Ancient And Accepted Rite.

E . and P . Bro . Bousfield , with his usual care , under the presidency of 111 . Bro . T . Ness , 30 , M . W . S ., having on his right 111 . Bro . C . J . Banister , S . G . I . G ., 33 ° ; !»• Bro . J . J . Wilkes , 30 , ' P . M . W . S . ; E . and P . Bros . Macdonald and Burns , and others ; and on his left 111 . Bro . H . Maddison , 30 , P . M . W . S . ; E . and P . Bro . T . M . Barron , 2 nd General ; E . and P . Bro . S . F . Bousfield , P . M . W . S . ;

E . and P . Bro . Bailey , P . M . W . S . ; E . and P . Bro . Hodgson , and others . E . and P . Bro . S . Wilson , ist General , took the vice-chair . After the cloth vvas removed , the M . W . S . proposed "The Health of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , " and " H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , and the other Members of the Royal Family . "

Both toasts were received most heartily . " The Supreme Council of the 33 " was proposed by the Chairman , and duly honoured . The M . W . S . proposed "The Health of their dear and old Friend , Bro . Banister , " in flattering terms , which was received most heartily . III . Bro . Banister , 33 , thanked the M . W . S . for the way

in which he introduced the toast , and the brethren for the way in which they always received him . He had the greatest pleasure in being with them , particularly as they had received two such worthy brethren that evening into the beautiful Christian Degree . He vvould come as often as he possibly could to the chapter , and trusted they would have other worthy brethren as candidates .

Before sitting down , 111 . Bro . Banister proposed "The Health of the M . W . S ., " which was received right royally , and responded to in suitable terms . 111 . Bro . J . J . Wilks , 30 , in an excellent speech proposed "The Health of the Candidates . " Bro . Burns and Bro . Macdonald each responded , and expressed themselves highly pleased with the ceremony ,

promising to attend regularly so that they might perfect themselves in the beautiful Degree they had the great privilege of having received amongst so many and valued friends . Other toasts Were proposed and responded to , and a most enjoyable and instructive evening was spent ; each

toast being interspersed with songs and recitations b y IU . Bros . H . Maddison , 30 ° ; ] . J . Wilks , 30 ; John Bailey , P . M . W . S . ; E . and P . Bros . Barron , Macdonald , and others . The last toast vvas done justice to , and the brethren separated , happy to meet , sorry to part , and happy to meet again .

Rosicrucian Society Of England.

Rosicrucian Society of England .

METROPOLITAN COLLEGE . —The quarterly convocation was held at the Masonic Hall , I 6 A , Great Queen-street , on the nth ult . Present : M . W . Frater Dr . W . R . Woodman , M . D ., S . M . ; R . W . Fratres T . C . Walls , M . T . ; John Collinson , D . M . T . ; Robert Roy , P . M . T . ; Dr . Wynn Westcott , Sec . and Gen . Sec ; S . L . M . Mathers , H . J . Lardner , T . W . Coffin , W . G , Lemon , Rev . T . W . Lemon , Nelson Prower ; Fratres J . N . Frye , George Gregory , George Graveley , and John Gilbert , Acolyte .

lhe M . C was duly tormed , and the Chain ot Union made perfect . The minutes of July 12 th were read and confirmed . Bro . George Graveley , P . M . 898 , having been duly proposed , was conducted into the College by R . W . Frater Mathers , and vvas advanced to the Grade of Zelator by the R . W . M of the T . in ancient and solemn form . The

S . M . conferred the Secrets , and the R . W . Frater Roy delivered the Lecture . R . W . Frater Mathers then finally burned the mystic token . Apologies for absence vvere received from 14 Fraters and from two candidates . R . W . Frater Mathers then , at the request of the author , who was unavoidably absent , read the answer of Frater Macbean to the criticisms expressed by the fratres at the July

college upon his lecture on Rosicrucianism : — "If the phrase ' Ex Oriente Lux' is accepted now , how much more powerful vvas it in the middle and earlier ages ; and it would indeed be matter for astonishment if the Crusaders had not become saturated with particles , at least , of Eastern teaching . Influences have all along been tending Westwards , and the late Kenneth Mackenzie was

cited as maintaining that Mazdeeism vvas really the 'fans etorigo' of the Illuminati of Italy , and tbe underlying cause that eventuated in the Albigenses and the Lollards . Frater Mackenzie had at his disposal sources of information available to but few ; and , though by many esteemed as a visionary and deluded dreamer , displayed surprising familiarity with the oriental secret societies . The very

