Our Schools —New Year's Entertainments.

OUR SCHOOLS —NEW YEAR'S ENTERTAINMENTS .

7 T 1 HE usual entertainment to tho pupils of the Royal - * - Masonic Institution for Boys who remain at

headquarters during the Christmas holidays took place on Wednesday , in the presence of a numerous body of Visitors , among whom may bo enumerated Bros . 0 . F . Matier , H . Goodall , Thomas W . C . Bush , W . S . Lyons , Derry ( Birmingham ) , J . E . Ryan ( Landmark Lodge ,

Chicago ) , John Constable , W . W . Morgan , Edward Baxter , Ford , Dr . Conolly , Charles Godtschalk , Alfred Durrant , George Motion , H . N . Taylor P . M . and Mrs . Taylor , H . Tapley P . M ., G . H . Stephens and Miss Stephens , Mrs . and Miss Meyers , andH . Massey . Bros . Dr . Norris . Head Master , and F . Binckes Secretary , with

Miss Hall , the Matron , were also in attendance , together with sundry non-Masons , amongst whom were Messrs . T . Warren and S . Nichols . The arrangements had been is

entrusted to our wortny Uro . ueorge uucKiana , ana ID scarcely necessary to say that under his auspices they were carried out most satisfactorily . Of this , however , our readers will be all the better assured when we present to them the following as the programme of the day : —

PART 1 . Introduction : Treatment of the Subject ; an anecdote of Real Life . Descriptive Song : " The Main Truck" —Bro . George Buckland . Duet : the " Keel Row" —Miss Blanche Paige and Master Frank

Tebbntt . Solo Pianoforte : " Le Re ' veil dn Lion " —Miss Agnes Binckes . Ballads of the Nursery : " Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child ;" "The Naughty Little Boy " —Bro . Georgo Bnckland . Song : " Should he upbraid " —Miss Blanche Paige . Historical Romance : " William Tell " —Bro . Georgo Buckland .

Selections—By the Band of the Boys' School . PART II . Instrnction and Amusement—Humour and Harmony . Dnet : " The Singing Lesson " —Miss Blanche Paige and Bro . George Bnckland .

Song : " Cherry Ripe "—Master Frank Tebbutt . Solo Pianoforte : Selections from " Les Cloches de Corneville "—Miss Agnes Binckes . Extravaganza : "Mrs . Somebody Swallowed a Fly" —Bro . George Buckland .

River Ditty : " Twickenham Ferry —Miss Blanche Paige . Characteristic Song : " Sofo , sofeta , Kianka "—Bro . George Buckland . Duet : " I know a Bank "—Miss Blanche Paige and Master Frank Tebbntt . Domestic Sceno : " Little Bincks ; " " Matrimony ; " " Let ' s Haste to tbo Wedding "—Bro . George Buckland .

National Anthem . This was supplemented by recitations given b y Bros . Binckes ( from " Macbeth" and " Othello )" , and Morgan ( " Brought to Light , " and "WilliamToll " ) , whose efforts to add to the general pleasure of the gathering were as

warmly appreciated as they were worthy of appreciation . As for Bro . Buckland , the applause that was showered upon him was of the most heart y character . A pleasant little cold collation followed , at which every one reciprocated to every one else hearty good wishes for the new year .

The annual Twelfthnight Entertainment to the children in the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was given on Thursday . The House Committee , who provided the entertainment , were present , and with the assistance of a

select party of visitors rendered the evening a perfect success . Punch and Judy , from Messrs Cremer , of Regentstreet , and a skilful wizard from the same establishment , added greatly to the enjoyment of the evening .

_ The annual supper of the Great City Lodge of Instruction , No . 1426 , will take place on Thursday , 26 th instant , at the Masons' Hall Tavern , Masons' Avenue , Basinghallstreet , E . C , under the presidency of Brother Charles

Taylor , Worshipful Master of the mother Lodge . Brethren attending are requested to appear in Masonic clothing . Tickets for the supper , price three and sixpence each , may be had of Brother C . F . Goodenough , the Honorary Secretary , j

Ar00201

MARRIAGE . PONSFORD-EVERETT . -On the 12 th instant , at St . "Marks , Kennington , by tho liev . II . H . Montgomei- . v , Vicar , JAMES BAZt . nr I ' OMSFORD to MAIIIUHTB MARr , eldest daughter of GEOBGI ! EvJiWiiT , of Clapham-road . No Cards .

