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Granada; c) the Grand Lodge of the republic of Uruguay in Montevideo, with 17 Lodges and 2 chapters: d) the Grand Orient of the Argentine Republic at Buenos Ayres; e) the Grand Orient of Haiti in Port-au-Prince.

FREEMASONRY IN AFRICA, ASIA AND AUSTRALIA.

Freemasonry was early planted in Africa, Asia, and Australia, but it was reserved for more modern times to witness its more general diffusion. The Lodges existing in these quarters of the globe were one and all under the Grand Lodge of either England, Scotland, Holland, or France, and therefore their history forms an inseparable part of the History of the countries in question.

In Africa Freemasonry is known in the European colonies along the coast.

The Lodges in Algeria as also in Port Louis, in the island of Mauritius, and St. Denis, in the island of Bourbon, are under the Grand Orient of France; the Lodges at the Cape partly belong to England, partly to the Netherlands. The latter have a Provincial Grand Master there. At Monrovia in the Negro State of Liberia, there are Lodges of coloured brethren, not as yet recognised, but working under a Grand Lodge of their own.

Asia owes the blessing of Freemasonry chiefly to the English and the Dutch. In China there are Lodges in Canton, Hongkong, and Shangai, working under an English constitution. In Asia Minor at Smyrna, there are Lodges in activity, one working in the English, the other in the German language; both are under the English pro

vincial Grand Lodge of Turkey at Constantinople. In the East Indies there is an English Provincial Grand Lodge with 75 Daughter Lodges; besides which there is an English Lodge in Fort Marlbro in Sumatra. The Grand Lodge of Scotland has eight Lodges in Bengal, Bombay, and Arabia; the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands four in Java and Sumatra, and the Grand Orient of France, one in Pondichéry. Well informed Hindoos have sought and found initiation into the fraternity; in the East Indies too, two periodicals are published, the Indian Freemason and Masonic Record.

In Persia, different trials have been made at different times to spread the knowledge of Freemasonry, which came thither by way of India, or else by way of Europe.1 But she has found implacable opponents in the orthodox Parsees, as well as in the Christian missionaries, it is said too that very recently the Shah of Persia has come forth as an opposer of Freemasonry.

In Australia, since the discovery of the gold-diggings, zealous brethren there have succeeded in winning over hearts for the Royal Art, founding new Lodges, and increasing those already founded, so that at present,' under the Grand Lodge of England, there are 17 Lodges in New South Wales, 8 in South Australia, 32 in Victorialand, 8 in New Zealand, 2 in' West Australia, 7 in Tasmania; and under the Grand Lodge of Ireland, there are 4 in New South Wales, 4 in South Australia, 10 in Victorialand, 2 in New Zealand, 4 in Tasmania; under the Grand Lodge of Scotland are 3 in Victorialand, 1 in South Australia, 7 in New South Wales; under the Grand Lodge of California, I in the Sandwich Islands and 1 under the Supr. Conseil de France; and under the Grand Orient de France 1 in Tahiti.

1 Persian ambassadors at European courts have been initiated into the Fraternity.

2 See Handbook of Freemasonry by Schletter and Zille, I. Part, Page 57.

LITERATURE OF THE CRAFT

Masonic literature, in this period from 1783 — 1813 in comparison with former periods, gained considerably both in depth and breadth. We not only meet here with a succession of solid performances spreading light more particularly as regards the history of the Order, and exciting to renewed action, but we likewise see brethren, full of intellectual vigour, and rich in knowledge, exerting themselves in every possible way to promote the interests of the Fraternity. The speeches and lectures of the Freemasons are so numerous and varied that we must give up all thought of examining them in detail, and the rather as we cannot conscientiously set much value on them for their instrinsic worth. They were especially intended to promote and elevate the tone of the members of the Brotherhood, frequently treating only of local and personal occurrences, and confined almost exclusively to such points. as belonged to the broad and well trodden kingdom of morals. We will refer our readers, on this subject, to Kloss's Bibliography, Page 74, &c.

