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TO OUR READERS . The F REEMASON isa Weekly Newspaper , price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage r United America , India , India , China , Sec ]

Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brrndisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 4 d . Six „ js . 3 d . 6 s . ( id . 8 s . 8 d . Three „ 2 s . 8 d . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s . fid . Subscriptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to

GEORGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , the latter crossed London and Joint Stock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications should be addressed to the Publisher . Communications on literary subjects and books for

review are to be forwarelcd to the Editor . Anonymous correspondence will be wholly disregarded , and thc return of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied 0 " application to the Publisher , 19 S , Fleet-street , London .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month .

It is very necessary for our readers to advise us of all money orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India j otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

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NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FREEMASON , may be addressed to the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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TO ADVERTISERS . The FIIEEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current -week's issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays .

Answers To Correspondence.

Answers to Correspondence .

In answer to Bro . Jackson , we cannot hold out any hope of its appearance before early in the spring in 1878 . BOOKS & c . RECEIVED . " Canadian Craftsman , " " Keystone , " " Risorgimente , " " Standard Guide to Knitting , " " Standard Guide to Needlework . '' Poitriat of the Right I Ion . W . E . Gladstone .

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is as . 6 d . for announcements , not exceed ing four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . DA . VENI ' . —Onthe 14 th inst ., at Keppel-street , Russellsquare , the wife of H . Davenpoit , of a daughter . GUI-ATOHHX . —On the 13 th inst ., at 3 , The Common Ealing , the wife of Simon Greatorex , of a daughter . WADE . —On the 15 th inst ., at Overton-road , Brixton , tilt wife of G . Wade , of a son .

MARRIAGES . HARRIS—CARH . —On the 9 th inst ., at Christ Church , Cheltenham , Edwin P . Harris , Capt . Suffolk Artillery Militia , lo Maria Augusta , daughter of J . K . Carr , Esq ., M . P . SHAY /—SPEKCF . II . —On the 13 th inst ., at St . Mary ' s

Aldermary , City , John Shaw , manager ant ! secretary South-Eastern Railway , lo Elizabeth Jane , daughter of the late S . Spencer . WATERS—KISIIEV . —On the 13 th inst ., at St . Paul ' s , Clapham , Earnest Edward , son of thc late E . Waters , of Stratford-sub-Castle , near Salisbury , to Emily Marion , daughter of R . S . Kisbey .

DEATHS . FRIDAY . —On the nth inst ., at 54 , St . Mary ' s-lcrrace , Hastings , John Friday , formerly e > f Gillingham , Kent , in his 5 61 I 1 year . Deeply lamenleel . GOI . I . AN . —On the isth inst ., at Cornwall-road ,

Westbourne Park , Robert John , son of J . G . Gollan , Esq ., aged 29 . MOHSAK . —On the nth inst ., at sea , off Lowestoft , Robert Morgan , in his 4 8 th year . PlLCiiER . —On thc 13 th inst ., at Bifrons Cottage , near Canterbury , Herbert Edward Pilcher , Lanel Agent to the Most Noble thcMarquis of Coiiynghani .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , OCTOBER 20 , 1877 .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . ENLARGEMENT . OF "The Freemason . " The Proprietor has much pleasure in announcing the enlargement of the Freemason to ] 20 pages , during the London Masonic Season . iMl communications to ensure insertion in the current number should reach the Office , on Wednesdays , by 5 p . m .

Friars And Freemasons.

FRIARS AND FREEMASONS .

Our worthy contemporary Punch , under the above heading , gives us a little " Morceau " which we quoted last week , commenting upon it " more suo , " and is good enough to express its innocent doubts as to the reality of a fact recorded by a facetious Ultramontane scribe ,

who has a keen perception both of a " canard " and a good joke . For it appears that the Ciuita Cattolica , an Ultramontane Italian paper , recently edified its readers with a profession of a moribund Freemason in twelve striking articles , apparently drawn up and uttered " in articulo

mortis . " Our facetious confrere onl y gives us two of the twelve articles and we note that they are both in Latin . Thrs will strike all our readers as it struck us . For is it not a fact indisputable and undoubted , how very commonl y Freemasons in all countries write in Latin , and express

themselves in Latin , in life , and above all make deathbed confessions in Latin ? Does not this authentic narrative in its initial announcement appeal to all our prima facie sense of truthfulness and reality ? From what we all know of the ideas and habits of our Order generally , may we not

assume it as incontestable , that this extract from the Ciuita Cattolica is a faithful and truthful report of what actually took place , from the pen too of a specially well-informed and accurate scribe ? Listen to the statement , Oh Masons all ! " Oh ! pater meus " the dying Freemason

exclaimed , in confession auricular we suppose , " possumus omnia facerc quae volumous absque levi etiam culpa . '' It will be observed here by the intelligent reader of the Freemason , how entirely different this is from the good old Pope Pio Nono , who keens saying "Non possumus . " Worthless

