Provincial Grand Lodge Of Leicestershire & Rutland.

/ -John Hart , I . G ., No . 279 . L . L . Atwood , No . 279 . ¦ n n CM . m J Rev . N . Haycroft , i > . i > ., S . D ., 523 . Prov . G . Stewards .. 4 j H # Q ^ w _ No ' _ J . E . Bright , S . D ., No . 1130 . . Capt . John Bailey , No . 1265 . „ „ Tyler Charles Bembridge , No . 279 .

At Two o clock the brethren went in procession to the beautiful Parish Church ; numerous spectators lined the road , and the Church was filled by a highly respectable congregation , among whom were many ladies .

Prayers were said by the Curates , the first lesson was read by the Rev . Bro . Spittal , Vicar of St . Andrew ' s , Leicester , and the second lesson by the Rev . Bro . Pyemont , D . B ., Vicar of Whitwick . The Sermon ( in the absence of the Right Rev . Bro . the Bishop of the Diocese , ) was preached by the

Senior Prov . G . Chaplain , the Rev . W . Kay Robinson , Master of the Grammar School , Wyniondham , and P . M ., No . 1130 . He took for his text the words of our Lord , " When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven . " Tho chief line of argument in the Rev . Brother ' s

learned and able discourse , was that Freemasonry , not claiming to bc a system of religion , but rather one of morality , " veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols , " and men of various nationalities and religious creeds—the Jew , the Mohammedan , the Parsee , the Roman Catholic , the Greek , as well as

Protestant Christians of various denominations—being ranged under its banners . The prayers of the three degrees were so framed that men of all nationalities and creeds could unite together in offering up their prayers to the one eternal Being thc " Great Architect of the Universe , '' and that consequently no

direct reference could be made in them in the second Person in the ever-blessed Trinity , and by that so doing we were not acting contrary to the practices of the early Christian Church , in which prayers were offered up direct to Father without the intervention of the Son , or in the name of the Saviour ( both modes

being in use ) , thus proving that our prayers , being addressed to the Father direct , did not justly lay open the Order to the charge of being Anti-Christian , as was sometimes urged against it by persons who wero ignorant of its true principles , and which was a great mistake .

At the conclusion of the sermon , a collection , amounting to about £ 15 , was made in aid of the National Schools of the parish and of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . The procession having returned to the Agricultural Hall , votes of thanks were passed to the preacher for

his sermon , to the Rev . Bro . Spittal for his oration , and to the Vicar of Oakham for thc use of his church . The business was concluded by an address from the Acting Prov . G . M ., on the chief events of thc day , and especially on a discovery he had accidently made of the very curious fact , that although there was no

record of the county of Rutland ever having had a Masonic lodge , it had formerly had two Provincial Grand Masters , one of whom was a Portuguese Doctor of Philosophy , named Da Costa , who had previously been confined for three years in the prison of the

Inquisition at Lisbon , for a protended crime of 1 ' rcemasonry , from which he effected his escape and reached London , where he had this honorary dignity conferred upon bim . The Prov . G . Lodge was then closed in form with solemn prayer .

TUE BANQUET , to which about 70 brethren sat down , and to which , as usual , Lord Howe contributed a plentiful supply of venision , game and dessert , took place at tho Crown Hotel , at four o ' clock . Thc D . P . G . M ., Bro . KUI . LY , who , of course

presided , was supported on the right by the acting D . P . G . M ., Bro . Goodycr , P . P . G . S . AV . ( Chief Constable of Leicestershire ) , the D . P . G . M . of Northamptonshire and Hunts , Bro . Binckes , P . G . S ., the Rev . Bro . K . Ilawlcy ( Vicar of Newark ) , and others ; and on the left by the Revs . Dr . Pyemont , P . L ' . G . S . W ., and Robinson , P . P . G . C , the P . G . S . W . of

Northampton and Hunts , S . Davis , P . P . G . J . W ., Capt . Bailey ami other brethren . The vice chairs were occupied bv tho Prov . S . AVardcns , the Rev . Bro . Langley , W . M ,, No . 1130 , and Bro . Brown , W . M ., No . 1205 . Grace was said by the Rev . Bro . ROBINSON , and tlnnks returned bv Bro . Dr . PYKMONT .

