About A " Scarlet Book Of Freemasonry." *

the Mnsonic luminaries in Rhode Island at the late dedication of a Masonic Temple , he will learn , that Freemasonry in America is not entirely free from sectarianism . Indeed , it is sheer impudent humbug to assert that American Masonry is " entirely unsectarian" ; and second , among the Masonic persecutions enumerated in the "Scarlet Book , "

the persecutions of the Templars in the beginning of the fourteenth century are given in full , and over eighty pages

are devoted to Templars alone . In the whole trials of the Templars as given in the " Scarlet Book , " there is no indication whatever that the Templars were Masons , or had anything to do with Masonry ; their persecutions and

martyrdoms should not therefore have been numbered among Masonic persecutions . But the fact is , there are a large number of Masons in America who are ignorant of history ,

and whom Masonic charlatans persuaded that the old Templars were Masons ; and hence our modern Masons were made to believe that , for a certain sum of dollars , they

could become old Knights Templars ; and as the titles , distinctions , cocked hats and feathers , are very flattering to

weak minds , large numbers of American Masons have rushed into Templarism , and to that class it must be very edifying to read how our old brothers Masonic Knight Templar have suffered for their Masonic principles . After

the history of the martyrdom of the Templars , the author of the " Scarlet Book" treats his reader with a chapter of English history , which is as astonishing as Mr . Colvill ' s Spiritual Revelations about our ancient Egyptian brethren ; the said Chapter is headed " Persecution—Murder , ' - & c ,

and says : — "Following the sanguinary persecutions and martyrdoms [ about the Templars ] recorded in the two previous chapters , we come to the period when Henry the Fourth

[ meant for Henry VI . ] was in his minority . At that time the regal power was vested in Humphry , Duke of Gloucester , and Henry Beaufort , Bishop of Winchester ; the latter was a bigoted papist , vain and haughty , and , on his being

invested with power , he began to exhibit hig true nature by acts of tyranny against all whom he found in his way , and he found no trouble in securing agents and followers enough to assist him in gaining his ends .

" As the Church of Rome has always arrogated to itself the right to know everything that was transpiring , botli social , political , and religious , in countries where they had the power to enforce their behests , it has placed itself in bitter antagonism to all secret societies , particularly the

Order of Freemasons . Therefore , as it was * iu conformity

to the principles of the Catholic Church , and congenial to the fanatical nature of the Bishop , he embraced the firsfc opportunity to proceed againsfc the Masons in England , with a determination to either bring them under sub-jection

or break up their organizations . Finding thafc the task of breaking them up would be a difficult one , he managed to procure an enactment of a law to abolish the Order of Masons throughout the realm . This Act proved to be

a dead letter , as the Fraternity were nowhere interfered witb , nor even an attempt made to enforce the Bishop ' s law . Thus thwarted in his cherished designs , the crafty prelate determined to enforce the law himself , ancl to this

end gathered about him a large number of fanatical followers , with a view to usurping the government , to the extent at least of carrying out his measures , but this coming to the knowledge of the Duke of Gloucester , he

sent in great haste to the Mayor of London * * * ( ancl ) commanded him to see that the City was securely watched ^ nd guarded , as an attempt to take it would be made that

night . The Bishop , either hearing that unusual measures were being taken in guarding the City , or for some other reason , deferred his attack until nine o ' clock the next

morning , when , with a large band of armed followers , he attempted to enter the City by the bridge , but not being strong enough to force an entrance , he held his position until he had gathered a large additional force of archers

and men-at-arms , when a furious assault was made on the gate , which was repulsed ; a parley was then arranged , which resulted in a partial reconciliation of the Dnke of '"¦ loucester with the fanatical Bishop , and peace was restored to the City . "

The Bishop , however , was determined to have his way , so he wrote to tne Duke of Bedford , who was still carrying on the war in France , to return in haste fco England , in

order to put a stop to the hatching rebellion then going 0 D - ; and the Dnke of Gloucester preferred , thereupon , six charges against the Bishop for " his malicious purpose of assembling the people and inciting them to rebellion , con-

