High-Ways and By-Ways of Freemasonry is a respected early 20th-century work written from within the Masonic tradition, offering an informed and institutional perspective on the history, structure, and inner culture of Freemasonry.
Rather than sensationalism or exposé, this volume reflects a period when Freemasonry was intellectually self-aware and openly documenting its own development. The author examines not only the central “highways” of the Craft, but also the lesser-known “by-ways”: additional degrees, side orders, regional traditions, and internal distinctions that modern Masonry often no longer emphasizes or fully understands.
Chapters address subjects such as the Royal Order of Scotland, Knights Templar, the Grand Orient of France, literary lodges, Masonic ritual, monarchy and Masonry, and the relationship between symbolism, tradition, and institutional authority. The work preserves historical material that is increasingly absent from contemporary lodge instruction, making it valuable both as a reference and as a snapshot of Freemasonry before its modern bureaucratic simplification.
This copy is bound in original blue cloth with gilt titling and a blind-stamped Square and Compasses on the front cover. The binding is solid, the text block is sound, and the pages remain clean and readable throughout. The book presents honestly with light, age-appropriate wear consistent with a well-preserved early 20th-century volume.
This is a serious historical work, intended for:
•Masonic historians and researchers
•Lodge libraries and institutional collections
•Collectors of fraternal, esoteric, or religious history
•Readers interested in the intersection of symbolism, power, and tradition
This is not a modern reprint or popular conspiracy title, but a thoughtful, internally grounded record of Freemasonry as it understood itself during a pivotal period of reflection and change.