Bro. G. W. Speth.

BRO . G . W . SPETH .

WE have much pleasnre in reproducing from the Brisbane Keystone the following portrait of Bro . G . W . Speth , the indefatigable Secretary of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 : — Bro . Speth may be said to have been born a Freemason . At the time of his birth , whioh took place on the 30 th April 1847 , his father , G . W . Speth , was a member of the Lodge of Unity , now

No . 183 ; his uncle , Edward Ryan , was a member of the same Lodge , and its W . M . ; Bro . H . Crohn , Grand Secretary for Foreign Correspondence in the Grand Lodge of England , stood sponsor for him at the font . George William Speth , the elder—as staunch a Mason as ever lived—was initiated in Unity Lodge , in 1842 . He served three times as Worshipful Master of his Mother

Lodge , in 1846 , 1849 and 1850 . In 1885 , he was appointed Secretary , holding that office for 12 years . At the end of that period he was elected Treasurer , whioh office he continued to fill , worthily and well till the day of his death , in 1878 . From this it will be seen , that during the boyhood of his son G . W . Speth the yonnger , he was Secretary to the Lodge of whioh he had been , for

some 15 years , the oldest member when he died . Thus it is that Bro . Speth ' s earliest recollections of the Craft go baok to his schooldays , when , in the evenings , he used to assist bis father in issuing the snmmones for the meetings , and in other suoh like matters . After completing his education in France and Germany , Bro . Speth , at the early age of 19 , entered into commercial pursuits ; a

mode of life which to him was extremely distasteful . However , "Necessity knows no law , " and in the arrangements made , he was compelled to acquiesce , as every other conrse open would have thrown upon his father the burden of maintaining him for some years , whioh financial reasons forbade .

In 1868 , being then of age , he took advantage of tho visit to England of a Havana merchant , a correspondent of the firm in which he was employed , to offer his services abroad . The offer having been accepted , he left for Cuba in September of the same year . In 1870 , owing to changes in the firm , he found means to sstablish himself in business on his own account in Havana . At the

•nd of 1871 he returned , for business purposes , to England . In January 1872 he was initiated in his father ' s Lodge , Unity No . 183 . Returning to Havana for a time , he came baok to England towards the end of 1873 . He was at once appointed to office in the Lodge , as I . G . In 1874 he served as S . D ., S . W . in 1875 , aud W . M . in 1876 . Tbe death of his father , in 1868 , enabled him to

retire from commercial pursuits , on a very small income , which , however , to him was preferable to an uncongenial occupation . In 1884 he was appointed Secretary of the Lodge , a position in which he has been confirmed by every succeeding Master to the prese ' nt'date . Ifc was in 1881 that Bro . Speth first turned his attention to the study of Masonry and its antiquities ; his first attempt being the

History of his Mother Lodge , which appeared in that year . Ibis bronght him into contact with Bro . R . F . Gould , the eminent Masouic historian , who was at that time engaged on his famous " History of Freemasonry , " and required some assistance in the investigation of foreign documents and writings , which by reason of his education , Bro . Speth was capable of supplying . The result has been a

long friendship with the distinguished historian , exclusive of valuable help rendered to his undertaking , and whioh only ceased witb the publication of the last volnme . While engaged on this subject Bro . Speth collected a mass of information respecting Eminent Masons , which was contributed to the Philadelphia Keystone , in the shape of a series of biographical notes on " Members

of Royal Houses , who had donned the Lamb-skin Apron , " being the only attempt at a complete list which has yet been made . These notes were afterwards reprinted in pamphlet form in Philadelphia , and were subsequently re-issued , in a revised and extended form , in the " Queen ' s Jubilee Number " of the London Freemason , 1887 . In the meantime , he had become acquainted with some of the foremost Masonio thinkers and writers , snch as Bros . W . J . Hngban .

Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , D . Murray Lyon , W . H . Rylands , and others , and with them became interested in the endeavour to establish Masonio Archaeology on a firmer basis than had been the case hitherto . The outcome of this combination of students was the foundation of the now celebrated Quatuor Coronati Lodge , of whioh the subject of our notice is one of the Founders . At the consecration of the Lodge he was appointed Secretary , an office whioh he has since filled with credit to himself and satisfaction to

all concerned . From the first the Lodge struck out a line of its own , and for eome time conducted its proceedings with gratification to its members . It was soon , however , discovered tbat with a small subscription , it was impossible to spend money in printing , and failing this , the influence of the Lodge upon the Craft in general

could not possibly be of an extended nature . It was at this critical period in the history of the Lodge , that Bro . Speth , relying npon what others believed to be a minus quantity , namely , a general desire on tbe part of many brethren to be better informed on Masonio subjects than the means hitherto at their disposal permitted , conceived the happy idea of the " Corresponding Circle . " Having placed his

conception before the Lodge , permission was granted to make a trial , and , in 1887 , the circular calling the new Association into existence was issued . Of the phenomenal success of the venture it is needless here to epeak at any length . It will be sufficient to say that tbe idea at

once caught on , and in leas than five years , it has grown to a membership of nearly 1 , 500 , scattered over every inhabited corner of the globe , and comprising the cream of the Masonic intellect in every country in the World . In Queensland alone the membership includes District Grand Lodges , Lodges , Chapters , and Brethren to the number of nearly 70 , a number whioh when the aims aud objects

