Excess Of Zeal.

means should be taken to keep the number of such indifferent ones within thc narrowest limits . There is , however , a danger on the other hand . It is possible to have an excess of zeal—to exhibit a zeal that is not according to knowledge . Addison says " zeal without discretion is like expedition to a man in the dark . " Thus a rash impulse , a reckless purpose , may lead one to intense activity ,

and yet nothing of abiding good shall be accomplished . An over abundant or unrestrained zeal maj' lead to the ends of disaster and ruin . Some one has aptly said that zeal is the most proper motive power in the minds of wise men , but the trouble is it is apt to flourish chiefly among fools . This is an exaggerated form of statement , yet it suggests what we know to be the fact , that men of arrant stupidity often push themselves to the front and show the

utmost zeal respecting movements and enterprises to which they arc allied . The enthusiasts—men who are of furious or fiery natures , and who put their whole hearts into whatever they undertake—sometimes do harm by the very intensity of their devotion for a principle or a cause ; at least they fail to illustrate in their lives a well balanced and harmonious character . We have known brethren who were specially interested and active in Masonry , but whose zeal was not tempered with discretion . It was a zeal

not of the right quality ; or , being of the right quality , it was yet held in such undue quantity , as to prompt a course of conduct by no means favourable to thc interests which were counted exceedingly precious .. The devoted and impulsive brother who goes about arguing the benefits of Masonry , being' ready on every occasion , both in season and out of season , to proclaim his identification wilh the Institution , exhibits an excess of zeal . It would be better that he should hold himself in more restraint—that he should be

less ready to make expression of his Masonic attachments . The ardent Craftsman who asserts that Masonry is all Ahe religion which the world requires—who declares that thc Masonic Institution outranks all other organisations and systems , being equal to thc church of the Living God itself—is carried by his enthusiasm to greater lengths than a wise discretion would determine . His excessive zeal for a crand and beneficent

Order may lead him to underrate the claims of other teachings and work which perchance may hold a still higher rank . He fails to balance one good thing with another ; he neglects to exercise a wise discrimination in passing upon thc varied contributing forces of moral and social good ; he allows feeling , prejudice , strong attachment to warp his judgment , at least in some particulars .

Some brethren show an excess of zeal for Masonry by giving to its work and associations too much of their thought and time . Not many , perhaps , make a mistake in this direction , but we have known instances where both family associations and religious interests have been made to give way before the demands that were classified under the Masonic name , but which would never have been called for by a zeal regulated by a wise discretion . Not

very long ago we heard a worthy Craftsman speaking of his giving four or five evenings a week to Masonic meetings . ' Now this man is obliged to be away from home each day and can only be with his family at evening time . Ought he not to allot a part of the evenings during the week to home'' If he would live through his whole nature ought he not lo attend an occasional public lecture , a religious service , a social gathering ol his own friends and

neighbours ? Surely he ought not to give all his spare time to lodge , chapter , and commandery—nor to the meetings of any secret society in which he holds membership and whose teachings and ministries secure his approval Masonry does not ask any man to neglect his business , his home , or his moral and religious duties , in fostering its interests . He is indeed required to be devoted to the Institution in which he has taken membership , but let

his zeal be according to knowledge ; let him learn how to act upon one of the great lessons of Masonry , the right dividing of the time , that so he may attend to all individual and associated duties , giving to each its proper place and regard , thus developing a strong , symmetrical and harmonious character , in whicli true zeal shall hold concurrent jurisdiction with other faculties that help to make life useful and blessed .

Now And Then.

NOW AND THEN .

From the " Corner Stone . " Retrospectively , how grand one feels with the knowledge that he is a Freemason , occupying to-day that title which has been honoured and distinguished by such as George Washington , Israel Putnam , Lafayette , Warren , Otis , Franklin , Randolph , Wooster , Montgomery , and Marshal , the greatest of chief justices .

