Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS u Twelfth N'ight Entertainment at the Girls ' School 12 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 12 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 12 luvenile Kancv Dress Ball at the Mansi : ;

House 13 Festival and Presentation at North Shields 13 Ohituary 13 CORRESPONDENCEThe Returns for the Charities 14 Freemasonry and Volunteering 14 ' Is he Legally and Regularly Elected ? ... 15 A Visit to the Boys' School i <

CORRESPONDENCE —( Continued)—A Begging Mason J $ Reviews 15 Masonic Notes and Queries 15 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCratt Masonry 16 Instruction 20

Royal Arch 20 Mark ' Masonry 20 Masonic and ( Jeneral Tidings 21 The Theatres 22 Music 22 Science and Art 22 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

Ar00101

WE published last week n . letter relative to . 1 recent visit to the Roys ' School , and we take an early opportunity of saying that the statements therein contained are regrettable on many grounds . It lias always been understood among the Craft that any Life Governor of the Institution and his friends were welcome to sen lhe School , and that fact has been dilated

upon in innumerable reports and authorised statements , and been forcibly dwelt upon by Bro . BINCKES in many of his able speeches . If the House Committee were of opinion that it would be advisable in future to have a fixed day for such visits , in order to interfere as little as possible with the

School work and the time of the masters , we feel sure that any such arrangement would be gladly acquiesced in by the Life Governors . But we think it right to say , without at all professing to prejudge anything , that if a distinguished brother from India pays a visit to the School , with a formal

introduction above all , it cannot be right as regards him , nor good for the School , that he should leave with the impression that such visit was an unwelcome one , or that there was any disposition on the part of the resident

authorities , ( for there clearly is none at the office , ) to hurry over a fraternal inspection , or to grudge the exhibition of any portion of the School build ings , the educational arrangements , or the actual work .

IT seems well every now and then to recall to the memories of Masonic students the position of Masonic Archaeology and the prospects of Masonic enquiry . We are now , we think , fairly set out on a pathway of careful

Masonic investigation and acute Masonic criticism , T he theories which satisfied our forefathers do not satisfy us ; the views which an older school propounded with so much vivacity and dogmatism are not accepted by us , except " cum grano salis . " We are not affected by infallible authority , or

dominated by a prevailing " fad . " Let us look back a little . ANDERSON had a task given him to do , and he fulfilled it conscientiously , neither more nor less , which was , to reproduce the legends of the Craft in a readable and coherent form . It may be regretted that he did not , or was not permitted to

exercise a little more commendable criticism on the documents , which he seems to have carefully studied , and , on the whole , fairly reproduced . HUTCHINSON started a fuller and more mythical view of the Masonic system , which has been followed , more or less , by all subsequent writers , and

he leant apparently to the Mysteries . PRESTON , relying partly on ANDERSON and partly on HUTCHINSON , and adding to their conclusions his own independent remarks , and a use of documents which they had not , gives a history which still endures , if somewhat hazy in outline , and somewhat uncertain in

outcome . He seems to have leant to the operative builders and the Guilds . OLIVER added to and improved on PRESTON , not always with the best judgment or the most accurate accretions , and seems himself to have gone through three phases of thought and theory , namely , the mysteries , the

gilds , and the Hermetic societies . In his various works , from first to last , he seems to waver as regards these competing and conflicting sources of Masonic origin and Masonic life in the world . The French writers are none of them to be followed , except THORY , and he only for the documents he

preserves for us . In Germany , the ALTENBURGH and later German school , greatly influenced by the Abbe GRANDIDIER ' S quasi sarcastic words ( a fact not sufficiently realized ) , though they may be in effect true , have ; been practically divided into two schools , —those of the pure Germanic , those of the Romano-Germanic school . Much that FALLOU , HEIDELO * , and others

Ar00102

have asserted so vigorously , rests apparently on no historical evidence , and cannot be accepted , as Bro . GOULD has irrefutably pointed out ; and until the Strasburgh archives are properly edited , we shall still be in doubt and debate on many moot points . KLOSS was actually the first to endeavour to

apply the canons of historical evidence to our Masonic annals , though we should not be right in forgetting the labours of KRAUSE and others . KLOSS ' S contributions are all marked by a spirit of true and careful criticism . FINDEL , followed suit in his remarkable work , which will always be read with

pleasure . It is not however infallible , as he relies too much on FALLOU and others , and too strongly rejects any ( possiblity of an Hermetic connection . We need not here allude to STEIXBRENNF . R or mnr . y more who follow FIN ' ., though we should be ungrateful if we forgot the Masonic (' yclop : ruli <; ts

and the valuable contributions of I ) . MURRAY LYON , and the modern Knglish school of Masonic students . FORT ' is a striking and eloquent survey of Masonic history . 11 leans to a Scandinavian and Byzantine theory , and here and there is raai-ked perhaps b y little too hasty induction

from somewhat unsafe premises . Still it is a charming book , and a credit to our age and Freemasonry . We owe to Bro . R . F . GOULD the commencement of the latest reliable , accurate , coherent , and lucid Masonic history . We wish it all success , and shall welcome each succeeding volume

with eagerness and gratification . Something then has been effected towards taking from our Order the reproach of sterile tractates , unreliable authorities , and unveracious writers . And yet after all , though much is known , how much , very much , is unknown . We are still like Sir ISAAC MEWTOS on the sea-shore

picking up pebbles , we still are comparatively in the dark on many important subjects . It is just possible that when all evidence is sifted , and all facts are boiled down , the " panning out" may be a compound of various theories , and even seemingly antagonistic ideas . Probably no one

explanation will be accepted , no one line may suffice for the onward progress of Freemasonry , but we shall have to seek for its origin , and realize its perpetuation through various bodies and by various means , all like streams separating from a common source , and yet converging and combining towards a common issue .

THE necessity for an alteration in the standard of the grants at the Lodge of Benevolence which has ruled the last two years is so clearly pointed out

just now by several very striking facts , that we make no apology for venturing to press the remarks which follow , on the careful and fraternal consideration of all the members of the Board . For some

time it has been clear to many of us , that there was prevailing an abnormally high system of giving which nothing could check , and which was actually encouraging applications for relief . All who have studied the lists must have been struck with the large , and apparently increasing ,

number of applicants who had for years left Freemasonry . Even if such did not receive a large grant , they would receive a grant , often entirely out of proportion to their services for Masonry , simply because they chose to apply , and the Fund of Benevolence was comparatively rich . At the last Board a

case came up which exemplifies this mistaken system in a remarkable degree . The widow of a person who had been fifty-one years out of Masonry , and then only had just paid two years' subscription , made an application . Fifty-one years ago , our brother had left our Order , and had

then paid , if he was a Londoner , 8 s ., if a Provincial brother , 4 s ., to the Benevolent Fund . What induced any one after such a lapse of time to think of Freemasonry ? There can be but one reply , the encouragement given to such applications by very large grants . This applicant , after a

long discussion , and great difference of opinion , and expressed unwillingness , on all sides , to encourage such petitions , received , we believe , £ 5 . And in saying all this we blame no one . We are all , we who attend the Board , equally in fault ; we become enthusiastic over special cases ; we persuade ourselves

that they have abnormal ciaims , and we " go in " for very large grants . With the New Year let us hope the thoughtful and prudential tone of the last meeting of the Board will be kept up , and that 1883 will witness a very sensible and sagacious reduction of excessive grants , of a mistaken use of