Bro. G. W. Speth.

of the Lodge , and the many benefits derivable from membership , become more widely known , must be largely increased . There can be no doubt but that the Lodge owes its success , at any rate very materially , to the distinguished attainments of its members , the excellence of the papers read at the meetings , and the able , eloquent , and incisive manner in whioh the various subjects brought forward

are discussed and commented upon . Yet , these qualifications , however eminent taken by themselves alone , are not by any means sufficient to secure success . Something more is needed . The clever organizer , the energetic , wide-awake manager , the wise , able , tactful , and indefatigable executive officer is absolutely essential to attain tbo best results . In Bro . Speth , the

Lodge has been peculiarly fortunate in securing a Secretary possessing these varied qualities in a pre-eminent degree . Every feature of its organization , every fresh departure , and every scheme to enlarge and extend the usefulness of the Lodge , has emanated solely from the brain of its Secretary . Although Bro . Speth has not yet been called to the dais of the

Grand Lodge of England , as an officer of that distinguished body , yet his services to the Craft have not been unrecognised , both within and without the United Kingdom . He is an honorary member of Lodge Scientific , Bingley , Yorks ; of Lodge St . Albans , Adelaide ; and of the " Association of Masonio Veterans , of Illinois , " to all of whioh positions he has been elected solely on

account of his literary labours ; and we have good reason to know tbat he values in a very high degree those tokens of fraternal recognition . Our brother has his home in Margate , the well known Kentish watering place , so pleasantly situated at the northern extremity of the Isle of Thanet , the location having been selected for its pure and

bracing air , on account of the delicate health of his elder daughter . It might , at first sight , be thought that a resident ) at suoh a distance from the centre and heart of Masonry , would be somswhafc of a drawback to bis busy Masonio career . The •position , however , possesses many advantages , not the least of which is the immunity from interruption by callers of all sorts .

By a very slight stretch of the imagination , we can fancy onr distinguished brother in his study . The room overlooks a pretty garden filled with those Old English " Stars of the Earth " whioh we all love so well . The windows are open to the invigorating sea breezes coming up , filled with the health-giving ozone from the North Sea . The walls around are lined with shelves laden with

hundreds of volumes , every one of whioh has reference , more or less direct , to "The Art of Arts . " In this snug and quiet retreat the Secretary of the " Quatuor Coronati " spends an average of ten hours a clay , every moment of whioh is devoted to the affairs of the Lodgo which , next to the concerns of his family , he has made the one object of his life . ' ' ¦ •' J . S .

Masonic Sonnets.—No. 21.

MASONIC SONNETS . —No . 21 .

Br BRO . CHAS . F . FOKSHAW , LL . D ., 2417 . — : o : — To BBO . P . 0 . GALLOWAY , 2417 . ( A " welcome home " after an eighteen months' sojourn in the Lake District ) .

Thrioo welcome baok , Old Friend—nay , more than friend , For ties of Craffcship make our friendship deeper ; Masouic bonds are bonds that never end ,

Bufc we are Free , " so pass by every keeper . Old Bradford ' s glad to have thee home again j For eighteen months she's looked towards this meeting , So , when she sees thy face , she smiles , and then

She grasps thy band , and gives thee kindly greeting Thy friends are many , and they joy to see Thy well-known form about her streets go straying ,

Bnt none more glad than I—my joyanoy Equals blest childhood when it goes a-maying And so , my Brother , life once more is vernal For I with thee hold converse , kind , Fraternal Winder House , Bradford . 7 th November 1892 .

— : o : — ACROSTIC SONNET .

BY BRO . ISAAC BUCHANAN . — : o : — To DR . CHARLES FORSHAW

C an it be tbat our Lakes onoo more have been H ailed by some love-lit angel-guided eye , A nchoring the mind ' s precious thoughts between

11 oiling fancy and stayed reality ? L et every poet of the hills reply ! E very one who sips from Nature ' s cup S ing unto him who drinks her treasures up

F orbidding not that other men should task , 0 fFering , rather , unto them his own ; It evealing glories we overlooked in haste ,

S bowing fair Nature as she shonld be shown . H ow sweet were life to live for this alone ; A h ! never shall our lakeland fame expire W bile beauty lasts and hearts like bis admire Wood Sido , Distington .