^ oL ERANc 5 Official lournal of f|e Entrant anb Jjrhnitibe $itte of Hhsoitrg, Published under the Authority of the Sovereign Sanctuary for Great Britain and Ireland. Edited by the GRAND INSPECTOR-GENERAL. Vol. III. Nos. 2 & 3. FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1883. ( 8aU J £fi p€r ) 2s. [Monthly. EDWARD STILLWELL & SON, WHOLESALE MANUFACTURERS OF Masonic Furniture , Fittings, Clothing, Jewels, Swords , Charms, Rings, And every requirement for all Degrees, including the “ a. & $3. Kite,” GOLD LACEMEN AND EMBROIDERERS, ESTABLISHED 1851. B IR.KBECK BANK.— Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane.— Current Accounts opened according to the usual practice of other Bankers, and Interest allowed on the minimum monthly balances when not drawn below £25. No commission charged for keeping Accounts.— The Bank also receives Money on Deposit at Three per Cent. 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STILLWELL & SON, 6, Little Britain, E.C. 1 % THE 0 - KNEPH ^ Published #fKciaI journal of t|e Jnthnf anb |Jrimitfte §ite of Utasonrg. under the Authority of the Sovereign Sanctuary for Great Britain and Ireland. Edited by the GRAND INSPECTOR -GENERAL. Vol. III. ISTo. 2. FEBRUARY, 1883. (' 'SUBSCRIPTION 2*. .PER ANNUM. ) [Monthly. THE SOLAR MYTH. In an American Journal of April nth, 1874, there appeared a singular and interesting account of Siam conjuring ; in matters of this kind the Eastern Nations are great adepts, and although the account may be welcome to our readers as a matter of light reading, it only merits transfer to our pages from the suggestion of a learned Jesuit that the closing part being a version of the great Solar Myth, has been continued to the present time in the Temples of Siam and Japan. This we believe is a fact. In Herodotus there is a statement that the Egyptians kept in the penetralia of their Temples the image of an old man and another of a child, and that upon the birth of the New Sun, the latter was exposed to view. In the account of the mysteries of the Syrian Adonis more life was given to this myth, and the newborn child was brought forward with the cry — u Thanks be to God, for out of pains salvation hath come unto us.” The ceremonials attached to the celebration of the birth of the Redeemer of men in the Romish and Greek ritual, are doubtless a continuation of this ancient ceremony. The learned Mason also knows that the myth, of the third degree of Freemasonry has the same origin. An English Surgeon having been successful in restoring one of the princesses to health, was permitted to witness on the 16th of November the performance of Tepada’s Toyal troupe of jugglers, a performance given upon the coronation of the young King. Slightly abridged the doctor’s account is as follows : — “Woun-Tajac called me very early, and he and his father’s cousin, Soond|tch-Tam-Bondar, set to work to prepare me for witnessing the performance in the great Pagoda. A white turban was wound around my head ; my skin was stained the color of new bronze ; my moustache ruthlessly trimmed down, blacked, and. waxed till it had -the proper Malagan droop ; my eye- brows blacked ; native garments furnished me, over which I wore the long white robes which I was told were peculiar to the initiated, Pagoda of Juthia is more celebrated for its sacredness than its size. It is situated without the city on a broad and commanding terrace, elevated considerably above the level of the river plains. It is approached from the city by a long brick-paved avenue, wide and imposing. “ Soondatch and Woun-Tajac, each holding me by an arm, now directed me towards one of the door- ways of the Temple, it was guarded by two men with drawn swords, and very fierce aspect, who stood in front of a heavy drapery of red cloth that concealed the interior of the Temple from outside eyes. At a triple password these men admitted my companions, but crossed their swords before my breast ; Soondatch whispered in the ear of the elder of the two ; he started, gazed at me intently, but did not withdraw his barrier. Woun shewed him a signet. He took it and reverently placed it upon his forehead ; yet still he refused to admit me. There was a contro- versy between the doorkeeper and my companions, and at last the elder guardian whistled shrilly upon a bone pipe tied about his neck with a strand of silk. A tall man suddenly appeared. He was middle-aged, athletic, and had a most peculiar cunning, self- possessed look of person and intelligence. ‘Tepadal’ exclaimed both of my companions at once ; but the man, who was almost naked, took no notice of them, but put his hand heavily, but not unkindly, upon my breast, giving me a long piercing look, and said in excellent French — 11 Are you a brave man ? ” I said — “ try me.” Instantly without another word he ban- daged my eyes with a part of the long white robe I wore ; he snapped his fingers suddenly, whispering — “ not a word for your life ! ” and the next moment I found myself seized in the hands of several strong men, and borne some distance along a devious way, ascending and descending several times. At last I was put down ; the bandage was quietly removed, and I found myself squatted on a stone-floor, between Soondatch and Woun-Tajac, who with bowed heads and faces partly shrouded in their white robes, squatted like Statues of Buddha, their knees and ls close to the ground, their haunches resting upon 10 THE KNEPH. their heels, their hands spread palms downward upon their knees, their eyes deflected, and a look of devout reverence and abstracted meditation in their counte- nance. The light was dim to my unaccustomed eyes, but all around, as far as I could see, were white robed worshippers crouched in the same attitude of silent reverence. “ By degrees as my eyes grew used to the dim gloom I began to look about me. The place was a square vault, so lofty that I could not see the ceiling, and I should say not less than a hundred paces long and wide. All around the sides rose gigantic columns, carved into images of Buddha always, yet with a thousand variations from the central plan, a thousand freaks of fancy, through which shone the eternal calm, the stagnant, imperturbed ecstasy of apathy of Buddha’s remarkable face, with great pendent ears, and the eyes looking out beyond you into the supreme wistlessness of Nieban — a face that once seen can never be forgotten. By degrees I came to see the plan of this evidently subterranean vault, and to look with wonder upon the simple grandeur of its massive architecture, which was severely plain except so far as the carving of the great columns went. At the farthest end of the Hall, resting against the columns was a raised dais or platform covered with red cloth. This stage was raised between three and four feet above the floor of the vault, and was about 35 to 40 feet deep, and 150 feet broad. Behind it a curtain of red cloth hung down from the capitals of the towering columns. In front of the stage, just about the spot where the pulpit of the orchestra in a Greek Theatre would be, was a tripod-shaped altar, with a broad censer upon it, in which was burning a scented oil, mixed with gums and aromatic woods, that diffused through the whole vault a pungent sacramental odour. “ Suddenly there was a wild and startling crash of barbaric music from under the stage — gongs, drums, cymbals, and horns, and with wonderful alertness and a really indescribable effect, a band of naked men came out from behind the curtains, bearing each a scented torch in his hand, climbed the columns with the agility of monkeys, and lighted each a hundred lamps, strung from the base almost of the columns right up to the apex of the vault, which I could now see rose into a lofty dome, that doubtless pierced far up into the interior of the Pagoda proper. The din of the horrible orchestra increased, and a band of old women came out from under the stage, singing the most' diabolical chaunt that ever I heard. The red curtain fluttered a little, there was a dull thud ; and there, right before us, alongside the censer, stood a very old man, wrinkled, with long hair and beard white as cotton fleece. His finger nails were several inches long, and his sunken jaws were horribly diver- sified with two long teeth, yellow and ogreish. He was naked except for a breach-cloth, and his shrunken muscles shone with oil. He took the censer in his hands and blew his breath into it until the flames rose 20 feet high, red and furious. Then, with a sudden jerking motion, he tossed the burning oil amongst the crowd of squatting spectators. It shot towards them a broad sheet of terrible flame— it descended upon, them a shower of roses and japonicas. Turning the censer bottom upwards, he spun it for a minute upon the point of his long thumb nail, then flung it dis- dainfully away among the audience. It struck the pavement with a metallic clang, bounced, and rose with sudden expanse of wing, a shrieking eagle, frightened horribly, and seeking flight