Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

vi MASONIC AUTHORS.
9. TannehilVs Manual. A handsome octavo. Tennessee. Dedicated
to the Most Worshipful Andrew Jackson. This is one of the
best historical and practical lodge books I have seen.
10. Hardie's New Free Mason's Monitot* 3d edition. New-York.
12mo. Recommended by twelve presiding officers in the lodges of
New-York.
11. Town's Speculative Masonry. 12mo. Sanction, p. 171.
12. Dalcho's Orations. Charleston, South Carolina. This is an
important work. Dr. Dalcho is a Sovereign Inspector General of
Free Masonry; and his orations are published by the request of the
Grand Lodge, and of the Sublime Grand Lodge of South Carolina.
IS. Lawrit's History of Free Masonry. Edinburgh, 1804. 8vo.
This work discovers more learning and good sense together, than
any other masonic treatise 1 have perused. The most valuable part
of it may be seen in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Art* Masonry.
It is far from satisfactory.
14. Greenleafs Brief Inquiry. Portland, 1820. 8vo. A handsome
volume of 100 pages The views are with Lawrie: both make
Free Masonry originate in the ancient heathen mysteries ; but the
proof is deficient; not so much barren as inconsistent.
15. Templar's Chart, by J. L. Cross. New-Haven, 1821. 18mo.
16. Esprit du Dogme de la F. Magonnerie. Brussels, 1825. 8vo.
Its character may be seen in extracts, page 240 of this volume,
using the emblems and pretended traditions, to dispute and pervert
the sacred writings. It is the last masonic author I have read, and
could not possibly have coloured these pages before it enters them,
p. 249.
17. Dalcho 9 s Ahiman Rexon, which is the Book of Constitutions
of South Carolina. Charleston, 1807. 8vo,
18. Free Mason's Library, by Samuel Cole. Baltimore, 1828.
2d edition. 8vo. pp. 400
This is the Book of Constitutions of Maryland. Sanction, p. 50.
These treatises have all been carefully, some of them, studiously,
examined; and if from them the character of the institution cannot
be fairly learned, I despair of obtaining it.
It may interest the inquirer to know, that the entire body of the
first 296 pages of this volume was written, except chapters 25 and
26, before the author suffered himself to peruse a single anti-masonic
author but Stearns* Inquiry. He sought'to deal honourably
with Free Masonry; and to judge of it solely by the testimony of
its friends: having done that, he felt free to examine the opinions
of others.