FREEMASONRY IN" SCOTLAND .No. I.

A prejudice against Scotch-made Masonsexists to a considerable extent amongstEnglish Brethren. This arises from theunfavourable circumstances under Avhichvery many of our southern friends havebeen introduced to our lodges, and havefirst Avitnessed our administration ofMasonic rites. Its "emergent meetings "and its close association with inns, taverns,and the lite are the bane of Scotch Mason-ry. By far the greater number of lodgecommunications hi Scotland are held forthe purpose of conferring degrees at sightupon parties Avhose names have neverpreviously been before a stated meeting asapplicants for admission, and in regard toAvhose character nothing is known beyondAvhat is stated by the brother bringing himas.a candidate, and whose knoAvledge inthis respect is often based on a casualacquaintanceship. While it cannot bedenied that many Avorthy persons havebeen "made " at meetings of emergency,it is also true that others have been admit-ted Avho should have been rejected. Thesystem, Avhile enriching their funds, de-prives lodges of the right to say who shalland who shall not he admitted under theircharter. I have known of a couple ofreturned convicts being initiated at a meet-ing of emergency. Their true characterwas discovered after their admission, infame to prevent the issue of their diplomas.Through the facdities for admission thatare afforded by lodges, chapters and encamp-ments, it is not unusual for a person to beentered, passed and raised at one sederunt ;

marked, chaired and arched at another ;ancl dubbed at a third—all within thespace of forty-eight horns.

The holding of Masonic conmmnicatioiisin places of public entertainment is objec-tionable upon several grounds. The privacyessential to the observance of Masoniccustoms cannot in ordinary circumstancesbe preserved in public-houses, where in themajority of cases lodges have tAvo drinkingapartments temporarily assigned to themfor their use. These being hi manyinstances flanked by other rooms open tothe public, ancl Avithin ear-shot of thesignals peculiar to the institution, the aidof a curtain is resorted to, to alloAV of acommunication between lodge-room andadjacent being carried on unobserved fromthe passages leading to other parts ofthe house. Here the tyler has, sword inhand ancl bedecked with the regalia of theCraft, to keep watch and ward alternatelyon either side of the curtain, and be thebutt of ridicule to any outsider who maychoose to indulge in a joke at the expenseof the Order. As to the accessories toMasonic ceremonies, the merest novice can-not but note IIOAV incongruous is theassociation of these with the common-placefurniture of an ordinary drihking-rooin ina public-house. As a rule .no rent is paidfor lodge-rooms hi taverns ; it is, therefore,to the drinking Avhich hi Scotland is theusual adjunct to Masonic meetings thatlandlords look for their remuneration. Werefrain from depicting the bacchanalian,scenes to Avhich this system gives rise.

It is to these circumstances chiefl y thatAve attribute the prejudice against Scotch-made Masons.

E

In this country Mason Lodges were,jirior to the absorption of the Operativeelement accustomed to meet for initiationin kirks, the upper chambers of dwellinghouses, or at secluded places in the openfields. The records of some of our pre-eighteenth century Lodges show this tohave been so. In the secession of theJourneymen Masons of Edinburgh fromMary's Chapel, it Avas held to be anaggravation of their rebellion that they metfor Masonic purposes in a " public changehouse." But after tho erection of GrandLodge the custom became common, andhas ever since existed in greater or lessdegree. Of the halls Avhich have beenacquired by our Lodges, very few are keptfor the exclusive use of the Craft , ancl inconsequence their interior arrangementsare sadly out of keeping Avith the ostensibleobject of their consecration. There are ofcourse exceptions to this remark ; severalof the lodges in Edinburgh ancl Glasgow,and one or two in the provinces, havinghalls strictly appropriated to Masonicpurposes. Floor-cloths bearing the symbolsof the Craft are seldom seen in our lodges.Their use Avas forbidden by Grand Lodgemore than a century ago. Instrumentalmusic is not unfrequently employed to giveincreased effect to our secret ceremonial.This is not, as is generally supposed, quitea novelty in Scotland. The example Avasset by one of the Edinburgh lodges (St.David) as early as 1744, in Avhich year itivas presented with an organ hy one of itsmembers. In some lodges the Avant ofinstrumental music is supplied by psalmsbeing sung at certain stages in the initia-tion service. But these are exceptionalcases. Music in our lodges is as a ruleconfined to convivial and festive occasions.There Avas a time Avhen Masonic songs—productions abounding with extravagant

allusions to the symbols and princi^ les ofthe Craft—alone Avere sung in the convivialmeetings of lodges. Each had its song-book, Avhich Avas always ot hand in casesof sudden eclipses of the memory. Burnscontributed one purely Masonic soi g, inwhich his use of the phrase "grand design "betrays an acquaintance Avith the earlyMasonic poets. As his " FareAvell to theBrethren of St. James's Lodge, Tarbolton,"excels all other efforts hi the same direc-tion, its reproduction can never be cut ofplace when treating of Masonic "harmony."It is now almost the only song of the landAvhich has retained its h old upon suchmeetings.

" Adieu! a heart warm fond adieu !Dear Brothers of the mystic tie !

Ye favour'd, ye enlightened few,Companions of my social joy.

Tho' I to foreign lands must hie,Pursuing Fortune's slidd'ry ha',

With melting heart and brimful eye,I'll mind you still , tho' far awa'.

Oft have I met your social hand,And spent the cheerful, festive night ;

Oft, honoured with supreme command ,Presided o'er the sons of light:

And by that hieroglyphic bright ,Whii-.h none but craftsmen ever saw !

Strong mem'ry on my heart shall AvriteThose happy scenes, Avh en far awa'.

May Freedom , Harmony, and LoveUnite you in the Grand Design,

Beneath th' Omniscient Eye above—The glorious Architect divine!

That you may keep the unerring line ,Still rising by the plummet's law,

Till order bright completely shine,Shall be my prayer when far awa'.

And you, farewell ! whose merits claim,Jusll y that highest badge to wear !

Heav'n bless your honour 'd, noble name,To Masonry and Scotia dear!

A last request permit me here,When yearly ye assemble a',

One round—I ask it with a tear-To him, the Bard, that's far aiva'."

The sitting on " refreshment " in o| enlod ge, and the Avearing of party-colou.tid

aprons—customs that have obtained since1736—are peculiarities of Scotch Masonswhich attract the attention of Englishvisitors. The usage of our lodges in theformer respect is gradually becoming assimi-

lated to that of England—but the taste forfancifull y-trimmed clothing continues. Informer times , full dress was regarded asessential to appearance at Grand Lodgecommunications, public Masonic demonstra-tions, or the festive meetings of the Craft.IToAv-a clays, on such occasions undress hasliecome common.

A point of dissimilarity between theEnglish and Scottish Craft , of, greaterimportance than anything relating to dressor conviviality, is the absence from lodgesin this country of "subscribing members,"as the term is understood on the other sideof the border. Our Masonic Charities arescarcely worthy of the name. The mini-mum fee for initiation is 31s. 6d., and inthe case of nine-tenths of the initiates it isall they are ever required to pay in connec-tion Avith Freemasonry, apart from Avhatthey may spend for their oivn personalgratification. Even Avhere a money testof membership is exacted—and this obtainsto but a very limited extent—the sums soraised are applied to general purposes.

The institution in 1846 of the Fund ofScottish Masonic Benevolence folloAved aprolonged but unsuccessful attempt toestablish by voluntary effort a MasonicOrphanage. This Fund is supported bythe compulsory contributions of membersof Grand Lodge, supplemented by a por-tion of the registration fees paid forintrants. Its operations have hithertobeen confined to the administration ofcasual relief : and through the economythat lias been observed in this respect areserve fund ,- of about £3,000, has beeiiacquired with a view to the future endOAV-

ment of a permanent charity—a step Avhichrecent enactments of Grand Lodge areexpected to facilitate. The outcry AvhichAvas raised by tho daughter lodges againstLord Eosslyn's recent proposal to leAryfrom every craftsman under the ScotchConstitution a small quarterly subscription,tOAvards the liquidation of a debt of some.£13,000 incurred in the erection of Free-masons' Hall at Edinburgh, and thereby toplace Grand Lodge hi a position to carryout the object contemplated in the institu-tion of its Charity Fund, was the result ofour defective education in the matter ofmaking the practice of the Craft squareAvith its benevolent principles,

The Scottish Fraternity does not con-cern itself about its OAVU history andantiquities. Masonic authorship is conse-quently at a discount amongst us. Whereinstruction is professed to be given bylodges, it consists chiefly of rehearsals ofthe ceremonial peculiar to making Masons.Although the ritual is IIOAV communicatedoftener by print or writ than orally, it is'seldom read during initiation. In formertimes masters who from disinclination orincapacity failed to commit the ritual tomemory Avere relieved from conferringdegrees by the " Initiator," an official UOAV

almost unknoA\rn, though his duties still,in many lodges, devolve upon private mem-bers. This proceeds from the custom ofadvancing brethren to the mastership moreon account of their social position than be-cause of their Masonic acquirements—acustom Avhich was common also hi Opera-tive times. Men of all ranks congregatein our lodges, where much social inter-course is enjoyed, ancl friendships areformed Avhich but for the mystic tie Avouldnever haAre existed. It Avas to his introduc-'tion to Masonic circles on his visit toEdinburgh that our' national Poet OAVed his

E 2

acquaintance with some of the most distin-guished men of his clay.

I have adverted to one or two peculiari-ties in the customs of Scotch Masons.Representation by proxy is another. Themeeting at which Grand Lodge Avasinstituted Avas composed of the Mastersand Wardens of lodges, or then- proxies.The right to appoint proxies, as an alterna-tive in the case of lodges declining to berepresented by their OAVII Master ancl War-dens, was confirmed by a clause in thecharters that Avere subsequently issuedunder the Scotch constitution. This systemafter being in operation for one hundredand forty-seven years, has by resolution ofa majority of the brethren attending lastQuarterly Communication of Grand Lodgebeen ordered to be abolished at the end ofthe present " Masonic year "—April, 1874.Our head Masonic court Avill, should theresolution be confirmed, then be composedof actual Masters and Wardens, and allPast Masters. By the introduction of theex-officials just named our constitution Avillbear some resemblance to that of England.The metropolitan lodges have always beenrepresented by their OAVII office-bearers ;but is only within the last feAV years thatthat course Avas to any appreciable extentadopted by provincial lodges. BetAveentheir own ex-officio members of GrandLodge, and the great preponderance ofproxy commissions held by them, the breth-ren hi Edinburgh have for about a centuryand a half had the direction of ScottishMasonic affairs very much in their ownhands. Whatever their shortcomings inthe discharge of Masonic duties, and IIOAV

ever greedy of Masonic honours, they havethrough several generations devoted noinconsiderable portion of time to themanagement of Grand Lodge—a labourAvhich Avas tlnoAvn upon them by the per-

sistent negligence of the country lodges.It is noAv thought undesirable that supremoMasonic power should be concentratedAvithin so limited a circle. Hence thecontemplated disqualification of proxiesancl the recognition of Past Masters asconstitutional members of the Masonicexecutive.

It must be admitted that there is at thepresent clay less necessity for representationby proxy than existed at ancl long subse-quent to the date at Avhich it Avas firstrecognized. The hinderances to personalattendance at Edinburgh, hoAvever con-tinues in the ease of colonial lodges, anclought in common fairness to be providedfor as hitherto. , No abuse of the proxysystem by the home lodges, nor neglect ofthe claims of Past Masters, can in anydegree justify the Avrong Avhich the aboli-tion of proxies is calculated to inflict uponour colonial lodges. These number morethan a fourth of the lodges under theScotch constitution , and are located inevery part of the Avorld—ancl yet, by thecontemplated change they AArill bo virtuallyexcluded from a voice in the administrativebody of the Order, to Avhose laws ancllevies they are bound to give effect. Theobject for Avhich proxy commissions AvereAvont to be procured, viz., that the votesAvhich. they carried might be secured forparty purposes in questions coming beforeGrand Lodge, no doubt necessitated areform in the system. And this Avasaccomplished when in 1869 a definite datein each year Avas fixed for completion of theroll of members entitled to vote. The listfor the present year contains the names of797 bretliren, 367 of Avhom are actualMasters and Wardens.

D. M URRAY LYOM .

THE MASONIC CHARITIES.

Many years ago it Avas my lot to beasked by a non-Mason, of what practicalgood is Freemasonry 1 " You assemble," hesaid, "on special occasions, you wear collars,and aprons, and jeAvels, you have constantbanquets, as I gather from the Magazineon your table ; and Avhatever may be theamount of labour of which your AvorthyCraft takes part in, there can bo no doubtof their appreciation of refreshment." '

" But of AAdiat practical benefit is Free-masonry ?" he concluded, "I pause for areply." I said then—being a young Masoncomparatively, I remember Avell, putting allthis banter calmly aside Avithout notice,Avhich is always our best policy—" that ourreal defence and the truest representationof our principles Avere to be found in ourMasonic Charities, that, Avith us at anyrate, profession and practice did go hand-in-hand, ancl that very feAV persons outsideour Order could possibly knoAV, the amountof extensive and habitual relief, distributedby us among the reduced and indigent ofour brethren . That this Avas to me thestriking proof of its practical benefit tomankind, hi that, it ever inculcated brotherlylove and unceasingly administered open-handed relief." I say so still, after anexperience in Freemasonry, of over threedecades, and I believe in this great reality,is still to be found the truest commenda-tion of our Avide-spread Brotherhood, AvhileI farther strongly feel, that, the applicationand embodiment of the active principles ofkindly and discriminating benevol ence, alikeoffer the best explanation of. our past historyancl present success, and constitute the onlysafe foundation , on which to build up thegreat moral and spiritual building of ourOrder hi its continued life, and its futurevalue to mankind.

In saying this, I do not Avish to ignorethe immense importance Freemasonry

possesses in its peculiar organization as acommon platform, so to say, on which themost differing, and the most distant, maymeet and agree in the happy fraternalAvork of sympathy, toleration ancl good willfor others ; but I am inclined to think thatFreemasonry is always stronger, in propor-tion as it carries out effectuall y and effic-iently its great and abiding principles of" Brotherly Love, Relief , ancl Truth." Andthis ivould be my reply to all our antagon-ists and gainsayers to-day, at home andabroad. " Freemasonry may not suit yourpeculiar vieAVS, may not harmonize Avithyour personal ideas, it may seem antagon-istic to your ' ism,' or 'ology,' or 'vanity,'as the case may be, but Freemasonry hasthis one thing in its favour and on its side,namely, that it honestly seeks, to put intopractice the principles it professes and thetruths it upholds." I knoAV of no society," qiui a societas," of men like ours, Avhichdoes so much in the cause of good soundactive charity, m the truest sense of charity,as our Accepted Brotherhood. And AvhenAVO call to mind the large sums voted alikeby our "Lodge of Benevolence," anclannually from our " Provincial LodgeFunds," ancl from Avhat Ave used to call the" Pedestals " of our private lodges, Ave shallagree, I think, Avith that intelligent Ameri-can who once said, " I guess if you tottleup all these statistical vouchers of your'n,you Avill discover that they rise a prettyconsiderable amount." NOAV, if Freemasonry¦stopped here, it might fairly claim somecredit for its ceaseless, and active, andintelligent, yet unostentatious charity ; butit does not stop here by any means, it goesmuch farther. It is not satisfied withcasual grants or temporary votes in aid, butit seeks to make such charity both practicalancl permanent, in that it endeavours togive the means of subsistence and comfortto old age, to educate the orphan sons anddaughters of our deceased or helpless breth-ren, so as to give them a good start in life,

and enable them to play their parts andfight their battles in that greatest after allof all strifes and struggles—the greatscene of this world's warfare and thisworld's duties.

I propose, then, to give an account UOAV

of our great Masonic Charities, as I think,the reference to their past annals, a sort ofsumming up of what they have clone, asimple statement of what they are doing,may interest the Craft at large. Perhaps,also, Avhen AVO realize, what is their greatvalue to us as an Order, in illustration ofour great principles and Avhen AVO remembernot only the sympath y and support theyhave received from our brethren, but thereal and lasting benefits they convoy toothers, AVO shall all be stimulated alike—:Provinces and Brethren—to do more thanAVO have hitherto done in the genial andeArer beneficent cause of Masonic charityand Masonic help.

I can speak with some little authority,as to Avhat may be clone m such a cause bycombined efforts and earnest zeal, Avhen Imention that it Avas my privilege to pre-side for ten years over the Charity Com-mittee of West Yorkshire, during Avhichtime Ave sent up £10,425 13s. to theMetropolitan Masonic Charities. Thatamouut, large as it is, does not represent by aconsiderable sum, the contributions remittedup to the festival of this year, nor does itinclude tAvo perpetual scholarships in theBoys' School, m value £M,U40. 13ut tins issurely enough to convince doubting breth-ren Avhat can be done, if as the old sayingruns, " Ave only put our shoulders to theAvheol ;" and if any should think that York-shire is a large and Avealthy province, andthat, therefore, the same rule does not holdgood for all, I woidd only add, " no oneknows Avhat they can ..do until they try todo it •" " go and do thou likeAvise," andthen Ave Avill discuss the matter and com-pare our figures. For I have long been ofopinion that our Craft by no means acts up

to its full responsibility as regards theCharities, and that, despite our reallywonderful Anniversary Returns, ancl thefact that this year the brethren have raisedthe noble amount of £21,000 for the Chari-ties, yet such is our wealth as a body, reallyand truly, such the poivor of combinedaction, that our support should each yearbecome more general and more systematic,in order to uphold the Charities hi theirfullest efficiency, ancl to break doAvn thatsad list of disappointed candidates, espec-ially in our Boys' and Girls' Schools.

