Visit Of American Masonic Pilgrims.

On Friday morning there was a good muster of York brethren on the railway platform to wish good speed to their parting guests , who were leaving for Sheffield . On arrival at that place thoy were enter , tained at Inucheon at tho railway station , and afterwards taken in carriages to sen some of tho most important local manufactories . In tho evening thero was a united meeting of tho Britannia , Royal

Brunswick and Wentwoith Lodges , at tho Snrrey-street Masonic Hall , when a Lodgo was opened and tho visitors formally welcomed , and the ceremonies of tho first degree worked for their benefit . Afterwards there was a very handsome supper in tho banquetting room , at which tho Americans woro the guests . On Saturday the party visited Chatsworth , and in tho evening proceeded on to London .

Here on Wednesday the party wore ontertained at dinner , in company with many members of tho English Grand Lodge , at Freemasons' TTn . ll , Great Queens-street . Tho English brethren were represented by Sir John Bennett No . 1 Lodge , J . B . Monckton ( Town Clerk of London ) President of the Board of General Purposes , Colonel Creaton , F . A . Philbrick ( Recorder of Colchester ) , Dr . Jabez

Hogg , Rev . A . F . A . Woodford Past Grand Chaplain , Joshua Nnnn , Colonel Peters , P . de Lande Long , J . Terry Grand Warden of Herts , Hyde Pnllon , Magnus Ohren , John Boyd . Bro . Kenning presided . The toast of " The Queen " was greeted by tho assembled company with enthusiasm , as was the toast of " The President of tho American Republic . " The Prince of Wales , as the Grand Master of tho English

Masons , and tho Grand Masters of tho American Grand Lodges were likewise toasted , and in tho course of the speeches the warmest unity of fooling was expressed on tho part of the American Masons towards the Mother Grand Lodge—that of England , and the Americans took the opportunity of testifying their sentiments of deep gratification at witnessing tho work of ancient operative

Masons in tho land of their progenitors , somo speaking most enthusiastically of the temples of religion and architectural art existing in the Abbeys of Westminster and St . Albans . The chairman was also toasted . Tho Americans paid a warm compliment to tho organisation of the Masonic Charities of England . On Thursday morning the Pilgrims left for Brighton en roi'te for Paris .

Soc: Rosicr: In Anglia. Yorkshire College. " On Elemental Matter."

SOC : ROSICR : in Anglia . YORKSHIRE COLLEGE . " ON ELEMENTAL MATTER . "

A Paper Read before the Members of the College , at their Meeting , in Sheffield , on the 23 rd April 1878 , by Frater Thos . Blair , Herald .

"Ison crux sed lux . R . W . Cn . ADEPT AND FJIATKES , — AMC-NCIST the occult sciences practised by the old Rosi . crucians , the chief was Alchemy—what wo now call Chemistry , the study of tho properties and relations of elemental matter . Alchemy was practised by the Egyptians , Arabians , and Persians ,

long before the Christian era ; indeed , we may claim old Tnbal Cain himself as the pioneer of the science . Originally the ally of superstition , of magic and astrology , it became later in its career tho associate of medicine , nntil in the vigour of its growth it became what it now is , one of the noblest of the physical sciences . The first theory of elemental matter was the Aristotelian , which

supposed all matter to be of one kind , but combined in varying proportions with either or any of the four elementary properties—Earth , Air , Water , and Fire . Later it was held that there were five elementary properties—Mercury or Spirit , Sulphur or Oil , Salt , Water , and Earth . With such theories as guides , it is easy to see that the doctrine

of transmutation of metals was one of great plausibility . It was supposed—nay , freely acknowledged—that there was in existence a virgin earth , the matrix of pure gold , from which conld be obtained a spirit , oil , elixir , or stono , called tho Philosopher ' s Stone , which should cleanse all base metals of their impurities or diseases , and thus transform them into their perfected state , —that of pure gold .

It was held that gold was the perfect element , all others being gold diseased or contaminated with sulphur , water , or fire . So it followed that by the removal of certain matters , the base metals mi ght acquire the properties of tho noble metals , silver and gold . "Since yeast , " argued tho ancients , " setteth in ferment , and ehangeth the juices of the plants into tho vonth-giving and

lifemvigorating aqua vita ; , expelling all impurities , so doth the Philosopher ' s Stone transmute many times its weight of base metal into tho purest gold . " It is astonishing as well as amusing to find how much these old philosophers professed to know of tho properties of that visionary substance for which they were ever seeking , but never findin " .

" Lulley and Geber , and the learned crow , That loved to talk of all they could not do . " One of tho most accomplished of these dogmatic dreamers , Jsaacns TTollandns , says : — " When onco wo have obtained ( ah ! when once he had !) tho Adamic earth , whose discovery is dependent on Certain conditions known to the initiated alone , the red is mere child ' s play ;"

and this old sayer of that which is not goes on to tell exactly how it is done , in a jargon of symbols , of Latin terms and egotistical ravings , one of tho most matter-of-fact falsehoods ever written . Hie notion that tho Philosopher ' s Stone purified and enred the baser metals of their diseases ultimately gave rise to the

notion that it also possessed tho power of healing all the diseases incidental to humanity , and of restoring youth to the aged . Raymond Lully , Arnold of Villanova , and Isaaeus Hollandus , outdo each other in their praises of its heallnK virtues . Hollandus , in his " Opus Saturni" says , " a portion of

