Chips Of Foreign Ashlar.

CHIPS OF FOREIGN ASHLAR .

LONDON , SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 7 , 1863 .

No . 3 . —THE MASONIC JURISDICTION OF SWEDEN AND NOKWAY . Stockholm lias been not inappropriately designed " the Venice of the north . " Like the grand old city of the Adriatic , Stockholm , has innumerable

facilities for water communication . Built upon islands and surrounded by a lovely country , the city is one to fire the enthusiasm of the Swedes , and to excite the admiration of strangers . Across

the lakes are plying in every direction steamers , and in moving about one seems to be ahvays crossing the water . The capital of Sweden is considered to be the great strong-hold of Freemasonry in Scandinavia . Our first fraternal call was at

the Royal Palace in the hope of seeing Bro . Von Schultz the Grand Secretary , but he was unfortunately absent . We had , however , the good fortune to meet immediately afterwards with Bro . August Priess a learned and enthusiastic Mason ,

well versed in the English language . Bro . Priess conducted us over the Masonic Temple a very extensive building admirably adapted for its

purpose . The working of the craft in Sweden is complex . The first three degrees of St . John ' s Masonry correspond ( with slight divergencies ) with our own grades of Entered Apprentice , Fellow Craft and

Master Mason . The password of our first degree is in Sweden , the password of the second degree , and the Swedish brethren adduce the signification of the words to prove that their own usage is correct . There are ten degrees in Sweden of which several are called " Scottish . " One of these

approximates to our Royal Arch . The Rose-Croix and Templar degrees do not appear to exist at all among the Masons , though traces of both , ancl also of Noache or Royal Ark Masonry are to be found in an extra Masonic

brotherhood which is denominated the " Order of Caldino . " We conversed with some of the Chevaliers of this Order , and in consequence received an invitation to their meetings but had no chance of being present .

The ne phis ultra , of Masonry in Sweden , is the Order of Knights of the Red Cross of Charles the Thirteenth , which is restricted to thirty Knights who are Princes of the Blood and high Masonic Dignitaries . In the Grand Hail at the Masonic

Temple , the stalls of the Red Cross Knights are on a raised platform immediately surrounding the Throne of the King as Supreme Master . The decorations of the Order are worn in public as well as Masonically , and are very beautiful . This

Order is said to correspond with that of the Red Cross Knights of Rome and Constantino in England , of which Lord Kenlis is Grand Sovereign . If this be so , an English Master Mason may obtain as high Masonic rank as a Royal Prince of Sweden . Our learned Bro . J . G . Findel in his valuable

" History of Freemasonry" gives the following explanation of the " Swedish " system : — "The whole system consists of nine degrees ( respectively ten ) in three divisions : I . The St . John's Lodge with three degrees . *

Apprentice , Fellow Craft and Master . II . The St . Andrew ' s or Scotch Lodge with two degrees , viz . : ( 4 th ) the St . Andrew ' s Apprentice ancl ( 6 th ) the St . Andrew ' s Master . III . The Steward's Lodge or Chapter having

( Gth ) the Familiar Brethren of Solomon , Knights of the East in the Orient of Jerusalem , ( 7 th ) the Knights of the West , ( Sth ) the St . John's Familiars ( 9 th ) the St . Andrew's Familiars . Besides these nine degrees there is still another

division which might be called the 10 th degree consisting of the most illustrious and enlightened brethren architects ( Knights and Commanders o the Red Cross ) to whom the Government of the Order is confided . "

The St . John's Lodges in Sweden have the following officers -. 1 st Worshipful Master : —Ordforande Mastare . 2 nd Deputy Master : —Deputerad Mastare . 3 rd Orator : —Talman .

4 th Senior Warden : — - Forsta Bevakande Broder . 5 th Junior Warden : —Andra Bevakande Broder . Gth Deacon : —Ceremonie Mastare . 7 th Treasurer : —Skatt Mastare . 8 th Secretary : — -Secretarie .

9 th Inner Guard * . —Vakthafvande Broder . 10 th Tyler : —Guiiige Broder . In Norway the officers are the same , but the spelling of the names is different , ancl is precisely that used in Denmark to which we shall hereafter

refer . The Worshipful Masters are appointed by the King , and retain office during his pleasure ; but the rest of the officers are all elected by the brethren in the lodge . The system is said to work