How Masonic History Is Taught.

Tho Chevalier Ramsay , in France , was an active member of tho Seven Degree Rite from 1728 to 1738 . In 1736 , according to Folger , but probably from 1725 , the Grand

Lodge of Franco had appended to their Craft Warrant obtained in 1725 from the 1717 Grand Lodge of London the three grades of H . R . M ., R . S . Y ., C . S . S . ; to which they added others ; and Prince Charles Edward Stuart

introduced them at Bordeaux in 1744 , and gave a charter from the Rosy Cross to Arras in 1747 as Hereditary Grand Master , stating that previous to tho misfortunes of his family it had been styled Knight of the Eagle and Pelicanour own badge , and the banner of his father in 1715 . "

These two sentences contain so many statements , made with such absolute freedom from reservation , as to be tantamount to an equal number of distinct declarations of fact , that we find ourselves in a state of utter amazementoostupuimus stetemntque comce , & o . Heredom in 1743

the Chevalier Ramsay in 1728-38 ; the Grand Lodge of France in 1725 with its Craft Warrant and High Grade appendages ; Prince Charles Edward in 1744 and his charter for the Rosy Cross in 1747—where to begin and

where , having begun , it will be necessary we should leave off , are questions which it is beyond our feeble intellectual capacity to solve . In these circumstances we believe we shall be acting with a becoming spirit of hnmilitv if we

abandon all thoughts of saying anything , and for the self-same reason attributed to Burlei gh in the Critic , in excuse for his silence—because we are so deeolv eno'ncrf > rl in

thinking ; and the more we think , the less capable do we seem to grasp the full force of Bro . Yarker ' s astounding revelations . We will content ourselves , therefore , with expressing our surprise that , after these statements and others which immediately follow , Bro . Yarker should have

the boldness to contend that " in England a High Grade Rite of seven degrees existed prior to the establishment of any Grand Lodge , and that such degrees were derived from the occult Rosicrucian School ; that this system , in 1730 , was known in England as Templars ; in France ' as

Rosy Cross ; in Sweden , as Royal Secret ; and in Germany , as Rosicrucians . " We are very far from being desirous of Bpeakingin terms at all disrespectful of any system of Freemasonry , and least of all of this High Grade Rite of seven

degrees which existed in England long before the establishment of any Grand Lodge ; yet even this feeling of anxiety will not preclude us from asking Bro . Yarker if he will kindly produce some evidence in support of his theses .

^ In the concluding portion of the lecture , in which he gives "some information" in regard to the origin of the A . and P . Rite , " with other particulars with reference to it and to Freemasonry generally , " Bro . Yarker tenaciously observes the same line of exposition as in the body of his

essay . We must content ourselves , however , with the following illustration of his method of teaching Masonic History . Having traced the origin of the A . and P . Rite to the Rite of the Primitive Philalethes—or Primitive Philadelphes , for it is not clear which is intendedthough

, , the two being identical , the point is immaterial—he goes on to observe as follows : " It is believed that the Ancient Mysteries are yet practised in Egypt by certain Dervishes , and Napoleon the Great and Kleber , who were French Masons , received affiliation to the E gyptian by investure

{ sic ) with a ring by an old Egyptian Sage , at the Great Pyramid of Cheops . Napoleon and the officers of his army , upon this , in 1798 , established European Freemasonry with a Grand Lodge at Cairo , and , having initiated a brother named Samuel Honis , he reconveyed the present Rite of

Memphis to France . It was in 1815 that certain travelled initiates , Frenchmen and Egyptians , of this Rite ( Gabriel Matthieu Marconis de Negre , Grand Master and Hierophant ; the Baron Dumas , the Marquis de Laroque , Samuel Honis , of Cairo , & c . ) reconstituted a Grand Orient of it at

Montauban , called Disciples of Memphis . The Egyptian Rite of Memphis continued to prosper , and when Mehemet AH Pasha obtained the direction of affairs in Egypt he gave his patronage to the Lodges on Egyptian soil ; they continued a correspondence by means of cyphers , yet preserved

to us , with their confreres in Europe and therestof theworld After the death of the Great Pasha , the Rite of Memphis Bank for awhile—perhaps in consequence of their meddling with politics—as it is asserted that in his time Greek and

