Reviews.

imagine how lucid ana clear his work is—to himself . We haA e other matters than stylo or perspicuity to examine . Bro . Findel has a darling weakness . He believes the Craft originated from the operative societies of handicraftsmen in the middle ages . Consequently , he fumes , raves , sneers , and denounces , from the beginning to the end of his wearisome volume , all other theories . This enables him to belabour the High Grades and Masonic Templaiy , both of Avhich are too firmly established , all over the

world , to suffer one moment's uneasiness at Bro . Findel's invectives , or those of all the great German authorities he presses into his service . Bro . Findel makes most sAveeping assertions in order to magnify German research . He says ( p . 29 ) : " Since Preston wrote , nothing has been done in " England towards the investigation of the history of Freemasonry . " Is the man sane ? Dr . Oliver has Avorked harder in tho cause than eA er did " Bro . " Dr . George Kloss , the father of historical criticism , " who " from the resources " at his command , elaborated " [ not compiled from the documentary eA * idence he had , but , mark the word , he " elaborated , " and most writers know Avhat elaboration is ] , " a history of Masonry in England , Ireland , and Scotland , ( 1 S 4 < 7 , "

" 1 vol . ) , and also in France , ( 181-2 , 2 vols . )" Fully admitting ' , as every masonic student must do , that Dr . Kloss did the craft good service , in his own Avay , yet that is no reason A \ hy Ave are all to prostrate ourselves , low in the dust , before the old bogy of his name , which Bro . Findel would have us do . Neither Bro . Kloss nor Bro . Findel are safe guides . They pretend to Avrite a masonic history , but both forget that an historian should not bo a partisanand rake together every slander that envious men put

, forth against those who , as truly and quite as conscientiously , believe in a totally different origin , use , and administration of Freemasonry . In poor benighted England Ave know better than to imagine so good an institution was originated by German Steinmetzen . At page 15 , Bro . Findel names the Abbe Graudidier as the first who asserted the connection between Freemasons and stonemasons , and that in the year 1782—rather a late date for such a discovery , seeing that

the German operati \ es had , according to Bro . Finders before quoted tradition , originated the order of Freemasons . As a specimen how " reliable" Bro . Findel is in his assertions , take the folhnving : — " It Avas not until last year that one was found , and that by the author , " in the British Museum in London ( Sloanc MS . 3329 ) , a manuscript dating " about the end of the 17 th . century , containing a catechism ( ritual ) of the "English Masons . " In the article "Masonry" in The JUncyclopasdia Metropolitans

this very manuscript is alluded to twenty-four years ago , and the present reviewer transcribed it , and several others in the year 1859 , and has supplied copies to brethren both at home and abroad . Benighted Englishmen , you do not knoAV some of tho treasures yon possess , and it requires Bro . Findel to come from Germany to discover a manuscript in tho British Museum , that AVUS knoAvn above , twenty years before he set foot on our shores , to teach us how " reliable . " Masonic history should be written .

AVe are told ( at page 73 ) , that " during the reign of Athelstan , many skilful " architects came from foreign lands , especially from France and Germany , where , " at this time , the art of building had already made some progress . " This kind of misrepresentation Ave strongly protest against , and challenge Bro . Findel to show us one single authority—apart from Germanic " elaborations "—in which either architects are mentioned , or that such persons came here from Germany . When " Masons" came here from foreign parts they were chiefly Frenchman or

Italians , and seA'eral could be cited , but of Germans Avho can show one ? Bro . Findel does not make his statements by halves . In speaking of Inigo Jones and his introduction of the Italian style into England Ave come upon the following modest passage ( p . 118 ) . " Thus did German art , so honoured and revered , sink to the tomb , the Fra" ternity on this account , undergoing a mighty revolution ; the first visible con" sequence of this change , was that the ancient church symbols , Avhich formed the " principal part of the secret instruction , imparted in the lodges , lost their practical " worth . "