Art And Manufacture.

individuality of workmanship is far stronger than it can possibly be in any work of Gothic character . One thing must not be altogether passed over , and that is the possibility of adding nobility to almost any article of artistic manufacture by employing design in the use of it . For this purpose the articles themselves usually require to be simple , or they will not lend themselves

Avell to the duty required of them ; employed by an artist , tho most simple coloured tiles , arranged in a good . pattern , ivill surpass in merit the most elaborate manufactured pavement ; the plainest glass quarries , well used , will outshine the most brilliant embossed Avindow ; aud the simplest geometrical mosaic will give more real pleasure , and show more true art , than the most elaborate

piece of machine carving untouched by the chisel of the workman . For these purposes art-manufactures are good , but as a substitute for real original art they are bad ; and plentiful , cheap , and specious as thoy are , it will require all our Avatchfulncss , especially in this age of haste aud inattention , to prevent their being adopted for uses Avhich they cannot properly subserve , and exalted to positions ivhieh ought either to be occupied by something better , or honestly left vacant . —Building Navs .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

BROILED BABY . A former querist asks from lvhence is the story of Freemasons supping oft' broiled baby derived F In professor Eobison ' s Proofs of a Conspiracy , 4 th edition , 1798 , note m ., page 584 , is the following , which I take to have been the origin ofthe report : — "In two or three

places of the Eeligions Begebenheiten , I met ivith an account of some strange practices in which human blood , fresh drawn , is made much use of . A German nobleman passed a year in Paris , in order to attend these researches in one of the lodges of the Amis llennis . Tho narrator , a German , and also tho editor , form many conjectures , about it , and of something that ivas connected with it

which they call the mystery of kominum factio—they somehoiv consider ifc as obscene and filthy , and reprobate ifc on this account . But it was something very serious , —¦ Infants , bought from the profligate canaille of Paris , had been sacrificed to these mysteries . The police got notice of these shocking practices , ancl were proceeding to take stricc cognisance of them ; but they were stopped by M .

Turgot , and the researches wont on under his protection . " I have no doubt afc all , in my own mind , that from this paragraph the broiled baby story was invented . Ifc is much to be desired that correspondents , generally , would not consider a query which has appeared some time , and remains unanswered , as old and out of date , bnt when they come upon any elucidation of such , they should send afc once , as I have done in this case . —Ex . Ex .

Arms HISTORY or MASOXRA " . Several catalogues of Masonic books mention Auld ' s History of Masonry , Avhich passed into a third edition and was printed at Edinburgh in 1772 . Where is a copy to be seen . —Ex . Ex .

READ 1 XG TUB 3 IABK . S . From tho very excellent series of Masons' Marks appearing in the FREEMASOXS MAGA / AXE I cannot but suppose there was a meaning attached to them and I am fortified in this opinion by the following in Lawrie ' s History of Freemasonry , page -112 , ivhere ifc is stated : — " The points of the several forms [ of Masons Marks ] were also used to indicate a kind of secret language , regulated by certain rules , Avhereby instruction ivas imparted in a popular manner , and is known amongst Masons as

Masonic Notes And Queries.

' JReaomg the Marks , of Avhich the following is an illustration : —How many points has your mark got ? Three points . To what do they allude ? To the three points of an equilateral triangle . Please demonstrate it as an operative Mason ? A point has position , without length , breadth , or thickness . —a line has length ivithout breadth or thickness , and terminates in two points ; and

three lines of equal length , placed afc equal angles to each other , form an equivalent triangle , —ivhieh is the primary figure in Geometry . Please to explain this figure as a speculative Mason ? The equilateral triangle represents the Trinity in Unity . Tho Great Architect of the Universe having no material form , exists , pervading all space ; the Creator of all thingsgovernor of all

, animate and inanimate nature , the Fountain of Wisdom : Avhose greatness , perfection and glory , is incomprehensible and whose loving-kindness and tender mercies are over all His Avorks . " Now , however correct these formulas may be , they in no way applj- to the method of deciphering Masons' Marks and it must be admitted that

the marks ivere placed on buildings for some purpose more than to point out each Craftsman ' s labour . But , if so , ivhat ivas the purpose ? Can an alphabet or dictionary of them be formed by AA'hich we can arrive at their meaning ? ' I ivell remember ivhen St . George ' s Eoman Catholic Cathedral , Southwark , ivas being built , in order to increase the funds , persons could have bricks with

their names , initials , monograms , or arms , built into the walls upon payment of a certain scale of fees and , supposing a case in point , if some few centuries should elapse and that structure be pulled down ivhat curious conjectures will be formed ivhen bricks marked with any of the before mentioned devices come to light ? I do not thi-OAV this hint out as analogous to Masons '

Marks , but I want a theory to explain why they are there , and what they indicate by being placed in such positions . The subject is one worthy of enquiry and I shall feel obliged to any of my brethren who ivill give me either authoritative data or conjectural information on the point . —A MASK MASOX .

TUB FHEHIASOXS MELODY . Who compiled a book of songs called the Freemasons ' Melody?—ft .. H . —[ The brethren of Prince . Edwin ' s Lodge ( No . 209 ) , Bury , Lancashire ; and in their preface they acknowledge the assistance of Bros . UtleA , No . 574 ; Foster , No . Ill ; Sharp , 644 ; Piatt , 042 ; and the Eev . Dr . Oliver , W . M . 554 , and Prov . G . Chaplain' for

Lincolnshire ] . PROFESSOR BUHLE . Where can I obtain a life of Professor Buhic , a German lvriter against Freemasonry ?—W . Cuims . —[ In Kloss , or any German Encyclopaedia . He ivas a AVOII known man , having been a professor of Philosophy at Gottingen ancl Brunsivick . Wc must decline cither inserting , or ansAvering your other query ] .

POPE PUIS IX . AXD PREEMASOX & Y . Out of an old piece of a newspaper desperately cut , torn , Avounded , stained , and illtreated I rescued the following .- —• " * * * should ever be grateful for the services rendered to the head of tho church . Pius IX . oives , under Providence , his life to a Freemason , ivho communicated to the Grand Lodge at Paris the intention

of a person to administer poison to him through his cook . If he Avill refer to tho columns of public journals some few years ago he Avill find a public acknowledgment of this service in frustrating the designs of the would-be assassin . " In ivhat public journals is this to be found ? Which of my brethren . Avill tell me anything about it ? If it is not a canard it Avill bo very useful to

me to obtain an authentic account of it , as I have long been in correspondence ivith a A ery dear old friend , a Romish priest , on the sins ( he says ) aud the virtues ( I say ) of Freemasonry . —Ex . Ex .