Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA .

LONDON , SATURDAY , FEBPTTABY 8 , 1868 .

By Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , A . M ., Masonic University of Kentaclcy , V . 8 . ; Corresponding Member of the Union of German Freemasons , Leipsic ; one ofthe Grand Stewards in the Grand Bodge of Scotland ; author of the " History of Mother Kihoinninq" cfc .

( Continued from vol . xvi . page 882 . ) ANTIQUITY OF CANONGATE KILWINNING , AND OP ST . JOHN , GIASGOAT . In Lis commentary upon the speech of the Et . "Worshipful Bro . Capt . Speirs anent the ages of

certain of the old Scottish lodges , our excellent friend and former principal on the literary staff of the noAY defunct " Scottish Freemasons' Magazine " refers to the existine- minute-books of the

Canongate Kilwinning , " Avhere are contained minutes rather earlier than 1736 , and reasons why the charter of 1677 is not at present in existence . ''' Bro . Oneal Haye has no need to apologise for the non-existence of the charter in question ; and Bro .

Speirs may well be excused for the limited know ™ ledge he seems to possess in regard to the antiquity of the Lodge No . 2 , Avhen , on this point , we find brethren entitled to be designated fathers in Masonry not a Avhit better informed than himself .

On the score of its antiquity , the historian of the Grand Lodge of Scotland pays the Canongate KilAvinning rather a left-handed compliment Avhen he attributes to iv " a sort of ti'aditionary existence since 1677 ; " and , improving upon this curt way of dealing with the subject , Bro . Dr . James Miller , in his " History , Nature , ancl Objects of

Masonry , " thus expressed himself— " This ( Can . Kil . ) Lodge claims a sort of traditionary existence from the year 1677 , but Ave entertain doubts Avhether the evidence would quite satisfy a jury of neutral antiquarians . In their charter from the

Mother Kilwinning , of date 1736 , they are acknowledged as | part " and parcel of the old lodge , a sort of ' alter ego / resident in the Canongate of Edinburgh , and reference is made to a petition presented on the'Gth December , 1677 , to be

permitted to meet as a lawful lodge , which petition is asserted to have been granted at that time . " In the expression of his doubts as to the reliableness of the evidence upon Avhich the erection of the Canongate Kilwinning is fixed as taking place in

1677 , Bro . Miller must have written unadvisedly , and in comparative ignorance of the subject he was discussing . It is rather unfortunate for his

scepticism on the point under consideration that the Masonic records at Kilwinning furnish evidence of the erection of the Canongate Lodge superior to any traditional history Avhich may point to that event , and quite conclusive as to the date of its

constitution . In the 76 th pag'e of the oldest of the existing minute books of Mother Kilwinning there occurs the following entry : " At the Ludge of Kilwinning the twentie day of December , 1677 yearis , the hail Deacons and Wardanes and rest of the Bretherin , considering the love and favour shown to us be the rest of the

Brethren of the Cannigate in Edinburgh , ane part of our number being willing to be booked and enroled , the sd day gave power and libertie to them to enter , receave , and pass any qualified persons that they think fitt , in name and behalf of

the Ludge of Kilwinning , and to pay their entrie and booking money due to the said ludge , as we do ourselves , they sending on of their number to us yearly , and Ave to do the lyk to them if need be . . . . Wm . Cowan ( deacon ) . "

Being at present engaged in revising for publication in book-form our "History of Mother Kilwinning , " we have perused with a considerable degree of interest the letter from the pen of Bro . W . P . Buchan , which appeared in the Magazine

on the 25 th ult ., although much of the information it contains Avas anticipitated by a previous reading of Bro . Cruickshanck's most interesting Historical Sketch of the Loclge of GlasgOAv St . John , a copy of Avhich Bro . Buchan had very courteously placed

at our service . Without undervaluing the importance of the discovery that brought to h ' g-lit the alleged charter of Malcolm III . or IV ,, or presuming to find fault Avith those who uphold its genuineness , and seeing also that the subject has

received publicity at the hand of the lodge itself —Ave would respectfully suggest to Bro , Buchan to be explicit in his information in regard to the nature of the evidence upon which the Court of Session decided in favour of the admissibility of '

the disputed charter as being a genuine document given under the hand of Malcolm Canmore , and whether its genuineness was tested by a "jury of neutral antiquarians , " whose names would be a guarantee for the efficient performances of so

delicate a task . Enlightenment upon this point is all the more necessary , seeing that " the genuineness of the document has indeed been called in question , " and that "its reference to Malcolm Canmore and the year 1057 is supposed to be a mis-