Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

and they admitted non-operatives , ail being eligible for admission to the annual dinner or ball as the case might be . Such was the case with the " squaremen , " no men admitted unless they were Bro . Squaremen . Speaking on this

subject lately to an old operative Mason , he informed me that when he first joined his trade he went through the ceremony of being brothered , but said ceremony was different from being made a Freemason , as he afterwards found . This

agrees with Bro . Haye ' s interesting remarks at page 164 . I back up his desire for an account ofthe London trades ; I have long wished for it , and said so . There was a book mentioned as forthcoming , viz ., " Toulmin Smith ' s English ¦ Guilds , " but I have not heard of its being out

yet . I am not aware that the " operative stonemasons' marks" are entitled to all the credit of being the parent of " the present system of trade marks . " Other bodies used " marks , " or stamps , or signs as well as Masons . We have been writing far too much as . if the Masons were everything . W . P . - BUCHAN .

No less than sixteen Freemason lodges claim date prior to 1717 , and to having continued to work in a similar way as they at present do . These lodges hold charters of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . EDINBURGH .

FREEMASONS 600 YEARS BEFORE THE CHRIS

TAIN ERA . Sir Charles Lemon , in his address in 18 4 6 to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cornwall , observes : " It happened last year that , travelling in Poland , he was induced to visit a very ancient Jewish

temple , built 600 years before Christ , and which is preserved in the same state in which it was originally built and ornamented •here he discovered Masonic emblems now used by the Fraternity . He was introduced to the chief

rabbi , whom he found to be a worthy Freemason . A late writer remarks that in investigating the subject of the discipline of the secret , as it was called by the Fathers of the Church , who were Masons , he discovered conclusive evidence that

no less than eighteen of these holy men belonged to the Fraternity . They had their signs and symbols •and St . Chrysostom , who lived in the fifth century , alludes to our mysteries , which , he says , ' the initiated will know what I mean . ' "—

Jewish Chronicle . In a work printed by Mathew Lownes in 1623 , entitled " The Imperial History ; From the first foundation of the Roman Moarchy to this present tyme , by Ed . Grymestone , Sariant at

Amies . 1 have noticed that the headings of many of the chapters have the following ornament printed under them—three ( 'V' ) nvepointed stars , arranged as in the above sketch . This ornament first appears at the heading of the Life of Claudius , as follows : —

THE LIFE OF CLADIUS THE FIRST Or THAT NAME , AM ) 1- -1 FT HUMANE EMI'EUOIK . ( V ) THE AUGVMENT . The ornament next appears under the name of Marcus Antonius Pius , then under those of Op ilius Macrinus , Heliogabalus , Maximus Pupienus and Clodius Bubblinus , and Gordianus .

From this reign the ornament heads nearl y every chapter , and the history itself is closed with the same ornament in 1622 in the reign of Ferdinand the Second . I think it probable that the printer was one of the Craft , and I should

be glad to have your opinion , or that ol some of your correspondents , on this point . In many of the tail pieces a Death's Head is a salient ornament , and half of a classical portico on a raised pedestal appears in some of the initial vignettes . FIVE POINTS .

TRADE TOUCHES , MARKS AND SY . MIiOI . S ( page 164 ) . I perused with much pleasure the valuable remarks of Bro . A . O . Haye , and sorry wc have so little from him now . Like many others , we

deeply regret the cause which led to his long silence , and nothing would afford us more pleasure than to hear of that cause being entirely removed , and he amongst us again better than ever . LEO .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

—<•» , — The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) SIR , —I shall have great pleasure , if it be of interest to yourself or readers , to submit to your

inspection my diploma of Loge des Philadelphes , diploma of Perseverante Amitie , Orient of Paris , and certificate by Grand Lodge of my being joining member of No . 754 , Tottenham , " High Cross , " & c , which , however , I have not attended for two years . May I ask if the querist is a brother ? Yours fraternally ,

CH . BRADLAUGH Sunderland Villa , Park , Tottenham , N .

