Original Correspondence.

he was a burning and a shining light , and apparently enjoyed it to the full as much as Bro . Buchan himself , and that , you will admit , is saying a good deal . As my contribution under this head and that of Bro . " Lupus " stand nigh each other , and are so very recent , I will only here request the impartial

and gentle reader to again peruse both , and judge for himself whether or not I gave check to Brother " Lupus " sufficient to justify his change of base even , not to speak of his so sudden retirement from the field of this 1717 discussion . One point , however , calls for a correction by me , as Bro . " Lupus "

therein , attacks my veracity , and that is his point " 5 . " In response to it , I here state that I did not say , nor even imply , that the " Legend of the Craft" in the Gentleman ' s Magasine for June , 1815 , was copied from the MS . of Bro . Cooke . I said that it is plain Bro . Cooke ' s rendering and that of James Dowland

are , if not from the same MS ., evidently and certainly but different renderings of identically the same legend ; and I now further say that if Cooke chose to render the expression that he found in the original by the word " Speculative , " while Dowland rendered it by the word " Science , " certainly this is

m no sense sufficient to meet Bro . Buchan ' s assertion that the word " speculative " was unknown and could not be found in connection with Freemasonry prior to 1717 , and , he might have added , for many years afterwards . Used as Cooke uses it , the term is outre , and void of relative sense—strained , and

apparently for a purpose ; for what meaning can be obtained from the always an adjective " speculative " in the following quotation : — " Because he ( Edwin ) wist well that handicraft had the practice of geometry so well as Masons , wherefore he drew him to council and learned the practice of that science

( geometry ) to his speculative , for of speculative he was a master " ? I might enlarge this letter , and reply in extenso to the ill-natured remarks of Bro . Lupus , for they certainly are that ; but such a course would be but to fall with him into his error in literary ethics , and I therefore refrain . Fraternally yours ,

AN AMERICAN FREEMASON Cincinnati , O ., Feb . 12 , 1871 .

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The 73 rd Anniversary Festival of this School was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Tavern . The chair on the occasion was occupied by the R . W ., Bro . Sir Watkin Williams Wynn , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of North Wales and Salop . The

Board of Stewards comprised above seventy wellknown brethren , whose President was Bro . James Mason , P . G . S . B ., and whose Treasurer was Bro . F . A . Philbrick , W . M . No . 18 . The list comprised many country as well as town Masons , and in addition to the Craft degree , the

Royal Arch , the Mark , the Red Cross , and the Masonic Associations were specially represented . The Ark Mariner degree , however , notwithstanding its recent alleged rapid progress , did not send a single Steward , although there were many brethren present who belong to that amphibious

tribe . Ihe concurrence of so many Orders in the promotion of the one Masonic object of charity was a fine illlustration of the unity of purpose which pervades professors of the mystic art , and the constancy with which this purpose is followed , should be the means of bringing

among us many of the outer world whose hearts beat to the same tune . The institution for whose assistance so many brethren were banded together on Wednesday , stands much in need of any aid that can be afforded it . while this year it stands in the exceptionally disadvantageous

position of having its sister institution as the lion of the festival season through obtainingthe Prince of Wales as the Chairman of its anniversary celebration on the 8 th of May . Along with the other home eleemosynary associations , it also expects to suffer frcm the large drain upon the

funds of the benevolent which has been made through the channels which have conducted them abroad , —a fact that was foreseen and pointed out by a distinguished brother in the autumn of last year , when charity ran wild for a foreign trip . To counteract these two disadvantages , therefore ,

more than ordinary exertions are now necessary , and as the debt of the Institution has been reduced in the space of two years by f . O . ccc , h is to be hoped that the efforts made by the Stewards of the 73 rd Anniversary Festival will result in a still further lightening of the only load which pre-

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

vents the School extending its usefulness . The circumstances in which the Boys' School is placed have been well described in a circular issued by Bro . Binckes , the Secretary of the Institution and Hon . Secretary of the Board of Stewards ; and it may not be out of place if we take upon

ourselves to add that the enormous expense which was at first incurred in building so large an establishment as that at Wood Green was only incurred once , and that that expense was incurred because it was believed that the immediate outlay on an extensive building would be less than

that which would be ultimately necessary if periodically-required additions were made to the building . Among the brethren present we observed : Bros , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , G . C . ; W . E . Gumbleton , P . G . D . ; R . J . Spiers , P . G . S . B . ; Captain Cope ,

P . G . S . B . ; S . F . Furrian ; Rev . C . Woodward , Chaplain ; Algernon Perkins , P . G . W ., Treasurer ; John Hervey , G . S . ; George Cox , P . G . D . ; G . Plucknett , P . G . D . ; Benjamin Head , P . G . D . ; Henry Browse , P . G . D . ; W . Young , P . G . S . B . ; H . Empson , P . G . S . B . ; W . Farnfield , P . A . G . S . ; Wm .

