Royal Arch Masonry.

and the candidate , Zerubbabel , chained as . a captive with fetters formed of triangular links . Zerubbabel presents himself before the king and prays him to grant freedom to the Israelites who desire to return to Jerusalem : this Cyrus

promises to do if Zerubbabel will reveal to niffi the mysteries of Freemasonry . The captive , as a matter of course , rejects the condition , stating , " If my liberty can only be obtained at the price of dishonour , I prefer captivity and tho

sufferings of servitude . " The noble Cyrus is greatly impressed by the courage and discretion with ¦ which Zerubbabel guards the secrets of the Order , and agrees to restore the Jews to liberty if Zerubbabel will submit to certain proofs , which the candidate submits to with cheerful fortitude .

Zerubbabel is then permitted to set out for Jerusalem , where he announces his arrival to . the princes and rulers of Israel , who recognise him as their appointed chief , and form , a grand Sanhedrim under his authority .

In another of these degrees , the candidate prefers a complaint' against the Samaritans for refusing to pay the tribute imposed on them for defraying the expense of the sacrifices offered to God in the temple . The Master refers him to

Darius , to whom the candidate then repairs , and the king issues the following decree : " We Darius , king of kings , willing to favour and protect our people at Jerusalem , after the example of our illustrious predecessor , King Cyrus ,

do will and ordain , that the Samaritans , against whom complaints have been made , shall punctually pay the tribute monay which they owe for the sacrifices of the temple ; otherwise they shall receive the punishment due to their disobedience . "

The candidate returns to Jerusalem , where ho is received with great joy as the bearer of so important a mandate , and the princes and rulers of the people reward his Zealand courage by admitting him as a member of their secret council , « fec .

These degrees were doubtless based upon the historical fact , that after the death of Cyrus the work at , Jerusalem wa 3 retarded and interrupted by the malice of the Samaritans , who not onl y used open violence to hinder the Jews in their

arduous undertaking , but also represented them to Cambyscs as a seditious and disloyal people . However , upon the accession of Darius Hystaspe 3 to the throne , Zerubbabel took tho earliest opportunity of reminding the king of a vow he

had formerl y made to rebuild tho city aud temple of Jerusalem , and restore the worshi p of the true God throughout Judea . Darius at once

promulgated the following edict , in which ho not onl y granted the Jews full permission to pi-oceed with the work but also ordered that every assistance should bo afforded thorn b y his subjects for that

purpose : — " Wo have seen the decree of Cyrus , our predecessor , iu which permission was granted to tho Jews to rebuild their temple and city of Jerusalem . Now , therefore , let tho work of tins House

of God alone ; let the governor of the Jews , and the ciders of the Jews , build this House of God in its place . Moreover , I make a decree what ye shall do to the ciders of these Jews for the building of this house of God : that of the Kind ' s

goods , even of the tribute beyond the river , forthwith exponses be given unto these men that they be not hindered . And tho God that hath caused His name to dwell there , destroy all kings

and people tint shall put tlieir hand to alter and to destroy this House of God which is at Jerusalem . I , Dariu 3 , have made a decree , let it be douo with speed . " ( To be continued . )

Reviews.

I & z fa ii to s .

. ? " A Letter to the p . W . Brother J . Rankin Slebbing , P . G . D ., 3 * c , on Brother Clabons proposed scheme of Masor . ic Confiscation . " By Brother MATTHEW COOKE , 30 ° , P . ivL , P . Z ., & c . " In tho fir ? t number of T HE FREEMASON our readers

will remember we sounded a note of warning as to the nature and character of Brother Gabon ' s scheme for the appropriation of the Fund of Benevolence- to certain purposes not only foreign to its original design , but calculated to deprive the Craft of all control over moneys which it is * ur sacred duty to dispense

for tho relief of the poor and distressed . We then remarked that at tho last meeting of Grand Lodge , Bro . Stubbing vigorously protested against the adoption of such a perilous course , and we appealed to the Freemasons of England to oppose this invasion of their rights and privileges . Upon the same subject

