‘At last: The Book M’

    

The Masonic Book Club has done it again—or at least it will later this year.

The 2026 volume, announced by the MBC and Arturo de Hoyos yesterday, will be William Smith’s The Book M, or Masonry Triumphant from 1736. I’ve wanted my own printed copy of this an awfully long time. I first encountered a mention of this title in Chetwode Crawley’s Caementaria Hibernica, itself reprinted by the MBC long ago, where it was described as an important source of Masonic theory—and even as “hortatory.” And then it came up again elsewhere. Then again over time, while remaining elusive on the web. I have not been able to include this on my list of the Masonic essential books without reading it, but always suspected it merits inclusion.

In a paper on the subject of Smith and this book, the late John Belton of QC2076 writes:

In 1736 there was another William Smith production: Book M: Or Masonry Triumphant. Suddenly the moral and ethical values of Freemasonry appear in an extended readable and spoken form. One might possibly think of this as the contribution from the northeast of England to Freemasonry! And from that part of England that worked the Harodim degrees. That is the opinion of Professor Jan Snoek and increasingly I think he is correct. The oratorical tradition in Masonry came from the northeast of England.

Crawley, Lionel Vibert, and others have written of the similarities of The Book M to Smith’s Pocket Companion from 1735. Belton attributes to that book what your lodge might call the Entered Apprentice Charge, saying:

John Belton

“But finally I would like to tell you about my discovery in the 1735 Pocket Companion of William Smith. It is finding the earliest piece of ritual prose in English Masonic ritual yet discovered. Masonry Dissected was pure catechism. What William Smith added to that catechism was the innovation of a “Charge to Newly Admitted Brethren.” And which uses words and phrases which still resound in English lodges to this day. When I first read it (aloud in my mind) it was the same piece of oratorical prose that remember from my initiation forty years ago. But I was beguiled by the flow of words, because there had been some changes. I showed it to few other brothers and got the same response that I had.

So I’m hooked just for the opportunity to read the early text of that charge. With a $40 price tag, we’ll be paying almost a buck a page for this reproduction of The Book M, but of course an MBC printing will include explanatory text. Take my money, please!

From the publicity:

In the decades following the formation of the Premier Grand Lodge of England in 1717 and the publication of James Anderson’s The Constitutions of the Free-Masons (1723), Freemasonry was undergoing both consolidation and public exposure. William Smith’s The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant (1736), participated in this transition by offering a blend of history, ritual elements, and songs which reflected the increasing literate and social mobility of the Craft’s membership.

The Book M is essentially a “Pocket Companion” augmented with original commentary on Northern English Masonry, “Memorables,” and ceremonial observations. This dual format, part historical narrative plus musical/occasional material, informed and entertained brethren as well as promoting a positive self-image of the fraternity. The author was likely the same William Smith who was initiated at Swalwell Lodge (Lodge of Industry 48) in 1733.

Internal evidence suggests that The Book M represents the traditions of the “Harodim,” an early form of Masonry distinct from the “Moderns” (post-1717) and “Ancients” (post-1752). Some scholars suggest that the Harodim encompassed ritual elements later found in other high degrees, such as the Rose Croix, the Passing of the Bridge, and the Mark, Ark, and Link ceremonies. However, historical records indicate that the Harodim was primarily a lecture-based assembly. It preserved some of the older traditions of Masonry, including Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Enoch’s Columns, and the construction of Solomon’s Temple as part of the Fraternity’s mythology.

Although published in a relatively large edition, surviving copies are quite rare, with fewer than ten known to exist. This attractive Masonic Book Club edition, which was re-typeset for clarity, preserves the pagination and some of the engravings of the original. Some of the engravings have been reproduced or reimagined. A new introduction by Arturo de Hoyos adds a historical context and frames the book within the traditional works of the Craft.

Getting back to Chetwode Crawley and Caementaria Hibernica, he humorously writes: “The enigmatical title of The Book M, was doubtless designed to excite curiosity. It stands among the earliest instances of that affection for the clair-obscur, which has now and again led Masonic writers into stringing together long rows of initials. It has been suggested that M stands for Mystic, or for Mirific, or for Microcosmic, or for Megalocosmic, or for a host of words, each a little longer than its superseded predecessor in the list. The irreverent reader will miss the wonder-working Mesopotamian.”

Advance orders will be accepted starting Monday and through August 6. If enough orders are received, the books will be printed and shipped to us in the fall. (Conversely, if that threshold is not reached, we’ll get our money back, so click here and think positive.)

     

‘Build Your Inexpensive Masonic Library’

     

Every month, Open Lectures on Freemasonry takes to Zoom to share with viewers a, well, lecture on Freemasonry. This month, John Belton will present “Build Your Inexpensive Masonic Library.” From the publicity:

Open Lectures on Freemasonry

Saturday, June 27

2 p.m. Eastern

“Build Your Inexpensive

Masonic Library”

Presented by John Belton

Register here

The world of the written word has changed at a phenomenal speed over the past couple of decades, and in these days of Covid-19, when so many are locked down at home, it is possible to see rare Masonic documents in the near flesh, and to do serious research while sitting at home. The aim is to display the options from a modern “print on demand” production line, and to show where you can find 300-year-old books to download. You too can build yourself a digital Masonic library!

John Belton is a member of Quatuor Coronati Lodge 2076 in London, and he is the author of the books The English Masonic Union of 1813: A Tale Antient and Modern, Dudley Wright: Writer, Truthseeker & Freemason, and the anthology A Questioning Eye on Freemasonry. His main interests are for exploring those less travelled angles to (Masonic) history that often prove the most fascinating. Professionally, John started work as a microbiologist, then changed to marketing and worked for the pharmaceutical company Astra-Zeneca.

Only registered users could get an invitation which will be sent two days before the lecture date. Please note that the size of the audience is limited by technical capacities.

OpenLFM is an independent, informal, and benevolent initiative unrelated to any Masonic body or scientific institution. It is a collaboration of a researchers’ group with different formations, and coming from various parts of the world.

In this era, where the printed and manuscript word becomes ever more available through digital technology, new wider panoramas for the curious can open. OpenLFM, through its online lecture series on Freemasonry given by prominent scholars, will aim to demonstrate a range of new perspectives for academics, Freemasons, or simply the curious.

Lectures are audible, within technical limits, to those who are interested in the topic to be presented. Participation requires prior registration. Registration is free of charge. Registered users will be invited to OpenLFM Googlegroups and will be informed about forthcoming activities. OpenLFM beholds the right to reject any registration with no further explanation.