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Reviews.

Reviews .

GLEANINGS FROM THE BLUE . By a mistake in our review of this interesting little compilation last week , we stated that a review of the touching lines to H . I . M . tlie Empress Eugenie appeared in the Freemason . The quotation appeared in the " Masonic Magazine , " some time back . But wc fancy a short notice

of one of the monthly parts did appear in the brecmason . We are glad to be permitted to call renewed attention to the book , and to add that our esteemed Bro ., Dr . Brette , of Christ's Hospital , will be happy to supply all with copies who like to encourage rising merit and juvenile industry . We understand that a fuller notice is to appear in the December Magazine .

LA NOBLA LEYCZON . T . Grattan , Warwick-square , London , and W . Brough , 2 , Ethel-street , Birmingham . This is an edition of a curious Waldensian poem , in Provencal and Waldensian " patois , " with an English translation , lt seems to be well done , and the translation or rendering is very close . The subject is an interesting one in itselfinasmuch as the Waldensian teaching is said to have

, constituted one of the "Templar Secrets , " and some writers have liked . to find an affinity between Masonic and Waldensian meetings . We cannot go into thespecial matter of absolute Waldensian doctrines for various Masonic reasons , but certainly , as a study of the past and of language , the book deserves the close attention of the curious and the thoughtful . We have one fault to find with the editor , Rev .

R . H . Vickers , He does not give us either a "facsimile" of the MS ., nor docs he even tell us where the original MS . is preserved , two grave faults ; in fact , unpardonable by a student . He merely tells us that "thc date assigned to thc ' Nobla Lcyczon " ' is about 11 S 0 , but he does not give his authority , or any account of the MS ., itself , or any means , in fact , of proving such a dogmatic

statement . We should judge from his preface that the writer is a " non expert" in such matters , and has had little special study of thc subject . Thc mixing up of the "Troubadours" with the " Waldenses " is somewhat a stretch ofthe imagination ; and though wecannot commend the editing * of thebook , which is unscientific and unrealistic , the poem itself , if genuine , as we doubt not , has a twofold interest , as I have sought to point out , to Masonic students .

BEOWULF ; A POEM OF THE EIGHTH CENTURY . By THOMAS ARNOLD . Longman and Co . This " heroic poem , " as it has been termed , is an Anglo-Saxon poem , among the MSS . of the British Museum ; Vitellius a 15 , Cottonian MSS . It came into the great library of that somewhat unscrupulous collector , Sir R . Cotton , and seems first to have been mentioned by

Wanley in the second volume of Hickes ' s well-known " Thesaurus , " & c ., in 1705 . A Dane , Grim j . Thorkelin , first gave Beowulf to the world . It has since been frequently alluded to and commented on , and is in itself a most interesting study to lovers of old language , as its " vernacular" has all but utterly passed away . We may add it has engaged the attention ot Sharon Turner , of Conybeare and Kemble ,

of Leo , of Etmiiller , of Green and of Simrock , of Wackcrbath and Thorpe , of Rask , and Professor Morley . . It seems now to be clear that it was written by a Christian ecclesiastic in the early part of tbe eighth century , and preserves in its recital some of those Scandinavian Sagas which were once so dear to the Northern nations . Beyond its importance as a study of an old and now faded dialect , —thc earliest so far known of

Anglo-Saxon , —it perhaps is but " heavy work , " even for patient Masonic and bibliological dryasd usts . _ We need not worry ourselves as regards the theories of Ewald and Miillenhof as to the genuineness of this or that portion of the poem , but will merely add that we think thc patient reader may find not merely the existence of local or national , but world-wide Sagas in those mythic tales which seem to have a common origin in thc sentimental ideas and aspirations—the mental colouring and characteristic of the human race .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

ABBEY OF ARBROATH . Bro . Rylands , citing " Hays History of Arbroath '' ( 1 S 76 ) , p . 31 , states that in 17 S 9 , the Rev . George Gleig sent to General Hutton " an impression of a seal which was found among thc ruins of thc Abbey , and which was then used by the Lodge St . Thomas , of Arbroath , to seal the diplomas granted to their brethren . "

