Papers On Masonry.

PAPERS ON MASONRY .

BY A LEWIS . XVIII . —MASONRY IN PRUSSIA . "And when King Arail the Canaanite , which dwelt in the Sooth heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies ;

then he fought against Israel , and took some of them prisoners . "—Numbers , xxi , 1 . " When he giveth quietness , who then can make trouble ? and when he hideth his face , who then can behold him ? whether it be done against a nation , or against a man only . " —Job xxxiv . 29 .

As Russia is bound up with the memory of Peter the Great , so is Prussia indissolubly united to the fame of Frederick the Second . Both , autocrats—but in widely different senses—these men have stamped the impress of their several geniuses on tho world's history . The one was admired for his persistent hardihood , the

other fiir his remarkable courage . To the former has been assigned an enigmatical position in the world ' s great story ; of the other a ' ¦ p lain unvarnished tale " has been told . Both deserve our respect , the latter alone our esteem . But there is a subtle analogy between these two monai-clis , who fought , each according

to his light , against evil aril darkness , well worthy of consideration . Reverse the centuries , and the two men in the same positions would have done the same . Peter , from a great brute mass of humanity , formed a nation—a Russia worth thinking about . Frederick , with an instinct possessed by few men of his time ,

smelt the Revolution , stemmed its torrent , and brought into existence the most intellectual and enlightened monarch y the world has seen in these confused latter days . Peter knew nothing , and had lie known , wonld have rejected , Freemasonry as quite at variance with his ideas of autocracy . Frederick , though at peril of

his life , accepted it . He saw in it a refuge from the perp lexing problems of his time ; it formed a barrier against the sceptical philosophy of Baron Holnibach ; it supplied a means of escape from the generalizations of Lamarck , and it pointed t > that road which leads to advancement in tin intelleetii . il and moral sense .

It inspired his actions in peace ; if . invigorated , while it chastened , his fierceness in war . There is no spectacle more noteworthy than that of this sa I king , whose wars wero made that peace might prevail ; who wasted lands that they mig ht become fertile ; and whose latest and last elfu-ts wero devoted to the consolidation of

the materials he had gathered bv supreme suffering . He was a Mason in that great sense , so desirable to be understood by the mere chaffering crowd of initiates we now seo ab mt us , Haunting their ornaments wherever banquets are spread , and '' doing the philanthropic'' because they hope it may lead them to

advancement . Let us revert for a moment to Peter of Russia . Brute in passion he undoubtedly was ; but whoever has seen Tatar races of our pivse ; it times can doubt that he , by force of will — by strenuous exertion humanized that which was Sevlhian before

his day ? lie , too , was Masonic , but Masonic unaware . '' . If any one remembers the state of the government of Kostroma , an interior circle of Russia , only fifteen years ago — if they can tell anything about tlie licences and enormities then , even , committed—they may form some conception of what Russia

mig ht have been before the patient Carpenter of Deptford set his shoulder to the wheel of State . But even this great problem of Peter ' s was transcended by the simplicity of Brother Frederick . He found a nation of slaves , he left them men . lie taught them that lesson which few communities like to

learn , from shame ; ho told tliein to respect themselves ! This was Masonic ; and few , if any , nations owe more to Masonic inlhieiice than Prussia . I have lived there , and I know it . No silly questions of precedence were of the slightest avail ; there was a gigantic misery ,

a wrong not to be defined—and this noble Mason solved it . This is , therefore , my const ruction of Freemasonry : that vi el armis it is to carry good to onr homes , onrhearths , ourselves . It is not a , false Masonry , which , like

Vaulting ambition , oYrlcaps itself , Anil falls ' o the other side ; it is an absolute reality . The circiim-tancos of the initiation of tho great man who made Prussia , may best be told iu the words of Carlvle : —

" Trillin ;** circumstance of Freemasonry as we read ill Biell ' eld , and in many books after him , befel in manner following . Among the dinner guests at Loo , one of those three days , was a Prince of Lippe-Iiiickoburg , — Prince of small territory , but . of great speculation ; whose territory lies ou the Weir , leading

to the Dutch connections ... he was a dinner guest ; ai ; il one of the topics that came up was Freemasonry ; a phantasmal kind of object , which had kindled itself , or rekindled , in those years , in England first of all ; and was now hovering about , a

good deal , in Germany and other countries ; pretending to be a new lig ht of heaven , and not a bog-meteor of p hosphorated hydrogen , conspicuous in the murk of things . l ! og-iiieteor , foolish , piilres tent will-o ' -wisp , his Majesty promptly defines it to bo : Tomfoolery

Papers On Masonry.

