Original Correspondence.

secondly , the St . John s received its status because it " is one of undoubted antiquity , " and that its representatives in 1628 signed the Eosslyn Charter . Such being the case , the circumstance of the pretended Malcolm Charter being now proved to be a forgery merely establishes the finding of the Grand Lodge in

1850 . , And here the question rises—to whom are we indebted for our knowledge of the proof of this unfortunate'document being a forgery ? To which , for the credit of the lodge , it must be stated that we are indebted to one of its own members ( vide Freemason ' s Maqazine , June 20 th , 1868 , page 490 ) who , being

Satisfied regarding its character , ' for the sake of Masonic honour , kicked it out ; or as Bro . Capt . Spiers , M . P ., the late P . G . M ., expressed it , " showed it up . " His ( Broi Spiers' ) opinion is recorded in the North British Daily Mail , of January 27 th , 1869 , as follows : — "Although we should have liked if our charter , had

been a genuine one ,-still , as it is an imposition it is a good thing that it should be showed up , and I shall hope that the St . John ' s Lodge will get on better without it . " I respectfully beg to echo that last expression of our late lamented Brother , and I have no doubt that the St . John's Lodge will get on better

without it ; the only purpose it has hitherto served being , to hold a really ancient and honourable lodge up to ridicule . Now for the question of the real " status" of the Lodge of Glasgow St . John , in comparison with that of the other old operative Scottish Masonic Lodges . We find that St . John ' s claims to be the descendant

of the Building Fraternity which was employed in 1190 at the construction of Glasgow Cathedral , and which then received , through Bishop Jocelin , a charter of protection and encouragement from William the Lion , King of Scots . This Charter is genuine , being pronounced such by Professor Cosmo limes , and is

given ir . " Registrant Episcopatus Glasguensis " No . 76 , page 66 . An English translation is given in the Freemason ' s Magazine for July 25 th 1 SC 8 , page 69 , and the Latin ( extended ) at page 9 , for January 2 nd 3869 . Also at page 128 , February 13 th , 1869 , there is a letter from Professor Innes to Bro . Buchan ,

P . S . W ., No . 3 bis . which , inter alia , says : — "The charter standing in the old Register of the Bishopric of Glasgow would make faith in any court of law . " He also says , " If , indeed , you could connect yourselves with the brotherhood ( fraternitas ) founded by Bishop Jocelin in your city , and which evidently had

an existence and action under William the Lion , it would bo a fine pedigree to jnit forth . " From the above it is quite plain that a " Building Fraternity " was chartered at Glasgow in 1190 ; and to those who believe that our present Freemasonie Lodges are descended from the old operative Masonic Lodges ,

while these again were descended from the Building Fraternities of the 12 th and 13 th centuries , I sayshow me , if you can , any substantial or documentary evidence of the existence of a " Building Fraternity " anywhere in Scotland previous to this date , A . D . 11 U 0 ! ¦ As for " lodges , " then , I know of none any whereunless indeed Bro . " Uniformity" ( sceTu v . FUKBM ASON

May 29 th jingo 4 , ) or Bro . "Umtas " ( June 19 th , page 7 ) , can givo us a little information npon that rather curious idea of " our English brethren " receiving " the light we gave them , emanating from Kilwinning centuries ago " ! (?) Ha ! Ha ! Ila ! what a conceit !—Oh dear , it is indeed high time the Masonic Schoolmaster was abroad ; however

A little nonsense now and then Is relished by tlie wisest men , and many a quiet laugh I have had over the earnest and solemn manner in which Bro . Lawrie ( pages 46 and 47 of his 1859 history ) deals with the Kilwinning and York legends . See him—Tubal Cain himself

might have taken a pattern from him—how sturdily lie attacks , and jioimdiiig into powder , scatters to tho winds " the imjirobable stories about St . Alban , Athclstnnc , and Edwin ; " then , Scotland for ever , hurrah * , he rallies " those ' authentic documents " (?) and " other

collateral arguments " (?) and , with them propjiing un the Scottish Kilwinning notion , boldly challenges all and sundry to dissipate that grand Kilwinning dream ! But , remember the warning : — A Lawrie , a Lawrie , has gained the day ! Thy sword and lance , let them rest

Till twice live summers have passed away , Then—meet the Knight of thc West ! As to this Kilwinning Legend , which Bro . Laurie has been so unfortunate its to credit and assist in propagating , and which says a body of foreign Masons settled in Kilwinning in 1140 and , forming a lodge

there , built Kilwinning Abbey , tho ruins of which may still bo seen ; that is both untrue and utterly inconsistent with real Scottish or Masonic history , or architecture ; inter alia , the style of the really old ruins jiroving this , the older portions being built in the 13 th century , not . about the middle of thc

12 th . And as to the notion of the supposed 12 th century Kilwinning Masons sending , or being able to send the light to their beniqhted English brethren , " that is a mere dream—both untrue and absurd . Anything more opposed to the real and relative history of the Architecture , or "Masonry , " of the two countries could hardly bo imagined , for we know that long

