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Article OPERATIVE LODGES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article FREEMASONRY VERSUS MASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article FREEMASONRY VERSUS MASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article PAPERS ON MASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article PAPERS ON MASONRY. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Operative Lodges.
fore must take exception to Bro . Yarker ' s next observation relative to the "Stuarts , " and also tho "Annual Assembly" of 1663 . In the fact that we have the " M . SS . "" to refer to from which the " Revised Grand Lodge Regulations were compiled " of 1723 , and since , and to which Bro .
Dermott has alluded , I must beg of Bro . Yarker to name any of those precious documents that mention any Masonic degrees beyond the first . They certainly allude to Craftsmen , and Master Masons , as officially higher than the Entered Apprentice , but not as possessed of other secrets . On this point we know that
neither the records of Kilwinning , York , "Antiquity , " Stirling , nor any other operative lodge prior to tho "Revival" ever mention anything but the " word " that was given to Masons beyond the " Apprentice's . " By perusing the Harleian M . SS ., vol . 1212 , British Museum , it will be seen that the term " Grand Master" does not occur . The following is the clause
referred to : —30 thly . " That for the future , the sayd society , company , and fraternity of Freemasons shall be regulated and governed by one Master , and assembly and Wardens , as the said company shall think fit to choose at every yearly general assembly . " ( c ) Perhaps Bro . Yarker would kindl y inform me
where I can get any evidence of the degrees , other than Apprentice , being in the gift of these " Annual Assemblies V" The proof to satisfy me must bo documentary evidence of a date anterior to tho Revival . (_) I have just examined the Rawlinson MSS . and
the letter mentioned , and all I can say is , that if Bro . Yarker thinks the "fifth order" really does mean the Royal Arch , I will then tell him wh y I think it does not . At present , after reading the letter , it is difficult for me to think he can .
The Stirling " Cross-logged Masons " I have referred to in my "Analysis , " and beg to refer Bro . Yarker to the remark 1 made then on the subject . If not accessible to him , I will gladly forward them to him on receipt of his address . ( e ) The learned brother R . Woof is to me a great
authority , on the Kni ghts Templars especially , and his " Sketch of the Order " I value exceedingly . That brother , however , does not mention anything relative to the antiquity of thc Royal Arch and Craft degrees in his work ; neither do I think he would admit that the " Royal Arch Kni ght Templar Priests " were
instituted , or were even in existence , so early as 1 C 86 . I am not aware of any document , certificate , or record that even mentions such a title before the middle oi the last century . In conclusion , I would observe that the quotation from the Constitutions of 1723 , as given in Tim
FUEEMASON of April 3 rd ( i . e ., " Apprentices mnst be admitted Fellow Crafts and Masters onl y here , unless by dispensation from the Grand Master" ) does not ever occur before . In haste to finish , I would also like to say that ,
hough not able to accept Brother Yarker ' s views , I most sincerely admire his zeal , and appreciate very warmly his valuable efforts in the cause of Masonry . ' WILLIAM JAMIiS HUGHAN . Truro , Cornwall , 3 rd April , 1809 .
Freemasonry Versus Masonry.
FREEMASONRY VERSUS MASONRY .
From the building of the Pyramids , which may safely be classed as tlie oldest existing specimens of the Royal Art , down to our own iron age , " Masonry " lias existed , and flourished more or less as the times went . We first find it in the eternal structures of
E gyij t * , we aj » ain have it in the classic ideal structures of Greece ; it starts up again in the more utilitarian structures of Roiiie * then we again find it in our noble , awe-inspiring , and heavenward-directing cathedrals , down , as I said , to our own times , which may be fairly classed par excellence as the
Iron Age . Ihrough this long period , comprising thousands of years , "Masonry" has flourished , leaving proofs of its work as it went along ; not mere " footprints on the sands of time , " for the next wave , perhaps , to obliterate , but marking its existence with a pen of iron on the flinty rock .
flic institution of " . Masonry " may , therefore , bo well denominated ancient . But as for our " Freemasonry , " that is a different matter altogether ; its foundation as an institution , such as we now know it , dates from the time when some of our predecessors formed the idea of turning the lodge of
operative masonry ( with its word and grip and simple obligation given to its E . A ., or Fellow of the Craft , or to an individual admitted into its simple social or friendl y society ) into speculative " Freemasonry , " with its profuse ceremonial but grand ideas . This great change took place about the
beginning of last century . Upon the humble Masonic lodge of the seventeenth and former centuries , the great fathers ( although their ends were good , I am not so sure about some of their means ) of "Freemasonry" founded " a structure perfect
in all its prts , and honourable to its builders . " That old , simple operative "lodge " may therefore be iu some measure entitled to consider itself tlie parent of our graud Freemasonic " Temple , " which , though both are called " lodges , " yet as such , especially when we consider their purposes , the oue
Freemasonry Versus Masonry.
