Provincial Grand Lodge Of Devonshire.

bound to reimburse these truly great Institutions of our Order to tho best of our ability and means . Bo it remembered , these noble Charities and Temples of Benevolence are almost wholly supported and sustained by the voluntary efforts and benevolent sympathies of the Craft of England .

This report was received and adopted . There were nine petitions for relief , and the following sums wero voted : —Tho widow of a brother of Lodge 112 £ 5 , a brother of Lodge 159 £ 5 , the widow of a brother of Lodge 230 £ 5 , a brother of Lodge 248 £ 5 , tho widow of a brother of Lodge 328 £ 5 , the widow of a brother of Lodge 1125 £ 5 , the widow of a brother of Lodge 1205 £ 5 , the widow of a brother of

Lodge 1247 £ 210 s , and tho widow of a brother of Lodge 1550 £ 5 . In the latter case the brethren present subscribed among themselves another £ 5 . Other important bnsienss was discussed relative to votes , and it was generally thought that a largfi amount of benefit would scciue if the representatives of some of the Lodges would endeavour to induce their friends to send their votes earlier to the Secretary . Bro . W . G . Rogers D . P . G . M . was unanimously re-elected Chairman

for the ensuing year , and was thanked for the invariable courtesy and tact with which he had presided for several yeavs . Bro . J . B . Gover was re-elected Secretary for tho thirteenth time . Bro . Charles Godtsohalk was re-elected representative of the Committee in London , and he was warmly congratulated on the successful way in which , by bis zeal and energy , he had performed the ardnous dnties entrusted to him . —Western Daily Mercury :

Freemasonry In The Seventeenth Century.

FREEMASONRY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY .

CHESTER , 1650-1700 .

WE are glad to see that Bro . Rylands is pursuirjg his researches into the subject of Freemasonry in the county of Cheshire . He has already done more than many Masonic investigators in elucidating the connection of Ashmole with the Fraternity , and his success in this

particular would seem to have whetted his appetite , and with renewed ardour he is carrying his inquiries still further , the results being carefully recorded in a brace of articles which have appeared consecutively in the Masonic Magazine for January , and this current month of February .

The basis of these articles is a curious heraldic work , entitled " The Academie of Armory , or a Storehouse of Armory and Blazon , & c . By Randle Holme , of the City of Chester , Gentleman Sewer in Extraordinary to his late

Majest y King Charles 2 . And sometimes Deputy for the Kings of Arms . Printed for the Author , Chester , 1688 , " folio . This -work is thus described , writes Bro . Rylands , by Dr . Ormerod , the historian of Cheshire : —

The author ' s object appears to have been the formation of a kind of encylopscdia in this awkward heraldic form ; and in the rest of the present book he proceeds throngh all the range of creation , treating the reader with the strangest jumble on Natural Histoiy , Mineralogy ,

and Surgery , occasionally diversified by Palmistry , Hunter ' s terms , the Cock-pit laws , Diseases , an Essay on Time and on Men punished in Hell . Introducing each subject successively as the fancied bearing of an armorial coat .

Bro . Rylands , from personal examination of the work , confirms this description , while Moule is quoted as writing to the effect that " it is considered to be one of the most scarce of heraldic books , and that not more than fifty copies are to be found in the United Kingdom .

The Holme family , it appears , was one of some antiquity and distinction in Cheshire , this particular Randle Holme , the author of the " Academie of Armory , " being great-grandson of Thomas Holme , of Chester , -who was living in the " fifth year of King James I . ( 1607-8 ) Smifli . " " Like his father and grandfather before him , "

he was a herald and deputy to Garter King of Arms for Cheshire , Lancashire , Shropshire , and North Wales . " He was " prosecuted at tho Stafford Assizes , 20 Charles II . ( 1668-9 ) by Sir William Dugdale , then Norroy King of Arms , for his irregularity in marshalling the ftmoral of

Sir Ralph Assheton , and a verdict was obtained against him , with £ 20 damages . Ho died 15 th March 1699-1700 , and was buried at St . Mary ' s . Bro . Rylands then goes on to quote from Randle Holme ' s work the followiug definition of a Fraternity , namel y : —

A Fraternit y , or Society , or Brotherhood , or Compauy ; aro srixlri a corporation , that aro of ono and tho same trade , or occupation , who being joyned together by oath and covenant , do follow sncli orders and rules , as aro made , or to bo made for tho good order , rule ,

and support of such and every of their occupations . These several Fraternities aro generally governed by ono or two Masters , and two Warden s , bnt most Companies with us by two Aldermen , and two Stewards , tho later , to roceive and pay what concerns them .

