First, know this - I am a proud Freemason and I take the craft as the rule and guide of my faith.  The information here is presented without editorial comment.  You will find both Protagonists and Antagonists.  So, "Caveat Lector" or let the reader beware!  To my brother masons who might feel that I have violated the "cut, carve, hack, hue, etch, letter or engrave"  promise, I can only say that all here is the result of works published by others.  I have not edited the work, other than the order in which it is collect and presented.    To others in search of light, I say NOT  all the knowledge in the world is contained between the covers of books.   - Peter S. Buswell

"Finally: Be faithful to the trust committed to your care, and manifest your fidelity to your principles by strict observance of the constitution of the Fraternity; by adhering to the Ancient Landmarks thereof; and by refusing to recommend any one to a participation in our privileges unless you have strong reason to believe that, by a similar fidelity, he will ultimately reflect honor on our ancient institutions". -  The Charge to the Entered Apprentice  Monitor and Officers Manual Grand Lodge of California

l would  like to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by Richard Shand and his Mystae website, perhaps the finest library of Underground Stream knowledge on the Internet.   I have also been dramatically influenced by exhaustive work of Dan Sewell Ward and his remarkable website The Libary of Halexandria.  In my opinion, Dan and Richard's site'scontinues to be the standard by which this effort  and others like it will be measured.  - Peter