The Old Work.

THE OLD WORK .

FROM THF VOICE OF MASO . VRY . YES , the old work ; and T have hoard tho expression a thousand times . " This is the old work ; it has come down from tho olden days , — from the fathers in the Craft ; " aud the speaker avers thafc he has received ifc by direct transmission from teacher to teacher , lecturer to lecturer—from the old Grand Lecturers down through

their successors , until tho accumulated wisdom of ages has been gathered into the capacious brain and crystallized in the infallible memory of the speaker , the official teacher , tho present Grand 01 Subordinate Lecturer . It is amusing . ' Did the reader ever got wearied with this kind of dogmatic utterance—thia assumed official wisdom ? I don't know how many Grand Lecturers—especially

grand ones—I have met with during a long Masonic fellowship and experience , but one thing I have observed—that rarely two of them agreed perfectly in the work or iu the verbiage used , and yet each one declared thafc he had the old and only legitimate ! But I have this discovery , that some , at least , oE these teachers of rituals , could not put a dozen sentences together in good grammatical English

There has been an absurdity or contradiction in the construction of language whioh would cause a thoughtfnl listener to be ashamed of the pretensions of the instructor . Snob teaobing , in such language , would be sufficient to exhaust the pationce of neophytes , and repel their efforts to acquire a knowledge of Masonic ritualistic verbiage for ever . There are certain landmarks which every young Crafts .

man should acquire a knowledge of ; beyond that , so far as tho ritnals are concerned , it is a mere question of words , which may be , and are , changed a half dozen times in a century , by interested officiousness . I confess that I have often wished for the abolition of the office , and leave the rituals to the Master and Officers of the Lodge , for ifc is presumed they are competent for thafc duty or they

would not have been elected . There is no ritualistic old work now practised in Masonry beyond tbe landmarks already alluded to , for the entire rituals have been frequently changed since 1717 . The landmark may not , cannot be changed without making Masonry something else than Masonry ; bnt the mere verbiage which may be used in the ceremonies , within tbe limits of the landmarks in the

lessons and charges and explanations given , may be snch as are appropriate to the time and the ocoasion and the neophyte ; and thus the idea of " the old work " in relation to Masonic rituals is a mere fiction . The true , genuine , legitimate , old work does not consist in set forms of speech , but in " deeds of Charity and pure Beneficence . "

This is the " old work , " to which the Order was consecrated , and which should ever constitute its chief aim , and employ its besfc efforts . The motto on every Masonic banner is " Brotherly Love , Belief and Truth . " These words tell their own story , as " E Pluribns Unum" does on the flag of our country , aud in their exposition need no particular forms of speech or stereotyped

verbiage ; and so with the ritualistic language of the Lodge . There is no particular phraseology or forms of speech that must pass , unchanged , from generation to generation ; but the landmarks and work of Masonry are perpetual . The old work of Freemasonry has never been revised , nor has it needed or will ifc permit of revision . It is the same to-day ,

theoretically at least , thafc ifc was centuries ago when the Order was an association of architects and builders . Its creed then was , " Faith in GOD , Hope in immortality , and Charity towards all mankind , " which was exemplified by the practice of " Brotherly Love , Relief and Truth . " This was the old work . Now , would it be

improper to ask if we have retained it in its original purity ? In America have not the Craft , in some of the States at least , suffered this old work to be neglected or forgotten , or to fall into desuetude ? In the way of charitable institutions under the control of and supported by tbe Masonic Fraternity , I know of but two or three on this Continent—including the United States and Canada . I have not

access to the latest statistics at this moment , but believe there are in the two nationalities nearly six-hundred-thousand Freemasons . Notwithstanding all their numbers and wealth , there are only two institutions of Masonio Charities for the snpport of age and orphanage and widowhood ! There is a small one , I believe , sup . ported by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina , bnt I am informed

that its usefulness is limited by want of means . Small as it is , however , it is preserving and practising the " old work , " to the credit of the Grand Lodge and the honour of the Craft at large . . Kentuck y has a larger , more extensive , and more prosperous institution of this kind , and it speaks well for the large-hearted generosit y of its Masoncraf t . The grounds and buildings have cost

a large amount of money , but many homeless orphans and destitute widows of deceased brethren are sheltered and provided for in that Home of Masonic Charity . Every Freemason in Kentucky feels an honest pride ia that work of benevolence , and well he may ; while the entire Brotherhood commends the effort to sustain ifc by the brethren in that State , and thus preserve and practise the old work of Masonry . The Grand Lodge of Kentucky was the first

established west of the Alleghany Mountains , several years before we second—tbe Grand Lodge of Ohio—was organized . It is really we mother Grand Lodge of the West , and has set a most notable J ° ?* ® in Preserving and exemplifying the old and legitimate work b f £ n ? rder * I wonld be S lad t 0 have the lasfc annnal reports of otn the institutions named , but I have not ; yet I feel quite safe in Shi " ? g the Masonic s P irit and eff ° rts of the Craft in both Stat 3 the exatn P and labours of the brethren in every other

enk ?' u ft iD ED S lancl » afer all , presents the noblest example of pres beneTOle " ce in behalf of charitable objects , and in efforts to not half + L practise the S raud old work of Freemasonry . It has States A , L nnmber of lodges and members which are in the United and Canada , yet its labours and largesses are immensely more

