Freemasonry In Nottinghamshire.

given him . He prized their good fppling very highly , and if ho wa « at all popular amongst the brethren , it was perhaps because ho tried to the best of his ability to do his duty to Mark Masonry . Dnring the two years he had held office ho had been very fortunate in having goo rt Officers around him to hack him up , to help him , and to do their duty as he had endeavoured to do his . He was sorry he was

obliged to return to London early in the evening , bnt he had other duties besides those pertaining to Mark Masonry ; and if ho got back that night he would have the whole of the following day before him , whereas if he delayed his return nntil the following morning , he shonld lose the best part of the day . He wished to thank the Provincial Grand Master , and the whole of the members

of the Provincial Grand Ledge for the magnificent reception they had given them , and for the trouble they had taken to make all the arrangements pleasant nnd comfortable . It was quite true that Mark Masonry was flourishing everywhere . Even the best of things required a little pushing sometimes ; bnt when he saw the enthusiasm displayed at every meeting of Mark Masonry which he attended , he

did not think there was much pushing required . It was not at Nettingham alone where they hnd met with an enthusiastic reception . They had certainly had a most interf sting ceremony in a splendid Masonio Hall . Craft Masonry wns most flourishing in the Province of Nottingham , and he believed that very soon Mark Masonry would be as flourishing . They met with great enthusiasm wherever they went

and if the Grand Officers , the Officers of Lodges , and brethren carried on the business of Mark Masonry with the same spirit , having dntv as their watchword , and the same desire to promote the welfare of the Order , he was sure they would go on from year to year increasing in strength , in nnmbers , in influence , and in usefulness . Their meeting that day had been of a mnst pleasing character , and he shonld

carry away reminiscences of it which he should not easily forget . There was one thing which had cast a clond over their meeting , and tbat was the death of Brother Vowles , who had taken a most active interest in that Province , both in Mark and in Craft Masonry He had heard of Bro . VOWIPS ' S death with deep regret . He had to apologise to them for the absence from that banquet of the Depnty

Grand Master , the Earl of Kintore , who had had great pleasure in attending the meeting of the Grand Lodge , bnt had been obliged to return to London as soon as it was over , in consequence of the illness of his children . Before sitting down , he wished to propose to them the health of Bro . John Watson , the Prov . Grand Master , to whom

win entrusted the mo « t important duty of governing that Province in Mark Masonry . H « was sure thafc in appo i nting Brother Watson as their Prov . Grand Officer they had taken the best , possible ennrse for the promotion of Mark Masonry in Nottinghamshire Brothers Lord Henniker , Binckes , Dewar , and other Grand Officers here left the room in order to catch the train for London . Brother

Watson , in acknowledging the toasfc , said if the Grand Mnster felt a responsibility in the establishment of the Province , how much greater rpsponsibilitv did he ( Bro . Watson ) feel in undertaking the office of G . M . for Nottinghamshire . Of one thing he wns certain , and that was , that if any great measure of success attended their efforts , it would be due to the assistance which his Officers would be

able to render him . He conld himself do something , doubtless , but his Officers could do a great deal more . Many of them had perhaps not had honours showered upon them as he had , but they had had a much greater experience in the working of the Craft , and it was to their help he looked for the effectual working and the arrangement of the Province . He did not believe that any Provincial Grand Master

was surrounded by a better set of Officers , and he would do his ^ est to carry out the principles of the Order in a satisfactory way . When it was first designed to form a Province , they pnt themselves in communication with tho authorities in London , and from that day to this they had met with nothing bnt kindness and assistance . In conolus'on . he proposed the Most Worshipfnl Past Grand Masters ,

the Right Worshipfnl the Deputy Grand Master ( the Earl of Kintore ) , and the Grand Officers , Present , nnd Past , nnd with the toast he associated the name of Bro . Keliy , Provincial Grand Master for Leicestershire . Bro . Kelly responded , and thanked the company on behalf of the Grand Officers . He said he hnd known Bro Watson for mnny years , and had always found him kind nnd courteous . He ( Bro .

Kelly ) was the oldest Provincial Grand Officer in England , and Bro . Watson was now the youngest . He had a pleasant recollection of Mark Masonry in Nottingham many years ago , for he came to join that Order about twenty-five years since , and he was devotedly attached to it from that time onward . Brother the Rev . Bro . Bagshawe , of Derbyshire , also responded

on behalf of the Grand Officers , and said he felt highlv honoured , first of all , in having been appointed a Grand Chaplain in the County Palatine , and aho , through Lord Lathom ' s kindness , in being chosen a Grand Chaplain of Mark Masonry in England . His certificate was allowed by Bro . Binckes to be perfectly regular and correct , and nobody could be more generous in their treatment of

him than the Grand Mark Lodge of England had been . He trusted there would be perfect harmony throughout tho county , and that Mark Masonry would make rapid progress . Bro . Watson afterwards proposed tho Worshipfnl Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Notts , Bro . W . Newton , and the Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge . He referred particularly to the services of Bros . Newton and George ,

and said the Province had much reason to bo grateful for the services they had rendered . Bro . Newton , in acknowledging the cimpliment , said it was necessary to sink small differences in order to gain great objects , and he felt thafc had been done in establishing this Provincial Grand Lodge . He extremely regretted the death of Bro . Vowles , who had rendered such great service to the Order , and whose gonial

