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  • The Freemason
  • Oct. 21, 1876
  • Page 9
  • BRO. MUGGERIDGE.
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The Freemason, Oct. 21, 1876: Page 9

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    Article MASONIC ARCHÆOLOGY. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article BRO. MUGGERIDGE. Page 1 of 1
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    Article FRENCH FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 1
    Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 2
    Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 2 →
Page 9

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Masonic Archæology.

sons' marks , and many of the Masons' marks are exact facsimiles of the so-called magical letters . The well-known emblems of Freemasonry , the < Pentalpha , " the " Hexapla , " the " point within a circle , " are well known to all readers of the Hermetic literature and no doubt many of

the famous astrologers and Rosicrucians were creat mathematical and geometrical scholars . But here we stop , we can go no further , and as for any direct connection we do not know how to prove it . Elias Ashmole , of whom so much has been made , as regards Hermeticism , by some German

and English writers , was a " Freemason " before he became an attendant on the " Astrologers ' Feast , " at least we find in his diary previous to his initiation in 164 . 6 no trace of any astrological fraternity . Hence , at the outside , the theory of a Hermetico-Masonico continuation is a verv hazy

one indeed . But another and still more serious question remains behind . Admitted that the Hermetic society existed , has that Hermetic society anything to do historically , positively , really , with what are termed the Theosophic or Hermetic High Grades ? Are not all these

High Grades an adaptation of Hermetic formulas , the appropriation of the terminology and symbolism of a dying or defunct sodality for special purposes , and with another end ? Bro . Yarker seems to hold , if we understand his words aright , that all the grades above the three first

are the product of Hermeticism , or * rather founded upon it . He says this , we repeat , if we understand his argument rightly , though it is not quite clear to us whether he assumes that Hermeticism and High Grade Masonry are synonymous , " convertible terms , " or whether they

are essentially distinct , the latter being an adaptation and imitation of the former . We are ourselves quite clear as to one fact , that the " Hermeticism " of the Dedication to " Long-Livers " has nothing to do with the Royal Arch , whatever else it may refer to , and

we are disposed , notwithstanding some difficulties , to accept frankly the statement that Hermeticism existed in 1721 , and was known to the Craft Masons then . But even admitting this , though it proves something , it does not prove everything . The writer of that Dedication ,

whoever he was , may have been a Rosicrucian , and as such considered it a higher degree , and some of the Masons of sj 17 may have been Rosicrucians too , but then we have yet to learn that Rosicrucians and " Chevaliers Rose Croix " have anything ^ in common . Such namesand grades are

clever manipulations or arrangements of Ramsay , and others , for distinct purposes , of an old society then dying out , for whatever may have been the case in France , certain it is that in England we can find few traces of the Hermetic grades till

about fifty years after 1721 . Even in France all seems to proceed from Ramsay ' s famous oration in 1740 , and we confess that we still await with the deepest interest the evidence of an active Hermeticism in the middle of the last

century , though we admit its actual existence , if " Philalethes" is to be credited , in 1721 . We believe that Bro . Yarker has published a statement of an existence of a list of chapters of H . D . M . ' 743 » as of " time immemorial , " but we shall be glad to know where that list exists , and

whether printed or in MS . If certain Chapters were at work in 1743 , that is a very important fact , per se , and we therefore stop here today , as , before we can speak decidedly on this important question , we shall like to know what is the actual evidence , if any , of an active Hermeticism , after 1721 , and before ,

say 1770 . As regards the evidence of old ntuals , all such have to looked at by " experts , " because it is not necessarily a case of " sequitur , " ' j - ?* . because a document is said to be 200 years 0 ld , it is really- so . But all such questions can now be treated dispassionately , and discussed calml y and archaeologically , and we need not throw any heat into such a simple archaeological discussion . 5

Bro. Muggeridge.