About A " Scarlet Book Of Freemasonry." *

trary to the King ' s peace . " The answer of " the crafty Bishop" was , " that it was true he sent for the Duke of Bedford to come over in haste , * * * but , " he did not mean it of any design of his own , but concerning the secret

and seditious assemblies of Masons , who being dissatisfied with the last Act of Parliament concerning their wages , had made seditious speeches and menacing threats against great men of the Kingdom , which tended much to

rebellion , and that the Duke of Gloucester did nofc endeavour , as he should have done in his position , to suppress those unlawful assemblies , therefore he feared that the Kino- and

his subjects must have made a field to withstand them ; it was to prevent this that he desired the Duke of Bedford to come over . "

In short , all the disputes between the Bishop of Winchester and the Dnke of Gloucester , and all the Duke ' s misfortunes which followed , including the imprisonment of the Duchess of Gloucester for witchcraft ; , the

imprisonment of the Duke , aud his suspicious sudden death while in prison , was , according to the author of the " Scarlet Book , " clue to his having been " an eminent brother and true friend " of tbe Masonic Fraternity ; and this wonderful historical narrative winds up as follows : —

" At this time the Masonic Fraternity comprised within its ranks a large number of men of superior ability and acquirements , as is evidenced by the superb edifices erected by them , notably King ' s College Chapel , Cambridge ; and

they stood so high in the estimation of the higher classes , thafc the King desired to join them , and was made a Mason by the Duke of Gloucester , a few years before the death of the Duke . "

The above extracts prove conclusively—first , that manufacturers of Masonic histories can still find customers in America for their trash , hence ifc is evident that a large number of- our Masons , especially the Knights , for

whose edification the book was mainly designed , are as yet ignorant both of Masonic and English history ; and second , as the said ** Scarlet Book " has been circulated for the pasfc six years , and , as far as I know , not one of our

Masonic editors has ever attempted to expose its fallacies , it is , therefore , evident that they are either "knownothings , " or , if they do know , they are favourers of such kind of Masonic histories .

But the question is , " Who is the author of that famous book ? " I questioned some of my friends about it in Boston , but they could not guess . Well , then I ventured to guess that the redoubtable Sir Knight Bro . Rob Morris

was the author of thafc book . Bro . Morns visited Jerusalem twice afc least , and he published some books about the Holy Land . I do not know how many such books he published , nor am I acquainted with their titles ; and I

never heard of any other American Masonic writers who wrote books on Masonry in Jerusalem . Besides which , Bro . Morris was the author of " Masonic Monitors , " "Masonic Jurisprudence , " ancl numerous et ceteras besides ;

and I believe , therefore , that I run no risk of an action for damages in any Court by ascribing the authorship of the " Scarlet Book " to Bro . Rob Morris . To be sure ^ I may be mistaken , but if I am , we shall doubtless hear of it .

I shall only add that the book contains 473 pages ; it has a number of pictures , both coloured and uncoloured ; it is bound iu Morocco , with gilt edges ; and on the cover

is impressed a grand golden sword , wifch tassels , and also two crosses—these were evidently designed to attract the sharp eye of an enthusiastic K . T ,

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HANTS AND ISLE OF WIGHT .

THE Annual Provincial Grand Lodge of this Province was held at fche Masonic Hall , Sarum Hill , Basingstoke , on Tuesday , the 13 th insfc . Thero was a fair attendance of brethren , aud the D . P . G . M . M . ( Rov . R . Loveland Lovoland ) presided . Tho Lodgo having been opened in

due form , a letter was read from tho M . W . Prov . G . M . M . ( Rev . Canon Portal ) , expressing * his regret afc nofc being able to be present , in consequence of a heavy domestic bereavement . The D . P . G . M . JL then proposed , and tho Rev . Bro . Thoyts seconded , that the members of this Prov .

Grand Lodge tender their sincere and heartfelt sympathy