Arab women were members of the Lodges . The son of the first French Grand Hierophant , Jacques Etienne Marconis , a man of great learning and strict morals , and in every way an honour to Masonry , supported by hia father , carried our Rite to Brussels in 1838 , and to Paris

How Masonic History Is Taught.

in 1839 , when he founded the Grand Lodge of Osiris , whence it spread again to Egypt , Italy , Roumania and America . The Grand Orient , or Craft Grand Lodge of Fi-ance , at that time the highest authority on High Grade Masonry in the world , secured the control of it in 1862 ,

and we derive our own origin from them in that year . It is probably the only High Grade Rite which ever had its Charter ratified by a Grand Lodge of Symbolical or Craft Masons , and we can , therefore , ask Craft Masons to admit that we are the most legitimate of all existing Rites . "

Shall wo be venturing too far into the field of logic if we affirm , on the strength of this very prolonged statement and on the supposition that itis proof against the most determined assaults of the sceptical , that it follows as a reasonable deduction from Bro . Yarker ' s premisses that Napoleon the Great

and Kleber were the founders of the A . and P . Rite . We are so accustomed to hear of people propounding the most extraordinary theories that we confess to being surprised at nothing . But there is something exquisitely ludicrous in the proposition that Napoleon the Great , who spent the

greater part of his life in overthrowing or attempting to overthrow empires and kingdoms , played a principal part in the establishment of a comparatively unknown and worthless so-called Masonic Rite . The brilliant general , the author of the Code Napoleon , transformed into a pedlar

of Masonic wares is a picture on which we do not care to dwell . We have no objection to Adam or Noah , or even Beelzebub , being adopted as the father of the A . and P . Rite ; but the memory of one of the greatest men the world has ever seen should be held sacred from the sill y , if harmless , pleasantries of a Masonic dreamer .

We have little more to say . Bro . Yarker , by his recent historical effort , has achieved notoriety , if not fame . To him unquestionably belongs the honour of having compressed within the limits of a sixteen-page pamphlet a greater number of the most astounding fictions than we

ever remember to have seen gathered together within the compass even of a goodly-sized volume . His enthusiasm has run away with his common sense . It is just possible his lecture may have satisfied his audience . On the spur of the moment men are often led astray by magniloquent

phrases and high-sounding titles , and readily accept what they do not understand . But this is rarely done in cold blood , when the listener of yesterday becomes the reader of to-day , and , natural curiosity being aroused , he endeavours

to fathom the mysteries that have been referred to . Then it is that the flippant use of a loud-sounding terminology is exposed , and the astounding theory which was built on a foundation of sand comes toppling to the ground . It would have been better had Bro . Yarker remained satisfied

with the applause vouchsafed him in the lecture-room by an audience whose ignorance was doubtless on a par with its enthusiasam and good nature . In appealing to the deliberate judgment of the Masonic world as to the value

of his extravagant theories , he has merely brought himself more prominently than before into ridicule . As a wouldbe Masonic historiographer , he is the laughing-stock of his brother Masons .

Rev . W . Oswell Thompson , Grand Chaplain , occupied the chair of Junior Vice-President . The agenda paper of the next Grand Lodge was submitted to the Board of Masters , and the Lodge then proceeded with the list of cases before it . The brethren confirmed the recommendations of grants

At the monthly meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence , which met on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , there was a very numerous attendance . Bro . Joshua Nunn President occupied the President ' s chair ; and Bro . James Brett , the Senior Vice-President , was in his place , while the

at the October meeting , to the extent of £ 365 . There was a very long list of new cases , consisting of no less than forty-five petitioners who made appeals . During a sitting of nearly four hours and a half the Lodge relieved forty of these , with a total sum of £ 1 , 060 . Five cases were deferred , the usual requisites not having been complied with .

At the Meeting of the Mount Moriah Lodge , No . 34 , held on Thursday , at the Freemasons' Tavern , Brother R . A . Meyer was unanimously elected W . M . for the ensuing year .

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PUWEBAL 3 . —Bros . W . K . L . & G . A . HTJTTOU , Coffin Makers and Undertakers , 17 Newcastle Street , Strand , "W . C . and 30 Forest Hill Koad , Peckham Bye , S . E .