The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

Comp . Foxcroft , W . M . ... Chap . 177 Bro . Hughes , William P . M . & Sec . 179 |„ Parsons , William C . ... P . M . 180 „ Wilkinson , F . E . ... P . M . 181 „ Fellow ? , Francis ... J . D . 192 ,. Lambert . H . C . ... I . G . 198

„ Humphries , Charles ... Sec . 220 „ While , John W . M . 228 „ Birch , Charles ... W . M . 256 „ Cooper , Alfred ... 259 „ Morton , William Richard W . M . 263 „ Harrap , William ... W . M . 290 „ Cnbley , George A . ... S . D . 296

„ Colver , Joseph E . „ Colver , Henry „ Andrews , Thomas G .... J . W . 302 „ Broughton , Benjamin P . M . 302 „ Sewell , Rev . E ., M . A . ... 302 „ Craig , Eoborfc W . M . 304 „ Mason , John W . M . 1567 P . M . 309 „ Poarce , S . S . ... P . M . 319 „ Rawlins , T . J . D . ... S . W . 319 ..Barnes , John ... P . M . 337

„ Hirst , John Jan ., J . P . P . M . 337 „ Ellis , S . E P . M . 342 „ Swallow , Benjamin ... P . M . 382 „ Woodward , E . C . P . M . & Treas . 382 „ Stammwitz , Ernest H . W . M . 435 „ Morris , Dr . Malcolm A . W . M . 458 „ Bead , George P . M . & Sec . 511 „ Leith , E . Tyrell § ... P . M . 549

Bro . Griffiths , Thomas P . ... P . M . 613 „ Stevens , William Henry 657 „ Nelson , Henry . P . M . 1505 673 „ Yonng , Ed . William ... S . W . 701 „ Ballard , John William P . M . 721 . . Allen . Thomas W . ... P . M . 733

„ Pringlo , John W . M . 766 „ Webb , E . B . ... W . M . Elect 778 „ Gallant , John Ross ... S . W . 813 „ Lowles , William W . ... J . D . 861 „ Johnson , William ... W . M . 865 „ Langley , J . Baxter ... I . G . 871 „ Gamble , Lt .-Col . ... 897 „ Salisbury , Edward ... P . M . 901 ,. Lancaster , G . F . ... I . P . M . 903

„ Moore , Samuel H . P .... W . M . 907 „ Simpson , John P . M . 910 „ Smart , H 996 „ Thompson , James ... Treas . 1013 „ Newton , Geo S . W . 1019 „ Taylor , E . T W . M . 1021 „ Morton , Joseph ... P . M . 1056 .. Sislev . H . G P . M . 1076

„ Lunt Jph . Chas . ... P . M . 1086 „ Ayling , Thomas ... 1096 „ Macdonald , Govan ... S . W . 1158 „ Graver-Brown , , T . B . ... W . M . 1193 „ Pearson , Jonathan ... W . M . 1196 „ Barber , William Henry 1201 „ Baker , Dick W . M . 1206 „ Baker , Henry M . ,.. J . W . 1208

Bro . Scales , Chas . Henry ... 1232 „ Lowenthal , J . J . ... P . M . 1257 „ Murley , Thomas W . ... I . G . 1257 „ Jex , Edward ... P . M . & Treas . 1259 „ Gee , P . B W . M . 1264 „ Verrv , G . Ward ( P . M . 551 ) Sec . 1278 „ Torrv , J . Wakefield ... P . M . 1297

„ Rushworth , Charles ... J . W . 1309 „ Brooks , John P . M . 1315 „ Buxton , Thomas ... P . M . 1345 „ Farthing , Edmund ... P . M . 1317 „ Hill , Charles G . ... S . W . 1366 „ Pochin , Geo . D . P . M . & Treas . 1375 „ Ccitbush , James ... W . M . 1385 „ Jackson , Henry ... 1393

„ Myers , W . II W . M . 1445 „ Dinham , Charles ... J . D . 1464 „ Mather , John L . ... P . M . 1471 „ McArthur , J . P . 1473 „ Dalby , J . T W . M . 1475 „ Knyvett , F . Sumner ... W . M . 1494 „ Harding , E . B . ... P . M . 1496 „ Isley . T S . W . 1500 „ Willing , James jun . ... P . M . 1507

„ Ockenden , Thomas W . D . C . 1572 „ Lee , W . H P . M . 1524 „ Brongh , William ... 1538 „ Pogler , Charles ... Chap . 14 K . 0 . of Scotland

Honorary Secretary . BRO . JAMES TERRY ( Secretary to the Institution ) 4 Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C .

Masonic Portraits (No. 14.) Our Hercules.

MASONIC PORTRAITS ( No . 14 . ) OUR HERCULES .

