Mother Kilwinning.

thern for themselves and remanent members of our said lodge , not only to put these statutes and acts to due execution , but also to make such other acts and statutes as we and our society and successors should think fit in all time thereafter , as the minutes and deliverance thereanent , dated the 15 th of May , 1729 , extant also beai \

" And now for the honour and interest of our lodge , it being necessary that we should have ane extract of our ancient and original constitution as being a branch of our said mother lodge of Kilwinning , and also a confirmation thereof in most ample form . " May it therefore please the Right Worshipful Masters the Worshipfull Wardens and other members of our

Mother Lodge of Kilwinning , to consider the premises and thereupon to cause search your records and to engross aue extract of our ancient and original erection and constitution , and to confirm , ratify , and approve of the same iu the whole heads , privileges and clauses thereof , and to declare our said Lodge of Torphichen to be one of the ancient branches of your said Lodof Kilwinning

ge , as you have been in use to do to other lawfull lodges in the like cases . And your petitioners shall ever pray . " WAL . SANDILANDS , Master of the Torphicheu Kilwinning . "

Accompanying the above was a private letter addressed by the Hon . Mr . Sandilands to the Worshipful tbe Master of Mother Kilwinning , and couched in the following terms : — " Right Worshipful Broy " You have a petition from our lodgewhich I beg the

, favour you'l lay before our Mother Lodge wt your first conveniency . You know the Grand Quarterly Communication holds upon the therteenth of aprilo nixt , at which time the precedency of the different lodges is to be determined , and therefor as we have the honour to be a verry old branch of your lodge , & are anxious to have the date of our antient constitution ascertain'dI in the

, name of our brethren of this lodge , beg that in case you shall be straitened in time , so as it may be inconvenient to have our charter regularly exped betwixt and the next meeting , that , if our old constitution is found upon your record , as doubtless it will , you'l please remit us a certificate of the date thereof , as appears from the records under the hands of the proper officers of our most ancient

& honourable lodge , which will be a good document to produce in order to our being ranked , & our charter maybe taken out at more leisure . Your good friend , George Eraser , the Right Worshipful of the Cannongate-Kilwinning , & severalls of our brethren , are at present drinking your health . If you'l please favour me w' a return , direct it to our v razerwho will take of itif

Broy __ , care , I should chance to be out of town . —I am , w great esteem , " R . W . Broy , yours most sincerely , "WALK . SANDILANDS . "Edinbr ., 19 March , 1737 . "

Thefollowing extract from the records of the Mother Lodge will show bow these communications from the Torphichen brethren were disposed of , but beyond this no further notice of the subject appears in the minute book , —although an old roll of the " Lodges constitute by authority of the Ancient Mother Lodge of

Kilwinning , " p laces " Torphichan-Kilwinning" as having been erected in 1729 : — .... There was also [ March 30 , 1737 ] presented by the Master and read , a letter from the Master of Torpichan-Kihvinning , and a petition desiring a corroboration , of their former ancient charter from this lodge , which was also recommended to the said committee to answer as expressed . "

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

CLOTHING IN HIAXCE . The " Wife of a Past Master of an East Kent lodge , " ' not , as she writes , out of vain curiosity , but with a sincere desire of increasing her stock of useful knowledge ( which is of course most praiseworthy ) , makes sundry enquiries respecting the cost of a Sister's Masonic clothing in France . Sister's Apron , 30 francs ; ditto ,

embroidered scarf , 20 francs ; ditto garters , 7 francs ; and the price of a sister's silver trowel , with ebony handle , is 10 francs . And this , I assure my fair correspondent , is all the information , on this important matter ,., which it is in my power to communicate . —CHAELUS PUETON COOPEK . GOEIHE ON MASONRY .

AS it may not generally be known that Goethe was a . brother , I send you a translation of his verses , called "TEE LODGE . " The Mason ' s v .-ciys are A type of existence , And his persistence Is , as tiie clays are Of men in this world .

'' The future hides in it , Good hap or sorrow ; "We press still through it , I \ iuight , that abides in it Daunting us , onward . " And silent hefore us ,

Veiled the dark portal , Goal of all mortal ; Stars silent rest over us , Graves , under us , silent . " But heard are the voices , Voice of the sages ,

Of tho world's and the ages , ' Choose well , your choice is--Brief , hut yet endless . ' " Here eyes do regard you , In eternity ' s stillness , Here is all fulness , Ye hrave , to reward you , Work and despair not . "—Ex . Ex .

TEE MARKS 01 ? MARK MASONS . "Tesseno" thanks " R . B . X . "for his homily . "Tes ~ sers 3 " has as extensive a collection of marks ashe requires .. " Tessera , " always makes a point of asking for information from the proper quarter , and when he cannot obtain it there , applies to the next best fountain , his brethren at large . ''Tesseree" asked a question to which "R . E . X . "

replies , that some anonymous brother " is engaged in determining the mode of translating such marks . " This ,, then , like many other fond illusions in Mark Masonry , will be merely the conjecture of an invisible Mark Mason , and carry no weight with it even if backed by the laborious explanation of a cathedral professor . "Tessera ?" repeats his question , which " R . E . X . " evidently does not

comprehend : — " Wanted to know , from trustworthy sources , if a Freemason ' s mark should have an odd , even , or any number of points , and why ?—TESSER / E . " FINCH ' S MASONIC PLATES . I have an Explanation of the Masonic Plates , but whereare they?—T . T . —[ They ought to be bound up with Finch ' s Masonic Treatise . ]