towards the summit of the dome. The old man gazed a moment upwards, then seizing the tripod upon which the censer had stood, he sent the legs apart with a nervous hand, straightened them against his knee, and hurled them, dartlike, towards the eagle. They glanced upwards with a gilded flash, and instantly the eagle came fluttering down to the pavement in our midst, dead, and three horrible cobras coiled about him, lifting their hooded heads defiantly, and flashing anger out of their glittering eyes. The music shrieked still wilder, the snakes coiled and plaited themselves together in a rhythmic dance, lifting the dead eagle upon their heads, and — presto ! there right in our midst stood the tripod again, with its flickering flame and its incense-savoured breath. A more perfect illusion never was seen. “ ‘ That is Norodom’ whispered Woun-Tajac in ray ear. Another actor now came upon the scene, whom I recognized to be the tall athletic Tepada. Behind, him came a smaller man, whose name Woun-Tajac informed me was Minhman, and a boy, probably 12 years old, called Tsin-Ki. These four began some of the most wonderful athletic exhibitions that can be conceived. I am not going to provoke the incredulity" of your readers by describing the majority of them. In one feat Tepada seized Norodom by his long white beard, held him off at arm’s length, and spun round with him until the old man’s legs were horizontal to the athlete’s shoulders; then, while they still spun, with the fury of dervishes, Minhman sprung up, seized, upon Norodom’s feet, and spun out a horizontal con- tinuation of the ancient; and when Minhman was firmly established, the boy Tsin-Ki caught to his feet in like manner, and the tall athlete, every muscle in him straining, continued to whirl the human jointless lever around. At last, slowly, slightly, Tepada drew- in his arms until the old man’s white beard touched, his body; there was sudden strain, and the arms from being horizontal became perpendicular, Norodom’s head resting atop of Tepada’s, Minhman’s head upon Norodom’s feet, and Tsin-Ki’s head upon Minhman’s feet. A pause for breath, then the column of men was propelled into the air, and Tepada’s head was on the ground, Norodom’s feet to his, Minhman’s feet upon Norodom’s head, Tsin-Ki’s feet on Minhman’s head. Each had turned a summersault and the column was unbroken. “ One trick which Minhman performed was a very- superior version of the mango-tree feat of the Indian jugglers. He took an orange, cut it open, and pro- duced a serpent. This he took down among the audience, and borrowing a robe from one cut the snake’s head off and covered it with the robe ; when the robe was lifted again a fox was in the place of the snake. The fox’s head was cut off, two robes TEE KNEPH. 11 borrowed, and when they were raised there was a wolf, which was killed with a sword. Three robes and a leopard appeared, which was slain with a javelin. Four robes covered a most savage looking buffalo, which was killed with an axe. Five robes covered in part, but not altogether, a lordly elephant, who when the sword was pointed against him, seized Minhman by the neck and tossed him violently up. He mounted feet foremost, and clung by his toes to the capital of one of the columns. Tepada now leaped from the stage and alighted upon the elephant’s shoulders. With a short sword he goaded the beast on the head until, shrieking, the unwieldiy animal reared upon his hind feet, twined his trunk around one of the great columns, and seemed trying to lift itself from the ground and wrap its body around the great pillar. The music clashed out barbarously, Norodom flashed forth a dazzling firework of some sort, and the elephant had disappeared, and Tepada lay upon the stage writhing in the folds of a great boa-constrictor, and holding up Minhman upon his feet. “ During three hours the exhibition continued, feats of the sort I have described, each more wonderful than the one which preceded it, following one another in rapid succession. I shall content myself with describing the last and culminating wonder of the startling entertainment. “ A perfectly formed and most lovely Nautch girl sprang out upon the stage, and was hailed with universal acclamation of delight, everyone calling out her name, Luan Prabana, as if it were a word of good omen. Her only dress was a short petticoat of variegated feather-work, a wreath of rosebuds crowned her soft, short, black hair, and she wore a pearl neck- lace as well as broad gold