" I prithee , Eemember I have done thee worthy service ; Told thee no lies , made thee no mistakings , served Without or grudge or grumblings . " ~|~ F the history of the great Masonic Charities is ever

_ I _ written , thepublic , who regard the Fraternity as a great organization , having for its main object the cultivation of good fellowship over tables loaded with good cheer , will learn , with surprise , that the most serious work of the Order has been expended upon practical objects . Possibly , too ,

from such a history the world might be introduced to a number of true heroes , whose names are now buried in comparative obscurity , or are merely the household words of a few Lodges , or districts . To appreciate justly the nature of the Herculean labours which have helped to make our benevolent institutions the wonder and admiration of

all who are familiar with their working , we should find it necessary to examine a vast mass of records , not merely of the institutions themselves , but of Lodges , whose members have spent time , and talent , and cash , in furthering the cause of charity . Many a brother has devoted his sole

attention to this great work , without thought of fee or reward ; and of the officers who have given the whole of their time to official duty , we question if any one of them has been adequately remunerated for his services . We have in truth been singularly fortunate in the selection of tbe

gentlemen into whose hands the main direction of the Charities has fallen . Energy , enthusiasm , and a noble devotion to duty , have characterised them all , and some of them , at least , have brought talents to bear upon the work , which in any sphere of life , might have helped them to any position in the commercial world .

The brother who , in utter unconsciousness of our purpose , has ventured to cross the threshold of our studio , is one of those painstaking officials . We need nob indeed affect any mystery with reference to his exact status in

Masonry . He is the Secretary of the Boys' School , has signally distinguished himself in that position , and has won golden opinions from the entire Fraternity . Possessed of vast physical and mental energy , his labours have rivalled those of the classic hero whose name we have borrowed as

his most fitting designation . The labours of Hercules are indeed trivial , compared with the tasks which this accomplished officer has performed . Mere brute strength , with some trifling dash of mother wit , sufficed to enable the

former to fulfil his allotted tasks , but the man whose duty it is to plough a district , and sow seed which in time is to ripen into the gold of contributions , the man who is constantly compelled , in the execution of his duty , to inspire the faint hearted , to quicken the sympathies of the dull

Masonic Portraits (No. 14.) Our Hercules.

minded , or to hasten the leaden footed ; who travels in one month over as much ground as Hercules covered in the performances of his fabled works , might well envy the great hero of antiquity the singularly easy career which the fates had marked out for him . Onr brother indeed has

been specially gifted by Nature with those qualifications which , when combined with enthusiasm and industry , tend to make a man irresistible . His mind , we have said , is full of native vigour , and like the great spirit immortalised in Milton ' s wondrous verse , he has :

" Atlantean shoulders fit to bear The weight of mightiest monarchies . " So gallant a fighter for the cause of charity was not trained in a day . His career has been one long battle , and he commenced life at a time when many young men are dreaming

of a college career . At the early age of nineteen , he found himself in London , thrown to some extent upon his own resources , and utterly unknown in the vast modern Babylon . But there was " stuff " in our young novice , and a superabundance of that fighting element which makes the

Englishman so successful in all the battles of civil or commercial life . He threw himself , with all the energy of his nature , into a quarrel in the locality in which his lot was cast , and on a question of franchise qualification , before the revising barrister , our brother defeated the experienced

agent on the other side . Local mud indeed had no terrors for him ; he has rendered valuable services on various boards of guardians , and has officiated as churchwarden again and

again . His early start in life must have been tolerably successful , since we find him on the jury list at this period , and he was foreman of a jury at a time when the majority of men are struggling in a condition of servitude .

Masonry early attracted the attention of our brother , and in December 1851 he was initiated , in Enoch Lodge ( No . 11 ) , and filled the chair , with great credit to himself , in 1856 . In 1855 , he was exalted , in Mount Sinai Chapter , now No . 19 . He was W . M . of the Crescent Lodge ( 1090 )

in the year 1860 , and has held the same distinguished office in the Peace and Harmony , Grand Stewards , Lewis and other Lodges . He was installed K . T . in 1866 , and is Secretary of the Grand Mark Lodge , a position in Masonry which few of the brethren are fated to fill . The Mark

Lodges , indeed , mainly , in consequence of the energetic policy of such men as our hero , have become so influential that their recognition by the Craffa cannot much longer be delayed . When he assumed this important office there were but 60 Mark Lodges in the Kingdom , whereas there

are now 180 . In the year 1862 our brother passed the 18 ° , Rosicrucian , and that of P . M . W . S ., 30 ° , in 1864 , he ias served five stewardships , with distinguished ability , and now holds office as Intendant General unattached . If we were to follow him through the entire , list of his hononja