Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

AXOTIIEK ETYMOLOGY OP MASOX . Permit me to send 3-011 the following note of a now derivation of the word " Mason , " which au Irish Brother has given me . —ALEX . Bro ., the Eev . S . G . Morrison , in a lecture on "the Ethics of Freemasonry , " delivered in 1856 , proposes the following new etymology of the word "Mason " : — "The word is derived from the secrec ) r and exclusivencss

observed in our lodges . Every lodge is guarded by a Tyler . It is supposed that he is armed . Former ]) - liis protective weapon was a cluh . The old Latin for this was m . ai ; a . It is the word yet in Spain . The meaning of maea is club or ¦ mace—the club borne by corporate bodies . Because , therefore , bodies of architects , including all trades necessary for effecting or carrying out their plans , preserved their secrets

113- deliberatin g within a closed or guarded lodge—a lodge guarded 113- the maea , Mason was the designation of evcry Brother , and Masonry the name of the noble system . At what timo persons , not Masons by profession , sought admission into tlie Order I cannot tell , but it must have been at an early date . The records of a lodge at Warringtonso old as 1648 note the admission of Col . Mainwaring

, , and the great antiquary Elias Ashmole ; Charles I ., Charles II ., and James II ., were initiated . All such wero ' accepted ; ' hence ' Accepted Masons ; ' and as a mark of respect ancl confidence , they wore admitted to all the privileges of the Craft , ancl hence 'free' From this , then , we have the designation ' Free and Accepted Masons . ' "

SIR , THOMAS GRESHAM . Preston in his "Illustrations" says , that when Sir Thomas Gresham got Queen Elizabeth to open the Eoyal Exchange in 1570 , " Sir Thomas Gresham appeared publicly iu character of Grand Master . " In the previous sentence ive are told thafc on the resignation of the Earl of Bedford , Sir Thomas Gresham was appointed Grand Master of the southern parts of the kingdom , where the society had considerabl y increased . Is there a corroboration of the above in any historical documents of the time ?—GEORGE S .

MAKIXG , l'ASSIXG , AXD RAJSIXG THE SAME HAY . Are there any proofs that Masons wero ever made , passed , and raised on the same day in England . —HENRY STOCK . —[ We believe it was occasionally done . On the 9 th of February , 1767 , au occasional Lodge was held at the Thatched House , when H . E . H . the Duke of Cumberland was " in the usual manner introduced , and made an Entered Apprentice , passed a Fellow Craffc , and raised to the degree of a Master Mason . " Sec Entick ' s " Constitutions , " p . 310 , as the authority ; but this may have been an exceptional case , the Brother being a member ofthe Eoyal Family . ]

THE GRAND TREASURERS STAFF 01 ' OFFICE . How long is ifc since the Staff of Office , borne by the Grancl Treasurer , has been discontinued?—X . A . V . MASONIC CERTIFICATES 1 'IKST SEALED . At what time was the practice commenced of attaching the seal of Grand Lodgo to Masonic certificates ?—ELTON . — [ They were ordered 113 * Grand Lodto be scaledand signed

go , by the Grand Secretary , and a fee of five shillings to be paid for each so si gned and sealed on and after July 24 th , 1755 , so that sealed certificates have been in use one hundred and five years . Has any Brother or any lodge such old certificates in his or their possession P ]

MISRAJMTTE MASOXRY . Is Hiram AbifTrecognised under the Eite of Misraim ?—PATUICK E— [ He is . After the completion of K . S . Temple , they 8113- he returned to his family in great prospcrit )' , ancl was for many years one of the chief men of T yre . Tho other question we cannot answer . It is one of the ' cabalistic scries of degrees , which aro from tho 78 th to the 86 th

inclusive , and the names of these are said to be known onl y to the possessors of them . ] GR . VXD LODGE . Since the building of Freemason ' s Hall , has the Grand Lodge met in any other place in Loudon ?—A Pnov . Oi . it . vxn OFFICER . —[ Yes . Wc presume one occasion will be enough to satisfy our querist . Grand Lodge was opened in chic form

at Willis ' s Booms , King Street , St . James ' s , on the 12 th of May , 1813 , and the Duke of Kent installed the Duke of Sussex , after which the Grand Lodge was closed , and the Royal Brethren and Grand Officers repaired to an elegant banquet at Freemasons' Hall . ] MORMOX INITIATION AT THE GEEAT SALT LAKE . One of this deluded sect having found out his error and

managed to escape , has been lecturing 011 the subject at Ecading . The report of this , ivhich appeared in one of our town papers , is filled ivith very striking scenes , but none more so than that which makes tho ceremony of initiation bear somo little likeness to the scenes of the early mystcrics-Thinking it may interest your readers , I have extracted thepassagc and forward it to 3-011 for your " Notes and