BRO . MUGGERIDGE .

th- !? ° r St of us know Bro - Muggeridge , and £ ere are few of us , we believe , who have not a 52 ™""? friendl y feelin S so good a « son and so worth y a man . Bro . Muggeridge ,

Bro. Muggeridge.

who took farewell of the Quarterl y Court of the Girls' School on Saturday last , as Collector , after a faithful and meritorious service of 20 years , has retired , owing to ill-health , on a well earned pension . The entire sympathy and " hearty good wishes " not only of a large meeting , but

of all the subscribers to the Girls' School , and we will add , the entire Craft , go with our esteemed and venerable brother . Few more hard-working brethren probably have ever existed in English Masonry than that well-known and untiring individual termed by some " Old Mug . " Not

only as the zealous and indefatigable Collector of the Girls' School is he a " grata persona" whereever he appears , wherever his familiar face presents itself , but as a skilled instructor of the Order he has rendered many and valuable services , alike to lodges and chapters and

individual brethren . Hisname has long been honourably identified with the well known " Stability " Lodge of Instruction , and we all of us are well aware of his zeal and energy , and efficiency as a Masonic instructor , and of the urbanity and readiness with which he is always glad to

impart instruction to his brethren . As he left the roonVon Saturday we could not help saying to ourselves , " May your old age , honest and hardworking brother , be peaceful and serene , andjmay yours be a happy and gentle passage through your declining years , cheered and sweetened b y the

kindly goodwill of friends and brethren , and gladdened and exhilarated by the ever pleasant remembrance of duties well performed , of work truly done , as well for the great Order of which you have been so faithful a member , as for your brethren of whom you have been so

friendl y a companion , and so sincere a well wisher . " We think that all will hope , that our old friend and kindly brother may , in the good Providence of the G . A . O . T . U ., receive for many tranquil years the honorarium of faithful service and the assurances of our fraternal regard .

French Freemasonry.

FRENCH FREEMASONRY .

We have received Bro . Caubet ' s reply in the " Monde Maconnique" to the question we asked , relative to the statement of irregular marriages in French Lodges . We are happy to find that it is as we expected , a pure calumny . We

shall publish Bro . Caubet ' s letter and allude to the matter next week , and we shall also take the opportunity of calling attention to one or two questions of importance , gravely affecting , in our opinion , the present interests and future position of French Freemasonry .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —ED . ]

THE CANT OF MASONRY . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — The writer of thc article in the " Hampshire Post " under the above heading is scarcely worthy of the powder and shot with which you have annihilated him . I would not have troubled you with anv remarks unon his sillv

and spiteful observations were it not for the description he gives to those who he chooses to say " usurp the name of Masons . " He calls them " the lawyers , tailors , butchers , and tradesmen of all sorts . " First of all , does the writer know the meaning of the -word " usurp ? " If he does he must be aware that he has made a misuse of it . But why this choice of vocations ? Is it intended fnr a sm-er . nr ic

it wntten in ignorance of those who constitute the Masonic body ? If it be a sneer , well , let it go for what it is worth . As Masons we look ' at a man's character , and not his calling , as the criterion of his excellence * , and we do not think it derogatory in itself for a man to be a " lawyer , tailor , butcher , or any other sort of tradesman . " If , however , this be the writer ' s ignorance , well , poor felloyv . that

he may not commit himself again let us inform him that kings , noblemen of all ranks , from dukes to country squires , great statesmen and other professional men besides lawyers are to be found amongst us ; that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales is our present Grand Master , and that the worthy brother who presided at Havant the other day is neither a

" lawyer , a tailor , a butcher , or any other sort of tradesman . " In other words : here is a verse of an old song which our aristocratic (?) reviler probabl y never heard of " Great kings , dukes , and lords , Have laid by their swords , Our mysteries to put a good grace on , And ne'er felt ashamed To hear themselves named As a Free and an Accepted Mason . "

Original Correspondence.