I apprehend that the seal alluded to is identical witn that of which a full description was given by the Rev . Charles Cordiner in his " Remarkable Ruins of North Britain , " [ London 17 SSJ . Of this seal , which forms one of the illustrations of the work , Mr . Cordiner observes : — " The figures sculptured on the seal marked initiation , evidently represent some formidable * ceremony in a sacred place ,

where a pontiff presides in state ; one hand on his breast expressive of seriousness , the other stretched out at a right angle , holding a rod and a cross , the badge of high office , while he makes some awful appeal respecting a suppliant , who , in a loose robe , blindfolded , with seeming terror kneels before the steps of an altar , while several attendants with drawn swords brandish them over his head . "

Thereverendauthor then proceeds to compare : thc figures depicted on the seal , with certain engravings in Masonic works , and suggests lhat the points of resemblance recall to memory a description which Plutarch , in his famous essay , " De Osiris , " gives of the engraving of a seal which the Priests of Isis used in their solemnities , namely , that of a man kneeling with his hands bound , a knife at his

throat . Krause reproduced the engraving of this seal in his " Kunsturkunden , " and it has also appeared in other publications . The opinion of Cordiner , that " Freemasonry , however mutilated or defaced , " was descended from the Mysteries , being in most cases quoted with approval .

. ¦// there is anything in this theory , the " seal of the ancient Abbey of Arbroath" is a most important connecting link between the Mysteries of the />« s < andthe Freemasonry of the present . If it can be shown that the Mysteries were retained under ecclesiastical sanction until so comparatively recent a period as the year 1178 , when the Abbey of

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Benedictine Monks at Arbroath was founded by William the Lion , then , I think , there is more in the view put forward by Fallou and Winzer , and , to a certain extent , adopted by Findel , than is apparent from the evidence or weight of authority discoverable in the writings of any one of these authors . Fallou asserts " that the form of initiation amongst thc stonemasons is * an imitation of the rite of consecration of

the Order of Benedictines . " Of the statutes of the German stonema . sons Findel remarks : * "These statutes ( 1459 ) . ' . . " . were discussed and agreed on at two assemblies of Masters and Fellows , held in the manner of a Chapter { 'in Kapitcls-wcise' ) " . " . . " . The expression "in Kapitelsweise , " which is used by no other Guild , is derived from the convent meetings of the Benedictine monks , which were termed " capitula " or " chapters . "

The expression "chapitres , " which occurs in the original Norman-French of the English Statutes , 34 Edw . III ., c . IX . ( 1360-61 ) , and 3 Hen . VI ., c . I . ( 1425 ) , is rendered as " chapters " and " chapiters " respectively in the early translations of the two enactments . Elsewhere [ " Four Old Lodges , " p . S 2 ] , I have shown that the word " chapitre " ( or " chapiter" ) was employed in our English

Acts of Parliament of the Middle Ages , to denote the illegal meetings , which , under the name of " conventicles , " were severely legislated against from the time of Edward III . down to that of Henry VIII . " Chapters , " or more properly " conventicles "—for the former term is only used in the statutes of pre-vernacular date—were secret and illegal meetings , common to all trades , f

It-ts to be carefully noted that in later Acts ol Parliament an entirely different meaning is attached to the term " conventicles , " and students of our statute book who may consult the index to those ponderous volumes , will find arranged under this title , a host of enactments directed against the habit of individuals meeting for religious

purposes in opposition to the law of the land . If Bro . Rylands is desirous of inquiring further into the history of Arbroath Abbey , one of the publications of the Bannatyne Club , press mark [ Brit . Mus . ] A . C . S 24 S-S 6 , Edinburgh , 1 S 4 S-56 , along with the work of Mr . Cordiner , will well repay examination . R . F . GOULD .

MASONS' COMPANY , 1537 . In the History and Antiquities of London , & c , by Thomas Allen , London , 1 S 2 S , vol . ii ., p . 343 , it is stated that " a curious record has been kindly communicated by J . Caley , Esq ., F . R . S ., F . S . A ., & c . It is a list of the freemen of the various companions resident in London and Westminster ; from Thomas Lewyn being mentioned as sheriff , it appears it was made in the year i ** 17 . The

original is in the Chapter House , Westminster . " Touching thc Pliament . The Companeys of all the Craftes or Mysteries of London . The seuerall companyes of all thc mystcryes , craftes , and occupaciones wi'in the citieof London , w ' the names of cury free man beyng householder w'in the same , ( first ) . " Of course the Company of Mercers heads the list , and on page 406 we find : —

