Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

THE ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL . To the Editor qf the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I am accused of worshipping the ris ' ng sun . Such devotion is strictly Masonic , and of great antiquity , but I am not a Parsee and cannot plead guilty to it .

Those who know me best , however , will admit that , my usual course is simply to stick to my colours and nothing more . I am loyal to the Order I have joined , and I did not enter its ranks to attack it , or to throw it over as others seem to have done , to follow the ignis fa tints of the

English Langue of St . John of Jerusalem . " True Blue , " says I cannot join that newly revived and very exalted and exclusive body . Well , I am not ambitious , but if I were , I dare say I could satisfy the heralds on thc point of genealogy , as well as some others who call

themselves Knights of Justice and Knights of Grace . When "True Blue" kindly suggests that I may hope to be rewarded with a brand new Cross ofthe Order of the Temple , I may simply remark that I am not desirous of pushing myself forward in any way , whatever others may be ;

that many of the anonymous writers who now attack me will be the first to accept such honours when they get the chance ; that the Grand Cross will in all probability be restricted to knights i ' possible more distinguished than the gentlemei who dignify the Anglican Langue—persons win

like the late Prince Consort , would fail to see thc desirability of joining that much vaunted body ; and that I for one certainl y do not presume to aspire to wear the cross which will ( mark my words ) at no distant date , decorate the breasts of men the Duke ' s Order would gladly welcome .

I think very highly of the services of Sir Patrick Colquhoun , the Earl of Limerick , and others , and have not scrupled to say so frankly when , perhaps , it would be more politic to hold my tongue j and I am not ashamed of the course

I have pursued—a course , I venture to say , consistent from the first—nor will I be frightened , nor put down hy men who foresee , perhaps , the coming decadence and fall of their pet orders and degrees before the rise and progress of the Order of the Temple .

Ihe Masonic Order of Alalia has been unjustly and unwarrantably attacked by Alasons who have taken the obligation to support and maintain it ; but who , I suppose , in consequence of joining another ( as they are pleased to think ) more legitimate body , imagine they are justified

in throwing over their old allegiance , and attacking those who are loyal to the Order . And yet , " ALA . ( Oxon ) , " ar . d some others blame me for showing those gentlemen that their ground is untenable , that in seeking to make us out bastards they only throw a doubt on their own legitimacy .

Well , the Committee of Privileges ofthe House of Lords ( the Sacred Council ) has sat upon their claims , and whilst it says we are all illegitimate —a fact most of us have always admitted—decides that the would-be peer ( the English Langue ) has not made good the claim to a seat in the house

—these Scotch marriages are so difficult to prove and French ones are sometimes worse . I have laboured , nnd shall continue to do so , with no hope of reward , for 1 know full well that in Alasonry , as in everything else , it is not those who have worked the hardest that get

recognition and encouragement , but those who have been holding aloof , or , may be , insidiously urging on others to oppose , but who it is politic and desirable to buy over because of their influence , who get the prizes . "True Blue " need only look nt the Cm ft he

vaunts so hi ghly above the Temple for an illustration of the truth of what I say . I could name ten great Alasons who have been tabooed , to one whose work was acknowledged . But this is beside the question ; only do not quote the beloved Craft for its superiority to the higher degrees in

the prompt recognition of merit . As to the different class of men in the respective Orders of Alalia , Alanchestcr and Masonic , again I say I have yet to learn that in social standing we are not as good every whit as they . For i JO Knights of St . John of the Englis

Original Correspondence.

Order I will undertake to name 500 Masonic Knights their equals in every respect by birth , breeding , education and profession . Will any Sir Knights accept my challenge ? If they will not , then I ask them to kindly bear in mind that we

have feelings as well as they , that we have as great a dislike to be called spurious and the members of a ten years' old Order , as they have ; and let writers like " Sero sed Serio " ( a Daniel come to judgment !) remember the Arab proverb

quoted by General Damas , " Curses are like young chickens and oft come home to roost . " For curses let him read abuse , and then , perhaps , he will bethink himself of the motto of the Order of the Thistle when hc and his friends disparage

the Templar Order and its supporters— " Nemo me impune lacessit . " Apologising for taking up your valuable space , I am , fraternally yours , EMRA HOLMES , 3 t ° , Grand Provost of England .

To the Editor oj The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Two words in reply to " Civis . " 1 did not call the Alanchestcr Order of St . John " Brummagem , " and I never spoke of the desire

of the Order to crush the Alasonic Order of the Temple . I suggested that " Brummagem " might be an appropriate title for writers like " Sero sed Serio , " ami 1 hinted that there was a desire on the part

of some of the members of the Alanchestcr Langue to crush the Mnsonic Order of Alalia . And this 1 can prove if necessary , indeed your own columns show it . When " Civis " talks of my wild vituperation , I can afford to smile . Your

readers , upon whose impartial judgment and good sense 1 rely , will readily see on whose side the " wild vituperation " has been ; but I refrain from this date to take any further notice of anonymous scribblers , whose principal idea of

argument is simple abuse . A "Alasonic Student" and '' Lupus , " are honourable opponents who most of us know , and whom it is a pleasure to meet in courteous

concontroversy ; but I decline to be the butt of gentlemen who dare not sign their names , but who gladly sting like one of " Civis ' s" snakes , and slink away under the shadow of their anonymity .

