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TO OUR READERS . T . ie FREEMASON is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper ; price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting-, and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , 10 / 6 . P . O . O . ' s to be made payable at the Chief Office , London .

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TO ADVERTISERS . The FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current -week ' s isue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-st . eet , by 12 o ' clock on 'Wednesdays .

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NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FREEMASON , may be addressed to the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are publish ed in he first number of every month . It is very necessary for our readers to advise us of all money orders they remit , more espe cially those from the United States of America and India j . otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

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NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the " Freemason " to the following parts abroad for One Year for Thirteen Shillings ( payable in advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of Goad Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Demerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundand , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America , & c .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

SCRUPLES . —We think not . The following sland over : "Constancy and Truth , " by Bro . Weldhen . " Deism and the Grand Orient of France , " Fair Play . Reports ol Lodges . Albion , 19 6 , Barbadoes . Era , 1423 . Chaucer , 1540 . Nelson , 700 . Eden Valley , 812 . Holmesdale , 874 . British Union , 11 ( ,. * BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Bulletin du Grand Orient , " " Craftsman , " " Hebrew Leader , " "Masonicjewel , " " Eclectic , " "Voiceof Masonry , " " Masonic Advocate , " "New York Dispatch , " "Calendrier du Grand Orient de France . "

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ Che charge is 2 s . Cd . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIR'I HS . BIIATTI . E . —On the 19 th inst ., the wife of Bro . Astyanax Brattle , ( Lodge 452 ) , ol a son . BuncAN . —On the 22 nd inst ., at York House , Peckham , the wife of Bro . J . A . Burgan , of a son . MARRIAGES . BKDBonoucH—EOLESE . —On the 20 th inst ., at St . Mark ' s , . Notting-hill , James Thomas , son of G . Bedborough , Esq ., of Windsor , to Sophia Elizabeth , daughter of Captain J . Eglese , of Burgoyne House , Kensingtonpark . MCINTYRE ~ -NASII . —On the 10 th inst ., Angus G . M . Mclntyre , Esq ., LL . B ., barrister-at-law , only son of ^ . neas J . Mclntyre , Esq ., Q . C , to E . M . R . Stevens , youngest daughter of the late Rev . G . E . Nash , Vicar of Woo Allhallows .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , JUNE 30 , 1877 .

Ignorance Of The Book Of Constitutions.

IGNORANCE OF THE BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS .

We are often struck , as all must be , with the want of knowledge manifested by so many of our leading brethren even , in regard to the Book of Constitutions . Indeed , the absolute ignorance of some of our good brethren would be incredible were it not too common , and would be

perfectly ludicrous were it not often so very serious in its results , so very hurtful , that is to the welfare of a district or a province , so inimical to the progress of Freemasonry , and a lodge . We have frequently asked ourselves , whence does this ignorance arise , and why should it exist ? Can we

explain it ourselves , or can it be accounted for by others > We live in an age of light and study , and the Book of Constitutions is surely cheap enough . What , then , is the reason ? Why is it ? Well , we think we have hit upon one prevailing reason , and we proceed to offer our

explanation to our readers , to the Craft , and to all whom it may concern . We are not asserting a perverse paradox , we beg our readers to observe ] , carefully , when we assert that the Book of Constitutions is often unread , and curiously seemingly unknown . We do not deny that many of

our brethren are too listless , or too busy , too grand , or too unimpressed to give themselves up to the study of the Book of Constitutions , but making every allowance forour Masonic infirmity and the known apathy of Masons generally on this head , we feel assured that we do not find

in this , a sufficient elucidation of an unaccountable anomaly . We , therefore , prefer our own suggested explanation , which is as follows , the present arrangement for the sale of the Book of Constitutions is , in our opinion , unsuitable both to the wants of the Craft , and the

demands of trade . There was no fault to be found with the arrangement once upon a time , perhaps , when the sale was easily measured out , but now it appears to be based upon a want of due appreciation , alike of the legitimate requirements of business , and the larger

demands of the Craft . The Book of Constitutions is sold for is . 6 d . a copy , but there is no inducement to the trade to take a large number of copies , because there is not sufficient discount allowed to make it worth any one ' s while to push the work , or for any one to make

anything , in fact , out of the sale . There is an allowance made—5 P cent , on joo copies—but that is a margin far too small to allow of any extensive trading , much less of any legitimate profit . As it is well known to many for whom we write , itstermsare 25 percent , discount , and more even

by special agreement , and were such a reduction conceded t 6 all Masonie dealers alike , a very large additional sale of the Book of Constitutions would at once necessarily spring up , we have every reason to believe , remunerative both to booksellers and to Grand Lodge . Many wonld keep the