The sneering tone pervades the yvhole article , making palpable the animus of the writer , whilst the ignorance displayed in his notion of the class of individuals who are Masons is also shown in all that he puts forth respecting Freemasonry itself ; in fact he yvrites of what he knows nothing about , and consequently he writes nonsense . There is only one portion of the article yvhich demands

in any yvay to be treated seriously : "Surely if exemplars were yvanted it is not necessary to go further than Christ , and , disciples and apostles : This leads us to the consideration . Are Christianity and Freemasonry consonant in principle ? If this be true , then surely Masonry is supetfluous . If they are not so then Masonry must be mischievous . "

This is one of those plausible and sweeping arguments yvhich if sound yvould be irresistible . But it has too much of the " begging the question" about it . It savours too much of cant ! If yve were indeed followers of Christ , imbued yvith the spirit and the mind of Christ , we should have no need of external aids of any kind , churches , creeds , clergymen , or communions , to help us

to a better life . But yyhen we see Christianity , as exemplified by its professors , split up into rival sections , each fierce and bitter in its denunciation of the other , then surely there is room for a society , call it by yvhat name you will , yvhich professes no dogma , religious or political ,

save that of love to God and love to man , and whose action , being beneficent , is neither " superfluous nor mischievous . " Yours faithfully and fraternally , A MASOK BUT NOT AN " USURPER . " Oct . 10 th , 1 S 76 .

LONG LIVERS . Dear Bro . Kenning , — Having read Bro . Hughan ' s and Bro . Yarker's letters in the last " Freemason , " I think it well to send you the following few and friendly remarks . Until I saw Bro . Mackey ' s paper in the " Voice of Masonry " I yvas not aware that Bro . Yarker had alluded to

the work . It is clear from his statement that he publicly , July 24 th , 1875 , mentioned " Long Livers , " and gave an extract from the Dedication , and that therefore he is the first who brought the book formally and publicly to the notice of Masonic students . It seems that the existence of the work was known some

time previously to Bro . Matthew Cooke , who first mentioned it to Bro . Yarker , and from Bro . Capt . Irwin , of Bristol , Bro . Yarker received the collated extract which he made use of publicly in his book , though not mentioning the source . The quotation in Bro . Yarker's work he appears to have obtained from Bro . Matthew Cooke .

I am free to confess , though my library is very large , and my collection of MSS . and references very extensive , yet I did not happen to know of the work , ( as might well happen , ) until I saw it first alluded to in the " Voice of Masonry . " My studies , as you are aware , have been mainly devoted to works and MSS . on Craft Masonry , and , not being a High-Grade man myself , I have never

gone out of my way to search for or acquire such High Grade yvorke , though I have many in my possession for archaiological purposes . But the moment I saw it , it appeared to mc to be very important in two respects . First , it shewed that the antiquity of the Hermetic connexion was greater than was often contended ; and

secondly , it seriously affected the current theories of Hermetic history , and for this reason . If this statement was correct , thc generally received vieyv that Hermetic Masonry was a development of Ramsay ' s movement in 1740 must be greatly shaken if not given upat once—and such a fact opened out two other considerations very important for the Masonic historian .

1 . Wbat was the real connection between Freemasonry and Hermeticism ? and secondly , what was the earliest trace of the existence of an Hermetic Masonry ? These points have yet to be elaborated and developed , and the matter itself has to be more closely looked into than has yet been the case . But the Masonic history of Hermeticism will have to be

re-written , as if it existed in 1721 it could not have been created after 1740 , Bro . Yarker , I note , states that in his opinion the allusions on the Dedication refer to the Royal Arch . But such a theory is , I apprehend , utterly inadmissible for many reasons , and , like Bro . Hughan , I think the subject requires a good deal of careful consideration , and

cannot be too hastily or dogmatically decided . I am much more inclined myself to believe that the terms , which are pure Hermetic jargon , like "King Pyropus , " and many more , refer to a Rosicrucian confraternity , perhaps the actual " Fratres Rosa : Crucis , " who did undoubtedly exist , but who are not the same as the Order of " Rose Croix . " I do not lay much store myself by the assertion of even

in 1 743 a list of six lodges of H . R . M ., & c ., existing then in London , " from time immemorial , " and alluded to by Bro . Yarker , as the words , from " time immemorial , " are of easy use and deceptive authority . Would Bro . Yarker kindly tell us where that list is to be found , as just now Bro . Hughan is making a special study of the lists , and we may light upon some interesting facts .

