Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

292 FRANCIS BACON
Christopher Wren, at the building of St. Paul's. 12. From Dr.
Desaguliers and his friends, in 1717."
" It is hardly necessary," adds this accommodating instructor,
" to express any opinion on the point : the Fraternity has the
advantage of being able to choose for itself, and, as Masonry is
now worked, any decision on the point is as impossible as the
value of that decision would be futile." This is discouraging.
Nevertheless, we cannot fail to observe that, amongst the twelve
distinct theories as to the origin of the Freemasons, the legend
of St. Alban is omitted. The writer refers us to a previous
article on the " Antiquity of Freemasonry." The words with
which this article greets us are doubtless intended to deter us
from investigation
" On this subject much has been written to little purpose, and it
is not proposed to further discuss them here. That mystical
societies nourished iong before the dawn of history, is not to be
denied, but that such societies essentially resembledFreemasonry,
it is more than futile to opine.
Then the writer goes off into a discussion of hieroglyphics
and Egyptian symbolism, and speaks of Hiram, Osiris, and
Adonis, and of Numa Pompilius, king of Rome. He '
is not much
interested in his own remarks, and evidently does not expect
any one else to be so. " It is idle to speculate upon such a topic
as the antiquity of these secret associations, and it is far wiser
to accept the development, as being in essentia all that we
know upon the subject."
Alas ! not every one has so much wisdom as to find bliss in
ignorance. We next try " Alban, St.— See Saint Alban.
11
Saint Alban. — The proto-martyr of England, born at
Verulam or Saint Alban's, in Herefordshire. He is the reputed
legendary introducer of Freemasonry into England, but without
much vidence.
So the writer takes no heed of all the accurate historic information
about the Emperor Carausius which the " Past Master
of the Lodge of Antiquity" was so particular in chronicling]
We are now referred to a sixth article on " Grand Masters of
Freemasonry," which opens by again cautioning the reader