"MASONS . 30 . " " ARMS . —Sa , on a chevron , between three towers ar , a pair of compasses of the first . CREST . —A tower as in the arms . MOTTO . — ' In the Lord is all our trust . ' The Company of Masons was originally incorporated 2 . Hen . II . 1411 , b y the name and style of 'The free masons . ' In 1474 William Hanckstow , Clarcncieux , kingj

at arms , granted them the arms of their society as borne at this time ; but the present Company act under the reincorporation granted by letters patent of the 12 th of Charles II ., on the 17 th September , 16 77 , by the name of ' The master , wardens , assistants , and commonality , of the company of masons of thc city of London . ' It is a livery company , governed by a master , two wardens ,

and twenty-two assistants . The marblers , an ancient fellowship , but not legally incorporated , was united to this community . Mason's-hall is situated in Mason's-alley , Basinghall-strcet , and is now rented by a carpet manufacturer . " A note is added to the Marblers : — "They appear to have been sculptors , and were much distinguished for their skill in carving figures on monuments and grave-stones . "

Of course the above forms no part of the original manuscript , but is added by Allen from the accounts given b y Seymour and Maitland , based on Stowe , copying all their misprints , Hanckestow for Hawkcslowe , and it would be well to know the authority for the statement that thc company was incorporated by the name and style of the free masons , 2 . Henry II ., 1411 . Of course Allen

follows Stowe here as to the date , and means the 12 th Hen . IV . The original grant of arms w'as made out in the 12 Edward IV ., and it seems possible that the statement has arisen from a confusion of thc names of the kings . There is no mention of free masons in this document , but they are styled the "Craftand Fellowship of Masons . " Allen ' s text continues , "The Names of the Company of

' ffreemasones , ' from the Record in thc Chapter House : " Robert Lynke . " John Paskyn . George Symson . John Howard . Mr . Elmer . Willm . Rigeway . Thomas Newell . John Richardson . John Orger . ( ohn Sorbett . Thomas West . Thomas Wilde .

Willm . Prybell . ffraunces Boone . Gabricll Caldham . Willm . Holmes . Henry Pestemede .. Thomas Blomefeld Willm . Jonson . Robert Hawtc . . Willm . Ashton . Edmond Raud . John Humfrey . Thomas Hawys .

Willm . Chamberlain . Symond Kyngffeld . Robert Sleeford . John Charter . Richard Mydilton . Richard Wolsham . Thomas Barker . Thomas Watson . Henry Mercer . Lewys Tucker . Robt . Smythe . Robert Prybell . " Gilbert Borffam . R

Masonic Notes And Queries.

LIST OF FREEMASON LODGES , Sic , IN PICART . A friend of mine having called my attention to this ' curious point—curious for various reasons—I think it well in turn to mention it again here , for information and study . 1 . There is some difficulty in knowing when the . plate dedicated to Lord Weymouth first appeared . Gough published the work weekly , by subscription , from 1733 . When the

original publication in Amsterdam first appeared is not quite clear , though I think about 1723 . In the Parisian edition of 1741 , edited by thc Abbes Banier and Mascrier , published by Rollin fits , though allusion is made to the " Dutch edition and the Dutch editor , " no date is given , though the editor talks of the work having been began twenty years before , as well as a reference to a letter

written by Jean f ' redenc Bernard , in 173 S , in which ho accuses the new editors of copying and suppressing , and which fact the Abbe Banier , " though he defends his own proceedure , practically admits . The point interesting to us is , that in this edition , vol . iii ., p . 2 S 6 , appears a famous picture , representing the inside of a lodge room , with groups of brethren clothed as Masons ,

and one with a collar ; a list of lodges , with apoitraitof Sir Richard Steele and his name , and Lord Weymouth ' s arms . There is no difficulty as regards the 1741 edition ; but the point is if the first edition was published in 1733 or 1723 , how could the arms of a Grand Master in 1735 appear ? As regards Gough , the third volume may not have appeared until 1735 , but how about the original Dutch edition ?

The writer of the 1741 , _ Paris edition , the' Abbe Mascrier says , I translate his words from the French : " Lastly , we have considered ourselves able to enter into some details as regards the subject of the Freemasons , and wc have formed a chapter expressly about that which this famous " coterie " established about fifty years since in England . We have composed it from various particulars contained in the " notes " of the first edition and

in the " supplement and additions " inserted at the end , as well as from some manuscript statements which have been suitable for this occasion , & c , & c . " Then the question immediately arises , when did this plate first appear , or when , in fact , was the first Dutch edition published ? If after 1735 , the difficulty vanishes : if before , it remains . Perhaps some brother student will look into this point , and collate and report in this column . MASONIC STUDENT .

