Notices Of Meetings

Ancient Carthage Lodge , No . 1717 . —A meeting was held on the 22 nd November , at the Masonic Hall , Tunis . Present—Bros . A . M . Broadley D . G . S . W . Malta W . M ., J . II . Stevens S . W ., Dr . A . Perrioi J . W ., M . Lumbroso Sec , A . Blanch Treas ., G . Pentecost S . D ., P . M . Paleologo J . D ., V . C . Clement D . C , Dr . Cassanello and E . Gardello Stewards , M . Lo Gallais I . G ., J . Eymon Ty ler . Past

Master Bro . P . Suleina . Visitors—Bros . Leon Milliand , Forti , and others , and forty-six members . The minutes of the last meeting having been read aud confirmed tho W . M . initiated three candidates who had been previously elected viz ., Messrs . Michael Morana , Abraham Attias , and Sampson Boccara . Bros . Jcssel and Coppola wero passed to the second degree . The meeting and banquet on St . John ' s Day was fixed to tako place at 4 p . m . The Lodge was then closed .

Tho meeting to celebrate tho Festival of St . John was held on the 27 th December , afc the Masonic Hall , Tunis . Present—Bros . A . M . Broadley D . G . S . W . Malta AV . M ., J . II . Stevens S . W ., Dr . A . Porrini J . W ., M . Lumbroso Sec , A . Blanch Treas ., G . Pentecost S . D ., P . M . Paleologo J . D ., V . C . Clement D . C , E . Gardelle , Dr . Cassanello , aud V . Finzi Stewards , M . Le Gallais I . G ., J . Eymon Tyler . Past

Masters , Bros . P . Suloman , Dr . Mngnaiui 32 ° , and S . Vais 33 ° . Visitors—Bros . Dr . Funaro representing the Italian Lodge Risorgimento , Torresi , General Mnsali , Professor Ayra , and others . There was a very largo attendance of member * , moro than fifty being present , amongst them tho Chevalier Tulrn do la Tnnisie , Consul General for Germany ; Ctibisol , Consul for Belgium and Denmark ; J . E . L .

Barker , C . E . ; W . Castellnuovo , C . E . ; E . Nurri , Ac , 1 'C . The Officers wore , for the first time , embroidered gauntlets and collars , Which were greatly admired . The Lodgo being duly opened the Sec retary read a dispensation from tho District Grand Lodge of Malta , empowering it to initiate the sons of two members of tho same at the age of nineteen . Mr . Joseph Gardallo and Jnlius Lumbroso were

then introduced and initiated by the W . M . into Freemasonry , their fathers both being present . The Secretary read an original address composed by him on the Aim of Masonry , and directed his remarks especially to tho young initiates . At its conclusion ho received the thanks of the Lodge . The W . M . then gave a slight sketch of the progress of the Ledge since its opening in October 1877 . They had

initiated , passed , and raised nearly seventy candidates . Ho was glad to say that up to the present time none of theso initiates had given the Lodge any reason to regret thoir entrance in its midst . The translation of the Bye-Laws in Italian had been circulated , and an Italian edition of the Book of Constitutions was ready to be printed at the solo expense of the Lodge . Tho Committee of Arabic

translation had made good progress with the Ritual . He urged the members , one and all , to continue in that path of active co-operation and friendly feeling which had hitherto made his task so pleasant and tho Lodge so successful . If thoy did this ho was always ready to devote him . self to the interests of Ancient Carthage . Ho hoped soon to see a Masonic school and hospital flourishing in Tunis . They had

experienced very heavy calls for local charity and expenses , which had in a manner restricted their contributions to the benevolent institutions in England , but of their huge receipts ho was glad to say tho refreshment of fifteen months had only lessened the Lodge funds by 15 s . He hoped , however , before tho summer to remit a further contribution for the Boy ' s School to their distinguished Honorary Member W . Bro . J . M . P . Montagu , Grand Deacon of England . The

W . M . concluded by congratulating the representatives of the sister Italian Lodge , Risorgimento , on their presence amongst them , aud the prosperity of their Lodge . Dr . Funaro retuned thanks , and said he could not do better than imitate the exertions of W . Bro . Broadley . Tho whole assembled members then greeted the W . M . with hearty applause . Tho charity collection was made , and tho brethren adjourned to their annual banquet .

