-
Articles/Ads
Article THE LATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE. Page 1 of 1 Article THE LATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Late General Albert Pike.
THE LATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE .
We take the following sketch of this remarkable man from the American Tyler : The subject of this sketch lingered long upon the stage of life . While a few live a greater number of years , he was one of the small number who passed the four score mark . And useful and profitable years they were , even up to the very last . The city of Boston has the honour of his birth , the great West the honour of his active manhood years , and the city of Washington , the Capitol of the nation , the honour of his residence , for the last quarter of a century of his life and to the end of his days .
Of all the great names that centre about these three sections none surpass him in those qualities which make the great man . His name , particularly within the past few years , has not been so prominent before the public as many of the leading politicians and the leaders of society and taste , so the masses at large may not have heard much about him . Still for more than the ordinary years of life he was actively employed in many important branches of the intellectual field . His
peculiar labour in the line of philosophical research brought him to the notice of the scholars of the world . Few Americans were so well known throughout the world as he ; probably none so well known the world over . And yet his life work , that is the work whereby he is so well known , was not commenced until he had lived a half a century . Though many years on the border line of civilisation , the man kept up his
studies , that of law and literature , and became noted for his thorough knowledge of all the deep and learned points of his profession . His parents were poor , so in early life , like many others of the great and active men of his day , he taught school , and thereby obtained the means to aid him in his studies . He entered Harvard , but for lack of means was unable to remain and graduate . In 1831 , when about 22 years of age , he started for what was then the Wild West , beyond
the Mississippi river . He there lived a romantic life , often taking excursions to the woods and prairies , where he was closely associated with the Indians and free spirits , the hunters and trappers of the border . He evidently was not satisfied with the frontier or local practice . The intellect and culture of the man aspired after something higher . The higher fields of law were then his aspirations , and even quite early in life he had obtained much practice before the higher courts for
claims and the like . On his first appearance in Washington , a characteristic story is told of him . The opposing attorney thought to overpower the Western man , rig ht from the frontier , with erudition . So made a great exhibition of his learning , and particularly enlarged upon the old Roman law . Pike , the simple lawyer Pike , quietly listened to his polished opponent from one of the municipal centres of the cultured East . When the gentleman had finished , one would have
thought that there was little for the other side to say ; indeed , it seemed as though the frontier lawyer was completely non plused . But he was not so badly frightened it seems , but that he . arose and quietly remarked to the court that he would pick up the subject of the Roman law where the learned gentleman on the other side had left it . And he did " pick it up , " and launched forth in his courtly and vigorous
style , and gave the court more " Roman Law" than it had heard for many a day . The Eastern lawyer , could hot , had he tried , have given Mr . Pike a better opportunity . He embraced it , and established himself before the Supreme Court as one of the most able and accomplished attorneys that ever practiced at the bar . Mr . Pike made his home at Little Rock , Ark ., and there married and raised a family .
It was very amusing and instructive to meet him on quiet evenings , when he felt in the mood for talk , and to hear his reminiscences of those early days , before there were any railroads , when the people of the frontier took life easy , went on long hunts , were on friendly terms with the Indians , and enjoyed generally a backwoods life .
When the Mexican war came on , Lawyer Pike , like many other prominent men in the South and West , raised a company for that war ; and herein he got his military education and experience . While he was not only a prominent Mason , but the most prominent brother of
the Order the world over , and undoubtedly the most prominent Mason of all time , be did not , it seems , enter the brotherhood at as early a date in life as many others , and not until a few years before the war did he join the Scottish Rite branch of the Order , for which he did so much , and which gave him so fine a field in which to labour .
In 1859 he became Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States , and that position he held from that time until his death . During the war of therebellion , living manyyears in a Southern State , it was quite natural for him to espouse the Southern cause . He did not , as it was generally thought at the time , organise an Indian force . The Indian companies were already in the bri
gade when he took command . His differences with the Richmond government grew out of his effort to keep the Indians in their own country , for the defence of their interests there . So he was not responsible for their participation in battles within the borders of the States . The war to him was a great sacrifice . His home in Little Rock was pillaged , and the treasures and keepsakes of a lifetime were destroyed or stolen , so when he returned to it at the close of the war he found himself a very poor man ; nothing of the comfortable home and household treasures
' « . His valuable library and cabinet scattered , as war only can scatter and destroy such things . Indeed , like many others , he must begin life again . And yet this very misfortune was , perhaps , only the turning of the tide that has carried him on with its flood to greater fortune than he could ever have hoped for had he remained in that sleepy romar . tic West . In his early days , before the war , he had often been to Washington , and met and seen all the great men prominent in the affairs of the nation , in the forties and fifties .
