Archæology.

improvements . The chimney p iece from Nonsuch Palace , now erected at the priory , and thc caves having been afterwards inspected , about one hundred and twenty of the party assembled at the White Hart for a cold collation , at ivhich thc usual complimentary toasts were given . About six o'clock the members again assembled iu the Town Hall , where a museum of antiquities had been extemporizedembracing the Waterloo , collection of

, pontifical and other rings—various objects of local and antiquarian interest , collected by thc late Mr . Glover , now in the possession of Thomas Hart , Esq ., of Reigate—interesting examples of brasses from Mcrsthani ' , Coivl ' old , arrd Lynn , exhibited hy W . it . Hart and Henry S . Richardson , of Giccivwich—gvawls of arms and other heraldic documents , exhibited by J . J . Howard—casts from Croydon Church , and other objects of interest , by J . W . Flower ,

Esq ., and others . The papers read in the evening were the following : —1 . "On the Library in Reigate Church , " hy W . 11 . Hart , giving ; notices of the various donors to the library , embracing many notable persons ; notices of curious inscriptions in the books ; of various autographs therein of former possessors , including , among other well-known names , Richard Cromwell , John Evelyn , and Elamstead , the Astronomer Koyal ; reference

to a Prayer Book formerl y belonging to Lord Wm . Howard , eldest son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk , and having his arms on thc cover ; and numerous extracts from a ' singular MS . chronicle . 2 . "On Ancient Bookbinding , as exemplified in many of the books in Reigate Library , " by Mr . U . S . Richardson ,. of Greenwich , in which a retrospect of the history of thc art , from thc earliest known existing specimenswas elaborately ivenand extensivel

, g , y illustrated by several specimens from the church library , others in Mr . Richardson ' s possession , and numerous rubbings and engravings of ancient bindings . 3 . An interesting paper " On Neivdcgatc Church and Parish , " by the Rev . Mr . Mayhew , illustrated b y drawings of various parts of the interior of " the church .

The work of protesting against the demolition of thc Guestcn Hall at Worcester , referred to in our last , proceeds ivitli vigour . The Midland Counties Archaeological Association held a meeting in that city , under the very noses , as people say , of the Dean anel Chapter , to whom they directed a protest exprressiiig their "pain and dismay" at the bare report , and "earnestly implore" that sagacious body to preserve tbe edifice .

Some workmen , in excavating at thc Kirk Hill , St . Andrews , for the platform of a gun-battery for the Local Artillery Volunteers , came upon the ruins of a cruciform chapel , — -a discovery ivhich is very interesting from the peculiar ground plan of the building . An obelisk is to erected at Moelfra to commemorate thc wreck of the Loyal Charter .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

"MASONIC JEWELS AND AUT . Tim Masonic jewels which we arc dail y in the habit of seeing ) seem all to he made of one pattern , AA'hich might havo been , for elegance of design , contrived in tbe first century . Is there no way of stimulating the art of design amongst the Craft jewellers ? Eyeiy other class are anxious students afc art colleges , hut it seems are to remain stationary , ivhilc all thc world is

advancing .- —G . AV—[ Wc are unaware of any method which might be applied to encourage good designs for medals . So long as those ivho order medals think a profusion of frippery ornaments on thc edges , and designs having all the appearance of a school girl ' s locket , to be handsome , the Alasonic jeweller must supply the demand . Art , which is so much boasted of in connection with Preemasonry , really has little or no place in the minds of ninetynine

per cent , of Alasons ; and it is futile to hope for grace and elegance where tire whole object sought by tire wearer is a showy gewgaw , backed so as to receive an inscription . If you want to see classical , symbolical , and chaste designs for such productions , consult Zacbarias' Numotheca Latomorum , published in eight parts , at Dresden , about ten years since . It is full of the most beautiful devices , of which there arc above seventy . ]

KNIGHT OF THE UIIAZEX SE 1 ! I'EXT . " J . Jones" will find , by referring to the Freemasons'' Mar / aruie , v < " - . v ., p . 5-1 , 1858 , that it is the twenty-fifth degree in thc Ancient and Accepted Rite , but is not practised cither in England m prance ; it is one of the degrees included when tbe thirtieth is conferred . TIIK BUJCE OF SUSSEX ' S 1 : 1 X 0 .

