Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

411 Letters must bear the name mid address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents .

OUR FREEMASONRY .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . Manchester , 7 th June 1875 . DEAR SIR AN » BROTHER , —I write yon again , more fully , in explanation of my last week ' s letter , and in anticipation of any commonts which may be mado thereou . At the commencement of my Masonic studies , I was inclined to account for the two principal aud opposito views of Freemasonry ,

by supposing that what occurred iu 1717 might have occurred in 1400 , and that as the Rosicrucians wero the originators of the high grades , so the former were but an early speculative branch of Freomasons , who again coalesced with the oporative . But , upon more mature examination , I felt constrained to admit that no other ceremonial element than the operative one went to constitute the symbolical Masonry of the G . L . of 1717 .

lhe doubts and difficulties which now beset earnest students of Freemasonry seem to arise in this way , and there is ample evidence of tho reality of such explanation in tho ancient MSS . and published documents upon Freemasonry . Thus , two precisely opposito principles wore in action in South and North Britain . Freemasonry in South Britain , that is a ceremonial which bound tho operative Mason to his brethren , and created him

free of his Craft , was laid hold upon by men of scientific education and refined manners , and consequently there is evidence , of an amplo kind , between 1640 and 1740 , that whilst these preserved unaltered the old landmarks , they gradually refined and improved tho ceremonies and lectures . But in North Britain tho revorso was tho caso , the coremonial was pretty generally , if nob entirely , in tho hands of

operatives of little education , who sunk the ceremonials as much as their Southern brethren had elevated their tendency . Bosides this there were somolittle differences in the secrets , of no great moment . All this is upon evidonco , which I must be spared the moro particular specification of . These records of tho two parts of the country , however , prove these

things : — 1 . That the general basis of the Society was the same , and that both branches wero ready to admit a speculative element . That the " Lodge " was au assembly of the Masters , Wardens , and Workmen employed upon any edifice . 2 . That a ceremony was used at giving the " Mason word " which

included all the elements of the present E . A . P .: that tho next degree of Fellow-Craft required at least an interval of twelve mouths , and was ( as wo aro special / y informed ) a repetition of tho first , with differeut secrets . That a mark was given , but no ceremony . 3 . That there was a Master Mason ' s word and secrots , and that tho ceromouy could bo , aud was , only giveu at the general assombly of

Masters . There is no ancient evidence that these secrets had anything to do with the R . A . secrets . We are informed that upon reception an apprentice in North Britain had two members given to him to explain the secrets afterwards , that the word was shewn , consequently it was possible to pass a F . C . in the presence even of E . A . P . I am inclined to think that Masonry in South

Britain owed much of its condition to the publication of Bacon ' s New Atlantis and the works upon Rosicrucianism , which brought speculative Masons into it , as a similar Society . Wo arrive at these results , and the sooner we recogniso tho facts the better for Freemasonry . 1 . Tho E . A . P . of to-day is only a moro polished vorsion of tho

ceremony of swearing-in an apprentice Mason . 2 . That the F . C . is simply a repetition of the same ceremony , with special signs , words , & c , somo of which are of ancient operative derivation . 3 . That the secrets and ceremony of a Master Mason aro essentiall y those of the old operative Master Mason , and are the more exclusive property of tho Grand Lodge .

4 . That everything , no matter by what name known , not included in these three divisions , is modern aud spurious . Trusting your venture may long be spared in tho exclusive advocacy of genuine Craft Masonry , I remain , fraternally yours , JOHN YARKER P . M . P . Z .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I havo read tho letters upon this subject , from Bros . Walter Spencer and John Yarkor , but in neither can I discover substantial evidence to disprove my ideas . Bro . Spencer asserts that I make " no allowance for the nature of a secret societv , " but that is a mistake , for I do make allowance for

that , and look into Idtle things in my Masonic enquiries , and it is owing to the want of these little points amongst the pie-eighteenth century Masous that I propound and support tho 1717 theory . From Bro . Spencer ' s remarks I fear ho is but young in Masonic controversy , or he would not have written as he does , at page 341 , about

"the ceremony of choosing a marl : ' Had he , e . g . read and remembered what I published and said about tho 1670 Aberdeen Records some years ago , he would have known that entered apprentices , u-hen being entered as such , received their mark upon payment of " ane merfc piece for their Mason ' s mark , " Bro . Spencer

Correspondence.

asserts that there exist " many antiquities which show acquaintance with our Freemasonry " before last century . If so , tell us all about them ? I have been told before now that such existed at various places , but when I went to view them , with the aid of the best glasses I had , I could not see anything in them to support the statements made about them , but , instead , often the very opposite . As to

Bro . Spencer ' s quotation : — Q . " How was the Master clothed ?" A . " In a yellow jacket and a blue pair of breeches . " I have no objections to him dating it either in or before tho seventeenth century , as it , in my opinion , does not affect tho 1717 theory at all , unless in so far as that it seems to me to support it .