countenance they remembered so well ; but ho was perfectly certain that their deceased brother was prepared to take office under the Great Overseer in the Lodge above . He also referred to the large family which Bro . Vowles had left behind , and made somn practical suggestions with regard to their future career . He referred to the valuable services which Brother Russell had rendered to Craft and Mark Masonry , ancl congratulated this newly-formed Lodge on

the success which had attended its efforts . Brother Watson proposed the Worshipful Master and Officers and members of the Newstead Lodge ( Time Immemorial ) , to which toast Bro . C . Trnman suitabl y responded . The other toasts included Success to the Mark Benevolent Fund , thn Visitors , & o . In tho course of the proceedings , songs were rendered by Bro . R . De Lacy , Mr . A . Castings , Mr . Dankerton , and Mr . Orange .

Masonic Antiquity—Limerick.

MASONIC ANTIQUITY—LIMERICK .

A S a point of general intrest bearing upon' the theory thafc - * - Freemasonry was first invented at the beginning of the eighteenth century only , wo are induced to describe a small square now in the rooms of Lodge 13 , in Limerick . In 1830 the Corporation of Limerick decided npon taking down an old bridge , called Baal ' s Bridge , which connect * the island upon which the old town of Limerick is built with the mainland . This old bridge

consisted of four small arches , and had a row of ten houses along one side , the back walls of whioh were a continuation of the parapet , and the front wall antl other parapet formed a narrow street , as in several old bridges in England and other countries . This old bridge of small arches wns found inconvenient , and tending to prevent the flow of water and , as it was to be replaced by a bridge consisting of one single arch

only , the foundations of the old piers had to be entirely removed and the bed of the river deepened . This required the entire removal of all the foundations of the old piers in the centre of the river ; a'd when taking up the lower course of the centre pier a little cavity was found which contained the following article , viz .: — A small brass " sqnare , " similar in size to that now worn by the

Worshipfnl Masters of all the Craft Lodges in the world , four inches and a half from the ontside angle to each end , and about two inches and three quarters from the inside angle to the inside end of the square , the ends being sloped from inside to ontside edge , with a wave pattern , not a straight edge . The square is made of a plate of brass five-sixths of an inch broad by about one-tenth of an inch thick .

The square is a little different from the present jewel worn by a W . M ., inasmuch as it has two holes , one at each end , at the inner edge , instead of one single hole at the angle , so that if it was hang round the neck by a ribbon or chain it wonld hang with the angle instead of the ends down as in modern days . Any body reading thus far wonld conclude it was only an ornament

n « ed by operative Masons , but we now como to the remarkable engraving npon it : — At the angle of each side where the hole of the modern jewel is situated is engraved a heart , with its lower point to the inner angle and the top indentation to the outside angle . On the sides of the square is the following inscription in capital letters , a line on each arm : —

I •WILL •STRIUE •TO •LIUE 1517 WITH •LOUE •& •CARE UPON •Ye •LEUL BY •Y •SQUARE

The first two of the above lines with the date are upon one side of the jewel , the latter two npon the other side . This is a most remarkable article , about the antiquity and genuineness of which there is not the least possible doubt . The two hearts and inscription are quite plain to be seen , and the only doubt which can possibly be raised is to one fignre in the date which might possibly

h-vo been 1317 , the second fignre could not have been either 0 , 1 , 2 , 4 , or G , and it conld not have been either 7 or 8 , nor could in reality have the second figure been any other but a fignre of 3 or 5 . The top and bottom of the fignre are perfect , but the intermediate stroke is partly defaced , and this stroke it is which makes a difference of two hundred years in figures of those dates , as in the case of a 5 this

stroke runs from the left of the top lino to the left of the semicircle , and in a 3 from the right of the top stroke to the same place at the bottom as in the former figure . How this sqnare came to be placed in the position it was found is a difficulty , as there is no historical account of the building of this bridge either in 1317 or 1517 , and the structure must have been in existence

long before 1317 , as it formed the only entrance to the island upon which the old city of Limerick was built . It is therefore supposed that in the numerous battles which took place upon this bridge , or by afloodjit may have been injured , the current being strong in thafc place , and some portion of the structure renewed at the time the square was placed in position where it was found in 1830 . —The Kneph .

Bro . Signor Ria ( Fidelity Lodge , No . 3 ) announces a Grand Morning Concert , which will take place on the 7 th June , at the Marlborough Rooms , 307 Regent-street . Among the artists who will assist are Mesdames Rose Hersoe , Adeline Paget , Kate Baxter ,

Buckland , and Jose Sherrington ; Signori Kin , Bonetti , Isidore De Lara , W . Marnock , Bernard Lnsini and Zoboli-Vitterina De Bono , Herr 0 . Oberthur ; Piano—Signor Tito Mattei and the Paggi Family . The Concert will begin at three o ' clock . Conductors—Signori La Calsi , Sala , Romilli , and Bro . Lindsay Sloper .

Ad01002

Tho Hevised Book of Constitutions ; Critically Considered , and Compared with the Old Edition . London : Simpkin , Marshall & Co ., 4 Stationers' Hall Court , E . C . Sent on receipt of stamps , One Shilling , by W . "W . Morgan , Freemason ' s Chronicle Office , Belvidere "Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonville , London , W . ( AJJVT ) .