Historical Sketch Of Masonic Events During 1864.

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MASONIC EVENTS DURING 1864 .

LONDON ; SATURDAY , JUNE 3 , 1 S 65 .

( Continued from page 374 . ) GERMANY AND ENGLAND . —Bro . Schauberg ' s mania to substitute for existing institutions new tenets of Ms own contrivance is in glaring- contradiction with his zealous endeavours to graft upon

the Freemasonry of tlie present century the most obsolete ceremonies and usages of ancient nations . He entertains a strong antipathy to the ' ''' innovating and ruling tendencies brought forward by the establishment of the new English Grand Lodo-e

of 1717 . " He adheres imperturbably to the point of view that formed a general standard for Masonic historiography during the first quarter of this century ; thence his fantastic idea of a new EIUI lish

Grand Lodge—thence the alleged genuineness of o o o the so-called York Manuscript . History , however , often led another j > afch than many learned men imagined . The York Manuscript is a tangible illustration of this . Bro .

Schauberosays : "A York constitution , may it date from the year 926 , or from a later period , whether written iu Anglo-Saxon , Old English , or Latin , is decidedly the oldest common platform for the Order of the Masons of England , and on this account the York

Lodge is certainly the oldest chief lodge of England . The York Constitution and lodge are to the other Constitutions and lodges of English stonemasons what the Strasburo- "

Steinmetzordnung" of 1459 , and the Strasburg brotherhood of Masons are to the other German Masons' Constitutions and congregations . In this lies the great historical signification of tlie York Manuscript which has not as yet been sufficiently explored and

known . '" Thereupon Bro . Schauberg proposed a a subscription towards defraying the expenses of a journey to England for scientific researches on this subject . Tbis journey was undertaken by Bro . Findel

in the course of last year , and its results published in a late issue of the " Communications from the Association of German Masons . " The following is a summary of Bro . Findel ' s report : — "The ancient city of York ( Eboracum of the

Romans ) has gained a certain importance in the history of Masonry , being alluded to in some legends preserved in the old documents and constitutions of the Masonic Craft ; besides a

document that has not been discovered in the original tongue , which seems to have been forged , and is . certainly not of a very ancient date , but pretended to be of 926 , was for a long time considered as the original constitution , granted by Prince Edwin ,

and led Masonic writers to the computation that ihe Masonic Brotherhood dated from the ancient Roman building societies , or even a more remote period of history . This supposition was based especially on the fact that some years before the

middle of the 18 th century , Masonic Sectarians in London assumed , most illegitimately , the title of Ancient York Masons . " Bro . Findel further states that the existing- mao-nificent Minster of York was built from 1171 to 1426 , and continues thus : —

" The facts of a Grand Loclge having never been in existence in York , and a general gathering of Masons having" never taken place during that period , are patent and proven by their not having been mentioned nor even alluded to in the Fabric

Rolls of York Minster , published by the Surtee Society . No doubt whatever can be entertained as to the non-existence of a Masonic document dating from 926 . Thus all conclusions draAvn from the pretended antiquity of the so-called

York Manuscript collapse , and are eliminated . It is not impossible , though improbable , that an original identical with Ivrause ' s translation , or other document corresponding in appearance to those issued by Krause and Anderson , may be

discovered ; but it is most undoubtedly certain that such a manuscript must needs be of a much more recent date than those known at the present time . At all events , such a document , if discovered , cannot on any account pretend to the appellation of " The

York Manuscript . " We are not informed whether Bro . Schauberg will be contented with the results of these

researcnes , which are in such glaring contradiction to all his assertions , or whether he will himself undertake a voyage of discovery after the " lost manuscript ; " we only know that the whole of his time has been taken up of late by his labours towards the foundation of a National German

Grand Lodge . In concurrence with the above eccentric reformers , the Bauhutte and the Freimaurer Zeituntj have published , during the past year , many moderate and reasonable proposals for practical reforms

in the existing constitution of the Craft ; surely every intelligent Mason will coincide with the opinions expressed by Bro . Findel in his articles :