THE "PUBLIC NIGHT . " ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I was present at the especial convocation of the Chapter of Prudent Brethren ( No . 145 ) , on Thursday evening in last week .

At the conclusion of the elaborate but correct working , a richly-deserved vote of thanks was very ably proposed , seconded , and carried amidst hearty cheers . From selfish motives I was anxious to add a word of support , but my willing service was not needed . I shall , therefore , Mr . Editor ,

esteem it a favour if you will allow me , on behalf of several companions from the North , publicly to give expression to a feeling of sincere gratitude for the great treat afforded us . Depend upon it , Mr . Editor , if such " public

nights "were of more frequent occurrence they would go far to secure what wc so very much need" Uniformity of Ritual . " Yours fraternally , P . Z ., & c , & c .

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR WIDOWS OF FREEMASONS . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Allow me to avail myself of a little space in your valuable paper to

solicit aid from the subscribers to the above institution for Mrs . Kitty White , of Bodmin . A more deserving case I do not know , nor one more generally supported by past and present Provincial Grand Officers , and other distinguished

Freemasons . The deceased , Bro . W . ] . White , was a member of our province for 36 years , and was well-known and respected throughout the county as a most indefatigable and useful member of the Order . Bro . White not only acted as Hon . Scc . totheOne-and-All

Lodge , Bodmin ( No . 330 ) , for 34 years , but was an active Mason in the province , and as an old and diligent Past Master , was so much valued that he was appointed Grand Deacon and then Grand Warden of the province . What can I say more ? His widow is now in illhealth , is quite unprovided for , and seeks election

as an annuitant in May 1 S 70 . As . Bro . White freely gave his services , and was a subscribing member of his mother lodge from his initiation to his decease , we hope his afflicted widow will be kindly remembered by the fraternity . We have no annuity fund for widows in Cornwall , or Mrs . White would not have to seek assistance . Our fund is only for decaved Masons . W . J . HUGHAN , Prov . G . Sec . Cornwall .

THE "MASONIC TOBACCO-BOX" AND THE PERTH DRUMMONDS . ( To Ihe Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —At page 117 of THE FREEMASON , date March 5 th , Bro . Swete alludes to a John , Earl of Perth in 1670 , also to a James Drummond who became Eart of Monlfort some

years after . Now these are mistakes , as the following list will show : — James Diuiiimond , first Earl in 1605 . He was succeeded by his brother , John , 2 nd Earl , in 1611 . This John died in 1662 , and was succeeded by his son , James , 3 rd Earl of Perth , who died in 1675 .

This James had two sons , James and John ; John , the younger , was General of the Ordnance and Principal Secretary of State for Scotland ; he was raised to the peerage , on the 20 th April , 16 S 5 , by the title of Viscount Mclfort , and afterwards made Earl of Melfoit in 16 S 6 . He had been previously

marriedviz ., on 30 th April , 1670—to Sophia Lundin , and had three sons and three daughters by said marriage . On the revival of the Order of the Thistle , in 1687 , Lord Melfott was constituted a Knight Companion thereof , lie was outlawed in 1604 . James ( eldest

son of James , 3 rd Earl ) became 4 th Earl of Perth in 16 75 , he died in 1716 ; his eldest son , James Lord Drummond , attended King James VII . to Ireland in . 16 90 . So much for the pedigree of the Drummonds ,

Original Correspondence.

