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NOTICE .

The Subscription to I HE FREEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . h , bourn ] in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . II ., r *' Vt * 7 s . 6 d . ' •' ol . s III ., IV ., V . and VI each 15 s . od . Reading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 2 s . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d .

United States of America . THE tfiF . EMASos' is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Frociunson is published on Saturday "Mornings in time for the early trains . The price of the Freemason is TVopencs per weekj annual 1

suhscrip . icn , res . ( payable in advance . AU communications , tetters , fcc , to be addressed to the Editor , 1 , S , Fleet-street , li . C . The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him , hut cannot undertake to return them unlessaccompanied by postag ; t am ** ' ' .

Now Ready . INDEX to Vol . VI . of "THE FREEMASON . " M ;* . y be had at the Publishing Ollice , 198 , Fleetstreet .

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THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY , FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY . Drawn from the best sources and the most recent investigations . BY J . G . FINDEL , Second Edition , Revised , and Preface written by Bro . D . MURRAY LYON . One . ol ., 800 pages 8 vc , with an Index . Cloth gilt . Price , ios . 6 d . " Tiiis . O ' Jk is a strictly historical one , from which all is excluded that is not based upon ascertained or probable fact . "—Builder . " Of its value to Freemasons , as a detailed history of their Brotherhood , it is not possible to speak too highly . "Pul'lic Opinion . " The author seems to have fairly exhausted the subject . "—Tlie Athenaeum . "The edition we are now considering is a second English edition , which had the great advantage of Bro . D . M . Lyon's able superintendence and editorship in its English dress . There can be no doubt but , that so far , Bro . Findel ' s work is the most complete work on Freemasonry which has yet appeared , and that he deserves the greatest credit for his careful and accurate treatment of all evidence 011 the subject , and for liis honest desire after truth . Bro . Findel gives up in the view he has so clearly and consistently put foith our caily Masonic history , the older theory yf the Roman Colleges , Xc , and limits the origin of Freemasonry to about the twelfth century , and as then arising from the operative Masons , and specially the " Steinmeiuen" and " Bauhutten" of Germany . Bro . Findel gives us a good deal of evidence on this head , and one thing is clear from his work , that tlie German Freemaso s were , at a very early period , organized into lodges with Master over them , and with outward regulations and inner eremonies peculiar to the Craft . Bro . Findel rejects alf the views which have been from time to time put forward of a Templar or a Rosicrucian origin . Whether or no liro Findel ' s theory of the date of the rise of Freemasonry be correct , matters very little : we do not ourselves profess to accept it ; but this we can fairly say of Bro Findel's work , it is marked from first to last by the most remarkable tokenof industry , ability , andcaie , of patient research , and of skilful criticism . We know of no work which so clearly sets before us our amount of knowledge up to the present time on the great question of Masonic Archaeology , and there can be littledoubtthat what Preston ' s workis to English Freemasonry , Findel's work is to cosmopolitan Freemasonry . Indeed 111 student in Masonry can now dispense with it , and it is a perfect storehouse both of Masonic evidence and Masonic illustrations . We earnestly recommend all the lodges in this country to obtain a copy for the lodge library before the work is bought up for America ; and we believe that no Mason will rise from tlie perusal of its pages without a higher idea both of the historical truth and intrinsic value of Freemasonry , and of fiaternal regard and recognition to he latest and not the least well-informed or effective of our Masonic historians . The present century has produced uo such equal , in authority and usefulness , to the great , vork of our Bro . Findel , and we wish him and it , in all of lratern . il sympathy and kindly intent , many earnest leaders , and more grateful students . "—The Masonic Altigaxinc . "This volume is tile history of Masonry par excellence Every interested person may regard it , therefore , as the present text-book on the subject . "—Muncliestir Guardian London ; GEORGE KENNING , 10 S , Fleet Street .

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MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION , BAKER STREET . Now added , PORTRAIT MODELS of the CZAR OF RUSSIA , SIR GARNET WOLSELEV , the Three Judges in the Tichborne Trial , Cockburn , Mellor , and Lush ; the Shah of Persia , Marshal MacMahon , M . Thiers , and the late Mr . Charles Dickens . Admission is . Children under ten , Od . Extra Rooms , 6 d . Open from ten a . m . to ten p . m .

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Shortly will be published ,

A DEFENCE OF FREE MASONRY "

BY BRO . REV . A . F . A . WOODFORD , P . G . C . Published by B 110 . GEORGE ( CENNING , 198 , Fleet-st London , E . C .

" - , .

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Re-issue , price *** s ., post free t ; s . 4 d . MASONIC GATHERINGS . Edited by Bro . GEOROE TAYLOR . Containing Historical Records of Freemasonry- from the earliest to the present time , & o . Londcn : GEORGE KENNING , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening . The following stand over : —Letters from E . M .,

C . H . G . E „ H . D . E . ; Reports of Lodges—1276 , Seacombe ; Chapter on , ; , Ulverstone ; Provincial Grand Lodge of Jersey ; Laying the Fourdation-stone of the Masonic Hall at Alloa ; Stanley Hospital Fete and Gala , Liverpool .

