Masonic Notes And Queries.

" 2 . That , to prevent confusion with brethren belonging to lodges out of this Kingdom , or with Sister Grand Lodges , this Degree , although held by the Grand Lodge to be a second part of the Fellow Craft Degree , shall only be conferred on Master Masons , and the secrets shall onl y be communicated

in presence of those who have taken it either from a lodqe or chapter entitled to grant it . " 3 . That the Grand Lodge of Scotland ancl Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland shall adopt the same Ritual in conferring the Degree , being that now adjusted by their respective

Committees . " 4 . That any candidate applying to be admitted to the Royal Arch Degree—if he has received this Degree in a regular lodge of St . John's Masonryshall not be required to take it a second time from the Chapter into which he seeks admission ; but , in the event of his not having received it , he shall be obliged to take it from that Chapter .

" 5 . That , as regards the Royal Arch Degrees , this Degree shall be reckoned the Fourth Degree in Masonry . " 6 . That nothing contained in these Regulations shall interfere with the superintendence which the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter claims over Mark Masonry out of Scotland—or with the lodges

holding of it in England or abroad . "You will observe that the Mark Degree here mentioned , although held to be a part of the Fellow Craft Degree , is only to le conferred ore Master Masons , and only to be communicated in presence of those who Jiave already lawfully attained it .

" The Ritual , prepared in terms of the above Resolutions , lies here for reference , where all interested are invited to consult it . " The Grand Committee have not yet been able to xeport on the Degree of Chair Master . "I am , R . W . Sir and Brother , " Tours fraternally , " " "WM . A . LAURIE , G . SEO . "

MASONIC PROBLEM ( pp . 189 and 212 ) . I am certainly indebted to Bro . "H . C . " for his remarks at page 212 . We must see what the other Crafts' minutes , & c , say and what their customs were . He and I really seem to agree , as I meant and said that the admission of a Mason " was similar " to the

admission of a tailor , & c . ; i . e ., both ceremonies were similar in hind , although each had some particular distinction in their minutiae ; just as while both the Masons and the Cordwainers had Patron Saints , the one choose St . John and the other St . Crispin , and so on .

As to the third degree , I consider it to be a new creation since about A . D . 1717 , since when it has no doubt been touched up a little ; when the idea was once started it was just about as easy to fabricate the third degree as any other . — W . P . BUCHAN .

FINDEL'S HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY . We understand that Bro . J . G . Findel has nearly finished the second edition of his very valuable " History of Freemasonry ; " the first edition—taking everything into consideration—was good , the second will undoubtedl y be better—aa it ought to be , seeing that Masonic research has not been idle since 1866 .

The translation has been revised by Bro . D . Murray Lyon , and when we add that he has also written a new " Preface , " we may be pretty certain that , come when it may , this second edition of " Findel ' s History of Freemasonry " will be one of the most valuable contributions to Masonic literature yet issued from the press . The author has a fine opportunity now of making it a standard Masonic work , and we heartily wish him good speed . —W . P . B .

THE ANTIQUITY OF FREEMASONRY ( p . 212 . ) If Bro . J . A . H . will have it that a gentleman joining the Mason ' s Society in the 17 th century thereby became a speculative Mason , he must also admit that another gentleman joining the Tailor ' s Society thereby became a speculative Tailor . * If so , where then was their " system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols ? " And where then was their doctrine of the universal brotherhood of

man carried into effect ? The now three degrees have been elaborated since 1717 . What my esteemed friend and Bro . J . A . H . merely thinks is worth little , but what he can prove will be worth much . As hitherto so long given out and understood , the pretended Masonic " divorce , " about A . D . 1717 , of speculative from operative Masonry is simply another Masonic imposition . —W . P . BUCHAN .

BRO . J . A . H . AND BRO , HUGHAN . Will Bro . J . A . H . kindly refer me to a single sentence , or even a distant allusion of any kind , that would tend to prove the correctness of his reference to me and my writings in the Freemasons' Magazine for the 11 th of September ? 1 have never denied the fact of gentlemen and

noblemen being admitted members of the Masonic Society anterior to the existence of Grand Masters and Grand Lodge ; but , ou the contrary , I have expressly stated as much often in the Freemasons ' Magazine , and especially in my analysis of " Ancient and Modern Freemasonry , " and also in several letters

or short sketches in " Notes and Queries . " I have no " pet date , " and never have had to my knowledge , in Masonry . I pretend , however , to have some little regard for facts , and much prefer accepting what has evidence to support it to what has not ; and soif that is my friend J . A . H . 's notion of a " pet

, date , '' I am after all content to abide by the principle , although ignore the title . —W . J . HUGHAN . P . S . —I mean by speculative Masonry , the substitution of the present system in lieu of the operative society of the past .

DRO . LTON AND ST . MARY S CHAPEL LODGE , EDINBURGH . I am much indebted to Bro . Lyon respecting his correction of the Thomas Bosivell , Fsquire , Wardenship . In the History of Freemasonry , by Bros . Laurie ( father , A . D . 1801 ; son , 1859 ) , the statement is made , and hence my being misled . Now this fact shows the importance attached to the history of the " St .

* JE . g ., King Edward III . iu 14-th century joined the Tailors ' ( Linen Armourer ' s ) Company ; ergo , according to "J . A . H ., " he , being neither an operative nor a shopkeeper , must have been made a speculative Tailor ; consequently , tlie 14 th century Tailors practised speculative-tailory !