object that took the Knights to Syria would , in human view , predispose them to mysticism and do much to prepare them to accept doctrines not always in apparent accord with the Exoteric teachings of Rome . I submit a few suggestive thoughts on the main lines that have induced the opinions already expressed about the Templars purposely keeping free of many considerations which are still ( and likely to

remain ) subjects of animated discussion . In the ornamentation of the Historic Temple Church in Fleet-street , the oldest eclesiastical fabric in the city , we are struck by the constant repetition of two figures ; namely , the VVhite Horse and the Beauseant Banner ; of the latter it will suffice to say , that many curious arguments can be based on this pictorial representation of the opposing forces of

good and evil . The Horse , always highly esteemed by the Easterns , enters largely into their mythology and religious narratives . Professor Max Muller shows that it was a concomitant of the Sun-God ; although his evidence is not required to establish its primary position in the Mithtaic cult . Doubtless we all allow the importance of Sun and Fire in the ancient mysteries ; in Persia the sacred

Fire is still the physical Symbol of Ormuzd , who is primarily Spento-Mainyus ( Spirit of Light ) , the Supreme Being . All students of Occultism , even though superficial , are well aware that the Eastern esoteric wisdom vvas fundamentally the same in Egypt , Syria , Persia , and India ; there were , of course , local colourings arising from special habits and surroundings , but this does not

militate against the truth of the general statement advanced here . The Hermetic axiom ' quod superhis , sicut quod inferius ' lies at the base of Kabbalistic lore ; the Sufis start with the maxim ' / am the truth , ' Hindus say ' There is no Religion higher than Truth ; ' and whether as Tetragrammaton , Osiris Mithras , or Parabrahm worship was inculcated to the Great First Cause , as Pope sings , "Jehovah , Jove or Lord , in every clime adored . "

Rosicrucian Society Of England.

The Sufis are looked upon as a sect amongst the Mohammedans , and are sub-divided into two parts , wilh one of them vve are more immediately concerned , and may briefly describe its members as the Theosophists of that creed . They endeavour to reconcile Philosophy and Revealed Religion ,

and teach the pure Buddhist ) reformed Aryan or Pre-Aryan ) doctrine that ' besides the existence of God , there is no real existence , nor can there be , for that which exists not , cannot exist of itself ; but that which does . 'exist exists of itself , and that which is self-existent is God . ' This will at once commend itself to a Vedantic scholar . It is

unnecessary to discuss the question whether the worship of the sun was venerative of that luminary , ' perse , ' or merely respect paid to it as the visible emblem of light and heat— ' lux et ignis , ' Uriel or Indra and Agni—symbolical of the supernatural power . My contention is that the sun vvas a central featureof the Eastern faiths , and that as the White Horse was attendant thereon , so the Templars , by adopting it as a chief

sign of their organisation , reall y identified themselves with a great deal of what vvas implied by it , and accepted by those amongst whom the knights spent so many years . Although the Church of Rome has stedfastly set her face against such occult practices on the part of the ' oi polloi , ' it is remarkable that some of the most powerful of the socalled magicians , including Archbishop Adalbert and Friar

Bacon , have been in Holy Orders . The late Professor Palmer was entitled , both as the initiate and a cultured student , to speak with the authority begotten of knowledge , and he lays down as his deliberate opinion that Sufiism is really a 'development of the primeval Aryan religion and Zoroastrianism is certainly the same . Max Muller says that 'Sufiism is far removed from the Koran . ' To sum up

—the White Horse brings us in touch with the lower phases of the Eastern cults , and these , as taught on the higher planes , constitute the ' secret wisdom' of the Adepts . Thus much for W . Frater Rev . T . W . Lemon ' s request to be informed of my reasons for connecting the old Templar knights with the Oriental faiths . I deem this question sufficiently important to justify this lengthy explanation ,

having also in view the possible enlightenment of some who hold utterly untenable ideas respecting the modern quasi-Masonic Orders , which amuse themselves by aping the titles and dress of those ' brave knights of oid , ' with whom they have nothing in common save the name . In repl y to the criticisms by the R . M . Master of the Temple , it is rather my misfortune than my fault that the essay is formal

and lacks originality . My paper professes to deal mainly with Waites' book , though , after a cursory notice of some of the points he alludes to , I devote a brief space to a few veiled hints on this ' vexata questio' and cognate subjects . I may remind my reviewer of the sound advice given by the Jester to King Lear—' speak less than thou knowest '—as being , in part , an answer to his remarks . My learned

friend , R . W . Frater Macgregor Mathers , deserves my hearty thanks for his kindly allusions to the writer ; but he , for one , does not require to be informed that I referred in the body of my lecture to tha 'Illuminati' as the Masters of occult power . The brotherhood of Avignon , like the society founded on moral precepts by Weishaupt , does not , in any way , concern the scope of my enquiries

