Masonic Antiquity;

he does not give tho title of that book , nor when it was written . Hence , Professor Max Miiller would undoubtedly discard the poet's evidence of tho Euclid story as worthless . The second piece of information derived from the said

poem is about tho organization of Masons in England by Athelbtan . Now , Athelstan reigned in England either from 924 to 940 , or from 920 to 942 ( for tho early writers differ about the said dates ) . Tho poem vvas therefore written

about five hundred years after Athelstan ' s reign . Now , I have carefully read all the Monkish chronicles published by Bohn , from tho days of Athelstan and onward , and

I cannot find in any of them the story about Athelstan ' s Masonry , and all tho evidence the poet appealed to for confirmation of Athelstan ' s Masonry was confined to mere

hearsay . The samo poet also informs us that Nabogodon ' s son had built " The Tower of Babyloyne seven miles high , " and for obvious reasons I believe no more in his

Euclid and Athelstan Masonic stories than I believe in his Tower of Babel story . The next in order * of Masonic MSS . is known as the Matthew Cooke MS . Here also the name of its author and where it was written are unknown . The said author begins the Historv of Masonry with Lemech : he Masonized Noah .

Nimrod , and Abraham . Now , Abraham is said to havo lived about 1900 years before Christ , and Euclid ( as already stated ) lived about 300 years before Christ , but the author of the Cooko MS . informs us that when Abraham was in Egypt he taught Euclid geometry . Tho said author repeats the Euclid story , and also the

Athelstan story with a little variation . Ho says that the youngest son of Athelstan organized the Masons and bought a charter of his father . He also informs us that King Solomon and King Hiram of Tyre were Masons , and that a son of King Hiram was Solomon ' s master builder .

The name of the master builder , however , he did not give . ( Tho poet knew nothing about Solomon ' s and Hiram ' s Masonry ) , But what authority did the author of the Cooke MS . give for his statements about Solomon and

Hiram . Well , he refers us first to the Bible , where it is written that Solomon had fourscore thousand Masons , and adds , " And in other Chronicles it is said , and in old books of Masonry , that Solomon confirmed the charges

that David his father had given to Masons , " and I rather guess that for obvious reasons Professor Max Miiller would not consent to receive any such evidence for proving the antiquity of Masonry .

Next in order of succession is the MS . printed by Bro . Sadler in his " Facts and Fictions . " The year when that MS . was written was erased , but " December 25 th "

was left untouched . Bro . Sadler and Bro . Henry Jenner are , however , of opinion that it was written in 1585 . I havo , in a former paper , pointed ont the impossibility of

fixing dates to undated MSS ., merely because the handwriting resembles the style of penmanship of a certain period . The MS . in question , I believe , was not written before 1585 ; it may , however , have been written thirty years . after 1585 . But , assuming that Bro . Sadler ' s date is

correct , in the first placo the name of its author and where it was written is unknown , and second , the said MS . is siinply an abridgment of the Matthew Cooke MS . ; the

pamo stories , including the story of Abraham teaching Euclid , are repeated . But it furnishes new information also . It informs us that King Athelstan ' s son , referred to in the Cooke MS ., was named " Edwin , " that King Hiram ' s son , referred to in the Cooke MS . as Solomon ' s master builder , was named " Aynone , " that the famous first Masonic assembly in England was held at " York , " and that " Naymus Greens , " who helped to build King Solomon's Temple , went to Franco and taught Masonry to Charles Martel . If that bo so , Bro . Nnyraus Grecus must havo been over 1700 years old when bo taught Masonry to Bro . Charles Martel . , Tho next in order are about forty or more similar MSS . to the above . Brother Hughan named them " Ancient Charges , " & c . Nearly all the copies that were written before 1717 repeat the Euclid and Abraham story ; some repeat the Naymus Greens stbry . They differ , however , about the name of King Hiram ' s son . One gives Amon , " another " Banian , " another " Anjon , " another "Ayon , " another " Aymon , " another " a man , " another " Hyman , " & c , but in no prc-1717 MS . can the name of Hiram Abiff be

found , nor do any of the said MSS . hint at the existence of Masonic degrees , Or " Speculative Masonry , " that is in accordance with our sense of tho phrase . It is evident , therefore , that Speculative Masonry and Hiram Abiff ' s