NOAV Ave must bear in mind that this listowing to our increasing numbers is likelyto increase instead of decreasing, ancl in-stead, therefore, of electing only one-thirdof the candidates, Ave should seek to enablethe Charities to take in, at least, three-fourths of the selected applicants for. ad-mission. I am not one of those who thinkthat it would be desirable to be able toelect all candidates, ancl to have no compe-tition. Competition is both Avholesomeand advisable Avhen not pushed to extremes,ancl Ave must have it in one Avay or other,either by voting papers or by an examina-tion. For supposing that Ave coidd takein all properly qualified candidates annually,Ave should have to enforce a test of educa-tional proficiency, even though it be aminimum, hi order to prevent the possibilityof abuse of our Charities, and the tendencyunavoidable always here, to alloAv personalfeelings or private interest to bias ourjudgment in the nomination of candidates.I may just remark that I do not, as ofcourse I could not , in this , account of theMetropolitan Charities of our Order, includeseveral excellent Provincial Institutions,Avhethor for relief or education. Some dayit might be an interesting labour to endeav-our to condense into a tabular statementall our Masonic Chari ties of every kind.But to-day I propose to call your attentionto those great institutions of our Order ofwhich Ave hardly IOIOAV as much as AVO

ought to do, though as Freemasons Ave mayAvithout any-conceit or flattery be justlyproud of them one and all. So we will

begin on the good old principle—"Placeaux Dames," Avith that excellent and ad-mirable Institution the Girls' School.

The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls,such is its present name, was foundedMarch 25th, 1788, at the suggestion of ourbenevolent brother, the Chevalier Ruspini,for the purpose of educating, clothing, anclmaintaining the orphan daughters of ourbrethren, or of those Avhose reduced meansprevented them from affording their chil-dren a suitable education. From the firstthis institution has received much of royalpatronage, and has been most warmlysupported hy the Craft. It was for a longtime called the "Royal Cumberland FemaleSchool,"after its first Patroness, H.R.H. theDuchess of Cumberland, wif e of the GrandMaster in 1788.

The Girls' School, in contradistinction tothe Boys' School, Avas started, so to say,under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of1715, and found its firs t " local habitationand name " inl793,inaschool-house erectednear the Obelisk, St. George's in the Fields.But in 1851, the lease having expired, thescho.d Avas removed to a site of three acresof freehold land, on the high ground ofBatter.-ea Rise, adjoining WandsAvorthCommon, and Avhere it has since continuedto increase in efficiency ancl utility year byyear. It is interesting to remember thatwhile its receipts for the first year amount-ed to 664 guineas, the amount realized atthe Festival of 1873 was over £7,500,£2,000 over any preceding year ; as in 1871when H.R.H., our brother, the Prince ofWalespresided , £5,500 Avere collected , Avhichwas the highest amount so far.

From its foundation the school haseducated 981 girls, ancl has IIOAV 120 schol-ars. In April , five out of twenty-eightcandidates were elected, about one-sixthbut it is hoped that in October fifteen on '

of thirty Avdl be admitted—exactly one-half. The Committee are noAv extendingthe Avings of the main building so as toprovide additional dining hall, schoolroomand dormitory accommodation, and th eywill then be able to receive 140 girls, ifonly tho school continues to receive, asthere is no doubt it Avill do, the continuedcordial and liberal support of the Craft.

The Girls'Sehool possesses about£28,000of funded property, and its usual annualexpenditure beyond that amount seems toaverage about £3,500, which is raised fromthe annual subscriptions and contributionsof the brethren. During the last year,£4,872 have been paid for the new build-ings Avhich Avill naturally augment theaccommodation ancl improve tho efficiencyof the school. The Girls' School is aninstitution of Avhich our Order may justlybe proud, "as not only has it earned therepeated encomiums of examiners andins2iectors, but it successfully carries outan education for children of various andoften contrasted classes in society. It iseasy enough to educate a given number ofchildren, Avho are all pretty much on a level;but it is a difficult matter where variousclasses meet together to direct an educationequally suitable to all. In our Order Avehave the remarkable contrasts of Avealth anclindigence, of affluence and humbler circum-stances, and hi the case of orphans, ourOrder stands to them "in loco parentis,"and seeks to give them the same educationthey Avould have received had their parents'lives been happily preserved. Hence thepeculiar difficulty of such an education asis supplied in our Girl's School. But bythe skill of the Governess, Avhose laboursare incessant and most praiscAvorthy, ancl theexcellent arrangements of the House Com-mittee, our Girls' School alike in its domes-tic details as in its educational Avork, hasreceived, as it deserves, the highest approvalfrom all competent judges ; and probablythere is no institution hi this country,

which so fulfils the hopes and expectationsof its founders, so developes the advantagesof education to its happy and gratefulrecipients, or so does credit to the Orderhy which it is so liberally and sympatheti-cally supported.

I have said enough to SIIOAV IIOAV excel-lent and valuable an institution it is, anclIIOAV deserving of our hearty good Avishesancl our still heartier support. Many ofmy readers will have agreeable reminis-cences of its former excellent Secretary,our very worthy brother, E. V. Patten, andAvill have equally regretted the loss of hisvaluable services to the Institution anclFreemasonry. But I think it is a matter ofrejoicing that Ave have in his successor—Bro. R.W. Little—one AVIIO is so thoroughlycompetent to discharge the duties of hisoffice , and AVIIO adds to his Avell-knownMasonic zeal and knoAvledge, tho alwayswelcome attributes, of a readiness to oblige,and of courtesy to all.

Unlike the Girls' School, the "RoyalMasonic Institution for Boys " derives itsorigin from the seceding Grand Lodge or"Athol," or " Antient " Masons. Accord-ing to Cole the idea originated in theUnited Mariners' Lodge, Xo. 23, of thatbody, and at a meeting of the members ofthe antient fraternity on the 3rd of July1798, "to consider the means of establishin ga Masonic Charity for clofchingand educatingthe sons of indigent Freemasons," it Avas re-solved to start and support such an Institu-tion. The scheme seems to have been favour-ably received by that body, though their firstbeginning, of six boj's Avas modest enough.In 1812 the Antient Grand Lodge orderedfive shillings on the registering of everyneAV London brother, and of any provin-cial , and foreign, and military brother twoshillings and sixpence, to he paid in aid ofthe Institution—as it Avas then called—for"Clothing andEducating the Sons of deceas-ed and indigent Ancient Freemasons." Butfrom 1813, the year of union of the tAvo

Grand Lodges, tho Boys' School has con-tinued to receive the support of the UnitedGrand Lodge ancl the increasing aid of theAvhole Craft. In 1868 its name Avaschanged to its present designation, "TheRoyal Masonic Institution for Boys.

Its beginning was unpretending enough ;and for many years all that the institutiondid AAras to provide the payment, to use atechnical expression of our own days, ofthe " school pence " and clothing for theboys elected. These boys seem to lurvebeen sent to school at the option of thenparents near their residences, but it isobvious that such an arrangement Avas mostdefective in itself and insufficient as aneducational effort. In 1811 there AA^ereforty-eight boys thus clothed and theireducation paid for, Avhich number sloAidyincreased to sixty-five in 1831, and toseventy in 1851. In 1850 a proposal tobuild a school had been made, but it Avasnot then entertained, Giving, apparentlyto the doubts then existing in tho minds ofsome, Avhether sufficient funds could bej irovuled for tho increased expenditure. ItAvas not until 1856 that a house ancl tenacres of freehold land Avere purchased for£3,800 at Wood Green . This buildinghaving been altered was opened as a schoolin the year 1857, Avhen tAvonty-five boysAvere admitted and received the benefitsof a complete education, and the comfortsof a home. Many of the boys then pre-ferred, hoAvever, to remain out of thehouse, though IIOAV I am hap]iy to say outof 146 boys only two are thus educated.

In 1862 the House Committee, oiving totho patent defects of the old building andthe increasing demands for admission,determined to build an entirely neAV schoolon the same site, and in 1865 the presentschool Avas opened for the reception ofeighty boys. It Avas impossible but that abuilding constructed as tho neAV school atWood Green is, on all the improvedprinciples of ventilation and drainage, and

school arrangements, should be otherwisethan costly. The sum of £47,116 4s.Avhich the budding has cost, has necessarilybeen, and must be, for some time to come, am-eat source of anxiety to the House Com-mittee and the many friends of the Institu-tion. One consequence of this greatimprovement has been the absorption of allthe funded capital, and though the debt ontho building fund is UOAV happily discharg-ed, with the exception of £500 Sustenta-tion fund , the Boys' School is entirelydependent on the annual subscriptions anddonations of the brethren. That this ivillnot be wanting both to keep up the schoolin its full efficiency, to replace graduallythe capital sunk in the building, and at novery distant date to increase the numberof boys educated, I think A\re may fairlybelieve, from the continued sympath y, nay,the increasing liberality of the Craft. In1811 the income from all sources Avas £1877s. 4d. In 1872 it amounted to £10,7646s. 7cb, while in this year the annualfestival Avitnessed the striking return of£7,103 and up to the present time, theinstitution has received in all from theBrotherhood £9,150, for 1873.

Of the 146 boys noAV in the books Ofthe institution, according to the report for1872, tAvo are educated out of the school,tAvo are scholarships from West Yorkshire,one is an East Lancashire presentation ,eighteen are purchased nominations, theremainder being elected by the votes of thesubscribers. There can be no doubt, thatas an Order Ave may speak in tho fullestterms of praise of the institution as aneducational establishment. It is giving athoroughly good commercial or classicaleducation as the case may be, to theorphans of our deceased brethren, andthere is no reason Avhy it should not be-come as useful and efficient a seminary asany one of our great public schools ; likeEton, or Harroiv, or Winchester. That itsutility and value are appreciated is evident,

not only from the large number of pur-chased nominations, but from the constantlyincreasing number of candidates for admis-sion. Indeed, the fact, that there weresixty-nine candidates last April, and onlynineteen elected, is a sufficient proof of thedemand for education, ancl ought to be astimulus to us all, to increase our efforts,ancl not to slacken our zeal on behalf of soneedful and so excellent an educational ,establishment. Since the institution Avascommenced in 1798, 1,218 boys havereceived a good education, and a fair startin the great journey of life, ancl many arefilling excellent stations in society, ancl dogreat credit to the education they havereceived.

I. am happy in being able to add here,that the House Committee have determined,OAving to the pressure of applications foradmittance, to increase the dormitoryaccommodation by an outlay of £1,800.The recommendation to increase the num-ber of boys educated from 125 to 153, hasalso been adopted. Of this increase oftAventy-eight, fourteen will be elected inOctober, though OAving to a death vacancy,fifteen Avill then really be elected, andfourteen in April 1874. In addition thusto the one hundred ancl fift y on the founda-tion, so to speak, there Avill then be nine-teen admitted by purchase, tAvo West York-shire presentations, one East Lancashirepresentation; one life - nomination ; in allone hundred and seventy-six boys. Thisis a large number and a most advisable andpraiseworthy increase ; but such are thedemands for admission that it Avill not belong, I feel convinced , before Ave shall haveto make provision so that two hundredboys may be comfortably educated in thepresent admirably arranged buildings. Theincreasing Avants of our Brotherhood AVLIIserve to stimulate our zeal still further, andenable the House Committee alike to Avel-come and provide for tAvo hundred founda-tion pupils, at tho least, Avithin the comely

walls of the Royal Masonic Institution forBoys.

I cannot close this sketch of the BoysSchool without referring to the excellentmanagement of the House Committee, orAvithout reminding my readers, how muchthe present success of the institution andthe extinction of the debt are OAving totlie indomitable energy ancl perseverance ofour Bro. F. Binckes, the active Secretaryof the School. Bro. Binckes had to workup a large ancl unfavourable balance, hehad what is always so difficult fce do, toappeal again and again for tho reduction ofa debt which Avas very heavy. But I feel sureof this, that no better Avork has been donefor Freemasonry for a long time, than theerection of the Boys' School, and Ave shouldbe most ungrateful were AAre to lose sightof the unceasing energy, or to ignore theunwearied assiduity which have character-ized Bro. Binckes' efforts to extinguish thisvery heavy burden on the School Funds.In the hour of success, let us not forget toAvhose persevering patience, so much creditis really and ju stly due.

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institu-tion, for aged Freemasons and Widows ofFreemasons, Avas founded at a Grand Lodgeheld on the second of March, 1842. In itsorigin it Avas established, however, forgranting annuities to males only, and theannuity then granted Avas on a scale asfolloAVs :

From 60 to 70 £10 to £20.„ 70 to 75 15 to 20.„ 75 — 20 to 30.

In 1867 this scale Avas abolished, anuniform payment was made to the men of£26, and this has been increased this yearto £36. In 1849 the WidoAvs' Fund wasestablished, and annuities similar to theabove scale were granted , but in 1867 thiswas altered to one of £25 per annum, andincreased this year to £28. It is interest-ing to remember that at the first Festivalin 1847, the amount realised Avas £819

16s. Avith 40 Stewards. While hi 1873,Avith 185 Stewards, the large sum wasreceived of £6,866 16s. In 1842 fifteenmale annuitants Avere elected, there areIIOAV 115, each year shearing a gradualincrease; and Avhile the number of femaleannuitants elected in 1844 Avas only five,there are UOAV 80 Widows on the Fund,and ten receiving half their husbands'annuity. The Asylum at Croydon Avhichcontains apartments for thirty-three annui-tants is fully occupied, so that, in everyrespect, this excellent charity is not onlyproductive of much benefit to all its reci-pients, but seems to have a very strongclaim on the systematic siqqiort of theCraft. Its fixed income is about £2,084,the expenditure about £7,300, so that£5,000 has to be raised annually fromthe liberality and goodwill of our Order.I have thus given, as time only allowedme, or rather sjiace only permitted, a shortsketch of our Metropolitan Masonic Chari- .ties, and they certainly, alike in their endancl object, as in their present activedevelojiement and effective organization,reflect not only the greatest credit on thoseAvho manage them, but they are Institutionsof which as Freemasons Ave may be justlyproud.

It has been said, I am aAvare, that ourannuities are too small, and there my hesome force in the remark, especially hi thedear times in Avhich Ave live. Probably,did the Committee feel themselves justified ,looking at their receipts, to increase theannuities, they Avould gladly do so, anclthey have, I may observe, already made anincrease this year. Those of us Avho valueFreemasonry, as many of us sincerely do,Avill rejoice to think how Avell these worksof utility arid sympathy ancl brotherly love,which are represented in the Charitiesillustrate the true teaching of our good oldOrder. I cannot help thinking that if Averealized this more fully than Ave do, by amore general combined action in our . Pro-

vinces, we should, by increasing thenumber of Life Governorships attached toour lodges, greatly increase the Funds ofthe Metropolitan Charities. I am also oneof those Avho venture to think that allGrand Officers should be Life Governorsof one at least of the Masonic Charities ;for I am as sure to clay, as I Avas manyyears ago, that the best explanation ofFreemasonry is in its works of Charity andlabours of love ; and that in aiding old ageand educating youth, Ave are exhibiting totho Avoricl at large, that ours are notmerely the tinsel trappings of outwarddecorations or festive gatherings, but thatAVO both profess ancl practice, to the bestof . our poAver ancl ability, the higherrealities of sympathy and goodwill forothers, and are ever prompt to succour andto aid those Avliom Masonic interest hasrendered dear to us, or earthly adversityhas tried and troubled. Let us hope thatthese our Charities may long endure, forthe happiness and comfort and improve-ment of those Avho partake of their benefits,and to tho credit and commendation ofour Ancient Craft.

A. F. A. WOODFORD.

THE UNITED ORDERS OF THETEMPLE AND HOSPITAL AND

THE PRESS.

Our contemporary the Spectator anxiousto emulate the pungent satire of its moreAvidely read compeer the Saturday Beview,and to prove itself the clever critic andcommentator on all sorts of shams, frivoli-ties and eccentricities—'-Avhether displayedin the arena of politics or simply comingunder the head of ethics or cesthetics, tookoccasion some time since to scarify theKnight Templars, and read the Prince ofWales a severe lesson for assisting at a" mock revival or resuscitation " as it Avaspleased to call it of that ancient chivalric

order. We live in the age of revivals, therevival of architecture, of ecclesiology, thescience of symbolism notably amongst therest ; is not the Spectator itself a revival—a jj oor imitation we admit—of its worthiernamesake, and are we not justified in f OIIOAV-ing so noble an example, and calling our-selves Knights Templar if we so please 1

No doubt H.R.H. was deeply grieved tothink that the Spectator disapproved of hisInstallation as Grand Master of the UnitedOrders, especially as that erudite instructorof the public, disposes so thoroughly of hisclaims to authority over the Templars whoAvere " suppressed as every one knoAvs inthe year 1312."

One of the most curious and instructivefeatures of the public press in the presentday is that it fancies itself ubiquitious andomniscient, of course ourselves excepted.The Spectator , cpioting from the DailyTelegraph, gives a long description of theproceedings Avhich as Ave Avere present our-selves Ave may be allowed to say wereincorrect in many particulars. The DailyTelegraph is an enterprising journal, andno doubt did its best to get full informa-tion of what it felt AAras important andinteresting to the public ; but Ave shall, nodoubt, surprise many of our readers AAdienwe tell them that Ave are as certain that itsreporter got access to the meeting of Con-vent General as that its correspondent Avason the road to Khiva the other clay AAdienhe Avrote those admirable descriptions Avhichthe Times and other papers copied withsuch gusto, ancl exposed ivith such delight.

We knoAV that amplication Avas made,on behalf of the Press, to certain highfunctionaries for copies of the printedprogramme and rituals used on ¦ the occa-sion, which application was refused—but Willis's Rooms are not Freemasons'Hall, and reporters might haunt the corri.dors and bribe the Avaiters, but they couldnot get into the great hall, so that whenour contemporary says "the proceedings

of Avhich Ave have attempted a descriptionelseAA'here combined some of the moreextravagant elements of a Lord Mayor'sSIIOAV, and some of the grotesque!" passagesof a very High Church function," Ave mayremind our friend that a real and anassumed ubiquity are two different things ;and that as the description it was goodenough to quote from was mainly suppliedfrom the inner consciousness, the fervidimagination of the Telegraph correspondentAVIIO, no doubt, got possession in someinformal manner of a printed programmeto help him, its pleasant sarcasm is throAAmaAvay and its assumed historic kiiOAAdedgerather AA'asted.