SIR RICHARD STEELE . Can any light be thrown on the Masonic position , or connection of Sir Richard Steele or the above list ? In his cap he seems to wear some kind of jewel . Let me call Bro . Gould ' s attention to two points in the lists . He will note at Nos . 116 , 117 , and 120 the words " Master's Lodge . " Can the

minutes of these lodges be found ? He will also note that No . 115 , or the Devil ' s Tavern , the lodge is called "Scott ' s Masons Lodge . " Does not that explain the usage " Scot ' s Masons , " often found in minutes ? Are not the figures portraits of real personages ? I may add that while the picture in the third volume is at page 236 the essay is found at page 334 , and until 344 , and theessavon thc Rosicrucians later . MASONIC STUDENT .

QUEEN'S MASTER MASONS . The following , taken from a recently published work" An account of the ancient town of Frodsham , in Cheshire , by William Beamont Esq . "—may be interesting to some of your readers ( P . 11 S . ) 14 November , 43 Eliz . [ 1601 ] . — "The Queen granted to Henry Fletcher the office of master carpenter of all her works in the county of Chester ,

with thc usual wages and fees . " —[ Frodsham Church Books ] . All work at the castle would be done under the oversight of the -Bailiff , Sir John Savage . ( P . 119 ) 9 November , 44 Eliz . [ 1 G 02 ] . "The Queen granted to John Nicholson the office of master mason of all her buildings and works in Cheshire and Flintshire , with the fees and wages tothesamcbclonging . " —[ Frodsliam Church Books . ] W . H . R .

SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN . On looking over the Latin biography of Sir Christopher , and which is , Elmes tells us , amongst the Lansdownc MSS ., though he gives no reference , and which he publishes at page 414 , apparently partly written b y Sir Christopher Wren and partly by his son , there is no mention of his admission into Freemasonry . But I would

suggest that the Latin MS . be again carefully studied , as you never are sure , such is the inaccuracy of translators and collators , that you have the very words of the MS . In the list of the works of Sir Christopher Wren , at page 420 , I note that he was in and about London in 1663 , in 166 G , in 16 S 5 , and in 1691 , all dates of Masonic importance . I also see that Elmes declares he built Masons' Hall , "

formerly used by the Grand Lodge of Freemasons . " Can proof be given of this ? I will add that Elmes's work is under the fatal effect of great incohcrency of detail and want of proper method and order , and , above all , has no index . I note that Miss Phillimore has recently written a life of Sir Christopher Wren . Can any brother tell me what are the passages in it which relate to Sir Christopher Wren as a Freemason ? A MEMBER OF NO . 2 .

Verses.

VERSES .

[ The following translation of the pretty French verses , " Les Lilas , " alluded to in last Freemason , has been kindly sent to us , with the approval of Bro . Dr . Brette , by a young "Grecian" of Christ ' s Hospital , Mr . H . E . O . Edwards . They reflect great credit upon thc translator and versifier , and we are pleased to publish them in the Freemason , according to our promise . —ED . F . M . ] LILAC .

" Why , flower of Spring , why die when barely blown ? The rose and lily are thy sisters own , God destined thee amongst us now to bloom , Why lose thy splendour and thy sweet perfume ? " Thou ' rt born , giv'st joy awhile , and then dost pass , Leaving thc garden lone , thc thickets bare ; The butterfly in vain asks thee from space—In vain the sad eye seeks thee in thc air .

" But all on earth fulfil this destiny , And many a thing is born to fade and die ; Beauty , Youth , Love , incur a common doom : O fleeting charms , that yield our Sfcls delight , What life is ours without your radiance bri ght ? - — Fruit without savour , flower without perfume . "

