Soc: Rosicr : In Anglia. Yorkshire College. "Freemasonry In York."

religious houses , and it requires no very great stretch of the imagination to suppose that , at the time of tho destruction , or rather suppression , of the Order of the Temple and the distribution of the penitents amongst tho monasteries , they may havo mingled with the Masons in their esoteric assemblies , and that tho ceremonies may havo become intermingled aud tho orders linked together by mutual

sympathies . Still descending the ladder of timo we arrive at what I will call the Elizabethian legend , relating to Sir Thomas Sackvillo , having been sent down to York by Her Majesty to suppress tho Masonic meetings in the city , and to his having boon himself initiated here and reported so favourably to his liego of tho loyalty

of the brethren as to produce a revulsion of feeling in their favour . A York brother has , I know , been at very considerable pains to wade through tho old minute books of the Corporation of York , in order to discover if any entry relating to this alleged visit of Sir Thomas Sackvillo to York is in existence , but he has discovered no allusion to anything of tho kind , and I fear

that wo must admit that , so far , there is not a scrap of evidence as to any visit having been paid by tho knight in question . Perhaps I may be pardoned for a moment if I hero diverge in order to urge npon every Rosicrncian tho great importance in these days of tho careful investigation of all ancient available records , letters , minute books , & c ., not only in the interests of Masonry , but

of history generally . Wo all know what literary treasures have , of late years , from timo to time been unearthed , and wo must all lament the carelessness and ignorance which havo consigned , and even yet consign , to tho flames or the waste paper basket , manuscripts and records of the deepest interest . We know that in many an old chest

and cupboard must lio hid curious papers which would throw light upon the histoiy of the past , and I would urge upon yon the importance of always assuring yourselves of the contents of all old papers before despatching them to the dust cart , on those occasions which occur at intervals in all our lives when removals or deaths

bring to light tho accumulations of the lumber room . It was not until tho commencement of the oightoenth ' century that we havo any actually existing records of tho existence of Speculative Freemasonry in York , and it is in 1705 that Dr . Bell's list of Grand Masters , of whom there are data , begins with Sir George Tempest . Amongst tho archives of tho York Lodge , are preserved most of the

minute books of the Grand Lodgo of All England , and they are , of course , of immense value anil interest . When the Grand Lodge of England was formed in London , the Grand Lodge of All England , which appears at that time to havo been nearly dormant , appears to have pnt on a kind of spurt , and to have issued a few warrants for Lodges , but of course the Metropolitan body soon overshadowed everything ,

and va York itself Lodges wero soon working with London warrants under the very nose of the Grand Lodge at York . The present York Lodge , No . 236 , was warranted in 1777 , the year of the Union , from London , under tho name of tho Union Lodge , No . 287 . When the Grand Lodge of York became defunct , just before the close of tho century , its properties seem to have been divided

among tho few remaining members . Some of tho furniture you have seen to-day in tho handsome hall belonging to the York Lodge . Tho Eboracum Lodge , in whoso room wo are met , possesses tho Bible , which very curiously turned up in tho possession of a gentleman who is not a Mason , but who presented it to that Lodge , then just warranted . Tho old silver loving cup is , I believe , now in the

possession of a lady residing in York , whoso father was a member of tho Grand Lodge of York . Thenceforward the progress of tho Order in York seems to have been slow and wavering . Tho Union Lodgo survived its contemporaries , and after some sharp vicissitudes , and a change of namo in 1870 , is now in a very flourishing condition . It seems strange ,

however , that in a city which has such a great legendary Masonic history , and in which remnants of the past and historical institutions are so esteemed and cherished , there should for so many years havo existed only one Lodge , but it was not until tho autumn of 1876 that our R . W . Bro . the Earl of Zetland consecrated in this room tho Eboracum Lodge , No . 1611 , of which I have tho honour to bo the preseut

Worshipful Master . At this moment I consider Freemasonry to bo in a remarkabl y flourishing condition in our ancient northern capital . Much new blood has been infused into the old stock , and many good and worthy men are constantly ranging themselves nnder our banners . I feel that I owe yon an apology for inflicting upon you so

discur-Sivo and aimless a paper , but it is next to impossible to discuss so complicated a subject as the progress of Freemasonry in York in a worthy or even intelligent manner , in snch a brief space of time as has been necessarily allotted to mo . To treat tho question duly it would bo necessary to go closely into comparisons of old records and minute books , and to investigate minutim in a manner that would on

such an occasion as the present be both impossible aud out of place . You have seen and heard sufficient to-day to prove to yon how largo and interesting a field we havo in York for all kinds of archaeological study . I speak cautiously and subject to correction , as a very young member of our Rosicrncian Order ; but if I do not

greatly err , I imagine that these matters peculiarly come within tho scopo of our investigations , and I venture to think that our meeting hero to-day has been in every respect as consonant with the teachings of tho Order , as it has been , to me at least , one of very great pleasure . Fratres , I thank you for your courteous attention .

Hot _ ow _ T ' s OIXTMEST AHD Puis . —Counsel for the delicate . —Those to whom tho winter 13 a protracted period of trial , should sock tho earliest opportunity of removing all obstacles to good health on the return of sprimr . This cooling Ointment , persoveringly rubbed upon the skin , is tho most reliable remedy for overcoming all diseases of tho throat and chest , swollen glands , ordinary catarrh , and bronchitis usually prevailing at this season , mav be arrested as soon as discovered , and every symptom banished bv HoIIowav ' s simple and effective treatment . The Ointment and Pills are highly commended for the facility with which they treat successfully with influenza ; they allay ia an incredibly short timo tho distressing fever and teasing coush .

Committee Meeting Of The Boys' School.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE BOYS ' SCHOOL .

