Anson, M. P., B. B. Cabbell, Esq., F. R. S, and R. T. Crucefix, Esq, L. L. D., in whose names the Charity funds, amounting to 33531. 18s. 11d. consols, have been invested. The result of the suit in Chancery is most satisfactory. The Society has now its funds clear of all interruption, and in the hands of a body of Trustees, whose names alone are a guarantee for their application in such manner as will best carry out the intentions of its benefactors and subscribers. Yet this benefit is coupled with the usual drawback of a Chancery suit, the costs, Mr. Rowe's bankruptcy preventing the Society from compelling their payment by him; and although the suit has been but of short duration, and comparatively light in its expense, yet your Committee regret to say that the costs will amount to nearly 3501., and this, with monies due by Mr. Rowe, makes a loss of nearly 7001. through his misconduct. This the Committee respectfully submit to the kindness and liberality of the Craft. They have struggled many years against difficulties arising, not only from misrepresentation and prejudice abroad, but the misconduct of one of their own body, but this is now all past. They have removed their delinquent Trustee, and they have reason now to believe that their motives and intentions are fully appreciated and understood, that prejudice is giving way before sincerity and truth, and that it is now generally felt that no Charity can surpass that which provides a shelter and a home for Aged and Poor Freemasons. The Committee will thank you to lay this letter before your Lodge. They have explained the causes for the extraordinary step of a suit in Chancery by a Masonic Charity, because they have been led to believe that their motives have been misconceived and misconstrued. Relying firmly on the soundness of the original plan, and the practical benefit to Masonry which must result from its development, they have never in all their difficulties and troubles swerved from their first design. They only hope that their perseverance will induce their fellow Masons to consider the subject earnestly and sincerely, assured that, the greater the attention bestowed, the more will all sincere Freemasons concur with them that no money can be so well bestowed as in providing a shelter and a home for the Freemason whose only faults are age and poverty. With Masonic respect, I remain Worshipful Master, Very fraternally, your obedient Servant, JOHN WHITMORE, 125, Oxford Street. Secretary, ad interim. PRESENTATION OF A MASONIC JEWEL TO HERR ALEXANDER. A SPECIAL Communication of the M. W. Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of South Carolina, was held on Saturday evening, May 23, for the purpose of presenting, in behalf of the Masonic Fraternity of Charleston, a Jewel to Herr Alexander, as a token of respect for his liberal benefit to the Masonic institution on the 18th of April. After the Grand Lodge was opened, the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Brother J. C. Norris, informed the Brethren that the object of the communication was to exhibit to a foreign Brother a token of that Fraternal feeling to which his liberal and Masonic spirit entitled him, and after adverting to the manner in which Brother Alexander had volunteered his services in behalf of the Ancient Institution, of which he is a worthy member, he presented the Jewel to the Grand Secretary and directed him as Chairman of the Committee of Arrangements, to invest Mr. Alexander with it in due form. Brother A. G. Mackey, then turning to Brother Alexander, who had been brought by Brother Levin, the Grand Marshal, to the Pedestal of the East, thus addressed him :— My Brother:-The Masonic Fraternity of Charleston, being desirous of testifying to you the feelings with which your liberal donation to them has inspired them, and fully appreciating the motives which induced you to give to our institution the advantages of your professional skill and labor, have resolved to bestow upon you some slight memorial of their Fraternal esteem. I need not assure you that in carrying out the object of my Brethren, I am performing a task grateful to my feelings as a man and a Mason. The Jewel with which it becomes my pleasing duty to invest you, is a five pointed star, between whose angles issue rays of light, on each of whose points is inscribed one of those cardinal characteristics of our Order-Friendship, Morality, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, whose centre is occupied by a representation of the All-Seeing Eye, and on the reverse is an inscription to the following effect: "To Brother J. C. Alexander, from the Masonic Fraternity of Charleston, S. C., A. L. 5846.” Freemasonry, my Brother, as you are well aware, is in possession of a symbolic language, which pervades all the ceremonies of our Order, the implements of our labor, and even the furniture of our Lodges; a language in which Masons of all nations may