“The Freemason: 1881-11-19, Page 5” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 26 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fvl/issues/fvl_19111881/page/5/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
CONTENTS. Article 1
Untitled Article 1
MASONIC HISTORY AND HISTORIANS. Article 2
THE GENESIS OF MASONRY. Article 2
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CHESHIRE. Article 3
PRESENTATION TO A BROTHER AT BIRKENHEAD. Article 3
CONSECRATION OF THE CABLE CHAPTER, No. 1704. Article 3
Untitled Ad 4
Untitled Ad 4
Untitled Ad 4
Untitled Ad 4
To Correspondents. Article 4
Untitled Article 4
Original Correspondence. Article 4
Reviews. Article 5
Masonic Notes and Queries. Article 5
VERSES. Article 5
REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS Article 6
Royal Arch. Article 10
Mark Masonry. Article 11
Scotland Article 11
Obituary. Article 11
THE 1728 CONSTITUTIONS. Article 12
VISITING. Article 12
Amusements. Article 12
Births, Marriges, and Deaths. Article 12
SPECIAL OFFER OF MASONIC WORKS. Article 12
Masonic and General Tidings. Article 13
METROPOLITAN MASONIC MEETINGS Article 14
MASONIC MEETINGS IN WEST LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE. Article 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
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4 Articles
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5 Articles
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Reviews.

Reviews .

GLEANINGS FROM THE BLUE . By a mistake in our review of this interesting little compilation last week , we stated that a review of the touching lines to H . I . M . tlie Empress Eugenie appeared in the Freemason . The quotation appeared in the " Masonic Magazine , " some time back . But wc fancy a short notice

of one of the monthly parts did appear in the brecmason . We are glad to be permitted to call renewed attention to the book , and to add that our esteemed Bro ., Dr . Brette , of Christ's Hospital , will be happy to supply all with copies who like to encourage rising merit and juvenile industry . We understand that a fuller notice is to appear in the December Magazine .

LA NOBLA LEYCZON . T . Grattan , Warwick-square , London , and W . Brough , 2 , Ethel-street , Birmingham . This is an edition of a curious Waldensian poem , in Provencal and Waldensian " patois , " with an English translation , lt seems to be well done , and the translation or rendering is very close . The subject is an interesting one in itselfinasmuch as the Waldensian teaching is said to have

, constituted one of the "Templar Secrets , " and some writers have liked . to find an affinity between Masonic and Waldensian meetings . We cannot go into thespecial matter of absolute Waldensian doctrines for various Masonic reasons , but certainly , as a study of the past and of language , the book deserves the close attention of the curious and the thoughtful . We have one fault to find with the editor , Rev .

R . H . Vickers , He does not give us either a "facsimile" of the MS ., nor docs he even tell us where the original MS . is preserved , two grave faults ; in fact , unpardonable by a student . He merely tells us that "thc date assigned to thc ' Nobla Lcyczon " ' is about 11 S 0 , but he does not give his authority , or any account of the MS ., itself , or any means , in fact , of proving such a dogmatic

statement . We should judge from his preface that the writer is a " non expert" in such matters , and has had little special study of thc subject . Thc mixing up of the "Troubadours" with the " Waldenses " is somewhat a stretch ofthe imagination ; and though wecannot commend the editing * of thebook , which is unscientific and unrealistic , the poem itself , if genuine , as we doubt not , has a twofold interest , as I have sought to point out , to Masonic students .

BEOWULF ; A POEM OF THE EIGHTH CENTURY . By THOMAS ARNOLD . Longman and Co . This " heroic poem , " as it has been termed , is an Anglo-Saxon poem , among the MSS . of the British Museum ; Vitellius a 15 , Cottonian MSS . It came into the great library of that somewhat unscrupulous collector , Sir R . Cotton , and seems first to have been mentioned by

Wanley in the second volume of Hickes ' s well-known " Thesaurus , " & c ., in 1705 . A Dane , Grim j . Thorkelin , first gave Beowulf to the world . It has since been frequently alluded to and commented on , and is in itself a most interesting study to lovers of old language , as its " vernacular" has all but utterly passed away . We may add it has engaged the attention ot Sharon Turner , of Conybeare and Kemble ,

of Leo , of Etmiiller , of Green and of Simrock , of Wackcrbath and Thorpe , of Rask , and Professor Morley . . It seems now to be clear that it was written by a Christian ecclesiastic in the early part of tbe eighth century , and preserves in its recital some of those Scandinavian Sagas which were once so dear to the Northern nations . Beyond its importance as a study of an old and now faded dialect , —thc earliest so far known of

Anglo-Saxon , —it perhaps is but " heavy work , " even for patient Masonic and bibliological dryasd usts . _ We need not worry ourselves as regards the theories of Ewald and Miillenhof as to the genuineness of this or that portion of the poem , but will merely add that we think thc patient reader may find not merely the existence of local or national , but world-wide Sagas in those mythic tales which seem to have a common origin in thc sentimental ideas and aspirations—the mental colouring and characteristic of the human race .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

