_Freemasonry._--A (Hamburg) paper, _Der Freischütz_, brings in its No. 27.
the following:
"The great English Lodge of this town will initiate in a few days two
deaf and dumb persons; a very rare occurrence."
And says farther in No. 31.:
"With reference to our notice in No. 27., we farther learned that on
the 4th of March, two brethren, one of them deaf and dumb, have been
initiated in the great English Lodge; the knowledge of the language,
without its pronunciation, has been cultivated by them to a remarkable
degree, so that with noting the motion of the lips they do not miss a
single word. The ceremony of initiation was the most affecting for all
present."
Query 1. Would deaf and dumb persons in England be eligible as members of
the order? 2. Have similar cases to the above ever occurred in this
country?