Summer Outing Of The Quatuor Coronati Lodge. No. 2076.

London , having been unable to catch the earlier , train . We were also favoured with the company of several local brethren , thus at once getting a foretaste of the hearty welcome which awaited us from the province in general . Bro . J . Thompson , of London , arrived still later in the evening , but not too late to take his share in the fraternal conversation and quiet enjoyment over tobacco , duly moistened with an appropriate glass or two ,

which filled out the time till the desirability of rest drew off the brethren to their bed chambers . The glorious weather of the past two months had at last broken , and it rained heavily all night , to the great joy of the agriculturist and with no disadvantage to us , as by the morning only a little drizzle remained , which cleared up during the forenoon , and from that time onwards the weather left nothing to be desired .

A substantial breakfast at nine prepared us for the " amazing trials " of the day , and at 10 o ' clock we placed ourselves under the guidance of Bro . Jacob , and made a start . During the course of the morning our numbers were further increased by Bros . J . Robbins and G . Gregson ( of London ) , T . J . Railing ( Colchester ) , Rev . W . Wilkinson Rider ( Bethlehem , Orange Free State ) , and Rev ; J . N . Palmer ( Isle of Wight ) . Passing through the West Gate , a first visit was made to the Great Hall of Winchester Castle ,

the architectural features being duly explained by Bro . Jacob , and the celebrated Round Table of King Arthur which hangs on the wall , scrutinised with the usual " still small doubt . " A walk down the High-street , stopping on the way to admire some of the old houses and the City Cross , brought us to the curious and diminutive church of St . Laurence , the mother church of the city , in which building the Bishop of Winchester still , according to old

custom , " rings himself in , " first closing the doors and then tolling one of the bells , which is provided for the occasion with a silken rope . A few paces further on , and we found ourselves in the Cathedral Close , reading the well-known epitaph on one of the tombs there , which records the sad death of a Hampshire Grenadier " through drinking small beer , " and counselling the reader to drink it " strong or not at all . " Entering the Cathedral itself ,

we were almost at once joined by the Dean , Dr . W . R . W . Stephens , who had most kindly undertaken to himself conduct us over the sacred building entrusted to his charge . Here we were to have listened to a paper on the Cathedral by Bro . I . ovegrove , but there was so much to see , and the Dean ' s explanations proved so interesting , that our brother preferred to let his paper be taken as read , promising to supply a copy for the Transactions of the

lodge . Chief among the objects of interest for us as Masons were , of course , the tombs and effigies of William of Wykeham and Peter de Rupibus , both traditionally Grand Masters of Masons . Dr . Stephens had an appointment to keep at one o ' clock , but neither he nor his charmed hearers took note of the rapid flight of time till long past that hour , when there still remained much uninspected and unexplained .

Our kind guide offered to resume what , to him , was evidently a labour of love , after , lunch , should we have time for the purpose ; but , this being impossible , nothing remained but to take our leave , after expressing as well as we could the infinite pleasure we had derived from the ciceronage of the rev . gentleman , and asking him to accept our warmest thanks . We then returned to the " Black Swan , " where Bro . R . F . Gould ( Woking ) had

meanwhile arrived , and sat down to lunch . Occasion was taken of this hour of rest to drink " The Health of Bros . Jacob and Stopher , the Local Members of the Correspondence Circle , " who had so admirably made every arrangement for our comfort , Bro . Jacob especially having been in constant communication with Bro . Speth for months past , and undertaken a great deal of preparatory work . The afternoon was ' devoted , under the guidance of Bro . Jacob , to an

inspection of Winchester College , founded by " Past Grand Master , " William of Wykeham ; and to the ancient hospital of St . Cross , in the adjoining village of that name , founded by Bishop Henry of Blois ( i 136 ) , of whose buildings only the noble church remains , and added to by Cardinal Beaufort ( 1444 ) , from whose times date the present Hall , Brothers' Houses , & c . Under the original rules , every wayfarer has the right to demand of the

porter a horn of beer and a manchette of white bread , a fact well known to _ the tramps throughout the country , and we did not fail to exercise our privilege , and do honour to the ancient custom and kindly thought of the pious founder . A walk beside the river across the meadows soon brought us back to the hotel , leavingus an hour or so for refreshment—in every sense of the word—before the culminating event of the day .

