From The Daily Telegraph, 17th March 1885.

t through the degrees of the Craffc and emerged a full Freemason . " Permit me to add thafc no less than four of tho softer aex have been initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry . These wero the Hon . Mrs . Aldworth , in Lodge 44 , about 1735 , whom you mention ; Mrs . Beaton , a native of Norfolk ; a certain landlady of a Devonshire hotel : and Madame de Xaintrailles , in France .

We may add thafc reference is made to " Women in Freemasonry " in the " Occasional Papers , " which may be had of our publisher , price 1 / . —[ ED . F . C ]

The Unrecorded Years Of The Craft.

THE UNRECORDED YEARS OF THE CRAFT .

WHEN we consider that from the beginning the established policy of Freemasonry has been to commit to "writing as little as possible concerning the actual life of the Craffc , and when we remember that the art of printing is a modern invention , only some four centuries old , it is not matter for surprise that we know so little of the history of the Masonic Fraternity , not only in the primitive times , but even in the Middle Ages ,

comparatively near to our own era . Indeed , it is remarkable that we have so many manuscript Constitutions and Old Charges preserved as are now in the possession of old Lodges , or of public or private libraries , when we recall the fact that at the so-called " Revival" in England , in A . D . 1717 , the policy was to destroy rather than to

preserve the old records of the Craft . Notwithstanding all this , though year by year the past is becoming more remote , the possibility of recovering some of these documents , long hidden away or lost , is improving . Old

muniment chests and old garrets , when compelled to give up their possessions , sometimes present records of

the greatest value . Thus are old Minute Books and MS . Constitutions discovered , and little by little our vista is extended into the centuries anterior to those now regarded as historic . Yet what we are now absolutely certain of is inadequate to the demands of an enlightened curiosity . We crave a knowledge of the details of Lodge life when Sir Robert Moray was made a Mason at Newcastle , England , in A . D . 1641 ; when Elias Ashmole was initiated afc Warrington , in Lancashire , in 1646 ; when Randle Holme

was a member of tbe Chester Lodge , in 1665 ; and generally prior to 1686 , at which date , according to Aubrey ' s "Naturall Historie of Wiltshire , " then just completed , " the Fraternity of Free-Masons" * * *

" have Several ! Lodges in severall Counties " [ oi England ] , Then , prior to that , how gratifying it would be to know something at least concerning fche inner history of the Lodges of the Cathedral-builders in Great Britain and on

the continent of Europe ; the particulars of their connection with the monasteries , the transmission of their art to them from the prior building corporations and guilds , and their derivation , in turn , from Byzantium and the

Orient . Then what would we nofc give to penetrate to the arcana of Lodge life in Palestine in King Solomon ' s era , and in Egypt in the Mysteries of Osiris ? How we should like to learn of the stimulus given by all of these

instrumentalities to the impulses of genius among the

elder Craftsmen , which resulted m the triumphs of

architecture in ancient ana mediaeval times . How we should delight to v . erify legend , and change it into history . The poet Longfellow was right : —

" The legend , I feel , is a part Of the hunger and thirst of the heart . " Now , we have only the paucity of a few attested facts , while , if the past were unfolded to us , we should see as we are seen and know as we are known . Will this ever be ?

We have faith to believe that it will—measurably , at least . The delving , antiquarian , archaeological spirit is actnatino * nofc a few prominent , able , and laborious Brethren , and their efforts have already revealed many interesting facts

in the past , and have stimulated Freemasons everywhere to be on the qui vive for the discovery of other ancient records . There is a growing demand for information concerning that long period which now includes the

unrecorded years of the Craft , and all analogies justify us in expecting thafc the demand will be gratified , and light gradually be shed upon these dark ages . A few years ago

the histories of Nineveh , Babylon , and Egypt were almost closed books to us , but since the labours of Layard , Bunsen , Wilkinson , Mariette , Lenormanfc , and Rawlinson have

uncovered the ruins and discovered the relics of those

The Unrecorded Years Of The Craft.

