Conflicting Views As To The Character And Antiquity Of Freemasonry.

scantiest , having been handed down chiefly orally through a long period of civil disturbance , it is not to be wondered at the legends should have got so much mixed up as to be an almost unintelligible jnmblo without tho slightest regard

to the chronological sequence of events or personages . Those who pay attention to the history that is being enacted around us , know best how often , and in what important particulars accounts of the same circumstance differ from each other . We

may imagine , therefore , that the historical ideas even of the most enlightened persons of the dark ages would be but hazy and indistinct . But though we may decline to accept the literal meaning of the myths which abound in the earlier history of every nation ; we must

not strike out from the early life of that nation the years to which those myths belong . Similarly we must not reject off-hand the analogy that exists between speculative Freemasonry and the architects of mediaeval times or of these latter with the Egyptian architects who lived some

thousands of years before , because it is impossible to trace out every link in the connection by rule of thumb . This is as great an error on the one side as it is to interpret literally the myths which have been handed down to us on the other . For ourselves , we are grateful to Bro . Woodbury

for having given to the Masonic world the result of his extensive researches . He has , we maintain , established his chief point , and shown that the custom of laying corner stones dates from a very early age . He dees not give the rein to his imagination and place a Lodge in

full working order in the plains of Shinar ; and though , to borrow a phrase employed a short time since in respect of one of our statesmen , he may , in the " exuberance of

his own verbosity , " have used the expression Grand Master in connection with the Egyptian architects , so trifling a slip merits something less harsh than the sneer of a selfopinionated , and therefore , not impartial critic .

Soc. Rosier, In Anglia.

Soc . Rosier , in Anglia .

"ON SOME MODERN ERRORS IN THE ILLUSTRATION AND ELUCIDATION OF THE ANCIENT TENETS OF THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER . "

A Paper read before THE YORK COLLEGE , at a Regular Meeting held at the Masonic Hall , Thirsk , on the 2 nd of June 1880 , by W . FRA . REV . W . C . LUKIS , M . A ., F . S . A ., VIP , Suffragan . E . W . Cn . ADEPT AND FKATRES , —Rosicrucians of old are classed

among the most credulous of intelligent mortals . I trust that modern Bosicrusians , at least those who belong to the York College , will , by the application of common sense to their studies , show themselves worthy of a higher character ; that their Faith , like that of Dr . Johnson , will ever be firmly founded upon good grounds ; and that

they will be incredulous only when there is no sufficient reason for belief . Rosicrncians have been described as " a very enthnsiastical sort of men , who hold many wild and extravagant opinions . " Some of yon will no doubt remember how the Author of Hudibras speaks of them :

" Rosicrucian Virtuosos Can see with ears , and hear with noses And when they neither see nor hear , Have more than both supply'd by fear ;

That makes them in the dark see visions , And hug themselves with apparitions , And when their eyes discover least Discern the subtlest objects best . "

There are some modern Essayists on the strange mysterious belief of the famous Order whose speculations appear to me to be quite as extravagant as those of the Order who are thus described , for while they profess to deal with the history of the occult philosophy , and desire to convey to their readers the impression that the ideas of the

ancient Brethren are not their own convictions , yet illustrate , and even in a measure support , those ideas with reasonings which are far from being free from error ; and , more than this , who , to use the words of one among them who applied them to other writers upon the brotherhood , " display a great amount of mischievous ignorance . "

It is to this imperfect knowledge to which I wish to draw the attention of the Fratres , because there is no excuse in the present day for an unquestioning acceptance of the strange theories of a past unenlightened age . I dare say some of you have read a book by Mr . Hargrave Jennings , on the Rites and Mysteries of the Rosicrncians . If

you have , you will probably have felt , as I myself felt , perfectly bewildered , when you came to the end of it , supposing you were able to get so far . It is not pleasant to be thoroughly mystified when one ' s desire and expectation in reading a book is to be instructed . I rose from its perusal with the same feeling as I experienced when listening to Dr . Lynn's explanations of his conjuring tricks , —with this

Soc. Rosier, In Anglia.

difference , that the Doctor's very clear and clever explanations , which left mo just as far as over from knowing how those tricks were per . formed , were very entertaining ; whereas Mr . Jennings ' s elucidations aro based upon such erroueous views of primeval monuments that [ was vexed that he should not have made himself acquainted with sonudcr ones , and that ho should have made those monuments lend a

significance to theories with which , I am certain , they are ontirely un . associated , and with which theories his mind is strangely absorbed . I allude now to thoso chapters of the book which treat of the anoient Firo worship , awl of the mystic symbols which he supposes are represented in certain primeval monuments , which are the structures , ho thinks , of primoval philosophers .