Original Correspondence.

previous to this pseudo 1140 date of the Kilwinning pretensions , there were many Romanesque cathedrals , monasteries , & c , erected in England ; andabont 1145 we find the English Craftsmen growing out of the pure Romanesque into the transition style . Therefore , I hold that our Scottish 12 th century stone-workers came

from England . I say so because the English were able to send them , and because the Scots required them ; the Scots , then , were more needful to borrow than able to give . As Professor Innes says , Scotland then was just recovering from " an age of anarchy . " And , again , when so many of the English nobles came

to Scotland in the 12 th century , and , being warmly welcomed by the king , settled there , it stands to reason that so soon as there was an opening for them , English Craftsmen would follow . Further , I consider that this 1190 Glasgow "Fraternity" came from England , possibly direct from Furness ; ancl also

that at that date there was no extant fraternity of stone-workers at Kilwinning ; but , on the contrary , the Kilwinning Masons were simply a branch "from the " Fraternity" which came to build a new stone Cathedral at Glasgow upon the old wooden ono having been then burned down . I consider the

architecture of Glasgow Cathedral antl Kilwinning Abbey goes to prove this . I should observe here that the first Glasgow Cathedral was founded about A . D . 1123 , perhaps a little earlier , and dedicated in 1136 ; before either Melrose , Kelso , or Holyrood . In fact , Glasgow was founded

before David was king * and the others were after that event . And as to St . Kentigern , or St . Mungo , who founded the See of Glasgow in the Gth century , by the 12 th , Mr . Joseph Robertson says , " Thc ancient cemetery , with its tall cross of stone aud its girdle of old trees , seems to have been nearly all of St . Kentigern

( his relics excepted ) that remained at Glasgow when Bishop John laid the foundations of his Cathedral . It was begun before 1124 . " Some interesting remarks ancnt this will be found in the Gentleman ' s Magazine , for February 1869 , and also in Freemasons' Maqazine , June 20 th ( 68 , p . 492 ) .

Also in Thc ' Builder of'May 29 th , 1869 , there are some very interesting remarks by Mr . Parker . Old Kilwinning Abbey seems to have been a very fine example of the pointed Gothic . The Kilwinning legend has jiossibly arisen from some German masons settling in Kilwinning in the 15 th or 10 th century , who bringing with them a

strong infusion of German bounce , have given rise to the wonderful pretensions of the Kilwinning Lodge . England derive its knowledge of Masonry from Kilwinning ! As well say the sea derives its existence from the waters that flow back to it . In the 12 th and 13 th centuries , England , I should say , was the Mother of

Scottish operative Masonry , just , as in the 18 th century she was of sjieculativo Freemasonry . From its position , the old Lodge of Edinburgh must be . very old , its extant minutes alone going hack to 1598 ; but in the records of Edinburgh , if they were properly looked up , there ought to be mention ot

it long before . For several reasons the Lodge of Edinburgh '' Mary's Chapel" may claim to be at the head of the roll , and the Lodge of . Glasgow , at the least , next it ; their oldest extant minute is dated in 1613 , but if they were going into the matter thoroughly , the Glasgow St . John's might be able to

show evidence of antiquity second to no extant lodge in the kingdom . For centuries previous to A . D . 1850 . the Glasgow St . John ' s Lodge was connected with the Incorporation of Masons , the Deacon of the Incorporation , I understand , being always the Master of the lodge . The incorporation minutes are still extant

from A . D . 1000 . Thc Glasgow Masons seem to have been the most conservative in Scotland . They received a confirmatory charter , or Seal of Cause , from the magistrates and council in 1 , 551 , and another in 1057 . The coopers were disjoined from them in 1569 , and the wrights in 1600 . A statute of William

and Mary , 1095 , speaks of " the hail ancient rights , " & c ., " of the cotipars of Glasgow . " The " Mother Kilwinning ' s " existing minutes begin at 1642 , and even allowing these seventeenth century Masons to bo thc descendants of the builders of Kilwinning Abbey , that only carries them back to the

thirteenth century ; whereas , we have the Glasgow Fraternity chartered in the twelfth . "Fraternitatem quain ad ejus constructionem Jocclinus constituit " ( i . e . —the fraternity , which to its construction Jocelin has ajipointed ; or , more plainly — the- fraternity which Jocelin has employed to construct the cathedral );

"devote recipiinus , et regie concessions niimnnine usque ad ipsius ecclesic jierfectionem conlinnainus , " & c . Altogether , with " more light , " thc St . John ' s ideas seem to be rising , while those of Kilwinning arc getting rather into the shade . Thc history of onr mcdiiuvnl Masons must be taken along with that of the rise and progress of Gothic architecture , with

which the St . John ' s ideas — throwing aside the Malcolm writ—coincide , while those of Kilwinning , being false , do not agree . Previous to 1677 there seems only to have been one "Kilwinning" Lodge , viz ., the Lodge of Kilwinning at Kilwinning ; but there were many " St . John's " lodges , such as Glasgow , Melrose , Aberdeen , & c .

