Scotch Masonic Lectures.

SCOTCH MASONIC LECTURES .

LONDON , SATURDAY , MARCS 14 , 1868 .

Since our last notice , numbers of the brethren in connection with the Dundee lodges have been earnestly engaged in forwarding the good work . Under the able Mastership of Bro . A . Willison , R . W . M St . David ' s , 78 , on the roll of Grand

Lodge of Scotland , a course of lectures and readings were commenced some time ago , and have been continued on the Wednesday evenings of each succeeding week . Bro . Cowie gave the opening lecture of the series ; the subject ;

Speculative Masonry . In Iris preface he said , that with some honourable exceptions , Scotch Masonry was very loosely conducted , the three degrees frequently g iven in one evening ; even in the more general cases where the first alone was given , after a short

time and without any instruction worth the name , the candidates were passed and raised . Should a delay take place between the giving the first and the higher degrees , it was seldom that the giving of instruction Avas the reason ; it was only to

allow the number of initiates to increase to perhaps half a dozen , who were then all knocked off in one batch . The consequence was , that most of these would only visit their lodges on . the two festivals , to join in the convivial pleasures of the

evenings , excepting which , their interest in the Craft was nil ; there were of course many exceptions ; had it not been so , the Craft would have

ere this have ceased to exist in Scotland . The series of lectures he had been engaged on had no pretensions to instruct the learned brother . They were intended for those who having passed through the initiatory ceremonies , had received

little or no further instruction ; he would , therefore , begin by endeavouring to define the meaning , history , and purpose of Speculative Masonry . As we intend to publish Bro . Cowie ' s lectures in full , we will not go into details at present , but only

mention that he went rapidly over the history of the Craft whilst it was operative , its spread through through many parts of Europe in the eleventh and succeeding centuries by the travelling fraternities of architects , till that period when it

was resolved to extend the privileges of Freemasonry to other professions . Bro . Cowie said it was easy to comprehend the use and value of the tressel boards at a time when the worldly success of every brother depended upon his practical

knowledge of Operative Masonry . When Masonry became Speculative she undertook , through the mediums of her ceremonies and symbols , to instruct the intellect—a difficult task in what was

then still but a rude age . It was scarce to be wondered at that the privilege of calling to refreshment was frequently absurd . Bro . Cowie then gave a brief sketch of the history and origin of Grand Lodges , their present constitution and their

relations to Provincial and subordinate lodges , and paid a high compliment to English Freemasonry , whose high standard of social ancl moral worth demanded from her initiates , her maintenance of the landmarks in purity ; the intellectual

interpretations of her symbols , and her many charitable institutions , had made the name of English Freemasonry respected through the world . We . in Scotland are sometimes told that both in knowledge of Operative and Speculative Masonry we

have degenerated from the days of our forefathers , and the remains of those magnificent ecclesiastical buildings in our land are pointed out as proofs . Whatever the piety of our forefathers had to do in contributing towards the erection of those edifices , their ingenuity and taste had little to do

in the matter , for they were planned by men of either foreign education or foreign birth . The taste of our -forefathers will be easily understood from the miserable and defaced condition of those noble structures they certainly had been " things

of beauty , " but our predecessors had taken care that they should not be left to us as "joys for ever . " As to Speculative Masonry , we could trace its history sufficiently to know , that till lately it had scarcely ever risen above a boon

companionship in Scotland ; but better days had dawned . Scotland had a long array of titles on her Masonic rolls whose mere names had done much to give Masonry a social standing in a country where rank had always been revered , but in these days

something more than name was wanted , and there was hope that ere long Scotland would be able to point to her Masonic charities , her schools and homes , of which as yet , in connection with Freemasonry , she has nothing worth fche name . Bro .

Cowie concluded by defining Speculative Masonry as expressed through the symbols ancl ceremonies . Bro . J . D . Grant on a succeeding evening gave an admirable lecture on Geology , illustrated by paintings and drawings by Bro . Cowie . Bro . Robertson , P . M ., gave readings from several of our most popular authors . This gentleman is one of the-