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Article MASONIC AMENITIES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 1 Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 1 Article Original Correspondence. Page 1 of 1 Article Masonic Notes and Queries. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Amenities.
buted to the abiding weakness of our " poor humanity , " and as Masons are only mortals , and mortals are always weak and erring , so the weakness and errors of our common nature remain the unvarying heritage of Masons as well as others . Otherwise we do not profess to
understand it . It , no doubt , constitutes a great scandal to our Order , and is too often made use of as a handle , especially by the ignorant and weakheaded , against the use of Masonry in general , as an argument against its " outcome ' "' in particular . We are always sorry when we note a
spirit of personality creeping into our columns , and we have sought , and we venture to think not unsuccessfully , to keep the Freemason clear from language which is offensive , and open attack , or veiled insinuation , which are derogatory to our profession and practice as Freemasons .
At the Antipodes we note that in . the heat of Masonic controversy sad words are used , and most un-Masonic expressions run current . One brother calls an opponent a "Thug , " and the other brother retorts by calling his assailant a " cur . " And so it goes on until the outer world , if tbey
judge of Freemasonry by rival editors or antagonistic papers , by Masonic Pottses or Sturks , must begin to think Freemasonry a great humbug altogether , to be sick of its tinsel and its speeches , its many professions of charitv and brotherly love , and yet its undeniable proofs of
" envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness . " We trust , however , that all such episodes and facts are but exceptions , and passing " little motes in the glorious sunbeam of Freemasonry , " and that its really beneficent principles and
noble works will yet convince the world that however here and there we prove that as Masons we are always only mortals after all at the very best , we have a right to be proud of our excellent , and admirable , and really beneficial and charitable Brotherhood .
Original Correspondence.
Original Correspondence .
[ W * do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the o 2 ) inions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in u spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within cerrain necessary limits—free discussion . ]
PROVINCIAL OFFICE . To the Editor nj ' the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I venture to interpose in this controversy , which seems to have originated again in Hampshire , and in which a good deal of personal feeling . is clearly mixed up , to say that I , for one , greatly deprecate these reiterated
complaints of " vaulting ambition . " There is a " craving '' for rank just now " afloat" amongst us , which seems to portend great mischief to Freemasonry unless timely checked , and from some experience I feel sure that I am right in saying that it is both unmeaning and un-Masonic in the highest degree . In the exercise of their little yearly patronage our Provincial Rulers are often sorely tried by the claims of some who have no warrant to ask for provincial
office , and yet feci themselves sorely aggrieved if they are passed over . If in the ucent correspondence aboutllampr shire there is intended to be read a covert attack on the ruler of that province , all 1 can say is , that 1 am very sorry Hampshire Masons have nothing better to write about in your well filled columns . " Delete , " Bro . Editor , " Delete , " and oblige yours fraternally , AN OLD PROVINCIAL OFFICER .
THE PROVINCE OF HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT . To the Editor uj ' the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Having carefully read the correspondence which has appeared in your columns relative to the distribution of Masonic honours in the Province of Hampsh ' ue and
the Isle of Wight , I should like to oRer a few comments thereon , in the hope of convincing the writers of these annual epistles to the Freemason how purely imaginary their grievances are . "An Old P . M . " evidently thinks thai pr > vincial honours ought to be distributed in equal propuitions to ail the lod ges in rotation ; but it is difricu ' t to see the equity of
such an arrangement . Provincial honours , to be worth anything , should only be given in recognition of Masonic ability or as a reward for distinguished services rendered to the Craft ; and a careful analysis of the list of honours which have been conferred in the Province of Hampshire during the past ten years clearly shows that not a little discrimination and judgment have been displayed in awarding them . An impartial examination will convince
any one that they have been invariably given for one of three reasons . ' . 1 nat the lodge is a large supporter of the Masonic Charities ; 2 . That it is numerically very large ; or , 3 . that some individual brother has shown himself to be possessed of conspicuous ability and devotion to the cause , f reemasonrv which claims special recognition . Take the lodges to which " An Old P . M . " takes exception . To begin with Southampton , the three principal
Original Correspondence.
