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The Stuarts And Freemasonry.
Abbe Terrason was actually published as a Masonic book in a , Masonic periodical a few years ago . But a brother named Kelly made a higher flight still ; he actually printed the " Orbis Miraeulum" of Lee , published in 1665 , as his own , under the title of " Solomon ' s Temple Spiritualised ; and as Lee's work was
dedicated to the wardens , fellows , and students of Wadham College , so Kelly converted the dedication to all Eree and Accepted Masons . Kelly published this scandalous theft as a Masonic book of his own writing , in Dublin , 1 S 03 , and subsequently in America , and by his list of subscribers this worthy brother
Mason seems to have made a good sum of money . Ramsay ' s "Travels of Cyrus " has earned for its author the same distinction , the Freemasons not being able perceive that it is simply a system of education for a young prince , an object to which Ramsay had practically devoted his attention all his life .
The result of my researches was that in no authentic or impartial work is there any account of Ramsay having been a Ereemason . The story that he was one is only founded on a speech said to be delivered by him as Grand Orator at the initiation of a Mason . No such title as Grand Orator is known among the Freemasons of either England or France . I have seen the speech , and I solemnly declare that it is no
more than a satire upon the ignorance of Freemasons and the alleged pedantry of Ramsay . I am ashamed in " 1 ST . and Q . " to name the work in which it is found , but I feel compelled to do so , and it is in the " Almanach des Cocus , " a periodical published in Paris , from 1741 to 1743 . It is , as its title implies , a filthy , obscene publication—so obscene that even its Parisian
publisher dared not to print the word Paris on the book ; the imprint on the first two volumes is Con stantinople , on the third , Pekin . We may be sure that Ramsay has never written a line published in the disgusting Almanach , and I feel truly happy that I have at last rescued his name from a base but
baseless stigma . This very satire has since been published as an important historical document in Lenning ' s great work , the "Encyclopadie fur Freimaurer . " "This encyclopaedia , " says Findel in his " History , " is one of the richest sources of Masonic information , and an
indispensable book of reference for every inquiring Mason , and now appears in a second edition , enlarged and revised , under the title of ' Handbuch de r Freimaurerei . ' " My book-seller informs me that a new edition of Findel ' s " History" is to be immediately published . I would humbly recommend these passages to the editor ' s attention .
Thory , in his "Acta Lafcamorum , " Paris , 1815 , has acted in a precisely similar manner . He has published the whole of a clever satire on Freemasonry entitled , " Hn Brevet de la Calotte aceorde en faveur de tous les bons et zeles Francs-Macons . " An association of wits , during the Regency of France , sent to any
person or persons who mi ght fail in good manners or good sense a brevet or commission entitling them to be of the Regiment of Calotte , and this was the one sent to the Freemasons . Indeed , it seems that the Freemasons were too ridiculous of themselves to be sensible of the shafts of ridicule that were launched against them on every side . Thorey actually speaks of the caricature of the Scald Miserable Freemasons , as if it were a great credit to the society , aud tells us that
The Stuarts And Freemasonry.
there are just two in France . One of them is preserved with great care as a holy relic in the mother lodge of the Philosophic Rite of France , the other in a lodge at Douai . WILLIAM PIKKEETOH ,
Agreeing with Mr . Pinkerfcon as to the numerous literary and historical forgeries to be found in the ordinary books on Freemasonry , I would suggest to him that it does not necessarily follow that the body of Freemasons is to be charged with the authorship of these lies , but rather to be set down as dupes . A number of ignorant men readily swallow these
inventions , and some who may be supposed to know better are unable to discriminate . The last century was particularly one of literary . forgery , as Psaltnanazar , Chatterton , and Ireland attest ; while the Richard of Cirencester of Bertram has been only lately exposed , and is still quoted . The Freemasons were not
likely to escape , and afforded ready facilities for being hoaxed or duped , A manuscript was carefully treasured , kept from the public eye , copied and recopied , and mysteriously circulated . The outside critic has-only lately been able to exercise his judgment on some of these documents . If the dialogue of Henry VI . is a clumsy modern forgery , the origin of some absurd traditions dates from the era of the
Arthurian romances . I adhere to Mr . PinkertonV view , that the Young Pretender did not accept in Scotland the Grand Mastership of any sham order of Masonic chivalry , but I am not convinced by his negative arguments that the Pretender and his followers may not have countenanced Freemasonrythe exeommuniratkoi
, notwithstanding . The Jacobites appear to have introduced Freemasonry into France , and this sho nld not be discredited , because at an after period a ays tern of sham Scotch orders was fabricated . It appears to me well deserving of investigation '' oy Mr . Pinkerton and other inquirers what part the
Jacobites took in secret societies in England . The Grand Lodge of England was Hanoverian in ita leaders . Were the Jacobites then concerned in the York lodges , or were they the supporters of Gormogons , Gregorians , & c . ? The decline of Jacobite sentiment and organisation may have had its influence on the fall of the anti-Masonic societies . ITYBE ClAKEE .
Mr . Pinkerton has ruined the influence of the IBAV good points of his first article by the want of information displayed in his last , and the intemperate language of both . If that gentleman imag ines he can injure Freemasonry in such a way , he is quite welcome to try it , as such attempts can only recoil upon him
self . No one connected with the Order of Freemasonry cares a jot about the House of Stuart , but the information we have seems conclusive that the Stuarts did at various times between 164 S and 1745 attempt to make use of that order politically , but the proofs unfortunatelare not susceptible of introduction to
y your pages . Findel is no authority for auything connected with English Freemasonry , his viewa beingwarped to party purposes . Ramsay exercised no influence whatever upon English Freemasonry , but he did upon that of France . The Pope ' s bull h no argument , as there are Roman Catholic prelates con *
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Stuarts And Freemasonry.
