Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review.
old man ' s room . The door was locked , and as we turned away a women addressed us asking if we wished to see the blind man who used to live there , " Used to live there ? " I asked . " Where is he now ?" "Dead an' buried this fortni't past , "
the woman answered . We wish the ' * Whitehall Review " all success .
Masonic Cyclopaedia.
MASONIC CYCLOPAEDIA .
Dear Bro . Kenning , — The old saying runs , " There ' s many a slip between the cup and the lip , " and that is certainly made good as regards your Cyclopedia . You will remember how towards the
close of 1872 , we talked it over , and how also , when Bro . Mackey ' s elaborate work appeared , " a whale among the minnows , " it seemed to us , " pour le moment , " needless to persevere with our proposal . About this time last year you recalled my attention to the mattersaying that you
, thought you saw your way to the " placing " on the Masonic literary market of a Cyclopaedia , not to large , not too verbose , cheap and condensed—a neat and compendious book of reference . The summer intervenedand about
Octo-, ber I began my work . But , as you will call to mind , nearly two months' delay occured in the beginning of 1876 , owing to the printing arrangements , and then another six weeks nearly , owing to necessary retranscriptions of certain portions .
The compilation of any Cyclopaedia is a hard task , but that of a Masonic Cyclopaedia especially so , despite my collections and preparations , for , as you know , I have the largest collection probably of collated MS . and references of any one in England . In a Masonic Cyclopasdia the difficultyalways
, confessedly great , is augmented by the carelessness of our own writers , who give dates which are anachronisms , references which cannot be found , and quotations which cannot be verified . I have spent many a weary half hour in finding out
mistakes which ought never to have been made , and rectifying inaccuracies for which there is no excuse . I may observe here that it is a very easy thing to reprint printed matter , to " print upon" what is already before the public , or even to make up copy
with printed clippings ; but to transcribe a book of many hundred pages of original matter , especially when one ' s handwriting is not of the best is for men of ordinary calibre like myself a very uphill task . I have , I believe , every Cyclopaedia that has
been written , barring an Italian one , and nothing so much strikes one , how much original work and references remain to do in order to ensure accuracy in every respect . So on June 15 th I find myself thus far safely advanced ; all up to the end of G . is
in the hands of the printers , and the letter II will soon be . I give beneath a specimen of H , which I think will convince my readers of the bona ride character of the work . I will just add this , it would be a pity to spoil a practical standard Masonic
work of reference by any hurry or impatience . I am now , as you are aware , daily working hard at the work , and I have no doubt to
complete my undertaking towards the end of the year . All I can say is to-day , to our kind friends and subscribers , if any disapprove of a delay which is quite unavoidable , they can have their subscription returned ; but I think that they will all gain by a more careful
elaboration of the work , and during the remainder of the year we can receive names of subscribers until December 31 , 1876 . Then the list must finally close The large number of names we have alread y is a hopeful sign of the awakening interest on matters
archaeological , and I trust when the Cyclopaedia at last appears it will neither belie the kindly patronage of my brethren nor disappoint their just expectations . In the meantime I recommend that all those who have not subscribed for a copy to send their
names to George Kenning , 198 , Fleetstreet , London , E . G ., and I am quite certain of this , that they will all get their money ' s worth , and , indeed , a grod deal more .
I am , dear Bro , Kenning , Yours always fraternall y , A . F . A . WOOOFORD , P . G . C . 10 , Upper Porchester-street , Hyde-parksquare , W ., June 15 , 1876 . P . S . —The subscription price is 7 s . 6 d .
H . —Kloss cites no less than nine contributions to Masonic literature under this letter . HACKE , CHAPPIE DE LA . —Chapter of the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review.
old man ' s room . The door was locked , and as we turned away a women addressed us asking if we wished to see the blind man who used to live there , " Used to live there ? " I asked . " Where is he now ?" "Dead an' buried this fortni't past , "
the woman answered . We wish the ' * Whitehall Review " all success .
Masonic Cyclopaedia.
MASONIC CYCLOPAEDIA .
Dear Bro . Kenning , — The old saying runs , " There ' s many a slip between the cup and the lip , " and that is certainly made good as regards your Cyclopedia . You will remember how towards the
close of 1872 , we talked it over , and how also , when Bro . Mackey ' s elaborate work appeared , " a whale among the minnows , " it seemed to us , " pour le moment , " needless to persevere with our proposal . About this time last year you recalled my attention to the mattersaying that you
, thought you saw your way to the " placing " on the Masonic literary market of a Cyclopaedia , not to large , not too verbose , cheap and condensed—a neat and compendious book of reference . The summer intervenedand about
Octo-, ber I began my work . But , as you will call to mind , nearly two months' delay occured in the beginning of 1876 , owing to the printing arrangements , and then another six weeks nearly , owing to necessary retranscriptions of certain portions .
The compilation of any Cyclopaedia is a hard task , but that of a Masonic Cyclopaedia especially so , despite my collections and preparations , for , as you know , I have the largest collection probably of collated MS . and references of any one in England . In a Masonic Cyclopasdia the difficultyalways
, confessedly great , is augmented by the carelessness of our own writers , who give dates which are anachronisms , references which cannot be found , and quotations which cannot be verified . I have spent many a weary half hour in finding out
mistakes which ought never to have been made , and rectifying inaccuracies for which there is no excuse . I may observe here that it is a very easy thing to reprint printed matter , to " print upon" what is already before the public , or even to make up copy
with printed clippings ; but to transcribe a book of many hundred pages of original matter , especially when one ' s handwriting is not of the best is for men of ordinary calibre like myself a very uphill task . I have , I believe , every Cyclopaedia that has
been written , barring an Italian one , and nothing so much strikes one , how much original work and references remain to do in order to ensure accuracy in every respect . So on June 15 th I find myself thus far safely advanced ; all up to the end of G . is
in the hands of the printers , and the letter II will soon be . I give beneath a specimen of H , which I think will convince my readers of the bona ride character of the work . I will just add this , it would be a pity to spoil a practical standard Masonic
work of reference by any hurry or impatience . I am now , as you are aware , daily working hard at the work , and I have no doubt to
complete my undertaking towards the end of the year . All I can say is to-day , to our kind friends and subscribers , if any disapprove of a delay which is quite unavoidable , they can have their subscription returned ; but I think that they will all gain by a more careful
elaboration of the work , and during the remainder of the year we can receive names of subscribers until December 31 , 1876 . Then the list must finally close The large number of names we have alread y is a hopeful sign of the awakening interest on matters
archaeological , and I trust when the Cyclopaedia at last appears it will neither belie the kindly patronage of my brethren nor disappoint their just expectations . In the meantime I recommend that all those who have not subscribed for a copy to send their
names to George Kenning , 198 , Fleetstreet , London , E . G ., and I am quite certain of this , that they will all get their money ' s worth , and , indeed , a grod deal more .
I am , dear Bro , Kenning , Yours always fraternall y , A . F . A . WOOOFORD , P . G . C . 10 , Upper Porchester-street , Hyde-parksquare , W ., June 15 , 1876 . P . S . —The subscription price is 7 s . 6 d .
H . —Kloss cites no less than nine contributions to Masonic literature under this letter . HACKE , CHAPPIE DE LA . —Chapter of the