Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

330 PROFESSOR ROBI80N'S VIEWS
embellishes society. They said, that the homespun Free
Masonry, which had been imported from England, was fit
only for the unpolished minds of the British; but that in
France it had grown into an elegant system, fit for the pro*
fession of gentlemen. Nay, they said, that the English
were ignorant of true Masonry, and possessed nothing but
the introduction to it; and even this urns not understood by
them. When the ribbons and stars, with which the French
had ornamented the order, were shown to the Germans,
they could not resist the enchantment A Mr. Rosa, a
French commissary, brought from Paris a complete wagon-load
of Masonic ornaments, which were all distributed
before it had reached Berlin, and he was obliged to order
another, to furnish the lodges of that city. It became for a
while a most profitable business to many French officers
and commissaries dispersed over Germany, having nothing
els^ to do. Every body gaped for instruction, and these
kind teachers were always ready to bestow it. In half a
year Free Masonry underwent a complete revolution all
over Germany, and Chevaliers (Knights) multiplied without
number. The Rosaic system was a gospel to the Masons,
and the poor British system was despised. But the new
lodges of Berlin, as they had been the teachers of the
whole empire, wanted also to be the governors, and insisted
on complete subjection from all others. This startled
the Free Masons at a distance, and awaked them from their
golden dreams. Now began a struggle for dorainion and
for independency. This made the old lodges think a little
about the whole affair. The result of this was a counter
revolution.
" Though no man could pretend that he Understood the
true meaning of Free Masonry, its origin, its history, or its
real aim, all saw that the interpretations of their hieroglyphics,
and the rituals of the new degrees imported from
France, were quite gratuitous. It appeared, therefore, that
the safest thing for them was an appeal to the birth-place
of Masonry. They sent to London for instruction. There