Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

were ladies present , who were always ready to assist , and who were not members of the Order . Masonry never was , and never was intended to be , a Benefit Society . No doubt in a large Society like Masonry many who had joined

it joined it in prosperous circumstances , and they might have subsequently fallen through no fault of their own , and might have wanted relief . Whenever such an event

occured it was the desire of Masons to help these cases . Anyone who joined Masonry thinking that certain funds fell to his share made a great mistake . Masonry , as they knew , was a system of morality , veiled in allegory and

illustrated by symbols . Charity was one of its great objects , and Masons endeavoured to carry it out by helping those who , since they joined it , had fallen from their high estate , and appealed to the benevolence of their more prosperous brethren . He confidently felt that those who were

present would assist the fund to the utmost of their ability ; but at the same time , he wished to be seriously understood byithose outside the ranks of Masonry that brethren had not a vested interest in the large sums which might be

collected , aud that becoming a Mason entitled a man , or his widow or children , whom he had made no effort to provide for , to a portion of the funds . Masonry gave relief to deserving cases ; bnt it was not like the Oddfellows' or

Foresters , which had grown up alongside , and on which members had a legal claim . The virtue of thrift was one well deserving of encouragement , and he wished all the brethren to observe it . Masonry had its objects—objects

which were known to every brother present . Every brother agreed in those objects , and he asked them to support them . He called upon Bro . Berridge , who had performed long and faithful service to the Order , to respond

to the toast . Bro . Robert Berridge said he had not had an opportunity of preparing a reply ; but still , for the Board of Stewards , he thanked the Chairman for the toast , and he hoped that the announcement of the lists would be the

largest which this Fund had yet had . This little Benevolent Fund was one that had sprung up by degrees . From small beginnings it had gone on to a large fund . With the Old People , the Boys' and the Girls ' , they

formed a broad platform ; but ifc had been left to the Mark Benevolent Fund to put the arch , or keystone , to it , and so form the whole structure , which , he was sure would last . Bro . Matier then read the list of

subscripttions , which amounted to £ 2 , 260 . The Chairman next proposed the health of the Stewards . In replying , Brother Dawson said he had been exercising his mind to find out the reason of his being selected as Treasurer of the Fund . It had occurred to him that it was in order that he should

have the honour and privilege of returning thanks for this toast . The Stewards bad done all the work , and he had done nothing , and therefore he was sure he would be acquitted of egotism when he said the Stewards had done

nobly on the present occasion , and had performed an inestimable service to the Mark degree . The Chairman had performed a most graceful act in proposing the vote of thanks to the Stewards , but he could not help saying they deserved those thanks . The Ladies were next given

by Bro . R . A . Spice and responded to Brother Frank Richardson , who said thafc as a single man it was very difficult thoroughly to appreciate the feelings of the ladies , but be thought he was at liberty to say they reciprocated all Bro . Spice ' s kindness . No doubt the ladies were the

fountain of Charity , and without them Charity would come off badly . The ladies had not many opportunities of joining in Masonic festivities , bufc they , like Freemasons , enjoyed gaiety and a little banquet now and then , and they looked forward to these entertainments of Mark Masons

with very pleasurable feelings . He trusted this would not be the last muster , but that fchey might rneefc the brethren for many , many years to corne . Tlie toast of tbe Visitors was replied to by Bvo . McKay . He said the Chairman

had done him an hononr by including * him in the toasfc , which was always considered the principal toasfc , although slightly vicarious , in every Masonic Lodge in this kingdom . They had heard words from various brethren on the

present occasion , who had talked about brethren unrepresented and misrepresented , ancl so on ; and he thought a Scotch brother should have more to say on that subject than ofclier people who had not so much to say . The

Scotch Masons were . supposed to be not so ritualistic or so clever as tbe majority of the brethren who lived further south , and he could assure the brethren that with regard to the Canongate Kilwinning , No . 2 , they endeavoured to keep up those traditions of which they had an archailogical

Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

framework in there own Lodge . As far as another observation was concerned about Federation , he thought there was nothing finer . It was a pleasant idea in a country where they paid taxes , the dog tax for instance ,

in a conntry on whose dominions the sun never set , to think federation , and if they could manage tbat Masonicall y , colonially , ifc would be not only magnificent for their

fellow countrymen generally , bufc for Masons in particular . "Our next Merry Meeting" was given by Earl Amherst , after which the company dispersed . For list of amounts collected see next page .

