Masonic Notes And Quekies.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUEKIES .

A 1 II . 1 IOX l . 'KZOX . "A . Z . "—AVhat is meant by your correspomlent ' s "Ahimon Rezon" I am not sufficiently erudite to discover . I suspect it to be the name or title of a book . I am wishful , liowever , to reply to "A . Z . ' s" third query , viz ., "AAliethcr the third degree is not a modern interpolation not anterior to the seventeeth century ? " I believe not only the third , but also the first and

second , to be decidedly modern , ancl even as modern as the nineteenth century . In fact I see no ancient marks about them . Ancl to prove them not older than the seventeenth century , I would point out two passages which are downri g ht plagiarisms from Shakspeare . For instance , in the first degree ( candidate iu JST . AV . ) - — "Mercy is twice blessed : it blesseth him that gives as ivell as him that takes . " . Is it not thus written in the fourth act

of " The Merchant of A enice ? " Again ( still in the first degree ) I find in one of the Lectures these words , " " Dares do all that does become a man , * * * ivho dares do more is none . " These are the very words again made use of by the would be virtuous tyrant , Macbeth , when goaded on to crime by his -more resolute and no less ambitious wife . These are clear proofs of plagiarism either on the part of Shakspeare ( which I do not believe ) or the authors of the "New Composition" referred to by "A . Z . "—

rOl'E , THE POET , AND FI . EEMASOXUY . Alexander Pope , "ivho , " as "A Colonial Correspondent" observes , "was evidently imbued with Masonic ideas , as his writings will abundantly testify , " nevertheless , from ignorance of our beautiful system of morality , with all its allegories ancl symbols , seems to have had a great prejudice against the Order , as he never mentions it but with a contempt which he would not have felt had he understood its high object . For instance , in the fourth book of the Dunciad , he sings : —

"Some , deep Freemasons , join the silent race , AYorthy to fill Pythagoras ' s place ; Some botanists , or florists at the least , Or issue members of au annual feast , is ' or pass the meanest unregarded , ono Hose a Gregorian , one a Gormogon . "

_ And again , in his Epistle lo Dr . Arluthnot , or Proloque to the Satires , he has : — " Ancl has not Colly still his lord , ancl whore ? His butchers Henley ? his Freemasons Moore ?" Notwithstanding the petulance of Pope , I do not think that he would have ridiculed the Craft had he not , like Thomas Carlyle , mistaken a " bog-meteorfoolishputrescentwill-o' -wisp" of his

, , , own imagination , for the royal art . Perhaps , however , it was more to ridicule Bro . James Moore , or James Moore Smith , than from any other motive , that the enraged poet determined to kick the Craft madl y , and publish " right or wrong . " — GKOUGF . MARKKAS TWF . DDET . L .

ASA nuxiiAi :. AYho was Pro . Asa Dunbar?—A . S . A . —[ He was a lawyer , of New Hampshire , in the United States , and Master of the Kisiiig Sun Lodge . His literary talents ivere more than respectable , and hc _ was an ardent Mason . His tombstone was remarkable as being one of the first , erected in America that bore a Masonic inscription ; it was as follows : —•

" Peace to these ashes : May the green grass and flowers Around this grave Be as the memory of him beneath , Flourishing and sweet . Pass not the spot without heaving a sigh , A e men of benevolence ; For he was your friend and your companion

. Brethren of the Craft , AYet the sprigs on the turf Witli your willing tears , For he was your Master . Imitate his life , emulate his virtues ; For doubtless now he lives

AVith our Grand Master in Heaven . " ] CASE OF LIBEI .. Among a quantity of cuttings from old newspapers I select the following , headed " Freemasonry , " as a curious specimen of the usage ofthe Craft about the year 1790 . -Tuesday last a curious cause was tried at the assizes at Maidstone , before the Honourable Mr . Justice Gould , wherein Mr . Smith of Maid-. ' V ™ P laintiff ; and Mr . Perfect , of AVest Mailing , defendant . This ' action was brought to recover a satisfaction in damages for