Soc: Rosicr: In Anglia. Yorkshire College. " On Elemental Matter."

it , tho size of a grain of wheat , should be laid in wine and then given to the patient . Tho action of the wine will penetrate to the heart , and spread itself through all the juices . The patient will sweat , and thereby become , not moro weary , but even stronger and more cheerful . This doso should bo repeated every ninth day , when tho patient shall think ho is no longer a man , but a spirit . Ho shall

feel as if he were nine days in paradise , and living on its fruits . " But as a writer of " wilful misstatements , " one Solomon Trismosin beats Hollandus easily , no maintains that when nn old man he renewed his youth by means of ono grain of tho philosopher's stone . His yellow wrinkled skiu became smooth and white ; his cheeks rosy ; his grey hair black ; his back , bowed with ago , became erect ;

and , as if this were not enough at once , ho assorts that he restored perfect yonthfnlness to ladies ninetv years of age . What a business Solomon could havo done nowadays ! But out of evil good often comes . This supposition that tho Philosopher ' s Stone possessed healing powers , brought about that inestimable alliance of chemistry and medicine which has been of

incalculable good to both . For fifteen oeuturios this quest for the Philosopher's Stone , —a myth , —was tho means of promoting the progress of chemistry , in u manner which , perhaps , no other impulse could have effected . Strango how much mankind has benefitted by that sordid passion so deeply rooted in our nature , —the desire for gold" Saiufc seducing gold !"

How few , how very few , instincts are stronger ; tho desire is there , and to gratify it men are content to —• " Scorn delights and live laborious days , " to brave dangers and difficulties , even death itself . For this quest was bnt tho hankering after what has been called the possession of the three utmost desires of a refined sensuality— " Gold , health , and

long hie . To this sordid passion the exulted positions of medicine and chemistry among the sciences to-day are mainly due . In their blind pursuit , these old Alchemists were but fact-accumnlators ; gropers in the dark , with no guide save their own fantastio theories . In thoir persevering , but always unsuccessful efforts , they stumbled on many a discovery which in its later fruits has benefitted

mankind far moro than ever could tho attainment of thoir desires . In many similar pnrsnits of an imaginary good , the same fact holds —as witness tho discovory of America in the attempt to find a Western passage to tho Indies ; some incidental discovery proves more valuable than ever the attainment of the original object could become .

We , in theso later days , are possessed of tho true Philosopher' 3 Stone , tho elixir vitw , for which theancients sought . It is the science of chemistry . By its aid we accomplish all for which they sought . We turn base earth , rubbish , refuse , filth , into valuable compounds , which , by the aid of commerce , do in very deed become changed into gold . By its means , too , wo increase the fertility of our lands ; wo

add to the comfort and felicity of mankind j wo prolong life , and cure diseases , by studying the phenomena of health and disease . Thus in amplo measure accomplishing all for which tho old Alchemists hoped and dreamed . In their search after gold tho old Alchemists wore alternately caressed and porsecnted by the authorities . Henry VI . of England ,

in four decrees ( 1423 ) , summoned all doctors , nobles , professors , and clergymen , to devoto themselves to tho art as a possible means of paying off the debts of the State , this they most loyally did , and with wonderful success . It is significant , however , that just at this time the Scottish Parliament found it necessary to organise a system of excise to guard against the importation of base coinage from

England . This branch of the art of transmutation is still practised , mainly in Birmingham , not by members of the Rosicrucian Society , nor by invitation of tho Crown . We now call this art " Coining or Smashing !" Tho discovery of tho art of making porcelain , till then a secret

known only to , and jealously guarded by the Chinese , was made by an adept at Dresden , who was imprisoned by Frederick , Elector Palatine , and ordered to convert a large quantity of lead into gold . Many , if not all of the reputed cases of transmutation of base metals into gold mnst have been effected by tho superficial deposition of gold , or similarly coloured metal , like gilding , or electro .

plating . Tho ignorance and cupidity of people generally afforded a very wide field , and a very green field too , for those adventurers . They practised their mysteries at the various courts , and often carried off honours and riohes as their reward ; but like other " artful dodgers , " they got caught at last , when , as a rule , they were handed over to

the polite attentions of the Court Hangman , who practised his art of transmutation upon them , previously clothing his apparatus and his patient in tinsel . Others , who wero believed to possess the secret , were imprisoned and tortured , to induce them to divnlge , and here , as elsewhere , the making of martyrs was put forward as a strong argument in favour of the truth of their pretensions . It has been stated

that to ensure tho success of a faith , it is necessary tohavo " prophots , martyrs , and miracles ; " these they had , or professed to havo . As those old philosophers went on accumulating their facts , it became inevitable that , sooner or later , a new theory of elemental matter mnst be originated . The earnestness of the quest for the philosopher ' s stone was the means by which was proved its utter

futility , and it was reserved for one of our own countrymen to propound a new theory . This was Robert Boyle , who was described on his tombstone as " Father of Chemistry , and brother of the Earl of Cork . " He pointed ont that there were numerous elements , each separate , distinct , inconvertible , and intransmntable . He , too ,

pointed out that scientific investigations were valnable for their own sake , apart from any commercial or utilitarian object , and also that chemistry was too noble a science to be the handmaid even of medicine . Hero then started a . new era . The discovery of oxygen in 1774