A few days previously , the Secretary had received enquiries from the Deputy Prov . G . M . and the Prov . G . Sec , whether it would be possible for the brethren of the Qustuor Coronati to dine with the province on the occasion of their visit to Winchester . Of course , there was no difficulty on our part , our arrangements could be easily altered for the purpose , and the high compliment paid us by the province was eagerly accepted . What

reall y seemed impossible was that the province should be able to organise a reception on so very short a notice . However , it is evident that to Bros . Goble , Prov . G . Sec . ; Lancaster , Prov . A . G . Sec , and Bucks , who was pressed into the service , no difficulties are insurmountable . All arrangements were completed in a most satisfactory manner , and when we arrived ¦ it the Guildhall we found waiting to receive us , Bros . W . W . H .

l ^ each , M . P ., Prov . G . M . ; John K . Le Feuvre , Dep . P . G . M . ; E . Goble , Prov . G . Sec . ; the Prov . G . Wardens , Prov . G . Deacons , Lancaster , Uuck , Gieve , Prov . G . Treas . ; R . Eve , Past G . Treas . ; Alex . Howell , l-ocal Secretary of the Q . C . for Hants , and some 40 other provincial brethren . The presence ot the Prov . G . M . was all the greater compliment ,

inasmuch as he had received an . invitation to assist H . R . H . the Prince of i-rc ' ' ^ 'M . ' to consecrate a new lodge that evening in London . The difficulty of declining what was almost equivalent to a royal command is well known , yet Bro . Beach found means to do so , considering that his first duty , Masonically , was to his own province , and unwilling to leave the Provincial welcome in any hands than those of its head .

the caterer , Bro . Chappie , of the Black Swan , surpassed himself , and the good things provided having been done full justice to , the cloth was Reared , and the usual toasts given by the PROV . GRAND MASTER , and duly honoured . '

The toast of " The Grand Lodge and Officers " was confided to Bro . th !" p W 0 HK t ; RMVLEY i S . G . D . Ireland , who coupled : t with the name of the Prov . Grand Master , and dwelt earnestly on his great kindness in throwng up all other fixtures in order to be present on this occasion . Bro . BEACH replied , and concluded by proposing " The Quatuor Coroati Lodge , " bearing high testimony to the great work it was so efficiently car rying onand calling Bro . Gould to respond . £ Uf 1 MV V

, upon |) " -, — -.---... . w . -... «» .... — -. w ~ ,- ~ .. — . w ' lh 1 0 ULD did so in a few words , expressing the feelingiof gratification oil . , ' tne brethren of the lodge had accepted the magnificent welcome crcd ilicin in Hampshire , and concluded by calling upon our own

Summer Outing Of The Quatuor Coronati Lodge. No. 2076.

members to join him in drinking to the continued prosperity of the province and of its rulers . Shortly afterwards B'o . Beach had to leave in order to catch his train , and bowed his farewell to the brethren assembled amid long-continued and hearty applause .

After his departure , Bro . LE FEUVRK rose to reply for the province , and in the course of a Ijng , interesting , and humorous speech , gave some statistical information regarding the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , of which he is so worthy an associate , showing its really phenomenal growth , and almost rendering ridiculous the modest aspirations , long since exceeded , with which it began its career ro years ago . He concluded by proposing " The Secretary , Bro . Speth . "

Bro . SPETH , on rising to respond , was received with such enthusiasm that some time elapsed before he could be heard . He had to plead the excuses of several members who had been prevented from being present , as , for instance , Bros . Sir Charles Warren , by military duties ; Admiral Markham , then at Kiel ; Sir Benjamin W . Richardson , by

medical engagements of great importance ; Dr . Westcott , owing to having five inquests on that day ; W . H . Rylands and the W . M ., the Rev . C J . Ball , ill-health ; and W . J . Hughan and John Lane , on account of the great distance , & c . He was desired by all these brethren to express to the province their sense of the great honour done to the lodge on that occasion , and their regret that they could not be present .

The last toast , " The Brethren from the Colonies now present , " gave occasion to Bros . J ACKSON , DARLEV-HARTLEV , and the Rev . RIDER to give some account of the state of the Craft in India , British Africa , and the Orange Free State , the difficulties under which the brethren in those distant lands laboured in following their Masonic duties , and the self-forgetfulness with which they surmounted them .