William Of Wykeham.

WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM .

FROM THE " KEYSTONE . " HIGH on tho roll of fame among the famous architects and Operative Masons of tho Middle Ages , mnst he placed the name of William of Wykeham . Professor Cockerell , of the Royal Academy of England , a few years ago said of him : " Wykeham was one of tho hint to possess and maintain tho secrets of the Craft schools of the

Freemasons of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries ; and which were lost shortly after the triumphs of the art had been achieved in Henry VII . ' s Chapel ( King ' s College Chapel ) at Cambridge . " As Freemasons we have reason to be proud of his architectural achievements , and also of his almost universal genius , for he waa not ouly

an able engineer and skilful architect , but also a Bishop of the English Church , a Lord Chancellor of the realm , a statesman of broad and wise views , a scholar of unusual ability , and a beneficent patron of the aits , sciences and religion . So little is popularly known of hia career that wo shall give a brief sketch of his remarkable life aud

achievements . This master of the ars regina was born at Wykeham , Hampshire , in A . D . 132-1 , of inconspicuous parentage . His father was unable to give him a liberal education , but some generous patron ( and he never lacked one throughout his extended career ) maintained him at school

at Winchester , where he gave early evidence both of ability and piety . Bis first noble patron was Usedale , Lord of Wykeham , and Governor of Wi 1 Chester Castle , who introduced him to Edington , Bishop of Winchester , who in turn made him known to King Edward III . In

1356 His Majesty appointed him Clerk of tho King ' s Works in the vicinity of Windsor , and the following year Surveyor of the Castle of Windsor , and two years later Chief Warden and Surveyor of the King ' s Cast Its of Windsor , Leeds , Dover and Hadlnm . All of these offices were tributes to his skill as a surveyor , engineer and architect .

William Of Wykeham.

As Freemasons , wo aro chiefly interested in William of Wykeham a trumphs as an architect , and in order that tho reader may understand the extent and importance of his labours , wo will mention the famous edifices thafc still remain to testify to his peerless skill . Windsor Castle ( fouuded by William the Conqueror ) was his first great work , and the foundation of his subsequent fame . Here he hacl

three hundred and sixty masons working under his directions , and in seven 3-ears ho rebuilt it , expending what was equivalent to 250 , 000 dollars of our money . It is related that upon one of the towers of Windsor Castle was inscribed : " This made Wykeham . " King Edward took offence at this , when the builder dexterously explained that it should be

understood to record that tho building of the Castlo was " the making " of tho architect ! Before it was rebuilt , Lord Campbell states thit V . ' mdsor Castlo consisted of a few irregular building ? , with pepper-boxes at the corner of them . AVilliam of Wykeham furnished designs for the now Castle , such nearly as wc now behold it , making it , for simplicity and

grandeur , superior to any royal residence in tho world . Every county in England was required to send a contingent of masons and other workmen , and in a surprisingly short period tho structure was completed . The King celebrated this event by founding the illustroua Order of the Garter . In 1361 he built Queensboro' Castle , on tho Island of Sheppey .

