Hints To "Masonic Student. "

so was doomed to die ; that when the saint was led to the place of execution all the people followed him , and the judge was left all alone in the court , even without anv servants ; that , as

the party had to cross a river , and there were not sufficient boats to float the whole crowd across , so the river dried up Jordan fashion . and the crowd crossed on dry land , but here the

executioner was converted , and would not excecute . So another executioner was sent for ; but in the meantime the saint became thirsty , so he prayed , and a spring of pure water gushed up

from the ground , and refreshed him . At last executioner No . 2 , arrived , and when he performed the deed , his eyes fell out of his head upon the corpse of the saint ; all which , Bede says ,

took place in 286 A . D ., and as the Dioclesian edict of persecution was not issued until February , 503 , A . D ., it proves that Anderson pretended to

know about the saint more than Bede . Indeed , there are difficulties in the way which could not be reconciled ; so Anderson adopted Usher ' s chronology .

Mj next inquiry was—who was Bede ' s Harry ? As Bede wrote in the Sth century , and as Saint Alban died in the third century , the question was , how was that story transmitted to

Bede . ' After some'hunting , I iound his Harry . He may be called " Old Harry , " the first monkish historian of England , viz ., " Gildas the Wise . " His account of the saint is shorter than

Bede ' s . He knew nothing of the dialogue beween the saint and the judge , about all the people leaving the town to witness the execution , or about the spring of water gushing up , nor

about the eyes of the excel ioner No . 2 , falling out of his head ; and he gives no date whatever when it happened . But here came the question—Who was " Gildas the Wise 5 " Gibbon answers in his Dec . and F . of the Roman

Empire , chap . , ; 8 , — " A monk , who in the profound ignorance of human life , has presumed to exercise the office of historian . " But as Gibbon ' s opinion may be objected to , because it is said that

he did not believe in the whole , or some , of the thirty-nine Articles , so I made further inquiry Now , listen ( Knight ' s Knglish Cyclopaedia , Biog . Div ., Article" Gildas" ) , Mr . Stephens , in an

introduction to the Latin text of Gildas ' s works , says— " We are unable to speak with certainty as to the parentage of Gildas , his country , or even his name , the period when he lived , or the

the works of which he was the author , " says the commentator of Gildas ; but Mr . T . Wright attempts to show that Gildas is a fabulous person , and his history the forgery of an

Anglo-Saxon or a foreign priest of the seventh century , I find in the same article , that two other Gildases lived in the sixth century , but that the three seem to have been one and the same

person . Anyhow , beyond the sixth or seventh century , the St . Alban ' s story was unknown ; no previous martyrologist or writer has alluded to St . Alban before Gildas . When , therefore , 1

arrived at this stage of inquiry , I was forcibly reminded of " somebody that somebod y said , that somebody saw the lion wag its tail . " Next , I found in Roger De Wendover , a monk

of the thirteenth century , that Off : i , King of the Mercians , had a visit from an angel in heaven in 793 to disTjter St . Alban . The memory of the martyr had perished , and the place ofliis burial

Hints To "Masonic Student. "

had been forgotten for about 344 years . So after a light came down from heaven , seen by thousands , the people fasted and prayed , and then went to the spot indicated by the heavenly light ,

and of course the body of the martyr was found , the people rejoiced , a church , etc ., was built , and Roger assures us that miracles were constantly wrought by the bones , even to his time , the lame

walked , the blind saw , & c , & c . Add to all which the account given by Mosheim ( Ecchis . part 2 , chap . 3 ) , a very orthodox D . D ., of the rage prevailing among the early monks for

manufacturing fabulot s saints , & c , I came to the conclusion , my dear Bro . Masonic Student , that there never was such a personage as St . Alban Protomartyr . I have other reasons to support my

belief , but at present this will suffice . And now a few more hints to Bro . Student . In the Freemason , August 3 rd , he said that the Masons in the fourteenth century had higher

wages than other mechanics . I wish bun to inform me , first , how much hig her wages did Masons receive than , say , carpenters ; second , —How

long did that last ; and third , his authorities , title and page , if possible , so that I can judge for myself . I would also resnc-ctfullv recommend him

to consult the authorities mentioned in Matthew Cooke ' s MS ., such as the rolicronicon , Isodorus , ecc . A new edition of the former was recently published in Oxford . 1 also learn , that

