Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—*—THE PRAYER AT INITIATION ( p . 234 ) . Bro . William Carpenter has directed attention to a passage in the prayer at initiation . The word " so " surely means to

imply an amount of strength and assurance— " and grant that this , Sec , may so , " i . e ., in such manner , dedicate , & c , as to , & c .

The passage , I fancy , is weakened by the suggestion of my esteemed old friend , whom I am glad to see " chipper and sassy " as ever . CRYPTONYMUS .

BRO . FORSYTH AND " ROYAL ARCH MASONRY . " In the sketch of " Templarism " in connection with Freemasonry Bro . Forsyth

remarks that the " earliest printed notice of the Royal Arch " is an address b y Laurence Dermott , published about the middle of the last century . "

Without entering into the question which Bro . Forsyth is anxious to elucidate , I should like to mention that the above address is not the earliest reference in print to Royal Arch . I presume Bro . Forsyth ' s

authority for the statement is the " Introduction to the Regulations of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland . " If he will examine the latest edition of that excellent

publication , he will find that the earliest printed work is Dr . Dassigny ' s of A . D . 1 744 , being twenty years earlier then the address referred to .

It was on my representation that the alteration in the admirable " Introduction " was made , as I have a copy of the work of A . D . 1 744 , open for any brother ' s inspection , and intend soon to have it reprinted for the

information of the Craft universal . W . J AMES HUGHAN . P . S . —The Royal Arch can thus be

traced in print for one hundred and tzventy seven years , but Masonic Knight Templary cannot for anything like that period . W . T . H .

" COWAN AND ITS ORIGIN , & C . I would like to draw the attention of Bro . William Carpenter , P . M ., to the following reference to the above subject in

" The Ori gin and Early History of Masonry , " published by the well-known firm , The Masonic Publishing Company , New York , 1864 : —

The original meaningof theword "cowan , " which has so long been the subject of discussion among Masonic writers , will be found in John Jamieson's " Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language , " 2 vols , folio , Edinburgh , 1 S 0 Sand plainly

, shows that our ritual is derived from that of the operative Masons , viz .: — " Cowan : S . 1 . —A term of contempt , applied to one who does the work of a mason , but has not

been regularly bred . ( Scottish . ) " 2 . —Also used to denote one who builds dry walls , otherwise denominated a dry-dikcr . ( Scottish . )" W . J AMES HUGHAN .

IHE LATE SULTAN MAII . MOUD ON TOLERATION . " Let protection be equally extended to every one . Mussulmans must onl y be distinguished from other men at the mosque , Christians at tlie church , and Jews at the synagogue . " W . P . B .

In answer to the query of your correspondent "P . M ., " in last week ' s impression , I have to state that the T yler of Lodge of Virtue and SilenceNo . 332 Hadleigh

, , , Suffolk , is in possession of a copy of " Brown ' s Master Key , " without any date , but apparently a very old edition . W . HART , P . M . 332 .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

" HELE . " I have recently observed in THE FREEMASON a controversy as to the correct word to be used in the O . B . whether it should be " hail " or "hele . " Now , I have

recently met with a definition which I think is the best I have ever heard , and which induces me to extract if for the benefit of your readers ; it is to be found in Mackay ' s " Lexicon of Freemasonry , " page

131 . I give the extract below : — Hail or Hele . —This word is used among Masons with two very different significations : —1 . When addressed as an enquiry to a visiting brother it has the same import as that in which it is used under

like circumstances by mariners . Thus— " Whence do you hail ? " that is , " Of what lodge are you a member ? " Used in this sense , it comes from the Saxon term of salutation , " hael , " and should be spelt " hail . " 2 . Its second use is confined to

what Masons understand by the ' tie , " and in this sense it signifies to conceal , being derived from the Saxon word " helan , " to hide . The preservation of this Saxon word in the Masonic dialect , while it

has ceased to exist in the vernacular , is a striking proof of the antiquity of the Order and it ' s ceremonies in England . The author adds in a

footnote—E " in Anglo-Saxon is to be pronounced as ' ' a " in the word fate . In the western parts of England , says Lord King , " at this very day to hele over

anything signifies among the common people to cover it , and he that covereth an house with tile or slate is called a hellier . " —Critical History of the Apostles' Creed , page 178 .

There is another definition of the word " heal " at page 133 -of the same work , but that is beside the prcsent ' question . W . M .

THE ANNUS LUCIS . I was surprised to see in a calendar that this was found by adding 4004 to the Annus Domini . Surely this must be wrong ,

the practice in the Grand Secretary ' s Office being different , as every Craft certificate giving tlie two dates shows a difference of only 4000 years . W . M .

