Correspondence

CORRESPONDENCE

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All letters must bear the name and address 0 / the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

LORD CARNARVON AND OUR CHARITIES . To the Editor of TnE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DIAR SIE AND BROTHER , —I was pleased to read an article in a recent issue of the CHRONICLE on the subject of Lord Carnarvon ' s proposal . True , yon inserted it only as a communication , and this freed you from any responsibility for tho opinions expressed therein ,

but it dealt fairly and clearly with the important question of the Memorial . As illustrating tho jastico of the conclusions at which tho writer of the article arrived , I may state that , in my canvass , as a Steward for the APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE BOYS' ScnooL , I havo been met with

such responses as these : — " You have all you want for your Masonic Charities . Loolc at the enormous sums obtained for the three Institutions during the past year . More than sufficient for all purposes . Lord Carnarvon declared the Charities did not want money . "

Thus my duty as a Steward , owing to tho ( in my humble opinion ) ill-advised declaration of the Pro Grand Master , is in many instances of no service . My friends in the City will not support me when they hear on such

high authority that support is not necessary . I ask you , Sir , how can I efficiently discharge my trust if the declaration of ono of my chiefs forms the main obstacle to my Success ? Will Lord Carnarvon make good tho amount of which I am thus deprived through his indiscreet announcement ?

lam , yours fraternally , JOHN CONSTABLE P . M . 185

13 Sise-lane , E . C , 14 th February 1877 .

"Things New And Old."

" THINGS NEW AND OLD . "

To the Editor O / T HE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am ono of thoso who derive no littlo pleasure from the study of the past , and especially with reference to the curious and the rare . Had our forefathers dreamed of tho interest that would bo manifested by succeeding generations in

their actions , their sayings , and their written thoughts , it may bo they would havo left moro food for the curious soul to devour , but it might have been wanting in that freshness which is the delight of tho modern student . My scrapbook is the result of many yoars of research , and in it may be found many curious bits , both " New and Old . " To-day I havo added the following , cut from a local paper : —

PROV . G . ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF CORNWALL . —The Eight Hon . tho Earl of Mount Edgcnmbe , Prov . G . M ., will be installed as Graud Superintendent of tho Provincial Grand Royal Arch Chapter of

Cornwall , at tho Masonic Hall , Public Rooms , Truro , on Tuosday , tho 20 th inst ., afc 3 p . m . M . E . Comp . L . P . Metham , Prov . Grand H . of Devonshire , has kindly undertaken to perform the ceremony , as the Representative of the Grand First Prinoipal .

This is an event to be recorded , and perchance it may , at some remote period , prove of interest to some curious old quiz like myself . But taking a proud peep at my treasures , I make a discovery of a faded scrap , " which tells of years gone by , " and I am led further to

the perusal of several lettors , addressed to tho Most E . G . P . and Grand Superintendent for the County of Cornwall , and as they appear to contradict the notion that Cornwall has never had a Prov . Grand Superintendent , I will bring them to the light at once .

The first E . A . Chapter formed in Cornwall , was the Druids Chapter of Love and Liberality , Redruth , 15 th July 1791 . A copy of the dispensation has already appeared in THE CHRONICLE , Vol . 4 , page

218 , and the following letter shows that tho G . S . of R . A . M ., Comp Tho 3 . Dunckerley , appointed himself to the office of Prov . Grand Superintendent of Cornwall immediately after tho formation of this Chapter , and his appointment was duly registered .

Hampton Court Palace , 24 th November 1791 . Most Excellent Comp ., —It is with great pleasure that I can now send your Patent for the Royal Arch Chapter , with a Book of the Statutes , and also those of the Order of Knights Templars , with an

impression of the Great Seal . I shall ( in the next printed list ) insert the County of Cornwall under my Superintendance , and shall , at all times , tako pleasure in doiug every service in my power for

tho Druids Chapter . Please to ackuowledgo the receipt of your Patent by a letter in return ( post paid ) . Present my affectionate regards to all the Companions , and believe mo your faithful Companion , & c .

Thos . Dunckerley . About a month after the formation of this R . A . Chapter , the brethren at Redruth , applied for a patent far a K . T . Encampment . and this was also granted , dated 16 th August 1791 , and thus was formed the First Encampment in Cornwall , Tho Conclave of St , Jehu of Jerusalem No . 8 , Redruth ,

"Things New And Old."

I ho great interest manifested at Redruth , as thoso old records testify , ha 3 continued almost uuabated , and it can claim the prestige of a Masonio history such as no other town in Cornwall can do . It is true that Falmouth can boast of being the Mother Lodge ( Craft ) of tho Province , but Redruth was the Father , for there thoy taught their sons actually to sqtiaro aud to polish the rough ashlar . It is

at Redruth , too , that they havo the oldest Mark Lodgo . Let thoso few revelations from my old scrap book suffice for tho present , but I may , perhaps , re-open it at no distant date . I am , Dear Sir and Companion , " Quiz . "

Demolition Of The First Masonic Lodge In Paris.

