The "Hughan Ms."

Also no Mason shall use Lechery nor be a bawd . Also that no fellow goe into y - Town in ye- Nig ht except he have a fellow with him to bear him witness that he was of honnest Conversation in homiest companny k place . And also that every Mastcr it l'felow shall come to the Assembly if it be

within ffifty Miles about him if he have any warning and if he have Trespased against ye- Craft to abid y - award of Masters and ffellows and also that every Mason that hath trespassed against y - craft shall stand to the award of Masters it ffellows to make them agreed ( if they may ) and if they can not then to yc to thc Common Law .

And also that no Master nor ffellow make Mould Spuare nor Rule to any Layer nor set any Layer w - in the Lodge nor without to hew any mould Stones . And also that every Mason receive and cherrish strange ffellows when they come over yc Countryes it sett them to work if they will as the manner is , that is to say , if he have Mould Stones in his phce he shall give him one and set him in work and if he have none he shall refresh him woth money

unto yc- next Lodge . And also that every Mason shall truely serve ye Lord for his pay and every Mastcr truely make an end of his work bc it Task or Journey work according to your Covenant . THESE Charges that wc now have rehears 3 - to you it all other y' - belong to Masons you shall keep unto your power so help you God AMEN .

ffiuis . The above has been transcribed by me from the original document in the possession of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire , this 18 th day of April , 1892 . WILLIAM WATSON ( Leeds ) , Honorary Librarian Prov . Grand Lodge West Yorkshire .

Ars Quatuor Coronatorum.*

ARS QUATUOR CORONATORUM . *

Bro . Speth , the Secretary of Lodge " Quatuor Coronati , " No . 2076 , is alw .-vys at work , devising or producing valuable and useful material for the Transactions , and has now read 3 ' for circulation Part 2 of Volume V . of this extraordinary set of proceedings of the literary lodge ; in 111 . -1113 ' respects the most important series ever published for , and on behalf of , the Society of Free and Accepted Masons .

The present Part is a strong one , Masonically , arch . eologicaliy , and generally , taking its place , side by side , with its predecessors , as in all respects fitted so to do . At first sight it does not seem so valuable , on purely Masonic grounds , as some of the previous issues , but that impression wears away on a closer examination .

The portrait of Bro . William Simpson , P . M . ( the well-known and respected artist of the Illustrated London News ) , is a most welcome addition to our rapidly increasing galley , and appears to me thc most striking and faithful example of the series that has been the special features introduced b 3 ' the Editor of recent date . We shall soon have the portraits of all

the members , and doubtless such excellent engravings will be much appreciated b y the thousand and more brethren of the Correspondence Circle . Bro . Simpson has proved a valuable acquisition to the lodge , especially in relation to archxslogy , and certainly his varied knowledge and experience are frequently in requisition at our meetings .

Bro . Salwey ' s " Notes on the History of the Lodge of the Marches , Ludlow , and its predecessors , " give capital sketches ot the carry lodges now extinct , as introductory to a few particulars of the present No . 611 , and cannot fail to be useful to the members .

Bro . Gould ' s review of Bro . Graham ' s " History of Freemason ^ - thc Province of Shropshire and of the Salopian Lodge , No . 262 , " is an excellent one , and all thc more welcome because the work was out of print almost from thc day of publication . Bro . Graham well deserved the praise bestowed on him by our veteran Masonic historian , and especially so , because of thc paucity of the material available . The find of Major Shirrcfl ' s Masonic

correspondence was a grand one , and I believe is not even yet exhausted . There should also be information as to the origin and character of some of the additional degrees , and I hope that Bro . Graham will kindly make any such known , either in another volume or in the pages of the Transactions or the Freemason , for we badly want more facts on that interesting question . As Bro . Gould says , it would be dillicult to over-rate the service which Bro . Graham has rendered to his province .

Thc chief contribution in pari 2 is from Bro . Gould , who has selected Dr . Thomas M . iniiiiigham , D . G . M ., i 75- ' - ( i , for thc fourth of his "Masonic Celebrities . " His ollicial connection with the fraternity overlaps the origin of the •' Ancient Masons , " hence the suitability and importance of the choice . He was a member of " St . Albans , " No . 29 , and probably of No . 4 , but as tothe latter no list is available for the period , which is unfortunate .

Though Bro . Sadler has much lo favour his theory that the rival Grand Lodge was started by Irish Freemasons , I see no reason why tlie view so long held by many of us should not also have been one of the principal causes of that organisation being started , viz ., " thc summary erasure of lodges for non-attendance at the Quarterl y Communications , 1747-52 . " This is Bro .

Gould ' s opinion , and certainly very likely to be correct , for in 10 3 'ears—1742-52—over 40 lodges were struck off thc roll . But Bro . Sadler ' s suggestion is entitled to weight , and so possibly we shall have to accept both as contributory to "The Great Schism . " At all events , Bro . Sadler ' s opinion is fortified by contemporary writers , one especially , of 17 O 5 .

The Manningh . un letters are of considerable value , and were ably described by Bro . HcrUveld in several papers . I was able to obtain the late Bro . John Hervey ' sf decision ( for Bro . Hertzveld ) that they were genuine , from an examination of the D . G . M . 'S . autograph in the Grand Lodge Records , and wrote an article thereon in the " Mystic Star , " U . S . A .

