The History Of Freemasonry.

made , Bro . Gould proceeds to classify them in five divisions , according to their texts , the " Halliwell " MS . and the "Cooke" MS . each constituting by itself one division ,

namely , those marked ( D ) and ( E ) respectively . These , he flays , are not forms of the " Old Charges , " strictly speaking , " although they doubtless represent a certain class of masonic documents circnlatinsr in the fourteenth and

fifteenth centuries , of which we have otherwise no contemporary record whatever . " He adds : " The first was in part a Roman Catholic manual of devotion , the versifier , who was almost certainly a priest , having had access to documents in ' olde tyme wryten , ' respecting ' Thys onest

craft of good masonry ; ' and the second distinctly gives , as a personal narrative , what the chronicler found ' write and taught in ye boke of oar charges , ' and often alludes to ' the olde bokys of masonry' as the source of his statements . His membership , honorary or otherwise , may be

assumed from scattered references , such as Eiders yt wer bi , for us of masons had these charges wryten to hem as we have now in oior charges . '" As to the Halliwell MS ., he considers , from the fact of its dating " shortly after the order of Richard II . for returns from the guilds

( 1 st November 1388 ) , and also those of the Crafts , " that it was compiled from " the returns and miscellaneous records " brought to light in obedience to that order ; but as it is in a metrical form , he holds that " the form of the historical introduction " and " the arrangement of the laws

must not be looked for " in it , " bufc rather m the style or manner of its less pretentious juniors . " He further points out that the compiler would give prominence " to those events which were the best calculated to advance the ends he had in view , by the compilation of his history , while , on

the other hand , he would as naturally reject whatever might tend to unduly exalt the memory of any patron of the masons , however illustrious , whose conduct had been regarded with disfavour by the highest authorities of the church . It cannot , therefore , be maintained that the

legendary history preserved by the Freemasons of the sixteenth centnry and later , contained many statements not to be found in those of an earlier period , simply on the ground of their omission in the Halliwell and Cooke MSS . Not that I deprecate criticism of these two MSS ., but I

think ifc has been shown that our attention should be principally directed to what is , rather than what is not said , the more especially since it is quite evident that although what I venture to term the ' Old Charges' proper—i . e . the forms of which the ' Buchanan' ( 15 ) presents a typical

illustration—are of more modern transcription , they represent , in the opinion of experts , originals of higher antiquity than can be claimed for either of the two senior versions or adaptations of the masonic constitutions . " He then describes the matter contained in the MS .

The " Cook MS ., he suggests , " is much more like the ordinary MSS . than its senior , and hence will be found to contain nearly all the legend of the usual ' Charges , ' as in No . 15 , though not always in quite such an orderly fashion . " He considers its tone is not so " intensely

religious as that of the Halliwell , and notes in the course of his description of its contents that in it is " the only reference to St . Ampbibalus in the MS . ' constitutions' " — " and sone aftyr come Seynt Ad habell in to England and he con'tyd Seynt Albon to Christendane . " In this

also is mentioned , for the first time in a Masonic MS ., the legend of the preservation of the science of Masonry from the ravages of the Flood—also referred to in the " Poly chronicon , " which , indeed , is cited in the MS . itself . Thus Trevisa ' s translation of 1387 of the " Polychronicon " reads

" closede hem in tweie greet pileres i-made of marbyl and of brent tyle . In a piler of marbyl for water , and in a pyler of tyle for fuyre . " Another translation says : " did write artes whom thei hade geten by labore in ij pillers of diverse ston , that hit scholde not peresche from memorv , oon ston

was of marbole , ageyne the floenge of water , that other was of tyle ston , ageyne the brennynge of fyre . " The Cook MS . states that "iimanof ston ofsuchewtu yb ye one wolde new breune and yt stone is callyd marbyll , and yt oy stone yt well not synke in wat , yt stone is namyd

lacus — later , a brick . " The Caxton translation of the Polychronicon styles the two stones " marbel and brent tile . " These stones , according to the legend , were

subsequently discovered by Pythagoras and Hermes . In division F are placed six MSS . —Nos . 11 , 19 , 20 , 25 , 30 , and 37—because they " present , as a common feature , what is known as the ' Apprentice Charges' or additional rules for the apprentices , nofc in the ordinary clauses , as se

The History Of Freemasonry.