We are inclined to suspect Scotch influ-ence at work, as the origin of this gratuitousattack on the Templars, as it is now wellknoAvn that the Scottish Knights afteragreeing to the union Avith England anclIreland, ultimately, and it is Avhisperednot too honourably, AA'ithdreAv from thetreaty.

The Spectator , probably inspired as Avehave suggested, gives us the astonishinginformation that " the Scotch Templarsregard the English Templars as no moretrue Knights Templars than the Duke ofManchester's Lodge of Knights Hosjritallers ,are true Johauniter."

If our contemporary AVOUM condescendto read Masonic history before it preachesabout our orders of Knighthood, it Avouldspeeddy discover that its vaunted historicalknoAvledge is of no great value and that itsstatements are sometimes—as in this in- -stance, incredible though it may appear—absolutely false. The Order of the TempleAvas not suppressed in 1312—the proceed-ings of the seventh of April last Avere nota mock revival—ancl the Scotch Templarsdo not deny the Aralidity of the claims oftheir English brethren.

Tho Spectator asks " Avhat Avarrant canthe Prince of Wales conceive he has forconferring tho decorations of Knight Grand

Cross ancl Knight Commander in Avhatafter all was a military monastic order ofthe Roman Catholic Church, notoriouslysuppressed (rightly or Avrongly it does notsignify) by the same authority that createdit—that is to say the Pope—many cen-turies ago.?"

Our reply is that the Prince did notcreate what he did not find in the Orderbefore, and the Spectator if it IGIOAVS any-thing about the Scotch Order, Avhich itvaunts above the English, must be awarothat the Grand Cross is conferred by theChapter General of Scotland, Avhich itselfexists at this moment under Charter fromthe late Duke of Kent in 1810, A\dio AvasGrand Patron of the English Templars thenunder the Grand Mastership of tho Dukeof Sussex, Ave believe. The Royal KentPreceptory at NeAvcastle-on-Tyne has longgiven the Grand Cross, but Avhence itderived its authority AVO have no means ofascertaining. The Spectator may sneer atthe Knights Grand Cross of the Templeancl Hospital, and may ask jeerin rdyAvhether Garter or Ulster Avill take anynotice of them, but Avhen such honours areaccepted as distinctions by such greatpersonages as the Emperor and CroAimPrince of Germany, the King of SAveden,Prince John of Glucksburg, Lord Limerick,Lord ShreAVsbury and numerous otherheads of noble and princely houses, Ave canAvell afford to smile at the eccentric sarcasm,the egotistical disdain of the self-electedJunius Avho.penned this article.

Our Avorthycontemporary says "thesesham Templars already assume, it appears,the specific title, the " Sir " of BritishKnighthood. Don Quixote, if we rememberright, speaks someAvhere of the retortcourteous. We make the Spectator apresent of the same, ancl remind it that inmaking tins statement it lies under a mistake. Knights Templar assumeno rank or precedence outside their Pre-ceptory.

(To be Continued.)

OB HONORIS CAUSAM.

I propose in this paper, to call theattention of my brethren to a groAvingnuisance and evil in our Order, the love ofdecorations, and some of the most strangeand fantastic kind.

I do not speak to-day of the legitimatedecorations given for valued service orprocured by brethren in due course, andAvhich by our Constitutions they are law-fully entitled to Avear, neither do I speakof the Charity Medal, or Lodge JeAvels,AAdiich are worn properly, " Ob HonorisCausam." But I amaiixioustoofferaAvarningprotest against that tendency to AvearjeAvels, ancl especiaUy by those Avho haverendered no service to the Craft, but AVIIOseem to think that as long as they canpurchase and pay for these striking orna-ments, the Avearing of them gives bothdignity to the Avearer and pleasure to hisbrethren.

NOAV I take a case not uncommon. Ayaung gentleman is admitted, of goodmanners, good means, ancl good socialposition, Avho may be classed among the" bene nati, bene vestiti, ancl bene docti,"of collegiate memory. He receives withus the three degrees of the Craft, and aftertwelve months is exalted to the R. A. Hehas already obtained for himself quitelegitimately the Five-pointed Star, ancl theRoyal Arch JeAvel ; but he is not active inlodge, - and takes no part except in thesocial meetings. Wo hear that he hasbeen journeying over the '' Border," or thathe has fallen in Avith some of the highgrades, and Avhen he returns', he astonishesthe lodge Avith a blaze of jeAvels and deco-rations, Avhich are as singular as they arebrilliant ! Remarkable names of reconditeOrders are mixed upAvith Templar Insignia,and Rose Croix Emblems. I say nothing ofthe want of firmness in the presiding officers ,m alloAving any Insignia extern to CraftMasonry to be Avorn in the Craft lodge,

but, I must say, I have often lookedon such bejeAvelled breasts with amusedastonishment. Indeed, their collection ofjewels is a curiosity in itself, and theirputting them on a serious undertaking. Ihave watched a brother add decoration todecoration, until his collar to Avhich theseInsignia are attached, resembled the frontof one of the prize animals Ave see at anAgricultural Society's Meeting. And notonly this, but Avhile he bears his blushinghonours thick upon him a great incon-venience occurs. Some of my readers Avdlremember Jack Hopkin's startling storyto Mr. PickAvick, of the child AVIIO hadSAvalloAved a Avholebead necklace ancl rattledso much as he Avalked, that they had to wraphim up in a Avatchman's coat, for fear of dis-turbing the other patients in the Hospital.

Well these excellent Masons, positivelyrattle as they AA'alk Avith the number oftheir ornamentations—if you shut youreyes you. might fancy that some oneAvas moving in chain-armour, someivhatloose and clashing. NOAV I do notobject to jewels legitimately obtained,or .which Ave have a right to Avear,but, I think it Avell, to raise a humbleprotest against an increasing tendencyto these unnecessary decorations. Weare Craft Masons, and in our CraftLodges, should be content Avith theInsignia Avhich our Constitu tions alloAv.If we belong to what are called the highgrades, home or foreign, let us Avear theirdecorations, at the proper time ancl in theproper place, but not in our Craft Lodges.It is one thing to earn the good opinion ofour brethren, and to Avear " Ob HonorisCausam," their kind gifts, or Lodge Pre-sentations ; but it is quite another thing torush Avith hot haste into a succession of"high .degrees," ancl come back, "Knightof this," or " Elect of that," and with aprofusion of symbolical and striking tokensof Orders, of Avhich Craft Masonry knowsnothing !

NOAV, I hope all AAUII take in good partAvhat I have said to-day. I may plead mylong apprenticeship to the Craft, my lengthof years, and that I have fairly groAvngrey in Masonry. I want all my youngerbrethren to think for themselves, ancl torealize what the outer Avorld may say, ofmany of those unmeaning decorations Ihave often looked upon Avith Avonder andamazement.

Let simplicity, therefore, mark ourdecorations in our Craft Lodges, and letus eschew that vanity, someAvha.t, catching,of endeavouring to attract the admira-tion of our bretliren, by those Avonderfulcombinations Ave see on the breasts of manyFreemasons. Nothing is so offensive togood taste or sound sense as taAvdry orna-ments or tinsel trappings; and if I could putinto my article, all the remarks I have heardon the subject it would be a very long oneindeed. Let us seek to believe, thatwhile it is perfectly legitimate to Avear thejeAA'el of our degree or our rank, theworthiest jeAvels are those Avhich Ave canfairly say, Aire put on " Ob Honoris Causam."

MENTOU .

UeMcfos.

Guilds or Brotherhoods , <J'c, #c, by W.J. Irons, D.D. Prebendary of St. Paul's.T. Hayes, Lyall Place, Eaton Square,.1873.

English Guilds, by the late Toulmin Smith,Trubner, & Co., London, 1870.We have recently had our attention

called to the neAV movement in favour ofthe resuscitation of guilds, and an effectivepamphlet by the Avell-knoAvn and ableAvriter, Dr. Irons, brings forward the sub-ject, though from a purely Ecclesiastical,and AA'e may add, spiritual point of vieiv.The Rev. Prebendary of St. Paul's doesnot deal Avith the matter historically orarchaxilogically at all, he simply treats thequestion as a Avell established fact in thehistory of the world and of our country,&id then proceeds AV'ith an " argumentumad Ecclesiam.''

Into this domain , hoAA'Over, of argumentand theory AVO are unable to folloAv him, asAve do not profess in this Magazine to dealAvith Ecclesiastical matters as such. ThoAaeAvs Dr. Irons propounds, liOAveverinteresting in themselves, and ably putforth by him "more suo," are, as thoAmericans lvould say, somewhat "outsideour Platform," ancl Ave therefore only cantreat the matter as an historical and archaeo-logical question. The more elaborate andposthumous Avork of the late Mr. ToulminSmith, introduced the subject of the guildsto our notice some three years ago. Notthat the guilds Avere unheard of, becauseallusion had been made to them alike inKemble's Saxons in England , Thorpe'sAnglo-Saxon Laws, Eden's State of thePoor , Madox's Firma Burgh i, ancl Mr.Herbert's most painstaking History of theLondon Livery Companies.

Dobson ancl Harland had also publishedthe history of the Preston Guild, and someinformation on the subject Avas also to befound in Brady on Boroughs, while refer-ences had been made to the English Gmlds,in one or tAvo German AArorks, on the samegeneral subject Idee Wilda's and Hartwig's.But Ave OAve to that lamented writer, Mr.Toulmin Smith, a great debt of gratitudefor this—for the most careful collation ofmanuscript authorities, and the discoveryof the existence of the returns of 500guilds, and above all, a skilful manipulationof the original documents.

The able essay by Dr. Brentano, in thesame volume can bo read Avith profit by all,Avhile Miss Toulmin Smith's interestingintroduction , Avhether looked on as a lucidstatement of the contents of the evidencesthemselves, or as a touching labour of filiallove, deserves our respectful sympathy, andour Avarmest acknoAvled gements. We thinkit Avell to call the attention of the Craft toour present information as regards theguild history generally, and Avithoutexpressing any opinion so far as to thepresent feasibility, or tho eventual successof the neAidy inaugurated guild movement,Ave Avill try to educe from the documentsIIOAV unrolled and decyphered for ourinformation, a true description of thatremarkable characteristic of our social andmunicipal, and fraternal life some hundredsof years ago, namely, the guilds of our oivncountry.

It is pretty clear, we think now; that

the guilds are of Anglo-Saxon origin.Some traces of the Roman guilds may haveexisted in this country, ancl probably didexist, but at any rate they Avere soon over-lain by Anglo-Saxon usages, and Anglo-Saxon nomenclature. Guilds seems un-deniably to have existed in the reigns ofAlfred and Athelstan, ancl though Mr.Furnival seems to doubt the derivation ofguild, we think there can be but little doubtthat it is derived from the Anglo-Saxongildan or gildar. We do not think thatMr. Furnival's suggestion, hoAvever, inge-nious, that " guild " is derived from " gAvyl"Welsh, or Breton "gouil" a feast, is tenable.Though it may be true that the Dutchword " guide " as Avell as the old BavarianAvord " child " may mean a feast, yet that israther a secondary than a primary meaningapparently, »nd Mr. Furnival admits that"child " means also, as it does, "a fair, amarket." On the Avhole, therefore, Avethink the best and safest derivation ofguild, is from gildar. Miss ToulminSmith puts the matter very Avell in herintroduction, Avhen she says, "HOAV andAvhen the Avord became applied to thebrotherhood or societies is not found in somany Avords ; but, that the brotherhoods,by their inherent pOAver of making Avhatinternal rules they pleased, should beaccustomed to gather a regular rate or' gilile ' from each one of their number fortheir common expenses, till every man wasknoAvn as a ' gegylda,' as having paid tothis or that [guild seems a natural anclcertain explanation. The early use of theword 'gild-ship ' implies this the morestrongly. Meanwhile ? gdcle ' did not loseits old sense, ancl Ave find the two mean-ings ' gild ' a payment (AAnth a secondarysense, money), and 'gild ' a brotherhood,running side by side doAvn to much latertimes." So much for the derivation of theword.

Before Ave go on, however, to considerthe history of the guilds more closely andminutely, it may be Avell to call attentionto the very interesting ancl striking evidence°n Avhich such history is founded. In theyear 1388, a Parliament Avas held byliichard IL, at Cambridge, Avhen it wasordered that a return should be made tothe Sheriffs , from the Masters and 'Wardens°f all guilds and brotherhoods, and fromtlie Master and Wardens, ancl overlookers°l all the mysteries ancl Crafts, of their

charters, ancl of details as to their founda-tion, statutes ancl property. These returnsAvere made in February, 1389, about 483years ago, and there still exist returns fromabout 500 of these gudds. These returnsAvere Avritten a few in English, but thegreat majority in Latin and NormanFrench. They Avere formerly hi the ToAver,but are UOAV in the Public Record Office ,under the name of " Certificates of Guilds,"having formerly been called, "MiscellaneousRolls, ToAver Records," and they have greatlysuffered from age, damp and neglect.

The late Mr. Toulmin Smith prepared,and his daughter published all the Englishreturns, forty-nine in number, as well asabout thirty from Latin and NormanFrench. But Ave see, that thus a largemargin is left for patient investigation, anclaccurate collation . Who can say, but thatin the 400 returns yet to be sifted anclstudied Ave may not light on an - originalreturn from a gudd of Freemasons '! Inthe volume Ave have alluded to, there arealso to be found some most interestingreturns, as well, from municipal archives,as Exeter, Winchester, Worcester anclCoventry, as Avell as from the MSS. in theBritish Museum ancl the Bodleian Libraries.Not that these returns even exhaust thenumber of the gudds, for the returns ofmany have perished, ancl the rules andregulations of many Others are still to befound among the MS. collection of ourgreat Libraries, and amid Cathedral monu-ments, ancl municipal archives. Practicallythe collection of the late Mr. ToulminSmith, is the largest so far extant, and Avecan only deeply deplore that his valuablelife was not prolonged, in order to makehis collection even more complete anclvaluable than it is, though, even in itspresent form it is really invaluable to thehistorical, archaeological and Masonic stu-dent to-day. And what th en is the amountof information we gain from these longburied and dusty records of an older day ?What is the picture thus presented in thisage of doubt ancl debate, to our criticalconsideration and wondering gaze ? Wehave as it Avere the " arcana " of much ofour social life clearly unveiled before us ;Ave see IIOAV it AA'as, that in those clays Averequired in England no Poor LaAV, no out-door, no indoor relief, no test of labour, andno suppression of vagrancy. Our forefatherscarried out to their fullest extent the great

principles of mutual sympathy ancl mutualrelief, ancl thus it Avas, undoubtedly, thatthe girilds played a most important part inthe social Avelf'are ancl temporal comfort ofa very large class of Englishmen andEnglishwomen. Guilds Avere it may besaid divided into two great classes, thougheach class may perhaps be susceptible ofone or more sub-divisions.

These tAvo great distinguishing^ classesAvere religious guilds and trading guilds.The religious guilds Avere those Aidiichconcerned themselves as religious brother-hoods, simply on religious grounds, notonly to attend to religious services anclceremonies but they also duly carried outAvhat Archbishop Hincmar called " obse-quium religionis," the offices of religion, inthe mutual assistance they offered to theirmembers in sickness, and -poverty, andtemporal calamity, in the relief they afford-ed to pilgrims ancl Avayfarers, in visitingthe sick, educating the young, maintainingthe infirm, and in burying the dead. Fornot only did they inter their OAVII brethrenancl sisters, but even the poor ancl friend-less at the cost of their guild. The guildsgenerally met quarterly, or three times ayear for the transaction of the business ofthe guilds, and always had an annual assem-bly, generally on the clay of their PatronSaint, Avhen they had a common feast atthe expense of the guild, though in somecases the members contributed a smallamount for their dinner. At the same timefood and drink were given to the poor.

These guilds not only maintained alms-houses, but alms-brethren, and alms-sisters,ancl schoolmasters, ancl chaplains to officiateeither in then guild chapels, or in one ofthe chantries of the neighbouring Churchor Minster. There Avere also a class ofguilds, which though not so specificallyreligious yet Avas in some Avay connectedAvith religion, ancl carried out some specialpurpose, whether as connected Avith theregular celebration of Divine Service, orthe restoration of Ecclesiastical buildings,or the elevation of HBAV ones. We hear inthis very volume of the guild of Ringers,and more than one guild of Corpus ChristiDay, and Ave are also told elseAvhere,of Bishop Lucy's guild for rebuildingWinchester Cathedral.

We have our attention called in thisvolume to the guild of the Palmers atLudloAV, founded by twenty-seven persons

A.D. 1284. They maintained three chap-lains, ancl gave to their members help incase of theft, fire, shipAvreek, so'that as oneof their' rules says, " Avhoever bears thename of this giuld shall be upreared againthrough the ordinances, and goods, anclhelp of his brethren." Brethren ancl sistersin sickness AArere to be helped " as to theirbodily needs " " out of the common fund ,"" until their health is reneAved as before,"ancl in case of "incurable disorder " thegoods of the guild were " largely " to be" bestoAved " on him or her. The follow-ing is an interesting ordinance of this samegudd. " If any good girl of marriageableage cannot have the means found by herfather, either to go into a religious houseor to many, Avhichever she Avishes to -do,friendly ancl right help.shall be given herout of our means and our common chesttoAvards enabling her to do Avhich ever ofthe tAvo she pleases." Like unto this AArasthe Shipmaii's guild at Lynn, Avhich metthree times a year for business meetings,for the general meeting annually, ancl thocommon feast ; they Avere to relieve sick anclpoor brethren, and attend their funerals,and one of their rules Avas that no guildbrother should be surety for another per-son, Avithout leave of the guild.

Another similar guild Was that of theyoung Scholars, of the guild of St. William •of Lynn, formed by _ young scholars AVIIOassembled at St. Margaret's Church there.They Avere to attend the funerals of theirbrethren, and help one another in case ofpoverty, or loss at sea, or other mishap.They Avere to have a " sjiekyng to gedyr "three times a year, ancl they were to meetonce a year for a religious service andmaking of offerings. Nothing is saidabout an annual feast, though it Avould boprobably, as some of their rules are defec-tive, on the clay of their Patron Saint.There are several other guilds of the samekind such as the famous guild of St. Georgeof NorAvich.

