Random Notes And Reflections.

feature , more than anything else , that makes its name and fame . However mnch we may differ from some of its utterances , whero it records facts within its own knowledge it can be relied npon implicitly .

Ii was hardly likely that such an important event as the raising of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales tho M . W . the Grand Master of Craft Masons under the English Constitution to the position of Senior Past Grand Master

Mark Mason should pass without drawing , forth opinions from the Press outside of the Order , especially as they published long reports of the Mark Masters' doings of Saturday last . The article in the Times of Tuesday is a

curious production , like many another emanating from the same source . It opens in a bantering style , and casts doubts upon the secret character of the Order . It says " The fullest information about them [ the secrets ] mn v be

picked up for half-a-crown at almost any London bookstall , " but in order to escape from the flat contradiction given later on , it adds : " But the public prefers to be in the dark . " Practically , then , Freemasonry is a secret

organisation , notwithstanding that so much is supposed to be known . No doubt there is a charm about the mysterious , and that the disclosure of a name or a secret tends to destroy the interest in both . If this rule were applied to

the Times , for instance , it might suffer in consequence . The writer asks : " Who would care much about the authorship of the letters of Junius or the personality of the Man in the Iron Mask if we could reach certainty about

either of them ? " We shonld say a great deal , for the power of the one aud the circumstances surrounding tho other are interwoven with our history , and will ever be regarded with interest . But according to the Times ,

Freemasonry is in a different position to either . Its secrets may become known , and yet the world prefers to remain in ignorance , and to believe that in the " unknown " lurks the " magnificent . " We shall not quarrel with this view :

we are content with what we ourselves know , and we are perfectly indifferent as to what the world chooses to believe of us , provided they let us alone , and mind tbeir own business .

The Times , however , is fain to admit that there is an " international character" about Freemasony , that the society "ramifies over the whole world . Its signs and tokens are the same everywhere . " It goes on to add :

" The stranded Mason can and will receive help in every quarter of the world . " Surely these admissions are opposed to the tone of ridicule adopted , and an answer to

the assertion that the secrets of the Order are common property . When a scoffer pays such tribute as is here recorded , believers may well remain content .

Ever since Bro . Sadler raised the question of obtainin g copies or substitutes of the pictures destroyed by the great fire at Freemasons' Hall in May last , we have heartily seconded his purpose . It will be remembered that Bro .

Sadler , in his letter on this subject , mentioned eight portraits , copies of which were desired . These have now been obtained . Seven of them came readily enough , through various friendly sources , and it now remains for

us to state that the missing link has been supplied . To ourselves belongs the credit of having discovered a fine portrait of the Dnke of Atholl , through the medium of Bro . Dorling P . P . G . Sec . Suffolk , and P . M . 376 , 957 , 1799 ,

and of having placed the picture in the hands of Grand Lodge . It is not a copy of the painting destroyed , but it is very much like it , and is justly regarded as a very excellent substitute . It is a full length portrait of the noble Duke , . and has the following inscription attached : —

The Most Noble John , Dnke , Marquis and Earl of Atholl , Marqnis and Earl of Tnllibardine , Earl of Strathtay and Strathardle , Visconnt Balquidder , Glenalmond and Glenlyon , Lord Murray , Belveny and Gask , Baron Strange of England , Earl Strange and Barou of

Knocking , & c . & c . & c , Lord of the Isle of Man , Lord Lieutenant of the county of Perth , one of his Majesty ' s Most Honourable Privy Council , and Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle .

The print was engraved by C . Knight , 1811 , from a painting by John Hooper , R . A . The original was the fourth Duke of Atholl , and was Grand Master ( Ancients )

from 1791 to 1813 , the last a memorable year in the annals of the Craft . The painting that was destroyed by fire was tbe work of Thomas Phillips , and executed three

years after the date of the print now in possession of Grand Lodge . — : o : — As a matter of information and of interest , too , we quote the following from a letter received from Brother Tarker , dating 2 nd December . He says :

Referring to article , p 315 , the portrait of tho Earl of Zetland was published with tho Freemasons' Magazine and Mirror , that of Earl Dalhousie followed , and I have both in old frames . My Mother Lodge , tho Integrity , Manchester , have an excellent portrait of the

Dnke of Sussex , in Masonio clothing , presented by P . M . Wm . Dossen Whitehead , about 35 years ago ; it now hangs at Freemasons'Hall , Cooper-street , Manchester . I cannot say positively whether it is a copy of that of Freemasons' Hall , London , or not .

After all that has been done , and the interest that has been excited , shall this question of Masonic portraits be allowed to drop ? We trust not . One way of inducing

Grand Lodge to take action would be by pressing copies of portraits and other articles of interest npon them . We shonld like to see a Masonic fine art gallery , a museum , and a library worthy of the Craft .

Three fires m seven months ought to act as a warning . The consequences of the 3 rd May last at Freemasons' Hall has not yet been realised , nor will their full effect be felt until the work of restoration is begun . The cause of the accident was attributed "to a huge beam , which ran

athwart a flue communicating with the kitchen of the Tavern becoming ignited . " A fortnight afterwards , there was another outbreak , arising , as far as we can gather , from the same canse , but which happily did little damage . A third is now recorded as having occurred early on

Saturday morning last , when , according to the special Sunday edition of a weekly newspaper , " the Freemasons ' Hall was once more the scene of a fire , but fortunately this time only of a minor character . It arose from the old cause—an overheated fine . The chief damage was done in

cutting away some timber and brickwork in the old hall , in order to reach the seat of the fire . " Without attaching too much importance to this report , there is evidently something seriously wrong in a portion of the structure of the building in Great Qneen-street , and the sooner attention is

given to the matter the better . The simple restoration of the Temple will not -be enough under the circumstances , aud possibly the committee will find that in order to do their work safely , they will have to consider the possibilities of the future , so far , at least , as protection from fire is concerned .

Bro . Webster's motion , carried in Grand Lodge last week , runs as follows : — " That the ancient Temple be reinstated out of the funds received from , the Insurance Companies , and that no extensive building operations be undertaken until the expiration of the lease of Bacon ' s

Hotel . " A special Committee was afterwards appointed to carry out the terms of the motion , one of which is " that no extensive building operations " shall be undertaken until Bacon's lease falls in , some five years hence . Does this mean that some building operations , in addition

to the rebuilding of the Temple , may be- carried on , the term " extensive " to be determined by the Committee ? If so , is the expenditure to be limited to the sum of £ 8 , 500 received from the Insurance Companies ? This sum is made up of the following items : —Building £ 6 , 400 ,

furniture ( with return of damaged carpet ) £ 1 , 050 , statue £ 500 , organ £ 100 , pictures £ 500 . Possibly some may consider little outlay will be necessary with regard to the statue and the pictures ; the former is damaged , certainly , but not destroyed , but the latter must be replaced under

any circumstances . An organ , worthy of the Craft , will cost considerably more than £ 100 . Perhaps the cost of new furniture will be covered by the insurance money . There does not appear to be any margin for building operations apart from the Temple , and it may fairly be assumed

that none will be attempted . If it is so , and Bro . Webster ' s resolution is to be regarded in the terms in which it is expressed , then when Bacon's lease falls in the whole question of alterations will be revived . We think this aspect of the matter has not been fully considered , it may be that

this is no serious motion in reference to the future at all , and that contingencies were only mentioned to satisfy those who think considerable changes are necessary , but who are willing to be put off with wordy promises . If extensive alterations are to be effected when Bacon ' s lease ends , would it not be well to pause and consider whether the ex-