Correspondence.

Correspondence .

wc do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit o £ fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

AUTHORITATIVE RECOGNITION OF BRO . G . W . SPETH'S PHILOLOGICAL THEORY OF THE WORDS "FREE" AND " FREEMASON . " To the Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother ,

Your readers are greatly indebted to Bro . the Rev . E . Fox-Thomas for having brought to their notice the notices of the words Free and Freemason to be found ih the great " English Dictionary " of the Philological Society , which is in process of publication by the Clarendon Press , Oxford , under the editorship of Dr . J . A . H . Murray and his colleague , Mr . Henry Bradley , M . A .

The notices quoted from that epoch-making work in your issue of Sth August , 1 S 98 , would be sadly incomplete if the article on the word Freemason were omitted . The more so as it implies a verdict on the various theories as to the origin and import of the word Free in the compound F / wmason . It will be fresh in the recollection of all students of the literature of our Craft that our distinguished Bro . G . W . Speth brought before the Quatuor

Coronati Lodge last year a paper which he modestly entitled "A Tentative Enquiry" into the meaning of the word Free in Freemason and kindred compounds . His theory , briefly stated , may be said to be that Free in such compounds implies freedom from the control of Masons' Guild or Company , not freedom of the Guild . This last was the general acceptation of the word amongst Masonic scholars , and Bro . Speth's explanation seemed to many of them almost

revolutionary . With this summary of the philological position , the ordinary reader will appreciate the following extract from the Clarendon Press Dictionary : From the NEW ENGLISH DICTIONARY ; Oxford , 189 7 ( Vol . IV ., p . 597 ) . " FREEMASON- ( Frlme ' son , —sn ) . [ f . Free a , + MASON . The precise import with which the adj . was originally used in this designation has been much disputed . Three views have been propounded ( 1 ) The suggestion

that freemason stands tor freestone mason would appear unworthy of attention , but for the curious fact that the earliest known instances of any similar appellation are mestre mason dc franclic peer , ' master mason of free stone ' ( Act 25 Edw . Ill st . II c 3 . A . D . 1350 ) , and sculptorcs lapidttm libcrorum ' carvers of free stones ' alleged to occur in a document of 1217 . ( II . Findel's Hist . Mas . 51 , citing Wyatt Papworth ) ; the coincidence , however seems to be merely accidental . ( 2 ) The view most generally held is that freemasons were those who were 'free' of the

masons guild ( see FREE a 29 ) . Against this explanation many forcible objections have been brought by Mr . G . W . Speth who suggests ( 3 ) that the itinerant masons were called ' free' because they claimed exemption from the control of the local guilds of the towns in which they temporarily settled ( 4 ) Perhaps the best hypothesis is that the term refers to the medieaval practice of emancipating skilled artisans , in order that they might be able to travel and render their services wherever any great building was in process of construction . ]"

It will be seen that a modification of Bro . Speth's theory has been adopted by the learned Editors , after prolonged research and an exhaustive survey of the whole ground . It is no light matter for Bro . G . W . Speth to have had his explanation of the word Free in these compounds thus formally sanctioned . The tribunal is the highest in the Republic of Letters as far as Philosophy is concerned . The Editors are men of world-wide reputation as scholars , they arc completely outside the

Craft , and thus totally unbiassed by the traditional misconceptions that we have inherited from our Masonic forefathers . We must ruefully acknowledge that the number of Masonic authors whose works command respect among scholars can be summed up on the fingers . Hence the great value of the authoritative recognition of this theory of Bro . Speth's , at once so novel , and so modestly introduced . It might almost be said that he has gained the Blue Ribbon of the Philosophy of Freemasonry .

Again thanking Bro . E . Fox-Thomas for his happy thought of bringing before your readers thc latest results of linguistic research , —1 am , dear brother , yours fraternally , \ V . J . CHETWODE CRAWLEY . Trinity College , Dublin , August 8 th .