converse with facility, and without fear of being misunderstood. It is not to be supposed that on an interesting occasion like this, we would dispense with the use of this symbolic language. Let me then claim your attention for a few moments, while I recall to your recollection the various sentiments which this jewel is intended to express, and those feelings which a sight of it must awaken in every Masonic breast. The Five Pointed Star is an emblem of those Five Points of Fellowship which constitute the practice of a Mason's morality. In this view the jewel will remind you, my Brother, that though among strangers, you are with Brothers, who will never grow weary in doing acts of kindness to him who can give them a Brother's claims to sympathy. It will tell you that as a body we invoke the blessings of an ever merciful God during the remainder of your pilgrimage; it will assure you that the feelings of your breast will be respected and cherished by Brothers' sympathies-and that in a Mason's keeping, your honor will be safe-it will inform you that in the supporting protection of your Brethren you will find an ample shield against every attack of calumny that may dare invade your character-and lastly, it will remind you that though a stranger, unacquainted with the language and unaccustomed to the habits of our country, you will yet find in every Mason you may meet a friend, who will not only advise you when you are in danger of committing error, but warn you of any approaching, and by you, unseen evil. The rays of light issuing from the angles of the star, are emblematic of that light which at the moment of Creation received its birth by the fiat of the Alnighty, and to which we reverently allude in the Masonic light which is shed upon each Brother in his adoption into our sacred mysteries. This "pure Masonic light," which though not religion is religion's handmaid, and which inculcates peace and loving kindness to all men, it is the sacred duty of every Mason to keep, like the fire of the ancient Vestals, ever bright and burning. To you, as to all of us, its guardianship has been confided—and I need hardly reiterate to you the cautions you have already received on your initiation. The words upon the points of the star are rich in meaning to every Mason, Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love, are in themselves three precious jewels-more rich than the diamonds of Golconda, and casting, like the gem in the eastern tale, a bright effulgence over the darkness of this world. May they be as beams lighting you on to temporal and eternal happiness. Relief and Truth are among the “grand characteristics” of our Order, and are well worthy of your attention. When, as we are sometimes wont to do, we compare our institution to a tall and beautiful column, we say that Truth is the firm and sturdy base which has supported it for ages, and will continue to give it stability in time to come, while Relief is that chaste yet ornate chapiter which adds grace and beauty to the structure. Lastly, the All-Seeing Eye speaks for itself. It is a symbol of that Divine Being in whose existence we all believe, to whom we are indebted for all we are, and through whom alone we hope for all that we are to be. Into his holy keeping we commit you, confident that with such a guardian and protector, neither danger can assail nor evil overcome you." In the name of the Masonic Fraternity of Charleston, I invest you with this jewel of a Master Mason. May you long live to wear it, and when called from earth to heaven, may you find beyond the "clouded canopy" a jewel more rich, more lasting, in the approval of the Grand Master of heaven and earth. Brother Alexander replied as follows: "Most Worshipful Sir and Brethren :-At any time my ignorance of the English language would make it difficult to express myself as I desire, but on this occasion do I find it still more impossible for me, overcome as I am by the profoundest feelings of gratitude for your kindness, to say all that my heart dictates to me would be proper to be said. "I can only assure you, in returning my thanks for the attention and kindness of my Brethren of Charleston, that those attentions and that kindness have made an indelible impression upon my heart. Wherever fortune may allot me to pass the remainder of my life, I shall always, to the remotest period of my existence look back to Charleston, and its Masonic Fraternity with the warmest and purest feelings of a friend and Brother." On motion of the Grand Marshal, it was ordered that these proceedings be published. THE FREEMASON'S LEXICON. [Translated from the German, for the Freemasons' Quarterly Review.] Continued from p. 241. Bibliothekar. Librarian. For a number of years past the most respectable Lodges of Freemasons have had libraries and museums of antiquities and natural curiosities attached to them. Those libraries are not confined to Masonic works alone (although