Enthusiasm And Masonry.

without being an enthusiastic one , and the cultivation of a noble enthusiasm Ave regard as one of the best signs of mental and moral health in any association of men . The enervating influence of modern society is felt by us all ; Ave need something to quicken our sympathies for our

fellows , to awaken our higher impulses , and to sustain us on that path of rectitude Avhich many people find it so difficult to pursue . Our Order supplies these motives , and holds up to the least morally sensitive amongst us a standard by which wc may measure our own shortcomings .

We boAv to no priggish travesty of ethics en tho one hand , ancl sink into no moral slough of despond on the othei . True , Masons are men of the Avorld , with their worldly ideas touched ancl refined by a system which , whatever its origin ,

possesses immense power for good . If , as Matthew Arnold . says , religion is nothing more than " morality touched with emotion , " then Masonry may be defined as social intercourse tempered and refined by morality ancl religion .

Royal And Imperial Freemasons.

ROYAL AND IMPERIAL FREEMASONS .

LAST week Ave briefly noticed the connection of our OAVU Boyal Family Avith Freemasonry . We now supplement that sketch by an equally brief one of the connection of Foreign Princes Avith our Order . First on the list appears Francis of Lorraine , Grand Duke of Tuscany , and

after-Avards Emperor of Germany . He , by virtue of a deputation from Lord Lovel , our then Grand Master , Avas received into the first two degrees of the Order at a Lodge held at the Hague , Lord Chesterfield , at that time our ambassador there , presiding . His Hi ghness coming over to England

the same year ( 1731 ) , Avas raised to the third degree at an occasional Lodge convened for the purpose at Houghton Hall in Norfolk , tho seat of Sir Robert Walpolo . Francis , though his Avife , the Empress-Queen Maria Theresa , disliked Freemasonry , gave it on all occasions his countenance ,

as did even the Emperor Joseph . On the 15 th August 1738 , Frederick , then Crown Prince of Prussia , aud celebrated in history as Frederick the Great , Avas initiated in a Lodge at BrnnsAvick , under tho Scots constitution , ancl so highly did ho approve of the institution that shortly after his

accession to the throne , in 1740 , a new Lodge Avas , at his instigation , established in Berlin , and called " ; : u den dm Weltkugehi" ( the Three Globes ) . This Avas advanced in 1744 to be the Grand Mother Lodge , and is now knoAvn under the title of the Grand National Mother Lodge of the Three Globes . Frederick himself assumed the Grand

Mastership , but the cares of Government preventing him from attending to the duties of the office , a vice-Grand Master was nominated in 1747 , in the person of the Duke of Holsteiu-Beck . On tho 22 nd May 1840 Prince William of Prussia , the present . Emperor of Germany , Avas , Avith the

approval of his father , King Frederick William III ., initiated into Freemasonry , in the Hall of the Grand Lodge of Germany , in the presence of the Grand Officers of the three Grand Lodges of Berlin and others . In accordance with the expressed proviso of the King , Prince William

assumed the Protectorship over the three Grand Lodges , Avithout regard to any difference of system , In 1853 , Prince Frederick William of Prussia , now Imperial Princo of Germany , and husband of our Princess Royal , AA'as initiated into Masonry , under tho auspices of his father .

In France , Louis Philippe , Due de Chartres , afterwards Due d'Orleans , and known generally as Philippe Egalite , became Grand Master , in 1771 , of the " Grande Logo Nationale de France , '' in succession to his relative Louis Due de Bourbon ancl Comte de Clermont . He was the

first Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France , but abjured Masonry in 1793 , when France had become a Republic . In 1805 Joseph Napoleon , afterwards King of Spain , became , Avith the sanction of his brother , the Emperor , Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France , with

Cambacert'S and Murat as joint assistants . Joseph , however , Avas not a Freemason . In 1809 Murat , at the time King of Naples , and the celebrated cavalry general of the Great Napoleon , sanctioned the establishment of a Grand Lodge in Naples , and himself became Grand Master . In Sweden ,

Charles , Duke of Sudermania , held the Grand Mastershi p from 1780 , when the Grand Lodge at Stockholm was established , till 1818 , the year of his death ; but in 1811 he resigned the hammer of office to his adopted son ancl successor , Charles John , the celebrated Bernadotte . During

Royal And Imperial Freemasons.

