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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article CORRESPONDENCE. Page 1 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
no such manuscript ever having been deposited in those walls ; therefore I would ask some Canterbury Mason to verify us of the existence of the following document cited by Preston , p . 151 of the edition of 1821 where , in a foot note , he states , — "TheLatin Register of AVilliam Molart , Prior of Canterbury , iu manuscript , page 88 , entitled , ' Liberatio generalis Domini Guliclnxi Prions Ecclcskc , en / a , Fesltmi Natalis Domini 1429 , informs us that in the
year 1429 , during the minority of this prince ( Henry VI . ) a respectable Loclge ivas held at Canterbury , under the patronage of Henry Chichclcy , the archbishop ; at which were present Thomas Stapylton , the Master ; John Morris , cuslos etc la logo lathoinorum , or AVarden of the Lodge of Masons ; with fifteen Fellow-crafts , and three Entered Apprentices ; all of whom arc particularly named . "
Such is Preston ' s account ; but it would be much more satisfactory if some Canterbury antiquary would seek this register and when found give us the original Latin , contractions and all , so that wc might reasonably be able to say there is a record of the operative Craft ivhich shews the Masons had certain peculiarities in common with our brotherhood . —D . D . Oxox .
TIUO ANCIENT LANDMARKS . If I differ in opinion from an older member of the Craft than myself , I am told I disturb the ancient landmarks of the Order . If in Grand Lodge one brother cannot reply to the argument of another , he accuses his opponent of a desire to overstep the landmarks of the Order . If the shining light , who protests he never reads the Magazine , writes a good sheet of foolscap to complain
that his speech at the Pig and Whistle Lodge was omitted , he also tells us that , in his case , the ancient landmarks arc iu danger . There arc four tribunals to ivhich Masons arc amenable , viz ., the ancient charges and constitutions of the Order ; the by-laws of their Lodges ; the Board of General Purposes ; and the ancient landmarks of the Order ! The last are the most terrible of all , as no one knows what they arc nor what they mean , whilst every silences his nei
man ghbour by an appeal not to thrown down the ancient landmarks of the Order . Ho , Mr . Editor , tells us where these landmarks arc planted , who they affect , what is their use ( or abuse ) ? and any other information you please , for I , for one , am heartily tired of having that old bogy—the " ancient landmarks " —thrust down my gullet on every occasion . If it is a figure of speechlet some of correspondents lain itbutexcuse
, your exp ; , me if I add , don't tell me that in asking these queries I have trodden down any of the ancient landmarks of the Order , for I take them to be , until I am better informed , perfect myths . — Y . E . X .
GERMAN MASONIC SONG . I have often heard and admired Bonder's translation of Laszt tins ihr Bruder . " It is printed in an old collection of Masonic songs published , I think , in 1810 , without any editor ' s name . I have not a copy of this collection , and should be glad to know if any later edition has been published . —II . C . L .
FKI : EMASONS' LODGE AT HATH . If your correspondent "A . " will look in the Calendar he will find that Lodge No . 243 was erased by order of the Grand Lodge . —IIENKV T . BOISART , Ashby-de-la-Zouch . CRIMES OF THE TUMl'LARS . AVhat were the special crimes laid to the charge of the Templars
at the time that order was suppressed?—A NOVICE . —[ Nothing ivas too heinous to be imputed to tbem . They were accused of every possible ancl impossible crime , but the two principal ones alleged against them were atheism and unnatural practices . If " A Novice" wishes to peruse sonic of the fabled accusations , and will take a turn among some old cramped handwriting , we ivould refer him to fol . 113 of the Harl . MS . No . 252 , in the British Museum , for an official account of the Answers of the Templars ; as well as to fol . 144 , of Harl . MS ., No . 247 , for what is stated to be a Confession of the Temiilaries . l
151 SV . KIC 1 IA 1 U ) MONKHOUSE . Information is requested as to the above ; he was the author of , 1 Discourse iu Praise of Freemasonry . Svo ., Lond ., 1805 . — J . A . I ) . — - [ He also published An E . ehorUUion lo the Practise of those Specific Virtues which aught to prevail in the il [ asonic Character . AVith historical notes . 8 v ' o ., Loud ., 1805 ; and also Occasional Discourses on Various Subjects . 1 Vith Copious Annotations , embracing several Masonic Discourses . 3 vols ., 8 vo ., Lond ., 18051 .
