Craft Masonry

builder , is looked for , but very often not realised . Why ? Because the various necessaries are left lying on the ground , as it were , the tools absolutely necessary in the erection of every building are left rusty ( on the ground ); we have the shell , but not the kernel . Let us examine the charge ot an E . A . M . His working tools are the 24 m . gauge , to measure his work ; the common gavel , to knock off all superfluous knobs and excrescences ; and the chisel , to further smooth and prepare the stone and render it fit for the hands of the more expert workman . But , in speculative Masonry , we

apply these tools in a moral sense . Thus , the 24 m . gauge represents the 24 hours of the day , partly to be spent in prayer to God , partly in labour and refreshment , and partly in serving a friend or brother in time of need , without detriment to ourselves or connections . The common gavel represents the force of conscience , which should keep down all vain and unbecoming thoughts , so that our words and actions may ascend pure and unpolluted to the throne of Grace . The chisel points out the advantages of education , by which alone we are rendered fit members for regularly organised society . Of all the beings here below , man is the only one that prays . Among all the moral

instincts of man , there is no one more natural , more universal , more unconquerable , than prayer . In all peoples , renowned or obscure , civilised or savage , one meets with acts and set forms of invocation . With joy or with fear , openly or in the secrecy of his heart , it is to prayer that man betakes himself , in the last resort , to fill up the void of his soul , or to bear the burdens of his destiny . Prayer has always been recognised as one of the duties of National Religion . Among the golden verses of Pythagoras we find the following : " In all thou dost , first let thy prayers ascend , And to the Gods thy labours first commend ;

From them implore success , and hope a prosperous end . " Ideas of right and wrong are natural to the human mind , in its nature and sound state . Ideas of right and wrong arise in the same way and from the same source as other simple ideas , i . e ., from the intellect or reason . And as , on witnessing phenomena and changes , we ascend to the ideas of substance and power , so , when we contemplate human character and conduct , we rise to the ideas of right and wrong , and pronounce one action to be right and another to be wrong ; one agent to be virtuous another to be

vicious . Our moral judgments are not like those we form in speculative matters , dry and unaffecting , but , from their nature , are necessarily accompanied with feelings of approbation or of disapprobation . Neither the moral judgment by itself , nor the moral feeling by itself , butby the occurrence of both , constitutes the moral faculty . So conscience is placed within us by God , as a Judge who hears , determines , and passes sentence . Hence , conscience is placed as God ' s deputy and vicegerent in man . Now it is above reason in this respect . Reason says , you ought to do this , it is a comely thing , it is a thing acceptable

with men among whom you live and converse , it becomes your condition as you are a man , to carry jourself thus , it agrees with the rules and principles of nature in you . Thus says reason , and they are good motives . But conscience goes higher , there is a God to whom I must answer , there is a judgment , therefore I do this and therefore I do not do that . 'A most important principle in our nature is this conscience , which places us in a sensible connection with the government of the world . The whole world is under a solemn economy of government and judgment . A mighty spirit of judgment is in

sovereign exercise over all , discerning , estimating , approving , or condem nmg . Now it was requisite there should be something in the soul lo recognise this ; that it should not be as some unrecognised , unperceived element around us ; and something more and deeper than the mere simple understanding that such is the fact ; a faculty to be impressed , to feel obligation , and awe , and solemn apprehension ; something by which the mind should be compelled to admit the indwelling of what represents a greater power . Conscience is to communicate with something mysteriously great , which is without the

soul , and above it and everywhere . It is the sense , more explicit or obscure , of standing in judgment before the Almighty . And that which makes a man feel so , is a part of himself ; so that the struggle against God becomes a struggle with man's own soul . Therefore , the conscience has been often denominated " the God in man . " The chisel points out to us the advantages of education . Sydney Smith has said , " I solemnly declare that , but for the love of knowledge , I should consider the life of the meanest hedger and ditcher as preferable to that of the greatest and richest man here

