Provincial Grand Lodge Of The North And East Ridings.

elected Sheriff of the borough ( hear , hear ) . He ( the speaker ) trusted he might be permitted to bear his testimony to the impartiality and ability with which Bro . Wells performed his duties on that occasion ( applause ) . At the present time he occupied the highest position which it was in the power of tho town to confer upon him ; and he reminded them that these honours were not to be obtained

without sterling worth in their possessor . There most be integrity , strong will , and ability ; and ho believed Bro . Wells possessed all these essentials ( cheers ) . He had had considerable difficulties to contend with in his year of office , yet he ( Bro . Norwood ) believed he would pass from the mayoral chair of this borough with tho respect of his constituents , and of the town

at large . ( Cheers . ) It must have been a great pleasure to Bro . Wells—good Mason as he was—to have had the pleasure of receiving the Earl of Zetland and other members of Prov . Grand Lodge at the Mansion House to-day . It was not his good fortune to be present as his attendance was requirocl elsewhere in the

town ; but he should not forget the time when , with his dear friend , the late James Clay , he attended a Grand Lodge held in this town some years ago . The kind hospitality he had shown , and the facilities he had offered for the holding of this meeting , entitled him to their heartiest thanks , and he felt sure the toast wonld be most cordially received . ( Cheers . )

The remaining portion of this most interesting Report has been unfortunately delayed en route , but will appear next week . —EDITOR FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

Is Freemasonry Changing?

IS FREEMASONRY CHANGING ?

WE sometimes hear it said that Masonry is not now what it was even twenty years ago—that when the Lodge is at labour this and that old-time word and phrase are dropped , and others substituted , and the old work is being superseded by the new . Now , there is just as much , and no more , truth in this assertion as there is in the statement that human , nature , or the human race , has changed

during the same period . In a minor sense , and to superficial observation , all things are changeable and changing ; but to him who views both nature and man philosophically , the characteristic of both is their unchangeableness . Surface changes are going on throughout humanity and the world , but in substance all persons and things are the same . There is nothing new under tho sun , as King Solomon

wisely said . Even the same sun rises in the heavens to-day that did in Adam ' s time . Masonry is just as unvariable as nature and man , and to demonstrate this fact , and prove that this nineteenth century is Masonically the heir of tho ages that hare preceded it , is the object of our present article . Freemasonry has both an historic and a pre-historic era , analogously

to man and nature , and concerning the facts , or alleged facts of both , men are not entirely agreed . This is not surprising , Unanimity of belief , upon any subject , seems to to be unattainable . In religion , morality , commerce , law , science , philosophy , and—Masonry , opinions differ . But there is a weight of evidence in favour of certain viewsa majority of individuals who entertain them , that makes us

reasonably sure of the truth . The large majority of those who have investigated the origin , development , and present status of the Fraternity of Freemasons , are of opinion that in spirit and principle the Brotherood to-day is precisely the same that it was in the time of its founders , although in form it is doubtless changed . But forms are only the garb of thought . Were you to apparel yourself in the flowing dress of a

Turk to-day , in the blanket of an Indian to-morrow , and the dresssuit of an American gentleman the next day , you would nevertheless be the same man , So it is with Masonry . The same groat heart beat swithin the breasts of it true representatives , and the same moral purpose stimulates their actions now that did centuries ago . The Masons of the nineteenth century are not exclusively , or

mainly , architects and builders , as they once were , and hence the work of Masoury is necessarily changed—but changed as little as possible , under tho circumstances . We do not use the twenty-four inch gauge and the common gavel , the plumb , level , square , and trowel , for the same purposes that onr predecessors did , but for more noble and glorious purposes—to teach lessons of brotherly love , virtue ,

and morality ; to develope the intellectual man , and fit him for the Spiritual Temple of the great hereafter . But we use the same implements as our forefathers did , and with more effect , since we build for both time and eternity , while they build only for time . The Masons of the seventeenth century were almost exclusively practical , operative Masons . They have been slurringly termed , by

some , bread-and-butter Masons , because Freemasonry wasthe business of their livo 3 , from the practice of which they derived their daily support . But well-directed labour is never ignoble , and we honour the Craftsmen of centuries ago who erected tho splendid churches and cathedrals of the Middle ages . The Guild Theory , by which onr descent is deduced from the stone masons of yore , is the one adopted

by the most critical and highest authorities in the Craft of the present day , and to it we give our unqualified assent . It is reasonable in principle , and well snportcd by facts , It explains the existence of the Fraternity during its historic period . But anterior to it is its prehistoric era . This word pre-historic is often misunderstood . It does not refer to ft period so far removed from the human as to be characterised by the existence of giants and other abnormal

phenomena , but only to that epoch about which we now have no certain data . A very few years ago , all time prior to the year 171 . 7 , was pro-historic in Masonry—that is , concerning it wo had only traditions •since tbpti wo have recovered reliable Lodge ? ninntps which extend back to A . D . K < yS ) , mid other documentary OVMIPII . ' rf > a > 'liing •(< f : tr btu : k as 1 Wi'i . Over four n «» . » ir . nrieu have plfipwl bphv "" ii rhr !»* t dute and the present , but tbori , as cmt , Frw »\ a 3-ins met , in t . vlnd Lodges , imparted their secrets only to initiates , and exemplified

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in stone the noble art of architecture which wo now exemplify purely in a spiritual sense . The invention of tho art of printing , more than any other cause , produced this peaceable revolution in the Craft . As onr Brother Victor Hugo eloquently has written : " Le livre va tuer Vedifice . L ' architecture est detrone " c . " The traditions of the Craft extend the operative existence of tho

Fraternity back to the age of King Solomon . This is our true prehistoric era . But we cannot tell how soon or how far it may be reclaimed and remanded into the region of the historic and the actual , The acumen and research of skilled archeeologists are rapidly making history for the Craft , ohanging hypotheses into theories , and supporting these by incontestable facts .