Masonic Notes And Quekies.

writing and publishing an infamous and scandalous libel , highly reflecting on the character of the plaintiff ; and causing the same to be printed and circulated through every Mason ' s Lodge iu the kingdom . "It was clearly proved that the defendant was the author of tho libel ; that he caused it to be printed and published ; and that some hundreds of them were directed by the defendant himself to the several Masters ot Lodges in England . " The most remarkable circumstances in this cause were ( but ive

hope not a part ot the secrets ) in the evidence of a reverend gentleman , who contended , that tho defendant having read the same in the Lodge at Mailing , and having obtained the consent of a majority of the members then present to have it printed , it was uo longer the act of the defendant as an individual , but immediately became the act of the Lodge at large . He also asserted that it was a custom among Masons whenever any of its members were guilty of an offence against the principles of morality , to print and send an account thereof to every

Mason ' s Lodge in the kingdom , to the intent that such person should not be permitted to visit any Lodges in future . How far Free Masons ( the first society in the world ) are so void of charity , they are the best judges , as well as of the truth ofthe above assertion . " The defendant called no witnesses , and his counsel having made an excellent speech of considerable length , in which he expatiated largely on the mystery of Masonry , concluded by declaring his intention of becoming a Mason the first opportunity . "The learned judge having summed up , the jury withdrew for about half-an-hour , ancl returned with a verdict for tho plaintiff , and fifty pounds damages , with full costs of suit . "

In the same old collection , a scrap that records the burning of the Birmingham Theatre which injured the Shakspeare Tavern , kept by one Mr . AAllday , was thought to be the work of an incendiary , and among other articles , "The regalia of the two Free Masons Lodges held at the tavern , was scattered all over the street . "

AY'AIUIANT IIISTOntES , The charters of many old Lodges are charters of confirmation granted after the Union . These contain a brief recapitulation of the history of the Lodge from the foundation , the various names and numbers it has borne , and the places at which it has met . The publication by correspondents of such notes wouldbe a-very acceptable contribution to Lodge history . —HYDE CLARKE .

into , uusi'iNi . I hai'e an excellent portrait of Bro . Huspini , engraved in mezzotint ; at the bottom is inscribed , "Painted and engraved by J . Jenner , M . M . " It is about fourteen inches by eleven , and appears to be an early impression . The Chevalier is represented holding a scroll , and he wears in addition to the collar and jewel of a Master , a Maltese cross . —J . HOAV .

A XEAV oiiBEi :. The account of some new ivorking at JSfew York ( mentioned at . page 210 ) , appears to be the old rite of Mizraim , —IIYV > K CT . AI . KK . LOUA'ETEAC . AVhat is the meaning of this Avord frequently seen in French Masonic Periodicals?—AXGEAIS . —[ It answers to our " Lewis , "

the son of a Mason , literally signifies , in French , " a young wolf . " Clavel f tells us that it is of very ancient origin , and further explains that the initiated , in the mysteries of Isis , wore masksresembling the head of a jackal or wolf , and their sons were , in consequence , called young wolves . Among the French , a Louveteau is invested Avith peculiar privileges . He is permitted to be made a Mason under age . And in some of the Lodges on the continent when a Mason's son is born , the Lodge gives him a secret name , and adopts him . Should his father die the brethren support and educate him . ]

LAMBEliT DE UINTOT . AVho was Lambert cle Lintot ? A friend of mine purchased a very fine impression of six emblematical masonic plates which are each signed with his name . They are so full of various emblems that any attempt to describe them is useless . They can only be explained by sig ht ; Avords fail to convey half their intricacy . These plates have no title page . Are they common ? Can any one afford a key to them ? Did they ever form illustrations to any book , and if so what ? Ecplies to these questions will greatly oblige—Tm . KE OF US .

TIIE CUBICAL STOKE . In the possession of a brother , I have seen a cube , which is covered with a mass of hieroglyphics , and among them many masonic emblems . Where is such a stone to he obtained , and what is its meaning ?—H ERMES .