Notes For Masonic Students.

Notes For Masonic Students .

— : o : — 2 . —THK INIGO JONES MS . AS a good deal has been said about this MS . lately , it seemi advisable to realise what is known about ifc . It does not seem to have been heard of or known to Masonic students at all until it was purchased from Messrs . Pickering' by Bro . Woodford , Messrs . Pickering having obtainod it at a sale , by Messrs . Putfciok and Simpson , of the Library of an architect , or professional man . It has been

called Inigo Jonea MS . for the following reason , —thafc in the catalogue of Messrs . Pickering it was claimed that it had a drawing by Inigo Jones . There is a frontispiece to the MS ., whioh represents operative Masons at work , and afc the bottom are the words whioh declare thafc Inigo Jones was the draftsman of the frontispiece . The

inscription is , however , clearly of late ohirography , and in no way proves that Inigo Jones was the draftsman . It has been suggested by a high authority that if search was made , either iu the public or private collection of Inigo Jones's drawings , & c , the original of this sketch might vet be discovered . The date of 1604 is given to the

MS . in MS . There is no other allusion to a connection with Inigo Jones , the only other available link of evidence having been taken away . There are on tho interior cover at the end marks of something having been sewn into the paper . In all probability this was what is sometimes

seen in copies of " Institutes of the Orderof the Bath , " and the like , — a piece of ribbon with a seal or medallion attached . Had this not been unfortunately taken away , we might have found a note of its early history , for of that we are thus far utterly ignorant . The MS . is bound in the Eegius binding of the Caroline period—that is , between

1660 and 1700 , and the paper is what is known as the official paper , used in documents between the Restoration 1660 , and the reign of William aud Mary . About 1680-5 , seems to be the safest date to assume for the transcription . Any theory of au eighteenth century transcription is for various reasons inadmissible ; not so much

perhaps absolutely as regards the actual writing , which is a clear , clerkly hand , of to some extent indeterminate date , but because paper , binding , aud calligraphy all seem to point conclusively almost to pro-eighteenth century transcription . The MS . has been apparently much read at some time .

Thafc Anderson or any of oar authorities knew of ifc there ia as yefc not the scintilla of a proof , though we may find similarities and analogies in theso various copies of the Guild legends , on which too much cannot and ought not to be based , which may be merely after all accidental and coincidental , without any further real importance

whatever . In dealing with MSS . we should always be on our guard against the too often fatal tendency to flatter ourselves we can decide the age of MSS . by internal evidence . All experts laugh at such a theory as utterly unsound and unscientific . SPBKO .

Generals Of The Revolution.

GENERALS OF THE REVOLUTION .

WE extract the following letter from the Liberal Freemason , Boston Mass : — Cedar Rapids , 27 th May 1887 . DEAK SIK , — I note in Gould ' s mosfc valuable "History of Freemasonry , " Vol . VI , page 419 , this paragraph : " According to tho lato C . W . Mooro , all the American Generals of tho Revolution , with the exeeptiou of Benedict Arnold were Freomasc ; 'S . "

That unfortunate paragraph , carelessly penned years ago by Brother Moore , lias done infiuito mischief , in thafc ifc has gone round tho world and turned up everywhere , till now tho mosfc careful of writers has swallowed tho bait . The pura ^ raph contains two gross errors : all the Generals of

the Revolution were not , nor wero all the " Major " -Generals , as usually quoted , ever Masons . And what is worse , Benedict Arnold was a Freemason . In my address delivered before our Grand Chapter ancl Grand Commandery afc Keota 1875 and in an article I published in tho

, , "American Historical Magazine" of New York , a few years ago , I proved , by h :- ; iorical and documentary evidences infallible , fcho falsity of both those statements . It is bad enough to havo our festival orators repeat the story ; I

regret to see it in so good an historic work , as now the falsehood will havo a new run for many years . Please publish this letter , as it may partially check the evil propagated , if nofc started , years ago iu your city . T . S . F ABVIX . [ What does Bro . Gould say to this . —ED . F . C ]