Our Royal Grand Master.

Past Grand Master of the direction of the Craft , " sede vacante , " was in truth the initiatory and only needful act of his temporary administration of the Grand Mastership , the more so as nothing

is said about his installation . Indeed , the section relating to Pro Grand Master , which follows , contemplates an immediate assumption of office , and is silent about installation . We are not

aware at this moment of any precedent on the question , and shall be glad to hear what the legal authority of the Craft recommends and decides in the matter . The usage of Grand

Lodge is probably in favour of a special installation , having regard to the provision for installation of the " Grand Master , " and we are sure that we are but expressing the feeling of the

entire Order when we say that we hope , as we doubt not , that a full and distinct announcement of the ceremony of installation will be given to the fraternity . From all parts of England the

loyal members of our body will be anxious , if even at much personal cost , to come together to evince their personal attachment to their new Royal Grand Master and their unwavering

fealty to Freemasonry . The past is over and forgotten , however deep may be our regret for a somewhat melancholy page in the annals of Freemasonry , and we look on to the

future , to-day , in all of trust , gratification , hope , and confidence . For we have now , happily , at our head the Heir-Apparent to the throne , the eldest son of our beloved Sovereign , and as

Freemasons have ever been truly loyal , alike in days of sunshine and storm , so they rejoice with heartfelt unanimity to-day when they realize that the personal union between the Royal Family

and themselves , which was so strong in days of old , is reknit officially , and above all most closely and firmly once again . With no mere words of adulation , with no mere expression of

lip-service , or even of sycophancy , do we English Freemasons desire or seek to approach our royal and distinguished brother , but as truehearted members of our ancient Order , we welcome with heart and voice as our chief ruler the

grandson of an old Grand Master . Happy , too , are we all in knowing and believing , that amid many obloquies , and not a few false accusations just now , our B rothc-r , the Prince of

Wales , has accepted with promptness and pleasure the vacant Grand Mastership of our fraternity , in an hour , too , of no little anxiety and trial . We require no better answer to the sneers of the

ignorant , or the condemnations of the intolerant . We ^ seek for no more complete compensation for any momentary regrets , than this one most agreeable fact , patent to all , a fact which , as we

honestly believe , will prove to be alike a source of strength , and of pride , and of rejoicing to Freemasonry , and specially to our English brotherhood . It was only a short time ago , that

some foolish and hot-headed prelate of the Roman Catholic Church thought well in an after-dinner speech to describe Freemasonry as a secret political society , to liken it to that of the

Fenians , and to attribute to it consequently , hurtful views and revolutionary proclivities . And here to-day wo behold the second

personage in this realm , as if in answer to this arrant nonsense , not only not " ashamed to hear himself named a Free and Accepted Mason , " but

Our Royal Grand Master.

associating himself intimately with the brotherhood , assuming the Mastership of his own lodge , and ultimately acceding with genial readiness to the request of Grand Lodge , to take

upon himself the " ad interim " ralership of the Craft . In our humble opinion this kindly and most fraternal acceptance by our Royal Brother of the Grand Mastership of English Freemasons

is alike the best proof of his true Masonic zeal , and the surest guarantee of our own Masonic progress . Despite any momentary halt or temporary depression , we shall continue to move ' . on , we

venture to think , even more unitedly , even more trustfully , and even more zealously than ever , because in answer to unjust arraignments and intolerant anathemas , we have rallied around our

Royal Grand Master as [ one man , and because , too , we all are also resolved , " Favente Deo Optimo et Maximo , '' " Teucro duce et auspice Teucro , " to maintain before the world and our

universal confraternity , alike our professions of Freemasonry , and to augment and to perpetuate our untiring labours of generous sympathy and brotherly love .

The Progress Of English Free Masonry.

THE PROGRESS OF ENGLISH FREE MASONRY .