present ; for the fire of our minds is like the fire which the Persians burn in the mountains , it flames night and day , and is immortal , and not to be quenched I Upon something it must act and feed—upon the pure spirit of knowledge , or upon the foul dregs of polluting passions . Therefore , when I say , in conducting your understanding , love knowledge with a great love , with a vehement love , with a love co-eval with life , what do I say , but love innocence , love virtue , love purity of conduct , love that , which if you are rich and great , will sanctify the blind fortune which has made you so , and make men

call it justice ; love that which , if you are poor , will render your poverty respectable , and make the proudest feel it unjust to laugh at the meanness of your fortunes ; love that which will comfort you , adorn you , and never quit you ; which will open to you the kingdom of thought and all the boundless regions of conception as an asylum against the cruelty , the injustice , and the pain that may be your lot in the outer world ; that which will make your motives habitually great and honourable , and light up in an instantathousandnobledisdainsattheverythoughtof meannessand of fraud ! " Learning

is like a river , whose head , being far in the land , is , at first rising , little , and easily viewed ; but still as you go , it gapeth with a wider bank , not without pleasure and delightful winding , while it is on both sides set with trees and the beauties of various flowers . But still the further you follow it the deeper and the broader it is , till at last it inwaves itself in the unfathomed ocean ; then you see more water , but no shore , no end of that liquid fluid vastness . Life is the test of learning . Character is the criterion of knowledge . Not what a man has , but what he is , is the question after all . The quality of soul is more than the quantity of information . Personal spiritual substance

is the final resultant . Have that , and your intellectual furnishings and attainments will turn , with no violent contortion , but with a natural tendency and harmony , to the loftiest uses . To carry out the principles of the Craft we need the strong and earnest will . It grows by exercise . Our bodies are our gardens , to the which our wills are gardeners . In short , the whole duty of a Mason may be summed up in thc serious contemplation of the Volume of the Sacred Law , wherein he will be taught the important duties he owes to God , his neighbour , and himself . A hearty vote of thanks was given to Bro . Bowker , who responded in a suitable

manner . A candidate for initiation was propDsed , ani , after the W . M . had received the best wishes of the visitors , the proceedings closed , and those . present adjourned to the refreshment board .

St . John the Baptist Lodge , No . 475 . The installation meeting in connection with this Iodge , which is the senior in the Province of Bedfordshire , took place on Thursday , the 26 th ult ., at the Town Hall , Luton . The officers present were Bros . G . J . Wardill , W . M . ; H . Gates , I . P . M . ; F . W . Faulkner , S . W . ; S . W . Smith , J . W . ; Rev . P . F . J . Pearce , P . M ., Chap . ; E . A . Cumberland , P . M ., Treas . ; E . F . Green , P . M ., Sec . ; A . Grace , S . D . ; A . Hayward , J . D . ; W . Austin , P . M ., D . C ; VV . H . McNamara , I . G . ; W . E . Dipple , Org .: Huph Cumberland . P . M .. and I . H . Staddon , Stwds . ; H . V . Cavill . P . M .:

U . V . Jones , P . M . ; F . W . Beck , P . M . ; J . W . Green , P . M . ; VV . L . Gates , P . M . j G . S . Duberly , P . M . ; E . F . Walsh , W . Hoyle , A . J . L . Evans , C Dellingham , G . W . Bindloss , W . H . Hyder , T . B . Ellery , T . E . Margerison , C . Amey , A . P . Tabraham , and F . J . Coleman . Visitors : Bros . A . E . Langridge , [ . P . M . 1470 ; F . W . Wardill , 734 , P . P . J . G . D . N . and E . Yorks ; R . G . Brookes , 449 , P . P . J . G . D . Herts ; G . Gladwell , 1470 , P . P . G . W . ; J . C II . Daniell , W . M . S 03 ; Miles Taylor , J . W . 1470 j W . House , 21 S 2 ; G . R . Worboys , 1470 ; VV . Deacon , 1470 , P . P . G . S . ;

