Masonic Archæological Institute.

ritual of three degrees used by Frederick the Great of Prussia . " " 1 have the honour to appear before you , and read to you a very curious Ritual of three degrees , which was sent to me through the Chancery of the Crown Prince of Prussia , through the agency of the Right Honourable the Count Wartensliben , a Privy Councillor of His Majesty the Kim ? of Prussiawho is

, the Patron of the Royal Art through tiie Northern Division of Germany . This Ritual is curious from two very significant facts ; viz ., the paper upon which it is written , and the watermark . The paper is of the size known as foolscap , an article not known in Germany at the date , when we may presume the Ritual was written , and the watermark is the representation of the arms of

the city of Baltimore in the United States of America : the fir tree . The eiiligrapby is in the German character , and is a beautiful specimen of penmanship . It is so minutely written , that the whole of the Ritual is contained on four sheets . I took the opportunity of exhibiting this very choice specimen of early Masonic documents to the Secretary General of the Supreme Council , and left it in his office to be copied . The original was duly returned to Berlin , through the favour of the Prussian Ambassador .

This Ritual is curious because it embraces those very particular degrees , without the cognizance of which no persons could be admitted to the rites of the ' Jlluniiiiati , ' a society founded in 1773 , and inaugurated in Grand Council 1 st May 1770 . This society was originated by Adam Weishaupt , who was born in the year 17-18 in Bavaria , and who is hotter known hy his adopted name of Spartacus . This method of adopting cognomens is common to this day upon the continentand

, especially in these countries professing the Romish faith . The object of Spartacus was very clear , and M . 1 'Abel , Barruel , who wrote "Les Memoires pour servir a l'Histoire du Jacobinisme , " was not far wrong when he stated that it was for the express purpose of upsetting the Jesuits , and his own church , and for spreading the exercise of free thought , without descending to that which is ccmmonly called free thinking

, and which is closely allied to Deism . At this time it was supposed that Masonry proper was at an end , for a very learned author published an important work at that time , called " The last kick of a Freemason , " translated into German as "The last fate of Masonry . " In this he intended to show that all lodges must close , now that the Illuminati had instructed themselves therein . The writer was tho Baron de Bodi . It was this

society whicli called forth the labours of Dr . Robison , and which ended in a volume now little read and less cared for , but which in its day played a somewhat important part . It was intitled " Proofs of a Conspiracy . " Notwithstanding Barruel , Bodi , Voltaire , cum mullis aliis Masonry still flourishes , and if possible more prolilicly than formerly , if I may judge by this present society proving that truth must prevail over erroraud resisting even the destructive

, hand of time , Masonry is—Illuminism is not . The Ritual which I am about to read to you , is one of those innovations which was introduced into genuine Masonry . By the term genuine Masonry , I allude to that commonly practised in this country , and in France and Germany , under the title of Adonhiram , formed of the two words Adouai , or Adowni , the Hebrew for Lord , and Hiram the widow's son . This innovation

took place at tbe time when Masonry made its appearance on the continent of Europe as a Mystical society , professing secrets different from those of the mechanical employment , the name of which it assumed . It is supposed to have been introduced into Germany from France , about the year 1743 , by a Baron Himde , a gentleman of high rank , who , while sojomn ' mg in Paris , made the acquaintance of the Earl of Kilmarnock and others

, who were in immediate attendance upon the Pretender . This Baron Hunde was duly admitted to all the degrees , and his Masonic patent , now in Berlin , is signed by Kilmarnock as " George . " Hunde had attached himself to tbe fortunes of the Pretender in the hopes of rising through and under his protection to a high positionand for this purpose employed every means in his

