Masonic Notes And Queries.

the beginning of the eighteenth century , it is not to be wondered at that foreign brethren should say England is tho birthplace of Freemasonry , but that it is not so everyone who studies the subject for himself must be perfectly well aware . ]

MARK MAN AND MAEK MASTER . Which is the correct designation of a Mark Freemason , a Mark Man or a Mark Master ? Are they identical or different ?—M . M . THE DOORS OE THE TEMPLE . Where were the doors of the temple situated ? I

said East , West , and South , but have been told I am wrong . Are we not told so?—A TOTING MAN . — [ You are wrong , whether you have been told so or not . The west had no door . The doors were east , north , and south . If you can get a copy of Zoroaster you willperhapsunderstand why . The old Masons

, , knew , and used to give the reason , but we don't give reasons now—we only assert ; and many very silly assertions we make , quite contrary to common sense and historical fact . The York Masons had more knowledge in their little fingers than all the lodge of reconciliation in their whole bodies . You sigu

yourself "A Youug Mason . " If you are so test everything , enquire for yourself , and dou't be led astray by mud huts , or any nonsense of the kind . Lodges of instruction are not unfrequently lodges of co . istructionfor the whimsical theories of the brethren termed preceptoi-s . ]

SYMBOLIC COLOURS . What are the symbolic colours applicable to Freemasons?—T . P . —[ Will " T . P . " oblige us by defining what he means by Freemasonry , i . e ., how many degrees he includes in his query , because on this point a correct answer turns . If his series is Craft

Masonry only , then blue , white , and , for Grand Officers , purple , are those applicable . If he includes the Eoyal Arch then add red . If other degrees , state them , for we can give him a touch of the entire prism , and one or two composites into the bargain , amongst the higher orders aud degrees . ]

THE REBUILDING OE THE TEMPLE ' . How many degrees refer to the building of the Temple?—T . P . —[ "T . P . " is an instance of inconclusiveness . How can we answer unless we know what Temple is meant—whether it was the building of Zerubbabel ' s or the other temple not built by

human hands . Brevity is highly to be commended in asking questions , but with brevity should be fulness and accuracy of inquiry . Two loose questions in one week are enough to puzzle that most iugenious of all mortals , a Philadelphia lawyer . ]

2295 , B . C . To what degree does the era 2295 u . c . relate ?—VERITAS . —[ The 13 ° , or Eoyal Arch , of the Ancient and Accepted Eite . ] THAT ' S NOT MASONIC .

In the course of our Masonic career , I have heard the following replies stated to be tin-Masonic . A brother , really an interminable button-holder , addressed another with a long-winded question . The individual BO inquired of replied , " Oh ! botheration , how can I

Masonic Notes And Queries.

tell ? " This answer I heard stigmatised as un-Masonic . Another time a brother lost his gloves , and was lamenting the misfortune in doleful terms , when a brothersaid , " No one will notice it , go in ; if your hands are dirty put them behind your back . " This was pronounced un-Masonic Are there any

hints on Masonic etiquette to be had ; I so often hear " That's not Masonic , " that I should like to know what really may be considered to be the right thing?—0 . M . Y . —[ Our querist is a wag , but-we hope he won't say , " that ' s not Masonic . " He will see we excised some curious items—and good

very they were ; but if we had inserted them the brethren ,, who could by no possibility have been mistaken by a large number of the Craft , would have said of us "that ' s not Masonic" to print such things . ]

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Tlie Editor is not responsible for ihe opinions expressed ly Correspondents , MASONIC TAXATION . TO TUB EDITOR 0 ? TUB _ . __ --El _ -. SO-. S MAGAZINE A 1 TD MASOXIC HIP-EOH . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I must own to a feeling of disappoiutmentxm reading the "P . M . ' s" reply to

my previous letter on Masonic Taxation . I fear I did him an unintentional injustice iu supposing that one who advocates , as he does , such an unconstitutional measure as a general direct taxation , ou behalf of the well-supported Charities iu connection with Freemasonsmust deal with the subject in a

compre-, hensive spirit , while " gilding the bitter pill" he would compel us all to swallow , and be , at least , clear and intelligible in the plan he proposes . Alas ! for my simplicity . The "P . M . " does not charm by his eloquence , convince by his reasoning , nor enlist sympathy for his project . He has no constructive theory by

which to suggest the modus operandi of his scheme . All that he puts forward is a crude , dogmatic proposition that every Freemason should be taxed tenshillings annually on behalf of the four Charities

applicable to the brethren and their families . There he stops , without a single suggestion of how this should be clone , aud his inventive powers appear tobe exhausted . He has harped on his one string and it produces no more than its solitary note . Delicacy towards a widely-beloved aud suffering brother suggested the suppression of his name in my

last letter . That he was a brother of " great influence , " when actively engaged in his duties , need not have been questioned by the "P . M ., " as I wrote truthfully and not hypothetically . But as all brfttbren of " great influence" may not be known to the " P . M ., " I beg to inform him I alluded to Brother Crew , Past .

Secretary to the Girls' School , who had often , years ago , propounded a system of taxation for the Charitable Institutions connected with Freemasons , the scheme of which was ably defined , but was induced not to take any steps towards his end by the advice of some of the largest contributors and warmestfriends to those establishments .

Paying and giving are two distinct acts though money is the basis of both . AVe pay for what we bave or make ourselves liable for . Payment is the redemption from a claim which we are bound in honour to satisfy because for what we pay we have ,