Freemasonry During The Grand Mastership Of H.R.H. The Fringe Of Wales.

¦ nurse of the two following years the Duke of CONNA . GUT was •stalled , firstly , Prov . G . M . of Sussex by the Prince in person , , ' l in 1887 , as Dist . G . M of Bombay ; while in the latter year I i < re was for the second lime a brilliant gathering of thebrethren •' , 0 Royal Albert Hall , the purpose being to vote an address

^ of congratulation to the QUEEN on the completion of the Jubilee vear of her reign . The Prince presided , ancl there were present over 6000 brethren , each of whom paid a guinea for his ticket af admission , while the proceeds of the sale of tickets , amount-* i-r in all to £ 6321 , was divided equally among the three

Insti-, tutions . About the same time , ancl in honour of the same event . Grand Lodge itself voted grants of £ 2000 each to the same Charities ; ancl , as in 1887 , the Grand Master laid the foundationstone of the New Hospital , Great Yarmouth , and his son that of thc Jubilee Wing of the Northampton Infirmary , we may regard

lhat year as being only less memorable in our annals than that of his installation . In 1888 , Grand Lodge voted a sum of £ 500 for the purpose of presenting some gift to the Princess of WALES on the occasion of the silver wedding of the Grand Master and ] , or Royal Highness , and , as soon as the present had been

selected , a deputation from Grand Lodge waited upon the Prince and Princess at Marlborough House , and presented them with ll , e address of congratulation , which Grand Lodge had voted by acclamation , on the auspicious anniversary , and the Princess with a diamond butterfly . In 1890 , the late Duke of CLARENCE

AND AVONDALE was installed as Prov . G . M . of Berkshire by his father , while since then the latter has done two newly-warranted lodges—the Chancery Bar and the Rahere—the very great honour of attending their consecration , and personally constituting them as lodges . But the events of his 21 years' reign are

so familiar , so fresh in the recollection of our readers , that we need not dwell upon them more particularly . We shall , therefore , content ourselves with adding a few words , wilh a view to showing that , though , as was to be expected , it is English Masonry which has most largely benefited by having the Heir

to the Throne for its Grand Master , the Craft in the other parts of the United Kingdom , with which , it must be remembered , he is connected as Patron , as well as throughout the British Empire generally , owes no insignificant portion of its progress during later years to his connection with the Society . Under

the Grand Lodge of Scotland , of which the Prince is Patron , the number of lodges has been increased from 543 lo 827 , and , though , as in thc jurisdiction of England , there are many of these

newly-created lodges , as well as many of earlier date , which have severed their connection with their parent Grand Lodge , the majority of them still exist , but under other Constitutions . As

lor brand Lodge itself , its position is vastly stronger now than it was in the later " seventies , " when Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , the great historian of Scottish Freemasonry had not yet been appointed its G . Secretarv . and its affairswhich had been

, terribl y mismanaged , were in a state of confusion . Now the Grantl Lodge is in a condition of marvellous prosperity , both as regards its finances , ancl the manner in which the duties of its lodges are carried out , while its Fund of Benevolence is on a

stable basis , and is admirably administered . In Ireland , the Grand Lodge , of which also the Prince is Patron , has likewise prospered during the G . Masterships of the past and present Dukes of Abercorn , but from the manner in which its lodges are ¦•umbered , it is difficult to estimate wilh any approach lo ¦ ui

u -ucy , the extent ot its progress . We know it has increased , and very materially , as is shown by the well-maintained popularity of . hs Masonic Orphan School Fetes in Dublin , and the brilliant success which attended the celebration of its Girls ' ¦ Vhool Centenary , in 1802 . Under the Canadian Constitution

'ere have been warranted during this period fully 100 lodges , "bile the independent Australasian Grand Lodges , which have recentl y been established , and of which the Prince is Patron , are , '_ UISe firmly set , and becoming slowly but surely stronger

ulb numericall y and in other respects . May the same prosperity attend Freemasonry throughout the British -mpire which has been ils lot during thc presidency of his Uiyal lli glmcss over nlc Grand Lodge of England !

Concerning Festivals.

CONCERNING FESTIVALS .

ref- 1 aimonises wc " ' ' 1 , ie eterna - I'tness of things that \ v | , v ' cnt should follow labour , nor see wc any valid reason j Q | l " ' n > "'ho happen to be Masons ancl meet as such pcriod-11 ' ••' ' uld not dine or sup together when they have performed

'iiic" ¦ . - cs " True these Masonic dinners and bansi « tj S <; IU ' ' U * a considerable amount of after-dinner oratory , conlnii .. f *' M rt ' y of m '' d platitudes , in part of venerable witticisms ,

¦ ¦ "ulev- £ ravc exchanges of mutual laudation wilh each co nstj t ' !* v ° ^ 0 l "' fellow-guests . But after-dinner speech-making lrar •[ , no greaf sin against religion or morality ; on the con-•' hel ps to promote good-fellowship . You cannot think

