Between 1776 And 1876.

Lodges of Freemasons were , on certain conditions of registration , specially and by name exempted . Tho same year the Grand Lodge of Sweden , by its National Grand Master , Charles , Duke of Sudermania , made advances to the Grand Lodge of England for an alliance , tho result being that

Baron de Silverhjelm was received by the latter as the representative of tlie Grand Lodge of Sweden , and allowed a seat in the English Grand Lodge . On the last day of the year 1809 the Prince of W ' ales , as Grand Master , laid the foundation-stone of Covent Garden Theatre , with the

customary formalities . On tho 2 / th January 1813 the Earl of Moira , who was about to proceed to India to take up his appointment of Governor-Gen oral , was entertained at a grand banquet afc Freemasons' Hall , and presented with a magnificent jewel as a token of the respect ancl

affection in which ho was held by the Craft . In 1812 Lodge 31 of Liverpool was erased from the list of Lodges , for disobedience to the orders of Grand Locige , and a s-imilar sentence was passed upon Sea Captain ' s Lodge ,

No . 140 , of the same town , for a somewhat similar offence . In 1823 the Duke of York was formally installed as Master of tho Prince of Wales ' s Lodge , H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex himself performing tho ceremony ; and in 1827 the Duke of Clarence succeeded to tho chair of that

Lodge , his brother the Grand Master again officiating in person . At tho Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodgo held in March 1828 , no less than fiftynine Lodges were struck off the books , and their warrants declared to be forfeited for havine ; failed to make

any communication or return of dues to Grand Locige . But such interruptions to tho even progress of Freemasonry wero happily few and far between . During the Grand Masterships of the Duke of Sussex , the Earl of Zetland , and the Marquis of Ripon , the Order rapidly increased , both

in strength and influence . The number of its charitable institutions was further increased by the establishment in 1838 of a Royal Benevolent Asylum for aged ancl indigent brethren , and this has since been enlarged so as to include provision for a number of Masons' widows . The first annual meeting of the subscribers was held in 1843 .

In 1838 , a magnificent testimonial was presented to tho Grand Master for his invaluable services to Masonry during his long tenure of office , and especially for the distinguished part he played in uniting the rival Grand Lodges . In 1845 , this testimonial was presented to Grand Lodge by

his widow , the Duchess of Inverness . To enumerate more of the important events which have occurred during the last thirty years wore out of place in a brief sketch like this . But from what we have noticed it will be apparent to all , that Freemasonry has prospered in the century that

lias so nearly lapsed since Freemasons' Hall was formall y dedicated by Lord Petre . Then there were rival bodies of Masons , now there is but one body . Then the Lodges were numerous , now they are still more numerous . There were more Provinces in those days perhaps , for then the

American Provinces were subordinate to one or other of our Grand Lodges , but now they are more consolidated , ancl exist , not only now as then in the East and West Indies , but in China , ancl Japan , in Australia , New Zealand , ancl for aught we know to the contrary , there may soon be one in

our newest acquisition , the Fiji Islands . There were learned brethren in those days , whose efforts to throw light on our history were highly appreciated . Now we have a Masonic literature and a Masonic Press . In fine , what we were then in numbers and in importance , we are

now to the extent of ten or even twenty fold ; ancl we have the satisfaction of knowing also that outside the limits of this earliest home of modern Freemasonry , the Craft is in a flourishing condition in well nigh all countries . That it may remain so both here ancl abroad is , wo are well assured , the earnest hope of every true brother .

Masonic Portraits (No. 26). An Ancient Briton.

MASONIC PORTRAITS ( No . 26 ) . AN ANCIENT BRITON .

