A Retrospect Of The Past, By One Of The Craft.

monumentum requiras circumspice . " Windsor Castle , St . George ' s Chapel , and New College , Oxford , bear testimony to their great Masonic knoAvledge . On the death of the King the illustrious Bishop of Winchester above named became

Grand Master , in which office he was succeeded by 'Thomas Fitzallen , Earl of Surrey , and from him the rule of the Craft passed into the hands of Archbishop Chicheley . A visit to All Saints College , Oxford , will SIIOAV the initiated how

thoroughly imbued Avas the mind of that illustrious prelate with the true appreciation of the mysteries of our Order . It was during his rule that Cardinal Beaufort got the Parliament to proscribe the Order , but it fortunately outlived his bigotry and

persecution , and found in Henry YI . a right royal patron . He appointed Wanefleet , Bishop of Winchester , his deputy . The great Avorks of this reign are Magdalene College , Oxford , Eton ¦ College ,

" AVhere sacred science still adores Her Henry ' s holy shade , " . aud King ' s College , Cambridge , a paragon of ¦ construction . The King , before he joined the Order , made the strictest inquiry into its history

and the principles upon Avhich it was founded . With this view he catechised several of the Craft , and had a record taken of their answers . This document Avas afterwards copied , by order of Henry VIII ., by Leland , the antiquary , aud the

manuscript remained for many years in the Bodleian Library . Thomas , Earl of Pembroke , having heard of the existence of this document , asked John Locke to make a search for it . After some

time it was found , audit made such an impression upon the great philosopher , that heat once joined the confraternity . The following is the letter in which he announced the discovery to Lord Pembroke : —

"May 6 , 1696 . " My Lord : I have at length , by the help of Mr . Collins , procured a copy of that manuscript in the Bodleian Libraiy , which you were so curious to see ; and , iu obedience to your Lordship's

commands , I herewith send it to you . Most of the notes annexed to it are Avhat I made yesterday for the reading of my Lady Marsham , who is become so fond of Masonry , as to say , that she now more than ever wishes herself a man , that she

might be capable of admission into the fraternity . " The manuscript of Avhich this is a copy appears to be about a hundred and sixty years old ; yet as

your Lordship will observe by the title , it is itself a copy of one yet more ancient by about one hundred years ; for the original is said to have been the handwriting of King Henry YI . ; Avhere that prince had it , is at present an uncertainty ;

but it seems to me to be an examination ( taken , perhaps before the king ) of some one of the brotherhood of Masons ; among whom , he entered himself , as it is said , when he came out of his minority , and thenceforth put a stop to the persecution that had been raised aa'ainst them : but I

must not detain your Lordship longer by my prefaces from the thing itself . " I know not Avhat effect the sight of this old paper may have upon your Lordship ; but for my part , I cannot deny , that it has so much raised my

curiosity , as to induce me to enter myself into the Fraternity , which I am determined to ( if I may be admitted ) the next time I go to London , and that will be shortly . —I am , my Lord , your Lordship's most obedient and most humble servant , JOHN LOCKE . "

As the document is likely to pi'ove as interesting to our readers as it was to Locke and Lady Masham , Ave here insert it . They Avill of course see from Avhat Ave have already stated , that " Venetians " is a clerical error for " Phreiiicians , " that

Peter GoAver , the Grecian , is the philosopher Phythagoras , and that Groton is a corruption of Croton , in the South of Italy , the native city of Pythagoras .

Certayne Questions , with Answeres to the same , concernynge the Mystery of Magonrye . Wryttenne by the hands of Kyng 3 Henrye the Sixthe of the name , and- faithfully copied by me JOITAN LEYLANDE , Antiquarius , by the Commando of

his Highnesse . They be as followethe : Quest . What moteyttbe ? Ans . It beeth the skylle of Nature , the uuderstondynge of the myghte that ys hereynne , and

its sondrye Averckynges ; sonderlyche , the skylle of recteuyngs , of Avaightes , and metynges , and the treu manere of faconnynge al thynges for mannes use , headlye , d welly in gs , buyldyngs of alle kindes , and al odher thynges that make gude to manne .

Q . Where dyd yt begyuue ? A . Ytt dyd begynue with the ffyrste menne yn the Este , Avhich Avere before the ffyrste menne of the Weste , and comynge Avestlye , ytt hathe brought