Freemasonry: Its History, Principles, And Objects.

be admitted . There could be no safety in entrusting to a slave their secrets , which might at any time be extorted by his master . 14 Laws of Freemasonry . —Tbe written laws of Freemasonry are contained in the Ahimau Rczon , or Book of Constitutions . The word is derived from three Hebrew terms : Ahim , brothers ; manah , to choose ; and ratzon ,

the law ; the whole signifying " the law of the chosen brethren . " But tho unwritten law is of much greater extent , and found in the universal customs and landmarks of the Order , in Masonic usages , and decisions of various Grand Lodges . One of the laws of the Order is that every candidate for admission must be a man ; but attempts have been made to evade this ancient landmark

in France , at lease . 15 . Adoptive Masonry . —Certain degrees have been invented in what is called Adoptive Masonry , some of which are still practised in America- In France , where the plan was first devised , Adoptive Masonry , was for a time much in vogue ; the Empress Josephine in 1805 presided over a lodge . But passwords uttered by rosy

lips must lose their solemn import , and pressure of soft hands may bring danger , instead of averting it . In this country the idea never found favour . To the initiated the motive for the exclusion of the fairer portion of creation is perfectly obvious . To the uninitiated it will suffice to say , a woman cannot keep a secret . There may be exceptions ; but the secrets of Masonry , though they

are not its essence , but only the keys to the institution , must not be exposed to any risk whatever . 16 . Free-masonry in Scotland . — It has been very generally believed that the first appearance of Freemasonry in Scotland was in connection with tho building of Kilwinning Abbey , but there is no doubt that several lodges were engaged in the erection of ecclesiastical structures of a still earlier date . The Abbey of

Kilwinning was founded in 11-10 by Hugh deMoreville , Lord of Gunninghame , and Lord High Constable of Scotland . The builders were brought from tho continent , —it is supposed from Cologne , the city that contains at present one of the noblest cathedrals ever built , designed in tho purest and most perfect style of Pointed architecture . Among tho Scottish religious houses at which the

Freemasons must have been at work before the monastery at Kilwinning was begun , are a cathedral at Glasgow , founded in 1115 , and Kelso Abbey , founded in 1128 . King Robert Bruce founded tho Royal Order of Hcredom of Kilwinning , immediately after the battle of Bannockburn , reserving to himself and his successors on the throne of Scotland the office and title of Grand Master .

17 . Modern Freemasonry . —At the beginning of tho eighteenth century , the second , usually but erroneously called the first , period of Freemasonry , as already mentioned , may be said to have closed . Until then , it had on the whole been a society ot architects and builders , united in the cause of architecture . At the above date , there being only four lotlges existing in London , u

proposition was made , and afterwards agreed to , that the privilege of Masonry should no longer bo restricted to operative masons , but extend to men of various professions , provided they were regularly initiated into the Order , and thus begun the third , usually called the second , period of Freemasonry , retaining the original constitutions , the ancient landmarks , symbols , and

ceremonies ; the Society , proclaiming brotherly love , relief , and truth , as their guiding principles , obtained a wider field for their operations , and more freedom in their motlo of action ; and thanks to this , and to the exertions of throe of the most influential brethren , Dr . Desaguliers , James Anderson , aud George Payne , the principles and rights of Freemasonry rapidly spread over all Europe , America , and the most distant colonics . * 18 . Persecution of Freemasonry .- — Freemasonry ,

however , had its enemies—the children of darkness ever will fight against the spread of light . In 1735 , several noble Portuguese instituted a lodge at Lisbon , under the Grand Lodge of England , of which George Gordon was Master , but no sooner was the slightest suspicion entertained of its existence , than the clergy determined to put it down ; for the liberal-minded man , which

the-Mason especially professes to be . was a thorn in the side of the bigoted member of the Inquisition , which caused John Coustos , of Berne , and Alexander Jacob Monton , of Paris , then in Portugal , to be arrested in 17-1-3 , aud thrown into subterraneous dungeons , where they remained several weeks , enduring the most severe treatment and anxiety . They were accused of not

obeying the Pope's Bull , which declared Freemasonry heresy—the recent Papal fttlraiuatiou against the Orderis r . o new whim , —and on these charges they were put on the rack . Monton then embraced the Catholic faith , and was pardoned ; but Coustos , remaining true to his Protestantism , was , after suffering the most excruciating tortures , aud having been racked nine times in

threemonths , sentenced to four years' work as a galley slave ; but the British Government claiming him as a subject , he was released before his punishment expired-. Thirty-three years passed without anything more being heard of Freemasonry in Portugal , but in 1776 twomembers of the craft were incarcerated , and remained upwards of fourteen months iu prison . Many searching

inquiries were , from time to time , instituted to ascertain if any , and what , Freemasonry was going forward under the plea of discovering a conspiracy against the Government ; many arrests of distinguished noblemen and gentlemen took place in consequence in 1802 , among the rest that of Da Costa , the naturalist . The French empire ushered in better days for the Free masons of Portugal , but with the restoration of the old regime came the former prejudices , doubts , and jealousies . In 1818 , John VI . promulgated from the Brazils an

edict against all secret societies , including Freemasonry ; , and again , in 1823 , a similar , though more stringent proclamation , appeared in Lisbon . The punishment of death therein awarded has been reduced to fine , and transportation to Africa . 19 . Instances of Persecution . —Pope Clement XII ., in 1737 , issued a decree against the Order , which was

further coerced by the edict of the following year , tho punishment therein awarded for being found guilty of practising Freemasonry being confiscation and death . Philip V ., in 17-10 , declared the galleys for life , or punishment of deatli , with torture , the award for Freemasons , a very large number of whom he had arrested and sentenced . In spite of these tyrannical proceedings

, Freemasonry spread its branches far and wide . But at this period , one of the greatest misfortunes that could befall the Craft occurred through treachery . Peter Torrtibia , Grand Inquisitor of Spain , having first made confession and received absolution , entered tho Order , for tho express purpose , of betraying it . He joined in 1751 , and immediately made himself acquainted with the

cuoire Ytu __ i _ icat \ oi \ of the Craft , « IK \ names of members . Being unable to accuse thorn , he ceintenteel himself b y naming for punishment ninety-seven lodges , without any pretext whatever . All the members seized were tortured oil tho rack . Ferdinand YI . declared Freemasonry to bo high-treason , and punishable with death . When the French became masters of Spain ,

Freemasonry was revived and openly practised , and the members of tho Grand Lodge of Madrid met m the hall previously occupied by their enemy , tho Inquisition . Witli the return of Ferdinand VII ., the exterminating process against Freemasonry recommenced . In 1814 , twenty-five persons , suspected of being Freemasons , were dragged in chains to confinement ; but the subsequent arrests were so numerous that no correct account is obtainable , nor can the ultimate fate of the accused be recorded .