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  • Sept. 3, 1864
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Sept. 3, 1864: Page 6

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    Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Page 6

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Masonic Notes And Queries.

a fabulous antiquity rather than sacrifice common sense . Let us trace or . u * principles to Adam , or , with reverence be it spoken , even to God Himself ; but let us not excite the pity of the wise by calling Adam a Freemason . This will not lessen the dignity or importance of the institution , but rather add to its celebrity by giving it a reasonable origin .

Mr . Clinch supposes Freemasonry was introduced into Europe hy means of the gipsies . Although this is a A'ery ridiculous supposition , ifc is highly probable that the leaders of the first emigrants of this tribe from Egypt had been iniatiated into the lesser mysteries ; and , perhapscopied in part from them the

, form of the oath which they administer to their initiates . " Every person who was not guilty of some public crime could obtain admission to the lesser mysteries . Those vagabonds called Egyptian priests , in Greece and Italy , required considerable sums for initiations , and the gipsies practice similar

mummeries to obtain money . "—( De Puaw ' s Egypt , ii . 42 ) . The customs of the gipsies , and the oath which they impose on each other have been preserved by Bailey , who says : — " The gipsies derive their origin and name from the Egyptians , a people heretofore very famous for astronomy , natural magic , the arfc of

divination , & c , and , therefore , are great pretenders to fortune-telling . It is the custom of these vagrants to swear all that are admitted into their fraternity by a form , and articles annexed to it , administered hy the principle Maunder , or roguish stroller , and which they generally observe inviolably . The manner of admitting a new member , together with the said oath , and articles , is as follows : —Tlie name of the person

is first demanded , and a nick-name is then given him , in its stead , by which he is ever after called , and , in time , his own name is quite forgotten . Then standing up in the middle of the fraternity , and directing his face to the Dimber-Damber , or prince of the gang , he swears in this manner , dictated to him by one of the most experienced : —

" ' I , Crank-Cuffin , do swear to be a true brother , and will , in all things , obey the commands of the great Tawney Prince , and keep his council and nofc divulge the secrets of my brethren . '" I will never leave nor forsake this company , but observe and keep all the times of appointments

, either by day or by night , in any place whatsoever . "' I will not teach any one to cant , nor will I disclose ought of our mysteries to them , although they flog me to death . '" I will take my Prince ' s , part against all that shall oppose himor any of usaccording to the

ut-, , most of my ability ; nor will I suffer him , or any belonging to tis , to be abused by any strange Abrams , Burners , Hookers , & c , but will defend him , or them , as much as I can against all other outlyers whatever . "' I Avill not conceal aught I win out of Libkins , or from Ituffinans ; but will presei * A e it for the use

of the company . ' " The canters have , ifc seems , a tradition that from the first three articles of this oath , the first founders of a certain boastful , worshipful fraternity , Avho pretend to derive their origin from tlie earliest times borrowed of them , both the hint and form of their establishment , and that their pretended derivation from the first Adam is a forgery , it being only from the first Adam-Tiler .

" The same author has given the meaning of the cant terms before used , as , Abrams—shabby beggars ; Rufflers—notorious rogues ; Hookers—petty thieves ; Libkin—a house to lie in ; Euffmans—the wood , or hushes ; Adam-Tiler—the comrade of a pick-pocket who receives the stolen goods and scours off with them . "

After reading the above I drew breath , and mentally said , " Well , what next , I wonder ? Freemasons are accused of being murderers ( Morgan , to wit ); cannibals ( broiled baby for supper ) ; seditionists ( Professor Eobison aud Barruel , the accusers ); godless heretics ( Clement XII . ) ; perpetrators of horribles crimes and indecencies ( the veil liaised ) ; conjurors

, necromancers , and charlatans ( Carlyle ) ; and I don't know what beside . Could nofc some brother make out a list of all the pleasant occupations writers have assigned to the Freemasons ? I think I have done my share 'in the days when we Avent gipsying a long time ago . "—f * f .

