Correspondence.

PAST RANK . To the Editor ofthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , In your paper of the ist inst . I observe amongst the names of the brethren occupying the seats ofthe table presided over by H . R . H . the

Most Worshipful Grand Master , that of George Laurie , P . D . G . M . of Turkey . For my own information , as well as that of the Masonic body under the English constitution in Constantinople , you will oblige me by stating how this error found a place in your valuable paper .

Bro . George Laurie never was District Grand jlaster of Turkey , and consequently could not be past District Grand Master . In consequence of the death of our D . G . M . John P . Brown , and that of the D . D . G . M . Alex . Thompson , which followed very closely , Bro . Geo . Laurie exercised the functions of D . G . M . for some months . But article 7 ,

page $ 3 of the Book of Constitutions , states that the " brother exercising such functions shall not assume that title ; nor shall he , after having so acted , be entitled to rank as a Past District Grand Master , or to wear the Masonic clothing appropriate to that office . " I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours truly and fraternally , HENRY NEWBOLT , D . D . G . M . for Turkey . Constantinople , iSth May , 1875 .

THE FATHER OF FREEMASONS . To the Editor ofthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , Referring to the several letters under the above heading which have appeared in the recent issues of the Freemason , it is pleasing to observe the great deference paid to our aged brethren . In

a letter from Bro . Spears , P . M . 158 , in the Freemason ofthe 22 nd instant , he states , " The brethren of the Province of Kent are proud of having among them the two oldest brethren of the Craft , " who , it appears , were initiated in 1814 and 1815 respectively . I have great pleasure in stating , for Bro . Spears '

information , that there is now residing at Hayle , Cornwall , an older member of the craft than either of the above , in the person of Bro . Nicholas Donithorne , who was initiated in the One ancl All Lodge 330 , Bodmin , April 6 th , 1812 . It is therefore , to the brethren of the Province of Cornwall that

belong the honour of having among them the oldest brother of the Craft , and he a Cornish-man . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , RICH . RICH , P . M . 330 , P . Prov . J . G . W . of Cornwall . Bodmin , May 25 , 1875 .

MASONS' MARKS .

To the Editor ofthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , There appears to be often a difficulty , on the advancement of a brother to the rank of Mark Master Mason , in the selection of an appropriate mark , no intimation having previously been given

as to thc necessity for it . Thus the time of the members of thc lodge is wasted , and the candidate is probably afterwards dissatisfied with his hurried selection , made under excitement , and when he hardly comprehends what is required . Some twelve years ago , on the formation of a Mark Lodge in

another province , I established a book with hundreds of suitable Masonic Marks , as suggestive to candidates , and from which they might make a choice . Having now undertaken to prepare a similar book for another Mark Lodge which I have lately joined , I have looked through the Freemasons * Magazine , from 1858 till the publication of it ceased

in 1871 , under an impression that from this source I obtained most of the marks , copied from ancient buildings . I find only a few , however ; but have met with a reference to the publication of some sheets containing a large collection . Can any Bro . give information where they may be obtained ? H . H ., P . G . J . W . of England .

A DOUBTFUL MASONIC ACT . To thc Editor ofthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , The lodge with which I have the honour to be connected has recently received , for sale to the brethren , a number of tickets for a lottery in

connection with the St . John ' s Lodge , Hawick , No . . in . I should like to ask if such a method of rais-Jng the wind is permitted by Grand Lodge ? It is evident that the promoters of the " spec " are not the most highly educated of mortals , for one prize is described as " Aneroid ' s Barometer . " It may be they are as ignorant of the law of the country with

Correspondence.

respect to lotteries , as I am of the whereabouts o "Mr . Aneroid , '' who he was , and why he so called himself . If so , it is very easy to be charitable , and give them credit for only being mistaken and not wilful sinners . Will you kindly give the members of No . ma hint to , anyhow , keep their gambling

to themselves , and not to offend by thnisting their illegal and unmasonic raffle tickets into respectable lodges . I am , fraternally yours , J OSIAH ROSE . Leigh ( 1354 ) , May 26 , 1875 .

STEWARDS' JEWEL .

To the Editor ofthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , I have just seen a circular letter addressed by the Grand Secretary to the brethren who officiated as Stewards on the occasion of the installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , asking them

whether they would desire to receive a Commemoration Jewel . The cost of each jewel is to be , £ 5 , the intrinsic value of the metal contained in it being a little over £ 2 . As there were some 400 Stewards at the installation , the aggregate difference between the cost ancl value of the jewels will ( supposing

each Steward to provide himself with one ) amount to some , £ +, 100 or , £ 1 , 200 , which seems a longprice to pay for design and labour . I venture to think that , unless it is announced that a large share of this handsome surplus is to be

devoted to charity , 400 jewels will not be asked for , and that it would have been well to have fixed a lower price for a decoration which each Steward would like to possess , but which he may not be in a position to purchase . I am , yours fraternally , BUSY BEE .

Reviews.

Reviews .

SECOND NOTICE . HY WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN . Secret Societies . By Charles William Heckethorn . " Secret Societies" is the title of a new work issued from the Chiswick Press , and published by Richard Bentley & Son , in- two vols ., small Svo .

The book is most compactly arranged , and being in numbered paragraphs , nothing could be better for convenience of reference . From the preface I gather that Mr . Heckethorn has for manyyearsbeen fascinated with the subject of secret societies , the study of which has long engaged his attention , and

it was his intention to collect , in a comprehensive work , all the information that could be obtained concerning one of the most curious phases of the history of mankind—those secret organizations , religious , political and social , which have existed from the most remote ages down to the present time .