Occasional Papers.—No. V.

OCCASIONAL PAPERS . —No . V .

OUR EARLIEST NOBLE G . MASTERS . Read in the Confidence Lodge of Instruction , in 1876 . HRHE brethren present are , doabtless , well aware of the - ^ circumstances attending the installation , in 1721 , of John Duke of Montagu , who heads the long list of noble

and princely Grand Masters who have presided uninterruptedly from that year over the interests of the Craft in England . They may not , however , be so well posted in the

services he rendered to the Fraternity . Be it , therefore , the object of this paper to describe them , as well as those of his immediate successor , the eccentric Duke of Wharton . To the Duke of Montagu we are indebted for the establishment of the Deputy Grand Mastership , for no sooner had

he been placed in the chair of Grand Lodge than he appointed , without apparent premeditation , Dr . James Beal to be his Deputy . This , however , is but a trifle by the side

of the interest which he exhibited in the compilation of our Laws . Bro . Payne , during his two years of office , had already exerted himself with laudable assiduity in securing the collection of all the old Masonic documents that were

procurable ; and when the Duke of Montagu was Grand Master orders were issued for tho compilation of what are known as our Constitutions . This important task was assigned to Drs . Anderson and Desaguliers , who had the further advantage of being assisted in their labours by

Past Grand Master Payne . So energetically did these brethren pursue their task that , at the Grand Lodge held at the Queen ' s Arms , St . Paul's Churchyard , on the 27 th December in the same year , the new Constitutions were handed in in manuscript , and entrusted to a Council of

fourteen Brethren to examine and report upon . Within three months this Committee delivered their report , to the effect that they had carefully examined the digest submitted for their inspection , containing the Laws , History , Charges , and Regulations , and having made sundry amendments ,

expressed their approval . Orders were then issued , with the sanction of the Grand Master ( the Duke of Wharton ) , for their immediate publication , when they were resubmitted to the consideration of the representatives of twenty Lodges connected with Grand Lodge , and on

their acceptance and approval were finally issued to the Craft in the year 1723 , as the Book of Constitutions of the Freemasons . This , which is the first , and of course the rarest edition of our Constitutions , contained a succinct history of Freemasonry from the earliest ages , as derived from the

various legends of the old Operative Guilds ; what are known as the Ancient Charges , and the regulations compiled by Bro . Payne , together with tbe approval of Grand Lodge , and four Masonic Songs . As to the genuineness of these laws and regulations , there is no question whatever .

We have , in the first place , the solemn assurance of the learned Desaguliers and Anderson that they embodied all that was really valuable and authentic in the old Constitutions , and the more recent examination of equally learned experts , and notably of Kloss , is confirmatory of this . It

should likewise be added , that these Constitutions , with such amendments and modifications as the wisdom of different Grand Masters has from time to time suggested , are the same Constitutions which now govern our Fraternity . If not unalterable as the laws of the Medes and

Persians in the letter , they have been , and are so , in the spirit . ' Moreover , they form the basis on which rest the laws and regulations of all other Masonic bodies in the world . There is no doubt then of the wisdom of the eminent brethren to whom was in the first instance

entrusted , by the Duko of Montagu , the duty of compiling them , and the names of Anderson and Desaguliers will be remembered by successive generations of Craftsmen with respect and veneration . Their task was a difficult one , and they discharged it faithfull y and with marked ability .

The initiatory steps in the compilation of our laws constitutes the chief glory of the Duke of Montagu ' s Grand Mastership . His Grace was hi ghly popular with the Craft , as , indeed , he was with all classes of the community . So

beloved and respected was he b y the former , that when the appointed time came for the choice of his successor , he was re-elected for another term of office . This , however , gave umbrage to the eccentric Duko of Wharton and his friends , who had conceived the idea of putting him in nomination