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

DEATH . SHORT . —October 2 S , at Broxmorc , Dawlish , Caroline Mary , wife of J . Stroud Shott I . P . M .. Salem Lodge , 1443 , aged 32 years .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , OCTOBER 31 , 1874 .

" Le Monde Maconnique " And "The Freemason."

" LE MONDE MACONNIQUE " AND " THE FREEMASON . "

In the September number of our French contemporary there appears , at page 204 , what ' purports to be a fraternal criticism on some articles which have appeared this year in our journal on

" The True Mission of Freemasonry . " This review also appears to be written by the Editor , who is , we understand , Bro . Caubet , and with it we have little to find fault , as it is both able in

substance and moderate in tone . It is quite clear , indeed , that our esteemed Bro . Caubet does not approve or agree with our views , and regards thesuppression of mystico-philosophical teaching ,

and of a supposed eclectic system of docttine and morals as " l ' effacement de la Francmaconnerie . " We , " au contraire , " entirely disagree in turn with Bro . Caubet , but he has clearly as much right to

hold and enounce his opinion on the subject as we have on our part . But we think it right to say also this . The unfortunate position into which Freemasonry in France is daily drifting , in

deference to most mistaken counsels , might , if we thought well to prolong the discussion with Bro . Caubet , which we do not , be adduced , we think , in strong proof of the soundness of our

original contention . We did not , as it happens , allude to French Freemasons in our articles , but as Bro . Caubet has himself raised the question , we think it better , like true Freemasons , to

express our opinion on the subject , openly and honestly . And we speak with some little knowledge of the state of affairs , and yet with most sincere goodwill to our Gallican and other

foreign brethren , for whom , too , we are willing to make every allowance alike for difference of situation , and difficulty of position . But yet ,

when as in I < ranee , to-day , French Freemasonry has all but assumed the declarations and dogmas of the most painful period of her history , when

" Le Monde Maconnique " And "The Freemason."

the very existence of a Supreme Being , and even the immortality of the soul , are not only erased from the professions of the governing body , but even private lodges are hardly permitted

to avow the same secret truths , every reflecting brother must see that thc foundations of French Freemasonry are sapped , that , on such principles it never can long flourish , and that

evil days are in store for French Freemasons . Such are our candid opinions , " quantum valent , " and such we commend

to the careful consideration of our courteous Bro . Caubet , from whom we part with every assurance of our true Masonic consideration . But when we turn from our fraternal

antagonist , Bro . Caubet , to Bro . H . Valleton , who writes another critique on the articles in the Freemason , at page 321 , what cao we possibly say either of his style or his tone ? Not

only is this additional review in marked contrast with the brotherly and polished language of the Editor , but it is a deliberate departure from the usual French politesse . Bro . Valleton commences

his unmasonic tirade , by describing the Editor of the Freemason as a " confrere egare par esprit de nationalite au milieu des plus importantes questions philosophiques comme un homme

perdu dans une haute foret . " This is , as Mr . Sam Weller would say , " pretty well for a beginning , " not , probably , that such language much matters in any way , the more so , as before the close of this article some of our readers

may perhaps be of opinion that the remarkable expression " confrere egare" belongs more fairly to Bro . Valleton himself than to the Editor of the Freemason . For Bro . Valleton goes

on to say , that in our simple and straightforward enunciation of the universality of Freemasonry , and yet of the happy possession in all our lodges of God's holy and inspired word , where can any

one possibly " accumuler en moins de mots plus de contradictions , illogismes , plus de sophismes , plus d'enormites , plus de non sens . " " Mighty civil , bedad , " as Paddy said , " and excissively

foine writing ! " Well we must , we [ eel , bow at once to such sweeping accusations from so lucid and so just a critic , consoling ourselves with the reflection , however , that if it really be

contradictory , illogical , sophistical , full of enormity , utterly nonsensical , to hold such views , we share them , as we are proud to believe , with ninety-nine out of every hundred of

our English Craft . And when Bro . Valleton goes on to express his mournful opinion in these sad words , " Helas ! il est bien manifesto que les Magons Anglais ne sont ni illuminees , ui

mistiques , ni philosophes , m logiques , " I feel bound to say at jonce , that I deeply fear we English Freemasons shall long remain , as he puts it , neither illumines , nor mystics , nor

philosophers , nor logicians , as we certainly do not intend to give up our Bibles , nor banish religion from our lodges . But Bro . Valleton is not even content with such allegations . No ,

good man , he means , as we say , to go " the entire animal , " and so he proceeds to make use of language which we deeply regret to see

fall from the pen of any edncated and civilized brother Freemason , for he loudly declares that because we English Masons accept the Bible as God's Word , and use it ia our lodges , our Free-