bears about as much resemblance to the other as the hut of a shepherd to the palace of a king , although both are " houses . " As for different Masonic "degrees , " with their beautiful ceremonies such as we now have , I hardly suppose such were in existence two centuries ago
( although a word and grip and obligation , with perhaps the reading of the rules or constitutions of the lodge , were formerly given to the E . A . ) , and , as may easily be understood by any one fairly , with unbiassed mind , examining into the subject , our beautiful , sublime M . M . " degree" was an
entirelynew creation about a century and a half ago . It is altogether , therefore , a mistaken confusion of ideas that leads people to suppose that our noble institution of " Freemasonry , " was iu existence previous to the seventeenth century . When I say the " seventeenth century , " I wish to give myself plenty of
time by turning the corner of A . D . 17 t ; 0 . The purposes of , and the ideas connected with " Freemasonry" are quite different and distinct from those of " Masonry , " yet , somehow , the similarity of names has carried away many very worthy people , who confound aud mix u ] j the two tilings .
Several centuries ago there were " Freemasons , " that is " Freemen-masons , just as there were Freemen-wrig hts or Freemen-tailors ; yet these old " Freemasons " were quite different from the " Freemasons " of to-day—although the name is the same , the thin a itself is quite different .
The Old " Freemason " or Freeman-mason , was merely an operative tradesman who worked iu stone . The " Freemason " is a worker on mind , while the other dealt with matter . Thus their spheres are altogether different ; the one uses dead material the other living stones , the dead stone has to be squared
by another , the honour aud privilege of the living stone is to square itself , so that it maybe suitable for building into " that temple not made with hands eternal in the heavens . " The object of the Old Freeman-mason was to secure and keep intact his trade privileges . The duty of the new " Freemason "
is to spread the cement of brotherly love , relief , and truth through all the nations of the earth , and to unite all men—whatever their position in life may be , high or low , rich or poor—into one common and universal brotherhood , ever reminding them that they are their " brother ' s keeper . "
liy tlie same door all enter life , and by tho same gate they leave it . In these two important events of man ' s career all are on the level What signifies it to the unborn babe whether its mother is a princess or a peasant , and what signifies it to your putrifying corpse whether it be cased in a coflin of ' gold
or wood f Then when "this mortal shall have put on immortality , " its future life will be based—not upon its once-possessed silver or gold , riches or honours , but—upon the brotherly love , relief , and truth of the past . " Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the
least of these my brethren , ye did it unto me . " Tosoftenthe asperities of the struggleforexistence , to succour a falling brother , to comfort the widow , and protect the orphan , such is the grand noble aim and idea of " Freemasonry . "
Freemasonry does not now require any false antiquity thrown around it , to recommend it , it recommends itself , while the assumption of , or brooding upon , this pseudo-past antiquity tends to prevent the upholding of its real honour—the performance of the duly of to-day . The noblest laurels of "Freemasonry " do not therefore lie in the past , but in the future— they have yet to be won . LEO .
Papers On Masonry.
PAPERS ON MASONRY .
BY A LEWIS . III . —MASONRY AND SOCIAL RANK . T . G . A . O . T . U ., in his infinite wisdom , and evidently for the greater happiness of His creation , has throughout nature and throughout society appointed a series
or hierarchy oi beings . Absolute equality can only exist before Him ; and the universal plan—so marvellous in detail , from the microscopic animate to the highest type of human moral and intellectual activityevinces this fact . But while—to limit ourselves to tho contemplation of man and social arrangements—wc
perceive the absolute impossibility of social equality , we see the great principle of universal love throwing open the barriers , and to worth giving honour , when nobly desired mid persistently sought . In our several spheres of labour , no matter how exalted the rank , we find duties of corresponding
magnitude affixed in a manner at once fitted to our capacities and to the limits of our intellectual strength . No reflective man cannot but see that a dead level of uniformity would soon bring about a stagnation in society , incompatible with the effectual preservation of the life of mankind as a means to the jrreat end .
