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  • Nov. 24, 1860
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Nov. 24, 1860: Page 8

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    Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Page 8

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Masonic Notes And Queries.

CONSECRATION VESSELS OP GRAND LODGE . These vessels , from what I once saw of them , struck me as being of very elegant design and classic form . Who was the artist . that planned them ?—War . E . . T . . ... FRENCH STEP-BOARDS . [ If you do not know better , we do . Never send us questions that must not appear . We are anxious to oblige all who have anything to say that does not interfere with our duty , but we cannot allow improper things to find their way into these columns . ]

TIIE CEDARS OE LEBANON . Everything connected with the building of King Solomon ' s Temple ought to have an interest for our Craft , and reading the following in a late article , I have cut it out as deserving a place in your "Notes and Queries : ""The stately cedars of Lebanon , several of which are believed to have been in their prime when Solomon built tbe Temple , stand by

themselves in a gorge of the mountain , with no other trees near them . Of ' all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted tip , ' these alone remain , for on no other part of the mountain are cedars to be found . The bark of the most ancient has been cut away in places to afford room for carving names of \ -isitors , among which one regrets to learn , is that of Lamartine . In their anxiety to protect the Holy Places it is surprising that neither France nor Russia has thought of protecting the cedars of Lebanonivhich

, have as strong a claim upon the veneration of all readers of the Bible as the shrines ancl relics of Palestine . These are trees such as those ivhich suggested to the Psalmist ancl the Prophets the noblest imagery in the Old Testament . They are , moreover , called the 'trees of the Lord / ivhich 'He hath planted . ' - "—Times Correspondent . —P . P .

ROTAL ARCH ROBES . A companion lately told me that in certain Eoyal Arch Chapters , robes for the Principals , and surplices for the Scribes , have never been worn . That some fifty years ago they were totally unknown , and certainly , at the present time , no mention is made of them under the heading "Regalia " in the Regulations for the Order of Royal Arch 2 Iasons . M y questions are , when were they first introduced , by whom , and under what authority?—SECOND CHAIR .

THE SEVEN-BRANCHED CANDLESTICK . Some authors treat this as a Masonic Symbol . Is there any recorded representation of it extant?—E . Q . —[ Plenty See any book of JeAvish Antiquities , on the Catacombs of Rome . In the Museum of Naples , amongst many others , is one of the stones taken from a Jewish tomb , bearing the folloiving inscription : — "Here lieth Quiutianus , Gerousiarch ( i . e ., a chief elder ) , of the Synagogue of the Augustenses , ¦ who lived 50 years . His falling asleep was in peace . " This is surmounted by a delineation of the seven-branched candlestick . ]

MASONIC CARICATURES . Where can I find a list of caricatures in which Masonry , or Masonic implements , are introduced . I am told , amongst the older caricaturists they were not uncommon?—ELIO ' . THE 3 I 0 ST PERFECT 3 IAS 0 N KNOWN . Who was the most jierfect Mason known in England ? I ask this in the past tense , as it ivould be invidious to extend it to the present . —E . C . L . B . —[ Never mind the tensebut

, tell us in ivhat sense you mean . The most perfect Mason , in one sense , must have been Dr . Perfect , Prov . G . M . of Kent . _ In another sense , any brother who has been perfected in every degree . Yet , again , the most letter perfect brother ; and lastly , in our opinion , that brother who did his duty to Gocl , his neighbour , and himself ]

JACOBITE GRAND PIASTER . Did any of the nobles of Scotland who took side with the Pretender belong to the Craft?—MCPIIER . . —[ Yes . The Grancl Master Mason of Scotland in 1742 was William , 4 th Earl of Kilmarnock , AATIO . engaging in the rebellion of 1745 , was attainted of hi gh treason , and executed on Tower-hill . August 18 th , 174-6 . In the same family connection , viz .,

the Earldom of Errol , there was another Grancl Master Mason in 1751 , James , Lord Boyd , 13 th Earl of Errol , of whom it is related that he officiated as Constable of Scotland at the coronation of Geo . III ., in 1761 , and neglecting , by accident , to pull off his cap Avhen the King entered , he apologized for his negligence in the most respectful manner ; but his Majesty entreated him to be covered , for he looked on his presence at the solemnity as a very particular honour . ]