Being a man of fine imagination , it was quite natural that he should try his hand in the field of poetry , and in this he succeeded very well , but his poetry , though superior , is a mere bagatelle and pastime beside his prose writings , which are voluminous and far reaching . . After the war he wandered about from place to place , practising his profession m different cities of the South and South-West , even trying his fortune in New But
^ rleans . final ly he decided to come to Washington and establish his home . About this time , somewhere about 1870 , he became more and more interested in Masonic research and study . The Scottish Rite presented a fine field for such an intellect . The Order , with its many Degrees , was there , but was neglected , ° J men of intellect . Other men , and even men of ability , had written on Vasonry , and many had thought the subject exhausted . But these writers had n ° t seen , or if seeinghad not the mental culture and training to enter and
culti-, vate so vast a field . In an architectural sense they had built good , strong , and ev _ en comfortable buildings , but had not attempted an Alhambra , combining Wsdom , power , and harmony in its erection . They had painted even some grand P ures , but a Master appears and paints a grand panorama . They had written £ nne songs , but a Master now appears who writes a grand opera , combining any fine airs , with wisdom , power , and harmony running through the whole from prel « de to finish .
the literary work represented by this great man ' s yearsof labour is immense , and e variet y great . He was a fine linguist , but language to him was not a mere ^ complnshment but a means to an end . He studied the Sanscrit and mastered bett anc " - anguage , together with the Hebrew , in order to translate and the r understand the Vedas , the ancient writings of India . One at all acquainted
The Late General Albert Pike.
with language knows the difficulty of translating even a spoken tongue , much less one that has been dead for centuries . His knowledge of the Spanish , he often remarked , helped him out of many a difficulty where all seemed entangled and impossible to comprehend . Then the study of language is a fine key to the migration of races . While the people of India to-day are as " Crenoids , " or the stone lily of prehistoric times , as it were so fastened to a place as to not think of leaving it , the people of
ancient India typified the modern phraseology of "going West . " They moved westward and settled along the shores of the Mediterranean , especially on its northern shores . In the roots of the Spanish language an oriental scholar of today obtains " light" that it is not possible for him to obtain elsewhere . And this is a good illustration of the extent of the fields that such a scholar has to travel over in order to obtain the material that he would introduce into his Alhambra ,
and without which that Alhambra would not be the Master work it is , replete with beauty , usefulness , and high satisfaction to the master builders of all time . The Scottish Rite is divided into two jurisdictions . The Southern is the Mother Council of the world , and was established in Charleston , S . C , about the year 1801 . Later it was divided , the Northern taking the more thickly settled territory comprising the Northern States , as far west as the Mississippi river ; the Southern
the original Southern States and all territory west of the Mississippi . So it will be se *; n , the Southern jurisdiction includes much northern territory , and in course of time will far exceed the northern in point of membership . But there is no knowing what may occur as years roll on . There has been a rumour to the effect that the two jurisdictions may some day be united , and there be only one for the United States . But it would seem useless to count
on this ; such a thing may happen and it may not ; or there may be a re-organisation of jurisdiction of territory . I would not attempt to be a prophet in this line . It matters little , the two jurisdictions are as one in spirit , there is no clash of authority . Their aim is one , and as one they rule over a large and united Masonic world . After coming to Washington , General Pike gradually abandoned his law practice , and at his death he had none . He presented his fine library , costing him
some S ? 25 , ooo , to the Order , and the Southern jurisdiction , in view of what he had done for the rite , and I may say for Masonry at large , granted him a moderate salary . In addition to this the Supreme Council bought a fine piece of property in Washington , where this valuable library and auxiliary museum is provided for . Here the General made his home , here the Supreme Council came every two years to consult and legislate on the affairs of the Order . Here , in a large upper
room the venerable Commander worked , as even few younger men work , 12 or 14 hours a day , year in and year out . Yet this busy man was always approachable and treated all , from the most humble to the most exalted , with the utmost courtesy and kindness . He was too great a man to put artificial and impossible barriers between himself and the brethren of the Order . But because of this free and good natured manner of the man , it would not do to make the mistake that
