A Sketch Of The Philosophy, Traditions, And Records Of The Masonic Order Of The Red * Or Knights Of Constantine, At Present Under The Command Of Lord Kenlis, M. Ill. G. Sov.

head of the Order , founding her claim from its having * been attached to the Court of Parma ( of which she AA'as then Grand Duchess ) for more than a century . It is unnecessary , hoAvever , to enlarge upon the fact that the connection of the

Comnenian branch of the Order Avith masonry ceased iu 1099 , long before Avhich time nearly every nation possessed the degrees of Freemasonry . " Bands " or conclaves of Red Cross Knights were

undoubtedly in existence m England m the early part of the eighteenth century , particularly in the Metropolis and Lancashire . The Premier Conclave of England , Avhich has existed from time immemorial , gave rise to the formation of the Council of " Emperors of the East and West , " a

bod } Avhich Avas established in Paris about the year 1758 , and is considered as the parent of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . * In 17 S 0 , among the members of the Premier Conclave , the names of Sir John St . Aubyn and Lord C . Montagus are

mentioned , but the records of that period are very meagre . In 1788 a revival took place , Major Charles Shirrcff , of Whitchurch , Salop , AVUS elected Grand Master , and conferred the Grand Cross or Sovereign rank of Prince Mason upon the

folloAA'ing brethren : James Heseltine , Esq ., Grand Treasurer of the Grand Loclge of London ; William White , Esq ., Grand Secretary John Allen , Esq ., Provincial Grand Master for the County of Lancaster , and P . J . G . W . ; James Galloway , Esq .,

P . J . G . W . ; and George Sweetinboui'g- a P . M ., aud Assistant to the Grand Secretary of the said Grand Lodge . It is worth noting that the first Grand Lodge of Perfection , known to have been held in England Avas opened by the above-named Knights . In 1790 Sir Knight T . Dunckerly AA-as installed and endeavoured to amalgamate the Red

Cross and Sepulchre degrees ivith the Order of the Temple . In this he partially succeeded as some of the members of the former being also sillied to the latter body communicated their secrets to tho Templars , Avho thereupon styled

themselves " Knights of the Holy Temple and Sepulchre . "t In 1796 Lord Rancliffe AA'as the head of all the degrees then practised outside the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge and Graud Chapter , including the Order of the Red Cross .

In 1804 he Avas succeeded by Walter Rochvell Wright , ( Prov . G . M . for the Ionian Isles ) , and soon afterwards Princo Edward , Duko of Kent ,

A Sketch Of The Philosophy, Traditions, And Records Of The Masonic Order Of The Red * Or Knights Of Constantine, At Present Under The Command Of Lord Kenlis, M. Ill. G. Sov.

Avas admitted and declared Royal Graud Patron of the "Illustrious Order ofthe Red Cross . " ( To be continued . )

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

OLD MINUTE BOOK . At page -42 of the second edition of Mr . Ilalliwell ' s "History of Freemasonry in England , " it is said in a foot note that Mr . Black possesses a minute book of the Freemasons of Chester , of the commencement of the seventeenth century . As there is a great interest

attaching to the early history of the Chester Freemasons , whose "Constitutions" are still extant , I should be glad if any brother could say Avhere that minute book now is , or could be seen . —HIRAM . Does any brother know what is the date of tho earliest Craft Avarraut in England ?—HIRAM .

In what Masonic work is tho quotation used by Mr . Gilbert Scott iu his ' * ' Gleanings of Westminster Abbey "to be found ? that in an old work of the Freemasons it is said that good proportions may be obtained from the square , but better from the equilateral triangle . —HIRAM .

FREEMASONRY IX TURKEY . I see in your number for Nov . 8 , p . 349 , a letter dated Constantinople , Oct . lo , aud signed " P . M . " The beginning of it refers to a paragraph iu your MAGAZINE of the 15 th Sept ., signed " William Compass . " This correspondent had stated that he saw a building near the Hippodrome in Constantinople ,

within the courtyard of -which , on each side of the gateway , and on massive Avails full twenty feet high , " he found depicted a gigantic pair of compasses , a triangle , a great twenty-four inch gauge , and other emblems . " "P . M . " says ' - ' a more absurd mis-statement AA'as never printed . No' such emblems appear ou the

Avails of the building . The boards he noticed on the Avail are simply similar 11 those on all public buildings , ancl have no resemblance Avhatever to Masonic symbols . " The description of "William Compass" is clear , and the denial of " P . M . " is decided , and "P . M . "

says lie Avrites from Constantinople on Oct . IS , and puts himself forward as an authority iu Turkey . I happen to have been in . Constantinople too as late as " P . M . " As to boards , " William Compass " savs nothing about boards , and " P . M . " Avill do well to ' state what boards arc on the walls of the building , and on all public buildings iu Constantinople , for

boards are not , as he supposes , usual things . The name of the building is sometimes inscribed on a board or stone over the doorway , and sometimes there is a copj' of verses on stone ; but Avhat his boards can be it is not easy to see . I Avill go a step further , and tell him that at the time he Avrote all that " W . Compass " describes was

on the Avails , aud there "P . M . " could have seen it iu black aud white , if ever he had entered the building . Within the courtyard I have seen over and over again on those Avails the gigantic pair of compasses , the triangle , tho twenty-four inch gauge , & c . Whether these have any resemblance to Masonic