The Troglodytes.

THE TROGLODYTES .

_ Bro . " E . B . F . " that there were Troglodytes is not disputed ; but then " they dwelt in caverns , or holes which they had dug for themselves in the earth ;" and Masonry , it is said , did not arise until men had erected houses . * * * However your paper propounding the theory that the Troglodytes were

Masons is ingenious and entertaining . I subjoin the passage for which you ask , taken , I believe , from some work now publishing in parts . " Arctueologieal investigations into the pre-historical life of our own and other countries , have led to the conclusion that a lace of cave-iuhabitors preceded iu most countries

the races that lived in houses built on the surface of the earth , and perhaps we shall not be far wrong if we regard Troglodytism as tho primitive state of all , or the greater part , of mankind . "—CHARLES PURTON COOPEE .

DUTIES 01 ? OFFICERS . Although Al pha ' s query No . 1 may be aimed at some _ unfortunate individuals , it raises a general principle . He says a P . M ., having for some years ceased to subscribe to any lodge , is employed as a Tyler can he constitutionall y be permitted to work

the ceremonies of the lodge ? Constitutionally a P . M . is a P . M ., and can assist in any ceremonies , even installing a W . M . as member of a Board of Installed Masters ; this is whether he continues to subscribe or not , but constitutionally he cannot sit as a member of Grand Lodge or Prov . Grand Lod

ge after he has ceased to subscribe , unless he is again W . M . and becomes a subscribing member . As to the fact of his holding the office of Tyler , and being one of the seven officers of the lodge ,, that is a qualification to him to discharge any duties , even those of I . G . or J . D ., if either of those important functionaries

be absent . A T yler is au officer of a lodge , as such endowed with prerogative , and is to he treated with respect . Whether a Tyler is paid or unpaid is a matter of no account ; he is equally entitled to the regard _ of his brethren . The real gist of Alpha ' s query is this : Can a Mason who is poorer than some

other brethren enjoy in the presence of these any other attributions than those of a menial ? To this the answer of some would be , No . Iu the case cited hy Alpha , the atrocity of the criminal appears to be aggravated by the fact that he was once in an independent position in society , liaving been W . M . of a lodge . It may rightlbe judged that for such a

dey linquent to give the assistance of his experience in the presence of junior ancl well-to-do Masons constitutes au offence which ought to be repressed . It is very likely the case , and this is au aggravation , that sonic ill-advised elder brethren , having more charity than prudence , knowing and esteeming the

P . M ., did think it would be a brotherly act to the P . M . and his famil y to give him the small emoluments of a Tyler , and they were perhaps so hardened that they considered it conferred no obligation either way . It is easy , too , to conceive that such persons , P . M . ' s themselvesancl men of propertand station

, y may be so lost to shame that , on entering the Masonic rooms , they may hold out their hands and say , " Bro . 'Tyler , how do you do ? " instead of keeping him to his proper station of a menial . In fact , the question is raised , how should a Tyler , rich or poor ,

The Troglodytes.

be treated ? Is he a man , a brother , and an officer of tbe Craft ? Some of us believe he is ; we look not tothe fact whether he is rich or poor , whether he is Lord Zetland or a Tyler , but according to the-Ancient Charges , well worth reading , we hail him as a brother . If he or any other Bro . have fallen from a better estatewe seek not to remind him of that

, , but of our ancient tie of brotherhood , and our unlessened feeling of sympathy and regard . Many a-Bro . finds in the discharge of the duties of a Tyler , not only a small and valued remuneration , but the still more valued enjoyment of brotherly love . Those who have gone before us have taught that in

themoment even of our banquets we shall not forget this ; but we are impressivel y reminded of the dutiesof charity to all Poor and Distressed Masons , when it . is not the W . M . who rules over us and teaches us thissentiment , but perhaps the poorest brother in the lodge . The Masonry of young members may begin

outside the door of the lodge with the poor Outer Guard , their salaried officer , and their Bro . by thesame title as the M . W . G . M . or a king or emperor . — R . T .

THE T 0 WEE OE BABEL . Bro . "S . A . L ., " few will dispute your first assumption , that the builders of the Tower of Babel were believers in the Great Architect of the Universe ; . but many will dispute your second aasumption that they were believers in the soul ' s immortality . Now , if they were not believers in the soul ' s immortality ,, the existence of Freemasonry amongst them was notpossible . —C . P . COOPEE .

OLD ENGLISH OPERATIVE MASONBY . A correspondent writes of the old English operative Masonry thus : —first , that there possibly existed lodges which were self-constituted and independent , and which constituted and controlled subordinatelodges ; * next , that , assuming such lodges to haveexisted , it has not yet been shown that they werecalled Grand lodges . —C . P . COOPEE .

ANTIQUITY OE THE MASTER ' S DEGREE . MY MASONIC * COMMON-PLACE BOOK . My good Bro . " W . E . L ., " the listlessness of old age is fast gaining ground . Respecting the antiquity of the Master ' s degree very few new entries appear in my Masonic Common Place Book . Three recent

entries , however , point to matters calling for much examination and study . See a letter signed "A Masonic Student , '' Freemasons' Magazine , vol . IS , page 292 , aud Bro . Murray Lyon ' s " Ears of Wheat from a Cornucopia , " aud Bro . Hughan ' s "Antiquity of the Third Degree , " the former page 21 , and the latter page 109 of the present volume . —C . P . COOPEE .

CHRISTIAN , JEWISH , PARSEE . AND MAHOMMEDAN EEEEMASONRIES . Christian , Jewish , Parses , and Mahommedan Freemasonries—each of these particular Freemasonries , being Theistic , is rightly called a true Freemasonry . Nevertheless , neither Christian , Jewish , Parsee , nor Mahommedan Freemasonry is true Freemasonry in the sense in which universal Freemasonry is true Freemasonry . —C . P . COOPER .