JIASONTO LANGUAGE OF THE EAULY AGES . When I was a young man , I used to read in a very desultory manner , and never troubled myself to make a note . Since then I have frequently lamented the practice , and never more than on my becoming a Mason . I had frequently met with stray notes on Masonry , which I passed over , but , if I could refer to now , would , I am sure , bo invaluable . Such a one recurred to me latelyand I send

it-, to you in the hope that some brother may have employed his time better than I did , and noted the place of its occurrence -. — " la the early ages it was believed that the secret societies created for their own especial uses languages differing in roots arid grammatical construction from the vulgar tongue . In such speech the initiated were enabled to converse aloud , even in . the presence of those who did

not belong to their association , and ivithout any fear or chance of detection . " Such is the sense of a passage I have once read ; and I shall be obliged to any brother who will point out Avhere the original idea is to be found . —CAXIX ..

OLD LODGE BOOKS . Is there any way of ascertaining what lodges have perfect sets of their minute-books , ledgers , & c . ? I am inclined to think but very few , for I have recently seen all that -were to be found of those appertaining to two of the first lodges iu the Craft , both above a century old . A , as I will call it-r begins Avith a visitors ' -book in 1778 ; minutes about 1790 ; a hiatus iu both from about 1802-19 ; and some of the

entries so Avretchedly imiierfect that it is a work of labour to make out their meaning . In many cases they were supplied by the Tyler , who seems to have had more consideration for the records of the lodge than any of its members . B starts with a minute-book in 1823 : for a time beautifully kept ; then comes an interregnum of confusion ,. Avhich is succeeded by neatness and regularity . Lately ,

however , it becomes again wholly unintelligible ; and , to crown all , there is not so much as a list of the members , or their addresses , for the last four years ! Might it not be worthy of consideration if the Board of General Purr poses , Avho have the power to call for books or papers , were to issue an order that all lodge books disused for one year should be deposited hi the Grand Secretary ' s

office , and every lodge should be compelled to send all their old books there , in preference to allowing them to be made pipe-lights of for the benefit of the brother host ' s parlour customers ? One word or two on this point will assuredly call forth some stringent action to prevent old records being so shamefully treated as in the two cases above mentioned . —Ex . Ex .

AA'ARRANT OF CONFIRMATION . Any lodge that holds under a Warrant of Confirmation , and would kindly furnish a brother with a ' - copy of that document , would oblige Ex . Ex .

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND A TIT . Dr . W . Tyler Smith , in his opening address to the students for the present session at the medical school in connection ivith St .. Mary ' s Hospital , Paddington , bore the following noble testimony to the value of the press to the profession : — "In the medical press , they had an important engine of progress . The existence of this

power and its flourishing condition depended greatly upon their tendency to associative labour . Into this treasury was poured . . week after week , the labours of the best men in the profession , and its directors shape ancl produce these exertions so as to vender them useful to the medical public . The medical press was to the body medical , what medical men wore to the public . The press , more

than any other influence , moulded the profession as a body ' politic . By its agency extravagancies were checked , grievances pointed out and redressed , discoveries made known , and abuses prevented . In a word , the press , as a whole , was an embodiment of the public opinion of the profession , ancl when it ceased to be this it failed in its influence . It was perfectly

democratic , as open to the voice of the youngest student as to the utterance of the highest persons in the profession . It was a great educational instrument , modifying the laws , iustitn-

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1860-11-24, Page 8” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 11 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_24111860/page/8/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
CLASSICAL THEOLOGY.—XXXVII. Article 1
MASONIC JOTTINGS FROM ABROAD. Article 2
STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS. Article 4
ARCHITECTURE AND ARCHÆLOOGY. Article 5
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 7
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 10
CLASSICAL THEOLOGY. Article 10
THE GRAND MASTER OF CANADA. Article 11
MASONIC HALLS. Article 11
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 12
GRAND LODGE. Article 12
METROPOLITAN. Article 12
PROVINCIAL. Article 16
TURKEY. Article 18
Poetry. Article 19
THE SOUL'S MORNING. Article 19
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 19
NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. Article 19
THE WEEK. Article 19
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Masonic Notes And Queries.

