The Earl Of Carnarvon, Pro Grand Master.

Uteris humauioribus at Oxford in 1852 . That he was a skilled orator and a pleasing one , we have in his behalf the testimony of the late Earl of Derby , himself one of the most brilliant orators of our time ; Avhile as regards his skill in Statecraft , it is enough to mention that it was during his tenure

of office as Secretary of State for the Colonies that the policy which has knit together the various Provinces of British North America and formed them into one vast confederacy of States under the British CroAvn , Avas devised by him ancl carried out successfully , and had his life been prolonged , it is more than probable

he would have assisted in developing those schemes , Avhich are already being considered in all parts of our Empire , and Avhich are intended to strengthen still further the bonds which unite our Colonies and possessions abroad with the old country . Still his influence , and the success of his policy in North America ,

cannot fail to have weight with those who come after him , and though he has not lived to see the good work he began carried out in all parts of our Empire , he must have felt some satisfaction at the self-consciousness that he had helped to inaugurate a policy Avhich is certain to prove beneficial to every part of the

Queen ' s dominions . In short , it may be said of him , Avithout flattery , but in a larger and more varied sense , what Dr . Johnson said of Goldsmith— " Nihil tetigit quod non ornavit . " In fact ,

it is hardly possible , as we have said , to realise as yet the extent of the loss which the country has sustained through the death of the Earl of Carnarvon , the alter ego in Freemasonry of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales .

The Knights Templars Of Canada.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS OF CANADA .

There is no brother who is doing so important a Avork lor Canada in relation to the description and presentation of its Masonic records as my esteemed friend and brother , J . Ross Robertson , D . G . M . Already this most industrious student and indomitable " seeker after light" has produced an excellent

history of the " Cryptic Rite for all America , Avith special reference to the Dominion , and now he has ready an exhaustive " History of the Knights Templars of Canada" from 1800 to 18 90 , making a very interesting volume of 400 pages . A third book is in preparation on "Capitular Masonry" from 1797 to tlie

present time , including full particulars of Royal Arch Masonry from late last century in all the provinces of the Dominion , and I understand the quartette is to be completed ere long by the publication of another volume dealing with Craft Masonry from the earliest knoAvn date to the present era .

All I must venture to say at present is that if Bro . Robertson succeeds in Avriting the Craft and Royal Arch histories as thoroughly and accurately as he has those of the Cryptic and

Chivalric Degrees , Canada will have had its Masonic past done such justice to as to put its historian in the front rank of Masonic students , and place the Grand Lodges of the Dominion under a lasting obligation to our able and gifted collaborator .

The present volume ( adorned with a portrait of Col . Moore , G . C . T . ) , being the second of the series , is dedicated to Bro . Daniel Spry , Past Grand Master , by " the friend of a life-time , " who has thus tangibly expressed his warm apj ^ reciation of the services rendered the Craft by the well-known Grand Chancellor of the Great Priory of Canada .

Naturally Bro . Robertson quotes very extensively from the various addresses and articles by the . revered veteran , Colonel W . J . . MacLeod Moore , Avho is , beyond question , one of the best informed Knights Templars in relation to chivalric Freemasonry

in the Avorld , and has produced from time to time a number of valuable papers on the past and present history of Masonic Knighthood , which are the best extant , all of which come with official poAver and influence from the beloved Grand Master of that Great Priory .

Passing over the capital introductory portion Ave come to the chapters treating of the Kni ghts Templars in Canada . The author says that " the first records so far known of the Templar Degrees in Nova Scotia ( believed to be the first in Canada ) are dated September 20 th , 1782 , 13 years prior to the earliest known

on this continent . " I take it that Bro . Robertson means 13 years subsequentTo the records of Knights Templars at Boston , U . S . A ., as described by Bro . A . F . Chapman in his ably written and beautifully got up history of St . Andrew ' s Royal Arch Chapter , the records of Avhich begin in 1769 for both the Royal Arch and the Knights Templar . *

However , the entry of 20 th September , 1782 , at Nova Scotia , is an exceptionally early one , and of especial value , proving as it does that a Royal Arch chapter assembled at that date under the wing of the "Ancient" Lodge , No . 211 , as duly authorised by the Constitutions ; and moreover that the members also worked

The Knights Templars Of Canada.

—evidently not officially authorised—an encampment of Knights Templars during the same evening . There are nine other minutes of the same decade in the volume which Avas discovered by Bro . W . F . Bunting , of St . John , New Brunswick .

" The Avarrant constituting the first encampment is unique in style , " so Bro . Robertson tells us , and bears date 31 st October , 1800 , the meetings being held in Kingston , in Upper Canada . The authority vvhich issued this document is declared to have

been held " under the sanction of Lodge No . 6 , of Kingston , " which possibly means , simply that the charter of the lodge was lent to the knights to be kept in the room whilst the meetings Avere being held , until this warrant rendered the brethren independent of such aid .

The next Encampment appears to have been started at Kingston in 1823-4 , Dut the actual originator of the present preceptories seems to have been the one authorised by Col . Tynte , as G . M . of the English Templars in 1854 , Avith my dear old friend Col . Moore as first Commander , and the same zealous knight was also created the first Prov . Grand Commander . Permission Avas

subsequently granted to antedate this " Hugh de Payens " Encampment to that of the one agreed to in 1824 by Y . M . Phillips , Grand Supt . of the Royal Arch ( England ) , for Upper Canada . In the same year another subordinate Avas started in

Toronto , with Bro . S . B . Harman as first E . C , and a third at Quebec , in 1855 , Bro . T . D . Harrington being the premier E . C . The first and second are now Nos . 1 and 2 respectively of the present Sovereign Great Priory , and the three named met and opened the Provincial Grand Conclave 7 th October , 1855 .

