Our Late Bro. The King Of Hanover.

salza , and the convention that followed that melancholy episode , our royal brother has lived in comparative retirement in the immediate circle of his amiable family , finding possibly in their general and affectionate interest , that peace and comfort which are sometimes here denied to

the occupants of thrones . We as V reemasons have nothing to do with the political history of the late exiled king , nor with the events which resulted in his death , afar from his pleasant Hanover , but we can sympathize to-day with his grieving family , and remember that we have lost

a highly cultivated member of our own reiyal family . Afflicted as he was with the loss of sight , he was , as we know , both an amiable and intelligent man , while he was also friendly to our Masonic brotherhood . That misfortune darkened his later years , that he had to succumb , as others have done , to the inevitable "fortune de la guerre , "

while they are matters of material fact , they do not come within our Masonic cognizance , and we only propose here , to express our sincere regret at the loss inflicted on his devoted family by his removal , at the death of a member of our own royal family , and at the premature departure of a once esteemed ruler of our Order .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do net hold ourf elves responsible for , or even as approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain nccessari limits—free discussion . —ED . 1

CAN LADIES VOTE IN THE GENERAL COMMITTEE 0 £ . THE GIRLS * SCHOOL ? To the Editor ofthe "Freemason . " Dear Sit and Brother , — I fear that I shall seem ungallant to some , pragmatical to others , when I raise this eiuestion , which is , however , a most important one , in your fair and impartial pages . Let me congratulate you on your equity as to

correspondence , which is a good example to all . I have grave doubts , despite a sort of tacit understanding- on the subject , whether ladies can legally v te in thc General Committee , and I will tell you why . No doubt the words of Rule XIII , p . 3 , " every indivividual donor , " tic , would seem to settle thc matter . And so they would , had not thc rule gone on specially to deal with " Ladies , " or a " Lewis being a minor , " in Hule

XVIII , p . 5 . It may be observed here that the original qualification for voting in the Ceneral Committee is a Life-governorship , and no matter what payment is made , unless a lady is a " Life-Governor " in the sense of the rules she is not a qualified voter . Now by the special provision of Rule XVIII , a lady

subscribing five guineas obtains two votes for every five guineas subscribed , and is a Life-Governor—but in what sense ? Simply , as I read it , as regards the election of candidates . She is not given—as the individual brother and lodge is given—under Rule XIII ., " a vote at the meetings of the General Commiitee , " and , therefore I apprehend , by the strict and well-known rules of legal

interpretation , she is barred by the special provision of Bye-law XVIII , from voting in the General Committee , or for anything but at the election of candidates . In Bye-law XXXVII , p . 9 , when the election of the House Committee is dealt with , we meet with " nominations of brethren , " ( not ladies ) , the election is to take place " from the brethren so nominated , " ( not ladies ) , and a list

is to be given to " every qualified brother attending the election "—again not ladies . I therefore come to the conclusion that neither ladies , nor Lewises , or minors can vote in the General Com mittee legally . We must always bear in mind that unless it is expressly said to the contrary , the rules of the School apply to " qualified brethren , " and qualified brethren alone . In the first rules

of the Girls' School the words " Governor or Governess " are to be found , but in our revised rules , as ladies are specially legislated for , they can only vote under the special provisions of the . rules . I do not go into extraneous topics , or allude to other arguments which might fairly be adduced , but content myself by calling attention to the subject , and beg to subscribe myself , yours fraternally , BYE-LAW .

THE WORLD'S FAVOUR FOR FREEMASONRY . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — There never was a period in our history when the world , qua the world , so smiled on Freemasonry . The old days in this country of alleged suspicion , contempt , derision , are over , and on every side of us we listen to words

of commendation and expressions of admiration for Freemasonry . Indeed , to such a pitch has its " favour been advanced" that we find the profane press full of its goings on . Its meetings are recorded , its resolutions commented upon , its festivals are commemorated , and its good deeds are lauded . But this general admiration and acceptation have certain .

inconveniences , and re-act somewhat disadvantagcously on our Order . The profane world , which takes our great organisation into its favour , and patronises it , and praises it , adapts the outcome of Freemasonry to its own peculiar standard of men and things , and while it gladly publishes its frequent notices of our mysterious association , seems to

Original Correspondence.

