Freemasons.*

1782 , shows that , besides other compauies of masons , the masters of the lodges ( hiitten ) of masons employed in the erection of buildings and cutting of stone , iu several cities of Germany , assembled at Eatisbon , so late as 1459 , when they drew up an act of fraternity , which established the chief mason of the cathedral of

Strasbourg ( then Jost Dotzmger ) and his successors , as sole and perpetual Grandmaster , a predominance which lasted until 1707 . This society , he states , received the sanction of the emperors ( probably in a similar manner to the charters granted to the English guilds ); and , to distinguish themselves , the members adopted words , tokens , and signs , and instituted certain ceremonies on the

reception of new members . Although its jurisdiction was early sanctioned in matters relating to building , and the archives of Strasbourg are full of such documents ( hutten-briefe ) , the magistrates withdrew the privilege in consequence of the bad use made of it . It is to this lodge at Strasbourg ( the cathedral was begun in 1277 , by Erwin von Steinbach ) that StiegalitzGeschichte der

, Bouhunst , 8 vo ., Nur ., 1827 , p . 428 , observes that Pope jtficolas III . gave , in 1278 , a letter of indulgence , renewed by his successors , and by Benedict XII . in the fourteenth century . Heideloff , Die Bauhiltte , 4 to ., Hur ., 1844 , also contains some documents apparently a purport similar to the English constitutions . LOUSE . But little appears to be known of a building fraternity

iu France . Ordinances of the carpenters and Masons are , however , still preserved in the Begistres des Metiers et Merchandises , at Paris , printed in the Beglemens sur les Arts et Metiers de Paris , rediges au xiii" si ' ecle , edited by Depping , 4 to ., Paris , 1837 , which exhibit rules and regulations . In Italy still less is known of the customs of this trade .

The monopoly exercised by fraternities of all trades in the chartered towns of England becoming abridged or intruded upon , as well by the increase of new towns as by the settlement in this country of large numbers of foreign artists and workmen in other towns , a system was adopted of accepting members not exercising trades , to the benefit of the privileges of the chartered

companies . This commenced early iu the seventeenth century , if not before ; the traditional history and forms being kept up , those of the masons more especially spreading ( from political causes probably , may account for the retention in scattered localities of " Lodges of Freemasons ; " it being alleged , moreover , that from traditional usage , any five , or even onemason could make

, a brother mason . Four , at least , of such lodges existed in London in 1717 , when a meeting was held and a Grand Lodge constituted , from which ,- in England , has resulted the present " Society of Free and Accepted Masons . " A similar Grand Lodge was formed for Ireland in 1730 ; for Scotland in 1736 ; and the lodges extended throughout the world . What is now understood by "practical and

speculative Freemasonry will be best knoivn from the many publications issued by the members of that respected fraternity : these works , hoivever , put forward a large claim to an antiquity that is not sufficiently supported by historical evidence . As regards this nation , comparatively so few Fabrick Eolls and other documents relating to buildings have been printedthat but few of the actual designersas the

, , master masons most probably were , of the edifices are known . In this work it has been attempted to arrange those recovered , under the cities , and under their names , in all countries . For England , also , it has been attempted by ~ W . Papworth , the superintendents of buildings , etc ., given in the transactions of the Eoyal Institute of British Architect 1859-60 and 1861-2

, ; previous to which , Daliaway , Collections for an Historical Account of Master and Freemasons , 8 vo ., Lond ., 1833 , had treated the subject in a professional view . Otherwise , nearly all other writers have felt the influence of the publications relating to the Friendly Society above mentioned : such as , Anderson , The New Boole of Con-

Freemasons.*

stitutions of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternit y , etc ., 4 to ., Lond ., 1723 , and its enlarged editions by Noorthouck , b y Preston , and by Oliver , for England ; of Laurie , Thc History of Freemasonry , etc ., 8 vo .. Edinburgh , 1804 , and 2 nd . ed ! , 1859 , for Scotland ; and by Sprat , The New Book of the Constitutions , etc ., 8 vo ., Dublin , 1751 , for Ireland . Krause , Dei Drei aeltesten Kunsturhunden der freimaurer brudersehaft , etc ., 2 nd ., 8 vo ., Dresden , 1821 , is a collection of works relating to this society .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

BEO . GEXEKAE WASIIINGTOX . Please add to your notes about Bro . General "Washington tho following , it partly accounts for his having been often called Grand Master . —Ex . Ex . The popular notion—received even by so well-informed a brother as General Jackson— -that Washington Avas Grand Master of Masons , or as some have it , General Grand Master , or Grand Master of all American Masonshad its oriinprobablin the

, g , y , traditions of his period , that he Avas a man fitted for such a station . And so , emphatically , he Avas . When the idea of a General or National Grand Lodge ivas broached , he Avas the only person suggested for its head ; and it is our impression that the very idea of such an Institution greiv out of the fact that there was a AVashington , and that he ivas a Mason . For after his death little or nothing more was said in relation to this subject , till in Bro . Henry Clay's time 1823 it Avas revived .

, , When , in 1777 , an effort Avas made by the reprsentatives of five lodges in Virginia , assembled at Williamsburgh , to organize a Grand Lodge for that State , the Convention recommended to their constituents , and to the members of all the other lodges in the State , "His Excellency , General George AVashington , " as a suitable person to fill the oflice of Grand Master .

EABLY GEAXn EXCAAIFMEXT . , The following may interest the Sir Knights of the Order of the Temple ; it is derived from an American source . —Ex . Ex . " The early Grand Knight Templars , " but so utterly contemptible have their assumed representath'es and successors become , that ivere any of the original E . G . s to revisit the scene of their knightl " ilgrimage" they would fail to

y p , recognise in the nondescript ceremonies obtaining in the feiv remaining " pasteboard encampments" anything approaching to the Irish or E . G . Knight Templarism of the eighteenth century . And so unmasonic are the signs of spurious Knight Ternplary , that did regularly dubbed K . T . 's make the attempt they could not " pass the outer guards " of the clandestine body . It is Avell knoAvn that originally Knights Templar had no connection whatever Avith Freemasons , and that it Avas not till after

a series of long-continued ancl bitter persecution , that a portion of the Order , sought safety by an alliance AA'ith Freemasonry . Towards the close of the eighteenth century , the Grand Master of the Knights Templar died , and no meetings being at that period alloiA ed by the British Parliament , except us Freemasons , in order to keep up the semblance of a legalised body of Freemasons , the various democratic portions of the Order in Scotland got charters from Irelandfrom a boditself illegaland

, y , who it ivas Avell knoAvn had no right to . grant them . These charters emanatedfrom Dublin , and were what ivere called "Early Grand" warrants . The West of Scotland AVUS inundated Avith such charters , and their introduction Avas looked upon by the Grand Conclave of Scotland as prejudicial to the interests of Knight Ternplary . And so , when the terror for secret societies had someivhat abated , the thinking portion of the Order in Scotland saiv the propriety of tliroAving aside these spurious

charters ,- ancl , until the chivalric branch could again be put into a state of efficiency , the Masonic portion resolved to take the steps folloAved in all degrees of Masonry , viz ., to get the various independent and headless encampments to meet and elect a supreme body—in other Avords , a Congress or Parliament—Avhom they Avere to obey , and who should issue charters and regulate the encampments by a uniform code of laivs . This Avas happily accomplished in 1811 , under the auspices of Queen Victoria ' s father , the late Duke of Kent . To make the new arrangement more complete , with a liberality hardly justifiable , all the Irish-hold-