the collection of them ought to be as perfect as possible,) but of all that is useful and valuable in literature. The funds are generally formed by appropriating a small portion of the initiation fees to the library, and by members presenting copies of valuable works to it. One of the Brethren, who has devoted a portion of his time to literary subjects, is the appointed librarian, to whom the Brethren must apply, should they want the use of any of the books. Every Lodge ought to make a rule of having a good and well-assorted library, for by so doing they not only prove their own attachment to the liberal arts and sciences, but that they are doing all in their power to cultivate a similar taste in their younger Brethren. Von Bielfeld. Jacob Frederick Freiherr-Born at Hamburgh about the year 1716, and died 5th April, 1770, (although out of office,) Chief Inspector of the Prussian University, upon his own estate, Treben in Aytenburgh. According to his Familiar Epistles, he presented wedding gloves about the 6th February, 1738, and it is very probable that it was about the same time that he was initiated into the Order. He is well known in the literary world by some valuable works, particularly by his Familiar Epistles. When Frederick the Great was initiated into the Order as Crown Prince at Brunswick, he was one of the deputies sent from Hamburgh. He was the principal person who induced the monarch, at the commencement of his reign, to found the Grand Lodge, the Three Globes, at Berlin, and was Grand Master of it some years. He served the Prussian family fifteen years, and then retired to private life upon his own estates. Biester. Johan Erich.-Was born at Lubec, 17th November, 1748, and died 20th February, 1816; Chief Royal Librarian and Member of the Royal Academy of Science at Berlin. A man of most extensive knowledge, and whose labors contributed much to promote the cause of literature and science, the proofs of which are to be found in the many valuable writings he has left, and in the Berlin Monthly Magazine, published by him, in company with Nicolai and Gedicke. In his controversial work with Starke there is much valuable information concerning Freemasonry, in which Order he had obtained the highest degree. He belonged to the Grand Lodge at Berlin, in which Lodge he held the office of Grand Lecturer up to the time of his death. He was also W. M. of the Lodge at the Golden Plough. Von Bischofswerder, Johan Rudolph. Royal Prussian General and Cabinet Minister, died in October, 1803. A very celebrated person in the time of Frederick William II., partly on account of his knowing so well how to manage that monarch, and partly on account of his zeal in promoting the Rosicrucian system, and his attachment to that Order. Blau. Blue. This color of Truth is highly prized by every Freemason; and the more he makes his clothing of the mantle of Truth, the greater will be his progress in real knowledge. The clothing blue and gold, or gold and azure, is an ornament of the greatest value. The unchangeable heavens are blue or azure, and its golden ornaments are the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. Blau Grade. Blue Degrees. The three first degrees are clothed in or ornamented with blue, from whence this name is derived. The following degrees have not the same uniformity in their outward appearance. Blue is the color of Truth and Fidelity; and it is a remarkable fact that the Brethren have ever remained true to the blue degrees, while the authenticity of many of the other dugrees has often been disputed, and in many places altogether denied. Under the reign of William the Third of England, blue was adopted as the favorite color of the Craft. Bleiwage Wasserwage, Richtbrett oder Setzwage. Level. The Level is used by operative Masons to lay levels and to prove horizontals. It is the duty of the foreman or superintendent of every building frequently to prove the various parts of the building by the level, in the course of its erection, and he who neglects this important part of his duty lays himself open to severe censure. Bode. Johan Joachim Christoph. A man who has rendered very valuable services to the cause of Freemasonry. He was born on the 16th of January, 1730, of very poor parents, and died on the 13th December, 1793, in Weimar, a Privy Councillor of Hesse Darmstadt. In his youth he studied music in Brunswick, under the city musician Kroll, as hautboist, and was made a member of the city band. His love for music drew him to Helmstadt, where he studied under a virtuoso upon the bassoon; and it was in this city that with assistance of a few friends, he not only made himself acquainted with various languages, but also made a good progress in the study of the arts and sciences. From Helmstadt he returned to Celle as a hautboist, and in 1757 he went to Hamburgh, and commenced business as a bookseller, was initiated into the Order, and obtained very great