armlets and anklets. With a brilliant smile she danced exquisitely for some minutes to the accompaniment of a single pipe, then she knelt and laid her head on old Norodom’s knee. The boy fanned her with a fan made of sweet fern leaves. Minhman fetched a lotus-shaped golden goblet, and Tepada poured into it from a quaint looking flask a fluid of greenish hue. The old ogre-like Norodom took the goblet and blew his breath upon the contents till it broke into a pale blue flame. This Tepada extinguished with his breath, when Norodom held the goblet to Luan Prabana’s lips, and she drained the contents with a sigh. As if transfigured she suddenly sprang to her feet, her face strangely radiant, and began to spin giddily around in one spot. First the boy, then Minhman, then Tepada tried to arrest her, but they no sooner touched her than she repelled them with a shock, that thrilled them as if she had imparted an electric shock to them. Spinning constantly with a bewildering rapid motion, the girl now sprang off the stage, and down the hall, along by the foot of the columns, Tsin-Ki, Minhman, and Tepada, in rapid pursuit. In and out among the crowd they spun, the three chasing. Tepada seized hold of the chaplet that crowned her ; it broke, and, as she was whirled along, a spray of rosebuds was scattered from her brow in every direction. Anything more graceful never was seen. And now a greater wonder. At the extremity of the hall the three sur- rounded and would have seized her, when, still revolv- ing, she rose slowly in the air, and floated gently over our heads towards the stage, scattering roses as she went. At the brink of the stage she paused in mid- air ; then with a slight wing-like motion of her arms, mounted up — up towards the loftiest arch of the vault over our heads. Suddenly old Norodom seized bow and arrows and shot toward her. There was a wild shriek, a rushing sound, and the dancer fell with a crash to the flags of the floor, and lay there an ap- parently bloody mass. The music burst forth into a wild wail, and the chorus of old hags came tumultu- ously forth and bore her away in their arms. “ Now, from behind the red curtains came a dozen strong men, bearing on their shoulders a great leaden box, which they laid upon the front part of the stage. As they retired the old women came out bringing a low couch decorated with flowers and gold-embroidered drapery, upon which lay Luan Prabana, decked forth in bridal garments and sleeping sweetly. The couch with its sleeper was put quietly down in front of the stage, and left there, while Norodom and Trepada went to the leaden box, and, with hot irons, attempted to unseal it. ‘That is Stung-Iring’s coffin,’ whispered Woun to me, ‘ the old saint has been dead more than half a millenium.’ “ Quickly — eagerly it seemed to me, the two men broke open the fastenings of the coffin, until the side next the audience falling out at last, a teak box was discovered. This was prized open with a small crow- bar, and what seemed a great bundle of nankeen taken out. Tepada and Norodom commenced to unwind the wrapping which was very tight. Yard after yard was unwound and folded away by Minhman, and at last, after at least 100 yards of wrapping had been taken off, the dry shrivelled mummy of a small old man was visible, eyes closed, flesh dry and hard, — dead and dry as a smoked herring. Norodom tapped the corpse with a crowbar, and it gave a dull, wooden sound. Tepada tossed it up and caught it, it was still as a log. Then he placed the mummy on Norodom’s knees, and fetched a flask of oil, a flask of wine, and a censer burning with some pungent incense. Norodom took from his hair a little box of unguent, and prizing open the mouth of the mummy with a cold chisel, showed that the dry tongue could rattle like a chip against the dry fauces. He filled the mouth with unguent and closed it, and anointed the eyelids, nostrils and ears. Then he and Tepada mixed the wine and oil and carefully rubbed every part of the body with it. Then laying it down in a reclining position, they put the burning censer upon the chest and withdrew a space, while the drums, and gongs, and cymbals clashed and clattered, and the shrill cackling treble of the chorus of old women rose hideously. “A breathless pause ensued, and the mummy sneezed — sneezed thrice so violently as to extinguish the flame of the censer. A moment later the thing sat up and stared blinking and vacant out around the vault — an old wrinkled man, with mumbling