Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. If I had been consulted on the subject, another edi~ tion of the Principles of Masonic Law, which was first published in 1856, would never have been given to the world; at least, it should not have been sent forth without a diligent correction of those opinions in it, which I now believe to be erroneous. As it now appears, it is not, in every part, a just representation of my views. But the control of the book is not in my hands, and all that I can now do - and I ask this as air act of justice to myself - is to request my breth ren, when they shall hereafter honor me by citing my Opinions on Masonic Law, to look for those amended views, in this, my latest work, in which I have not felt any shame in correcting the immature theories, in many points, of my earlier labor. There is no dis honor ia acknowledging a mistake - there is much. In obstinately persisting in it. I do not suppose that I shall ever write another work on Masonic Law. Of all Masonic literature it is the most tedious in its details - in the task of composition, the most laborious and while I have sought, by the utmost care, to make the present treatise one worthy of the Fraternity, for whom I have written it, and to whom I am profoundly grateful for their uniform kind ness to me, I shall gladly turn, henceforward, to the more congenial employment of investigating the sym bols and the religious teachings of the Order.

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. If I had been consulted on the subject, another edi~ tion of the Principles of Masonic Law, which was first published in 1856, would never have been given to the world; at least, it should not have been sent forth without a diligent correction of those opinions in it, which I now believe to be erroneous. As it now appears, it is not, in every part, a just representation of my views. But the control of the book is not in my hands, and all that I can now do - and I ask this as air act of justice to myself - is to request my breth ren, when they shall hereafter honor me by citing my Opinions on Masonic Law, to look for those amended views, in this, my latest work, in which I have not felt any shame in correcting the immature theories, in many points, of my earlier labor. There is no dis honor ia acknowledging a mistake - there is much. In obstinately persisting in it. I do not suppose that I shall ever write another work on Masonic Law. Of all Masonic literature it is the most tedious in its details - in the task of composition, the most laborious and while I have sought, by the utmost care, to make the present treatise one worthy of the Fraternity, for whom I have written it, and to whom I am profoundly grateful for their uniform kind ness to me, I shall gladly turn, henceforward, to the more congenial employment of investigating the sym bols and the religious teachings of the Order.