DEMOLITION OF THE FIRST MASONIC LODGE IN PARIS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Permit me to offer a few remarks ou the article bearing tho above title , extracted by you from the columns of tho Builder . The writer of tho artielo is indebted for the Masonic portion of his sketch to tho historian Rebold . Indeed , this sketch o £ early French Masonry is translated from that author ' s Hisioire des

Trois Grands Loges . Of course , it is none the less interesting ou this account , but the question I am anxious to bring prominently under the notice of your readers concerns tho trustworthiness of tho account . Thory , another French historian of Freemasonry , in speaking of this first Lodge iu Paris , says , " It has left no historic monument of its existence , a fact which tends to throw a certain degree of

obscurity on the early rise and progresa of Freemasonry in Paris . Our German brother Findel is doubtful as to the date when Freemasonry found its way into France . Our Grand Lodge Archives , I believe , contain no record of tho 1725 Lodge , while Pino ' s list for 1734 , published under the sanction of Grand Lodge , includes only tho Lodge held " An Louis D'Argent , Dans la Rue de Bouchorie a Paris , "

which met every Wednesday , and was constituted 3 rd April 1732 . For my own part , I am inclined to believe that Freemasonry found its way to the French capital at an early date after its constitution in London in 1717 as a corporate body . My reasons for this belief are as follow : — In the first ' place , I do not attach a vory grave importance to the

silence of our own records . Othors more conversant with tho snbjeofc than I can ever pretend to be , will , I think , bear me out in tho asser . tion that these records were very indifferently kept iu the early days of our modern or speculative system of Freemasonry . Therefore I am very disinclined to doubt the existence of the 1725 Lodgo , on the ground that no mention , is made of it in our own Grand Lodge records .

In the next placo , I deduce from the circumstances of the period the extreme probability , amounting , I may almost venture to say , to a certainty , that a now—new that is in its latest form—mysterious , and , as we know it was from the very outset , an attractive institution would not havo been established for any great length of timo in London without finding many admirers in tho capital city of our

Gallic neighbours . The Parisians then , as now , very closely resembled the Athenians of old , in this particular at least , that they were and are eager in their rage for novelties . Moreover , there were special circnmstarjcesatthotimewhichmakemo think that Freemasonry may easily have found its way to Paris as early as 1725 , if not indeed earlier . The second titled personage who presided over

out-Craft as Grand Master was the eccentric Duke of Wharton , in 1722-3 . He had visited Paris during his travels in 1716 , had seen the Pretender privately at Avignon , and the widow of James II . at St . Germain in the same year . When of ago ho took his seat iu the Houso of Lords , having some time before been created a Duke for his zealous support of the ministry in Ireland , and having taken his seat

while yot a minor in the Irish House of Peers . But in England he soon fell into disgrace with the Court . Through his extravagauce he became involved financially , and somo time after went abroad to tho Imperial Court and the Conrt of Spain , aud openly espoused tho canso of the Pretender . In May 1728 , he set out to Paris , and thence to Rouen , where for some time ho resided . Tho Lord Derwentwater , who is

said to havo been one of the founders of the 1725 Lodge , was also a supporter of the Stuarts , —and perished for his attachment to their cause . He was a brother of tho Lord Derwentwater executed in 1716 , and the Mi-. Radcliii ' e who was tried and executed for his participation in the rebellion of 1745-6 . Is it not most probable , I ask , that Wharton , being a supporter of the same political cause as this Lord

Derwentwater , may have been in some way connected with , if not responsible for the introduction of Freemasonry into Paris ? Again , the two countries were at peace , and had a short timo previously been members oE the Quadruple Alliance against the ambitious designs of the then Prime Minister of Spain , Cardinal Alberoni . Moreover , intercommunications between tho two capitals was , taking all circumstances

into account , quite as frequent then as now . And then with so many English nobles enrolled in Freemasonry , "would not tho French nobles follow suit ? Lastly , if Freemasonry found its way so far southward as Madrid , where—sea Pino's aud other lists—a Lodgo was erected in November 1728 , is it not fair to suppose it would hare reached the b ' rencu capital at a still earlier date ? It is allowable , I think , in a

case of this kind , to argue from extreme probabilities , in the absonco of positive and direct testimony , especially when we know how o . irelt'ssly the early records of tho Craft in England were kept . Mind , I do not say there was a Lodgo in Paris in 1725 , but ouly that the probability thero was one is very great . Perhaps , howevt-r , somo of your readers—Bro . Hughan for instance , or Urn . ( Jaubet , ihe

enlightened secretary of tho Supreme Council of tlie French Grui . d Orient , and Editor of le Monde Maronnique , may beabie 10 throw suunu light oil this obscure portion of French Masonic J . i ioiy . 1 should like to hear their opiuion on tho subject I hava ventilated . Fraternally yours , " Q . "