chops, a 12 THE KNEPH. shrivelled breast and belly, and little tufts of white hair upon his chin and forehead. Tepada approached him reverently upon his knees, bringing a salver with wine and wafer cake. The old man did not notice him. but ate, drank, and tottered to his feet, the feeblest decrepid old dotard that ever walked. In another moment he saw the Nautch girl slumbering upon her couch, he shuffled feebly to her, and, mumbling, stooped as if to help his dim eyes to see her better. With a glad cry the maiden awoke, clasped him in her arms, and to her breast, and kissed him. Incompre- hensible magic? He was no longer a nonagenarian dotard, but a full veined fiery youth, who gave her kiss for kiss. How the transformation was wrought I have no idea, but there it was before our very eyes. The music grew soft and passionate, the chorus of the old women came out, and with strange Phallic songs and dances bore the two away — a bridal pair. I never expect again to behold a sight so wonderful as that whole transformation, which I may mention, my learned Jesuit friend to whom I described it, regards it as a piece of pure symbolism. His explanation is too long and too learned to quote, but he connects the cere- mony with the world-old myth of Venus and Adonis, and claims that it is all a form of sun worship. “ The show went on for some time longer with many curious feats. At the end of an hour the Phallic pro- cession returned, but this time the Bayadere led it, a strange triumph in her eyes, while the youth lay upon the couch sleeping. The Phallic chorus sank into a dirge, the youth faded visibly ; he was again the shrivelled dotard ; he sighed — then breathed no more. Luan Prabana retired sorrowfully, Norodom and Tepada wrapped the corpse again in its interminable shrouds, restored it to the coffin and it was borne away again. The attendants climbed up and extin- guished the lights. I was blindfolded and borne away again. I found myself once more at the doorway of the Temple, in the broad sunshine with my friends — and the Mystic Ceremonies of the great Temple of Juthia was over, it may be for many years.” To the Editor of Kneph. Sir and Brother, I write a line to suggest the advisability of the Sovereign Sanctuary, under the present circumstances resulting from the illegal action of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, taking steps to issue warrants for holding meetings of the first three degrees of the Craft. It is not unlikely that in some parts of that countiy, if this was done, more than one Blue Lodge would return their warrant to the Grand Lodge of Ireland and elect to serve under a new warrant from the Order of Mizraim. Yours faithfully, Irish Past Master. 23rd January , 188 S. We are pleased to hear that our Grand Representative from the Sovereign Sanctuary , the Right Illustrious J3ro~ William Youngblood, 33°-95° has moved from New York , and our friends and readers will please to note his new address , “ 430, Notre Dame Street, Montreal, Canada,” from which portion of the Globe we hope to have the pleasure of hearing from him. Suites Iff Corrcspnbtnts. To facilitate information as to the reception of Master Masons in good standing into the A. and P. Rite, enquiries may be ^made either personally or by letter — In Manchester, of the Sov. Gd. Master Genl., Bro. JohnYarker, 33°, 96, the “ Poplars,” Burton-road, Withington, Mancbester- In London, of the Gd. Trea. Genl., Bro. J. H. Southwood, 33°, 93, Houndsditch ; or of the Gd. Sec. Genl., Bro. James Hill, 33°, 9, Charnock Road, Clapton. In Dublin, oftheGd. Expert Genl., Bro. Dr. Davies, 33°, 10, Lr. Sackvill e-street. In Limerick, of the Gd. Inspector Genl. Bro. C. Monck Wilson, 33°, Rose Villa, North Strand. In Glasgow, of the Gd. Examiner Genl., Bro. T. M. Campbell, 33°, 10, Carrick-street. In Burnley, Lancashire, of the^Gd. {Administrator Genl., Bro. S- P* - Leather, 33°. In Havant, Hants, of the Gd. Keeper of the Golden Book, Bro. Jabez N. Hillman, 33°, Bedhampton. In Paris, of Bro. A 0. Munro, 32°, 77, Rue de Rivoli. In Calcutta, E. I., of 111. Bro. P. C. Dutt, 32°, 14, Seeteram Ghose’s-street. Forms for the return of members are supplied to each body- gratuitously on application. Declaration forms in Books of 50, 2, 6 each. Journals, &c., received with thanks : — Modem Thought — Chain. c (T Union — Triungl — Notes and Queries ( Boston ) — Repub lu£u>& Mafonnique (Paris), The Freemason. Index and Title for Vols. I. and II., for binding together as on© volume, or