Bro. Gould In Scotland.

BRO . GOULD IN SCOTLAND .

WE must congratulate Glasgow Chapter , No . 50 , on the enterprise shown by its esteemed M . E . Z . Comp . Edward Maobean , in carrying on the series of Leotures , now in its third year of unbroken continuity . For the address whioh inaugurated the cause

tho Chapter was indebted to no external aid , as it was delivered by the Third Prinoipal ; nor , indeed , has it been found nocessary to call in outside assistance , for there is still an ample supply of available material for at least the remainder of this session .

Our highly respected Bro . W . J . Hnghan ( who was exalted in this Chapter , 1865 ) while on a visit to Bro . Macbean , last summer , was requested to put himself more fully en evidence with the Masons of Glasgow , which he most obligingly complied with , and spoke on " Five Centuries of Froemasonry " to au appreciative audience , which

ompletoly filled the spacious room secured for tho ocoasion . This Lecture acted as an incentive to Bro . Edward Macbean , who had already done good suit and service on many points of independent Masonio inquiry—notably with regard to our ancient symbolism , a snlijeot ou which his colleagues of the Quatuor Corouati Lodge

consider he has clearly established a right to figure as an authorityand was thoroby encouraged to still greater efforts than those by which he had already been locally distinguished . Among the several subjects treated by Bro . Maobean in his various addresses are

the following : — " Notes on the History of Freemasonry ; " " Explanations of Masonic Ceremonials ; " "Mark Degree versus Mark Custom j" " Early Symbols ,- " Students'Addresses ; "Instructions on the Royal Arcb , " & c , and nnmerons disoonrBes at installation and other special meetings .

Following in the footstops of Bro . Hughan , our equally wellknown Bro . R . F . Gould has also paid a visit to the north , as the guest of Bro . Macbean , and in a like manner yielding to the persunsive eloquence of his host , delivered , on the 30 th September , au address , of which the following is a brief epitome .

Bro . Gould said , that the period of time , 1717-23 , had been termod " the epooh of transition , " because in the opinion of many leading authorities , the system of Masonry now possessed ( or , in other words , the three degrees of the Craft as they were commonly styled ) , was then manufactured or concocted . Against this ,

howover , was arrayed the conviction of another sofc of authorities , who were firm believers in the antiquity of Masonio degrees , and discredited the notion that any alteration had been made by the Grand Lodgo of England in the secrets of Masonry , except in what might bo termed non-essentials—or , to use words of greater

precision , in the method adopted of imparting them . Thus there were two theories , or schools of thought with regard to the degrees , or as he preferred to call it , the Symbolism of Freomasonry , a wider term , aud one which would cover everything done or practised in the Lodges from 1723 onwards , for which ( it was

alleged ) DO equivalent was to be foond in the doings and practicos of the Lodges in existence prior to 1717 . Each of those views or theories had its supporters , and to whichever side the argumont might for the moment seem to preponderate , ho ( liro . Gould ) thought they conld not be too careful in recollecting

that there was evidcnco to the contrary . The time at their disposal would only admit of one side of the question boing discussed at that sitting , and he could therefore merely put before them one branch of the case , viz ., the arguments that might bo udduced in favour of the antiquity of Masonic Sym .

boiiBrn . Tho point for their consideration was the following one : — WiiB the Symbolism of Masonry an inheritance derived from the old Masons who flourished before tho era of Grand Lodges , or had it been borrowed from tho llosicrucians , or others , after 1717 ? Or to illustrate atill more clearly the lino of argument he should

pursue : — Was there ground for supposing that the Symbolism of our present Freemasonry existed in Mediaeval times , and that it had decayed , pari passu , with the operative Masonry of that period , and come down to tietn divested of much of its real significancy , as a legacy or

inheritance from the working Masons of those early times ? The period of origin assigned by common repute to the institution of Freemasonry ivas the 13 th century , whioh synchronized with that of the rise of Gothic architecture . The latter , indeed , was for a long time considered as being under the exclusive charge of the

Freemasons , though latterly the tide had turned , and the old and popular belief , in any connection between the two , was regarded as the high wuter mark of credulity . But a paper by Professor Hayter Lewis— " Scottish Masons '

Marks compared with those of other countries , "—read before the British Archaeological Association , at its recent session in Glasgow , wi uld be deemed by many persons to have gone a long way towards l-oinstatinif the old belief or tradition .

Among tho conclusions formulated by the Professor were tho following : — 1 st . " That certain definite methods of marking the general surfaces of tho stones , characterised the Masonry of the style which we call Norman , aud that this had apparently a Western origin .

2 nd . That in tho 13 th century there was introduced with the Early Pointed St } lo [ a phase of Gothic ] , an entirely different method of finishing the surface , and that the sourco of this method was apparently from the East .

3 rd . That Masons' marks do not appear to have been commonly nsed in Europe until lato in the 12 th century . 4 th . That some of the most prominent of these marks appear to have been used continuously , from very oarly times , in Eastern Countries . "

It was not too much to say that Masons' Marks whioh had long been regarded by advanced students as possessing a sentimental valuo , out of all proportion to their serviceable worth , wore now , owing to the research of Bro . Hayter Lewis , shown to be a very important factor in the complicated problem of Masonio history .