In 1371 , while Bishop of Winchester , ho repaired and rebuilt tho various Episcopal palaces in his See , expending , largely of his own private funds , somo 800 , 000 dols . thereon . In 1394 ho rebuilt West , minster Hall . Winchester College , and New College , Oxford , were also tho fruits of his genius . Probably his greatest work was his latest—Winchester Cathedral . A Church waa founded on its sight iu

tho second century , by the British king , Lucius . Bishop Walkelin began the Cathedral iu 1079 . In the twelfth century Bishop de Lacy formed a confraternity of builders—who wore among the progenitors of our modern Craft—for its rebuilding and extension . Its style of architecture was thou Romanesque , or Saxon and Norman . Bishop Wykeham found it so decayed that ho resolved to rebuild it , and did

so in its present perpendicular Gothic style . Ho was ten years completing it , and happily accomplished this great work just prior to hia death , at a cost of one million dollars . His handsome effigy in marble reposes in an oratory erected by his order , on the south side of tho navo of the Cathedral . On all of his works he expended two millions and a half of money , and to his credit be it said , ho completed every work he undertook .

William ot Wykeham s civil and ecclesiastical careers wore as dietinguished aa his architectural . He was one of tho mediaeval monkarchitects—a priest in tho church as well as an eminent artist . For thirty-eight years ho was Bishop of Winchester , dying while presiding over that See . Ho sat twice upon the woolsack , as Lord Chancellor of England , in 1367-71 , and 1389-91 . His popularity was long

continued and only once interrupted . Froissart , tho historian , says : — " He reigned afc Court , everything being done by him , and nothing withont him . " Of course he could not be entirely without enemies . Wicklifl ' e , the reformer , was scandalized by his identification , as a Bishop , with the arts . In consequence , he said in a sermon : " They wonld not present a clerk able of God ' s word , and of good life aud holy

example , but a kitchen clerk , or a penny clerk , or one wise m building castles and other worldly doings . " This was a thrust at Bishop Wykeham . For some two years he was under a cloud , from being charged by his enemies with misappropriations of money , but when tho charge was examined into , the evidence was narrowed down to hia forgiveness of one-half of a fine of £ 80 . Tho year following he waa

a second time created Lord Chancellor—a complete vindication of hia character . Wykeham was an indefatigable patron of learning , and a munificent giver in behalf of public improvements , education , and tho Church . Ho enjoyed his wealth by bestowing it upon others—he was his own executor . Ho merited Lowth's noblo eulogium : "By the time that

ho had reached the meridian of life , ho had acquired great wealth ; and the remainder of his days he employed , not iu increasing it to no reasonable end , but in bestowing it iu every way that piety , charity and liberality could devise . The latter half of a long life he spent in ono continuous series of generous actions and great designs , for tho good of his friends , of tho poor , and of his country . " When thero were

no castles , palaces or churches to be repaired or rebuilt , he would mend tho roads—for example tho almost impassable ono between Loudon and Winchester , rebuilding tho bridges thereon at his own cost . Ho was also an ecclesiastical reformer , visiting and correcting abuses in the monasteries , although he was not a Protestant reformer , like Wicklyffe .

Such was Wykeham ' s varied career . Great as a statesman and ecclesiastic , ho was always proud of hia character as an architect . On his coat of arms , adopted after he had achieved fame , was this motto : " Per carpentarios et domorum factores olim portabantur . " His life has often been written—first in 1597 , in Latin , by Dr . Thomas Martin ; next by Dr . ( afterwards Bishop ) Lowth , in 1759 5 while briefer sketches of his lifo are given by Lord Chancellor Camp .

bell , in his lives of the Lord Chancellors of England , and by Prof . Cockreil , of the Royal Academy , iu a paper read before that body some years ago , and afterwards printed . There was no Meditoval Freemason who excelled him in puiity of life , ability as an architect , or success ns a statesman and jurist . The Craft has , therefore , reason to ho proud of him , and does well to cherish his memory . In glorify , ing him , it glorifies itself .

The ceremony of installation will be rehearsed at tho High Cross Lodge of Instruction , No . 754 , held at the Coach and Horses , Lower Tottenham , on Thursday nest , the 16 th January , at 8 o ' clock p . m ., by Bro . J . Driscoll P . M , No * 30 and Prov . G . P . Middlesex .