Masonic Notes And Queries.

brotherhood which they imply . The following is an extract of his journal on the occasion : —• "' June 23 rd , I 860 . In about half an hour , two other young . men approached the camp thinking they might be in want of water ancl afraid to come to it on account of the horses , I sent Ben with a tin-dishful , which they drank . They were very young men , ancl much frihtened and would not come near . About an hour after

g sundown , the first that came returned bringing with him three others . Two were powerful tall good-looking j'oung men , ancl as fine ones as I have yet seen ; they had a hat or helmet on their heads , which looked very neat , fitted close to the brow , rising straight up to a rounded peak , three or four inches above the head , ancl gradually becoming narrower towards the hack part ¦ the outside is network , the inside is composed of feathers , very tightly

bound with cord , until it is as hard as a piece of wood . It ma } ' be viewed as a protection against the sun , or armour for the battle field . One of them had a great many scars upon him , ancl seemed to be a leading man . Two only had helmets on the others had pieces of netting bound round their foreheads , one was an old man , ancl seemed to be the father of the two young men , he was very talkative , hut I could make nothing of him I endeavoured to obtain from him whore the next water was by signs and so on .

After talking some time , and ho talking to his sons , lie turned round and astonished me by giving me a Masonic sign . I looked at him steadily , lie repealed it , as did also his two sons . I relumed it , which seemed to please them much . The old man then patted me on the shoulder , stroked my head , and they ioolc their departure , making friendly signs until out of sight . "

SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL . Frederick II . the Great King of Prussia , was never connected with any of the so-called high degrees , and least of all with the Supreme Council , which was never introduced into Germany . Frederick II . took no part in the proceedings of Masonry after 1786 . Bro . Mitchell , in his history of Masonry , gives a declaration of the National

Grand Lodge of Prussia , ( 3 Globes ) from 1838 , where it is said , that the earnest German Mason can feel no sympathy with the ( apogryph and not Masonic ) higher degrees . The King had never worked in any other than the true Masonic degrees ; but he was well informed of the Doctrines of many of the then existing higher degrees and was therefore averse to the same . —Bro . J . G . FINDEL , editor ofthe Baiihutte .

1 'IELD-MARSHAL BLUCHEE . Field-Marshal Blucher von Wahlstadt was a brother Mason . In the lodge "Pax immica malis , " at Emmeriah he was a constant visitor in 1800 and 1801 at every lodge , and there have been introduced into the mysteries of our fraternity both ' . his sons Gkistav Friedvich andF . J . Bernhard . In 1814 the lodge " Archimedes , " at Attenburg , received him

as an honorary member . —Bro . J . G . FINDEL , Leipzig . MANCIIIN . What is a Manchin ?—Ex . Ex . —[ Manchin was an individual , as any brother of the 30 ° will tell you . ] ANCIENT CRAM DATE . A . L ., the year of light , is usually reckoned by adding 4000 years to ' the current year , so that 1860 would be 5860 , but the old Masons add 4004 . years , in which latter case ifc would bo 5864 . Which is right , and why ?— -H . H .

THE BLUE RIBBON OE THE ORDER . We all know the blue ribbon of the country is that of the Order of the Garter . The blue ribbon of the sporting world , the Derby prize . But , in this sense , what is the blue ribbon of Masonry , or , in other words , the most coveted and highest honour a Mason can receive from his brethren ?—P . A . —[ We think it to be their good opinion . Others may

differ from us , and if so , perhaps they will be good enough to state what they consider it . ] MASONRY AND THE TWELVE TRIBES . What particular parts do the twelve tribes of Israel play in the Royal Arch degree?—Sc . N— [ You ought to know , but we suspect are inquiring for what old Masons

you called the twelve points . If that is the case , ask Comp . William Watson . He can tell you . ] SOVEREIGN GRAND PRINCE HASSIDIM . A forei gn brother tells mo he is a Sovereign Grand Prince Hassidim ! AVhat does he mean?—0 . C .

