History Of Freemasonry.*

ration of small facts . It requires a profound sentiment to embrace them all , moulding them into perfect unity . " M . Ren an was not the man to neglect facts , he did not blindly accept authority , and he certainly was not

credulous . He did not always rise to his ideal , but the fact that he had it before him is a lesson for us , and especially for those who write the history of great movements which embrace the spiritual as well as material

issues . Bro . Gould clings with great tenacity to the authority of Isaac Taylor , which he accepts ancl rejects in turn . Taylor , no doubt , is entitled to respect , and many will be

disposed to agree in his opinion that there is more truth in the world than falsification and error , ancl that " he who believes indiscriminately will be in the right a thousand times to one oftener than he who doubts indiscriminately . "

To this our author demurs , although he admits the literal accuracy of the proposition . He believes in a middle course , and calls Bacon as a witness , who says : " For disciples do owe unto Masters only a temporary belief and

a suspension of their own judgment until they be fully instructed , and not an absolute resignation or perpetual captivity . " Locke is called in with the following : " Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge ; it is

thinking makes what we read ours . " Buckle brings up the rear with— " They who do not feel the darkness will never look for the light . " All these are truisms which no intelligent mind denies , but they possess an academic rather

than a practical value . The mass of belief follows the mass of authority , and authority is more frequently based on tradition than on the learning and logic of experts . Nay , it may be advanced with perfect truth that the learned differ

as widely as the ignorant , and only approach common ground when dealing with exact science . We are constantly reminded of the progress of the present age . Men talk glibly of what appeals to their senses , forgetting the

unveiling of the past which is ever going on . Solomon said , " there is no new thing under tbe sun , " and if a comparison were made between things old and new , the general truth of Solomon ' s statement would be apparent .

It has almost become an aphorism to say that historv repeats itself . It would be profitable to know how much of this sentiment belongs to tradition and how much to the hard and fast line of criticism which prefers the

letter to the spirit . The problem is not likely to bo solved ; we should have no fear of the part tradition would play in the solution , were it possible . We do not share in the opinion that as a country advances the inflnence of

tradition diminishes ; nor do we agree with Buckle , who is quoted as saying that Descartes deserves gratitude for what he pulled down rather than for what he built up . Has England lost all faith in traditions ? If she has it is a

sign of decay , and not of progress . Without discussingthe merits of Descartes we may point out that Bro . Gould ' s reference to him tends to confirm the charge of iconoclasm which Bro . Woodford has brought . The attack upon

tradition is confirmed , ancl the complaint of want of reverence finds support in the readiness with which Bro . Gould quotes Voltaire , who in his epigrammatic style said fables begin to be current in one generation , established

in the second , respectable in tbe third , and in the fourth temples are raised in honour of them . Voltaire , whether Deist or Atheist as he has been claimed by rival parties ,

was a scoffer of holy men and things , n man of no principle , as heartless as he was cynical ; who delighted in satire no matter at what cost of truth and manliness . Snch men

are curses , however great may be their talents , and no one questions the ability of Voltaire , which is happily not now so esteemed as it used to be . Bufc as Bro . Gould has given one quotation from the French philosopher , we venture to

give another , which for sneering and irreverence ifc would be difficult to beat . Voltaire said : " Philosophy was never made for the people . The canaille of to-day resembles in everything the canaille of the last 4 00 years . We have

never cared to enlighten cobbbrs ancl maid servants That is the work of the Apostles . " " Yes , " adds Canon Farrar , " and ifc was the work of Christ . " Onr author is welcome to the authority of the little man of Verney ; to

most people be will appear as a discredited witness . It is to the influence wielded by such men that the present condition of Freemasonry in France is owing .

We are told in the preliminary pages of the new volume that '' Masonic historians have treated the subjprt in a f ror find discretionary style , " and Bro . Gould adds : ' " The writer who questions the accuracy of his predecessors can hardly ,

History Of Freemasonry.*

by reason of his scepticism , be considered bound to demonstrate what they have failed to prove . " This , he says , is just what reviewers in the Masonic press require of him , and he compares these gentlemen to the Cameronians who held

the simplest doctrine that "I am right and you are wrong . " Assumption is combined with fallacy in these contentions . By what right does Bro . Gould assume thafc other Masonic writers have been less in earnest than

himself ? Would it not be equally as fair to say of him thafc he has treated all that the majority of the Craffc hold dear in something worse than a " free and discretionary style . "