there was any want of dignity , nor for one to presume to take unwarranted liberties . General Pike had the happy faculty of being genial to all , while ^ yet he commanded the respect of all . In approaching him you were , as by instinct , at once put on your metal as a man ; and so long as you acted the gentleman you would be treated as such . But to repeat it would not be well to so presume on his kindness and courtesy as to take unwarranted liberties . General Pike was a
large man . He wore his hair and beard a la nature . The lines of the head were of the round type , rather than the square . The pe : rceptives were large ; the head as a whole large , wide , and high , and arched from front to rear . He was a good speaker , the subject matter appealing to the intellect rather than to the ideal . Indeed , he was a most matter of fact and practical man , at least in this line ; his whole aim was to make his thoughts clear and practical . He was a domestic man , and delighted in old friends and associations . He had a great , fondness for pet
birds , and the first thing that one saw on entering his quarters were bird cages of all varieties , some with a single bird in a cage , others with scores of the winged creatures of the air . He had one large cage that was some four feet square and five or six feet high ; this was full of small birds , and a happy family they seemed to be . There you would find him surrounded with books and birds , the mind wealth of the ages and these creatures of the air . He loved the birds , and they seemed to know and love him .
The General was particularly happy in his manner of speaking of the dead . His obituaries are models ; he has written many , advancing into the hundreds . I have heard many of them read , and no two alike . With most people the obituary is no easy task , many can write one of a friend , but few can find something new to write about the twentieth , much less the hundredth . At his death General Pike had reached his 8 ist birthday . Few live to such length of days , and still a much
less number are able to continue their labours at those years , to raise , and continue to add , such an enduring monument to their fame . And yet this monument was more a matter of accident than intent . I do not think it ever entered General Pike ' s head to attempt to build such an enduring monument . He became interested in a certain work ; he discovered a new field , he entered it , little dreaming
of the mine of wealth he would there find , or even the wealth within his own mind . He developed the mine within and without . He became more and more interested in his labours . One step in advance necessitated another and another . To a man thus gifted there was enjoyment in pursuing the development of these treasure fields .
This great work he did not enter upon until past 50 . What a lesson in this to others . In his earlier days the opportunity had not presented itself , yet when it did it found him well prepared to assume its responsibilities . The world is better for his having lived in it . Indeed this was one of his great teachings , " That it is
better to love than to hate . " The influence of the labours of such a man will go on to eternity , and the name of Albert Pike will be for ever associated with the immortal few whose names their fellow mortals will delight to honour . In every civilised country and in every clime his name will be honoured—everywhere where civilised man has established a home .
Born the 29 th day of December , 1809 , died April 2 nd , 1891 . " Consummatum . est , that is his life here on earth ; his name goes down to the posterities . " We , at the end of the nineteenth century , here in the Great Republic , where so much seems given up to the gods of trade and ambition , are glad to send our greetings to the great hereafter , and point with pride to the immortal flower that grew up among us and which we helped to nourish , and in our feeble way tried to appreciate . —ISAAC P . NOYES .
LODGE OF THE PRINCE OF WALES . —This distinguished lodge was constituted on the 20 th August , 1787 , by warrant from H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland M . W . G . M . H . R . H . George , Prince of Wales , was W . M . in 178 7 to 1820 , having at one time their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Clarence as Wardens the former being W . M . 1820 to 1827 , and the latter W . M . 1827 to 18 30 . H . R . ! the Duke of Sussex , M . W . G . M ., was W . M . 1830 to 1 843 , and H . R . H . Albert
Edward Prince of Wales , has been W . M . from 18 74 ( during which period H . R . H . initiated his brother H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught ); from 178 7 there being a succession of Deputy Masters renowned socially and Masonically . The history of the lodge was ably written in 18 7 6 by one of its Past Masters ( Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . D . ) , from which we learn that the lodge has the privilege of electing a
Grand Steward annually , and moreover enjoys the distinction , through its members , of wearing " a Royal medal , having the Prince of Wales ' s plume and motto within a garter , surmounted by the coronet , " & c . The aprons of the members are likewise allowed to have a " narrow internal border of garterblue . "—Kenning ' s Cyclopcedia of Freemasonry .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Late General Albert Pike.