Many have been the modes adopted during tho historical life of humanity to effect this gradual and healthy elevation of the races of man . Among the most sure means of increasing the comforts , confirming tho orderly stability , and ensuring the happiness of all classes of the community may be reckoned the
Papers On Masonry.
great and growing Institution of Freemasonry . While it offers to all who seek it a common bond of fraternity , and a mode of exercising intellectual vigour in all directions , it also affords a sure method of developing the noble faculties of our moral nature . To the poor man it teaches the lesson that all are subject to inevitable laws of p hysical suffering , which can only
be obviated by a due obedience to Temperance , and justified by Prudence . To the rich man it proves the truth of the axiom that it is more blessed to give than to receive ; it affords to him the luxury of charity , and instructs him in the utter nothingness of mere worldly possessions . To the true Mason , speaking untoelmically—i . e ., whethcr initiated or no—every man is a brother in the best of senses . To tho untrue brother
every man is an enemy . Suspicion is the great fooler of our wits . One of the greatest advantages of Masonry is the fact of its being open to all classes of the community , subject only to restrictions to which no one can possibly object—such as a bad character , a physical
incapacity , or a want of the rudiments of education . AVith these exceptions , prince and peasant , the capitalist aud the labourer are equal before T . G . A . O . T . U . It has been said by some that the right which every Freemason has of visiting lodges is inconsistent with mere social position , but to this it may be replied that
a person in au humble station of life and belonging to a lodge consistent with his degree would scarcely fail to see himself out of place in a lodge of those whom rank , fortune , or education have placed above him in the social scale ; whereas , if a good Mason , understanding the principles on which tho ceremonies
are conducted , he would nevertheless meet with a fraternal reception wherever he might present himself . But , as a good Mason , his own common sense would deter him from entering lodges in which those in a superior rank of life assembled . But it is a healthy sign—speaking volumes for the Craft—to see men of
the most exalted positions joining in the common labour of " peace and good-will to all men " It is evident from this non-exclusive characteristic that thc secrets , whatever they may be , of Freemasonry are of such a nature that they arc adapted for the advancement of Humanity at large . I pass over the
question , so frequently urged , of its importance to travellers in remote regions and amidst tho dangers and inconveniences attendant upon explorations or war . But it is surely a reassuring idea for such as pass from land to land to be able to feel the security , that everywhere protection and fraternal aid is to be
found . My own father owed the prolongation of his life to thc fact of his connection with the institution ; having become , in the cause of liberty , n prisoner to those of opposite opinions and interests , he obtained his freedom from the circumstance and escaped the extreme penalty .
Much has been said as to the non-political character of Masonry , but it would be unfair lo debar men from attempting to promote the well-being of the great principle of freedom for all . Sacred above all things in the universe , is the obligation of fighting for the advancement of political freedom ; and the greatest
patriots the world has seen have been , arc , and ever should he , Freemasons . I name no names , but they will oc (! * iir to the mind of every render of these papers . Masonry , however , aims rather at obtaining these desirable results by the more legitimate and less violent means of peace , and by the arts of reason nnd
selfevident arguments of justice and truth . It is not to be denied that secret societies abound which hold tyrannicide a duty and a virtue , but it would be entering on matters beyond onr present scope to discuss the rightfulness or wrongfulness of such associations here . Alas ! it is but too evident that the existence of such
bodies is a deplorable and fatal necessity in these much disjointed times . But "the bright particular star " is not the prerogative of any one class of our citizens or of our fellowbeings . It is a common property , and appertains to every station in life . There is also in this hierarch y
of lodges an incentive of the noblest kind to emulation , and many men would fail to rise in life wore there not something to which they might aspire . _ All honour to those many noble and patriotic men of high rank who have for years upheld the banner of Freemasonry , and preserved its principles pure , nnd
intact , from age to age . The heir-apparent of these realms has now added himself to this great corporation of Charity ; and it is to be hoped that on his return to his native land he will diligently pursue studies which cannot fail both to interest and ennoble that imperishable element of his nature in the
recdifit-iition of which , in a consistent spirit , alone lie his hopes of an acceptance in the Grand ' Lodge of the Hereafter . From the humblest Mason to tho most illustrious , there runs a chain of union ; and in the race of emulative goodness , let us hope that the Prince will not be found lagging behind .