IS FREEMASONRY A RELIGION ? To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In the editorial which appeared in the Freemason of July 30 th , in reply to an attack on the Craft which appeared in a sectarian paper , it is

emphatically stated that I reemasonry has never claimed to be a religion . The word religion covers . in enormous amount of ground , and in discussingthc relation of Freemasonry to it , the first requisite undoubtedly is to present a clear definition of the meaning intended to be conveyed . If by a religion is meant belief in a certain set of dogmas put before the mind on the authoritative dictum of certain individuals , then it can be laid down without fear of contradiction that Freemasonry

does not claim to be a reli gion . But if , on the other hand , by religion is meant the development of man from a condition of ignorance , fanaticism , and superstition to a condition of knowledge , wisdom , and freedom , then Freemasonry is seen to be religion in the best and most universal sense of thc word . From what 1 have seen of the ritual of the first three Degress of the Craft , and the ceremony of the Mark Mason , as now performed under the Grand

Lodge of England , the symbols used are magnificent . But -here is the whole point . What are symbols ' : Ace they what Kant would term " things in themselves , " or " no-things in themselves " ? Obviously " no-things in themselves . " They point to something beyond . ln other words , the symbols used in the initiation ceremonies are absolutely worthless to the candidate who has not the "inner eye opened" to see the real but hidden meaning . So much is the

truth of this statement borne out by the actual facts of to - day that in the minds of perhaps the majority of the brethren the initiation ceremonies are fables , and nothing more . But what about the lodges of Instruction ' : Do they not supply what is lacking ? To this the reply is that mere repetition of a ceremony does not help the mind in the least to understand , grasp , and realise the truth hidden within . A man miy be absolutely letter-perfect in lhe whole of the ritual and yet know nothing about Masonry , that is to say , its

hidden meaning , and the subtle signification of the allegories and symbols . As an illustration of my meaning I state that the Three Degrees of the Craft represent dillerent stages in tlie development ol " the individual Irom a state of ignorance and bondage to a statu of knowledge and freedom , and correspond to the three stages recognised by the Yoga philosophy of India and occult schools in general . Consequently lhe AIaster Mason would represent lhe Jivanmukta or living Adept , i . e . the state to be reached by the individual who steadH and persevcringly culti-

Correspondence.

vates his latent powers , and aims at supreme wisdom , embracing the harmonious balance of health and intellectual and physical vigour . UZ- The next [ step forward in Masonic history will be to make the Lodge of I nstruction something more than a parrot-like imitation of the ceremonial . It would be a great pity if the splendid ritual degenerated step by step to a meaningless repetition of empty words . —Yours fraternally , ARTHUR LOVELL . 5 , Portman-street , Portman-square , W . August 6 th .

Masonic Memorial To The Late Lady Lathom.

MASONIC MEMORIAL TO THE LATE LADY LATHOM .

On the afternoon of the 5 th inst . a meeting of representative Freemasons of the Province of West Lancashire was held in the Town Hall , Liverpool , in connection with the proposed Masonic memorial to the late Lady Lathom and the presentation of an address to Lord Lathom en the occasion of his completion of 25 years as Prov . Grand Master . The Lord Mayor , Bro . Alderman John Houlding , S . G . D . of England , presided over a numerous attendance .

Bro . GOODACRK , Prov . G . Sec , reported that the majority of the lodges of the province had remitted subscriptions ranging from about £ 2 2 s . to . £ 20 , and amounting in the aggregate to £$ jo 14 s . He anticipated that the total , when all the returns had been received , would amount to , £ 600 , and , he said , it had been suggested that a cheque for ^ 500 should be handed to Lord Lathom to be devoted to some Charity in which his late wife was interested , while the remainder would defray the cost of a piece of silver-plate on which to engrave the suggested address of congratulation to his lordship .