We may observe that the oldest guild sofar knoAA'ii, is one founded ancl encloAvod byOrcy, a friend of Canute tho Great, inhonour of God ancl St. Peter. It has thesame regulations of guild Avork Avhichdistinguish the later guilds. There Avas alsoa young . man's gudd to Avhich Ethelberfcmade a grant of land A.D. 860. Miss Toul-min Smith thinks that there is a distinctionin the guilds and calls many of them, such

as the Palmers' guild, social guilds. Weconfess ive prefer to call them Religiousmiilds, though, perhaps, Avith a specificcharacter attached to them . One thing isremarkable in them all, the part Avomenplayed in the guilds, and the distinctposition assigned to them. They seem tohave been on an entire equality with themen , nay, let no advocate of Avoman'srights, no champion of woman's wrongsdespair. In one guild the guild ofKyllyngholm, Lincolnshire, a sister mightactually be chosen Provost of the guild.We feel inclined to say at once, " ohforkmati murium." But, seriously, it is avery remarkable ancl interesting feature ofour social life in those days, the union ofbrothers and sisters in the same guild.

The Trading Guilds seem to have beendivided into the guild merchant or largerm ercantUe guilds and the purely Craftguilds. We give the rules and regulations ofthe Tylers of Lincoln, partly on account oftheir brevity, ancl partly because of theirinterest to us as Freemasons.

Then- return is in Lathi—¦" TegulatoresLincolnie, qui Poyntours vulgariter vocan-tur." This guild of Tylers or Poyntours Avasfounded in 1346. These are their rules :" Every member must make himself knoAvnto the graceman, but, must be admittedby the common consent of the guild,and be SAVorn to keep the ordinances.Each shall give a quartern of barley, andpay tAvo pence to the ale, and one penny tothe clean." "Four saule candels "—soulcandles—" shall be found and used in theburial service "—-no doubt that is for themembers. " A feast shaU be held on thefestival of Corpus Christi, ancl on each clayof the feast they shall have throe flagonsand four or six tankards. Ale shall begiven to the poor and prayers shall be saidover the flagons." It is worthy of noticethat horn the Latin version of this regula-tion, it is clear, females Avere then membersof these craft guilds, for the words are," Item ordinatum est, quod omnes fratres etsorores potabunt in Festo Corporis Christi,"and mention is also made of "uniuspresbyteri sive clerici."

The next regulation is, " Pilgrims shall

be helped." " Burials are to be provided forby the graceman, the tAvo wardens and theclean. If any brother does anything under,handed and Avith ill will, by Avhich anotherAVUI be AA'i'onged in Avorking his craft, heshall pay to the guild a pound of wax AAufch-out any room for grace; No tyler or poyn-tour shall stay in the city unless he entersthe guild." As Ave said before there is noreturn so far discovered of a Freemasonsguild, but probably among the four hun-dred still in the Record Office , a returnmay yet be found. There are many longerrules of the Tailors, ancl Bakers and Cord-wainers of Exeter, the Carpenters anclTailors of Nomvich, as well as the Barbersand Peltyers, and Saddlers ancl Spinners ofthe same toAvn, and the Fullers and Tadorsof Lincoln, but we have not further spaceto-day to allude to them further than tosay this. They are marked by very minuteregulations for the careful maintenance oftheir Secrets and Ordinances, ancl "Poyntz ''and "Mysteries," ancl yet then membersalways seem to have borne in mind theequally necessary duty of mutual assist-ance ancl mutual sympathy, as belongingto the fraternity. Altogether the glimpseinto our old social life and customs affordedby these guild statutes is very interesting,as it suggests much that is both worthy, ofreflection and consideration by us all.

For it may be doubted, whether in thisour age of boasted enlightenment ancl pro-gress, Avehave yetsucceeded inrealizingwhatthese old forefathers of ours undoubtedlydid do, namely, that the best foundation ofour individual ancl corporate prosperity, aswell as of our social existence ancl ournaturallife, is that, Avhich is based after all on thogreat and sacred laAV of mutual sympathy,interest and good-AAoll; that interweaving ofour common Avants, ancl hopes, and duties,and responsibilities Avhich can alone renderstable the institutions of the mightiestEmpires, or advance permanently thegeneral happiness, and progressive eleva-tion of a free and understanding people.

W ,P

KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.

A POEM.

Freemasonry has a good many prose-ywriters, Ave feel inclined to say, but veryfeiv poetic. We, therefore, gladly hail,especially from the far West, and acrossthe " dividing waters of the Atlantic," asthey are poetically termed, what ourenergetic Bro. Tweddell, of Stokesley,publishes as "The Great American Poem."The Poem itself is Avritten by our BrotherAugustine J. H. Dugamie of New York,and appeared in the American Freemasonof July 15, 1870. As it does not seem tobe known to the majority of our brethren,Ave think it well to call the attention of theCraft to it to-day, the more so as our Bro.Tweddell has stated in the title page, thatit may be fairly considered the "finestMasonic Poem, in the English language."Who can say, but that some of our breth-ren may be stirred up, both by thesympathy of imitation and admiration, tocome forward as a representative of EnglishFreemasonry in some most laudable poeticefforts, and obtain a high place in that longroll of writers, whose poetry still can charmancl soften , ancl elevate, and gladden thehuman imagination and the human heart .We have a sort of introduction in the poemin the folloAving stanza in the second part.

"In the dreams and the visions of fervent desire,I have mingled with Levite aud Priest ;

With the widow's son Hiram, and Hiram of Tyre,Sitting down at meridian feast ;

And beholding King Solomon's glory,Arising, like morn in the East!

With mine ancient brethren in "Masonry's craft-—When my soul the Lambskin wore—

I have stood by the mystical corner shaft,And knelt on the tesselate floor ;

With the glorious roof of the Temple,Like Heaven's roof, arching me o'er !"

The lines Avhich MIOAV commend them-selves alike to our traditional memories andour poetic admiration.

" To the ruler of Sidon—the lord of the seas—Flies the Avord of Jerusalem's king,

Saying, : Bid thou thy servants that Lebanon'strees,

To Jndean borders they bring ;And between us shall peace be alway,

And blessing around us cling.From his wars and his sori-OAVs King David hath

rest,And he sleeps under Salem's sod ;

But, with trembling and awe, at his high behest,I abide in the paths he trod ;

And I build on the Mount of BloriahA house to the Lord my God!'

Then , from far away forests of Lebanon comeGreat floats unto Joppa's strand ;

And from Tyre and Sidon arises a hum,As of bees overswarming the land ;

Audit s .veils through the Valley of Jordan ,In chorals of industry grand!

Under manifold halos of column and arch,Through the soundless ,courts and aisles,

At the word of their Master the Craftsmen marchTo their labours, in lengthening files ;

While the Temple arises before them,From portal to golden tiles !

From the echoeless earth, through the motionless- air,How that beautiful fabric upgrows !

From the heart of the King like a voiceless prayer,' How it mounts in its fragrant repose!

Bearing upward King Solomon's Avorship,As incense ascends from the rose !

In their brass and then- silver, their marble andgold,

All noiseless the Crafts have wrought.Till , in grandeur of silence, their works unfold,

As with life everlasting fraught.

By the glow of the greater and lesser Light,And the power of the Master's Word —

By the Plummet of Truth , and the level of Ri ght,And the Square that hath never err'd—

Through the work of a Master Mason,King Solomon's prayer Avas heard.

At the fragrant morn , 'neath the golden moon,And the eventide's hour of balm,

All the hearts of his Craftsmen Avere lifted in tune,Like the mingling of harmonies calm- ;

And the Temple arose on Moriah ,A mighty Masonic Psalm !"

Bro. Dugamie, we think, very success-fully noiv seeks to point the moral fromthe material building and its symbolicalteaching.

"Oh! that Temple of God, from the house of the past ,Shineth doAvn o'er the centuried years ;

And my hearVthrongh the veil of its mysteries vast,The voice of King Solomon hears,

Asking me, with the sign of a Master,Why my soul no Temple rears ?

With the Three Great Lights ever shining above,And the tools of my craft at hand ,

Why I build up no fabric of prayerful love,' With the arch of a lifetime spann'd ;

And the wings of embracing cherubs,Overbrooding its yearnings grand ?

Oil ! the house of the Lord that our lives might raise,How it gleams from our fair youth-time !

How its manifold arches and architraves blaze,Through the -wilderness dust of our prime ;

Yet our years when they moulder to ashes,Behold us but wrecks sublime!

For the house that AVO build in a lifetime's length,From the midst of our worldly din ,

Hiith no Jachin and Boaz, establish'd in strength ,And no Holy of Holies within ;

And we hear up no Ark of the Covenant,From out of our Desert of Zin !

There's a mountain of God in each human heartFor that glorious Temple's base ;

And the lines of each loyal Mason's artMay its grand foundations trace ;

And Avithin it, the Avings of cherubsMay the Holy of Holies embrace !

Through the beautiful aisles of the charmed past,How its wonderful harmonies swell !

When their meanings arise, at the Templar 's blast,From the mould of each darksome cell ;

And the soul of the. true no longerWith the dust of the false shall dwell !

When the thoughts of our morning shall royallyplan,

And the deeds of our day shall build ;And the arch of perfection eternally span,

With the measure our Master hath will'd ;And the depths of our Holy of Holies

With incense of prayer be fill'd !When the pillars of strength in our porch shall

abide,With the lilies of beauty above ;

And tlie veil of the Presence, encompassing wide,Overshadow the ark of our love ;

And the peace of the blessed ShekinahEnfold , like the Avings of a dove !

Oh! the cedars of Lebanon grow at our door,And the quarry is sunk at our gate ;

And the ships out of Ophir , Avith golden oreFor our summoning mandate Avait •,

And the word of a Master Mason,May the house of our soul create !

While the day hath light , let the light be used ,For no man shall the night control !

' Or ever the silken chord be loosed,Or broken the golden howl,'

May Ave build King Solomon's TempleIn the true Masonic soul !"

Having thus called, very shortly, theatten-tion of our readers to this very striking poem,we thank Bro. Tweddell forha ving i introducedit practically to the knoAvledge of ourEnglish Brotherhood. Some think, thatour brethren as a body are too busy withtheir worldly avocations, ancl too muchtaken up with their allotted duties in life,t° ho able to devote much time to eitherpoetry or prose, much less to enter them-selves in the arena of literature as writers,or to " lisp," in pleasing Masonic numbers. •

THOMAS DHNCKERLEY. ,,A MASONIC BIOGEAPHY, BY ALBEET G.

MACKEY, M.D.

No one among the Masons of Englandoccupied a more distinguished position,or played a more important part in thelabors of the Craft, during the latter partof the eighteenth century, than ThomasDunckerley, AA'hose private life was as ro-mantic as his Masonic was honorable.

Thomas Dunckerley Avas born in theCity of London, on the 23rd of October,1724. He was the reputed son of Mr.

and Mrs Mary Dunckerley, butreally owed his birth to a personage of amuch higher rani;; in life, being the naturalson of tho Prince of Wales, afterwardsGeorge the Second, to Avhom he bore, ashis portrait shoA\rs, a striking resemblance.It was not until after his mother's deaththat he became acquainted . Avith the truehistory of his birth ; so that for more thanhalf of his life this son of a King occupieda very humble position on the stage of theworld, and was sometimes even em-barrassed Avith the pressure of povertyand distress.

At the age of ten he entered the Navy,ancl continued in the service for tweidy-sixyears, acquiring by his intelligence anduniformly good conduct the esteem andcommendation of all his commanders.But having no personal or family interest,he never attained to any higher rankthan that of a gunner. During all this

We are inclined to think that there aremore readers, ancl we Avill add, writersamongst us, than is generally belieA-ed, andtherefore it is to encourage the future" Prestons," ancl " Dugannes " of ourMasonic Fraternity, that Ave are of opinionthat their attention should be called fromtime to time, to the excellencies of bothkinds of literature.

We cannot help hoping and believingthat hi this enquiring ancl active age, abrighter clay may yet daivn on our Free-masonry, both in the intellectual aspirationsand intellectual efforts of our Brotherhood.

W.

time, except at brief intervals, he wasabsent from England on foreign service.

He returned to his nathro country inJanuary, 1760, to find that his mother haddied a feAV days before, and that on herdeath-bed she had made a solemn declara-tion, accompanied by such details as leftno possible doubt of its truth, that ThomasAA'as the illegitimate son of King GeorgeIL, born AAdiil e he Avas Prince of Wales.The fact of the birth had, however, neverbeen communicated by the mother to thePrince, and George II. died Avi thout knoAV-ing that he had such a son living.

Dunckerley, in the account of the affairwhich he left among his posthumouspapers, says : " This information gave mogreat surprise and much uneasiness ; andas I AA'as obliged to return immediately tomy duty on board the Vanguard, I made itknoAvn to no person at that time butCaptain S wanton. He said that those whodid not know me could look on it to benothing more than a gossip's story. Wewere then bound a second time to Quebec ;and Captain Swanton did promise me, thaton our return to England he Avould endeavorto get me introduced to the King, ¦ andthat he ivould give me a character : butwhen we came back to England the KingAvas dead."

Dunckerley had hoped that his casewould have been laid before his royalfather , and that the result would have beenan appointment equal to his birth. Butthe frustration of these hopes by the deathof the King seems to have discouragedhim, and no efforts appear for some timeto have been made by him or his friendsto communicate the facts to George III.,Avho had succeeded to the throne.

In 1701 he again left England, as agunner in Lord Anson's fleet, and did notreturn until 1764, at Avhich time, findinghimself embarrassed with a heavy debt,incurred hi the expenses of his family, (forhe had married in early life, in the year1744,) knoAving no person Aidio couldauthenticate the story of his birth, andseeing no probability of gaining access tothe ear of the King, he sailed in a mer-chant Aressol for the Mediterranean.̂ Hehad been/previously granted superannu a-tion in the Navy in consequence of hislong services, and received a small pension,the principal part of Avhich he left for thesupport of Ms family during his absence.

But the romantic stray of his birth beganto be publicly known and talked about,and in 1766 attracted the attention ofsoA'oral persons of distinction, AAdio en-deavored, but Avithout success, to excitethe interest of the Princess DoAvager ofWales in his behalf.

In 1767, however, the declaration of hismother Avas laid before the King, Avho wasGeorge III, the grandson of his father. Itmade an impression on him, and inquiryinto his previous character and conducthaving proved satisfactory, on May 7, 1767,the King ordered Dmickerly to receive apension of £100, Avhich was subsequentlyincreased to £800, together with a suiteof apartments in Hampton Court Palace.He also assumed, and Avas permitted tobear, the royal arms, with the distinguish-ing badge of the bend sinister, and adoptedas his motto the appropriate words, " Fatonon merito." In his familiar correspond-ence ancl in his book-plates, he used thename of Fitz-George." '5s£. '

In 1770 he became a student of laAV, anclin 1/74 Avas called to the bar ; but hisfondness for an active life prevented himfrom ever making much progress in thelegal profession.

Dunckerley died at Portsmouth in theyear 1795, at the ripe age of seventy-one ;but his last years Avere embittered by themisconduct of his son, Avhose extravaganceand dissolute conduct necessarily afflictedthe mind, Aidiile it straightened the meansof the unhappy parent. Every effort toreclaim him proved utterly ineffectual ; andon the clrath of his father, no provisionbeing left for his support, he became a

, vagrant, living for the most part on Ma-sonic charity. At last he became a brick-layer's laborer, and Avas often seen ascend-ing a ladder with a hod on his shoulders.His misfortunes and his misconduct atlength found an end, and the grandson ofa King of England died a pauper in acellar of St. GUes.

The Masonic career of Dunckerley, ifless remarkable than his domestic,; life, ismore interesting to the Freemason.̂ Thereis no record of the exact time of his re-ception into the Order ; but it must havebeen not long before 1757, as lie hi thatyear delivered an address, as Ave shouldIIOAV call it, before the Lodges of Plymouth,Avhich was published at the time undertho title of "The Light and Truth of

Jlasonry Explained, being ' the substanceof a charge delivered at Plymouth, in

, 1757." In the title of this production hestyles himself simply a " Master Mason,"slaving that he had not been long enoughin the Order to have obtained official posi-tion, ancl in the body of the charge heapoligizes for the apparent presumption ofone " who had been so feAV years a Mason."It is probable that he Avas initiated aboutthe year 1755 j and as he Avas at that time

: in the Navy, in one of the Lodges of. Plymouth, which was then, as UOAV, fre-

quented by vessels of Avar. . In this charge,, it is Avorthy of note, that a prayer, written

by Dunckerley, appears for the first time,Avhich, slightly abridged, has ever since

; been used in all English and Americani Lodges at the initiation of a candidate.

Oliver says, that shortly after his return.: to England he Avas elected the Master of

a Lodge. This must have been in theyear 1766 or 1767 ; for in the latter year

• he received from Lord Blaney, the Grand¦¦¦ Master, the deputation for Provincial' Grand Master of Hampshire, Avhich I sup-¦ pose Avould scarcely have been given him; if he had not " passed the chair." Preston; speaks of his " indefatigable assiduity" in| the discharge of the duties of the office ,: and of the considerable progress of Ma-¦ sonry in the province through his instru-

. ; mentality. He was soon after appointed. to the superintenclency of the Lodges in! Dorsetshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Somer-.; setshire, and Herefordshire. Ancl some; years afterwards the Grand Lodge, in grate-;: hil testimony of his zeal in the cause of{ Masonry, resolved that he should rank as\ a Past Senior Grand Warden, and in all_ processions take place next the present¦ Senior Grand Warden for the tune being.I During the rest of his life Dunckerly re-i ceived many evidences of the high esteem: in Avhich he was held by the Masonic- authorities of the clay, ancl at the time of' his death was occupying the fqlloAvingj prominent positions, in addition to that of; Provincial Grand Master, which appoint-j aent he held from the Prince of Wales,! viz : Grand Superintendent and Past| wand Master of Royal Arch Masons ofj Lristol and several counties, appointed by; wie Duke of Clarence; and Supreme Grand! faster of the Knights of Rosa Cruris,J-emplars, and Kadosh, under Prince Ed-

ward, afterwards Duke of Kent. Hisf , ,

royal kinsmen did not neglect his claimsto patronage.