lodges of that town represent no less than 233 votes for the two principal Masonic Institutions ( I include individual subscribers in this calculation ) . This represents an amount of self-denying labour and liberality which is not easily computed . Is a lodge which has only fifteen or twenty votes ( and there are several ) to receive equal recognition in the distribution of provincial honours ? Basingstoke ,
which has received six collars in ten years , is represented in the lists of the two Institutions by 100 votes ; Aldershot by ninety-six ; , the Royal Sussex by seventy-one ; the Portsmouth Lodge by sixty ; Winchester by fifty-six ; Fareham by forty-seven ; and the Phcenix Lodge by forty-five . To Portsmouth Lodge , no doubt , a large share of honours has fallen ; but it must be borne in mind that it is a
very numerous lodge ( with one exception only , making the largest return to Grand Lodge ) , and that prior to 1868 it received but scant recognition . There is another reason why other lodges do not stand higher on the list , viz ., the non-attendance of their more deserving members at Provincial Grand Lodge , which
renders them ineligible to receive those marks of distinction which would otherwise be gladly bestowed on them . As a rule , those most clamorous for provincial honours are the least worthy to receive them , and it is positively sickening to hear of , the number of aspirants for the " purple" who are continually obtruding their claims to recognition on the notice of the Provincial Grand Master .
In conclusion , let me express a hope that unless there is some more worthy reason than that assigned by " An Old P . M . " to be alleged against the preponderance of provincial honours in particular lodges we shall hear no more of the matter . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , Sept . 8 th , 1879 . A JUNIOR WARDEN .
To the Mlitor of the " Fretmason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I quite agree with the remarks of your Southampton correspondent , that the R . W . P . G . Master has a very difficult duty to perform in distributing the collars , and it cannot be expected that he is personally acquainted with the merits of the brethren forming the various lodges
under his banner ; he is , therefore , necessarily greatly dependent on the recommendations of his officers , and as he probably keeps no list of the honours he bestows from year to year , he would not notice that certain lodges get the lion ' s share . Let this be as it may—one thing is cettain , the province is far too large , and it would conduce greatly to its prosperity if measures were taken to obtain
a division . With regard to the social status of the brethren , so long as they are in reputabletircumstances ( and if they are not tbey should not be admitted as Mascns ) their rank or station in the outer world should not be considered , for we are taught that " he who is on the lowest spoke of fortune's wheel may be equally deserving of honour and esteem with the one who is on the highest . " It will often
happen that the recipient of honour belongs to more than one lodge , b"t as a rule , brethren send in their names in connection with the one they are most actively connected with . The lodges that are not in active work , and those which have been recently constituted , I specially marked to shew a reason for their not receiving honours .
The Hengist Lodge in 187 G received a Grand Director of Ceremonies' collar , and 1 find I have inadvertently put it in the next column , thus showing on the table thirteen Grand Superintendents of Works , and only eleven Grand Directors of Ceremonies . If the P . G . Chaplain refers to my letter , he will find 1 have not said one word against the recipients of the
honours—I do not doubt for a moment that they are quite deserving of them j but in his letter he , perhaps unintentionally , casts a slur upon members of the lodges that have been passed over , by remarking , " It is not so much the number of the lodges in the province as the quality of he respective members of the lodges , " thus implying that these unfortunate lodges have few if any deserving
brothers connected with them . Whether the word " quality " is to be understood to apply to their social position or their Masonic merits he does not say ( and one of the great principles of Masonry being equality , money bags should not be allowed to count ) , but in either sense I can affirm , from my own personal knowledge of many of the lodges in quesiion , and of a large number of the brethren ( of
good social position ) connected with them , that our beautiful ritual is most ably carried out by the officers , that the Charities are liberally suppoited , and that many of the brethren are thoroughly good working Masons , deserving honours they may never hi . pe to receive under existing circumstances . These are facts which the publication of my name cannot in any way alter .
With reference to the suggestion of a P . P . G . Officer to make the collar of the P . G . Treasurer available , I think this would only be as a drop in the ocean , and go a very small way towards improving our position , and our present P . G . Treasurer is a good working Mason , whose happy-looking face and genial manners I fcr one should greatly miss at our meetings . Our best remedy is division .
