Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Beview should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , B . C . 'The Discrepancies of Freemasonry . Examined during a week ' s gossip with the late celebrated Bro . Gilkes and other eminent Masons , on sundry obscure and difficult passages in tho Ordinary Lodge Lectures ,

which , although open questions in Grand Lodge , constitute a source of doubt and perplextty to the Craft . By the Rev . G . Oliver E . D ., Past M . P . S ., Grand Commander S G . I . G . 33 ° for England and Wales ; Past D . G . M . of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts ;

Past D . P , G . M . for Lincolnshire ; Honorary member of numerous Lodges and Literary Societies in every quarter of the Globe . Author of "The Eevelations of a Square , " "The Book of the Lodge , " " Historical Landmarks , " & o . With numerous diagrams . London : John Hogg and Co ., Paternoster-row . 1875 .

SECOND NOTICE . On Tuesday the discussion is resumed , and , having regard to tho progress the Order had made of late years , it is urged that improvements in tho ritual , without in the slightest degree distnrbing ancient landmarks , might be introduced . It is argued that during eighty

years of the last century , no less than seven or eight new rituals appeared , " each being an improvement on its predecessor , with a few exceptions , and each receiving tho sanction of the Grand Lodge . "

Since then , comparatively speaking , little has been done to improve the lectures . Here , again , a contrast is shown between tho conduct of the Order in tho United States and England , greatly to the advantage of tho former . We read : —

" The several Grand Lodges are engaged in an amicable contest , which shall carry out with the most beneficial effect the best interests of tho Order ; and hence we find nothing in Masonry , as it is practised there , to condemn , but much to commend . They do not waste their time in talking ; the debates upon all speculative questions being left

to the several committees—what yon call Boards , each of which has its own peculiar department . To one is entrusted the supervision of credentials ; to another the settlement of grievances ; to others the management of ways and means , of accounts , charters , and dispensations ; charity ; pay roll ; accounts of delegates ; foreign

correspondence ; unfinished business ; and private details . Tho Grand Lodges have merely to determine on their reports , which are usually found to bo drawn np with so much judgment and discrimination as not to be susceptible of any hostile opinion ; and hence tho members of Grand Lodges are seldom in collision with each other . "

In reply to a question , how it is " the brethren in the United States work better than ourselves ? " tho Skipper , who is responsible for tho foregoing exposition , explains : — "The Grand Lodges emulate the glory of rendering tho practice of Masonry worthy the patronage of serious and scientific men . Tho

establishment of a correct method of lecturing occupies much of their time . Eitnals are drawn up , examined by special committees , and published under sanction ; and lecturers are nominated to visit the private Lodges under each jurisdiction , for the purpose of preserving the strictest uniformity of rites , ceremonies , and mode of working . "

Tho other advantages which theCraft possesses in the United States , in the shape of an excellent and well-supported press , we alluded to separately last week . Wo need say nothing more here , but we may take this opportunity of pointing out a shortcoming we noticed in connection with the Pythagorean Triangle , a conspicuous illustration of which

occurs at p . 135 . In comparing Masonry in London and in Ohio , the advantage is greatly in favour of the latter . Now we expressed our opinion that the publishers had wisely decided to leave the text of Dr . Oliver untouched . At the same time we suggested it would have been better to have added explanatory foot notes , translations , & c ,

where desirable . In the present instance Ohio is taken as having a population of " about a million of sonls , or 200 , 000 male adults ; " and there are said to be " 100 Lodges and more than 2 , 000 Masons , or ono in every 100 males . " On the other hand , London with a far greater population has " only about half the number of Lodges , which contain

under 1 , 500 brethren . The note appended to this is as follows ; " This conversation took place many years ago . " Now at the expenditure of a few pence , and with a mere modicum of time devoted to statistical researches , " the publisher ' s note" might have given the present state of Masonry in Ohio and London ; and the reader

would then have known whether there was still the same difference in favour of Ohio now as when Dr . Oliver wrote this work , or whether the difference had been increased or lessened . The publishers , of course , know their own interests best , better , at all events , than we do , and if the trumpery

outlay that must have been incurred were worth saving , why , it was worth saving . H ; id we had the publication of this work entrusted to us , we should have left Dr . Oliver ' s work intact . At the same time we should have thought it due to his memory , and to his eminent literary services , to incur the expense of adding a few

explanatory notes wherever it seemed desirable . However , we quit this subject , and pass once again to the Discussions . The qualification questions , arranged in the form of Triads , is very ingenious . We iiext come to the derivation of the word " Lewis , " with which no

doubt , our readers are familiar . The French ceremony of adoption or applicat . on of a Lewis , which they derive from Louveteau or Loufton , is worth quoting . The Skipper is the spokesman , and he describes it thus :

" On the birth of a male child , if the father , being a Master Mason , is desirous that it should be formally adopted by the Lodpe , and received as a Lewis , he makes his request to tho Venerable—what

Reviews.

