The Masonic Historical Societies Of Germany.*

liim upon the boards , as it had required the greatest mental exertion on her part during the performance to control her emotions , so poAVcrfully Avero they Avrought upon by the lifelike representations of the great tragedian . At the death of his stepfather ( 1771 ) Schroder undertook , in connection Avith his mother , the management of the theatre

at Hamburg , aud remained in this position till 1780 , Avhen he started upon a professional tour through Germany , meeting ever where AA'ith the most enthusiastic reception , so that in 1781 he was called to tho imperial threatro iii Vienna , Avhere he remained engaged until 1785 . In the course of this year he returned to Hamburg , Avhere from 178 G to 1798

he agaiu acted as manager and director of thc theatre . In 1798 he retired to 2 ) rivate life ; but was again called upon iu 1811 to occupy his old position , Avhich he retained until his death in 1816 .

Schroder had been AVOII for the Masonic fraternity through the influence of his friend Bode . He Avas initiated ou the 8 th of September , 1774 , iu the Lodge Emanuel of tho Mayflower , at Hamburg . It is worthy of remark , in this connexion , that he Avas accepted Avithout being obliged to subject himself to tho customary ballot . It is expressly

remarked that this AA'as deemed unnecessary " on account of his groat merit . " In 178 G ho was elected to the chair of this Lodge , aud his acceptance of the position Avas the signal for the return of order among the Hamburg Lodges , Avhich , in spite of the before mentioned resolution of the Congress of Wilhelmsbad , still retained a good share of the accustomed

senseless ceremonies , calling to mind an Order of Knights rather than a fraternity of brethren . Schroder ' s historical researches , to Avhich he devoted himself Avith energy and zeal , soon made it evident to him that the opinion pronounced as early a . s 1778 by the Abbe Graudidier of Strasbnrg , to the effect that Freemasonry had originated with the

guilds of the stone cutters of the middle ages , was nearest to the truth . Starting from this point of vieAv , he exerted all his influence iu order to persuade the Hamburg Lodges to discard all higher degrees , and return to the plain and simple forms of English Masonry . HOAV completely he succeeded , is proved by the fact that in 1790 the Lodges Avorking in

the Scotch rite , aud of one of Avhich he Avas himself a member , Avere discarded by the other Hamburg Lodges , even at the sacrifice of tho sum of one hundred thalers , AA'hich the latter had to pav , iu order to got rid of them .

Schroder kneAv full well that . Avhatever of moral culture Freemasonry was able to foster , could bo obtained in the first three degrees , and that all thc time , mental energy and money spent by its votaries iu the hi gher degrees so called , Avas so much Avastcd , that might and ought to be employed in the real service of the institution . For this reason , and iu

order to convince the brethren of thc correctness of his views , he made the attempt in 1793 , Avith fourteen brethren , Master Masons , to form a society , the object of which Avas to be the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of the ritual as AVCII as the tendencies of the systems of higher degrees then in vogue . Thc attempt was unsuccessful ; the failure hoAvever did not

prevent Schroder from making a second trial iu 1797 , Avhich however had the same unfortunate result , eighteen meetings only taking place . In 1790 Schroder Avas chosen Provincial Grand Master under thc Grand Lodge of England , and as a matter of course his influence increased materially . One of the first acts of reform for which he exerted this influence

, AA'as the introduction into the Lodges under his jurisdiction of the ancient English ritual , a copy of which he had found in the archives of the Provincial Grand Lodge at Hamburg . He translated it , and , Avithout disturbing its essential points , made it to conform to the spirit of his time . Happily independent as regards time and meanshe undertook extensive

, journeys iu the interest of the institution ho so dearl y cherished , entering into personal intercourse with numerous intelligent brethren , such as Bottiger and Herder ill Weimar , Hufeland in Jena , Talko in Hanover , Bode and Teissier

the latter of Avhom was engaged upon a similar work Avith Schroder for his own Grand Lodge , the Royal York , at Berlin . The interchange of ideas between such men could not fail to bring about the happiest results ; the Grand Lodge at Berlin , for instauce , adopted the ritual translated by Schroder ; and iu 1801 a union Avas formed by the Grand

Lodges of Hamburg , Hanover , and Berlin , upon a basis of which the following were the principal points : " Opposition to mystery ; progressiveness of the human mind in intellectual , moral , and aesthetic culture ; recognition of the oldest English Masonic ritual of three degrees , as distinguished from the so-called higher degrees , Avhich are discarded . Each

Grand Lodge Avhich joins this union constitutes Avithin itself an " Inner Orient , " to which is entrusted the collection , arrangement , and safe' keeping of historical and other documents , rituals , & c , appertaining to the purpose for Avhich it is constituted ; the same , hoAvever , not to have any influence upon thc government and administration of the Lodges . The Inner Orients to communicate to each other everything of interest . Each Inner Orient determines for itself the

number of degrees and other conditions under Avhich the knowledge acquired shall be imparted ( verbally ) to the members . It shall be at the option of the Grand Lodge to pass the members through a sort of initiation upon entering these degrees ; the ritual used at these initiations , however , to embody a purely moral tendency only , no promise and

allusion to any higher Order , and nothing that is left unexplained . " Immediately upon his return to Hamburg , iu 1801 , Schroder founded 'a society knoAvu by the name of " The League of the Intimate Fraternity , " chiefly upon the basis of the union of the three Grand Lodges . This society held its

meetings at the residence of tho different members . It entered into correspondence Avith similar societies iu Hanover , Oldenburg , etc ., confining its labours principally to the investigation of Masonic history previous to the year 1717 . Its meetings were continued until 1804 , when an interruption took place , that lasted until 1813 . From this year they Avere again regularly held till 1824 , closing with the eightieth meeting , the society having been merged into another institution .

The latter , the " Association for the Study of Masonic History , " to which AVO referred at the beginning of this article , originally called " Degree of Kuowledge , " Avas inaugurated by seventeen brethren , Avith Schroder at their head , on the 25 th of October , 1802 . Its field of investigation AA'as principally the history of Freemasonry after 1717 .

S ' cliroder intended through it , first to make universally known the results of his OAVU researches , secondly to bring ancient true Freemasonry again into favour , aud thirdly to oppose the influence of the societ y to all higher degrees than that of Master Mason , as being foreign and dangerous to the fraternity . The form under which the meetings took

place was strictly Masonic . The members Avorc the regalia of Master Masons ; they had signs and passwords of their OAVII , balloting for candidates , and a short ceremony of initiation , Avith the oath of secrecy . The acts and documents iu the possession of thc society wore at first scrupulously guarded against becoming public , and Avere only imparted to

those Lodges which had adopted [ the Hamburg form of Avork , and joined the society as members . Since tho organization , fifty years ago , there haA'e been instituted , beside the mother society at Hamburg , forty-one subordinate societies , of Avhich fourteen have ceased to exist , having partly been merged into ono body , Avhere there Avere

two or three in one place . The association is represented in almost all the principal cities of Germany , and has also one of its branches established in this country ; the latter holding its meetings in thc city of Brooklyn . It stands in the same relation to the society at Hamburg as the rest do . The restrictive measures which it Avas ori ginally deemed necessary to adopt , in regard to Lodges not belonging under