The Queen And The Craft.

The Queen and the Craft .

EXPRESSIONS of regret at the death of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen are so general that it is really almost superflous for us to say a word as to the feelings of the Craft It has been proverbial during the long reign of

our deceased Monarch that no body , of men were more loyal towards her than the Freemasons of England , arid now that we have to mourn her loss we may truly say that none are more sincere in their expressions of regret and sorrow .

Throughout the empire of Freemasonry feelings of grief and melancholy are general , and many will be the expressions of regret that the long enjoyed and highly prized association of "the Queen and the Craft" has been severed by the

relentless hand of death . Happily the memory of her long and glorious reign , and her great kindness and , thought for her people , will in , some measure lessen our sorrow at her demise . We understand that orders have been issued for the Craft to go into mourning , for a period , of three months , from Monday next .

The King And The Craft.

THE KING AND THE CRAFT .

IF the loyalty of the Craft towards our deceased Monarch was so marked how shall , we describe the enthusiasm of the Brotherhood in welcoming their Grand Master in the new

position to which he has succeeded as ruler of the Empire ? The Brethren of England have learned to love and respect the present KING EDWARD VII during the twenty-seven years he has been at the head of the English Craft , and no section

of his people will be more sincere and hearty in their congratulations than the freemasons over whom he has long held sway . We think we are but voicing the wish of our Brother Masons when we write :

THE KING AND THE CRAFT , God save the King for a long and prosperous reign . "

The King And The Craft.

The Brethren then dealt with the petitions and relieved twenty-seven out of a list of thirty-three with a total sum of £ 765 , voting £ 100 , £ 50 , six sums of £ 40 each , seven of £ 30 each , six . of £ 20 each , one of £ 15 , two sums of £ 10 , and two of £ 5-

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE first meeting of , the Board of Benevolence for the year 1901 , and of the new century , was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , London . It was the first meeting , also

after the death of the Queen , and the fifth anniversary of the meeting which passed a vote of sympathy with Her Majesty and the Rpyal Family on the death of Prince Henry of

Battenberg , and news of which sad event arrived the same afternoon . The motion was at that meeting made by the then President of the Board of Benevolence Bro . Robert Girey Past Grand Warden .

Bro . J . H . Matthews presided on Wednesday , and was supported by the two Vice Presidents Bros . D . D . Mercer and Henry Garrod , the Grand Secretary , the Assistant Grand Secretary , and Bros . W . Dodd and G . S . Recknell , of the

Secretarial Department of Grand Lodge , together with a large body of Brethren . No motion was made ¦ with respect to the death of the Queen , although Bro . Matthews referred to the mournful occurrence , trusting that although it was

almost impossible to concentrate thoughts on any other subject the Brethren would be able to bring their minds to bear on the petitions for relief before them , which were those of poor Brethren , widows , and orphans .

Oxfordshire.

OXFORDSHIRE .

LORD VALENTIA is showing great zeal in carrying out the duties of Deputy Provincial . Grand Master , he having within the past few days installed the Worshipful Masters of the Alfred , the Bertie , and the Windrush Lodges . On

the chair on no less than twelve occasions , a record that will be hard to beat . Bro , E . Watts Lea was the latest W . M . to receive the ceremony of' installation at the hands of the D . P . G . M- ) and he was decidedly , lucky in having his year of office ushered in amid such auspicious surroundings . Under his

Wednesday of last week he journeyed to Burford , in company with the Deputy Grand Master of England the Right Hon . the Earl of Warwick , who was the guest of Bro . the Rev . D . H . W . Horlock , who , it may not be out of place to mention , during a Masonic career of forty years , has occupied

regime the reputation of the Wychwood Lodge is not likely to suffer , for he is a most versatile and conscientious member of the Craft . At the subsequent banquet , in proposing the toast of the- Grand Lodge , Bro . Horlock , in alluding to the presence ' of the . Earl ' of , Warwick there that evening , said it

was . somewhat appropriate , as in 1457 , his great ancestor Richard Earl of Warwick , the king maker , by his liberality endowed a number of almshouses in the town , and so they were able to boast the possession of one of the two signatures' of the great Earl which were known to exist . He

alluded to the Earl ' s zeal as a Freemason , and remarked that during the twenty years he had presided over the Province of Essex no less than twenty-four Lodges had been consecrated there , a fact which spoke for itself . Burford ,

as most people probably knew , was at one time a town of considerable importance , and was once honoured by a visit from Queen Elizabeth , to whom was presented a richlyornamented saddle , leather tanning and saddlery being then the staple industries .

British Monarchs And Masonry.

BRITISH MONARCHS AND MASONRY .

ARCHDEACON WILBERFORCE Past Provincial Grand Chaplain Hants and Isle of Wight , preaching before a large gathering of Masons , at a special service held in St . Peter ' s Church , Bournemouth , on the 16 th , to celebrate the

commencement of the twentieth century , said many of the Sovereigns of England had held the office of Grand Master of the Order , from Alfred the Great to George II , and if the life of the then Heir-Apparent were preserved , we

should once more witness a King of England in the Grand Master's chair . In view of subsequent events the remarks of our distinguished Brother have proved themselves to be most appropriate . We give a fuller account of the sermon and other proceedings of the day elsewhere in this issue .

It is among the things not generally known that Alfred the Great was Grand Master of the English Freemasons . Numberless - are his claims to our wonder and respect , but certainly this is not the least of them . Upon less eminent authority than that of Archdeacon Wilberforce , persons

slow of belief might even doubt the statement . But it was put forward , in a matter-of-fact way , at a great gathering of Masons in St . Peter ' s Church , Bournemouth , on Wednesday . The patriotic gentlemen who are arranging a Millennial Festival at Winchester in memory of Alfred should make a