There is plenty of work to be done—although much has been already accomplished — ore the charitable purposes for which the Royal Art exists can be full y carried out . A true and cheerful acceptance of social distinctions and grades of society , cannot fail to materiall y advance the objects of the Order . Esto Perpetual CRYPTONYMUS .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Operative Lodges.
fore must take exception to Bro . Yarker ' s next observation relative to the "Stuarts , " and also tho "Annual Assembly" of 1663 . In the fact that we have the " M . SS . "" to refer to from which the " Revised Grand Lodge Regulations were compiled " of 1723 , and since , and to which Bro .
Dermott has alluded , I must beg of Bro . Yarker to name any of those precious documents that mention any Masonic degrees beyond the first . They certainly allude to Craftsmen , and Master Masons , as officially higher than the Entered Apprentice , but not as possessed of other secrets . On this point we know that
neither the records of Kilwinning , York , "Antiquity , " Stirling , nor any other operative lodge prior to tho "Revival" ever mention anything but the " word " that was given to Masons beyond the " Apprentice's . " By perusing the Harleian M . SS ., vol . 1212 , British Museum , it will be seen that the term " Grand Master" does not occur . The following is the clause
referred to : —30 thly . " That for the future , the sayd society , company , and fraternity of Freemasons shall be regulated and governed by one Master , and assembly and Wardens , as the said company shall think fit to choose at every yearly general assembly . " ( c ) Perhaps Bro . Yarker would kindl y inform me
where I can get any evidence of the degrees , other than Apprentice , being in the gift of these " Annual Assemblies V" The proof to satisfy me must bo documentary evidence of a date anterior to tho Revival . (_) I have just examined the Rawlinson MSS . and
the letter mentioned , and all I can say is , that if Bro . Yarker thinks the "fifth order" really does mean the Royal Arch , I will then tell him wh y I think it does not . At present , after reading the letter , it is difficult for me to think he can .
The Stirling " Cross-logged Masons " I have referred to in my "Analysis , " and beg to refer Bro . Yarker to the remark 1 made then on the subject . If not accessible to him , I will gladly forward them to him on receipt of his address . ( e ) The learned brother R . Woof is to me a great
authority , on the Kni ghts Templars especially , and his " Sketch of the Order " I value exceedingly . That brother , however , does not mention anything relative to the antiquity of thc Royal Arch and Craft degrees in his work ; neither do I think he would admit that the " Royal Arch Kni ght Templar Priests " were
instituted , or were even in existence , so early as 1 C 86 . I am not aware of any document , certificate , or record that even mentions such a title before the middle oi the last century . In conclusion , I would observe that the quotation from the Constitutions of 1723 , as given in Tim
FUEEMASON of April 3 rd ( i . e ., " Apprentices mnst be admitted Fellow Crafts and Masters onl y here , unless by dispensation from the Grand Master" ) does not ever occur before . In haste to finish , I would also like to say that ,
hough not able to accept Brother Yarker ' s views , I most sincerely admire his zeal , and appreciate very warmly his valuable efforts in the cause of Masonry . ' WILLIAM JAMIiS HUGHAN . Truro , Cornwall , 3 rd April , 1809 .
Freemasonry Versus Masonry.
FREEMASONRY VERSUS MASONRY .
From the building of the Pyramids , which may safely be classed as tlie oldest existing specimens of the Royal Art , down to our own iron age , " Masonry " lias existed , and flourished more or less as the times went . We first find it in the eternal structures of
E gyij t * , we aj » ain have it in the classic ideal structures of Greece ; it starts up again in the more utilitarian structures of Roiiie * then we again find it in our noble , awe-inspiring , and heavenward-directing cathedrals , down , as I said , to our own times , which may be fairly classed par excellence as the
Iron Age . Ihrough this long period , comprising thousands of years , "Masonry" has flourished , leaving proofs of its work as it went along ; not mere " footprints on the sands of time , " for the next wave , perhaps , to obliterate , but marking its existence with a pen of iron on the flinty rock .
flic institution of " . Masonry " may , therefore , bo well denominated ancient . But as for our " Freemasonry , " that is a different matter altogether ; its foundation as an institution , such as we now know it , dates from the time when some of our predecessors formed the idea of turning the lodge of
operative masonry ( with its word and grip and simple obligation given to its E . A ., or Fellow of the Craft , or to an individual admitted into its simple social or friendl y society ) into speculative " Freemasonry , " with its profuse ceremonial but grand ideas . This great change took place about the
beginning of last century . Upon the humble Masonic lodge of the seventeenth and former centuries , the great fathers ( although their ends were good , I am not so sure about some of their means ) of "Freemasonry" founded " a structure perfect
in all its prts , and honourable to its builders . " That old , simple operative "lodge " may therefore be iu some measure entitled to consider itself tlie parent of our graud Freemasonic " Temple , " which , though both are called " lodges , " yet as such , especially when we consider their purposes , the oue
Freemasonry Versus Masonry.
