Correspondence.

pretension . In the Mail of July 30 th , 1869 , I asserted that Freemasonry , or Speculative Masonry , was manufactured in London in A . D . 1717 , Dr . Desaguliers , Payne , and Dr . Anderson being its originators then . Now , what does Mr . Pinkerton , the antiquary , who has been examining into the matter lately , say ? He saysin ' Notes and Queries' for November 20 th

, , 1869 : — 'I consider that the words An . Beg . may refer to the date of the foundation of the ancient order of Gormogons in the reign of Queen Anne , about 1714 , some years previous to that of the nearly as ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons , who only date from a meeting held at the Ale Tree Tavern in

pp Charles-street , Covent Garden , in February , 1717 . ' This will be something new to Mr . Buchanan , and also rather different from his ' James II . ; ' and as to the St . Clairs being Grand Masters in the fifteenth century , that is another mistake . The first Grand Master of Scotland was a St . Clair , hut that was not until the

year 1736 , when the Grand Lodge of Scotland was first constituted . Frgo , the styling of the St . Clairs of Rosslyn ' hereditary Grand Masters' is , in my humble opinion , another piece of pure Masonic imposition . I consider the Earl of Rosslyn to be no more ' hereditary Grand Master' of the Freemasons than I am , and I trust he will excuse me saying so . However , if he , or any one on his behalf , can prove the title , I

shall be most happy to admit it . In 1628 a charter was granted to St . Clair by the operative masons and hammermen , constituting him the referee of their crafts , so that he might act as a judge , and see that they got fair charges for their work , and settle disputed cases where it was considered their charges were too hihand so onbut there is no mention of

g , ; Grand Master , nor was any such Masonic title in existence until long after ; and I am not as yet aware of any of the St . Clairs becoming freemen of any Masons' society or incorporation , or being admitted as a member of a Masons' lodge before last century . Howeversupposing they were so admitted somehow

, , there was no Grand Master in the case before 1736 . I hope the Order will soon throw aside these silly impositions , legends , traditions , and fabulous pretences to antiquity , and , standing by their principles , strive to carry these principles into action . There is much need of something being done in the way of renovation

at present . Were there a little less devotion paid to ¦ General Whisky , and rather more attention paid to General Knowledge , the Order would be a great gainer , and we might then see men who are only conspicuous hy their absence , honouring and enlightening us by their presence . "I am , & c , " Glasgow , Jan . 5 th , 1870 . " " W . P . B .

THE " DEGREE" OF INSTALLED MASTER . TO THE EMTOE OS THE EEEEMASOSS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC 3 IIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —I am much obliged to my worshipful brother " H . H . " for his courteous information on this subject , of which I hope to avail myself so soon as we have some authoritfor assembling

y a Board of Installed Masters . His seniority demands my respect , and his energetic labours in a cause we both love so well excites my admiration . Long service and fidelity require only another quality—bravery —to make up the catalogue of excellence . Here , too

we are equally fortunate in finding the wit of Falstaff , who thought " discretion the better part of valour , " in combination with the clever bravery of a Moreau ( the " ' retreating general" ) , in leaving my question to be answered , by some other brother . With the utmost deference , however , to my honoured frater , I think he

could not , without some danger of incurring the charge of affectation , mistake the meaning of my very plain question— " What position the so-called degree of ' Installed Master' holds in Craft Masonry , and by what authority it is conferred in this constitution ?" Howeverif there be ambiguitiu the expression

, any y , I beg to say that I totally object to the " degree" itself in connection with Craft Masonry , as an outrageous violation of the Act of Union , by which all degrees , except those ofE . A ., E . G .. M . M ., and R . A = are prohibited . This is not a matter of opinion , but of fact , and , being upon record in every copy of the Book of

Constitutions , commands our implicit obedience . A general disregard of this conspicuous landmark has long been allowed , and now , as if to punish the neglect of duty , we see all the rulers of the Craft , from the W . M . of a lodge upward , exposed to the just ridicule of every Masonic government in the world .

After having worked hard for five or six years in the various offices , commencing with I . G ., a brother is elected to the chair . He then finds that the socalled " honours" of that truly honourable position are a disgrace to him , seeing that they cannot be conferred except by the sacrifice of every duty which ought to to be dear as well as inviolable to every Master of a

lodge . When conferred the "degree is worthless , being without warrant and even against authority . Why are Master Masons and even the Wardens turned out of the lodge during installation , to make room for for a conclave whose especial business it is to violate the constitution by conferring a side degree ? Why is this permitted ? If this question were asked at

any Grand Communication by the representatives of sister Grand Lodges ( and it might he asked with propriety ) to what a pitiful dilemma would it reduce Grand . Lodge . As members of this most worshipful body and the representatives of its authority , what answer could Installed Masters give to their constituents for

the breach of trust—in the capacity of guardians of the purity of Ancient Ereemasonry—which this question implies ? Not , surely , that it is customary . This would be an excuse as unworthy of their judgment , as it would he disgraceful to their position . It would constitute the reductio ad absitrdum of the problem ,

by proving that a " stone which the builders" of the constitution " rejected" had " become the head-stone of the corner . " Not only is the fact truly " marvellous , " but its consequences are equally so . In the former we see with indignation the contradictory spectacle of the written authority of the oldest Grand

Lodge in the world systematically insulted with impunity by its representatives ; in the latter , however , the fraternity are , if possible , more than revenged for the former , by seeing the perpetrators of the insult reduced to such well-merited ridicule that not only deprives distress of pity , but actually makes it laughable .

No words ought to be needed to impress upon every Mason the imperative duty he owes to the Craft by resolutely opposing the Installed Master ' s or any other assumed degree , and hy protesting against it whenever