Masonic Portraits (No. 32). "Old Mug."

his lips , and the Lodge of Instruction in which ho officiates so ably is always well filled with aspirants for office ofor fame . We met " Old Mug " recently , at tho house of a mutual friend , and in the course of conversation we endeavoured to draw out of him a sketch of his life and

Masonic career . Guessing onr purpose , he was reticent , short , sharp , and genially snappish . He did not wish to be sketched ; he did not care for fame . He had no desire to tell tho world the history of his life , nor had ho any anxiety to publish a list of his titles and honours . He had

dropped in , he added , to see his old friend " Z ., " for various reasons ; it was raining , and he felt tired and wanted a cup of tea , moreover , he wanted a guinea for the School , which he was sure Bro . " Z . " would not refuse him . This was indeed a pretty combination of business and

pleasure , and he desired peace to enjoy one and to transact the other . We might question him if we pleased , but he should perhaps decline to answer , although he felt assured we should not make any unfair use of any information he might drop . The " Portraits " were , he condescendingly

added , very tolerable , and he had recognised many of them . But what did we want his phiz for ? There were grandees enough , surely , who had not yet been sketched , men who had won high renown , and whose lives might be worth writing . We could sketch them if we pleased , but

he desired to be left in obscurity , and , for the present , he desired to enjoy his tea ; perhaps , under the influence of the cup that cheers but not inebriates , Bro . " Z . " would hand over that guinea for the " Girls . " Brother "Z ., " whose mind was at that moment dwelling

upon the events of his early life , did not feel the sting in the tail of this gentle remark , but we are nevertheless quite sure the guinea will be forthcoming , if it is really wanted . We do not like to be checkmated , or , as " Z . " would say , we don't care to allow any one to " get the

weather gage" of us , and so we tried our friend on a new tack . If he could live his life over again , would he care to be a Mason , or was he disposed to say of the Craft as Solomon said of the world — "Vanity of vanities , all is vanity ? " Onr question was a happy one , for it went home ,

and , as our transatlantic cousins say , " struck ile" at once . " Old Mug" declared that if he could live his life over again he would be twice—and , if that were possible , thrice a Mason . It was a grand system , which , if it were followed out by all who took upon themselves its obligations could

not fail to do vast and lasting good to mankind at large . Masonry was based on the Bible , and , therefore , on truth , but the fraternity did not exclude any one not actually a believer in the religion of the Bible . The Jew , the Mohammedan , the Parsee , the Deist , were all welcome . All

that was demanded of a novice was , that he should confess his belief in an Almighty maker of the Universe . " And yet , " said we , " the fraternity has admitted ' X ., ' who is said to be an Atheist ? " " Old Mug ' s" tea was either very hot , or it was not sweetened to his liking , or a " crumb "

had gone the wrong way , for he coughed a most solemn and portentous cough , frowned darkly , and looked as severe as he possibly could , and then remarked , with withering scorn , that there must have been some mistake about the initiation of " X . " He either forgot , said " Old Muo- , "

his precise views ' of theology when the momentons question was asked him , or the officers of the Lodge were deplorably lax in admitting him . Should he ever enter a Lodge while " Old Mug" was present , " Old Mug" would at once retire . He disliked Atheists ; he did not believe there was an honest Atheist in

existence . He could never hold out the ri ght hand of fellowship to a man who denied or affected to deny the existence of the Almighty . But for all that , he was not bigoted . He was a Christian , and could regard as his brethren all who stood upon the common ground of Deism .

But , said we , with perhaps a mischievous desire to hold np the " red rag " once more , " X . " has never declared himself an Atheist , at least so we are informed . His enemies have said many evil things of him , which have little , or no foundation in fact , and perhaps , after all , the difference

between him and ns is merely based on the meaning of a word . What we call God , he may call Nature ; he may fad to see , in the apparently endless chain of causation , a primary cause or beginning of all things , but he does not

surel y deny that adequate forces produced the Universe ! " Old Mug " would not , however , rise to this delicate bait . He knew nothing , he declared , of those refinements of language , by the aid of which a so-called " advance ! thinker" eliminated the Deity from tho Universe . He

only knew that Masonry was based on a belief in the existence of an All-wise and Omnipotent Being — a belief which was full of hope and consolation for those who sincerely embraced it . He knew also that those who denied the existence of this Being could not legally bo members of the fraternity .

