THE FREEMASONS' LEXICON. (Continued from page 440, vol. III., N. S.) Goldgulden Goldthaler oder Johanisopfer. Gold Guilder, Gold Dollar, or St. John's offerings.-Those offerings are a remnant of the Union of the Strict Observance, which had derived them from the times of the ancient Order of Knighthood, and each Brother was bound to make one of those offerings to the Lodge on St. John's day. They are generally valued at one dollar and sixteen groschen, about four shillings. In many Lodges this St. John's gift is still customary. Grade oder Stuffen. Degrees.-Why are there degrees in Freemasonry? The reason why this question is asked by the men of the world, is because they are men and not schoolboys who are initiated, and because the whole of the Order could be communicated to them at one time. But still there are degrees, or steps, and truly for this simple reason, as there is no art or science which can be communicated at one time, so neither can Freemasonry; and although they are men of mature age who are initiated, yet they require to be proved step by step. Freemasonry is a science which requires both time and experience, and more time than many Masons, especially government officers or tradesmen, can devote to it; the only time they in fact can appropriate to this purpose being their hours of recreation. It is, therefore, good that it is communicated by degrees. Those degrees are communicated in the Lodge at the end of certain determined periods, or immediately after each other, according to the regulations of the Lodge, or the candidate's power of comprehension. Those who are accepted commonly remain two years apprentice, and one year Fellow Craft. Wieland was initiated in his seventy-second year, and to have allowed such a man to wait three years before he received the Master's degree would have been unjust. There are three St. John's degrees, and in England no more are legalised, as is also the case in many German Lodges. But there are many so called higher degrees, which are wrought in some Lodges. In Germany they amount to seven, and in France to three-and-thirty. Many other Lodges, instead of having higher degrees, have what they call degrees of knowledge (Erkentnissstufen). Von Grolman, Ludwig Adolph Christian.-Died Consistorial and Government Councillor at Giessen, the 25th of December, 1809. He wrought as W. M. of the St. John's Lodge, at the Three Golden Lions, in Giessen, also published anonymously a pamphlet in 1794, with the title, "Final fate of the Order of Freemasonry.' دو Grosse Logen oder Mutter Logen. Grand Lodges or Mother Lodges. By the former title we do not understand a Lodge which has a great number of subscribing members, or which has a large Lodge room, but the Direction or Government of a Union formed of many native and foreign Lodges, and as such Directories or Governments found or warrant new Lodges, so are they also called Mother Lodges. In the place where there is a Mother Lodge, there must also be several St. John's Lodges, and a selection of their members form the Grand Lodge without their ceasing to be members of the St. John's Lodges. It thus appears that the labours of a Mother or Grand Lodge must be quite different from the labours of a St. John's Lodge, which depends entirely upon the W. M. The labour of the Grand Lodge is according to the ritual of the first degree, and a Grand Lodge does not consist of a new or higher degree, but is an assembly of the W. M.'s, and other members of the St. John's Lodge, elected for the purpose of consulting for the general welfare of the Order, and forming rules and laws for the regulation of all the St. John's Lodges which depend upon it, and in settling all disputes and misunderstandings of the subordinate Lodges, or of individual Brethren who appeal to them, and also granting warrants to new Lodges where required. No one can be initiated into Freemasonry in a Grand Lodge; this must be done in a St. John's Lodge. On those days in which the members of the Grand Lodge are solely employed with the management of the Order, members of private Lodges cannot claim admittance, or if admitted, are not allowed to vote. But when they celebrate a festival every one, even an apprentice, is allowed to be present. No St. John's Lodge can elect itself into a Grand Lodge, but several of the former must unite, and they can then constitute themselves a Grand Lodge. Neither can any St. John's Lodge call itself a Mother Lodge, for she has no daughter. A Grand Lodge ceases to exist as a Grand Lodge when all its daughter-Lodges leave her, but it can still keep the predicate Mother Lodge, for she was a Mother. Grossmeister und Grossbeamte. Grand Master and Grand Officers. -The Grand Lodges have their own officers, at whose head stands the Grand Master. The other officers are the same as the officers of a St. John's Lodge, only the little word Grand is placed before their titles, as Grand Lecturer, Grand Secretary, &c. In England the Grand Master is generally a person of the highest rank, and in other countries many ruling princes have filled this office. Gruss. Salute.