Royal Ark Mariners.

illumination , independent of those reflected rays of light which , in ihe azure firmament , sparkling shine . Whether that fertility , in its hitherto expansive and productive tendency , has reached the limit of its degrees , or whether it is still to be , like the river , gliding onward in its course , broadening and deepening as it flows towards the ccean of undeveloped mystery , is a problem

which we leave for solution to the coming generations . Meanwhile we rest content with that whereunlo we have already attained , for even now , in the Eighteenth Degree we are perfected . Time has given birth to a new Masonic epoch in the Province of Cumberland and Westmorland . It finds us on this 24 th of February , 1 S 88 , thus assembled for the purpose of inaugurating a novelty , at least here ,

if not elsewhere . We are seeing strange things to-day . His the privilege of this ancient lodge of 119 to glory in the honour and dignity of having performed within its centenarian walls ihe consecration of the Sewell Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners ; and it is the more especial privilege of the Fletcher Lodge of Mark Master Masons , 213 , to glory in its intimate identification with the performance of

that ceremony . The lodge has been well and worthily named after a brother , who stands high in the Masonic Order , who occupies an honourable position in the centre of the Masonic circle , who commends himself to the e : teem of his Masonic brethren , and whose ability to discharge his Masonic duties is commensurate with his Masonic fervency and zeal . From the alliance now being consummated , the

foundation now being laid , and the three veteran founders and First Commander and chief officers of the Sewell Lodge , Noah , Japheth , and Shem , it is not too much to hope that there will be raised in due time a superstructure of worthy men , a noble brotherhood of Royal Ark Mariners , who will illustrate and adorn the principlesand precepts of the Degree , and of which we have already obtained in the

elevations of to-day , so handsome , and promising , and earnest . The names and transactions of this occasion will go down to posterity . They will survive when our heads lie low in the dust , as those represented on the £ c walls around us now do , and who rest from their labours and their works they follow them . They will find a safe deposit in the archives of Masonry , and will survive as a memorial

of its inward progress in the two united provinces of the North . And what can tend more to promote that prosperity in general , and the prosperity of the individual lodge in particular , than conscientious and diligent attention to the discharge of Masonic duties . The prosperity of each individual lodge means the general prosperity of the whole , and hence the increase and spread

of Masonry . What can tend more to further theintcresls and foster the growth of a lodge , to throw the warmth of sunshine over its gatherings and proceedings , to impress the minds of the newly-initiated with a sense of its importance and beauty , to show them that it is no cold region of indifferentism , pervaded by the chilling air of lukewarmness , arising from the effects of absence , into which

they have entered , than for every officer and member to make a point of being in his place as the stated day and hour of meeting comes round , to see that no chair is avoidably vacant , and no seat is needlessly unoccupied ? Every true , earnest , intelligent Mason will undoubtedly pronounce this decision , and do his utmost to carry it into execution . Let absence be the exception , and not the

rule . Then , coupled with that regularity , what adds a charm to the ceremony , renders it powerful in its attraction , and eminently satisfactory in its results , like every officer making it his pleasing study and proud ambition to be master of his alloted part , doing it without hitch or hesitation , this fitting into that , and that following this in correct order and precision , everything going on like

clockwork , every man up lo his work , and thus " a woikman needing not to be ashamed . " What a grand effect such a performance has , not only upon the candidate , but also upon the assembled brethren ; and it is that state of desirable and indispensable proficiency which makes a lodge perfect . All this applies pre-eminently to the Mark , and , it may be , to other beautiful Degrees

in _ which the _ dialogue in dramatic character prevails . Some , indeed , may fail to see how Masonry can be such a bond of union and pledge of brotherhood , or how there can be any good in it at all ; why we should don this regalia , and hold these convocations ; or why so much time , and substance , and energy should be spent over it and upon it . Well , they know not simply because thev do

not know . That is their misfortune and their fault . As a prophet of old says— " Seeing , they do not see and do not perceive , and hearing , they do not hear and do not understand . " Thatis a blind condition certainly in which to be , and that is the condition of the outside world with regard to Masonry , and not an impossible condition either , however strange it may appear , to be verified even by those

who have been admitted within the sacred precincts of the Masonic temple . Nevertheless , there must be something good in that system which teaches men to cultivate their intellects and their hearts , to choose the noble paths of virtue and science , to illustrate the graces of benevolence and Charity ; which leads them upward to the Great Overseer and Commander of the Universe , and into the ark of

