"Some Antique Topics."

besides alluding to the great antiquity of Freemasonry , after quoting from Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians , said ' They ( the Freemasons ) know also that by the third heaven or paradise is figured out the third and chief degree of Masonry . '"

After pointing out that the name of the speaker is not mentioned , and suggesting that it might " furnish a clue to further light , to know where and when—whether thus recently or not—the orator had been made a Mason , " Bro . UPTON proceeds to

express his belief " that the legend of the third degree was used long before 1717 , " as well as his confidence in DERMOTT ' S allegation that " those who , in 1716-17 , revived the quarterly communications , which developed in a few years into the lirst

Grand Lodge , and Dr . ANDERSON , who joined them later , were very rusty , and were ignorant of ' the Master ' s part '—whatever that was , whether the secret part of the installation ceremony

or something else—and of other parts of Masonry that had been better preserved in other parts of England or in Ireland than in London or Scotland . " We recommend Bro . UPTON ' S attention

to the remarks made with reference to "the date of the M . M . Degree " by Bro . CRAWLEY in the course of his criticism of Bro . HUGHAN ' S Paper on Degrees . He says very justly that " any investigation of this date must be incomplete unless

accompanied or preceded by an investigation of its genesis , " and that when we have succeeded in ascertaining the source of the legend we shall have gone a long way towards determining the

date of the degree . The coincidences between Lord BACON ' S fantasy of King SOLOMON'S House and the accredited legend of Dr . DESAGULIERS' time are strikiner . The two narratives

must have been derived from a common source , or the later hierophant must have borrowed from his predecessor . " Bro . CRAWLEY also mentions that " elaborate models of the Temple and of the Tabernacle were being exhibited in London" about

1723-4 , and proved very popular , and he further suggests that " it is from this line of inquiry that fresh light is more likely to be thrown on the question of Degrees than from either the Book of Constitutions or Lodge Minutes . "

Again Bro . GOULD , to judge from certain remarks in his contribution towards thc general discussion on Bro . HUGHAN ' S paper , does not appear to attach a very great degree of credit to many of the statements which are to be found in Dr .

ANDERSON ' S 173 8 edition of the "Book of Constitutions . " Thus he points out in connection with one very important matter that " the two versions of the same law" —namely , the new law relating to the " Making of Masters "—" which are given in the

Minutes of Grand Lodge of November , 1725 , and in the 'Constitutions' of 173 8 respectively , are irreconcilable , " and he adds "To one or the other we must , therefore , accord the preference , and upon which of them our choice ought to settle

there would appear to myself , that is to say , if we proceed by historical methods , no room for any difference of opinion "—Dr . ANDERSON , as Bro . GOULD had previously been at the pains of pointing out , having been absent from the meeting of Grand

Lodge at which the law was passed . Similarly outspoken is Bro . UPTON as to the degree of confidence that should be placed in many of ANDERSON ' S statements in thc 173 8 Constitutions . After explaining that ANDERSON ' S

second edition of the Constitutions was " distinctly a controversial pamphlet and pointing out , in reply to a question of Bro . GRF . ENI . EAI " , that we possess "fuller information of the old records , traditions , and lodge books than were accessible

to him , " Bro . Ul-TON delivers himself of the following clear ancl unsophisticated declaration : " But more important than all , we know some of the versions "—that is of thc Old Charges" which he used and know affirmatively , that he did not correctly

'digest' them , and that he added ideas of his own which had no basis in the orig inal . We also know that in his 'New Regulations ' he did not correctly copy or interpret the minutes of his own Grand Lodge ; and that the changes which he made in the

Old Charges in the 173 8 edition were still wider departures from the manuscript versions than those he made in his first edition and were in some cases made for partisan purposes . " And in

the very next paragraph but one , Bro . UPTON proceeds to remark— " It is not necessary to claim that ANDERSON fell below the standard of his age , to justify us in holding that , as to reliability , his statements of facts not within his own observation

"Some Antique Topics."

do not rise above the level of what we now call 'Campaign literature . ' Many truths find their way into ' Campaign literature , ' but unlucky the man who believes that the author of a ' Campaign ' document believed all he wrote . " This is

unquestionably severe upon ANDERSON , but it is in a measure justified by the instance of the new law of 1725 relating to the makinoof Masters , the two versions of which are to be found in the Grand Lodge Minutes of November , 1725 , ancl the 1738

Constitutions respectively , and which Bro . GOULD declares to be "irreconcilable . " We are seriously afraid , however , that Bro . HUGHAN ' S hair will stand on end when he reads Bro . UPTON ' S attack on ANDERSON ' trustworthiness as a narrator of history .

