homage to the English flag before he would permit his squadron to salute the Spanish prince.

In the reign of James I, in 1604, a dispute having arisen between the English and Dutch with respect to the compliment of the flag, a fleet was sent to sea under the command of Sir Wm. Monson who on his arrival in the Downs for Calais discovered a squadron of Dutch men of war, whose admiral, on Sir William Monson's passing their squadron, struck his flag three times. This English admiral, not satisfied with the compliment, persisted in his keeping it struck during his cruise on the English coast.

Nov. 1625. Sir Robert Mansell fell in with six French men of war on the coast of Spain, and obliged their admiral to strike his flag, and pay him the usual compliments.

In 1629, the various disputes constantly arising respecting the honor of the flag, which the English claimed, induced the famous Hugo Grotius to write a treatise called Mare Liberum, on the futility of the English title to the dominion of the sea, which he considered was a gift from God common to all nations.

In 1634, Mr. Selden wrote a treatise in answer, called Mare Clausem, in which he asserts that Britons "have an hereditary and uninterrupted right to the sovereignty of their seas conveyed to them from their ancestors, in trust for their latest posterity." A copy of this book was ordered by the king "to be kept in the Court of Admiralty, there to remain as a just evidence of our dominion of the sea." A proclamation was published the same year asserting the sovereignty of the sea, and to regulate the manner of wearing the flag.

In 1635, the combined fleets of France and Holland vauntingly gave out that they intended to assert their own independence and to dispute that prerogative which the English claimed in the narrow seas; but as soon as they were informed an English fleet of forty ships was at sea, and in search of them, they quitted the English coast and returned to their own.

On the 20th of Aug., 1636, the Dutch vice admiral, Van Dorp, saluted the English admiral, the Earl of Northumberland, by lowering his topsails, striking his flag, and firing of guns; and the same year on the earl's return to the Downs, he discovered twenty-six sail of Spaniards bound to Dunkirk, who upon his approach paid him like marks of respect.

On the 4th of April, 1654, a peace was concluded between England and Holland, by which the Dutch, in one of their articles, consented to acknowledge the sovereignty of the sea to the English.

"That the ships of the Dutch, as well ships of war as others, meeting any of the ships of war of the English commonwealth in the British seas, shall strike their flags, and lower their topsail, in such manner as hath ever been at any time heretofore practiced under any forms of government."

This appears to be the first instance of England's establishing her right by a formal treaty.'

In 1673, an order was issued to all the commanders of his majesty's ships of war, that in future they were not to require from the ships of war of France the striking of the flag or topsail, or salute; neither were they to give any salute to those of the Christian king."

On the 9th Feb., 1764, another treaty was made with Holland, in which it was stipulated, that any Dutch ships of war or others meeting those of the king of Great Britain, "in any of the seas from Cape Finnisterre to the middle point of the land Van Staten in Norway, shall strike their topsail and lower their flag, in the same manner, and with the like testimony of respect, as has been usually paid at any time or place heretofore by the Dutch ships, to those of the king or his ancestors."

In 1704, a dispute arose at Lisbon respecting the ceremony of the flag, in which the English admiral Sir George Rooke, the king of Spain, and the king of Portugal, were participators. The king of Portugal required that on his coming on board the admiral's ship in his barge of state, and striking his standard, the English flag might be struck at the same time; and that when his catholic majesty, with himself, should go off from the ship, his standard might be hoisted, and the admiral's flag continued struck until they were on shore. This proposition was made from the king of Portugal to the king of Spain. The admiral replied, "that his majesty so long as he should be on board, might command the flag to be struck when he pleased; but that whenever he left the ship, he was himself admiral, and obliged

1 Anderson's Origin of Commerce, vol. II.

2 Memoirs Relating to the Navy.

to execute his commission by immediately hoisting his flag." "So the flag of England was no longer struck than the standard of Portugal."

I

As late as 1769, a French frigate anchored in the Downs, without paying the customary salute, and Capt. John Hollwell of the Apollo frigate sent an officer on board to demand it. The French captain refused to comply; upon which Capt. H. ordered the Hawke sloop of war to fire two shots over her, when he thought proper to strike his colors and salute.

Falconer's Dictionary, published the same year, giving the principal regulations in the royal navy with regard to salutes, says: "All foreign ships of war are expected to take in their flag and strike their topsails in acknowledgment of his majesty's sovereignty in his majesty's seas, and, if they refuse, it is enjoined to all flag officers and commanders to use their utmost endeavors to compel them thereto, and not suffer any dishonor to be done his majesty."" "And it is to be observed in his majesty's seas his majesty's ships are in no wise to strike to any; and that in other parts, no ship is to strike her flag or topsail to any foreigner, unless such foreign ship shall have first struck or at the same time strike her flag or topsail to his majesty's ship."