Bro . Gould lives in a glass house , and he ought not to throw stones . We are not aware that any reviewer has asked the author to demonstrate what other historians have failed

to prove . What they have asked , and what they still ask is , that Bro . Gould shonld prove his right to destroy what other men as worthy as himself and tradition have built up . Masonic history is nofc an exact science , aud it cannot be

made such . There is plenty of room for conjecture and speculation without fche least danger to truth . Indeed , ifc is impossible to get at the spirit of the Order without the

aid of tradition , and it is becau e Bro . Gould does nofc realise this fact , or only parfcially rea'ises it , that a strict and absolute proof of his own views is demanded . ( To be continued ) .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

TROUBLE AMONG HIGH DEGREERS .

To the Editor of the FBEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —A few years ago Dr . Wilson , of Boston , and Judge Bnrt , of Michigan , entered into a Memphis Rite partnership ; but after the bnsiness was e-tab ) isheci Wilson thought that be conld conduct the concern in his own name and for his own benefit ,

and hence he repudiated the compact , when the two worthies mnttially expelled each other from Memphisdom . Bint is also a Cerneanite Scotch Riter , which seems to havo offended the Scotch Riters of Michigan , who belonged to another Scotch rite faction . Hence it seems they managed to have Bro . Bnrfc expelled from Masonry

altogether . If that wns not the i-enson of his expulsion by tho G . L , of Michigan then I confess that I do not know wny he wis expelled . It seems , however , that two Om tdian Mnsonic pipers h-ive defended Bro . Burt , bnt the new Michigan International Masonic Review is at

issue with the Canadian papers nnon more than one question . By special reque-t , however , the International Review rep'inted a letter from the Toronto h'reeimwu , wit'en by B o he Bnrt . And ; n order to give yonr riders an idea what a high degree fight is like , I have copied Bro . Burt's letter for their instruction : —

"In reply to various letters from Gina'a and elsewhere concerning certain slanderous statements , permit me to say that . I made Darius Wilson a Mason [ I suppose a Mem . phiiil . e ~ j November 1879 , when I formed B > -t . nn Chapter , No . 1 . D iring the same month I made him a Deputy Grand Representative 95 ° at large . Feb . 161880 ,

he organised Jes-e U . ( j . Chapter . No . 20 , at Loudon , Ontario , and pretended to confer 90 ° on some 24 m tubers , among whom was Dr . Oronhyateka and D . McGloughlin . He left 7 copi' -s of the ritual , and promised to come again and post them in the work . At the January 1880 meeting of Michigan Grand Lodge , a pretende 1 resolution of

expulsion was passe I against me . I never hid a triil ; was never a member of the Michigan G . L . or any oth -r M ^ higan Masonic body . I belonged then and do now to a New York Lodge , Chapter , Commandery , and Consistory . Wilson organised a nnmber of Chapters for me , bnt never understood tho work . He was only a

M . M ., and very poorly posted in those three decrees . " In March 1880 , Wilson persuaded mo to call a meeting for the purpose ( as ho said ) of passing resolutions of censure npon the Michigan G . D . for its illegal aud unma-onic action towards myself and the Memphis Rite . I called one for that purpose onH \

March 30 fh 1880 . Wilson . John D . Young , McGloughlin , W . B . Lord 95 deg .. of China , New York , and one or two others came to my residence in B > tt'e Bay , M chigan , and being unable to obtain a copy of the Michigan G . L . Proceedings , conld take no action on the resolutions . I was advised to take legal proceedings , and in the

meantime let some other person act for me . Wilson said ho had been chosen by his Chapter in Boston ( 110 members ) , and that he could organise 50 Chapters , which he had then leady , if the stigma of th s Grand Lodge proceedings could be hushed np for tho preseur . The fees for 50 Chapters , two hundred dollars each , wonld be ten

thou--aud dollars , which he agreed to divido with the grand body of the Rite ( as I had expended a large sum of money in the Rite , aud the grand body owed me over five thousand dollars ) , and advanced mo

then one thousand dollars . This I agreed to do fur one year . Wilson . vas to » c . (> r me , but to be ; it ny pleasure Acting Grand Master , * iih"'nt . the 96 th degree , which he never had conferred on hit » . For the faithful execution of tho trust , and payment of the money ,