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CONTENTS . LEADERS— P *« E The Question of Degrees ... ... ... ... ... 5 7 The Origin of Freemasonry ... ... ... ... ... 52 S Provincial Grand Lodge of Cumberland and Westmorland ... ... 52 S

Provincial Grand Lodge cf West Lancashire ... ... ... ... 529 Consecration of the Buckingham and Chandos Lodge , No . 266 7 ... ... 529 Consecration of the Radnor Chapter , No . 25 S 7 ... ... ... 530 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 ° Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 ' Knights Templar ... ... ... ... ... ... 531

MASONIC NOTESAnnual Meeting of the Provincial Grand ] Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland ... ... ... ... ... ... 533 Annual Meetirg of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire ... 533 Sind Mascnic Benevolent Association , Karachi ... ... ... 533

Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 . 14 Reviews ... ... ... ... .... ... ••• 534 Cralt Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 534 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 535 Lodges and Chapter of Instruction ... ... ... ... ... 53 G Board of Benevolence ... ,., ... ... ... ... 5 ^ Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 53 S

The Question Of Degrees.

THE QUESTION OF DEGREES .

In our recent article on "Ars Quatuor Coronatorum , " Volume X ., Part 2 , we mentioned the paper that was read by Bro . W . J . HUGHAN , P . G . D ., at the lodge meeting on the 24 th June ,

on "The Three Degrees of Freemasonry , especially in relation totheoldest known Recordsof the Master Mason ' s Ceremony , " as being among the more important contents of the said Part . We had not space , however , to do more than express this opinion as well as our belief that in the discussion which followed the

reading of the paper , the criticism of Bro . R . F . GOULD , P . G . D ., was well nigh as elaborate as the essay which had evoked it . But this question of Degrees is , apart from the particular theories which may be adopted by particular brethren , one which is certain at all limes to attract a large amount of attention and for this reason it seems desirable that we should describe the views

which Bro . HUGHAN holds on the subject and the arguments he relies upon as justifying those views . Bro . HUGHAN ' S opinion , briefly stated , is that only " one esoteric ceremony was known to and practised by our Masonic forefathers anterior to the Grand Lodge era . " In this

contention he claims the sympathy and support of Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , G . Sec . of Scotland . "Bro . D . MURKAY LYON and I , " says Bro . HUGHAN , at the very commencement of his paper , " have laboured in this particular field of research for over 30 years , have made ourselves acquainted wuh all known minutes

and records of the period , have discovered not a few important MSS ., have been assisted by numerous willing and earnest students , especially in more recent times , and yet have failed to find aught that weakens our position . " In the paragraph that follow ? , our respected brother is still more explicit . " In our

judgment , " he writes , " until the second decade ot the last century , there was but the one simple ceremony ; never were brethren required to leave the Lodge because a higher Degree was to be worked—for which they were not elig ible—but whether Apprentices , Fellow Crafts , or Master

Masons , all were equall y entitled to be present , irrespective of any notion of Degrees whatever . In other words , so far as we can determine in the light of duly authenticated facts , distinct and separate Masonic Degrees are never met with , alluded

to , or even probable prior to 1716-7 ( circc . ) " Having stated his opinion thus clearly , and having explained that \ v . uses the word " Degree " in the sense ascribed to it by Bro . GOULD , " as representing a rank secretly conferred , " he proceeds to

The Question Of Degrees.

examine " the arguments in support of the alleged antiquity of two or more distinct Masonic ceremonies . " But before doing this , he quotes certain passages from Bro . GOULD ' " History of Freemasonry "—( 1 ) "We arc only made acquainted with the

circumstance that there were Degrees in Masonry by a publication of 1723 , from which , together with the scanty evidence yet brought to light , of slightly later dale , we can alone determine with precision that a system of two Degrees was well established

in 1723 , and that a third ceremony , which eventually developed into a Degree , had come into use in 1724 ; " and ( 2 ) "there is no proof that more than a single Degree , by which I mean , secret form of reception was known to the Freemasons of the 17 th

century . VV ith these statements he contrasts the more recent opinion expressed by their author , to the effect that " aplurality of Degrees being unknown before the era of Grand Lodges " is " a popular delusion . " He next asks the question " As to the

proof of the existence of two or more separate Degrees in England prior to the last century , where is it to be found ?" and he answers this at once in the negative as regards the " Old Charges , " in respect of which , and other early writings , he says ,

" Beyond such references as to ' words and signcs of a Free Mason , ' neither in these documents , nor in any other MSS ., or printed works , during the period specified , either connected with

Lodges , or partaking of a historical character , can we trace any regulations , customs , or practices , suggestive or indicative of a plurality of Degrees . "

Bro . HUGHAN next gives his attention to the earliest extant . minutes of initiation in England , beginning with that bearing date 20 th May , 1641 , at Newcastle-on-Tyne , when and where ROBERT MORAY , Quartermaster-General to the Scottish Army

in England , was admitted a member of the Lodge of Edinburgh , and including the case of the antiquary , ELIAS ASHMOI . E , who was " made a Freemason , " with Colonel MAINW'ARING , at a lodge convened at Warrington on the 16 th October , 1646 . But ,

as regards all these minutes and other records to which he refers specifically , Bro . HUGHAN remarks : " I think it might fairly be taken for granted that had two or more Degrees been then worked , some entries or allusions thereto would be discovered in

these invaluable Records , but there are none , and a similar silence is observed in 'Plot ' s Staffordshire' of 1686 , AUBREY ' S note of 1691 respecting Sir CHRISTOPHER WREN ' ' adoption , ' and in

all other books and documents of the 17 th century ; such uniform testimony being wholly confirmatory of the only single , simple , esoteric ceremony of reception . "

Lodge minutes of the earliest years of last century are taken next in order , and the conclusions which Bro . HucilAX draws from a careful study of all passages relating to the admission of candidates is that at the period to which they relate , there was

but one form or ceremony . 'I hus in the records of the " Company and Fellowship of Free Masons at a Lodge held att Alnwick , " which are the oldest and extend from 1 703 to 1757 , there is not , he says , during the whole of that long period " even a

solitary reference to Masonic Degrees , the ' admittances' ( or initiations ) from first to last being recorded in the customary manner . " Next in chronological order is an endorsement on

the " Scarborough MS ., relating to a "Private Lodge held att Scarb r - 10 th July , 170 J , " before " William Thompson , Esq ., P'sident , " to the effect that "The Several ! P ' sons whose names are hereunto subscribed were then admitted into the said ffraternity "—the number of candidates being six . So in the minutes of the old Lodge of York , which afterwards styled itself