Old Lodges.

OLD LODGES .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Permit me to thank Bro . Gould for the notes ho so kindly furnished in your issue of last week . The confusion of dates in the caso of our senior Lodges is greatly to be regretted , but as the errors once made have been perpetuated , there is no help for it but to accept the present numbering , though there

is no valid reason why the dates of Constitution , where they are proved to be wrong , should not be set right again . Now , Pine ' s List for 1734—recently reprinted by Hughan—was the first that was published after present Medina , No . 35 , and Strong Man , No . 45 , had been constituted , and it is reasonable to suppose that the dates would be correctly given when only a brief interval of time had elapsed

between the date of the List ' s publication and those of the Lodges being constituted . Well , this Pine ' s List , 1734 , gives the dates of constitution as follow : —No . 110 now Strong Man , No . 45—2 nd Feb . 1732-3 ; No . Ill now Medina , No . 35-17 Feb . 1732-3 . The same dates are also given in Pine ' s List 1736 . According to Dr . Oliver , the former was warranted , in the 1738 List , on 2 February 1732

which would fall within the year 1732-3 ; but in the 1740 List , Pine gives the date 2 nd Feb . 1734 , which falls within the year 1733-4 , thus degrading the Lodge one year in respect of date , the while he allowed it to retain its numerical precedence as No . 98—whioh by the closing up of the Lodges it had become from No . 110—over No . 99—formerly No . Ill—constituted " 17 Feb . 1732 , " which , by thus dating

it , he advanced a year . The conclusion I am disposed to draw from this retention of No . 98 in this list in its pride of place ( though with date of constitution degraded to 2 Feb . 1734 ) over two 1732 Lodges and eleven 1733 Lodges is that 1734 is a clerical error for 1732 , which was intended to have been written , the " 3 " of " 1732-3 " having been dropped . Subsequently when the Lodges were closed

up in 1756 , the error committed by Pine and continued by Cole misled Grand Lodge , which , without stopping to examine the facts , transferred one Lodge to its supposed proper year , so that No . 98 was degraded and became No . 68 at the bottom of the 1734 Lodges , while No . 99 figured as No . 57 in its old place among the 1732 Lodges . How in the former case the original " Feb . 2 , "

became "Feb . 17 " I will not attempt to explain . Then , as Feb . 17 1732 falls within 1731-2 , a subsequent compiler of Grand Lodge List , in his desire to be more than usually accurate , perhaps described the date of constitution as " Feb . 17 1731-2 " and then a further change resnlted in the " 2 " being dropped . In Borne such way as this I imagine a Lodge constituted 17 Feb . 1733 is

now dated as a 1731 Lodge—the process being simple enough : —17 Feb . 1733 is the same as 17 Feb . 1732-3 . The " 3 " was dropped for the sake of brevity , and it became 17 Feb . 1732 only . Then for greater aconracy this was converted into 17 Feb . 1731-2 , and then for brevity again this was reduced to 17 Feb . 1731 .

I think there can be no doubt whatever that present No . 45 is older than present No . 35 , and all the intermediate Lodges formerly under the banner of Grand Lodge " Moderns . " 1 fancy , too , there is just a little reason in the explanation I have offered for its degradation from 1732-3 to 1734 . Yours fraternally , YOUR REVIEWER OF HUGHAN ' S REPRINT OF PINE ' S LIST OF LODGES 1734 .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As a member of Strong Man Lodge , allow me to offer such scanty information as is at my command now , concerning the past history of No . 45 . In the minutes of a regular Lodge meeting held on the 8 th March 1833 , it was resolved " that it is

highly proper to celebrate in a marked and distinguished manner the Centenary of the Strong Man Lodge , at one of its meetings during the ensuing year , 1834 , the Warrant bearing date February 1734 . " This was followed by the striking off and presentation to each subscribing member of a commemoration , or centenary jewel ,

one of which can be seen at Bro . Kenning ' s . Allow me also to add that the Lodge figures as 61 on 1 st November 1832 , and as 53 , late 61 , on 6 th December . Next week I hope to be able to give a few more particulars , and if you will allow me space , I will endeavour to supply a copy of the warrant . Yours fraternally , H . J . DEAN . 2 Blomfield-streefc , E . C , 17 th October 1878 .

The " Four Old Lodges."

THE " FOUR OLD LODGES . "

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I hardly think ifc becoming , even in so able and enthusiastic a Masonic writer as Bro . Hughan , to adopt the regal or editorial < - WE " in expressing his individual opinions on the oubject of the " Four Old Lodges , " or , indeed , on any subject . Nor is it wise , uuless ho wishes to lay himself open to the charge of

arrogance ; as Masons , who are also men of the world , must smile at the exhibition of such petty vanity . Bro . Gould and Your Reviewer must be more tbau human , if tbey relish this kind of patronage . The value of their labours will be all the same , neither more nor less to the extent even of one jot or tittle , whether Bro . Hughan condescendingly pats them on tho bai k or not . It is a pity one so enlightened as he should assume such airs towards writers who evidently

know what they are about , and one of whom , by the laborious patience and ability with which he has gone on investigating a subject of deep interest to the Masonic public , is deserving of a bettei fate than to be patronised even by Bro . Hughan . If that estimable brother is anxious to be thought even wiser than we know he is , I would respeotfully suggest to him to be a little less vain of bib powers , and nob , assume , aa the . style of bis letter would lead , people