" Old Mug " having fairly opened the sluice gates of his active mind , was now willing to talk freely . He needed no spur , and we had only to listen and learn . He had , he

declared , some claim to possess a little knowledge of tho Order , for he was almost bred in the principles of Masonry . His father was an enthusiastic member of tho Craft , and his house was a sort of Masonic rendezvous for men who

were as "hobby horsically" inclined as himself . From these zealous Masons , " Old Mug , " then a lad , caught the contagion of their enthusiasm , and determined to enter the Order as soon as he legally could . It was not , however , until he was twenty-eight years of ago that he was initiated . He was made a Mason in the Lion and Lamb

Lodge , in the year 1839 , and was introduced by the celebrated Peter Thomson , P . S . G . D . Ho joined the Stability Lodge of Instruction the following night , and has been a regular attendant since . He was exalted in Jerusalem Chapter , in 1843 , but subsequently resigned ,

and joined Union Waterloo , No . 13 . In the year 1845 he became Master of his Lodge , which dates its existence from the year 1817 . He was here an assiduous and constant attendant , and , upon the death of Peter Thomson , in 1851 , was appointed Preceptor , and finally , in addition ,

Treasurer and Secretary . In 18 o 7 he was Master designate of the Panmure Lodge ; he had previously joined the Mount Zion Chapter ( 145 ) now 22 , and is now P . Z . of that and the Union Waterloo . He is Scribe E . of St . James ' s Chapter , No . 2 , and has had the honour of holding the

office for fifteen years . He was appointed , by the Earl of Zetland , Grand Standard Bearer of Grand Chapter of England , in 1868 , and he is the present Scribe E . of St . George ' s Chapter , No . 5 . On the 9 th October 1856 he was elected Collector to the Girls' School . He is

honorary member of many Lodges and Chapters , and is Vice-Patron of each of the Charities . He can boast of the possession of many testimonials . Some years since , a piece of plate was presented to him , and seven out of the nine jewels he wears were gifts from Lodges and

Chapters . The Stability Lodge of Instruction presented him with a silver snuff box , which contained three bank notes for a considerable amount . " Old Mug " is an able

lecturer upon the principles of Masonry , and ho has had the pleasure of teaching great numbers of the brethren , both privately and in Lodge , and many of his pupils havo distinguished themselves .

These , then , are all the characteristics of " Old Mug that we could glean during our brief interview . Like a veteran who has seen service in the field , he did not care to talk of himself . He conld talk for ever of tho beautiful principles of Masonry , and , no doubt , his sage counsels are

duly appreciated . " Old Mug' arose to say adieu , but the " Portraits" appropriately reminded him that he had just been photographed by Bro . " H . " He would send Bro . " Z . " a copy , even if he did not contribute that guinea .

Bro . " C , " who was with us , should also have a copy , and he would be happy to send us one . Here " 0 . " interposed with that frankness which is so characteristic of him , and remarked that we were not a Mason , and that he had proclaimed the fact when he introduced us . " Old Mu

countenance immediately fell ; he looked blank for an instant , and an interjection escaped him , the tone of which could nob possibly be given by any combination of letters in the alphabet . The word he uttered was merely " Oh !" but it meant volumes , we had evidently sunk below zero

in his estimation . But tho good man speedily rallied , and said—but we must give his words in full— "You shall have a Carte , brother — , Mr . — , if you will accept it , I will send you one . If you are not a Mason now , you will probably soon be one ; at all events , you will not object to place in your album a copy of the phiz of ' Old Mug . ' "

Bro . E . Danvers , No . 780 , the well-known comedian of the Strand , the Duke ' s , and other theatres , announces a complimentary benefit , which will take place afc the

Olympic Theatre , on 1 st July , when a morning performance will be given . Bro . Danvers , who we are pleased to say has recovered from his late accident , will be assisted by a host of talented artistes .