Masonic Missions.

ancl it will require great exertions on the part of Bro . Lord Lei gh to bring it to a state of efficiency . With regard to former records of tho province of Warwickshire , we may observe , that in a late number of the " Notes and Queries , " it was stated that in 1794 a Prov . Grand Loch ' -e was held , that Bro . James Timmins was D . Prov . G . M . ;

Bro . B . S . Heaton , S . G . W . ; Bro . C . Downs , J . G . W . ; Bro . Parker , G . Treasurer ; and Bro . James Sketchley , G . Secretary . In 1793 , Bro . James Bisset was Prov . G . Secretary of Warwick , ancl Steward of St . Alban ' s Lodge , Birmingham , He wrote a song , " A Mason ' s life is the life for me . " The Apollo Lodge at Alcester was consecrated on 31 st

July , 1794 . In 1794 , Bro . Toy was Principal of the Royal Arch Chapter of Fortitude , No . 51 , at Birmingham , showing the antiquity of the Royal Arch practice there . Of the old Lodge of St . John ' s , No . 492 , at Henley-in-Arden , Bro . Samuel Porter was a Past Master in the last

century , and author of Masonic songs . This Lodge is now extinct . On the 4 th June , 1793 , the Shakspeare Lodge , No . 516 , was consecrated at Sfcratford-on-Avon . In the same month of 1859 , sixty-six years after , we chronicle the consecration of a new Loclge . Bro . Samuel Porter was first Worshipful Master , and wrote a song ; Bro . James Bisset wrote another , worth very little ; Bro . James Timmins , the D . Prov . G . M . of Warwickshire , delivered an address .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

CEYIOX LODGES , THE Grand Orient of the Netherlands have been more careful ofthe propagation ofthe light of Masonry abroad than tlie Grand Loclge of England . It will be seen how hi 1771 the Grand Orient founded one Loclge in Cejdon , and in the next year another ; and they had at least four Lodges in Ceylon in the last century . Such is the Masonic zeal of onv worthNetherlands brethren and

y kinsmen . What has been tlie conduct of tlie Grancl Lodge of England ? We arc ashamed to say that the Grand Lodge of England has not one Lodge in a seaport of Ceylon ; ancl lias only one Lodge in the whole of that great island ( ofthe dimensions of Ireland ) ancl with a large population . That Lodge ivas founded in 1838 , years after the conquest , and is called the St . John ' s Lodge of Colombo , at Kancly , No . Gfin .

For a miracle , there is no Prov . Grand Master . We do not , see why there should not . he , and a Prov . Grand Loclge too , although there might he no private Lodge . [ The rule ' of the GrandJNtaster is , not to appoint Prov . G . Ms , without there are three Lodges to rule over , lint if there were something in the nature of missionary Prov . G . Ms , like missionary bishops , as in the last century , much good ivould he done . Wc are glad we have a Colonial Board , for we can recommend the above facts to their notice , ]

eiuciiiMTKR LODGE ( Vol . v ., p . 1120 ) . In tlie Magazine ofthe 15 th inst ., under the head of "Masonic Notes and Queries , " there appears a statement that the Chichester Lodge of Union , No . 4 o , is the oldest in the county of Sussex , dating from 17 / 51 , and that you consider it entitled to an earlier date from the fact that a Duke of Richmond ivas W . M . of it in 1697 . That this Lodge has been in existence since 17 : 11 , I believe

there cannot be a doubt , but the Grand Lodge having ignored our application to adopt a centenary jewel , on the grounds of our not being able to show a continuous working during the past one hundred years ; therefore , with reference ( o the statement before alluded In , " 1 shall feel much obliged if you will kindly furnish any information which may assist the Loclge in establishing its claim to that which it conceives to be a right . — -SKO . No . 4 " i . [ We cannot give our brother any further information than the fact recorded in the common Masonic histories , but we have no doubt that No . 45 is the Lodge dating from 1097 . ]

MASOXIC ANTIQUITIES ( Vol . v ., pp . 701 , 801 ) . Onr correspondent "IL E . X . " has furnished us with the page of MS . from which lie was led to state that Freemasonry was proscribed in 1461 , and also in 1561 . This MS . is of no value

in reference to that statement , but it is one of considerable interest . It consists of pages 87 ancl 88 of a Lodge minute book or rough minute book of the year 1742 , as the paper and writing show . There are other pages in the possession of the widow of an uninitiated lewis . There cannot be much doubt that it is one of the numerous records ivhich have wandered from their proper custody , and Bro . " B . E . X ., ^ ivill clo great service in reclaiming it .

