594 Hijlory and Antiquity of the Cow-Tocl, 



him, in a frolic, fome mummeries, exacted bis oath of fecrecv, 

 and tokt him that he was now a free-mafon ! The whole 

 appeared Co filly that- he beheved they were playin'o- a trick 

 upon him. This was, indeed, the cafe; but the feene irave 

 him fueh an idea of mafonry that he never bellowed a tfhowht 

 upon it till he was at Liege in his way to 'St. Pcterfburgh. 

 Dining que day with fir Charles Knowles at the fable of the 

 prince bifhop, he was furprifed to obferve that all prefent, 

 mailers and fervants, had about them lome badge or other of 

 free-mafonry ; and learning that the chapter conftituted a 

 lodge, of which the bifhop was the tres-v!netabie, he was 

 eaiiiy perfuaded by fuch mafons to become a brother. He 

 was accordingly received apprentice a few days 'after, and 

 has himfelf publifhed an account of his progrefs through the 

 other degrees till he attained therank of Scorch matter. In 

 all the conventions which I have had with Dr. Robifon on 

 this fubject, juftice requires me to fay that I never heard him 

 once infinuate that there is any thing immoral in the fimple 

 fyftem of Britifh mafonry ; and he certainly has not accufed 

 that fyftem of immorality in his book. Yet [ have heard 

 Britifh mafons apply to themfelves all that he hath faid of the 

 French degrees, and even of the order of the lllwninati, and 

 reprefent his Proofs of a Confpiracy as a collection of calum- 

 nies ! Surely fuch men are not aware that, by holding this 

 language, they accufe themfelves of crimes of which the au- 

 thor of the Proofs has declared them innocent. I can, how- 

 ever, aflure them that he confiders their myfteries as ex- 

 tremely frivolous, though not criminal ; and that, on account 

 of the fuperftructure which elfewhere has been raifed on 

 them, he never advifes a young man to become a free-mafon. 

 Dr. Robifon retains an affectionate attachment to the 

 place of his nativity, and paries a part of every fummer amid 

 the fcenes of his youthful pleafures. What he pofTeffes is 

 but a remnant of the eftate which was the property of his 

 father; but he is a man of too much virtue to diminifli it 

 otherwife than as it was diminifhed before — in making pro- 

 viiion for his children ; and too much addicted to fcience 

 and literature to fet his heart anxioufly on increafing it. 

 Nam fapiens virtuti honorem, premium, baud prtedam petit. 



LXVI. Extra els from Foreign Journals refpecling the Hif- 

 tory and Antiquity of the Cow -Pocky and the Progrtfs of 

 the Raceme Inoculation. 



_1F the mod glaring inftance were required of the very 

 long overfi^hi of men to a fimple fact, of obvious applica- 

 tion 