Bro. Gould In Scotland.

After the Early Pointed , came the Middle , or Perfoofc Pointed Style , known in England by the namo of Decorated . After this the finest age of Gothic Architecture was at an end , and it might bo said to have gone out in a blaze of glory under the Tudors . Here was , he thought , a greater probability of the present Masonio

Symbolism having existed during tho Bplendour of mediaeval operative Masonry than of ita having been introduced at any period after its decline . This was borne out to some extent by the written traditions of tho Sooiety , the earliest of whioh—Regius MS . —dating from about

1425 , contained inculcations whioh wore vory far removed from tho mental range of the operative brethren to whom the Manusoripfc Constitutions were rehearsed at a later era . Between the Regius MS . and the earliest of the MS . Constitutions thore was a gap of a century and a-half , and both before and during

this period thero wero influences at work whioh left their mark on the civilisation of the era . Iu England , down to the War of . the Roses , the hand of the English soulptor had grown still , and the arts had lost their vigour and beauty . But in Scotland , the relapse into comparative anarchy waa

even greater , owing to the War of Independence , It was , therefore , a plausible conjecture , and might account to some extent for tho simplicity of the Scottish ceremonial , that whilo in the one instance—Scotland—tho anoient symbolism of Masonry had descended to the level of the ordinary artisan ; in the other

instance—Englaud—more of the old framework still existed ? It was contended by those writers who opposed the view , for which he ( Bro . Gould ) waa supporting , that virtually the symbolism of Masonry as they then had it , was the invention of the " newcomers" into Masonry , circa 1721-30 . Bub it was a curious fact

that not only did the actual ceremonial of those early days bear witness to its own antiquity , but the fact in question was so accepted by all contemporary critics of the Society . That point , indeed , he would not favour , but left eaoh brother to detormiue for himself . It was oloar , however , that if the symbolism

which prevailed during the first decade of the Grand Lodge of England could bo carried back beyond or behind the so-called revival of 1717 , an important point—to those who believed in ita groat antiquity—would have been attained . Upon tho whole , he thought it was very far removed from being an

arbitrary hypothesis that the existing symbolism of Masonry had come down , in all its main features , from very ancient times ; and that it originated during the shadows of media > val operative Masonry and not in its decline . Also That at a period of time , now very remote from our own , much

knowledge of all kinds was embodied in mystical figures and schemes , such as were deemed appropriate emblems for its preservation , nnd that many of these figures and schemes are preserved in Masonry , though their meaning is no longer understood by the fraternity . At tho conclusion of Bro . Gould ' s address , whioh was listened to

with marked attention , occasionally interrupted by outbursts of applause , the M . E . Z . Bro . Macbean invited a discussion on the many new points advanced by the able lecturer in the thesis which he presented as tho result of his mo 3 t recent contemplations . Among those who responded to the invitation of the M . E . Z . mav be noticed

more particularly , as space forbids us entering into the rninutice of inquiries which were abundantly presented and as fully disposed of by the lecturer , were Bro . James Crichton Grand Sword Bearer and M . E . Z . No . 1 ( Edinburgh ) , and R . S . Brown Grand Scribe E . A vote of thanks wa 3 warmly acclaimed by the meeting , to whioh

a suitable response was made by Bro . Gould . The proceedings terminated by conferring honorary affiliation on Bro . Gould , as a token of tho estimation in which his labours wero regarded by the Glasgow Royal Arch Chapter , No . 50 , the oldest in the Province . When

retiring from the lemplo the brethren had an opportunity of contributing to the Benevolont Fund of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland , an appeal which waa liberally responded to .

Light From Darkness.

LIGHT FROM DARKNESS .

THE REV . HERBERT BOTT , Provincial Grand Chaplain of Northumberland , delivered the following oration at tho Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland ,

held at Hexham , on the 9 th ultimo , selecting as his text tho words : — " And God said , let there be light : and there was light . And God saw tho light , that it was good : and God divided the light from the darkness . " —Genesis i . 3 , 4 .

" Without form and void , " aro the elements of tho natural world Thoy sloop as yot without motion , ailenfc and in disorder . " Chaos umpire sits

And by decision moro embroils the fray By whioh he reigns . Next him , high arbiter , Chance govorns all . Into this wild abyss Tho womb of nature and perhaps her grave , "

—the spirit of God moved—the flab of the Divine word went forth , and Io ! sadden light buret in mid-day splendour o ' er tho void and formless infinite . Fit and striking emblem of man ' s spiritual darkness before illumined and quickened by the graoo of God . Tho preacher proceeded to impress upon his hearers the high valno thoy

ought to set on that more ineffably glorious and eternal light which comes from the bright and morning Star of redemption , which only could expel the darkness from our souls in which sin and corruption

had marked them . To them , as members of their ancient and honourable fraternity , whose predominant wish must ever be for light , and whose eyes must be ever lifted to that bright morning star , whose rising should bring peace and salvation to the faitbfn