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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Masonic Notes And Queries.
seems strange that we have no scholarships by which our Lewises can receive assistance in a university career . Cannot the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Grand Mastership of the " Earl of Zetland be celebrated by a Zetland scholarship ?—A UNIVERSITY MAN .
Extremely probable that Ramsay was concerned iu the fabrication of the English degree , because it still embodies some of the details of Bis Eoyal Arch , the whole of which , I am inclined to think , in the earliest arrangement of the English degree , formed one of the preliminary ceremonies . ... I make
' this statement because the earliest copy of this degree in my possession , dated 17 SS , commences with a long explanation of the ceremonies of Ramsay's Royal Arch as preparatory to tho English degree . —J ) r . Oliver ' s " Boyal Arch , "' page 33 . N . B . This seems a very likely occurrence , and , as ideas "
Ramsay's were rejected by the Grand Lodge of England , no doubt ' the disappointed innovator proceeded to the seceders , who possibly enough received him with open arms , and saw that , by the introduction of a new degree , their success was morally certain . Ramsay visited England in 1740
, and stayed more than a year . —AV . J . I-IuTriiAS " . "The difference between the ancient and modem systems consisted solely in the mutilation and extension of the third degree ; and it is actually referred
to m the proceedings of the modern Grand Lod ^ e in 1755 . —Page 39 . On this point there cannot be a reasonable doubt , as the lectures in use about this period , drawn up by the various chiefs of tlie Craft belonging to the regular Grand Lod declared that the Masters '
ge , word " which was lost is now found , " M ,, as Br . Oliver states , found in the latter ceremonies of the third degree , when it was delivered to the newlyraised Master in due form , and , therefore , the Eoyal Arch would have thrown no new light on the subject toa constitutional Master Mason . Surelthis
_ y evidence is conclusive , and establishes the fact that , before the " schism , " or about 17-10 , the " ancients " so-called ( but in reality modern ) , fabricated the degree termed the Holy Eoyal Arch , which , though first of all rejected and ignored subsequentl
, was y adopted by the United Grand Lodge of England as pure and ancient Ereemasonry . AVe feel sure the ventilation of this subject will clo good , and lead us all to value still more the three Craft degrees . — YV . J . HUGIIAK - .
TUB ESSENIAXS , —PYTHAGORAS . And so , my good brother , you have found the means of connecting the Essenians with the Masons employed ¦ in building King Solomon's Temple ; ancl the Essenians , you say , were rather philosophers than architects , and in this respect " they approached still to
nearer the character of modern speculative Masonry . " Then you have found further that " from the Essenians Pythagoras derived much , if not all , of the knowled ge and the ceremonies with which he clothed the esoteric school of his philosophy / ' Eeceivegood brother congratulations the
, , my on result of your labours in Craft literature . Our friend , however , continues as incredulous as before . Still , lie awaits with much impatience and curiosity the statement of the authorities upon which
you rely . Forward it , then , without delay . —C . P . COOPER . MASOXRY AITOS-GST THE EGLIS ' TOH'S AND BUCHAJS S OE OLD . Thanks , dear friend , for your letter upon this matter . It is in one of Bro . Murray Lyons' important
and interesting papers , bearing the venerable title "Mother Kilwinning , " that you will find mention made of an ancient manuscript which states that the most distinguished sons of the noble families of Eglinton ancl of Buchan were , for many generations , members of that renowned lodge . —C . P . COOPEE .
A MODEL LODGE . I have not authority to publish the number or name of the lodge sending the letter of which the principal part is subjoined . I call it , therefore , "A Model Lodge . ' ' ... It may interest you to learn a few prominent features of our system .