CONSECRATION VESSELS OP GRAND LODGE . These vessels , from what I once saw of them , struck me as being of very elegant design and classic form . Who was the artist . that planned them ?—War . E . . T . . ... FRENCH STEP-BOARDS . [ If you do not know better , we do . Never send us questions that must not appear . We are anxious to oblige all who have anything to say that does not interfere with our duty , but we cannot allow improper things to find their way into these columns . ]

TIIE CEDARS OE LEBANON . Everything connected with the building of King Solomon ' s Temple ought to have an interest for our Craft , and reading the following in a late article , I have cut it out as deserving a place in your "Notes and Queries : ""The stately cedars of Lebanon , several of which are believed to have been in their prime when Solomon built tbe Temple , stand by

themselves in a gorge of the mountain , with no other trees near them . Of ' all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted tip , ' these alone remain , for on no other part of the mountain are cedars to be found . The bark of the most ancient has been cut away in places to afford room for carving names of \ -isitors , among which one regrets to learn , is that of Lamartine . In their anxiety to protect the Holy Places it is surprising that neither France nor Russia has thought of protecting the cedars of Lebanonivhich

, have as strong a claim upon the veneration of all readers of the Bible as the shrines ancl relics of Palestine . These are trees such as those ivhich suggested to the Psalmist ancl the Prophets the noblest imagery in the Old Testament . They are , moreover , called the 'trees of the Lord / ivhich 'He hath planted . ' - "—Times Correspondent . —P . P .

ROTAL ARCH ROBES . A companion lately told me that in certain Eoyal Arch Chapters , robes for the Principals , and surplices for the Scribes , have never been worn . That some fifty years ago they were totally unknown , and certainly , at the present time , no mention is made of them under the heading "Regalia " in the Regulations for the Order of Royal Arch 2 Iasons . M y questions are , when were they first introduced , by whom , and under what authority?—SECOND CHAIR .

THE SEVEN-BRANCHED CANDLESTICK . Some authors treat this as a Masonic Symbol . Is there any recorded representation of it extant?—E . Q . —[ Plenty See any book of JeAvish Antiquities , on the Catacombs of Rome . In the Museum of Naples , amongst many others , is one of the stones taken from a Jewish tomb , bearing the folloiving inscription : — "Here lieth Quiutianus , Gerousiarch ( i . e ., a chief elder ) , of the Synagogue of the Augustenses , ¦ who lived 50 years . His falling asleep was in peace . " This is surmounted by a delineation of the seven-branched candlestick . ]

MASONIC CARICATURES . Where can I find a list of caricatures in which Masonry , or Masonic implements , are introduced . I am told , amongst the older caricaturists they were not uncommon?—ELIO ' . THE 3 I 0 ST PERFECT 3 IAS 0 N KNOWN . Who was the most jierfect Mason known in England ? I ask this in the past tense , as it ivould be invidious to extend it to the present . —E . C . L . B . —[ Never mind the tensebut

, tell us in ivhat sense you mean . The most perfect Mason , in one sense , must have been Dr . Perfect , Prov . G . M . of Kent . _ In another sense , any brother who has been perfected in every degree . Yet , again , the most letter perfect brother ; and lastly , in our opinion , that brother who did his duty to Gocl , his neighbour , and himself ]

