RAMSAY, ANDREW MICHAEL, better known as the CHEVA LIER DE RAMSAY, was born at Ayr, Scotland, June 9, 1686. He was the son of a baker, in good circumstances, and received a liberal education, first at the schoo: of his na tive. place, and afterward at the University of Edinburgh. Becoming dissatisfied with the condition of affairs, particu larly of the religious character, in Scotland, he repaired to the continent, and at the University of Leyden, he made the acquaintance of Mr. Poiret, a mystic divine, who induced him to adopt the doctrines of that system of theology. In 1710, he visited the celebrated Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray, who had imbibed the fundamental principles of mysticism, and by that amiable prelate he was persuaded to become a Roman Catholic. Fenelon's influence procured him the appointment of preceptor to the Duke de Chateau-Thiery and the Prince de Turenne, where he was made a knight of the Order of St. Lazarus, and about the same time became a member of the Masonic Fraternity, in which he soon became a conspicuous and active member. He was also one of the most faithful and zealous adherents of the tender (James III.), of whose son he was for a time the tutor ; in this position he sought to identify the influence and progress of Freemasonry with the fortunes of the house of Stuart. For this purpose he endeavored to obviate the objections of the French nobility to the mechanical origin of the institution, by asserting that it arose in the Holy Land during the Crusades,•as an order of Chivalry.* In the year 1740, he delivered his celebrated discourse at Paris, in which he set forth his theory in regard to the origin of Freemasonry, as follows, viz : "That the first Freemasons were a society of knights, who had devoted themselves to the purpose of rebuilding the sacred edifices which had been destroyed by the Saracens; that the latter, with a view of preventing the execution of this pious design, sent emissaries among them, who, disguised as Christians, mingled with the builders, and paralyzed their efforts; that the knights, having discovered the existence of these spies, became more careful in the future, and instituted certain signs and words for the purpose of guarding against them; and, as many of their workmen were new converts to tianity, they adopted certain symbolic ceremonies, in order more readily to instruct their proselytes in the new religion. Finally, the Saracens becoming more polNerful, the Knight Masons were compelled to abandon their original tion; but, being invited by a King of England to remove into his dominions, they accepted the invitation, and there devoted themselves to the cultivation and encouragement of the arts of Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Music.
Ramsay attempted to support his theory by the fact of the building of the College of Templars, in London, which edifice was actually constructed in the 12th century by the fraternity of Masons who had been in the holy wars." In 1728, Ramsay attempted a Masonic reform according to this He proposed to the Grand Lodge of England to substitute, in place of the three symbolic degrees, three others of his own invention; those of Scotch Mason, Novice and Knight of the Temple, wtich he pretended were the only true and ancient degrees, and had their adminis trative center, from time immemorial, in the Lodge of St. Andrew, at Edinburgh. His proposition was at once re jected by the Grand Lodge of England, which has ever been averse to any innovations in Ancient Craft Masonry.* He, however, carried his degrees to Paris, where they met with astonishing success, and gave rise to all those higher grades which have since been known by the name of the Ancient Scottish Rite, and which afterward became so popu lar on the continent, and gave birth to innumerable other degrees. These first degrees, introduced by Ramsay, were called " Scottish Degrees," because they were supposed to have been instituted by James IL, in Scotland, in 1688. The incorrectness of this assertion is, however, historically proven; for in the records of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, we find no mention of any other than the three symbolic degrees prior to the year 1763. In this year, we find the first mention of the Royal Arch Degree in Scotland, whither it had been introduced from England, where it had already been practiced as early as 1752. Thus, prior to 1763, all these pretended Scottish degrees were absolutely unknown in Scotland, and could not therefore have been instituted there in 1688. During a visit to his native country, he offered to settle an annuity on his relations, but they indig nantly refused to accept it, on the ground of his having renounced the Protestant religion. After his return to France he resided at Pontoise, a seat of the Prince de Turenne, in whose family he continued, in the capacity of intendant, till his death, which happened at St. Germain-de Laye, May 6, 1743. He was the author of several works which were very popular.