Original Correspondence.

deaf and dumb man can be nothing else than rubble . It is impossible that a deaf and dumb man can take a part in the working of a Lodge . He cannot hear what is said ; he cannot take part in a debate ; he cannot listen to the lectures ; he cannot give any of the lectures . But these ,

although important , are not the main things to be considered . The laws of Freemasonry require —and it is so laid down even in the Landmarks , which are unchangeable and the foundation of the whole Masonic system—that he who is admitted as a Mason must be perfect in

bodymust have all his members perfect " as a man ought to have . " The reason for this law is to be found in what may be called the very essence of the whole system of Freemasonry—its aspiration to perfection . Freemasonry seeks to promote in the utmost possible degree the welfare

of all mankind , and more especially to lead on the members of the Masonic Order to the hi ghest attainable degree of moral and spiritual perfection . And , as symbolism is inwrought into the whole system , and much employed in its teachings , the necessity of moral perfection is

symbolically taught by the requirement of physical perfection . To introduce a deaf and dumb man into the brotherhood is contrary to the requirement , and involves the whole system of Masonic symbolism in confusion . " I have had occasion to treat this subject recently in two works which I have

published" Freemasonry and its Jurisprudence , ' and '• Freemasonry ; its Symbolism , Religious Nature , and Law of Perfection . " In preparing these works I found this subject to meet me under different aspects . In the first-mentioned ,

mainly in its relation to the Landmarks and Ancient Constitutions ; in the second , more with regard to the reasons upon which- it is founded and its intimate connection with the symbolism of Freemasonry , the symbolic character of the whole Masonic system . To repeat what I have said in them would occupy far more of your

space than I can presume to think you would allow me ; but I beg leave to refer my Masonic brethren to the works themselves , in which I hope they will find the whole question thoroughly discussed . —I am , yours obediently , " CHALMERS I . PATON , "Past Master No . 392 and 393 , England . "

SIR , —In your paper of Saturday fortnight a letter appeared , signed " B . J ., " in reference to the admission of deaf and dumb candidates into the mysteries of the Craft . The admission of bastards and maimed parties has long been a vexed question , both in this country and

America ; but the right of admission of a candidate void of any one of the five senses is so absurd and diametrically opposed to the ancient Landmarks of the Order that it , so far as I am aware , or can trace , has actually never been raised . None of the Masonic writers within

my grasp even touch upon this point , as will be seen from the following quotations . Dr . Albert G . Maekay , of America , says " that the candidate must be unmutilated , free born , and of mature age ; " while J . W . Simons , in his work on the Principles and Practice of Masonic

Jurisprudence , says "that the candidate must be free born of lawful age and hale and sound at the time of making . " The constitution of the Grand Lodge of New York sets forth that the candidates " must at least be 21 years of age , of good report , hale and sound , not deformed or dismembered ,

and no woman nor eunuch , " while Bro . Luke A . Kirkwood , in his work on Masonic Law and Practice , gives as the ancient Landmarks of the order , " that every candidate must be a man oj lawful age , born of free parents , under no restraint of liberty , and hale and sound as a man ought to

be . " By Section IV . of the charges , approved of in the year 1772 , it is provided that "all candidates for Masonry must have no maim or defect in their body that may render them incapable of learning the Art , and of serving his Master ' s Lord . " In Scotland , if the candidate isfreeborn

well reported , sound in body and mind , and able lo work for his dail y bread , he is considered a proper party , and entitled to crave to be initiated into the mysteries of the Order ; but for any one to argue that a candidate who was both deaf dumb , or even partially deaf and dumb , was sound \ both ia body and mind , is so absurd ,

Original Correspondence.

masonically , that it would be wasting your valuable space in saying one single word more on the subject . Freemasonry is no chimera of a man or body of men , for self gratification , but a society formed for the real happiness and advancement of the common weal , and requires its

members to be composed of men of pure and intellectual minds , with all the faculties in full development which God has granted to the human race . It is an art , and has often been called the royal art—its elements and force being derived from the head , heart , and soul ,

the intellectual and moral powers of man . All who wish to unveil its mysteries must on the first place conform to all its ancient Landmarks , and , if admitted within its portals , must study it by engaging in the work which it enjoins , and

mixing with those who regulate their Hues and actions by its sacred laws , which are founded on the purest principles of piety and virtue . The aspirations of the members of the Craft are everything that \ sfair , good , and true , and are united by this tie alone , untrammelled by the dragging

chains of superstition , and unmindful of the preiudices of caste or nationality . The binding link is an intellectual one joined with the unchangeable and everlasting principles of truth , honour and virtue—a union which , in fact , invests every species of obligation our common

humanity is under with a more sacred character . So far as the opinions of a non-Mason is concerned in reference to the Craft , I quote the words of the late Lord Derby when delivering a speech in the House of Lords on the 7 th of June , 1869 . He said— " I am not a member of the body , but

I believe a more loyal , peaceable , charitable , and benevolent body does not exist . " A higher eulogium no society could get , nor could it ba given by a non-Mason whose opinion is more worthy of respect and admiration . Such testimony given by such a man as Lord Derby should

surely advance the interests of the Craft , and ought even to bias the minds of these in its favour who do not belong to it . I trust there are many such as Lord Derby in the outer or profane world of whom we can say—Although not of us . they are not against us . If Masonry was a little

more studied by its members , and its grand principles and docttines more widely diffused to the profane , we should certainly have more candidates seeking admission to its hidden mysteries in order that they might become disciples of its

glorious principles . RUSTICUS . " The most of the brethren that I have conversed with agree along with myself in the foregoing opinions expressed in the letter . A MEMBER OF A LINLITHGOW LODGE .