THE LATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE .
We take the following sketch of this remarkable man from the American Tyler : The subject of this sketch lingered long upon the stage of life . While a few live a greater number of years , he was one of the small number who passed the four score mark . And useful and profitable years they were , even up to the very last . The city of Boston has the honour of his birth , the great West the honour of his active manhood years , and the city of Washington , the Capitol of the nation , the honour of his residence , for the last quarter of a century of his life and to the end of his days .
Of all the great names that centre about these three sections none surpass him in those qualities which make the great man . His name , particularly within the past few years , has not been so prominent before the public as many of the leading politicians and the leaders of society and taste , so the masses at large may not have heard much about him . Still for more than the ordinary years of life he was actively employed in many important branches of the intellectual field . His
peculiar labour in the line of philosophical research brought him to the notice of the scholars of the world . Few Americans were so well known throughout the world as he ; probably none so well known the world over . And yet his life work , that is the work whereby he is so well known , was not commenced until he had lived a half a century . Though many years on the border line of civilisation , the man kept up his
studies , that of law and literature , and became noted for his thorough knowledge of all the deep and learned points of his profession . His parents were poor , so in early life , like many others of the great and active men of his day , he taught school , and thereby obtained the means to aid him in his studies . He entered Harvard , but for lack of means was unable to remain and graduate . In 1831 , when about 22 years of age , he started for what was then the Wild West , beyond
the Mississippi river . He there lived a romantic life , often taking excursions to the woods and prairies , where he was closely associated with the Indians and free spirits , the hunters and trappers of the border . He evidently was not satisfied with the frontier or local practice . The intellect and culture of the man aspired after something higher . The higher fields of law were then his aspirations , and even quite early in life he had obtained much practice before the higher courts for
claims and the like . On his first appearance in Washington , a characteristic story is told of him . The opposing attorney thought to overpower the Western man , rig ht from the frontier , with erudition . So made a great exhibition of his learning , and particularly enlarged upon the old Roman law . Pike , the simple lawyer Pike , quietly listened to his polished opponent from one of the municipal centres of the cultured East . When the gentleman had finished , one would have
thought that there was little for the other side to say ; indeed , it seemed as though the frontier lawyer was completely non plused . But he was not so badly frightened it seems , but that he . arose and quietly remarked to the court that he would pick up the subject of the Roman law where the learned gentleman on the other side had left it . And he did " pick it up , " and launched forth in his courtly and vigorous
style , and gave the court more " Roman Law" than it had heard for many a day . The Eastern lawyer , could hot , had he tried , have given Mr . Pike a better opportunity . He embraced it , and established himself before the Supreme Court as one of the most able and accomplished attorneys that ever practiced at the bar . Mr . Pike made his home at Little Rock , Ark ., and there married and raised a family .
It was very amusing and instructive to meet him on quiet evenings , when he felt in the mood for talk , and to hear his reminiscences of those early days , before there were any railroads , when the people of the frontier took life easy , went on long hunts , were on friendly terms with the Indians , and enjoyed generally a backwoods life .
When the Mexican war came on , Lawyer Pike , like many other prominent men in the South and West , raised a company for that war ; and herein he got his military education and experience . While he was not only a prominent Mason , but the most prominent brother of
the Order the world over , and undoubtedly the most prominent Mason of all time , be did not , it seems , enter the brotherhood at as early a date in life as many others , and not until a few years before the war did he join the Scottish Rite branch of the Order , for which he did so much , and which gave him so fine a field in which to labour .
In 1859 he became Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States , and that position he held from that time until his death . During the war of therebellion , living manyyears in a Southern State , it was quite natural for him to espouse the Southern cause . He did not , as it was generally thought at the time , organise an Indian force . The Indian companies were already in the bri
gade when he took command . His differences with the Richmond government grew out of his effort to keep the Indians in their own country , for the defence of their interests there . So he was not responsible for their participation in battles within the borders of the States . The war to him was a great sacrifice . His home in Little Rock was pillaged , and the treasures and keepsakes of a lifetime were destroyed or stolen , so when he returned to it at the close of the war he found himself a very poor man ; nothing of the comfortable home and household treasures
' « . His valuable library and cabinet scattered , as war only can scatter and destroy such things . Indeed , like many others , he must begin life again . And yet this very misfortune was , perhaps , only the turning of the tide that has carried him on with its flood to greater fortune than he could ever have hoped for had he remained in that sleepy romar . tic West . In his early days , before the war , he had often been to Washington , and met and seen all the great men prominent in the affairs of the nation , in the forties and fifties .
