The English Rite Of Freemasonry.

tions , " though " in time this rule evidently was evaded , " and hence the two classes of actual and virtual ( or honorary ) Past Masters , Bro . Hughan adopts the same view as Bro . Gould that the " Degree of Past Master , or Chair Degree , was invented by the Schismatic Grand Lodgo to

serve as a constructive passing of the chair , aud therefore to qualify brethren for the Degree of Royal Arch , which could only be conferred on actual or Past Masters of a Lodge . " But though this Past Master ' s Degree does not seem to have been officially recognised before 1810 when

the " Masters of the London Lodges were summoned to receive for the first time the benefit of installation , " Bro . Hughan is of opinion that it must havo been " practised "

by the " Moderns" in England almost as soon as the "Ancients , " and in support of this he cites a case of "Passing the Chair , " having been worked at Bolton by a " Modern " Lodge so early as 1769 . ¦

Touching "The ceremony of ' re-making' in the three degrees on ' Moderns ' joining the Ancients or vice versa , " Bro . Hughan says— " That this regulation was one more of policy than actual necessity may , we think , be inferred from the fact that such visitations before the custom

prevailed could not be possible had the differences between the two Grand Lodges been of a ritual character . On 5 th September 1764 the members of ' No . 110 were admonished for admitting Modern Masons into their Lodge . We quote this instance ( not a solitary one ) to prove that

the difficulties in the way of Lodge visitation between the two rivals were due to the formal ' re-making' ( and therefore , assuredly , re-obligation ) and not to any important variations in their several Rituals . We can only account for the noteworthy fact of never meeting with any records

of Royal Arch Masons being so ' re-made' by either Body , that the ceremony was substantially the same , whether practised by the ' Moderns ' or ' Ancients . ' " " The institution in 1792 of the " Nine Worthies" or " Excellent Brothers " to " assist the Grand Officers for the ensuing

year" brings the Chapter to a close , the duties of these Nine being to visit the Lodges in order to secure " that the general uniformity of Ancient Masonry may be preserved

and handed down unchanged to posterity , " and Bro . Hughan thinks the establishment of similar Officers at the present time " to secure uniformity to the extent desirable would be of advantage to the Craft . " ( To he continued . )

Masonic Degree Peddlers.

MASONIC DEGREE PEDDLERS .

BY BRO . JACOB NORTON . ON page 71 of Bro . Hnghan ' s " Origin of the English Rite , " I find the following : — " The Atholl Masons had a Lodge at Warrington , A . D . 1755 * * * The regular Grand Lodge had a Lodge there from 1765 * * * from which source the Bolton brethren may have received Royal Arch Masonry * * * or the brethren at Warrington

may have been exalted at York in the Chapter which has a record from 1762 . We merely note these possibilities to prove that there is no necessity to assume an Atholl origin for either the Chapter at Warrington , or , indirectly , of the other at Bolton . "

With all due respect to Bro . Hughan I believe that Warrington , as well as Bolton , may not have been indebted to either York Ancients or Moderns for their respective possession of R . A . Masonry , but that all alike received the said Masonry from Masonic Degree peddlers . We all

know that originally the R . A . was sold in Dublin by a Masonic Degree peddler . It was also introduced in St . Andrew ' s Lodge in Boston in 1769 by a similar peddler . It was sold in 1765 in London to the originators of the Holy Chapter of Jerusalem ( Moderns ) by a Masonic

Degree peddler ; for Bro . John Maclean was nothing more nor less than a Degree peddler . And if Dermott actually planted the Royal Arch among the Ancients , which is not impossible or improbable , then Dermott may also be numbered among our Masonic Degree peddlers . Indeed ,

Dermott himself severely censured some unnamed brother ( may be Bro . Maclean ) for peddling Royal Arch Masonry . Such being the case , it is neither impossible nor improbable for the brethren of York , Warrington , Bolton , and other

towns and cities in England , Ireland and Scotland to have been originally supplied with R . A . Masonry by Masonic Degree peddlers . We have in America an organised "Masonic Body , "

Masonic Degree Peddlers.

