Archæological Progress. No. V.

epeated ever since in all Masonic works bee " or less . The German pamphlet has not n 1 t " becn found , and Kloss doubts if it ever ) ' ? : ; st . How it could have got into the " Gentlemen ' s Magazine" no one knows , or who oi in aio

t it to that journal , une copy u . . SC ? sts in tlle ^ TltiSn Museum , in the handw riting of Essex , the celebrated architect , late " fith century , and is probably a transcription of J oae of the printed copies . It was originally said that Leland ' s copy existed in the Bodleian r ' ; t . rnrv at Oxford , but it is not to be found

there , and Leland himself nowhere mentions it . Jt has had additional interest given to it by the alleged letter of John Locke . Dr . Oliver seems to " think that the letter was genuine—the

modern school of Masonic critics greatly doubt the fact . Indeed , it seems very dubious if Locke ever was a Mason at all , and no reason has ever been suggested why a letter to Lord Pembroke from him , should be first printed in a German pamphlet . The verbiage of the alleged saiu

catechism is very peculiar , and experts have that the archaisms are unnatural , and in fact , made-up . The document in its present form is clearly a fiction , it is not what it purports to be , it cannot be what it claims to be . But it is just possible that we have in it an old form of Masonic Catechism , in use in some of the lodges ,

which by an ignorant brother , or by a profane , has been added to and garbled in order to serve his end . What that end could be , we cannot very well see , unless indeed it be , to support the old tradition that Henry VI . was a

member of our Order . But it is useless to speculate . Whoever introduced this document in the " Gentlemen ' s Magazine , " no doubt did it designedly : if he was a Freemason , it must have been from some mistaken idea of adding to

the antiquity of our Order ; if a non-Mason from ignorance or mischief . Subject to what we have said above , we must reject it as available evidence for our truth-loving and historical Order . The Charter of Cologne , is

equally an inculpated , and equally an untenable document . Its history is somewhat obscure and intricate . It seems to have first appeared in Holland , whether made , there or not we

know not ; but though for a time it was accepted , it has long since been given up by Masonic critics . Brother Findel , in Germany , sometime ago denied its genuineness and its authenticity , and such has been also the verdict of our

modern English critical school . It is not a document of much importance in itself , and we can dismiss it herp , with the expression of our opinion , that we wonder any competent critics should ever have been imposed upon by its hopeless and unhistorical statements . But hero

we must stop for to-day , as the examination into the alleged Constitutions of Edwin , printed by Krause , requires more space than we can give to it , and a great deal may be said on both sides of the question , at least as regards the special character of the document .

The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.

THE RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN .

Many of our good brethren and correspondents seem to be somewhat perplexed with one or two difficulties attendant on this subject , which has always been somewhat of a " vexata questio" to our lodges . And some , we note , are rather disposed to blame what they term the " obscurity" of the Book of Constitutions on the matter . Now , with due submission to all

such , we venture to express our opinion to-day , " au contraire , " that the Book of Constitutions is quite explicit on the subject , and the law it lays down is equally sound and practical . We must bear this in mind , that while , by the general principles of our Order , all duly registered Freemasons , with their certificates and duly vouched

for , can claim to be admitted to the working of a lodge , our lodges never have professed except on personal acquaintance , to admit all visiting brethren to their social reunions . Such is the hospitality of our genial Order , that , as a general rule , their hospitality is as co-extensive as their Masonic reception , but cases might arise in which , though they might receive a visiting brother "jure suo , "

The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.

in the hour of work , they might not desiderate his presence in the time of refreshment . We admit that such cases are rare , but they may occur , and they do occur , and some of our brethren seem to forget that the lodge has two characters , so to say , its public character in work ,

and its private character in refreshment . Each lodge is , or ought to be , a little family , an aggregation of private friends , and no one , without the full consent of the brethren , has a right to interfere with their freedom of action or intrude on their privacy in this respect . But let us see

what it is that our Book of Constitutions really does lay down . These are the words of the law . " No visitor shall be admitted into a lodge unless he is personally known , recommended , or well vouched for , after due examination , by one of the present brethren . " Two conditions of admission

are clearly here expressed . The visitor must be known or recommended by some brother of the lodge , and must be vouched for as a Mason , after due examination , if he be not known to any of the brethren , by a member of the lodge Nothing is said about his certificate . As a

general rule , what occurs when an unknown visiting brother is announced , is this . A brother is deputed to examine him , and the production of the certificate is undoubtedly to be recommended as a proof of identity . But if the visiting brother passes his due examination and can

conscientiously be vouched for by a member of the lodge , in our opinion the requirements of the Book of Constitutions are fulfilled . But the whole question really turns , for the most part , on the subsequent social reunion . In consequence manv lodges make a rule , and they have a right

to do so , that unless a visitor is introduced by a brother , personally , or be invited by the W . M . in the name of the lodge , he cannot be admitted to their private gatherings . And we confess we cannot see how our lodges err in making their refreshment hour as private and as confidential

as can be . There are some good brethren of ours who go from lodge to lodge , whether they know any of the brethren or not , and expect , without demur and without fail to be at once welcomed into their private meetings . Now all who have had much experience of lodge life , know well

how difficult often the exercise of hospitality becomes . We are met , a friendly " band of brothers , " knowing each other well , intimately acquainted with each other ' s foibles , and , finding amusement from the lodge jest , and all of a sudden a stranger who knows none of these

things , and understands none of these things , comes amongst us like a " wet blanket . " In a moment geniality is chilled , the song is hushed , the joke is unheard . We have exchanged the full flow of warm-heaited sociality for the formality of etiquette , for " doing the civil . " We write quite philosophically on the subject , stating

facts as they are , as we do not profess to deal either in the sensational or in bombast . Hospitality is a very good thing and very commendable , and we may even , in these common-place days , sometimes " entertain angels unawares , " but hospitality , like charity , still begins " at home . " We cannot , therefore , blame those

brethren who make the admission to their inner

circle a privilege and not a right , though we shall uphold at all times the claim of all duly registered and subscribing members , subject to the provision of the Book of Constitutions , to be admitted to the working lodge .