It will be seen from what I have said , that I for one do not and cannot accept Bro . Yarker ' s theory of the Hermeticism alluded to , being that of the Royal Arch , and think that we have got to learn the actual connexion between Hermeticism and the High Grades . We have also , it appears to me , to learn how far wbat may be termed Hermetic Masonry , is actually a product of the old Rosicrucianism , or an adaptation by the mystical Masons of the later part of the last century , of the term-

“The Freemason: 1876-10-21, Page 9” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 25 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fvl/issues/fvl_21101876/page/9/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
CONTENTS. Article 1
REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS Article 1
Scotland. Article 3
Masonic and General Tidings. Article 3
Royal Arch. Article 4
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS. Article 5
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS. Article 6
ANNUAL BANQUET OF THE STAR LODGE OF INSTRUCTION. Article 6
CONSECRATION OF THE KILBURN LODGE. Article 6
CONSECRATION OF THE FRIENDS IN COUNCIL CHAPTER, No. 1383. Article 7
SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°. Article 7
Obituary. Article 7
Untitled Ad 8
Untitled Ad 8
COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR. Article 8
Untitled Article 8
TO OUR READERS. Article 8
NEW POSTAL RATES. Article 8
TO ADVERTISERS. Article 8
Answers to Correspondents. Article 8
Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Article 8
Untitled Article 8
OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER'S VISIT TO GLASGOW. Article 8
THE LAST QUARTERLY COURT OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL. Article 8
MASONIC ARCHÆOLOGY. Article 8
BRO. MUGGERIDGE. Article 9
FRENCH FREEMASONRY. Article 9
Original Correspondence. Article 9
GOLDEN WEDDING OF BRO. CORNELIUS MOORE AND THE " MASONIC REVIEW." Article 10
LONDON MASONIC CLUB. Article 10
THE ROYAL VISIT TO GLASGOW. Article 11
PEACE OR WAR. Article 13
UNION WATERLOO LODGE OF INSTRUCTION. Article 13
LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE. Article 14
METROPOLITAN MASONIC MEETINGS. Article 14
MASONIC MEETINGS IN WEST LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE. Article 14
MASONIC MEETINGS IN GLASGOW AND WEST OF SCOTLAND. Article 14
MASONIC MEETINGS IN EDINBURGH AND VICINITY. Article 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
Untitled Ad 14
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4 Articles
Page 2

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3 Articles
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4 Articles
Page 4

Page 4

4 Articles
Page 5

Page 5

3 Articles
Page 6

Page 6

5 Articles
Page 7

Page 7

5 Articles
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Page 8

14 Articles
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6 Articles
Page 10

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4 Articles
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3 Articles
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3 Articles
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Page 13

4 Articles
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11 Articles
Page 9

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Masonic Archæology.

sons' marks , and many of the Masons' marks are exact facsimiles of the so-called magical letters . The well-known emblems of Freemasonry , the < Pentalpha , " the " Hexapla , " the " point within a circle , " are well known to all readers of the Hermetic literature and no doubt many of

the famous astrologers and Rosicrucians were creat mathematical and geometrical scholars . But here we stop , we can go no further , and as for any direct connection we do not know how to prove it . Elias Ashmole , of whom so much has been made , as regards Hermeticism , by some German

and English writers , was a " Freemason " before he became an attendant on the " Astrologers ' Feast , " at least we find in his diary previous to his initiation in 164 . 6 no trace of any astrological fraternity . Hence , at the outside , the theory of a Hermetico-Masonico continuation is a verv hazy

one indeed . But another and still more serious question remains behind . Admitted that the Hermetic society existed , has that Hermetic society anything to do historically , positively , really , with what are termed the Theosophic or Hermetic High Grades ? Are not all these