separately, as desired, are now ready. Subscribers will please notify to the Publisher how many copies they may require, as only a limited number have been printed, price Id. each. Subscription. - The low price at which Kneph has hitherto been published being insufficient to cover cost of production, it is hoped that Subscribers will not object to a slight increase, consider- ing also the improved character of the journal. The future subscription will be at the rate of 2s. per copy per annum, wrtlx postage added. The rate of postage for inland and countries in the Postal Union A, £d. for two copies; for countries marked B, the lowest charge is Id., which, however, will carry two numbers — this last includes British India and the West India Islands. The postal rate must, in each case, be added to the subscription, and remitted in advance. For small amounts, stamps may be sent ; but for sums of 5s. and upwards Postal Cheques will be more convenient. From America, Dollar Notes, representing 4s. each in English currency, will t>© received. *** All Orders and Remittances should be sent to the Pdblisher NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. Owing to the change of Editorship and Printer, and other unavoid- able contingencies, it was found impracticable to publish the January number in time. The double number for February and March appears nearly up to time, and it is the intention to publish* in future each succeeding number so as to reach Subscribers tli© first day in each month regularly. ■ t . THE KNEPH. IS ITHOUT in any way forming an opinion of our own as to the advisa- bility of the matter, we give insertion to the letter signed Irish Past Master. Past Master asks the Sovereign Sanc- tuary of Great Britain and Ireland to issue Craft warrants for Ireland. There is no necessity whatever, of course, to do such a thing in England or Scotland, as the Grand Lodges of each of these countries interfere only about matters concerning Craft Masonry, and are tole- rant to all Rites. It is evident that in old times the requisite number of Master Masons had the inherent right to meet and admit members to the Craft without any warrant. It was then agreed to by considerable numbers of individual Lodges that one Grand Lodge should be formed out of the Masters and Wardens and others of these individual Lodges, and that this inherent right of their Master Masons to admit members to the Craft should be placed in abeyance, their Masters and other members agreeing through their Representatives to meet only under a warrant from their Grand Lodge, and admit members only under a similar warrant — and. all the Lodges in Ireland as in England and Scotland have in course of time adopted this custom and placed themselves under Grand Lodge. It is however certain by this transaction that members of the Craft have never lost, except by custom and agreement their individual and ancient power of meeting, and such power can at any time be legally revived should occasion require it. Masonic crimes consist of offences against the general landmarks of the Order, including the moral laws, and if a Brother is suspended for any of these universal obligations incumbent upon him as a Mason, he cannot be admitted to any Lodge in the world since he has broken his engagement with the whole Craft. But the case is very different where a Brother, as in Ireland, has been illegally sus- pended for the supposed breach of a local Granc Lodge Rule of equivocal interpretation anc doubtful masonic legality — the breach of which in no way affects his standing in the genera Craft ; and it is further certain that where the Grand Lodge of Ireland has of itself cast adrift certain Brethren resident in Ireland, and where the Grand Lodge has, by suspension, noticed them that they shall not be allowed to attend the Grand Lodge meetings, nor the meetings of any Lodge holding Irish warrant, it is perfectly competent for these, according to the ancient landmarks of the Craft, to meet together and hold a Lodge of their own, and admit to the Order anyone they see fit. This without any doubt is the inherent masonic status of Brethren in the case our correspondent alludes to. Of course he and his members would be declared irregular by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, but he and his initiates would nevertheless be perfectly good Masons and legally admitted to the Craft, and if the new organization was able to hold its own, and get together two or three Lodges, they could