Masonic Notes And Queries.

at Kensington , by the Rev . R . Taylor ; probably about the year 1785 . —Ex . Ex . THE BOOK Of ? CONSTITUTIONS . What other editions ( printed in the English language ) are known of tho Booh of Constitutions , besides those edited by Anderson , Entick , Noorthouck , Spratt , the imperfect one by Williams , and the Ahiman Bezon of Dermott?—Ex . Ex .

SING OLD ROSE AND BURN THE BELLOWS . In what song or poem , does it occur that Masons are spoken of as —• " They meet , a lot of queer old fellows , To sing old rose and burn the bellows . " I am not quite sure the above are the exact words , but if they are not , they are very nearly so . —Ex . Ex . BRO . BURCKHAKDT ' S PATERS .

Is it known who is in possession of the late Bro . Burckhardt ' s papers ?—AVA .- —[ We believe two brethren have each bundles of them , but are not at liberty to disclose their names , though we have been promised some important notes from them by one brother who has a large collection of them . ]

PRIESTLY ORDERS . What are the priestly orders ?—L . —[ Apply to Bro . John Purdy . He can tell you , we cannot ] . 3 IAS 0 NIC CONVERSAZIONE . Is there any method of getting up a Masonic conversazione , where , over a cup of tea and coffee , information and suggestions could be exchanged on Masonic subjects ?—Ex . Ex .

LEDGER V . WEBSTER . Before the preliminary indictment or the recent trial , Ledger v . Webster , was any effort made to remind those brethren that the ancient charges declare " Craftsmen are bound by peculiar ties to promote peace , cultivate harmony , and live in concord and brotherly love . " That they " are to avoid all ill language , to call each other by no disobliging namebut

, brother or fellow ; and to behave themselves courteously within and without the lodge . " As well as the latter one , viz .: — " All these charges you are to ohserve , and also those that shall he communicated to you in another way ; cultivating hrotherly love , the cape-stone , the cement and glory , of this antient fraternityavoiding all wranglingand quarrellingall

, , , slander and backbiting , nor permitting others to slander any honest brother , hut defending his character and doing him all good offices , as far as is consistent with your honour and safety , and no farther . And if any of them do you injury , you must apply to your own or his lodge ; and from thence you may appeal to the Grand Lodge , at the Quarterly Communication , as has been the antient laudable conduct of our forefathers in

every nation ; never taking a legal course but when' the case cannot be otherwise decided , and patiently listening to the honest and friendly advice of Master and fellows , when they would prevent your going to law with strangers , or would excite you to put a speedy period to all law suits , that so yon may find the affair of Masonry with the more alacrity and success ; hut with respect to brothers or fellows at law , the Master and brethren should kindly offer their mediation , which ought to be

thankfully submitted-to by the contending brethren ; and if that submission is impracticable , they must , however , carry on their process , or law-suit , without wrath and rancour ( not in the common way ) , saying or doing nothing which may hinder brotherly love and good offices to be renewed and continued , that all may see the benign influence of Masonry , as all true Masons have done from the beginning of the world , and will do to the end of time .

If this had been done , might not the unfortuuate spectacle of two Masons " going to law , " as it is termed , have been prevented ? Would it be improper to suggest that a Council Masonic , similar to the Connseils Pmdhomm . es of France , should be established with the view of settling any such differences that might arise for the future?—f

4-t-JAMBLICHUS . Was Jambliohus , who wrote on the mysteries of the ancients , a Mason?—C . B .

MASONS S 3 IARKS AND THE " GREEK NUMERALS . " I do not know whether or not any of my brother Masons have had their attention directed to the very strikincr resemblance which some of our ancient Masons marks and the so-called " Greek Numeral Letters" bear to each other . John Baaing , or De Basinstoke , a native of Basingstoke , in Hampshire , studied at Oxford , Paris , and

Athens ( meeting with the numerals at the latter place ) , and afterwards became Archdeacon of Leicester . Matthew Paris , says : — " This Master John , moreover , brought the Greek numeral figures into England , together with their symbols , and the knowledge of their import , and explained them , to Ms particular friends . By which figures also letters are represented ; and , what is most

remarkable , any number is represented by a single figure , which is not the case in the Roman numerals , or in ordinary arithmetic . " John de Basingstoke was a most celebrated orator , divine philosopher , and mathematician of the first half of the thirteenth century ; and Ms numerals are worthy the attention of Masons—GEORGE MAKKHASI TWEDDELL . '

HAIL OB HELE " Hele , " which is the right way of spelling the word . ' is derived from the Saxon "Helan" to hide , to cover ' hence the the word Hell , the abode of departed spirits ' or as Bailey has it , "the state of the dead . " " Hele " is also connected with the Teutonic word " herhehleu , " as Hell is also from the Teutonic "Haile . " As to the pronunciation I take it to be Hele , sounding Heel . Had it

been pronounced Hele ( Hell ) there would have been two i ' s . I can see no reason to pronounce it " Hail" as I can find no similar cases in any of the old MSS . I have consulted , on the contrary , arguing from analogy the following lines would confirm my view , that it should be pronounced hele ( Heel ) . " And take here goodes , aud here cattelle ,

Ynto the Kynges hond , every delle ; And lete hem dwelle there ful stylle , Tyl hyt he our lege Kynge ' s wylle . " —Constituaiones adtis gemetrue , I . 467 . — -H .

PRONUNCIATION OF " HELE . Your correspondent of last week will find this word in Saxon dictionaries spelt Hffllan , pronounced as Heel . Bailey gives it in two places " Heal , " to cover up , as a word used in Sussex , and "Hele , " to hide . If the first e were pronounced as a , the final e would also have to be sounded . May it not be-a corruption of the Latin Celo , to hide or cover?—KING OP CLUBS .

GRAND OFFICERS 01 ? THE ORDER OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . Several discussions have taken place respecting Templar Grand Officers . Yertot gives a list of the brethren present at a Chapter of Malta in the 16 th century , omitting names we find the following : —G . M ., Prior of the Church , Bailiff of the Convent , Commander or Seneschal , Marshall or Capt . General , Hospitaller , Admiral , Conservator ( formerly Draper ) , Turcopilier or

Capt . of the Guards ( a Chancellor , his Lieutenant , and a Treasurer are elsewhere mentioned ) , Grand Priors of 8 Langues , Capitular Bailiff , Lieut , of the Cap . Bail ( or Sub Priors ); Proxies of the Grand Prior , of the Cap . Bail ., of the 8 languages , of the Commanders of the Priories , Companions of the G . M . ( some 20 or 30 ) , Knts ; on entering took their places thus— g & & ° - ^ ne

Grand Officer was appointed of each Langue , England formerly having that of Tnrcopiler . The Marshall commanded all but Great Crosses—Bailiff and Priors—them Lieutenants and the Chaplains , and he had also the privilige ( as with the early Templars ) , of appointing the Std . Bearer . I would call attention to the position assigned the Hospitaller here , and in all systems except onr own . —A .

THE WORD " PREE-MASON . The word " Free-mason" occurs , for the first time , in the Statue 25 Edward I . ( 1350 ) , entitled "Le Statuts