Masonic Notes And Queries.

the man we are seeking . We find him as a hoy at Westminster , one of the King ' s scholars , and elected to proceed from thence to Oxford , in 1657 . The Editor adds" T . Knipe , usher of Westminster School , 1661 ; second Master , 1663 ; head Master , 1695 ; Prebendary of Westminster , 1707 ; died 1711 , aged 73 . B . A ., 1660 ; M . A ., 1663 , five of his terms being dispensed with during the

time ' he did attend in his Majesty ' s School at AVestminster . ' He laboured in the school for fifty j-ears . He accumulated the degrees of B . D . and D . D ., July 3 , 1695 . It has been said that Dr . Busby did not duly appreciate Dr . Knipe ' s merits as second Master ; but it is no small praise to the latter that he made a respectable successor to that eminent instructor of youth ; he was much

respected and beloved by his pupils , as is shown by the manner in which he is mentioned by Maittaire in his Greek Dialects , who talks of him as one ' cui se sua omnia debare fatetuv , ' and likewise by Dr . W . King , in his dedication to him of the Historical Account of tlie Heathen Cods . He ( lied at Hampstead , on the 6 th of August , & c . Knipe published AiroWoSibpoy ruv ' k . 8 r \ valov Tpapfiarucov $ ifi \ wti-i ) K-

% irep ! QsSiy BiSMov & 0 . In iisum Scholar Westmonast . Lend . 1686 ; and Hebraicas Gi-ainmatic _ e Rudimenta , Oxon . 1708 . There is a print of him from a picture by Dhall , 1696 . " There are several other mentions of him and his family in the same volume , which are not necessary to insert here , but to prove that he was something more than a myth , I append tho matter , which the Editor ,

amongst other documents , gives a fac-simile of , it is dated " Febr . 7 , 1663 . Borrowd then of Dr . Eichd . Busby the sume of thirty pownds to be paid againe to Him vpon demaund , by me , Tho . Snipe . " Enough has been here advanced to give a clue to letters of his contemporaries and others in which , holding the position he did for many years , there must be frequent allusions to , and notices of him .- —MATTHEW COOKE .

DB . KNIPE . In answer to " M . A ., Oxon , " I beg to say that I used the appellation of " Dr . Thomas Knipe , " just as the writer of the preface to the History of Berkshire uses it . Seemingly , like Bro . Hyde Clarke , my attention had been attracted to the professed extract then given , of a letter from Dr . Thomas Knipe , of Christchurcb , which

is to to the effect that he , Dr . Knipe , had seen certain collections of Elias Ashmole towards a history of Masonry , which collections havo hitherto evaded research . One of the present officers of the Bodleian , in answer to my queries , says , " we have no letters of Knipe ' s in the Bodleian . The man you allude to must be Mr . Richard Knipe , if he wrote his letter to Curl . Dr .

Thomas Knipe died too early in 1711 . " I cannot indeed , inform "M . A ., Oxon , " when Thomas Knipe took his Doctor ' s degree , or in what faculty , if any ; but I give him the authority on which I , not unnaturally , continued the appellation which . Aubrey had given him , of "Dr . Thomas Knipe . "—A . F . A . WOODFOED . Swillington , Leeds .

BROTHER WATSON S CIIABGE AT CLOSING A LODGE . Bro . AV . AVatson frequently delivers a charge at closing a lodge , beginning , ' ' You are now about to quit this sacred retreat . " Is it part of our ceremony , and from whence is it derived ?—A LONDON W . M . —[ It is no part of our ritual as promulgated by authority . It is the production of Bro . Thaddeus Mason Harrisand first

, printed by him in his edition of the Booh of Constitutions , prepared for , and sanctioned by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , which was printed at Worcester in the United States , in 1792 . The copy before us contains , in addition to the old charges , " A charge at the opening of a lodge , " no author ' s name given . " A charge at the closing of a lodge . [ By Brother T . M . H . ] " " A charge

at initiation into the first degree . " Very similar to that in Preston . "A charge to a newly admitted Mason . " " A charge at initiation into the second degree . " "A charge at initiation into the third degree . " " Charge to a

