Ars Quatuor Coronatorum.*

Bros . F . A . POWELL , G . W . SPETH , J YARKER , and others , ancl a "Chronicle ; " together with a Contents Table and Index for the whole Volume , which have been compiled under the direction of the Editor—Bro . SPETH—who has done his work of supervision and annotation with his accustomed ability ancl care . .

New Year's Entertainment At The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

NEW YEAR'S ENTERTAINMENT AT THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual entertainment to the resident annuitants of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , at Croydon , was held on New Year ' s Day , when by invitation of Bro . James Terry , the energetic Secretary of Ihe Institution , a large party of brethren and ladies journeyed from London in special carriages annexed to the I p . m . train from Cannon-street Station of the South-Eastern Railway . The company comprised :

Bro . John Newton and Mrs . Newton ; Bro . Frederick Dunn and Mrs . Dunn \ Bros . Charles Frederick Hogard , T . H . Morris , T . Hastings Miller , John A Farnfield ( Treasurer of the Institution ) ; Bro . W . P . Warren and Mrs . Warren ; Bros . John J . Pakes , Charles J . Macintosh , Philip Woodman j Bro . Joseph Curtis , Mrs . Curtis , and Mrs . Jacques ; Bros . John Aldis , J . Woodman ; Miss Beatrice C . Cooke , Bro . George Cook , and Mrs . Cook ; Bro . Charles Kempton , Mrs . and Miss Kempton ; Bro . Richard S . and Mrs . Sly ; Bro . Alex . Mullord ,

Mrs . Mullord , and Mrs . Gregory ( daughter ); Bro . H . Massey , Miss Charlotte Massey , and Mrs . F . C . Gates ; Miss Annie Cotter , Miss Harriet Cotter ; Bro . W . H . Williams , P . M . and Sec . 87 ; Mrs . Dallimore , Mrs . Terry , Miss Terry ; Bro . Edward James Anning , Mrs . and Miss Anning ; Aida Crutch , Mrs . Jessie E . Faull , Lilian Raiker ; Bros . C . H . Webb , G . Wilkinson ; Mr . and Mrs . Allans ; Alice Ford , Mr . A . T . Faull ; Bros . W . H . Hubbert , A . Start , Daniell , and Mr . Orton .

On arriving at the Institution , the party was most cordially received by Bro . Terry , Bro . John G . Stevens ( Chief Clerk ) ; and Miss Norris ( Matron ) , all of whom wished each visitor individually " A Happy New Year . " The residents were immediately after summoned to the New Year ' s dinner in the large hall of the Institution , over which Bro . Dr . Strong presided , with Mrs . Terry on his left , at a cross-table on the dais . The longitudinal tables , of which there were three , had at their respective ends Bros . Terry , J . A .

Farnfield , George Cook , John Newton , C . F . Hogard , and Charles Kempton . The ladies of the party dined with the annuitants , while the brethren engaged themselves in looking after the requirements of the whole body of diners . It was a magnificent repast which was placed before them by the liberality of the same perennial donors ; magnificent turkeys , choice canons ,

Ihe finest of sirloins of beef , and Bro . Hastings Miller ' s yearly gift of the best of Cumberland hams , which he personally carved . All who partook of the banquet expressed entire satisfaction wilh it , and commended the grand cooking which Miss Norris had superintended . Christmas puddings and mince pies added to the perfectness of the provision made for the comfort and appetite of all , and before the company rose from the table ,

Bro . Dr . STRONG requested the ladies and brethren to join him and the annuitants to take a glass of wine in which to drink the very few toasts which were always honoured on these occasions— " 1 he Queen , the Grand Patroness of the Institution , " and " The Prince of Wales , Patron , " but before doing so , said he would like first of all to welcome every one , in the name of the Committee , and wish them " A Happy and Prosperous New

Year . " He had been reminded by two old friends whom he had met that day—the Deputy Mayor of Croydon , Alderman Rymer , who was present that day last year , and had been a very good friend of the Institution , and Bro . Sidney Edridge , who was better known to Bro . Terry by his kind conttibutionsto his lists than known personally to the piesent company , that he

( Dr . Strong ) was to give their very kindest and heartiest regards to the visitors and the annuitants , and to express ther great regret at not being able to be with the party . In proposing " The Queen , " he wished her Majesty a " Happy and Prosperous New Year , " anu many others to follow ; and , in giving the toast of "The Prince of VVales , " usedthesame expressions with regard to his . Royal Highness .

