Name/Title
(FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN). [NATTER, Johann Lorenz]. Apologie pour L'Ordre des Francs-MaconsDescription
(FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN). [NATTER, Johann Lorenz]. Apologie pour L'Ordre des Francs-Macons. Par Mr. N*** Membre de l'Ordre. Avec deux chansons composees par Le Frere Americain.
The Hague: Chez Pierre Gosse & Dresden: Chez George Conrad Walther, 1742. 1st ed.
First edition of one of the earliest apologies for the Order of Freemasons, containing two American Masonic songs by Benjamin Franklin.
This is one of the key 18th-century texts delineating the exclusivity of the Masonic Order to Christians: "The Order admits only Christians. Out of the Christian Church one can not and should not be received as a Freemason. That is why the Jews, Mohammedans, and Pagans are excluded as infidels" (translated from the French).
The two songs by Franklin are also of considerable note. The likely author of the main text is Johann Lorenz Natter (1705-63), the German goldsmith, gem-cutter, and lapidary who was accepted to the Florence Masonic Lodge as a disciple of the antiquarian Baron Philipp von Stosch, the founder of the lodge, in 1733. Natter was the most celebrated and talented engraver of his time, and so much so that his talent was even eulogized by Goethe. Natter's book about gem-engraving was published in London in 1754, in both English and French. Natter's contribution in spreading Masonic knowledge is well-known and important: "...on his travels [he] left copies of the various manuscripts at the court of William IV in The Hague, in London, Copenhagen and Stockholm. In St. Petersburg Natter joined some Roiscrucians, and the documents he had brought became their basic study material. Later, in 1763 this same knowledge was imparted to Johann August Starck, when he went to St. Petersburg as a teacher of Oriental languages. He contacted the Freemasons there, who had incorporated much of Natter's legacy. Starck, in turn, shared his special 'secret knowledge,' once he had returned to Germany, with the existing Masonic Order of the Strict Observance with which he associated himself. Since this Order had many affiliations, not least in France, the Florentine scriptures thus provided some of the most seminal sources in the hermetic-rosicrucian tradition of that day" (Ida Potsma, THE BIRTH OF A NEW ORDER; 1980)
Benjamin Franklin joined the newly-opened Philadelphia Masonic Lodge in 1731 and was a lifelong member and supporter of the Order. August Wolfstieg attributes the two pieces to Jacques Christophe Naudot (ca. 1690-1762), a French composer and member of the Masonic lodge Satine-Genevieve and Coustos Villeroy in Paris. The Italian musicologist Alberto Basso, however, attributes them to Franklin, which certainly makes more sense since the composer is identified as "le frère Amèricain" in the title. He stresses the primary import of the songs in the work, writing: "In this case it is not important for us to find out who the author of the book could be, but to emphasize that the two songs...are the work of Benjamin Franklin, who worked on the Masonic scene a dozen years now" (L'invenzione della gioia.
Musica e massoneria nell'eta dei Lumi; 1994).
A rare and almost unknown piece of Franklin's work. WorldCat does not locate any copies of this edition, and according to Rare Book Hub it has only appeared at auction once in the last century-plus; in 1922. WorldCat lists only 5 copies with the only USA copy in the Library of Congress.Condition
Overall Condition
ExcellentDate Examined
Feb 19, 2025Notes
[14],118,[2]pp. plus engraved frontispiece and two plates of engraved music. Antique-style 3/4 calf and marbled boards, spine gilt, leather label. Near fine.General Notes
Note Type
DescriptionNote
Translation of the song:
real goods are not very durable. mortals all complain about it.
if there are unalterable ones, they only exist with us.
venerable master. respectable brothers. you apprentices and companions seen as we mason. initiates what we do bushes. let us obey.
let's go, my brothers, empty your glasses and without a puff in our songs, let's bless you. the happy fate of the Freemasons.
if our laws are the master of criticism today. of a vast molehill of our blindness venerable master
let's add to our rule
something that will please you
it's only the knight of the eagle
we drink a big red rim
This text appears to be a translation or transcription of a Masonic song or ritual, likely associated with Benjamin Franklin’s involvement in French Freemasonry. The content reflects several key aspects of Masonic culture and practice:
1. The opening lines discuss the impermanence of worldly goods, a common theme in Masonic philosophy emphasizing spiritual over material values.
2. The text addresses various ranks within the Masonic order: “Venerable Master,” “respectable brothers,” “apprentices,” and “companions,” indicating a hierarchical structure typical of Freemasonry.
3. There’s a call to obedience and unity among the brothers, a fundamental principle in Masonic lodges.
4. The mention of “empty your glasses” and “drink a big red rim” refers to the tradition of toasting in Masonic gatherings, often with wine.
5. The “knight of the eagle” could be referring to a specific Masonic degree or rank.
6. The text alludes to Masonic laws and rules, as well as potential criticism from outsiders, reflecting the secretive nature of the organization.
This song or ritual text provides insight into the Masonic culture Franklin was immersed in during his time in France, showcasing the blend of philosophy, brotherhood, and ritual that characterized Freemasonry in the 18th century.