Provincial Grand Lodge Of Kent.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF KENT .

ON Wednesdav , 13 th inst ., the members of tho Provinoinl Granr Lodge of Kent , to the number of bptween 300 and ' 100 , assembled afc Rochester for their annnnl meeting . Tho members arrived shortly before noon , and at once procepded to the Guildhall , which had been specially and handsomely prepared for their reception . At ha lf , past twelve P . G . Lodgo was openpd , tho chnir being ooeup ied by the popular Provincial Grand Master Visconnt Holmesdale , Deputy Grand

MastPr Enstes supporting his lordship . A variety of business wns transacted , the meeting lasting about an hour . The Lodge votpd some hnndsomo subscriptions to tho Masonic Schools and Benevolent Institutions . Afc two o'clock , tho Freemasons attendpd a special service , held nt St . Margaret ' s Church , thpro being a fair attendance of the general public Mr . J . Hopkins , organist of Rnehpster Cuthedrnl . ablv presidpd nfc the organ , assisted by Brothpr Dr . Longhurst , tho

talputed oroar . ist of Canterbury Cathedral . Tho service was condnoted by the Revs . G . E . Peake ' . R . Jamblin , and W . Fielding . The choir waa composed of some choristers from the Cathedral , assisted by a few friends ; and during the service nn nnfchem by E . Hopkins , " I will give thanks . " was rendered . A short but appropriate address waa delivered by the Provinoial Grand Chaplain the Rev . Brother R . Jamblin , Vicar of Wilmington . He selected aa his text the following words— "Honour all men . Love the Brotherhood . Fear God . Hon .

our the King . In the course of his address , the speaker said he thought it a wise arrangement for his brethren the Freemasons to have the opportunity given them of attending a celebration of Divine Service . He felt honoured when be waa asked to get np in the pulpit and address them . He did not cnre much about their proclaiming themselves as Freemasons , but they were not

ashamed to be known aa such . Thoy had met in that church to thank the Great Architeofc of the Universe for His favours and for His goodness towards them . He then gave a short sketch of the theoretical and praotioal duties of Christians as suggested by the words of the text ; and controverted the objections made by some people against Freemasons , on account of the secret manner in which

they conducted some of their business . He dwelt upon tbe general principles of Freemasonry , and said that ignorance of those principles told against the progress of the Order . A Bishop and many clergy . men belonged to the Order . He concluded by making a strong appeal for alma , and thanked the Vicar on behalf of the congregation for granting the use of the Church . A hymn

was sung , and a collection made on behalf of tho funds of the Masonic Charities , and the fund being raised for the enlargement of the organ . The religions service was to have been held in the Cathedral , but so many restrictions were placed upon the use of it by the Dean and Chapter that the intention wns aban - doned , and therefore the service took place in St . Margaret ' s

Church . The Freemasons had intended presenting a stained glass window to the Cathedral in commemoration of the event , bnt they lave , in consequence of the action of the Dean and Chapter , abandoned the intention . At fonr o ' clock a banquet of a most sumptuous character was held in the New Corn Exchange , which had been elaborately prepared for the company . Covers were laid for 310 gentle .

men , the caterer being Mr . Best , the landlord of the Crown Hotel . Music was provided by a portion of the string band of the Royal Engineers . During the evening Viscount Holmesdale was presented with three handsome vases and a gold bracelet for Viscountess Holmesdale , supplied by Messrs . Hunt and Roskell , and valued at 500 guineas . On one of the vases was this inscription : — " Presented

to William Archer , Visconnt Holmesdale , Provinoial Grand Master and Grand Superintendent , by tbe Freemasons of Kent , now oon-¦ i 8 ting of 45 Lodges and 33 Chapters , as a token of their esteem and affection , and to commemorate his able rule over them as Provincial Grand Master for the past 21 years . July 13 th , 1881 . " The following are the sums referred to above as having been voted

by P . G . Lodge to our Schools and Benevolent Institutions and for other purposes , namely : —Fifty guineas to the Boys' School , and fifty guineas to the Female Fund of the Benevolent Institution , in the name of the Prov . G . Treasurer , so as to complete the amount necessary to constitute him a Vice-President of the School and Fund ; £ 10 to be transferred to the Prov . Grand Lodge Charity Fund ; Twenty guineas eaoh from the Charity Fund for the two Schools and Benevolent

Lodges for NOB . 1531 and 1536 ; ten guineas each for the Boys' School for Lodges No . 20 , 31 and 77 ; twenty guineas each to Girls' School for Lodges Noa . 972 , 1050 , 1063 and 1089 ; and twenty guineas to Benevolent Institution for Lodge No . 913 . A sum of ten guineas was voted to the Hervey Testimonial Fund , two sums of £ 30 eaoh to the TTidowa of two brethren of Lodges Nos . 31 and 199 respectively , and one of £ 20 to a member of No . 299 , making a total of grants amounting to £ 468 .

The Summer Festival of the Metropolitan Lodge of Instrnction , No . 1507 , will be held afc Bro . Kent ' s , tho King ' e Arms Hotel , Kew-green , on Wednesday , 10 th August next , under the presidency of the Preceptor W . M . Styles W . M .-

elect 1507 , & c . The dinner will be on the table at seven o ' olock , and tickets for same , for which earl y application is requested , may be obtained of the Secretary , Bro . E . Storr , Headingly House , Hornsey . The price is 3 s 6 d each .

