The History Of Freemasonry.*

if "Aubrey ' s memorandum of Wren ' s approaching initiation was not printed or in any way alluded to until 1844 , " and has consequently " exercised no influence whatever in shaping or fashioning the belief ( among Masons ) which , from 1738 onwards , has universally prevailed as regards

the connection of the great architect with the ancient craft , " neither can it be said to have influenced Anderson in making his statement . Thus Aubrey ' s memorandum and Anderson ' s statement must have been made independently of each other , and possess that greater value which belongs

to all independent statements when they fortuitously corroborate each other , and especially when the people who made them were contemporaries of the events or circumstances they claim to desoribe . No one who has even glanced at the volumes of Brother

Gould s work which have thus far appeared will dream of charging him with having treated his subject in a halfhearted or perfunctory manner , and we agree with him that it is an evidence of wisdom on his part to have had " mortality before him , " and-not risked leaving his work

in an unfinished state in the hope that some new evidence might present itself . Yet , in the case of this particular tradition about Wren , it is greatly to be regretted—and we imagine none will regret it more keenly than Bro . Gould himself—that he did not take the advice of those friends

on whose judgment he places so much reliance , and instead of attempting "to deal exhaustively" with the matter , leave it—as it ever has beeu , and is very likely to be—an open question . Instead , however , of exhibiting , in circumstances so extremely delicate , that discretion which is

reasonably expected from such a writer , he has plunged headlong into the very thickest of the critical battle , and in the vain hope of achieving that recognised impossibility of proving a negative has laid himself open to many a fatal thrust . Moreover , the question of Wren ' s

membership of our Society , though highly interesting , is not one ^ of paramount importance . If we succeed in establishing it as a fact , we shall do no more than convert what is now only a reasonable probability into an absolute

certainty . The obscurity will be removed from that passage in Aubrey which has received from Bro . Gould so harsh a designation , and Dr . Anderson ' s character for trustworthiness will be enhanced . But the cause of Masonic historical

truth will have made no serious progress ; no new link in the chain of evidence which carries us further forward into the seventeenth century will have been forged . We shall be , to all intents and purposes , as we have been , with the exception that Wren ' s name will have been added for a

certaint y to our roll of worthies . On the other hand , if we assume that Bro . Gould has proved his negative and that Wren never was a Mason , what follows ? The passage in Aubrey will remain as obscure as ever , and we shall have it established in one more instance than is known

alread y that in dealing with history Anderson ' s zeal was often permitted to outrun his discretion . But was it worth the expenditure of so much time and trouble to build up an elaborate argument extending over some fifty pages in order to achieve a purpose so comparatively valueless ?

We have said that the question of Wren ' s membershi p is not one of paramount importance , by which we must of course be understood to mean that it cannot materiall y affect the evidence already known to exist , of there having been a non-operative element in Masonry long anterior to the

year 1717 . No amount of argument can destroy that . But there are many reasons why it is desirable that the evidence we already have , should , if possible , be strengthened , and the chief of those reasons undoubtedl y is , that in such caseMasonic history will be less amenable

, to thechargeof being indebted for its facts principally to the imagination of sundry enthusiasts , who have pieced together such information as they could lay their hands upon and instinctively shaped for themselves certain

theories that would combine them all . We purpose , therelore , following Bro . Gould through the other points of his argument , but to do so with justice we must embody such remarks as we are desirous of making in a further paper . ( To be continued . )

Ar00502

nffe , ? H ^ i i . « 3 TT .-Sores , wounds , ulcerations , and other diseases nas nnnf 15 ! £ It F e anleil < lablo by this cooling and healing Ointment . It from ho 11 , lourtesfc Praise from persona who have suffered Tor years naq « Ji „ J ' j , aceases . and chronic ulcers , after every hope of cure has' long thisTni „ r \ » oae „ tKU > those who have experienced the soothing effect of * nflaimSnSS « ,, ™ Mea of the comfort it bestows , by restrainingit ha « S ? ow v ? ¦ l } laym S Pain- Whenever this Ointment has been once used " easiest omi = „ P ! V fcS 0 WI } , ' , Btl ha 3 a S ' m been ert S erly aou S £ oi- » M the mttfam ^ nfl S ± lfc . i emeay to' * ' 3 lcer ° « complaints . In neuralgia rheuwarn , ana gout , the same application , properly used , gives wonderful relief .

Presentation To Bro. William Kelly, F.S.A.. F.R.H.S.

PRESENTATION TO BRO . WILLIAM KELLY , F . S . A .. F . R . H . S .

ON Tnesday evening , 29 th April , the Freemasons of the Province of Leicestershire and Ratland presented to thoir Right Worshipfnl Past Provincial Graud Master a life-sized portrait of himself , to be hnng in the Freemasons' Hall , Halford-street , Leicester , in place of the portrait which , as the brethren of the Province well know , has for many years appeared on tho walls , but whioh it wa 3 generally thought was not a faithful representation of the esteemed brother .

