Masonic Notes And Queries.

disguise . A little volume by the late Professor Emile Saisset , entitled " Melanges d'Histoire , de Morale et de Critique , " contains a passage which , as it seems to me , sufficiently explains the fact mentioned hy my correspondent , a fact which every English member of our excellent Institutionbecoming aware of itmust

, , most deeply deplore : " La philosophic allemande , si pure dans Eichte , si noble dans Schelling , si imposante encore dans Hegel , s ' est precipitee aux derniers exces de FAtheisme . "—CHARLES PURTON COOPER .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Theaditor is not responsible for ihe opinions expressed by Correspondents . THE ORIGIN OE "FREEMASON . " 10 HIE EDITOE 01 ? TEE EKEEMASOSS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEliOE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In Nos . 360 and 361 of your publication I notice an article by Bro . W . S . Rockwell on the oriin of the names of the ^ Fraternit

g y , in which the author treats us to certain etymological researches purporting to extract the phrase " Freemason " from the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics . Now , with due deference to Bro . Rockwell ' s authoritative voice , I crave permission to submit a few observations on his deductions . Voltaireif I mistake

, not , or some other heterodox writer , ejusdem farince , says that " etymology is a science , in which consonants count for very little , and vowels for nothing at all . " This dictum , though somewhat too trenchant , properly depicts the state of the case in many instances . NOAV , I do not deny that both consonants

and vowels may vary , and still the radix of the word remain intact and identical . Thus , : a in the Ionic dialect becomes 77 ) iu Attic , and SS . in Doric , and yet there is but one root to all of them . It is very easy , however , to go beyond the proper bounds in this respect . For au exampleI knew many

, years ago an old German professor , rejoicing in the euphonious name of Hartknoch , AA'I IO Avould derive the word fox ( or Fuclis in German ) from the Greek a . \< i-mit , hy means of an etymological anti-climax , thus : — alopex , lopex , opex , pex ,

pix , pax , pox , fox ( or fuchs ) . This , I think , is too much of a good thing . If the labial joined to the x sound forms the radix of the animal in question , there is no need for passing through a whole terra incognita of nondescrpts , for really I do not see what business pax and pox have

to appear in this series . Much discretion , indeed , should he used iu tracing to Oriental sources words belonging to European languages . I admit that the groundwords of most Indo-German idioms may he found in their primitive shape in the Semitic tongues , and whatever the

modifications in their outward appearance , these roots will preserve their original character throughout . Thus , the Semitic radix ab may be traced , Avith multifarious variations of the labials , in all languages of Grecian , Latin , and Teutonic origin—pater , vater , fiidre , father , padre , pore , & c , the same as the radix am in

mater , mutter , moeder , mother , ma ' dre , mere , & c . Professor Egger , of the College de France , has , iu his Grammaire C ' omparee , applied the same principle to a score of Avords in some tAvelve or fourteen idioms of Europe and 'Western and Central Asia . But looking for a common origin of the fundamental elements of all these languages is one thing ; tracing

to on Oriental source derivath'es that belong legitimately to any particular "Western tongue , is another . To resort indiscriminately to IIobreAV or Egyptian , in order to explain the meaning of Avords that stand part and parcel of the Anglo-Saxon idiom , may be thought very clever on the other side of the Atlantic , but no English hilologist will endorse such an

unwarrantp able system . Bro . Rockwell , in investigating into the etymology of the word "Freemason , " gives us a A'ery elaborate account of his researches , the long and short of Avhich is that he derives that word from , phre , the Sun , 1110 s , ines , or mas , regenerates , and sn , them , i . e ., " the sun

regenerates them , " otherwise " Sons of Light . " This certainly beats Professor Hartknoch hollow . Any man in full enjoyment of his senses would think that Freemason is a compound Avord , made up of free aud ¦ mason ; and it is like carrying owls to Athens to say that the whole history of our Order in past centuries

, as well as the present use of plum , trowel , and other implements taken from the building arts , warrants the opinion that the phrase " Freemason" originated with the Institution , as understood noAvadays , during the Middle Ages . By this I do not mean to impugn the analogy between the ancient mysteries aud ours ;

I am only speaking of the name . Now , I defy Bro . Rockwell to show me the word Freemason in any authentic document prior to the year 1200 of the Christian era ; for his Phre mes sn , concocted in a most arbitrary manner , and devoid of the support of any acknowledged authority , I reject as utterly untenable . But , Sir , I will , just for argument's sake , admit for a moment that the existence of the word

"Ereemason " in Egyptian was prior to the Institution in its modern shape ; but would this tend in any way to prove the antiquity and continuity of the said Institution ? By no means . I take it for granted that Francmagon in French , libera muratore in Italian , and Franemason in Spanish , are all translations of the English hrase ; hut the same is not the caseas

p , regards the expressions Freimaurer in German and Vrijmetselaar iu Dutch ; the origin of both phrases is prior to , or at least coeval with , the English " Freemason . " Does our Transaslanticbrother mean to trace both of these also to Champollion's hierolhics ? orperhapshe will produce some other

gyp , , Ismail Aga who may support his theory in his Circassian twang . As a specimen of Transatlantic scientific inquiry , Bro . Rockwell's researches may be very interesting ; the value of their result , however , is nil . I believe you are rather too moderate in remarking that "his

case is not fully made out . " Surely , such attempts of an individual at obtruding his own peculiar opinions upon an Institution like ours , with a view to advance his OAvn purposes , cannot be censured too severely . But let us take the most lenient view of the case ; . that may be more in keeping with the principles of

our Fraternity . Let us only say that our esteemed brother labours under a fatal hallucination , and that the abortive production to which he has given birth is what the French call galimatias , and what is styled in plain English " balderdash . " Trusting that I am not encroaching too much on your valuable space , I am , dear Sir and Brother , AN OLD BOOKAVORJT . St . Mary ' s . Lambeth , June Gth , 1866 .