The History Of Freemasonry.

panions constructed a bier and carried him into the desert of Cabra , now called St . Magdalen . " Then follows a brief summary respecting " the embalming of M . Jacques , and the funeral ceremonies , which lasted three days ; the procession encountered a terrible storm , crossed forests and

mountains , made stations in a place now called Caverne St . Evreux , and by others named St . Maximin , Cabane St . Zozime , & c . The procession at length arrived at the final resting place . The rest of the legend is in full , and " describes how , " before lowering the body into the tomb , the

elder gave it the kiss of peace ; every one followed his example , after which having removed the pilgrim ' s staff , the body was replaced in the bier and lowered into the grave . The elder descended beside it , the Companions covering both with the pall , and after the former had given the

Ouilbrette , he caused them to hand him some bread , wine , and meat , which he deposited in the grave , and then returned to the surface . The Companions covered the grave with large stones , and sealed it with heavy bars of iron ; after which they made a great fire , and threw into it their

torches and all that had been used during the obsequies of their master . " As to his raiment , it was preserved in a chest . At the destruction of the temples , the sons of M . Jacques separated and divided amongst them his clothing , which was thus described :

" His hat to the hatters . His tunic to the stonemasons . His sandals to the locksmiths . His cloak to the joiners . His belt to the carpenters . His staff ( lourdon ) to the wagonmakers . "

Perdiguier adds : "After the division of the articles belonging to M . Jacques , the act of faith was found which was pronounced by him on the day of his reception [ as master , probably ] before Solomon , Hiram , the high Priest , and all

the Masters . This act of faith , or rather this prayer , is very beautiful . " As for Maitre Soubise , we are vouchsafed less information in his case than respecting Solomon , Perdiguier having been unable to find any document relating to him . ( To be continued . )

The Old Anti-Masonic Conspirators.

THE OLD ANTI-MASONIC CONSPIRATORS .

BY BRO . JACOB NORTON . IN the number of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE of 27 th of January last , I gave a sketch of several stories about Morgan , and pointed out the utter unscrupulousness of our American ofiice hunters . Weed ' s success in New

York fired the hopes of the office-seeking crew in Vermont , where an anti-Masonic party , with a party paper , were established . For a time , the Morgan story sufficed to keep alive the agitation , but the said story finally became stale ;

new Masonic outrages had to be invented to keep alive the party . Well , it happened that on the 15 th October 1826 , Joseph Burnham , a convict in the Vermont State Prison , died , and on the 17 th the body was buried by the relatives of the deceased . In 1828 or 1829 a rumour was

spread in the anti-Masonic papers that Burnham was alive in New York , and was known by the name of Patrick Dolon , and his escape from prison was due to Masonic influence . The Antis were in possession of two affidavits of residents of New York as proof of their assertion . In

1829 the Antis were emboldened to petition the Vermont Legislature for an investigation of the new Masonic outrage . The Governor thereupon appointed a commission , with full powers to investigate the case . The Antis produced an affidavit from Lyman Mower ( an appropriate name ) , alias

Cobb , and one from Aaron B . Cutler , that Burnham was alive in the City of New York , & c . And on the other hand , the prison officers swore that Burnham was dead when his relatives took away his body on the 17 th October 1826 . To make things sure , one of the Commissioners

"went to New York , and hunted up Mower , who repeated his old story with extra details , viz ., that while he was confined for debt in a New York prison , Burnham , whom he knew in Woodstock , Vermont , was brought into the same

prison ( also for debt ) on the 17 th of October 1826 , on which day he ( Mower ) was released , and he furnished evidence that he was discharged from prison on the said day . The Commissioner then offered Mower a reward of

five hundred dollars , and a pardon for Burnham , if he produced Burnham alive . After a while , Dolon was found . This- Patrick Dolon was a genuine Irishman , had lived in New York some six or seven years , and it was proved

that the said Dolon had wrought for Mower on a building in New York in the spring of the year 1826 . " [ Thereupon Mower said that ] " he had forgotten" [ all about it ] " until this morning , but then he distinctly recollected it . " Mower then made an affidavit that Dolon was not Hum

ham . The character of the Cutler was too bad for his evidence to have any weight whatever with the Commissioners . Besides which , " Two gentlemen residing in New York city , who were well acquainted with Burnham in

Woodstock , saw the said Dolon , and certified that he was not Joseph Burnham . " The Burnham story thus brought grief to the Vermont Antis . I shall only add that tho paragraphs placed between quotation marks I copied from the printed Proceedings of the Vermont Legislature for 1829 .

In 1832 a play in five acts , by Timothy Tickle , Esq ., was printed in Woodstock , Vermont , called , " The doleful Tragedy of the raising of Jo Burnham , or the cat let out

of the bag . " The names of the characters in the play indicate their professions , & c . ; thus , we have Sir Rodrick Makefuss , Elder Lovely , Parson Rawlimbs , Major Hardface , Lawyer Longiaw , & c .

The play opens with the following soliloquy , by Rodrick Makefuss , while sitting in his office : —

" "lis even so—this is my last resource To raise the wind , and make my own good fortune . There ' s something which , if cunningly condncted , Will seem a monster in the public vision—A . very vampire . Sacking the vitals

Of thia our great and glorious Commonwealth . Vermonters are exceedingly tenacious Of equal rights , good laws , and living freedom . And if we can , by any hocus-pocus , Impress them with the notion that a tyrant ,

Enthroned m secret , reckless of all justice , Besmeared with blood , ancl panting for fresh victims , Is stalking throngh the land , bidding defiance To the strong arm of retributive justice : With power , too , to crush the mightiest efforts ;

Screening his subjects from deserved chastisement , And buckling to their backs the long account Of ofiice , hononrs , and

emoluments—Usurping all the places in the land , For the exclusive vantage of his votaries ; If we can make the credulous million think That these are facts , ( no matter how we do it ) . # # # # #

Now , I am but a cypher ' midst my townsmen ; Derided , laughed at as the veriest ninny . I ' ve studied hard , searched every nook and crevice By whioh to squeeze into their good opinion ; But all in vain . —neglect is all I ' ve compassed ,

And all I shall acquire , unless this bugbear Shall nrge me np a steep where merit cannot . But if the people can but be bamboozled

With this new scheme , hatched up to help poor devils , Should they but swallow the alluring pill , Whioh shall be fashioned for theiv rusty palates , They will join a crusade to pnt down the Masons .

There is Elder L , how his long face brightened When first I told him of the saintless scheme . He once stood fair in public estimation , And even triumphed at the fall elections ; But now he is flat , and always must remain so , Unless he rises by this new fledged project . # # # # #

And , then , there is B . ( Parson Raw-limbs ) , with religions mask on , Veiling a heart which stops not at mere trifles ; He ' s anxious to enlist in this campaign ,

To gull the people , and put down the Masons . The devil himself would hesitate as soon To take foul means to gain a favourite object As he to nse his sanctimonious face To hoax the public and fill np his pockets .

Other office seekers are portrayed by Makefuss after the same fashion , but I must hurry on to the next scene where Landlord Slatestone , Rodrick Makefuss , Squire Deal-heknows , Old Greedy , Parson Raw-limbs , Farmer Dobbin , and others , meet . The conversation between the various

individuals is frank , viz ., they all want offices , and neither of them care about the means of getting the said offices Sir Makefuss , however , advises the assembled party for each to bind himself by a solemn oath to be true to the new organisation , and here is his proposed oath : —

OBLIGATION OF A TRUE AND ACCEPTED ANTI-MASON . "We , the undersigned , of our own free-will and accord , not having the fear of God before our eyes , but being moved and in-