Freemasonry In England.

( 7 . ) 'Peter Gower . ' —This must be another mistake of the writer . I was puzzled at first to guess who Peter Gower should be , the name being perfectly English , or how a Greek should come by such a name ; but , as soon aa I thought of Pythagoras , I could scarce forbear smiling to find that philosopher had undergone a metempsychosis he never dreamt of . We need only consider the French pronunciation of his name , Pythagore , that is , Petagore , to conceiA * e IIOAV such a mistake might be

made by an unlearned clerk . That Pythagoras travelled for knoAvledge into Egypt , c , is known to all the learned ; and that he Avas initiated into several different orders of priests , AA'ho in those days kept all their learning secret from the vulgar , is as well known . Pythagoras also made eA'ery geometrical theorem a secret , and admitted only such to tho knowledge of them , as had first undergone a five years silence . He is supposed to be the inventor of the 47 th of the First Book of Euclid , for which , in the joy of his heart , it is said , he sacrificed a hecatomb . He also

knew the true system of the world , lately revived by Copernicus ; and was eertainly a most wonderful man . See his life by Dion . Hal . ( 8 . ) - Grecia Magna . ' —A part of Italy formerly so called , in which the Greeks had settled a large colony . ( 9 ) . ' Wyseacre . '—This word at present signifies simpleton , but formerly had ijuite a contrary meaning . Weisager , in the old Saxon , is philosopher , wiseman , or wisard , and having been frequently used ironically , at length came to have a direct contrary meaning in the ironical sense . Thus , Duns Scotus , a man famed for the subtilty and acuteness of his understanding , has by the same method of irony , given a general name to modern dunces .

( 10 ) . ' Groton . '—Is the name of a place in England . The place here meant is Crotona , a city of Grecia Magna , which in the time of Pythagoras ivas very populous . ( 11 ) . ' Fyrste made . ' —The Avord made , I suppose , has a particular meaning among the Masons ; perhaps it signifies initiated . ( 12 . ) - Maconnes liaueth communycateede , ' & c . —This paragraph hath something remarkable in it . It contains a justification of the secresy so much boasted of by Masons , and so much blamed by others , asserting that they have in all ages discovered

such things as might be useful , and that they conceal such only as might be hurtful either to the world or themseh'es . What these secrets are we see afterwards . ( 13 ) . ' The arts and Agricultural & c . —It seems a bold pretence this of the Masons , that they haA'e taught mankind all these arts . They have their own authority for it , and I know not how we shall disprove them . But what appears most odd is , that they reckon religion among the arts . ( 14 ) . 'Arte offlyndynge neue artes . ' —The art of inventing arts must certainly be

a most useful art . My Lord Bacon ' s novum organum is an attempt towards some-Avhat of the same kind . But I much doubt that if ever the Masons had it , they haA'e now lost it , since so few arts have been lately invented , and so many are wanted . The idea I hai'e of such an art is , that it must be something proper to be applied to all the sciences generally , as algebra is in numbers , by the help of which HOAV rules in arithmetic are and may be found . ( 15 ) . Preise' —It that the Masons have great regard to the reputation

. seems as Avell as _ the profit of their Order ; since they make it one reason for not divulging an art in common , that it may do honour to the possessors of it . I think in this particular they show too much regard , for their own society , and too little for the rest of mankind .

_ ( 1 C ) . 'Arte of kepyngesecrettes ' . —What kind of art this is I can by no means imagine : but such an art the masons must have , for though , as some people suppose , they should have no secret at all , even that must be a secret which being discovered would expose them to the highest ridicule : and therefore it requires the utmost caution to conceal it .

( Iv ) . 'Arteof channges . '—I know not what this means unless it be the fransmuta-(¦ ¦ on of metals . ¦ y' ' *>™ li : ye of Abrac . '—Here I am utterly in the dark . i U > ' Lniiverselle longage of maconnes . ' —An universal language has been much 'leMrori by the learned of many ages ; it is a thing rather to he wished than hoped for . L HI it seems the Masons pretend to have such a thing among them . If it be true , I