I shall append some further remarks . As to the coat of arms depicted upon this tobacco-box , I beg to acknowledge that Bro . Swete has very kindly presented me with a photograph of it and also of the Masonic emblems . The arms have been intended for those of a Drummond , but the shield and

helmet do not correspond . It is , and yet it is not , the arms of the Drummond . Had it been intended for a younger son , the shield ought to have borne some mark of cadency , which it does not . The esquire ' s helmet above the Earl ' s shield do' not quite correspond , consequently had this coat of

arms been engraved for any Drummond at the time of the date " 1670 " we would have expected it to be correctly charged . No cadet of Drummond had any right to these arms . Altogether , therefore , I incline to believe that this engraving was not cut in 1670 , but that its true age is nearer 1770 . It may

have been done at any time , but I see nothing to prove its age to be 1670 , and the style , although oldlooking , will suit the 18 th century . As to the Masonic emblems , they are also older looking than the present century , yet in all my Masonic reading I can find nothing to support their

age as being older than last century , and , more or less as the case may be , after 1716 . It seems to me , as has been already expressed in THE FREEMASON , that their true age is nearer 1770 than 1670 . In short , it seems to me that even supposing this box was received from some of the Drummonds who

followed the Pretender ( who was defeated in 1746 , not " 1 745 " ) in 1745-46 , the engraving of the coat of arms and Masonic emblems may be due to the party who afterwards received said box . Bro . Swete says this box " was given by the Earl of Perth , at the defeat of the Pretender in 1 745 , to a relative

who afterwards became the great-grandmother of the owner , Mrs . " Very good , but that does not prove the emblems to be so old as 1717 I Supposing the owner in 1 745 was a Freemason , he might put certain Masonic emblems upon his goods if he so chose , and add any date he liked .

I have had shown to me an old box , 5 in . X 2 X 1 % , made of brass and copper and engraved . I was told it once belonged to Prince Charles Edward . Upon examining it I found depicted on top and bottom two most obscene scenes , which might serve for illustrations of the Mordaunt case , if what has

been said were true . The name of " Serjt . Blerdrey " and " Cant . Geerey " were on it , also "Pr . C . S ., " which latter initials were intended for Prince Charles Stuart ! However , while the box and all else may be a century and a half old for aught I know to the contrary , the " Pr . C . S . " is quite modern and was

cut long after all the rest—simply an imposition added ; relics of Prince Charlie and his friends being in some cases rather too plentiful , as vide Lord Lovat's cane , of which there are somehow more specimens than one ! I shall now give the remarks alluded to above ,

they are from Mackenzie ' s " Universal Biography , " viz . : —James , fourth Earl of Perth , "was appointed Justice-General of Scotland by the Duke of York in 16 S 2 , and gained the confidence of that weak and hard-hearted bigot by the cruelty with which he persecuted the Covenanters . It was he , or his

brother , General Drummond ( John ) , another notorious persecutor , who brought into use the steel thumbscrew , which inflicted the most exquisite torment on the unhappy prisoners from whom it was sought to wring confession by torture . In 1684 he ( James ) was appointed Chancellor in the room

of the Earl of Aberdeen , who was dismissed from office for resisting the proposal that husbands should be held responsible and punished for the absence of their wives from church . Two years later , in order to supplant Quecnsberry , the Treasurer , in the royal favour , Perth and his brother , Lord Melfoit ,

apostatized from the Protestant religion , declaring that their conversion to the Romish faith was owing to the papers found in the strong-box of Charles II . On the expulsion of the Stewarts , Perth fled from his residence in abject terror , and took refuge on board a vessel which lay in the Frith of Forth . But

he was pursued , discovered in the hold of the shi p in woman ' s clothes , and dragged on shore and committed to jail amid the mingled execrations and threats of the mob . He was afterwards allowed to retire to the Continent , and terminated his miserable life in exile . His brother John , Lord Melfort , one of

the most unprincipled and rapacious favourites of James VII ., followed his master in his flight , was for a considerable time confidential minister at St . Germains , and contributed not a little to the total ruin ofthe Stewart cause . James showed his appreciation of the services of the Earl of Perth by

conferring upon him after his flight the title of duke , which , however , was not recognised by the British government . The grandson of the titular duke , along with his brother , Lord John Drummondjoined Prince Charles Stewart in his attempt to regain the

throne of his ancestors , and commanded the right wing of the Jacobite army at the battle of Prestonpans . On the march into England the duke was named general , but speedily resigned the appointment in consequence of a misunderstanding which