Who Was Hiram Abiff?

This book is a well-researched study by a competent masonic scholar who has welded links from the changing scenes that arose in an era in which the most important step forward in organised Freemasonry was taken, the masonic Union between the two Grand Lodges in 1813, and from the events that followed. As a vehicle for his survey the author chose an Antients lodge which was formed by Dispensation in December 1785 at The Ship Tavern, situated at the junction of Gate Street and Little Turnstile, off Lincolns Inn Fields. It was constituted in February 1786 by Laurence Dermott, probably the most outstanding character in the history of Freemasonry in determining the course to be steered, who fancied those brethren Warrant No 234. That lodge on that night took the name Domatic, and on the subsequent renumberings and closing-up of the Registers now take their place as No 177 on the Register of United Grand Lodge of England. Whilst the records of the Domatic Lodge. their Lodge of Instruction (AD 1808), their Royal Arch Chapter (AD 1793), and Chapter of Instruction (AD 1850) provide terms of reference and an ordered sequence the book is not intended to be taken as a history of that group. Personalities arise throughout the account and it is from the examination of their behaviour and activity that the reader will be enabled to appreciate the modus Operandi and the emergence of things masonic, also to understand the difficulties of that age. The human element bursts into various scenes and events and it is the authors treatment that converts the factual into the fascinating and makes for such absorbing reading. He takes notes of the various qualities and failings that one would expect to find in any large organisation, but, as he has stated, this time they have been clothed with a Masonic apron! Although it is a progressive account of the development of Freemasonry with such interesting aspects it is also a book of reference and a guide to further information if a study of a particular facet of Freemasonry is desired, and for that reason it  will undoubtedly take its place among the important masonic publications. Format : Hardback Page : 176 Size : 247 x 190

Freemasons throughout the world are finally able to study a six-hundred-year-old manuscript of The Old Charges thanks to an unprecedented translation in modern English that has preserved the original rhyme scheme . For these Brothers, it may provide new and meaningful insight into the history of the Craft from a medieval perspective, which is more about the actual do s and donts for ancient stonemasons than tod ay s Brotherhood and its symbolism. Nonetheless, it offers a lot of recognition when it comes to the origin of modern Masonic practices. Ever since James Halliwell (1820 1899) discovered The Regius Poem in 1842, English-speaking Masons have had to make considerable effort to cope with its language, which dates back to approximately 1425. Until now, the manuscript could only be read in its original wording, in modern prose or in attempts that failed to qualify as poetry. This implies that, in actual practice, the earliest document of The Old Charges has mostly been appreciated for its wisdom and strength - at the expense of its beauty. To reinstall this trinity, Brother Harry G. de Vries has translated the old text from rhymed Middle English to rhymed Modern English for the first time. It was his aim, he says, to facilitate his English-speaking brothers with a version in which the essential literary ingredient of rhyme would be revived in order to rekindle the poem's 600-years-old beauty. As a result, it helps bring today's Masons much closer to the impact the poem would have had on its medieval audiences. In the foreword, the Dutch author explains why being a native speaker of Dutch may have been a considerable help to understand and translate the language of The Regius Poem. You can check the results of his labour in this edition, in which each left-hand page has the original text and each right-hand page displays the modern translation. Brother Harry takes you back to a medieval lodge where a travelling word artist served masons the history of their craft as it was seen at the time - after the day's work had ended. At Lewis Masonic we are sure that this unique version in rhymed modern English will provide Freemasons with a new perspective on the beauty of their Craft. Limited Edition of 500 only Printed on Artisanal Textured Italian Paper Cloth Bound Beautiful End Papers 152 pages 168 x 240