Old Christmas Customs, Superstitions, &C.

"Lordlings , it is our host ' s command , And Christinas joins him hand in hand , To drain tho brimming bowl ; And I'll be foremost to

obey—Then pledge me , sirs , and drink away , For Christmas revels here to-day And sways without control . Now Wassel to you all ! and merry may you bo , And foul that wight befall , who drinks not Health tome !"

The Duke Of Albany And The Freemasons.

THE DUKE OF ALBANY AND THE FREEMASONS .

ON Saturday evening a special meeting of the Friends in Council Chapter of Royal Arch Masons , No . 1383 , was held at tho Hall of tho Supreme Council , 33 degree , Golden-lane , for the purpose of installing his Royal Highness tho Dnko of Albany , K . G ., as First Principal of the Apollo ( University ) Chapter of Oxford , to which offico he has been nnanimnusly elected by the members of that Chapter . His Royal Highness , who occnpies the position of

Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire in the Craft Degree , has lately been appointed by the Prince of Wales as Superintendent of that Province in the Royal Arch decree , and his installation in that important office will shortly be held , though the day is not yet fixed , The ceremony of Satnrdny may bo considered as preliminary to that event , and the Companions of the Order mustered in goodly numbers

to witness it . The assemblage was , ns might have been expected , a distinguished one , and , as all those present had attained to very elevated positions in the Royal Arch , the spectacle was most imposing , the rank of the different companions entitling them to wear an abundance of elegant jewels . Among the Royal Arch Masons present , none of whom were below tho rank of an Installed Third

Principal , as the meeting was called only for Installed Principals , were Lord Tenterden , Sir Francis Burdott , Bart ., Sir John B . Monckton , Sir Michael Costa , Sir Erasmus Wilson , General Brownrigg , C . B ., Major-General Henry Clerk , Lient .-General C . W . Randolph , Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Col . H . S . Somerville Burney , Captain N . G . Philips , Montague Gnest , M . P ., Comps . Mclntyre , Q . C ., M . P .,

Philbrick Q . C ., tho Revs . C . W . Arnold , Ambrose W . Hall , R . J Simpson , H . Adair Picard , T . F . Ravenshaw , and R . P . Bent , J . W Waldron , R . W . H . Giddy . J . M . P . Jlontagn , E . J . Ban-on , H . C Levander , Capt . Bott Cook , Wilhelm Ganz , Raphael Costa , Frank Richardson , J . Lewis Thomas , Robert Gray , Thomas Fenn , John H . Scott of Brighton , Magnus Ohreu , Ernest E . Wendt , Joshua Nunn ,

Charles A . Murton , H . G . Buss , H . Massey , Hugh H . Riaoh , H . R . Cooper Smith , George Lambert , John A . Rucker , Peter de Lande Long , R . F . Gonld , Reginald Bird , W . Coppard Beaumont , J . M . Case , A . J . Duff-Filer , John Read , and H . Sadler . The Friends in Council Chapter was first opened , Lieutenant . General Randolph as Z ., J . W . Waldron as H ., Major-General H . Clerk as J ., Hngh D . Sandeman as

S . E ., Colonel Burney as S . N ., Giddy P . S ., Ralph Costa as lst Assistant , W . C . Beaumont as 2 nd Asssistant , Frank Richardson as Director of Ceremonies , and G . Austin' as janitor . Gen . Randolph informed the Companions that the Duke of Albany had been elected as First Principal of the Apollo Chapter at Oxford , but that as it would be inconvenient for him to attend at Oxford for installation ho

had selected , as he was privileged to do by paragraph 59 of the Royal Arch Regulations , another Chapter in which to take the degree . He had , therefore , honoured the Friends in Council Chapter for the purpose , and had requested Colonel Shadwell Clerke to perform the ceremonies . Shortly after this , the Dake of Albany arrived , and Colonel Shadwell Clerke took the First Principal ' s chair , Lieutenant