As Stewards are not entitled to wear the purple , or to rank as Past Officers after their year of office , the appointment is not valued as it would be if they were ( and as it is in the Mark , & c ) . I did not say the collar subjected them to annoyance from the REST of , but from the JESTS of , their brethren . Yours faithfully and fraternally ,
AN OLD P . M . [ Surely it is time this correspondence ceased . —ED . F . M . ]
MASONRY AND TAPESTRY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The Cambrian Archaeological Society made Welchpool and its neighbourhood the scene of their annual
Original Correspondence.
meeting , and their last day ' s excursion ( August 30 th ) included the inspection of Montgomery Castle , & c . About half-a-mile further on is a magnificent old timbered black and white house called "Lymore , " which , after the destruction of the Castle in 16 49 , was made the residence of the Lords Herbert of Cherbury , the ancestors of the present Earl of Powis , the now owner , and it contains many well preserved hangings of tapestry . The finest specimen represents the "Visit of the ftueen of Sheha tn nnrRranrl
Master King Solomon . " The figures in the foreground are nearly life size , and two of them are boldly depicted as embracing as Master Masons . The date of the tapestryis 1556 , and evidently was removed from Montgomery Castle . Can any brother give any further information of tapestry having so marked an intimation of our aporreta ? D . P . OWEN ,
P . M ., P . Z . 99 8 . CONSECRATION OF THE DUKE OF CORNWALL LODGE , 1839 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I beg to call your attention to a clerical error in your otherwise faithful record of the proceedings on this
occasion . You stste Bro . Josepk Woolley , W . M . designate , was installed , & c , but omitted my surname—Brooke . As my friends may not recognise me when shorn of my principal cognomen , I shall be obliged by your kindly correcting the omission . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally ,
J . W . BROOKE , 34 , Chryssell-r < ad , W . M . 1839 . Brixton-road , S . W . September Oth , 1879 .
Masonic Notes And Queries.
Masonic Notes and Queries .
ANOTHER MASONIC MS . I am very delighted to inform the Craft through the medium of the Freemason that another old and valuable Masonic MS . has been traced , this time the fortunate finder being a most painstaking and intelligent Masonic student , Bro . W . Fred Vernon , P . M ., & c , of Kelso , Scotland . For years I have , with others , entleavoured to find
out if there were any versions of the " Old Charges " at Melrose , but I have utterly failed to do so , all enquiries ending with the same negative result , though I felt sure it was most likely one or more existed there somr > hp $ v , or other . Bro . Vernon has just communicated tq 0 ffle , ' - ! the pleasing intelligence that he has found one at last ,- after many trials , and so naturally it will be designated ,, .,
THE MELROSE MS ., it being in the archives of the ancient lodge which assembled in Melrose for centuries . The beginning of tha . MS . is , as usual , an invocation to the Trinity . Of its general ^ character Bro . Vernon had not time to make sure , hut Iat _ the end of the MS . is the following : — . " Be it known to all men to whom these presents shall
come that Robert Wincester hath lawfully done his dutie to the science of Masonrie , in witness whereof I , John Wincester , his Master Free Mason , have subscribit my name and sett to mj mark , in the year of our Lord 1581 , and in the raing of our most Sovereign Lady Elizabeth , the ( 22 ) year . " For the time then we put it down to 1583 . On the
margin is a note to this effect , " Extracted by me , A . M ., upon the 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 dayes of December , Anno MDCLXXIIL , " but it is evidently a copy of an older MS . I await impatiently for any further details , and have at once sent word to Bro . Vernon of the importance of his
discovery , in which , as my able co-labourer , I feel certain Bro . the Rev . A . F . A . AYoodford will most gladly join . I trust the ancient lodge will afford Bro . Vernon every opportunity and facilities for his researches , and we have all full confidence In his ability to do full justice in the matter . WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN .
WILLIAM PRESTON'S INITIATION . In answer to " Masonic Student " I have to report that at present it is not possible to state exactly when Preston was initiated , as the dispensation was acted upon before the constitution of the lodge , but it is quite evident that he received the light between March 2 nd and April 20 th , 1763 , or in other words , as the dispensation was agreed to
on the 2 nd March , to continue in force for " the space of thirty clays , " it is most likely the initiation took place in March , 1763 . I think it probable that too much stress has been laid upon the order of the list of members of Lodge , No . 111 , "Ancients , " under date 1 st June , 17 63 , and for the reasons stated very clearly in a letter received from our able Bro . Gould , as follows : —
" It must be recollected that the memoir in the " Freemasons' Magazine " of 1795 was professedly compiled by his friend ( and brother P . M . of Lodge Antii / nily ) Stephen Jones , Preston himself being at the time a contributor to the journal in question , and there can be no doubt he inspired , if indeed he did not actually write , this article . The entry in the books of Grand Lodge ( Register of Lodges , vol . 4 , letter D ) proves , I think , that Bro .