Paas , V . P . ; Raynham W . Stewart , V . P . ; J . G . Chancellor , V . P ., P . M . 657 ; B . Mallam , V . P . ; Captain J . Wordsworth , V . P . ; Edward Cox , V . P ., P . M . 657 ; William Wells , M . P ., P . G . W . Norths , and Hunts . ; Peter Matthews , P . M . n ; Wharton P . Hood , Medical Officer ; Henry Bridges , P . G . S . B . ;

John Boyd , P . M . 145 ; George Kenning , W . M . 192 : T . W . White ; Chas . Watson , P . M . 11 ; C . E . Hollingsworth , P . M . 197 ; Dr . Goldsboro , S . Rosenthal ; C . Potter , P . M . 619 ; Captain G . Arthur Smith , J . W . 619 ; Alf . Avery , W . M . 1314 ; J . W . Avery , P . M . 619 ; Thomas Megev , P . M . 569 ; Geo .

Palmer , W . M . 11 ; Richard Spencer ; F . Adlard , P . M . 7 ; Conrad C . Dumas , P . M . 410 , A . G . D . C . ; J . C . Parkinson , P . M . 181 ; Glover , P . M . 181 ; V . W . Bro . William Bulkeley Hughes , M . P . for Carnarvon , P . P . G . W . N . Wales and Salop ; Bros . Love Jones Parry , M . P ., P . P . D . C . ; J . W . Last ,

S . W . 145 ; W . H . Green , S . W . 1310 ; Hyde Pullen , D . P . G . M . of the Isle of Wight ; T . J . Sabine , Z . 73 ; F . A . Philbrick , W . M . 18 ( Recorder of Colchester ) , who was also the Treasurer of the Board of Stewards ; J , B . Wolpert , P . M . 720 ; R . Wentworth Little ; A . A . Pendlebury , P . M . 1056 ; H . Thompson , P . M . 177 ; and H . Massey ,

P . M . 619 . The banquet was admirably served by Bro . C . E . Francatelli , and after it iiad been partaken of and the cloth had been removed , the Benedictus was beautifully sung by the professional brethren and ladies , and the toasts of the evening were proposed in due order .

In proposing the first loyal toast , "The Queen , " The Chairman said : —Brethren , and 1 may say , Ladies , the first toast which 1 have to propose to you is that which is always drunk first at all similar meetings to this in our country , and as it is a loyal one it affords me the opportunity of remarking that

there are no more loyal subjects in the realm and none who respect their Sovereign more than the Freemasons of England . If you look through the whole of the rules and regulations of Freemasonry , you will find that the tendency of all of them is to make them love their Sovereign and serve their

God . Therefore it must be a great pleasure to us as belonging to that body to see our Queen gradually coming after her sore trial again among us . And 1 think as we are here now assembled for the purpose of bencfitingoncof our Masonic charities , our patron being Her Majesty , it is most fitting that we should

drink in her honour . Ladies , we know—and 1 speak it in the presence of the ladies—cannot be made Masons , though we have it that one female was once admitted into the Order ; but although our Queen is not a Mason , many of those Sovereigns who preceded her have been Masons . Her father

and almost all the members of his family were ; and we arc happy in finding that her eldest son is one of us . I therefore give 5011 "The health of the Queen . " The toast having been enthusiastically drank , was followed by the singing of the National

Anthem . The Chairman : —Brethren , the next toast which appears on the list after we have drank the health of our Sovereign , is that of the chief of our Order , the Right Worshipful the Grand Master of England . This is the first time , I believe , lhatat the

festival of this school we have had to propose his health in that capacity , and of course it is a matter of regret to all of us that he is not amongst us ; but we must console ourselves with the recollection that he has temporarily left this country on a labour of

love , and hau given up his personal comfort to try and allay the angry feelings that have sprung up towards this nation . I trust that that labour may have not only great political results , but may also bring together the lodges of those of our brethren who are on the other side of the Atlantic . ( Cheers . )

