Chinese Freemasonry.

deep devotion , distinguished its philosophers and sages , and , as it may be said , almost deified the literary profession . Even the defeat of the Ming dynasty by the Tartars failed to efface this affectionate clinging to historic and philosophic detail ; ancl although the revolt of the Five Kings , known as the Taeping rebellion , some twenty years ago , was unsuccessful , its leaders appealed rather

to the moral ideas of the general Chinese public for success than to the force of arms , but it should be remembered that the Five Kings came in the name of the Mings . It is certain that the Taepings relied in great measure apon the professedly pure morals expressed in their proclamations for their ultimate supremacy in the government of that centralized and populous country . Their defeat , with which we have nothing to do , was the result of other conjoint

interests . The world has long been aware that certain secret societies existed in China . Whether these societies were wholly political it is impossible to say without further information . That rites and ceremonies existed amongst them of an esoteric nature is however unquestionable . Even Masonry itself is known in China , as I shall now proceed to show . How far this is to be connected with the Craft Masonry of Europe and America we cannot at present tell .

Some time in 1863 , it would appear , a native Chinese , named Ting Tun Sing , a native of Kouaiitchu , near Peking , presented himself at the Lodge La Jerusalem des Vallees Egyptiennes , at Paris . The W . M . of the lodge , Bro . Hubert , appointed my distinguished friend , the great Orientalist , Bro . Leon de Rosny , to act as interpreter and guide . The initiate exhibited moral points of contact as to belief during the ceremony , and , after fulfilling the necessary

conditions , expressed his lively satisfaction at receiving the apron of E . A . P . He then stated that in his own country similar associations existed , bound together by solemn vows . But never having been initiated he could tell no more . Another Chinese , however , visited Paris shortly afterwards , named Samung who had been passed to the Second Degree . From this brother it was learnt that Masonry existed throughout Chinaand was known as the

Saii-ko-, hoei , or Triad Society , but was only tolerated at Canton and Hong Kono-. This Chinese gave an account of the signs adopted among Chinese Masons , which I possess , but think most prudent not to commit to writing . This Masonry is of two classes , philosophic and benevolent , and political and revolutionary . It was this last section which lent great aids in the Taepinorebellion .

Now the existence of such a kind of Masonry in such a nation of precedents and tradition as the Chinese—slow to receive impressions of such a character—led me to the conclusion that where so much existed , there might , at least , be more behind . In point of fact it invested the philosophic writings of the Chinese with an interest I had not possessed in them before ; and , with a view to making such results known as might properly be communicated , I

continued to read in this rich field , almost unknown to Europeans even in our inquiring age . For along time my studies were unremunerative . I found no book containing anything approaching to what I so strongly suspected to be in existence . Philosophy of the boldest kind , and morality , almost laughable from its non-observance , cropped up in plenty , but at last what 1 was in search of came to view ; although I am not visionary enough to assert that what I am

about to present is the actual primeval Chinese Masonry , it is so nearly and closely allied to it in all essentials as to merit the most serious attention . About the sixth century before the Christian era , there undoubtedly existed a personage whose patronymic is now lost ; in fact , it was lost by the year B . C . 200 , for Sze-ma-Fsien gives him another name and surname . But gradually a designation took the place of a name , and he came to be known as Lau-tsze , the Old Philosopher , or the Philosopher Lau , analogous to the more modern expression of the Tao-Tsze , or Doctors of Wisdom—themselves an ofishoot