I will first qnoto two or three passages , and then show wherein the error lies . " We are about , " he writes , " to treat of fact 3 , and of various historical monuments . They all bear reference to the uni . versal story of the mystic Fire . We claim to be the first to point out how strikingly , and yet how at tho same time , without any suspioions of it . these emblems and remains , in so many curious and

unintelligible forms of the magic religion , are found in the Christian ohnrohes . " ( p 88 ) . " We think that we shall be able fully , in our succeeding chapters , to place beyond contradiction an extraordinary discovery . It is that the whole round of disputed emblems , whioh so puzzle an tiquaries , and which are found in all countries , point to the belief in Fire as tho first principle" ( p 89 ) . "The Cromlech , or bilithon , or

trilithon , or single , double , or grouped stones found in remote places , in Cornwall , in Wales in various counties of England , in by-spots in Scotland , in the Scottish Isles , in the Isle of Man , and in Ireland ;—all these stones of memorial , older than history , speak the secret faith of the ancient peoples . Stonehenge , with its inner and outer oircles of stones , enclosing the central mythic object or altar : all the

Druidic or Celtio remains ; stones on the top 3 of mountains , altar tables in the valleys , & c , & c , all follow the same rule . We consider all these as variations of the upright commemorative pillar . The province of Brittany in France is thickly studded with , stone pillars , and the history and manners of its people teem with interesting and very curious traces of the worship of them . " ( pp 105-6 ) . "Whence

and when the British . Druids transplanted themselveB to this lone world amid the ocean , no historian can write . We can judge of the Druids simply by the sublime monuments which are left of them , surviving in their majestic loneliness , thro' the ages of civilization , Unhewn masses or heaps of stones tell alone their story ; such are their Cairns and Cromleohs and Carnedds , and that wild architecture

whose stones hang on one another , still frowning on the plains of Salisbury . Among the most remarkable ancient remains in Wales ( both North and South ) are the Druidioal stones poised in the most extraordinary manner , a real engineering problem , —the slightest touch will sometimes suffice to set in motion the Logan or rocking stones , whether these balanced masses are found in Wales or

elsewhere . We think that there is very considerable ground for concluding that these mounted stones were oracular" ( p 107 ) , " Druidical altars are still to be traced on many hills in Ireland where Baal fires were lighted" ( p 109 ) . "The Druidical Circl es , ' and the single stones , standing in solitary places , are all connected with the mystic speculations of the Rosicrncians" ( p 227 ) . " There

are few churchyards in England withont a phallus or obelisk . On the top is usually now fixed a dial . This Phallus , upright , or pin , stone is found in every Gilgal , or Druidical circle " ( p 148 ) . One more extract : " We have asserted that the pyramidal or triangular form which fire assumes in its ascent to heaven was , in the monolithic typology , nsed to signify the great generative power . The coarse sensualit y which

seems inseparable from modern ideas about the worshi p of the pillar or upright , had no place really in the solemn ancient mind , in which ideas of religion largely and constantly mingled . We must not judge the ancients by too rigid an adherence to our own prepossessions—foolish as they sometimes are . The adoration paid to this image of the Phallus , which has persisted as an object of worship

through all ages , in all countries , was only the acknowledg . ment , in the ancient mind , of wonder at the seemingly accidental and unlikely , but certainly most complete and effectual means by which the continuation of the human race is secured " ( p 222 ) . Now this is all very fine , but it is neither sound archaeology , nor true science ; and my object in bringing this book to the notire of

the Fratres is to save them from the possible risk of being misled by it . I have come across one of the members of our Order who expressed to me his accordance with the views contained in this strange book , and it may be that others lean in the same direction . I trust I shall not seem to any of you to have placed myself upon a lofty pedestal of criticism when I venture to dispute the author ' s

archaeology . I propose to leave out of view the historical monuments in which Mr . Jennings discovers the preternatural mystery , and merely ask yon to consider with me those only which are pre-historic . You will perceive , in the quotations given above , how much the author has assumed and even asserted , in order that

certain rude stone monuments may appear to give colour to the occult philosophy of the Rosicrucians . He has assumed that there were Druids and that they were Rosicrncians . He has assumed that the rude stone monuments of Great Britain and Ireland , and of their small dependent islands , were erected by the Druids . He has

assumed that these monuments , it matters not of what form , were the material expressions of a magic religion . He has assumed that the first objects of worship were monoliths , and that the monoliths which are now found in many countries are the idols that were adored . He has assumed that these same monoliths were Phalli .

He has assumed that Cromlechs were Druidical altars of sacrifice ; and that stone circles were connected with the mystic speculations of the same Order . He has assumed that rocking stones were constructed by the Druids for oracular purposes , and that they had been so skilfully poised as to be an engineering problem . These are assumptions sufficient to support any amount of theory ; but is there the slightest ground for any one of them ? They are the teachings of a by-gone age , of Toland , Stukeley , Godfrey Higgins , and others ,