His salvation . These are precepts and principles , doctrines and tenets , which are embodied in the Honourable Degree of Mark Master Mason , and which find their further confirmation and elucidation in the appended Degree of Royal Ark Mariner . According to the Grand Lodge of England , Masonry consists of the three Craft Degrees and the Royal Arch alone . The Mark forms a separate and independent

Degree under its own Constitution , although it appears once to have been nearly incorporated with the Craft by a vote of the Grand Lodge of England . Tho Arch dates from the building of the second temple , while the Mark is identified with the first . Between the Third Degree and the Arch there is a gap , an interval which the Mark appropriately fills up , owing to its intimate relation to both . There

can hardly be a doubt that the straight and legitimate passage to the Arch is through the apron and jewel of the Mark . Ihe Degree is one of essential interest and value is growing in extent and estimation , and unto which all Master Masons are eligible . With regard to the origin and history of the Ark Mariner Degree , I confess to be imccrfectly instructed . Information of a published kind of

or any kind , seems to be scarce upon the subject . Perhaps there is a hidden treasure lying somewhere , which a hint may bring to light ; the columns of the Freemason or otherwise may afford a suitable channel for that purpose But there is a peculiar felicity in its alliance with the Mark ' inasmuch as they are both Operative . Mark Masons are Workmen engaged in the building of King Solomon's

Royal Ark Mariners.

Temple , and who found the stone which the builders rejected , without which the Arch could not be complete . The patriarch Noah was also a builder , for he built an ark , by commandment of the Lord , for the preservation of himself and his household , and the selection of living creatures from the waters of the flood . The Degree thus draws its origin from , or has special reference to , the

Biblical account of Noah and the Deluge . It is speculative as well as operative , symbolical and religious in its character , as has been fully and beautifully illustrated to-day . In fact , Masonry cannot help partaking largely of the religious , inasmuch as it is inevitably founded on the volume of the Sacred Law . Without the bible Masonry is nowhere , even as the bible is nowhere without God . The

merits of the Ark Degree speak for themselves , leading us , as they do , backward to the past , guiding us in the present , and pointing us forward to the future . With the beauty of Shem , the strength of Japheth , the wisdom of Noah , and the careful observance of the nine steps in their signification and bearing , we may hope to mount the ladder until we reach the Ark , the haven ot rest . The working

tools of the Ark , in their moral and religious interpretation duly remembered , the Faith , Hope , and Love which they encourage us to cherish and in which to persevere ; the dove , the bow in the cloud , and the position of Noah at his altar in their symbolical , sacrificial , and reverential character and attitude , together with the unforgotten practice of the five cardinal virtues—Watchfulness ,

Discretion , Brotherly Love , Truth , and Charity—will make a man and a Mason what he ought to be in this world of vicissitude and probation , fit him for living and for dying , and ultimately shut him within the Ark of safety , when the whole eaith shall be dissolved by liquid fire , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat . If Masonry in any of its Degrees infuses into the human mind such exalted

principles , invests it with such a sterling preparation for the future , and inspires it with such grand visions of immortality , then it is a gem of the first magnitude , a star of brightness and a sun of gladness , encircling with its halo the path of life , and illumining with its cheering rays the dimness of eternity . May it grow like the lily , flourish like the vine , and spread like the cedars in Lebanon .

Freemasonry And Education.

FREEMASONRY AND EDUCATION .