ABBEY OF ARBROATH . Bro . Rylands , citing " Hays History of Arbroath '' ( 1 S 76 ) , p . 31 , states that in 17 S 9 , the Rev . George Gleig sent to General Hutton " an impression of a seal which was found among thc ruins of thc Abbey , and which was then used by the Lodge St . Thomas , of Arbroath , to seal the diplomas granted to their brethren . "

I apprehend that the seal alluded to is identical witn that of which a full description was given by the Rev . Charles Cordiner in his " Remarkable Ruins of North Britain , " [ London 17 SSJ . Of this seal , which forms one of the illustrations of the work , Mr . Cordiner observes : — " The figures sculptured on the seal marked initiation , evidently represent some formidable * ceremony in a sacred place ,

where a pontiff presides in state ; one hand on his breast expressive of seriousness , the other stretched out at a right angle , holding a rod and a cross , the badge of high office , while he makes some awful appeal respecting a suppliant , who , in a loose robe , blindfolded , with seeming terror kneels before the steps of an altar , while several attendants with drawn swords brandish them over his head . "

Thereverendauthor then proceeds to compare : thc figures depicted on the seal , with certain engravings in Masonic works , and suggests lhat the points of resemblance recall to memory a description which Plutarch , in his famous essay , " De Osiris , " gives of the engraving of a seal which the Priests of Isis used in their solemnities , namely , that of a man kneeling with his hands bound , a knife at his

throat . Krause reproduced the engraving of this seal in his " Kunsturkunden , " and it has also appeared in other publications . The opinion of Cordiner , that " Freemasonry , however mutilated or defaced , " was descended from the Mysteries , being in most cases quoted with approval .

. ¦// there is anything in this theory , the " seal of the ancient Abbey of Arbroath" is a most important connecting link between the Mysteries of the />« s < andthe Freemasonry of the present . If it can be shown that the Mysteries were retained under ecclesiastical sanction until so comparatively recent a period as the year 1178 , when the Abbey of

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Benedictine Monks at Arbroath was founded by William the Lion , then , I think , there is more in the view put forward by Fallou and Winzer , and , to a certain extent , adopted by Findel , than is apparent from the evidence or weight of authority discoverable in the writings of any one of these authors . Fallou asserts " that the form of initiation amongst thc stonemasons is * an imitation of the rite of consecration of

the Order of Benedictines . " Of the statutes of the German stonema . sons Findel remarks : * "These statutes ( 1459 ) . ' . . " . were discussed and agreed on at two assemblies of Masters and Fellows , held in the manner of a Chapter { 'in Kapitcls-wcise' ) " . " . . " . The expression "in Kapitelsweise , " which is used by no other Guild , is derived from the convent meetings of the Benedictine monks , which were termed " capitula " or " chapters . "

The expression "chapitres , " which occurs in the original Norman-French of the English Statutes , 34 Edw . III ., c . IX . ( 1360-61 ) , and 3 Hen . VI ., c . I . ( 1425 ) , is rendered as " chapters " and " chapiters " respectively in the early translations of the two enactments . Elsewhere [ " Four Old Lodges , " p . S 2 ] , I have shown that the word " chapitre " ( or " chapiter" ) was employed in our English

Acts of Parliament of the Middle Ages , to denote the illegal meetings , which , under the name of " conventicles , " were severely legislated against from the time of Edward III . down to that of Henry VIII . " Chapters , " or more properly " conventicles "—for the former term is only used in the statutes of pre-vernacular date—were secret and illegal meetings , common to all trades , f

It-ts to be carefully noted that in later Acts ol Parliament an entirely different meaning is attached to the term " conventicles , " and students of our statute book who may consult the index to those ponderous volumes , will find arranged under this title , a host of enactments directed against the habit of individuals meeting for religious

purposes in opposition to the law of the land . If Bro . Rylands is desirous of inquiring further into the history of Arbroath Abbey , one of the publications of the Bannatyne Club , press mark [ Brit . Mus . ] A . C . S 24 S-S 6 , Edinburgh , 1 S 4 S-56 , along with the work of Mr . Cordiner , will well repay examination . R . F . GOULD .

