Masonic Notes And Queries.

Grand Lodge of Boston called all the Masons of the Republic to the ' celebration of a grand National fete . Over five thousand brothers responded to this appeal . A procession was formed which went spontaneously to General Lafayette ' s home , whose presence in Boston they desired to celebrate in a worthy manner . " The brothers took him in their midst and conducted him in triumph , at the sound of all the church bells and the firing of the

canons , through a million of citizens , from the most distant parts of the union assembled here in order to see him once more ; here where fifty years before , he exposed his life for the defence of the rights and liberties of America . They laid the corner-stone of a monument destined to perpetuate the memory of the victories on Bunker's Hill . The G . M . poured the wine , oil , and corn upon the stowe , v .-liile -A tuvfrater consecrated it under tbe auspicious blessings of heaven . Thence the procession went to a vast amphitheatre

constructed upon the hill ; and then the orator of the Grand Lodge addressed the innumerable aclience , recalling to their minds in an eloquent discourse the iniquities and the misfortunes which their fathers had to suffer under the tyranny of England , and the benefits of a liberty which was clue to them for their generous devotion and the disinterested help of many noble foreigners . At these words immense applauses arose from the audience , and Lafayette ivas saluted with the name of the father of the country . " This was a delightful day for this illustrious veteran , who shed tears of joy in receiving thus the grateful thanks of a great nation . "

PEEEMASONEY IN " NOTES AND QUERIES . " Of late there have been several communications to your little contemporary Notes and Queries which I think should be trausfered to that department in the FEEEMASONS ' . MAGAZINE , they are as follows : — A Freemason ' s Will . I have in my possession a copy of a willdated 1641 in

, , which the testator describes himself as a Freemason ; and also bequeaths a certain sum to a relative , whom he distinguishes by the same title . Was this ever a common practice ? I should be glad to hear of an example of it at an earlier date . —H . FISHAVICK .

Knights Kospitallevs . What was the name of the founder of this order of knighthood ? Some account of him may be of general interest . — M . A . P . —[ The origin of this remarkable institution , which rose to celebrity by martial achievement , may be traced to purposes of pious and practical benevolence . Hugh Clark , in his History of Knighthood , ii ., p . 57 , informs us , that

"when the Holy Land began to grow famous by the expeditions of Christian Princes , this order of Hospitallers had its beginning , or rather restoration , by Girardus ; for the original is attributed to Johannes Hircanus Machabeus , or , John , Patriarch of Alexandria , who , for his liberality to the poor , was surnamed Eleemosynarius . " Long before the era of the Crusaders , some Italian merchants purchased

a licence from the Mussulman rulers of Jerusalem to found in that city an hospital , together with a chapel , which they dedicated to St . John the Eleemosynary , for the relief and wayfaring entertainment of sick and poor pilgrims . An interesting account of John , Patriarch of Alexandria , is given by Alban Butler , in his Lives of Saints , under the elate of January 28 rd . ]

Old Stones . Is there any explanation publishedof the symbols recurring in almost all the sculptural stones on the north-east of Scotland ? They are a lunette through which is drawn an acute angular figure ; a mirror ; a comb ; a figure like a pair of spectacles , with a reversed Z through the centre . — L . M . M . R . T . G . A . O . T . U .

The use of the word Freemason , in its original and genuine meaning , is a relic of the old trades , unions , or guilds of Masons . Cawdray uses it in his Trcasurie of SimiMes , London , 1609 -. — " As the Freemason heweth the hard stones , even so God , the heavenly Freemason , buildeth the christau church ( page 342 . )—EIEIONXACH . A Freemason ' s Contract .

