The Illuminati.—Ii.

Franconia , Saxe , Thuringia , and the provinces on the banks of the Moselle , acknoivledged the authority of the Grand Lodge of Strasbourg . Even in the present age the masters ofthe establishment of Strasbourg condemned to the penalty of a fine the Lodges of Dresden and Nurenibnrg , which was paid . The Grand Lodge of Vienna , which founded Lodges in Hungary and Syriaancl the Grand Lodge of Zurich which

, governed all those in Switzerland , referred to the mother Lodge of Strasbourg !! in grave and difficult cases . " The members of this society had no communication with other masons who merely knew the use of the trowel ancl mortar . They adopted for characteristic marks all that belonged to the profession , which they regarded as an art far superior to that of the sinqile

labouring mason . The ; square , level , and compasses became their attributes . Resolved to form a body distinct from the common herd of workmen , they invented for use among themselves rallying words and tokens of recognition , and other distinguishing signs . This they called the sign of ivords , das workxicken , le sahti , der grass . The apprentices , companions , and masters were received with ceremonies conducted in secret . They took tor their motto "liberty , " and it is said they sometimes refused to acknowledge the legitimate authority ofthe magistrates .

"You will doubtless recognize ! , Madam , in these particulars , the Freemasons of modern times . In fact the analogy is plain— . the same name , ' Lodges , ' signifies the place of assembly ; the same order in . their distribution ; tho same division , into masters , companions , ancl apprentices ; both are presided over by a Grand Master . They have both particular signs , secret laws , statutes against the profane . ; in fine , they can say

one to the other ' My brethren and my companions know me for a Mason . ' But our Masons of Strasbourg , in spite of the obscurity of their labours , prove by their ancient and authenticated titles thenrank and their origin ; while our French , English , German , and Italian Freemasons , even in spite of 'Hiram and tho Temple of Salomon , ' cannot prove so great antiquity . I believe that the tower

of Strasbourg is a more tangible monument than the famous brass columns of ' Jakim and Booz . ' However , it is very possible that I may be mistaken , 'I am in the dirk , but I goto seek the li g ht iu the north . ' "I must add , madam , that this tribunal of the Masons' Lodges exists to this day in Strasbourg ; and although its jurisdiction is

diminished it is still looked upon as tho Grand Lodge of Germany . The inhabitants of our town resort thither in all cases of litigation relative to buildings . The magistrates , iu 1461 , entrusted to this body the entire cognizance ; of such cases , [ irescribing in the same year the forms and the laws which were to be observed ; and this p rivilege was confirmed in 1490 . The judgments they gave bore the name of

rlulien-briej ' , or lodge- letters . The archives of the town are full of such documents , aud there- arc few old families of Strasbourg which have not some preserved among their papers , But in 1620 , the