The True History Of Freemasonry In England.

We have another crumb of evidence in the fact that all our Masonic evidences point to their operative origin ancl their operative fraternity . The Masonic poem in the British Museum , written about 1390 , tells us that persons of high degree ivere admitted into the Grand Assembly . He tells us of three degrees , and states that he had seen early histories of the Order . But all through—though admitting speculative membersand using language Ave still

, should use , as regards secret mysteries—he descants entirely on operative guild ov brotherhood . So , too , in the earliest prose Constitution in the British Museum , Avritten in the early part of the 15 th century , and edited a few years back by Bro . Matthew Cooke , the writer , probably an ecclesiastic , gives us a Traditional History of Freemasonry , talks of speculative and operative , and presents us with the old rules of the operative body .

There are several copies of these Constitutions in the British Museum and amon « our Lodges and in private hands ; but there is one among the Harleian MSS . which is very interesting , because clearly pointing out the time when the operative assemblies were admitting purely speculative members , ancl when in a little space the speculative element was to absorb the operative . Among what are called the new regulations of the Grand Assembly of 1663 is this

, , " that no person of what degree so ever he made or accepted a Mason unless in a regular Lodge , whereof one to be a Master or Warden in that limitt or district where such lodge is kept , and one to be a Craftsman in the trade of Freemasonry . " We have thus , very shortly and summarily , very condensedly brought down the

History of Masonry to the middle of the 17 th century , believing that up to that time it was mainly an operative body , though admitting , always , speculative members , especially from among the monks and ecclesiastics and kni ghtly orders in earlier times . The evidence of Scottish Masonry , as Bro . Laurie shows , I may just add , is very confirmatory of the operative vieiv . Bro . Findel , in his account of the German Masons ; to which I have already alluded , gives an account of the reception of the early German Masons , which might almost read for the report of pur initiation to-day . If I shall not tire you , I Avill give you an extract from his work , translated from the

German , which is certainl y very remarkable , as it alludes to the customs of the operative Masons in the 14 th century . He tells us that the operative bodies were under the direction of the learned monastic orders , and that their ritual of reception is still extant . He gives an account of ceremonies , which , if reall y of early date , are very curious , and interesting to the Masonic Arcbajologist , and especially mentions Prayer . He adds that the candidate was led three times round the Lodge , back to the door , where he

placed his feet in the form of a ri ght angle , and ivith three wide steps stepped up to the Master , the open Gospel , together Avith squares and compasses , laying on the table before him , upon which , according to ancient custom , he placed his right hand and swore to be true to the duties of a Brother , and to undertake to keep secret what he then learnt or should hereafter learn . Then was the binding taken off his eyes , the great light shown to him , a new apron given to him , the Pass-word entrusted to him , the hailing and hand-tokens received , and his place in the meeting pointed out to him . Thus far , then , a possible and probable History of Freemasonry .

Yet it is not wise Avhen one is laying down a proposition of this kind , which militates very much with preconceived opinions , to keep out of si ght , or even to undervalue the difficulties which may fairly be raised against this explanation of our history . And as the end of all such lectures as this is , or should be , truth , regardless of any favourite notions , we will just consider before we separate a few of those objections which have been' made to this statement .

The first is , that were it so , how could the operative Masons have handed down to us our _ present ceremonies and ritual ? Of course in the lapse of time considerable alterations have necessaril y been made in the mere verbiage , perhaps the form of our ceremonies ; but yet there can he no doubt whatever that the ceremonies contain marks of very great antiquity ; their phraseology is often that of a time long since passed away , and we retain ivords and expressions iu our ritual long since altogether obsolete .