bears about as much resemblance to the other as the hut of a shepherd to the palace of a king , although both are " houses . " As for different Masonic "degrees , " with their beautiful ceremonies such as we now have , I hardly suppose such were in existence two centuries ago
( although a word and grip and obligation , with perhaps the reading of the rules or constitutions of the lodge , were formerly given to the E . A . ) , and , as may easily be understood by any one fairly , with unbiassed mind , examining into the subject , our beautiful , sublime M . M . " degree" was an
entirelynew creation about a century and a half ago . It is altogether , therefore , a mistaken confusion of ideas that leads people to suppose that our noble institution of " Freemasonry , " was iu existence previous to the seventeenth century . When I say the " seventeenth century , " I wish to give myself plenty of
time by turning the corner of A . D . 17 t ; 0 . The purposes of , and the ideas connected with " Freemasonry" are quite different and distinct from those of " Masonry , " yet , somehow , the similarity of names has carried away many very worthy people , who confound aud mix u ] j the two tilings .
Several centuries ago there were " Freemasons , " that is " Freemen-masons , just as there were Freemen-wrig hts or Freemen-tailors ; yet these old " Freemasons " were quite different from the " Freemasons " of to-day—although the name is the same , the thin a itself is quite different .
The Old " Freemason " or Freeman-mason , was merely an operative tradesman who worked iu stone . The " Freemason " is a worker on mind , while the other dealt with matter . Thus their spheres are altogether different ; the one uses dead material the other living stones , the dead stone has to be squared
by another , the honour aud privilege of the living stone is to square itself , so that it maybe suitable for building into " that temple not made with hands eternal in the heavens . " The object of the Old Freeman-mason was to secure and keep intact his trade privileges . The duty of the new " Freemason "
is to spread the cement of brotherly love , relief , and truth through all the nations of the earth , and to unite all men—whatever their position in life may be , high or low , rich or poor—into one common and universal brotherhood , ever reminding them that they are their " brother ' s keeper . "
liy tlie same door all enter life , and by tho same gate they leave it . In these two important events of man ' s career all are on the level What signifies it to the unborn babe whether its mother is a princess or a peasant , and what signifies it to your putrifying corpse whether it be cased in a coflin of ' gold
or wood f Then when "this mortal shall have put on immortality , " its future life will be based—not upon its once-possessed silver or gold , riches or honours , but—upon the brotherly love , relief , and truth of the past . " Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the
least of these my brethren , ye did it unto me . " Tosoftenthe asperities of the struggleforexistence , to succour a falling brother , to comfort the widow , and protect the orphan , such is the grand noble aim and idea of " Freemasonry . "
Freemasonry does not now require any false antiquity thrown around it , to recommend it , it recommends itself , while the assumption of , or brooding upon , this pseudo-past antiquity tends to prevent the upholding of its real honour—the performance of the duly of to-day . The noblest laurels of "Freemasonry " do not therefore lie in the past , but in the future— they have yet to be won . LEO .
Papers On Masonry.
PAPERS ON MASONRY .
BY A LEWIS . III . —MASONRY AND SOCIAL RANK . T . G . A . O . T . U ., in his infinite wisdom , and evidently for the greater happiness of His creation , has throughout nature and throughout society appointed a series
or hierarchy oi beings . Absolute equality can only exist before Him ; and the universal plan—so marvellous in detail , from the microscopic animate to the highest type of human moral and intellectual activityevinces this fact . But while—to limit ourselves to tho contemplation of man and social arrangements—wc
perceive the absolute impossibility of social equality , we see the great principle of universal love throwing open the barriers , and to worth giving honour , when nobly desired mid persistently sought . In our several spheres of labour , no matter how exalted the rank , we find duties of corresponding
magnitude affixed in a manner at once fitted to our capacities and to the limits of our intellectual strength . No reflective man cannot but see that a dead level of uniformity would soon bring about a stagnation in society , incompatible with the effectual preservation of the life of mankind as a means to the jrreat end .
