Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

CEREMONY OF LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE AT BUSHEY . To the Editor ot the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother ,

I shall be glad if you will make known to your readers that the Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boysentrusted with the arrangements on the occasion of the visit of H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught on Saturday , 12 th May , have extended the time fixed for making application for tickets for the ceremony to the 2 ist instant .

The Committee have made this extension with a view of meeting the wishes of brethren who , not being subscribers to the Institution , have only just heard of the arrangements for the day . The price of tickets , including railway fare London to Bushey and back , seat to view the ceremony , and luncheon with light wines , is one guinea , and tickets may be had on application to me .

The full band ot the Royal Artillery has been engaged for the day . —Believe me , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , ' J . M . McLEOD . 6 , Freemasons' Hall , April nth .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

1124 ] AN OLD PAMPHLET . A curious pamphlet was printed and published at Plymouth-Dock ( since named Devonport ) late last century , which is very rare , and is not to be found in local or general Bibliographical Works . The following is the elaborate title ( 8 vo pp . 16 ) :

"The Holy or Sacred Masonic Service , . & C . J FOR ST . J ' ( The Evangelist of Masonry , 5787 ; of Christ , 17 S 7 ) . Bv EDWARD SPRY , M ; A ;—Candidate of Divinity—Batchclor of Music—Doctor of Philosophy ; Laws ; and Medicine—of the Royal College of Physicians , London and

Edinburgh ; of Oxford , Cambridge , & c . R-. A : KNIGHT TKMI-LAR , and of the ORIENTAL STAR : & c ! & c . l & c .: ) And by him { God willing I ) performed At 6 A : N : in J ame . s ' s-Chape / ... ] ames ' s Street , Plymouth-Dock , Let us sing unto the Lord a new Song ! Plymouth-Dock : Printed and sold by E . HOXLAND , Printer , Bookseller and Stationer , No . 4 S , Fore-Street ; and sold by all Booksellers . PRICE ONE SHILLING . "

The copy before me , is the only one I have ever seen or heard of . It is not of any value or importance as a Masonic publication , but for the year 1787 , it is an early instance of Knight Templary . What the " Oriental Star" was I know not . W . J . HUGHAN .

M 2 5 ] THE SACKV 1 LLE MEDAL . My friend Bro . W . T . R . Marvin , in his valuable work on " Masonic Medals " ( Boston , U . S . A ., 1880 ) , speaks of the "Sackville Medal" of 1733 , as being " probably the oldest Masonic medal extant , " and rightly so . It was struck in silver , and is exceedingly rare . Dr . Merzdorf , in his work relating to Masonic medals ( 1853 ) declares that but one specimen is known , which was then in the

" Hammerstein Collection . " As doubts have been suggested as to its genuineness , the following brief article by the well known Masonic expert , Dr . W . Begemann , which was printed in the transactions of my lodge for 18 99 , will be read with interest and be a welcome confirmation of the bonajidc character of the celebrated piece . W . J . HUGHAN .

"ARS Q . C ., No . 2706 , 1899 . " , 1 his medal has sometimes been stated to be a forgery of a much later date than 1733 , but there is printed evidence that the medal was already known in 1738 . In that year appeared a German book , entitled " Griindliche Nachricht von den Frey-Maurcrn , nebst argehiingter historischen Schutz-Schrift . Franck - lurt am Mayn , In der Andrciiischen Buchhandlung , M . D . CCXXXVIII . " A stcoi-d edition followed in 1740 . On the title page the two sides of the Sack .

ville Medal are to be seen in print , and in the book itself , on pp . 137 , et seq ., we read the following account , which I give in English : — " From Florence we learn that Lord Charles Sackville , Duke ot Middlesex , a son of the Duke of Dorset , has founded a Lodge and Society of Freemasons , and that a medal has been struck there . On the obverse is his bust in the Roman fashion , with the inscription : CAROLUS SACKVILLE , MAGISTER FLORENTINE'S . On the reverse we have Harpocrates , the Heathen God of Silence , as a nude male

Masonic Notes And Queries.

figure with a flower on his head , one finger of the right hand laid on his lip , and in his left hand a horn of plenty , filled with flowers and fruit . On one side of him are all sorts of masons' working tools , and on the other side , the chest of mystery and the snake . " Looking to the reproduction of the medal we find that the word " Florentinus " is abbreviated , being represented only . by the letters " FL . " Under the bust appears in small letters " L . Natter 1733 . " The obverse shows the legend

"AB ORIGINE , " and under the platform whereon Harpocrates stands , we see , once more in small letters , " L . Natter , | F . Florent : " ( in two lines , i . e ., L . Natter Fecit Florentinus . Harpocrates leans his left arm on a pillar , to his right are a perfect ashlar , mallet , compasses , square and level . The objects on his left side are not easily made out : there is something like a basket with a pickhammer leaning against it , something like a ladder leans against the pillar , and

something like a thyrsus lies across the basket ; but there is nothing to be discovered of a snake or the like , only a knot of ribbon on the staff . Now , inasmuch as the St . James' Evening Post , in 1738 , also states that there were lodges in Florence at that time , which had been interdicted some years previously (•» , Mas . Mag . iv ., p . 421 ) , we are forced to concede that Sackville was Master of a lodge at Florence in 1733 , and that the medal is not a forgery of a more recent date . W . BEGEMANN , Dr . Ph .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

1 he monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall , when the President ( Bro . J . H . Mathews ) , the Senior Vice-President ( Bro . D . D . Mercer ) , and the Junior Vice-President ( Bro . Henry Garrod ) occupied their respective chairs . The Assistant Grand Secretary ( Bro . William Lake ) , Bros . William Dodd and G . S . Recknell , and the Grand Tyler ( Bro . Henry Sadler ) represented the Grand Secretary ' s Department .

