Masonic Notes And Queries.

with red , which hangs on the left side from a black riband , interwoven with orange . Art . 432 . Serving brethren of Postulantia and Conclaves of Initiation wear a brown woollen tunic ; they are girt with a yellow stomacher and a yellow leather triangle . Art . 433 . Brethren of either Militia , at all times and places , are bound to wear the dress ancl ornaments of their own grade . They never wear inferior , excepting the right of the Grand Master , ] MASTER . MASONS OF YOKK MINSTEH .

" Eobert Spiclsby , Master Mason of this Church , " died in tho year 1472 ; and " William Bradley , Esq ., and Master Mason of this Church , " died ou the Feast of All Saints ' , 1505 . Both of them were buried in the Minster , with monumental inscriptions . Can anyone give further information relating to these old Yorkshire ' brethren ; and do any monumental incriptions for thorn noiv remain in York

Minster ?—G-EOUGE MAKKKAII TWEDDELL . OUIl ANCIENT BBETIIKEN . In a very interesting little work , just published , under the title of "A Guide to the Country Lodgings in the Neighbourhood of Leicester , Loughborough , and Ashby-dela-Zouchincluding Charnwood " Forest" written by Mr

, , . Frederick T . Mott , of Leicester , I find the following passage , ivhieh is ivell worthy thc attention of every Mason .- ' — ' ' Was it the architects or the churchmen of thc middleages—those who built or those who were to inhabit tho old abbeys and priories—who had such keen perception of all natural beauties , and chose out every loveliest valley in tho land for the erection of their lorious buildings ? It is one

g of the strangest facts of history that architecture reached its climax in those ages when the world was buried in tho darkest i gnorance and the sternest barbarism . History has yet to account for that phenomenon , and that it should remain unaccounted for is one of the many proofs that tho history of that time has never yet been rationally written . " —CrEOUGE MAEKILUJ TWEDDELL .

Tire PniNCE or WALES . — The Canadian papers give the following description of the Masonic Arch of Welcome to the Prince : — It is erected at the foot of Toronto-street on King-street , by the Free and Accepted Masons of Toronto . It is a floral structure , and presents a very tine appearance . The avch proper springs from two massive piers covered entirely with evergreens , and rising to a height of twenty-five feet . On each side of the piers are shields with the compass and squarethe levelthe iathe mallet

, , cornucop , ancl trowel , ancl other Masonic emblems . The shields are surrounded with tastefully-grouped trophies of British ensigns , and on the summit of each pier are beautifully-decorated columns , supporting celestial ancl terrestial globes . The arch is after the Gothic style of architecture , and springs from the top of the piers to a height of fifty feet iron the ground . In tho faces of the arch , on crimson grounds , are the mottoes . "Hail ! Grandson of a

Grandmaster , " referring to His Koyal Highness' grandfather , the late Duke of Kent , who was for many years the Grandmaster of the Craft in England . Rising from the summit of the arch is a "Jacob ' s ladder , " the emblematic meaning of which is only known to the initiated ' ' brethren of the mystic tie . " On it is placed the emblem of Hope , the anchor . The ladder encloses a lofty llagstatf , from which proudly floats tins banner of the lloyal Arch ' Chapter with a circleinside of which

, is a triangle , beautifully executed in gold , on a white field . Immediatel y below the banner , and resting on the ladder , is a blazing star , encircling " that all-seeing eye , " while at the base is placed a band with the index finger pointing upwards . Pendant from the key-stone of the arch , is a large compass and square , inclosing the letter " G . " llomid the outer rim of the arch are the handsome and tastefully-executed banners

ofthe lloyal Arch Chapter and the Encampment , the centre bein " decorated with a trophy of British ensigns , while pendant from tho angles of each pier are clusters of banners belonging to the Knights Templar Order of Masonry . The whole is tastefully festooned and decorated with flowers , a . beautiful bouquet being pendant from the centre of the arch . The designers of this handsome structure are Messrs . Cumberland and StormThe work of superintending the

. construction ofthe arch ivas entrusted to Mr . Walton , lone of the craft , who has done his work faithfully and well . In the evening it was tastefull y illuminated by rows of coloured lamps , round the summit of each pier , round the outer rim of the arch , and with a row of gas jets encircling the blazing star , and showing the gilding and ornamental work to perfection . "

Literature.