" Time was , when clothing sumptuous , or for rise , Save their own painted skins , onr sires had none ; The hardy chief , npon the nip-god rock , "Washed by tlie sea ; or on tho gravelly bank , Fearless of wrong , reposed his weared strength . "

HPHOSE obscure writers who are engaged in the con-JL genia' , because obscure , task of pedigree hunting , might , if they were so minded , write a series of terrible

Masonic Portraits (No. 26). An Ancient Briton.

satires on the vanity of mankind . They might tell ns , if they cared to adhere to the exact truth , that two-thirds , perhaps we might say three-fourths , of tho genealogical trees which adorn the halls of some families are ingenious fictions . They might show ns all the details of the

process through which tho eager parvenu passes who endeavours to affiliate himself to some grand trunk line of remarkable men . Or they might write a series of agreeable papers npon the charming fictions which abound in standard works that profess to give tho history of the landed

gentry , or the titled persons who constitute the aristocracy of this country . The public would be amazed if they were made familiar with tho composition of the present House of Peers . In common parlance tho Peers are said to trace their descent from the Conquest ; but in point of fact tho titles are of far more recent date . The two oldest

peerages date from the thirteenth century , and the ancestors of three-fourths of the existing House have been raised to the rank of hereditary legislators within tho last two centuries . The tracing of a pedigree , in clear ancl solid links , to the time of the Plantagenets for example ,

is an exceedingly difficult task , and the majority of persons who find it necessary to be descended from " Somebody , " aro compelled to perform a back somersault into the dim obscurity of the past , by way of bridging over the huge gaps which time may have made in tho family records .

A man who can satisfactorily trace his family back to the age of the Stuarts does not , however , find it difficult to perform this feat of genealogical gymnastics . He quietly and coolly turns head over heels through two or three centuries , and informs the world , through the very accurate pages of

Burke , that the founder of the family was "Warden of the Marshes in the reign of Edward the First . " The statement may be difficult to prove , but it is also equally difficult to refute , ancl as far as we can judge , we see no reason why an ambitious hero , fresh from tho accolade of the sovereign ,

should not at once date from the founding of Rome or the grounding of the Ark on Mount Ararat . But although there are often difficulties in the path of the parvenu , difficulties which do not indeed present any serious obstacle

to the pedigree hunters , or the officials at Herald ' s College , there are many quiet unobtrusive families in our midst who can readily and satisfactorily trace their descent without the factitious aid of the hired trifiers with old MSS . The

hero of this sketch is one of those fortunate persons . He comes of an old Welsh family , who occupied the soil before the Norman invader set foot upon our shores . His family has flourished for centuries in South Wales , and possibly his remote ancestors traded with those adventurous sailors

of Tyre who came to Britain for the purpose of exchanging the products of civilisation for the mineral wealth of the island . He was born at the close of the first quarter of the present century , and his earliest associations are connected with the soft and charming scenery of the

Principality . He was educated at Christ s Collegiate School , Brecon , and completed his studies at King ' s College , London . On leaving College , he entered the architectural profession , and had the honour of studying under Sir Charles Barry , who was then engaged in the erection of

the Houses of Parliament . Having mastered his profession , he was appointed to a post in the Ordnance Department of tho Civil Service , ancl still has the honour of serving his country . During his official career he has designed and

superintended the construction of many large and important works , ancl , among others , the Victoria Hospital at Netley . Several years of his public life have been spent in the West Indies , chiefly at Antigua , one of the leeward Carribbees .

He was initiated in Masonry in the year 1848 , in the Albany Lodge , Newport , Isle of Wight ( 151 ) , ancl in the < amc year was passed and raised in the Caledonian Lodge , Grenada , one of the most beautiful islands of the Carribbee group . In the years 1851-2 he was W . M . of St . John ' s

Lodge , Antigua ( 492 ) . On his return to England , he joined the St . Thomas ' s Lodge , and passed the chair in 1871 . He was an active promoter of the Granite Lodge ( 1328 ) , and acted as first P . M . He still holds the office of Secretary ; aud the Lodge , mainly through his exertions ,

' ias become , in the short space of five years , one of the most prosperous in the metropolis . He is a P . M . of the Campbell Lodge ( 1415 ) , and now holds the office of

Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works for the Province of Middlesex . He was exalted in 1866 , in Chapter 13 , Union Waterloo , Woolwich , of which he was M . E . Z . in 1872 . He is P . S . of the Imperial Council of the Red Cross of Con-