Music And The Masonic Ritual.—No. I.

MUSIC AND THE MASONIC RITUAL . —No . I .

HY JIi . RO . MATTHEW COOKE , ( Honorary Music Master to the Royal Freemasons' School for Female Children . ) EVERY historical student is perfectly aware that important events bearing upon the religion , government , and commerce of a people appear to follow each other within such regular limits , that they form themselves into cycles ; from which may bo inferredwith a degree of

, accuracy almost amounting to certainty , the time when some topic will arise to call into action the dormant energies of a large proportion of citizens , ancl , as surely , be followed hy a re-action Converting a similar number to indifference .

During the last quarter ol a century we have witnessed a remarkable activity in religion , science , art , and literature ; ancl to the first mentioned we may refer a considerable amount of our architectural progress—for the Oxford movement , begun in 1 S 33 , by its catholicity of tone , has given a great impetus to the construction and restoration of churches , more particularly in the gothic style , ancl has been

followed by many erections of mansions , halls , hospitals , and other public buildings , which have gone far to popularise mediaeval studies and arclueological art , dispelling many of the clouds that hung over those periods , which a certain class of persons chose to denominate " the dark ages . " In companionshi p to these revivals , there has beeniu the same

, period , such au outbreak of discoveries , theories , and the execution of works of great pz-aetieal importance to this country , that we may , without egotism , compare this portion of the nineteenth century with any similar portion of centuries that have preceded it , and safely affirm , that these our own days are those of beneficial and important development and progress .

Whilst the outer world has been thus employed , the question naturally arises , "Have we , the Masonic brotherhood , kept pace ivith the requirements of the age f Li' it were possible to reply in the affirmative , it would be very greatly to oar credit ; but that we have not is patent to all our readers—and in support of this conclusion , wo have but to turn to tho verv able and intellectual articles that have

from time to time appeared m the /' reeviasons Magazine , under ' the title of " Our Architectural Chapter . " Now , however , that we have obtained a writer ivho is stimulating us to a healthy and long desired revival in our fraternity , we hope the great questions taken in hand will not be quietly allowed to sink into apathy and listlessness again , but show to the world that wc , as Freemasons , not only claim , but actually are in possession of the key to each of the liberal arts and sciences , and more particularly those which every Craftsman has had