celebrity by various translations, viz. Yoric's Sentimental Travels, Humphrey Clinker's Travels, The Life of Tristram Shandy, the Vicar of Wakefield, and the History of Tom Jones. By a rich marriage he was enabled to retire from business, and devote the remainder of his days to literature in Weimar. About 1793 he translated that important work, Michael Montaigne's Thoughts and Opinions upon all Subjects, in six volumes. He contributed to Masonic literature, Scottish Masonry compared with the Three Obligations, and the Secrets of the Knight Templars of the Fourth Century, from the French, in two parts. As a Freemason, he belonged to the convent in Williamsbad. About the year 1790 he joined the Order of the Illuminati, in which Order he obtained the degree of Illuminatus Dirigens. As a Freemason, no one knew the history of the Order better than he did, and no private member possessed a richer or more extensive Masonic library; no one was more diligent in increasing his stock of Masonic knowledge, and opening for himself the richest and rarest springs of knowledge. He was one of the most active promoters of the newly introduced system of the Strict Observance, so long as he believed in its correctness, and one of its most indefatigable enemies as soon as he was convinced of its errors. He opposed with all his strength the different errors which had crept into the Order; but most especially he set himself to root out the errors of superstition, priestcraft, supremacy, &c. &c., and pursued this many-headed hydra, through all its changing forms, into its last retreat of infamy and disgrace. Braunschweig. Brunswick. The Rulers of the Grand Duchy Brunswick Wolfenbuttle have always favored Freemasorry; many of them have belonged unto the Order. But it is not on this account alone that Brunswick is celebrated in Freemasonry; it is much morę so, because that in Brunswick, the capital, the most extensive system of Freemasonry that has ever existed in Germany, had its Directory, or Court of Directors. This was the system of the Strict Observance of which the Grand Duke Frederick, the hero of the seven years' war, was Grand Master, which office he held up to the time of his death, after which the Order was broken up. In 1775, a Convent, or Conference of the Strict Observance, was held here from the 22nd of May until the 6th of July, where the Orders of the Knights Templars and of the Adepts were discussed, and in which conference the "Clerici" of the Temple Order appeared, but were not acknowledged. Brunswick is also the Orient in which Frederick the Great was brought to light. In the year 1771, the Lodge Charles Union founded an institution for instructing young people in mathematics, history, drawing, &c. &c. but limited their foundation to four pupils. During the famine in 1772, this Lodge fed above fifty people every day for some months, and this prevented them from extending their foundation. Some time after this the whole of the Lodges in Brunswick united, and altered the school, so that they could instruct twelve pupils. To encourage them in their studies, Duke Ferdinand caused a silver medal to be struck, which was given to the best scholar at the annual examination (which took place in presence of the Duke, and of all the members of the various Lodges,) as a reward for industry and good conduct. This institution has since been more extended, and the Brethren also support a society for widows and orphans. In Brunswick there were formerly St. John's Lodge Jonathan, founded, from London, 1738, and closed 1768. Grand Lodge, founded 6th February, 1775, by Duke Frederick, unto which all the Lodges of the Strict Observance joined themselves. These four Lodges have gone down, and there is now here only the St. John's Lodge Charles, at the Crowned Pillar, to which the above-named Institution belongs. The medal which has already been mentioned for the pupils of the Institution, has upon its principal side a pillar, built upon seven steps, and surrounded with different Masonic_emblems, referring to the name of the Lodge Charles, at the Crowned Pillar. It is crowned with a Prince's coronet, upon which is resting an Owl, the emblem of Industry and Learning, with the inscription, "Neglecta redire virtus audet." Beneath is the inscription, "Premium virtutis et diligentiæ.” Upon the other side is a charming landscape, watered by a stream flowing from a rock, with the inscription, "Solis et rivi beneficio surgunt," and the year of the foundation 1771. The Lodge Jonathan struck a medal in 1774; upon the principal side was David and Jonathan embracing each other, with the inscription "Idem velle, iden nolle." The other side had a Bee hive, with a swarm of bees, and the inscription, "Odi profanum vulgus et arceo." A third medal was also struck in 1774; upon the principal side it had a crowned pillar upon seven steps, surmounted by a triangle, from which rays were emitted; the other side had |