Being a man of fine imagination , it was quite natural that he should try his hand in the field of poetry , and in this he succeeded very well , but his poetry , though superior , is a mere bagatelle and pastime beside his prose writings , which are voluminous and far reaching . . After the war he wandered about from place to place , practising his profession m different cities of the South and South-West , even trying his fortune in New But
^ rleans . final ly he decided to come to Washington and establish his home . About this time , somewhere about 1870 , he became more and more interested in Masonic research and study . The Scottish Rite presented a fine field for such an intellect . The Order , with its many Degrees , was there , but was neglected , ° J men of intellect . Other men , and even men of ability , had written on Vasonry , and many had thought the subject exhausted . But these writers had n ° t seen , or if seeinghad not the mental culture and training to enter and
culti-, vate so vast a field . In an architectural sense they had built good , strong , and ev _ en comfortable buildings , but had not attempted an Alhambra , combining Wsdom , power , and harmony in its erection . They had painted even some grand P ures , but a Master appears and paints a grand panorama . They had written £ nne songs , but a Master now appears who writes a grand opera , combining any fine airs , with wisdom , power , and harmony running through the whole from prel « de to finish .
the literary work represented by this great man ' s yearsof labour is immense , and e variet y great . He was a fine linguist , but language to him was not a mere ^ complnshment but a means to an end . He studied the Sanscrit and mastered bett anc " - anguage , together with the Hebrew , in order to translate and the r understand the Vedas , the ancient writings of India . One at all acquainted
The Late General Albert Pike.
with language knows the difficulty of translating even a spoken tongue , much less one that has been dead for centuries . His knowledge of the Spanish , he often remarked , helped him out of many a difficulty where all seemed entangled and impossible to comprehend . Then the study of language is a fine key to the migration of races . While the people of India to-day are as " Crenoids , " or the stone lily of prehistoric times , as it were so fastened to a place as to not think of leaving it , the people of
ancient India typified the modern phraseology of "going West . " They moved westward and settled along the shores of the Mediterranean , especially on its northern shores . In the roots of the Spanish language an oriental scholar of today obtains " light" that it is not possible for him to obtain elsewhere . And this is a good illustration of the extent of the fields that such a scholar has to travel over in order to obtain the material that he would introduce into his Alhambra ,
and without which that Alhambra would not be the Master work it is , replete with beauty , usefulness , and high satisfaction to the master builders of all time . The Scottish Rite is divided into two jurisdictions . The Southern is the Mother Council of the world , and was established in Charleston , S . C , about the year 1801 . Later it was divided , the Northern taking the more thickly settled territory comprising the Northern States , as far west as the Mississippi river ; the Southern
the original Southern States and all territory west of the Mississippi . So it will be se *; n , the Southern jurisdiction includes much northern territory , and in course of time will far exceed the northern in point of membership . But there is no knowing what may occur as years roll on . There has been a rumour to the effect that the two jurisdictions may some day be united , and there be only one for the United States . But it would seem useless to count
on this ; such a thing may happen and it may not ; or there may be a re-organisation of jurisdiction of territory . I would not attempt to be a prophet in this line . It matters little , the two jurisdictions are as one in spirit , there is no clash of authority . Their aim is one , and as one they rule over a large and united Masonic world . After coming to Washington , General Pike gradually abandoned his law practice , and at his death he had none . He presented his fine library , costing him
some S ? 25 , ooo , to the Order , and the Southern jurisdiction , in view of what he had done for the rite , and I may say for Masonry at large , granted him a moderate salary . In addition to this the Supreme Council bought a fine piece of property in Washington , where this valuable library and auxiliary museum is provided for . Here the General made his home , here the Supreme Council came every two years to consult and legislate on the affairs of the Order . Here , in a large upper
room the venerable Commander worked , as even few younger men work , 12 or 14 hours a day , year in and year out . Yet this busy man was always approachable and treated all , from the most humble to the most exalted , with the utmost courtesy and kindness . He was too great a man to put artificial and impossible barriers between himself and the brethren of the Order . But because of this free and good natured manner of the man , it would not do to make the mistake that