Many have been the modes adopted during tho historical life of humanity to effect this gradual and healthy elevation of the races of man . Among the most sure means of increasing the comforts , confirming tho orderly stability , and ensuring the happiness of all classes of the community may be reckoned the
Papers On Masonry.
great and growing Institution of Freemasonry . While it offers to all who seek it a common bond of fraternity , and a mode of exercising intellectual vigour in all directions , it also affords a sure method of developing the noble faculties of our moral nature . To the poor man it teaches the lesson that all are subject to inevitable laws of p hysical suffering , which can only
be obviated by a due obedience to Temperance , and justified by Prudence . To the rich man it proves the truth of the axiom that it is more blessed to give than to receive ; it affords to him the luxury of charity , and instructs him in the utter nothingness of mere worldly possessions . To the true Mason , speaking untoelmically—i . e ., whethcr initiated or no—every man is a brother in the best of senses . To tho untrue brother
every man is an enemy . Suspicion is the great fooler of our wits . One of the greatest advantages of Masonry is the fact of its being open to all classes of the community , subject only to restrictions to which no one can possibly object—such as a bad character , a physical
incapacity , or a want of the rudiments of education . AVith these exceptions , prince and peasant , the capitalist aud the labourer are equal before T . G . A . O . T . U . It has been said by some that the right which every Freemason has of visiting lodges is inconsistent with mere social position , but to this it may be replied that
a person in au humble station of life and belonging to a lodge consistent with his degree would scarcely fail to see himself out of place in a lodge of those whom rank , fortune , or education have placed above him in the social scale ; whereas , if a good Mason , understanding the principles on which tho ceremonies
are conducted , he would nevertheless meet with a fraternal reception wherever he might present himself . But , as a good Mason , his own common sense would deter him from entering lodges in which those in a superior rank of life assembled . But it is a healthy sign—speaking volumes for the Craft—to see men of
the most exalted positions joining in the common labour of " peace and good-will to all men " It is evident from this non-exclusive characteristic that thc secrets , whatever they may be , of Freemasonry are of such a nature that they arc adapted for the advancement of Humanity at large . I pass over the
question , so frequently urged , of its importance to travellers in remote regions and amidst tho dangers and inconveniences attendant upon explorations or war . But it is surely a reassuring idea for such as pass from land to land to be able to feel the security , that everywhere protection and fraternal aid is to be
found . My own father owed the prolongation of his life to thc fact of his connection with the institution ; having become , in the cause of liberty , n prisoner to those of opposite opinions and interests , he obtained his freedom from the circumstance and escaped the extreme penalty .
Much has been said as to the non-political character of Masonry , but it would be unfair lo debar men from attempting to promote the well-being of the great principle of freedom for all . Sacred above all things in the universe , is the obligation of fighting for the advancement of political freedom ; and the greatest
patriots the world has seen have been , arc , and ever should he , Freemasons . I name no names , but they will oc (! * iir to the mind of every render of these papers . Masonry , however , aims rather at obtaining these desirable results by the more legitimate and less violent means of peace , and by the arts of reason nnd
selfevident arguments of justice and truth . It is not to be denied that secret societies abound which hold tyrannicide a duty and a virtue , but it would be entering on matters beyond onr present scope to discuss the rightfulness or wrongfulness of such associations here . Alas ! it is but too evident that the existence of such
bodies is a deplorable and fatal necessity in these much disjointed times . But "the bright particular star " is not the prerogative of any one class of our citizens or of our fellowbeings . It is a common property , and appertains to every station in life . There is also in this hierarch y
of lodges an incentive of the noblest kind to emulation , and many men would fail to rise in life wore there not something to which they might aspire . _ All honour to those many noble and patriotic men of high rank who have for years upheld the banner of Freemasonry , and preserved its principles pure , nnd
intact , from age to age . The heir-apparent of these realms has now added himself to this great corporation of Charity ; and it is to be hoped that on his return to his native land he will diligently pursue studies which cannot fail both to interest and ennoble that imperishable element of his nature in the
recdifit-iition of which , in a consistent spirit , alone lie his hopes of an acceptance in the Grand ' Lodge of the Hereafter . From the humblest Mason to tho most illustrious , there runs a chain of union ; and in the race of emulative goodness , let us hope that the Prince will not be found lagging behind .
There is plenty of work to be done—although much has been already accomplished — ore the charitable purposes for which the Royal Art exists can be full y carried out . A true and cheerful acceptance of social distinctions and grades of society , cannot fail to materiall y advance the objects of the Order . Esto Perpetual CRYPTONYMUS .