Death Of The Grand Tyler

Officers for their assiduity and regularity of attendance , and Bro . Pitt suitably acknowledged the vote on his own behalf aud that of the Treasurer , promising to continue their efforts to support the Lodge , so long as such faithful adherents to pure Masonry attended their weekly meetings . On the 21 sfc inst . the Fifteen Sections will be worked in this Lodge of Instruction , nnder the presidency of Bro . G . H . Stephens , when a large attendance of tho members and their friends is anticipated .

Merchant Navy Lodge , No . 781 . —A meeting was held on Wednesday , 7 th May , at the Silver Tavern , Bnrdett-road , Limehonse . Present — Bros . Scherboom W . M ., Oald S . W ., Westcotfc J . W ., Ives Treas ., Breden P . M . Sec , Pringle S . D ., Warner J . D ., Williams I . G ., P . M . Turquand Preceptor ; also Bros . Hnett , Dixon , Robinson , Andrews , Day , Kennett , Rawe , & c . Bnsiness—After preliminaries ,

the ceremony of initiation was worked by the W . M ., Bro . Ives candidate . Bro . Jones , a candidate for the second degree , was asked the nsual questions . Lodgo advanced , and a part of tho ceremony was worked by the W . M ., Bro . Jones being the candidate . The same portion of the ceremony was afterwards worked by Bro . S . W ., Bro . Breden candidate , and then by Bro . Rawe ,

Bro . Robinson being the candidate . Bro . Ould will take the chair at next meeting . This Lodge of Instruction is second to none at the East End of the metropolis , and it is gratifying to find ifc is still nnder the able Preceptorship of onr esteemed Bro . Turquand , who has gained a name at tho East of London . The brethren who wish to make progress in the science cannot do bettor than become members .

Royal Standard Lodge , No . 1298 . —There was an nnnsnally interesting meeting of the members of this Lodge , on emergency , on Saturday , at the Wellington Club , Upper-street , N ., when Mr . William Buderus , a " Lewis , " and brother of the esteemed J . W . of the Lodge , Bro . Buderus , was admitted into tho mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry . A special dispensation for this

purpose had been granted by the M . W . G . M . tho Prince of Wales , and we have no donbfc that this deviation from rule was in a great measure owing to the position which Bro . Buderus holds in Masonry , and his popnlarity amongsb a wide circle of the members of the Craft . We understand that his younger brother , who has just been favoured in this way , is shortly about to go abroad , and althongh it

may be urged thafc tho brethren of the Royal Standard Lodge could hardly refuse him any rensonable request , yet this does not at all detract from the honour which has been conferred npon our newlyinitiated brother , who may congratulate himself upon beiwr ono of a class that does not often come amongst us . Being S turday

afternoon , th' . > attendance was not so numerous as might otherwise have been anticipated , bnt amongst the Visitors were Bros . Terry and Farnhiim . The W . M ., Bro . H . W . Gladwell , earned a compliment from Bro . Terry for the admirable manner in which he rendered the ceremony .

Friendly Lodge , No . 1513 . —A meeting was held on Thursday , 1 st inst , at the King's Head Hotel , Barnsley . Present—Bros . W . Hoole Chambers W . M ., Mitchell S . W ., Alderson J . W ., Massil Sec , LowranceS . D ., Wilson J . D ., Hornc D . C , Miller Steward , Whitely I . G ., Rogers Tyler ; P . M . 's Braithwaite , Gration , Sykes , and Hurd .

Visitors—Bros . Laughton W . M . Yarborough 422 , Goodall 1331 , Shaw 139 , Dixon 139 , Rideal 322 . Ballots were taken for two gentlemen as candidates for Freemasonry , whicb in each case proved clear . Bto . A . VV . Gration was passed , and Bro . John Watson raised ; a resolution was passed appropriating £ 10 10 s to endowing the Junior Warden's Chair as Life Governor of the Boy's School .

Eleanor Lodge , No . 1707 . —The regular meeting of this Lodge took place on Wednesday the 7 th May , at the Angel Hotel , Edmonton . The members present were Bros . J . H . Thompson C . Lovebond S . W ., C . R . Garnett J . W ., Byers Treas ., Tanner P . M . Sec , Leaman J . D ., Symmons D . C , Mein Organist , Watson and Finder . Visitor , Bro . Binme P . M . 1237 . The bnsiness of tbe evening

was the election of W . M ., Treasurer , and Tyler , the Senior Warden , Bro . Lovebond , being unanimously elected Master for the ensning year . Bro . Byers , the present Treasurer , was also unanimously re-elected by tho brethren , aud Bro . Goddard ' s services as Tyler being appreciated , he was elected again for that post . A P . M . ' s jewel was voted to Bro . Thompson for services rendered by him during the past year , and the affable manner in which he had presided .

A sum of money was voted from the Charity Fund to be placed on Bro . Tanner ' s list , who represents this Lodge at the forthcoming Festival of the Girls' School . The Lodge was then closed , and after partaking of supper , tho usnal Masonic toasts followed , and at intervals some songs and recitations were rendered by some of tho brethren , so that tho remainder of the evening passed pleasantly away .

Bro . Melrille C . Brown , G . Orator of Wyoming , iu an oration recently del vered , records a stirriug incident which occurred dnring the wiir of the Rebellion . Dnring a battle at Lookout Mountain , a little band of brothers wero seen walking to a newly-made grave , quietly and gently an ! with no show of fear . A thousand rifles wore levelled upon that devoted band , bnt not one discharged . There is

breathless silence , wonder stamped on every face ; presently above the grave is held for a moment a white apron , the badge of a Mason . A moment it flutters in the breeze , and then falls into the grave of a Brother . The hands of the faithful aro raised above the grave as in mute farewell ; an army stands in quiet awe , and with uncovered heads waits until this Masonic band return to their trenches in safety , ere they resume their work of death .

