, 1879-07-20
FREEMASONRY.

Prince Lcopold'8 installation last night. at
| the Freemasons' Hall, as Master of the Lodge
of Antiquity is an event Of greater public inter-
est than the majority Of Masonic proceedings.
| The Office which Prince Leopold nom fills was
woEthfly filled by his grcatuncle, tine Duke OF
Sussex, for 1airty-four years. This association
with q Royal parsonage Is not, however, the
only or tue greatest distinction OF the
Lodge Of Antiquity. William III. was initiated
into Masonry in this Lodge. which then bore the
name OF St. Paul's. and in which Sir Christopher
Wren o1iciated rs Master for eighteen years. 1t
received from him what is both treasure md a
curiosity-that is, the mallet or gavel used BY
Charles II. to lay the loundation-stone Of
St. Paul's Cathedral, and formed cut OF piece
Of wood OF the original structure. He also gave
it fragment Of the stone Of the Roman temple
which stood On the site of the present Cathedral,
and which WAS dug up when the foundations
were laid. Some Of the lodge furniture WAS
designed md presented by the great architect,
so that the members can boast OF possessing
many thngs of almost national value. 1t
Is appropriate that body such a. this
should have at its head one whose ure-
rary and artistic tastes are SO much in
sympathy with its history, and who is well
qualified to perpetuate the traditions Of those
Masters who have adorned the position to which
he has been elected Even the general pub
ltc, to whom Masonry may not be q subject
Of particular concern, cannot but feel
grattticd that body 80 venerable as the
Lodge Of AntiaultT should continue to de-
serve and maintain its exceptional place among
Masonic societies. The .pretenslons Of enthu-
sasts ABOUT the great age Of Masonry may not
unreasouably excite the scorn Ut unlmaginatlye
critics The stories Whlch tell how st. AIbau
introduced the Order into Britain ere IN Keeping
with other tables IN the Legendary annals OF this
country. Extrayagant claims naturally excite
skeptlcsEa, and almost, justify the Tejec-
tion of any story as pure felton,. Wnlie
no person competent,. TO form q decision
can soberly uphold tue statements concern
ing the ancient II not pre- historic, character OF
treenasonry' YET 1t Is quite as rash to argue, as
is frequently done, that Tue woole system is but
some clever men in the e;shteunth century.
That freemasonry, substantially the same in
kind as that which now exists, was prac1iced
in this eonnsry as far back os the
time OF Henry VI. Is by no means fnproba-
b]c. 1t has been surmiscd that the King himself
was member Of the Order, though nothing
more is proved in support of this than
that he left behind him manuscript containing
certain parts Of Masonic ritual. In his reign
the operative Masons were very unpopular, aud
's cnap pliers a,lu congregations.n It is possib1e
that, about this time, the change may have be-
Gun which eventually transformed the oper-
atiyc into speculative Masons, substituting for
the forms and rules unucr which buildings were
actually constructed the mere theoret,c masonry
Of the present dny, in which peculiar sys-
TEN of morality is veilcd in aIiepory and
by symbols. The several steps Of
1he process. hare never been CLEARLY traced.
NAV have been ucnirved, it is a noteworthy
one. The existence Of such 4 lodge Is
that of Antiquity, working under an inme-
mortal constltntion. and over which Sir Cbristf>
pher Wren presided as Master, carries back The
0rde: in this country to period sufficiently re-
to endow it with an archaeological status.
However well foupded the doubls may be as
to tue rights Of Frcemasons to claim an ancient
Order itself is widely difuscd over The Garth and
Yields an extended power: Not long ago We
nr1blishcd some statistics on this suniect. and
these figures could not fail to produce strong
impression. There Is no civilized country ID |
which many Masonic lodges canuot be found.
md, tie more civilized the couptry, the prrater