The Old Work.

than on onr Western continent . The efforts of American Grand Lodges have beeu directed to tho building of grand and expensive halls , often costing from fifty thousand to a million and a half of dollars , and many of them are still largely in debt , much of which will have to hn liquidated by another generation . Tn some of tho States the members spend annually more for vognlia , robes , swords , chnpenns and gauntlets , receptions , travels and parades than would

be required to support an orphanage or a home for indigent widows of deceased Masons . But with these matters I havo no right to meddle or complain ,- my concern just now is for tho preservation and practice of tho old work . I do not object to the good and true brethren indulging in their chosen enjoyments , but could they not do this and yet " not leave tho other undone ?" I havo not tho information to enable me bo name the smaller

Masonic Charities of tho English Craft , for there are a number of such , and woll snpported . The Grand Lodge of England ha 3 under its own special control three large and prosperous institutions ; one is for the support and education of the orphan daughters of deceased Masons ; another for their orphan boys ; and yefc another for aged and indigent Masons and their wives and widows . For the support and

annual enlargement of these throe great Charities , the Freemasons of England contribute annually between two aud three hundred thousand dollars ! Wealth and grandeur on the throne is tho patron and magnificent benefactor ; and down , through dukes and duchesses , lords and ladies , to the farmer and mechanic—all feel it a privilege and a pleasure to contribute according to their means . No wonder

Freemasonry is so popular iu England . Ifc is because of its noble deeds , and for its efforts to promote tho welfare of humanity . I am an American by birth and education , and havo even some of the American prejudices . I am an American Freemasou of nearl y half a century ' s devotion to its cause , but I say all hail to the English Craft for their deeds of charity . They have preserved the old work ,

to which the Order is consecrated . They are making their noble record cm the brightest pages of history , and marking the pathway for their successors to future and still greater achievements . Their march is not stained with blood , nor is their object war or persecution , but to preserve and practise the old Masonic work— " Brotherly Love , Belief and Truth . "

Will you permit me to ask , why cannot the Craft in Illinois and other large States " go and do likewise ? " England has set a noble example ; and even the Craft in " poor old Ireland " has , for a hundred years , snpported a homo for orphans ; why not Michigan and Iowa and Missouri do the same ? Oh for a general revival of the old work of Masonry , and for a new departure in efforts for usefulness , instead of so much show and pastime and display !

We have received—and beg most fraternally to acknowledge tlie recei pt—from Bro . T . B . Whytehead a pamphlet , entitled " A New Tear ' s Gift to ihe Pope ; or , the Freemasons Vindicated . A reply to the Bull of Excommunication of Pope Benedict XIV ., 1751 ,

together with a copy of the Bull . " It has been translated into English , and in part read at a meeting of the Tork College of Rosicrucians by the Rev . W . C . Lukis , M . A ., P . S . A ., VHP . It shall receive attention at an early date .

It is satisfactory to know that tbe Naval and Submarine Engineering Exhibition , which was held last month at the Agricultural Hall , and proved one of the most successful displays we have ever had since Exhibitions became the fashion , will be repeated at an earlier date than was

originally anticipated , the period fixed being about May 1884 . It may further interest our readers to know that the Committee appointed to award the prizesand consisting of Vice-Admiral Henry Boys , Mr . Digby Murray , and Vice-Admiral A . W . A . Hood—have adjudged

them as follows : —The prize of one hundred guineas for the best means of saving life iu cases of shipwreck , has been assigned to Mr . R . Roper , Stand No 82 , for Lis " Bridge Raft , " it being , in the estimation of the judges , the readiest means " of saving collectively a large number of persons

and supporting them above water for a lengthened period . " Tbe fifty guinea prize "for the best invention of a humane character connected with seafaring " has been awarded to

Messrs . J . and A . W . Bird , No . 309 , " for their contrivances of cork mattresses , hammocks , cushions , seats , & c , for supporting individually persons in the water till further assistance can be rendered . "

THE PORTSMOUTH FREEMASONS' CLUB MASONIC "AT HOME" last week terminated a most snccessfnl season , by giving an invitation ball to their numerous friends , at the Southsea Assembly Rooms . Over two hundred assembled , and a most enjoyable evening was spent . The M . C . ' s were Bros . P . Winter , G . Dean , T . Baskett , T . P . Hall , G . W . Ash , and the Chairman , Bro . E . Maiisbrid » e . It is

contemplated to hold s > . snmmer " outing , " which , no doubt , will become , like tho ball , an annual Masonic gathering , thus giving the fair sex an interest in the doings of the Craft , which will assist " it in its benevolent progress . A snfheiVnfc balance was obtained from the Freemasons' Club Masonic Ball , on the 10 th March , to enable die committee to send ten guineas to the Boys' School , still leaving a small balance in hand . n