Ritual V Rituals.

RITUAL V RITUALS .

THE question of traditional ritual as opposed to printed ritual , is one that has excited a certain amount of interest lately . Some months ago a Lodge was founded at Mercara , called Lodge Coorg , No . 2576 , of ¦ which the Rev . C . H . Maiden was the first Worshipful Master . In the ordinary oourse of events bye-laws were drawn up by the Lodge and

submitted in the regular way to the District Grand Master , and to the Most Worshipful Grand Master . Among the regulations was one which provided that " no degree should be given until the fee for the same had been deposited with the Secretary "—or words to that effect . In due course the bye-laws came back with the above provision struck out , and the somewhat startling explanation given was that "it was contrary to

the ritual approved by Grand Lodge . " To get at the meaning of this it is necessary to go into detail . A statement like the following is generally heard at the conclusion of the ceremony of initiation : "As during the evening you will be called upon to pay certain fees , it is but fair you should know under what authority we act , " and it may fairly be presumed that such is the statement with which the proposed bys-law appeared to be in conflict .

There are therefore two questions , quite distinct , which seem to need consideration . First , is there any real conflict between the proposed byelaw and the so-called authorised ritual ; and the second and much more important question is , " What is the ritual authorised by Grand Lodge , when was it authorised , where is it to be found , and who is to say that it is correct when it is found ? "

First , as to the bye-law . The Constitutions prescribe certain minimum fees for candidates for initiation , i . e ., article 193 says : No person shall be made a Mason for less than £ 5 5 s or in the colonies and places abroad for £ 3 3 s inclusive of registration fees . It has been asked , therefore , that if the candidate at the close of the ceremony declines to pay the fee , what is to

happen ? This question is answered by article 194 , which makes the proposer of the candidate liable for all fees . The fact is that the Lodge , as such , cannot collect fees from a person who is not recognised by it . The candidate is not even recognised as a candidate or described as such until the Brethren are satisfied that he is properly prepared . The period of his

candidature extends from the moment that the S . W . has presented him as a candidate properly prepared , until he sees the light . Previous to that he is correctly described , when addressed , as Mr . A . B ., arid we are therefore quite disposed to agree with the ruling and with the deletion of the bye-law . To authorise the collection oi fees , tacitly asserts a claim to the same , and a claim

cannot be maintained against a person who is absolutely unknown to , and unrecognised by the Craft , arid Who , in a certain sense , may be said riot yet to have been born . No financial relation can , strictly speaking , exist between a Lodge , as such , and a non-Blason . If liabilities are incurred to outsiders , it is either the Steward or the Secretary who is personally liable , and the future adjustment of the liabilities as between Brethren is a matter to be

discussed in Lodge , and we are inclined to think that a considerable debt of gratitude is due to the Grand Secretary . It is a pity , however , that all this was not explained a long time ago , and seeing what wide misconception exists , we think it would be very acceptable if Bro . Letchworth would drawn up an explanatory statement in which the matter would be put far more lucidly than we have been able to put it , and circulate it to the District and Provincial authorities .

The second point raised is the position that the ritual occupies in the Lodge . It appears that in 1816 the Grand Lodge of England expresse ( official approval of the working of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . But Grand Lodge unfortunately forgot to say what that working was , and as it is not possible for every Freemason to visit that Lodge , we are dependent ,

not upon tradition , but upon the traditions of a tradition . It seems that at the time of the Union in 1813 the workings of the various Lodges were found to differ very materially , and a warrant was issued for the formation of the Lodge of Reconciliation , consisting of an equal number of the two rival parties , with the object of framing a ritual which should become the

uniform ritual of the Craft . They performed their task , and on 20 th May 1816 , the ceremonies were rehearsed before two special meetings of Grand Lodge , the Duke of Sussex presiding , and with one or two slight corrections ordered to be adopted as the recognised ritual . From this Lodge of Reconciliation a few years later sprung the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , with Bro . Peter Gilkes as its first Preceptor . That Brother died about

1833 , when his old pupil , Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson , took over the Preceptorship and presided till his death , 1866 . Bros . Fenn , Murton , and Richardson succeeded , and it is maintained that the ritual taught in the Emulation Lodge of Improvement at the present day by Bros . Sudlow , Rushton , and Kentish is the same that was taught in the Lodge of Recon ciliation more than eighty years ago .

It appears that the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has its authorised School of Work , corresponding to our Emulation Lodge of Improvement . It is known as the " Temple School , " and on Tuesday , the 3 rd ultimo—the day preceding the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge—a meeting was held , at which there were present the Grand and Deputy Grand Masters , the Grand Wardens , Past Grand Master Eichbaum , sundry other Grand

Officers , and a large number of Officers and members of private Lodges . The ceremonies of the three degrees were rehearsed , and , according to the " Keystone , " " the Grand Master not only commended the Officers for their accurate rendition of the v , ork , but also announced it as the authorised work of the jurisdiction . " Any one who knows how the simplest statement of fact becomes

Ritual V Rituals.

distorted until unrecognisable , even in contemporaneous circulation , will be able to understand how our complex Masonic legends and teaching and ritual , handed down for the best part of a century in one Lodge , carried thence and handed down in other Lodges and so on , inay also pass beyond the pale of recognition . There is a well-known story which will bear

repeating in illustration of this fact . How the Principal Sojourner detailed to the Chapter , how Cyrus , King of Prussia , said that he had been , & c , and how , when the dismayed candidate who thought he knew better , ventured to suggest that Persia probably was meant , was told that it had always been Prussia in that Chapter , and , what was more , was always going to be , and he , the candidate , had better go and study the landmarks .

