Masonic Cram.

MASONIC CRAM .

BV THE EDITOR . THERE is a great danger rising up like a rock ahead before the good ship Freemasonry in this country : parrot-like repetition—Masonic cram . We live at a time when " cribs " in all studiesmore or lessare all but normal

, , , and the evil has touched our Order , so reverential in its traditions ancl usages of the past , in that unauthorized exposition ancl unlicensed " aide-memoires " seem to be rapidly coining into fashion . Hence you are often struck with a volubility Avhich betokens nervousness , ancl a glib repetition of ceremonial which betrays " cram , " and any little incident , or " contretemps , " or interruption , puts the anxious " Mystagogos " out . He has often to hark back , and

great is the stuttering , mournful the stumbling . Our beautiful ritual is marred and mangled in an awful manner , ancl the only feeling of the brethren present is a sense of relief ivhen the ceremonial is over ancl the " seance " is closed . In my opinion , all this arises from two great ancl predominant evils : an unhealthy desire to get into office , ( which I propose to deal with in another paper ) , ancl a very undesirable habitude of private " cram , " instead

of public instruction . Ancl ivbat is the remed y ? What is the cure for a growing evil , for a now open Avouncl , Avhieh may open out into a great sore ? I feel sure there is but one reply : attend a Lodge of Instruction , ancl' clo not depend on " manuals " or printed aid . Of late years , inmy opinion , far too much has been openly written and publicly explained about Masonic ceremonies and the like , ancl there seems to be an idea that it is lawful eA'en to discuss before the profane , and in the columns of a Masonic paper , the most abstruse questions of Masonic , ( oursecret ) , ritual . From

this point of view the Freemason has , happily , long dissented , ancl has for some time tried to emerge entirely , setting in this respect a good example to the Masonic press throughout the Avorld . But still the evil lingers , as anyone acquainted Avith contemporaneous Masonic literature must honestly confess , and the result has been what the result was sure to be , an eager recourse to unauthorised authorities and doubtful and deficient pages . I think I trace every now aud then a growing yielding to this most unsatisfactory state of affairsin a

, someAvhat stereotyped and unintelligent rendering of our beautiful ritual , which one has to listen to in silent regret . The presiding officer of the good lodge " Jonathan , " 4960 , has clearly bad recourse to some assistance not recognized by the habits ancl traditions of her order . He clearly has not been near the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , or the Stability Lodge , or any of those good Lodges of Instruction which abound in the Metropolis , but has worked up

his Avork without reference to Masonic authorit y , or a Masonic teacher ; ancl yet such teachers are to be found . I can speak , alas , IIOAV , of many years ago personally , but I believe my assertion is correct they are not wanting yet to the Masonic enquirer , to the young ancl earnest Craftsman . It was my lot to be taught my Masonic lore , ( which I have never forgotten , though time and conflicting systems may have shaken its symmetry ) , by two of the kindest

ancl ablest preceptors I ever kneAv . They are long since gone to their rest , good Masons , kind , genial souls , and peace be to them . But belieA'ing that such preceptors may still be found , friendly , zealous , intelligent , ancl educated , I think Avell in the Masonic Magazine to deprecate a vicious system growing up amongst us , and to hold up to the avoidance of the loyal aud faithful Mason this evil of evils , and to protest against idle and irreverent treatment of our goodly ritual , and , above all , MASONIC CRAM .