The Early History And Antiquities Of Freemasonry.*

The treatise is not written exclusively for the information of the Craft , and so Bro . Fort is anxious that it will find its Avay into the hands of many who are not members of the " mystic tie . " Our Brother has done his work exceedingly Avell , and has evidently spared neither pains nor expense

to thoroughly investigate the supposed facts of our Masonic history . If here and there he has taken some of these for granted on the presumed accuracy of the authorities quoted Ave must not Avonder , for such a book as " The Early History and Antiquities of Freemasonry , " can scarcely , in the nature of things , be found Avholly perfect and correct when it is the AvOrk of one

individual . " Many hands make li ght work , " and each Masonic student is sure to develop some specialities iu Avhich he becomes proficient , but at the same time to the detriment of other departments . We have long contended that the " History of Freemasonry " cannot be written by one

individual , but must be the joint production of the many ; England , Scotland , Ireland , Germany , France , the United States and other countries furnishing their quota of Masonic students , and repertory of facts . Anderson , Preston , Lessing , Kloss

and others such in the past , and Dr . Oliver , Dr . Mackay , D . Murray Lyon , Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , Dr . Heboid , Albert Pike , J . G . Findel , and other celebrities of late years , are all necessary to the production of a complete and reliable history , and Avhen they and others have all done their best to elucidate the truth , it will be for some future Masonic historian to collect the

scattered fragments and present one comprehensive harmonious whole . Brother Fort takes his place in the front rank of Masonic students , and so the United States has furnished another competent and zealous explorer of Masonic antiquities . We regret exceedingly not having met with

Brother Fort in his tr .-wels in England , and from the nature of the feAV errors Avhich have crept into his Avork Ave should judge that he did not visit the study of our Bro . Woodford , nor the sanctum of our Bro . Lyon . We cite two of our reasons for so thinking . Brother Fort does not seem to be familiar Avith the " Fabric Rolls of York

Minster , " in which occurs an exact copy of "Ordiuacio Oementariorum " ( G . O ., 100 p . ) , reprinted in our "Constitutions of the Freemasons" ( 1869 ) , page xxiii , and in

Avhich provision is made by " y" Chapitre of y ° Kirk of Saint Petyr of York yat all ye masouns yt sail wyrke * * * in ye loge * * * close bysyde y ° forsayde kirk , * * * yai sail be in y forsayde loge atte zaire werke . " This Avas made A . D . 1370 ( circanot later than 1372 ) . This

, , provision for a lodge or shed being thus erected and used by the Masons is most important , as it contains one of the earliest allusions to a lodge known . Strange brethren Avere to be received after clue trial and probation , at the " commune

assente of y mayster and y kepers of y ° Averk , ande ofy maystyr masoun , and SAvere upon y ° boke , " & c , & c . Brother Fort declares that " The earliest authentic record * is to be found on the rolls of Saint Mary ' s Lodgeat Edinburgh ,

, Avhere it is registered that Thomas Bsswell , Esquire of Auchinleck , Avas elected Warden of the Lodge in the year 1600 , and that Robert Moray , a Quartermaster General of the Scottish Army Avas initiated into the mysteries of the Master Masons degree

intheyeav 1641 . " Iu Bro . D . Murray Lyon ' s History of Mary Chapel Lodge ( Edinburgh ) we find that John Boswell Avas present at an assembly of the Lodge , Sth day of June , 1600 ; he was a gentleman , but the record says nothing of his being a Warden . . . In

the minute of the admission of Quartermaster General Moray , dated 20 th May * , 1641 ( at Newcastle , England , by members of the liodge ) , no mention is made of any degree , but simply " doth admit Mr ., " and it is even doubtful Avhether the Mr . is not

intended as -a prefix to the name , as the record is most indefinite in a Masonic sense . As to the Old English and Scottish guilds and corporations our good friends Woodford and Lyon Avould gladly have aided Brother Fort , and through their aid

he Avould have seen documents several centuries old , of much importance archseologically and masonically . We are 'dad to note our American Brother visited the York Lodge , and that he had the good fortune to secure the services of our Brother Cowling ( the

esteemed Treasurer ) , in the examination of the records of the extinct Grand Lodge . It is pleasant also to Avitness the readiness with which Brother Fort acknowledges