It is not a little remarkable , we think , and we wish therefore to remind our brethren and readers to-day how , despite sundry difficulties , our English brotherhood is rapidly increasing its

lodge-roll and in numbers everywhere . A priori , the recent attacks upon Freemasonry , by heated partizans and one or two disturbing causes might have been presumed to stand in the way

of the progression of English Freemasonry , to have hindered its advance , to have constituted a stumbling block in its path . But on the contrary , we record in each hebdomadal impression of the

Freemason some new lodge added to our long calendar , somo fresh centre of light , and peace , and amity , and good will marked out and established in Metropolitan or Provincial " limits , " to use an

old Masonic term . So that we see , in the first place , and let us lay to heart the seasonable and solemn truth | that slander and detraction , ill words and foul words , never have done much

harm and never will do much harm , after all , in this fair world of ours . They may have a momentary effect on the incredulous and careless , they may inflict pain on some , or do passing

injury to others , but the good sense of mankind revolts against them , in the long run , and the certain Nemesis of a higher Providence , always restores the balance sooner or later , here , between

right and wrong . So that when to-day we hear or we read the heated declamations , or the unjustifiable falsehoods of unreasoning , or needlessly angry opponents , ( for Freemasonry antagonises

none ) , we note at once how , despite it all , and despite them all , Freemasonry finds its '' compensation " in the rapid development of its

universal organization and in the remarkable progress of its peaceful brotherhood . What better answer do we need ? What safer response can we offer ?—whether to the childish

complaint or the bitter incrimination ? Even amid the combined assaults of most heterogeneous allies , Freemasonry fears nothing and cares nothing , but passing , by alike . false friends

The Progress Of English Free Masonry.

and relentless adversaries , marches on , to use a military simile , " with drums beating and colours flying , " to combat with increasing success , ignorance , intolerance , suffering , and

calamity . And in the next place , we think , despite much , no doubt , that may be said on the other side , that this extension of our brotherhood and this increase of our lodges are greatly to be

encouraged and commended . There are some good brethren of ours who would apparently like to consider Freemasonry a little select society , not meant to be too large or to do too much , and

who regard our material prosperity and numerical development as a subject of some little anxiety ; Now we take , we confess , an entirely opposite view . Our opinion long has

been that it is the duty of the authorities to give a full and free development to Masonic augmentation and expansion , whenever they can properly do so . We are also per .

fectly ready to admit , that , we believe , at no time in our Masonic history were the central authorities so alive to the requirements of our Order , and so wishful , in all of courtesy and

good will , to further the wishes and aid the efforts of metropolitan and provincial brethren . But circumstances , even in Freemasonry , prove sometimes too strong for them and are " beyond

their control . " Their wishes may go in one direction ; the technicalities of constitutional arrangements may compel them to pursue an opposite one . It often happens for instance , ( we

have known several illustrations in our Masonic career ) , where some young and active brethren , in large numbers , find the lodge accommodation of the district too small for them , and wish to

make a " swarm , " and constitute another Masonic hive of workers , not of drones . It is astonishing how often local prejudices and personal feeling , ( which ought never to exist or

be manifested among Masons ) step in to oppose , to impede , to prevent . Though the mother lodge , or the older lodge , are , as we say , " full up , " though , for local

reasons , or class sympathies the existing lodges do not afford the opportunity of Masonic life or work for many excellent and worthy Masons , this youngest offshoot of our great Masonic

tree is regarded by some as a set of " novi homines , " whom it is desirable to put down , and the petition for a new lodge is considered as an opposition to " vested interests . " Many of our

readers will , we feel sure , remember exactly similar cases , and agree with us that we have not set forth in any measure an exaggerated or overdrawn picture . And yet how unmasonic it

really is to be governed by such perverse prejudice and petty personalities . Freemasonry knows nothing either of favoured " castes" or " class legislation : " it is open , and wishes to

be open , to all " good men and true , " whether their social position be higher or lower in the scale , making every allowance for those needful cautions and restrictions which prudence may

suggest , or safety may dictate . Now , were these impediments which are thus thrown in the way , sometimes , of local development removed or

overruled we believe that , despite our most rapid progress , as Freemasons , we should see yet , even more lodges springing up on every side of us . And of one thing we are sure , nothing is so mis-