Master at his Installation . " " Charge to a Grand Master at his Installation . " "Addresses to be added to the usual charges : — 'At Initiation of a Clergyman ; ' ' At Initiation of a Foreigner ; ' ' At Initiation of a Soldier . " Then come various pra ) T ers on similar occasions , and different ceremonies . ]

UNLAWFUL CEBE 3 I 0 NIES . "Delta" is not satisfied with my explanations at page 396 of "Memoires Historiques sur les Templiers . " published at Paris in 1805 . The 205 th witness , Hugues de Narsac , Prior of Epanes , in Saintoage , declares " that an abuse added to an innocent ceremonial has given place to the demand to deny God , made to a new brother . This was a proof of unlimited obedience . " Tho 171 st

witness , p . 392 , declares " that these abuses had commenced after the death of the Grand Master , AVilhnm de Beanjeu . " The 124 th witness , p . 388 , AVilliam de Liege , Prior of Kochelle , aged 80 years , declares " that his reception ( very ancient ) had been irreproachable . " "He has not denied , nor has ever seen any one deny God ; but he admits that he has heard of . these denials

foiabout 50 years , but during that time he has avoided assistance at the receptions . '' Audebert , the 204 th witness , p . 396 , " looks upon the denial and the spitting as a practice then recognised by all the Order . " Almost all say that there were abuses introduced by William of Beanjeu . " Delta " will find much the same evidence in Rymer ' s Federa as regards the English Templars . — EBOR .

KNIGHT TEJIPLAES 1 VAKEANT . Amongst the miscellaneous properties of my lodge , there is an old K . T . warrant , dated 10 th October , 1786 . On referring to the British , Irish , and Colonial Calendar , I find no earlier date of an existing warrant than 1791 , and thinking the one in question may possess some interest for those who have taken the K . T . degree , I send

you a transcript . The original is on a species of prepared linen , and all in manuscript ; the seal appears to have been removed when the warrant was framed . ZSTofc having taken the K . T . degree , I do not know whether the copy enclosed is in the ordinary form , or whether it is worthy of preservation ; at any rate , you are at liberty to make any use of it you may think fit . —H . B . AVHITE , W . M . Lodge of Lights ( No . 173 ) .

"In the name of the Most Glorious Self-existing Lord God . "EDWAIU . AVOLLEY , G . G . C . No . 15 . " We , for the time being , the G . G . C . of the G . R . E . of AU England , held at York , do , by the power and authority vested in us from the earliest ages of C . K ., and derived to us from the successors of that worthy S . K . T ., S . G . B . the first O . K . of Jerusalem , in our great love to the Order of S . K . T ., and in

compliance with tho humble petition of Sir John Hassall , Sir Joseph Cartev , and Sir James Ashton , and others , all S . K . T . 's , praying our authority , constitution , and warrant to hold a __ .. __!_ . of S . K . T . in Manchester , in the County Palatine of Lancaster ,, or elsewhere , do grant this our warrant for holding such R . E .. in any convenient place in Manchester aforesaid , or elsewhere . , in the same county , according to the ancient usages and customs of ail legal R . E . ; and they and their successorsalways observing

, clue subordination and acknowledgment , are hereby authorised , and empowered to hold a R . E . of S . K . T ., and to continue it by succession to perpetual ages ; and by the authority so vested in us , we do hereby nominate and constitute our T . and AV . B . B ., all S . K . T ., John Hassall , Joseph Carter , and James Ashton , to be present G . C . thereof , each in order as named ; and we do herebinvest them with full power to nominate aud instal their

y succeeding G . C , and those their succeeding G . C , and so on inperpetual succession ; and such G . C , from time to time , are hereby empowered and authorised by their known ancl secret methods to make ancl admit such worthy brethren S . K . T . as are regular and properly qualified to receive such order and dignity ; and also to receive into their R . E . such as were worthy and regular S . K . T . before , and to expel from their E . E . such as , by

their dishonourable behaviour , untaught themselves , or merit expulsion ; and also to convene the K . of the E .. E . at their pleasure , and when right shall require it ; and , likewise , to deliver certificates to all worthy S . K . T . ; and we , the G . G . C .