Dr. Knipe, Bros. A. F. A. Woodford And Matthew Cooke.

drawn up by himself by roa ;/ of Diary , ivith an appendix of original letters , published by Charles Burman , Esq ., London : printed for J . Roberts , near the Oxford Arms , in Warwick Lane , 1717 , " in 12 mo . The only matters relating to Freemasonry in this little book is at page 15 , where under the year 1646 , " Oct . 16 , 4 hor . 30 minutes post merid . I was made a Free-Mason at Warrington , in

Lancashire , with Colonel He 7 iry Mainwaring , of Karticham in Cheshire , the names of those that were then at lodge , Mr . Richard Penket , Warden , Mr . James Collier , Mr . Richard Sankey , Henry Littler ,. John Ellam , Richard Eilam , and Hugh Brewer . " In the same book , p . 66 , occur the following memoranda . " 1682 , March 10 . About 5 Hor . post merid ., I received a summons to appear at a

lodge to be held the next day at Masons' Hall in London . " 11 . Accordingly I went , and about noon were admitted into the Fellowship of Free-Masons by Sir William Wilson , Knight ; Captain Richard Borthwick , Mr . William Woodman , Mr . William Grey , Mr . Samuel Taylour , aud Mr . William Wise . " I was the Senior Fellow among them ( it being 35 years since I was admitted ); there was iDresent besides myself

the Fellows after named , Mr . Thomas Wise , Master of the Masons' Company this present year ; Mr . Thomas Shorthose , Mr . Thomas Shadbolt—Waidsfford , Esq ., Mr . Nicholas Young , Mr . John Shorthose , Mr . William Hamon , Mr . John Thompson , and Mr . William Stanton . We all dined at the Half Moon Tavern hi Cheapside , at a uoble dinner prepared at the charge of the new accepted

Masons . " The occasional letters added to the volume have nothing to do with Freemasomy . This work was reprinted in 1774 , _ under the title of The Lives of those Eminent Antiquaries Elias Ashmole , Esq ., and Mr . William Lilly , written by themselves * ' * * tcith several occasional letters , by Charles Burman , Esq . This last edition , as far as the life of Ashmole is concerned , is a literal

reprint of the earlier book . And now as to Bro . Woodford ' s first probable , then boldly asserted , dictum that Aubrey wrote the "Memoirs . " In Wood ' s Athenw , by Bliss , vol . iv ., col . 360 , it is stated that The Arms , Epitaphs , Fenestral Inscriptions , with the draughts of the Tombs inallthe Churches in Berkshire , is a large folio in Ashmole ' s hand , numbered 850 in the Ashmolean collection . The note at the foot of the

column says it was " printed at London , with large additions , in 3 vols . 8 vo ., 1719 . —RAWLINSON . " " This is printed by E . Curb , in 3 vols . 8 vo ., under the title of Ashmole ' s History and Antiquities of Berkshire ,-but they are interpolated throughout , there being several things after Ashmole ' s death , so that one knows not what is Ashmole ' s and what not . The publisher and

interpolator was Dr . Richard Rawlinson . —LOVEDAY . " "Ashmole ' s Berkshire was printed in 3 vols . 8 vo . London , 1719 , 1723 ; and in folio , Reading , 1736 . Another edition was undertaken and began to be printed about the year 1814 , by the Rev . Charles Coates , author of . a History of Reading , but this was stopped by the death of the editor . There are two copies of the first edition

in the Bodleian library , with MS . notes—one with those of Dr . Rawlinson , the other by E . Rowe Mores . " Will any reasonable man say , after such proofs , that Bro . Woodford ' s accuracy is to be depended upon ? Can any one imagine him to have even seen the backs of the books be quotes from ? Or does this style of assertion , without a shadow of proofconduce to promote humble

, and ardent enquiry . It is not for me to decide those questions ; the evidence on both sides can be weighed by every one for himself . It will naturally be asked where is Dr . Knipe first mentioned , and how about the letter he wrote ? I will partially explain it , for as I have devoted five entire days to elucidate the point , I do not feel disposed to let others

use the information without acknowledging it , but suffice it to say , the whole story turns on a single letter of the alphabet ! The biographers copy from each other , and never trouble themselves to be exact in their phrases , so

Dr. Knipe, Bros. A. F. A. Woodford And Matthew Cooke.

Several works in which the extract appears have it thus "There are very valuable collections relating to the history of the Freemasons , as may be collected from the letters of Dr . Knipe of Christ Church , to the publisher of his life . " & c . But in the work in which the remark first appears , it states , " what is hinted above is taken from a book of letters communicated to the author of

this life , by Dr . Knipe of Christ Church , " & c , ( both of course alluding to Ashmole ' s life ); I should not have troubled you , sir , with so long a letter , but I wished to point out how far Bro . Woodford may be looked up to as an accurate authority , he having , on more than one occasion , misrepresented meand you know my mouth is sealed as to some of

, those errors . Tet there is one of his inaccuracies I am by no means bound to suffer from . Early last year , or late the year before , Bro . Woodford visited a lodge of which I am Secretary—I had never seen him before nor since ,- —and he asked me many questions , one about the Charter of Cologne . I had not my Museum note-book with me , and I could not give him then the reference to

what I intended . Some two or 'three months since , whilst talking over some matters with one of the officials at the Museum , he said , "By the bye Mr . Woodford tells me you said that the Charter of Cologne was here ; we have nothing of the kind , ours is merely a charter of the vai'ious guilds , and I thought you had been too long used to old writing not to make such a blunder

as that ! " I told him I did not even know the charter he alluded to , fhad never seen it , and am still in the same case- If Bro . Woodford had not been so eager to uphold some peculiar view of his own , and decry all others , he would never have set such a report afloat in the Museum , where , if I had not been pretty well known , it might have seriously injured me by his inaccuracy

some experience of which I have had in other quarters . Trusting that I have shown how trivial a mistake may render a whole question open to gz-ave doubts—hoping that I have in no way given Bro . Woodford pain , as I only contend he is inaccurate' —not wilfully in error—and that I may , by this letter , clear myself from suspicion in certain places , I am , Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , MATIHEW COOKE . March 9 th , 1863 .

St. Mark's Lodge (No 1159).

ST . MARK'S LODGE ( No 1159 ) .

TO TIIE EDITOK OF THE 3 SEEESIASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEBOE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —At a lodge held last evening specially summoned to take into consideration the report of the last meeting of the St . Mark's Lodge , the following resolution was adopted : — "That the St . Mark ' s Lodge hereby protests against the report of its last meeting , as published in THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE of the 24 th Januaryas unfaithfulby

, , reason of the suppression of much that occurred , and untrue in several of the statements set forth , and that it is the opinion of the lodge that the writer of such report has been guilty of unbrotherly conduct . " Yours fraternally , March 6 th , 1863 . FRED . JAS . LILLEY , W . M . [ It is our earnest endeavour to give everything fairly

and impartially , and it is rare , indeed , that the accuracy of our reports is challenged . The brother who supplied us with the report contends for its accuracy , aud has furnished us with the proceedings at the lodge of emergency above alluded to , but under the circumstances we feel compelled to decline its insertion ; but we may

observe that the resolution is stated to have been only carried by 7 to 4 , one of the brethren voting in the majority not having been present at the meeting , the report of which is complained of . —ED . ]