work in stock then , who do not now to use trade terms , "touch it , " or even " look at it . " As it is , the sale is now a sale for individuals , whereas , the great object would appear to be , on every ground , to make a general sale of it , though a general sale hardly exists . —in fact , a regular

trade sale , affected simply by the one great law of supply and demand . Many booksellers who would keepthebook in stock , if they could , as we before remarked , get the trade discount , only buy it as they want it , and do not buy it in gross at all ; and the consequence is that tho individual

sale is much more restricted than it should be . In our opinion every member of the Order ought to have a copy of the Book of Constitutions by hira , and we are confident that if the sale be put on simple trade grounds the gain to Grand Lodge will , eventually , be very great indeed . In all such matters we have to

look to business considerations , and business considerations alone , and all such arrangements , however artificially protected , must fall sooner or later to the common level of the wants of barter and the market . If our Book of Constitutions wero more generally read , and , we will add , more widely sold , much of the ignorance respecting it

Ignorance Of The Book Of Constitutions.

would disappear , and we beg to commend our friendly remarks to those who have authorit y to deal with such matters of detail , as we feel certain that the course we advocate is alike most expedient and needful in the interests of all

parties , and will be productive of the greatest convenience to the Order generally , and bring about a very largely increased sale of the Book of Constitutions for Grand Lodge . Let no one take offence at our words , they are fraternally meant , and honestly expressed .

Honour To Whom Honour Is Due.

HONOUR TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUE .

We cannot shut our eyes if we would , nor would it be well if we could , to the inevitable changes and chances of this mortal life , the passing away of old mates and friends and brethren , as we take up our weekly Freemason , or realize the unavoidable diminution of our ranks , as week

follows week , in the onward march of fleeting years . There is an enormous amount of unrecorded work which goes on amongst us ; there are countless good brethren and true friends who leave us and the lodge in which they have worked for years , and no happy pen records their

merit , no kindly Freemason communicates their loss . It is a very wonderful thought , as it appears to us , namely , that onward silent march of myriads of our race , of whom no biographer recounts the services , no epitaph preserves eveo the memory . Thousands upon thousands , in

all ranks and conditions , in all services and situations , in all callings and countries , pass away from amongst us unheeded and unnoticed , who , in their time and generation did their duty manfully to God and their brethren , and were most true and faithful servants of their Great

Master during this earthly struggle . Like the thousands of those brave Crusaders whose bones whitened the hills and vales of Palestine , whose names have passed away , like that great multitude of true Anglo-Saxons whose quiet resting places mark every portion of the great peninsula

of Hindostan , so it is one ofthe apparent and saddening conditions of humanity that the greater part of mankind go to their " long homes " utterly unknown to , forgotten by , the rest . The " nameless stone" of the poet is indeed a wonderful antithesis to all the folly , all the

garish tinsel , all the insane pride of human life . We are nothing , and we become as nothing , be we who we may , and the great river of Time flows swiftly by seemingly , as it were , only to leave on its muddy banks the perishing bones of countless nameless and forgotten men . And

how true is all this of Freemasonry . The life of Masonry is kept up by the lodge work of its members , and beneath its pomp and paraphernalia , its high rank and great names , its outer show and pretentious blazon , its " sounding brass , yes , and its tinkling cymbal , " there , as it

were , rises up before us , the great and undistinguished " ruck " of humble hard-working Masons , who are the " salt" of the Order nevertheless , though no Poet Laureate sings pKans to their glory , though no recording pen on earth rescues their name , toils , and merit , from

the dark oblivion of the grave . We take up our weekly Freemason , and we read the death of an old friend and fellow worker , with whom »' good old days , perhaps , we consorted great !)') and whom we liked much and well . We are so "taken up , " so pompous , so great , so

important , so immersed in business or pleasure , in care or profit , in making money , and in wasting life , that we have no time to think of Bro . Jones . And so poor old Jones is buried out of sight , and if , when we meet again , the lodge is in mourningi and the W . M . says a few kind words , —that '

all—we return to the work of the lodge and the toils of men , as a matter of course ; and if ^' do say " Poor old Jones , is gone , I see , " it is & much as we do say , and there the story ends . to-day memory recalls old days , old hours , and ol scenes , when , with "Master Shallo ' w /' we "hear "

the chimes at midnight" or with Bro . Jones mad e the old lodge a famous centre of lig ht and goo ^ will , and pleasantness and peace , for some poo wayfarers for a little season , it is as much sent' ' ment as we can afford in our practical , sens ID > hard-headed , ( may we say hard-hearted ?) life l ' day . It is good for us , then , as in another pag