Masonic Archaeology.

antiquity of the degrees , as far as Scotland is concerned , in a state of great obscurity and uncertainty . Much no doubt may be fairly advanced , as Bro . Lyon puts it , as the reasons for " reticence" and paucity of details , but still

the fact remains , that there is so far no actual minute of the reception of a Master Mason qua a Master Mason , until November 1 st , 1738 . In four of the minutes only , betAveen 18 th December , 1598 , to December 27 th , 1700 , the Avoid " maister" is used to " denote the Masonic rank m AA'hich entrants Avere

admitted in the Lodge of Edinburgh , and is only so used in connection AA'ith the making Theoretical Masons , of whom there were gentlemen by birth , and tAvo master Avrights . " But though this be so , I do not think that it is at

all as yet clearly demonstrated , that the three degrees Avere not distinct grades in the operative order . There are one or tAvo minutes AA'hich seem to show that no one could be a " maister " until he was a " fallow of Craft" and

, " non constat , " that there Avere no " secrets" peculiar to each degree , though no mention is made of such a fact in the minutes .

Bro . Lyon lays great stress , and fairly so , on that provision in the Schaw Statutes by Avhich " no maister or fallow of Craft be ressavit nor admittet wtont the number of six maisters and two

enterit prenteissis , " and no doubt that would seem at first sight decisive of the point that there AA'as but one ceremony , and that the titles of FalloAv of Craft and Maister were only titles of courtesy , not distinctions of degree . But I

confess , seeing IIOAV very imperfect and sparse these Scotch minutes are , I do not think it even settles the question as far . as Scotland is concerned ; certainly not as regards England ; and Bro . Lyon himself admits that in the Lodge of St .

Mary ' s Chapel , the Warden must be electedfrom the Maisters , though in Kil-Avinning and elsewhere , entered appren- I tices were eligible for the office . There j seems , then , no uniformity of custom and no certainty of regulation , and

despite Bro . Lyon ' s strong opinion , I do not think that this " vexata qiuestio" is by any means decisively closed . The three divisions are ahvays carefully preserved from first to last—maisters , " falloAvs of Craft" and " enterit

prentissis , " and there seem to metobe seA'eral " iiidichfi , " if slight in themseK'es , that AA-hile the Avhole private and general business of the lodge Avas transacted , as with us , still , in the first degree , yetthat there Avas a line of demarcation

knoAvn to the Masons as existing betAveen the three classes . Bro . Lyon , I think , will agree Avith me , that , the tendency in those times especially , as much later , Avould be to make such entries as brief as possible and obscure to the outer Avorld . I do

not think Ave can argue as to the nonexistence of any particular custom or ceremony , simply from its non-appearance in those old minutes . Much may still be said on the other side , and I am inclined to thinkon the Avholethat AVC

, , have not obtained all the evidence on the subject , though Bro . Lyon has supplied us Avith some most interesting and important" excerpta" from the Scottish Minute Books .

As regards England , though Bro . Lyon quotes Bro . Hughan ' s opinion as decisive on the subject , and as being in conformity Avith his OAVU , I yet believe , as I have before said , Avith all respect for that able and correct brother , that

Bro . Hughan somewhat overlooks and depreciates our evidence on the subject . It is impossible , according to my vieAA ' , to get over the evidence of Sloane MS ., 3329 , though no doubt it is true that both North and South the

Master Mason ' s degree Avas only given in Grand Lodge , or grand assembly , even after 1700 . One or tAvo very interesting facts are brought out bv Bro . Lyon ' s researches : Scotland certainly can claim the first Speculative Mason

so far , as John BosAvell , of Auchinleck , in 1600 , AA'as clearly a member then of the Edinburgh Lodge . There are cases of reception of Speculative Masons in 1634 , 1635 , 1637 , and