LODGES OF INSTRUCTION . Will some Master of a lodge of instruction kindl y give some practical information as to the establishment of one of these , the regulations respecting which in the

Constitutions are very vague . Is a petition for one necessary , and if so , is it to be in the same form as that for an ordinary lodge , and are the officers to be named therein to hold their offices for the usual year ? or , can

a lodge by a mere resolution sanction certain brethren holding a lodge of instruction whose officers shall change at every meetby rotation , and can such brethren admit as regular joining members brethren not belonging to the mother lodge ? W . M "

A CURIOUS RELIC . Bro . George D . Stanton , M . D ., of Stonington , Conn . Deputy Grand Lecturer , communicates the following interesting account : —

1 have in my possession a curious and remarkable Indian relic , which was ploughed up last fall in this town , near the vicinity of an old Indian settlement . It appears to have been an Indian "medicine man's" charm . It is of slate , bearing

on one side the outline of a human face , above which are rudely drawn the rays of the sun . On reverse arc some characters emblematic of different degrees of Masonry . There is also another character enclosing the oblong square or grave and

sprig of Acacia , which is a mystery to me , unless it was intended to represent the sickle . I have conferred with Grand Lecturer C . M . Hatch , of this State , and some antiquarians , for the solution of

the mystery of this singular stone , without any satisfactory results . We have local traditions here of certain Indian . chiefs in the early colonial days having shown evidences of Masonry , but

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

nothing authentic . At Newport , R . I ., thirty miles from here , there is a peculiarly constructed stone and mortar tower , concerning the origin of which there is no traditional nor historical account ; but it is supposed by some that it was built 'centuries ago by the " Northern men . " The Indians might

have obtained the Masonic degrees from these " Northern men , " or , at a later date , from the earliest French settlers . This stone was unmistakeably carved by means of rude stone chisels , and was , therefore , probably made before the iron implements of the English settlers came into use among them . —N . Y . Dispatch .

Grand Festival.

GRAND FESTIVAL .

The Grand Festival of the Grand Lodge of England was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons ' Hall , Great Queen-street . The Grand Master was not present ; but his place was admirably filled by the Earl of Carnarvon , Deputy Grand Master . Grand Lodge was not very full , but there were a considerable number of town and

country brethren present , the Senior Grand Warden ' s chair being filled by Bro . Algernon Perkins , and the Grand Junior Warden , Sir P . M . Williams , M . P ., occupying his own seat . We noticed the following Grand Officers on the dais : —R . W . Bro . R . T- Lewis , D . G . M .,

Sumatra , as Deputy G . blaster ; Lord Eliot , P . G . W . ; Samuel Tomkins , G . Treas ; JEneas J . Mclntyre , G . Reg . ; F . P . Cockerell , G . Supt . of Works ; R J . Bagshaw , P . G . M ., Essex ; Rev . J . Huyshe . P . G . M ., Devon ; R . Hamilton , P . G . M . Jamaica ; J . LI . Evans , P . B . G . P . ; Major

Creaton , H . Browse , G . Cox , J . Savage , S . L . Tomkins , C . Hutton , Gregory , E . B . Sutton , C . C . Dumas , J . Cooper Forster , Thomas Fenn , P . G . D . ' s ; Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) G . D . C . ; John Hervey , G . Secretary ; E . E . Wendt , G . Sec . German Correspondence ; Rev . Dr . J . E .

Cox , Rev . C . J . Martin , Rev . W . F . Short , Rev . Sir J . W . Hayes , Rev . R . J . Simpson . P . G . C . ' s ; W . Farnfield , P . Assist . G . Sec . ; Hyde Pullen , E . H . Patten , J . Nunn , E . Buslier , James Mason , J . Hollon , P . G . S . B . ' s ; James Coward ,

P . G . O . ; J . Smith , James Brett , W . Ough , P . G . P . ' s After the formal opening of Grand Lodge , Grand Secretary read the minutes of last quarterly communication , which were put to the brethren and unanimously confirmed .

Ihe Acting GRAND MASTER then rose and said that , as Grand Master was not present , tlie installation and saluting of him must be omitted ; but he was commissioned by his lordship to state that he regretted his absence , which he knew

they would excuse . The Acting Grand Master further stated that it had pleased the Grand Master to nominate him ( the Earl of Carnarvon ) as Deputy Grand Master . ( His lordship was accordingly saluted . )

The following brethren were then invested as Grand Officers for the year , the Acting Grand Master accompanying each announcement with highly commendatory expressions on the qualifications of each : —

Lord Lindsay , S . G . W . Col . Whitwcll , M . P ., J . G . W . Rev . W . F . Short , J n ,-., , . Rev . John Brownrigg , \ " Cha P > ' ™ - S . Tomkins , G . Treasurer . A . J . M'lntyre , G . Registrar .

John Hervey , G . Secretary . Ernest E . Wendt , G . Secretary for German Correspondence . J . Van . N . Bazalgctte , ) „ . ... J E . Saunders , | - bacons . JM . Wike )

. , ,, , „ Raynham W . Stewart , \ ° -J- Deacons . F . Pepys Cockerell , G . Superintendent of Works . Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) , G . D . C . W . Hickman , Assist . G . D . C . Dr . J . Daniel Moore , G . S . B

Wilhelm Ganz , G . Org . John Coutts . G . P . John Boyd , A . G . P . C . 15 . Payne , G . Tyler . These brethren were then formally saluted .

'Die Acting GRAND MASTER : Brethren , it is now my duty to make the announcement to you , which is customary on these occasions , that I have appointed Bro . James Brett , late G . Pursuivant , to take the rank and wear the clothing of