Old Warrants.

Bye-Laws for the government of yonr Lodge as shall to the majority of the members appear proper and necessary , the same not being contrary to or inconsistent with the General laws and regulations of the Craft , a copy whereof yon are to transmit to us . And we do require you to cause all snch Bye-Laws and Regulations and also an account of the proceedings in your Lodge to be entered in a book to

be kept for that purpose . And you are in no wise to omit to sendlto us or onr Succesars Grand Masters , or to the Right Honourable George Frederick Samuel , Earl de Grey and Earl of Ripon , of Stndley Royal in the West Riding of Yorkshire , & o . & c . & c . OUR DEPOTY GRAND MASTER or to the Deputy Grand Master for the time being at least once in every year , a list of the membera of your Lodge and the names and descriptions of all Masons initiated therein and Brethren

who shall have joined the same with the fees and monies payable thereon , it being onr will and intention that this our WARRANT OF CONFIRMATION shall continue in force so long only as you shall conform to the Laws and Regulations of our Grand Lodge ; and you the said Henry Lawrance Gill are further required as soon as conveniently may be to send us an account in writing of what shall be done by virtue of these presents . Given under our hands and the seal of the Grand Lodge at London , 26 th August A . L . 5864 , A . D . 1864

By command of the M . W . Grand Masttr , DE GREY AND RIPON D . G . M . WM . OBIT CLARKE G . S . [ We hare nearly reached the last of fche reproductions of

the " Anoienfc Warrants , inaugurated many years ago , by Bro . John Constable P . M . 185 . These copies of the original Charters , or " Warrants of Confirmation , " have proved most nsefnl to Masonic Students , and have been ,

and still are , frequently referred fco on the preparation of articles relating to the " Atholl Masons . " We still want seven Warrants to complete this set . Will some members of these Lodges , as noted below , oblige us with exact transcripts of the Charters . —[ EDITOR F . C . ]

" Fidelity " Lodge , No . 3 , London . " Temple " Lodge , No . 101 , London . " Loyal Cambrian , " No . 110 , Marthyr Tydvil . " Middlesex " Lodge , No . 143 , London . Nos . 224 and 233 Bermuda ; and No ; 239 Kingston , Jamaica .

There are amongst us many who cling to old superstitions and ominous anticipations . At the present time some of those most given to this vein of thought are making capital out of the following historical facts : —

The deplorable death of the fifth Duke of Clarence will tend to strengthen the popular belief in the unlucky character of that Royal title . Of the five Dukes of Clarence in our history , the second and third met with violent deaths , the fifth has died suddenly , and under inexpressibly sad circumstances , on the eve of his marriage ,

and the only son of any of these Dukea was beheaded in the Tower . There is no other title with an equally sinister record . Had he lived now , Richard of Gloucester would hardly have shown the same eagerness to change titles with George of Clarence as Shakespeare attributes to him , on the ground of its being " too ominous . "

The first Duke of Clarence was Lionel Plantagenet , third son of Edward III . He married , as his first wife , the daughter and heiress of De Burgb , Earl of Ulster , who had himself married the daughter and co-heireis of the De Clares . The title of Clarence was derived from that ancient family , but it expired with its first holder , as

Lionel Plantagenet left only a daughter , who married Edmund Mortimer , Earl of March , through whom the House of York claimed the Throne . Lionel married a second wife , the daughter of the Duko of Milan , but disd in Piedmont in 1368 , leaving no children by her . The title of Clarence was revived in 1411 , when that Dukedom was

conferred by Henry I v . on his second son , Thomas Plantagenet , who was killed ten yean later at the battle of Beauge . That defeat , although promptly retrieved by Henry V ., who died imm-idiately afterwards , was the precursor of the French successes under Joan of Aro and Dunois , which resulted in the expulsion of the English

from France . The second Duke of Claronce left no descendants whatever . Fifty years later , in 1461 , Edward IV . conferred this title on his brother George , who held it until his murder in 1478 , when also the title was attainted . Of all the Dukes of Clarence , he was the only

one to leave a son by his wife , the younger daughter of Warwick , the King-maker . This son , who was known as Edward , Earl of Warwick , was beheaded in the Tower by order of Henry VII . in 1499 . His sister , and the only daughter of Clarence , was the still more unfortunate Margaret , Countess of Salisbury—tha last of

the Plantagenets—who , at a great ' . age , and after a long captivity , was executed in 1541 in the Tower , where her only brother had suffered nearly half a century before . By her marriage with Sir Richard Pole , tho Countess of Salisbury left several descendants , through whom several noble English families trace back their ancestry to the Plantagenets .