Of the career of this active organisation from then to HOAV , Bro . J . Ross Robertson gives abundant evidence in hundreds of closely printed pages , all of which are interestingly written and most carefully treated . I cannot attempt to furnish even a sketch of such a Aveighty and important mass of matter , so can only say , Avith all my heart , well done , Bro . Robertson ! W . J . HUGHAN .

Consecration Of The Bisley Mark Lodge, No. 407.

CONSECRATION OF THE BISLEY MARK LODGE , No . 407 .

The consecration of the Bisley Mark Lodge , No . 407 , took place in the schoolroom , Bisley Green , Surrey , on Friday , the 27 th ult . There svere present Bros . Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., Prov . G . M . M . of Middlesex and Surrey ; Charles Fitzgerald Matier , P . G . W ., G . Sec ; Robert Berridge , P . G . W ., G . D . C ; William Vincent , P . G . I . G ., P . Prov . G . O . ; Hugh M . Hobbs , G . Stwd . ; John Barnett ,

Prov . G . M . O . ; T . C . Edmonds , Prov . G . D . C . ; J . B . Lancaster , Prov . G . Stwd . ; John Grist , S . W . 139 ; F . Laurence , P . M . 13 ; C . H . Phillips , P . M . i 3 g ; Major George Collins , J . H . Askam , Charles Cheel , R . W . Goddard , and other brethren . The brethren assembled after driving over the ground of the Nesv Wimbledon and a Iodge was opened . Bro . C . Pulman , P . M . 139 , acting as W . M .

The ballot vvas taken on behalf of Bros . J . H . Littleboy , D . Spaniel ] , D . G . Norman , and G . Mason , and proving unanimous in their favour , they were advanced to the honourable Degree of Mark Master Masons . Bros . Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., C . F . Matier , R . Berridge , W . G . Brighten , Rev . J . Cater , and other P . G . and Prov . G . brethren were admitted and saluted . The Prov . Grand Master having taken the chair , solicited the Grand Secretary , Bro . C . F . Matier , to consecrate the lodge .

The ceremony svas performed in an admirable and impressive manner . Bro . Rev . Cater , svho was recently re-appointed Prov . G . Chaplain , was installed as first W . M . of the new lodge . The following brethren were then invested as officers : Bros . Major G . Collins , S . W . ; J . B . Lancaster ., J . W . ; C . F . Passmore , M . O . ; Cyril B . Tubbs , S . O . ; J . H . Littleboy , J . O . ; C . Pulman , Sec . ; D . Sparneil , S . D . ; D . G . Norman , J . D . ; J . H . Askum , I . G . ; John Hoey , D . C . ; and G . Mason , Tyler .-The brethren sat dosvn to a cold collation provided by Bro . Mason , when the customary toasts were ably given and cordially responded to .

1 he musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . C . F . Passmore , Mus . Bac , and were admirably carried out . * ? . _

THE LECTURE . —The Lectures of Freemasonry form a most important feature in ceremonial instruction , and Ere very interesting to all Freemasons who wish to . be " bright , " or seek to rise in the Lodge . There are Lectures peculiar to each Degree , and they are orally delivered . Their history is both interesting and curious both to thc Masonic student and the Masonic arch ; eologist . It is very difficult to say what was the exact form of Lecture in use when Desaguliers and Anderson are stated by Oliver to have revised them . The so-called Lecture of the reign of Henry VI ., and of Sir Christopher Wren ' s time , which Oliver fancied he had

verified , turn out to be clearly only portions of the Sloane MS . 332 g , of the Grand Mystery , or of Essex ' s MS . If , indeed , the actual antiquity of the Sloane MS . be ascertained , which Mr . Wallbran fixed , from internal evidence and verbiage , at about 1640 , though its date of transcription is early 18 th , we have probably the Lectures in use in the 17 th century ; though if the date cannot be carried beyond early iSth , we still have in the Sloane MS . probably the earliest form of Masonic

catechetical instruction . Of 15 th century or 16 th century we need hardly add that so far there is no question , as no such theory can be maintained . Martin Clare is said to have revised the Lectures again in 1732 . In 1770 , or thereabouts , Dunckerley again remodelled Clare ' s system , and about 1775 Preston improved on his predecessors , and some say incorporated in his Prestonian Lectures the views and even verbiage of William Hutchinson . In 1813

at the Union , Dr . Hemmings was entrusted with the duty of revising the Lectures once more , for the purpose of uniting the ancient and the modern teachingthough the essential differences do not appear to be great—which was subsequentl y perfected by Bro . Williams , and is the recognised working of the " Emulation Lodge of Improvement . " There are some Masons who have always preferred the

older working , and the Prestonian system has always had a large number of advocates . The American system , svhich is founded mainly on Webb ' s , is no doubt , to a great extent , Prestonian . It has been said that Dermott established a system of lectures of his own , but we are not aware ef any actual authority for the statement . —Kcnning ' s Cyclopmdia of Freemasonry .