Contents.

CONTENTS .

Koyal Masonic Institution for Boys i Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution i Provincial Grand Chapter of West Lancashire i Christmas Festivities , Past , Present , and Future i Freemasonry in Portsmouth 2 - Thc Masonic Charities 2 Obituary 2 Reviews 2

Masonic Notes and Queries 2 Red Cross of Constantine 3 Scotland 3 RETORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 4 Royal Arch 6 Instruction •fi North Africa 6 Masonic and General Tidings 1 Amusements 1

The New Year of 1881 1 LEADERS , . ' . 8 CORRESPONDENCEThe Masonic Robbery at Newport 9 American Freemasonry 9 Sir Christopher Wren 10 A Correction 10 A Word of Warning 10 Literary , Art , and Antiquarian Notes 10 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 10 Advertisements I ., II ., III ., IV ., V ., VI

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The monthly meeting of the General Committee of this Institution was held on Thursday afternoon , at Freemasons ' Hall , Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer , in the chair . There were also present Bros . Frank Richardson , Arthur E . Gladwell . lohn A . Rucker , T . H . Matthews , Thomas Massa ,

Frederick Adlard , Charles Hammerton , R . B . Webster , Frederick Drummond , F . R . W . Hedges ( Secretary ) , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) . On the motion of Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON G . D ., a recommendation of the Sub-Committee was adopted for the appointment of a sub-matron and a _ needlework mistress . 1 wo of the former pupils were appointed to the respective

offices . Also a notice of a motion was given by Bro . Frank Richardson that some of the salaries of the schoolmistresses be slightly raised , and that some additional junior mistresses be appointed in consequence of the increased duties which will fall on the educational staff by the reception into Lyncombe House , or " the Junior School , " of twenty-five more children .

Seven candidates were p laced on the list for the April election , four from the provinces , and three from London . Bro . J . A . RUCKER , P . G . D ., after the candidates had been placed on the list , drew the attention of the brethren to the fact that _ the fathers of the candidates had been initiated respectively , nine , eight , six , five , and three years before death , and he reminded the Committee that similar

cases frequently occurred . He had frequently drawn attention to the subject , and he now repeated it , not for the purpose of taking any action in the matter , butfor showing the Craft that there was , unfortunately , as he thought , a habit of introducing gentlemen to Masonry who were likely to become a burden to it . He thought that members of lodges should have their attention drawn to

this . He believed he was warranted in saying that if inquiries were made of the insurance offices it would be found that in seven cases of insurance , the seven insured died , one nine , one eight , two six , two five , and one three years after the insurance was effected . Before very long he thought that some step would have to be taken in the matter .

The list for the April election was then settled . There will be at that election twenty-eight candidates , and fifteen vacancies in the School . Col . CREATON then said it would be satisfactory to the Craft to know , as it was very satisfactory to him to have to announce that he had , with the Secretary , gone into the financial state of the Institution , and he had found that ,

taking into consideration everything that would have to bc paid , the Institution could afford to invest £ 1400 . He had gone thoroughly into the matter , and he would , therefore , move " That £ 1400 be invested in ' Reduced , ' and placed to the Sustentation Fund . " Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , in seconding the motion , said

he thought this was a very satisfactory state of affairs . The motion was carried . On the motion of Bro . Col . CREATON , seconded by Bro . RUCKER , it was resolved that instead of £ 50 the Secretary should have in hand £ 70 for petty cash , the £ 50 not being always sufficient . The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman , and mutual wishes for a " Happy New Year . "

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The New Year ' s entertainment , which , since Bro , Terry has been Secretary to this Institution , is annually given to the annuitants in residence at the buildings at Croydon , win lane pinec ncAt tveuuesuayocveiiti

. suusenpuons CO defray the expenses of the entertainment have already been received from brethren and Masonic bodies well known in the Craft for the support of our Institutions . The annuitants will sit down to dinner at two o ' clock , and for the evening there is a programme of amusements which will render the day as successful as any of its predecessors .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

At the meeting of the House Committee of this Institution on Christmas Eve , Bro . W . Roebuck in the chair , Bro . Constable and Bro . Dick Radclyffe attended at the Institution for the purpose of making a presentation to the School . The gift consisted of a very handsome silver cornet ,

manufactured by Besson and Co ., which was purchased by subscriptions . The reason of the presentation is fully set forth in the following inscription on the cornet : " Presented to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys by the Committee of the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund as a mark of appreciation of the services rendered by the boys composing the band and choir of the Institution at the bazaar held in aid of the Fund in June , 1880 . "

Christmas Festivities, Past, Present, And Future.

CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES , PAST , PRESENT , AND FUTURE .

By BRO . G . B . A . ( Continued from page 370 . ) Nicholas , 6 th December . I have spoken already of the genius of Good Cheer and his installation , at this season , in the chair of state in all the lodges

of Hospitality , wheresoever they may be distributed over the surface of the earth . To others I willingly leave the task of describing the good cheer provided , which is general enough in its chief constituents , but varies , of course , locally . I may , however , quote a passage from Stevenson's "Twelve Months , " ( 1661 ) , in which he says , " Now capons and hens , besides turkeys , geese , and ducks ,

with beef and mutton , must all die ; for in twelve days a multitude of people will not be fed with a little . Now plums and spice , sugar and honey , square it among pics and broth . " And then with reference to the general liberty accorded , the diversions , & c , he proceeds , "Now a journeyman cares not a rush fof his master , though he begs his plum porridge all the twelve days . Now or never must

the music be in tune , for the youth must dance and sing to get them a heat , while the aged sit round the fire . The country maid leaves half her market , and must be sent again if she forgets a pack of cards on Christmas Eve . Great is the contention of holly and ivy , whether themaster

or dame wears the breeches ; and if the cook do not lack wit he will sweetly lick his fingers . " That all this good cheer was , as it still is , the cause of much additional labour , is shown by the following doggrel lines quoted by Hone from the " Bellman's ; Treasury " ( 1707 ) , under date of 24 th December :

Up , Doll , Peg , Susan ; you all spoke to me Betimes to call you , and 'tis now past three ; Get up on your but-ends , and rub your eyes , For shame longer lye abed , but rise ; The pewter still to scow ' r , and house to clean , And you abed 1 Good girls , what is't you mean ?

The boar's head , however , which still figures at Windsor and Queen ' s College , Oxford , as a Christmas dish , must not be passed over , lt was , and , doubtless , is still , usual to carry this into Hall at Queen's in solemn procession , a carol , which has been differently worded at different times , being sung the while . The version I quote will be found in Hone's " Everyday Book , " and is as follows :

Bryngyng in the Boar's Head . Caput apri defero , Reddens laudes Domino . The bore ' s head in hande bring I , With garlandes gay and rosemary ,

I pray you all synge merely , Qui estis in convivio . The bore ' s head , I understande , Is the chefe servyce in this lande , Lette wherever it be fande , Servile cum cantico .

Be gladde , lords , both more or Iasse , For this hath ordayned our Stewarde , To chere you all this Christmasse The bore ' s head with mustarde . Brand , to whose work on " Popular Antiquities " I am so

much indebted for the particulars I have given , thinks Chaucer referred , in the " Franklein ' s Tale , " to this custom of bearing the boar ' s head when he wrote Janus sitteth by the fire with double berd , And he drinketh of his bugle home the wine ,

Before him standeth the brawne of the tusked swine . Among the principal diversions of the season was mumming or masquerading , which prevailed in the early centuries of the Christian era , when the men and women exchanged dresses , the men appearing in female attire , and the women in male attire . Many an edict was issued by the Church with a view to suppress this custom , but though

these had the effect of putting * down the objectionable practice just mentioned , mumming survived , and , for aught I know to the contrary , still survives in some parts of the country . I remember at Christmastide 1848-9 to have seen near Alton , Hants , a band of what I presume were

mummers . They were dressed in rude finery , and the performance they went through , as far as I could make it out , was a kind of melodrama , crowded with the most terrible incidents , and belonging , , ' no doubt , to what is vulgarly known as " the blood and thunder" school of dramatic representations . Aubrey , anent this , has the following in his " Recollections for North Wilts . " "Heretofore , noble-

Christmas Festivities, Past, Present, And Future.