Through all this extended historic and pre-h \ stonc existence of Freemasonry , there runs the same golden cord of Brotherhood , and related recondite mysteries . The germ is the same throughout . Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth , from the beginning to the end , have been the Craft ' s aims . Forms and ceremonies have changed , but principles

never . Freemasons have always being builders , once for time , now for eternity , once with stone and timber to form material Temples , now with intelectnal and spiritual natures to form a Spiritual Temple , a house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . — Keystone .

The Drama.

THE DRAMA .

" Married in Haste , " at the Haymarket . MR . BYRON has a happy knack of writing plays which , whether intrinsically good or not , are sure to be acceptable to the public The very points which , when examined from an artistic point of * view , seem his weakest , frequently turn tho scale of popular opinion in his favour . Improbabilities in plot , impossibilities in dialogue are all forgiven for the sake of the laughter produced by a smart repartee or

a qnaint bit of word twisting . Being tolerably certain then , that his work , whatever its quality , will bring grist to the mill , Mr . Byron is to some extent justified in the evident haste with which his plays are written ; but the artistic feeling which he undoubtedly possesses must often reproach him for his want of care of his literary reputation . "Pot boilers" are as necessary to dramatic authors as to

artists in any ' othor line ; but an author like Mr . Byron ought , in justice to his own genius , to produce occasionally a play worthy of a place in an " Academy " of dramatic works . Although the plots of Mr . Byron ' s plays are usually threadbare , thoy possess at least ono merit ; they are neither " adapted" nor bodily stolen from French anthors ; neither faults nor excellencies are slavish copies from

foreign originals . The incidents of "Married in Haste" may almost be guessed from ths title . Augustus Grenville , a tutor in tho house of a retired merchant , Mr . Grainger , falls in lovo with tho daughter , Ethel , and , on tho discovery of the attachment , winch is mutual , is abruptly ordered to qnit tho house . The arrival of Gibson Greene , a friend of Grainger ' s , throws a now light on the scene ;

Greene states his knowledge that the tutor ' s real name is not Greville , but Vere , that he has great expectations from a rich uncle , Mr . Percy Pendragon , and is in fact merely playing the part of the Lord of Burleigh . On this representation Mr . Grainger ' s opposition is withdrawn , and the young couple marry . Mr . Pendragon , justly irritated at not having been consulted on this important step ,

withdraws the allowance hitherto made to Vere , and the couple married in haste are left to repent at leisure . Taking to painting as a means of living , Augustus discovers that his wife ' s pictures are more valued than his own , and a little jealousy on this score , increased by some misunderstanding as to his attentions to a Lady Lister , results in a separation . The double reconciliation between husband

and wife , and between unci . ' and nephew , is rought out in a charming scone , of which the chief burden falls on the . shoulders of Pendragon and Ethel , aud of course all ends happily ; Wo need only say of the dialogue that it is up to the level of Mr . Byron ' s style , and contains the usual quantity of his verbid fireworks . The acting is unusually good ell round ; Mif's Carlotta Addison , whose progress has

been both rapid and continuous , p . ays admirably as Ethel , showing much more power than sho has hitherto been credited with , aud acting throughout with admirable consistency of purpose . The Percy Pendragon of Mr . Vezin is another finished performance ; good actor as Mr . Vezin always is , ho has not often been seen to greater advantage thnn in this character . In writing the part of Gibson Greene Mr . Byron was writing a part for himself , and fitted it

admirably to his own idiosyncynacics . The erica ! , yet good hearted mau of the world , always at work for one of bis friends , and yet apparently too lnay to do more than drawl ont his witty sayings , is excellently portrayed by Mr . Byron . Mr . Howe , always a safe actor , appears as Mr . Grainger , an ;! AliwsEmily Tliorne plays tho part of his wifn . Tho piece is well mounted , and , in comparison with some recent prodnctious , deserves , as it will no doubt obtain , a long and successful run .

WHAT AUE YOU WORKING FOK H— " How busy you are this lovely morning , " said the butterfly to the spider . " I am spinning , merely spinning , " said the spider , demurely . " How good the spider is . She is just like you , always at work . I found her at home , just now , on the rose bush , bard at , her spinning , " cried tho buttrrily to a sago old bee that was gathering honey with all his might .

' Like me ! exclaimed the bee . " No , fr'end , no ; . I am never idle ; I love industry and practise it ; so fur you may compare mo to the spider , but there we part . My labour is spent in preparing ^ uYTt food for ofhorp : )> er . is devoted to .= pim : ing snnres whorewitli ¦ slip , catehr-s the unwary fnr ' " ? v •"'" ' ! e . ¦ . ' " n ; . . Work » . !' d ¦ ¦ . ¦•' •'¦ ccrs i ~* p to b ' . ' ' pdg ° d IT *" , hv ' * - " ^ ' . '< i ! " " ?¦ T ^^ ft- ¦ " * tn ! : <> M , ^* H : ' * : *•' > P ' - -d prnpospd . My mission is one of lo-p r ^ d life ; hora i 3 malignant , and has death for its object . "—Leisure How .