Freemasons are able to declare " Possumus . " This is a very striking fact , and still more striking contrast , per se , and then the poor dying Freemason goes on to declare " ergo semper Liberi sumus . " Surely we must all feel at once , that this is as awful a confession as any

freemason can make , though whether by the word " Liberi , " " Free , " it means that we , as Freemasons , are Free lovers , or Free livers , or Free thinkers , or Free-and-easy fellows , or Free anything else , does not so far appear quite clear from ihe context . Now , if we thought it worth our while to treat such an allegation seriously ,

we mi ght be inclined to reply to so false an accuser of his and , our brethren " mentiris impudentissime ; " or we might remind ourselves of many similar undesirable data , of like falsifications , inventions , forgeries of words and documents , to prop up a rotten cause , or to injure an honest adversary . But we prefer rather to laugh at so ridiculous an exhibition of idle

Ultramontane anger and perverted Ultramontane ingenuity ! Such silly and worthless attacks only prove the utter weakness ot our assailants , and they are really powerless to injure the good fair fame of Freemasonry . No such teaching has ever , at any time , under any form , been put

forward , by Freemasons , who areaccusedby some as being " Mere Moralists . " We have a remembrance indeed , of somewhat similar casuistry , in " Monita Secreta , " and published dicta of many antagonistic Jesuits , but we never before heard or supposed that even in such elegant

Friars And Freemasons.

Latinity such words or theories were patronised or put forward b y Freemasons . The truth is that the Church of Rome and the Ultramontane'Press just now , as we have often before said , are 1 rid ;

" craze " in respect ' ^ of Freemasons and Freemasonry , and as true members of our benevolent brotherhood , returning good for evil , we must overlook such absurdities and as freel y forgive such hallucinations .

The Progress Of Our English Craft.

THE PROGRESS OF OUR ENGLISH CRAFT .

It will have struck some of our readers , doubtless , that we have reported the consecration of three new lodges , consecutive on our loner roll , 1713 , 1714 , and T / 15 , in itself a remarkable coincidence . It is , in fact , a " sign of the times , " to be " recorded and made note of . "

It points to the unmistakeable progress of our Order , and the large growth of our useful and benevolent brotherhood . And " So mote it be ! for some time to come , amid those hurrying and thronging yearr 3 > For we look most favourably , for various reasons , on

this striking increase of our material prosperit y , subject , of course , to some needful warnings as to carefulness of admission and the like . We are aware that some of our Order take rather a different view , but we have never seen any reason to change our deliberate opinion that in

the interests of toleration , kindly feeling , civilizing influences , and brotherly goodwill , every fresh Masonic lodge is a centre of light and benevolence , an additional bond of unity , amity , and sympathetic appreciation . We have been struck lately with the amount of interest

displayed in the consecration of new lodges , by our brethren , old and young , and we feel sure that thrs more our elaborate and interesting ceremonial is entered into by the members of our Order in all its parts and details , the more it will be admired . We also are glad to note the

proceedings of those very distinguished provinces ,, West Lancashire and West Yorkshire . The most popular of Provincial Grand Masters has received a goodly greeting from a most numerous and distinguished body of Lancashire Freemasons , and the day ' s proceedings are aKke

noteworthy and agreeable . The liberal and enlightened grants towards the Sedilia of Chester Cathedral reflect the greatest credit on the large-hearted sympathy of our West Lancashire brethrenr In West Yorkshire the proceedings at Ripon have been most successful , and a most

admirable sermon was preached by our worthy Bro . Canon Burfield , P . Prov . G . Chaplain . The concurrence ofthe Dean , Chapter , and the Municipal Authorities in the gathering was as pleasant as it is suggestive , and we , who can recall the state of feeling as regards Freemasonry

a quarter of a century ago , in some parts , and amid the clergy especially , must rejoice to think that Time , which softens most prejudices and removes most antipathies , has thrown its protecting shield , so to say , over our honoured and worthy Brotherhood . The idle tales to its discredit are

not believed ; the doubts as to its utility are graduall y melting away , as before the " stubborn facts of the case ; " while the voice of detraction and of calumny have long since given way except

among the perverse , the irrational , the bigoted , and the obtuse , to a wiser perception of what Freemasonry really is , and what it really does for the welfare of the community , and the happiness of mankind .

Some Special Difficulties Of Masonic Literature.

SOME SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES OF MASONIC LITERATURE .

All Journalism has its difficulties , and just now , perhaps few are aware of the strugg les some portions of the press have ' to make in order to keep themselves afloat . The Freemason has long been running before a " prosperous trade wind , " and is under very easy sail , taking

things most complacently , calmly , and prosperously , and our publisher sees clearly to-day how his many efforts have been rewarded , and his honest anticipations fulfilled , in the ready aria willing support of an always considerate Cratt . But still , it is impossible but that we should be struck , amidst our own prosperity , which is very