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
[ THE EDITOH does not hold himself responsible for any op mums entertained by Correspondents . ' ] MASONIC SUPERINTENDENCE . TO THE EDITOB 01 ' TIIK EREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . BEAK Silt AND BROTHER , —I am fearful "R . E . X . " ' s correcthe evil
tional is rather severe . AA c both deprecate same ; but whilst I am desirous to reform abuses as much as he can be , I should be very jealous of interfering with the vested rights and privileges , which-1 hold each Lodge possesses ( if it be only in theory ) ; ancl I therefore preferred the milder form by suggesting that they should invite learned brethren to their assemblies , and the well disposed of the neihbourhoodwho arc brethrenshould
g , , everywhere encourage the Loclge to receive them . It is a fact that Masonry is being canvassed very much at present , and there is no greater argument against it than the general ignorance amongst the members of even the leading features of the institution , —Trulv yours , Z .
UNIFORMITY OF AVORKING . TO TIIK EDITOB OP THE 1 'EEEMASOIfS' MAGAZINE AUD MASONIC MIRROR . DEAU . SIR AND BKOTJIEI :, —It must be gratifying to you , as the approximate Master of the Grand Stewards' Lodge , to find that , mainly by the exertions of Bro . Hewlett , the Grand Stewards ' Lodge seems likely to regain its prestige . I was pleased to see
so large a number of the brethren assembled , and to witness such an excellent working as you all' gave us ; and I hope you will permit mc to address to you , and your readers , a few observations ivhich have occurred to me as to the manner in which the recovered lead of the Grand Stewards' Lodge may be retained . First , I think it indispensable that for your public night , in March next , you should do as Bro . Hewlett has clone , ancl issue cards of invitation to every Lodge within the Metropolitan district .
Secondly , you must not allow your working to deteriorate from the standard you have set up . Thirdly , the Grand Stewards' Lodge must now boldly claim for themselves their inherent right to be the promulgators of the only correct and authorized mode of working . This last point I would strongly urge , for the following reasons : —The Craft has been too long disturbed by East-end and
AVcstend systems , in neither of which is there anything , that I can see , of sufficient importance to render the chief movers in cither plan of that immense authority ivhich they arrogate to themselves—for were they or their supporters equal in mental capacity to Macaulay , Gladstone , or Thackeray , then there might be some excuse for the blind devotceism with ivhich they are honoured . But when wc know that the very contrary is tbe caseancl that
, they arc neither more nor less than followers of those who , in their turn , were Masonic innovators , the time has now arrived for sifting their pretensions , which must give way to the prescriptive right of the Grand Stewards' Lodge , because these crotchets arc taught in Lodges of Instruction , viz . —the Emulation and the Stability , ' —I leave it for more able casuists than I
am to show , if they can , why Lodges of Instruction should originate fresh workings , or wh y I , as a Master Mason , am to be told , if working my part in a Lodge , tbat I am wrong , " AVe don't do it so at the Emulation . " In the first place , a Lodge of Instruction meets only by the sufferance of a regular Lodge , ivhich may at any time withdraw its sanction ; consequently a Lodge of Instruction has no right to dictate what shall be clone to bind the
Craft to its peculiar interpretation , it has no locus standi , aud is of no authority I have heard it boastfully asserted that the magnates of the two Lodges of Instruction referred to have held several meetings to agree on certain interpolations of their own , and that they propose to submit a scheme to the consideration of the M . AA' ' . Grand Master , which shall be the recognized system for the whole Craft .
