An Analysis Of Ancient And Modern Freemasonry.

AN ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT AND MODERN FREEMASONRY .

LONDON , SATUUBAY , APELL 4 , 1868 .

By Bro . WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN , W . M . 131 , Truro , Cornwall . { Continued from fiage 245 . ) PART II . —MODERN FREEMASONRY . First let us notice the oldest Lodge Mother

Kilwinning No . 0 , Ayr Scotland . On referring to tae admirable sketch , of this lodge we find that its historian is unable to state when its nature was changed , so as to become speculative "for so imperceptibly has the purely operative character

of Freemasonry merged into the condition of a purely speculative one , that the precise date of such change cannot witk ' any certainty be decided oa . " None of the ancient records of theoperativelodges

in Scotland tend to throw much light on the subject , and hence we shall forbear referring at length to them just now , premising that to the Masonic student , the exhaustive sketches of such venerable institutions will be quite familiar , through the

pages of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE and other valuable works . It must however be borne in mind that the experience of Scotland in a Masonic

point of view , is totallygdifferent to that of any other Grand Lodge , for in that country many lodges have attended the Grand Lodge , with records in hand , " and procured a recognition of their existence long before any Grand Lodge was

established in the world . Not so however with Masonic lodges under the jurisdiction of other Grand Lodges , as with one exception their privileges are all secured to ' them b y virtue of warrants issued since 1717 . We gave a slight sketch of

the ancient lodge at York in vol . xvii ., antecedent to the revival , and will now continue the review of its minutes , ^ and include all of an important character up to its demise connected with our subject . The following record is quite a contrast

to the next presented . "At a private lodge at the house of Mrs . Hall several admitted . . . Feb . 4 th , 1722-3 . At the same time and place , the two persons whose names are underwritten were upon their ^ examioations received as Masons , and

as such they were accordingly entrusted and admitted into this lodge . " The names of the Worshipful Master and Wardens do not occur until

after the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of London had become kuown and then it is that we read of ( August 10 th , 1725 ) the Worshipful Mr . William Scourfield , Master , Mr . Marshall and Reynoldson Wardens . On September 6 th of the

same year Bro . Drake was admitted , to whom the Grand Lodge at York was so much indebted for his zealous defence of its rights and privileges . He was initiated at the Star Inn , Stongate , York . On July 6 th , 1726 , Mr . William Scourfield was

censured for holding an illegal and irregular lodge . Although on Dec . 13 th , 1726 the Right Hon . Arthur Lord Yiscount Irwin was sworn and

admitted , the real language of speculative Masonry does not come fully into play until June 24 th , 1729 , when Edward Thomson jnn ., was chosen Grand Master , and a committee appointed . The title of Grand Master now occurs for the first time

in the records of the Lodge of York , and hence it would appear , that it was simply owing to the assumption of the operative lodges in London , of the duties of a Grand Lodge , that led the Masons of York to bestir and secure the same distinction

for themselves . We were unable however in looking out the documents of the lodge to discover any mention of the third degree before 1729 . There is a roll containing a list of the Master Masons ( 36 in all ) ,

the first date of which is June 24 , 1729 , and the last July 7 th , 1734 , and is headed "A List of the Master Masons in the Lodge at York . " The revival of the functions of this lodge occurred A . D . 1761 , with the title of "The Grand Lodge of all

England / ' and there is a list still extant of 124 names of members dated down to A . D . 1773 , and signed by Drake , Grand Master , Reynoldson , Deputy Grand Master , and others .

There are a number of valuable documents still unnoticed , but we purpose referring to them at length in a contemplated history of the four Craft Grand Lodges of England . So far as we know then , there is no mention of the third degree

before 1717 in the records of Lodge at York , or any other operative lodge in the world , and though with every respect for those who hold a different opinion , we must reiterate our conviction that no such degree was known before the revival of the

lodges in London , and the formation of the first Grand Lodge . From a certificate in possession of the Union Lodge at York , it would appear that the Grand Lodge at York recognised the " higher degrees , " but more eyidence is required to warrant