Correspondence.

reproach , and ought not to endure . Instead , therefore , of advising Bro . Lacey to withdraw his motion , he should be encouraged to persevere , iu order that something should be done to meet the wants of as many aa possible who are unfortunately compelled to supplicate the Craft for relief . I am , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , WATCHMAN .

OH ! THAT PRAYER IN THE POCKET COMPANION OF 1754 .

To the Editor of the F REEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In the " Revelations of a Square , " Dr . Oliver , with numerous details , informs us how Jews first began to make their appearance in Masonic Lodges in or near 1752 ; how , up to that time , tho Common Prayer Book was used for Lodge devotions ; how the new Jewish Masons objected to Christian prayers in the

Lodge ; how some Masters indnlged in the Jewish prejudices and omitted the name of Christ from the Lodge prayers ; how , when D . G . M . Manningham was informed thereof , he was greatly offended thereat ; how that worthy D . G . M . immediately consulted Dr . James Anderson , and how the two Doctors conjointly composed a Christian prayer to be used in Lodges ; how Dr . Manningham got the G . Lodge to sanotion

that prayer ; how Dr . Manningham introduced the said prayer " in person to the Metropolitan Lodges , by whom it was gratefully received , " and how that original prayer was printed in the Pocket Companion of 1754 , & o . Oliver ' s Revelations , pnd more especially the Revelations about " that prayer , " set our American Masonio Christianising luminaries

agog . It was cited in 1852 by the Rev . Gvaud Master Randall in the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts . It was printed and reprinted in the Boston Masonio Magazine . It was repeated all round the country by pious Grand Masters in their annual addresses ; and of course it was a godsend to the Masonio press in America in general . Gushing compliments between Charles W . Moore of Boston , Albert

G . Mackey of South Carolina , and Dr . George Oliver of England , had been for some time going on to and fro , in profusion . These fine compliments , especially when something nice was said by Oliver about Moore , were troasured up in the Magazine , and Bro . Moore did not fail to magnify Dr . Oliver ' s luminous writings . Nay , he even managed the election of Dr . Oliver as Past Deputy Grand Master of

the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts . These fine compliments from Oliver magnified Moore into a great Masonio authority ; the other American editorsof Masonio papers praised or censnred whatever Moore praised or censnred , and as Moore invariably magnified the Masonio scholarship of Dr . Oliver , it would have been treason on the part of any Masonio editor to have admitted into his paper any hostile

criticism on Dr . Oliver ' s writings . The result was , Dr . Oliver ' s "Revelations of a Square , " was here universally accepted as bond fide Masonio history . And , to make assurance doubly sure , Dr . Mackey embalmed the Revelation about that prayer in his Masonic Cyclopaedia , and even printed the whole prayer . But Dr . Mackey had somehow taken a notion that our Dr . James Anderson died in 1746 . He could

not therefore very well believe that Anderson and Manningham conjointly composed a prayer in 1752 . But Dr . Mackey entertained no doubt that Dr . Manningham rendered an important service to the Craft by his composition of that prayer . The appearance of Mackey ' s " Cyclopaedia , " with the Manningham prayer in it , impelled me to exhume the old corpse , and submit it to

a coroner s inquest decision . The first witness that appeared before the coroner was the lamented late Grand Secretary of England . Bro . Hervey testified that he had carefully searched the records of the Grand Lodge of England between the years 1752 and 1756 , or during the time when Dr . Manningham was D . G . M ., and he also examined all the contemporary manuscripts , and he conld nowhere

find anything to substantiate Oliver ' s statements either about the Grand Lodge having sanctioned that prayer , or that Dr . Manningbam was the author thereof , and the second witness was tho volume of the " Gentleman ' s Magazine " of 1739 , whicn testified that James Anderson , D . D ., author of the " Freemasons' Constitutions , " died 28 th May of that year . The coroner , of course , rendered

a verdict in accordance with the above evidence . And since the truth was ventilated American Masonio luminaries , that is , Grand Masters , Orators , Editors , & c , have generally been pretty quiet about Oliver ' s Masonio scholarship , and I would not have disturbed that quietness now , if I had not come across something which will throw further light on the origin of this prayer .

In a letter I mailed for the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE last Friday , I stated that , from the Dublin 1730 Constitution , I inferred that the very first Masonic Deacon in creation , in a symbolic Lodge , must have been an Irishman . Well , after I mailed that letter I continued perusing the said Dublin 1730 Constitution ( as reprinted b y Bro . Spencer in 1871 ) , and on page 59 I found a prayer , " to be said at

the opening of the Lodge , " & c . Here it seemed to me that I discovered an old acquaintance—something I had read in days long gone by , when , lo and behold , on comparing the Dublin prayer of 1730 with the prayer quoted by Oliver from tho " Pocket Companion " of 1754 , I found the two prayers to be identicall y one and the same .