High Grades an adaptation of Hermetic formulas , the appropriation of the terminology and symbolism of a dying or defunct sodality for special purposes , and with another end ? Bro . Yarker seems to hold , if we understand his words aright , that all the grades above the three first

are the product of Hermeticism , or * rather founded upon it . He says this , we repeat , if we understand his argument rightly , though it is not quite clear to us whether he assumes that Hermeticism and High Grade Masonry are synonymous , " convertible terms , " or whether they

are essentially distinct , the latter being an adaptation and imitation of the former . We are ourselves quite clear as to one fact , that the " Hermeticism " of the Dedication to " Long-Livers " has nothing to do with the Royal Arch , whatever else it may refer to , and

we are disposed , notwithstanding some difficulties , to accept frankly the statement that Hermeticism existed in 1721 , and was known to the Craft Masons then . But even admitting this , though it proves something , it does not prove everything . The writer of that Dedication ,

whoever he was , may have been a Rosicrucian , and as such considered it a higher degree , and some of the Masons of sj 17 may have been Rosicrucians too , but then we have yet to learn that Rosicrucians and " Chevaliers Rose Croix " have anything ^ in common . Such namesand grades are

clever manipulations or arrangements of Ramsay , and others , for distinct purposes , of an old society then dying out , for whatever may have been the case in France , certain it is that in England we can find few traces of the Hermetic grades till

about fifty years after 1721 . Even in France all seems to proceed from Ramsay ' s famous oration in 1740 , and we confess that we still await with the deepest interest the evidence of an active Hermeticism in the middle of the last

century , though we admit its actual existence , if " Philalethes" is to be credited , in 1721 . We believe that Bro . Yarker has published a statement of an existence of a list of chapters of H . D . M . ' 743 » as of " time immemorial , " but we shall be glad to know where that list exists , and

whether printed or in MS . If certain Chapters were at work in 1743 , that is a very important fact , per se , and we therefore stop here today , as , before we can speak decidedly on this important question , we shall like to know what is the actual evidence , if any , of an active Hermeticism , after 1721 , and before ,

say 1770 . As regards the evidence of old ntuals , all such have to looked at by " experts , " because it is not necessarily a case of " sequitur , " ' j - ?* . because a document is said to be 200 years 0 ld , it is really- so . But all such questions can now be treated dispassionately , and discussed calml y and archaeologically , and we need not throw any heat into such a simple archaeological discussion . 5

Bro. Muggeridge.

BRO . MUGGERIDGE .

th- !? ° r St of us know Bro - Muggeridge , and £ ere are few of us , we believe , who have not a 52 ™""? friendl y feelin S so good a « son and so worth y a man . Bro . Muggeridge ,

Bro. Muggeridge.

who took farewell of the Quarterl y Court of the Girls' School on Saturday last , as Collector , after a faithful and meritorious service of 20 years , has retired , owing to ill-health , on a well earned pension . The entire sympathy and " hearty good wishes " not only of a large meeting , but

of all the subscribers to the Girls' School , and we will add , the entire Craft , go with our esteemed and venerable brother . Few more hard-working brethren probably have ever existed in English Masonry than that well-known and untiring individual termed by some " Old Mug . " Not

only as the zealous and indefatigable Collector of the Girls' School is he a " grata persona" whereever he appears , wherever his familiar face presents itself , but as a skilled instructor of the Order he has rendered many and valuable services , alike to lodges and chapters and