his tenure of office Duke Charles presided in person at the initiation of King Gustavus in 1793 . The Duke ascended the throne as Charles XIII . in 1809 , and on the 27 th May 1811 he founded the Order of Charles XIII ., the highest

degree in Swedish Freemasonry . The reigning sovereign is Master , and , besides Princes of the Royal house , the Order could only consist of tAventy-seven secular ancl three ecclesiastical members . It could only be communicated to Freemasons , and its distinctive characteristics were to be

worn openly . When Bernadotte ascended the throne the CroAvn Prince Oscar ( afterAvards Oscar I . ) was made Grand Master in the Swedish Grand Lodge , and on his death , in 1859 , was succeeded by Charles XV . During Prince Oscar ' s administration the re-union with the Grand Lodo-e

of Germany took place . We mentioned , last Aveek , that Ernest , Duke of Cumberland , son of George III ., was initiated into Masonry during the Grand Mastership of his brother , the Prince of Wales . In 1828 a Hanoverian Grand Lodge was established , of which His Royal

Highness became Grand Master . In 18-57 his son , the present ex-King , George V ., Avas initiated , andbecameheadof this Grand Lodge , but on Hanover becoming part of the North German Confederation , after the war of 186 G , its

Grand Lodge Avas dissolved by a Cabinet Order of 17 th February 1867 . We close the list with Prince Frederick of the Netherlands , who became Grand Master in that country in 181 G , and still holds the office . On 25 th November

18 GG the fiftieth anniversary of his Grand Mastership was celebrated by the Grand Lodge , Avith great splendour ; and , in commemoration of that auspicious event , the Prince

presented to Grand Lodge his rare collection of Masonic books , manuscripts , & c , formerly the property of Bro , Kloss deceased . May our Order e \ er continue under such illustrious auspices , both abroad and at home !

The Egyptian Ritual Of The Book Of The Dead.

THE EGYPTIAN RITUAL OF THE BOOK OF THE DEAD .

BY FIUTETI JOHN YARKER , MANCHESTER .

( . 4 papier read before the Iiosicrucian College , Manchester , 20 th March 1875 . ) OUT of Egypt have T called my son ( Matthew ii . 15 ) , are words of the Gospel of St . Matthew , tho apostle of Jesns , and in them there is doubtless concealed a mystery . If , in the attempt to devclopo this in tho remarks I am about to make , I take any brother by surprise , I can assure him that my statements are strictly

accurate , and proved by sack great Egyptulogurs us Baron Buuseu , Lcpsius , Champollioii and Birch . In the first place , I will , iu some measure , disarm criticism , by reminding you that the Biblical Chronology is an uninspired addition of later times , made by Scribes and Rabbis , who seem to havo

misunderstood tho sacred text and followed a speculative system of their own , as tho general data is opposed to that of the various scientific schools of modern times ; but , nevertheless , the sacred writings have , undoubtedly , both an historical and symbolical character .

So immense is the range of subject which I have feebly under , taken to illustrate , that I must necessarily touch upon the various points of enquiry in the briefest possible manner . Some of the doctrinal points bear such close correspondence to Christian ideas , that they will doubtless astonish those of you who have no previous acquaintance with the subject ; and hence my need to remark that

I am giving yon an unembellished narration . To my mind , the very fact of the immense antiquity of these religious dogma , is of itself tho strongest proof of the reality of the birth and divine nature of Jesus , since if He did not , as we are required to believe , die and rise again to fulfil the mystery of tho world's faith , it would have been impossible for a few simple-minded

fishermen to have made any advance against the opposition of a vast and learned organisation of such ancient lineage , whose faith ancl teaching embraced so orach iu common with Christian truth , as to render useless the propagation of a new and imaginary incarnation , which tho older faith accepted at onco , and miraculously , as tho complement of their own .

Modern Science rests its proofs of the antiquity of mankind upon a reasonably sure foundation , ancl its demonstrations embrace various branches of Science : —1 . Linguistic , which considers the development of speech . 2 . Geological , showing the discovery of human remains in ancient strata . 3 . Works of Art , which are found deposited at great depths , aud indicating in Egypt a civilisation of

ten thousand years . 4 . Ethnological , considering the distinction of change of colour , which becomes marked after great lapse of time only . 5 . Artistic monuments , attesting a civilisation of ancient date , themselves showing an antiquity of 5000 years . 6 . Historical and Astronomical , which compare the ancient dates of the old empires

of the world . All forming an aggregation of proof that chronologists have endeavoured to bridge over tho absence of records b y ° thc reduction of dates , and the treatment of nations and periods as individuals and years of time . The most reasonable speculation as regards the antiquity of man is that founded upon the astronomical