Possibly Bro . Spencer will not see through this ; if not , he is no worso off than somo of those who rank amongst tho first Masonic historians of the day who , unfortunately , havo their analytic bump very poorly devoloped . Catholics and Protestants , e . g . both administer and receive tho sacrament o £ the Lord ' s Supper , yet how different are thoy in their ideas thereanent ! As to Bro . Yarker ' s

MS ., which he says dates " about tho year 1727 , " it is not worth a brass farthing against tho 1717 theory . For , not to mention other points , it is ten years after 1717 . As to your own remarks , at page 337 , 1 would beg to ask : How do yon know that the old wooden figures you speak of reall y represent Masons ? May they not have been carpenters ? As to the oft

repeated story of " scrupulous brethren burning certain Masonic documents , I consider that to bo a piece of unscrupulous humbug , and , if I am not mistaken , Bro . W . J . Hughan took the same view . In closing , I would ask some one of the many who oppose the 1717 theory , to give a proper explanation , if they can , of how the Pope

in 1738 , came to say that tho Society of Freemasons had only been recontly formed ? I am , Sir , Yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAif . Glasgow , 5 th June 1875 .

Maternal Instinct In Sparrows.

MATERNAL INSTINCT IN SPARROWS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DF . AU SIR , —The following incident may interest some of yonr readers . Nearly the whole of tho back of my house is overrun with ivy and other creepers , iu which aro many sparrows' nests , and , to judge from the constant twittering , many families of sparrows . My cat , like the rest of her tribe , is the sworn enemy of all birds , and ,

being ignorant of the existence of a Small Birds' Protection Act , makes frequent and successful raids ou tho innocent little occupants of my ivy . One day last week my eldest boy found a young sparrow hopping about on tho gravel . Evidently it had been disturbed , or perhaps toppled out of its nest , for tho cat was visible high up in tho ivy on the watch for prey . Wo put the bird into a disused

canary cage , and hung it up in the suu , out of all danger . But how to feed it was the question , for it was too young to feed itself ? This difficulty was soon solved , however ; in a very short time the mother discovered the whereabouts of its young , and having provided tho necessaries of bird life , kept flying to and ? ro , aud feeding its offspring through tho wires of the cage . Unfortunately a stitfish

breeze blew the cage down , and in tho end the sparrow fell a proy to Miss Pussy . But later in the same afternoon , an even younger bird was found hopping on tho pathway , and this is still alivo . Regularly during tho last ten days tho mother has come and fed it , and , though a prisoner , it seems to lead a very happy life , hopping about tho

cage in quite a lively manner , and chirping with greater vigour every day . I think this is pretty good evidence of the strength of maternal instinct even in so apparently insignilicaut an animal as the common sparrow . Yours fraternally , A .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I enclose you two clippings from Auckland ( New Zealand ) papers received last mail . Thoy may interest your readers . Yours fraternally , T . B . WHITEHEAD .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

In the shop window of Mr . Isidoro Alexander was exhibited , on Monday , an illuminated address , about to be presented to W . J . Roes , Esq ., by the members of the Masonic Lodgo Ara 348 , ( I . C . ) , of which Lodgo that gentleman is a Past W . M . Tho address will be accompanied by a very handsome aud artistically finished Masonic jewel

( a square and compasses ) in 18-carat gold , with the letter G in the centre , set with turquoises . Tho address is from the pen of Mr . E . B . Dickson , and the "jewel" the workmanship of Mr . Alexander ; and both are highly creditable to those gentlemen . Since the above was written we have learned that a meeting of tho Lodgo Ara took

placo on Monday night , iu the Masonic Hotel , and , after tho busiuess of the meeting had closed , the Worshipful Master , Brother Robinson , presented to Bro . W . J . Rces P . M . tho Past Master ' s jewel , with the abovo illuminated address . Brother Rces responded in suitable terms , and the Worshipful Master then presented Brother

W . L . Mitchell with an illuminated address ( also prepared by Mr . E . B . Dickson ) , as a mark of recognition of his services as Secretary to the Lodge during the past Masonic term . After the Lodge was closed , the brethren sat down to a banquet jn-ovided by Bro . Avey , which was in the most recherche style . Tho usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were given , and the company then separated . During the last few months various efforts have been made by tlia Masonic body iu Auckland to have a Hall erected worthy of