Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

and wisdom ; and God gave the people favour in the sight of the king who at that time reigned here , and he granted them a place to live in , called Cranganor . He allowed them a patriarchal jurisdiction within the district , with certain privileges of nobility : and the royal grant was

engraved , according to the custom of those days , on a plate of brass . This was done in the year from the creation of the world 4250 [ A . D . 490 ] , and this plate of brass we still have in possession . Our forefathers continued at Cranganor for about a thousand years , and the number of heads who

governed were seventy-two . Soon after our settlement , other Jews , from Judea , followed us , and among them came that man of great wisdom , Rabbi Samuel , a Levite of Jerusalem , with his son , Rabbi Jehuda Levita . They brought with them the silver trumpets made use of at

the time of Jubilee , which were saved when the second Tenple was destroyed , and we have heard from our fathers that there was engraven on them the ineffable Name . There joined . us also , from Spain and other places , from time to time , certain tribes of Jews who had heard of our prosperity .

But , at last , discord arising among ourselves , one of our chiefs called to his assistance an Indian king , who came upon us with a great army , destroyed our houses , palaces , and strongholds , dispossessed us of Cranganor , killed part of us , and carried part into captivity . By these

massacres we were reduced to a small number . Some of these exiles came and dwelt at Cochin , where we have remained here ever since , suffering great changes from time to time . There are amongst us some of the children of Israel [ Beni-Israel ] , who came from the country of Ashkenary , from Egypt , from Tsoba , and other places , besides those who formerly inhabited this country . '

"The native annals confirm the foregoing account in the principal circumstances , as do the Mahomedan histories of later date , for the Mahomedans have been settled here in great numbers since the eighth century . The desolation of Cranganor , the Jews describe as being like

the desolation of Jerusalem in miniature . They were first received into the country with some favour and confidence , agreeably with the tenor of the general prophecy concerning the Jews ( for no country was to reject them ) , and after they had attained some wealth and attracted the

notice of men , they are precipitated to the lowest abyss of human suffering and reproach . The recital of their sufferings at Cranganor resembles much that of the Jews at Jerusalem , as given by Josephus . 1 now requested they would show me their brass plate . Having been given by a

native king , it is written of course in the Malabaric language and character , and is now so old that it cannot well be understood . The Jews preserve a Hebrew translation of it , but the Hebrew is very difficult , and they cannot agree among themselves as to the meaning of some

words . I have employed , by their permission , an engraver at Cochin to execute a fat simile of the original plate on copper . This ancient document begins in the following manner , according to the Hebrew translation : — 'In the peace of God the King which hath made the earth ,

according to his pleasure . To this Cod , A J UVI BRAHMIN , have lifted up my hand and have granted , By this deed which many thousand years shall rim . ] , dwelling in Cranganor . have granted it , the thirty-sixth year of my reign ; in the strength of power I have granted ; in the

strength of power I have given in inheritance to JOSEPH RABBAN . " Then follows the privileges of nobility—such as permission to ride on the elephant , to have a herald to go before to announce the name and di gnity , to have the lamp of the day , to walk on carpets spread , upon

the earth , and to have trumpets and cymbals sounded before him . King Avid then appoints Joseph Rabban to be ' Chief and Governor oi of Congregation [ the synagogues ] and of certain districts , and of the sojourners in them . ' What p-oves the consequence of the Jews at the period

when this grant was made , is that it was signed by seven kings as witnesses : — ' And to this are witnesses , King Bivada Cubertin Mitadin , and he is king of Travancore ; King Airla Nada Mana Vikriin , and he is the Samorin king ; Veloda Nada Archarin Shatin , King of Argot . >

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

The remaining four kings arc those of Palgatehery , Colastri , Carbinah , and Vara-changar . There is no date in this document , further than what may be collected from the reign of the prince and the names of the royal witnesses ;

dates are not usual in old Malabanc writings . One fact is evident , that the Jews must have existed a considerable time in the country before they could have obtained such a grant . The tradition before mentioned assigns for the date

of the transaction the year of the Creation 4250 , which is in Jewish computation , A . D . 490 . It is well known that the famous Malabaric king ,

Ccrum Perumal , made grants to the Jews , Christians , and Mahomedans during his reign , but that prince flourished in the eig hth or ninth century . "

The original p late herein mentioned was engraved on both sides , the fac simile forming two plates . These , along with a copy of the Hebrew MSS ., were sent to be deposited in the Public Library at the

University of Cambridge , where I have no douot they arc at present , to interest both the student and the antiquarian . CHAS . G . FORSYTH , R . A . 50 . Dunoon , Argyleshire .

P . S . —At some future time I intend to devote a paper to the so-called "Black Jews" of India . C . G . F .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

——c > — The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) BEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As Bro . Buchan

has alluded to a contribution of mine , in answer to previous views and statements of his , sent to your contemporary on the 26 th ultimo , I beg to forward the same to you to-day , that you may kindly publish it //; t . xtt / iso for the information of your readers : —

"THE MASTERS DEGREE AXD Til ! -: ROVAL ARCH . " It seems almost useless to reiterate what I have before said on these subjects , but as tiro . Buchan , with amusing pertinacity , and witli unabated confidence proclaims his favourite 'dogmata , ' 1 can only give once more a simple denial and contradiction

to his unwise and unqualified statements . Nothing can . in truth , be more incorrect , or mihistoric . than Bro . Buchan ' s repeated assertion thai 'the Master's degree never existed before 1717 , ' or' the Royal Arch until the fourth decade of last century . ' ' As regards the ' Master ' s degree . " there is plenty

of indisputable evidence to prove that it was well known and practised in this country lief re 1 O 50 , while there is a great body of ptoof now forthcoming that the threefold division of Master . Fellow-Craft , and Apprentice , is coeval with the existence of the Masonic guilds in this country .