But far higher than any of these titlesancl offices, and of far more lasting import-ance to the Craft, AA'as the position occu-pied by Dunckerley as an instructor of theLodges and a Reformer, or at least a re-modeller of the system of lectures . Tothese duties ho Avas called by the GrandLodge of England, Avhich authorized himto construct a neiv code of lectures, a care-ful revision of the existing ritual, ancl acollation of all ancient forinulas.

For this task he was pre-eminently quali-fied. Possessed of a fair share of learning,ancl imbued Avith a phdosophical spirit, hewas prepared to amplify the existing systemof Martin Clare by the addition of muchnew symbolism, and the improvement ofthat Avhich had already been introduced byhis predecessor. He was also liberal in hisvieAvs, and not partaking of the prejudicesthen so active, against Avhat were called theinnovations of Dermott , he did not hesitateto avail himself of his labors, as that schis-matic had previously not hesitated toprofit by the suggestions of the ChevalierRamsay. Oliver says that he often visitedthe Lodges of the " Ancients, for the pin-pose of ascertaining Avhat Avere the essen-tial differences between the tAvo systems,and of that which was good he culled thebest, and transplanted it into the workingsof the legitimate Grand Lodge.

The results were not eAranescent, but arefelt oven in the ritual of the present day.The most important Avas that Avhich affectedthe third degree. Dunckerley reconstructed:the Royal Arch of Dermott, and httro-1 ;duced it into the Grand Lodge of England ,'' *)not, liOAA'ever, Avithout opposition , Avhich- »Avas oidy overcome, Oliver says, by the pa-,ti'onage.of the Duke of Clarence and hisuOAVU personal influence. By this innova- . 1tion, the true Avord, which bad tntiierto ¦,been a part of the Master's degree, wastransferred to the Royal Arch, and thethird degree was made incomplete, andrequired to be supplemented by a higherone, which should supply its deficiency.The Master's degree, as UOAV given in Eng-land ancl America, differs very considerablyfrom that Avhich Avas left by Martin Clare,and is indebted for its present organizationto the labors of Dunckerley. It might, indeed, ) *).be properly called Dimckorley's degree. ;¦ fDunckerley also introduced into his system \ \

of lectures some IIOAV symbols. Thus toMm is ascribed the adoption of the " huesparallel," as a symbol of the two SaintsJohn, ancl the "theological ladder."

Dunckerley AAiote nothing of great im-portance. His contributions to Masonicliterature seem to have been confined to acouple of charges or addresses, delivered in1757 and in 1769, and to a brief chrono-logical sketch of the Order of KnightsTemplars, AVMCII Avas published in the 3rdvolume of the Freemason 's Magazine. HeAAras also the author of some Masonicpoetry, ancl two of his odes are inserted inNoorthouok's edition of the Book of Con-stitutions. But his most effective laborsAvere almost altogether esoteric and hishistructions oral, and his industry in thisAvay seems to have been indefatigable, anclhis influence extensive. The results arefelt, as has already been said, to the presentday. His popularity as a lecturer is to beattributed to the active character of hismind, and his thorough mastership of thesubjects Avhich he taught, and the fluencyof his delivery.

His conduct Avas irreproachable, anclhence he AA'as fortunate in seeming theesteem and regard of the Craft and thefriendship of the most distinguished masonswho AA'ere his contemporaries. Prestonstjdes him " that truly masonic luminary,"and Oliver says that " he was the oracle ofthe Grand Lodge and the accredited inter-preter of its Constitutions. His decision,like the kw of the Medes and Persians,Avas final on all points, both of doctrineancl discipline, and against it there was noappeal."

Were I to attempt a comparative esti-mate of his character as a Masonic scholar,in reference to his predecessors, Ms con-temporaries, and his successors in EnglishMasonry, I should say that ho Avas thesuperior of both Anderson ancl Desaguliers ;but inferior to Preston, to Hutchinson, andto Oliver. Among his contemporaries hecertainly had a Avell-deserved reputation,and is clearly entitled to the appellationthat Avas bestoAved upon him, of being alearned and philosophical Mason.—Mac'ketfsNationa l Freemason.

f ..¦

THE "YOEK MS. No. 1." (MS. "D"HUGHAS 'S CATALOGUE) A.D. 1600 (CIRCA).

[An exact Transcript made from the Orig inal inthe Archives of the Grand iodr/ e of England , by

Bro. W. J. Jlnghan, P.M., $c.]

"AN ANAGRAIME UPON THE NAME 01'MASON RIE WILLIAM KAY TO HIS FRIENDROBT. PRESTON UPON HIS ARTT OF

MASONRIE AS FOLLOWETH.iS! Much might bo said of the noble \

Artt .t> A Crafts thats worth estieming in

each partco Sundry Nations Noobles ancl their

Kings alsoO Oh how they sought its worth to

know I ..3 Nimrod and Solomon the wisest of > Masmme

all menW Reason saw to love this Science

thent-i lie say noe more less by my shallow

verses Ifef Endeavouring to praise should

blemish Masonrie /" THE CONSTITUTIONS OF MASONRIE

Tho might of the Father of heaven withAvisdome of ye blessed Sonne through yegrace of God and gooclnesse of the holyghost yt be three psons in one godhead beAvith vs at our beginning and give vs gracesoe to governe vs hero in this life yt Avemay come to his blessing yt nevr shall haAreending : And good brethren and felloAVSour purpose is to tell yu how and in Avhatmanner this worty Science of Masonrie Avasbegun and aftei'Avard IIOAV it AA'as found bywordy Kings and Princes and by manyother Worshipfiill men, And also to themyt be here Ave wdl declare ye charges ytbelonge to every Free Mason to keep surein good faith. And therefore take goodheed hereto it is Avell Avorthy to be keptAvell for yt ye Science is ancient for therebe vij liberall Sciences of ye Avch it is oneand ye names of ye seven Sciences be these,first Grammer AVCII teacheth a man tospeak truly and Avrite truly. Ancl yesecond is Rhetoricke and teacheth a manto speak faire plaine in subtile terms andye third is Dielectick or Lodgick yt teach-eth a man to discern truth from falshood.And ye fourth is Arithmetick that teachetha man to reckon and to accomp t all niannr

MS. MASONIC CONSTITUTIONS (ORCHARGES) No. 1.

0f numbs. And ye fifth is called Geomatrieand teacheth aU measure of grounds of alloilier things of the Avch Science is groundediVlasonrie : ancl the sixth Science is calledJfusicke and yt teacheth a man ye Scienceof song and violl of tongue and organ harptvumpett. And ye seventh Science is calledAstronomic and yt teacheth a man to ICIIOAVye coiu'se of the Sonne Moono ancl Starrs.These be ye vij liberall Sciences ye Avchseven be all grounded by one yt is to sayGeometric for by this may a man pve yeEssence of worke as founded by Geometricso Geomatrie teacheth meat measureponderation and Aveight of all manner oftilings on earth lor there is noe man ytAvorketh any Science but he Avorketh bysome measure or Aveight ancl all this isGeomatrie but he doth it by some measureoi' Aveight ancl all this is Geomatrie, andmerchants and all crafts men and all otherof ye vij Sciences and espetially ye plowerand idler of all manner of graines and seedsplanters of vinyeards and setts, of fruits,for in Grammer retorick nor astronomicnor in any of all ye liberall Sciences canany man findo meat or measure AvithoutGeomatrie, me thinks yt this ScienceGeomatrie is most AA'orthy ancl foundeth allothers. HOAV these Avorty Sciences Avasfirst begotten I shall yu tell viz. BeforeNoah flood there AA'as a man caUed Lamechas in Avritten in Scripture in ye 4th chaptrof Genesis And this Lamech had two vrivesye one named Adah by Avhome he had Sonsye one named Jabell ye other namedJubell. And his other A\dfe Avas calledZillah by AAdiom he had one sone namedTiibelcaineandone daughter named Naamahand th ese four children founded ye begin-ning of all ye Sciences in the Avorld viz.Jabell ye eldest Sone found out yo Scienceof Geomatrie he Avas a keepr. of flocks ofsheep and Lands in the Fields as it is notedin ye- chaptr before sd. Ancl his brothr.Juball found ye Science of Music Song of1'ongne harpe and organ and ye thirdBrother Tuballcaine found ye Science calledSmith craft of Gold Silvr Iron Coppr andSteele and ye Daughtr. found the art ofweaving And these persons knoAving rightAvell yt God Avoulcl take vengeance forshine either by fire or Avater, Avherefore theywritt their severall Sciences yt they hadfound hi two Fillers of stone yt they mightbe found aftr Noah his Flood ancl ye onestone was Marble because it would not

burne Avth fire and ye othr called Lternesbecause it Avould not clround Avth watr IIOAVour intent is to teU yu IIOAV ancl in Avhatmanner these Stones AA'ere found in Avchthese Sciences Avere Avritten the ancientHermarines Avas a cube his son ye Avhichcub Avas Sem yt Avas Noahs Son ; theseHermarines Avas after called ye fathr ofAvise men, he found one of ye two pillersof Stone and he found ye Sciences' AAiittentherein ancl he tought yt to other men, andat ye makeing of ye Toure of Babell thereAvas Masonrie at first much esteemed of andthe King of Babilon yt AAras called Nimrodwas a Mason himself and loved Avell Masonsand yt Science.as it is said among Mastersof Histories. And Avhen ye city of Ninevieancl oth r cities of ye East should be buddedNimrod ye King of Babylon sent thithersy Masons at ye request of ye King ofNiiieAdo his cousen and AAdien he sent themforth he gave them a charge on this mannryt they should be true each one of themto othr ancl yt they should love Avell oneanother and yt they shoidd serve their Lordtruly for their pay soe yt ye Mastr mayhiwe pay and all that belongeth unto Mmancl othr moe charges he gave them andthis Avas ye first time yt ever any Masonshad any charge of his Craft. MoreoverAbraham and Sarah his ' Avife Avent intoEgypt ancl there he tought ye vij Sciencesto ye egyptians ancl he had a Avorty SchoUernamed Euclide and he learned right welland Avas Mr of all ye vij Sciences liberalland in his dayes it befell yt ye Lordes andStates of ye Lands had soe many Sons someby then' Avives ancl some by their concu-bines for yt land is a hott land and plenti-ous of Genration and they had not acompetent pportion of estate AvhereAvith tomaintaine theis sd children, Avherefore theytooke much care and the King of yt landcaused a great counsell and snmaned aparliament to consult how they might pvidefor their children Avhereon they might livehonestly as Gentlemen ancl they could findnoe mannr of good Avay And then theymade a polamation throughout all yeRealme yt if there any yt could informethem therein yt he should come to ym andhe should be AA'ell reAvarded for Ms travadeso yt he should ho old himself sattisfied.After this pclamation Avas made came thisworthy Clarke Euclide and said and saidto ye King and to Ms Nobles if yu willexcept of me to teach instruct and governe

time, except at brief intervals, he AArasabsent from England on forei gn service.

lie returned to his native country inJanuary, 1760, to find that his mother haddied a few clays before, and that on herdeath-bed she had made a solemn declara-tion, accompanied by such details as leftno possible doubt of its truth, that Thomaswas the illegitimate son of Kins; GeorgeII., born Avhile he AA'as Prince of Wales.Tho fact of the birth had, hoAvcver, neverbeen communicated by tho mother to thePrince, and George II. died Avithout knoAV-ing that he had such a son living.

Dunckerley, in the account of the affairAvhich ho left among his posthumouspapers, says : " This information gave mogreat surprise and much uneasiness ; andas I AAras obliged to return immediately tomy duty on board the Vanguard , I made itknoivn to no person at that time butCaptain SAvanton. He said that those AVIIOdid not knoAv mo could look on it to benothing more than a gossip's story. Wewere then bound a second time to Quebec ;and Captain SAA'anton did promise me, thaton our return to England ho Avould endeavorto got me introduced to the King, anclthat he Avould give me a character -, butwhen Ave came back to England the KingAA'as dead."

Dunckerley had hoped that his caseAvould have been laid before his royalfather, and that the result Avould have beenan appointment equal to his birth. Butthe frustration of these hopes by the deathof the King seems to have discouragedhim, and no efforts appear for some timeto have been made by him or his friendsto communicate the facts to George ILL,AA'ho had succeeded to the throne.

In 1761 he again left England , as agunner in Lord Anson's fleet, and did notreturn until 1764 , at Avhich time, findinghimself embarrassed Avith a heaAry debt,incurred in tho expenses of his family, (forhe had married in early life, in the year1744,) knoAving no person AVIIO couldauthenticate the story of his birth, anclseeing no probability of gaining access tothe ear of the King, he sailed in a mer-chant vessel for the Mediterranean.}' Hehad been . previously granted superannua-tion in the Navy in consequence of hislong services, and received a small pension,tho principal part of which he left for thesupport of his family during his absence.

But the romantic story of his birth beganto bo publicly knoAm and talked about,and in 1766 attracted tho attention ofseveral persons of distinction , who en-deavored, but without success, to excitethe interest of tho Princess Dowager ofWales in his behalf.

In 1767, however, the declaration of hismother was laid before the King, who AvasGeorge III, the grandson of his father. Itmade an impression on him, ancl inquiryinto his previous character and conducthaving proved satisfactory, on May 7, 1767,the King ordered Diuickcrly to receive apension of £100, which was subsequentlyincreased to £800, together with ' a suiteof apartments m Hampton Court Palace.He also assumed, and Avas permitted tobear, the royal arms, with the distinguish-ing badge of the bend sinister, and adoptedas his motto the appropriate words, " Fatonon merito." In his familiar correspond-ence ancl in his book-plates, he used thename of Fitz-George." -,< ¦

In 1770 ho became a student of law, andin 1774 was called to the bar ; but hisfondness for an _ active life prevented Mmfrom ever making mucb pi.ogl.ess in tlielegal profession.

Dunckerley died at Portsmouth in theyear 1795, at the ripe age of seventy-one ;but his last years were embittered by themisconduct of his son, whose extravaganceand dissolute conduct necessarily afflictedtho mind, while it straightened the meansof the unhappy parent. Every effort toreclaim him proved utterly ineffectual ; anclon the death of his father, no provisionbeing left for Ins support , he became avagrant, living for the most part on Ma-sonic charity. At last he became a brick-layer's laborer, ancl Avas often seen ascend-ing a ladder Avith a hocl on Ms shoulders.His misfortunes and his misconduct atlength found an end, and the grandson ofa King of England died a pauper hi acellar of St. Giles.

The Masonic career 0f Dunckerley, ifless remarkable than his domestic life, ismore interesting to the Freemason.̂ Thereis no record of the exact time of Ms re-ception into the Order ; y,ut it must havebeen not long before 1757, as he hi thatyear delivered an address, as we shouldUOAV call it, before the Lodges of Plymouth,Avhich was published at the time underthe title of "Tho Light and Truth of

Masonry Explained, being the substance0f a charge delivered at Plymouth, in1757." In the title of this production hestyles himself simply a " Master Mason,"shoAving that he had not boon long enoughin the Order to have obtained official posi-tion, ancl in the body of the charge heapoligizes for the apparent presumption ofone " who had been so IOAV years a Mason."It is probable that he AA'as initiated aboutthe year 1755 ; and as he was at that timein the Navy, in one of the Lodges ofPlymouth, AA'lnch Avas then, as IIOAV, fre-quented by vessels of Avar. In this charge,it is Avorthy of note, that a prayer, Avrittenby Dunckerley, appears for the first time,Avhich, slightly abridged, has over sincebeen used in all English ancl American

i Lodges at the initiation of a candidate.Olh'er says, that shortly after Ids return

to England ho Avas elected the Master ofa Lodge. This must have been in theyear 176G or 1767 ; for in the latter yearhe received from Lord Blaney, the Grand

• Master, the deputation for Provincial' Grand Master of Hampshire, Avhich I sup-

pose Avould scarcely haA'e been given himif he had not " passed the chair." Prestonspeaks of his " indefatigable assiduity" inthe discharge of the duties of the office,and of the considerable progress of Ma-sonry in the province through his instru-mentality. He Avas soon after appointedto the superintendoncy of the Lodges inDorsetshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Somer-setshire, and Herefordshire. Ancl someyears afterwards the Grand Lodge, in grate-ful testimony of his zeal in the cause ofMasonry, resolved that he should rank asa Past Senior Grand Warden, and in allprocessions take place next the presentSenior Grand Warden for the time being.During the rest of his life Dunckerly re-ceived many evidences of the high esteemui Avhich lie Avas hold by the Masonicauthorities of the clay, and at the time ofhis . death Avas occupying tho folloAvingProminent positions, in addition to that off rovincial Grand Master, Avhich appoint-ment he held from the Prince of Wales,J'ni : Grand Superintendent and Pastkrand Master of Royal Arch Masons ofJj ristol and several counties, appointed bywo Duke of Clarence; and Supreme Grandfaster of the Knights of Rosa Cruris,^mplais, and Kadosli, under Prince Ed-M'am, afterwards Duke of Kent. His

royal kinsmen did not neglect his claimsto patronage.

But far higher than any of these titlesand offices, and of far more lasting import-ance to tho Craft , AA'as the position occu-pied by Dunckerley as an instructor of theLodges and a Reformer, or at least a re-modeller of tho system of lectures. Tothese duties he Avas called by the GrandLodge of England, A\'hich authorized himto construct a IIOAV code of lectures, a care-ful reA'isioii of the existing ritual, and acollation of all ancient formulas.