Freemasons Songs. The Freemasons' Glees, Odes, Anthems, and Songs are much more worthy of notice than their speeches. For the purpose of promoting hilarity on their festival days, and of solemnising their feelings in their funeral Lodges, to animate their social meetings, to elevate the tone of their minds when engaged in the serious and solemn ceremonies of initiation, to grace their public dinners and render them more piquant and brilliant, reminding us of the love-feasts of the Essenes and Agape among the primitive Christians, and in fact to enhance

the effect of genuine Masonic impressions generally, brethren gifted with natural taste have done all they could to press Music and Poetry into the service, and to produce by the aid of their powerful enchantments that result which these soothing arts invariably create in every feeling heart. In this manner there have arisen among the Fraternity a great number of songs and odes suitable for every emergency throughout the whole course of a Mason's life. Many of these songs have become generally known, while others cannot boast of enjoying a wider circulation than that of the Lodges or the immediate circle of the brethren themselves. Many have been set to special airs, composed on purpose by well known musicians; and other well loved melodies have had words adapted to suit them. Happilly-chosen selections of the better sort of these songs have been collected and published by single Lodges and Grand Lodges.

The first collection of Masonic songs in Germany is the one by Br. Lenz, which appeared in Altenburg in 1764, from which many songs were subsequently chosen to swell the numbers of other selections.

Contests against

When Freemasonry became more generally Freemasonry. known and understood, a more accurate acquaintance with its aims diminished the distrust with which it was regarded; but yet there were not wanting writers who opposed it. Indeed, at the period of the French Revolution the struggle had grown so formidable that much unwarrantable impetuosity was manifested, yet happily without materially injuring the fraternity for any length of time. As we have already dwelt upon the bold and unscrupulous accusations of a Baruel and a Robison, we will only here mention 1. the pamphlet by Abbé Le Franc; "Conjuration contre la religion Catholique et les souverains, etc." (Paris, 1792); 2. "News of a formidable but invisible Confederacy against the Christian Religion and Monarchical Kingdoms," 1794; 3. by Dr. J. A. Stark,

Senior Preacher at Darmstadt: "Triumph of Philosophy in the 18th century", (2 Part, Frankfort, 1803), &c. Stark, Rösler, and Grolmann were the real instigators of the foul suspicions which were so rife against Freemasonry in Germany at the close of the last century.

Writings of Amongst the writings of mixed import are, mixed import. first of all, the "Eleusinians of the century or the result of united deliberation" (Berlin, 1801 and 2; Editors P. C. K. Fischer and Fessler), a collection of Masonic lectures "which served as an introduction to the greater advancement of Freemasonry, being rich in material, pure and temperate in its discussions". Special interest is felt for the Briefe an Constant" by J. G. Fichte, which are in it, containing a philosophic treatise upon the aim and purpose of the Masonic Fraternity. Another excellent Masonic work, worthy to be mentioned next to the Eleusinians, is the Constitution Book of the regular and perfect Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, "Archimedes zu den drei Reissbrettern" (of the three drawing beards) in Altenburg (1803). The beginning of this important work, which is rarely to be met with, contains extracts from Fessler's attempt to form a general system of laws for the Lodges; then follows the constitution of the Lodge; and it concludes with an appendix, particularly important and instructive: the history of Freemasonry both Ancient and Modern, the history of the Lodge "Archimedes", and various other papers. The real author of this work is Br. Schneider, who was assisted in his work by Brothers Lepsius, Pinder, Schuderoff, and particularly the then Chairman Pierer.

We must in conclusion mention one work more of mixed purport, for it was not without its significance at the time, inasmuch as it was the first work on Freemasonry which took a wider and more dignified view of the subject, discriminating, judging, and criticising what had previously only been gazed upon with surprise and wonder; it is this: "The Free-Thinker on Masonry, or candid