W . Collis Clark , W . M . 2550 ; Charles F . Danks , D . C . 201 ; C . N . White , 373 , P . G . P . S . ; Charles Guy , S 03 ; G . B . Pearce , Chap . 2495 ; W . E . Garstin , S . D , 24 S 8 ; Harold Garstin , 58 ; John Roe , 1479 ; J . Baldwin , J . W . 2343 ; and P . Neumann , S « - . * . The lodge was opened and the minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed . The ceremonv of installation was performed , Bro . frank VV . Faulkner beinc

duly installed by Bro . Wardill . The W . M . appointed and invested the officers thus : Bros . S . W . Smith , S . VV . ; A . Grace , J . W . ; A . Hayward , S . D . ; W . H . Mc-Namara , J . D . ; G . W . Bindloss , I . G . ; Rev . P . F . J . Pearce , P . M ., Chap . ; E . A . Cumberland , P . M ., Treas . ; E . F . Green , P . M ., Sec ; W . Austin , P . M ., D . C ; VV . E . Dipple , Org . j H . Cumberland , P . M ., and J . H . Staddon , Stwds . ; and H . Dickens , Tyler . A Past Master ' s jewel was presented to tha I . P . M ., Bro . Wardill , and was duly acknowledged . Other lodge business was transacted and the Charity Box was sent round . At the customary banquet , held at the George Hotel , Bro . Faulkner , W . M .,

Craft Masonry

occupied the chair , and was supported by a large array of visitors and members , the gathering being the largest for " several years past . The usual toasts were proposed and duly ^ honoured , that of " The Newly-instaJIed W . M . " being especially well received . During the evening an excellent programme was carried out by Miss Susetta Fenn , Harold Montague and Harold Garstin , and Mr . Harry Hudson , all the performers being highly successful . The evening was a very pleasant one and formed a splendid send off lor the new W . M ;

St . Germain ' s Lodge , No . 566 . An emergency lodge was held in the Freemasons' Rooms , the Crescent , Selby , on the 20 th ult ., for the purpose of hearing a capital paper on the history of the lodge by the W . M ., Bro . Mark Scott , P . P . J . G . W ., who holds the unique position of being also the W . M . of the Humber Installed Masters' Lodge , No . 2494 , at Hull , and of having served St . Germain's in the same capacity on five previous occasions . The St Germain ' s Lodge obtained its dispensation on 15 th October , 1 S 49 , and consequently attained its jubilee on the previous Sunday , In honour of the occasion the present officers of the

W . BRO . MARK SCOTT , W . M . St . Germain ' s Lodge , No . 566 , Humber Installed Masters' Lodge , No . 2494 , and P . P . J . G . W . N . and E . Yorks . lodge were selected from the roll of Past Masters , a great number of whom have been photog raphed , with the view of the same being hung in the room adjoining the lodge rcom , and many of these had already found place at Friday evening ' s gathering . There

was a good muster of brethren , and the W . M . gave an exceedingly interesting sketch of the first 25 years of the lodge , before closing which he expressed his intention of completing the whole period of its history on some future evening . Of the original members of the lodge only one—Bro . Captain Parker , P . M . —remains . _ The W . M . subsequently entertained the brethren and visitors to a substantial and enjoyable repast , at which the usual loyal and Craft toasts were duly honoured .

Fitz-Roy Lodge , No . 589 . The installation meeting of this important lodge was held at the Headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Company , City-road , on Friday , the 27 th ult . The lodge room , though small , contains many interesting souvenirs and relics of this corps from its foundation up to the present tfme . The M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , is the Captain-General and Colonel of the Honourable Artillery Company . There were § resent Bros . Capt . H . J . Bertram , W . M . ; Quartermaster-Sergeant W . H . Hillman , . W ., W . M . elect ; Colour Sergeant H . Humphries , I . W . ; H . 1 . Adams . Treas .:

