Kloss's Masonic Bibliography.

KLOSS'S MASONIC BIBLIOGRAPHY .

BY THE EDITOR . rpHE " Bibliographic der Freimaurerei " put forth by Dr . George Kloss , - * - Frankfort-on-the-Maine , in 1844 , is a very remarkable work , which , if it could be revised ancl completed to oar own time , would display some very astounding results . Indeed , very few Freemasons in England or America

, comparatively speaking , among the thousands who rank themselves under onr banners , are aware either of the existence , much less the value , of this book to Masonic Archaeology in general , to the Masonic student in particular . We propose , therefore , in this paper to give an outline of the work , merely premising that even Kloss , with his painstaking accuracy , has omitted some works , and that we find mistakes ( which are indeed unavoidable in any similar

work ) as regards the earlier and later editions of works and the names of writers . Bnt as a general rule Kloss is most correct , and , as a book of reference , his handbook is simply invaluable to the Masonic student to-day . Kloss , when he published his work , hoped and intended , as far as it was , humanly speaking , possible , to give to Masons a correct list of Masonic books , whether by known or anonymous writersand to procure the names of the

, former and to realise the fact of the latter . He divides his work into several sections which we cannot follow , as it would make this paper too long , but we propose simpl y to touch upon the salient points and give a resume of the whole . For instance , he mentions that from 1717 to 1756 there were written no less than 108 works for and against Freemasonry , while from 1757 to 1799 , excepting France , there were issued 342 ; from 1799 to 1844 there were

written 227 ; this includes French works from 1756 . From 1721 to our time there were issued 703 addresses and autient charges , including funeral orations , while 324 publications relative to Masonic melody , songs , and music attest the harmonious qualities and tendencies of the Craft . 331 publications have issued from all lands and jurisdictions relative to Masonic ritual , and even Masonic romances have not been forgottenthere being no less than 80

, mentioned up to 1 . 844 , and something under 56 Masonic tragedies and plays . Kloss omits Masonic poetry , of which , as we know , there are several examples published . He mentions , however , about thirt y Masonic biographies , ancl a large number of works relating to antiquities , worship , the mysteries , namely , 145 , and over 50 dealing with metaphysics , theosophy , mysticism , and the Cabala .

Kloss gives us a list of the following works as regards the history of Freemasonry in various lands : —The Cosmopolitan History of Freemasonry , 70 works ; English , American , and Canadian Freemasonry , about 25 ; German Freemasonry , 122 ; Holland and its Colonies , 55 ; Belgium , 50 ; Switzerland , Ppland , Russia , 70 ; Italian Freemasonry , 33 . Kloss seems to omit Spain aud Portugal and the South American Colonies , and we may note that his record ns to EnglandAmericaancl Canada and the

, , English Dependencies is very incomplete indeed . Kloss mentions about 300 works relative to Templarism and the Chivalric System , ancl 274 relative to Rosicrneianism . There were , up to 1844 , nearly 100 works published relative to the Masonic Constitutions , and about 100 relative to Masonic journals , catalogues , and the like . Kloss also calls attention to 40 works on magic or connected with Masonry . There are about 700 works relative to French Masonry under

the Grand Orient ; about 50 relative to the Rite Ecossais ; 40 relative to the Rite of Misraim . 'Though Kloss mentions 5393 works , he gives a supplement of between 200 and 300 more , which places the total to about 5600 in 1844 . Were we to add to this list all the works which Kloss has unavoidabl y omitted or overlooked , and all that have been published since , we are not