and Kinder Spiel , what else ? Whereupon ingenious Biickeburg , who was himself a Mason , man of forty by this time , and had hi gh thoughts in him of the Quixotic type , ventured on defence ; and was so respectful , eloquent , dextrous , ingenious , he quite captivated , if not his Majesty , at least the Crown Prince ,

who was more enthusiastic for hi gh things . Crown Prince , after table , took his Diirchlaucht of Biickeburg aside ; talked further on the subject , expressed his admiration , his conviction , —his wish to be admitted into such a hero-fraternity . Nothing could be welcomer to Durchlaucht . And so in all privacy , it was

made up between them , that Durchlaucht , summoning as many mystic brothers out of Hamburg as were needful , should be in waiting with them , on the Crown Prince ' s road homeward—say at Brunswick , night before the fair , where we tire to be , —and there make the crown prince a Mason . This is Bielfeld ' s account ,

repeated ever since ; substantially correct , except that the scene was not Loo at all ; dinner ami dialogue , it now appears , took place in Durchlanoht ' s own neighbourhood , during tbe Cleve Review time ; probably at Minden , 17 th July 17 : 18 , and all was settled into fixed programme before Loo came in sight . Bielfeld's

report , of the subsequent procedure at Brunswick , as he saw and was himself part of it , is liable to no mistakes , at least of the involuntary kind ; and may , for anything we know , be correct in every particular . He says ( veiling it nnder discreet asterisks , which are now decipherable enough ) , the Durchlaucht of

Lippc-Biickeburg had summoned six brethren of the Hamburg Lodge ; of whom we mention only a Graf von Kiebnansegge , a Baron von Oberg , both from Hanover , and Bielfeld himself , a merchant ' s son of Hamburg ; these , with Kichnannseggo ' s valet to act as Tiler , valet being also a Mason , and the rule equality

of mankind , —were to have the honour of initiating the Crown Prince . They arrived at the western gates of Brunswick , on the 11 th of August , as prearranged ; Prussian Majesty not yet come , but coming punctually on the morrow . It is fair time ; all manner of trades , pedlars , showmen , rendezvousing ; many neighbouring

nobility too , as was still the habit . ' Such a . bulk of light luggage ? ' said the custom-house people at tho gate;—but were pacilied by slipping tlie : n a ducat . Upon which we drove to ' Korns Hotel' ( if anybody now know it ); anil patiently waited . No great things of a hotel , says Bielfeld ; but can be put up with ;—

worst feature is , we discover a Hanover acquaintance lodging close by , nothing but a wooden partition between us : How if he should overhear !—Prussian Majesty and suite , under universal cannon salvos , arrived , Sunday the 12 th , to stay till Wednesday ( three days ) with his august son-in-law a-id daughtei

here . Durchlaucht Lippe presents himself at court , the rest of us not ! privately settles with tlie prince : 'Tuesday night , eve of his Majesty ' s departure ; that shall be the night : at Korns' Hotel , late enough !' And there , accordingly , on the appointed night , 1 Ith-15 th August 171 ) 8 , the light-luggage trunks have

yielded their stage properties ; . Lielun and Boaz are set up , and all things aro ready ; Tiler ( Kielmaniisegge ' s valet ) watching with drawn sword against the profimu . As to our Hanover nei ghbour on the other side the partition , says Bielfeld , we waited on him , this day after dinner , successively paying our respects ;

successively pledged him in so many bumpers , he is lying dead drunk hours ago , could not overhear a cannon battery , he . And soon after midnight , thc Crown Prince glides in , a Captain \\ arteiisleben accompanying , who is also a candidate ; and the mysterious rites are accomplished on both of them , on

the Crown Prince first , without accident , and in the usual way . Bielfeld could not enough admire the demeanour of this Prince , his clearness , sense , quiet brilliancy ; and how he was so 'intrepid , ' and 'possessed himself so gracefully in the most critical instants . ' Extremely genial air , and so young , looks younger

even than his years : handsome to a degree , though of short stature . Physiognomy , features , quite charming ; fine auburn hair ( beau brim ) , a negligent plenty of it ; his large blue eyes have something ut once severe , sweet , and gracious . Eligible Mason , indeed ! Had better make despatch at present , lest Papa be

getting ou the road before him ! Bielfeld delivered a small address , composed beforehand , with which the Prince seemed sati > ficd . And so , with Masonic grip , they made their adieus for the jiresent ; and the Crown Prince and AVarteiislobon were back at ( heir posts ,

really for the road along with his Majesty . " Supplcnii nting this picturesque account of Frederick ' s great historian , I may , for the Masonic reader , mention that the lodge from Hamburgh was a deputation of the Lodge '" Absalom" in that city . Findel says that the ceremony was not . over till four in the

morning , in which case it would appear that , like ll . lt . II . the Prince of Wales , Frederick must have received all , if not most of the degrees on Oiut , memorable night . It was proposed to spare the Prince to some extent , but he particularly requested to b ;* treated like

any other person . His subsequent Alusoi-ic career proved the sincerity of his Fraternal princip les . A lodge was organised at his castle at licinsbii-g , November , 17 , 'J !) ; liro . Frederick , AV . M ., Bro . von Oben , AV . M ., and several others were admitted to the lodge . At the time of his accession , as was tho case with

Papers On Masonry.