Queries " : — "After speaking ofthe false predictions of these prophets , the lecturer proceeded to say , when converts were being initiated , they were taken into the temple ancl were washed in a bath , ancl each organ blessed , and then tbey were taken into an inner room , where there were some ornamental trees , aucl this was called Eden . Therewas there to lie seen an Adam and Eve , also tbe devil . ( Laughter . ) Eve eat the forbidden fruitand then there was the expulsiontlie

, , lamenting at their lost- condition , and the devil entering into discussion with them about religion , ancl saying , let tbem have a religion b 3 all means . Tbe prophets looked at him with suspicion ,, tbe male and female kneeled at tlio altar , and a burlesque prayer commenced amid loud shouts , and ' hallelujah / ' glory , glory , glory , ' and so on ; ancl in this Satan himself joined , and was one of tlie most noisy . The prophets then pretended to detect bis

character , ancl notwithstanding his disguise ordered him from the company . But be braved them ancl departed not , ancl told them ho was us good as they were . The greatest confusion then ensued , in the midst of which the apostles of tbe Kew Church entered , anil Satan trembled at their appearance . They ordered him out , ancl ho llew awny , hissing as be went . The new prophets then began to teach the converts , and tell them about the new dispensation . They were instructed in signs ancl pass words , which they were bound ,

on oath to keep , and for the revelation of which they were liable to death . Such was the teaching in the sanctum sanctorum of Sformonism . " Reading , Perls . Bito . A . V . A .

DEGREES OF It . R . D . 51 . Dr . Oliver states , in one of his books , that in 1784 , the twenty-five degrees of Hercdom , ivere practised afc York , by a bod 3 ' that called itself the College ofj Hercdom Templars ; , being No . 1 , under the constitution of tbe Ancient York Lodge , Smith eif the It-ieer Trent , sitting at Tork . He also acids , that there was a consistory afc Hull , about the

beginningof the present century , which might be a branch from tho above College , at York . Who did thoy belong to ; does either now exist ; and which arc the twenty-five degrees alluded to ?—EAMSAY .

ERO . UK . PERFECT . Is anything known of the late Dr . Perfect ' s family ?—WEST KENT . —[ He was an M . D . residing at Mailing , and hacl devoted the greater part of his life to the diseases of insane patients . His father ivas vicar afc East Mailing , but Bro . Perfect was born in Oxford , in 17-1-0 , and died in June , 1809 . He published several medical works , some volumes

of poems , of moderate merit , and is the reputed author of a farce called "The Crisis . " ] C 1 IAHT . ES DITOTIX ' S HARLEQUIN FREEMASON . There are several Masonic songs quoted , in various collections , as Being' taken from Dibdin ' s Ilaiiceptin Freeiucsou , ivhich was produced in 1780 . Where is a cop 3 ofthe entire work to bo seen ?—DRAMAXICUS .

FOREIGN FROY . Git AXD MASTERS . Who was the first foreign Prov . G . M . appointed on account ofthe number of now Foreign Lodges , constituted'under tho Grand Mastership of the Duke of ' Beauforfc , in 1769 ; how many such Officers have there been , ancl who wore the } - ?—J . I . ' M .

ROSE CROIX CLOTHING . Not having been in town for some time , and going into a Masonic jewellers , I was asked , if I wished my 18 ° clothingaltered to tho new regulation , pattern . Now , having purchased the same last year , and worn ifc on but fivo occasions , I am anxious to know what alterations arc to be made in it , ancl when the S . G . LG . of the ' ! 3 ° issued any such order , and to whom has it been transmittedf—* f * + O .