Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

BEO . MELVILLE AND TUB CONJUNCTION 01 ? THE PLANETS ( page 44 S ) . If Bro . Henry Melville could show , say within 59 minutes of a degree , when the first conjunction of his pretended " Masonic Celestial Mysteries" with historical consistency or astronomical reality will take

place , then I mig ht try to answer him within one " minute of a degree" when the " next conjunction of the planets will take place . "—W . P . B . BEITANNIA . It is said the figure of Britannia was introduced into our copper coinage in the reign of Charles II .,

who was deeply enamoured of the beautiful Miss Stewart ( afterwards Duchess of Richmond ) , and who prevailed on her to sit for the model to Philip Roteri . Is not this explained by Bro . Henry Melville as a Masonic Celestial Mystery ?—REITAM .

LODGES AS SEMINABIES . What authority is there for asserting that iu th e beginning of the 17 th century , in the time of Inigo Jones , " Masonic lodges were now instituted as seminaries of instruction in the sciences and polite arts , after the model of the Italian schools ?"—W . P . B .

THE G 0 EMAG 0 NS AND THE EEEEMASONS . In "Notes and Queries" for November 20 fch , Mr . Pinkerton observes— " I consider that the words , AN . REG . may refer to the date of the foundation of the ancient Order ( of Gormagons ) in the reign of Queen Anne ( obt . 1714 ) , some years previous to that of the

nearly as ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons , who only date from a meeting held at the A pple Tree tavern , in Charles-street , Covent Garden , in February , 1717 . "—PICTUS .

MASONIC SCIENCE . Just at the time when Masonic credulit y is strongly attacked in the outer world , its manifestations in the inner world are none the less prominent . Your pages are illuminated with the lucubrations of Bro . Henry Melville , from Tasmania , and your pages have given

demonstration that he has many admirers . I have lately learned that this planet of celestial mysteries has got at least one satellite , a Mr . Daniel Smith , who has also come from abroad to give us the results of fourteen years study in the discovery of the primaeval alphabet , which deciphered all the undeciphered

inscriptions . His pamphlet is prefaced with a woodcut entitled the Key to Freemasonry . Mr . Daniel Smith is not a Freemason , as Bro . Melville . is , but he has also unlocked the secrets of Freemasonry , which he does not know , and he affirms that he has the assent and patronage of Bro . Melville . The puzzle to the unbelieving is that Bro . Melville does everything by the stars , and Mr . Daniel Smith by the primawal alphabet . —STUDENS .

BEO , HENEY MELVILLE AND EEITAM . I trust ere long to have the pleasure of seeing Bro . Melville—that is , if he will permit me to do so . I am always eager to receive instruction and to obtain knowledge , and in this case I shall be doubly so . In any case , Bro . Melville and myself may agree to differ . •—REITAM .

THE TAILOES AND THE EEEEMASONS . In " Notes and Queries" for November 27 th , Mr . Pinkerton quotes the following burlesque advertisement , taken from the Daily Journal newspaper : — " Friday , Dec . 24 , 1725 . " Tho Brethren of tlie Shears and Shopboard are hereby

informed that their whimsical kinsmen of the Hod and Trowel , having ( on new light received from some worthy Rosicrucians ) thought fit to change both their Patron and day , aud unexpectedly taken , up our usual place of meeting : The Worshipful Society of Free ancl Accepted Taylors are desired to meet on Monday next , tbe 27 th instant , at the Folly on tlie Thames , in order to choose a Grand Master and other officers , and to dine . "You are desired to come cloathedand armed with lodlcimmA thimhle . " PICTUS .

CALIFOENIAN MAS 0 NET . At the last Masonic conference in San Francisco there were representatives of no less than 190 lodges . —ANGLO-AMEEICANUS . SAIGON . Merchant captains in Cochin China will find a new French Lodge at Saigon , called Reveil de l'Orient , The officers ' are Bros . Charvein , Nairac , and Tophi .

THE DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE . The origin of the use of the eagle on national and royal banners may be traced to very early times . It was the ensign of the ancient kings of Persia and Babylon . Although the Romans used other emblems for camp standards , yet in 102 B . C . Darius ordained that the eagle alone should designate the legions as

their ensign , and confined the use of the other figur es to the cohorts . -After the division of the Roman empire , the emperors of the west used a black eagle and those of the east a golden one . Since the time of the Romans almost every state that has assumed the designation of empire has used the eagle as its ensign

—par exemple , Austria , Russia , Prussia , France , and Poland . The double-headed eagle signifies a double empire , and is used by the emperors of Austria , who claim to be the successors of the Cassars of Rome . In this case it is the eagle of the Eastern Empire united with that of the westtypifying tbe " Holy Roman

, Empire . Charlemagne was the first to make use of this emblem , for when he became master of the whole of the German empire , he added the second head to the eagle A . D . 802 , thus denoting the union , in him , of the empires of Rome and Germany . In the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Ritethe double-headed eagleone

, , half black and the other white , is the jewel of the 30 ° ; all white , of the 32 ° ; ancl all black denotes the 33 ancl last degree . Among the eagles of heraldry , the black eagle emblazoned on a field of gold is considered the most noble achievement . ' —REITAM .

ON SOME LIMITS 01 ? TEADITION IN MASONET . I am induced to make some remarks ou account of the present state of opinion among some of your readers as to the effects of investigations under the head of " Masonic Archeology . " It appears to be the opinion of some that all tradition is opposedand that

, historical evidence in chapter or verse is required for every circumstance relating to Masonry . This must be clear that any fact coming within the domain of history must be capable of authentication , like any other fact . When it is alleged that Queen Elizabeth .