General Randolph taking the second chair , and Comp . John Bead presiding at the orgau . When His Royal Highness entered the Chapter , he was presented for installation by Captain N . G . Philips . As be bad not previously been installed in either of the three Principal ' s chairs it was necessary that he should pass through the whole of the three ceremonies . Colonel Shadwell Clerke therefore installed

htm first in the lowest chair , next in the second chair , and lastly in the chair of the Most Excellent of the Chapter , the Rev . 0 . W . Arnold acting as Chaplain . All the ceremonies were faultlessly performed , and appeared to make a profound impression on the Dnke of Albany . At tho conclusion of the ceremony he announced that he had appointed Comp . H . 0 . Wakeman to act

for him as Pro Most Excellent in the Apollo Chapter , and directed the Rev . H . A . Pickard , a Past Most Excellent of the Chapter , to notify the fact to the members . General Randolph then , in the name of the Friends in Council Chapter , thanked his Royal Highness for having selected that Chapter for his installation , and the Duke of Albany in return thanked the Companions of the Chapter

for their courtesy in allowing him to be installed in their Chapter . Thereupon , on the motion of Captain N . G . Philips , seconded by Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , the Duke of Albany was elected an honorary member , and the Duke having thanked the Chapter for this distinction , Comp . Sandeman announced he had received letters expressing regret at not being able to attend from the Prince of

Wales , tho Earl of Carnarvon , the Earl of Lathom , Comps . Jo' n Havers , John M . Clahon , ex-Sheriff H . Hut ton , Ilutton Gregory , Colonel Creaton Grand Treasurer , Bevan Grand Superintendent of Westland , New Zealand , W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., tho Rov . J . Stndholmo Brownrigg , J . Ebenezer Saunders , and the Rev . C . J . Martyn Grand Superintendent of Suffolk . The Duke of Albany then left , and the Chapter was closed in dno form .

Lord Mayor Ellis 1 ms gone into residence at the Mansion House , and n series of entertainments are alreadyannounocd Thus , on tlie 9 th January will be held the annual Plough Monday dinner ; on the 13 th following , 'he Lad y Nnyaret * will give a juvenile ball , and on the 17 th the Aldermen will be entertained at a banquet .

Freemasonry In Northumberland.

FREEMASONRY IN NORTHUMBERLAND .

fTlUE annual meeting of tho Provincial Grand Lodge of Nortbum . ' berland took place on Thursday , 15 'h December . The meeting was held in tho Town Hall , Newcastle-on-Tyne , under the banner of the Newcastle-on-Tyno Lodge , No . 24 . Provincial Grand Lodge was opened at three o'clock , by tho Right Honourable Earl Percy , M . P ., R . W . P . G . M . Thero was a very large attendance of past and present Provincial Grand Officers , besides a great concourse of brethren from

all parts of the Province . Worshipful Bros . Col . Shadwell Clerke Grand Secretary , and F . Binckes Secretary to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , wero also present . Tho brethren having sainted tho Grand Officer , tho minntes of tho last Provincial Grand Lodgo wero read and confirmed . The Provincial Grand Master , in proposing a resolution of sympathy with tho family of the late Bro . L . M .

Cockcroft D . P . G . M ., expressed his sympathy with the family , and regretted the sad and almost irreparable loss the Province had sustained by the death of tho Dcpnty Provincial Grand Master . The Treasurer ' s report was next read ; it showed a balance of £ 235 7 s 3 d in his hands . Upon tho report being adopted , the sum of £ 81 was voted to Masonic Charities , and £ 87 3 s to Local Charities . Bro . T .

Anderson was then nnanimotisly re-elected Treasurer . The installa . tion of the new Deputy Provincial Grand Master was then proceeded with , the patent appointing Bro . R . H . Holmes to that office having been read , Bro . Colonel Shadwell Clerko G . S . performed tho ceremony in a most impressive manner . Tho Provincial Grand Master then appointed and invested the following Officers for the ensuing

year : —Colonel Adderson Potter , C . B ., S . W ., George Cockburn J . W ., Rev . J . Lister Chaplain , B . J . Thompson Secretary , T . Ander . son Treasurer , R . L . Armstrong Registrar , Corder S . D ., J . Duckett J . D ., Dr . Lang Supt . of Works , E . D . Davis D . C ., G . Ogilvey A . D . C ., Jeffery Sword Bearer , J . Nicholson Organist , IR . Symons Pursuivant , Brewies Asst . Pnrsnivant , and Cnrry Tyler . Tho Stewards appointed were Bros . C . B . Ford , F . R . Richardson , R . A . Dodds , D . G . Ander .