there was any want of dignity , nor for one to presume to take unwarranted liberties . General Pike had the happy faculty of being genial to all , while ^ yet he commanded the respect of all . In approaching him you were , as by instinct , at once put on your metal as a man ; and so long as you acted the gentleman you would be treated as such . But to repeat it would not be well to so presume on his kindness and courtesy as to take unwarranted liberties . General Pike was a
large man . He wore his hair and beard a la nature . The lines of the head were of the round type , rather than the square . The pe : rceptives were large ; the head as a whole large , wide , and high , and arched from front to rear . He was a good speaker , the subject matter appealing to the intellect rather than to the ideal . Indeed , he was a most matter of fact and practical man , at least in this line ; his whole aim was to make his thoughts clear and practical . He was a domestic man , and delighted in old friends and associations . He had a great , fondness for pet
birds , and the first thing that one saw on entering his quarters were bird cages of all varieties , some with a single bird in a cage , others with scores of the winged creatures of the air . He had one large cage that was some four feet square and five or six feet high ; this was full of small birds , and a happy family they seemed to be . There you would find him surrounded with books and birds , the mind wealth of the ages and these creatures of the air . He loved the birds , and they seemed to know and love him .
The General was particularly happy in his manner of speaking of the dead . His obituaries are models ; he has written many , advancing into the hundreds . I have heard many of them read , and no two alike . With most people the obituary is no easy task , many can write one of a friend , but few can find something new to write about the twentieth , much less the hundredth . At his death General Pike had reached his 8 ist birthday . Few live to such length of days , and still a much
less number are able to continue their labours at those years , to raise , and continue to add , such an enduring monument to their fame . And yet this monument was more a matter of accident than intent . I do not think it ever entered General Pike ' s head to attempt to build such an enduring monument . He became interested in a certain work ; he discovered a new field , he entered it , little dreaming
of the mine of wealth he would there find , or even the wealth within his own mind . He developed the mine within and without . He became more and more interested in his labours . One step in advance necessitated another and another . To a man thus gifted there was enjoyment in pursuing the development of these treasure fields .
This great work he did not enter upon until past 50 . What a lesson in this to others . In his earlier days the opportunity had not presented itself , yet when it did it found him well prepared to assume its responsibilities . The world is better for his having lived in it . Indeed this was one of his great teachings , " That it is
better to love than to hate . " The influence of the labours of such a man will go on to eternity , and the name of Albert Pike will be for ever associated with the immortal few whose names their fellow mortals will delight to honour . In every civilised country and in every clime his name will be honoured—everywhere where civilised man has established a home .
Born the 29 th day of December , 1809 , died April 2 nd , 1891 . " Consummatum . est , that is his life here on earth ; his name goes down to the posterities . " We , at the end of the nineteenth century , here in the Great Republic , where so much seems given up to the gods of trade and ambition , are glad to send our greetings to the great hereafter , and point with pride to the immortal flower that grew up among us and which we helped to nourish , and in our feeble way tried to appreciate . —ISAAC P . NOYES .
LODGE OF THE PRINCE OF WALES . —This distinguished lodge was constituted on the 20 th August , 1787 , by warrant from H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland M . W . G . M . H . R . H . George , Prince of Wales , was W . M . in 178 7 to 1820 , having at one time their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Clarence as Wardens the former being W . M . 1820 to 1827 , and the latter W . M . 1827 to 18 30 . H . R . ! the Duke of Sussex , M . W . G . M ., was W . M . 1830 to 1 843 , and H . R . H . Albert
Edward Prince of Wales , has been W . M . from 18 74 ( during which period H . R . H . initiated his brother H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught ); from 178 7 there being a succession of Deputy Masters renowned socially and Masonically . The history of the lodge was ably written in 18 7 6 by one of its Past Masters ( Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . D . ) , from which we learn that the lodge has the privilege of electing a
Grand Steward annually , and moreover enjoys the distinction , through its members , of wearing " a Royal medal , having the Prince of Wales ' s plume and motto within a garter , surmounted by the coronet , " & c . The aprons of the members are likewise allowed to have a " narrow internal border of garterblue . "—Kenning ' s Cyclopcedia of Freemasonry .