The " Four Old Lodges."

to believe ho does , that he is the only competent authority on Masonic history . I know , directly , or indirectly , all three—Bros . Hughan and Gould and Your Reviewer , and except in the one particular , that the first , I believe , entered the field of Masonio literature before the other two , I have as great confidence in the

opinions of the two last as Bro . Hughan's . This makes the assumption of any superiority on his part the more to be regretted . I confess that , when I began the letter , I thought I should find at foot of ifc the names of half-a-dozen brethren , or , at least , of Bros . Hughan and Woodford , who had constituted themselves a kind of irresponsible tribunal for the purpose of passing judgment on Bro . Gould's

researches , having overlooked the fact that at all events some among your numerous readers are competent to form an opinion for them , selves . Lot Bro . Hugbau take warning from a far greater writer than he can ever hope to be—the late Charles Diob-m , whose marvellous abilities were only equalled by his inordinate vanity . Even he was the subject of frequent ridicule .

I am , Dear Sir , Yonr faithful friend and Brother , London . 15 th Ootober 1878 . SCRUTATOR .

Masonic Query.

MASONIC QUERY .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —A large number of W . M . ' s aprons will shortly be wanted , all over the country : and I wish to know how much longer that badge is to be rendered ludicrous and unbecoming by the Taus being placed upside down , like Levels , merely because of the printer ' s blunder in the Constitutions , where " Perpendiculars

upon Horizontals appears , instead of " Horizontals upon Perpendiculars , " as it obviously should be . Too many members of the Fraternity , I am afraid , neither know nor care any thing about the signification of the " Symbols" by which the beautiful system of Masonry is illustrated ; and wear them only as children wear mock jewellery and watches on their gala clothes .

But the most ignorant and careless S . W . who was ever promoted to W . M . can see the absurdity of stamping him in the higher degree with the emblem of the lower ; and , instead of giving him his rightful " implement of power " to indicate his rank aud position in the Lodge , sending him back for a level to the chair from which he had just emerged . I never see the W . M . ' s badge as it is now made without being reminded of the famous picture of the " Rationalistic Chicken , "

with a piece of eggshell sticking to its tail , and wondering when the owner will awake to the consciousness of the foolish figure that he presents in consequence . The manufacturers of coarse are not to blame . They merely go by the book . But surely there is in Grand Lod . ce some brother

intelligent and influential enough to take up the question of revision , and insist on this and other errors beiug rectified without delay . Yours fraternall y , 5 th Ootober 1878 . 0 . V . N .

A Sensible Protest.

A SENSIBLE PROTEST .

To the Editor of the Standard . SIR , —Having noticed in your edition of Monday last , a paragraph to the effect that it is intended at the approaching meetings of the Governors of the Masonic Boys' and Girls' Schools to move for the admission of a son and daughter of the late Bro . Jardine , who lost his life through the recent collision on the Thames between the

Bywell Castle and Princess Alice , I must ask you to allow me to express my disapproval of such a proceeding , and submit that ifc is establishing a most unwise precedent , and calculated to give great dissatisfaction to hundreds of governors and subscii jers who will not have an opportunity of being present when the motions are made . So far as the widow and orphans are concerned , I am confident there is

not a member of the Fraternity who feels greater sympathy for them than myself , and I should be glad to hear of Mrs . Jardine succeeding in getting some of her children into the Schools , after the ordinary course for election has been pursued , but not iu the manner proposed , as I am fully in accord with the view so clearly pat before the public in the letter of " H . G . S . " under the heading " Blindfold Benevolence , "

in your edition of the 4 th instant , which was so ably supplemented by a leading article of same date . Many cases of the greatest distress have been known to me , and the widows havo been unable , after repeated applications , to obtain admission for their children to these Schools , and in some of these ca ^ es the brethren have met their death by drowning or accident , leaving large families totally unprovided for ; but because it did not

take place under circumstauces similar to Bro . Jardme ' s , no " special , " heed is taken , aud these poor widows did not , as oi course Mrs . Jar . dine and children will , receive substantial relief from a Alausiou House Fund . I will not trouble you further than to express a hope that the members who will assemble in Great Queen-street , at tho Courts about to

bu held , will pause , before adopting a course not contemplated iu tho rules of these institutions , nor warranted by extreme distress . I am , Sir , yonrs obediently , 10 th October . JUSTICE ,

HOLIOWAYS OISTMISI AHD PILLS . — Diseases and casualties incidental to yuuth may be safely treated by the use of tli so excellent medicamcuts accord * lug to the printed directions folded rouud each pot and box . Ni > r is this Ointment alone applicable to external ailmeuts ; conjointly with the Pids it exercises the most salutary influence in checking inflammations situated in tha interior ot the body ; when rubbed upon the back and chest it gives the most

sensible relief in asthma , bronchitis , pleurisy , and threatening coucumption . Holloway s i emedies are especially sei viceable in liver and stomach complaints , tfur the cure of bad legs , all sorts of wounds , sores , and likewise scrofula , and scorbutic affections tnis Ointment produces a cooling ancl soothing feeling most agceptafaiq to tho sufiww ,