The True History Of Freemasonry In England.

the last century sought to attack the Order , furnishes us , unconsciously and unwittingly , with the most valuable information and the strongest proof of our antiquity when vjohtly understood . He says : — I hold in my hands authentic documents and real records , dating more than three centuries back , ivhich enables us to see that this muchboastecl Society of Freemasons is but a senile imitation of an ancient and useful fraternity of actual Masons—whose head-quarters were formerly at Strasbourg . " He tells

us that in 1437 the Masons spread all over Germany—formed themselves into the fraternity of Freemasons , to which they gave the German name of " Hutten , " or Lodges , and that the Lodge at Strasbourg was called " Haupt Hiitte , " or Grand Lodge . He tells us that the Society was composed of Masters , Companions , and Apprentices ; that they invented for use among themselves rallying words and tokens of recognition , and other distinguishing signs ; that they called the sign of words , " das wortzeichen " —the salutation , and that the apprentices and companions , ( grass , ) ancl masters were admitted into the Order by secret ceremonies .

In 1370 , "le loge lathomorum , " which was the actual working-shed of the Masons , ivas pitched in the York Minster Yard . We have an inventory of its contents : among others , two tracing boards and a heavy maul . No Mason was allowed to work who had not been previously admitted into " le loge , " and had the approval of the Master , the Guardiani ( or Wardens ) , and the Seniores ( or Elders ) , and the consent of the brethren . They were then , as noiv , Masters , Fellows , and Apprentices . Some of

the very words ivhich we still use , like " hele "—and " heigh noone "—or high tAvelve , may be found alluded to in the Fabric Rolls , as connected with the usages of Masons . " So one can read these Rolls , as published by the Surtees Society , without feeling that whatever Masonry Avas , it was an independent and self-governed body , with usages and secrets peculiarly its own . We gain from these Fabric Rolls a strong confirmation of our Roman ancestry in the fact that the Gorman-French , "le loge , " is from a corrupt Latin word , " Logeta , " or " Logerranum , " a lodge ; and that " Magon , " a mason , and " Maconner , " in Norman-French—to do mason work—are from the Latin ivord " mansio , " a house .

We have seen iu the Freemasons' Magazine ancl in other works some wonderful derivations of the word Mason ; but these are what the Archbishop of Dublin would eall plain and direct derivations . 1 have seen in the possession of a very able archmologist a coin , found in York Minster Yard , ancl Avhich dates from not later than the 14 th century . It has on it all our Masonic emblems , and one or two words ivhich indisputably allude to our present Masonic secrets . It is believed to have been a token of the York Lodge of Operative Freemasons . Sir Francis Palgrave tells us that there exist in the Exchequer Rolls documents as far back as the reign of Edward , mentioning the Freemasons , Masters , Wardens , Fellows , ancl Apprentices .

There are three Acts of Parliament passed respectively in the reigns of Edward III ., Henry "VI ., and Henry YIL , ivhich serve most strongly to show the existence of such a party in the country , governed by its own laws , and distinguished by secret signs , in a peculiar baud or union . Our learned Brother Rev . Mr . Findel alludes , in a note to his History of Freemasonry , to the recognition of the Order in 1326 , by the Council of Avignon , where their meeting is forbidden in very striking words .

It is said that the Companions of the Brotherhood came yearly together , bound themselves by an oath to mutual love and assistance , and had certain secret and characteristic signs of recognition ; that they chose a President , 'Majorum ( or Master ) , to whom they pledged obedience . We have also to consider , in connection with this portion of the evidence , the very startling facts of Masons' marks—that is , the same marks existing on the Pyramids of

% 7 Pt , in Roman work , and all ecclesiastical buildings in this country . I have seen a statement that these marks , in the opinion of some able writers , merely pertain to individuals ; but many others , besides our learned Bro . Shaw , who was complete master of this interesting subject , believe that they represent system and organization , well knoivn to Freemasons themselves , and point in a very remarkable way to the universal extension of that great and mystical brotherhood , ivhich overleapt the difference of nations , as well as the distance of ages .