The other brethren present were Bros . E . W . Nightingale , W . M . Bywater , R . W . Ker , Charles J . R . Tijou , W . Kipps , F . W . Hancock , James Block , S . H . Goldschmidt , Henry A . Tobias , Charles Henry Stone , Thomas Jones , John Ellinger , George Graveley , W . H . Caton , H . Massey , Henry Smith Syer , fames W . Luff , lames Wheatley ,,

Henry Jacobs , J . W . Burgess , Jam ^ s J . Mackay , ( St . John , George R . Langley , Mihill Slaughter , Edwin Gamman , A . B . Butt , John Nixon , J . R . Johnson W . B . Cossham , C . M . Molney , R . W . Forge , J . W . ReddelK George Simonds , G . H . W . Grace , George Herbert Burns , R . W . Foskett , George Shawcroft , W . Stephens , T . B . Homewood , A . G . Duck , H . Hayward Gandy , S . G . Bonner , and Walter Smith .

The brethren first confirmed recommendations made at the March meeting for the Grand Master to approve of grants to the amount ol £ i & 5 . The new list contained the names of 34 petitioners who hailed from lodges in the Metropolitan district and at Pontypool , Milford Haven , Brixham , Durham , Norwich , Hyde , Croydon , Hull , Plymouth , Gloucester , Tywrardreath , Karachi , Hong Kong , Ilkeston , Wymondham , Liverpool ,

Twickenham , Hampton Court , and Tiverton . Eight of these were dismissed , and one was deferred . The remainder were voted a total of ^ 785 . Two were recommended for the approval of Grand Lodge for £ j $ each , and two for £ 50 each . The Grand Master ' s approval was asked to six cases being relieved with ^ 40 each , five with , £ 30 each , and one with £ 25 . Four petitioners were awarded , £ 20 each , three £ 10 each , and one , £ 5 . The Board sat nearly two hours and a hall .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Harrogate and Claro Lodge , No . 1001 . There was a large gathering at the above lodge on Tuesday , the 10 th inst ., the occasion being the installation of Bro . George Musgrove as W . M . The visitors present included Bros . W . H . Cockerlyne , P . P . G . O . ; Z . Wright , P . M . ; W . B . Smith , J . Sidney Jones , P . M . ; J . Dyson , P . P . G . D . C . ; and others . The W . M . was installed by Bro . W . Davey , and Bro . G . Musgrove invested his officers as follows : Bros . A . I . SninlK . I . P . M I . Cmft S . W . 1 W M „ . i „_

J . W . ; J . W . Holt , Chap . ; G . Thompson , P . M ., P . P . G . P ., Treas . ; C . Walker , Sec . j A . Harrison , S . D . ; T . Blackburn , J . D . ; E . F . F . G . Kellner , D . C . ; I . H . Marlow , Org . ; H . Ainsworth , I . G . ; J .. H . Nottage , W . Tidd , and A . W . Cobb , Stwds . j and H . A . Holmes , T y ler . The banquet was held at the N . E . Station Hotel , Bro . George Musgrove , W . M ., presiding . The following toast list was submitted : " Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen . " proposed by the W . M .: " H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M . of England "

proposed by the W . M . ; " Bro . the Right Hon . W . Lawies Jackson , Prov . G . Master , Bro . R . Wilson , P . G . D ., Dep . G . Master , and the rest of the Prov . G . Officers , Present and Past , '" proposed by the W . M ,, and responded to by Bros . J . Dyson , J . Richardson , and W . Davidson ; "The W . M . ot the Harrogate and Cltro Lodge , NO . IOOI , " proposed by Bro . A . I . Spinks , I . P . M ., and responded to by the W . M . j " The Visiting Brethren , " proposed by Bro . T . Lawrence , and responded to by Bros . W . Davidson , F . H . Ingle , W . M . 2695 , Z . Wright , and W . Petty , 2695 ; ' The lns . allin ; r Master , ' proposed bv

Bro . A . 1 . Spinks , and responded to by Bro . W . Davey ; " The I . P . M ., Bro . A . I . Spinks , " proposed by Bro . Linskill , and responded to by Brj . A . I . Spinks , I . P . M . ; " The Past Masters of the Harrogate and Claro Lodge , N : > . 1001 , " proposed by the W . M ., and responded to by Bro . Davey ; " The O ficers . of the Harrogite and Claro Lodge , No . 1001 , " proposed by the W . M ., and responded to by Bro 3 . Crjft , S . W ., and Norton , J . W . ; "The Masonic Charities , " proposed by Bro . Thompsan , andrespndei l-n U . i Rm W 1-1 Turn .. * * nA IKA T ., 1 ap ' e hn ... ib bi

LU wj .. w * ... ... -u . a . w . , » .. u . w ...... a , vaa ,. There was a heavy programme of music , & c . Songs , duetts , q urtjttes , vijlm solos , recitations , and bone solos being rendered by the following brethren : Bros . Cockerlyne , Swan , J . W . Holt , E . Cooper , G . Buckley , J . Dryden , A . Hjlmes . Gonrizzi King , J . W . Norton , J . H . Marlow , and W . lidd . The talented young organist , Master W . Musgrove , second son of the W . M ., accompanied in a most artistic manner .

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