Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Wo do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear tho name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR S IR AND BROTHER ,- —It is said to require great moral courage to confess that one has made a mistake . The Provisional Management Committee therefore deserves congratulation for the courage shown bv the candid confession , in their final report , that they oflered

a salary which was " generally felt to be inadequate . " Better late than never ! As one of those who have always felt that the salary offered was altogether inadequate , nofc merely " to allow the Secretary to maintain an equal position with those holding similar appointments , " but also inadequate as a fair remuneration for the work to

be done , I cordially support their present action , and only regret that they did not at once recommend ^ £ 500 instead of £ 100-, and I hope it will at once be made £ 500 . The Institution is fortunate in getting such an able and energetic Secretary , in spite of the low salary offered ; and he ought to be properly remunerated for his work . Yours fraternally , 25 th April 1891 . "A LIFE GOVERNOR . '

We reprodnce the following letter from the Agnostic Journal : —

ANTIQUITY OF FREEMASONRY . SIR , —While generally reading with pleasure fche' articles by Agnosco , I am unablo to altogether agree with him in what he says , on pages 241 and 242 of the Agnostic Journal , about Freemaionry , especially as regards certain details . I do not think thoro were nny " Free and Accepted Masons" in England until centuries after Afchelstan ' i time . Further , there were guilds or incorporations of

Masons more than 200 years ago . In regard to the styles of architecture , " zig-zag mouldings " are found in the Norman period—e . g ., in T . H . Parker's Gothic architecture we see fine specimens of zigzag mouldings in the middle of the twelfth century A . D . from Iffley Church , Oxfordshire , and St . Peter ' s , Northampton ( 1160 ) . That " Sir Christopher Wren was Grand Master of the Order " is a

Masonic myth . There was no " Grand Master " of the Freemasons until A . D . 1717 ; and whafc is known as Speculative Freemasonry did not exist until about that time . Men who were nofc working Masons were admitted into Masonic Lodges long before A . D . 1717 j bnt thoy did nofc practise the ceremonies , nor did the degrees of Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and Master exist—with separate secrets for each degree—before last century .

Until about thirty years ago tho "history , " so-called , of Freemasonry was made up of manufactured legends , backed up by forgeries . The psoudo . Masonic historians of lasfc century , and ihe first half of this , drew upon their inner consciousness for their facts the real records of the Craft wero either neglected or mis-quoted ; hence , when fancy got used to rove , it was jnst as easy to swear that Solomon and Moses were Freemasons as thafc Sir Christopher Wren was Grand Master .

To the credit of the Freemasons of to-day it should be stated that many of them now repudiate all thafc ia not really historic , while some of them , at the cost of much labour and research , have published works containing the real history of the so-called " Order . " Notably among such authors we find J . G . Findel of Germany , W . J . Hnghan in England , and D . Murray Lyon in Scotland . On the

ofcher hand , Drs . Anderson and Oliver , Preston , Mackey , et sui generis , all belong to the heroio or mythical brotherhood . The latter gravely tells ns that , while Freemasonry in its principles is undoubtedly coeval with the creation ( the Devil is said to be the father of lies ) , yet , in its organisation as a peculiar institntion , such as ifc now exists , we dare not trace it farther back than to the buildin" of

w-vt- " P * rblB mi S hb be contrasted with what the late William Pinkertou says , on page 455 of Notes and Queries , for -7 th November 1869 , as also with the statement in the Bull issned m 1738 by Pope Clement XII ., in whioh the Society is referred to as ot recent formation . In fact , the Society had iust then attained its

majority . The rise and progress of Freemasonrj , as well aa its popular histories , would form a most interesting and instructive study to the student of tho origin and spread of religions and their literature , in the history of tho world , falsehoods , frauds , and impositions have been swallowed greedily by the multitude , whilo the truth has been negjeofced and despised . Yours truly , L . N .

We are authorized to state that tho ceremony oi fche installation of „ ,, ^ arnugton , a 8 Plwil - --al Grand Master of Buckinghamshire , at Aylesbury , on Whit Tuesday , will be performed by His Royal £ ighness fche Dnke of Clarence , Provincial Grand Masfcer of -Berkshire .

