Masonic Reading.

MASONIC READING .

BV li , EA 1 ISAY OBTLLA , OXT . THE great necessity for Masonic study amongst the Fraternity is so well understood , that it appears almost unnecessary to allude to it here ; but , after allit is advisable to urge it again and again upon brethren and Masters

, of lodges in particular . HOAV pitiful it is to discover the lack of interest that a majority of the Craft take in the literature of Freemasonry . I am not afraid to say that not one Mason out of ten has a single Masonic A'olume in his bookshelves , unless perchance it be a copy of the Book of Coiisfcitutions of the Grand Lodge of his own jurisdiction . From this he studies , ancl if he acquires a rudimentary knowledge of this vade mecum of the Crafthe fancies himself

, able to argue upon any Masonic subject , and express his A'iews upon any of the abstruse technicalities that have puzzled some of our best Masonic jurisconsults . But even this kuoivledge is greater than thousands ever acquire . Such being the case , it is not surprising that we so often see empty lodgerooms .

Is there no remedy then for this lamentable state of affairs r Yes . And , although at first it may be difficult to attain to the high position that so many have acquired , still much might be clone . The neophyte is the one to be taught . He should be instructed that it is his duty to subscribe for at least one Masonic journal , and there should be a clause in the bye-laws of lodges to the effect that a certain proportion of every initiation fee should be placed to the credit of the Lodge Literary Fund . The amount would be

small at first , but it Avould be a nucleus and one that necessaril y must increase . The young Mason is , as a rule , eager to acquire knowledge , but he is too often left to grope alone in darkness . He thirsts for information , but there are none to give it to him ; and after receiving the degrees , ancl too often not even having been informed that there is anything in Masonry beyond the Third Degreehe drops offand finallytaking his climitis lost to the Craft

, , , , , for an unaffiliated Mason is literally rotten , timber in the Temple of the Lord . The fault lies not so much with this class of unaffiliates as with those who should have taught them . Freemasonry has a history that can be traced in a myriad Avays , in different paths ancl connections , till it is lost in the dim vista of the ancient mysteries of dark ages , Avhen men studied the theory of a Godhead and a hereafter through secrets and symbolism , iu order the better to free

themselves from the ignorance ancl bigotry with which they were surrounded . Masters of Lodges should teach these ; but in order to clo so , they must study themselves and acquire a thorough knowledge of Freemasonry as it was ancl as it is . Ritualism is excellent , but it is of very secondary importance to many other branches of Masonic knowledge . Look at our glorious symbolism as taught by Pike and Morris ; onr wondrous jurisprudence as

expounded by Mackey aud Simmons ; our mysterious history as developed by Finclel and Fort . Years ancl years of constant reading are required to master these subjects , and yet we meet brethren every day who have never heard of any of these Masonic ivriters . It is lamentable to think of the ignorance which is actually encouraged in many lodge-rooms . Are our lodges merely club rooms in which certain men go to see a pretty seancewhilst others attend

, " to be made Masons ? " Surel y the Freemasonry of the nineteenth century has a higher and loftier mission than this ! I maintain that Ave can only change this state of things b y impressing upon the candidate the necessity of Masonic reading . Have a ' 1 ibrary con-