out in No . 15 . " Excerpts from these are given , and the clause in one of the York MSS . —No . 25 as enumerated in Bro . Gould ' s series—in which the word " shee " occurs is discussed at some length , the conclusion afc which the author arrives being thus stated : " On the whole , I

suppose we must accept the clause in question , either as an error or fancy of the translator or copyist ; but ifc is certainly very singular that there is no record of females

having belonged to Masonic guilds or companies , thongh they were connected with those of other crafts , such as the saddlers and spurriers , carpenters , peltyers ( furriers ) , calendrers and tailors . "

The "Inigo Jones" and "Spencer" ( Nos . 8 and 32 respectively ) with reproductions are allotted to Division G . The distinguishing features of No . 8 , which is the prototype of No . 32 , are noted , it being here , for instance , that " Prince Edward is spoken of as ' Brother to King

Athelstane , all the other forms either describing him as a son , or maintaining a discreet silence as to the relationship . The historical narrative is also chronologically arranged , and the years of many of the events are inserted , which is unusual in these documents . The omission of the name of Charles

Martel is noteworthy , also that of ' Naymus Greens , ' bnt otherwise the text , as I have said , is more remarkable for the additions to , rather than the deviations from , the ordinary versions . Under these circumstances , I cordially endorse the opinion of the Rev . A . F . A . Woodford as to

its ' special verbiage ' and peculiarly interesting character . " Ordinary versions " constitute the fifth division ( H ) , by whicb are meant " all the MSS . not included in the four divisions ( D to G ) , excepting only such as are merely reproductions , which naturally belong to the same class as

their originals , whether or not the connection has been noted . " It is remarked that " in all , the' Apprentice Charge ' and the 'New Articles' are wanting , whilst they contain none of those clauses , which , in the previous division ( G ) confer a special value on the text for purposes of suspension with

the early editions of the Grand Lodge Constitutions . He then reproduces in its entirety , as a specimen of an " ordinary version , " the " Buchanan MS . " ( 15 ) belonging to the seventeenth century , because it " combines the chief points of agreement between the 'Old Charges , ' and has not hitherto been printed . "

Comments on the other features of agreement or divergence among these MSS . & c , with notices of distinctive peculiarities , complete this interesting chapter . ( To be continued . )

Another surprise , and one whioh cannot fail to be of deep interest to the friends of sobriety , is the proposed establishment in Manchester of a " Temperance " Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons . We do not know that the imputation has been deserved , bnt for many years the brethren of "Ye mystic tie" have had the credit of being ardent devotees to the shrine of Bacchus , and certainly their

rdunions , so far as tho " outside world can judge , are characterised with mnch of the exuberance of urbanity which is engendered by the "loving cop . " But- , be that as it may , a considerable amonnt of speculation has been aroused amongst the members of the Fraternity as to how the Manchester experiment will answer , and the effect it may have upon the general body of Masonio

Lodges . It may appear anomalous that the amenities of a banquet and the fraternal interchange of sentiments thafc there find utterance , should be carried on amidst the mildly inspiriting associations of non-intoxicating beverages , but public tastes and notions of propriety in this respect have vastly altered in recent years , and ifc is by no means unusual now-a-days for festivities of the

heartiest and most enjoyable character to be carried on without the aid of wine . The hero of Tel-el-Kebir appears to be the prime mover in the foundation of this new departure in connection with Freemasonry , and the first recorded " Temperance Lodge" on the roll of the Grand Lodge of England will bear upon its banner the name of Lord Wolseley . The gentleman who has accepted the first Mastership has been a "life abstainer , " and the whole of the

proceedings connected with the Lodge are carried on upon the principles of Teototalism . Such a step may not appear significant to many who are unacquainted with the inner life of an Order , amongst whose cardinal principles temperance and moderation in all things are most religiously enjoined ; bnt the experiment has cansed no little comment amongst the ranks of the Fraternity , a very large section of whom will gladly welcome the innovation . — The Echo .

HOLLOWAY ' S OINTMENT AND PILLS . —Dropsical Swellings . —Whatever may be the remote cause of collections of water in the human body , it must be prudent to disperse them an soon as possible . The readiest means of accomplishing this end are supplied by using Holloway ' s Ointment , to increase the ictivity of the absorbents . When this Ointment is well rubbed upon the skin , it removes all venous congestion , overcomes ali mechanical obstructions to the free return of the blood , and prevents the deposit of scrum and water . Hollovay's Pills likewise augment this absorbing power j they act powerfully on the capillaries through the circulation , while this Ointment acts directlv through tho skin . Both shonld be employed in dropsies and diseases of the kidneys .