Decoration Of Honour: Gormogons: Freemasons.

long extinct , it would be impossible for me to g ive a full explanation ofthe inscription , but the words OBCUK . Yoio . OKD . GOR . —Go ., evidently refer to the ( Ecumenical Volgi of the order of Gormogoii , and are quite sufficient to show what it renlly was intended for . I consider that the words

Ax . l . K > _; . may refer io the date of the foundation of the iiii . cieiit order iu the reign of Queen Anne , some years previous to that of the nearly as unei-iiif order of Free and Accepted Masous , who only date . ' rem a meeting held at the "App le Tree '' Tavern iu Charles-street , Covent-gardei ., in

February , 1717 . Tiie Avords UNIVEBSU ,. SPLENDOR on the reverse , refer to the sun , one of their favourite emblems ; and UXIA ' EHSA BEXEA ^ OLEXTIA refer to the largo sums of money raised by the order and dispersed iu universal charity , a mode of action partl y followed by the Freemasons , who at the

request of the Earl of Dalkeith , their Grand Master in 1773 , instituted a committee of charity , aud raised hinds , which they took care , hoAvever , ouly to distribute amongst themselves . The following advertisement from the Daily Journal of Oct . 28 , 1731 , throws a glimmer of li g ht on the Gormogons : —

" BY COMMAND or TUB VOLGI . " A general Chapter of tho most august and ancient order oi' Gor-mo-gon will be tieid at the Castle tavern in Meet-street , to commence at 12 o ' clock , of which the several graduates and licentiates are to take notice , aud cive their attendance . —F . _ M . T . "

Pope , in his noble poem the Dunciad , speaks of the Freemasons and the Gormorgons , with all the contempt that such silly sec-vet societies deserve . When the Goddess of Dulness bids all her children to draw near , on their bended knees , to receive their titles , he says : —

" Some deep Free-Masons join the silent race , Worth } ' to fill Pythagoras ' ,, place : Some botanists , or florists at . the least , Or issue members of an annual feast . J ST OV passtd the meanest unregarded , one Rose a Gregorian , one a Gortuogon . "—( iv . 571 . )

Of course a bitter enmity subsisted between the Order of Gormogons ancl the society of Free and Accepted Masons , as Ave may see from Hogarth ' s weJl-knoAvu caricature entitled " The Mystery of Masonry brought to Li ght hy the Gormogons . " In it one of the Gormogons appears to be wearing

( ho very bfidge , with the representation of the sun upon it , noticed by the querist ; he is no other than the sage Confucius ; the Oecumenical Vol g i is also present , but his badge appears to have a bird upcu it , probably a goose . The bitterness between the Freemasons and the Gormogons is

exposed by one of the Freemasons holding forth a book . This most probably refers to the Qi and M >/ si . er > i of ihe Gui ' ino-jons , published in 1724 ; or it may have reference to the Masonry Dissected of Samuel ' Prichard published in 1700 , for both the order and society accused each other of publishing their secrets . This last mentioned book actually

Decoration Of Honour: Gormogons: Freemasons.

gave Orator Henley a subject for an oration , which is advertised in the Dail y Post of Oct . 30 , 1730 , in his usual style , as follows : — - " This day , at large , a New Oration , in reply to Masonry Dissected , on the Free Mason's triumph ; or Hod and Trowell beat the whole fieldfor against Prichard ' s

, wager jaw bone of an ass ; being a defence of Masonry against the yelping , braying , burring , snapping , snarling , grinning , barking , growling , huffing , blowing , tearing , staring , strutting , snorting , and pertulent clatter of late about it in papers and pamphlets . Nbn-pareil . "

The man partly undressed , seated on an ass , and the person in close proximit y to him , refers to a practice said to be common among the Freemasons at that time , but Avhich I must be excused from explaining here . However , a full account of it Avill be found in a poem published in 1773 , and

called the Free Mason , a Iiiulibrastic Poem . The tall Quioxic-looking individual partl y dressed in armour , Avith a shield but no sword , is probabl y intended for the Duke of Norfolk , who presented to the societ y in 1729 the sword of Guskavus Adol phusto be used for ever a sword of state

, by the Grand Master . I may observe that swords of the Protestant champion Avere common relics during the last century , and as plentiful as heads of Oliver Cromwell .

Hogarth , as a p lain honest Englishman , hated , ancl lost no opportunity in exposing , the false pretensions of Freemasonry . In his picture of "Ni ght " he shows up a drunken Freemason , and thereis little doubt that he had a hand in the celebrated

caricature of the procession of the " Scald Miserable Masons " in 1742 . Carey , in the third edition of his Poems , published in 1729 , attempts to "moderate " betAveen the Freemasons and the Gormogons , in the following truthful Avords : —

" The Masons and the Gormogons Are laughing at one another , While all mankind are laughing at them , Then why do they make such a pother ? " They bait their hooks for simple gulls , And truth with bam they smother ; And when they ' ve taken in their culls , Why then ' tis welcome brother . " WILLIAM PINKERIOX .

Masonic Jottings.—No. 10.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 10 .

BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER , PRESTON ' S ILLUSTRATIONS . There is much in Preston ' s Illustrations that is traditionary matter , and there is small disposition to credit it . It is not , however , on this account

to be hurriedly put aside . It should be considered as other traditionary matter commonly is . The evidence and arguments for the truth should be arranged on the one side ; and the evidence and arguments for the untruth should be arranged on