"Free And Accepted Masons."

All the foregoing would seem to bo in confirmation of Mackey ' s definition , ' h t we find another alleged origin of the term " Free" as applied to "Masons , " and ( with all respect to Bro . Mackey and others quoted ) the . y 0 f Bro . Fort seems very plausible , and accords more nearly with our dern ideas of the Fraternity . He refers it to the Norman-French term

K Frere Macons , " or " Brother Masons " ; and says : " The earliest authentic d direct app lication of the word ' Mason' to particularise a body of •tificers , of which I am aware , is to be found in almost obliterated characters •the walls of Melrose Abbey , and cannot be later than the twelfth century , "

tiding " that towards the termination of the fourteenth century this class f builders was called ' Freemasons . '" Quoting further from Brother Fort , extract the following : " The Norman-French word fremacons warrants the assumption that English stonecutters were the first to bo denominated Freemasons . "

" The name Freemason , thus bestowed upon early British stonecutters , was evidently g iven on account of the universal custom of the fraternity , without exception in England , and to some extent elsewhere on the Continent and in France at this epoch , to call each other Brother , or , in Old French , frere macon , from which this nomenclature is derived .

» The Norman conquest introduced the French language into England , to the temporary seclusion of the native idiom , so that , when tho English Masons were incorporated , the Normans had indelibly impressed their

dialect upon the kingdom , and used it to write the laws and Royal Charters . From this circumstance , apparently , the name of Frere Mason , elided by corrupt pronunciation , has been merged , and made to reappear in the modern word Freemason .

"That it was a custom among English Masons , at an early date , to address each other as ' Brother' admits of no doubt . Such usage is carefully enjoined by tho manuscript charges in tho following quaint and naive form : ' That ye one another call Brother or Fellow , and by no other foul name . ' ( ' Also , you shall call all Masons yor ffellows or yor Brethren , and noe other names . ' )

" The constant use , by the Masons of the Middle Ages , in England , and , perhaps elsewhere , so late as tho closing years of the fourteenth century , of the word Brother , or frere , in French , in addressing their fellows , ultimately caused them to be designated as ' Brother or frere Masons , ' in order to distinguish them from ordinary labourers , who wero apparently less privileged , and not bound together by such strong fraternal ties .

" When it is considered that from the eleventh until the end of the fourteenth century the majority of Masons and architects in England were French , who constantly spoke their own language , and were closely united

in a secret organisation , whose leading characteristic was its intimate Brotherhood , with a standing ordinance to hail each other as ' Brother' or ' fellow , ' it will , we think , furnish the most reasonable explanation of the origin of Freemason .

"In tho word fremaceons , used in the year 1396 , there is sufficient indication that the two French words , frere and macon , have been merged , and thus elided are , fairly interpreted , not a freestone mason , but an artificer , regularly initiated into a Fraternity recognised by law—in a word , a Brother Mason . "

Passing to the other term under consideration , we find the word "Accepted , " as defined by Mackey , to be : " A title which , applied to Freemasons , is equivalent to the word ' Initiated . ' It alludes to the acceptance into their society of those who were not operatives . An ' Accepted' Mason is one who has been adopted into the Order and received the freedom of the society , as is the case with other companies in Europe . "

Fort writes thafc " The earliest use of the words ' Accepted Mason' is to be found in Ashmole ' s Memoirs , where he states that in the year 1682 , on the 10 th of March , he dined afc the expense of the new ' Accepted Mason . ' This or analageous phraseology had already begun to prevail in a different form .

In the year 1670 , according to the Harleian Manuscript , the words ' accepted a Freemason ' were used to distinguish a Mason so received and taken by the Fraternity without professional apprenticeship , from one who was initiated because of his vocation .

" A rapid change in the character of Masonic membership in England was effected during the seventeenth century . Although the non-operative Masons who were initiated into the mysteries of thc Order at the opening of this century no doubt constituted a greater or less minority , a decided transformation was brought about in the class of initiates towards tho close

of the seventeenth and the opening of the eighteenth century . By this fundamental alteration , touching essential qualifications for membershi p without reserve—gentlemen , the learned of all professions , and noblemen , began to unite freely with the Freemasons , who had gradually ceased «> exist as a strictly mechanical guild , by legal interdiction , in the year 1424 .

' Under Queen Anne , Masonry seems to have been in a measure devitalised and notoriously languishing ; and to such extremes was tho laterall y reduced-that a formal proclamation was promulgated , announcing hat henceforth the privileges of Freemasonry ancl right of initiation into

He mysteries of the Order should no longer , even in theory , be limited to architects or operative Masons , but that all men , of whatsoever profession , * ter having been regularly approved and elected , should be entitled to the A grees and become members of the Order .

" And thus Freemasonry , after the gradual extinction of its operative matures , consummated the speculative details by rigidly clinging to past tions ; ancl by tlie continuation of venerable symbols , rites and -eremonies which , with slight modifications , still exist . "— " Keystone . "

Support Of Masonic Halls.