The LORD MAYOR expressed his approval of the proposal , and remarked that the plate would be a lasting memorial and an heirloom in his lordship ' s family . Some discussion ensued , and a Sub-Committee was appointed to carry out

the details . Subsequently a meeting of the Charity representatives of the various lodges was held under the chairmanship of the Lord Mayor , to arrange for the annual festival at Southport in aid of the funds of the Alpass Institution . It was decided to alter thc date of the festival to the Gth of October , and in the course of the proceedings the list of Stewards was largely extended .

Scotland

Scotland

GRAND LODGE .

On Thursday , the 4 th inst ., the Grand Lodge held its Quarterly Communication in the Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , the Most Worshipful the Grand Master , Lord Saltoun , in the chair , supported by Bros . John Graham , of Broadstone , P . G . M . Glasgow City ; W . A . Dunwiddie , P . G . M . Dumfriesshire ; R . Douglas Clark , D . G . M . Natal ; and others .

Among the other office bearers were Bros . Major F . VV . Allan , S . G . W . ; Alexander A . Spiers , of Elderslie , acting J . G . W . ; I ) . Murray Lyon , G . Sec ; David Reid , G . Treas . ; W . Munro Denholm , J . G . D . ; W . W . Robertson , G . Architect ; Robert Sorley , G . Jeweller ; J . Carruthers , G . Bible Bearer ; and Wm . Phillips , G . Marshal .

Grand Lodge appointed Bro . G . S . Rideal , as District Grand Master of the Transvaal , and Iiro . W . F . Roberts was re-appointed Provincial Grand Master of Gibraltar .

Grand Lodge withdrew its recognition of the Grand Lodge of Peru and lodges under its jurisdiction , the GRA . VU SECRETARY having reported " That the Grand Lodge of England had at its meeting in June , on the suggestion of its Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , withdrawn its

recognition of the Grand Lodge of Peru for having decreed the removal of the Volume of the Sacred Law from the altars of all lodges under its jurisdiction , substituting therefor the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Peru and replacing the word ' Bible' in the Ritual by the words ' of the Grand Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Peru . ' "

Grand Lodge rejected the recommendation of Grand Committee that Busby St . John Lodge , No . 458 , be authorised to remove from Busby to Kinning Park . On the conclusion of Grand Lodge business , the brethren assembled in the Upper Hall for the purpose of presenting to Bro . D . Murray Lyon , the testimonial resolved upon at last quarterly communication of Grand Lodge .

I he GRAND MASTER took the chair , and , 111 making the presentation , reviewed the work done by the Grand Secretary during the 21 years he had filled that honourable but onerous ollice . During that period , the Grand Secretary had served under six Grand Masters , live of whom were living , and these , to show their appreciation of the admirable manner in which the Grand Secretary had so ably assisted in bringing the affairs of Grand

Lodge out from the chaos in which hc found them into their present flourishing position , had the greatest possible pleasure in asking him to accept a handsome gold watch and chain as a token of their affection for him . His lordship , on behalf of Grand Lodge , next presented a silver tea and coffee set ior Mrs . Murray Lyon , bearing an inscription , and lastly he presented a purse of sovereigns and an illuminated address on vellum to Bro . Murray Lyon . The address stated that Grand Lodge had resolved ,

"On the termination of your 21 years' service as Grand Secretary , to manifest the deep respect , confidence , and regard entertained for you by the Scottish Freemasons , and to express their deep sense of the unwearied services devoted by you in the administration of your responsible and arduous duties . Long before your appointment as Grand Secretary you had attained a world-wide reputation as one of the ablest and most erudite of Masonic students , by publication of numerous writings on Masonic history , and on

the ancient usages of the Order , and particu ' arly by your exhaustive and magnificent' History of Freemasonry in Scotland , ' which will ever remain a splendid memorial of your abilities and research . At the time of your appointment as Grand Secretary thc affairs of Grand Lodge were in a crippled and embarrassed condition ; but your zealous and devoted labours have greatly conduced to the attainment of their present marvellous prosperity . Grand Lodge , as representative of the Scottish Craft , gratefully embraces the present occasion as a fitting opportunity to manifest its appreciation oi