"The Queen and the Craft , " " Bro . IIis Royal Highness the Prince of AVales , P . G . M ., the Princess of Wales , and the rest of the Royal Family , " " Tha R . Bev . Bro . the Bishop of the Diocese , and the Ministers of Religion within thc Province , " " The M . W . the G . M ., " "The R . AV . the D . G . M ., and the Officers of Grand Lodge , " having been duly

honoured , Bro . KEI . LT roso to proposo the toast of thc evening , "The better health of the R . W . Prov . G . Master , Earl Howe . " Ho expatiated on the warm attachment which Lord Howe had evinced for Masonry during his long connection of nearly half a century with St . John ' s Lodge , Leicester , over which he , ( Bro . Kelly , ) after an interval of twenty-eight years , had now for the second year in succession tho honour

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Leicestershire & Rutland.

to describe the great prosperity which had marked his rule over the province as P . G . M ., there having been only two lodges in active operation in the province thirteen years ago , on his appointment , where there were now seven , and the crowning point , as it were , which was now put to that state of prosperity b y the

addition of tbe County of Rutland to this Provincial Grand Lodge , and which event shed a lustre on his contemplated retirement ( which all must deeply regret ) , owing , as it was , to his advancing years and infirm state of health ; and he also referred to JLord Howe ' s munificent charities ( he had lately presented a

third donation of £ l , 0 Q 0 to a local charity ) , and his many private virtues , which ennobled him not less than his high rank and his illustrious name . ( The toast was received with the greatest enthusiasm and with musical honours . ) Dr . PYEMONT , in highly eulogistic terms , proposed

" The health ofthe Dep . Prov . G . Master , Bro . Kelly , " which also met with a very cordial reception from the brethren , and to which Bro . Kelly responded , thanking the brethren for the manner in which , on this , as on all occasions , his name was received by them ; and announcing that he might be considered as taking his

farewell ofthe brethren in his official capacity , because , as they all knew , this , in all probablity , would be the last annual meeting ofthe Grand Lodge of the province held under Lord Howe's authority as P . G . M ., and ( as he had once or twice before told them ) having now held the distinguished office of D . P . G . M . for

some fourteen or fifteen years , it was his intention to withdraw from it whenever Lord Howe should retire , the noble Earl having paid him the high complaint , when , ten years ago , he asked permission to retire , to request him to continue as his deputy so long as he might remain as P . G . M . This alone had induced him

to hold the office for so long a period , and now , having actively laboured in Masonry in the Province for nearly thirty years , half the time as D . P . G . M ., he felt he had fairly earned his retirement , leaving the work to younger hands . This announcement was received with loud cries of

" No , no , " by ' many ofthe brethren , but was repeated by Bro . Kelly , and several brethren rose to make remarks on the subject expressive of regret at the D . P . G . M . ' s determination , and a strong feeling was expressed that the Deputy should be Lord Howe's successor in thc P . G . Mastership , an ebullition of feeling which ,

however complimentary to himself personally , the D . P . G . M . begged might at once be suppressed , placing him , as it did , in a very painful and delicate position as their Chairman . The healthof'The Visiting Brethren " was responded to in a humorous manner by the D . P . G . M . of

Northampton and Hunts , that of the " Present and Past Prov . G . Officers" was acknowledged by the Kev . W . LANGLEY , the incoming , and the Rev . Dr . PYEMONT , thc outgoing , Prov . G . S . AVarden . In proposing " The Masonic Charities , " the D . P . G . M ., stated that when threo years ago the

eloquence of their worthy Bro . Binckes had induced him to accept the office of Steward on behalf of this province for thc Festival of the Boys' School , by tho kindness and liberality of the brethren ho had been privileged to send in the largest list of any individual Steward - upwards of £ 200 — that their Rev . Bro ,

Langley , who had recently served tbe office—when tbe munificent snm of £ 12 , 000 was contributed by the Fraternity—had increased the contributions from this province by nearly £ 80 , and that Bro . Brown , tho AV . M . of the new lodge had accepted the office for the next Festival , whilst their ever energetic Bro . Langley would serve as Steward for the Girls ' School .

Bro . BIXCKES being called upon to respond , pleaded tho cause of the Charities with that eloquence for which he is so distinguished , but his remarks wero necsssarily somewhat curtailed by the near approach of the time tor the arrival ofthe S * . ) 0 train for Leicestershire , by which thc great majority of the brethren had

THE BLOOD PUUIVIHH . —Old Dr . Jacob Townsend ' s Sarsaparilla . Other Medical Testimony . —In speaking of the " Blood Purifier , " old Dr . Jacob Townsend ' s Sarsaparilla , G . C . Kernott , M . D ., L . S . A . J . ond ., says : — "I strongly recommend it in cutaneous diseases and all impurities of the blood . " March 24 , 18 GU . —In a letter to the proprietors , Juno 0 , 180 'J , Dr . Irvine , of Ii-vine's-town , says : — "I have

been in the liabitof ordermgyour Sarsaparilla for my patients with the best results . Send nic six quarts and six m-immoth bottles . " For all skin diseases , for purifying the system of mercurial poismvs , and building up the broken constitution it is the only safe and certain remedy . —In Bottles 2 a . 6 d ., 4 s ., 4 s . 6 d ., 7 s . Od ., lis . Sold by all Druggists . Pills and

Ointment each in Boxes , K l ^ d ., 2 s . Oil ., 4 a . Gd . Testimonials also from the Hon . the Dean of Lismorej General William Gilbert , of the Indian Army ; ordered also by Apothecaries Hall , London . Caution—Get the red and blue wrappers , with the Old Doctor ' s head iu the centre . No other genuine —AUVT .

to leave . After their departure the list of toasts was concluded , and thc brethren finally separated , able to congratulate themselves on the highly successful completion of a double event , the introduction , for the first time of Freemasonry into the County of Rutland , and its union with the Province of Leicestershire . Esio perpclua .