Were the hall plan carried out , and an effective library ancl museum formed , many of these documents would be recovered and their safe keeping provided for . Onr brother says , "You wished to see the IUS . alluded to at p . 791 , Free-masons' Magazine ; I now send it , but hopjed to have obtained a few more ofthe pages which are I believe in existence , in the possession of the widow of an uninitiated lewis . It appears

I was incorrect in assuming that Masonic institutions were proscribed in 1425 and 15 G 1 . Bro . Hadley ( p . 891 ) is entitled to my best thanks for his elucidation of the contents of the MSS . — R . E . X "

ihe minute appears to be kept by Richard Lechmere , whom wc presume to have been tbe Secretary . It states that "At a lull meeting of the Lodge held-at the hostelry on the Monday , being the third clay of the month of May , in tlie year 1742 , and in the fifteenth year ofthe present reign" [ of George 2 nd ] , " a question was raised b y Bro . Stainforth , whether Freemasonry ivas illegal on the ground of the alleged statute of 1425 , & c . It was referred

to Bro . Staniforth , Bro . Eldridge , and the Wardens to enquire into the Law . Nathaniel Sparks was ordered to be paid 8 s . 2 c ? ., as per bill , and . 1 . ? . 4 < 7 . for repairs to the Lodge lighting ; ancl Richard Wood , 28 s . 2 d . for food for the brethren . " It is desirable to ascertain what Loclge this was , by means of tbe names of Lechmere , Staniforth , and Edrige . We believe these are Shropshire or Staffordshire names . Richard Wood is

evidently the name ofthe keeper ofthe tavern where they met in 17-12 . The clay of meeting was the first Monday . The names are not southern names , but midland or northern . The funds in hand , after paying Sparks and Wood , were £ 35 18 s . 2 c / ., so that the Loclge must have been in good condition .

rooi . E LODCE . Lodge of Amity , No . 1 . 60 , Poole . Warrant granted 1 st April , 1765 . Signed John Salter , D . G . M . Chapter of Amity . Warrant signed 26 th June , 5784 . Thomas Dunkerly , Grand Superintendent for the AVest of England . In a late number ofthe Magazine , you will find , among other Lodges , there has been no return from the Sherborne Loclge for several years , and the Loclge at

Blandford has not met for many years . —P . M ., No . 160 . 1 SIDEFORD LODGE . Some years since I purchased an old copy of the Constitutions , hy Dr . Anderson—a quarto edition , revised by John Entick , JI / ..-1 ., and published 17 . iC . On the fly leaf , written in a bole hand , are these words— - "This book belongs to the Faithful

Lodge , No . 409 , at Bideford , Devon . "—J . 11 . STi-uir . ixa , P . M . lUDEFOni ) LODGE ( Vol . V ., p . 022 ) . There is a memoir of Bro . James Wat-kins , LL . D ., in the Freemasons' Magazine for 1704 , p . 167 . He was an author of some reputation in his day . Bro . Watkins was the founder of the Bideford Lodge , and it most likel y dwindled after his death . lie was engaged in researches in Masonic history , but lam unaware whether his MSS , ivere completed or published . HVDE CLAUKE ,

LODGE AT 1 SIDDEF 011 D , DEVONSHIRE . —( Vol . V . p . 922 . ) A volume of miscellaneous Masonic MSS ., in the writer's possession , contains a copy of the charge delivered b y "John Watl-ins , LL . D ., ancl li . W ' . M ., " on the anniversary of St . John the Evangelist , 1702 , referred to in a former number of tho I ' ri'eiuaxmi . i' Magazine , from which it appears that the old Lodge in that town was named "The Faithful Lodge . " mid that its

number on the register was 490 . The same volume contains , among other contemporary MSS ., a cop ) ' of " The Prayer of Consecration performed at constituting the ' Eaithfnl Lodge * , No . 409 , at Biddeibrd , Devonshire , 23 rdMay , A . / ,., 5792 , "—W . ir . KELLY , D . Prov . G . M ., Leicestershire . 11-KAROX-S roil SILENCE . —Some one asked Fontaine , the celebrated geometrician what he did in society , since he generally remained almost perfectly silent . "I . study , " replied he , "the vanity pf men , iu order to mortify it occasionally . "