// would be strange if all this could be found in the two volumes now before its of some 700 pages ; but certainly an immense quantity of interesting particulars of many societies but little known , and of others now forgotten , have been condensed , and presented in a most readable form by Mr .

Heckethorn , and though we cannot sympathize with many of his views , I am none the less ready to acknowledge the industry and skill which have been manifested in the production of the volumes in question . Much of the labours of Signor De Castro have been

utilized in the present work , especially his " II Mondo Secreto , " which Mr . Heckethorn first intended to translate , but which translation , commenced at first for publication , was abandoned for independent researches , and simply using De Castro as required .

The author's rule has been to include in the work "all societies as secret which had or have secret rites and ceremonies kept from the outer world , though the society itself be no secret at all . " He considers that , thanks to secret societies themselves , they are no longer needed , at least not in the realms of thought ; but whilst uttering this opinion , I learn

in the next paragraph that , " in politics , however , circumstances will arise in every age to call them into existence , and though they seldom attain their direct object , yet they are not without influence on the relations between ruler and ruled , advantageously for the latter in the long run , though not immediately . "

In a brief notice such as this it would be impossible to follow the author in his researches , and especially in the region where he is as much at a loss as ourselves ; but , if space permitted , I should certainly like to correct a few of the errors he has fallen into in attempting to describe and put a value on the Society of Freemasons , of whose aims and

Reviews.

objects he is evidently in ignorance , though he at tempts to teach us what is Freemasonry J Mr-Heckethorn declares that " few statements are made which could not be supported by numerous and weighty authorities , " but on applying that test to his remarks on Freemasonry , I find that such is not the case , for he could not furnish us with one

" weighty authority" for several ofhis assertions . In the list of authorities are Barruel , Robinson , Carlile , and others such . To learn what Freemasonry is from a man like Carlile , who spent a portion ofhis life in Bedford jail , for blasphemy , and never was a Mason , would be as reasonable as to be taught the contents of the Holy Bible from Torn Paine's " Age of Reason . "

Mr . Heckethorn is not a Mason , but I venture to think that had he carefully studied a few of the other authorities he mentions , such as Dr . Mackay , and the Rev . George Oliver , D . D ., he could not have so misrepresented our ancient and honourable Society . The answer to "What Mote it be" would

not result in such as the following , if the works of those who knew what they wrote about had been consulted!— "There is nothing in the history of modern Masonry , in this country at least , that deserves to be recorded , " ( p . 311 ) . Again , after speaking of the three principles of the Society { brotherly

love , relief , and truth ) , the writer asks , i o what does this action amount ? To eating , drinking , and mummery . " Now , although I find many excellent suggestions and views of Freemasonry scattered over the two volumes , I cannot shut my eyes to the foregoing , and I can scarcely help thinking that

some other motive than what appears on the surface must have prompted Mr . Heckethorn to so describe a Society to which he devotes about half of one volume in a consideration of its history and character . Further on in the work I read" After this necessarily brief account of

Freemasonry , past and present , the question naturally suggests itself , What is its present use ? Is it not an institution that has outlived the object of its foundation ? Are its pretensions not groundless , and its existence a delusion and anachronism ? The answers to all these questions must be

unfavourable to Freemasonry . . . . It must eventually die from sheer inanition . " Then again I read — " It is almost absurd to talk of Masonic literature ; it scarcely exists . Except the works written by Oliver , Mackay , Findel , and Ragon , there is scarcely anything worth reading about Freemasonry

of which a Freemason is the author . " What estimate is this of some 12 , 000 works on Freemasonry , many of which would grace any library , and be a credit to any society , however learned or distinguished . Mr . Heckethorn does good service , however , in exposing some ofthe forgeries which have

been sought at times to be foisted on the fraternity . Ofthe Templars he says— " In 1705 Philip , Duke of Orleans , collected the remaining members of the Society that had renounced its first scope to cultivate politics . A Jesuit Father , Bonani , a learned rogue , fabricated the famous list of suppositious

Grand Masters of the Temple since Molay , beginning with his immediate successor , Larmenius . No imposture was ever sustained with greater sagacity . The document offered all the requisite characteristics of authenticity , and was calculated to deceive the most experienced palxologist . Its

object was to connect the new institution with the ancient Templars . To render the deception more perfect , the volume containing the false list was filled with minutes of deliberations at fictitious meetings , under false dates . Two members were even sent to Lisbon to obtain , if possible , a

document of legitimacy from the ' Knights of Christ , ' an Order supposed to have been founded on the ruins of the Order of the Temple . But the deputies were unmasked , and very badly received . One had to take refuge in England , the other was transported to Africa , where he died . "

He , however , accepts as authentic the story of Ramsay's visit to the Grand Lodge of England in 1728 respecting his new degrees , of which there has not been one iota of evidence produced . So I perceive that Mr . Heckethorn is not incapable of being hoodwinked himself , even though he is anxious to enlighten Freemasons about their Society , of which he is not a member .

His remarks about Freemasons occupying only a portion of the work , it would be unfair to judge of the whole from the failures to which I have thought it right to draw attention . Much valuable and interesting information is afforded respecting the " Ancient Mysteries , " and certainly I know not where so much varied

intelligence about secret societies of all kinds—good and bad—religious and political—social and philosophical—is t 6 ' be obtained , save in these twovolumes , which , with all their faults , and notwithstanding their elementary character , are well worth a perusal by the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , and all interested in the origin and character of such Societies .