Much as w e may wish for the prosperity of the several royal Masonic charities , we look upon them as the last resource to which the unfortunate should be driven . The primary claim is upon the lodge of which the brother either is , or has been , a member . Let his lodge extend relief in the hour of need ; if
too poor , then let the Provincial lodge ; failing that , then the London Charities . In this spirit we are building up your funds : —1 , Boys' Education Fund ; 2 , Girls' Education Fund ; 3 , Indigent and Decayed Freemasons' Fund ; 4 , AVidows of Indigent and Decayed Freemasons' Fund . Yet the Royal Charities ai'fi Hhfii ' . lllv snnnnrfipil W mil- lnrlew Tr 1 ms lippn
our happy lot to have been able thus far to meet every case from our own lodge . Then we hold that , wherever a Freemasons' lodge is planted , good should pass from it to the immediate neighbourhood . There must , therefore , be subscriptions to local charities . . . . For these results Ave have taxed
our resources to the utmost , and an attempt to form a ^ Masonic library , after spending £ 50 , proved an abortive attempt . Yet we rejoice to say the feeling ancl determination to have a Masonic library is yet strong and gaining strength , aud we now see , in a year at the longest , the period when it will be
launched ou a sure basis . The great curse of Freemasonry , ' ' ¦ the banquet , " plays with us an insignificant part . AVe have very briefly touched upon the leading features of our loelge ; and , should you have a leisure hour , and your strength permit , we need hardly assure you how pleased we shall be to hear anv suggestion from you . . . . August 19 th , 18 C 7 . "—C . P . COOPER .
ROSICRUCIAU" SOCIETY . Among the recent important accessions to this literary and philosophical association we may mention the names of the accomplished Bro . AVilliam J . Hughan , of Truro , ( who has since been unanimously elected by the Ancients as Deputy Master-General ) , Irwin
Captain P . G . , of Bristol , a well-known and highly distinguished Mason ; A incent Bird , of Devonport , an equally zealous brother ; Dr . Alexander M . MacDougal F . B . G . S-, of Paris , the learned editor of a standard medical work on the " Nervous System ;" Dr . Sidney E . Clark , of Mortlake , and other eminent brethren . The winter session of the society will commence in October , under the presidency of Bro . Eobert AVentworth Little , the Master-General , who
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
seems strange that we have no scholarships by which our Lewises can receive assistance in a university career . Cannot the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Grand Mastership of the " Earl of Zetland be celebrated by a Zetland scholarship ?—A UNIVERSITY MAN .
Extremely probable that Ramsay was concerned iu the fabrication of the English degree , because it still embodies some of the details of Bis Eoyal Arch , the whole of which , I am inclined to think , in the earliest arrangement of the English degree , formed one of the preliminary ceremonies . ... I make
' this statement because the earliest copy of this degree in my possession , dated 17 SS , commences with a long explanation of the ceremonies of Ramsay's Royal Arch as preparatory to tho English degree . —J ) r . Oliver ' s " Boyal Arch , "' page 33 . N . B . This seems a very likely occurrence , and , as ideas "
Ramsay's were rejected by the Grand Lodge of England , no doubt ' the disappointed innovator proceeded to the seceders , who possibly enough received him with open arms , and saw that , by the introduction of a new degree , their success was morally certain . Ramsay visited England in 1740
, and stayed more than a year . —AV . J . I-IuTriiAS " . "The difference between the ancient and modem systems consisted solely in the mutilation and extension of the third degree ; and it is actually referred
to m the proceedings of the modern Grand Lod ^ e in 1755 . —Page 39 . On this point there cannot be a reasonable doubt , as the lectures in use about this period , drawn up by the various chiefs of tlie Craft belonging to the regular Grand Lod declared that the Masters '
ge , word " which was lost is now found , " M ,, as Br . Oliver states , found in the latter ceremonies of the third degree , when it was delivered to the newlyraised Master in due form , and , therefore , the Eoyal Arch would have thrown no new light on the subject toa constitutional Master Mason . Surelthis
_ y evidence is conclusive , and establishes the fact that , before the " schism , " or about 17-10 , the " ancients " so-called ( but in reality modern ) , fabricated the degree termed the Holy Eoyal Arch , which , though first of all rejected and ignored subsequentl
, was y adopted by the United Grand Lodge of England as pure and ancient Ereemasonry . AVe feel sure the ventilation of this subject will clo good , and lead us all to value still more the three Craft degrees . — YV . J . HUGIIAK - .