Masonic Antiquity;

connection with tho Craft waa unknown to the pro-1717 Masons ; and hero is what Bro . Gould himself taught us beforo his conversion to the old Masonic belief . He says , on page 366 Vol . II . of his History : —

" I am aware of no evidence to justify a belief thafc tho circumstances of his [ Hiram Abiff ' s ] decease , as narrated by Anderson , wero in any shapo or form a tradition of the Craft before the year 1723 . "

And now lot ns test the value of tho evidence furnished by tho pre 1717 MSS . by tho rule laid down by Professor Max Miiller . Qnestion 1 st . When were tho said Masonic MSS . written ? Answer : In somo cases hundreds of years , and in somo cases thousands of years after the events they relate aro said to havo happened . Question 2 nd . Whore were they written and by whom ?

Answer . * Nobody knows . Question 3 rd . Was tho author of each MS . an eye-witness ? or does he relate what he has heard from others , and if the latter , were his authorities at least contemporaneous with the events which they relate ? Answer : They were not eye-witnesses of the events they relate , but in some cases they claim that their narratives may be found in nameless or nndescribed books and chronicles , ancl in other cases they confess that their narratives were derived from mere hearsay .

Qnestion 4 th . Were not the authors of theso Masonic MSS . under the sway of party feeling , or some other disturbing influence ? Answer : There can be no doubt that the writers of the said MSS . were under the sway of party feeling , and that they were either grossly ignorant or grossly unscrupulous . Well , I think that Professor Max Miiller would not accept the statements of the said MSS . as evidence for Masonic antiquity . Tfie said MSS ., however , furnish some information , viz .:

—First . We can infer from them that there is no evidence in existence that before the middle of the 15 th century Euclid ' s and Athelstan ' s Masonry was known to any ono . Second . There is no evidence that before the Reformation tho Masonry of King Solomon and of King Hiram was known . Third . There is no evidence that beforo 1585 it was known that Athelstan had a son by the name of Edwin , or that the first Masonic assembly held in England was at

York . And Fourth . There is not a particle of evidence to prove that either Masonic degrees , or Speculative Masonry , or the connection of Hiram Abiff with tho Masonic Craft , was known to either English , Scotch or Irish Masons before the year 1717 . ( To be continued . ) BOSTON , U . S ., 23 rd October 1889 .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

— : o : — PROV . G . LODGE OF LINCOLNSHIRE . rpHE Provincial Grand Lodgo of Mark Master Masons - •* - was held at Crowle , on Thursday , tho 21 st inst ., Bro . Jack Sutcliffe Prov . Grand Master presiding . Tho Treasurer ' s report , showing a balance in hand of £ 35 , was received , and Bro . Charles Scorer was elected Treasurer , and Bro . William Lancashire Tyler . Among tho Officers

appointed were : — Bros . Stainforfch ... ... Senior Warden Baines ... ... ... Junior Warden Rev . L . Gassick ... ... Chaplain Chas . Scorer ... ... Treasurer

A . Whyes ... ... Registrar W . F . Morton ... ... Secretary E . Cousans ... ... Junior Deacon W . H . Roberta ... ... Director of Ceremonies J . F . Johnson ... ... Assistant Director of Cor 0 . Wm . Lancaster ... ... Tyler

It was resolved that the next Lodge should be held at Gainsbro ' . A banquet was subsequently provided , over which the Provincial Grand Master ( Brother Sutcliffe ) presided .

Ar00303

FUNERALS properly carried out and personally attended in London nnd Country , by Bro . Q . A . HUTTOM " , 17 Newcastle Street , Strand , W . C Monuments erected . Valuations male .