, power to obtain adherents to the fallen standard of the Stewarts . 'The legend of Hunde ' s Masonry ran as follows : —When the Knights Templars were destroyed by Philip le Bel , some found shelter in the Highlands of Scotland , where they concealed themselves in caves . These refugees professed to have tho genuine secrets of Masonry , which they had acquired during their travels in the East , from Pilgrims whom they had

protected . Hunde on his return to Berlin , exhibited to his friends his newly acquired aud extensive powers for propagating his system of Masonry , and created some knights . Hunde , however , was not very active , and probably the miserable failure of the Pretender to recover the throne of his ancestors , put an end to the hopes of the Baron , of attaining to fortune under the Stewarts . Still others practised Masonry with the greatest

zeal , and found many supporters . In 1756 , or 1757 , a new phase of Masonry presented itself to view . The Seven Years' War commenced . Against the Prussians were opposed the Austrians , French , Russians , Swedes —in all about 431 , 000 men . Among the prisoners subsequently taken were several Frenchmen , who , arriving at Berlin , were permitted to enjoy liberty upon paroleand these beganwith

, , the usual assurance peculiar to their nation , to instruct the Deutschers in the various arts , which , when summed up as a total , comprehend the word " civilization . " On the 16 th of January , 1756 , Frederick who had , I believe , visited England , concluded an offensive and defensive treaty , called the Treaty of Westminster , the terms of which were that no foreign troops should be permitted to put foot in Prussia during

the war ; and , doubtless , during his sojourn in our island , he had made himself fully acquainted with Freemasonry , which he , to a certain extent , imported into his capital , and opened the first lodge , now held in the Splittgerter Gasse , called the National Grand Mother Lodge of the Three Globes . In this lodge he filled the office of Chan-master , and duly sanctioned bhis presenco and patronage that which we call

y Masonry . The French prisoner officers had no taste for the pure and simple rites which had been imported from England ;—and England must be considered the cradle of Masonry . They pronounced them only fit for the Briton and his rough and unpolished mind ; but that they , in Paris , practised Masonry as a profession fit only for perfect gentlemen . They stated , and not without considerable truth , and a truth which I regret to

state , in my opinion , exists to this very hour , that Britons were ignorant of true Masonry , possessing nought but tho introduction to the art , and which they did not in the least understand ; and the truth of this hard statement exists to this very day . The Germans , then as now , worshippers of titles and orders ( for every second man that one meets has a bit of ribbon , or such gew gaw in his buttonhole , and every third man is a Count ) , or as Pope in his "Essay on Man , " says ,

" Scarfs , garters , gold amuse his riper stage , " were perfectly dazzled by the ribbons and jewels with which the French had bedizened the Order , and easily swallowed the bait , which , when digested by the phlegmatic Germans , spread the veins of spurious Masonry through the length and breadth of the land , and in less than six months Masonry underwent such an entire change that Chevaliers cropped up as fast as

mushrooms , and with about as foul a foundation . Now first appeared upon the scene that degree which we call "No plus ultra , " or Rose Croix , and which has nothing in common with the Rosy Cross , or the Rosicrucians ; but takes its name from a M . Rosa , who at this time ( 1750-7 ) imported the degree from Paris , and of which to a great extent he had been tbe founder . Rosa was one of the French Commissaries

in Berlin , and finding that his workings prospered , had brought from that city a waggon-load of jewels , & c , which were all distributed in various lodges before it reached Berlin , and another cart-load of these toys was ordered to be despatched to furnish the lodges in that city . The introduction of new degrees became thus a very profitable amusement to the French prisoners , who literally had little else to do .

Berlin , then ns now , ever ready to swallow the first canard gaped for instruction , and our new friends were ever ready to teach , and cram the mind of the aspirant with the desired knowledge . The Rosaic system was Gospel , and savoured of their old religion , while the British system was neglected and despised . The rulers of these high grades , as we here familiarly term the system , wanted to be supreme , and insisted on the most entire

subjection to their authority . This startled the genuine Freemason , and entirely dissipated his golden dream . Now commenced the great struggle for dominion and for independence , which ended in a counter resolution , for although the Germans wondered at the true meaning of Freemasonry , like ourselves , students of its mysteries , and enquirers as to its origin , saw that the rituals of these new teachers were fallacious in the extreme , and personages were introduced to their notice who positively never existed ; and , although to a great extent the