We do not object to a printed ritual . Probably without it we should be more at sea than we are . But we do object to a little book being looked upon as one of the landmarks of the Order . If it be looked upon as a necessary framework on which to found applicable remarks well and good , but if the

W . M . simply tries to get off the ipsissima verba without any reference to the sense , it is not well and good . He imposes extra work on himself , he wearies the Lodge , and nine times out of ten leaves out an important word which reduces the whole thing to a farce .

In saying that a ritual may be a good thing , we are far from giving a testimonial to the ordinary rituals in use . That they set forth the original Emulation working , our respect for that Lodge forbids us to believe . And no one apparently can set the matter right . The printed ritual is one of those things which every one is officially bound to ignore , and which

probably every Freemason possesses . We do not know whether the Grand Secretary uses one . Probably in his exalted position the official purity which surrounds him as a halo has by this time saturated his whole Masonic existence . Still , humbler Brethren use them faute de mieux and would , we have no doubt , like to know they are using the genuine article .

We believe there is in the Grand Secretary ' s office a manuscript copy oi the ritual , and possibly that is one reason why that eminent Brother is in such request to perform consecrations and other important functions . If our belief is correct , and the MS . in question has actually been approved of by Grand Lodge , then we cannot see any reason why a printed ritual should not be sanctioned . Much of what is inaccurate would then disappear . — " Indian Masonic Review . "

WHILE Freemasonry justly takes no part m politics , it is quite within the scope of its members to display personal interest in the work of our legislative assembly , and accordingly we may direct attention to a pamphlet just issued by Sir Edward Clarke , Q . O ., M . P ., who is among the advocates oi reform in parliamentary procedure , and who is anxious to have the rules so

altered as to allow of Bills being taken up in one parliament at the stage they were left in the preceding one , a course that seems alike rational and consistent with the time saving propensities of the age . The waste of time caused by the necessary re-introduction of Bills , all but settled on previous occasions , is one of the blots on our parliamentary system .

AFTEE providing for the amortization of leases , depreciation of plant sinking fund for the redemption of Debentures , the payment of Debenture interest , and carrying £ 15 , 000 to General Reserve fund and £ 5 , 000 to Amortization of Leases in advance , the report of Spiers and Pond Limited recommends the payment of a dividend of 10 per cent , and a bonus of 3 s per share , less income tax , for the year ending the 31 st March 1896 , leaving £ 9 , 820 12 s 2 d to be carried forward to next year . The warrants will be posted on the 18 th July . The share transfer books are closed from the 29 th June to the 13 th July , both inclusive .

The Theatres, &C.

The Theatres , & c .

Covent Garden . —Royal Italian Opera . This evening , Romeo et Juliette Monday , Tannhauser . Tuesday , Tristan und Isolde . Lyceum . —8 , The School for Scandal . Matinee , Wednesday . G lobe . —8 , The Journey ' s End . 9 , Charley ' s Aunt . Matinee , Saturday , ' 3 Prince of Wales ' s . —8-30 , On the March . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Gaiety . —On Monday , My Girl .

Shaftesbury . —8 , The Little Genius . Haymarket . —Monday and Tuesday , 8-30 , Trilby . Wednesday , Farewell Performance . Duke of York ' s . —8 , The Gay Parisiehne . Matinee , Wednesday , 2-30 . Lyric—8-15 , The Sign of the Gross . Matinee , Wednesday and Saturday , 2 * 30 . Savoy . —7-40 , After All . 8-30 , The Mikado . Matinee , Saturday . Comedy . —8-30 , The Countest Gucki . Matinee , Wednesday and Saturday ,

2-30 . St . James ' s . —8-30 , The Prisoner of Zenda . Matinee , Wednesday and Saturday , 2 . Princess ' s . —8 , The Grip of Iron . On Monday , Drink . Daly ' s . —8-15 , The Geisha ; A story of a Tea House . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Garrick . —8 - 30 , The greatest of these . Matinee , Wednesday , 2-30 .

Vaudeville . —8-15 , Papa ' s wife . 9 , A night out . Matinee , Wednesday , 3 . Criterion . —8-30 , Rosemary . Matinee , Wednesday , 2-30 . Court . —8-15 , Uncle Thatcher . 9 , Mam ' zelle Nitouche . Royalty . —8-15 , Kitty Olive , Actress . 9 , The Queen ' s Proctor . Matinee , Saturday , 3 . Alhambra . —7-45 , Variety Entertainment . 9 , Irish Ballet Divertissement . 10 , The Animatographe . 10 * 35 , Blue Beard .

Empire . —7 * 40 , Variety Entertainment . New Ballet Divertissement , La Danse . Cinematographe . Second edition of Ballet Faust . Palace . —8 * 0 , Variety Entertainment , Tableaux Vivants , & c . Royal . —7-30 , Variety Company . Saturday , 2-30 . Oxford . —7 ' 30 , Variety Entertainment . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Olympia . —Grand Pleasure Gardens . Cycle Races , Concerts , & c .

Crystal Palace . —Varied attractions daily . Exhibition of Motor Carriages . Royal Aquarium . —Open at 10 ; close at 11 * 30 , Constant Amusement . Tivoli . —7-30 , Variety Entertainment . Saturday , 2 30 also . The London . —Grand Variety Entertainment . Mohawk Minstrels . —( Agricultural Hall . )—Daily . Madame Tussaud ' s ( Baker Street ) . —Open daily