the Templarsclaims a Oaldee oriinand

, g , that it consists of Master and Rose Croix . The York ceremonies were precisely similar to this , but they appear to have added at some period a second part to the latter claiming its origin from the chivalric Knights Templar ; the Rose Croix traces being erased from the whole ceremony by authority in 1851 . I may find a difficulty now in giving authority for the whole

my of these statements , but they are I believe , indisputable . To what result does this lead us ? When will the writers of Masonic history let us have the truth , the whole truth , and nothing but the truth . —A

ROSICRUCIANS NOT MASTER OR E . A . MASONS . There is , I am informed , proof that Dr . Oliver is in error in this assertion , will any brother communicate it . —A

OLD YORK WARRANTS . Is it known whether the Grand Lodge at York ever granted Craft warrants ? In 1786 we find them granting a ivarrant to Manchester , to admit ehivalrie Knight Templars by their known and secret methods ; Dnnckerley acknowledging the encampment in 1795 . The lodge warrant from which the encampment worked ivas granted

by the Athol Grand Lodge in 1796 , yet it is registered No . 177 , 1765 , and they shew a document bearing date 1777 , but their first minute-book commences in 1802 , and Craft , Arch and Templar , are jumbled together like 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd degrees . Can any brother enlighten me on this point by analagous cases or otherwise . —A .

THE CRAIT IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY . Bro . Tweddell , in his Bards and Authors of Cleveland and South Durham , has the following foot-note : — "In the year 670 , Egfrid succeeded Oswy in the kingdom of Northumberland , which comprised the area now known as tbe six northern counties—Northumberland , Cumberland , Westmoreland , Durham , Yorkshire , and Lancashire