"That the speculative Grand Lodge of 17171 s the legitimate succession and continuation of the old operative Grand Assembly : and that we , as Free and Accented Masons , preserve to-day the carefully guarded secrets and traditions of the operative sodalities in England , is also , the further

conclusion to which a careful study of Masonic history and archteology , I feel myself convinced , must lead every candid mind . " But Bro . Buchan has , unfortunately for himself , endorsed the hasty and ill-advised statement that Freemasonry onlv dates from 171 7 ; a . id he

therefore completely ignores all evidence which seems to upset his favourite but visionary theory . " So intent is he on asserting , what others besides myself have denied and answered successfully before—as if assertion in the long run was to gain the day—that he remains utterly unconscious of the

fact , patent to ail oilier students and a . 'l who takepart in the conlroversv . that the very ' excerpt 1 ' from old minute-books , h : so carefully accumulates , and for which he deserve ; "U "' best thanks , .-. ctually entirely cut away the- foundation on which he vests so compk . centlv , and tend more than an \ l ! . ing else

to iii . ipro 7-e the statement lie has made sn often and so unhesitatingly , with much more boldness than discretion . " In one sense I agree with Bro . Hughan , that before 1717 the present arrangement of Masonic

degrees was not systematized exactly in the way we have it now ; but that Bro . Hughan means to say , as Bro . Buchan would infer , that before 17171110 peculiar secrets of the three Craft degrees , and the traditions and ritual of the Royal Arch were

Original Correspondence.

altogether unknown to Masons , I , for one do no for a moment believe . Bra . Hughan is far too well versed in . the archaeological history of our Order to lrueke so rash an assertion . " With a learned brother who wrote some time back , I am . afraid that there is little practical good

to be obtained from continuing this controvery , as Bro . Buchan has a way peculiar to himself of treating all evidence which opposes his pet and remarkable theory . " For fear , however , that silence might be assumed to give consent , I am anxious to make one more protest against his many assertions and assumptions

in respect of the real antiquity of of Freemasonry " I hope my brethren generally will bear carefully in mind ,, that unsupported statements do not constitute proof and that constant repetitions of oft-repeated fallacies do not supply us with a satisfactory , or credible , or authentic history of Freemasonry in this country . —A MASONIC STUDENT .

I have at present nothing more to say on the subject , but hope soon now to resume my " Illustrations of the History of the Craft , " in which ; at the proper period , I will bring forward such proofs as I have so far been able to collect in support of the guild theory , which , as is known ,

is the one which , after much careful study and cc isideration , I have deliberately adopted and constantly advocated . The history of Freemasonry cannot be disposed of by reckless statements and illogical assertions . As I have before pointed out , and I

repeat the statement once again to-day , the evidence in confirmation of the existence of Freemasonry in England long before ryoo , has to be sought for necessarily from a great variety of sources , and requires alike the most skilful treatment and the most patient investigation .

The fact itself has to be substantiated in many ways . We have , for instance , to use alike positive and negative evidence , direct and indirect testimony ; we have to put forward what we may clearly deduce from incontestable facts , and what we may legitimately infer from certain

wellknown customs and usages ; we have monu mental , numismatic , and architectural evidences to study ; we have historical statements and archaeological discoveries to consider and reconcile , while we have , at the same time , Fabric Rolls , Guild Regulations , ancient chartularies ,

and our own Masonic traditions and MS . carefully to collate and compare ! Under these circumstances , I , for one , believing the question itself to be a very important one , entirely decline to conduct and continue the controversy on Bro . Buchan ' s principles , as utterly unworthy of the subject and our Order .

When I have formally put before my brethren all the evidence I have collected in favour ofthe view 1 venture to propound , then will be my best answer to Bro . Buchan ' s challenge , and then I shrill tdadly welcome , as 1 shall respectfully

await , alike the criticism of the public and the judgment of the Craft . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yours , A MASONIC STUDENT . Sept . 9 , 1 S 71 .

THE CRAFT GRAND LODGE . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER ,- —The disgraceful scene enacted in the last Craft G . L ., and the fact that such a motion as Bro . Cooke ' s was not summaril y negatived , may perhaps account for the progress that is being made by the other

degrees in Masonry , and of which the partizans of Grand Lodge are at the same time so frightened and so jealous . That a . system dating from 1813 , with its new degrees , new secrets , and eliminatonof nearly everything that distinguished " pure and antient Masonry , " should yet claim

to be alone Masonic , only shows to what a height effrontery , presuming on ignorance , will reach . 1 need not remark on the bad taste that led Bro . Cooke to declaim against degrees recognised and worked by the sister G . L . of Ireland . No one expects good taste from Bro . Cooke . But I did

expect that the Acting G . M . would have refused to put a motion containing nothing but insolent vituperation against Masonic degrees to which some of the most distinguished members of G . L . belong , with which G . L . lias nothing whatever to do , and which , whatever their demerits ,