LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue XXVI, 29 July 1871, Page 2

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL.

TO THE EDITOB OP THE INDEPENDENT,

Sic, — Your contemporary the " Advertiser" pives his readers, in extenso, the Masonio funeral service, which probably few but Masons over read before. Being thus made public property, I presume any one is justified in criticising it, without offence. I am desirous of knowing what is meant by the expression put into the mouth of the attendants at the funeral, by way of response, "So mote it be." The " Master" says, in pood English, " May wo be true and faithful," &c. ; " May we profess," &c. ; " May the Lord blesa," &c. Why do the bystanders reply in what, if English at all, is the conditional mood, "So mote it bo." They mean "So may it bo" — why do they not say it? The word " mote" is simply the Saxon for " might," but never, as far as I know, is it used correctly for " may." Both Webster and Johnson give it correctly as the obsolete equivalent of " might," not of" may." The application of the word in its erroneous form, as fur as my reading goes, is to be first found in in ft performance of Edgar Allan Poo's, no great authority in such matters. I fiud it occasionally in other recent writings of no greater authority, such as Sir James Alexander's War in New Zealand. As a lover of pure AngloSaxon English, I should like to know what authority the " Masons" have for what seen.a to me an entirely erroneous use of the word. —I am, &c , Enquieee. Wellington, June 28th, 1871.