individual brethren . Hisname has long been honourably identified with the well known " Stability " Lodge of Instruction , and we all of us are well aware of his zeal and energy , and efficiency as a Masonic instructor , and of the urbanity and readiness with which he is always glad to

impart instruction to his brethren . As he left the roonVon Saturday we could not help saying to ourselves , " May your old age , honest and hardworking brother , be peaceful and serene , andjmay yours be a happy and gentle passage through your declining years , cheered and sweetened b y the

kindly goodwill of friends and brethren , and gladdened and exhilarated by the ever pleasant remembrance of duties well performed , of work truly done , as well for the great Order of which you have been so faithful a member , as for your brethren of whom you have been so

friendl y a companion , and so sincere a well wisher . " We think that all will hope , that our old friend and kindly brother may , in the good Providence of the G . A . O . T . U ., receive for many tranquil years the honorarium of faithful service and the assurances of our fraternal regard .

French Freemasonry.

FRENCH FREEMASONRY .

We have received Bro . Caubet ' s reply in the " Monde Maconnique" to the question we asked , relative to the statement of irregular marriages in French Lodges . We are happy to find that it is as we expected , a pure calumny . We

shall publish Bro . Caubet ' s letter and allude to the matter next week , and we shall also take the opportunity of calling attention to one or two questions of importance , gravely affecting , in our opinion , the present interests and future position of French Freemasonry .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —ED . ]

THE CANT OF MASONRY . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — The writer of thc article in the " Hampshire Post " under the above heading is scarcely worthy of the powder and shot with which you have annihilated him . I would not have troubled you with anv remarks unon his sillv

and spiteful observations were it not for the description he gives to those who he chooses to say " usurp the name of Masons . " He calls them " the lawyers , tailors , butchers , and tradesmen of all sorts . " First of all , does the writer know the meaning of the -word " usurp ? " If he does he must be aware that he has made a misuse of it . But why this choice of vocations ? Is it intended fnr a sm-er . nr ic

it wntten in ignorance of those who constitute the Masonic body ? If it be a sneer , well , let it go for what it is worth . As Masons we look ' at a man's character , and not his calling , as the criterion of his excellence * , and we do not think it derogatory in itself for a man to be a " lawyer , tailor , butcher , or any other sort of tradesman . " If , however , this be the writer ' s ignorance , well , poor felloyv . that

he may not commit himself again let us inform him that kings , noblemen of all ranks , from dukes to country squires , great statesmen and other professional men besides lawyers are to be found amongst us ; that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales is our present Grand Master , and that the worthy brother who presided at Havant the other day is neither a

" lawyer , a tailor , a butcher , or any other sort of tradesman . " In other words : here is a verse of an old song which our aristocratic (?) reviler probabl y never heard of " Great kings , dukes , and lords , Have laid by their swords , Our mysteries to put a good grace on , And ne'er felt ashamed To hear themselves named As a Free and an Accepted Mason . "

Original Correspondence.

The sneering tone pervades the yvhole article , making palpable the animus of the writer , whilst the ignorance displayed in his notion of the class of individuals who are Masons is also shown in all that he puts forth respecting Freemasonry itself ; in fact he yvrites of what he knows nothing about , and consequently he writes nonsense . There is only one portion of the article yvhich demands

in any yvay to be treated seriously : "Surely if exemplars were yvanted it is not necessary to go further than Christ , and , disciples and apostles : This leads us to the consideration . Are Christianity and Freemasonry consonant in principle ? If this be true , then surely Masonry is supetfluous . If they are not so then Masonry must be mischievous . "

This is one of those plausible and sweeping arguments yvhich if sound yvould be irresistible . But it has too much of the " begging the question" about it . It savours too much of cant ! If yve were indeed followers of Christ , imbued yvith the spirit and the mind of Christ , we should have no need of external aids of any kind , churches , creeds , clergymen , or communions , to help us

to a better life . But yyhen we see Christianity , as exemplified by its professors , split up into rival sections , each fierce and bitter in its denunciation of the other , then surely there is room for a society , call it by yvhat name you will , yvhich professes no dogma , religious or political ,

save that of love to God and love to man , and whose action , being beneficent , is neither " superfluous nor mischievous . " Yours faithfully and fraternally , A MASOK BUT NOT AN " USURPER . " Oct . 10 th , 1 S 76 .