THE General Committee of tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys met on Saturday last , at Freemasons' Hall . Tho brethren present were—Bros . S . Rawson , G . J . Row , tho Hev . Richard Morris , John Boyd , D . M . Dowar , W . Paas , W . Mann , Raynham W . Stewart , C . P . Matier , L . Rnf , J . G . Chancellor , Collard Moutrio , A . Durrant

Joyce Murray , J . Winter , Benjamin Head , S . Rosenthal , C . J . Rushworth , Clarence Harcourt , U . Massoy , W . Hydo Pullen , R . B . Webster , and P . Binckes . After reading tho minutes , Bro . Binckes read tho letter announcing tho stoppage of Messrs . AVillis , Percival and Co ., and stated that tho indebtedness of tho firm to this Institution

amounted to £ 1 , 720 Gs lOd . Bro . Binckes also read tho list of 2-boys belonging to this Institution , who came out successful from the Cambridge Local Examination . Por tho information of tho Committee , ho stated that , out of a list of 230 candidates from different establishments who went in , in tho course of the year at the London main centre for first class honours , IS only wero successful , and of

these 18 , no less than 6 woro from tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . Pour candidates for election were then pnt on tho October list . With regard to Messrs . Willis , Percival and Co . ' s failure , Bro . Binckes said that , although Bro . Terry had received official notice that 9 s in tho pound would be paid by tho Hants and North Wilts Banking Co ., no such notice had como to him . A letter from Miss

Hall , Matron , was road , thanking tho Committee for tho increase thoy made in her salary at lasc meeting . Four outfits wero granted to boys who havo left tho School . On the application of the mother of one of tho boys , who has not been able to return to the School on account of ill-health , the Committee made the grant for educating him near his home . A grant of £ 20 was also made to another lad ,

who is studying for tho medical profession . Bro . Binckes informed tho Committee that a proposition had been made that the Benevolent Institution and the Boys' School should appeal to the Craft to make up the snm expected to bo lost by thorn in tho failure of Messrs . Willis , Percival and Co ., and road a draft letter suggested to be sont round . Bro . Raynham Stewart thought it was premature . It was

not yet known what the loss would be , or whether there would bo a loss . Ho did not think it right until the tho result was known to profit by , or trade upon , tho failure of Bro . S . Tomkins . Ho moved that all action 011 tho matter be at present deferred . Bro . Clarenco Harcourt seconded tho motion . Ho had heard that it was tho

intention of Bro . S . Tomkins that the Institutions should not suffer . Tho motion was carried . Bro . Raynham Stewart gave notice that ho would move at the Quarterly Court of next Monday that Lord Leigh bo elected a Trustee of the Institution in place of tho late Bro . Bentley Shaw . Tho Committee then adjourned .-

Committee Meeting Of The Benevolent Institution.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

ON Wednesday afternoon tho usual meeting of tho brethren who form tho Committee of tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , was hold at Freemasons' Hall , Col . Creaton in tho chair . There wero present also Bros . S . Rawson , Hydo Pullen , Joseph Smith , Griffiths Smith , Henry Smith , A . H . Tattershall , Edward Cox , John Bollerby , James Caso , L . Stean , Raynham W . Stewart , XV . Hilton , S . G . Gordon Robbins , and James Terry . Bro . Terry read a letter

from tho Duke of Manchester , acknowledging Bro . Terry 3 letter to his Grace conveying the vote of thanks which was passed to him for presiding at tho Festival of last February . His Grace expressed his pleasure at being of any service to tho Institution . Bro . Terry afterwards read tho Finance Committee ' s report , which showed a balance of £ 2 , 38 G 10 s lOd in favour of tho Male Fund , £ 3 , 299 5 s 6 d in

favour of the Female Fund , and £ 1-6 15 s 6 d in favour of the Sustentation Fund , or a total iu favour of tho Institution of £ 5 , 732 17 s lOd . After tho report had been ordered to bo entered on tho minutes , £ 2 , 000 was ordered to bo placed on deposit with the London aud Westminster Bank at a month's notice . Bros . Colonel Creaton , Farnfield and Griffiths Smith wore appointed the Committee for

drawing up the annual report . In regard to tho failure of Messrs . Willis , Percival and Co ., Bro . Terry said he had received the usual notices from the Bankruptcy Court to prove debts , and a letter from the Hants , & c , Bank , informing him of the arrangement to pay the creditors of Willis , Percival and Co . 9 s in the £ . Bro . Terry said the debts duo to this Institution was £ 990 19 s lOd , and Bro . Barron ,

whom ho had consulted , thought that proof should be given against tho private estate of Bro . S . Tomkins , as he was the Treasurer . At all events , there was no necessity to prove against tho estate of the firm on the 11 th . Tho Committee then heard with great satisfaction from the Chairman , that Bro . Tomkins had told him his impression was that tho Institutions would be paid in full out of his private

estate . Bro . Raynham Stewart gave notice of motion for presenting Dr . Strong , tho honorary Surgeon of the Institution , with one hundred guineas as a mark of the appreciation of the brethren of his great attention and services to the inmates of the Asylum at Croydon . Tho Committee then adjourned . Tho election of annuitants will be hold in tho largo hall of Freemasons' Tavern on tho 17 th of May .

ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE "FERN PARADISE . "—Mr . Francis George Heath has iu tho press an illustrated , revised , and greatly enlarged ( fourth ) edition of his " Fern Paradise . " The illustrations will include several copyright photographic views taken in one of tho

most charming of tho " green lanes" of Devon , a number of full page engravings of scenery , from drawings by Birkcfc Foster , aud plates of ferns , giving complete figures of all the British species , grouped according to Genera . The now edition will be published by Messrs . Sampson Low , Marston and Co ,