-As operative Masons and other mechanics have a so-called sign or pass-word, especially when upon tramp, so had we also formerly a proper form for saluting strange Brethren. At present the salutation from the Worthy and Worshipful Brethren of the Holy Lodge of St. John," &c. &c. is not required from a foreign Brother who is paying a visit, because something more is demanded from him than this ancient method of legitimation. V. Gugomos, Freiherr.-Markgrave of Badenburg, Privy Councillor, &c., appeared as a Freemason in Upper Germany in 1775, and nothing more is known of him than that he gave himself out for an ambassador from the unknown chief, and called himself High Priest of the Holy Stool of Cyprus, Knight, Dux, &c. He assembled a convent and promised to raise spirits, transmute metals, discover the hidden treasures of the Knights of the Temple, and perform wonders of every description. His impositions being discovered by the Freemasons, he was obliged to fly, and afterwards publicly recanted. Hamburgh.-Grand Lodge of Hamburgh founded from London 6th of December, 1737. This Grand Lodge was united with London until 1773, then joined the Strict Observance, re-established itself with London, 5th of July, 1786, and so far was opened afresh 24th of August, 1786. But she was driven from her union with London through the events of the war, and the closing of the Continent to England, so that she was compelled to assume an independent existence, which was acknowledged by the Grand Lodge in London in 1814. To this grand Lodge, belong in Hamburg, VOL. IV. St. John's Lodge, Absalom, founded 2nd October, 1740. دو دو St. George, zur grunenden Fichte, founded 24th Emanuel zur Maienblume, founded 6th July, 1744. Ferdinand zum Felsen, founded 1788, as a daughter of the Danish Union, and affiliated with Hamburg, 15th June, 1795. The following foreign Lodges work according to the ritual of this Grand Lodge, in Crefeld, 1; Cronstadt, 1; Dresden, 1; Gera, 1; Leipzig, 2; Lubic, 2; New Brandenburg, 1; Oldenburg, 1; Petersburg, 2; Reval, 1: Rudolstadt, 1; Weimar, 1; Zittan, 1; with the five in Hamburg, 25 Lodges. Grand Masters-1740, Luttman; 1759, Janisch, M. D.; 1786, Johan Gottfrica Exter, M. D.; 1799, Joh. Phil. Beckman, Doctor of Law; 1814, Fried. Ludw. Schroeder, Proprietor of the German Theatre; 1816, Joh. Ande von Beseler. The Grand Lodge of Hamburgh is, if not the first, at least one of the most ancient Lodges in Germany. In the year 1733 Bro. Jacob Lyon, Duke of Strathmore, then Grand Master of London, granted permission to eleven German Brethren to form a Lodge in Hamburgh. The Grand Lodge, as well as her daughter Lodges, had formerly the common English Ritual, but since 1800 they have wrought by a Ritual prepared for them by the late F. L. Schroeder, and instead of the higher degrees they have historical degrees of knowledge which are communicated without initiation. This union formerly founded a considerable hospital for the sick. The Lodge Absalom struck a medal in 1742, upon which the close connection between the Arts and Sciences and Freemasonry is represented; on one side a Mason in Masonic clothing with a plumb-rule in his hand is leaning against a pillar; the inscription is, Labor Silentium Libertas; on the other side is a Pyramid, the ruins of dwelling-houses, and Masonic working tools, with the inscription, Connubia Scientiarum Honesta. In the same year a second medal was struck at Hamburg in answer to the accusation that the Brethren assembled at night. The light of the Sun and Moon shining upon the earth, while the eye of the Most High is fixed upon the labour of the Brethren, upon this side the inscription, Facies Supremi Eadem; the other side has the Masonic working tools. A third medal was struck on the formation of the Lodge of St. George. One side contains a beautifully wrought stone, over which a circle is suspended, with the inscription, Hinc forma Viresque; the other side shows the arms of the Lodge in a flaming star. A fourth medal was struck in 1776 in commemoration of the visit of Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick and Prince Charles of Hessia; the principal side contains the initials of the two princes, with the inscription, Virtus Conjuncta; the other side contains the arms of the Lodge Carolina, at the Three Stars, which was founded in that year, a crowned serpent wound into a circle, with the inscription, Præsentiæ Sereniss. Princip. XVIII., May, MDCCLXXVI. Sacrum. Hamb. A sixth medal appeared in 1745, representing a bursted Pomegranite, in which are many kernels, above this are two cross swords, over which hangs a hat, with the inscription ex summa; the other side has an eight pointed Star of the Order, in which is to be seen the Hebrew sign for Jehovah. A riband is extended over the star on which St. Andrew is represented hanging upon the cross. There is a sixth medal which was struck by the Grand Lodge in 1778, in honour of their Grand Master, Gottfried Jacob Janisch, one side contains his bust, the other the necessary inscription, We further find in Hamburg