timents, except to cor-
"rect an error you have run into, of my
"presiding over the English Lodges in
"this Country. The fact is, I preside over
"none, nor have I been in one, more than
thirty
"once or twice, within the last years.

"I believe notwithstanding, that
"none of the Lodges in this Country are
"contaminated with the principles as-
"cribed to the society of the Illuminati."

"With respect
"I am, Sir,
"Your Obedt Hble Servt

"Go. Washington"

"The Revd Mr Snyder.
Endorsed
to
"The Revd Mr. Snyder.
"25th Sep. 1798."

=FAC-SIMILE OF PRESS COPY OF WASHINGTON'S SECOND LETTER TO REV. G. W.
SNYDER.--OCTOBER 24, 1798.=

In this letter WASHINGTON was correct in stating that he had not
presided over the "English Lodges in this Country," undoubtedly meaning
as Grand Master General.

Where WASHINGTON says "_The fact is I preside over none_," he meant that
he did not then preside over any individual lodge, as he at that time
was a Past Master of Alexandria Lodge, No. 22, of Virginia.[68]

Where he says "_Nor have I been in one_, [meaning an individual lodge]
_more than once or twice within the last thirty years_," he obviously
had in view his occasional visits to the various lodges during that
period, and that he could not, on account of his official duties and
other conditions, attend any lodge regularly.

As a matter of record, WASHINGTON was a member of Alexandria Lodge, No.
39, of Pennsylvania,[69] and attended some of its meetings at Alexandria
in 1783 and 1784, as is shown by the Minutes of the Lodge, and the
records here presented.[70] Further, that when the Brethren of
Alexandria Lodge, No. 39, changed their allegiance from Pennsylvania to
Virginia, General WASHINGTON was especially named in the warrant, after
his consent having been first obtained,[71] and thereby became the
Warrant Master of Lodge No. 22, under the Virginia jurisdiction, April
28, 1788, serving as such until December 20 following, when, as the
minutes of that date show,[72] he was unanimously elected to succeed
himself for the full term, serving in all about twenty months.

The records further show that, in 1778, WASHINGTON occupied the chief
position in the procession at the celebration of St. John the Evangelist
by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 1778, in w