Original Correspondence.

Speaking of thc Aberdeen St . John ' s ( which by somemisplacement is put so far down the Roll as No . 34 ) , it is a very old lodge , having extant minutes from 1677 , while " the masownys of the luge'' are mentioned in the Aberdeen Burgh Records , entry . June 27 th , 1483 . This lodgo claims to have initiated Kins

James V ., _ who began to reign 1513 . There is also a tradition in it that the Perth and Stirling Lodges were founded by members of the Aberdeen Lod ge ; also , the Masons at Aberdeen were first known -as the " St . John ' s Fraternity . " In reference to the pretended " Ordinance" anent

Mother Kilwinning , said to have been written by " William Schaw , Master of Wark , " in 1599 . of which a copy is given in the L '/ eemason ' sMagazine for April 18 th 1863 , and in which the "Ludge of Glasgow" is alluded to , Ihaveto observe that the said "Ordinance " is possibly a forgery ; but if the Kilwinnina * brethren

will get , as they ought , the opinion of Professor Cosmo Innes upon it , I am quite willing to believe whatever he says . The said " Ordinance" if it be genuine , is certainly useful to the Kilwinning Lodge , but is of little or no value , under the circumstances , to the Edinburgh Lodge , and at the most it only

contains Schaw ' s ojiinion , or ruling ; and from his name ( he being perhaps a German ) he might quite possibly undul y favour the Kilwinning pretensions ; besides , it only g ives us the Kilwinning side of the question , and quite possibl y when "his maieste" came back to " toun " and the Glasgow Masons had got their say in

the matter , Schaw s opinion or ruling might have been set aside . I know of no evidence whatever that goes to prove that the Masons of Kilwinning ever did or could exercise authority over the Glasgow Masons . It must be remembered that the Abbacy of Kilwinning was included in the diocese of Glasgow , and

that a charter was granted , A . D . 1175 , erecting Glasgow into a Bishop ' s-burg , so I can hardly fancy the Bishoji of Glasgow allowing Masons from Kilwinningthe scat of one of his underlings—to come and interfere with his burgesses .

But I must now conclude , and so much for the " status " of the Lodge of Glasgow St . John . If there be any other Scottish Lodge that thinks it can show a better , we shall be hapjiy to examine and duly acknowledge its jnst and lawful claims . I am , yours fraternally , LEO .

Royal Arch Masonry.

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY .

( To the Editor of thc Lreemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your correspondent , Bro . Hollander , is mistaken in sujiposing that . I have narrated the legend of Enoch and the nine arches in order to substantiate the origin of Freemasonry . The recital of a tradition docs not

necessarily imply belief in its truth . It is not expected that Bro . Hollander will find -lasonic traditions in any biblical commentary now extant , and his knowledge of the third degree will enable him to corroborate this fact . lie will , however , discover ainj _ e references to the uutediluvian , or arkite

theories of Masonry , in the works of Oliver and other writers , and brethren in jiossession of the old Ark Mariner ' s degree are also familiar with the substance of the narrative . Bro . Webb in his "Masonic Monitor , " published under the sanction of the Grand Chapter of Rhode Island , has

recorded the history of a similar degree , which he calls the "Royal Arch of Enoch . " It is also well known that the " Order of Noachites" ascribe the origin of Masonry to the builders of the Tower of Babel , and state that the first lodge was held "in a pleasant plain of Babylon , called Shinar , on the banks of tho

River Tigris . " An American degree , called the " Select Master , " likewise commemorates the nine arches of Enoch , and I believe the tradition of the patriarch ' s two pillars is to be found in almost every woik on Freemasonry . I may add , however , that I have given the story almost verbatim from a manuscript in my possession . Yours fraternally , THE SON OF SALATIUEL .

( To the Editor of thc Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —On reading over , the history of Royal Arch Masonry by a " Son ofSalathiel " in your issue of June fith , I observed nsjatemeiit which I find quite contrary in another publication . Your writer says that the pillar of white marble waa

destroyed by the deluge , and the brass jiillaro .-f designed withstood the waters . Now , in a very excellent little manual of "' ScarletMasonry , " edited by Bro . Wm . Redfern Kelly , R . A ., H . K . T ., the \ cry opjiosite is stated as having taken place , viz . —that the jiillarof brass was destroyed , and the marble p illar saved by the Divine

mercy . Now , as one who seeks for the " signet of truth " in all things Masonic , I would be very glad to know which of these two statements is the concct one . Hoping to see more news in future from Ireland in your excellent journal , Believe me , yours fraternally , A . Mc-AULEY , R . A . Ballymcna , Antrim , June 14 th , 1869 . !