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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .
INSTALLATION OP FEOV . GHAXD COMJlAJfDEHS . During the discussion attending this subject ( our statutes being silent upon it ) it may be interesting to enquire the custom of the Ancient Templars , and I therefore make no apology for forwarding the following , respecting this office from Secret Societies of the Middle Ar / es : — "
As we have seen above , the AV ' est was like the East , divided into provinces of the Order . Each of these provinces was presided over by a lieutenant of the Master , named the Provincial Master , Great Prior , or Great Preceptor , with his chapter ancl officers , corresponding to those of tbe Kingdom of Jerusalem . He was appointed , as it would appear , by the Master and Chapter ; and when entering on bis office , lie bound himself , by oath , to defend the Catholic Religion not only with his lips , but with arms' and all his strength ;
to follow tbe rules drawn up by St . Bernard ; to obey the Master ; to come over the sea to his aid whenever it was necessary ; to defend him against all unbelieving Icings and princes ; not to fly before those unbelieving foes ; not to alienate the goods of the Order ; to be loyal to the prince of the country ; to be chaste ; and and to aid all spiritual persons , especially the Cistercians bv words and by deeds . Under the Provincial Masters stood the priorsbailiffsor masters
, , , who governed large districts of the provinces , and had under their inspection several of the houses of the Order and their preceptors . They dwelt in large temple-houses with a good number of knights ; they had the power of holding chapters and receiving members into the Order .
The preceptors were subordinate to the priors ; they presided over one or more houses ; they were generally knights , but they were some times priests ; they were of two kinds , house preceptors and knight preceptors ; the former , as their name denotes , merely presided over the bouses , and might be priests or serving brethren " ; the latter , who were probably only to be found in the East or in Spain , led , each , ten knights in the battle . Our statutes are very meagre on all subjects connected
with the Order . I am of opinion there ought to be a revision , suitable to the manners and religion of this country , of those of the French branch of the Order ; as it is to them ( if at all ) we must look for its legitimate transmission ; or that the latter ought to be acknowledged by us as the Major Statutes of the Order . Could we not come to some understanding on these points with Scotland and Ireland , through legitimate representatives ?—I .
_ Under your "Notes and Queries , " article Knights Templar , is a communication , signed J . Groves , in which he says , " that by an official letter from the Grand Chancellor , who conveyed , in the names of the M . E . S . G . Master , orders to them ( the writer and three of his colleagues ) to proceed and install the Prov . G . Commander , which was done by the writer , the Senior Grand Officer . " I would wish to be
informed whether Sir Knt . Groves is a Past Prov . G . Commander ( his name not being on the present list ) , as it appears to me an anomal y for a subordinate to inaugurate his superior ( I differ from Sir Knt . Groves that installs the proper word , as to iimuoitrccfe is to induct into an office with solemnit y or suitable ceremonies , and was used by the Romans on admission into the College of Augurs . Kings and
Emperors are inaugurated by coronation , Prelates by consecration , & c . To install I admit is almost synonymous . It is to instate with , or set in an office with the customary ceremonies ; as a Knt . of the Garter in the Chapel of St . George , or a Prebend in the stall of a cathedral . Bailey says , " to inaugurate is to invest with an office or dignity , " " to installto put in possession of an office" Johnson ives
, . g the same meaning . What should we say to a 1 st Capt , of an encampment , he not being a P . E . C ., taking the chair to install an E . Commander , or a S . W . of a Craft lodge the Master elect ?—! . - .