Bro . King AVilliam IV . of England , he wielded the gavei , and conducted the first work himself at tho Palace of Charlottcnburg , June 20 , 1740 . From this time the progress of Freemasonry in Prussia was assured . 1 have l ying by me at the present time a handsome volume of "Ki-I pages , being

the History of the Grand Lodge of the Three Globes , issued in German by the authorities , and containing an exact precis of their public actions from the institution of that lodge on the 13 th September , 1740 , to the present time , in unbroken series . At the risk of protracting this article to an undue

length , I will just add that the first W . M . of the Three Globes was thus chosen : —Frederick , who assumed the position of G . M ., by one of the officials of his own private lodge , known as the Loge du Rot noire Grand-Maitre , issued a permission or warrant for the erection of a new Lodge in Berlin . Brother

Jordan hastened to communicate with other brethren in Berlin , and assembled four merchants , members of the Craft—Benezet , Gregory , Scire , and Simon . The minutes of the 9 ih November , 1740 , thus state the order of proceeding : — "The V . AV . liro . Philippe Simon , W . M ., Jean Scire , S . XV .. and Paul Benezet ,

J . W ., with Christian Gregory , 1 i-usurer , assembled on tho 13 th September , 1740 , and resolved unanimously , under the Itoyal consent , to erect a just , perfect , and legal Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons ( francs ct libres Magons ) . To this cud they have founded and erected the same at the Hotel de Vincent

in the BrUdorstrasse , the lelt wing to the front in the third floor . " After the installation the following candidates wore admitted : —Duinoiitier de Montgobert , Captain and landlord of the house , as E . A and F . C . ; Iiohoborn , Canon of Madgeburg , as E . A . Ballot was taken for the Imperial Captain Baron von Sehmettau ,

the Royal Hereditary Chamberlain Count Schwerin , the goldsmith Jean Roman , and the valet of Count Schwerin ( Jeremie Millenet ) , as Tyler and serving brother ; these were duly initiated on the 2 Ut September , with the exception of Count Schwerin , who was not elected until the nth October . The first and

second degrees were usually conferred at once , and tho lodge was first opened in the third degree for an initiation on the 2 Gth October , for the rai ing of Bro . von Sehmettau . They assembled every week , i he byelaws wore agreed to on the 10 th November , when a general meeting was held but no work done . On this

day there were twenty ordinary members of the lodgo , and before the end of tho first year their numbers had increased to thirty-one . Among additional young members were Bros , the Prince William of Prussia , the Duke of llolstwii-Iioek , the Margrave Charles , Count Triiehses von Waldburg , Jordan , and Lord

Hiiidfort , the Lnglish Ambassador . I will not here follow thu long history of the Lodge of the Three Globes further , only adding that at tlio present time the M . W . G . M . is Bro . Iv . F . von Messer sehinidt ; D . G . M ., Br . Dr . U ilhein von Horn ; S . G . W ., Bro . F . C . ll . Wiebe ; J . G . W ., Bro . Dr . C . L . A .

luianest ; G . S ., Bro . L . L . Ilillgenholf . Including 14 dormant lodges , this Grand Lodge has under its warrants 10 G St . Jehu ' s lodges aud 58 St . Andrjw ' s lodges . The Royal descendants of Prussia have kept true to their ancestor ' s idea , and William I . is a brother ;

let Iii in be tried . It will thus be apparent what great good issued to Masonry by the efforts of that great monarch whoso name is a beloved " household word " throughout all Prussia , and who consistently , although in so apparentl y fitful a manner , raised that country from a second-class tn that of a first-class power . The quiet progress

which has thus been effected , illustrates the exclamation of Job : " When he giveth quietness , who then can make trouble ? " and in the great battle of Ri ght against Arong , we cannot but approve of the wisdom of thus fighting against Israel— that " stilfnecked people "—and so taking some of them prisoners , at ) Arad , the Cunaanitish King , is related to have done . CRYPTON-MUS .

Mark Masonry .

MARK MASONRY .

SitEEitN-KSS . —A regular meeting of Mark Masters was hehl at the Masonic Lodge Room , Sheeriioss , on 22 nd July . The lodge was opened in solemn form by the Worshipful Master , Bro . Keddell , P . M ., P P . G . S . W ., P . Z ., supported by the whole of his

officers , whuu the following brethren were advanced to thc Mark Ma- 'tcj .- ' s degree : —Bros . Ralph , 77 j Hollingham , 77 ; Shern , P . M , 77 ; Barc / iinsky , W . M ., 77 ; Hicks , 77 ; Woodley , LOS ; Wootton , 1 . 58 ; Mudd . The ceremony was performed in Bro . Keddell's usual impressive manner . Among the visitors were noticed

Bro . F . Binkes , Grand Secretary of Mark Masons ; Bro . Hili Iiigg , 10 S ! 1 , and several other Brethren from Iho provinces . Bro . Binckes took the opportunity to compliment t } io W . M . on the cflicient way he conducted the ceremony , nnd the able workii g of tho

several ollicers . The lodge was closed in due form , when the brethren , to the number of thirty ( Mark Masters ) , repaired to the " Britannia , " and partook of a sumptuous banquet , provided by Bro . Green in his usual elegant sljle . The usual toasts were well responded to , and the meeting was closed at 9 r . M .