For this task he Avas pre-eminently quali-fied. Possessed of a fair share of learning,and imbued Avith a philosophical spirit, heAvas prepared to amplify the existing systemof Martin Clare by the addition of muchIIOAV symbolism, and the improvement ofthat Avhich had already been introduced byhis predecessor. He Avas also liberal in hisvioAvs, and not partaking of tho prejudicesthen so active, against Avhat Aver'e called theinnovations of Dermott, he did not hesitateto avail himself of his labors, as that schis-matic had ju'OA'iously not hesitated toprofit by the suggestions of the ChevalierRamsay. Oliver says that he often visitedthe Lodges of the "Ancients, for the pur-pose of ascertaining A\diat Avere the essen-tial differences betAveen the two systems,and of that which was good ho culled tliebest, and transplanted it into the Avorkingsof the legitimate Grand Lodge.

The results Avere not eA'anescent, but arefel t even in the ritual of the present clay.The most important AA'as that Avhich affectedthe third degree. Dunckerley reconstructedthe Royal Arch of Dermott, and intro- yduced it into the Grand Lodge of England ;: '")not, liOAvever, Avithout opposition , AA'hicli »AA'as only overcome. Oliver says, by the pa- ,tronage of the Duke of Clarence and his ,fc|OAvn personal influence. By this innova- /tion, the true word, Avhich had hitherto ,been a part of the Master 's degree, wastransferred to the Eoyal Arch, and thethird degree AA'as made incomplete, andrequired to be supplemented by a higherone, Avhich should supply its deficiency.The Master's degree, as now given in Eng-land ancl America, differs very considerablyfro m that AA'hicli Avas left by Martin Clare,and is indebted for its present organizationto the labors of Dunckerley. It might, indeed, :^.be properly called Dunekerley's degree. ., ?Dunckerley also introduced into Ms system ¦ ?

of lectures some neiv symbols. Thus tohim is ascribed the adoption of the " linesparallel," as a symbol of the two SaintsJohn, and the " theological ladder."

Dunckerley AAiote nothing of great im-portance. His contributions to Masonicliterature seem to have been confined to acouple of charges or addresses, delivered in1757 and in 1769, and to a brief chrono-logical sketch of the Order of KnightsTemplars, AA'hicli Avas published in tho 3rdvolume of the Freemason 's Magazine. HoAA'as also the author of some Masonicpoetry, and two of his odes are inserted inNoorthouck's edition of the Book of Con-stitutions. But his most effective laborsAvere almost altogether esoteric ancl hisinstructions oral, ancl. his industry in thisAA'ay seems to have been indefatigable, andhis influence extensive. The results arcfelt, as has already been said, to the presentday. His popularity as a lecturer is to beattributed to the active character of hismind, and his thorough mastership of thosubjects AA'hicli he taught, and the fluencyof his delivery.

His conduct Avas irreproachable, andhence ho Avas fortunate in securing theesteem and regard of the Craft and thefriendship of the most distinguished masonsAvho Avero his contemporaries. Prestonstyles him " that truly masonic luminary,"and Oliver says that "he AA'as tho oracle ofthe Grand Lodge ancl the accredited inter-preter of its Constitutions. His decision,like the laAV of the Mecles ancl Persians,was final on all points, both of doctrineand discipline, and against it there AA'as noappeal ."

Were I to attempt a comparative esti-mate of his character as a Masonic scholar,in reference to his predecessors, his con-temporaries, and his successors in EnglishMasonry, I should say that he Avas thesuperior of both Anderson and Desaguliers ;but inferior to Preston, to Hutchinson, anclto OliA'er. Among his contemporaries hecertainly had a vrell-dcscrved reputation,and is clearly entitled to the appellationthat Avas bestoAved upon him , of being alearned and philosophical Mason. -Mackey'sNat ional Freemason .

THE "YORK MS. No. 1." (MS. "D"HUOHAN 'S CATALOGUE) A.D. 1600 (CIRCA).

[An exact Transcript made from the Original inthe Archives of the Grand Lod '/ e of England , by

Bro. IF". J . lhighan, P.M., S/ c]

"AN ANAGRA IME UPON THE NAME OFMASONKIE WILLIAM KAY TO HIS FRIENDROBT. PRESTON UPON HIS ARTT OF

MASONRIE AS FOLLOWETH.H Much might be said of the noble \ •

Artt .!> A Crafts thats worth estieming in

each partco Sundry Nations Nooblcs and their

Kings alsoO Oh how they sought its Avorth to

know ..S3 Nimrod and Solomon the wisest of ) Mcmj m

all menpj Reason saw to love this Science

thenw He say noe more less by my shallow

verses IH EndeaA'Ouring to praise should

blemish Masonrie ,

" THE CONSTITUTIONS OF 'MASONRIE

Tho might of the Father of heaven AvithAvisdome of ye blessed Sonne through yegrace of God ancl goodnesse of the holyghost yt be three psons in one godhead boAvith vs at our beginning and give vs gracesoe to gover.no Ars here in this life yt AVOmay come to Ms blessing yt nevr shall haveending : And good brethren and felloAVSour purpose is to tell yu IIOAV and in Avhatmanner this Avorty Science of Masonrie AA'asbegun and afterward IIOAV it Avas found byAvorty Kings and Princes and by manyother Worshipfull men, And also to themyt bo here Ave Avill declare ye charges ytbelonge to every Free Mason to keep surem good laith. And therefore take goodhoed hereto it is Avell Avorthy to bo keptAvell for yt ye Science is ancient for therebe vij liberall Sciences of ye AA'cli it is oneand ye names of ye seven Sciences bo these,first Grammer Avch teacheth a man tospeak truly and Avrito truly. And yesecond is Rhetoricke and teacheth a manto speak faire plaine in subtile terms andye third is Diolcctiek or Lodgick yt teach-eth a man to discern truth from falshood.And yo fourth is Aiithnietiek that teachetha man to reckon and to accomp t all manni

MS. MASONIC CONSTITUTIONS (ORCHARGES) No. 1.

of numbs. Ancl ye fifth is called Geomatrieand teacheth all measure of grounds of allother things of the Avch Science is groundedMasonrie : and the sixth Science is calledJiusicke ancl yt teacheth a man ye Scienceof song and violl of tongue and organ harptrumpett. And ye seventh Science is calledAstronomic and yt teacheth a man to knoAVye course of the Sonne Moone and Starrs.Those be ye vij liberall Sciences ye Avchseven be all grounded hy one yt is to sayGeometric for by this may a man pve yeEssence of Avorko as founded by Geometricso Geomatrie teacheth meat measureponderation and weight of all manner ofthings on earth for there is noe man ytAvorketh any Science but ho Avorketh bysome measure or Aveight ancl all this isGeomatrie hut he doth it by some measureor Aveight ancl all this is Geomatrie, andmerchants and all crafts men and all otherof ye vij Sciences and espetially ye plowerand tiller of all maimer of graines and seedsplanters of Adnyeards ancl setts, of fruits,for hi Grammer retorick nor astronomicnor hi any of all ye liberall Sciences canany man fm.de meat or measure withoutGeomatrie, me thinks yt this ScienceGeomatrie is most Avorth y ancl foundeth allothers. HOAV these Avorty Sciences Avasfirst begotten I shall yu tell A'iz. BeforeNoah flood there AA'as a man called Lamechas m AA'ritten in Scripture in ye 4th chaptrof Genesis And this Lamech had tAvo AA'ivesye one named Adah by Avhome ho had Sonsye one named Jabell ye other namedJubell. And his other A\dfe Avas calledZillah by AA'honi he had one sone namedI'lihelcaineandone daughter named Naamahand these four children founded ye begin-ning of all ye Sciences in the Avorld A'iz.Jabell ye eldest Sono found out ye Scienceof Geomatrie he Avas a keepr. of flocks ofsheep and Lands in the Fields as it is notedm ye chaptr before sd. And Ms brotlir.J nhall found ye Science of Music Song offoiigue

^harpo and organ ancl ye third

brother Tiiballcaine found ye Science calledSmith craft of Gold Silvr Iron Coppr anclSteele and ye Daughtr. found the art ofweayhig And these persons knowing rightwell yt God AA'oulcl take vengeance forsumo either by fire or water, Avherefore theywi'itt their severall Sciences yt they hadloimd hi tAvo Fillers of stone yt they mightb« found aftr Noah his Flood ancl ye ones»ne was Marble because it would not

burne Avth fire ancl ye othr called Ltcrnesbecause it Avould not dround Avth watr IIOAVour intent is to tell yu IIOAV and in Avhatmanner these Stones Avere found in AVCIIthese Sciences Avere AA'ritten the ancientHermarines was a cube his son ye AA'hiclicub Avas Sem yt Avas Noahs Son ; theseHermarines Avas after called ye fathr ofAvise men, he found one of ye two pillersof Stone and he found ye Sciences writtentherein and he tought yt to other men, andat ye makeing of ye Toure of Babell thereAvas Masonrie at first much esteemed of andthe King of Babilon yt AA'as called NimrodAA'as a Mason himself ancl loved well Masonsancl yt Science, as it is said among Mastersof Histories. And AA'hen ye city of Ninevieand oth r cities of ye East should be buildedNimrod ye King of Babylon sent thithersy Masons at ye request of ye King ofNineA'ic his cousen and Avhen he sent themforth he guve them a charge on this mannryt they should bo true each one of themto othr and yt they should loAre Avell oneanother and y t they should serve their Lordtruly for their pay soe yt ye Mastr mayhave pay and all that belongeth unto himand othr moe charges he gave them andthis Avas ye first time yt ever any Masonshad any charge of his Craft. MoreoverAbraham and Sarah his Avife Avent intoEgypt ancl there he tought ye vij Sciencesto ye egyptians and ho had a Avorty SchoUernamed Euclide ancl he learned right Avellancl AA'as Mr of all ye vij Sciences liberalland in his dayes it befell yt A'e Lordes andStates oi ye Lands had soe many Sons someby their AA'ives ancl some by their concu-bines for yt land is a hott land and plenti-ous of Genration and they had not acompetent jiportion of estate AvhereAvith tomaintaine theis sd children, Avherefore theytooke much care ancl the King of yt landcaused a great counsell and sumaned aparliament to consult hoAv they might pvidefor their chddren Avhereon they might livehonestly as Gentlemen and they could findnoe mannr of good AA'ay Ancl then theymade a pclamation throughout all yeRealme yt if there any yt could informethem therein yt he should come to ym andhe should be Avell reAvarded for his travaileso yt he should hould himself sattisfied.After this pclamation Avas made came thisAvorthy Clarke Euclide ancl said and saidto ye King and to his Nobles if yu willexcept of me to teach instruct and governs

your children in ye vij Sciences Avhere bythey might they might live honestly asGentlemen I shall doe it upon conditionthat you will grant mo and thorn acomission yt I may have poAver to rulethem after ye manner yo Sciences ought tobe rided Avch ye King and all yo Counsellgranted him and Scaled ye Comission Andthen this AA'orthy Doctor tooke to him selfoLords Sonncs ancl tought them ye Scienceof Geomatrie and practise to Avorke inStones all manner of AA'orthy Avork ytbclongeth to buildings Churches TemplesCastles Toures Maimos and all manner ofBuddings and gave them in Change in thismanner. First yt they should be true toye Lord yt they serve and yt they shouldlove Avell on another and yt they should botrue one to anofchr and that they should calleach other his FelloAV or his Brother andnot his his Servt or Knave or other fonlename and yt they should truly deservetheir pay of their Lord or the Mr. yt theyserve and yt they should ordaine ye wisestof them to be Mr of the worko and neithrto chuse for LoA'e nor election nor greatnor riches to sett any yt hath not sufficientknoAvledge and cunning in ye AvOrke to beMr of the Avorke AA'heieby yo Mr should beAvell served and they disgraced or ashamedand also yt they should call ye govrnor ofthe Avorke Mr during ye time yt theyAvorke Avith him and ami other more chargesyt is to long here to tell and to all thesecharges he made them to SAveare a greatOath that men used in yt time and ordainedfor them reasonable pay or Wages yt theymight live honestly thereby and also ytthey should come and assemble themselvestogether once every yeare to consult Jioivthey might best work for their Lords pfittancl their OAVII credit and to correct Avithinthemselves hnn yt trespassed agt ye Scienceand thus AA'as ye Science grounded thereand yt ivorthy Mr Euclid Avas yo first ytgave it ye name of Geomatrie the Avch isnow called Masonrie throughout all thisnation And aftr yt Avhen ye children ofIsrael Avereconid into ye land of BehcstAA'hichis now called among us j 'e coiintrie of JurioKing David begun ye Temple y t is nowcalled Templet- Doin , and is named Avithus ye Temple of Jer usalem and ye sd KingDavid loved AVOII Masons and cherishedthem much and ho gave them good wiv/ usand he .gave them both ye charges andmama's as he had h-anied in Egypt given

formerly by Euclid and other moo chargesyt yu shall hear afterwards after ye de-cease of King David Solomon his sonfinished out ye sd Temple yt his fatherhad begun and he sent for Masons intoclivers countreys of divers lands and ga-thered them together soe yt he had fourscore thousand Avorkers of stone and wereall named masons he chose out of themtMee thousand yt AA'as ordained to be Mrsancl govrnors of his AA'orke and furthermorethere Avas A King of anothr Region yt mencalled Hieram and he loved King Sollonionwell and ho gave him Timhr to his workeand he had a sonne named Anion ancl hoAvas a Mr of Geomatrie and he AVas chiefMr of all his graveings, carvings and of allhis Masons and Masonrie as appeares hiScripe in Libro primo Regry and chaptr ye5th. Ancl this Sollonion confirmed bothcharge, ancl mannrs yt his Father had givento Masons and thus AA'as yt Avorthy Scienceof Masonrie confirmed in yt country ofJurie and at ye city of Jerusalem And inmany othr kingdomes curious craftsmenAva'lked aht out full Avide and spred them-selves into divers couutryes some to Loarncmoe craft and cunning and some to teachthem yt had little skill ancl cunning Andyt befel yt there Avas one curious masoncalled Namus Grecas yt had beine at yebuilding of Sollomon's Temple and hecame into France aud there he taught yescience of masonrie to men of France and

I there Avas one of Royall line of Francecalled Charles Martall and he Avas a manyt loA'ed Avell such a craft and he drue tothis Namus Grecas above said and helearned of Mm ye craft and tooke uponhim ye charge and mannrs and affrn'ardsby ye Providence of God he Avas electedKing of France and Avhen he Avas in ytestate ho tooke and helped to make menmasons AA'CII before A\rere none and gavethem both ye charge and yo mannrs anclgood pay as ho had learned of othr masonsand also confirmed a chartr from yeare toyeare to hold their assembly where theywould And cherished them right muchthus came this famous craft into France.England in all this time stood void ofMasonrie espetialy for any charge imposedupon yt Science tuitill St. Albon 's time andin his dayes ye King of England yt Avasthen A pagan did Avail yo ToAvne of St.Albons about and St. Albons Ava s a Avorth yJit. aud SteAvard of ye King's Houshold

and had Govornaute of ye Realme andmid also had ye ordering of yo sd TOAVH

walls and he Loved Avell Masons andcherished them right much and made theirpay right good considering IIOAV Avages anclother things stood then for he gave themjj S-—A'id. a AA'eek and iijd. for their non-finch and before yt time through out allthis Land a Mason tooke but a Peny a dayuntil St. Albons advanced it as above sdancl poured them a chartr of ye King andliis counsell Avhereby for to hold a generallcounsell ancl gave it ye name of Assemblyand thereat he AA'as himself and helped tomake men masons ancl gave them a chargeas yu shall here aftr hear. But it happeued shortly after ye death of St. Albonsyt there arose great Avars in England Avhichcame out of divers nations soe that yegood ordr of Masonrie AA'as destroyed untillyo dayes of King Athelston AA'IIO Avas aAvorthy king of England, and.brought thislaud in good rest and peace ancl buildedmany great Avorkes as Abbyes Toures anclothr mannrs of Buildings and loved wellmasons and lie had a Son named Edivinand he loved masons much more then hisFather, ancl he Avas a great practionr inGeomatrie ancl he delited much to talkeand commie Avith masons and to learn ofthem skill and cunning and afterwards forlove he bore to Masons and to their Sciencehe Avas made a mason and he poured forthem of ye king his father a chartr andcomission to hold every yeare an assemblywheresoevr they Avould Avithin ye Realm ofEngland and to correct within themselvesdefaults and trespasses yt Avere done Avithinye craft ancl he h imself held an assemblyat YORK and there he made Masons andgave them the charge and taught them yomanners and comanded yt rule to be keptever after and also tooke for them yecharter to keep and also gave ordr yt itshould be renued from king to king. Andwhen ye assembly was gathered togetherhe made pclamation yt aU old Masons oryoung yt had any Avriteings or undrstand-ing of ye charge and ye mannrs concerningJo said science yt Avere made before in thisLand or in any othr y t they should bringthem forth , and when they had vieAvedand examined there found some in French,some in Greek, some in English and somem othr Languages and ye intent andmoaning of them was found all out ancl hehad made a book thereof IIOAV ye Craft