If my information be correct ( and I gathered it from trustworth y sources ) , then I say it is time that the Grand Stewards' Loclge took the initiative in such a business ; that if there are to be modifications in working , the Grand Stewards' Lodge should , seek out the best , and submit their plan to the Grand Master , who , it cannot be doubted , ivould recognize the claim of the Grand Stewards' Lodge to carry out ancl promulgate the authorized
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
no such manuscript ever having been deposited in those walls ; therefore I would ask some Canterbury Mason to verify us of the existence of the following document cited by Preston , p . 151 of the edition of 1821 where , in a foot note , he states , — "TheLatin Register of AVilliam Molart , Prior of Canterbury , iu manuscript , page 88 , entitled , ' Liberatio generalis Domini Guliclnxi Prions Ecclcskc , en / a , Fesltmi Natalis Domini 1429 , informs us that in the
year 1429 , during the minority of this prince ( Henry VI . ) a respectable Loclge ivas held at Canterbury , under the patronage of Henry Chichclcy , the archbishop ; at which were present Thomas Stapylton , the Master ; John Morris , cuslos etc la logo lathoinorum , or AVarden of the Lodge of Masons ; with fifteen Fellow-crafts , and three Entered Apprentices ; all of whom arc particularly named . "
Such is Preston ' s account ; but it would be much more satisfactory if some Canterbury antiquary would seek this register and when found give us the original Latin , contractions and all , so that wc might reasonably be able to say there is a record of the operative Craft ivhich shews the Masons had certain peculiarities in common with our brotherhood . —D . D . Oxox .
TIUO ANCIENT LANDMARKS . If I differ in opinion from an older member of the Craft than myself , I am told I disturb the ancient landmarks of the Order . If in Grand Lodge one brother cannot reply to the argument of another , he accuses his opponent of a desire to overstep the landmarks of the Order . If the shining light , who protests he never reads the Magazine , writes a good sheet of foolscap to complain
that his speech at the Pig and Whistle Lodge was omitted , he also tells us that , in his case , the ancient landmarks arc iu danger . There arc four tribunals to ivhich Masons arc amenable , viz ., the ancient charges and constitutions of the Order ; the by-laws of their Lodges ; the Board of General Purposes ; and the ancient landmarks of the Order ! The last are the most terrible of all , as no one knows what they arc nor what they mean , whilst every silences his nei
man ghbour by an appeal not to thrown down the ancient landmarks of the Order . Ho , Mr . Editor , tells us where these landmarks arc planted , who they affect , what is their use ( or abuse ) ? and any other information you please , for I , for one , am heartily tired of having that old bogy—the " ancient landmarks " —thrust down my gullet on every occasion . If it is a figure of speechlet some of correspondents lain itbutexcuse
, your exp ; , me if I add , don't tell me that in asking these queries I have trodden down any of the ancient landmarks of the Order , for I take them to be , until I am better informed , perfect myths . — Y . E . X .
GERMAN MASONIC SONG . I have often heard and admired Bonder's translation of Laszt tins ihr Bruder . " It is printed in an old collection of Masonic songs published , I think , in 1810 , without any editor ' s name . I have not a copy of this collection , and should be glad to know if any later edition has been published . —II . C . L .
FKI : EMASONS' LODGE AT HATH . If your correspondent "A . " will look in the Calendar he will find that Lodge No . 243 was erased by order of the Grand Lodge . —IIENKV T . BOISART , Ashby-de-la-Zouch . CRIMES OF THE TUMl'LARS . AVhat were the special crimes laid to the charge of the Templars
at the time that order was suppressed?—A NOVICE . —[ Nothing ivas too heinous to be imputed to tbem . They were accused of every possible ancl impossible crime , but the two principal ones alleged against them were atheism and unnatural practices . If " A Novice" wishes to peruse sonic of the fabled accusations , and will take a turn among some old cramped handwriting , we ivould refer him to fol . 113 of the Harl . MS . No . 252 , in the British Museum , for an official account of the Answers of the Templars ; as well as to fol . 144 , of Harl . MS ., No . 247 , for what is stated to be a Confession of the Temiilaries . l
151 SV . KIC 1 IA 1 U ) MONKHOUSE . Information is requested as to the above ; he was the author of , 1 Discourse iu Praise of Freemasonry . Svo ., Lond ., 1805 . — J . A . I ) . — - [ He also published An E . ehorUUion lo the Practise of those Specific Virtues which aught to prevail in the il [ asonic Character . AVith historical notes . 8 v ' o ., Loud ., 1805 ; and also Occasional Discourses on Various Subjects . 1 Vith Copious Annotations , embracing several Masonic Discourses . 3 vols ., 8 vo ., Lond ., 18051 .