Bro . Dr . STRONG , in proposing " The Foundeis of the Feast , " said that most of the ladies and brethren present were aware that the expense of the entertainment did rot come out of the funds of the Ins ' . itution , but was paid by voluntary contributions . How well those h ; d come in he need hardly say , as the company had seen how bouniilully the tables were supplied . ' 1 he two names he would co-jple with the toast were those of Bro .

Ihomas Hastings Miller , who , as on former occasions , provided the hams , and Bro . George Cock , who had provided the fl-iids . Bro . T . HASTINGS MILLER , acknowledging the toast , said it was not the first lime he had had ihe privilege of doing so , and he hoped it might not be the last by many ; but there was no need to oass a vote ot thanks 10 him .

because the pleasure eijo } ed by tvery one at these meetings was more ' valuable lhan the good thirgs which the dor . ors had contributed to the feast . Nevertheless , for himself and other donors , he was obliged to Dr . Strong and the other members cf ihe party for their acknowledgments of what had been done , which he hoped they would be privileged to take pait in on many subsequent new yeats .

Bro . GEORGE COOK said he thoroughly reiteralcd Bro . Hastings Miller ' s remaiks , and he assured the company that as long as he lived he should be glad to contribute his proportion to these annual entertainments . Bro . Dr . STRONG then said the next toast was the last to be drunk on that occasion , and it was one that came home to them— " Success to the Koyal Masonic Benevolent Institution . " The company had seen a

newspaper paragraph that morning—but here , perhaps , he was trespassing on the province of Bro . Terry when hc said that that Institution , although not the highest in the jear 1 S 95 on the list of subset ipiions , was second . In proposing the toast he was going to associate wilh it the names if two Ffisons who were nspectively king and qucn of lhat Institution . The

King was cro . le . ry the Secretary , and the quten , Miss Norris , the i „ Tlu u " ^ ' - "ty with which those names were received showed now that brother and that Ldy lived in the kind feeling and regard of every one present . All the residents in the Golden home could testify to the Ming care and kindness of Miss Norris in looking after them in sickness ,

New Year's Entertainment At The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

or health , or whatever condition they might be in . The visitors saw how comfortable and neat all the residences were , and that was in a great measure due to Miss Norris , and it showed what a woman she was . Wilh rigard to Bro . Terry , need he say anything ? His woik was before them , and whenever or wherever he could do any good for the Institution he was

always at its service . They ought to regard the king and the queen first , and he ( Bro . Dr . Strong ) asked the company to drink , along with success to the Institution , a happy and prosperous New Year to Bro . Terry and Miss Norris , and that the company might live many yeais to see them both oresent on these annual occasions .

Bro . TERRY , who replied to the toast on behalf of himself and Miss Norris , thanked the Chairman and the visitors sincerely for recognising the kindly care and motherly s flection of Miss Norris towards the residents in the Institution , and her beneficial watchfulness and supervision of the building which the Institution had under its management . She was really a marvel , and long might she live to fill the position she had for some years

occupied with credit to herself and advantage to the Institution . The Chairman had foreshadowed what he ( Bro . Terry ) would say with respect to the Institution in the year which had just passed . Once again it stood second on the list in the amount it had received . The Boys' School was first with £ 22 , 743 , the Benevolent Institution was second with £ 21 , 746 , and the Girls' School was third with £ 18 , 184 , making altogether about £ 63 . 000 . No other Charitable Institution could say that of itself at the end of the

year , It was an astonishing amount to realise , and it was attributable to the great zeal and energy the brethren as a whole felt in the Charitable Institutions of English Freemasonry . He saw by a circular which the Secretary of the Boys' School had issued , that on account of the success of the year the Institution had invested an additional sum of between £ 9000 and £ 10 , 000 . Therefore that Institution ' s success was most remarkable . There was no account of whether the Girls' School had been able to invest . But

the Benevolent Institution had this year invested £ 4000 . Referring to the assembly of that day , what was done had been accomplished without any great effort . The body of gentlemen now standing up with him had , in kind and money , provided the entertainment , and there was a lady sitting at the Chairman's table who had given to each of the old brethren annuitants in the