TUB ESSENIAXS , —PYTHAGORAS . And so , my good brother , you have found the means of connecting the Essenians with the Masons employed ¦ in building King Solomon's Temple ; ancl the Essenians , you say , were rather philosophers than architects , and in this respect " they approached still to
nearer the character of modern speculative Masonry . " Then you have found further that " from the Essenians Pythagoras derived much , if not all , of the knowled ge and the ceremonies with which he clothed the esoteric school of his philosophy / ' Eeceivegood brother congratulations the
, , my on result of your labours in Craft literature . Our friend , however , continues as incredulous as before . Still , lie awaits with much impatience and curiosity the statement of the authorities upon which
you rely . Forward it , then , without delay . —C . P . COOPER . MASOXRY AITOS-GST THE EGLIS ' TOH'S AND BUCHAJS S OE OLD . Thanks , dear friend , for your letter upon this matter . It is in one of Bro . Murray Lyons' important
and interesting papers , bearing the venerable title "Mother Kilwinning , " that you will find mention made of an ancient manuscript which states that the most distinguished sons of the noble families of Eglinton ancl of Buchan were , for many generations , members of that renowned lodge . —C . P . COOPEE .
A MODEL LODGE . I have not authority to publish the number or name of the lodge sending the letter of which the principal part is subjoined . I call it , therefore , "A Model Lodge . ' ' ... It may interest you to learn a few prominent features of our system .
Much as w e may wish for the prosperity of the several royal Masonic charities , we look upon them as the last resource to which the unfortunate should be driven . The primary claim is upon the lodge of which the brother either is , or has been , a member . Let his lodge extend relief in the hour of need ; if
too poor , then let the Provincial lodge ; failing that , then the London Charities . In this spirit we are building up your funds : —1 , Boys' Education Fund ; 2 , Girls' Education Fund ; 3 , Indigent and Decayed Freemasons' Fund ; 4 , AVidows of Indigent and Decayed Freemasons' Fund . Yet the Royal Charities ai'fi Hhfii ' . lllv snnnnrfipil W mil- lnrlew Tr 1 ms lippn
our happy lot to have been able thus far to meet every case from our own lodge . Then we hold that , wherever a Freemasons' lodge is planted , good should pass from it to the immediate neighbourhood . There must , therefore , be subscriptions to local charities . . . . For these results Ave have taxed
our resources to the utmost , and an attempt to form a ^ Masonic library , after spending £ 50 , proved an abortive attempt . Yet we rejoice to say the feeling ancl determination to have a Masonic library is yet strong and gaining strength , aud we now see , in a year at the longest , the period when it will be
launched ou a sure basis . The great curse of Freemasonry , ' ' ¦ the banquet , " plays with us an insignificant part . AVe have very briefly touched upon the leading features of our loelge ; and , should you have a leisure hour , and your strength permit , we need hardly assure you how pleased we shall be to hear anv suggestion from you . . . . August 19 th , 18 C 7 . "—C . P . COOPER .
ROSICRUCIAU" SOCIETY . Among the recent important accessions to this literary and philosophical association we may mention the names of the accomplished Bro . AVilliam J . Hughan , of Truro , ( who has since been unanimously elected by the Ancients as Deputy Master-General ) , Irwin
Captain P . G . , of Bristol , a well-known and highly distinguished Mason ; A incent Bird , of Devonport , an equally zealous brother ; Dr . Alexander M . MacDougal F . B . G . S-, of Paris , the learned editor of a standard medical work on the " Nervous System ;" Dr . Sidney E . Clark , of Mortlake , and other eminent brethren . The winter session of the society will commence in October , under the presidency of Bro . Eobert AVentworth Little , the Master-General , who