The Sanctuary Of Memphis, Or Hermes:

in its entirety . Many ages afterwards the Knight Templars embraced this doctrine , whose mysteries they celebrated with the utmost secrecy , and adopted , after its example , the designation of the " Sons of the Widow , " and symbolised the death of Manes , under the name of Hiram , architect of the Temple of Solomon .

Arrived at the period of the order of the Templars , we perceive the history of Masonry grow clearer and become more certain and reliable . The Order of the Temple was not the cradle of Masonry , but it was the most noble expression ancl outcome of it . The Templars preserved its -united strength during their brilliant career ; and after their destruction we can follow the ramifications which broke up Freemasonry into so many branches .

But from whom had the Templars received the entire collection of Masonic science ? From the brethren of the East , whose founder was an Egyptian sage named Ormus , converted to Christianit y by St . Mark . But Ormus purified the doctrine of the Egyptians according to the precepts of Christianity . About the same time the Essenians and ' other Jews founded a school of Solomonic sciencewhich united itself to that of Ormus . The

dis-, ciples of Ormus , up to A . D . 1118 , remained the sole depositories of the ancient Egyptian " wisdom , " purified by Christianity and the Solomonic science . This doctrine they communicated to the Templars , who were then known under the title of "Knights of Palestine , " or " Brothers of the Red Cross of the East , " and it is those whom the Rite of Memphis recognised as its immediate founders .

In 1150 , eighty-one of them arrived in SAveden under the guidance of Garimont , and presented themselves to the Archbishop of Upsala , who received from them the collection of Masonic knowledge . It was those eighty-one Masons who established Masonry in Europe .

After the death of James Molay , head of the Knight Templars of France , some Scotch Templars , having seceded at the instigation of King Robert Bruce , ranged themseh'es under the banner of a new order instituted b y that prince , the receptions into which order were based upon those of the Order of the Temple . It is in this incident that we have to seek for the ori gin of Scotch Masonry , and even for that of other Masonic rites . The Scotch Templars were excommunicated in 1324 by Harminius . This date agrees

ivith that of Brother Cherean as to the separation of the "Masons of Edinburgh " from those of Memphis , which took place in 1322—that is to say , two years before . The latter remained faithful to the olden traditions ; the former founded a new rite or dispensation , under the name of " Heredon of Kilwinning , " or of " Scotland . " Hencethenive findtowards the end of the 14 th centurytwo existent

, , , , rites—the Rite of Memphis or of the Orient ( the East ) and the Scottish Rite . Both continued to derive accessions of members in all parts of Europe—the Scottish Rite being- greatly aided in obtaining members through the bod y of Royal Archers in the service of the French kings , and from the numbers of that hardy ancl warlike race scattered at the time throughout Europe . It must be observedhoweverthat Masonry did not become public in

, , France till the comencement of the 18 th century , though so long before an institution in England . The first promoters of Masonry in France were , in 1725 , Lord Derwentwater ( holder only of the title of the gallant young Jacobite beheaded for his share in the rising for the first Pretender , in 1715 ) , the Chevalier Maskelyne , ancl M . d'Heguelly , who established the first Masonic Lodge in ParisRue des- Boucheries-St .-Germainwhich Lodwas instituted

, , ge on the 7 th May , 1729 , by the Grand Lodge of England , under the distinctive title of St . Thomas . Count d'Harnouester succeeded Lord Derwentwater as first Grand Master on the 24 th December , 1736 , and was replaced on the 11 th December , 1743 , by the Count cle Clermont . The same year the Grand English Lodge of France established itself in Paris , ancl declared itself independent in