Ars Quatuor Coronatorum.*

The facsimiles given in the " Dutch Annual , " are of interest , and useful in support of their being written as claimed . This paper b y Bro . Gould is one of the best he has ever written , and throws a flood of light on the orig in and spread of the Masonic Kni ghts

Templars , his view being long shared by me , that the Degree was a favourite one in the lodges of the British Army , and by them introduced into England and America . " It would be an agreeable task to consider this article at length , as also several reviews by the same able brother—the one on " Har-Moad" especially—but limited space forbids .

Mrs . Murray Aynsley's contribution is a curious one , but does not concern us as Craft Masons , learned as it is . Bro . Fook ' s paper on " Freemasons in reference to the Laws of the Realm " is disappointing , for the real crux is left unanswered , so well put by Bro . Speth . As the exemption in the Act of 1799 was on behalf of the then existing lodges , and did not provide for any new ones , and no subsequent Act has been passed to qualify this exemption , what is the legal status of all Masonic lod ges warranted during- this century ? This is what we all want to know .

Brother Speth ' s Reviews are always acceptable , and the " Notes and Queries' " department is stronger even than usual , which is saying a good deal . Thc arms-plate of Laurence Dermott is appropriately engraved , in addition to the particulars furnished by our able Secretary . Bro . Bain ' s "Reprints" have proved to be a step in thc right direction , and eagerl y

subscribed for , being at a premium from their issue . Our enthusiastic Brother deserves the success he has obtained . Bro . Colson ' s " Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh" should be " cleared out" after Bro . Gould ' s interesting notice , for it is well written , and brim-full of facts in relation to the Freemasons and other Incorporations of " Modern Athens . "

The most learned contribution is b ^ Bro . the Rev . C . J . Ball , J . W . 2076 , on " The Proper Names of Masonic Tradition . " This remarkable paper much impressed the members of the lodge at the time of its delivery , and it is certainly to be regretted that only a portion—and that the least important—is suitable to appear in print , because of its esoteric character .

Bro . Ball , on philological grounds , arrived at his conclusions respecting the age and importance of certain words familiar to Craftsmen , which , singular to state , exactly agree with the estimate of Masonic historians , so that the result is most satisfactory , the paper being of exceptional interest and meriting the most careful attention of all students , so far as Bro . Speth has been able to have it reproduced .

The portrait and obituary of our esteemed Bro . the late Clifford P . MacCalla , will be a glad sight to our American brethren , and be most gratefull y accepted by his numerous friends in this country . Bro . Gould has skilfully touched upon the chief characteristics of this worthy and

distinguished " Craftsman , who , from the beginning , took great interest in our lodge , and was proud to be one of its corresponding members . We are all glad that the editorship of the Keystone has fallen into such good hands-Past Grand Master Vaux—as it is much read and appreciated in England .

A new departure is tlie list of Books wanted , and for sale or exchange . This ought to take , so long as it does not involve too much labour for one ever active and obliging Secretary . VV . J . HUGHAN .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The following is thc business to be transacted in Grand Lodge 011 Wednesday next , the 7 th inst . 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the ist June for confirmation . 2 . To consider tlie following notice of motion from the Most Worship ful the Grand Master :

. That this Grand Lodge do vote the sum of 300 guineas from the Fund of General Purposes in alleviation of the distress occasioned by the recent disastrous fire at St . John ' s , Newfoundland , and that the above sum be paid to the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor to the credit of the Mansion House Fund .

3 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which there are recommendations for the following grants , viz .: The widow of a brother of the Chiltern Lodge , No . 1470 Dunstable ... ... ... ... ^ 50 o o

A brother of the St . Oswald Lodge , No . 1124 , Oswestry ... 50 o o A brother of the Crescent Lodge , No . 788 , Hampton Court 60 o o A brother of the Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 1744 , London ... 50 o 0 The widow of a brother of the Royal Oak Lodge , No . 871 , Deptford ... ... ... ... 100 O 0

4 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ot Eng land . The Grand Superintendent of Works having reported that the drainage ol the Grand Lodge premises is in a seriously defective condition , the Board directed , with the concurrence of the Grand Superintendent of Works , that an independent report should be obtained from Mr . George Jennings . After thorough examination Mr . Jennings reports the present system of drainage to be in a dangerously

insanitary condition , and estimates the cost of placing the drainage and sanitary arrangements of the entire premises in a permanently efficient condition a » ^ 582 ios ., including his guarantee of efficiency for 10 years free of charge . Ihe report and estimates having been examined and approved by the Grand Superintendent of works , the board recommend Grand Lodge to sanction the expenditure of this sum for the purpose of carrying out this most necessary work witnoii delay . ,

The President has laid before the Board a letter , received by him from . Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master , stating that , in the opinion of his Koya Highness the Most Worshipful Grand Master , the time has come when , in t interests of the Craft , it is desirable to augment the number of Grand Omcer ^ not only of Grand Lodge , but also of the larger Provincial and District Gra Lodges , and that with this view he had received his Royal Highness ' s comma ' '' request the President to lay before the Board of General Purposes the folloivi S moinci

resolutions which it is the Grand Master ' s desire should , at the earliest J be submitted to the Grand Lodge for adoption . . " That an addition be made to the Grand Officers appointed by the ft ^ Worshipful Grand Master , by the appointment of a Grand Chancellor , rank immediately after the Grand Wardens , and whose duties shall be 1 ^ at present assigned to the Grand Registrar , as set forth in Articles 31 32 of the Book of Constitutions , and of four additional Grand Deo ^ and a Deputy Grand Sword Bearer , and that the same take effect 0 after the Grand Festival of 18 93 . "