form a Grand Craft Lodge as was done at first, and them status and recognition would just depend like everything else upon their skill and numbers. It would be perfectly competent, should the new Body in Ireland be so duly formed, for any existing Lodge holding warrant from the present Grand Lodge of Ireland, to send in its existing warrant and agree to take out a new one from the new Grand Body, as has been done before in England and in other countries. Our correspondent’s suggestion as to the issue of a Blue Warrant under the Order of Mizraim would raise many, but not insurmountable difficulties, and could be done by authorizing the Rose Croix Chapters to work the first three degrees instead of beginning only at the fourth degree as at present. The Grand Lodge of Egypt and the Grand Lodge of Roumania and of Naples were set up by the “Orders of Memphis” or of “ Mizraim,” working all their degrees from top to bottom, and at the present moment the Ancient and Accepted Rite which has set itself up in Rome has thought fit to issue Blue Craft Warrants to Masons in Roumania, a country Rome has nothing to say to. Therefore, according to precedent, the “ Order of Mizraim” could authorize the working of Craft Warrants in Ireland, and the Ancient and Accepted Degree in Ireland which has caused all this persecution, could not complain, as the Roman Body with which they exchange Representives has done the same or worse. We should like to hear a discussion upon the subject from our Brethren skilled in masonic law. THE PERSECUTION BY GRAND LODGE OP IRELAND. As the present persecution of the Ant lent and Primitive Rite in Ireland interests so many Brethren in the sister kingdom and Colonies, we need make no apology for supplying our readers with the fullest infor- mation thereon. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge of 14 THE KNEPH. Ireland in December a Report from the Board of General Purposes was read advising the suspension of seven Brethren for having joined or become connected with a Society called the “ Antient and Primitive Rite of Freemasonry.” The Brethren of the Rite who attended the December Meeting claimed to have their case heard by the Grand Lodge itself before sentence of suspension could be legally pronounced against them, upon the grounds that this is one of the rights secured to every Master Mason by the most ancient landmarks of the Order that no Brother can be sentenced or deprived of his privileges until his case shall have been fully heard by Grand Lodge. The Meeting refused to grant this request, and threatened that if the Brethren did not consent to appear before the Board of General Purposes instead, that sentence of suspension would be passed upon them there and then. The Brethren therefore consented to attend, and a Resolution was adopted directing that they should be at liberty to make before the Board any case they thought proper, and the Report was then referred back to the Board of General Purposes for reconsideration. Accordingly a Special Meeting of the Board was called in January, at which five of the members of the Rite attended. These members all signed the Statement published last month, and in addition, several of them made personal statements upon other points involved. The controversy practically narrowed itself down to four points — (1) Can the Craft Grand Lodge of Ireland interfere with the warrants or working of degrees beyond or outside those of the Craft ; (2) Has not the Grand Lodge of Ireland already by Resolution of 1838, recognized higher Degrees including the c< Order of Mizraim,” which Order is now absorbed in the Antient and Primitive Rite ; (3) Can the Grand Lodge of Ireland now consistently suspend the Brother who is an Absolute Sovereign of the Order of Mizraim for working that Order, when the late Duke of Leinster presided over the Order for more than forty years, and the Order was recognized during that time by the Grand Lodge as a component part of the Grand Council of Rites ; . (4) Is not the “ Antient and Primitive Rite” formally recognized by the Grand Lodge of Egypt, which is in its turn recognized by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, and consequently is not this a sufficient recognition under Rule 28. After hearing the statements made before the Board, the following ingenious rulings were made by the President of the Board. (1) The u Antient and Primitive Rite of Freemasonry” is a body “ purporting to be masonic,” and therefore comes under Rule 28. (2