The English Rite Of Freemasonry.

THE ENGLISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY .

( Continued from page 258 ) . IN his Fourth Chapter Bro . Hughan directs his attention especially to the Royal Arch Degree , the advent of which he sets down as having taken place about 1737-40 , or some twenty years after tho Revival . The earliest

minutes relating to this degree belong to the year 1762 and have somewhat recently been brought to light by Bros . Whytehead nntil Todd , of York ; the earliest references to it are to be found in the " Atholl " Records of 4 th March 1752 and Fifield Dassigny ' s " Serious and Impartial

Enquiry into the cause of the present Decay of Free-Maso . iry in the kingdom of Ireland , " & c , published in Dublin iu 1744 , and reproduced in Hughan ' s "Memorials of tho Masonie Union of A . D . 1813 , " London , 1874 . The excerpt from the last-mentioned work will be found at pp 47-18 ,

but as it is too long for reproduction here , we shall content ourselves with giving the author ' s summary . " We learn , then , " writes Bro . Hughan , " from D . r . Dassigny , that ( 1 ) ' some jew years' prior to 1744 ( say 1740 ) a brother in Dublin protended to be Master of the Royal Arch , ( 2 ) but

was detected by another brother ' iuho had some small space before ( say 1739 ) , attained that excellent part of Masonry in London . ' ( 3 ) 'Royal Arch Masons' assembled at York in 1744 . ( so he was informed ) . ( 4 ) 'Some of the Fraternity ' did not like snch a secret ceremony being kept

from those who had taken the ' usual degrees ; ' ( 5 ) but the objection was not . entertained , because the members in question had 'passed the chair , ' and were ' excellent Masons . ' ( 6 ) Another 'itinerant Mason , ' lately arrived in Dublin ( say 1743 ) , desired to add three . steps to the usual

trio , by which some wonderful results were to be attained , even advancement ' to the highest heavens , ' to which the Doctor objected on reasonable grounds ; nnd ( 7 ) finally it is clear that tho Third Degree in 1744 culminated in reverence for the SummvAn Bonum , the immortal God . ' " This

is a very fair description of the original par . sage in Dassigny , and as it is the earliest evidence producible in connection with the Degree , it seems to us fully to justify Bro . Hughan in having selected 1737-40 as the date when the R . A . was introduced into our Rite . This view is corroborated by

Dr . Rob . Morris , of Kentucky , who ifc seems " an age ago declared that the Royal Arch Degree must be ascribed to abont 1740 , " while , on the other hand , the brother who rejoices in the pseudonym of " Masonic Student , " contended as far back as 1867-8 that the " Decree existed in effect

long before Ramsay ' s time .... We have numismatic evidence of the antiquity of the second part of the Third Degree , coeval -with the operative lodge of York Masons . certainly in the fifteenth century . " We are further told tli . it " in a subsequent letter , the same writer observes , ' despite

Bro . Hughan ' s strong expression of opinion , I venture to express my firm belief , on very many grounds of evidence , that the Royal Arch Degree is far more ancient than 1740 . '" Bro . Hughan , however , stands firmly by his belief , neither he nor his friends afc York having been able

to discover the " numismatic evidence " referred to , and he himself being " now more convinced than ever" that his contention then was the right one , " there being no other view possible , according ' to our knowledge of the facts . ' * " Those who have accompanied us through onr sketch of

The English Rite Of Freemasonry.

Bro . Hughan ' s remarks on the Third Degree will have no need to go further for a justification of bis opinion . Bro . Hughan agrees with Dr . Oliver as to the possible English origin of the Degree , but he entirely demurs to the same writer ' s assertion that the Chevalier Ramsay " visited

London afc tho very period in question , for the purpose of introducing his new degrees into English Masonry ; and his schemes I eing rejected by the Constitutional Grand Lodge , nothing appears moro likely than thafc he wonld throw himself into the hands of the schismatics .... Ifc

is thereforeextromely probable that Ramsay was concerned in the fabrication of the English degree . " With reference to this Bro . Hughan observes , " There is not a tittle of proof that Ramsay's inventions were either entertained or rejected by the Grand Lodge of England , by its rival , the

' Athol Masons , ' or by any other Masonic body in Great Britain and Ireland , added to which he had ' joined the majority ' some three years afc least prior to tho period of Dermofcfc's exaltation as a Royal Arch Mason , and the Seceders , or ' Atholl Grand Lodge , ' had no existence until

some seven years or more after Ramsay's decease . " As regards fche opinion so confidently expressed by Bro . Joseph Robbins , P . G . M . Illinois , that the Degree " was practised by fche seceders , bufc never hy fche authority of the regular Grand Lodp * e down to the union of the two

Grand Lodges in 1813 . " Bro . Hughan points out that as " the degree was worked in London and Dublin about 1740 , being somo six years prior to Dermofcfc's ' exaltation , ' and ten or moro years before the ' Atholl' Grand Lodge was started , it must be incorrect to credit the ' Seceders ' with

fche introduction of Royal Arch Masonry into this country . " He also points oufc that " the non-recognition" of the Degree " by the Grand Lodge of England was more

formal than real for many years antecedent to the ' Union , ' " it being in evidence that ifc was " patronised by Lord Blaney the Grand Master , and other influential members of the Grand Lodge in 1767 and subsequently . "

Having discussed these and other matters concerning the Royal Arch , Bro . Hughan glances at fche records which have been preserved , the earliest being fche " Minute Book belonging to the Most Sublime Degree or Order of Royal

Arch appertaining to the Grand Lodgo of all England , held at the City of York , 1762 . " This has already been referred to , but it will doubtless prove interesting to our readers to know the earliest record contained in the said Book , and hence we give it as quoted by Bro . Hughan : —

" A Most Sublime or Royal Arch Lodge open d afc fche Sign , of the Punch Bowl in Stongate , York , on Sunday , fche 7 th of February , 1762 . Present : Frodsham , P . H . } Oram , Z . L . > in the Chairs . Granger , J . A . )

" At this Lodge Brothers Burton , Palmes , Ta-ker , and Dodgson petition'd fco he raised to fche 4 fch Degree of Masonry , commonly call'd the Most Sublime or Royal Arch , were accepted , and accordingly made . " Passing over the references to Knight Templary afc

York anrl the Jerusalem Chnpter , No . 3 , Philadelphia , founded in 175 S under an Atholl Warrant , and still flourishing , we come to the eai * liesfc Arch records under the

"Moderns" belonging to the year 1765 . After pointing out that Bro . Gould was originally of the opinion that this Chapter , which was tbe parent of the regular Grand Chapter , was formed 12 fch June 1765 , Bro . Hughan