mighty empires , we have come to feel almost familiarly acquainted with their peoples , who flourished millennials ago . So it may he in Freemasonry . The events of the past are irrevocable , bufc evidence concerning them is not

irrecoverable . Even in the case of a mystic fraternity like that of the Freemasons , sufficient disjecta membra of its once complete records may yet be found , out of which may

be reconstructed a satisfactory sketch of its continuous career , and of fche early manners and customs of the Craft . The last twenty years have been marked by remarkable discoveries in this respect , which justify us in anticipating

a continuous succession of fortunate " findd . " Indeed , we have only just set out upon the quest . Nofc only is the literature of Freemasonry a rapidly growing one , bufc nofc a few of fche Brethren who are engaged in the labour of

diffusing light to the Craft are gifted with rare ability . They are patient , laborious workers , critical scholars , bold and fortunate discoverers , and actuated , withal , by tho most loyal affection for our ancient and honourable

Fraternity . We wish them " God speed " in their labour of love . " More light" is the earnest cry of earnest Craftsmen , and more light is dawning , year by year , We

can bear the full effulgence of the sun of truth . We crave to know all of the pasfc . Little by little this knowledge shall be ours , until the unrecorded years of the Craffc are crowded off the pages of Masonic history . —Keystone .

Several installation meeting reports are unavoidably held over .

The ceremony of installation will be rehearsed at the Joppa Lodge of Instruction , Champion Hotel , Aldersgate

Street , on Tuesday next , 24 th instanfc , by . Brother A . v * . Dodson P . M . The Lodge will be opened at seven o ' clock precisely . Brethren are invited to attend .

The following Dinners were held at the ] Freemasons ' Tavern during the week ending 21 sfc March : — Monday—Grand Masters' Lodge , British Lodge . Tuesday—Benevolent Society of St . Patrick , Cadogan Lodge , Salisbury Lodge . Wednesday—Grand Stewards' Lodge , Oak Lodge , Buckingham and

Chandos Lodge . Thursday—Home for Little Boys , St . Mary's Lodge , Globe Lodge . Friday—Jordan Lodge , London and Suburban Railway Officials , King's College Hospital Clerks and Dressers . Saturday —Highland Society .

An International Exhibition of French Cookery , " Concours Culinaire Artistique , " will be held on the 22 nd and 23 rd of April , afc Willis ' s Rooms . Exhibitions of this character have been held in Paris , New York

Vienna , and Berlin , but never before m England . Prizes , consisting of medals and diplomas , will be presented . A committee , consisting of Bros . M . Ponard President , Bohers , E . Devien Secretary , Alliberfc , Lecomte , Mandiu , Penet , & c , has been formed .

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the Crystal Palace District Gas Company was appointed to be held on Friday , the 20 th instanfc ( yesterday ) , at the Albion Tavern , Aldersgate-street , for the reception of the Report , the confirmation of the Balance-Sheet by the auditors , the election of a new auditor in the place of Bro . James Glaisher

P . G . D . resigned , the declaration of a dividend , and the transaction of other business . We learn from the Report , which is of a satisfactory character , thafc the Directors have resolved on reducing the price of gas to 2 a lOd per 1000 cubic feet from and after the date of the Lady Day accounts , and that the following are the rates

of dividend which it had been resolved to propose for declaration , namely : —6 per cent , on the Preference Stock ; 7 per cent , on the Ordinary 7 per Cent , Stock ; 10 per cent , on the Ordinary 10 per Cent . Stock j and 7 per cent , on the New Ordinary 7 per Cent .

Shares . These Dividends , which will be payable less income tax , will absord over £ 11 , 938 out of the balance of neb profits for the half-year—over 19 , 704 . We note further that Bro . Glaisher has succeeded the late Bro . Sir Erasmus Wilson on the Board of

Directors , hence his resignation of tho Auditorsbip , and that Messrs , R . J . S . Beeton and Charles Beeton are candidates respectively for the latter office . We may also mention—and we do so with pleasure

—that one of the Board's recommendations is thafc a substantial addition be made to the salary of the Secretary , Bro . Magnus Ohren P . G . A . D . C ., whose valuable services to the Company are evidently appreciated as they deserve .