Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC CHARTERS . It is most important that we should ascertain the exact words of any extant charter , in order to understand whether ifc relates to the raising of money for the fabric , or to an indulgence for worshippers , or to the establishment of a building confraternity .

There are several evidences extant of the two former objects , but as yet I have not been able to meet myself with a real instance of the last . Milner , in his History of Winchester , says that Bishop Lucy in 1202 established a confraternity of workmen to build the cathedralto last five yearsand

, , Bro . Buchan seems to intimate that a somewhat similar construction is to be put upon the Charter of 1190 . Would Bro . Buchan kindly favour us with the exact words of the charter ?—A MASONIC STUDENT . MAGIC NUMBERS .

Can you or any of your correspondents oblige me * with the meaning of magic numbers—what are they , . and why so called ?—S . W

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents , BOYAL ABCH MASONRY .

IO THE EDITOB OP THE PBBBMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —In answer to a Masonic Student , I beg to say that what I mean hy the York Eite is what is so called by American Masons , who practise it on warrants , in some cases derived from the former York Grand Lodge in England . Yours fraternally , P . D . G . M .

Another Masonic Impostor.

ANOTHER MASONIC IMPOSTOR .

TO IHE EDITOB OP TEE PEEEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —I enclose a card with its history . In the beginning of March Mrs . Butler and her daughter called upon me and stated that it was their intention to give an entertainment , consisting of Shakespearian readingsin Buryon the 30 th March

, , , and they had already engaged the room , and they solicited me to take tickets , which I did , and paid for them at the time . Mrs . Butler also requested me to ¦ write my name in her book , stating the number of tickets I had taken . I did this also . Mrs . Butler states that she is the widow of a deceased brother ,

and upon this ground makes a claim upon the : patronage of Preemasons . I was induced to take the tickets and write my name in her hook from seeing the names of many well-known brethren previously entered . I have only to add that the entertainment never was given , and

that I have nofc since heard or seen anything of Mrs . . Butler , but I have no doubt the same game is being tried in many parts of the country , and that my name is helping , along with others , to victimize too confiding brethren . The publication of this letter in your Magazine may -perhaps do something to stop such imposition . I

Another Masonic Impostor.

regret that I have not written you earlier , hut quite overlooked it , till I accidently found the tickets a day or two ago . Yours fraternally , JOHN M . WIEE , P . Prov . G . W ., E . L .

The Oliver Memorial.

THE OLIVER MEMORIAL .

TO THE EDITOE OP THE PREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEBQE . Dear Sir , — In one number of your interesting Magazine I observed a letter arguing that my proposed memorial was of a sectarian character , or something to that effect . I thought it best not to answer it . But I would observe that the answer is a

very simple one . While Preemasons are a religious body embracing men of all religions , and paying respect to the religious opinions of all their brethren , yet as a body they make no exclusive profession . If , therefore , they desire to do honour to the memory of a departed brotherthey would naturally in so doing

, respect his religious convictions , the object being to honour him without doing any violence to their own or any other member ' s religious feelings , which ought not to be aggrieved hy the respect to a dead brother heing shown in a way that it may be supposed would be acceptable to him if cognizant of it . I own that ,

whether I were a Mason or not , I should feel no objection to subscribing to a memorial to a worthy Jew , nor feel myself any way wrong or hurt by the memorial taking a form in accordance with the religious feelings of the person whom , on other grounds , I desired to honourthough his reliious convictions differed from

, g my own . I think the spirit of " sectarianism " is more strongly exhibited in the narrow-minded objector than in the free and undoubting suggestion . Yours truly , J . J . REYNOLDS .

Lodge Music.

LODGE MUSIC .

We are indebted to Bros . Emra Holmes , W . M . 551 , and George Owens , Org . of the same lodge , for the music which appears on another page .

NOAH THE PEEACHEB . —It needs no imagination to conceive how tlie witlings of the day would laugh at the crazy old man , as they would deem him . We can fancy how the passers-by would sneer at him , os with hammer in hand , he put together the timbers of his strange vessel . But nothing could shake his faitli in God ; nothing could divert him from his purpose . He knew that the rain would come , because God had said it would . He knew that his ship would preserve his familybecause

, he was building it according to Divine direction . And he warned the thoughtless and careless of his generation . We know he did . St . Peter expressly tells us that he was " a preacher of righteousness , " His voice fell on disobedient ears , but he could say , as Paul said to the Jews— " Your blood be upon your own heads ; I am clean . " Thus , with nothing but a message from God , four hundred and twenty-years , Noah lived by faith , and

it was a faith which never wavered for a single moment . It endured to the end ; and he had his reward . The deluge came ; the world perished ; Noah and his family were saved . It is wrong to speak of this ancient servant of God as a hero . If to believe when God speaks—if to be gentle when revilers sneerif to be calm when foes rage—if to be willing to be laid by , bidding only to trust in God , if all this is to be heroic , men never

saw a truer hero than Noah . And who can describe the relief of that instant , when the gentle dove returned with the olive leaf in her mouth ? Who can picture the expectation of those seven days which elapsed , and the joy with which the released family stepped upon the firm ground , to give expression to their gratitude in building , as the first act of their new life , au altar unto the Lord . — The Quioer-