Freemasonry In The Seventeenth Century.

and also in respect of the Mechanical Sciences that " the third is Architecture , or the skill in Building , Frameing , and Erecting of Temples , Theaters , Pyraraides , Castles , Forts , Bastilions , Pallaces , Houses , and all sorts of Edifices which is divided into Cernentnrie , or Masonrie , and Car .

pentary , the first working in Stone or Brick ; the latter in Wood . " Later on he gives the following , which he suggests has " never before been noticed , " and on the importance of which he very justly lays great stress , the italics being his own : —

"I cannot but Honor the Felloship of the Ma 3 ons because of ita Antiquity ; and the more , as being a Member of that Society , called Free-Masons . In being conversant among them I have observed the use of these several Tools following some whereof I have seen born in Coats Armour . " , *

Other quotations were made in relation to Masons' Tools and the " Order of Columns and Pillars , " and then much that is highly interesting is collected from so much of Randle Holme ' s second volume in MS . as the author had

prepared . From this , whioh is in the British Museum , after referring to a copy it contains of the Old Constitutions without date , but assignable to 1650 , Bro . Rylands quotes the following , written on a small piece of paper :

There is seu allf words & signes of a free Mason to be revailed to y w asy willansw : before God at the Great & terrible day of Tudgm' y keep secret & not to revailej the same in the heares of any pson or to any but to the M . & fellows of the said Society of free Masons so help me God , & o .

And likewise lists of persons made Freemasons , with the initiation Fee , in one of which is the name of Randle Holme himself .

The Drama.

THE DRAMA .

TWO circumstances gave additional interest to the revival at tho Haymarket , on the 24 th nit ., of the comedy of " Ours . " In the firat place the rights of the Haymarket Management in this and othsrr comedies of the late Mr Tom Robertson will very shortly expire , and this revival series therefore is the last in which the public will have the opportunity of witnessing tho performance of Mr . and Mrs . Bancroft and their admirably-trained company in this class of piece . In

the next , Mrs . Langtry was to make her first appearance as a professional actress in the character of Blanche Haye . That the revival was a complete success may almost be taken for granted . Mrs . Bancroft never played the part of Mary Netley better , and the Hugh Chalcot of Mr . Bancroft was a finished impersonation without being overelaborate . Mr . Arthur Cecil , than whom there is no abler

representative of old men ' s characters , played the Russian Prince Perovsky most artistically . Mr . Conway as the impassioned lover , Angus MacAlister , acted to perfection , while the Sir Alexander Shendryn of Mr . Pinero , the Lady Shendryn of Miss De Thiere , Mr . Smedley's Captain Sampsey , and Mr . Stewart Dawson's Houghton harmonised capitally with the other characters . We have said , however , that the

chief interest of the evening centred in the appearance of Mrs . Langtry as Blanche Haye . That she has much to learn before she will be entitled to rank as one among onr foremost actresses is undeniable ; yet has she many qualities that go towards forming one . She has a sympathetic voice that is capable of very delicate

modulation ; her presence is charming , her style composed , and at times she displays a certain amonnt of emotion . She certainly succeeded in producing a very favourable impression on the audience of Satnrday evening , and though there was nothing phenomenal in her portrayal of Blanche Haye , her delineation of the character was tender and touching , and as a whole sufficiently commendable .

Bro . James Francis , of the Mohawk Minstrels , announces his tenth annual benefit , for tho 8 th of February , at the Agricultural Hall , Islington . A programme of novelties has been prepared for this occasion , and in addition to the numerous company engaged , several talented artistes will appear .

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euro of liver complaint !) , diseases most disastrous in , deranging the proper functions of the organs affected ; inducing restlessness , melancholy , weariness , inability to sleep , and pain in the side , until the whole system is exhausted . These wonderful Pills , if taken according to tho printed directions accompanying each box , strike at the root of the malady „ stimulato the stomach nnd liver into healthy action , awl effect a complete cure .