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
[ THE EDITOH does not hold himself responsible for any op mums entertained by Correspondents . ' ] MASONIC SUPERINTENDENCE . TO THE EDITOB 01 ' TIIK EREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . BEAK Silt AND BROTHER , —I am fearful "R . E . X . " ' s correcthe evil
tional is rather severe . AA c both deprecate same ; but whilst I am desirous to reform abuses as much as he can be , I should be very jealous of interfering with the vested rights and privileges , which-1 hold each Lodge possesses ( if it be only in theory ) ; ancl I therefore preferred the milder form by suggesting that they should invite learned brethren to their assemblies , and the well disposed of the neihbourhoodwho arc brethrenshould
g , , everywhere encourage the Loclge to receive them . It is a fact that Masonry is being canvassed very much at present , and there is no greater argument against it than the general ignorance amongst the members of even the leading features of the institution , —Trulv yours , Z .
UNIFORMITY OF AVORKING . TO TIIK EDITOB OP THE 1 'EEEMASOIfS' MAGAZINE AUD MASONIC MIRROR . DEAU . SIR AND BKOTJIEI :, —It must be gratifying to you , as the approximate Master of the Grand Stewards' Lodge , to find that , mainly by the exertions of Bro . Hewlett , the Grand Stewards ' Lodge seems likely to regain its prestige . I was pleased to see
so large a number of the brethren assembled , and to witness such an excellent working as you all' gave us ; and I hope you will permit mc to address to you , and your readers , a few observations ivhich have occurred to me as to the manner in which the recovered lead of the Grand Stewards' Lodge may be retained . First , I think it indispensable that for your public night , in March next , you should do as Bro . Hewlett has clone , ancl issue cards of invitation to every Lodge within the Metropolitan district .
Secondly , you must not allow your working to deteriorate from the standard you have set up . Thirdly , the Grand Stewards' Lodge must now boldly claim for themselves their inherent right to be the promulgators of the only correct and authorized mode of working . This last point I would strongly urge , for the following reasons : —The Craft has been too long disturbed by East-end and
AVcstend systems , in neither of which is there anything , that I can see , of sufficient importance to render the chief movers in cither plan of that immense authority ivhich they arrogate to themselves—for were they or their supporters equal in mental capacity to Macaulay , Gladstone , or Thackeray , then there might be some excuse for the blind devotceism with ivhich they are honoured . But when wc know that the very contrary is tbe caseancl that
, they arc neither more nor less than followers of those who , in their turn , were Masonic innovators , the time has now arrived for sifting their pretensions , which must give way to the prescriptive right of the Grand Stewards' Lodge , because these crotchets arc taught in Lodges of Instruction , viz . —the Emulation and the Stability , ' —I leave it for more able casuists than I
am to show , if they can , why Lodges of Instruction should originate fresh workings , or wh y I , as a Master Mason , am to be told , if working my part in a Lodge , tbat I am wrong , " AVe don't do it so at the Emulation . " In the first place , a Lodge of Instruction meets only by the sufferance of a regular Lodge , ivhich may at any time withdraw its sanction ; consequently a Lodge of Instruction has no right to dictate what shall be clone to bind the
Craft to its peculiar interpretation , it has no locus standi , aud is of no authority I have heard it boastfully asserted that the magnates of the two Lodges of Instruction referred to have held several meetings to agree on certain interpolations of their own , and that they propose to submit a scheme to the consideration of the M . AA' ' . Grand Master , which shall be the recognized system for the whole Craft .
If my information be correct ( and I gathered it from trustworth y sources ) , then I say it is time that the Grand Stewards' Loclge took the initiative in such a business ; that if there are to be modifications in working , the Grand Stewards' Lodge should , seek out the best , and submit their plan to the Grand Master , who , it cannot be doubted , ivould recognize the claim of the Grand Stewards' Lodge to carry out ancl promulgate the authorized