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Article CURIOUS OLD ATTACK ON FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 2 Article THE PREFACE. Page 1 of 4 →
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Curious Old Attack On Freemasonry.
Such republications are in the truest interests of Masonic Archeology , and of an intelligent and scientific study o f our Masonic history . I think the reappearance of it in these pages will both
interest ancl amuse the Craft . "Whether the Avork was intended as a skit on Freemasonry or as a sensational Avork of the time , it seems difficult to say . Probably a combination of both , as the
" dictionary of the private signs" is simply a piece of unintentional or intentional buffoonery from first to last . The Constitution here printed , is very like the Harleian 2054 , but betrays so
many remarkable variations , alike in verbiage , and names , that if it be a transcript of that MS ., the author of the work has moulded it ancl modernized it to suit his own purposes . This transcription is taken from a . copy in the British Museum . London , September , 1873 . A . E . A . W .
THE SECBET HISTORY OF THE FREE — MASONS BEING AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OP THE
CEREMONIES MADE USE OF IN THE SEVERAL LODGES , Upon tlie admittance of a brother as a Free and Accepted Mason , with the charge , oathand private articles given to him at the
, time of his admittance . Printed from the old original record of the society ; with some observations , reflections , and critical remarks on the new Constitution Booh of the Free-Masons , written by Jamas Anderson , A . M ., and
dedicated to the Duke of Montague , hy J . T . Desacjuliers , LL . D ., Deputy Grand Master . With a short Dictionary of private signs or signals . THE SECOND EDITION . LONDON : Printed for Sam . Briscoe , at the Bell-Savage , on
Ludgate-hill , and the Sun against John ' s Cofi ' ec House Sivithin ' s-alley , "Royal Exchange ; J . Jactaon , in the Pall-Mall near St . James ' s House ; and J . AVeekes , at the White Hart , Westminster Hall , 1725 .
The Preface.
THE PREFACE .
It may seem strange to some of the unthinking part of mankind Avho value not antiquity as they ought to do , to think IIOAV such an inestimable piece as this history of the Eree-Masons is , Avith the
ceremonies belonging thereto , should have been kept secret from the Avorld for so many ages , and nobody yet divulged it , after the manner as is here set forth ; the thing in the dress it appears , seems to he of near 800 years translation into the
English language ; and as to tlie original from Avhence taken it admits of various disputes among the learned Avhether it Avas done from the Arabick , Syriac , Coptic , Chaldee , Hebrew , Greek , Latin , Welsh or
High Dutch . But some curious Talinudists among tho Jews and the Chaldean Magi , do assert the original of this copy Avas found by Moses in search after the burial place of Adam , in whose monumental
stone coffin it is supposed he met Avith other invaluable materials Avhich enabl . d him to compile that part of tho history of world before the Deluge , which some infidels are apt to cavil at , as if it was probable so many ages as Avere between Adam and Moses should be lost Avithout
solid traditions to support tlie facts of Moses ' s history from Avheimc and other holy AViiters a great many hints are here taken . The reader is here to take notice , that this is the original constitution of the Eree-Masons , Avherein the Grand Secret is
contained , and Avhich might have remained so , as many ages as it hath been hitherto kept , had it not boon for an accidental discovery Avhich is too dangerous a secret to broach . For as tho Rosy-Crucians ami adepts , brothers of the same fraternity ,
order , Avho derived themselves from Hemic * Trismegistus , which some call Moses , held a great rank in the world , until an unlucky discovery of the grand secret liy means »! an unfortunate felloAV at Vienna , who leaving the key of his room in the door , tho
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Old Attack On Freemasonry.
Such republications are in the truest interests of Masonic Archeology , and of an intelligent and scientific study o f our Masonic history . I think the reappearance of it in these pages will both
interest ancl amuse the Craft . "Whether the Avork was intended as a skit on Freemasonry or as a sensational Avork of the time , it seems difficult to say . Probably a combination of both , as the
" dictionary of the private signs" is simply a piece of unintentional or intentional buffoonery from first to last . The Constitution here printed , is very like the Harleian 2054 , but betrays so
many remarkable variations , alike in verbiage , and names , that if it be a transcript of that MS ., the author of the work has moulded it ancl modernized it to suit his own purposes . This transcription is taken from a . copy in the British Museum . London , September , 1873 . A . E . A . W .
THE SECBET HISTORY OF THE FREE — MASONS BEING AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OP THE
CEREMONIES MADE USE OF IN THE SEVERAL LODGES , Upon tlie admittance of a brother as a Free and Accepted Mason , with the charge , oathand private articles given to him at the
, time of his admittance . Printed from the old original record of the society ; with some observations , reflections , and critical remarks on the new Constitution Booh of the Free-Masons , written by Jamas Anderson , A . M ., and
dedicated to the Duke of Montague , hy J . T . Desacjuliers , LL . D ., Deputy Grand Master . With a short Dictionary of private signs or signals . THE SECOND EDITION . LONDON : Printed for Sam . Briscoe , at the Bell-Savage , on
Ludgate-hill , and the Sun against John ' s Cofi ' ec House Sivithin ' s-alley , "Royal Exchange ; J . Jactaon , in the Pall-Mall near St . James ' s House ; and J . AVeekes , at the White Hart , Westminster Hall , 1725 .
The Preface.
THE PREFACE .
It may seem strange to some of the unthinking part of mankind Avho value not antiquity as they ought to do , to think IIOAV such an inestimable piece as this history of the Eree-Masons is , Avith the
ceremonies belonging thereto , should have been kept secret from the Avorld for so many ages , and nobody yet divulged it , after the manner as is here set forth ; the thing in the dress it appears , seems to he of near 800 years translation into the
English language ; and as to tlie original from Avhence taken it admits of various disputes among the learned Avhether it Avas done from the Arabick , Syriac , Coptic , Chaldee , Hebrew , Greek , Latin , Welsh or
High Dutch . But some curious Talinudists among tho Jews and the Chaldean Magi , do assert the original of this copy Avas found by Moses in search after the burial place of Adam , in whose monumental
stone coffin it is supposed he met Avith other invaluable materials Avhich enabl . d him to compile that part of tho history of world before the Deluge , which some infidels are apt to cavil at , as if it was probable so many ages as Avere between Adam and Moses should be lost Avithout
solid traditions to support tlie facts of Moses ' s history from Avheimc and other holy AViiters a great many hints are here taken . The reader is here to take notice , that this is the original constitution of the Eree-Masons , Avherein the Grand Secret is
contained , and Avhich might have remained so , as many ages as it hath been hitherto kept , had it not boon for an accidental discovery Avhich is too dangerous a secret to broach . For as tho Rosy-Crucians ami adepts , brothers of the same fraternity ,
order , Avho derived themselves from Hemic * Trismegistus , which some call Moses , held a great rank in the world , until an unlucky discovery of the grand secret liy means »! an unfortunate felloAV at Vienna , who leaving the key of his room in the door , tho