SUPPORT OF MASONIC HALLS ,

THE following letter , addressed to our Australian contemporary , deals with a subject that is of equal interest to Brethren in many parts of the old country , and may well be reproduced , here , for their consideration :

LEAKAGE IN THE CEAPT .

To the Editor of "Masonry . " DEAB SIR AND BROTHER , —The Brotherhood is deeply indebted to V . W . Bro . the Rev . F . W . Samwell , of the Grand Lodge of South Australia , for a recent excellent lecture , every word of whieh the Brethren would do well to

ponder , more especially his remarks on the refreshment question , in whioh he states that when compared with the amount spent on charity it is a blot . That is a very sweeping assertion to make , but no more than the exigencies of the case require , as I can testify , and coming as it does from a Brother occuping such an exalted position , it carries all the greater weight .

I am glad to hear Bro . Samwell admit that it is no part of Freemasonry to spend Lodge funds in entertainments , though unfortunately a very large proportion of the members of the Craft cling to it with a tenacity that would lead one to believe that if the feasting racket were dispensed with , Masonry would go down I There was never a greater fallacy , and yet if we wish to succeed in our attempt to reform , we must approach the subject with very

great caution . For my part , therefore , I shall not attempt to dictate to my Brethren what they should do , but merely point out wherein , so far as I can see , there are inconsistencies requiring rectifying . For instance , I cannot see wherein we are justified in spending money lavishly in entertainments , and at tho same time neglecting to discharge our lawful debts . This does not apply to all Lodges , but unfortunately it does so in too many instances .

Then , again , while somo respected Brethren strongly protest against Lodges saving money , there is one investment to which no Brother ought to object , viz ., to being a co-partner in Masonic Hall Companies , whioh is not only a privilege , but a Fraternal obligation . As business men wo must understand that a partially neglected duty entails an extra strain on those who are conscientious in this respect , and this is exactly the position of affairs

in the taking up of Masonio Hall Companies' shares . In the most liberal spirit imaginable some Lodges have taken up shares , fully believing that others would follow suit , but no , hence those taken up are non-interest producing , and will remain so till the balance is floated . It is one of the safest of investments , but apart from that , it is a Fraternal obligation which ought to be discharged promptly , for , like all other pecuniary matters , it will not admit

of being trifled with , and yet it is shamefully ; and all the while those same Lodges persist in playing the host with as much unconcern as if they had no obligations at all . It is not a question of dispensing with social foregathering , for that is never intended , but of judicious expenditure , and that it will never be until the power of uncontrolled liberty to spend Lodge funds in entertainment is withdrawn . Yours fraternally , CONSISTENCY .

RIFLE MATCH . ON Friday , 31 st ult ., at Ilford , says the " City Press , " the match for tha challenge gavels given by Major Lambert , Queen ' s Westminster Rifles , and open for competition by members of Masonio Lodges connected with metropolitan corps , each battalion represented by eight men , resulted in a win for the London Rifle Brigade for the first gavel , the H . A . C . taking third place for the second . The scores made by the City men are appended : —

LONDON RIFLE BRIGADE . 200 yds . 500 yds . 600 yds . Total . Colour-Sergeant Tayton ... 32 35 24 91 Private Elles 28 32 25 85 Private Mardell 26 28 29 83

Sergeant Lintott 31 28 23 82 Private Gregory ... ... 31 24 26 81 Staff-Sergeant Walker ... ... 31 20 25 76 Staff-Sergeant Rix 28 18 17 63 Private Green 28 21 15 64

625 HON . ARTILLERY COMPANY . Private Hawkins 29 33 30 92 Captain Evans ... ... ... 31 28 22 81 Private McMunn 27 24 29 80

Major Munday ... ... ... 25 26 25 76 Lieutenant Farrington ... ... 27 26 17 70 Private Morford 25 18 25 68 Lieut .-Colonel Stohwasser ... 17 22 19 58 Lieutenant Carpenter ... ... 30 6 0 36 561

SHOOTING COMPETITION AT ALNWICK , A FRIENDLY Martini-Henry rifle competition , which is likely to arouse much interest , was arranged to take place on Alnwick Moor on Thursday , between teams selected from the Alnwick Lodge of Freemasons and St . David ' s Lodge , Berwick . Both teams included several well-known marksmen of the volunteer corps .

A FORTNIGHT IN NORTH WALES .

fT ! HE London and North Western Railway Company announce that they JL will run cheap Excursions every Saturday during June , July , August and September , leaving London ( Euston ) at 8 * 15 a . m . and Willesden Junction at 8 * 25 a . m . for Shrewsbury , Rhyl , Abergele , Colwyn Bay , Llandudno , Dolgelly , Barmouth , Aberystwyth , and numerous other Stations in North Wales for 3 , 8 , 10 , 15 and 17 days . Full particulars can be obtained at any of the Company ' s Stations and Town Offices .