Our Fourteenth Volume.

OUR FOURTEENTH VOLUME .

WI TH the current number we enter on our Fourteenth Volume , and , as has been our custom on former occasions of a like character , we feel justified in taking a slight glance at the present status of the Craft , in England

especially , and m general throughout the civilised world . Before all things , however , it is our duty to express to the ever-increasing body of ourconstituents our grateful thanks for the liberal support they have so continuously extended

towards us under all circumstances . We have had , as we have again and again remarked , a hard and uphill battle to fight , and thanks to a healthy constitution from the very

outset , we have battled very successfully against fche difficulties which , of necessity , environ a new journal . We were under the impression , when we started on our adven

turous expedition , that although the Craft in England could boast of one well-established organ of Masonic opinion , there was ample room for tbe development of another We felt that , without for one moment seeking to encroach

on the domain of our London contemporary , the FREE - MASON ' CHRONICLE mi ght , in the course of time , be in a position to render material service to the Fraternity . We

flatter ourselves that to some slight extent , at all events , our anticipations have been realised ., In our especial field we may be said to have some influence . We have lost no

opportunity of setting forth the claims of our three Institutions to tbe support of our brethren , and we have good reasons for believing that our frequent articles have had the desired effect of exciting a wider range of interest in them

than formerl y . Certain it is , that during the seven years of our existence—seven , of course , so far as our Charity Festivals are concerned—the amounts contributed to our several Institutions have been considerable beyond all

former precedent . Indeed , if we may be said to have laid ourselves out in order to adopt some speciality , it must be said that speciality is the prominence we have given to everything connected with our Institutions . No better

proof of this exists than the keenness with which our anal yses are watched , and the instant notice that is taken of any error either of omission or commission . On other questions we have spoken with freedom . Having in view other

no object than the promotion of the well-being of freemasonry , we have expressed our opinions with absolute independence . We cannot say we have had the good fortune invariabl y to please everybod It is in the nature of lain

y . p speaking—p lain-speaking , that is to say , which is neither rude nor overbearing—to offend occasionally ; yet we take npon ourselves to say that as the cause of offence has been most trivial so has the occasion when have offended . ivyj it / i

, we _ , ___ , „___ . _ . _ - _ - « . _»_ , T » __ v » D JUtbVO UllOllUCU , een most infrequent . In fine , while we have retained tne support of the majority of our old friends , we have gone on slowl y but surely acquiring new ones . We clone

nave what lay in our power to command the sympathy and respect of Freemasonry both at home and aoroad , _ and we have the satisfaction of feeling that our Harts m this respect have been appreciated . We need fartu y be at the pains of adding that our policy will remain « tne tuture what it has been in the past—a policy of conciliation and independence combined .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge i-hrr ? ! be •held this dav ( Saturday ) at the o ' cl _ ' •Reigate - The brettren will assemble at two

The Festival Of Wednesday Next.

THE FESTIVAL OF WEDNESDAY NEXT .

WE must again remind our readers that the last of our Charitable Anniversary Festivals—namely , that of the Royal Masonic Institutution for Boys—will be held on Wednesday next , the 29 th instant , at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , under the presidency of our Right Worshipful Brother the Marquess of Londonderry , K . T ., Provincial Grand Master of Durham . There are now 236 brethren

on the Board of Stewards , and there is even yet time for this number to be increased , so that we may anticipate Bro . Binckes will have a Board of average numerical strength , and zealous , perhaps , out of all proportion to its numbers . As we said last week , after the article we have already

published , it would be out of place for us to reiterate at length the grounds which induced us to appeal so early to the brethren to support this Festival , and make it a grand

success . There is no reason , however , why we may not recapitulate the main reasons we urged in the article in question . These are as follow : — ( 1 ) The great excess of candidates over vacancies .

( 2 ) The limited amount of invested moneys , and the consequent smallness of the permanent income . ( 3 ) The excellence of the education and the moral training afforded . ( 4 ) The proposed increase in the number of pupils .

( 5 ) The late loss of money , which has not yet been made good by close on £ 800 . We need not do more than point out the irresistible force of each and every of these ; they speak for themselves , and we feel satisfied our enumeration of them will not have

been without some effect . It is necessary , however , we should give some particulars as to the arrangements . A special train of first-class carriages will leave London Bridge punctually at 11 . 30 a . m ., calling at Bast Croydon at 11 . 50 a . m . to take up passengers from Victoria , and

reaching Brighton at 1 p . m . precisely . The Stewards and their friends are invited to be at the Royal Pavilion not later than half-past three o ' clock . The special return train will leave Brighton at 8 . 30 p . m ., and will call at East Croydon in order to set down passengers for Victoria . At

the same time , visitors with special tickets may return by any train , except express , on the day following , on payment of an extra shilling . The Band of the 1 st Sussex Artillery Volunteers , under the direction of Bandmaster Devin , will , by kind permission of Lieutenant-Colonel

Tester and the officers , perform a selection of music on the lawn , on the arrival of the visitors , and throughout the afternoon . As is usual , no Masonic clothing or jewel is to be worn , while brethren and ladies are to appear in

morning dress , the latter , at option , with or without bonnets . It only remains to add that the annual distribution of prizes is fixed for the day previous , at the School , Wood Green , the Marquess of Londonderry , as is customary on these occasions , occupying the position of Chairman .

St. John The Baptist's Day At Melrose.

ST . JOHN THE BAPTIST'S DAY AT MELROSE .

WE are indebted to a contributor of ours for the following interesting sketch of the way in which the anniversary festival of St . John the Baptist is celebrated at Melrose . It was quite by accident , he writes , that he came i across the passage , which is an excerpt from " Wade ' s