MASONS' COMPANY , 1537 . In the History and Antiquities of London , & c , by Thomas Allen , London , 1 S 2 S , vol . ii ., p . 343 , it is stated that " a curious record has been kindly communicated by J . Caley , Esq ., F . R . S ., F . S . A ., & c . It is a list of the freemen of the various companions resident in London and Westminster ; from Thomas Lewyn being mentioned as sheriff , it appears it was made in the year i ** 17 . The

original is in the Chapter House , Westminster . " Touching thc Pliament . The Companeys of all the Craftes or Mysteries of London . The seuerall companyes of all thc mystcryes , craftes , and occupaciones wi'in the citieof London , w ' the names of cury free man beyng householder w'in the same , ( first ) . " Of course the Company of Mercers heads the list , and on page 406 we find : —

"MASONS . 30 . " " ARMS . —Sa , on a chevron , between three towers ar , a pair of compasses of the first . CREST . —A tower as in the arms . MOTTO . — ' In the Lord is all our trust . ' The Company of Masons was originally incorporated 2 . Hen . II . 1411 , b y the name and style of 'The free masons . ' In 1474 William Hanckstow , Clarcncieux , kingj

at arms , granted them the arms of their society as borne at this time ; but the present Company act under the reincorporation granted by letters patent of the 12 th of Charles II ., on the 17 th September , 16 77 , by the name of ' The master , wardens , assistants , and commonality , of the company of masons of thc city of London . ' It is a livery company , governed by a master , two wardens ,

and twenty-two assistants . The marblers , an ancient fellowship , but not legally incorporated , was united to this community . Mason's-hall is situated in Mason's-alley , Basinghall-strcet , and is now rented by a carpet manufacturer . " A note is added to the Marblers : — "They appear to have been sculptors , and were much distinguished for their skill in carving figures on monuments and grave-stones . "

Of course the above forms no part of the original manuscript , but is added by Allen from the accounts given b y Seymour and Maitland , based on Stowe , copying all their misprints , Hanckestow for Hawkcslowe , and it would be well to know the authority for the statement that thc company was incorporated by the name and style of the free masons , 2 . Henry II ., 1411 . Of course Allen

follows Stowe here as to the date , and means the 12 th Hen . IV . The original grant of arms w'as made out in the 12 Edward IV ., and it seems possible that the statement has arisen from a confusion of thc names of the kings . There is no mention of free masons in this document , but they are styled the "Craftand Fellowship of Masons . " Allen ' s text continues , "The Names of the Company of

' ffreemasones , ' from the Record in thc Chapter House : " Robert Lynke . " John Paskyn . George Symson . John Howard . Mr . Elmer . Willm . Rigeway . Thomas Newell . John Richardson . John Orger . ( ohn Sorbett . Thomas West . Thomas Wilde .

Willm . Prybell . ffraunces Boone . Gabricll Caldham . Willm . Holmes . Henry Pestemede .. Thomas Blomefeld Willm . Jonson . Robert Hawtc . . Willm . Ashton . Edmond Raud . John Humfrey . Thomas Hawys .

Willm . Chamberlain . Symond Kyngffeld . Robert Sleeford . John Charter . Richard Mydilton . Richard Wolsham . Thomas Barker . Thomas Watson . Henry Mercer . Lewys Tucker . Robt . Smythe . Robert Prybell . " Gilbert Borffam . R

Masonic Notes And Queries.

LIST OF FREEMASON LODGES , Sic , IN PICART . A friend of mine having called my attention to this ' curious point—curious for various reasons—I think it well in turn to mention it again here , for information and study . 1 . There is some difficulty in knowing when the . plate dedicated to Lord Weymouth first appeared . Gough published the work weekly , by subscription , from 1733 . When the

original publication in Amsterdam first appeared is not quite clear , though I think about 1723 . In the Parisian edition of 1741 , edited by thc Abbes Banier and Mascrier , published by Rollin fits , though allusion is made to the " Dutch edition and the Dutch editor , " no date is given , though the editor talks of the work having been began twenty years before , as well as a reference to a letter

written by Jean f ' redenc Bernard , in 173 S , in which ho accuses the new editors of copying and suppressing , and which fact the Abbe Banier , " though he defends his own proceedure , practically admits . The point interesting to us is , that in this edition , vol . iii ., p . 2 S 6 , appears a famous picture , representing the inside of a lodge room , with groups of brethren clothed as Masons ,

and one with a collar ; a list of lodges , with apoitraitof Sir Richard Steele and his name , and Lord Weymouth ' s arms . There is no difficulty as regards the 1741 edition ; but the point is if the first edition was published in 1733 or 1723 , how could the arms of a Grand Master in 1735 appear ? As regards Gough , the third volume may not have appeared until 1735 , but how about the original Dutch edition ?