Avas founded and he himself gave coinandyt it should be read or told when yt anymasons should be made and to give themyo charge And from y t clay to this day,manrs of masons lmve been kept and ob-served in y t forme as Avell as men mightobserve ancl govern it. And furthermoreat divese assemblyes an aclition of eerfcainethings in ye charge ordained by ye bestaclA'ioe of masters and felloAVS—Tune unitsex senioribus teneat lAbruin ut Me veil Mipotictt vel potiant manus sup. IAhrum ettuna preeyta deberent Legi. Every manyt is a Mason take right good heed to thesecharges ancl if any man find himself guiltyin any of these charges yt he amend him-selfe before God and in pticulary yee yt areto be charged take take good heed yt yeemay keep these charges right well for it isprillous and great danger for a man toforsAveare himself upon ye holy Scripture.The first charge is that he or those betruemau to God and ye holy church anclyt yu use neithr erour nor heresie accord-ing to yor OAVII undrstanding or discreetand Aviso mens teaching and also yt heshall be true lege man ancl bear true alle-giance to ye king of England without anytreason or any othr falshood and if theyknoAV of any treason or treachery yt youamend it privily if ye may or else Avarneye king or his counsell of it by declareingit to ye magistrates. Ancl alsoe yee shallbe true one to anothr yt is to say to everyMason of ve craft of Masonrie vfc be allou'edMasons yu shall doe to them as yu AA'OUMthey should doe to yu. And yt yu keeptruely all ye counsell of Lodge andchamber and all other counsell yt ought tobe kept by Avay of Masonrie and also ytyu use noe theeverie but keep yorselvestrue. And also yu shall be true to yeLord or mask yu serve and truly see Mspfitt and advantage pmotod and furthred.ibid also you shall call masons yor Bre-thren or FOIIOAVS but not any other foulname. Also yu shall not take in villanyyor FelloAves Avifo nor uidaAvfully desirehis daughtr or servt nor put him to anydiscredit. And also yt yu pay truly foryor meat and drink Avhero you goo totable and yt yu doe not any thing AA'herebyye craft may bo scandalized or Avhereby itmay receive disgrace. These bo ye chargesin generall that belongoth every Mason tokeep both mastrs and folloAVs. NOAV comeI to rehears e eertaine othr charges sin-

gularly for masters and felloAVS viz. Thatnoe Mr shall take upon Mm any Lord'swork or any other men's work except heknow Mmself to be of suficient skill andcuning to pform ancl finish ye same soe ytye Craft thereby receive noe slander or dis-credit but yt ye Lord may be wol servedancl have his Avork truly and suficientlydone. And also yt noe Mr take any AA'orkat unreasonable rates but so reasonably ytye Lord or OAVUI' may be true served AvthIris OAA'11 goods and yo Mr to live honestlythereby ancl to pay his felloAA's truly theirAvages as ye mannr is. And also yt no Mror felloAV shall suplant anothr of his workyt is to say if any Mr or felloAV have takenany Avork to doe and therefore stand as Mrof ye sd Avork yee shall put him out of itunless he be unable of skill and cunningto pform ye same to ye end and also ytnoe Mr or 1'OIIOAV take any apprenticeunclr ye terme of seA'en yeares and yt suchaprntice suficiently able of body and soundof lymbs and also of good birth free bornnoe Allan but descended of a true andhonest kindred ancl noe bondman ancl alsoyt noe Mason take any aprntice unless hehave suficient occupation lvhcreon to em-ploy two or throe felloAA's at yo least. Andalso yt noe Mr or felloAV put any to takeany Lord's Avork yt Avas Avont to workJourney work. Ancl also yt every Mrshall give Avages to his Felknves accordingas his Avork doth deserve yt lie be not de-ceh'ed by false Avork. And also yt noneshall slandr anotlir behinde his backAvhereby he may loose his good name orAA'ordly riches. Also yt no felloAV Avithinye lodge or Avithout shall misansweT or re-prove unlaAvfully anotlir Avithout cause.And also yt every Mason shall reverencehis eldr brothr and put Mm to honour .Also yt noe Mason shall be a comon playeratt cards or dice or any othr unknvfullgame or games Avhereby ye Science maybo slandered and disgraced and also yt noofelloAV at any time goe -from his felloAves ofye lodge into any toAA'ne adjoyning excepthe have a felloAV Avith him to Avitness y t heAA'as in honest place and civill company.And also yt every Mr and fellow shallcome to ye Assemblio of Masons if it beAvithin I : miles about him if he have anyAvarning of ye same. And if lie or theyhave trespassed or offended against ye craftall such soe trespassing shall stand thereat ye award and Arbitration of ye M'astrs

and FOUOAA'OS there and they to make themaccord if they can or may ancl if theycannot agree them then to goe to yecomon LaAv ancl also yt no Mr or FelloAVmake any mould rule or square for anyLaj'cr nor set any Layer wth ye Lodge orwithout to heAV any mould stones. Andthat every Mason shall cherish strangefelloAA'es when they come out of othrcountreys and set them on work if he canas ye nianr is viz. if he haA'e no stones normoulds in yt place he shall refresh himAvth money to suply his necessityes untillhe come at ye next Lodge. Ancl also ytevery Mason shall pfonne his work trulyand not sleightily for his pay but to serveMs Lord truly for his Avages and also ytevery Mr shall truly make an end of hisAvork Avhetker it be by Tax or by Jorneyviz. by measure or by clayes if ho have hispay and all othr covents pformed to himby ye Lord of yo work according to yebargaine. These charges yt AVO have IIOAVrehearsed to yu and to all oths here prsentAA'ch belongeth to Masons yu shall AA'ell andtruly keep to yor poAvr so help you Godand by ye contents of yt booke—Amen."

Endorsed." Found in Pontefraet Castle atthe Demolishing, and Given tothis Lodge by

Francis Drake!'"A.D. 1736. "

t>A second endorsement at end of Roll, p1j—<

ALWAYS TELL TEE TRVTB:—The groimd-Avork of all manly character is veracity, ortho habit of truthfulness. That virtue liestho foundation of every thing said. HOAVcommon it is to hoar parents say : " I havefaith in my child so long as it speaks thetruth . He may have faults, but I knowhe Avill not deceive. I build on that con-fidence." They are right. It is just andlaAvful ground to build upon . So long asthe truth remains in a child there is some-thing to depend on; but when truth isgone, all is gone ; all is lost unless thochild is speedil y AVOII back to veracity .—National Freema -iou.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE HISTORYOF THE CRAFT.

Br A MASONIC STUDENT .

It has been considered advisable in thointerests of Masonic archaeology to reprintthe " Illustrations of the History of theGraft," which have already appeared, bothin the old Masonic Magazine, and TheFree mason. The chapters Avhich &11OAV

have been carefully revised, and hi manyinstances, greatly enlarged and materiallyaltered since they were first commended tothe kindly attention of the Craft.

CHAPTER I.Tho object of this and tlie folbrwing

papers is, to illustrate, if possible, tho trueannals of the Craft , and to induce a morecareful study of its history and archaeology.

They have been Avritten in no contro-versial spirit, but simply AA'ith a desire aftertruth, that Ave may accustom ourselves, asFreemasons, more than has hitherto beenour Avont, to patient study of our evidences,ancl historical accuracy in our assertions.

Our Masonic writers seem to haveaccepted far too readily, as regards therecords of our Order, the good old adage"epiieta non moverc," as they have allmore or less adopted, Avithout hesitationand Avithout inquiry, unaccredited state-ments and dubious assertions, for no otherreason, seemingly, than because these state-ments ancl assertions had been once givenforth to the Avorld.

Not that in so doing they ever meant toimpose on the initiated or the profane, toput forward an untrue narrative or afictitious claim, but that th ey acceptedwithout doubt or demur statements repeatedso often that they came at last to beaccepted as true !

Hence there has arisen among modernwriters a grave distrust of Masonic history,as generally received, and critical doubtshave been expressed as to the validity ofour Masonic claims to antiquity ; many ofour traditional statements are openly assail-ed, and the accuracy of the dates AVO giveunder authority, relating to persons andoccurences in the past, is questioned andchallenged, as Ave know from day to day.

Mr. Hallani for instance has asserted,that " Masonic calumniators and Masonicpaneygerists are all equally mendacious ;"while De Quincy has said, " I affirm as afact, established upon historical research ,that before tho beginning of the 17thoenturv no traces are to be met with of theMasonic Order, ancl I challenge any anti-quary to contradict me."

Mr. Gilbert Scott talks of the " fablesof the Freemasons," ancl AA'e have latelyheard much harsher words used, such as" imposture," and the like.

NOA\', it is in order to lead others, evenmore qualified , to remove this unfair and,as I belieA'e, unjust reproach on the Craftthat those papers have been put together.

If we are enabled gradually, by reliableevidence and accurate assertions, to removedoubts, to clear aAA'ay difficulties , to har-monise anachronisms, and to stimulateinquiry, AVO shall best prepare the. way, erelong, for a more authoritative and- reliablehistory of our Order than AVO at presentpossess.

My anxiety has been, and still is, simply,in the cause of Masonic truth, to lay beforemy bretlnen the humble results of earnest 'study ancl reflection—to give, what is sodifficult , "novelty to Avhat is old, andauthority to AA'hat is neAV, value to what isobsolete, and light to Avhat is obscure,favour to Avhat is despised, and trust toAvhat is doubtful."*

May, then, those illustration s of ourCraft history be received by my brethrenin the spirit in Avhich they have been clraAvnup—viz., a sincere love for our useful anclvaluable Order, and a humble but firmbelief in the essential truth of its ancientlegends and time-honoured traditions.

To trace the early history of any ancientand useful institution is, in almost everycase, a matter of deep interest to thoarchaeologist, but IIOAV much more must itbe to the Masonic student, since the earlyannals of Freemasonry seem lost hi thedimness of ages ; ancl though it is a sub-ject about Avliich much has been AA'ritten,yet, after all, IIOAV very little is really knoivnabout it 1

And if, then , AVO may have ourselves,AA'ith the Avorld at large, a not unnaturalcuriosi ty in respect of the origin and pro-

" Res avdua A'etnstis novitatcm dare, novisanetoritatem , ohsoletis nitorero, obscuris lucem ,fastiditw gratiam , dubiis fidem. "—Plin, Nat. Hist.

gress of a society, of Avhich so much hasbeen said, Avhcthor for good or evil, yet italso seems to be our imperative duty to tryand give a straightfonvard and intelligibleaccount of this Avorld-Avide Order, to tracecarefully the hws AA'MCII have controlledits progress, to unfold the causes AA'hiclihave led to its success or failure anions;men, and to submit to all intelligent readersthe evidence ancl the facts, the historicalproofs and the undoubted statements , onAA'Mch AA'e base the conclusion to Avhich A\'ehave legitimately arrived.

What, then, is the true history of Free-masonry ? AA'hat is Freemasonry itself ? arequestions AA'hicli are often asked, and repeat-ed to this clay, Avith an unmistakeableexpression of complacent scepticism.

As Ave knoAV, those of us AVIIO havestudied the question, the most contradictoryancl the most absurd theories have beenhazarded relative to its origin and progress.

To recapitulate all the different solutions,of AA'hat still to some appears an inexplicableenigma, would be also a hopeless task, andcertainly an unprofitable Avaste of time.

We can only notice some of the leadingexplanations of the rise and continuanceof our Order, whether from friendly orhostile Avriters, and Avhich seem to demandour attention and deserve our notice. Thereare those AA'ho seem Avilling to trace Free-masonry to tlie loyal adherents of theStuarts, as preparatory to the restoration ofKing Charles IL, Avhde others, equallysagacious, would connect it Avith the hopesand aspirations of tho oxded family of KingJames II.

There are a 1'OAV who see in Freemasonrya Jesuit Order ; there are some Avho regardit as a purely political body—the School ofIllumines, the centre of revolution.

Probably it is not too much to say, thatby far the larger number of Avriters, it islooked upon as a benevolent association ora convivial club.

In former times it AA'as the Avont of manyAvriters, Masonic and othenvise, to connectFreemasonry Avith the Druids, AA'ith theCuldees, and, above all, with the Elensinianmysteries.

No doubt Freemasonry is connected , andhas CA'or been, AA'ith tlio history of secretinitiation and personal probat ion , the greatcharacteristic of all the early mysteries.

It may bo perfectl y true moreover , thatFreemasonry possesses in it? carefully pre-

served ritual ancl traditions some traces ofthe oral teaching of those early mysteries,but it is not safe, it has always appearedto 1110, to rely simply on an esoterec con-nection, when Ave aro asked , ancl naturallyasked, to give a reasonable account of ouroutward organization, the channel by Avhiclithe secrets and mysteries of Freemasonryhave been handed doAA'n to ourselves.

There are throe other theories of Masoniclife and history Avhich AVO must brieflynotice.

There is the AdeAV which links our Free-masonry to some early Christian body,Avhether as successors of the Essenes, orsome development of the " discip lina ar-cani," which seems to be the suggestion ofDr. Leeson. A modification of this VIOAVis to be found in those AA'ho connect Free-masonry with Rosicrucian adepts, Avith thefolloAvers of " Rosenkreutz," if that AA'erereally his name.

But it is almost unnecessary to add thatthere is not the slightest valid or historicalevidence to be adduced in behalf of such atheory. It is purely imaginative—the" baseless fabric of a dream."

Neither can I speak more hopefully orencouragingly of that claim, propoundedAvith such confidence, to consider our Free-masonry of to-day as derived from theKnights Templar.

To say nothing of the intense difficult y,historically, of the transmission or preser-vation of any real Templar secrets, onething is plain, though I am sorry to say itas it may hurt the feelings of many ex-cellent brethren of mine, the MasonicKnights Templar never had, ancl have notUOAV, the slightest real connection with theold Kni ghts Templar.

Tho history of the dispersion and ulti-mate fate of the majorit y of the Templarsis pretty AVOII knoivn. The accounts Avehear of Templars holding meetings at York,or Scotland, and elseAvhcre, to perpetuatethe hidden mysteries of their secret chap -ters, aro so opposed to the real facts ofhistory, as fairly come within the reproachof being " fables of the Freemasons."

Up to tho present time not the slightesthistorical evidence is forthcoming of anyprior existence of Masonic Knights Templarbefore 171-0. As I propose to treat in asubsequent chapter of the connection exist-ing between the Knights Templar anclFreemasonry. I need not allude further to

the subject IIOAV than to say, that theiCnights Templar borrowed, if they didborroAv, their secrets from Freemasonry—not Freemasonry from tho .Knights Tem-plar.

There is a third vieAv, AA'hicli has of latebeen advocated AA'ith more zeal than dis-cretion—namely that AA'hicli AA'Ould limitSpeculative Freemasonry to 1717, andAvould seek to contend that at that epochthe phraseology and Avorking tools of theopera tive guilds Avere adapted ancl adoptedfor the purposes of a philanthropic anclbenevolent association ; but that there wasno further bond of union or continuity ofpurpose.

So far back as 1733, in tho Gentlemen'sMagazine for February, an anonymousAvriter, untruly calling himself a brother,says Ave may as Avell call ourselves " car-penters or ratcatchers as Freemasons," andho further asserts that the present Order isa " gallimaAA'fry of the restorer of thesociety."

This is the vievf , practically, which hasbeen pressed upon us in such a variety ofways and under such different forms, Avithmore zeal than discretion, for some timepast—a vieAv, 1 do not hesitate to say,most mistaken, utterly unsupported by theeA'idenco we already possess, and mostopposed to the evidence Ave shall graduallyobtain. This I hope convincingly to showin the progress of these illustrations.

Having thus pointed out AA'hat I believeis not and cannot be the true history ofFreemasonry, I propose in tho next chap-ter to developo AA'hat I believe that truehistory is, and Avhere it is to be found.

CHAPTER II.I propose hi this chapter to point out

what I believe to be the only true founda-tion, on AA'hicli the history of our Order cansafely rest.

In a feAV AVords, I am anxious to advocateand uphold what may be called the GuildTheory.

In 1863 I made the following statement,m regard to the opinion I then ventured tonitertain in respect of this much " vexata•piostio," and subsequent study and con-sideration have only tended to strengthenthe conviction. I then expressed, and whichI had arrived at after some years of patientand careful inquiry.

" Freemasonry as we have it to-day,affected , no doubt, to a groat extent by thopreponderance of tho Speculative element,has come doAvn to us, I venture to believe,through a long succession of centuries, anclmay be most safely ancl satisfactorily tracedthrough the operative guilds ancl Masonicsodalities of the middle and early ages, toRoman Collegia, to Grecian communities,and thence to Jewish and Tyrian Masons."*

Ancl it is this same A'ieAV, substantially,of our Masonic Order, AA'hicli I Avish tobring IIOAV more formally before my brethrengenerally, because in it, and in it alone,I feel persuaded the true history of Free-masonry is to be found.

The more Ave study the whole question—difficult as it confessedly is in all its bear-ings—the more shall AA'6 be convinced, Ifeel confident, ere long, that no othertheory can satisfy the exigencies of his-torical criticism on the one hand,.or har-monise tho confused traditions of Free-masonry on the other, but that Avhich re-gards our Speculative Order to-day, asnothing more and nothing less, than thedirect continuation and legitimate result ofthe olden system of operative sodalities.

Lot it be granted that Freemasonryexists under an altered condition of things,and is to bo found perhaps in a widersphere than of old, AA'hen it AA'as confinedto the building societies of an operativebrotherhood : yet its normal state, fromAA'hicli our present Freemasonry has derivedits life and history, Avas that of an opera-tive Masonic guild.

NOAV it is a mistake to suppose , as somemodern AA'ritors seem to do, that this ex-planation of our Masonic annals ancl rjro-gress is a novel one, of a comparativelyvery recent date ancl unknown to ourearlier historians. It has been said, forinstance, by our latest Masonic annalist,our learned German Bro. Dr. Fhiclel, thatthe " first Avriter on the subject of Free-masonry AA'ho ventured to hint at the ex-istence of an historical connection betweenthe Fraterni ty of Freemasons, ancl thatof the stonemasons AA'as tho Abbe Gran-didier, a non-Mason," AVIIO Avrote in 1779.t

But though I am epiite willing to admit,that ho is perhaps tho first non-MasonicAvriter AVIIO openly argued for the distinct

* Oration before Pentalpha Lodge, Bradford, 18C3,f Findel's History of Freemasonry, p, 15.

existence of a purely operative brotherhood,Avith signs and sjanbols, forms and teach-ings analagous to our OAAII, yet AVO shouldnoA'cr forget, that the assertion of a secretbond of union, of a similarity of symbolicteaching, of a continuity of organisationancl existence, as betAVcen operative andspeculative Freemasonery, is really as oldas the time of Anderson and Preston .

Anderson, the first edition of AA'hoso" Constitutions of the Freemasons" Avaspublished in 1723, ancl Preston, Avhosefirst edition appeared in 1772, have basedtheir entire history of the Order, thoughwith differences of detail peculiar to eachwriter, as our Bro. Findel has himselfadmitted, "on a history of architecturetaken from the legends of the guilds."