Abbe Terrason was actually published as a Masonic book in a , Masonic periodical a few years ago . But a brother named Kelly made a higher flight still ; he actually printed the " Orbis Miraeulum" of Lee , published in 1665 , as his own , under the title of " Solomon ' s Temple Spiritualised ; and as Lee's work was
dedicated to the wardens , fellows , and students of Wadham College , so Kelly converted the dedication to all Eree and Accepted Masons . Kelly published this scandalous theft as a Masonic book of his own writing , in Dublin , 1 S 03 , and subsequently in America , and by his list of subscribers this worthy brother
Mason seems to have made a good sum of money . Ramsay ' s "Travels of Cyrus " has earned for its author the same distinction , the Freemasons not being able perceive that it is simply a system of education for a young prince , an object to which Ramsay had practically devoted his attention all his life .
The result of my researches was that in no authentic or impartial work is there any account of Ramsay having been a Ereemason . The story that he was one is only founded on a speech said to be delivered by him as Grand Orator at the initiation of a Mason . No such title as Grand Orator is known among the Freemasons of either England or France . I have seen the speech , and I solemnly declare that it is no
more than a satire upon the ignorance of Freemasons and the alleged pedantry of Ramsay . I am ashamed in " 1 ST . and Q . " to name the work in which it is found , but I feel compelled to do so , and it is in the " Almanach des Cocus , " a periodical published in Paris , from 1741 to 1743 . It is , as its title implies , a filthy , obscene publication—so obscene that even its Parisian
publisher dared not to print the word Paris on the book ; the imprint on the first two volumes is Con stantinople , on the third , Pekin . We may be sure that Ramsay has never written a line published in the disgusting Almanach , and I feel truly happy that I have at last rescued his name from a base but
baseless stigma . This very satire has since been published as an important historical document in Lenning ' s great work , the "Encyclopadie fur Freimaurer . " "This encyclopaedia , " says Findel in his " History , " is one of the richest sources of Masonic information , and an
indispensable book of reference for every inquiring Mason , and now appears in a second edition , enlarged and revised , under the title of ' Handbuch de r Freimaurerei . ' " My book-seller informs me that a new edition of Findel ' s " History" is to be immediately published . I would humbly recommend these passages to the editor ' s attention .
Thory , in his "Acta Lafcamorum , " Paris , 1815 , has acted in a precisely similar manner . He has published the whole of a clever satire on Freemasonry entitled , " Hn Brevet de la Calotte aceorde en faveur de tous les bons et zeles Francs-Macons . " An association of wits , during the Regency of France , sent to any
person or persons who mi ght fail in good manners or good sense a brevet or commission entitling them to be of the Regiment of Calotte , and this was the one sent to the Freemasons . Indeed , it seems that the Freemasons were too ridiculous of themselves to be sensible of the shafts of ridicule that were launched against them on every side . Thorey actually speaks of the caricature of the Scald Miserable Freemasons , as if it were a great credit to the society , aud tells us that
The Stuarts And Freemasonry.
there are just two in France . One of them is preserved with great care as a holy relic in the mother lodge of the Philosophic Rite of France , the other in a lodge at Douai . WILLIAM PIKKEETOH ,
Agreeing with Mr . Pinkerfcon as to the numerous literary and historical forgeries to be found in the ordinary books on Freemasonry , I would suggest to him that it does not necessarily follow that the body of Freemasons is to be charged with the authorship of these lies , but rather to be set down as dupes . A number of ignorant men readily swallow these
inventions , and some who may be supposed to know better are unable to discriminate . The last century was particularly one of literary . forgery , as Psaltnanazar , Chatterton , and Ireland attest ; while the Richard of Cirencester of Bertram has been only lately exposed , and is still quoted . The Freemasons were not
likely to escape , and afforded ready facilities for being hoaxed or duped , A manuscript was carefully treasured , kept from the public eye , copied and recopied , and mysteriously circulated . The outside critic has-only lately been able to exercise his judgment on some of these documents . If the dialogue of Henry VI . is a clumsy modern forgery , the origin of some absurd traditions dates from the era of the
Arthurian romances . I adhere to Mr . PinkertonV view , that the Young Pretender did not accept in Scotland the Grand Mastership of any sham order of Masonic chivalry , but I am not convinced by his negative arguments that the Pretender and his followers may not have countenanced Freemasonrythe exeommuniratkoi
, notwithstanding . The Jacobites appear to have introduced Freemasonry into France , and this sho nld not be discredited , because at an after period a ays tern of sham Scotch orders was fabricated . It appears to me well deserving of investigation '' oy Mr . Pinkerton and other inquirers what part the
Jacobites took in secret societies in England . The Grand Lodge of England was Hanoverian in ita leaders . Were the Jacobites then concerned in the York lodges , or were they the supporters of Gormogons , Gregorians , & c . ? The decline of Jacobite sentiment and organisation may have had its influence on the fall of the anti-Masonic societies . ITYBE ClAKEE .
Mr . Pinkerton has ruined the influence of the IBAV good points of his first article by the want of information displayed in his last , and the intemperate language of both . If that gentleman imag ines he can injure Freemasonry in such a way , he is quite welcome to try it , as such attempts can only recoil upon him
self . No one connected with the Order of Freemasonry cares a jot about the House of Stuart , but the information we have seems conclusive that the Stuarts did at various times between 164 S and 1745 attempt to make use of that order politically , but the proofs unfortunatelare not susceptible of introduction to
y your pages . Findel is no authority for auything connected with English Freemasonry , his viewa beingwarped to party purposes . Ramsay exercised no influence whatever upon English Freemasonry , but he did upon that of France . The Pope ' s bull h no argument , as there are Roman Catholic prelates con *