Bro . Cooke lias written a pamphlet in the form of a letter to Bro . Stebbing , in which lie denounces the scheme in no measured terms ; Speaking of the Fund of Benevolence , he says justly : — " It is the sole property of Grand'Lodge , raised from the accumulation of many , many years—fees of honour : fines ;

registrations ; and ' a-poll tax of the whole Craft" And it is charged with ilia relief of the poor and the expenses of the Order . The Schools have no interest in it , nor have they the most remote moral claim upon it , either in its regular or surplus amounts . It is a sacred and venerable trust aud inheritance—fluctuating from time to lime . "

We also extract the following account of the ori gin of the Fund , which we hope the brethren will bear in mind : — "Tne Committee of Charity—the forerunner of what was afterwards termed the lloaid , or Fund of Uenevolcncc— first came into operation on the i 1 st of November , 1721 , and was

founded by twenty seven lodges , under the Grand Mastership of the DuUe of Richmond . It commenced with ' a general fund for the support of faithful brethren who had met with reverses of fortune , or become poor . ' If one argued for a month , I think no plainer definition of the Fund , its objects , and restrictions , could he arrived at . It was to ' support '—

not relieve , — ' faithful brethren who had met with reverses of fortune or become poor . ' " That organization , modified from time to time hy the admission of widows and children , as petitioners , —not children only claiming , because they are in schools founded by tho private beneficence of individual brethren , —has come

down to our own day , and so jealously is the right of petition still guarded , that , even now , a widow once relieved cannot petition again . "That organization is the undoubted placcofaid and assistance , from which every Craftsman has the right to demand relief . "

Wc could have wished that Bro . Cooke ' s letter embodied fewer references to extraneous topics which serve only to confuse the main question , but we arc bound to add that , when directed to the point , his arguments are exhaustive , and his denunciations amply

warranted by the spoliating nature of the scheme . Br . Cooke refutes the illogical dictum of the Committee , " That no reason exists for continuing this accumulation" ( of the Fund of Benevolence ) , by quoting the 18 th article of union between the two Grand Lodges in 1813 as follows : —

"The Fund appropriated to the objects of Masonic Benevolence , shall not be infringed on for any purpose , but shall bo kept strictly and solely devoted to charity ; and pains shall be taken to increase the same . " This , we conceive , is unanswerable , and unless the Act of Union be repealed , we are unable to see how

any presiding ollicer in Grand Lodge can allow Bro . Clubon ' s scheme to be submitted to the vote at the next quarterly communication . But admitting even that the sense of the brethren is taken , we are not in any dread of tho result ; the authorities have done tlieir duty in circulating the Keport of the

Confiscation Committee , and as the Craft are now thoroughly alive to the specious character of the proposed innovations , the whole scheme will doubtless be summaril y rejected . Bro . Cooke has done good service by his well-timed letter , which we commend to all our readers who may desire to be thoroughly acquainted with so important a subject .

" Le Monde Maconniiptc . " Paris . " Le Franc-. Vacon . " Paris . " L'Action Maconnique . " Paris . The chronicle of our French contemporary , the Masonic World , for April , contains accounts of several Masonic fetes in Paris . One of these

festivals took place on Sunday , the 14 th March , in connection with the Lodge Mars ct les Arts . The lodge was opened at two o ' clock in the afternoon , and four gentlemen were initiated according to ancient custom j at live o ' clock the celebrated Frere Eugene Pelletan delivered a brilliant oration , in which he

defined the objects and character of Freemasonry , and alluded to " Abraham Lincoln , who abolished slavery in Aiucricn , and Joseph Garibaldi , who freed Italy , " as "two of the most illustrious Masons of mil era . " We confess frankly that , until wc read Bro . l'clletan ' s speech , we were hot aware that either

Reviews.

of those eminent men had ever signalised himself in connection with Freemasonry , and we were not quite clear that the martyred American President was even a member of the Craft . To resume , we are glad to find that the oration of Frere Pelletan was greatly applauded ; he is an able man , although

perhaps too much of a theorist to suit the conservative principles of English Masons . A banquet followed , at which 270 guests of both sexes sat down . Then the Frere Bancel delivered a discourse on the origin of the Revolution ( fancy a scene like this in an English lod « e ) , aud a concert .

