Not only about their origin or extraction, but also in what relates to their subsequent history, are the Free-Masons chargeable with propagating the most idle fabrications. Thus they tell us a most strange tale about the grand master _Hiram_, called also _Hiram Abiff_; how _three_ out of the 15 _fellow crafts_ conspired to assassinate him, which they effected as he was coming out of the _Sanctum Sanctorum_, where he had been praying. This was at noon day. They hid the body, afterwards buried it, and then absconded. These ruffians, whose names were _Jubela_, _Jubelo_, and _Jubelum_, were afterwards discovered near Joppa, by _three other fellow crafts_, who had gone in pursuit of them. They were then brought before king Solomon, by whose orders they were all three executed. Hiram’s body, being by the king’s order dug out of the grave where the three masonic ruffians had buried it, was afterwards solemnly interred, forsooth, in the _Sanctum Sanctorum_.—The tale is pretty long in some of the masonic books; but this is the substance: and it is very disgraceful to the fabricators and the propagators of it, as it discovers a glaring propensity to the most sottish and profligate kind of lying.—Much might be here added to the same purpose; but this it is hoped will induce the members of this community at Lynn, to review and reject this and every other exceptionable part of their system. As to the mode of admission, parade about the cardinal points of the compass, where the master and inferior functionaries are stationed, and their forms about tyling the lodge, setting the men to work, and calling them off to take refreshment, &c. &c. they may be all harmless enough, or at least, comparatively so: yet to the serious by-stander, or uninitiated, they can hardly fail of appearing in no small degree frivolous and childish.—Many indeed have deemed the whole system or institution of masonry a designed burlesque upon scripture and religion. But though there may be many circumstances that would seem to bear that way, yet such is the unquestionable respectability of many of its members that it is very certain such a design could never have met with their concurrence or countenance. The fact, that such characters do really belong to this community seems also to prove that there must be some good points pertaining to masonry, which recommend it to their approbation, and hide in a great measure, or at least appear to counterbalance the defects above mentioned. In particular, it is said, that those of this fraternity, not only are much given to conviviality and good fellowship, but also abound in acts of kindness and charity, especially among themselves, and towards their brethren in distress; and even that they are generally among the most active promoters of benevolent deeds, or good works in the places where they reside. If it be really so, it will account for that warm attachment to masonry which many well disposed and