History Of Masonic Imitations.

Another club or lodge of a similar character was formed by some French officers in 1808 , in Gallicia , in Spain . They called themselves Adoptive Freemasonry , but were no more than an imitation of the Courts of Love and Chivalry . Their

name was the Order of Philochoreiies , or Lovers of Pleasure . Each lodge was a Circle and its chief a Center . Each knight on entering was sworn to secrecy , ancl lost his personal identity by assuming a new name . Thus Dumas took the name of Chevalier Defi d'Amour , and M . deNoirefontaine . Le Chevalier des Noeuds .

These and such associations multiplied and became exceeding popular , and attempting to imitate our noble Institution , they even excited alarm in the Council of the Graud Orient of France , who to save themselves , as they thought , in 1774 ,

established a new rite under the name of the "Adoptive Bite . " This they kept under their own control , and adopted a series of rules for their conduct , among which was this—that no one should attend them except Freemasons , and that each

lodge should be ] 3 laced under the charge and held under the sanction and warrant of a regular lodge , whose Master should be the presiding officer , assisted by a female President or Mistress . In compliance with these regulations , the first Lodge

of Adoption was open ed in Paris under the Lodge of St . Anthony , ancl the Duchess of Bourbon became the first lady President , and was installed as Grand Mistress of the Adoptive Eite . This was in 1775 . Iu 1773 we find , according to Brother

Macoy , that theOrder of the Eastern Star first made its way into the United States . It is the only one of the feminine degrees which seems to possess the elements of vitality . In the same year , also , we learn that Voltaire was initiated into

Freemasonry . During the ceremony , as was the custom , Bpother Lalaude presented him with a pair of gloves , which the new brother was to give to the lady he most esteemed , when Voltaire said , " As these gloves are to be presented to the lady for

whom am supposed to feel a real and deserved attachment , I must beg you to give them to " Belle et Bonne , '" an affectionate nickname which he had bestowed on his niece , the Marquise de Villette . This lady was the Grand Mistress , and the Count

de Lacepede the Master , of a Lodge of Adoption which met in the Eue de Vaugirard . After this incident the lodge took the name "Belle et Bonne , " as a compliment to her , and in remembrance of Voltaire ' s regard for her . It became famous in

History Of Masonic Imitations.

the annals of French Adoptive Masonry , and we find records of its meetings after the Restoration in 1819 . The lodge of La Candour , of which the Duchess--of Bourbon was President , had a gorgeously magnificent festival in 1777 , at which the Duchess of Chartres and the Princess of Lamballe were

initiated . At another meeting under the same president , a large sum of money was raised for a poor family in the country , which had sent by post a begging letter addressed to Messieurs the Freemasons of Paris—a sign of the far-spread

reputation of the Fraternity for deeds of charity and beneficence . The Lodge of the Neuf Sosurs ,. presided over by Madame Helvetius , and the Lodge of the Contrat Social , of which the Princess of Lamballe was President , also gave fetes , which

were the rendezvous of all the rank and fashion of France . Also under the empire the lodges of adoption held meetings by no means inferior in luxury and splendour to those of their predecessors . At the Lodge of the Franc Chevalier *

the Empress Josephine herself was present . Wealso read that she honoured the grand festival of the Order , held at Strasburg , with her presence ; and Bro . Oliver leaves us a record of a splendid assembly in Paris , under the presidency of the

Duceess of Vaudemont , where nearly all thenobles of France , male and female , made their appearance . ( To be continued . )

Masonic Jottings.—No. 13.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 13 .

BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER . OUR TRADITIONS SINCE WE BEGAN TO BUILD STONE CHURCHES . A discerning and impartial critic , the materials for judgment not being greater than those which

we possess at present , will , in my opinion , find the reasons for retaining , more numerous and more cogent than the reasons for rejecting , oui ' Masonic Traditions since we began to build stone churches .

MASONRY OP 1717 . Call not the Masonry of 1717 anew house ; but call it au old house repaired aud ' raised a story .- — MS . 1764 .

CONCLUSIONS COME TO AFTER READINGS ' CEBTAIN ' . COLUMN'S 01 ? THE EKEEMASONS' MAGAZINE . Had the old English Lodges thought fit to retain their former organisation , there is no rear son to believe that Speculative Masonry would