I hope this expose of Masonic humbug will be a warning to our luminaries that the time has arrived when even pious Masonic sectarianizers can no longer either invent lies or quote lies " with impunity . Fraternally and respectfully yours ,

JACOB NORTOV . P . S . The other " Revelations " of Dr . Oliver are also untrue- that Solomon Mendiz was Grand Steward in 1732 , and Benjamin De Costa held the same office in 1737 ; I venture to say tbi . t if inquiries were made of the Secretary of the Spanish svna"o <* ue in Bevis Marks , it will be found that the said brethren were members

Correspondence.

of that synagogne . The " Gentleman's Magazine " of 1733 distinctly states that Jews wero then members of the Craft , and I could hunt up in the English Masonio Magazine 3 of about thirty years ago that Jews belonged to the Craft in London early in the fourth decade of the last century . With regard to the Book of Common Prayer for Lodge devotions , the truth is , the Masonio Lodges under the

jurisdiction of the original Grand Lodge of 1717 used no prayers at all . The Ancients first used prayers in their Lodges , but the Moderns got along without prayers ; and it is a fact that the Grand Lodge of England had no Chaplain before 1813 . Here , in Puritan Massachusetts , the first indication of the Lodge of 1733 using prayers was in 1800 . When Washington died , the Lodge got up a demonstration of respeot for that eminent brother , when ifc

was voted to invite a olergyman to open the meeting with prayer . We had here also a Scotoh Provincial Grand Lodge , and the two bodies united in 1792 , but neither of the said Grand Lodges had Chaplains . And even after the Union , they were without a Chaplain till 1797 . We seo now that the Book of Common Prayer did not belong to an English Lodge , and that praying in Lodges is after all not a very anoient landmark . J . N . Boston , U . S ., 12 th February 1884 .

OFFICERS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Some time since a question arose at a Lodge of Instruction whioh I attend , ns to whose duty it was in a

Lodge to call a Brother to order under the following oiroumstnnoes . A well known Brother entered the Lodge and took his seat without saluting the W . M . Will you please inform me whose duty yon consider it to to be request him to do so ? I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally and obliged , H . B .

[ The responsibility as to an unqualified brother entering a Lodge rests with the Junior Warden ; any one who displays a want of courtesy to the chair may be treated as an " unqualified " person . It would not be out of place for

the Master ot Ceremonies to take action when such an offence is committed . The " well known Brother" our correspondent refers to ought to have known better . — ED . F . C . ]

THE ELECTION OF GRAND TREASURER . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —la it not surprising that such an experienced Chairman as the Earl of Lathom should not have been able to decide which of the candidates for tho office of G . Treasurer , on Wednesday evening last , had the majority , without ordering a

" count ? " From his commanding position on the throne he was better able to see that whioh was patent even to the worst-placed brother in the Hall . The " count " was a feeble affair , and utterly unreliable had there been a shadow of a doubt on the question . And yet a second count was ordered , after scores of voters had left

Grand Lodge , believing that the matter was settled . The second count was a more pitiful performance than the first . Still the Grand Officers on the dais , like drowning mon clutohing at a straw , and relying upon the steady exodus of those who had voted and honestly considered the work they came to do accomplished , called for a

" division ! A division was made , and it mnst havo been a cheerful spectacle from the dais for those who signed the notorious Goldensquare Circular ! A warning , let ns hope , to the clique whose attempt to ride roughshod over the Craft has so signally failed this time . Yours faithfully and fraternally , PUNJAB .

London Cottage Mission.

LONDON COTTAGE MISSION .

THE members of the " Momus " Ameteur Dramatic Club may be congratulated on the sticces that attended their performance on Saturday last , at the International Theatre , High Holborn . The ostensible object of the promoters of the entertainment was to provide something in aid of the funds for the Irish Stew Dinners of tho London Cottage Mission . The performance commenced with

John Holhngshead s well-known but ever fresh domestic sketch " The Birthplace of Podgers ; " this was followed by H . J . Byron's Drama " Blow for Blow . " In the first piece the part of Tom Cranky was carefully played by Mr . E . g \ Kennedy . In " Blow for Blow , " Mr . Gordon Taylor personated the rascally clerk , John Drummond , and evidenced that he had thoroughly grasped the intention of the

author ; in fact , it may be said he played the part with an efficiency not often exhibited by an amateur . Mr . H . N . Dickson , as Charlev Spriggs , gave all the points with a richness of humour that reminded us of poor George Honey , who was the original personator of this character . Miss Laura Graves played the role of the twin sisters

very truthfully . Tho minor partB were all well sustained , and the stage groupings , so often a weak point in amateur performances , showed Attention had been given to rehearsals ; tho result reflected great credit nnon the aiw r . a management . We trust this deserving Charity will be benefitted by the efforts of this talented and popular Club .