Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

EKEEllASOS'S DESCENDED FEO"M KKTS . TEHPEAE . It is asserted that Freemasons are descended , or come through , Knights Templar . Can any authority he shown for this statement ?—A BLUE MASOS . — [ Plenty of authorities can be cited , but , of course , are inadmissible to print . The York lectures

expressly recognise this as follows : — " What is the first and chief reason that we dedicate our lodges to St . John ? Because , in the time of the Palestine ' wars , the Knt Masons having joined those of St . John of Jerusalem , " to fight against the infidels , they put themselves under the protection of that great saintand having

, gained a victory , they all agreed , after returning thanks , that the lodges of Masons should be dedicated to him iu future . " The following , from another portion , also shows the York Masons fully recognised from whence they sprung .

" Who amongst Masons do you think are best entitled to it ?—[ i . e ., knowledge . ] " Those who are justly considered as Free and Accepted , and have been exalted to the Eoyal Arch degree and knighted in a Masonic encampment . " Why should they be better entitled to it than

Masons ? " Because the knowledge the Eoyal Arch have acquired , all of which was brought from the East by the Knights Templar , will be prudently dispensed for the general good . " There is a second reason ?

" Because the knowledge of the sacred mysteries contained in these degrees of Masonry , comprehend the essence of every branch of ancient and modern sciences and discoveries . " * * * * * * * . ] THE HIGH SHADES . As I see iu your paper of Saturday last an inquiry

from one of your correspondents as to the number of members of the High Grades , or members of the Ancient and Accepted Eite iu England and Wales , I think you may he glad to have an exact analysis of the list published by the Supreme Council , and correct up to the 20 th of April in this year . It is as follows : —

Members of the 18 ° , Princes Eose Croix of Heredom 578 Supreme Grand Kuights , elected K . II 112 Sovereign Grand Inquisitors General 27 Princes of the Eoyal Secret of the H . E 18 Actual Members of the Supreme Couucil of

S . G . I . G ., 33 ° 9 Eetired members of that Council 7 Total number of High Grade Masons ... 751 — "VV . E . G .

IEEEGUXAIirrlES . In Freemasonry , as elsewhere , the dictum ought to hold good , ** Let all things be done decently and iu order . " Such , however , is not always the case , and two special irregularities are so common as to be of frequent occurrence ; hut whichby being made a

, note- of , may be discontinued when brethren see that they do not pass by unobserved . The plan of admitting non-Masons to our banquets is hi ghly objectionable . I will give one instance , and ex uno clisce

omnes . Some time ago I had occasion to visit a lodge where the refreshment room adjoined the preparation room ; and judge of my surprise when I saw one of the guests in a passage through which the candidates must pass . On my speaking to the Tyler , he said , " Really , brother , when I see Masons without aprons

walking about ( fact ) , it ' s difficult to find out who are and who are not Masons . " On my reminding him that his duty was to suffer no one to pass who was not properly clothed , he replied , " Oh , I should give offence . " One more point I would touch upon whilst on the subject of refreshments , and I have done . Masters of lodges cannot be too careful as to the kind of songs which they allow to bo sung , and should always bear in mind the old

saying"Immodest words admit of no defence , For want of decency is want of sense . " Our first and last acts being those of prayer , our acts at the refreshment table should be in harmony with our proceedings in lodge . "We should never forget that wheresoever we are , and whatsoever w e do , He is with us , and His all seeing eye beholds us ; and

whilst we continue to act as true and faithful Craftsmen , may we never forget to discharge our duty towards Him with fervency and —ZEAL .

THE EAllLX EECORDS 03 ? EREEMASOX 11 Y TS COSNECTICtJT . In 1858 , Bro . E . G . Storer , G . Secretary of the-Grand Lodge of Connecticut , issued proposals for publishing a work with this title , which was to embracebesides the transactions of the Grand Lodge

, , and of the preliminary Conventions of 1783 aud 1789 , by which that body was organised , an abstract of the doings of some of the lodges which were at work duriDg the Eevolutionary War ; particularly of the American Union Lodge , which was attached to the Connecticut Line of the Continental Army . The

undertaking promised to be a valuable addition to Masonic history and literature . Can you , or any of your transatlantic readers , inform vue if the work has been published ?—Ex . Ex .

A 3 *" E"W CHAEGE . A brother has recently given me a copy of the following New Charge . Would there he any impropriety in using it at an initiation ?—TXEO . " You are especially charged as a Freemason to bemodest and humblenot vain-gloriousnor filled with

, , self-conceit . Be not wiser in your own opinion than the Deity , nor find fault with His works , nor endeavour to improve upon what He has done . Be modest also in your intercourse with your fellows , aud slow to entertain evil thoughts of them , and reluctant toascribe to them evil intentions . A thousand

publications , flooding the country with their evanescent leaves , are busily aud incessantly engaged in maligning the motives and conduct of men and parties , and in making one man think worse of another ; while , alas ! scarcely one is found that ever , even accidentally , labours to make man think better of his fellow .

" We need not enlarge upon these evils . They are apparent to us all -. aud it is the duty of a Freemason to do all that may be in his power to lessen , if not to remove them . With the errors and even sins of other men , that do not personally affect us or ours , and I need not our condemnation to be odious , we have