Masonic Notes And Queries.

peris , and sklaiteris to proceid togidder befoir thame , under ane baner and pegane , separat fra the saids smythtis , and producit ane stotitut maid threupon , of the dayt the xiij day Junii , the yeir of G-od m v" xxxiij yen ' s : And the baillies decernit and ordaint the last statitut to be observyt ancl keiitunder the

p , panes contenit in the same , becaus thai all wer present , and consentit therto , and ohlist thame to obserf the same , becaus that all wer present , and consentit therto , and oblist thame to obserf the same , as the said statitut proportis at lyntht : And the saidis wryehtis , masoniscowperisand sldayteris protestit

, , that quhat the baillies dois or decernis this day , anent the ordor forsaid , mak na dirogacioune to the forsaid statitut first maid , producit be thame in judgement , hot that thai may haf thair aid prevelege observit , and for remeid of law , quhen tyme and place requiris ; and Alexander Kemptdek . of the

, yne baxieris , allegit inlykwyiss , that thai ar put by thair rowme and ordour vsit obefor , and protestit sicklyk , that quhat be done this yeir be the baillies , anent the said ardor , hurt thame nocht in tvm cumyn . " *—W . P . B .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The ' Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed hy Correspondents

BEO . MELVILLE'S DISCOYEBIES .

10 THE EDITOK OS THE ' * EJIEEirASOJJS' ATAGAZEJE AND MASONIC JtlKItOK . Dear Sir and Brother , —The readers of "Martin Chuzzlewit" will remember Charles Slyme , Esquire , and his iriend , Mr . Montague Tigg . Tlie former used to talk mysteriously while his friend Tigg kept expatiating upon the wondrous genius of the great

Slyme . Bro . Melville and Bro . Crawford appear to he anxious to emulate Slyme and Tigg . Bro . Melville writes in " mystic characters , " while Bro . Crawford plays his fiddle to the tune of " See the Conquering Hero Comes . " i \ ow , Mr . Editor , I am one of the " Priestly Masons " whom Bro . Melville keeps

denouncing , and I want to know what I have done to merit such abuse . Since I was " admitted to the light , " I have quietly sought to do my duty , and I have been something of a working Craftsman ; now , however , I find myself condemned because I cannot pretend , with the ordinary common sense with which

nature bas endowed me , to understand Bro . Melville ' s boasted "discoveries . " I have consulted several eminent brethren , and they tell me that , in their opinion , Bro . M . is writing "bosh . " I am also decidedly averse to being called a M-ir / a-Mason , being constitutionally unfitted for the frigid zone .

he goes on , tramp , tramp , all the day , and when even comes he only reaches the point from whence he began—no progress , but a simple trudge , trudge , in the same everlasting circle . As an extant instance in point , I might refer to a certain writer who , as I perceive by an American Masonic magazine , is still hammering away in the guid auld style and using the " Grand General Masonic Assembl" held at York in 926 as an anvil !

y * At p ; ige 320 of the Magazine for October 26 th , 1867 , Bro . Hughan refers to the Aberdeen Lodge , and , inter alia , says it is " referred to in the Council Register from the beginning of the 16 th century ; " but , as the extract at page 308 shows " the masownys of the luge" are alluded to even in the loth century .

I have always looked upon Ereemasonry as St . John ' s epistle to the world , " Love one another ; ' * and I really cannot give up this idea—the noblest that has ever fired the enthusiasm of mankind , ic . order to fall down and worship Bro . Melville ' s mysti cism , which seems most likely to secure popularity

among inmates of those national institutions which are visited hy Her Majesty ' s Lunacy Commissioners . Tours fraternally , CHEISTOPHEE J . CAELETOX Dublin , May 16 th , 1869 .

TO THE EDITOK OE THE EEEEJIASOHS' HAGAZIXE AITD 3 rASOi"IC HIKItOB Dear Sir and Brother , —I read with much pleasure in your impression of the 8 th inst ., the communications of "Ees non Verba , " "P . M ., " and others ., respecting Bro . Melville ' s papers . It is quite gratifying to see that the Craft will not consent to

accept the teachings of one who seems especially ignorant of the very foundation on which he ( by means of his fertile and extremely pliable imagina tion ) bases the theories of his arguments in last week ' s paper—I mean the Hebrew . The few words that ho has presumed to use ( pp . 362 & 365 ) are so full of

errors , both in spelling and rendering , that anyone with the most superficial knowledge of the language must at once detect Bro . Melville ' s ignorance on tho subject . The foundation so shaky , what hopes ear . we have of the structure ?

Let me humbly advise all modern Masons to rest satisfied with modern Masonry ; if they only act up to its principles , they will become quite as happy and as well informed in respect to Masonic secrets ; . ; though they were to study and believe in Bro . Melville and his mysteries . Tours fraternally , W . M . 254 .

[ We beg to refer our correspondent to errata ai the bottom of col . 2 , p . 384 . —ED . E . M . ] TO ITS ? . EEITOE OP THE EEEEtfASO ^' s' MAGAZINE A : n > MASONIC IiriCEO .- ' Dear Sir and Brother , —At last I have a tangibh opponent in the person of Bro . W . P . Bucban . i

regret to say he is not over courteous in his language and he writes as though I had personally offended him . Strange , he should be so angry as to consider it necessary " to touch me up a lit . " What an elegau i expression ! " Bro . Buehan says I have a silly custom —a pretended anxiety lest I should unwittingly

disclose any sacred or important "point ; " and , as n Mason , he begs to express his disgust at this preteu tion , as ho considers it a poor , transparent , and unmanly attempt at imposition . Oh ! When I was a i < Entering Apprentice , I was taught to be cautious and solemnly pledged not to divulge any point < - ¦•

points . Bro . Buehan , no doubt , did the same . T' - use an elegant word—hosli . Bro . Buehan , the poini are beyond the scope of ordinary Masons , and , Bro , Buehan , you cannot divulge the Masonic point ; : because you never had them entrusted to you ! > admit I am a " cloudy moon" shining upon coal . What a lovely allegory ! And , as Bro . Buehan say .-I have not heat enough to get up a " temporary bit ot a sparkle . " True , oh ! brother ; cloudy moon as