Bro. Captain Aillet.

BRO . CAPTAIN AILLET .

We publish in another column a most interesting account of generosity and good feeling on the part of a brother , Captain Joseph Aillet , of the French Mercantile Marine , and Commander of the ship Cilaos . It appears that the

Industry , of the Port of London , commanded also by a brother , William Reid , was burnt at sea , in South Latitude 33 ° 47 ' , and East Longitude 52 ° 47 ' , and the captain and the crew took to the boats . While in the open sea the French ship

Cilaos , commander our good Bro . Joseph Aillet , came across the captain and some of the crew in one boat , and then went in search of the other two boats . This gallant brother received the captain and all the crew in the Cilaos , took

Bro. Captain Aillet.

them to Reunion , where he handed them over to the Britannic Consul . He had hospitably entertained the captain and twenty-one seamen for fourteen days , but declined emphatically to receive any payment whatever for their subsistence , though offered him by the English Consul . The

Consul ' s despatch to the ForeignOfftce announcing this act of devotion and charity was published in the official journal of Reunion , and we give it also in another column . These two seamen brethren were cordially received by the Lodge L'Amitie , Orient de St . Denis , at Reunion , under

the Grand Orient of France , and the kindly brethren raised an immediate subscription to purchase clothes , & c , for the destitute sailors ' . ¦ - . We feel sure that our generous English Craft will appreciate at once this truly Masonic conduct of Bro . Captain ! Joseph Aillet . And those of us

who have at heart not only the peace of the world , but the lasting friendship of two great nations like France and England , will rejoice to hear of another little proof , if proof be wanting , how great , happily , are the mutual good will and good feeling between two such civilized and

neighbouring people . We do not know if any official notice can be taken by our Grand Lodge , of the disinterested assistance of Bro . Aillet , or the fraternal sympathy of the Lodge L'Amitie at Reunion , but sure we are of this , that any

English Freemason who reads the account in anothercolumn will feel how true a representative of the loving spirit of Freemasonry is our gallant Bro . Joseph Aillet , the Captain of the good French ship Cilaos .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

( Wc do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —tin . ]

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGLISH AND FOREIGN FREEMASONRY . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — This article in the impression of your paper of the 20 th ult ., prompts me to give an answer as far as German Freemasonry is concerned , hy inserting which in

your next issue you will greatly ohlige . You arc perfectly correct , when you speak of the great numher of Grand Lodges with several varieties of system which exist in Germany . Since 1866 the numher has diminished , but we still have eight Grand Lodges , besides five independent lodges , and one lodge in Frankfort-onthe-Maine , working under a charter of the Grand Lodge

of England . I may remind you , however , that the union of all lodges in England under one Grand Lodge only was accomplished under the Duke of Sussex , the 13 U 1 December , 1813 . It was about the same time , when Bro . Schroedcr , of the Grand Lodge of Hamburg strove to purify German Freemasonry from all the mysticism and strict observances imported into German Masonry from

Sweden , by Zinnendorf . Me was aieled in his endeavours by such men as Goethe , Wieland , Duke Karl August , and others , and you will find by this time that most of the German Grand Lodges have returned to the rational English Craft Masonry with three degrees . The Grand National Lodge of the Three Globes , the Grand Lodge Royal York , both at Berlin , and the Grand Lodpe of

Hamburg , have essentially thc English Ritual , whilst the Grand Land-Lodge v . D ., at Berlin retained the Swedish Ritualism . The light of Freemasonry , however , shines through all , sometimes clear and bright , sometime a little dim , and the one of Freemasons' landmarks ; the exclusion of all political and religious polemics , is as strictly adhered to in Germany as in England .

The saying of Frederick the Great , that the Freemasons were his most loyal subjects , still holds good to-day Since Frederick , who was made a Mason in the lodge Absalom , in Brunswick , the 14 th of August , 1738 , the Royal Family of Prussia have always favoured Freemasonry , and the present King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany is protector of the Craft , and he and his son

are known to be good and active working Freemasons . As regards religion , I dare say that , as discussions , especially in lodges of instruction , are more free in Germany than here , attempts may have been made to introduce this topic , but such attempts will always be promptly suppressed as soon as it becomes known to thc higher authorities .

So far 111 answer to answer to your charges , and now let me point our some differences between English and German lodges . The public-house question has been solved in Germany long ago . Even in small towns you mostly find a Logeiih .-tus , a club-house with a temple , belonging to the

Freemasons of the town . The brethren will assemble there at least once a week , banquets , always cheaply arranged and paid for , not by the lodges , but by those who partake of them , are less frequent than in the English lodge-year , but the younger brethren have to be , all the more regular in their attendance for instruction , if they