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VmmtSur ? rf "B } , I 8 ? IfrG C ° - "WIfi' Lr _ rr _ im-pp - goo-Won Hire direct from i , n Jo ii . " 0 , 1 ° ' Uvo or Uu ' eo ¦>' ' ears cro-lt without security . urchisers Iwre the clioico of 100 Wholesale Houses . ( Jail or write lor Prospect ,, " . Address-Secretary , 43 Groat Tower Street , E . C .

Difference Of Opinion.

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION .

ALL men do not think alike , and it is fortunate for tho world that they do not . It is by the friction of differences of opinion that the great problems of life are elucidated . If all minds ran in tho same groove , if all thought was in the same channel , the monotony of lifo

would bo unbearable ; and if , by chance , that channel shonld be evil tho world would bo worse than any conception of Dante or any description ever given of hell . It is the difference of opinion that leads to success in anything , because it stimulates effort , research and determination to

assert onr own ideas . No man has a right to thrust his opinion offensively upon another or the world ; nor has he a right to withold his opinion if it be for the good of his fellows . Many an improvement has been brought about in society , in

government , in science , in mechanics , in everything , by a proper and persistent presentation of opinion . Colnmbns differed from most of his fellow men , when he asserted his belief that there was another side to the world of his day . His perseverance in presenting it won his immortal fame .

In Masonry there are differences of opinion on many points of policy of origin , and meaning of symbols . Much that has been found out respecting the past of our Fraternity , has been learned becanse men differed regarding

the establishment of the Craffc . Pennsylvania is of the opinion thafc American Freemasonry was cradled within her honoured borders , and Massachusetts differs—the result , a careful investigation , that has brought to light much of interest and importance .

The Master of a Lodge is an autocrat , if he will be ; bufc no Master , wifch the good of his Lodge afc heart , will assert an opinion in direct and offensive opposition to that of his brethren . He is a servant king , and as such shonld rule . He is king , because his right to govern is supreme . He is

servant , because his brethren have , by the exercise of their united opinion , placed him in that position of absolute power . There are times when one ' s opinion should ba exercised and enforced if contrary to thafc of others , whether Master , Secretary or Lodge . No one should

permit a substitution of his opinion of right . When that is done the man sinks his manhoood beneath cowardice . Better stand alone and be right , than go with

the multitude to do wrong . Thus it is fche duty of a Mason , in Lodge or elsewhere in the Fraternity , to oppose all cliqueism , and tricky political schemes to accomplish personal aims of ambitions but undeserving men .

There has been a great deal said and written about " peace and harmony , " but peace and harmony begotten of wrongful opinions will soon become a stagnant pool , poisonous and destructive . It needs the stirring up of

differences of opinion—the clash of swords . Thua , if a Lodge permits one man to run it in the interest of bis own schemes , it will soon be owned by thafc ono man , and aftor a while there will be but one man in it . There must bo

peace and harmony that comes from brotherly love and a desire to benefit the Lodge , the Fraternity , and the world . Thus counselling together , comparing opinions , will bo secured that union of effort and sympathy in feeling that will produce the fruit of brotherly love , relief and truth . —N . Y . Dispatch .

The Langton Lodge of Instruction has gone into recess for the summer , and will not resume work until the second Thursday in October .

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THEFREEMSOrSCHRONICLE, A Weekly Record of Masonic Intelligence . Reports of United Grand IKHIRO aro published with the Special Sanction of K . K . H . tho Prince of Wales thc M . W . the Grand Master of England . SCALE OF CHARGES FOR ADVERTISEMENTS . Per Pago £ 3 8 0 Back Page •10 10 0 Births , Marriages , and Deaths , Is per lino . General Advertisements , Trad- Announcements , & c , single column , 5 s por inch . Double column Advertisements 1 B per line . Special terms for a serioa of insertions on application . Advertisers will Hud T HE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE au exceptionally good medium for Advortisomouta of overy class .