The truly fraternal spirit in which my maiden extort before the metropolitan lodge has been received , merits my grateful acknowledgment . I very much regret that circumstances prevented my delivering it in person ; although it could not possibly have suffered in the hands of the sympathetic and singularly able writer of' Kabbalah Unveiled . ' " There vvas no further discussion on Frater Macbean's

answer . R . W . Frater Dr . Wynn Westcott , Sec . General , then read a lecture on a very scarce and valuable German volume , entitled , " Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer des 16 ten Jahrhundert . " He showed a copy of the work , which had just been purchased by the High Council to place among their archives , and also an English

translation , just published , of which the High Council had also bought a copy for loan to the fratres . Dr . Wynn Westcott then read from that volume the " Prayer of a Rosicrucian , " which the fratres considered to be a very fine adoration . The M . of theTemple proposed , and the S . M . seconded , a cordial vote of thanks for the lecture . This was accorded by acclamation .

A long , but interesting , informal discussion on the subject of those volumes then took place , during the course of which Frater Collinson called attention to the peculiar position of a series of hands and arms as figured in one of the plates . There being no further business , the M . C . was sundered , and the Chain of Union was rendered imperfect , until the second Thursday in January , 1 SS 9 .

West Africa.

West Africa .

AN INTERESTING MASONIC CEREMONY . The brethren of the Lagos Lodge , No . 1171 , gave a banquet in the Freemasons' Hall , Bamgbose-street , Lagos , on Saturday , the Sth Sept ., and which was to celebrate the occasion of the Masons in' this colony being now possessed of a lodge premises of their own , the first real property

belonging to the Fraternity on the West Coast of Africa . The W . M ., Bro . J . A . Otonba Payne , F . R . G . S ., etc ., appointed Bro . A . B . Buttrick to act on the occasion as D . C . The D . C , assisted by Bros . Savage , Schmidt , and Smith , had the banqueting-hall most tastefully and artistically decorated . The W . M ., Past Masters , Officers , Visitors , and

brethren sat down to a most sumptuous dinner , and which vvas all that could be desired . The usual loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured with musical accompaniments by Bros . Schmidt , Speeding , Buttrick , Smith , Dawodu , and King . The W . M ., Bro . PAYNE , in proposing the toasts of "The Queen" and "The M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , K . G ., " respectively , expounded in a most

becoming speech upon the good they had individually done to Freemasonry , and which toasts were received with the usual Masonic heartiness . "The Officers , " "Visitors , " etc ., having been given and duly responded to , the Tyler ' s toast closed a most pleasant and eventful day . During the evening the Government brass band played several choice selections of music outside the hall .

West Africa.

Too much praise cannot be given to the W . M . for appointing Bro . Buttrick as D . C . on the occasion , for the able manner in which he carried out the several duties entrusted to his charge , also to those who so abl y assisted him in the decorating , etc ., of the banqueting-hall .

New South Wales.

New South Wales .

RANDWICK . —John Williams Lodge ( No . 2161 ) . —On Wednesday , August 15 , the monthly meeting of the above lodge took place at the Masonic Hall . The W . M ., Bro . R . A . Andrews , presided . After the usual preliminaries had been disposed of , steps were taken of a character which resulted in the augmentation of the numerical strength of the Iodge . A report vvas then read

from the Committee which had been appointed to consider the desirabilit y of holding a Masonic social during the second week in September in the Town Hall . The Committee recommended that the social do take place and their recommendation was unanimously approved by the lodge . The next matter that received attention was the

recognition of the services of Bro . Walton , P . M ., D . A . G . P . In connection with the formation of the lod ge and its continued prosperity , Bro . Walton took , and has continued to take , a very active interest ; and , inasmuch as that meeting vvas the last to held under the old constitution , the brethren thought it was their duty to present him with a Past Master's jewel . In making the presentation , the VVorshipful Master

passed a very high eulogium upon Bro . Walton ' s Masonic qualifications . In acknowledging the gift , Bro . Walton thanked the brethren for their kindness and for their practical appreciation of his endeavours in the cause ot Freemasonry , and for the progress ot their lodge in particular . After a pleasant hour had been spent at the festive board , the proceedings of the evening were brought to a close .