[ COMMUNICATED . ] It is proposed to convert an existing college near London into a Limited Company , with a view to affording some special advantages to Freemasons , and to effect this object to raise the capital required ( £ 20 , 000 ) by issuing 2000 shares of £ \ o each . This sum will suffice for the purchase

of the freehold premises , goodwill , and furniture , leaving a sufficient surplus for working capital . The college has been established upwards of 40 years , during which period it has enjoyed a successful career as a school for the sons of gentlemen preparing for the Universities , Army , Professions , & c . The buildings , which are specially constructed for the

purpose , contain at present accommodation for 100 pupils , and couid easily be adapted for a much larger number . The premises consist of the college buildings , comprising the Head Master ' s house ( with excellent rooms ) , dining hall , school-rooms , lecture-hall , class-rooms , infirmary , dormitories ( large and small ) , studies , large tepid swimming bath , laundry ( worked by steam ) , laboratory ,

carpenter's-room , all necessary offices , and about 15 acres of ground , with ample accommodation for cows , horses , pigs , and poultry . The property will be valued by a competent , valuer appointed by a Committee or Council . The situation of the college is eminently advantageous , being on a main line , conveniently near London , with frequent train service , 10

minutes' walk from a station , on high ground and gravel soil . The school is now in full working order , under graduates who have taken honours at Oxfoid and Cambridge , and it is not proposed to break up the present connection ; but in the future to give special advantages to the sons of Freemasons .

For this reason the shares will be offered in the first instance to Freemasons , who , as shareholders , in addition to the profits of the establishment , will have the advantage of educating their sons at a public school at a moderate cost . Further , it is in contemplation to offer scholarships to sons of Freemasons , tenable at the college , and , if funds permit , to give help to some who desire to go to the Universities .

Already a brother has offered , should this scheme be carried out , to give two exhibitions to two , who shall have distinguished themselves at the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , tenable at the college for two years , in the hope that Freemasons at the Universities ( or elsewhere ) may be induced to offer them further help should they wish to

proceed thither . It is , however , not intended to lower the status of the college in any way , but that the shares and advantages accruing shall be only offered to brethren of good social position . There is every reason to expect that the undertaking will be very successful , as no school or college of the hind exists .

Eminent Freemasons will be invited to become members of a council to direct the affairs of the college , through whom the shareholders will have the unusual advantage of a voice in every detail of its management .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

BIRTH . PANTON . —On the 3 rd inst ., at Eliot Bank , Forest-hill , the wife of E . H . Panton , of a son . MARRIAGE . ROSE-BISHOP . —On the 29 th ult ., at St . Mary's , Islington , C . E . Rose , son of T . Rose , Esq ., of Camberwell , to Amy Priscilla Bishop , daughter of the late E . F . Bishop , Esq .

DEATH . ANDREWS . —On the ist inst ., George Andrews , of Nelsonstreet , New Town , Deptford , P . M . Royal Oak Lodge No . 871 , and Preceptor of Star and Wellington Lodges of Instruction , after a long and painful illness ; aged 55 years . Funeral to-morrow ( Saturday ) , at Brockley Cemetery . Masonic lodges and friends please note .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The Executive Committee of the Board of Stewards f the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School met at Fre ^ masons' Hall , at 4 p . m . on Thursday evening . Bro . Robert " Grey , P . G . D ., presided , and the formal and gratifvin announcement was made that H . R . H ' . the Prince *) Wales , M . W . G . M ., and President of the Institution hai

graciously consented to take the chair at the Festival , and had chosen Thursday , the 7 th June next—the day imrnedi ately following the regular communication of United Grand Lodge—for the celebration . The Hall Committee laid their report before the Com mitteeand it that the

, was agreed Festival should be hr >! , i in the Royal Albert Hall , South Kensington . a We believe we are right in adding that the distribution of prizes will take place in the Royal Albert Hall on ifo Monday preceding the Festival , viz ., the 4 th June next

Masonic Ball In Carrickfergus.

MASONIC BALL IN CARRICKFERGUS .

On Wednesday evening , the 29 th ult ., a soiree and ball under the auspices of Lodge No . 43 , Carrickfergus , took place in the Town Hall . Although the evening wa ' sverv inclement , the breihren and their friends assembled in lara * numbers . The hall was tastefully decorated , and mottoes to the Craft adorned

peculiar the walls . After an excellent tea , served by Messrs . Wm . Vint and Sons , a vote of thanks was , on the motion of Bro . J OHN J ELLIE , J . P ., seconded by Bro . J AMES BOYD , passed to the ladies who presided at the tea-tables . The compliment was suitably acknowledged on their

behalf by Bro . T . J . FRY . The brethren—all of whom wore Masonic coslumehaving engaged in a march , Bro . J ELLIE delivered a shod address , after which Bro . J AMES M'DERMOTT declared the ball open . Bro . Fry officiated as M . C .