The remains of the late lamented Bro . Macrae Moir were committed to their last resting-place in Hampstearl Cemetery on Saturday last , the funeral service beino * conducted b y the Rev . Dr , T . Davidson .

The Holy Rock At Jerusalem.

THE HOLY ROCK AT JERUSALEM .

A CCORDIVG to immemo-ial tradition , the Holy Rfv > k iN fh 6 t \ . thrpshing floor , on Monnfc Morv » h , of Araunnh , or Om <« r , the lebnsite chief , which D > vid bought of him for a place of paorifioe , and where Solomon afterwards erected the Temple . There is much in snpport of this tradition . The Rock is the highest part of the Temple platform . Thronghout Svria rock platenra of high elevation are at f he present day selpcted for thrpsMng floors ; and the highnr and

more pxpospd the pite the morn valnahln is if for thn pnrnose , as the wind nepdfnl for driving off therhnffoan plav noon it from a creator unmbpr < t qrmrters . The loftr si » n- > rion of the Sakrah . or Holy Rock , wonld have made it a moat vulnable thrpshing floor . Immpdiatpl y beneath it is a natnrnl enve , n fact which also lends snppnrfc to the oonvpt * 'ess of the tridition , since undnrnpath the majoritv of

the threshing floors of Pulpstine are similar oavea , which abonnd in tbe limestone hills of the connt . ry , and nff > rded to the labourers an inva luable r treat during the bnrning mid . day hours . In configuration , the Rook as it jnta above the marble pavement of the mnsqne is very irregular . From north to south it measures fiftv-six feet , and from past to west ; thirty .

five feet . The highest point ia six and a half feefc above the floor . On the top of the rock , whioh cac only be se ^ n by climbing npon the railings surrounding it , is a rough , basin-shaped hollowing , and alao a hole about three feefc in diameter . This communicates perpendica . larly with the cave beneath . Descending into the cave from the south-east corner of the mosque , by a flight of fifteen steps , we find a

chamber twenty-three and a half feet from north to south and twentythree feet and three quarters from east to west . At the end and on the two sides of the cave low stone walls have been builfc of height varying irregularly with the slope of the rock which forms the roof . Two lamps , suspended beneath the hole already mentioned , light the cave . On the tessellated pavement of fche floor , and directly beneath

the hole in the roof , is a radiating star iu varioua coloured marbles . On tapping this , the central part , consisting of a slab of white marble , not quite perperldionlarly beneath the centre of the orifice above , is found to be hollow . The slab conceals the Bir-el-Arruah , or " Well of Spirits , " a passage said to lead out eventually into the valley of the Kidron .

A hypothesis not unreasonable if , that the hole on the top of the Holy Rook waa made to conduct the blood of the sacrificial victims slain npon it in Jewis times down into the cavern , thenoe into the Bir . el-Arruah , and eventually into the Kidron near Siloam . If the Sakhrah is really the spot where the Jewish sacrifices were offered , the Holy Place of the Temple must have stood immediately to fche

west of ifc , facing that side of the stone whioh is to the right , and in shadow in Mr . Haag ' s painting . The promise made by Jehovah to Solomon , " Mine ear shall be attenfc unto fche prayer that is made in this place , " gives the rock its present sanotity for the Mahomedans . They guard it from the approach of any but Moslem , lesfc supplication for evil on themselves or on their religion should be

made in such a place . The profound interest of the rock , if the tradition concerning ifc is correct , hnrdly needs to be dwelt upon . Mr . Haag's view is taken from the north-west pier of the four supporting the noble dome , which arises to a height of 100 feet , roughly estimated , and has a diameter of 66 feet . On the left in the picture can be seen the double corridor ( the inner corridor 23 $ feet wide , the

outer 13 £ feet ) which surrounds the bnilding , and is lighted by stained glass windows . To the right , and somewhat in the background , ia seen the small , tall baldachin which stands over the south-west corner of the rock . For Mabomedans this is the point of greatest interest . At this point alone are tbey allowed to tonch the holy stone . Thrusting their hands through a small circular opening on the west side of thia

structure , they can feel , if not see , an indentation in the rock . That mark the faithful believe to have been made by the foot of the Prophet , when , with the other foot already in the stirrup of the white celestial steed sent to bear him hence , he for the last time pressed upon the soil « Of this dim spot Which men call earth . "

This jealously . guarded , mysterious Holy Rock , with its proud traditions , extending so far back into the past , is , alike for the Mahomedan , Jewish , and Christian world , one of the most profoundly interesting Bpota in Jerusalem . —Times .

The Prince of Wales will be present at the funeral of the Rev . A . Penrhyn Stanley , D . D ., Dean of Westminster , on Monday next , and it is not improbable H . R . H . Prince Leopold , Duke of Albany , will also be present .

Numerous anecdotes concerning the late Czar of Russia have found their way into print , and the following , said to be authentic , is one of the latest . In the year 1870 the Czar , riding about the country , chanced to meet a band of gypsies and stopped to listen to their songs , one

of them , a young and pretty woman , came up to him and asked to tell his fortune . He allowed her to do so , and she predicted , the story goes the troubles that clouded the last years of his reign . " When shall I die ? " asked

Alexander II ., at Inst The gypsy was silent . " Speak , •aid the Czar , " I command it . " " Little Fa'her , " re-> Iied the gypsy , "the year of yonr death is included in ihe year of your birth—1818—1881 . "