JACOBITE GRAND PIASTER . Did any of the nobles of Scotland who took side with the Pretender belong to the Craft?—MCPIIER . . —[ Yes . The Grancl Master Mason of Scotland in 1742 was William , 4 th Earl of Kilmarnock , AATIO . engaging in the rebellion of 1745 , was attainted of hi gh treason , and executed on Tower-hill . August 18 th , 174-6 . In the same family connection , viz .,

the Earldom of Errol , there was another Grancl Master Mason in 1751 , James , Lord Boyd , 13 th Earl of Errol , of whom it is related that he officiated as Constable of Scotland at the coronation of Geo . III ., in 1761 , and neglecting , by accident , to pull off his cap Avhen the King entered , he apologized for his negligence in the most respectful manner ; but his Majesty entreated him to be covered , for he looked on his presence at the solemnity as a very particular honour . ]

JIASONTO LANGUAGE OF THE EAULY AGES . When I was a young man , I used to read in a very desultory manner , and never troubled myself to make a note . Since then I have frequently lamented the practice , and never more than on my becoming a Mason . I had frequently met with stray notes on Masonry , which I passed over , but , if I could refer to now , would , I am sure , bo invaluable . Such a one recurred to me latelyand I send

it-, to you in the hope that some brother may have employed his time better than I did , and noted the place of its occurrence -. — " la the early ages it was believed that the secret societies created for their own especial uses languages differing in roots arid grammatical construction from the vulgar tongue . In such speech the initiated were enabled to converse aloud , even in . the presence of those who did

not belong to their association , and ivithout any fear or chance of detection . " Such is the sense of a passage I have once read ; and I shall be obliged to any brother who will point out Avhere the original idea is to be found . —CAXIX ..

OLD LODGE BOOKS . Is there any way of ascertaining what lodges have perfect sets of their minute-books , ledgers , & c . ? I am inclined to think but very few , for I have recently seen all that -were to be found of those appertaining to two of the first lodges iu the Craft , both above a century old . A , as I will call it-r begins Avith a visitors ' -book in 1778 ; minutes about 1790 ; a hiatus iu both from about 1802-19 ; and some of the

entries so Avretchedly imiierfect that it is a work of labour to make out their meaning . In many cases they were supplied by the Tyler , who seems to have had more consideration for the records of the lodge than any of its members . B starts with a minute-book in 1823 : for a time beautifully kept ; then comes an interregnum of confusion ,. Avhich is succeeded by neatness and regularity . Lately ,

however , it becomes again wholly unintelligible ; and , to crown all , there is not so much as a list of the members , or their addresses , for the last four years ! Might it not be worthy of consideration if the Board of General Purr poses , Avho have the power to call for books or papers , were to issue an order that all lodge books disused for one year should be deposited hi the Grand Secretary ' s

office , and every lodge should be compelled to send all their old books there , in preference to allowing them to be made pipe-lights of for the benefit of the brother host ' s parlour customers ? One word or two on this point will assuredly call forth some stringent action to prevent old records being so shamefully treated as in the two cases above mentioned . —Ex . Ex .

AA'ARRANT OF CONFIRMATION . Any lodge that holds under a Warrant of Confirmation , and would kindly furnish a brother with a ' - copy of that document , would oblige Ex . Ex .

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND A TIT . Dr . W . Tyler Smith , in his opening address to the students for the present session at the medical school in connection ivith St .. Mary ' s Hospital , Paddington , bore the following noble testimony to the value of the press to the profession : — "In the medical press , they had an important engine of progress . The existence of this

power and its flourishing condition depended greatly upon their tendency to associative labour . Into this treasury was poured . . week after week , the labours of the best men in the profession , and its directors shape ancl produce these exertions so as to vender them useful to the medical public . The medical press was to the body medical , what medical men wore to the public . The press , more

than any other influence , moulded the profession as a body ' politic . By its agency extravagancies were checked , grievances pointed out and redressed , discoveries made known , and abuses prevented . In a word , the press , as a whole , was an embodiment of the public opinion of the profession , ancl when it ceased to be this it failed in its influence . It was perfectly

democratic , as open to the voice of the youngest student as to the utterance of the highest persons in the profession . It was a great educational instrument , modifying the laws , iustitn-

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