Centenary Festival Of St. John's Lodge, No. 167.

CENTENARY FESTIVAL OF ST . JOHN'S LODGE , No . 167 .

On Tuesday last , the St . John ' s Lodge ( 167 ) , which attained its centenary two years ago , but from some unknown or unexplained cause has only just got its centenary warrant from Grand Lodge , celebrated its coming of age by a festival

at its old quarters , the Holly Bush , Hampstead . Such a successful celebration of a lodge ' s birthday it would be impossible to meet with ; the arrangements , which had occupied the attention of Bros . Douglas , Adlard , and Thompson , all

P . M . s , for some weeks , were perfect , not only for the comfort of all the brethren of the lodge and their visitors , but for doing honour to such an important event in the history of the lodge . The rules laid down by the managing brethren

were carefully observed , and although ninety members of the order attended , there was not a single hitch from , beginning to end of the day ' s proceedings . The lodge was first opened at the Holly Bush by Bro . F . B . Davage , the W . M * .

who , during his year of office as well as during the years he has filled the inferior posts in the lodge , has won the esteem and admiration of all his brethren ; and then he gave way to Bro . Thos . Adams , P . G . P . and P . M ., for the

performance of the ceremony of installation . Bro . Davage presented the W . M . elect , Bro . George Baker , J . VV ., and in presence of a full lodge , and before a . board of over twenty P . M . ' s , among whom were many Grand Officers , Bro . Baker was

installed in the chair of K . S . The lodge bo * w with a species of reverence to Bro . Adams , which his age ( 76 ) , his urbanity and correct working entitle him to , and the installed Master usuall y allows him to perform all the work of

installation , down to the investiture of the officers . It was so on . Tuesday , and Bro . Adams invested , by the W . M . ' s commands , Bros . Barge , S . W . ; Dr . Davison , J . W . ; Douglas , P . M ., Treas . ; J . R . Thompson , P . M ., Sec . ; the Rev . Charles Lee , Chaplain : Fairbank , S . D . ; Capt . Thomson ,

J . D . ; Hollis , I . G . ; F . Adlard , P . G . D . C , D . C .

and It . Bradley , x . After tho delivery of the charges by Bro . Adams , the lodge was called off aud a procession was formed , headed by Bros . Bradley and Hoare , for the purpose of attending divine service at the church of St . John , Hampstead . A

dispensation from Grand Lodge had been applied for by the brethren to bc allowed to wear masonic clothiug in the procession , but the Grand Master , as we think , wisely , refused this , but directed that they should wear white gloves . The members of the lodge and visitors , walking two

and two led the way , aud Grand Lodge Officera brought up the rear in the following order : — first tho W . M ., Bro . Baker , accompanied b y Bro . W . Alexander , who was W . M . in ISG 7 , when the lodgo reached its hundredth year ; next Bros . W . Ough , G . P ., and James Brett , A . G . P . j

then W . Young , P . G . S . B ., T . Adams , P . G . P ., and J . Savage , P . G . S . D . ; and last of all thc Chaplain of tho lodge , Bro . tlio Rev . Charles Lee , M . A ., and Bro . the Rev . It . J . Simpson , P . G . Chaplain . On arriving at thc church door the brethren halted , and divided right and left ,

and the clergy and grand officers walked up the centre , the whole procession entered the church in priority of rank , exactly in the reverse order ot their march through the streets . The service commenced at four o ' clock by tho anthem being sung by the choir , under the direction of Pro .

Seymour Smith , consisting , among others , of Bros . T . Young , G . T . Carter , Chaplin lieury , mid tho choristers of tho Temple Church . 'I he Rev . R . J . Simpson read the prayers , one of the clergy of St . John ' s the lessons , and tho Rev . Charles Lee , M . A ., vicar of Htly Trinity , Ifaverstock

Hill , preached thc sermon , a copy of which will be inserted next week by permission of the Rev . Brother . A collection was afterwards made on behalf of tho Hampstead Dispensary . The churcli was

very well attended by the general public , in addition to the Masonic Brethren The service was concluded by the singing in splendid stylo of tlio Hallelujah chorus ; and the procession again wended its way through the town to the Tavern , where in lodge the brethren came on in proper