Among the old jiapers of Richmond is a " Contract made with the Mason for the church steeple , " elated in July 1624 . It is signed by the churchwardens , and by " Henry Walton , Freemason for this work . " I may add that the name of "Walton" continued on the lodge here till Avithin the last few years , ancl that the portrait of the one recently deceased

Masonic Notes And Queries.

still adorns the lodge-room at the Greyhound in this town . —W . C , Richmond . There are one or two queries that arise to me out of the above which , with your permission , I would put in this place . Does anyone knoAV H . Fiswick ; if so , could he be prevailed upon to let you print the will alluded to in your columns ? Are the marks spoken of Masons' marks , having any

Masonic symbolism ? The use of the word Freemason as applied to the Deity is very opposite to a correspondence in which Mr . Mainwaring , M . P ., professed himself much scandalised , and which you printed . The " Greyhound in this town" is presumed to mean Richmond , Yorkshire . Will some brother of that province tell us something of the history ofthe lodge held there , and ofthe family of Walton?—A ,

Notes On Literature Science And Art.

NOTES ON LITERATURE SCIENCE AND ART .

Dr . Immanuel Schmidt has published , at Berlin , a clever treatise on Milton's Comns , a cheap Englisg translation of which we hope will be published before long in this country . Some of onr critics have thought that the plot of Comus was derived from the Old Wives' Tale , a play by George Peele , published in 1595 ; but Dr .. Schmidt has showed that it owes more to a book entitled Fryci

Puteani Comus , sive Phagesiposia Cimmeria Somnium , written by Erycius Puteanus , Professor of Eloquence and Classical Literature at the University of Louvain , —a Latin work first published at Louvain in 1606 , and reprinted at Oxford in 1634 , the very year in which Milton's masque of Comus was performed before the Earl of Bridgewater , at Ludlow Castle .

A public subscription has been commenced for erecting a memorial in tha Shire Hall , Tacnrton , to one of England ' s greatest worthies John Locke , who was a native of Somersetshire . AVe trust that the committee will be enabled to erect a monument to the philosopher of which , as a work of art , they will have no reason tobe ashamed .

Lord Dumferline has ready for publication a memoir of his father , the late Lieut . Gen . Sir Ralph Abercromby , K . B . During the visit of the allied sovereigns to England , the Emperor Alexander of Russia attempted to obtain a private interview with the Princess Charlotte in order to induce her to favour the addresses

of the Prince of Orange . Miss Knight , in her recently issued . Autobiography , thus describes the scene : — " To this 1 respectfully objected , and requested I might be allowed to join Princess-Charlotte . This she at first refused , ancl said she was very safewith the Emperor ; but I said it was the Regent's order that shft should not be left without the Duchess of Leeds or myself , even , when her own uncles visited her . She then unwillingly let me go ,.

and I had some difficulty in geting past the Russian servants , who stood at the door of the room , where I found the Princess Charlotte with the Emperor . She seemed agitated , and he was persuading her to see the Prince Orange , who ivas in the liov . se;—I should rather say endeavouring to persuade her , for she had no inclination to give way . A newspaper lay on the table , He went up to it , and pointing to the name of Mr . Whitbvead , he said she was givingup an excellent marriageone essential to the interests of her

, country , and all to be praised by ' a Mr . AA'hitbread . ' As he addressed this speech to me , I answered that his Majesty was much mistaken if he supposed that gentleman or any other had influenced Princess Charlotte's conduct ^ ' Really ? ' he replied . I repeated the assertion , which Princess Charlotte ' herself confirmed , and the Emperor then asked me to parsuade her Royal Highness to see the Prince of Orange , and renew the acquaintance . I answered that I had no right to interfere , and that a matter of such importance and

delicacy could only be decided by her Royal Highness herself and the Regent . The Emperor , finding at last that he could gain nothing , took his leave on the entrance of his sister , and said he must join the Duke of Gloucester and the Prince of Orange . She did not renew her solicitations , but took au affectionate leave of Princess Charlotte , and kissed me . " The indefatigable Joseph Mazzini is said to be engaged in writing Memoirs of his own life and Times ; and Signor Daeli , of Milan , is collecting Mazzini's literary and political works for publication in