imagine that it has a right to know all that it wishes to know about it , whether for the information of the inquisitive , or the delectation of the mere " gobemouche . " Two great evils spring from this profane reputation and worldly favour . The one is over publicity , the other is a pandering to fashionable , and in a purely worldly sense , distinguished patronage . For it has come to this , that not only

do Masonic papers , as Masonic papers , publish the actual accounts of Masonic work and meetings , but non-Masonic papers , using' our terminology , availing themselves of our technical terms , adopt them , though without understanding them , and transfer to their pages those expressions of Masonic usuages , which are peculiar to us as Masons , and belong prima facie to the lodge assembly , and to thc lodge

assembly alone . Of course if we are to have Masonic publication at all , such inconveniences and incongruities must occur , ( to which many old Masons no doubt fairly enough objeel ) , but at any rate the evil , if it be an evil , would be materially lessened in its effect if the brethren confined these flowing accounts of theirs to professedly Masonic

papi-rs . But we open to-day the sheets of non Masonic papers , and find carefully detailed accounts of lodge meetings in all the special language of tiie Craft , and which do not appear , be it noted in any Masonic paper . We think then that this tendency to over communicativeness , to hyper-publication amongst us , is a great and growing evil , and we cannot too strongly deprecate the

forgetfulness that some brethren are good enough often to exhibit that there is such a thing in the woild as a Masonic Press . The Freemason Sir , I am happy to remark , has been conspicuous in its endeavours to restrain ritual allusions within the narrowest limits possible , and to uphold the piinciplc that the technicalities of our work should be

confined to the lodge . I for one have for some time been sensible that Masonic writers are writing too freely on Masonic ritualism and the like , and it will be remembered favourably that in the " Cyclopedia" of your Publisher all ritual explanations , except certain fair open questions , are most poperly left to the lodge , and to the lodge alone , so thus both publisher and editor of the work have

shown a wise discretion . Let us then set our faces againt the increasing desire oi Masonic publication of lodge work . It only flatters , as I believe , the " amour propre" of the "faineant , " the self conceit of the upstart . Thc staple of a Masonic paper must of course always be the " reports of lodge meetings , " hut with due caution and careful supervision they can

while easily understood by "bright Masons , " cease to be marked by indiscreet allusions to thc " aporrcta" of our Masonic work and symbolism . But there is another evil growing amongst us , which I think it my duty seriously to denounce in all the honesty of manly and independent utterance . It is the craving for something grander , more exalted , more fashionable

than Craft Masonry . Something which is a " more gentlemanly sort of thing" than the old Craft work , which delighted our honest forefathers , which has charmed the educated , and is yet good enough , let us hope , for us . The craving for high grades and greater mysteries has been a " disease " in France and Germany , which led to the most deplorable results in the last century , which

eventually shut up the lodges in Russia , and has split up Freemasonry into " factions , " more or less , everywhere . In England we were too sensible , to matter-of-fact , to allow any such passing or political manufactures of senseless sys-tems to pass current with us . We kept happily to the old foundation , the old form , the old names , and at this time , the English Grand Lodge stands in a position never yet

reached by any other Masonic body in the world . When we are told to-day that the " High Grades " are superior to Craft Masonry , what do the brethren mean who tell us such nonense , inasmuch as they belie the facts of history , and contradict all rational evidence ? " Les Hautes Grades " in France were originally founded on a fictitious Templarism , first put forward by Ramsay ,

and elaborated by Von 11 unci , and which rested on a pure fable , ( we might properly use stronger language ) , and served to build up an utterly fictitious , useless , unsound Masonic edifice , which has long since crumbled away into dust and nothingness . The multiplication of the " Hautes Grades " in France has been the cause of unmitigated evils , and to them may be traced and fairly attributed much of the

opposition of thc Roman Catholic body , inasmuch as some of their peculiar ceremonies , the Romish Church has been wont to regard , ( whether rightly or wrongly matters not to us ) , as "irreverent travesties'' and" blasphemous parodies . " Yet , singularly enough , all these 1 Iigh Grades , the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite especially , make Craft Masonry the basis on which their wondrous and

aweinspiring superstructuie is reared . Can any reasonable man—any Masonic student—seriously claim any good from the various aspects of the hi gh grades , which abound specially on the Continent , ( except as a medium of fees ) , and which have , as far as I can see , no practical benefit , or any practical meaning . It has been said that the inventive genius of

degreemongers , a very fruitful and trustful activity , has found out and framed something like 900 high degrees in the world , most of which , I hope their friends will excuse me for saying so , seem to me to-day the creation of childishness or perversity , the outcome of personal folly and human ineptitude . Nay , I will even say , such is the tolerant spirit of

Craft Masonry , that a priori if their acolytes see good and utility in them they have as much right to exist as Craft Masonry itself , despite its honoured annals and its obvious utility to man . But , having said this . I also think it right to add these few further remarks . To the Christian Giades I at once concede , if I do not at once realize their " raison d ' etre , " owing to my own subjective infirmity of mind probably ,

Original Correspondence.

their "jus vivendi " in respect to their own associates , admirers supporters and members . ; 1 have always denied , therefore , and I always shall deny to them the rightful appellation of " Hii * h Grades , " inasmuch as , in my opinion , nothing can be higher , more excellent , more ancient , more useful than our less pretentious but admirable Craft Masonry , including the Royal Arch .

