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Article THE ANNALIST. ← Page 2 of 6 →
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The Annalist.
formerly noticed , was Deputy Master . Bro . James Boswell also filled the office of Deputy Master , in the years I 7 C 7 and 1768 . Soon after his appointment to the chief chair of the Lodge , Mr . Boswell set out on his memorable journey , with Dr . Johnson , through the north of Scotland , returning in time to be present at the election of Grand Officebearers , on St . Andrew ' s Day , when he was appointed to the post of Senior Grand Warden . The latter lace he remained in but one year ;
p he continued , however , in the Canongate Kilwinning for three successive years . Had Brother Boswell , in anticipation that his memory would one day become an object of Masonic interest , dictated his records of three years in the Chair , what a fund of interesting and curious matter might be discovered , instead of the blank which now presents itself . After his retirement as Master of the Lodge , in June 1776 , be wasin the November of the same yearappointed to be Deputy Grand
, , Master of Scotland , under his friend , Sir William Forbes . This he retained for two successive years , after which he does not appear again in any official station . We cannot resist transcribing here the character of this distinguished Brother , as drawn by himself , at the period when he presided over the Canongate Kilwinning Lodge . " Think , then , " says Mr . Boswell , " of a gentleman of ancient blood , the pride of which was his predominant passion . He was then ( 1773 ) in his thirty-third
year , and had been about four years happily married . His inclination was to be a soldier , but his father , a respectable judge , had pressed him into the profession of the law . He had travelled a good deal , and seen many varieties of human life . He had thought more than anybody supposed , and had a pretty good stock of general learning and knowledge . He had all Dr . Johnson ' s principles , with some degree of relaxation . He had rather too little than too much prudence , and his imagination being lively , he often said things of which the effect was very different from the intention . He resembled some times
" The best-natured man with thc worse-natured muse . " He cannot deny himself the vanity of finishing with the encomium of Dr . Johnson , whose friendly partiality to the companion of his tour represented him as one " whose acuteness would help any enquiry , and whose gaiety of conversation and civility of manners , are sufficient to counteract the inconveniences of travel , in countries less hospitable than we have passed . "
It was to be expected that a gentleman so well known in society for his many agreeable and excellent qualities , should have attracted not a few of his friends and acquaintances to join the Masonic circle over which he presided , in representing , by all due and proper means , the claims which our exalted and philanthropic Order has upon the consideration of the good and the great . Accordingly , we find among others , the following entrants : —
FRANCIS LORD NAPIER , son of the Lord Napier before noticed , initiated 1775 . This nobleman became Grand Master Mason in 1778 , and in the year following , he presided in his official capacity at the public ceremonial oi' laying the foundation-stone of the new University Buildings , supported by Past Grand Master Sir William Forbes on his right hand , and by the Duke of Buccleugh on his left . A resolution , complimentary to the clergy , was passed under his rule , ordaining that clerical entrants into Masonry should be exempted from the usual dues . Lord Napier held tbe appointment of His Majesty ' s VOL . IX . x
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Annalist.
formerly noticed , was Deputy Master . Bro . James Boswell also filled the office of Deputy Master , in the years I 7 C 7 and 1768 . Soon after his appointment to the chief chair of the Lodge , Mr . Boswell set out on his memorable journey , with Dr . Johnson , through the north of Scotland , returning in time to be present at the election of Grand Officebearers , on St . Andrew ' s Day , when he was appointed to the post of Senior Grand Warden . The latter lace he remained in but one year ;
p he continued , however , in the Canongate Kilwinning for three successive years . Had Brother Boswell , in anticipation that his memory would one day become an object of Masonic interest , dictated his records of three years in the Chair , what a fund of interesting and curious matter might be discovered , instead of the blank which now presents itself . After his retirement as Master of the Lodge , in June 1776 , be wasin the November of the same yearappointed to be Deputy Grand
, , Master of Scotland , under his friend , Sir William Forbes . This he retained for two successive years , after which he does not appear again in any official station . We cannot resist transcribing here the character of this distinguished Brother , as drawn by himself , at the period when he presided over the Canongate Kilwinning Lodge . " Think , then , " says Mr . Boswell , " of a gentleman of ancient blood , the pride of which was his predominant passion . He was then ( 1773 ) in his thirty-third
year , and had been about four years happily married . His inclination was to be a soldier , but his father , a respectable judge , had pressed him into the profession of the law . He had travelled a good deal , and seen many varieties of human life . He had thought more than anybody supposed , and had a pretty good stock of general learning and knowledge . He had all Dr . Johnson ' s principles , with some degree of relaxation . He had rather too little than too much prudence , and his imagination being lively , he often said things of which the effect was very different from the intention . He resembled some times
" The best-natured man with thc worse-natured muse . " He cannot deny himself the vanity of finishing with the encomium of Dr . Johnson , whose friendly partiality to the companion of his tour represented him as one " whose acuteness would help any enquiry , and whose gaiety of conversation and civility of manners , are sufficient to counteract the inconveniences of travel , in countries less hospitable than we have passed . "
It was to be expected that a gentleman so well known in society for his many agreeable and excellent qualities , should have attracted not a few of his friends and acquaintances to join the Masonic circle over which he presided , in representing , by all due and proper means , the claims which our exalted and philanthropic Order has upon the consideration of the good and the great . Accordingly , we find among others , the following entrants : —
FRANCIS LORD NAPIER , son of the Lord Napier before noticed , initiated 1775 . This nobleman became Grand Master Mason in 1778 , and in the year following , he presided in his official capacity at the public ceremonial oi' laying the foundation-stone of the new University Buildings , supported by Past Grand Master Sir William Forbes on his right hand , and by the Duke of Buccleugh on his left . A resolution , complimentary to the clergy , was passed under his rule , ordaining that clerical entrants into Masonry should be exempted from the usual dues . Lord Napier held tbe appointment of His Majesty ' s VOL . IX . x