Reviews.

here cordially endorse the words of our author m his preface , where he says : —• " If it ts greatly to be regretted that the exhumation of long buried and forgotten facts in Masonic history proceeds so slowly , IIOAV ought carelessness to be guarded against in placing upon record notes of the every-day life of our presently existing lodges . From mistaken

notions regarding the true scope of their obligation to secrecy in matters Masonic , the early Craftsmen confined within the narrowest limits possible the Avritten records of thoir operations ; hence the paucity of data from Avhich can be drawn reliable information as to the laws and customs obtaining Avithin the mystic circle during any period prior to the adoption of that

speculative element of Freemasonry in Avhich haA e been absorbed the more distinctive features of the ancient guilds of operative Masons . In like manner , out of a constitutional dread of Masonic records falling into profane hands , minutes of the proceedings of many of our dormant lodges are known to havo been consigned to destruction btheir custodierswho thereby became

y , the instruments of inflicting irreparable injury upon tho Order which in their mistaken zeal the } ' sought to serve . Again , from afmisapprehension of the importance of the work , no inconsiderable number of our lodges deepen and perpetuate the evil adverted to , by a total indifference as to the style iu which their exoteric transactions are recorded , the bearing which such records are to haA'e

upon the future history of the Lodgo Universal , being an idea quite foreign to the minds of those by whom they are penned . " From the title of Bro . Lyon's little work one might be led to expect a mere dry ordinary record of lodge proceedings , but a perusal of its contents proves this to bo quite the contrary . The history of St . John ' s , Thornhill , from its foundation in 1814 to the present time is rendered especially interesting from the record of the useful activity of that lodge durin" tho fifty-two rears

of its existence ; thus wc find that the Lodge of Thornhill has aided in planting some fourteen foundation stones of churches , public institutions , bridges , monuments , and other structures . Amongst the most recent Ave' may mention tho Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , 1858 , and the Wallace Monument , near Stirling , 1862 . It is also pleasing to find that the lodge of Thornhill

has ever distinguished itself by its benevolence ; and Avhile upon this subject , we would draw attention to a peculiar feature in connection with this lodge , viz ., benefit societies . Onr author states : — "Benefit societies iu connection with lodges existed to a great extent at the period of Thornhill St . John ' s institution , and so , falling in with tho custom of the

time , the founders of that lodge incorporated with it a scheme for granting relief to members during sickness , for conferring annuities to their widows and orphan . ? , . and otherwise answering tho purposes to which the operations of ordinal- }* benefit societies were directed . While , on their initiation , all AVCI-O expected to become members of this societythe step was not imperative ; but unless

, the candidate became a member both of the lodge and the society he could not elect for , nor be elected to , any of the offices of the lodge . Non-members of the society Avere denominated honorary members of the lodge , and although paying ' the full entry money , ' and other charges , possessed ' no power whatever in the lodge beyond visiting brethren . ' Without at all questioning

the amount of good to suffering humanity clone by benefit societies , it must be admitted that their incorporation Avith lodges tended , as is illustrated by the bylaw just quoted , to ignore the inalienable right of every Master Mason to a voice in the management of the affairs of his own lodge , and to prevent his advancement to any official post in tho lodge , however high his attainments in the mystic science . And it Avas because of these and other objectionable features in the incorporation of benefit societies Avith lodges that the Grand

Lodge of Scotland , in 18-14 , enacted ' that all lodges who may hereafter form benefit societies are hereby prohibited from depriving any of the members of their lodges of tho right of voting at the election of officebearers , or being chosen office-bearers ; and those lodges Avho already have benefit societies connected therewith are instructed to make such alterations upon their

bylaws and practice as will admit every duly constituted member of tho lodge , not lying under any Ma-sonic disability , to vote , or to be eligible for office , at the election of office-bearers . The Grand Lodge also recommend all lodges having benefit societies to be very careful in keeping the funds of the lodge perfectly separate and distinct from those of the society . ' Fifteen years before

the promulgation of this enactment , a majority of the members of St . John ' s had , 'for the peace and harmony of the whole , ' agreed to dissolve the society and divide its funds , and to erase such of their by-laws as had reference to the Societ 3 % which , however , was reorganised in 1842 , under the name of 'The Masonic Society , ' the relation in Avhich it stood to the lodge

being somewhat obscurely shown in the following extract from minute of lodge meeting , January 10 , 1842 : — 'The rales of the Masonic society , so far as the lodge Avas concerned , were agreed to unanimously , namel y *

that one shilling per week be given to sick members for twelve Aveeks , and sixpence a Aveek thereafter , so long as the sickness may continue . This given to those though not members of the society . ' From the construction of another minute—that in Avhich an increase of sick allowance is authorised — it seems that said aliment was contributed from tho lodge funds ivith a view

to aid the society in its benevolent design—a by-law which in principle is still in force in the lodge , thus affording a practical illustration of the brethren's care for their sick ; and that the lodge , without any special call upon its members , should be able to support a scheme snc . h as that referred to , besides making ample provision for affording temporary relief to Avayfaring

indigent brethren , is the best of all testimony that its funds are devoted to tho purposes of Masonry . The lodge has up to the present time expended in sick allowances , funeral money , and charity between £ 1 . 200 and £ 1 , 300 . " Our author also states that" In 1856 both the lodge and its members in their

private capacity were liberal contributors towards tho Alasonic fund raised for the relief of those brethren in France who had suffered from the inundation of the year mcirrioned .

As an illustration of onr author ' s graphic and pleasing style , and also with a view to give our readers an insight to the way in which our Scottish brethren keep up Masonic festivities , we here quote our author Avith reference to the Festival of St . John .- —• " The brethren of St . John ' s are bound by their byelaws to observe tho good old custom of dining together

after the annual election of office-bearers , each member paying his equal share of the expenses thereof . Prior to 1852 it had been the custom to refresh the brethren at tho expense of the lodge—a practice which is still occasionally kept up . Tho manner of celebrating the 27 th of December has iu Thornhill alternated between a public procession through the village , going to church to hear

sermon , dining together , and holding a ball in the evening ; but only on ono occasion ( 1826 ) is it recorded that the programme of tho St . John's Day observances embraced the whole routine of ceremony just quoted . The propriety of such a mixture of the sacred with the profane appears more than once to have been questioned ; for on St . John ' s Day 1823 the llev . Edward Dobie is

, , found ' thanking the lodge for relieving him from a promise to preach to them on that day , there being so much objection to it' —objections offered , as some may think , by one or other of the ' hizzics ' thus depicted in Burns ' s 'Holy Friar ' :