In 1789 the Dukedom of Clarence was bsstowad on William , third son of George III ., and afterwards King William IV ., who died without any issue , and in 1890 , one hundred years later , the title was renewed for the last time in the person of tho Prince whose death the United Kingdom , and the whole Empire are mourning to-day .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

KING EDWIN CHAPTER , No . 660 . ON Tuesday , the 12 th inst ., the annual installation meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Malton , when the three Principals for the ensuing year were duly installed in office : the ceremony being , as usual , performed by Companion John Marshall P . P . G . Soj . P . Z . The Principals installed were : —Metcalfe M . E . Z ., Walker H .,

Lucas J . The M . E . Z . afterwards appointed and invested the other Officers , as follow -. —Comps . Buckle I . P . Z ., Walker Treasnrer , Nicbolls Scribe E ., Goldie Scribe N ., W . J . Marshall P . S ., Tinsley 1 st Assistant Sojourner , Smithson 2 nd Assistant Sojourner , John Marshall Dir . of Cers ., J . W . Marshall Organist , Stookdale Janitor .

RYBURN CHAPTER , No . 1283 . 1 " * IHE annual meeting was held on Wednesday , the 6 th inst . Tea was provided at the Bull ' s Head Hotel , Comp . Wm . Haigh Z . presiding , Comp . Kendall P . Z . P . P . G . Standard Bearer occupying the vice-chair . The visiting Companions were A . B . Rowley ( Sincerity Chapter , Halifax ) , T . I . Walker P . Z . ( Regularity Chapter ,

Halifax ) , and Wm . Ackroyd ( M . E . Z . Regularity Chapter ) . At the Masonio Hall Comp . Gledhill Hallas was installed M . E . Z . for the coming year by Comp . T . I . Walker , Comp . Wm . Haigh P . Z . P . G . S . was appointed H ., and Comp . James Haigh was installed as J . The following Officers were also invested : —Comps . T . Gaukroger P . Z .

P . P . G . D . C . Treasurer , J . C . Bell S . E ., Kendall , S . N ., Thos . Gill P . S ., John Smith and Alfred Cocker Assistant Sojourners .

CHARITY BALL AT DEWSBURY . THE annual charity ball of the Freemasons of Dewsbury was held on the 8 th inst ., at the Town Hall , and was a brilliant gathering . The Victoria Hall was magnificently decorated for the occasion with plants , mirrors , and drapery , arranged with much artistic taste and skill . The back of the orchestra was filled wifch Scotch firs , pines , Wellingtonia ( New Zealand ) cedars , palms , and

dracenas , intertwined with evergreens . Prairie grass was also intermingled with the plants , all of which were provided by Mr . Wm . B & llence , of the Market Place , Dewsbury . The floor wa » laid with white holland , bordered with scarlet cloth . Mrs . Bailey , of the Masonio Hall , Long Causeway , provided supper and refreshments

in the Exchange Hall . The following were the Officer ? , viz . ; M . C . ' s , Bros . C . E . Rhodes P . M . 208 , Edwin Lee P . M . 327 . Stewards , C . J . Fox W . M . 208 , Lewis Lee W . M . 82 * 7 , J . T . Nor / some 201 , Sam

Shaw 208 , Charley Fox 827 , Henry Hill 827 . Hon . Secretaries , John Lane Fox 208 , and Thomas Ward 827 . The two Secretaries , Bros . Fox and Ward , are deserving of all praise for the admirable manner in which they carried out the arrangements .

The installation of Bro . H . H . . R . Chapman S . W . aa Worshipfnl Master of the Lodge of Concord took place ( by dispensation ) at tho Masonic Hall , Bristol , on the 13 th instant . The Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand

Master of Wilts , Bro . the Right Hon . fcho Earl of Radnor , took part in the installation ceremony , and was assisted by Bro . G . H . Palmer P . M . G 32 P . P . G . J . W . Wilts , and Bro . W . Roger Brown P . M . 632 P . P . G . J . D . Wilts . The attendance was affected by the prevailing sickness .

DANGERS OV Puntiic PARADE AND GROTESQUE RITUAL . —There is abroad an army of Societies , which aim to displace and supersede Freemasonry , by gaudy show , public parade , grotesque rituals aud promises of pecuniary advantage . On one side we hear of new organisations claiming to be Masouic , and asserting that they are ancient ; on the other , we have rival bodies to recognised Masonio

Institutions . True Freemasons are seduced into membership with them . The result is edicts und i-xpulsious , with suits in courts of law to sot thom asido . Wo ara gratified to know that so far the courts have not attempted to interfere with the rights of true Masonic Bodies to preserve their own self-governmonc aud administer discipline to disobedient brethren . Perhaps Freemasons themselves aro not free

from blame iu the matter . Public displays of Masonic ceremonies ara becoming common . These give an inkling of information to the profane of tho affairs of Masonry , and lead to gossip about them Thus tbe doings of Freemasons become a part of the politics ( not party politics , but tha personal status ) of the brethren ; aud

consequently when a Masonic question arise ? , it is discussed outside of Lodges and Chapters , aud iu halls and clubs . Then comos litigation and its endless train , so that the question whether a Mason is a good and true brother , becomes a public question aud not a Masonic matter . —Comp . Michael Arnold , in Report on Correspondence to Grand H . R . A . Chapter of Pennsylvania .

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