As regards the discussion which we are told is racrinc * - * - o ¦ £ ** > between Bro . GREENLEAF , of Colorado , on the one hand , and Bro KUYKENDALL , of Wyoming , and Past Grand Master DRUAIAIOND , of Maine , as to whether the 1738 edition was sanctioned

by the Grand Lodge , we agree with Bro . UPTON in his opinion that it was so sanctioned . In the article entitled " Royalty and Freemasonry , " which appeared in the " Royal Diamond Jubilee Number" of the Freemason , there is quoted in the brief

account given of the Masonic career of FREDERICK , Prince of Wales , to whom the said edition was dedicated , the following passage from the body of the Dedicatory Address to his Royal Highness : "The MARQUIS OF CARNARVON , our RIGHT

WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER , with his Deputy and Wardens , and the Fraternity , have ordered me , their Author , humbly to dedicate , in their Name , this their Book of Constitutions , to

YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS . " We cannot imagine that Grand Lodge would direct ANDERSON to dedicate to the Prince a book which it had not formally sanctioned .

There are some other interesting passages in the excerpt before us from Bro . UPTON ' S Report on Correspondence ; but they do not relate to the " Question of Degrees , " to which we have latterly been giving some attention .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Herefordshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HEREFORDSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge—the occasion also being in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of her Majesty the Queen —was held at the Cathedral Library on Monday , the Sth inst . A large number of brethren were present , but the P . G . M ., Bro . Sir J . R . Bailey , was unfortunately unable to attend .

Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in the Cathedral Library by B o . H . C . BEDDOE , Dep . Prov . G . Master , acting as Prov . Grand Master , who explained that the absence of Sir Joseph Bailey , the P . G . M ., was in con . sequence of his having been summoned to the bedside of his mother , who was seriously ill .

In proposing the adoption of the report of the Herefordshire Masonic Charity Association , Bro . T . G . CHANCE , the newly-elected Secretary , spoke in warm terms of the great services rendered to Masonic Charity in ihis province by the late Secretary , Bro . William Earle , who had inaugurated the Association and piloted it for the long period of 20 years , during which time a sum of over £ 1000 had been paid to the great benevolent Institutions ; and a most cordial vote of thanks was passed by Provincial Grand Lodge to Bro . Earle in recognition of his zeal and service .

On the proposition of Bro . BEDDOE , seconded by Bro . the Dean of HEREFORD , the following address was voted to her Majesty the Queen : " The Provincial Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Province of Herefordshire humbly approach your Majesty , desiring to off-r

their loyal congratulations on the completion of the 60 th year of your Majesty ' s glorious reign . They tender thanks to the Most High for the great benefits which have been extended to the empire under your Majesty ' s sway during past years , and pray that it may continue to be blessed with a lengthened period of peace and prosperity . "

It was proposed by Bro . THOMAS SMITH , P . M ., P . P . S . G . W ., seconded by Bro . R . MADDISON , and carried , " That the sum of 30 guineas begiven from the funds of the Provincial Grand Lodge to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . " Bro . J . E . S . Hewett , P . M ., P . P . S . G . W ., acted as Deputy Prov . Grand Master . On behalf of the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Beddoe appointed and invested the Prov . Grand Officers for the ensuing year as under :

Bro . W . R . Stafford , 120 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . ,, John Marchant , 120 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Hon . and Very Rev . the Dean of Hereford , J . W . Leigh , 120 ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap „ J . E . S . Hewett , 3 , 3 8 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas

„ A . Cutfield , 33 S ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, Kdwd . Maddison , 751 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ W . C . Gethen , 120 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ Wm . F . Marvin , 33 8 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ W . W . Robinson , 120 ... ... ... Prov . G . Supt . Wks „ S . G . Yates , 33 8 ... ... ,., Prov . G . D . C ,