Correspondence.

It was likewise to a lady residing iu Channel Row that King Charles I ., two nights before his execution , despatched his faithful Herbert to deliver to her a ring , and sho in return gave Herbort a box sealed with threo seals , two bearing tho King ' s arms , and ono a Roman figure , to deliver to tho King . Tho following day Charles opened it , and showing tho diamonds and jewels and parts of

Georges aud Garters it contained , said , " You see all the wealth now in my power to give my children . " This touching anecdote is quoted by Mr . Thornbnry from Wood ' s "Athena * Oxoniensis . " As regards the Turk ' s Head iu Gerrard-street , Soho , where the Lodgo was quartered in 1775 , it was tho headquarters of the Loyal Association in the Scottish rising in 1745 . Hero in 1764 tho Literary

Club Avas founded by Dr . Johnson and Sir Joshua Reynolds . On death of landlord in 1783 it becamo a private house , and tho Club migrated to Sackville-street , and after oscillating , as it wore , between thero and Dover-street wont thenco and settled at theThatched House Tavern , St . James ' s-street . Dryden lived and died iu 1700 at Gerrard-street at present No . 43 , and Edmund Buike lived in the

same street , but number unknown . Many of these particulars , indeed , tho most of them , aro non-Masonic , but they are interesting from a domiciliary or topical point of view and as such Avorthy , I think , of mention . Ifc cannot be otherwise than agreeable to find tho earlier homes of our oldest existing Lodges in localities or houses associated with eminent personages , whether 3 Iasons on * non-Masons . Fraternally yours , YOUR REVIEWER or HVOIIAN ' S REI ' . NT OF PINE ' S LIST FOR 1731 .

The London Masonic Club Lodge Of Instruction,

THE LONDON MASONIC CLUB LODGE OF INSTRUCTION ,

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHEK , —Would you be so good as to inform the brethren ( London and Provincial ) Avho peruse your useful Journal

that the above Lodge of Instruction , at their last meeting , closed until Monday , 14 th October , at 6 o ' clock . I am , thanking you in anticipation , Fraternally and faithfully , yours ,

J . E . SHAND , Hon . Sec . L . M . C . L . of Instruction . 26 th July 1878 .

Sir Christopher Wren's Connection With Freemasonry.

SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN'S CONNECTION WITH FREEMASONRY .

FALLACIES AND FACTS CONCERNING . By BEO . JACOB NORTON .

ACCORDING to Dr . Anderson , Sir C . Wren was made S . G . W . by G . M . Henry Jermyn , Earl of Sfc . Albans , on St . John ' s clay , 27 th of December 1 G 63 , and upon tho death of G . M . Arlington in 1 G 85 , Sir Christopher was elected Grand Master , & c . Again , " Grand Master Wren , Avho designed St . Paul ' s , London , A . D . 1673 , as Master of Work , had conducted it from the footstone

had the honour to finish the noble Cathedral , the finest and largest temple of the Angustan style , except St . Peter ' s at Rome ; and celebrated the copestone when ho erected the cross on the top of tho cnpola in Jnly 1708 . " And again , " King George I . entered London most magnificently on the 20 th of September 1714 ; and after the Rebellion , A . D . 1716 *

the few Lodges in London finding themselves neglected by Sir Christopher Wren , thought fit to cement under a new Grand Master as the centre of union and harmony ; " ancl this led to the election of "Mr . Antony Sayer , gentleman , Grand Master of Masons , " on tho ensuing St . John ' s clay , 24 th June 1717 . The above statements aro mere fallacies ; the title of Grand Master

was unknown to Masons before 1717 . There is no evidence Avhatever about the Earl of St . Albans , or [ Lord ] Arlington ' s connection Avith Freemasons . Sir Christopher Wren was , indeed , a member of the Masonic Fraternity , bufc we have tho Avritteu testimony of his intimate friend Aubrey that Sir Christopher was nofc adopted a brother of tho Fraternity before 18 th May 1691 . ( See Halliwell ' s

Constitution ) . Dr . Anderson ' s dates of laying tho foundation stone aud of completing the Cathedral aro also incorrect , the corner stone of 8 fc . Paul's Cathedral was laid , not in 1673 , but two years later , and tho completion of the building , or the laying of tho copestone , took place , not in 1708 , but in 1 . 710 . The following extracts from Dean

Milmun ' s Annals of St . Paul ' s will be read with interest , aud will confirm the above remarks . " Tho Architect himself ( says Milrnan ) had the honor of laying the fir .-st foundation stone , 21 st June 1675 . There AVUS no solemn cereaiouial , neither the King nor any of the Court , nor the Primate , nor the Bishop , not even , h should seem , was Dean Bancroft or the

Lord Mayor present . " It is certainly surprising that neither King , nor Court , nor Primate , nor Bishop , & c , were present at tho beginning of so important an undertaking ; but the absence of the Freemasons would be more surprising still , if Sir Christopher had been connected Avith the Craft at that time . Mr . James Eltncs , iu his Memoirs of tho Life and Works of Sir C . Wren , says , " The architect Avas assisted by

Sir Christopher Wren's Connection With Freemasonry.