son , J . Wilson , and R . Jackson . The Master announced that the next Provincial Grand Lodge would be held under the banner of the Walker Lodge , No . 1342 . Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed in due form , and the brethren , to the number of about 150 , adjourned to the Queen ' s Head Hotel , where they dined together , presided over by the Prov . G . M . Earl Percy . The usual toast list was gone through , and a very pleasant evening spent .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF NORTHUMBERLAND .

A SPECIAL Convocation of this Chapter was held on the 16 th instant , at the Masonic Hall , Maple-street , Newcastle-on-Tyne , Provincial Grand Chapter was opened at 1 * 30 by Comp . Shadwell H . Clerke G . S . E . as Z ., Banester as H ., and R . H . Holmes as J . There was a very large attendance of visitors , amongst whom were Comps . Earl Percy and Colonel Collingwood . Colonel H . Shadwell Clerke explained the object of tho meeting , which'was for the purpose of

installing Comp . Addison Potter , C . B ., into tho offico of Provincial Grand Superintendent , to which high rank he had been appointed by His Royal Highness the first Grand Principal , in the place of the late lamented Comp . L . M . Cockcroft . He therefore ordered a deputation to be formed to fetch Comp . Potter into the Chapter , which being done , Comp . E . D . Davis P . G . D . C . presented Comp . Potter to

the Grand Scribe to receive the benefit of installation at his hands , and the ceremony was most impressively gone through by Comp . Clerke , who also installed the two other Principals . After these appointments , the newly-installed Grand Superintendent spoke feelingly of the memory of the late Prov . Grand Superintendent , and said ho would rather have remained ono of the Royal Arch body of

this Province , serving under him , conld ho havo been spared . A resolution of condolence was duly passed . The Provincial Grand Superintendent then appointed and invested the following Companions as his Officers : —R . H . Holmes H ., John Spearman J ., J . H . Benthatn S . E ., J . Wood N ., Dr . Luke Armstrong P . S ., Robinson 1 st Asst . Soj ., Montgomery 2 nd Asst . Soj ., R . L . Armstrong Treasurer

T . J . Armstrong Reg ., W . M . Bel ! Sword Bearer , T . R . Richardson Standard Bearer , E . D . Davis D . C ., Nicholson Org ., and Curry Jan . Upon the motion of Comp E . D . Davis , seconded by Comp . Hotham , it was carried by acclamation that Comp . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke be made an associato member of this Provincial Grand Chapter . Comp .

Shadwell II . Clerke acknowledged what he was pleased to call a most unnsual compliment . The Right Hon . Earl Percy was also gratified to accept a similar compliment , which he acknowledged very gracefully by a few well-chosen remarks . Provincial Grand Chapter was then closed in due form . The Companions nearly all adjourned to the Installation Meeting at Lodge 541 . which was held at 3 . 30 .

Sir Hugh Myddelton Chapter, No. 1602.

SIR HUGH MYDDELTON CHAPTER , No . 1602 .

A N emergency convocation was held on the 16 th inst ., at the •fV Cock Tavern , Highbury , for the purpose of installing P . M . Weston 1602 as M . E . Z . of " this Chapter , and exalting Bro . Dillon into Royal Arch M-isonry . The ceremony of installation was performed by Comp . James Terry acting as M . E . Z ., Osborn II ., Hobbs acting as J . At n . previous regular meeting , Comp . Osborn was

nstalled as II . by I ' . Z . Stevens , and P . Z . Co . 'an ( now present , although tnffering from an accident ) as J ., Comp . J . Greenfield was invest : d is S . M ., Thomas as Janitor . O . hor investments wore postponed at

both meetings , in consequence of the nou-attoiidanco of tho Companions elected to several other offices in tho Chapter . After tho r ; eremony of Installation , Bro . Dillon having been regularly ballottod for , was exalted in a vory able manner , and it is no flattery to state