LONG LIVERS . Dear Bro . Kenning , — Having read Bro . Hughan ' s and Bro . Yarker's letters in the last " Freemason , " I think it well to send you the following few and friendly remarks . Until I saw Bro . Mackey ' s paper in the " Voice of Masonry " I yvas not aware that Bro . Yarker had alluded to

the work . It is clear from his statement that he publicly , July 24 th , 1875 , mentioned " Long Livers , " and gave an extract from the Dedication , and that therefore he is the first who brought the book formally and publicly to the notice of Masonic students . It seems that the existence of the work was known some

time previously to Bro . Matthew Cooke , who first mentioned it to Bro . Yarker , and from Bro . Capt . Irwin , of Bristol , Bro . Yarker received the collated extract which he made use of publicly in his book , though not mentioning the source . The quotation in Bro . Yarker's work he appears to have obtained from Bro . Matthew Cooke .

I am free to confess , though my library is very large , and my collection of MSS . and references very extensive , yet I did not happen to know of the work , ( as might well happen , ) until I saw it first alluded to in the " Voice of Masonry . " My studies , as you are aware , have been mainly devoted to works and MSS . on Craft Masonry , and , not being a High-Grade man myself , I have never

gone out of my way to search for or acquire such High Grade yvorke , though I have many in my possession for archaiological purposes . But the moment I saw it , it appeared to mc to be very important in two respects . First , it shewed that the antiquity of the Hermetic connexion was greater than was often contended ; and

secondly , it seriously affected the current theories of Hermetic history , and for this reason . If this statement was correct , thc generally received vieyv that Hermetic Masonry was a development of Ramsay ' s movement in 1740 must be greatly shaken if not given upat once—and such a fact opened out two other considerations very important for the Masonic historian .

1 . Wbat was the real connection between Freemasonry and Hermeticism ? and secondly , what was the earliest trace of the existence of an Hermetic Masonry ? These points have yet to be elaborated and developed , and the matter itself has to be more closely looked into than has yet been the case . But the Masonic history of Hermeticism will have to be

re-written , as if it existed in 1721 it could not have been created after 1740 , Bro . Yarker , I note , states that in his opinion the allusions on the Dedication refer to the Royal Arch . But such a theory is , I apprehend , utterly inadmissible for many reasons , and , like Bro . Hughan , I think the subject requires a good deal of careful consideration , and

cannot be too hastily or dogmatically decided . I am much more inclined myself to believe that the terms , which are pure Hermetic jargon , like "King Pyropus , " and many more , refer to a Rosicrucian confraternity , perhaps the actual " Fratres Rosa : Crucis , " who did undoubtedly exist , but who are not the same as the Order of " Rose Croix . " I do not lay much store myself by the assertion of even

in 1 743 a list of six lodges of H . R . M ., & c ., existing then in London , " from time immemorial , " and alluded to by Bro . Yarker , as the words , from " time immemorial , " are of easy use and deceptive authority . Would Bro . Yarker kindly tell us where that list is to be found , as just now Bro . Hughan is making a special study of the lists , and we may light upon some interesting facts .

It will be seen from what I have said , that I for one do not and cannot accept Bro . Yarker ' s theory of the Hermeticism alluded to , being that of the Royal Arch , and think that we have got to learn the actual connexion between Hermeticism and the High Grades . We have also , it appears to me , to learn how far wbat may be termed Hermetic Masonry , is actually a product of the old Rosicrucianism , or an adaptation by the mystical Masons of the later part of the last century , of the term-

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