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CONTENTS . PAGE L KADBRSNext Wednesday ' s Function ... ... ... — - 3 <* J The Mark Benevolent Fund Festival ... ... ... 3 " 9 Grand Lodge of New York ... ... ... ' - 3 ° 9

Mark-Benevolent Fund ... ... ... ••¦ ••• 37 ° Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ( Quarterly Court ) ... ... •» 37 Provincial Grand Lodge of Wiltshire ... ... - 37 The Freemasons of Bengal ... ... •¦• ••• ••¦ 373 The July Magazines ... ... — ¦•• ••• ••• 373 The Art Galleries ... ... - - 373

M ASONIC NOTESQuarterly Court of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... 375 Ouarterly Court of the Royal Masonic Institution for Bovs ... ... 375 Monthly Meeting of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... ... ... ... 375 Summer Entertainment to the Inmates of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... ... ... ... 375 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Ledge of North and East Yorkshire ... ... ... ... ••• 375 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire ... 37 s

Correspondence ... ... •¦• ••• ••• 37 < 5 Craft Masonry ... ... ••• ••• ••• 37 Royal Arch ... ... ... - - ••• 37 S Matk Masonry ... ¦•• ••• ••• ••• 37 ° POETRYSonnet for the Month of July ... ... ... ... 379

Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 379 Obituary ... ... ... ... ¦•• - - 379 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 3 S 0

Next Wednesday 'S Function.

NEXT WEDNESDAY 'S FUNCTION .

On Wednesday , the 17 th instant , with all that solemn pomp and circumstance with which the principal functions of the Craft are customarily attended , H . R . H . the Duke of CONNAUGHT , K . G ., will be installed as Most Worshipful Grand Master of the

United Grand Lodge of England , in succession to His Most Gracious Majesty King EDWARD VII ., who , when Prince of WALES , presided over the Craft for upwards of 26 years , but who , since his accession to the Throne , has accepted the position

of Protector of English Freemasons . The meeting will vividly recal to the minds of those who were privileged to attend on that ever-memorable day—the 28 th April , 1875—when the Princenow King—was placed on the throne of Grand Lodge by the late R . W . Bro . JOHN FAWCETT , of the Province of Durham

who at the time occupied the premier place on the roll of Provincial Grand Masters . It was the first , the most numerouslyattended , and the most important of that series of successful Masonic gatherings which were held in the Royal Albert Hall during the presidency of him

who , till recently , was M . W . Grand Master , and who himself was . the central figure at each of the gatherings . The 18 75 meeting was the Grand Lodge , which is held annually on the day set apart by the Book of Constitutions for the celebration of the Grand Festival , and at which the G . Master is instated and the

Grand Officers for the ensuing year are appointed and installed . The 188 7 a » d 1 S 97 gatherings were Masonic assemblies , at which the M . W . G . Master , as the highest Mason in point of rank , very naturall y presided . They were held , as our readers know full wellfor the purpose of voting addresses of

congratu-, lation to her late Gracious Majesty Queen VICTORIA , in 1887 , on the Jubilee , and in 18 97 on tne Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne . The meeting on Wednesday will be a Grand l -odge , and the same ceremonial will necessarily be observed at the

installation of the Duke of CONN'AUCHTas at that of his brother , King EDWARD VII ., when Prince of WALES . The Mall , too , as at the latter function , will be filled to its utmost capacity ; nor doubt we that as a function it will be as conspicuous a success ,

The Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND FESTIVAL .

The 33 rd Anniversary Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund was held at the Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday , the ioth nstant , under . the presidency of Bro . Lt .-Col . CLIFFORD PROBYN , asl U , treasurer . We do not suppose lhat any one expected

The Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

that the record total of £ 5113 for last year , when the Earl of EUSTON , M . W . Pro G . M ., was in the chair , and was supported by a Board of 302 Stewards , would be very nearly approached , much less exceeded . Yet , on Wednesday , 160 ladies and brethren gave their services as Stewards , and obtained for the Fund a sum

amounting to £ 2022 12 s ., the list which the respected Chairman himself compiled , and which included his own personal donation of £ 52 ios ., and two donations from Mrs . PROBYN and their son , being far and away the largest . We heartily congratulate Bro . Lieut .-Col . PROBYN , his Board of Stewards ,

the donors , the Fund , and last , but not least , the Hon . Secretary of the Board ( Bro . C . F . MATIER ) and his staff on the success of the proceedings . The total is a good average one , and the Board a representative one , and we hope that at least so fair an average will be maintained for many years .

Grand Lodge Of New York.

GRAND LODGE OF NEW YORK .

The Grand Lodge of New York publishes annually a large volume devoted to an account of its Proceedings during the previous year , which is one of the very best of the many excellent reports issued by Grand Lodges in the United States of America and Canada . The one for 1900-1 , just received from

the ever-courteous Grand Secretary , Bro . Edward M . L . Ehlers , and dated May , 1 9 , runs to 4 80 pages , and is not only a great success typographically ( being so well arranged and the

numerous tables so excellently planned ) , but textually it is one of the most interesting works of the kind * I have ever had the pleasure to peruse , and a credit to all concerned in its preparation and publication .

The Grand Master is the M . W . Bro . Charles W . Mead , whose Portrait , engraved by Bather , of Brooklyn , N . Y ., forms an appropriate Frontispiece , having as a companion picture another engraving of a remarkable looking brother—Morgan Lewis—of " the olden tyme . " The Grand Lodge assembled

on May 7 th , 8 th , and 9 th , when , besides the regular Grand Officers , 12 Past Grand Masters , and a great many Brethren , with Representatives of nearly 60 Grand Lodges attended ,

including Bro . Joseph J . Little , for England , Bro . William N . Penney , for Ireland , Bro . Andrew Patterson , for Scotland , and also several others representing Grand Lodges which meet under the Protectorship of his Majesty King Edward VII ., P . G . M .

The Grand Master ' s address covered a good deal of ground in an able and most sympathetic manner , his references to the numerous brethren who have died during the past year being

especially appreciative and fraternal . One of the lamented brethren is an old friend of mine , Bro . Solomon Strasser , of the " Mount Vernon Lodge , " No . 3 . The M . W . Bro . C W . Mead thus refers to the decease of our dearl y loved Queen :

"The death of Queen Victoria came to the Fraternity of Freemasons , wherever dispersed , almost as a personal bereavement . On the 2 nd of February , 190 r , 1 caused a cablegram to be transmitted to M . W . J . Wimburn Laurie , Representative of our Grand Lodge near the Grand Lodge of England , requesting

him to fraternall y convey to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , the M . W . Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England , the profound sympathy of the Craft ol the State of New York in his bereavement in the death of England ' s most Gracious Queen , and stated that formal action would be taken b y the Grand Lodge at its Annual Communication in May , "

The reply to this very thoughtful and kind message was sent on March 1 st , by command of the King , and signed by the V . VV . Bro . E . Letchworth , Grand Secretary , conveying His Majesty ' s " grateful thanks for the kind and fraternal expression of sympathy . "

A special Committee , consisting of M . W . Bro . William A Sutherland , Past G . M . ; R . W . Bro . George Hayes , Past G Treas . ; and the R . W , Bro . Dr . Peter Ross . Grand Historian