succeeded , after which' fth Jules . Simon spoke ior iin hour on education . The three lodges , "ieS C ? eurs-Unis , " " 1 'Etoile ' PoL-lirV' a » d the " Vallees Egyptiennes , " celebrated their "Feast of Spriiig "^ on the 20 fch March , at which the programme was similar to that described above , except that the

proceedings weie wound up with a ball ; Among the foreign news in '' Le Monde Maconnique" we note that the 'Frere P . Van Humbeek , representative for Brussels , has been elected Grand Master of the G . O . of Belgium ; but we regret to observe that both in Belgium and in Germany a movement

appears to be gaining ground which h- ; s for its object the abolition of the prescribed profession of belief in T . G . A . O . 'F . U . required from every candidate before his initiation into Freemasonry . Our contemporary notices with just praise the labours of the " Masonic Archaeological Institute of England , "

and refers with admiration to tho fine inaugural address of Bro . Hyde Clarke , and to the papers subsequently read by Bros . Lambert aud Bssaut . The " Monde Maconnique . " we may remark , strenuously supports the views of the advanced school of Masonic freethinkers , whosp philosophy is evidently

regarded with horror by the Ultramontane party on the Continent ; and we may add that the dogmas of those pantheistic brethren are by no means in consonance with the ideas which obtain among Euglish Masons . " Le Frauc-Macon" is the oldest French Masonic

print , having been established iu 1847 . Ihe editor analyzes a book written by M . de Saint Albin , who attacks Freemasonry , and especially the high grades , which he says are " consecrated to Satanic mysteries . " There is also a voluminous account of the recent Masonic Congress at Havre , when various

questions relating to the progress and utility ol Freemasonry were debated by those who attended . There is also an interesting account of the late Bro . Berryer , the treat French advocate , who was , it appears , initiated on the 23 rd December , 1848 , in the Lodge " Chevaliers-Croises , " and the "

Franc-Macou' closes with an account of the funeral honours paid to Voltaire iu the Lodge of '' Nine Sisters" on the 28 tb October , 1778 . " L'Action Maconnique " alludes , in strong terms of reprobation , to tho facility with which improper persons obtain admission into the Craft . This is an

evil against which we have inveighed in THE FREEMASON . Our contemporary points out that in France men are induced to become Freemasons by appeals to their imagination or to their mercenary interests , instead of having their attention directed

to the true objects of the institution . The "Action Maconnique " is iu favour of the suppression of the high grades ; but its views are combated in a letter from Frere Alexandre Boy , to which insertion is given in the number under review .

Masonic Literature.

MASONIC LITERATURE .

\\ e understand that Bro . I ) . Murray Lyon ( of Ayr ) , the accomplished Masonic author , has just received permission from the members of the St . Alary Chapel Lodge , No . 1 , Edinburgh , to examine their ancient records with a view to publishing such extracts us may lend to throw any li ght on the history of that old lodge ,

which has existed ior upwards ol three centuries . We expect great things from such valuable documents being placed in the bunds of so worthy and distinguished a mason , mid although the promised history ol "Mother Kilwinning" is likely to be deferred until the spring of 1870 , in consequence of this fresh

investigation being opened up , we fl-cl sure that the result of Bro . Lyon ' s researches will more than com - pensafe for the delay , and prove to be wortUy of liini and of the Lodge that has granted an opportunity for the Masonic Historian of Scotland to do justice to Masonry in Edinburgh .

Bro . DKUMMONI ) , Grand Master of the Grand Lod ge of Massachusetts , has compiled a table iu which he sums up the statistics of Freemasons iu North America for the year 18 C 8 , as follows : — 42 Grand Lodges .

387 , 402 members . 62 , 9110 initiations . 14 , 102 alliliations . 10 , 771 resignations . COG expulsions . 4 , 2 f . 7 deaths .

9 , 342 candidates rejected . Truly our Order has made vast strides of late in America .