FEEIJIASOXKY IX FBAXCE AND EXGLAKD . The statistics of Freemasonry in France and in England were latel y the subject of an amicable discussion between some brothers of this department and myself . It seems that , in proportion to the population of the respective countries , Freemasons are less numerous in France than in England . Upon this fact we are agreed—not so upon the
cause . Our brothers find it in a circumstance as to which the Past Provincial Grand Master of Kent has exhibited
much scepticism . Our brothers find the cause in the high degree of civilisation and liberty at which France has arrived ; and with the view of diminishing , if not of altogether removing , the scepticism manifested , one of them has just sent me some printed leaves , from which the following lines are derived : — "A few months back , a Colonel of Infantry ,, who had ' porte haut et ferine' at Alma and at Inkerman ,
' d ' un main la noble epee de la France , et de 1 ' autre le drapeau de la civilisation , represents par la Franc-maeonnerie , ' who is one of the Inspectors General of the Grand Orient , ancl is considered a ' fervent apotre' of our Order , in an address to a lodge held not far from the foot _ of the Pyrenees , established ' que si la Erano-macoimerie etait suivo avec moins d'ardeur en France epie dans le Norcl de
FEurope et dans les colonies framjaises et etrangeres , e ' est epie la France etant un pays essentiellement libra et civilise , la Franc-maeonnerie y paraissait moins utile aux homnie , de cceur et d'intelligence que dans les pays etrangers . — CHAS . PURTOJT Coor-EK , Chateau Frampas , Aimtierender , Haute Mame , April 13 , 1861 .
CUJRIOSITIES OF FEEEMASOSEY . I have lately seen in the British Museum a very curious paper , entitled A Narmtive of the Freemasons Word and Signes , evidently written about the middle of the seventeenth century , some portions of which , I have no doubt , will be entertaining , and deserve to be incorporated into " Masonic Notes and Queries . " The extracts are but fragmentary , yet strictly transcribed , as follows : —
* * * "Another" ( sign ) "is taking their liandkf by the corner w * li their right hand ancl throw it over their left shouldr letting it hang down their back and so walk a few steps along , if any Mason see it they will follow ancl take him by the hand . " * * * "if you come where any masons tooles lyes lay ym in forme of a square , they will presently know y t a free brother hath been there , or a free brother coining . " * * " If he takes one of their tooles or his own staff and strike softly on the wall or worke saying
this is bose , or hollow , if their be any free brothr at the work he will answr it is solid w <* words are signes to cliscov r . each otlw . " * * * "Another is by hoisting their eyes toward the east and twisting their mouth toward ye west . " * * * " Another signe is by lending you a crooked pin or a bit of pap cut in the forme of a square on receipt of wdi you must come from w * pface or company soever you are in bvirtue of oath you are to come if it were from
y your the top of a steeple to know their pleasure and to assist them . Ancl to lett you know he wants money he will hold a bitt of pipe ( or some such thing ) to you saying can you change a cole pence if you have money you say it if you have none say no , some will signifie their want of money by pulling their knife out of the sheath ancl giving it to a brothr in company or alone if the brotlw have money he takes the knife putting it in its sheath and returne itif he have
, none lie will returne it bare as he reed it , which many of them do notwithstanding their oath and many otlu' signes , they reject tho ' by oath they are bound to obey all . Another signe is by taking their liandkf' in their right hand ancl blow their nose then holding it straight before them they give it two little shakes and a big one . " * ' * *
"THE OATH . " The mason word ancl everything contained you shall lceep secret you shall never put it in writing directly or indirectly you shall keep all that we or your attend ™ shall bid you keep secret from man woman and child stock or stone and never reveal it but to a brother or in a lodge of Freemasons and truly observe the charges in the Constitucion all this you promise and swere faithfully to keep and observe without any manni' of equivocation or mentall reservation directly or indirectly . So help you God and the contents of this book . So he kisses the book , & c . " —M . C .
3 IAS 0 XIC rsIOGEAPHIES . If your correspondents' seeking biographical information , would only name the date of such persons' death , or the time when they flourished , their queries would be more easily answered . —R . M . H . ENCyCLOrjEMA METEOFOLITAJTA . The author of the article on Masonry was " Smedley . "—
R . M . H . THE SEW S . G . WAEDEX . Most of us have heard of Lord Robert Grosvenor , but Lord Richard Grosvenor is not so well known . Can you tell us who he is ?—P . M . —[ Lord Richard de Aquila Grosvenor is the fourth son of the Marquess of Westminster ; born in the
year 1837 , and became a Lieut . R . N . in 1852 ] .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .
INSTALLATION OP FEOV . GHAXD COMJlAJfDEHS . During the discussion attending this subject ( our statutes being silent upon it ) it may be interesting to enquire the custom of the Ancient Templars , and I therefore make no apology for forwarding the following , respecting this office from Secret Societies of the Middle Ar / es : — "
As we have seen above , the AV ' est was like the East , divided into provinces of the Order . Each of these provinces was presided over by a lieutenant of the Master , named the Provincial Master , Great Prior , or Great Preceptor , with his chapter ancl officers , corresponding to those of tbe Kingdom of Jerusalem . He was appointed , as it would appear , by the Master and Chapter ; and when entering on bis office , lie bound himself , by oath , to defend the Catholic Religion not only with his lips , but with arms' and all his strength ;
to follow tbe rules drawn up by St . Bernard ; to obey the Master ; to come over the sea to his aid whenever it was necessary ; to defend him against all unbelieving Icings and princes ; not to fly before those unbelieving foes ; not to alienate the goods of the Order ; to be loyal to the prince of the country ; to be chaste ; and and to aid all spiritual persons , especially the Cistercians bv words and by deeds . Under the Provincial Masters stood the priorsbailiffsor masters
, , , who governed large districts of the provinces , and had under their inspection several of the houses of the Order and their preceptors . They dwelt in large temple-houses with a good number of knights ; they had the power of holding chapters and receiving members into the Order .
The preceptors were subordinate to the priors ; they presided over one or more houses ; they were generally knights , but they were some times priests ; they were of two kinds , house preceptors and knight preceptors ; the former , as their name denotes , merely presided over the bouses , and might be priests or serving brethren " ; the latter , who were probably only to be found in the East or in Spain , led , each , ten knights in the battle . Our statutes are very meagre on all subjects connected
with the Order . I am of opinion there ought to be a revision , suitable to the manners and religion of this country , of those of the French branch of the Order ; as it is to them ( if at all ) we must look for its legitimate transmission ; or that the latter ought to be acknowledged by us as the Major Statutes of the Order . Could we not come to some understanding on these points with Scotland and Ireland , through legitimate representatives ?—I .
_ Under your "Notes and Queries , " article Knights Templar , is a communication , signed J . Groves , in which he says , " that by an official letter from the Grand Chancellor , who conveyed , in the names of the M . E . S . G . Master , orders to them ( the writer and three of his colleagues ) to proceed and install the Prov . G . Commander , which was done by the writer , the Senior Grand Officer . " I would wish to be
informed whether Sir Knt . Groves is a Past Prov . G . Commander ( his name not being on the present list ) , as it appears to me an anomal y for a subordinate to inaugurate his superior ( I differ from Sir Knt . Groves that installs the proper word , as to iimuoitrccfe is to induct into an office with solemnit y or suitable ceremonies , and was used by the Romans on admission into the College of Augurs . Kings and
Emperors are inaugurated by coronation , Prelates by consecration , & c . To install I admit is almost synonymous . It is to instate with , or set in an office with the customary ceremonies ; as a Knt . of the Garter in the Chapel of St . George , or a Prebend in the stall of a cathedral . Bailey says , " to inaugurate is to invest with an office or dignity , " " to installto put in possession of an office" Johnson ives
, . g the same meaning . What should we say to a 1 st Capt , of an encampment , he not being a P . E . C ., taking the chair to install an E . Commander , or a S . W . of a Craft lodge the Master elect ?—! . - .