Lochhead having used his dispensation to good purpose , the brethren gathered together under his provisional authority , were constituted as a lodge on April 20 th , 1763 . Preston ' s position on the list ( twelfth ) might indicate that ten members of the new lodge had met under the dispensation leforc Preston and tine first initiate wtre admitted . 1 am disposed , however , to attach no importance to the order in which the names appear . The three first on the roll Were Wm . Leslie , Charles Holden , and John Irwin . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Amenities.
buted to the abiding weakness of our " poor humanity , " and as Masons are only mortals , and mortals are always weak and erring , so the weakness and errors of our common nature remain the unvarying heritage of Masons as well as others . Otherwise we do not profess to
understand it . It , no doubt , constitutes a great scandal to our Order , and is too often made use of as a handle , especially by the ignorant and weakheaded , against the use of Masonry in general , as an argument against its " outcome ' "' in particular . We are always sorry when we note a
spirit of personality creeping into our columns , and we have sought , and we venture to think not unsuccessfully , to keep the Freemason clear from language which is offensive , and open attack , or veiled insinuation , which are derogatory to our profession and practice as Freemasons .
At the Antipodes we note that in . the heat of Masonic controversy sad words are used , and most un-Masonic expressions run current . One brother calls an opponent a "Thug , " and the other brother retorts by calling his assailant a " cur . " And so it goes on until the outer world , if tbey
judge of Freemasonry by rival editors or antagonistic papers , by Masonic Pottses or Sturks , must begin to think Freemasonry a great humbug altogether , to be sick of its tinsel and its speeches , its many professions of charitv and brotherly love , and yet its undeniable proofs of
" envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness . " We trust , however , that all such episodes and facts are but exceptions , and passing " little motes in the glorious sunbeam of Freemasonry , " and that its really beneficent principles and
noble works will yet convince the world that however here and there we prove that as Masons we are always only mortals after all at the very best , we have a right to be proud of our excellent , and admirable , and really beneficial and charitable Brotherhood .
Original Correspondence.
Original Correspondence .
[ W * do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the o 2 ) inions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in u spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within cerrain necessary limits—free discussion . ]
PROVINCIAL OFFICE . To the Editor nj ' the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I venture to interpose in this controversy , which seems to have originated again in Hampshire , and in which a good deal of personal feeling . is clearly mixed up , to say that I , for one , greatly deprecate these reiterated
complaints of " vaulting ambition . " There is a " craving '' for rank just now " afloat" amongst us , which seems to portend great mischief to Freemasonry unless timely checked , and from some experience I feel sure that I am right in saying that it is both unmeaning and un-Masonic in the highest degree . In the exercise of their little yearly patronage our Provincial Rulers are often sorely tried by the claims of some who have no warrant to ask for provincial
office , and yet feci themselves sorely aggrieved if they are passed over . If in the ucent correspondence aboutllampr shire there is intended to be read a covert attack on the ruler of that province , all 1 can say is , that 1 am very sorry Hampshire Masons have nothing better to write about in your well filled columns . " Delete , " Bro . Editor , " Delete , " and oblige yours fraternally , AN OLD PROVINCIAL OFFICER .
THE PROVINCE OF HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT . To the Editor uj ' the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Having carefully read the correspondence which has appeared in your columns relative to the distribution of Masonic honours in the Province of Hampsh ' ue and
the Isle of Wight , I should like to oRer a few comments thereon , in the hope of convincing the writers of these annual epistles to the Freemason how purely imaginary their grievances are . "An Old P . M . " evidently thinks thai pr > vincial honours ought to be distributed in equal propuitions to ail the lod ges in rotation ; but it is difricu ' t to see the equity of
such an arrangement . Provincial honours , to be worth anything , should only be given in recognition of Masonic ability or as a reward for distinguished services rendered to the Craft ; and a careful analysis of the list of honours which have been conferred in the Province of Hampshire during the past ten years clearly shows that not a little discrimination and judgment have been displayed in awarding them . An impartial examination will convince
any one that they have been invariably given for one of three reasons . ' . 1 nat the lodge is a large supporter of the Masonic Charities ; 2 . That it is numerically very large ; or , 3 . that some individual brother has shown himself to be possessed of conspicuous ability and devotion to the cause , f reemasonrv which claims special recognition . Take the lodges to which " An Old P . M . " takes exception . To begin with Southampton , the three principal
Original Correspondence.
