Masonic Notes And Queries.

of Masonic secrecy , and then spread throughout England and Ireland calling themselves Masonic Templars . By this means I have no doubt that the customs , ceremonials , and costume became much changed , and a sad jumble of Cliivalric and Masonic rites ensued , more particularly in the last century when the rage for mysterious and secret societies was at its highest . " The jewels worn bthe officers of English encampments

y , and many of the titles , there does not appear any history to sanction , nor can our Grand Conclave produce any authority for their adoption , though the jewels now adopted by us were taken in a great measure from the Scotch Order . The titles ' 1 st and 2 nd Captain , Senior and Junior Wardens , Prelate , Expert , Captain of Lines , ' etc ., are all modern innovations , as is also that of calling an assembly of Templars an encampment . This word

may have arisen after the dispersion of the Order , from small detached bodies being found dispersed in different countries . Command-cry , Priory or Preceptory of the Order being the correct term . " I am not satisfied at the United States Templars refusing to admit English Templars without their taking intermediate degrees that wo do not recognise . A great many of us object to

the O . B . of the 'Knight of the East or Sword , ' and I can see no use in the Order as connected with the Temple . There should certainly be some law passed to admit Templars of the English jurisdiction as Templars , without reference to other degrees .

'As a Masonic body , the Grand Lodge of England recognises no other degrees than those of which it takes charge , viz ., the E . A ., P . C ., and M . M . ; this is the first subdivision into which the degrees of Masonry are divided . There are , in the United States , France , Ireland , and some other places where higher degrees are conferred , other divisions into which the degree of Masonry are subdivided , each of which subdivisions is under the charge of some Grand Lodge or of some superior degree . The

Grand Encampment of the United States requires that a candidate shall have taken the Mark and Most Excellent Masters ' Degrees , hut they also require him to be a ltoyal Arch Mason , which is higher than the two former . Now these two ( Mark M . and M . E . M . ) , arc not recognised in England at all , and I understand that if an English Koyat Arch Mason visits your chapters , he will not be admitted unless healed . But manyI

knowre-, , fuse to take more O . B . 's . So , in the same way , I could not visit your encampments , because I do not choose to take the O . B . of the Knight of Red Cross . Surely this cannot be right , or if so , Masonry is not universal . I maintain that the simpler ancl fewer the degrees , the better , as more in accordance with ancient usage .

" The ltoyal Arch is only tlie perfection of the Master Mason , and the word was formerly given when taking the chair as installed Master . The degree of ltoyal Arch , as a separate ceremony , arose from the disputes between the so-called ' ancient ' and ' modern' Masons , and the ceremonial of the ltoyal Arch was never heard of until 1700 . There is no connection with our Templar Order and the rites of Masonry , but none but Christian Foyal Arch Masons will be admitted as candidatessimpl

, y that as being vouched for in that degree of Freemasonry , we presume we are admitting into our Oreler none but , 17001 ^ men and true . The test of old was ' noble birth , ' this , with many points of the vow , has very properly been abolished , to conform to a more enlightened and liberal age . ' ' All United States Templars are received and welcomed into an English encampment , but we are debarred from yours unless

we take O . B . ' s we are taught not to recognise , ancl do not consider necessary . , 1 very much fear that this is a stumbling block to-many who would otherwise visit the encampments in the United States . "

OPERATIVE l'HEEMASONltr . I am obliged to "Ebor" for his kind offer ; anything relating to the history of the Operative fraternity cannot fail to interest us all . Pirst , as to the Sloane MS ., already quoted from , is it the 16-1-6 or the 1659 document ? 2 . Are the 80 , or 40 , regulations there given attached to the usual operative constitutions ? 3 . Can "Ebor" vouch

that the words " society , company and fraternity , " aro contained in the original document ? 4 . Is not that document , itself , destructive of " Ebor ' s" theory , as I understand it , and in conformity with the teaching of the Grand Lodge of 1717 ? Since it shews that no one could

be made an apprentice until he was twenty-one years of age , that being beyond the time of life of a working apprentice . There can be little doubt that present Preemasonry is from three sources , viz ., the Bosicrucians , Cliivalric Order of the Temple , and speculative Masonry of the operative builders , the question being what share has each had in forming the present system ? York

Masonry was affected by the Templars , London by the Bosicrucians , Templary and Speculative Masonry probably being branches of the elder brother of the mysteries , latterly termed Bosicrucianism . —A . THE OEDEE OE CINCINNATUS . With reference to this order , concerning which

informationwas solicited by " Ordo ab Chao" ( November 15 th , 1862 ) , iu the essay on American Statesmen , contributed by Lord Brougham to the Edinburgh Review , October , 1837 , there appears the following passage , " But , at the first , no reasonable doubt can be entertained of the fondness for monarchial institutions which prevailed among the Federalists . The difficulty with which the scheme of

the Cincinnati , an order of merit and . of military merit , was first modified and then abandoned , is well known . " —III . DEO . BICIIAKD LINNECAB . I have in my possession an engraved portrait of Eichard Linnecar , E . W . M . of the Lodge of Unanimity ( hTo . 202 ) , Wakefield , and a coroner for tbe county of

York . The portrait was published in the year 1800 . It is from a painting by H . Singleton , and engraved by T . Barrow ; and represents the " worthy Mason " as seatedin the chair of K . S ., with the jewel of office suspended from his neck . On the pedestal before him is the Bible , opened at the Gospel of St . John . The figure is surrounded by Masonic emblems , & c . Can you , or any , of your readers give some information as to Bro . Linnecar , who seems to have been a person of note iu his day and generation ?—TRIANGLE .

SENSATION . An incident of a peculiar kind occurred to a willing assistant in collecting marks on mediaeval buildings as made by operative Masons , at Worcester Cathedral , which might have had a very serious effect on the searching brother . After passing over the walls of the interior of the nave , chancel , side chapels , and the curious

retiring places for the vergers , subsacristaus and others , the brother descended into the crypt from tho outside of tho building , which was in utter darkness , save a small stream of light through a wooden partition due north and south—tho brother hoping to find means of admiting light into tho dismal abode of the dead to assist his labours . Proceeding on his course by aid of his umbrella ,

probing his way , his foot struck something which yielded to the blow . A momentary shudder , and doubtless cold perspiration might have been traced on the forehead of our searching brother . After trying the effect ofthe end of his umbrella , only one consideration presented itself to our brother ' s mind—that it was a corpse wrapped around with a blanket or other covering , and placed there for

tho purpose of removal . He placed his foot upon it when the substance yielded to the pressure , and to some minds it would have been evidence strong as proof in holy writ , that tho first impression was correct . Confidence being restored and the service overhead having commenced , our brother found one of the workmen , who produced a candle for the purpose of closer inspection ,

and descended the steps of tho gloomy apartment , and with much difficulty succeded in lighting it , but only for a brief period , the draughts of wind being excessive , as if to prevent examination of this peculiar substance ; the brother , however , succeeded in ascertaining that there were no marks visible for him to store , and that the substance which had yielded to the pressure of his foot was only an old worn out hassock . —E . E . X . —Worcester April 22 nd , 1863 .