The Royal Park Theatre.

THE ROYAL PARK THEATRE .

OUR worthy Bro . James Willing jnn . has shown whab he is capable of doing in moro than one capacity . Every ono who has the slightest acquaintance with him is aware how effectively he fulfils the duty of W . M . —how fluent he is in tho delivery of our ritual , and how genial he is in presiding at tho banquet . We know that ho has done his fair share of work in connection with the different Masonio Charitable Institutions , while there is no question as to his

ability as a man of business . Bnfc , as far as we are able to state , there is no previous occasion in whioh ho has appeared in the role of a playwright . All the more gratified , therefore , must wo bo on finding that his first attempt in this character has been so successful . Ou Saturday last a new drama , in a prologue and three acts , entitled Under Two Reigns , was presented afc the Royal Park Theatre , Camden Town .

It has been adapted from the French by Messrs . Walter Percival and James Willing , and the reception it met with was of a highly flattering character . The original play , Tour de Londres , was produced iu Paris some forty years ago . Its title is a kind of key to tho story that has been dramatised . The prologue is dated afc tho time of tho Commonwealth , when the Lord High Protector Cromwell waa afc tho

zenith of his fame . Tho drama belongs to the period of the Restoration , when the adherents of the Stuart family were receiving the just reward of their loyalty . The hero of the piece is a Sir John Murray , a staunch Royalist , who has devised a scheme for rescuing his friend , the Eaz'l of Douglas , from the scaffold , but is induced by circumstances to believe that he has in fact been his executioner . Sir John ' s remorse

consequent on this belief , is terrible , and Mr . W . M Intyre , to whom the part was entrusted , gave a very powerful and telling delineation of the character . Miss Fanny Addison played Sir John ' s wife effectively ; Miss Stella Breroton as their adopted daughter , Miss Amy Steinberg as tho Countess of Carlisle , Mr . Georgo Byrne as Simon Rokesmith , a villain , who is the real executioner of the nnfortnnato

Earl , Mr . J . E . Emmerson as the Dnke of Hamilton , and Mr . Charles Swan as the retainer Ronald , all interpreted well the parts assigned , though Mr . Byrne would have acted more wisely had ho played less to the audience , and so in a measure destroyed the semblance of reality presented by the play . The applause was hearty as well as frequent , and tbo actors were rewarded for their pains by being

summoned before the footlights when the curtain fell . The same compliment ; was paid to tho adapters , though their native modesty appears to have prevented their appearing in response to tho invitation of the audience . The play was admirably mounted , aud the scenery , which was the work of Mr . Richard Douglass , waa of a character to sustain that artist ' s reputation .

Sir John Falstaff.

SIR JOHN FALSTAFF .

rPHE First Pnrt of Sliak pearo ' s " King Henry IV ., " compressed , J- however , into four acts , was pre-outed at the Royal Olympic , un the ulteruoou of Saturday last , and though the delineator of the blulf old Knight can hardly be said to have completely satisfied our notions of tho character , his performance was in many respects a praiseworthy one , and considering the difficulties thero are in properl y

interpreting tho different aud apparently incongruous phases of the old Knight ' s character , a fair measure of success must be considered in tlie light almost of a triumph . Wo havo seen both the lato Mr . Phelps aud the lato Mr . Barrett in the ri , le of Falstaff , and though we should not venture to place Mr . Henry Murray ' s performance on the same level with theirs , we feel justified in describing it as a

meritorious one . Mr . Murray has this advantage to start with—he needs little making-up to personate tho fat old Knight . He is active withal , and he has a rich , but hardly sufficiently powerful , voice , while he is careful to give due prominence to the gentlemanly side of Sir John ' s character . As the version was framed specially to

bring out Falstaff , we need say little of the other characters . Mr . J . H . Barnes did fairly well as the Prince of Wales , and Miss 0 . Saunders was an excellent Mrs . Quickly . The famous Catechism on Honour was about the most successful part of Mr . Murray ' s rendering , and the closing scene , " The Field of Battle , " was creditable to all who took part in ifc .

The Annual Benefit of Bro . R . G . Thomas , the courteous and talented manager of the Mohawk Minstrels , was held on Thursday , 1 st of May , at the Agricultural Hall , Islington . The hall was well filled by the general public and a host of friends of the bene / ictaire . The entertainment provided by these clever delineators of the negro character needs no comment ; suffice it to say that it was fully

appreciated . ssew songs were sung by Messrs . G . Clare and Ferrall , while Bros . Francis and Dnriah , the corner mon , wore excessively fuuny , particularly the former in a grotesque description of a visit to Madame Tussand ' s . Mr . Egbert Roberts sang vigorously " In Cellar Cool , " accompanied by Bro . R . Thomas on the pianoforte ; and the latter , in response to the numerous and urgent calls of the audience , mado a

very neat and appropriate speech of thanks for the kindness shown him on the occasion . The Bros . Raynor gave their clever " Cab Duet , " and Bro . Sidney Franks crea ed roars of laughter by his performance on the zither . After the i oncert a ball followed , with tho band of tho 1 st Life Guards , nnder t ie direction of Bro . Jarvis , who officiated as M . C ., the company bre iking np afc an early hour , after passing a very agreeable evening .

The Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 17-1 , will hold its annual Summer Festival on tbe fourth Thursday ir July , under tho presidency of Bro . Willing W . M . It is anticipated that the event will be attended with equal , if not greater success , than that of last year .

We had prepared a full report of the very successful meeting of the Earl of Carnarvon Lodge , held at the Ladbroke Half , Netting hill , on Thursday evening , but at the last moment , in consequence of pressure upon our space , we are compelled to hold it over till next week .