SOTJTnEKK MASONIC FEMALE COLLEGE . We have been much interested iu reading the Catalogue and Iteport of this institution for the year ending July last . There Avere at that time 176 pupils , divideainto classes as follows-. —Senior class 20 ; Juniorclass 40 ; Sophomore class 33 ; Freshman class 35 ; Irregulars 2 ; Preparatory departmentAdvanced class

, , 25 ; First class 21 ; total 176 . The studies are arranged on a liberal scale , and practical p lan . Commencing with spelling , we have in succession reading , writing , arithmetic , geography , vocal music , grammar , English composition , natural philosophy , botany , philosophy , history , natural history , mythology , algebra , rhetoric ,

ancient and modern languages ( these are optional ) , logic , geometry , anatomy , p hysiology and hygiene , biblical history , trigonometry and mensuration ,, astronomy , moral philosophy , evidences of Christianity , geology , music , drawing and painting . The tuition fees vary from 20 dollars to 185 dollars

per annum . Board 12 dollars per month . The collegiate year commences on the third Thursday in September , and closes on the 4 th of June . Lectures are delivered every Aveek on astronomy , geology , natural p hilosophy , and chemistry . Not had this for a . nation struggling for independence . —Ex . Ex .

IMPROVEirEKT EST EEEEMAS 0 SB 1 . There are some men Avho never try to learn anything that is useful or good . They pass from boyhood to old age with idle , listless , and vacant minds . Of such a man it is impossible to make a Freemason . Any person of good mother witordinary memory ,

, and active habits , by conversing with well-informed Masons at leisure time , may learn the working of the blue degrees in three months , without any interference with his ordinary avocation ; and with proper apjrlieation he may learn the beautiful lectures upon all three of the degrees in twelve months , and this

regardless of his early education . Masonry educates a man . Some of the brightest Masons are men Avho received but little or no early education . Masonry found them in the field and in the workshop , took them by the hand , led them into her temple , unfolded to them her sublime mysteries , imparted to them a new language , and clothed their tongues Avith an eloquence that is not to be found in books , or learned

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1864-09-03, Page 6” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 16 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_03091864/page/6/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
GRAND LODGE. Article 1
THE MARQUIS OF DONEGALL. Article 2
A RUN TO THE LAKES. Article 2
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 5
Untitled Article 7
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 7
LODGE FURNITURE AND THE FREEMASONS' TAVERN. Article 8
LODGE No. 600. Article 8
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 8
METROPOLITAN. Article 9
PROVINCIAL. Article 10
IRELAND. Article 10
Untitled Article 14
CANADA. Article 14
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Article 17
Untitled Article 17
CHINA. Article 17
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 17
Poetry. Article 17
THE WEEK. Article 18
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Masonic Notes And Queries.

a fabulous antiquity rather than sacrifice common sense . Let us trace or . u * principles to Adam , or , with reverence be it spoken , even to God Himself ; but let us not excite the pity of the wise by calling Adam a Freemason . This will not lessen the dignity or importance of the institution , but rather add to its celebrity by giving it a reasonable origin .

Mr . Clinch supposes Freemasonry was introduced into Europe hy means of the gipsies . Although this is a A'ery ridiculous supposition , ifc is highly probable that the leaders of the first emigrants of this tribe from Egypt had been iniatiated into the lesser mysteries ; and , perhapscopied in part from them the

, form of the oath which they administer to their initiates . " Every person who was not guilty of some public crime could obtain admission to the lesser mysteries . Those vagabonds called Egyptian priests , in Greece and Italy , required considerable sums for initiations , and the gipsies practice similar

mummeries to obtain money . "—( De Puaw ' s Egypt , ii . 42 ) . The customs of the gipsies , and the oath which they impose on each other have been preserved by Bailey , who says : — " The gipsies derive their origin and name from the Egyptians , a people heretofore very famous for astronomy , natural magic , the arfc of

divination , & c , and , therefore , are great pretenders to fortune-telling . It is the custom of these vagrants to swear all that are admitted into their fraternity by a form , and articles annexed to it , administered hy the principle Maunder , or roguish stroller , and which they generally observe inviolably . The manner of admitting a new member , together with the said oath , and articles , is as follows : —Tlie name of the person

is first demanded , and a nick-name is then given him , in its stead , by which he is ever after called , and , in time , his own name is quite forgotten . Then standing up in the middle of the fraternity , and directing his face to the Dimber-Damber , or prince of the gang , he swears in this manner , dictated to him by one of the most experienced : —