a Provincial Grand Lodge of Lower Saxony, founded from the Grand Lodge in Berlin, to which belong John's Lodge, zu den 3 Rosen, founded 24th January, 1770 zur Goldnen Kugel zum Pelican 29th August, 1770 zur Unverbrucklichen Einigkeit, founded 6th February, 1817." The two last work upon the Hamburger Berge. Hammer. With this small working tool the Master of a Lodge governs the most numerous meetings. The blow of the Master's hammer commands industry, silence, or the close of labour, and every Brother respects or honours its sound. In so far the hammer is a symbol of the power of the Master. The hammer must never be lost sight of at the meeting of the Lodge, and should the Master be unavoidably compelled to leave the Lodge-room, he must deliver it to his Deputy or Past Master, or some other skilful Brother. The Wardens do not govern the Lodge with their hammers, they only direct attention by them to the commands of the W. M. Handschuh. Gloves.-The operative Mason cannot use gloves at his work, but we can, and that too, of the purest white, at ours, thereby intimating that every action of a Mason ought to be pure and spotless. It is also customary with us to receive a pair of lady's gloves at our initiation, with the command to present them unto her with whom we are united in holy wedlock, or to her whom we think of espousing. These gloves are also white, and they should not only show our pure respect and love for the female sex, but they should also serve as an inducement to the wife or the betrothed of a Freemason to act with circumspection in her journey through life. Young Brethren can make a most important present with those gloves on their wedding-day, and they deserve, although of coarse material, to be prized as a valuable ornament by the bride.* Hanover. In the Kingdom of Hanover we find in many cities excellent Lodges, and Freemasonry is as much protected by the state here as in England. In the City of Hanover we have to mention beside two Lodges which are extinct. The English Provincial Grand Lodge of the Kingdom of Hanover, formed from London in the year 1755. To which belong John's Lodge, Frederick zum weissen Pferde, founded 1746. John's Lodge, zum schwartzen Bear, founded 17th March, 1774, belonged for a time both to the National Grand Lodge and to the Grand Lodge at the Three Weltkugeln in Berlin. John's Lodge, zur Ceder, founded 20th September, 1777, and afterwards also belonged to the Grand Lodge in Berlin. In the year 1808 she again joined the Hanover Grand Lodge. The Hanoverian Provincial Grand Lodge was active from her formation up to 1765, when the Strict Observance commenced in Germany, It is scarcely necessary for me to remark that although we have no such custom in England it is customary in Germany and Holland.-Translator. with which she would have no connection. In the year 1786 she again commenced to work by the English Ritual. Her first P. G. M. nominated from London was the geheime Legationsrath von Hinueber. Then followed, in 1760, the Landrost Graf von Kielmannsegge. 1786 until 1816, the former Governor of Hanover, and afterwards Grossherzog Carl Ludwig Friedrich von Mecklenburg-Strelitz. D. P. G. M.ʼs of the Herzog von Mecklenburg-Strelitz were, Until 1809, der Kammer Præsident und Staats Minister Graf von Kielmannsegge. Until 1812, Consistorial Rath Kaufmann. Until 1816, General und Commandant von Hedemann. Besides Hanover, this P. G. L. has Daughter Lodges in Alfeld, Celle, Eimbeck, Hoya, Luneberg, Muenden, Goettingen, Hildesheim, Rienburg, and Osterode. COLLEGE MUSINGS. THE STUDENT'S DIARY, AND FARTHER RAMBLES TO ANCIENT MONA, OR ISLE OF MAN, IN SEARCH OF THE PICTURESQUE. (Continued from page 315, Vol. 3, N. S) CHAPTER V. June 19th.-Rose this morning earlier than common. Much oppressed by my dyspeptic disorder, which I attributed to a want of exercise, and therefore took a turn upon the sands before breakfast. The shore here shelves into a very pleasant bay, extending for about two miles or more in length, one extremity being protected by a fearful bed of rocks and heights running some five hundred feet perpendicularly from high water mark and reaching as far as the harbour of Whitehaven. These are called in the maps and sea charts, St. Bees' Heads, and when the wind blows a gale from either of two particular points of the compass, they render the navigation in that narrow sea imminently dangerous. Indeed, it is not an uncommon occurrence for vessels in the winter season, taken in a stress of weather, to be run aground in the bay rather than encounter the certain and inevitable destruction if wrecked upon those tremendous and fearful rocks, where— "The crows, and gulls, that wing the midnight air, Methinks, he seems no bigger than his head: The fishermen, that walk upon the beach, Appear like mice, and yon tall anchoring bark, Almost too small for sight: the murmuring surge To be sure there is a light-house on the highest point of the headland between St. Bees' and Whitehaven; but its brilliant beacon in the dismal darkness of the stormy night only lights the despairing mariner |