Masonic Jottings.—No. 4.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 4 .

BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER . TRADITION . The instructed Mason sees in Tradition a universally recognised source of human knowledge . TRADITION IN" OUR MASONIC HISTORY AND IN OUR

GENERAL HISTORY . Without sufficient reason we are not more at liberty to reject a tradition in our Masonic History than we are at liberty to [ reject one in our General History . DISCUSSIONS RESPECTING THE RISE OE

SPECULATIVE MASONRY . In discussions respecting the rise of Speculative Masonry the inquiry is commonly two-fold—there is the question of the origin of the science , and there is the question of tho origin of the organisation .

THE PREVAILING THEORIES . The prevailing bheories when examined will be found bo apply—some bo Speculative Masonry only ; some to our English organisation only ; and some to Speculative Masonry and to our English organisation also .

SPECULATIVE MASONRY . —THREE EPOCHS . —THREE INDIVIDUALS . In the history of Speculative Masonry subsequently to Mediasval times the student's attention should be principally directed to three epochs and to three individuals who lived at those epochs—the

beginning of the seventeenth century and John Yalentine Andreas ; the middle of the same cen-¦ tury and Elias Ashmole ; and the beginning of bhe eighbeenbh cenbury and John Theophilus Desaguliers . Andreas , Ashmole , and Desaguliers

have been called Fathers of Speculative Masonry , and Ashmole and Desaguliers Fathers of our English organisation also .

DEPUTY GRAND MASTER MANNINGHAM'S LETTER . This letter affords sufficient evidence , historically and legally , that what our Freemasonry was in 1757 that it was in the seventeenth century . RISE OF SPECULATIVE MASONRY .

A learned brother thinks that the rise of Speculative Masonry must be ascribed to something not yet known , which in the seventeenth century existed in England , but not in Scotland and Germany .

THE ASHMOLE THEORY . —THE GERMAN THEORY . A writer denying the existence of Speculative Masonry before the year 1717 must displace both the Ashmole theory and the German theory .

Masonic Jottings.—No. 4.

DIALECTIC . This science certain zealous Masonic writers , it must be presumed , have altogether eschewed . THE TERM " REVIVAL . " The term " Eevival" applied to the proceedings

of 1717 accords with the tradition that there was Speculative Masonry in the seventeenth century , but it does not prove the tradition to be true . LEGAL PRESUMPTION . Until the contrary is shown , the legal

presumption is that our tradition of the existence of Speculative Masonry in the seventeenth century is true . ARCHITECTURE . Architecture- —the Building Art—has two

daughters , Operative Masonry and Speculative Masonry . The former is the first born . From a manuscript entitled " Craft Table Talk . "

The Stuarts And Freemasonry.

THE STUARTS AND FREEMASONRY .

The following articles having appeared in our interesting contemporary , " Notes and Queries , " and the subjects beingof the greatest interest to all Freemasons , we transfer them to our pages : — " The oriinal warrant of the Derbyshire

. . . g Lodge of Ancient Freemasons , whoso headquarters are at Longnor , was signed by Charles Edward , as Grand Master , while at Derby , in 1745 . " JOHN SLEIGH . "

" The fact mentioned hy Mr . Sleigh is not generally known to Freemasons . Is it known whether the Stuart family were connected in any way with the French Ordre-du-Temple , which has authentic records since Philip of Orleans held a general assembly in 1705 ? The charter of transmission anathematises the Stuart

or ' Scotch Templars , with their brethren of St . John of Jerusalem . ' Prince Charles was elected Grand Master of the Scotch Order of the Temple at Holyrood in 1745 ; Earl Marr held that dignity in 1715 . James III . granted a charter for the Rosy Cross from Arras in 1721 to London brethren ; but the branch of St . John and the Temple connected with Freemasonry claim prior to 1686 .

" In Masonry there has , since 1813 , been a great suppression of truth with the object of giving force to a noble but illogical theory of universality , and I do not doubt the accuracy of Mr . Sleigh ' s information as to tbe warrant of a Longnor Lodge having been granted by Prince Charles Edward Stuart . The chief the modem

difference between the ancient aud Masons consisted in the recognition by the former of certain hi » h grades , claiming derivation from the Templars and Rosicrucians , who thus meeting in the Masonic lodges under Stuart patronage , are supposed to have modified the simple operative ceremonials of the period . James I . of England , whilst residing at Stirling , patronised a lodge there , meeting in the old abhev , the