" ' I , Crank-Cuffin , do swear to be a true brother , and will , in all things , obey the commands of the great Tawney Prince , and keep his council and nofc divulge the secrets of my brethren . '" I will never leave nor forsake this company , but observe and keep all the times of appointments

, either by day or by night , in any place whatsoever . "' I will not teach any one to cant , nor will I disclose ought of our mysteries to them , although they flog me to death . '" I will take my Prince ' s , part against all that shall oppose himor any of usaccording to the

ut-, , most of my ability ; nor will I suffer him , or any belonging to tis , to be abused by any strange Abrams , Burners , Hookers , & c , but will defend him , or them , as much as I can against all other outlyers whatever . "' I Avill not conceal aught I win out of Libkins , or from Ituffinans ; but will presei * A e it for the use

of the company . ' " The canters have , ifc seems , a tradition that from the first three articles of this oath , the first founders of a certain boastful , worshipful fraternity , Avho pretend to derive their origin from tlie earliest times borrowed of them , both the hint and form of their establishment , and that their pretended derivation from the first Adam is a forgery , it being only from the first Adam-Tiler .

" The same author has given the meaning of the cant terms before used , as , Abrams—shabby beggars ; Rufflers—notorious rogues ; Hookers—petty thieves ; Libkin—a house to lie in ; Euffmans—the wood , or hushes ; Adam-Tiler—the comrade of a pick-pocket who receives the stolen goods and scours off with them . "

After reading the above I drew breath , and mentally said , " Well , what next , I wonder ? Freemasons are accused of being murderers ( Morgan , to wit ); cannibals ( broiled baby for supper ) ; seditionists ( Professor Eobison aud Barruel , the accusers ); godless heretics ( Clement XII . ) ; perpetrators of horribles crimes and indecencies ( the veil liaised ) ; conjurors

, necromancers , and charlatans ( Carlyle ) ; and I don't know what beside . Could nofc some brother make out a list of all the pleasant occupations writers have assigned to the Freemasons ? I think I have done my share 'in the days when we Avent gipsying a long time ago . "—f * f .

SOTJTnEKK MASONIC FEMALE COLLEGE . We have been much interested iu reading the Catalogue and Iteport of this institution for the year ending July last . There Avere at that time 176 pupils , divideainto classes as follows-. —Senior class 20 ; Juniorclass 40 ; Sophomore class 33 ; Freshman class 35 ; Irregulars 2 ; Preparatory departmentAdvanced class

, , 25 ; First class 21 ; total 176 . The studies are arranged on a liberal scale , and practical p lan . Commencing with spelling , we have in succession reading , writing , arithmetic , geography , vocal music , grammar , English composition , natural philosophy , botany , philosophy , history , natural history , mythology , algebra , rhetoric ,

ancient and modern languages ( these are optional ) , logic , geometry , anatomy , p hysiology and hygiene , biblical history , trigonometry and mensuration ,, astronomy , moral philosophy , evidences of Christianity , geology , music , drawing and painting . The tuition fees vary from 20 dollars to 185 dollars

per annum . Board 12 dollars per month . The collegiate year commences on the third Thursday in September , and closes on the 4 th of June . Lectures are delivered every Aveek on astronomy , geology , natural p hilosophy , and chemistry . Not had this for a . nation struggling for independence . —Ex . Ex .

IMPROVEirEKT EST EEEEMAS 0 SB 1 . There are some men Avho never try to learn anything that is useful or good . They pass from boyhood to old age with idle , listless , and vacant minds . Of such a man it is impossible to make a Freemason . Any person of good mother witordinary memory ,

, and active habits , by conversing with well-informed Masons at leisure time , may learn the working of the blue degrees in three months , without any interference with his ordinary avocation ; and with proper apjrlieation he may learn the beautiful lectures upon all three of the degrees in twelve months , and this

regardless of his early education . Masonry educates a man . Some of the brightest Masons are men Avho received but little or no early education . Masonry found them in the field and in the workshop , took them by the hand , led them into her temple , unfolded to them her sublime mysteries , imparted to them a new language , and clothed their tongues Avith an eloquence that is not to be found in books , or learned

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