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•CONTENTS . LlADKR- ™ OE Bro . llughan on the Votk Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... " . The Lodge Room ... ... ... ... ¦¦••¦•f ' . l pnKTRVThe Call to Arms ... ... ... ... ... ... ^ 4 Science , Art and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... fi . S Consecration of John Brunner Lodge , No . 2799 ... ... ... W >

Ladies' Banquet and Dance of the Iiccleston Lodge , No . 1 GJ 4 ... ... GS Bro . and Mrs . James Stephens ' s "At Home" ... ... ( 17 Consecration of the Lodge L'Entenle Cordiale , No . 279 6 ... ^ ... G 7 Fifth Annual Ladies' Night of the Lion and Lamb Lodge , No . 192 ... ( 17 M ASONIC NOTESQuarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter ... ... ... 6 g Approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 69 Memorial to Bro . John Lane ... ... ... ... ... 69

West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution ... ... ... fig Installation Meeting of the Empire Lodge , No . 210 S ... ... ... fig Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 70 Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ... ... 70 Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 70 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 70 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 74

Knights Templar ... ... ... ... ... ... 74 Bohemian Concert by ihe Union St . James ' : Lodge , No . 1 S 0 ... ... 74 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 74 Supreme Grand Chapter ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... ... 75 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 Obituary ... ... ... ... .,. ... ... 75 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 7 S

Bro. Hughan On The York Grand Lodge.

BRO . HUGHAN ON THE YORK GRAND LODGE .

During the last three weeks there has been published in these columns-a most important paper compiled by Bro . W . J . Ili'GHAX , P . G . D ., and read on his behalf before Lodge Quatuor Coronati , No . 2076 , at its meeting on the 5 th ult , in which

additional light is thrown upon the history of the old lodge at York , which , though it appears never to have enjoyed more than a very precarious existence , assumed to itself , circa 1725 , the high-sounding title of " Grand Lodge of nil England . " As far

hack as 18 71 , Bro . I lUGIIAN wrote a history of this venerable , hut long extinct body , which , at a time when the spirit of investigation was not characterised by the activity it exhibits now , was very generally and very highly appreciated . Brethren

were only then beginning to discover that what had previously been palmed off upon them as Masonic history was a compound of fantastic theories , traditions , assertions , & c , & c , and our brother ' s " Masonic Sketches and Reprints "—which included

Ihe history of the said Grand Lodge at York—came upon them almost as a revelation , and no doubt had the desired effect of inducing many among our most inquiring members to search lor themselves in the records that were still preserved to us and

see if something like a trustworthy , connected , and sensible History of the Craft could not be written . In that Sketch Bro . HL ' GHAN told us pretty well all that he had then learned of the career of Masonry in the City of York ; but fresh matter is still

coming to light , and in this Paper Bro . UUGHAN gives us the benefit of his further investigations , and as they appear to have been favourably commented upon by sundry of the leading

spirits of Lodge Quatuor Coronati , so we doubt not that our leaders must have been gratified and profited by its early publication .

It is not necessary that we should dwell at any length upon 'lie obvious merits of an essay which we have had the privilege ( , f laying before : our readers in cxtenso . Those who wish to 'Ppraise the Minute-Book 1712—1730 at its true value can judge

'or themselves from the extracts contained in Appendix A , while those who desire to learn more about the internal government of the Grand Lodge can do so by studying in "Appendix

1 the " Articles agreed to be kept and observed by the Antient Society of Freemasons in the City of York , and to be subscribed b y every member thereof at their Admittance into the said Society . " Or , if they desire to know to what , if any , extent

Bro. Hughan On The York Grand Lodge.

the Society exercised its right , as a Grand Lodge , of granting warrants for the formation of daughter lodges , they will be able to gratify their curiosity by reading the second instalment of the paper , which appeared in our issue

of the 3 . 0 th ult . ft has occurred , however , to us that in those passages in which he refers to Laurence Dermolt and the " Ancient" Grand Lodge in London , Bro . llUGHAN has been somewhat severe on Dermott , and has misinterpreted the

sense in which "the immortal journeyman painter "—as somebody once designated him—employed the expression " Free and Accepted York Masons . " Dermott , as is pretty generally known , was not a man of education

or refinement , but in the course of his long and busy career he must have acquired pretty nearly all the knowledge of the organisation , laws , traditions , and history of Freemasonry which could be obtained in his day . Moreover , we must bear

in mind that the bulk of the members of the Society , which , as Grand Secretary , he organised , and , as Deputy Grand Master , virtually presided over , were men of no social standing whatever . They were mostly artisans , mechanics , and small

tradesmen , who had but little knowledge of any kind outside what was necessary to them in following their craft or business . It was , therefore , necessary that he should impress his " ancient" brethren with as full a sense of his profound knowledge of everything

connected with Masonry from time immemorial as possible . Hence , knowing full well the men he had to deal with , he employed on all necessary occasions the most imposing titles , the most formidable words , he could think of , in this respect not

disdaining to follow the example of many another and far more cultured man than he . Again , he was sufficiently well acquainted with the legendary history of the Craft to know that York had always been the important Masonic centre—the earl y home , if

not the birthplace , of the Craft—in England . So he dubbed his London " ancient" brethren "York Masons , " meaning thereby nothing more than that his " ancients , " equally with the Masons at York and the brethren in Ireland and Scotland , had one origin

in common , and adopted among themselves the same modes of recognition ; while the rival Society in London had abandoned the true and ancient ways of Masonry . We may take the opportunity of saying more upon this point on some future

occasion . We must not conclude our remarks without expressing to Bros . HuGHAN and G . VV . SPETH , Editor of " Ars Quatuor

Coronatorum , " our sincere thanks for permitting us to publish this paper so soon after its delivery before the Lodge Quatuor Coronati .

The Lodge Room.

THE LODGE ROOM .

IV . THE TRACING BOARDS .

[ COMMUNICATED ] . Many brethren imagine that the Tracing Board , is the pictorial representation of Masonic devices , which is used to

illustrate the lecture generally given at the conclusion of a ceremony . The picture in question is commonly , but erroneousl y called the Tracing Board , but we doubt whether very many lodges possess the real article .

In the First Lecture we arc given to understand that " the immovable jewels are the Tracing Boards and the Rough and Perfect Ashlars : " and that " as the Tracing Boards are lor the

Master to lay lines and draw designs upon so as to enable the Operative Mason to carry on the intended structure with order , regularity , and precision ; so the V . S . L . may justl y be described as the spiritual Tracing Board of T . G . A . O . T . U . . , , "