Instances of former British arrrogance in claiming this sovereignty of the narrow seas, so called, could be multiplied.

The present rule for ships of the United States meeting the flag ships of war of other nations at sea, or in foreign parts, is for the United States vessel to salute the foreign ship first if she be commanded by an officer his superior in rank, and he receives assurance that he will receive gun for gun in return. The national flag of the vessel saluted is displayed at the fore and the jib hoisted at the first gun and hauled down at the last.

"No vessel of the navy is to lower her sails or dip her colors to another vessel of the navy; but should a foreign vessel or merchant vessel of the United States dip her colors or lower her sails to any vessel of the navy, the compliment shall be instantly returned."

1

Campbell's Lives of the Admirals, vol. 11. James's Naval History; Lediard's ditto; Entick's ditto; Burchet's ditto; Harris's Hist. Royal Navy; Scomberg's Naval Chronology, etc.

MASONIC STANDARDS.

STANDARD OF THE KNIGHTS

TEMPLAR.

MASONIC STANDARDS. The standard designated as the principal or general standard of symbolic masonry, is described as follows:

The escutcheon or shield on the banner is divided into four compartments or quarters by a green cross, over which a narrower one of the same length of limb, and of a yellow color, is placed, forming what is called a cross vert, voided or; each of the compartments formed by the limits of the cross is occupied by a different device. In the first quarter, is placed a golden. lion in a field of blue, to represent the standard of the tribe of Judah; in the second, a black ox on a field of gold to represent Ephraim; in the third, a man in a field of gold to represent Reuben, and in the fourth, a golden eagle, on a blue ground to represent Dan. Over all is placed on a crest, an ark of the covenant, and the motto is "Holiness to the Lord." Besides this, there are six other standards proper to be borne in processions, the material of which must be white bordered with a blue fringe, or ribbon, and on each of which is incribed one of the following words: FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY, WISDOM, Strength, BEAUTY.

In the royal arch degree, as recognized in the United States, there are five standards:

The royal arch captain carries a white standard emblematic of purity of heart and rectitude of conduct.

The standard of the master of the third vail is scarlet, emblematic of fervency and zeal, and is the appropriate color of the royal arch degree.

The standard of the master of the second vail is purple which is emblematic of union, being a due mixture of blue and scarlet, the appropriate colors of the symbolic and royal arch degrees; and this teaches to cultivate the spirit of harmony and love between brethren of the symbolic and companions of the sublime degrees which should ever distinguish the members of a society founded upon the principle of everlasting truth and universal philanthropy.

The standard of the master of the first vail is blue, the peculiar color of the ancient craft, or symbolic degrees, which is emblematic of universal friendship and benevolence.

In the royal arch degrees, as practiced in the chapters of England, twelve standards are used illustrating the twelve tribes of Israel, which are as follows:

I Judah, scarlet, a lion couchant. 7 Ephraim, green, an ox.

2 Issachar, blue, an ass.

3 Zebulon, purple, a ship. 4 Reuben, red, a man.

5 Simeon, yellow, a sword.

8 Manasseh, flesh color, a

vine by the side of a wall.

9 Benjamin, green, a wolf. 10 Dan, green, an eagle.

6 Gad, white, a troop of horse- 11 Asher, purple, a cup.

men.

12 Naphtali, blue, a hind.

The banner, or grand standard, of masonic knighthood is of white silk, six feet in height, and five feet in width, made tripartite at the bottom, fastened at the top, to the cross bar by nine rings. In the centre of the standard, a blood red passion cross edged with gold over which is the motto " In hoc signo vinces" and under "Non nobis Domini, non nobis sed nomini tuo da Gloriam !" The cross is four feet long, and both upright, and is seven inches wide. On the top of the staff is a gilded ball or globe four inches in diameter surmounted by a patriarchal cross twelve inches in height.

The grand standard of the ancient and accepted Scottish rite is of silk three and a half feet long by two and a half wide, edged with gold, gold fringe and tassels. In the centre a double headed eagle under which on a blue scroll the motto "DEUS MEUMQUE JUS." In the upper part of a triangle irradiated over the crowned heads of the eagle, are the figures 33 in the centre.1

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR originated in the piety of nine French knights, who in 1118 followed Godfrey de Bouillon to the Crusades. They were suppressed March 22, 1312.

St. Bernard thus described the Knights Templar in their early days: "They lived without anything they could call their own.

'Macoy's Cyclopedia of Masonry.