you call W . Master—by petition ; and an especial Lodge is convened for the purpose of carrying the wishes of a worthy brother into effect . The Lodge-room is profusely decorated with garlands of flowers , and the censers are replenished with fresh incense . At tho time appointed , the infant is brought by its nurse into the anteroom , and the Lodge is opened . After some preliminary

ceremonies , tho wardens , who act as sponsors for the child , are deputed , with the father , and some others , to introduce it , and when the procession arrives in the east , it halts under an arch of flowers , and tho W . M . demands their business . The S . W . replies , that they have ventured to introduce to his notice the newly-born son of a brother who is a Master Mason , and pray that it mav be adopted

by the Lodge as a Lewis , which includes the privilege of initiation at the age of eighteen years , of which , indeed , this is tho first stage . The Venerable then asks the child ' s name , and what Masonic appellation is intended to be conferred upon him ; to which inquiry tho S . W ., in the character of godfather , replies , by stating the surname preceded by a Christian name , which expresses some Masonic

virtue , as wisdom , fortiture , justice , & c , in the hope that it may influence the infant ' s future life and character . Descending the steps of the pedestal , he puts up a prayer for the welfare of the childtho inconse is kindled—the O . B . of an E . A . P . is tendered to the S . W . on behalf of the Lewis , and his Masonic name is publicly proclaimed , amidst the acclamations of the brethren . A minute is made of the

proceedings , and a circumstantial report , drawn up and signed in open Lodge by all the brethren , is presented to the father of tho Lewis , as a certificate of the child ' s inauguration . And the novice , thus purified , is bound in after-life to bear tho burden and heat of the day when his parent , borne down by age and infirmity , is incapable of providing for himself . "

Eeaders of ClaveVs Eistoire Pittoresque will remember the description given by that eminent writer as bearing out the above . The discussion then turns to the study of Masonry , in the course of which the author gives , at random , sundry Masonic aphorisms , and also insists on the establishment of apurely Masonic press . As we mado this latter question tho subject of a separate article last week , we

need not refer to it at any length . We may remark , however , it is insisted that a Masonic magazine " should contain nothing but Masonry , " and the very small amount of Masonic matter in the Freemason's Magazine , published in 1793 , and few years following , is assigned as the reason why its career was so brief . We have often ourselves wondered how a professedly Masonic periodical should

have contained so small a proportion of Masonry , and we feel that a review or magazine , appearing , it may be quarterly or monthly , should bo wholly Masonic ; but we see no objection to a weekly , like our own , or other journals wo could name , containing a modicum of profane news . Tho concluding subject which is dealt with on this second evening is Freemasonry and Templarism , for the brief

comments on which , we refer our readers to the book itself . On the third evening tho points discussed are , " Tho Cardinal Points . The North . Support of the Lodge . Charge of Sun Worship . Birth of Light . Free and Accepted . " It will not , of course , surprise those of our readers who are at all acquainted with Dr . Oliver ' s works to learn that tho learned Doctor introduces a

favonrite theory of his , and endeavours here , as he has done elsewhere , to treat Freemasonry as a purely Christian institution . What degree of success may be said to attend his efforts on this occasion we shall leave the reader to decide for himself . It is sufficient for us to say that his arguments display a considerable amonnt of skill and ingenuity . Many Masons , no doubt will demur to the learned

Doctor's view , but we see no objection to it from a Christian point of view , in so far at least as this . Every Christian believes that his religion will , in the fulness of time , be tho ono religion professed of all mankind . There will then be neither irreligion nor any differences of religion . Thus Masonry , being a morality based on religion , will rest on an essentially Christian basis . As it is , the most important requisite

in every candidate for admission into tho Order is , that ho have faith in one Omnipotent being , whom we designate as T . G . A . O . T . U ., but the fashion , so to speak , of that belief is left to the individual . Hence , wisely has it been ordained that all religious disputations shall be excluded from the Lodge . Thus tho floor of the Lodge is not only Holy Ground , on which none but men who believe in a God may

lawfully and conscientiousl y assemble , but a common gronnd for the assemblage of religions men , whatsoever the fashion of their creed may be . At page 200 , is another illustration of that oversight to which we have already more than once referred , in not having had the text of Dr . Oliver carefully supervised . By " The Charter of Colne , " wo

presume is meant the Charter of Cologne , or , if written as the Germans write it , " of Coin , " especially as the date given , 1535 , is the date of that spurious charter . We hardly imagine a scholar , as Dr . Oliver was , would have written " Colne " for " Cologne . " Had the revision of proofs been entrusted to some one who was a scholar , as well as a Mason , this egregious error would never have been passed unnoticed .

On Thursday the venue is changed , and the party assemble at the doctor ' s residence , and there discuss " Universality . Extent of the Lodge . Freemasonry , an open institution . Whether it be sectarian F Ground and covering of the Lodge . " To the Universality of Masonry , the learned author takes exception , and his arguments are very close and very subtle . The discussion on this point is very interesting , and is enlivened moreover , by sundry extracts from old and disused rituals .

As a quotation or two would fail to convey a just idea of the merits of the argument , we must leave our readers to judge for themselves . The remarks we intend offering on the two remaining discussions , we shall reserve till next week , as we fear wo have already exceeded the space at our command , and the last third of the volume is quite as full of important matter as the two-thirds we have thus far examined and commented on .

Kalender fur Freimaurer auf das Schaltjahr , 1876 . Bro . 0 . V AN