men and gentlemen of fair estates had their heralds , who wore their coat of arms at Christmas , and at other solemn times , and cried largesse thrice . ... In days of yore lords and gentlemen lived in the country like petty kings . . . . They always eat in Gothick halls , at the high table or oreille ( oriel ) . Here in the hall , the mumming , and loaf stealing , and other Christmas sports were performed . " In "Round about our Coal

rire , " published about 1730 , we read : "Then comes mumming or masquerading , when the squire's wardrobe is ransacked for dresses of all kinds . Corks are burnt to black the faces _ of the fair , or make deputy mustacios , and every one in the family , except the squire himself , must be transformed . " Mumming , however , was not always intended as a diversion , for it is said , that in the reign of our Henry IV ., a masquerade was planned , at

which it was intended to murder that monarch , but the plot was fortunately discovered in time , and the mumming , which might have been attended with such fatal consequences , was stopped . Let me add a specimen of a " Somersetshire Mummer ' s Song , " published in Brand ' s "Popular Antiquities , " vol . 1 , p . 252 , Hazlitt ' s edition : Here come I , liddle man Jan , With my zword in my ban !

If you don t all do , As you be told by I , I'll zendyou all to York Vor to make apple-pie . Perhaps some of your readers , possessing the requisite local knowledge , may be able to explain the allusion contained in the last two lines . Dancing and card playing have for a long time been

prominent among Christmas games . Blind man s buff and similar games are not , perhaps , so highly appreciated at the present day . In " Round about our Coal Fire " occurs the following passage : "The time ofthe year being cold and frosty , the diversions are within doors , either in exercise or by the fireside . Dancing is one of the chief exercises j or else there is a match at blind man ' s buff or puss in the corner . The next game is 'Questions and Commands , '

when the commander may oblige his subject to answer any lawful question , and make the same obey him instantly , under the penalty of being smaked or paying such forfeit as may be laid on the aggressor . Most of the other diversions are cards or dice . " The more objectionable pastime of bear-baiting is mentioned by Pennant , who says " twenty shillings was the annual reward of that officer from his lord , the fifth Earl of Northumberland , ' when he comyth to my

Lorde in Christmas with his Lordshippes beests for making of his Lordship pastyme the said twelve days' . " One of the most admirable , as it is one of the most ancient , features of Christmas , is the carol , which still remains among us , especially in the country districts . The earliest known to be extant will be found in Hone's " Everyday Book , " where it is published both in the original

Norman-French and in English . But it is unnecessary I should stop to add any remarks as to this or the custom of decorating churches and rooms With evergreens . Well , it may , perhaps , be well to mention that , according to an old song on the holly and the ivy , which is preserved in a MS . in the British Museum : Holy stood in the hall , fayre to behold ,

Ivy stood without the door , she ys f ul sorr acold . and further Holy and hys merry men , they dawnsyn and they syng , Ivy and hur maydyns , they wepyn and they wryng . I have read also that laurel is used at our Universities for decorating the halls at Christmas , while elsewhere I have , wonderful to relate , seen " Cyprus" included among the materials used for this purpose . In the present day ,

however , evergreens and flowers are used indiscriminately , and with great effect , any prominence that may be given to any one particular kind of the former being reserved for the mistletoe . However , I think I have said enough without venturing to add anything about the Lord ot Misrule , Boy Bishops , the King of Christmas Day , the Kingof Cockneys . But I must bear in mind the old saw about "Enough is as good as a feast . " IfjwhatT have written succeeds in

interesting the readers of the Freemason , I have | my reward . If I prolong my story , I shall , perhaps , become wearisome . I have thus far attempted to describe , within limits that were necessarily circumscribed , Christmas as it is and Christmas as it was . I will now devote a brief space to imagining what it may be , say fifty or sixty years hence , when our grandchildren have grown to be men and women and have families growing up around them . It is just

possible they may find pleasure in indulging in the same kind of amusements as our grandfathers and great grandfathers did . Fashions , like comets , have the happy knack of reappearing at intervals of time of more or less irregular duration ; and it would surprise no one—if any adults now living should then survive , and be capable of experiencing anysuch emotion—if " Blindman ' s Buff , " " Puss-in-the-Corner , " " Hunt the Slipper , " " Forfeits , " " Questions

and Commands " should once again be popular as Christmas diversions as they were many , many years ago . The old customs may be revived—even old superstitions may find a new generation of believers . All this is within the limits of possibility , and by no means improbable . Was not the crinoline of a few years back merely another form of

the hooped _ dress of Queen Bess's time ? Ruffs that are modest in size arc now worn , but they may grow until they become as large as they were in the reign of the same Princess , when the form of salutation in vogue among the members of a family or between lovers must have been observed with difficulty . For a swain to have kissed his sweetheart when wearing a dress as large as a diving-bell