The Theatres.

THE THEATRES .

DRURY LANE . —Bro . Augustus Harris has done well in reviving "A Run ot Luck " at Drury Lane . It was in the height of its popularity when its enforced withdrawal took place at the close of 1 SS 6 to make room for the Pantomime , and . it ought to have another good run . We gave an . extended notice of its plot and action at the time , and the press generally received it wilh much

commendation . Some changes have been made in the cast , notably in the character of the Trainer's daughter , which is now filled by Miss Fortescue , who makes a charming Copsley . Bro . Henry Nicholls has come back to his part as full of life and fun as ever , with many a new quip and witty sally—and the play runs as smoothly as could be desired—of the mounting of the piece and

spectacular effects we need say little , for Bro . Harris is a past master of his art , and "A Run of Luck" is in no respect behind former productions at Drury Lane in this particular . The last act is full of life and movement , and the interest increases almost to the fall of the curtain , lt ought to run for several months now that it has a fair start and is in no danger of being checked in its career by a Christmas Pantomime .

% % & - •NOVELTY . — " Nita ' s First , " a comedy by T . G . Warren , and produced at this theatre by Miss Nelly Harris on March 10 , 1 SS 4 , was the principal item in the programme with which the author and Mr . George Giddens determined to inaugurate their joint managerial career on Saturday last , and if hearty laughter is a criterion of

success , thtn " Nita's First" should prove one . Mr . George Giddens was full of life and spirits as the unfortunate victim to circumstances , Fred . Fizzleton , and Mr . W . J . Hill was exactly fitted for the part of Irascible Fizzleton . Mr . J . C . Buckstone hit off more than fairly the manners of the well-grown youth Jemmy . Miss Adela Measor scored as Nita , and Miss Gertrude Kingston looked remarkably well

and played with an affectation of dignity as Mrs . Fred Fizzleton . Jerome K . Jerome ' s adaptation of Francois Coppee's beautiful play , " Le Luthier de Cremone " ( first p layed at the Comedie Franyaise , May 23 rd , 1876 , with Coguelin in the role of Filippo ) , which in its English version is called "Fennel , " proved infinitely above the average of

first pieces . Mr . Giddens played with great tendernessas Pilippo , Miss Adela Measor was gentle and loving as Giannina , and Mr . VV . Ertkine made the most of his opportunities as Sandro . Mr . Stewart Dawson was drily humorous as Ferraii , " Fennel" was cordially received , and the author called , the plaudits of the audience speaking well for the success tf the new venture .

The Craft Abroad.

The Craft Abroad .

MASONIC VETERANS' ASSOCIATION OF THE P ACIFIC COAST . The jurisdiction of this Association embraces California , Oregon , Nevada , Washington Territory , British Columbia * Alaska , Idaho , Montana , Utah , Wyoming , Colorado , New Mexico , and the Hawaiian Islands . One of its mam objects is to obtain by bequest , donation , or otherwise .

lands or money for the purpose of establishing a Masons Home for aged brethren , and for the widows and orphan children of deceased brethren . The qualifications i ° > membership are—to have been a Matter Mason ' . j » \! standing for 21 years , in the case of one who has held n office , or to have been a M . M . for at least 14 years wit office , so that , a year being allowed for each year official labour , the record or service and office togetn who

shall amount to 21 years in all . Thus a brother na been a M . M . for 14 years and in office for half the tiro would count as having 21 years and be eligible for mission into the Association accordingly . Good fellows \ v among the senior members of the Craft in the various sta and terntonis enumerated above , respect for long serv > and encouragement to the rising generation of Mason _ also conspicuous objects cf this , as of the other orga . . tions of a similar character in other parts of the un States .