The writer of the 1741 , _ Paris edition , the' Abbe Mascrier says , I translate his words from the French : " Lastly , we have considered ourselves able to enter into some details as regards the subject of the Freemasons , and wc have formed a chapter expressly about that which this famous " coterie " established about fifty years since in England . We have composed it from various particulars contained in the " notes " of the first edition and

in the " supplement and additions " inserted at the end , as well as from some manuscript statements which have been suitable for this occasion , & c , & c . " Then the question immediately arises , when did this plate first appear , or when , in fact , was the first Dutch edition published ? If after 1735 , the difficulty vanishes : if before , it remains . Perhaps some brother student will look into this point , and collate and report in this column . MASONIC STUDENT .

SIR RICHARD STEELE . Can any light be thrown on the Masonic position , or connection of Sir Richard Steele or the above list ? In his cap he seems to wear some kind of jewel . Let me call Bro . Gould ' s attention to two points in the lists . He will note at Nos . 116 , 117 , and 120 the words " Master's Lodge . " Can the

minutes of these lodges be found ? He will also note that No . 115 , or the Devil ' s Tavern , the lodge is called "Scott ' s Masons Lodge . " Does not that explain the usage " Scot ' s Masons , " often found in minutes ? Are not the figures portraits of real personages ? I may add that while the picture in the third volume is at page 236 the essay is found at page 334 , and until 344 , and theessavon thc Rosicrucians later . MASONIC STUDENT .

QUEEN'S MASTER MASONS . The following , taken from a recently published work" An account of the ancient town of Frodsham , in Cheshire , by William Beamont Esq . "—may be interesting to some of your readers ( P . 11 S . ) 14 November , 43 Eliz . [ 1601 ] . — "The Queen granted to Henry Fletcher the office of master carpenter of all her works in the county of Chester ,

with thc usual wages and fees . " —[ Frodsham Church Books ] . All work at the castle would be done under the oversight of the -Bailiff , Sir John Savage . ( P . 119 ) 9 November , 44 Eliz . [ 1 G 02 ] . "The Queen granted to John Nicholson the office of master mason of all her buildings and works in Cheshire and Flintshire , with the fees and wages tothesamcbclonging . " —[ Frodsliam Church Books . ] W . H . R .

SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN . On looking over the Latin biography of Sir Christopher , and which is , Elmes tells us , amongst the Lansdownc MSS ., though he gives no reference , and which he publishes at page 414 , apparently partly written b y Sir Christopher Wren and partly by his son , there is no mention of his admission into Freemasonry . But I would

suggest that the Latin MS . be again carefully studied , as you never are sure , such is the inaccuracy of translators and collators , that you have the very words of the MS . In the list of the works of Sir Christopher Wren , at page 420 , I note that he was in and about London in 1663 , in 166 G , in 16 S 5 , and in 1691 , all dates of Masonic importance . I also see that Elmes declares he built Masons' Hall , "

formerly used by the Grand Lodge of Freemasons . " Can proof be given of this ? I will add that Elmes's work is under the fatal effect of great incohcrency of detail and want of proper method and order , and , above all , has no index . I note that Miss Phillimore has recently written a life of Sir Christopher Wren . Can any brother tell me what are the passages in it which relate to Sir Christopher Wren as a Freemason ? A MEMBER OF NO . 2 .

Verses.

VERSES .

[ The following translation of the pretty French verses , " Les Lilas , " alluded to in last Freemason , has been kindly sent to us , with the approval of Bro . Dr . Brette , by a young "Grecian" of Christ ' s Hospital , Mr . H . E . O . Edwards . They reflect great credit upon thc translator and versifier , and we are pleased to publish them in the Freemason , according to our promise . —ED . F . M . ] LILAC .

" Why , flower of Spring , why die when barely blown ? The rose and lily are thy sisters own , God destined thee amongst us now to bloom , Why lose thy splendour and thy sweet perfume ? " Thou ' rt born , giv'st joy awhile , and then dost pass , Leaving thc garden lone , thc thickets bare ; The butterfly in vain asks thee from space—In vain the sad eye seeks thee in thc air .

" But all on earth fulfil this destiny , And many a thing is born to fade and die ; Beauty , Youth , Love , incur a common doom : O fleeting charms , that yield our Sfcls delight , What life is ours without your radiance bri ght ? - — Fruit without savour , flower without perfume . "

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