MASONIC SCHOOLS IN AMERICA . Are there any Masonic Schools in America , similar ' to ours?—A . TRAVELLER . —[ The foundation of > one , the College of Missouri , is thus spoken of in an American journal . Perhaps some of our readers will communicate what they know of others : —

In the year 1841 , under the Grand Mastership and encouragement ofthe Hon . Priestly H . McDride , the idea of establishing a college for the education of the children of indigent Master Masons ancl their destitute orphans was introduced and discussed in the Grand Loclge . During tho month of Septeinber ,. lS-l-2 , tho Grand Master McBride ancl others contracted for the Marion College property , located in . Marion County , Missouri , then owned by the N . S . Presbyterians , embracing about 1350 acres of landincluding the college buildings ;

, ancl at the annual communication of the Grand Loclge iu October following , a resolution was adopted ratify ing tho contract made hy the Grand Master ancl others for said property , and appointecl a board of trustees to receive a , title to the same . The motives actuating the members of the Grand Lodge in undertaking that noble enterprise may be gathered from the followingextract , taken from a Report of a Committee of which Bro . S . AV . B ,

Curnegy acted as chairman : — " And your Committee respectfully submit that there is no object of benevolence on which charity may he bestowed with so much propriety , with such happy results , as the education of the poor . It is indeed a happy impulse of heart which induces the fortunate man to pour out his wealth in feeding the hungry , clothing the naked , and in providing for and comforting the destitute widow and her suffering * orphans ; vet to provide for the poor the needed

instruction in knowledge , religion , and virtue is still more commendable ; because their possessor is freed from falling into want . AVhen saw ye the righteous forsaken , or his children begging bread ? was the interrogatory of one inspired , and is equivalent to tho declaration that the righteous are never forsaken , ancl their children never bog bread . " ' . . . " To provide tho proper instruction , therefore , is not only to furnish the bread that perishcth ; but is somewhat to feed the

hungry with the bread of life ; if the former is benevolent ancl highly commendable , the latter is Godlike . " If then to provide the education of the poor is thus benevolent and divine , with much energy ancl zeal should we all engage in its prosecution . " The following resolution was adopted at tho same communication : — " llesolved—That the Institution of Learning ancl the premises

, aforesaid retained for the school , shall he for ever under the control ancl Government ofthe Grand Loclge of Missouri , provided , however , that no person ( females and servants employed in common labour , excepted ) , unless he be a Master Mason , shall be at any time chosen , elected , or in any way appointed to any office , place of trust , or employment in or about the said premises or Institution of Learning ; nor shall any mere sectarian doctrine or principle be ever taught , introduced , or acted upon in said Institution . "

BRO . HOW AND SIR THOMAS GRESHAM . Bro . How stated , at tho consecration of a lodge at AYaltham , that Sir Thomas Gresham , " in 1567 , was by consent of Queen Elizabeth , appointed the Grand Master of the southern part of England , the Duke of Bedford governing the northern at York . That ou the occasion ofthe opening of the Royal Exchange the Queen dined at Sir Thomas

Gresham ' s house , when ho appeared publicly as the Grand Master of the Order . " It would bo a matter of interest to many if Bro . How would stato where he found his data , for these assertions , and what he means by saying in ono sentence that Sir Thomas Gresham was appointed "Grand Master of the southern part of England , " and in the next adding "he appeared publicly as the Grand Master of the

Order . " Either he was Grand Master of the south of England , or nothing , by Bro . How ' s own showing . Grand Master of the Order he could not be if the Duke of Bedford was " governing the northern part at York . " Can Bro . How explain these inconsistencies ?—Iv . A . P .

THE THEATRE IN THE DAYS or GOOD QUEEN BESS . —The flag hoisted on the front of the theatres was only raised during the performance , ancl the price of admittance , as lato as 1614 , was only 1 * ., and at the inferior theatres as low as a Id . or ' 2 d . Some of the chief spectators , and especially the critics , sat on the stage , ancl paid from Gd . to l . s-. for their stools : they were attended by pages , who furnished them with pipes ai . cl tobacco . The theatre was strewn with rushes , and the curtain looped back , when the \ ilnj commenced . —Englishwoman ' s Domestic Magazine .