Three Ideals. 87 



Herbert Spencer in the " Study of Sociology " could 

 hardly find a better exemplification than the dispositions 

 felt by so many Englishmen to these acts. This may 

 be made clear if we suppose similar acts under other 

 circumstances. Let us suppose that a law was passed 

 that no one might assume, or change, an office in any 

 Freemasons' lodge without the expressed assent of the 

 Government ; also, that no member of the Freemasons' 

 body, whatever secrets he might have violated or rules 

 transgressed, might be officially blamed in or be excluded 

 from masonic society without the permission of the 

 Government being first asked and obtained. It is hardly 

 likely but that even non-masonic Englishmen would 

 deem such legislation a daring infringement of the liberties 

 of the subject. 



But if another law were passed summarily expelling 

 from England all Freemasons and confiscating Masonic 

 property, what would be the outcry ! This, however, is 

 by no means all. We must further suppose, that a law 

 was passed giving the police authorities power at their 

 discretion, to declare, without proof, any man or woman 

 whatever, belonging to any voluntary association, to be, 

 in spite of their denials, affiliated masons, and to expel 

 them accordingly. The iniquity of the measure is so 

 monstrous as to impair the force of the supposition by 

 its very monstrosity, and the impossibility of really con- 

 ceiving it to be done in England. 