" Wilkinson ' s Anglo-Saxon Laws , " and "Thorp ' s Ancient Laws ? . ud Institutions of England , " make mention of Athelstan ' s ro < m ! ations tor

guilds . I suspect that this fact of Athelstan liavingsanctioned some laws for guilds , may have been the cause of the invention of the Athelstan

story . We know that about 140 years ago , a Masonic genius was inspired with the idea that as Masons have secrets , and as the Templars ,

also , had secrets , that the Templars must have been . Masons , oca , and . this has not only passed as Masonic hisinrv . ha thousands of Masons

were induced to put on cocked hats , with feathers , crosses , and swords , and put themselves into a terrible passion , swearing vengeance against Philip IV . and Pope Clement V ., for having

killed their G . M ., De Molay , That is the way . Masonic history was manufactured . In a similar manner , thi . fact « . f Athelstan having given laws for some guilds becoming known to a priest ,

who took an interest in the Masonic fraternity , perhaps it was the very nuthor of Halliwell's MS . So he jumped at the conclusion that as well as Athelstan fave laws to some fraternities , he must

also have given laws to Masons , and so he made history of it . Now , I . want Bro . Student to examine carefully the worksof Wilkinson aniiThurp . and to follow up their authorities as far as

possible . If Athelstan did ever give Masons a charter , Bro . Student will surely get a clue to its whereabouts in the path indicated , or he may find at least , some allusion to it . Should he ,

however , after diligent search , fail to discover any j allusion , then , he must join me in p lacing the ! Athelstv . n story side by side with the fables of

the " Four holy crowned martrys , " with Abraham teaching Euclid the seven sciences , with Nymus Grecus imitating Charles Mattel , Sec .

M . asonry teaches truth , true morality , and justice , accompanied with means of enlightening the -. mind , purify ing the heait , and ttreii •ji . hening tf . ) e understanding' .

Reviews.

Reviews .

Shakespeare a Freematon ; or The Bard nf Awm Lodge . A Record by f . C . Parkinson , ' W . M . 778 , P . M . 1 S 1 ; P . Z . 259 ; author of "Places and People , " "The Ocean Telegra ph to India , " & c , & c .

Having expressed our opinion upon the soundness of Bro . Parkinson ' s views with reference to Shakespeare ' s connection with the Craft , we may now glance at the literary and artistic merits in the medium through which he makes known his convictions . In the first place we find a v ery

handsomely bound volume , which is lit to grace any drawing room table , judging merely by exterior appearance , and we learn , upon opening the book , that we are indebted to the judicious suggest on and charactcrestic liberality of Bro . George Elliott ( M . P . for North Durham ) S . W .

and W . M . elect of the Bard of Avon Lodge , for this admirable contribution to Masonic literature . The history of the Lodge from its formation in 1857 , down to the very successful revival meeting at Staines in 1 S 72 , is collected from the records , nothing of importance being omitted .

\ ve are then favoured with a full report of the proceedings and speeches at Staines , which duly appeared in the Freemason at the time , and certainly while all the speeches are far above the average of post-prandial utterances , lira . Parkinson ' s own oration upon the " Bard" and

Freemasonry is the gem of the of the collection . The " Notes , " as we have already intimated , arc exceedingly interesting , and they are followed by an article , from the pen of Bro . Parkinson , entitU d " At Stratford to-day" description of a pilgrimage undertaken bv the writer to the tomb of

Shakespeare with a view to the elucidation of a t \ i"nn doubtful but important incident in the history of the lodge . The work , for work it is in every sense of the word , and also a fitting tribute to the greatness of the Poet and of Freemasonry , concludes with graphic account of the several

Shakespeare Festivals at Strallord . in winch are embodied the splendid speeches delivered by the late Lord Carlisle , and Mr . Creswiek the tragedeian , at the Tercentenary Celebration in 1 S 64 . In line , Bro . Parkinson has worthily fuliilled a very difficult task , and has itnperislably associated the Bard of Avon Lodge with the name of

Shakespeare . It is an honour of wlnen not only the members of that distinguished lodge , but the whole Craft , may justly be proud and we derive intense satisfaction from the fact that we are able to express in some measure , the thanks of a large circle of brethren to the tahnted author for his labo' . ' . rs i : t the truud cuuec .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . R . w . wmDowsox . j . w . 279 To mourn for the dej-arted i- an instinct of our nature . It is also becoming . We who

remain , to grieve for those w ,-io haw Revived the final summons , cannot divest our mind of the feeling of brotherhood ,. and the expression of grief for them is , in every well constituted nihil , the e \ nr .-ssi' u ol il . r own h-, i ; -. h , ; . . - ¦ ¦¦ . i < -.. b-

mi .-si . n to t ' u lot , which is : p , oi ;¦¦ . ¦¦ \ for i w"v living thing . It is our melancholy duly to record the sudden death , on Monday morning , of ou' - much esteemed Bro . V . W . Wiihk . wsi . ii , J . W . St John ' s

Lodge , No . 279 , L-. 'icesl r . On Saturday evening our brother ctlen-iid a meeting of the Commercial l , o : ! ge , 1391 , and although although complaining' on Sunday , noihing serious was apprehended . tin

Monday morning , after issuing the die necessary instructions to his men , he sudden !} obeyed the summons to the presence of the Great Architect of the Universe . During a period four years , since his initiation ,

' he has filled various important offices in the ; Craft Lodge , and also in the Provincial Grand j Lodge , and Provincial Grand Mnik Lodge , and ! while mingling' v . ' th his brethrm of the . Mystic Craft , he v .... . . a ! . ' / ays cheerful , energetic and happy .