called " Royal and Select Masters . " Nofc many weeks since a Royal Councillor showed me a printed list of brethren who were proposed for initiation in his Royal Council , and I think that the list must have numbered from twenty to twenty-five names . Now , that is very good bnsiness for

one night . Iho R . C . has , I believe , three degrees . Its first degree Mackey calls " the eighth degree in the American Rite ; " they have a Grand Council extending over the United States , as well as State Grand Councils . The membership of that body in America numbers by tens

of thousands , every member firmly believes that in that degree only tho genuine , true , original word can be learned . I believe thafc if Dr . Oliver had been alive , and lived in America , he might have demonstrated and proved that , at some time or other , a piece was cut off from the Royal

Arch Degree , which was moulded by an American Bro . Dnnckerley into the Royal and Select Degrees . Well , then , I was informed that in 1822 Bro . Jeremy L . Cross peddled the " Royal and Select" degree or degrees ( for I know not how many degrees it was then made of ) in Baltimore ,

in Maryland . Of course , Bro . Cross received a consideration for conferring these degrees . Somo of his disciples probably received the money they paid back again by conferring these degrees upon others . We see now that Masonic degree peddling was a very common thing in the early days of their history .

Now , Bro . Hughan's book refers to a continuous system of degree peddling in England between 1723 and 1750 . Even P . G . Master Sayer seems to have participated in degree peddling . Here in America the Masonry of Philadelphia of 1731 was the work of a Masonic degree peddler .

Trne , Bro . MacCalla has written scores of columns in the Keystone to prove anything and everything , save and except the most essential . Indeed , I frankly admit that Bro . MacCalla excels all other Masonic writers ; improving and demonstrating universally admitted facts ; facfcs long

kncnvn to every one , and never disputed or dmibted by any one . But he failed to prove how Coxe's Deputation of 1730 was connected with Philadelphia Masonry in 1731 . In 1735 or 6 a Masonic degree peddler formed a Lodge at Portsmouth , New Hampshire ; in 1750 a degree peddler

established a Lodge in Halifax , Nova Scotia ; and in 1752 St . Andrew ' s Lodge in Boston , Massachusetts , also originated from a Masonio degree peddler . Now , with all these facts before us , there is really no need to puzzle , speculate , or guess as to whether R . A . Masonry was planted

in Bolton or in Warrington , either by the Ancients , Moderns , or by fche 1762 Chapter afc York . I think it is more probable that the brethren at Bolton , Warrington and York had alike Royal Arch Masonry brought home to their

respective door steps by industrious Masonic peddlers , precisely the same as it bad been brought into Dublin in 1740 , to the Ancients in 1750 or a little later , and to the Moderns in 1765 . Boston , U . S . 21 st October 1884 .

Bro . W . W . Morgan , W . M . St . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 211 , will deliver his popular lecture on the " Masonic Institutions , " at the Chiswick Lodge of Instruction , No . 2012 , Hampshire Hog , King-street , Hammersmith , to-day ( Sa turday ) , at 7 ' 30 P . M ., and at the Hyde-park Lodge of

Instruction , No . 1425 , Fountain Abbey Hotel , Praed-street , Paddington , on Monday next , the 10 th instant , afc 8 P . M . ; while on Friday next , the 14 th instant , he will deliver his equally interesting lecture on " Women in Freemasonry , " —written expressly for such occasions as these by Bro .

T . B . Whytehead , of York—at the Royal Alfred Lodge of Instruction , No . 780 , Star and Garter Hotel , Kew Bridge , at 8 P . M . The fact of Bro . Morgan having been invited to lecture on three evenings in the course of a single week is a subject of satisfaction to us , at least to this

extent , that the suggestion to vary the tedium of the ordiuinary programme of our Lodges of Instruction by occasionally introducing a lecture on some popular question connected with Freemasonry originated with this journal , Hence it cannot be otherwise than gratifying tons to know

the proposition has been so well received . We may add that Bro . Morgan's lectures are nofc permitted to trench seriously on the ordinary labours of the evening . He has

chosen to limit the time occupied iu his address to half-an hour , and in doing this he considers he has acted wisely . What is intended as a relief from the monotony of the regular work must nofc be converted into a tax on the brethren ' s patience .