Having rcaci * n onc of tne 1 ) ac ] . numoers t * lat tllc ]) llkc of f ' f , said t 0 bc buried with a Alasonic ring , of ivhich inquiry ' » wde as lo its truth , I should he glad to ho informed if yon

have been able to verify the fact , or if you have received auy commuuications on this subject from your correspondents ' i While asking one question , let me put another . Is there any instance of other Masonic relics being buried with Masons ?—Louis .- — [ We have not been able to verify the fact . We cannot be supposed to know everything , and we have not received any information on the subject . Tlie celebrated Baron Ilimd was buried in 1771 , in full Knight Templar equipment in front of the high altar in thc church of Mclrichstadt , near Wurzburgb . ]

AVl' . l'Y ALI . YX , K . T . Who was the Avery Allju , K . T ., that published a hook of Freemasonry '!—Cms . UAKF-I :. —[ An American perjurer . ] -AIAS 01 SK ) XOTKS AND Qlil-UtJES . Don't you think if you were to issue a little book collecting the best of the information that has been printed under tin ' s titlein a

, similar way to that of your periodical contemporary of the same name , who culls from his pages choice notes upon history , fairies , or any other subject—would it not bo very useful and eagerl y sought after by Masons?—C . C . —[ We don't . — " C . C . " must lie a Avag or he never Avould have put such a question . ]

• MASONIC I'OT . ITICS . In 1115 ' commonplace book I copied out the following from a brother's M . S . : — " Polities aro entirely prohibited in a Freemasons' fjodgc , and no brother dare attempt to propagate bis views upon polities by moans ol ' the Order , tin ' s being in direct opposition to the ancient statutes ' . Tito political opinions of mankind never agree , anel they are thus directly

opposed to a brotherly union . II a peculiar set of political opinions gain the upper hand in a kingdom , if a revolution takes place , or if the country is invaded by a foreign army , the Lodges close themsclvc . * . Charity to a suffering warrior , let him be a friend or foe , must not be considered as-a political act , feu * it is the general duty of mankind , and more especially it is a Masonic duty . " I do not know where my brother ivho lent this to me originally

got it from , but it seems to mc to be entirely void of Alasonic feeling . What would be the use of closirrg a Lodge in a time of universal suffering and depression , unless members ivere insufficient in number . Is . it not sapping the very ground from under our Masonic structure of brotherly love , relief , and truth , to suppose that when thc various acts of consolation are more needed than usual the fountain dries up of its own accord ? I would ask

for any instances j'our readers may know of where Lodges have been closed under such circumstances , and I . would also inquire , on the other hand , where , during political or warlike struggles , the Lodges have afforded such Masonic aid as they arc bound to do?—II . FIT / .. ...

MASOXIC SEAT ,. What is the meaning ofthe impression of a seal on which there is a perfect hand , very well formed , grasping a trowel , and round it " 220 , Antrim . " ?—MF . OICUS . —[ It is an Irish Lodge seal . The xxiii . rule in Dennett's "Ahiman Rezon , " is as follows : — "That , all the Lodges in and throughout Ireland shall have a seal with the impression of a hand anil troivclencompassed round with the

, name of thc toivn or city where such Lodge is held , and the original number thereof , in ordor to prevent counterfeit certificates , which may bo forged by itinerant persons who may take upon themselves the name of Masons in order to impose on the worthy brethren of thc Craft . " ]

lniii . E HEAIIEU . Is there any such officer as a "Bible Pearer" in a Lodge?—E . X . —[ There is such an Officer in thc Grand and Prov . Grand Lodges of Scotland ] . OLDEST I . ODAR WARK ANT EXTANT . In what Lodge is preserved the oldest Lodge warrant?—TTrcxrcv BROOKS .

MASONIC : STATISTICS . Of late years one may p ick out ofthe Maguxine how the Craft has progressed in numbers by the statement ' s of thc amount of " certificates issued each year . Is it not time that there were regular tabulated accounts shewing thc numbers issued in every year for thc last century?—X . Y . Z .

EAELV IXITIATIOX FEE . Is there any possibility of ascertaining what were the initiation fees afc various periods?—X . Y . Z . —[ It was always varying according to the position in life of the members of various Lodges . About eighty years since it was twenty-five shillings in a certain Lodge . Half the money ivas spent in punch , and half mit into