FEEIJIASOXKY IX FBAXCE AND EXGLAKD . The statistics of Freemasonry in France and in England were latel y the subject of an amicable discussion between some brothers of this department and myself . It seems that , in proportion to the population of the respective countries , Freemasons are less numerous in France than in England . Upon this fact we are agreed—not so upon the
cause . Our brothers find it in a circumstance as to which the Past Provincial Grand Master of Kent has exhibited
much scepticism . Our brothers find the cause in the high degree of civilisation and liberty at which France has arrived ; and with the view of diminishing , if not of altogether removing , the scepticism manifested , one of them has just sent me some printed leaves , from which the following lines are derived : — "A few months back , a Colonel of Infantry ,, who had ' porte haut et ferine' at Alma and at Inkerman ,
' d ' un main la noble epee de la France , et de 1 ' autre le drapeau de la civilisation , represents par la Franc-maeonnerie , ' who is one of the Inspectors General of the Grand Orient , ancl is considered a ' fervent apotre' of our Order , in an address to a lodge held not far from the foot _ of the Pyrenees , established ' que si la Erano-macoimerie etait suivo avec moins d'ardeur en France epie dans le Norcl de
FEurope et dans les colonies framjaises et etrangeres , e ' est epie la France etant un pays essentiellement libra et civilise , la Franc-maeonnerie y paraissait moins utile aux homnie , de cceur et d'intelligence que dans les pays etrangers . — CHAS . PURTOJT Coor-EK , Chateau Frampas , Aimtierender , Haute Mame , April 13 , 1861 .
CUJRIOSITIES OF FEEEMASOSEY . I have lately seen in the British Museum a very curious paper , entitled A Narmtive of the Freemasons Word and Signes , evidently written about the middle of the seventeenth century , some portions of which , I have no doubt , will be entertaining , and deserve to be incorporated into " Masonic Notes and Queries . " The extracts are but fragmentary , yet strictly transcribed , as follows : —
* * * "Another" ( sign ) "is taking their liandkf by the corner w * li their right hand ancl throw it over their left shouldr letting it hang down their back and so walk a few steps along , if any Mason see it they will follow ancl take him by the hand . " * * * "if you come where any masons tooles lyes lay ym in forme of a square , they will presently know y t a free brother hath been there , or a free brother coining . " * * " If he takes one of their tooles or his own staff and strike softly on the wall or worke saying
this is bose , or hollow , if their be any free brothr at the work he will answr it is solid w <* words are signes to cliscov r . each otlw . " * * * "Another is by hoisting their eyes toward the east and twisting their mouth toward ye west . " * * * " Another signe is by lending you a crooked pin or a bit of pap cut in the forme of a square on receipt of wdi you must come from w * pface or company soever you are in bvirtue of oath you are to come if it were from
y your the top of a steeple to know their pleasure and to assist them . Ancl to lett you know he wants money he will hold a bitt of pipe ( or some such thing ) to you saying can you change a cole pence if you have money you say it if you have none say no , some will signifie their want of money by pulling their knife out of the sheath ancl giving it to a brothr in company or alone if the brotlw have money he takes the knife putting it in its sheath and returne itif he have
, none lie will returne it bare as he reed it , which many of them do notwithstanding their oath and many otlu' signes , they reject tho ' by oath they are bound to obey all . Another signe is by taking their liandkf' in their right hand ancl blow their nose then holding it straight before them they give it two little shakes and a big one . " * ' * *
"THE OATH . " The mason word ancl everything contained you shall lceep secret you shall never put it in writing directly or indirectly you shall keep all that we or your attend ™ shall bid you keep secret from man woman and child stock or stone and never reveal it but to a brother or in a lodge of Freemasons and truly observe the charges in the Constitucion all this you promise and swere faithfully to keep and observe without any manni' of equivocation or mentall reservation directly or indirectly . So help you God and the contents of this book . So he kisses the book , & c . " —M . C .
3 IAS 0 XIC rsIOGEAPHIES . If your correspondents' seeking biographical information , would only name the date of such persons' death , or the time when they flourished , their queries would be more easily answered . —R . M . H . ENCyCLOrjEMA METEOFOLITAJTA . The author of the article on Masonry was " Smedley . "—
R . M . H . THE SEW S . G . WAEDEX . Most of us have heard of Lord Robert Grosvenor , but Lord Richard Grosvenor is not so well known . Can you tell us who he is ?—P . M . —[ Lord Richard de Aquila Grosvenor is the fourth son of the Marquess of Westminster ; born in the
year 1837 , and became a Lieut . R . N . in 1852 ] .