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

I shall propose his health , as we often have proposed that of one who long presided over us , hoping that Lord De Grey , having his example before him , may be as much respected at the end of a quarter of a century as is his immediate predecessor . ( This toast was also drank enthusiastically . )

The Chairman : —Brethren , the next toast I have to give you is that of "The Past Grand Masters of England , " and I do not know which ought to be taken first , whether he , who for a very long time was the actual Grand Master , or he , who by his social position and by the respect we all have for

him , stands high in Masonry . Perhaps it is right that loyalty rather than seniority should guide us . It is a great pleasure , I am sure to all of us , to think that though last year the Prince of Wales sat in this chair to make an appeal to the brethren on behalf of this charity , he is very soon coming again to

preside for the good of the Girls' School . ( Hear , hear . ) It is a pleasing thing to see that , though from his position he cannot mix much in the government of the country , he is ready at all times to assist in its charitable institutions —( hear , hear , )—and I may say , as he has married a wife from

Denmark , which country I know very well , that there is no country where Masonry is more looked up to and its benefits more appreciated . Perhaps it would have been a great pleasure to many I see here if he had been initiated , passed and raised in this Hall ; but since it was his will to go

through the different degrees in a foreign country , we hail his entry into the Order with delight , and accept him as a brother among us . I now come to Lord Zetland . There are but few here who do not recollect the days when he presided in Grand Lodge , andho . v kindly , fairly and enthusiastically he did

his work . ( Cheers . ) Unfortunately there is a hard master called Anno Domini , whom we must all obey , to whom he also had to bend , and he now holds the rank of Past Grand Master instead of that of Grand Master . I believe I express the wish of the whole of the Craft when I say , long may he

be spared to come among us . I beg to propose "The health of the Past Grand Masters of England , the Prince of Wales and Lord Zetland . " ( The toast was drank with vociferous applause . ) Bro . Montague , D . P . G . M . of Dorset : Brethren , by permission of our president I am about to give

you the next toast . Though we have heard how necessary it is that we should have very good heads of our Order , at the same time we must all be aware that they require to be ably seconded by their deputies . You all know how the Earl of Carnarvon fills the post of Deputy Grand Master , and

no brother who has heard him in Grand Lodge can deny the wisdom of the Grand Master ' s selection of him for that distinguished office . I hope also at some future time we shall sec him as the president of this great Masonic Charity . With this toast , which we shall drink to him , 1 shall couple the next toast , that of " The Health of the Provincial Grand

Masters , " which is so much the more appropriate as our president this evening is the Provincial Grand Master of North Wales and Shropshire . The Shropshire brethren who are here will be able to say how highly he is esteemed in his own province . I will couple with the toast " The Present and

Past Grand Officers , " all of whom havebcen selected by the Grand Masters because their work is well done . We have reason to congratulate ourselves upon the choice which has at different times been made in these appointments ; and I think we cannot do better than acknowledge the services they

have rendered to the Order by drinking their health . I shall call upon our brother , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , Grand Chaplain , to reply to the toast . Rev . C . J . Martyn : Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , Officers , and Brethren , the task which has been imposed upon me this evening

certainly is a very difficult one . You know we generally accept it as a proverb that if things are to be done well they must be done one at a time . Now , here we have three things to be done at once—the reply for the Deputy Grand Master , the Provincial Grand Masters of England , and the

past and present Grand Officers of England ; and therefore I am quite sure you will pardon 111 c if , having to do so many things at a time , I fall short , and do none of it well . I thank all of you for the compliment you have paid us in drinking our health to-night . What has been said so well of the

Earl of Carnarvon is perfectly true , and it requires no words from me to endorse it . All of us who have seen and heard him in Grand Lodge must have noticed the admirable way in which he always conducts any business that comes under his care ; and all of us must be perfectly well convinced that in our Deputy Grand IUaster we have one whom

the Freemasons of England may be proud to serve under . 1 come now to the Provincial Grand Masters . I think if we look round the country and see how well the different provinces are managed , and how efficiently Masonry is conducted beneath the rule of those who are as little kings in their provinces , we cannot but feel that we owe a deep debt of gratitude to our Provincial