Literature .

REVIEWS . Valuation o / the Life Liabilities of the Eogal Insurance Company for the Quinquennial Period ending 31 st Dec , 1859 ; also , Results of an Investigation into the ilortality experienced between the Years 1845 and 1859 , both inclusive , shown- hy various Tallies ancl Diagrams . By PBKCY M . DOVE , F . S . S ., F . S . A ., Actuary of the Company . Liverpool . 1860 .

v IEWED by thc hasty or careless observer , a pamphlet on Life Assurance presents nothing but a mass of figures and tabular statements , elaborately concocted for tho apparent purpose of involving in still deeper mystery that which at no time is particularly clear . To the thoughtful and observant , on tho other hand , thc value of a provision for their own old ago , or for their wives and children after their

death ( which , thanks to modern pi-ogress , has como to be within the reach of all ) , is so apparent , that a desire naturally arises to become acquainted with thc true principles upon which this great modern science is based . To satisfy this want tho work before us has been produced . It is a lucid treatise , divested of all unnecessary technicalities , and contains an amount of information on the

subject which might be vainly looked for in books of greater pretensions . Mr . Dove , ' who is well known as one of the most able actuaries of the day , has prepared this work more especially for the guidance of shareholders in the Eoyal Insurance Company ; but tho curious facts which it contains will render it hi ghly interesting to every assurer , whether connected with that or any other institution .

With regard to tho Eoyal Insurance Company itself , Mr . Dove takes a just pride in pointing out the extraordinary progress which it has made since its foundation , as shown by thc enormous increase of business , producing a certain

and most satisfactory rate of profit . Tho total sum assured jjy life policies in this company on tho 1 st January , 1858 , nm ounted to nearl y tiro millions ; and tho actuary expresses his . fi ™ 1 conviction that tho unhesitating disclosures of the" - ' experience to thc public eye will increase confidence in the establishment , and raise tho business transacted to an amount not surpassed '"' " by more than two or three , if it be

by any Assurance Institution in the kingdom . " The transactions of this company during tho quinquennial period under consideration were considerably more than double those of the preceding ten years . This does , indeed , show a flourishing condition ; but , in addition , we are informed that the expenses , including all charges , show a diminishing ratio ; and for the last year of the five ( 1859 )

thc expenditure was actually under twelve per cent , of the premiums received . While promulgating these very convincing facts , however , Mr . Dove claims a higher motive than that of solely displaying the undoubtedly largo success and sound financial position of the "Eoyal , "—his object being , as he tells us , to subserve the general interests of thc insurance cause throughout the world .

A most laborious and important investigation into the mortality experienced by thc company during tho fifteen years of its existence , has brought to light some interesting and curious facts . And here ive may quote a very striking remark nf our author ' s : —

" I agree with the opinion held by many among the most experienced actuaries that not only has each office its own peculiar experience , differing , in some degree , from all others , and arising from some circumstance or other connected with its own individual isolation ; but , that tbe mortality among Assured Lives , as a ivhole , is likewise peculiar , and will always , in some degree , differit may be but slightly , from a fortuitously even balance of separate contingenciesfavourable unci unfavourable—but still it will diverge

, more or less from the rate of mortality obtained from the masses of society . " The time ancl trouble devoted to this inquiry seem to have been immense—between 11 , 000 and 12 , 000 distinct entries being required to bo made in ouc process alone . The result is seen in two most ingenious diagrams , one of which shows , in a clear and simple way , " the actual number