The evening was rendered further enjoyable by some exquisite part and solo singing by Mr . Gardiner , Bros . Doody , Searle , King , Lancaster , Hinxman , and Buck , under the direction of Bro . Searle . This , combined with speeches far above the average in eloquence , and the charming courtesy , warmth , and enthusiasm of the brethren of the province will render the complimentary dinner of the Province of Hants to the visiting brethren of the Quatuor Coronati , an event not easily to be forgotten by those who took

part in it . One curious little difficulty pervaded the evening , however ; it was to know with precision who were guests and who hosts , because a very large proportion of the presumed hosts were also members of the Correspondence Circle , and a f / reat many more have expressed their intention of becoming so at an early date . And so , to the hotel , where many of the former hosts now became guests during an hour or so spent in fraternal intercourse , previous to retiring for the night .

Sunday broke a glorious day , and the majority of the pilgrims betook themselves after breakfast to morning service at the Cathedral . As they came early and sat together in a body , it soon . became evident that those not in the secret were puzzling themselves sorely to account for such an unusual influx of men without the f jmale members of thsirfamilies . The sermon , by

Canon Warburton , by a curious coincidence , could not havfi been more Masonic if the reverend gentleman had been aware that he had to preach to a body of Masons , a fact of which he was naturally in profound ignorance . It was a singularly eloquent and scholarly address and would have been of itself alone worth the journey to Winchester to hear .

After lunch the brethren proceeded in carriages to Romsey Abbey , where the Rev . Dr . Berthon , for so many years rector of the venerable fane , was in attendance to show them all the beauties of an edifice which he has himself done so much to preserve . Unfortunately we were unable to devote more than some three quarters of an hour to the inspection of this noblest example of the finest Norman architecture , and left

with regret before we had half exhausted the subject . But there was a 10 mile drive back , and then the necessity of dinner before catching our train , so farewell had to be taken of the Abbey and its enthusiastic preserver , with a firm intention to return there at some no very distant date . Dinner at half-past six , in the course of which the thanks of the brethren were given to Bro . Speth , the organiser of the trip , which had passed off without a hitch ,

and Bros . Lancaster , Buck , and other local brethren who had done so much to render it agreeable and a success . The majority of the brethren then left for London by the 8 . 21 train , but some few , who would be unable to catch their last train to the suburbs , and several of those who came from other directions , remained behind till the Monday morning . And thus ended the 7 th annual excursion of the lodge , and we who can look back to all of them , scarcely know which to name as the most enjoyable .

Annual Picnic Of The Gallery Lodge , No. 1028.

ANNUAL PICNIC OF THE GALLERY LODGE , No . 1028 .

The annual picnic in connection with this , the only purely press lodge in the world , was held on Saturday , the 6 th inst ., at Heme Bay , and was a great success . The brethren and their friends travelled by London Chatham and Dover Railway , saloons being provided for their accommodation , to Heme Bay , where luncheon was served at Bro . Boncey ' s , Connaught Hotel . Subsequently the entire party participated in a most delightful drive , returning to the Connaught Hotel between

five and six o ' clock , when dinner was served . Bro . Chas . Lock , W . M ., presided , and was supported in the vice-chairs by Bros . Husk , S . W ., and Tarran , J . W ., and amongst the other brethren present were Bros . H . Bussey , P . M . ; W . Duckworth , P . M ., Treas . ; II . Wright , P . M . ; W . T . Perkins , P . M ., Sec ; G . E . Saunders , P . M . ; H . Peacock , Org . ; Alfred Robbins , Treasurer Benevolent Fund ; and about 40 other brethren and ladies . The toast list was commendably short .

" The Queen and the Craft " was given by the W . M . ; "The Ladies , " by Bro . HEMMING , and acknowledged by Bro . H . BUSSEY , P . M . ; " The W . M ., " by Bro . WRIGHT , P . M . ; and "The Entertainers and the Secretary , " by the W . M ., who embraced the opportunity thus afforded him of expressing to Bro . Perkins the thanks of the party , and his own obligations to him for the admirable and complete arrangements which had been made by him , and which had contributed so largely to the enjoyment of all .

A charming entertainment was given , the following artistes taking part Miss Ada Kempton , Miss Oppitz , Bro . Dalgetty Henderson , and Bro . Harry Pea cock , Organist of the lodge . A number of the brethren and ladies , profiting by the excellent arrange ments made , remained at Heme Bay until Monday .

Tin : weather throughout the trip was delightful , and the summer outing of 18 95 will be remembered as ainungst the most gratifying of those hitherto held in connection with the lodge .