Ancl though since their time tho subje cthas been greatly elaborated by many ableforeign AA'riters on Freemasonry—to someextent by Bro. Laurie—ancl especially byGerman writers,'-' and though it may botrue, that the terminology of the operativeguild theory has only of late years assumedits present development and position amongMasonic AA'riters, vet Ave aro bound , as itappears to mo, to accord in justice toAnderson and Preston, the credit of assort-ing and maintaining the true theory of thooperative origin of Freemasonry.

A great deal of ridicule has boon castupon Anderson, especially, for the high-floAA'ii language in AA'hicli ho claims tocarry up the antiquity of our Order to theearliest ages of the Avorld , and for tlie freeuse ho has undoubtedly made of evenpatriarchal names.

Yet it should be borne in mind , that heprobably intended, after all, by such lan-guage, only to state paraphrastically theold teaching of the connection supposedto exist between Freemasonry and the

primaival and later mysteries.;fAccepting this view, that the early mys-

teries Avere the depositories of sacred truth,though by degrees debased and corrupted.Anderson Avitli many oth ers seems to haveheld that Freemasonry still retains in itscarefully preserved inner teaching sometraces of these earlier mysteries, and that

it AA'as in itself therefore as old as thepatriarchs, and cooA-al Avith the first germsof civilization among mankind.

It must, hoAvever, fairly be admitted,that ho has unwisely claimed "nominatim"as patrons and members of our Order, manyAA'hose affiliation to Freemasonry could boonly, at the best, but a legendary tradition,ancl that ho has alloAvocl the influence ofthis old and attractive theory to outweighthe more sober claims of historical evidenceand practical accuracy.

Let us, hoAvevor, return to the more im-mediate subject matter.

There are three AUCAVS, apparently, of thoguild theory, AA'hicli merit our present andcareful consideration :—

1. There is the vieAv, for instance, ofour learned German Brother, Dr. Findel,to Avhich Ave will give our first attention.

If we understand Ms Avoids rightly inhis very A'aluable and interesting Historyof Freemasonry, he accepts AA'ithout reservethe guild theory, and looks upon ourmodern Order as the direct continuation ,though someAA'hat deA'eloped and expandedby the revival of 1717, of the operativeguilds.

lie advocates distinctly ancl AA'ithoutdoubt tho operative origin of Freemasonry ;and though it is not quite clear from hisvaluable work AA'hether he accepts ourmodern ritual and organization as identicalin ah respiects Avith that of the ojj erath'OFraternity, yet he seems to do so, inasmuchas he more than once advocates the vieAvI have often contended for—that the ritualand ceremonies and oral teaching andmystic symbolism of the 2'urely operativelodges Avere to a great extent under thodirection and approval of the monasticorders.

The great value of our learned brother'shistory to the Masonic student consists inthis, that ho so ably points out the realoperative origin of Freemasonry ; that lieintroduces AA'ith great clearness in supportof his argument, the rules and regulations,the customs and traditions of the operativeGerman Masons, clearly proving a simi-larity of usage and identity of symbolsbetiveen them and our SpeculatiA'e brother-hood to-daj'.

The peculiarity of Bro. Findel's vieAVconsists in this, that he assigns the originof the Masonic Order, as an operative in-stitution only, to the German " Stoinmet-zen," or stonemasons of the middle ages,ancl seems to fix on the beginning of the11th century as the epoch Avhen Ave have

* Vogel, Albrccht, Mossdorf, Schroder, Fessler, &c.

\ Hutchinson , Lenoir, Clavel, Oliver, Faber,Authologia. Hihomica.

for the first time satisfactory evidence oftheir existence ancl proceedings and pur-pose.

And though it must be ever most in-teresting to all Freemasons, thus to be ableto trace the history of tho Gorman opera-tive " Bauliiitten" or lodges, through severalcenturies, yet it would be, I venture totliinkj most unsafe, as it is in truth impos-sible to contend, or seriously for onemoment to suppose, that Freemasonry couldhave thus sprung up all of a sudden in thehistory of the Avorld—could AA'ith all itsold legends ancl time-honoured traditionsand mysterious symbolism, have been alonethe product of the ingenuity and sltill ofGerman stonemasons, and transplantedfrom Germany to England.

Our learned brother's argument, that be-cause he finds the legend of the " FourCroAATiod Martyrs" in our earliest knoAA'nMasonic MS. and traces, as he thinks, of" Yehmic" usages in the Sloano MS. 3329*therefore our English Freemasonry Avasintroduced by German operative Masons,is, though ingenious and very creditableto his patriotic sympathies, utterly opposedto all the knoAA'n facts of the case, and com-pletely irreconcilable Avith the evidence ofliistory, and the Avitness of our OAVII Eng-lish Masonic traditions.

No doubt Bro. Findel's theory is hiitself a very interesting one, and in somerespects an easy Avay of surmounting manyof the difficulties and peculiarities of onMasonic annals. It may servo also todispel some of the doubts and remove someof tho objections of hostile criticism, but itdoes by no means clear the Avay perfectlyfor the Masonic or un-Masonie enquirer,and stdl leaves unaccounted for, on anysafe and satisfactory authority, the origin ,existence, pirogress, and perpetuation of oneof the most remarkable institutions theworld has ever seen.

To say notMng now of other patent ob-jection s to it, how are Ave to deal, if Aveaccept it, -with that very important subjectof Masons' Marks ?

Our learned brother E. W. SIMAV con-tended some years back, and I have neverseen any satisfactory reply to his assertions,that one great principle pervaded all theknown Masons' marks in the world, namely,

that they were outward symbols of an innermeaning or teaching.

From the almost innumerable fac-similesho had collected after many years' arduouslabour, Avliich I have myself seen, from allepiarters of the Avorld, he found the sameunity of design and actual identity of formin all the marks he had so carefully ga-thered together, Avhether they had beenfound on Egyptian pyramids or RomanAvails, on Hindoo or on Mexican temples,on early or on medteval ecclesiastical budd-ings, on the stones of Tyre, on tho verybuildings of Jerusalem .'

His argument, then, AA'hicli always ap-peared to my mind irresistible, that Ave havein these Masons' marks a strong proof ofthe anticpiity of our Order, and of its AA'idediffusion at a very early period, hasrecently received a striking confirma-tion by the underground discoA'ories ofBro. Lieut. Warren in the Holy City itself,AVIIO has brought to light the long-buriedmarks of Tyrian and JeAvish Masons.

If, liOAvever, Ave accept our learned Bro.Findel's theory, Ave must surrender thisvaluable eA'idenco of the great and realantiquity of Freemasonry.

Believing, then, in common Avith all Avhohave had the opportunity of studying Msmost interesting Avork, that a debt of gra-titude is OAving to Mm for his careful anclaccurate investigations, and regarding Mshistory as a most valuable aid and additionto M asonic literature in general, I stillthink that Ave cannot safely adopt hislimited vieAv of the antiquity of the Craft,the late origin he assigns to the operativeguilds, or find in his skilfully-developedtheory a satisfactory solution of the trueand full history of Freemasonry.

2. There is a second vieAv of the guildtheory, AA'hicli I may dismiss with a veryshort notice, for it is historically ancl archroo-logically untenable.

It is that Avhich asserts that the historyof Speculative Masonry is to be entirelysevered from that of the operative guilds,and that though the guilds existed, cer-tainly they had little or nothing in commonwithout our modern Order, and that therevival in 1717 AA'as but the adaptation bySpeculative Masons, AA'ithout any warrantor natural connection of the phraseology,usages, and legends of the operative guilds.'

In short, to repeat the Abb6 Grandidier 'swords, Freemasonry, as ive have it to-day,

. * It was my privilege to ask Bro. Findel's atten-tion originally to this interesting M.S.

in its inner speculative teaching and outerand formal organization , is but the " servileimitation of an ancient and- useful Frater-nity of actual Masons."

But this A'ery modern vieAv of the his-tory of the Craft, as far as I knOAV orunderstand the arguments of its supporters,has so far nothing but crude hypothesisancl intolerant assertion in its favour, andseems destined to land us as a Fraternity, erelong, again on the shore of a most unlearnedancl unreasoning exposition of our arclnc-ology, our usages and our history.

If it bo true, we may as Avell bring to anend at once those studies and investigationswhich of late years have been undertakenby so many able brethren, in order, fromthe unerring records of the past, to erect alasting edifice standing on sure foundation,perfect in its parts ancl honourable to thebuilders, which shall be able to resist alikesuccessfully the attacks of criticism, ancloffer a satisfactory and reasonable historyto our brethren and the Avorld of ourancient and beneficent Order.

3. But the third vieAv remains for ourconsideration, namely, that our Freemasonrymay be safely traced through the medicevalancl early guilds, direct in the first instanceto the Roman Collegia, and then even muchfurther back, in harmony AA'ith our OAVIIancient traditions. Bro. Dr. Findel putsthe Avhole question most fairly, Avhen ad-mitting that a " certain connection existed "between the mediseval guilds and the Romancolleges, he goes on to ask, whether theformer be a " direct continuation " of thelatter—Avhether "there exists sufficienthistorical proof to justify the tracing backthe Fraternity of Masons to the buildingcorporation of Rome."

Ancl though he lias thought Avell toansAver both these questions in the negativeand to say that " attempts to trace thehistory of Freemasonry further back than _the middle ages have been up to the pres-ent time most decided failures," I think hehas alloAved Ms preference of his OAVU A'ieAVto blind Mm someAvhat to the result of theresearches of those able brethren AVIIO advo-cate the connection between the mcdiajvalguilds and the Roman Collegia, and thathe has not given sufficient Aveight to theevidence Avhich may be adduced in supportof this larger theory of Masonic history.

It is impossible to hope to find to-dayMstorieal evidence of a perfect uniformity

of ritual and ceremony, of customs andusages, in which some set so much storebetween the present and the past. Indeedif that be requisite, Bro. Fmdel's argumentin respect of the German Stoimnetzoiiutterly breaks down, for he himself admitsthat a " complete insight into the customsin use among the Fraternity of stonemasonsinto their origin and progress will mostlikely never be vouchsafed to us."* NeA'er-theless he goes on to contend that they Averethe forefathers of modern German Specula-tive Masons, and in all essential particularsidentical.

I would only adopt my learned brother'sown admission and argument, ancl apply itto the view I am now advocating.

In common AAnth those AVIIO maintain thesame n̂ew of Masonic history,11 contendthat the evidence Ave are already in pos-session of, to link us on to the buildingcolleges of the Romans, and thence toGrecian communities ancl Egyptian myster-ies is very clear and very striking, andcannot any longer be disputed or cavilledat.

There is a very great body of evidence,which requires to be carefully consideredand respectfull y treated, and cannot, as itought not to be hastily dismissed, Avithoutduo weight being given, to Avhat may boincontestably proved, in favour of any fa-vourite hypothesis or preconceived opinionof AA'hat the History of Freemasonry cansafely be supposed to be.

That there are many difficulties in theway of a perfect

^develojmient of this lasttheory, no one can deny, but they are notreally greater than attend on Bro. Findel'smore limited VIOAV, ancl such a difficulty,after the lapse of centuries, must, boreasonably expected, as well as from thepeculiar condition of the Masonic system !I hope, in the next chapter, to put beforemy brethren Avhat is really the amount ofreasonable evidence, or even any vieAV atall of Masonic history, as regards thoancient building colleges and sodalities, upto the fall of the Roman Empire.

* Findel, page 61.

t Behold, Kraise, Clavel, Lenaing, SehaabergiFallon, Calloway, Hope.

SIIAAI -Air SHALOM JEKOUSIIALAYIM .

From Jordan's sacred waters,From Pisgah's holy height,

"Where Beth'Iems' sunny (laughtersSing in the moonlit night ;

By still Gennesaret's rippling sea,Or Avhore Sinai's hill tops stand ;

What solemn thoughts belong to thee—Thou dear and Holy Land!

"We follow in the wondrous track-,Through the wilderness of Zin ;

Our memory takes us ages backWhere Thy,people now begin

That weary wandering to and fro,Amid sad doubts and fears.

In contests wi th some stubborn foe,For those long forty years.

We are standing by Maepelali 's Cave,Where all is mystery still ;

Or Are look on Joppa 's blue sea wave ,Or Ave muse on Carmel's hill ;

But Avhere'er Ave turn our willing feet,Or pause in wondering mood,

We still witli loving heart can greet ,Some sacred mount or wood.

We are gazing from Capernaum ,Upon that level lake,

Or we listen to the distant humAs the Arab's their tents forsake;

Or Nazareth Ave seek in loveAncl spellbound glaupe around ,

Tho'- novj, alas! below, abOA'e,Sad ruins strew the ground.

Or in thy nanw streets at last—Jerusalem—Ave stroll,

When solemn thoughts are o'er us east,That move our inmost soul ;

We bow the head Avith holy aweAs AYC mind us of the scene ;

Which others in far ages saw,Those " holy Hills " between.

And still to Craftsmen , one and all,From many a distant shore,

Thy hidden stones and wondrous work,Hence a witness evermore ,

Of a buildin g great and sacred ,Of royal Solomon 's fame,

Of a true and mystic Brotherhood ,Of Hiram's faithful name.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem,How much the longing heart ,

Loves still to cling to thy fair name,How dear in truth thou art ,

To many a differing earthly Creed, •And shall be till time shall cease;

Witness of many a thrilling deed,Yet city of " dear Peace."

And if to us it is not nowGiven thy soil to see,

Nor OA'en with a pil grim toilTo bend the faithfu l knee ;

Where still within thy ruined wallsSome songs of praise arise,

And Avhprc the echo solemn fallsOf human prayers and sighs;

Still we can often fondly dreamOf thy fiu- and pleasant hills,

The freshness of dark Jordan's stream,Of mountain tops and rills ;

Of Lebanon 's cedars firm and tall ,Of Lake, and Town, and Tomb,

Of crumbling well, and ruined wall .Of sacred House and Koom ,

Yea, even now, across the Sea,Amid our .Northern dime,

True IOA'O can often think of thee,Of thy scenes and deeds sublime ;

And earnest faith still turns in trust ,To that great and goodly band,

Who consecrate the sacred dustOf thy deai- and Holy Land.

M ASONRY AND THE SEPOYS.—When (hoSepoy rebellion broke out in India , the

j Rev. William Butler was stationed as amissionary at Barcilly, which place he lefta feAV clays before the massacre of thoEnglish in the toAA'n ocenred. Subse-quently he AA'i'ote a book entitled "Th eLand of the Teda, being Personal Remi-niscences of India," Avhich Avas publishedin 1S72 in New York. In this work(p. 247) AA'e find the folloAving interesting-passage :—"Everything English in Bareilly—people, houses, furniture—Avas ruthlesslydestroyed, all save the house AA'hicli theEnglish officers had used as a Freemasons'Lodge. The poor superstitious Sepoysunderstood that there AA'as something mys-terious transacted there, and it might notbe safe or lucky to interfere Avith. it in anyAA'ay. So there it stood hi its integrityAvhen Ave returned to Bareilly, .alone and

. unharmed amid tho ruins of the Englishstations."—Freemasons ' Monthly Magazine.

THE HOLY LAND.

Far away inland , when tempests blowWild through the dark'ning night.

We list to the roar of the winds as they go,On their hurricane steeds to the fight ;

For the hosts of tho Storm-King are gathering fastWhere the white-crested waters (lee,

And our hearts breathe this prayer, as he rushes past,On the wings of the howling northern blast—

" God help the poor fellows at sea !"

We wake in the night with a shivering fear,For our d ream cars have thrilled to the shriek

Of the drowning seaman, ami many a tearGathers fast on tho whitening check ;

For the light of tlie mind's swift lightning flashSeems to show us the rock-bound lea ,

And we pray to our God as tlie billows dash ,And in thunder the iron breakers lash—

" God help the poor fellows at sea !''

In many a home there are fainting hearts,Sorely stirred by the moan of tlie wind ,

Fainting down when the light of tlie day departs,Leaving darkness and clouds behind ;

For the loved ones are out on tlie foam-capped Avave ,Where the tempests hold revelry,

And they breathe up this prayer, for the loved andbraA'e,

To the Infinite Grace that can succour and save—" God help the poor fellows at sea !"

So He niOA-es to grand deeds many noble souls,That His love may bo known on earth ,

And the fruit of that love, where tlie storm-wave rolls,Giveth hope in men 's heart new birth ;

For the life-boat away to tho sinking barkFlies swiftly to save, and we

Pray God speed the li ghtly-bounding ark ,With its precious freight , o'er the waters dark ,

From the perilous paths of the sea .C. J.

The Life Boat Journal.

"GOD HELP THE POOR FELLOWS AT

SEA! "

i...'. \ l>OS ' J -l 'K I N -l' lill 1IY J l K K i K S S' JK AN D Co. , Pl.AYIIOI. 'SE YA KI ) , LUDGATU HlLL, E.C .

" When yon see a ragged urchin

Standing Avistful in the street,With torn hat and kneeless trowsers,

Dirty face and bare red feet,Pass not by the child unheeding ;

Smile upon him. Mark me, lvlienHe's groAvn, he'll not forget it;

For remember, boys make men.

When the buoyant youthful spiritsOverflow in boy ish freak ,

Chide your child in gentle accents ,Do not in your anger speak.

You must sow in youthful bosoms

Seeds of tender mercies ; thenPlants will grow and bear good fruitage ,

When the erring boys are men.

Have you never seen a grandsire,With his eyes aglow with joy,

Bring to mind some act of kindness—

Something said to him , a boy—Or relate some slight or coldness,

With a brow all clouded , whenHe said they were too thoughtless

To remember boys made men.

Let us try to add some pleasures

To the life of every boy ;For each child needs tender interest

In its sorrow and its joys ;Call your boys home by its brightness ;

They aA'oid a gloomy den,And seek for comfort elsewhere ;

And remember , boys make men ."

The American Fr eemason.

REMEMBER , BOYS MAKE MEN.