It would be impossible and improper for us as Craft Masons , one of whose leading principle is the goodly one of toleration , to lay down any objective dogma as against the " Christian Grades . " If their members like them , find good in them , study them , ptaise them—be it so , they have a full right to do so , and whether we see their good or utility , matters nothing—they do , and that is quite enough

for them , and practically quite enough for us only do not let us mix up Craft Masonry with them . They and Craft Masonry stand on entirely different basis , act upon a totally different platform . Craft Masonry is universal , the Christian Grades are limited , and though I will not presume to say that the two principles cannot in some measure be harmonised , yet for my part , I honestly prefer

and as honestly cling to the simpler profession of Craft Masonry . As Craft Masons , we need none of us ever be ashamed of our good old Order , which has weathered the storm of ages , and now stands erect and firm , asking for thc approval of all loyal Masons , all honest men , and seeking the happiness of the brotherhood , and the welfare of

mankind . I trust that none will misunderstand the drift , or misinterpret the spirit of these remarks . I have spoken " more meo , " frankly , fearlessly , openly , believing honestly what I distinctly put forward , and I trust that none will blame me for writing too much , even as " Downright Dunstable . "

If at the present day it is often difficult to speak plainly , if truth is not always palatable to us un veracious mortals , if some may dislike my plainness of speech or independence of opinion , let us keep Masonry free from such baneful influences , from such demoralizing degradation ; and let us still make it our boast as Freemasons , that we

are not afraid , any of us , to avow our opinion , in all modesty and consideration for others , and not afraid , in season and out of season , through good report and evil report , to speak what in our consciences we actually believe to be the truth . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , CRAFTSMAN .

THE WORD "ARYAN . " To Ihe Editor of ihe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In reply to thc second query of your correspondent " W . W . A ., " in the Freemason of last week , will you kindly allow me to point out that the word " Aryan " is an adjective , ana the substantive" Arya , " from which it is

formed , is a Sanscrit word , meaning " noble . " It is in connection with the history of our own language that we generally meet with the word " Aryan , " and thc enquiry to which your correspondent draws attention must ever be one of great interest . Language bears undeniable witness to the fact that our own forefathers originally dwelt in the same country with

the ancestors of the Hindoos , Persians , Greeks , Latins , Slavonians , and Celts , and it is to the progenitors of these nations and of our own that the name " Aryan " is applied . I may mention lhat the original meaning of the word " Arya " was " a tiller of the soil , " or " plougher , " and it is not too much to say that we may see traces of the term in the Latin " arare , " and in our own English " ear . " It

is not hard to see how the word came to mean " noble . " The Turanian , or roving , tribes were far less civilized than the old " Aryans , " or " ploughing folk , " and it was to distinguish them from those nomad Tartar hordes that they adopted the word " Aryan " as a national name . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , T . M . DRON , Sec . 417 .

To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Aryan is the original tribal name of the Persian and Indian race j used in the Vedas and Avesta . The Jews called that tribe Japhetic which the Brahmins term Aryan . The Sclavs , Gauls , Greeks , Teutons , and Old Armenians are of Aryan descent . These families of

nations speak a similar language , of which the words are formed by a welding of the monosyllabic root to the adjective terminal . The Aryan tribe apparently assumed the name to indicate that they were tillers of the soil , for the word-root , or , originally meant—to plough , and from it are formed

many words expressive of skill and noble qualities—as art In Sancrit ar means noble , and in Danish and Anglo Saxon er is glory , honour . W . W . A . will find information in Max Mullet's " Lcc tures on the Science of Language . " Yours fraternally , JOHN YARKER , 33-0 ( 1 ° .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The first of W . W . A . 's queries in your last number I am unable to answer . In reply to the second I can tell him the following : — " Aryan is a name given to one of the large families of language , spoken in different varieties by nations

extending from India to Europe , and hence also called Indo-European . The word is derived from the Sanskrit "Ayra , " meaning " of good family , " which wns adopted as a title oy the early speakers of this family of language , to distinguish themselves from others . Hoping that W . W . A . may find this " a clear and satisfactory definition" of the word , I am yours fraternally , E . L . H .