Thomas Strong , the Master Mason , and the second b y Mr . Longland . " It is nofc stated that either of those Masons belonged to the Fraternity , but whether thoy were or not , their presence there was not what wo ( iu tho modern sense ) would call their " Masonio capacity , " bnt merely as assistants of the architect . Hero is tho account of tho completion of the exterior of St . Paul ' s : —

"Tho exterior of tho Cathedral was adjudged complete . It stood with its perfect dome aud encircling colonnades , its galleries aud ball , and surmounting cross . Sir Christopher Wren , by the hand of his son , attended by Mr . Strong , tho Master Mason who had executed tho whole work , ancl tho body of Freemasons , of ivhioli Sir Christopher was an active member , laid tho last aud highest

stone of tho lantern of the cupola , Avith humble prayers for divine blessing . " & o . ( Annals of St . Raul ' s , by Dean Milman . ) Upon this occasion we seo that the Freemasons wero present , because Sir Christopher was then , iu 1710 , an active member of tho Masonic Fraternity . Tho absence of tho Freemasons iu 1675 , and

their presence in 1710 , seems to confirm . Aubrey ' s testimony , that Sir Christopher began his connection with tho Craft after tho foundation stono of St . Paul's was laid . So much for Dr . Anderson ' s fallacies about Wren ' s Freemasonry But Laurence Dermott made some curious additions of his own tn

Masonic history . Repeated inquiries , ho says , had been mado by English and American brethren as to tho cause of tho origin of tho Moderns ( for so he styled tho Grand Lodgo of 1717 ) ., Avhich ho explained after the following fashion : —Anderson ' s account of Wren's Graud Mastership is fully admitted by Dermott as " gospel truth , " but he attributes Wren ' s neglect of tho Lodges not only

to extreme old age , bnt to his dismissal , in the 90 th year of his age , from the office of Surveyor to tho King ( whioh he hold for fifty years ) by King George I ., and the appointment of Benson iu his place . " Such nsago ( says Dermott ) added to Sir Christopher ' s great age , was more than enough to make him decline all public assemblies . Ancl the Master Masons then in London were so much disgusted at tho

treatment of their old and excellent Grand Master , thafc they would nofc meet , nor hold any communication under the sanction of his successor Mr . Benson . In short , the brethren were struck with lethargy , which seemed to threaten the London Lodges Avith final dissolution . " About the year 1717 , some joyous companions , who had passed

the degree of a craft ( thongh very rusty ) , resolved to form a Lodge for themselves , in order ( by conversation ) to recollect what had formerly been dictated to them , or if that should be found im . practicable , to substitute something new , which mi ght for the future pass for Masonry amongst themselves . At this meeting the question was asked , whether any person in the assembl y knew tho

Master s part , and being answered in the negative , it was resolved ¦ nem con that the deficiency should be made up with a new composition , " & o . . The same authority also assures us , that though the London Lodges were closed for reasons already given , the country Lodges , particularly in Scotland and York , kept up their regular meetings .

and consequently retained the original Simon Fare , and hence the London Masons were called Moderns , and the others , including his own Grand Lodge Avero Ancients . This nonsense Avas printed in the 1764 edition of the Ahiman Rezou . It was reprinted in two or three other English editions before the Union of the two Grand Lodges in 1813 , it Avas re >

printed in American editions of the same Avork , ancl was received by the credulous so-called Ancients as veritable history , and , as far as I know , the statement Avas never questioned b y Masonio writers . Nay , I have even read in Magazines aboufc the ancient law of the English Freemasons , of being compelled to submit to the authority of tho Surveyor of the King , or in other words , they

were compelled by some law to elect him as G . M . We all know that no such a law existed in the 18 th century anywhere , nor did snch a law ever exist in England . Bab assuming that such a law did exist when Sir Christopher Avas dismissedthat the Lodges wero actually closed because tho brethren would not submit to Benson ' s authority , and that in consequence thereof

tho Master ' s part ivas forgotten by all the London Masons . In such a case , Ave would be justified iu supposing , that the appoint , ment of Benson to the office so long filled by Wren must have taken place afc least ten years before 1717 , for otherwise tho whole assembly of tho London Masons in 1717 could nofc have forgotten such au important part . The fact , however , is , King George

succeeded Queen Anne in August 1714 ; ho did nofc arrive in London , as Dr . Anderson correctly states , until the 20 th September following . We must naturally suppose that King George did nofc inimediately after his arrival dismiss Sir Christopher . But , anyhow , tho period between tho appointment of Benson and tho " revival" of 1717 , must have been considerably less than three years—scarcely

time enough tor the whole of the London Masons to havo become so rusty as Dezwott mado them out to have been . I could not at first find out the exact year of Benson ' s appointment , but if Dermott ' s statement was correct , about tho 90 th year of Sir Christopher ' s age , all I had to do Avas to find out when Wren AVUS born ; now all the biographical dictionaries agree that Wren was born in October 1632 , hence , his dismissal from the office could not have taken place before

1722 , or five years after the revival . The truth , however , is , Benson ' s appointment took place on the 20 th April 1718 , and Wren must have beeu dismissed abont the same time . But be that as it may , it is certain that Wren still held the office of Surveyor several mouths after the formation of the Grand Lodge of England , as the following extract from Wren ' s letter to his tormentors Avill clearly show : —

" I havo received [ says Wren ] the resolution of the Honourable Commissioners for adorning St . Paul ' s Cathedral , dated 15 th October 1717 , aud brought to me ou the 21 st . " The above letter to the Commissioners is printed in Elmes' Life of Wren , also in tho Life of Wren b y the " Society of Useful Knowledge" ( Lives of Eminent Men ) , Sp much foy the fallaqit **^