Lieut .-Col . F . J . Stohwasser , Sec . ; J . McMunn , S . D . ; Quartermaster T . L . Green , J . D . ; H . Jarrett , I . G . ; Capt . F . Farrington , D . of C ; H . F . Adlard and F . Hall , Stewards ; A . G . Young , Tyler ; Capt . J . L . Blackie , P . M . ; C M . P . Dyke , P . M . ; P . G . Webster , P . M . ; Major J . H . Hawkins , P . M . ; Capt . E . Blanks , P . M . ; Major John Pash , P . M . ; H . Styles , Chas . Draycott , L . W . Bradley , B . J . Mills , H . W . Ba'nsdale , W . J . Modder , E . H . Gosling , T . L . Venton , H . Wood , J . Davies , C H . Mitchell , W . T . Gotten , F . R . Matthews , Arthur W . Wells , F . G . Newton , P . M .,

Capt . G . T . Carpenter , and others . Visitors : Bros . J . Dickson , 256 ; Prof . F . W . Driver , M . A ., P . M . 45 ; G . C H . Jennings , 1231 ; J . H , Coomber , 2024 ; F . W . Bowles , 771 ; Edwd . Swain , 1293 ; Arthur Turner , P . M . 1894 ; II . Massey , P . M . 1928 ; G . T . S . Gill ,. 21 ; H . Glenbitt . P . M . 2020 ; B . G . Elliott , 2020 ; F . B . Cameron , 1260 ; J . R . Pakenham , W . M . 172 S ; W . G . Bott , P . M . 1839 ; G . Chillingworth , P . M . 1228 ; J . H . Frost , S . W . 1673 ; Dr . Harlow , P . M . 65 ; Thos . Ringrose , 2184 ; A . Slade , 1604 ; G . N . Mayhew , W . M . 2105 ; Thos . Pond , 70 . 1 ;

W . Woodward , P . M . 1920 ; J . Thompson , S . D . 1446 ; F . G . Howard , 11 ; Frank Swinford , 2272 j Geo . Winter , 2191 ; J . G . Shearman , 1997 ; H . Howard , 140 ; Jas . Kift , 1791 ; Wilhelm Ganz , P . G . O . ; Robert Dyas , 15 S 9 ; and others . The lodge was opened by the W . M ., and the minutes of regular lodge and lodge of emergency were read and confirmed , after which the W . M . elect , Bro . W . H . Hillman , S . W ., was presented by Bro . J . H . Hawkins to the W . M ., the Installing Master . The W . M . elect was obligated as W . M . of the Fitzroy Lodge , and placed in the chair , and was saluted by a large number of Installed Masters . The W . M . invested Bro . H .

J . Bertram as I . P . M . the officers were then invested as follows : Bros . Humphries , S . W . ; J . McMunn , J . W . ; H . J . Adams , Treas . ; F . J . Stohwasser , Sec . ; T . L . Green , S . D . ; H . Jarrett , J . D . ; F . Farrington , I . G . ; H . F . Adlard , D . C ; F . Hall , C Hall , and C . Draycott , Stewards ; W . Bradley , Org . ; and A . G . Young , P . M ., Tyler . The audit report was read , received , and adopted , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . Candidates were proposed for initiation at the next regular meeting . The I . P . M ., Bro . Bertram , was presented with a handsome Past Master ' s jewel , as a tribute of esteem from the members of the lodge for his services . The I . P . M . briefly returned thanks .

Letters from many Grand Officers were read expressing their regret that they ware unable to attend , and the lodge was then closed . The banquet-room was decorated with lligs , Sic , and ( above the Mister ' s chair there were the two standards of the Honourable Artillery Company . A buffet of handsome valuable plate , presented by members of the corps on different occasions , was erected overlooking the Master ' s chair . The usual loyal toasts were briefly proposed by the W . M ., and received due acknowledgment from the hands of the brethren .

" God save the Queen " and " God bless the Prince of Wales" were sung as solos by the professionals , aided in chorus by the Masonic company . The za , za , za , the peculiar rapid lire of the Honourable Artillery Company , was given with hearty good will .