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Contents . — PAGE PBEElIASOlfS' MAGAZINE : — French Mountebank Masons and the War 441 Origin of Masonry 441 ^ Freemasonry and its Mission 445 Notes on American Freemasonry 446

Masonic Notes and Queries 448 Corespondence 449 Masonic Sayings and Doing's Abroad 450 Obituary 450 MASOHIC M IEEOE : — Masonic Mems 451 CKAET LODG-E MEETINGS : —

Metropolitan 452 Provincial 453 Royal Arch 458 Mark Masonry 458 Knights Templar 459 Memorial of the Lodge of Glasgow 459 List of Lodge , & c , Meetings for ensuing week 420

The French Mountebank Masons And The War.

THE FRENCH MOUNTEBANK MASONS AND THE WAR .

LONDON , SATURDAY , DFOFJIIBFR 3 , 1870 ,

We have too often had to regret the divergencies of our good brethren , the French Masons , from the genuine plan of Freemasonry , but never more than on the occasion of that ridiculous and mischievous manifesto of certain Parisian Masons ,

summoning from their camp , into invested Paris , the King of Prussia and the Crown Prince . Thus two brethren of the rank of Grand Master , not coming under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient itself , were summoned to an unconstitutional

conclave , and threatened with pains and penalties , by by a mock trial in their absence . Nothing could be more ill-timed or mischievous than this proceeding , because French and German

Freemasonry were already exercising legitimate functions . Masonry is already so closely connected with civil society , that it must be influenced by its events , ancl war is to a great degree as hurtful in ics operations onMasonry , asinofcherspheres . Brethren

are thrown iu conflict , the ordinary discharge of Masonic functions , and , above all , of Masonic hospitality are disturbed , lodges are closed , initiations are interrupted , and great communitiesareexposed to the evil antagonism of feeling , and even to the

mutual conflict , in arms , of brethren with brethren . Here , however , it is that Masonry , above all , assumes one of its highest functions . Lodges are closed , but the good work of Masonry is not dead , because the work of Masonry is not confined

The French Mountebank Masons And The War.

to Lodges . Lodges make Masons , but Masons must work wherever a lawful task is to be wrought . It was during the late civil war in the South that American Masons took new pledges to the truthfulness of Masonry . Unwavering in their

civil and political allegiance they rendered to each other duties of brotherly charity , and to those not brethren , the fruits of true philanthrophy . So has it been during this horrible war in

France , and over and over again have testimonies been given hoAV , in the bitterest of conflicts , mutual services have been rendered to each other

by French and German Masons , to their own honour , and the glory of Masonry . This is the truly Masonic work which the French agitators seek to destroy by their unjustifiable selfconceit and arrogance . They seek to divert the

allegiance of the German Masons ' from Masonry by threatening their chiefs , and thereby interpose a barrier between the wounded French Mason and the German who sympathizes with him , —between the prisoners and their captors .

This is not all , for , fortifying- tbe Eoman Catholics in their erroneus impressions of Freemasonry , and their prejudices against it , those of the latter , who sympathise Avith the French cause are now fully persuaded that the Prussian King and

the Crown Prince will be assassinated by the dagger of the French Masons , as being excommunicated from Masonry . For this false picture of Masonry , so contrary to its noble course during the war , Ave are indebted to these proceedings , against which ^ e feel called upon to protest .

" Origin Of Masonry."

" ORIGIN OF MASONRY . "

BY BRO . W . P . BUCHAN . ( Continued from page 423 ) . At page 65 we perceive a repetition of the usual childish story about " numerous magnificent buildings being erected by German Masons in Itaty ,

France , and England / ' but as Bro . Stembrermer himself suggests at page 29 , we will relegate thi ,-. < little " nursery tale " to the nursery . The following , at page 71 , appears to me either to contain a good deal of the imaginary , or at lea ;;!;

to require some further explanation , viz : — " so also in the course of time , the ceremonial forms ancl usages , now no longer understood , gradually