Institution two pairs of knitted socks for the greater comfort of their dear old feet . That day was an all-important one to him ( Bro . Terry ) , for it was 50 years that day that he first went out into the world to gain his living . He would like to see the gentleman into whose employ he first went . He mentioned that fact in order to show that he had not been an idle man . He

hoped the old people had enjoyed themselves . There were gifts of tea and sugar to them and tobacco for the old brethren , and he hoped the annuitants would soon test them and see if they were worthy of acceptance . He begged to say , in reference to the kind remarks of the Chairman , that as long as he ( Bro . Terry ) was spared he should do everything he could for the benefit of

the Institution . Bro ' . J . A . FARNFIELD , Treasurer , proposed "The Health of Dr . Strong , " whom they were all pleased to see in good health , and who had contributed so much to the welfare of the Institution by his kindness and attention to the annuitants . He was sorry that Mrs . Strong was not present that year .

Bro . Dr . STRONG , in reply , said if he had not been aware that Bro . Farnfield was a thorough bred and born Englishman , he should have said he came from China , because China was called " The Flowery Land , " and no one could pay a compliment in more flowery language than Bro . Farnfield . But he thanked him for all his kind words , and could assure a'l p esent that

there was no day in the year which gave him greater pleasure tian thatwhen he presided over the annual dinner to the annuitants of the Masonic Benevolent Institution . It was a day he looked forward to with a feeling of hopefulness that he might be spared to see it , and , when spared , wilh feelings of thankfulness that he had been spared . He enjoyed good health , and he looked on the bright side of life : it was wiser and better far to d ) so .

The annuitants and lady visitors then retired , and the visitors called on the old folks at their residences , whilst the brethren who had attended to the company sat down to a separate meal , over which Bro . Farnfield presided . Bro . FARNFIELD afterwards proposed the toasts of " The Queen " and "The Prince of Wales , " and , in giving the toast of "The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " said Bro . Terry would give some statistics , and tell

thebrethren someihing as to the expected results * of the next Festival of the Institution in February . He ( Bro . Farnfield ) felt some anxiety on the sub * ject , because on the result depended the question how they were to provide for the next 12 months . At the last meeting of the Committee Bro . Terry was buoyant . Bro . Terry had secured the Duke of Connaught as Chairman

of the Festival of 1897 . Bro . Terry was most energetic in the discharge of his duties , and he had said that 50 years ago that day he went out first to get his living . He was now looking much better and younger than he did five years ago . At that time he was very unwell , but , fortunately for the Institution , he had been completely restored to health .

Bro . J AMES TERRY , in response to the toast , said the Institution had had a very grand year—a year which Bro . Farnfield , as Treasurer of the Institution , could not be ashamed of . He announced on the night of the last Festival a trifle over £ 14 , 000 , with such good additions and new lists coming in as would make " a grand total of £ 14 , 600 . But in round figures the receipts in the whole year from donations and subscriptions had totalled

up to within an ace of £ 15 , 800—3 large result , and one which was due in a great measure to the exertions of Bro . Mason , the Collector , who had persevered in calling upon the brethren many times . But for that exertion the Institution would not have had that grand show . At the Girls' School Festival the Secretary announced over £ 16 . , but that had not been realised , as the published figures showed only £ 15 SOJ . The Boys'

Institution announced £ 18 , 000 , but it made up its figures by the addition of a perpetual presentation and a life presentation to over £ 20 . o ; o ; it had realised £ 20 50 S . ¦ So that the Institutons stood in this position—the Girls ' School had not realised its aniuuncement , the Benevolent had exceeded its announcement by £ 1600 , and the Boys ' School about the same amount . About the prospects of the coming Festival of the Benevolent Institution , they were particularly encouraging . This time last year it had 191

Stewaids ; this year it had 250 , or 60 in advance . The Fesiival would have a most popular Chairman , as it had last year , and his Piovince of Middlesex was large in the number cf its lodges , and there was not one ot those lodges which was not represented by a Steward . S une lodges of that province had sent in the names of five or six Steward- ; . From one lodge ladies were going as Stewards . He tlought , therefore , there vvas every prospect of a successful Festival under Lord Georye Hamilton . Hro . Farnfield having alluded to the Chairman of the 1 S 07 Festival , lhat was an