Io " Lupus I would briefly say that his very answer to the Roman document shows thit I was right . The English Langue is not acknowledged , and is repudiated by the Sacred Council — the Governing Body of the Order—and until

Bro . Lupus can adduce a single instance of a Langue being created , or revived , without the authority of the Sovereign , the Grand Alaster , or his representative , I must again repeat , that , notwithstanding the support of representatives of the five langues out of eight , notwithstanding

the technical formalities in the Court of Queen ' s Bench , the English Langue of the Order of St . John ' s does not exist , and the Order , or " Honourable Society , " calling itself by that name , has no more right to the title than we , the Masonic Order , have .

Yours fraternally , EMRA HOLMES , Grand Provost , Past 2 nd Grand Captain of Lines .

N O T I T I Ai T E AI P L A R I A ' ,. ' Fi the Editor af the Freemason . Dear Sir nnd Brother , — . \ s " Excelsior " thinks it ill-becomes a single member to complain , permit me to

inform him , nnd the numerous readers of his letter , that the writer of" Notirin- Teinplarin * " is , so far from being singular in his ideas with regard to the very underhand way in which the Statutes of the new Order of Knights Templar rue

carried , that a large and important Province was with difficulty prevented from seceding altogether from the present Order . Scotland , also , would not come in under the treaty , solely in

consequence of her dislike to the new Statutes There is no doubt ( the old Grand Conclave being destroyed ) that Alasonic Knights Templar owe no allegiance to the present system . This is the more unfortunate both ns every K . T . must

Original Correspondence.

rejoice at the graciousness of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales in consenting to rule over what was the United Order , and because there is no doubt—not a shadow of a doubt—if almost the very best evidence can be relied upon , that the Prince

never said he would not rule over us unless we accepted the new Statutes , and that such a thought never even entered his head . A MEMBER OF THE LAST GRAND CONCLAVE .

To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I have read Bro . Holmes ' s most astonishing statement in last week's Freemason , that the members of the English Langue of the Order

of St . John " desire to crush the Masonic Order of Malta" and I believe it to be utterly false . The English Langue occupies itself in helping , not in crushing , other people ; it does not trouble itself with the affairs of other bodies which are

in connection with it or its work , but I feel sure that all its members would rejoice to see anybody , Masonic or not—but more especially a powerful body such as the Masonic Order of the Temple might be , under the Prince of Wales

as Grand Master—occupying itself with more work and less play . The world is big enough for all of us to do our best and still leave room for others to do theirs ; but don ' t let the Masonic Order forget that it is the Masonic Order , and

nothing else—nobody else forgets it . I am , yours obediently , CHAS . J . BURGESS . [ This Correspondence must now be termi nated . —En . Freemason . ' ]

COMPOUNDING FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I see in your account of the work done at Grand Lodge , that the motion of Bro . Smith to allow members of private lodges to compound for their annual subscriptions on their removal

from the neighbourhood of their lodge , was referred to the Board of General Purposes . The passing of such an alteration in the Book of Constitutions would , I feel sure , be a great boon to many country Alasons j but I would venture to suggest that the composition be paid not to the

funds of the private lodge , but to Grand Lodge , which shall hold the sum in trust for the private lodge , and every year pay the interest accruing to the credit ol the lodge . My reason for making this suggestion is , that in many cases lodges in country towns are not well managed as to their

finances , and through many causes they may cease to exist ; and thus both the individual Alason and Grand Lodge would be losers . It would be a very easy thing to arrange for the payment of the Provincial Lodge dues from the funds of the

private lodge . Hoping that the Board of General Purposes may report favourably upon the matter . I am Sir , yours fraternally , W . LANG LEX , L ' . M . 50 and 1130 . P . P . S . G . W . of Leicester .

AIASONIC MUSIC

To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Having for many years taken an active part and a deep interest in the introduction of suitable music into our various ceremonies , I may , perhaps , be permitted to remark , | in reply to

several brethren who have communicated with you on the subject , that there can be no question with nil who desire to add solemn impressiveness to our ritual- -that proper music , carefully rehenrsed nnd performed , is of considerable importance , nnd happily , growing daily in favour

with the Crait . Doubtless some of the " old hands" who have not been accustomed to music , ami may be—have but little taste for the tuneful ; rt , object to its introduction ns a suitable and necessary adjunct ; yet , few indeed who havc participated as I have done , in the soul-stirring

ceremonies of foreign lodges—can deny that music in the German , French , Swedish and other Continental lodges occupies a large and important part in their ritual , and that it tends t « sublimate the working in a manner unknown in this country .