The Antiquity Of Masonic Degrees.

you could proceed thus to write ' God save the Queen . ' * " In fighting with a Mason , and that a zealous one , there is this disadvantage . The Mason , in respect to certain points , cannot admit what has been said , however correct his antagonist may be , his vow of secresy would be violated—thentoohe will not admit for a

, , moment , the correctness of any inference , however logical , from certain data . A person thus treating Masonic dogmas is , in the eyes of Masons , like a man walking into the Mosque of Omar with his shoes on . If a Mason tells me that I am wrong as to such and such a ritual , how , though I know perfectly well that

I am right , am I to reply to him ? ' Ton , ' he would say , ' are not initiated , you were never in a lodge , how do you know ? ' Well , though I do know , I cannot tell him , because on this point I am' close tyled . ' I must not tell how I got at these matters . "As far as I can learnthe Knights Templar of

, Jerusalem , the Knights of the Desert , & c , had a good deal to do by adajrtation , in an attempt to extend the influence of the Church of Rome . As the office of these knights was to protect pilgrims , so there would easily be found a connection between their ceremonies and Masonry , which has so much tc do with the

Temple . "To fight a good fight I ought to have the Maconnerie Adonhiramiqne devoilee : the work of the Abbe Barruel ; Des Errears et de la Verite , which last book I have read , is ' at least a Talmud among the Freemasons of France . '

"I will take care of Mr . Cooke's letter and return it very soon , together with the book . When I have a little more time I willj let you into some of the rituals and then I think you will see what a little enthusiasm and management can do with very slender data . Now , as it appears to me , a very authentic account might be invented as to why Masons use

swords so much in their ceremonial . Suppose I was a Master Mason addressing a candidate , just admitted I might say , — ' No doubt you wonder to see , among the members of a societ }* - professing brotherly love , such a weapon of destruction as a sword ; but it is a time-honoured custom and has its origin from the

necessity forced on Masons ; in troublous times , when each Mason was compelled to work with the trowel in one hand and a sword or spade in the other . ' " As Aristotle , in his Rhetoric , tells us a man is ' disposed ' to be angry with those who treat slightingly what he takes a serious interest in , so I perceive my

' romance' has shocked the Masonic respect of Mr . Cooke . " And so Cornelius Agrippa is claimed ? This just accords with the opinion I expressed . But Cornelius Agrippa has been claimed by others besides Masons . An old clergyman , now dead , knowing that I had a

copy , begged the loan of it ; after some time he returned it , with a note , expressing the interest he had taken in it , stating that he well understood all that Agrippa had said , having , in his youth , studied what would now be called Mesmerism . " I observe that Mr . Cooke has either J for the stamp

is rather indistinct , only one leg of the compasses over the square , or loth under it . In the latter case he is only an apprentice , in the former , no further advanced than a fellow-craft .

The Antiquity Of Masonic Degrees.

" Did I tell you ofthe ' maralli , ' as they were called , found at Dover some years ago ? They were leaden medals having the five poined star upon them , and were said , by some Masonic writers , at the time , to have been given to wandering Masons , by tlie heads of Monasteries , & ., as a certificate of merit for work doneand the possessor of one of them was entitled

, to a fortnight's maintainance at any [ monastery at which he might present himself . Some of them had a dot in each angle and a G , for geometry , in the centre . I am sorry that I have lost the paper containing the account , but all this agrees with Craft Masonry . But how , because a certain king had ' a

Master Mason , ' proves the speculation of modern , so called , Masons not to be for the most part , myths , I do not see , any more than ' architect to the Queen ' might go to prove , in future times , that the Queen patronised Freemasonry . " The Rabbisas I showeddo not think that

, , ' Enock' was a city hut , merely , a residence , as the Welsh word 'Tref' signifies , but the Masons abonce assume it to be a city and built by a regular staff of Masons .

" Seeing thattheMasons have collected their emblems from so many sources , it would be wonderful , indeed , if they did not find theu * counterparts in places , whence in all probability they were derived . The Parfait Macon JEcossais of the Parisian Lodges , must have seen a pretty numerous collection of these sort of things .

"If Mr . Cooke thinks any of my remarks worthy of a jrlace in THE FBEEMASOJS - S' MAaAzisE , he is perfectly at liberty to make use of them , though I dare say , the consequence will be a perfect swarm of wasps about my poor uninitiated head . Be it so . ' Lay on Macduff . ' I have not much time to spare ,

and , perhaps , cannot repossess myself of some of my sources of information . ' Mais ce m ' est egal . ' The amusement will be just the same . " I observe that Mr . C . says nothing of the five pointed star of the Jewish Masons . The Cheshire lodges have ordered it to be used byI thinkall their

, , Royal Arch Masons . I saw the order , but forgot whether it is confined to the Royal Arch " ... I have given the above without condensation or alteration , but I WHOLLY DISCLAIM on my own behalf .

any EESPOITSIBILITT for the VIEWS EXPEESSED . They are the freely written letters of a gentleman , a clergyman , and a scholar , and as such , I think will command the attention of every unprejudiced reader in the Craft . ? I * MATTHEW COOKE , 30 °

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

DR . KNIPE . In answer to Bro . Hyde Clarke , I bog fraternally to give him all the information I have been able to obtain with respect to Dr . Kuipe . Dr . Thomas Knipe was of Christ Church College , Oxford . But an allusion to Dr . Knipe occurs in a life of Elias Ashmole , prefixed to the History of Berkshire , published in 1717 , and which life was probably written by Aubrey . At page 165 there is what professes to be part of an important letter to care of the publisher from Dr . Knipe . Who was this Dr .