Probable Date Of The Second Charter Granted By The Scottish Craft To Sir William St. Clair.

Measounes and Vrichtis off Ayre and George Liddell deacan of quarimen and nov quartermaster . " NOAV , on consulting the minute book of the Ayr Squaremen Incorporation , I find that Hew Douok Avas the Deacon during the year

ending October 13 th , 1628 , his immediate predecessor in office being George Liddell , and John Massoune his immediate successor . The fact I have stated would not of itself furnish proof that the charter was executed within

the period above indicated , as Hew Douok was Deacon of the Incorporation at various times , Liddell holding the office of " Visitor " under the Deaconship of Douok during the years ending-October , 1615 , 1616 , 1621 , and 1624 ; but when

taken in conjunction Avith the collateral evidence gathered from other sources , the circumstance I have mentioned seems to establish Avith tolerable

certainty that the charter v ? as signed betAveen October 16 th , 1627 , aud October 13 th , 1628 . George Liddell's designating himself " Deacan of Squali-men * and IIOAV Quarter-Master , " may be accounted for in this Avay : — " At several times

prior to 1628 , Liddell had been Deacon of the Squaremen , and according to use and wont Avould ever afterwards enjoy the title as one of courtesy . At the period of Avhich I speak , there Avas no such office as Quarter-Master of the Incorporation

of Squaremen . The records of Mother Kibvinning , hoAvever , Avhich , it may be remembered , date only from 1642 , furnish evidence of the office of Quarter-Master for the District of Kyle being , up till the end of the seventeenth century , almost

invariably held by a Freeman of the Craft in Ayr ; and as , on the other hand , the names of many such Quarter-Masters appear in the sederunts of meetings of the Squaremen Incorporation , it may reasonably be concluded that Deacon Liddell Avas

in 1628 a member also of Mother Kilwinning , and one of its Quarter-Masters . Hence , then , the prefix and appendage to Bro . Liddell's name , as borne on the charter under notice .

It may be mentioned that " visitors of Squaremen Avore in olden times charged Avith the performance of duties someAvhat akin to those devolving upon the Quarter-Masters of the Lodge of

Probable Date Of The Second Charter Granted By The Scottish Craft To Sir William St. Clair.

Kilwinning , viz ., uplifting dues , reporting "transgressours against the Actis and Statutis of the heid Masoun Court , " and othei-Avise exercising delegated authority in their respective districts . Hew Douok was a wright , " entert and

ressaA'it" in 1609 a Freeman of the Craft , by Deacon George Liddell , seaffwright , whose reception as " Brother and Fallow of Craft" took place in 1596 . John Massoune was a leading member of

Mother Kibvinning , and his signature appears in the records of that lodge , under date December 20 th , 1642 , as submitting "himseliffto the Ludg ancl to the Actis and Stattutis thairof ; " he Avas also present at a Mason Court held at Ayr by the

Lodge of Kilwinning , January Sth , 1647 , and was one of six commissioners appointed to inquire into a case of insubordination on the part of certain brethren in Mauchline . From certain clomatick Masons , members of the

Ayr Squaremen Incorporation , spruug the Squaremen Ayr Kilwinning Lodge ( now Ayr Kihvinning , No . 124 ) , chartered by Mother Kibvinning in 17 G 5 , aud confirmed by Grand Lodge in 1771 .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

VOLTAIRE ' S INITIATION . In looking over my Masonic collections I have unexpectedly come upou a slip of paper Avhich enables me to answer the question of " 0 . D . " , as to Voltaire's initiation . The slip of paper contains the following Avords : — . . . Tandis qn' Helvetius fondait la

loge celebre ' les Neuf Scours , ' qui out l'honneur cle donner I'mifciation a Voltaire . " On the hack of the slip of paper is a memorandum that the words are taken from the Monde Maeonnique for October , I 860 , No . 0 , page 3 o- ' 3 . Chance threw this number of the Monde Maeonnique in my Avay , and it is no longer

in my possession . —CHARLES PURTON COOPEE . THE RELIGION Or SOCEATES AND THE EEIIGION OF FREEMASONRY AS A UNIVERSAL INSTITUTION . My answer to the letter signed "A Masonic Inquirer " is as follows : — " The Religion of Socrates Avas A atural Reliion . The Reliion of Preemasonry

g g as a Universal Institution is NaturalReligion . ( Seeuiy communication , "Nature ' s Religion—Preemasonry , " page 130 of the present volume . It folloAvs that the Religion of Socrates aud the Religion of Preemasonry as a Universal Institution are one and the same . — CHARLES PURTON COOPER .

TRUE EREBATASONRY AND PURE CHRISTIANITY . Good Brother .... My words were , "That true Freemasonry is pure Christianity ' s not unworthy handmaid . "— CHARLES . PUETON COOPEE . ADVICE . Brother .... You avow yourself a Theist .