each other, in which weariness and dissatisfaction were combined; but they wisely held their peace.

"The Free and Accepted Mason,' replied the R. W. M., 'who is really desirous of deriving benefit from the practice of Masonry, will never entertain any doubts respecting the intrinsic excellency of the lessons he receives in open Lodge, because doubt leads to despair, and despair to renunciation. Let him take a lesson from honest John Bunyan, who very judiciously makes the giant Despair the occupant of Doubting Castle, in which the pilgrims atoned for their doubts by imprisonment in one of its deepest dungeons. Hope, however, revived, and they opened the gates of the dreary cell with the Key of promise.'

"The most effectual safeguard,' Bro. Inwood observed, against the encroachments of doubt, is prayer, which constitutes an essential element in the system of Freemasonry. Our Lodges are opened and closed with prayer; and the same holy exercise accompanies the ceremonies of every degree. And if the Mason hopes to attain the summit of the Ladder which terminates in the Cloudy Canopy, it must be by the prayer of Faith and Hope, and the exercise of Charity; for these are the only steps by which he can have access to the glories that lie beyond it, and lead to the regions of everlasting Light.'

"And yet,' said Bro. Hemming, 'some of our adversaries contend that the Society is anti-Christian. But to mark more strongly the utter absurdity of the imputation, another class of opponents, with Professor

Buhle at their head, assert that we exclude antiChristians from our assemblies! His words, as we learn from a paper, read only last year before the Philosophical Society of Göttingen, are, " Women, children, those who are not in full possession of civil freedom, Jews, anti-Christians, and Roman Catholics, are excluded from the Society of Freemasons.'

"So conflicting and unscrupulous,' the R. W. M. replied, are the assertions of all who decry Masonry, without understanding either. what they say, or whereof they affirm. Freemasonry, however, furnishes a series of rules by which every true-hearted Brother may easily surmount the difficulties which impede his progress in the pursuit of knowledge. And if he adheres, amidst evil report and good report, to the precepts which are promulgated from the Master's Chair, and applies them steadily to his Masonic and Christian duties, he will be at no loss to steer his course, be the vituperations of the antiMason ever so loud, or the conjectures of the cowan ever so absurd; and with the promised land in view, he will go on his way, rejoicing in the hope of attaining to its never-fading glories.'

"In the year 1808," the Square continued, "viz., on St. John's Day, Bro. Shadbolt was installed into the Chair, and proved worthy of the honour conferred upon him. him. I remember an amusing conversation which took place in the Lodge on the subject of female Freemasonry, during his year of office, which may be interesting to you.

"In order to make it intelligible, you will ob

serve that the Lodges of Adoption on the continent of Europe, which admitted females to share in the celebrations, resumed their meetings after the excitement occasioned by the French Revolution had subsided. On a notice to that effect issued by authority, the Members assembled in full force, the badges were furbished up or renewed with great alacrity, and the initiations were numerous. A Grand Festival of the Order was celebrated in Strasburg, over which the Empress Josephine presided; and another in Paris, under the presidency of the Duchesse de Vaudemont, which were attended by many of the chief nobility of France, both male and female.

"On the evening to which I have referred," said my entertaining instructor, "a visitor was introduced by Bro. M'Gillivray, who had been residing some time at Paris. He informed us that he had attended several meetings of the Adoptive Masonry, and found them conducted with remarkable order and propriety. "The R. W. M. asked him if he had witnessed an initiation ?

"He replied, that he had enjoyed the good fortune of being present when each of the Five Degrees was conferred.

"Do you recollect the names of the Degrees?? Bro. M'Gillivray inquired.

"Perfectly. They are, 1. Apprentie. 2. Compagnone. 3. Maîtresse. 4. Parfait. 5. Elue. Under this arrangement, the Jewel of the Order is a Golden Ladder, with five rounds or staves. Originally, however, the Androgyne Lodges had only Four De

grees, which were denominated l'Apprentissage, la Compagnonnage, la Maîtrise, and la Maîtrise parfaite; but this arrangement has been discontinued for many years.'

"Are you at liberty,' said Bro. Meyrick, 'to communicate the ceremonies?'

6

"I was allowed to witness them,' our intelligent visitor replied, without any injunctions of secrecy ; for I believe all Freemasons, who have passed the degree of a Fellowcraft, are eligible for admission.'

"I am afraid,' Bro. Inwood suggested, 'that there must be some degree of indelicacy in the proceedings.'

"Not the slightest, I assure you,' said the visitor. The ceremonies are conducted with the most laudable decorum. We are, of course, totally ignorant of the proceedings of the dark room, as none but females are admitted to that penetralia, and the preparations are conducted by females only. But when these are completed, and the trials of fortitude come on, the novice is conducted through the process by a lady and gentleman together.'

"The lady candidates, I presume, are not subjected to any very severe tests,' Bro. S. Jones observed.

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"By my faith,' said the visitor earnestly, but you are mistaken. The trials they have to undergo would be sufficient to make many of our more robust sex tremble.'

"Their powers of endurance, however,' Bro. Tegart observed, 'cannot be very strictly dealt with,

or many of them would shrink from the infliction, and the number of initiations would be considerably reduced.'

their

"On the contrary,' the visitor replied, trials are urged to the severest extremity, and the novices endure them bravely. Occasionally, indeed, a timid female may faint during the harrowing process, and I am told it does sometimes happen. An anecdote is related of an event of this kind which occurred at the Revolution, just before the Lodges were closed.'

"Which you will perhaps do us the favour to relate,' the R. W. M. interposed.

"With the greatest pleasure,' our visitor replied. 'But to make the detail clearly intelligible, I ought first to inform you that the Adoptive Lodges are fitted up with scenery and machinery like a theatre prepared for one of our most complicated pantomimes. This being premised, you will have no difficulty in comprehending the following extraordinary

scene.

"A young lady, of somewhat irritable temperament, was introduced as a candidate for admission. During the preparatory examination, she exhibited a degree of nervous excitement, which attracted the observation of the Venerable, or R. W. M., and he asked her kindly whether she had any confidence in her own fortitude ?'

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'I know,' she replied, that there is danger to be encountered; but I am not afraid of it.'