We sit in places once occupied by thc conscript fathers of Masonry , our honoured ancestors , thc types of Masonic fidelity and of chivalric manhood . Freemasonry is the representative of thc truest and most catholic conservatism the world has ever seen , knowing no nationality—free from all political affinity ; the evangelist of religion but untramellctl by the bonds of sect or schism—through the long ages ol its peaceful course its mission has been

to harmonise and humanise mankind . Recognising the distinction of rank and social standing ; yielding unquestioned obedience to the civil laws ; always respecting place and power ; and ever rendering homage to greatness and to wealth , our Institution has embraced and brought together more of every rank , and class , and clime , and country , and religion , and so mingled and united them from sovereign down to subject up , upon the

broad level of the tesselated pavement of her temples , that the rough corners 01 prejudice and intolerance have broken off and rounded , and thc rough ashlars made perfect ashlars of toleration and brotherl y love ! But a few years ago a brother , the prospective Sovereign of an empire on which the sun never sets , performed certain Masonic Rites in the distant land of India . Parsee , Hindoo , Mahomedan , lew and Christian , European

antl Asiatic , thronged in full clothing of the Craft to participate in thc ceremonies of the occasion ; and whilst thc native princes had been slow to honour the Heir Apparent to a Throne , the native Masons were emulous and eager to pay respect and homage to the Grand Mastcr and Prince of England . What an illustration of the conservatism of Masonry . It is

a patriotic duty then—something immeasurably higher than any of tne aims of parties or of politicians—to preserve and conserve this great conservator ; to purify and make it as perfect as human weakness dare attempt ; and this can be done best , if not done only , by guarding the ap-Proaches to thc citadel of our power . for n > k ? - , Roman citizen presented himself at the comitia as an aspirant puoiic honours , and sought the suffrages of the people , he was required

Now And Then.

to clothe himself in robes of spotless white , to typify his purity of character —he became candidat . us , or one clad in white , a candidate . Let our candidates for Masonic preferment be candidati—clothed in the moral o-arments of spotless white—and let none enter within the ivory portals of our lodges whose lives may stain or defile them .

Masonic Reconciliation.

MASONIC RECONCILIATION .

The following extract , taken from the archives of the City of London of A . D . 1298 ( 26 Edward I . ) , to be found in Riley ' s " Memorials of London , " p . 351 , is of interest to all Freemasons : —¦ " On Monday ' , the morrow of St . Laurence ( 10 th August ) , in the twentysixth of the rei

year gn of King Edward , there came before Henry le Galeys , Mayor , Thomas Romeyn , William de Leyre , Geoffrey de Nortone , Walter de Feyingefead , and certain other aldermen , Master Simon de Pabinghan and Master Richard de Wetham , Masons j who were then reconciled as to certain abusive words which had before passed between them .

" And the agreement was to this effect—that the said Simon and Richard did grant , each for himself , that if either of them should be able to give information against the other that he had by the same abusive words , or ? n deed , committed trespass against the other , and such person should , upon the faith of two trustworthy witnesses , be found guilty thereof , he should give 100 shillings towards the fabric of London Bridge ; and they further agreed that in case such person should not do so , the Chamberlain should cause the same amount to be levied . "

We beg to commend this little historical incident to the notice of some brethren of ours who like often to parade irreconqileable differences and hopeless antagonisms , despite the sympathetic and tolerant , and always kindly , teaching of Freemasonry .

Grand Lodge Of Pennsylvania From 1730.

GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA FROM 1730 .

WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN . The advent of Part 3 of the beautifully-executed " reprint" of the early Proceedings of the Grand Lodgeof Pennsylvania furnishes an opportunity for drawing attention again to this remarkable work . Artistically and Masonically , these parts are of great value , and the Craft generall y is much indebted to my dear friend Bro . Meyer and his colleagues of the Library

Committee for producing such a capital account of their distinguished Grand Lodge . Part 1 begins with an introduction on the origin of Freemasonry in America , and several valid reasons are given for the claim that Philadelphia is the premier Masonic city of that vast continent . I do not say it is fully demonstrated , but the position ( to say the least ) is fairl y maintained ; and , in the absence of other evidence , asyet ( if any ) unknown , Pennsylvania comes

first m order and Mass . next . I'he connection of Benjamin Franklin with the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is carefull y described , and many particulars are furnished respecting the Craft in " ye earlye dayes . " A fine portrait of Colonel Daniel Coxe , by Whitechurch , is appropriately inserted as the frontispiece , that brother having been the first Provincial Grand Master appointed for America by the Grand Master of England

( A . D . 1730 ) . Part 2 continues the interesting narrative of the Grand Lodge Proceedings down to 1799 , and is enlivened with a characteristic portrait of the great Franklin ( Provincial Grand Master of Pennsylvania 1734 ) , drawn b y . Cochin in 1777 , and engraved by Ritchie . His autograph is also given * in fac simile , and these are alone worth the small sum charged for the " reprint . "

Part 3 ( just issued ) proceeds with the work to A . D . 1804 , and in many respects is the best number yet published , though each has special advantages . The frontispiece is n fine portrait of the Rev . William Smith , D . D . ( once Grand Sec ) , First Provost of the College of Philadelphia , engraved by the celebrated Bro . John Sartain ( who visited this country lately ) , from the original painting by Benjamin West . The death of

Bro . George Washington , of course , forms a prominent feature of this division of the Proceedings , and I am glad to find that not only has the photograph by Bro . Gutckunst of the old Freemasons' Hall of 1802 , been inserted , but the excellent paper read by Bro . Meyer before the Rosicrucian Society of Philadelphia , Jan . 30 th , 1880 , is also reprinted , the Hall having been "torn down " on thc same day . Bro . Meyer has done well to furnish a list of all Pennsylvania lodges from 1730 that are known , and presented

subscribers with a good portrait of the beloved Bro . John Thomson , so long Grand Secretary of that Grand Lodge , engraved in Bro . Sartain ' s best style . Copies of the warrants of some of the old lodges are given , and also of the patent of Bro . Coxe , as Prov . G . M . in 1730 . One more part will complete the series . We have received from Iiro . Meyer a few copies of each part ( 1 , 2 , and 3 ) , to supply any who may desire lo be subscribers in this country n \ . four shillings each part , post free . —( Address , J . Hughan , Truro , Cornwall . )

GUGOMOS , GOTTLIEB , BARON VON , or FREIIIERR , played the part of a Masonic charlatan , in Germany , towards the latter part of the last century . In 177 6 , wilh this remarkable title , "Theophilus a cygno triumphante , Presbyt ., Wit ., Nov ., Can . Cup . in / Edibus H . Dux . Xm . Conf . Rest . Subdel . Rclig . Temp , in Prov . Germ ., Dan ., Sued ., et Pol ., Prof . Emer . in Art . Dip ., Nat ., etc ., " sent to all the members of the Strict Observance an

invitation to a Convent at Wiesbaden , as he professed to have extraordinary power from some unknown Superiors in the Isle of Cyprus , under the protection of thc Holy See , to promulgate a pure and authentic Masonry . He is said to have been a Mason in a French lodge at Mannheim in 1773 , and was at the Convent of Brunswick in 1775 , when he declared that his system was different . Bode objected to him as an emissary of the Jesuits , and his " convent " at Wiesbaden happily came to nothing . He had eventually to

decamp , though he kept up a correspondence with many distinguished Masons in Germany , who seem to have believed in him . He told somebody in 1786 that he , vas really an emissary of the Jesuits , though it is far more likely that as he lied in one thing he lied in another , and that he himself concocted , as there seems to be evidence lhat he did , his patents and papers and everything else . According to Kloss and his own letter to Peter Leonhardi , he was the author of " Linar , oder die Geschichte eines deutschen Grafen , " which appeared in 17 S 8 . —Kenning ' s Masonic Cyclopmdia .