Freemasory Considered

thought . Such may be the opinion of this brother , but it is not the opinion of Masons , it is not the teaching of Masomy . In Masonry a man has no age . His mental qualities and the discharge of his Masonic duties are alone looked at . I do not know who the brother is or Avhat his age may be , but I am

sorry to have to give him this lesson , Avhich perhaps may teach him in future to consider well before he puts such absurdities on paper . The fiery brother , who like another Don Quixote bounds into the lists to hurl me from my saddle at the first career , tho "Kni ght Templar , " deserves some

small attention , with his buckler of the " Encyclopedia Metropolitana . " Let us rend his buckler before Ave filli p him . What authority has the " Encyclopaedia Metropolitana" for stating that "the Provincial Grand Master of Auvergne , Pierre d'Aumont , with two Commanders ancl five Knights , fled disguised as Masons to one of the Scottish Isles ,

where they found the Grand Commander Hamptoncourt , " & c . Now , there never ivas such an office as the Provincial Grand Mastership of Auvergne . It was a Grand Priory , presided over by a Grand Prior . I shall be obliged to "Kni ght Templar" if he will point out to me in any work upon the persecution of

the Templars , which gives an account of the Proces and the names of the Kni ghts , these names " Pierre d'Aumont , Provincial Grand Master of Auvergne , " and "Grand Commander Hamptoneourt" ( De Clifton was at the time Grand Prior of Scotland ) , or such titles among the Knights Templars as Grand

Commander or Commander . The titles were Grand Prior or Preceptor , as every tyro kuoivs . Is it not very extraordinary that all famous Masonic events happened in the islands or obscure towns of Scotland ? I Avould refer a " Knight Templar " to the works of Pissot , Grouvelle , Raynouard , Bardlet , and others , authorities with whom the inconsiderate brother is

seemingly unacquainted , ancl AVIIO are my authorities . I ask him , furthermore , to point out any work where the circumstance referred to is mentioned , that is , any A \ -ork not emanating from the spurious body . As for the Templars' connection with Aberdeen , permit me to refer " Knight Templar " to an authority , Avhich

even he must bow to—Sir James Buines , Grand Prior of the Knights Templars in India , AVIIO , in his work upon the Order , at page 71 , Avrites" The delusions on this subject , however , had taken such a hold in Germany , that they were not altogether dispelled until a deputation had actuallAusited

y Aberdeen , and found amongst the Avorthy and astonished brethren there no trace either of very ancient Templars or Freemasonry . '" I leave my brethren to judge who is ri g ht , t repeat my statement that , on the suppression of the Order , the name of Knight Templar as the designation of a member

of an Order became extinct . I shall be glad to hear of an authorit y between 1320 and 1700 who Avrites to the contrary . On this point , having studied the subject , I hold myself to be a more competent authority than " A Kni ght Templar , " whose ideas of the ancient Order have been gathered among the

deserts of our modern mockery , Avhere the writer of the article in the "Enc . Met . " " appears to have been before him . Even the name of Dr . Oliver cannot make a lie truth . I regret to see that "Kni ght Templar , " after proving himself ignorant of history ,.

Freemasory Considered

resets to' mendicity' to' cast discredit Spoil my statement . ¦ I am not self-con ' stilittcd President-General of the Masonic Literary Union . It was greatly against my wishes' that I took the office , as my f riett'ds well know , and it was the simple consideration that' the ' office Avas one which I could resign at the end of the

year that made me accept it . This " Knight " Templar ' s " ideas of truth and Masonic honour appeal to be on a par ivith his historical knowledge . I may add that , as for the Knight K -h , 1 could teach ' "Kni g ht Templar more of the degree than , judging from his present appearance in printhe is ever likely

, to know , even in spite of his too fatally confident " assertion that I know nothing of it ' . In conclusion , I suspect that Bro . Hopkins' is right in thinking it advisable not to insist upon printing " the names of such correspondents ; I would go further , and think their productions should never be'printed .

Their lucubrations really tend to show the Craft up iu an unfavourable light , and their historical fallacies can only produce contempt in the mind of the scholar . Such brethren must be perfectly well' ' aware that their - \ vi 3 d , Avandering , ancl false statements cannot be constantly answered , and if * ao' better

advocate appears for the upper degrees than these three , your sensible readers will agree ivith me that " it is a AA aste of time ancl space to trouble myself withthem . Authorities I Avant , not idle and childish assertions , devoid of common sense , as thsy are ' devoid of truth . Yours fraternally , A . 0 . HAXS :

Hampton Court.

HAMPTON COURT .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —What authority is there for the statement of " A Knight Templar . " at page 4 G 9 of the- Freemasons' Magazine , that what he calls the P . G . M . of Auvergne Avith two Commanders ancl five knights fled disguised as Masons to one of the Scottish Isles ? What does he mean by Masons

•—operative or I \ ancl A . ? If the latter ; how Avere they disguised ? If operative , what connection had operative Avith F . and A . Masonry ? How came the Grand Commander Hamptoneourt- and other members of the Order in one of the isles ? What is "Hamptoneourt ? " Is it French or English ?• What

connection had it with Hampton Court , and Avas the Grand Commander carried to the latter place in a van ? What authority is there for their removal to Aberdeen , how did they maintain themselves , and Avhy did the Rcniau Catholic authorities allow the excommunicated to harbour in the small toivn of

Aberdeen ? Plow could the Order spread under theveil of Freemasonry , and Avhat kind of Freemasonry ? Operative Freemasonry , for Avhich we have- some kind of evidence , or Free aud Accepted Freemasonry , for Avhich Ave have no evidence ? What became of the Continental Templars , so derived ?

Aberdeen was a very unlikely place for grand dignitaries of the Templars to harbour iu . The ecclesiastics were in force , and the Knights of St .. John AVIIO had a great stake iu the confiscated lands of the Templars , kept a sharp eye on their victims A body of Frenchmen in Aberdeen Avould havebecome known to . the French at the Scotch court intotho bargain ,. Yours fraternally , LEOENDABIUS ..