The portrait had been very generally aud liberally subscribed for , and Brother James Lnntley , the well-known and successful artist , of Beeston , Nottingham , was specially engaged to paint the portrait , and a most faithful likeness of Brother Kelly was produced . We may state that the cost of the portrait , without the frame , was about eighty guiueas , and it was generally

regarded not only as an admirable likeness of Bro . Kelly , bnt aa really a first-class work of art . It has been placed in the Masonio frame of the original portrait , and will now permanently remain on the walls of the Masonio Hall . On the frame is a plate bearing the following inscription : — "Presented to the Right Worshipful Bro . William Kelly , F . S . A ., F . R . H . S ., Past Provincial Grand Master , by

the brethren of the Province . Tuesday , 29 th April 1884 . Owing to a variety of engagements , Masonio and otherwise , a number of subscribers to the portrait were unable to be present at the presentation on Tuesday , bnt upwards of forty assembled at a grand banquet in the Masonio Hall , and the proceedings were altogether of a very interesting charaoter . Bro . George Toller inn . P . G . S . B . England ,

Depnty Provincial Grand Master , occnpied the ohair , and Bro . flobt . Miohie W . M . 279 , being the oldest Lodge in the Province , filled one of the vice-ohairs , and " Bro . F . J . Baine 3 P . P . G . S . D . P . M . 523 , the second oldest Lodge in the Province , occnpied the other vice . chair . The following other brethren were amongst those present : —Bros . W . Kelly F . S . A . F . R . Hist . S ., & c , Rev . W . Landey P . P . S . G . W ., G .

Stretton P . P . S . G . W ., 0 . E . Stretton P . P . S . G . W ., Miles T . Walker P . P . J . G . W ., J . Orlando Law P . P . G . J . D . P . M . 279 , 0 . Garden Prov . G . A . D . O ., W . Millioan 1560 , J . Vaughan . P . M . 86 , 279 , 1007 , G . Oliver P . P . G . P . P . M . 1007 , R . Taylor P . P . G . Sup . Works , J . B . Fowler I . G . 1560 , T . Maoanlay . R . S . Toller W . M . 1560 , 1 . Hart , J . D . Harris S . W . 1560 , E . Watson I . P . M . 1391 , R . Symington S . 1330 .

Holmes , W . H . Lead 279 , G . A . Anderson 1391 , W . P . Maturiu , J . Spurway I . G . 279 , J . B . Waring S . 523 , Rev . W . R . Hurd 1391 , W . H . Barrow , J . Metcalfe , F . B . Wilmer , E . Jeeves S . D . 1130 , E . Newton 279 , W . A . Fielding S . D . 279 , A . Foster , L . Ball , G . Jessop J . D . 2028 , and many others . Letters of apology for non-attendance were read from R . W . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl Ferrers Prov .

Grand Master , Bros . Rev . C . Wood P . P . G . C ., W . Napier Reeve , W . S . Allen , Wing , Dawson , Luke Turner , Joseph Young Prov . G . D . C ., & o . During the banquet the following telegram was received from the Howe and Charnwood Lodge , 1007 , then holding its meeting at the Ball ' s Head , Loughborough : — From the members of the Howe and Charnwood Lodge now sitting . The W . M . and Bro . E . P . Steads ,

Secretary , tender to R . W . Bro . Wm . Kelly , tho Chairman and brethren , fraternal greetings and hearty good wishes , and trust Bro . Kelly ' s life may long be spared . The usual Loyal aud Masonic toasts having been duly honoured , the Chairman next rose to propose the health of their honoured guest , R . W . Bro . Kelly—a toast which we need hardly say was received and drnnk with enthusiasm .

In a very able speech Bro . Toller briefly sketched the highly distinguished Masonic career of Bro . Kelly , mentioning incidentally some of the very many useful and valuable services which dnring a period of nearly fifty years the esteemed brother had rendered to the Craft throughout the Province , aud concluding by presenting tho portrait of Bro . Kelly in the name of the subscribers , coupled with a

request that it might be permitted to hang on the wall of the Masonio Hall . The uncovering of the portrait was the signal for loud and continued applause , and the health of Bro . Kelly was heartily drunk by all , accompanied on all sides with cordial greetings and many good wishes for his long life and happiness . R . W . _ Bro . Kelly acknowledged the compliment in a deeply interesting speech ,

in which he reviewed at length his associations with Freemasonry in the Province , and gave numerous historical reminiscences of the progress of tbe Craft . The Chairman afterwards proposed a vote of thanks to Bro . Clement E . Stretton , who had so ably and so effectively acted as Secretary to the Portrait Committee . The toast was heartily drunk , and was briefly acknowledged by Bro . Stretton . Bro .

Partridge P . G . Secretary proposed the health of Bro . George Toller jun . Chairman , paying a well-merited tribute to him for his services . The Chairman suitably acknowledged the toast , and the proceedings , which had been pleasantly varied by very excellent songs , concluded shortly afterwards , all agreeing that the gathering had been not only of a de ' eply interesting , but also one of a most enjoyable character .

Tbe following Festival Meetings have been held at Freemasons' Tavern daring the week , ending 10 th May : — Monday , 5 th—Joppa Lodge , Unions Lodge ; Wednesday , 7 th—St . Mary's Hospital , United Lodge , Grand Chapter Club , French Cooks ' Ball ' ; Thursday , 8 th—Lodge of Regularity , Pilgrim Lodge ; Friday , 9 th—Britannic Lodge , Bedford Lodge ; Saturday , 10 th—Phoenix Lodge .

AMATEUR GARDENING TOE TOWN AND COUNTET , the first number of which has just appeared , is an attractive illustrated periodical , well edited , and embracing topics relating to the Home Garden , Villa Farm , Poultry Yard , and Housekeeper ' s Room . As a popular weekly journal , published at a penny , Amateur Gardening bids fair to meet with a hearty reception ,