REFUSAL TO BURY A MASON IN ENGLAND . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , —• I have read Bro . the Rev . A . A . Bagshawe ' s communication , with feelings of surprise and indignation , and shall be glad to co-operate with him in any way he may think necessary or

desirable to expose such cruel and undeserved conduct towards the relatives of the deceased non-commissiond Roman Catholic officer , and such disgraceful treatment of the remains of our brother , whose only crime in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Army Chaplain at Chatham ,

was the fact of his having been a Freemason . The leading article in The Freemason on the subject is to the point , and is a correct reflection of the opinion of the Craft . Ought not a subscription list to be started , and the funds used to prosecute the Army Chaplain

in question , in order that it may be decided whether he had the right to refuse burial to our lamented brother , and yet be allowed to continue in the service of the Queen . All honour to the Protestant clergyman who fulfilled the last sad office of respect and departed merit . W ; J . HUGHAN .

Tlie Confidence Lodge of Instruction , hitherto held at the " Railway Tavern , " London-st , E . G ., will be removed to Bro . Charles Chard ' s "White Hart Tavern " , Abchureh Lane , E . C . The first meeting in the new room will take place on Wednesday , tha nth March , at 7 . 3 ** . Bro . G . Gottheil , P . M ., is the Preceptor .

Reviews.

Reviews .

The Gentleman ' s Magazine . " ( Grant and Co . ) — We notice in the January number , the production of a new novel of great interest , entitled "Olympia , " by the author of "Earl ' s Dene , " " Zeldas Fortune" & c . " Christmas day on a Growler , " is most amusing . This magazine , "

which is under new management , will , we trust , meet with the success it so well deserves . We have received a copy of the " Life Boat , " a journal of the National Life Boat Institution . This little work , which is issued quarterly , contains a very interesting account of the various services of the Life boats and their gallan t crews .

The "Westminster Papers" for February , a monthly journal of chess , whist , games of skill and the drama , will be found of great service to those of our readers , who study the noble game

of chess . " England and Russia . " ( Willey and Co . ) This is a very pretty march , introducing the popular airs of "Hearts of Oak" and "Rule Britannia . "

" Veritas."

" VERITAS . "

The following notice of the late Bro . Melville ' s Book appears in the British Press and Jersey Times : — " Veritas , " which conveys not the least idea of the subject-matter , is the title of a book we have received . The selection , however , is

explained by the description of the work , as set forth in the title-page . It is a " Revelation of mysteries , biblical , historical , and social , " which , we suppose , being emphatically called " Veritas " is thereby set up as a true revelation ; nor it would seem simply as something true ( vera

qucedam ) but Veritas , the Truth . The old ironical formula , what is truth ? is no longer a mock . The truth is hare before us ; nor shaming any by her nakedness as she emerged from her well , but clan in showy cloth and -jilt lettered so as to befit a drawing-room table ; vouched moreover by one author with two

editors , and issuing from Paternoster Row . That she is no mere claimant , but the genuine longlost , there may be no doubt . Neither discovered nor expounded , poor expedients addressed to erring reason , she is Revealed , Mr . Melville being the Seer ; and a Revelation is not a thing to be trifled with , much less disputed .

We are not going to dispute it , the less so since wc are reminded on the title-page that Omnia vhicil Veritas ; and we have no mind to be overcome and perhaps for ever silenced . We shall confine ourselves to telling , so far as we are able without studious examination ,

what the book is about , and , as it were trotting out Truth for the inspection of her admirers , if she have any ; though these , we fear , preoccupied as usual with an abstraction , will find fault with the living Damsel as altogether ungainly , stubborn , and

disagreeable . Thc Truth , then , is that Mr . Melville , being a Freemason , and a man with an inquiring but mystical mind to boot , making a great discovery , the subject of his Revelation is big with the " Lost Mysteries of Masonry . " If , as becomes one in the

presence of Mr . ; Melville , we confess the truth on our own part , the discovery , whatever may be its worth , rather disconcerts us . We have been accustomed , like many others beyond the sacred circle to comfort ourselves with tha shrewd belief that , notwithstanding the

mysteries to which the Craft pretends , there is really no mystery in the matter beyond perhaps a common-place code of good-natured philosophy and a few formulas of trifling import designed for purposes of mutual recognition . Singularly enough , the whole body of Masons are

disconcerted too . They appear , indeed , on thai r own showing , to have exceeding little mystery in their possession ; and , to Mr . Melville ' s utter chagrin , they are indisposed to accept of any mare . He has offered them the " lost mysteries , " the truth

secured by him in an apparently discursive ramble through eastern literature , the consideration of " intellectual religions , " whatever these may be , ancient and modern , and an examination , at which it becomes one to turn serious , of the