Concerning Festivals.

unkindly of a Mason who reciprocates the compliments you pay him , nor will he regard you with an evil eye for paying him those compliments . Moreover , good-fellowship helps us a long way on the road towards being kind and charitable to those we ' mcet , and as it is one of the chief objects to promote charity , wc * are

glad the ancient custom remains in force , by which thc members of our lodges partake of refreshment together when the business portion of their proceedings is ended . VVe dare say the custom

prevailed in the ' time immemorial' days about which we occasionally read , and it is more than probable that had there been a local press in existence in the middle of the 17 th century , some diligent Masonic student would Ions * since have unearthed a

report of the memorable meeting in Warrington , at which ELIAS ASHMOLE and Col . MAINWARING were initiated into the mysteries ancl privileges of Masonry . In all probability we should have learned that in the course of thc after-lodge proceedings , the Master proposeel the health of " The Initiates , " ancl

that firstl y Bro . ASHMOLE and then Bro . MAINWARING , in responding for the toast , expressed their thanks for the honour the lodge had done them in accepting them as members , and the hope that their future conduct would " justify thc confidence which the brethren had reposed in them . At all events , if we cannot

speak with certainty of what happened in Masonry at this epoch , we have it on record that in the very earliest days of Speculative Masonry refreshment was almost a part of the regular business of our lodge meetings , and that on grand occasions it assumed the character of a Festival . Especially was this the case at the

installation of a new Grand Master , when not only was there a Grand Feast , but likewise a grand procession of the brethren through the streets to one of the City Companies' Halls or a noted hostelry , where , after an elegant repast had been partaken of , the toasts proper to the occasion were dulv honoured .

But about the year 1 745 , in consequence of sundry irreverent people having made fun of these processions , and having in more than one case started mock processions of their own as a burlesque on the true Masons , the outdoor display was dropped altogether , though when the "Ancients" began to find

themselves more firmly established they revived the old custom of inarching in procession in their full regalia , and after attending Divine service in some church which had been selected , returning to their quarters and spending the rest of the day in quiet conviviality . But the "Ancient" Feast and procession was held

on or about St . John the Baptist ' s Day ( 24 th June ) , while thc installation of the Grand Master for the ensuing year and the investiture of his Grand Officers took place on or about St . John the Evangelist ' s Day ( the 27 II 1 December ) . Thus as regards the summer fetes we read in the minutes of the 24 th June , 1766 , that

" No Grand Lodge open'd on this day , but the Fraternity by permission of the Grand Officers met at the Angel in While Chapell , and from thence walked in procession to Stepney Church where an Excellent Sermon founded on the General Regulations of the Craft and upon a suitable Text was preach'd by the Rev .

Mr . Parker Rowlands our most worth y Brother . After the Sermon the Fraternity amounting to a vast number with three bands of Musick & c . walked in like manner to the Angel aforesaid where they separated & each Lodge went to dine at the Houses where held . " The following year the Feast on St . John

the Baptist ' s Day was organised on a more elaborate scale . An emergent meeting of Grand Lodge was summoned on the / 2 U 1 June , 17 6 7 , at which the Grand Master , Bro . the Hon THOS . MATHEW , presided in person , when it was resolved that a sermon should be preached " in the nearest ( or most convenient )

Church to the five Bells Tavern in the Strand , and that a suitable dinner shall be provided in such Tavern According to Ancient Custom . " Moreover , " the following Brethren were proposed and appointed Stewards for the said feast , viz ., William Dickey , Junr ., Bror . Llewelyn , Bror . Davy , and

Bror . James Mann , with liberty to choose two more on St . John ' s Day next . " Accordingly on the said St . John ' s Day , the Deputy Grand Master , Grand Wardens , and a great number of the officers and Members of private Lodges went to St . Clement ' s Church ,

where they heard an excellent sermon preached by the Rev . PARKER ROWLANDS , the prayers being read by the " Rev . Bro . WYCHE , after which the brethren returned to the Grand Lodge room and dined " in form . " In the course of the proceedings a letter was read from the Grand Master to the effect that he was

laid up with the gout , and prevented , to Ins deep regret , from being present , but he requested that he might be charged for four absentees . Bro . DERMOTT , who was laid up with a similar attack , and was absent , Bro . W . DiCKKY , jun ., acted as Secretary , while , the toasts that were honoured included " The Kine * and thc

Craft ; "The Grand Master , " " the Rev . Bros . ROWLAND and WYCHE ; " and " The Stewards of the Day ; " and it was " Order'd that the Ringers of St . Clement ' s shall be paid One Guinea , & the poor of the said parish Five Guineas , & the Beadles Ten shills . & 6 pence . " In 1768 the venue was laid at Deptford for Divine service , and the Assembly Rooms , on Blackheath , for the dinner .