New Zealand.

New Zealand .

• WELLINGTON . — -Wellington Lodge ( No . 1521 ) . —The regular monthly meeting of this lodge took place on Friday , the 17 th August , at the Freemasons' Hall , Boulcott-street , and , as the installation of W . M . and investiture of officers vvas to be held on that evening , a very large number of members of the ancient and honourable Fraternity assembled to witness the proceedings . The

lodge was opened , and , after dealing with correspondence and other business , the W . M . ' s of the New Zealand Pacific , Waterloo , St . Andrew ' s , Leinster , and Ulster Lodges , accompanied by the officers and members of their respective lodges , vvere admitted . The following distinguished brethren vvere then announced , and received in a manner befitting their Masonic rank , viz .: Bros . R . C . Hamerton ,

Prov . G . I . of the Provincial Grand Lodge ( I . C . ) ; H . J . H . Elliot , Prov . Asst . G . Sec . of the Provincial Grand Lodge , North Island of New Zealand ( S . C . ); and H . J . Williams , D . S . G . W . of the District Grand Lodge , Wellington ( E . G . ) , who was accompanied by Bros . T . McKenzie , B . N . Manley , C . P . Powles , and W . B . Hudson , in their capacity as District Grand Officers . A very large number

ot visitingibrethren from all parts of the Colony vvere also present . Apologies for non-attendance were read from the D . G . M ., Bros . Sir H . A . Atkinson , K . C . M . G ., ; Sir F . Whitaker , K . C . M . G ., Prov . G . M ., North Island of New Zealand ( S . C . ); C . J . Toxward , P . D . G . M . ; Dr . Johnston , D . P . G . M . ; and from Bros , the Hons . Geo . Fisher , J . Ballance , H . S . Fish , F . Lawry , H . Feldwick , W . P .

Moat , and J . Joyce , M . H . R . ' s . Bro . George Robertson , who has served the lodge as W . M . for 12 months , and who has been re-elected to fill this important position , was then presented and installed in an able manner by Bro . Thos . Larchin , M . P . The following brethren vvere then invested by the W . M ., as officers for the ensuing year , viz .: Bros . J . H . Richardson , S . W . ; D . T . C .

Innes , J . W . ; B . N . Manley , P . M ., Chaplain ; T . Larchin , P . M ., Treas . ; J . C . Young , Sec ; H . J . Brooke , Org . ; A . S . Chapman , S . D . ; W . Jessup , J . D . ; and R . Moate , l . G . The appointment of ta Tyler was left over till the next meeting of the lodge . Bro . W . J . Meek , P . M ., and Bro . VV . B . Hudson acted as D . of Cers . during the evening , and performed their services

most satisfactorily . The musical arrangements were entrusted to Bro . H . J . Brooke , Org ., and ' to Bro . L . Mosch , and left nothing to be desired , the orchestral selections and solos by Bros . Arthur Clothier and J . W . Taylor being most appropriate . During the evening the W . M ., on behalf of the members of tbe lodge , presented Bro . J . C . Young with a Secretary's jewel , as a token of the regard

and esteem entertained for him by the members of 1512 ( E . C ) , and in appreciation of serveces rendered to thc lodge during the past year . Bro . Young returned thanks in a few well chosen words , and assured the members that he vvould continue to do his best to further the interests of the lodge in every way . " Hearty good wishes" vvere then tendered by the

numerous visitors , and the lodge was closed . An adjournment was then made to the banquet room , where the following toasts were honoured in bumpers , viz .. ' "The Queen and the Craft , " "The Three Grand Masters , " "The Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland , " "The Representatives of the District and Provincial Grand Lodges , " "The Worshipful Mastcr , The

"The Installing Masters , " "Sister Lodges , " " Newly-Invested Officers , " "The Visitors , " "The Choir and Organist , " and the Tyler's toast . Some capital songs vvere given by Bros . W . D . Lyon , J . VV . Taylor , Arthur Clothier , J . C . McEwen , McGregor Wright , S . B . Ludbrook , and A . Wilson , and a most enjoyable evening was spent .

Scotland.

Scotland .

MASONIC CEREMONIAL AT LEITH Last Monday night , the members of the Lodge T f ' ^ No . 223 , Leith , with the assistance of a deputation iro Grand Lodge , and representatives of most of the ' ° r , ^ the Metropolitan province , inaugurated the sp len " hall which they have built in St . Anthony ' s-p lace .