lodges of that town represent no less than 233 votes for the two principal Masonic Institutions ( I include individual subscribers in this calculation ) . This represents an amount of self-denying labour and liberality which is not easily computed . Is a lodge which has only fifteen or twenty votes ( and there are several ) to receive equal recognition in the distribution of provincial honours ? Basingstoke ,
which has received six collars in ten years , is represented in the lists of the two Institutions by 100 votes ; Aldershot by ninety-six ; , the Royal Sussex by seventy-one ; the Portsmouth Lodge by sixty ; Winchester by fifty-six ; Fareham by forty-seven ; and the Phcenix Lodge by forty-five . To Portsmouth Lodge , no doubt , a large share of honours has fallen ; but it must be borne in mind that it is a
very numerous lodge ( with one exception only , making the largest return to Grand Lodge ) , and that prior to 1868 it received but scant recognition . There is another reason why other lodges do not stand higher on the list , viz ., the non-attendance of their more deserving members at Provincial Grand Lodge , which
renders them ineligible to receive those marks of distinction which would otherwise be gladly bestowed on them . As a rule , those most clamorous for provincial honours are the least worthy to receive them , and it is positively sickening to hear of , the number of aspirants for the " purple" who are continually obtruding their claims to recognition on the notice of the Provincial Grand Master .
In conclusion , let me express a hope that unless there is some more worthy reason than that assigned by " An Old P . M . " to be alleged against the preponderance of provincial honours in particular lodges we shall hear no more of the matter . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , Sept . 8 th , 1879 . A JUNIOR WARDEN .
To the Mlitor of the " Fretmason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I quite agree with the remarks of your Southampton correspondent , that the R . W . P . G . Master has a very difficult duty to perform in distributing the collars , and it cannot be expected that he is personally acquainted with the merits of the brethren forming the various lodges
under his banner ; he is , therefore , necessarily greatly dependent on the recommendations of his officers , and as he probably keeps no list of the honours he bestows from year to year , he would not notice that certain lodges get the lion ' s share . Let this be as it may—one thing is cettain , the province is far too large , and it would conduce greatly to its prosperity if measures were taken to obtain
a division . With regard to the social status of the brethren , so long as they are in reputabletircumstances ( and if they are not tbey should not be admitted as Mascns ) their rank or station in the outer world should not be considered , for we are taught that " he who is on the lowest spoke of fortune's wheel may be equally deserving of honour and esteem with the one who is on the highest . " It will often
happen that the recipient of honour belongs to more than one lodge , b"t as a rule , brethren send in their names in connection with the one they are most actively connected with . The lodges that are not in active work , and those which have been recently constituted , I specially marked to shew a reason for their not receiving honours .
The Hengist Lodge in 187 G received a Grand Director of Ceremonies' collar , and 1 find I have inadvertently put it in the next column , thus showing on the table thirteen Grand Superintendents of Works , and only eleven Grand Directors of Ceremonies . If the P . G . Chaplain refers to my letter , he will find 1 have not said one word against the recipients of the
honours—I do not doubt for a moment that they are quite deserving of them j but in his letter he , perhaps unintentionally , casts a slur upon members of the lodges that have been passed over , by remarking , " It is not so much the number of the lodges in the province as the quality of he respective members of the lodges , " thus implying that these unfortunate lodges have few if any deserving
brothers connected with them . Whether the word " quality " is to be understood to apply to their social position or their Masonic merits he does not say ( and one of the great principles of Masonry being equality , money bags should not be allowed to count ) , but in either sense I can affirm , from my own personal knowledge of many of the lodges in quesiion , and of a large number of the brethren ( of
good social position ) connected with them , that our beautiful ritual is most ably carried out by the officers , that the Charities are liberally suppoited , and that many of the brethren are thoroughly good working Masons , deserving honours they may never hi . pe to receive under existing circumstances . These are facts which the publication of my name cannot in any way alter .
With reference to the suggestion of a P . P . G . Officer to make the collar of the P . G . Treasurer available , I think this would only be as a drop in the ocean , and go a very small way towards improving our position , and our present P . G . Treasurer is a good working Mason , whose happy-looking face and genial manners I fcr one should greatly miss at our meetings . Our best remedy is division .
As Stewards are not entitled to wear the purple , or to rank as Past Officers after their year of office , the appointment is not valued as it would be if they were ( and as it is in the Mark , & c ) . I did not say the collar subjected them to annoyance from the REST of , but from the JESTS of , their brethren . Yours faithfully and fraternally ,
AN OLD P . M . [ Surely it is time this correspondence ceased . —ED . F . M . ]
MASONRY AND TAPESTRY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The Cambrian Archaeological Society made Welchpool and its neighbourhood the scene of their annual
Original Correspondence.
meeting , and their last day ' s excursion ( August 30 th ) included the inspection of Montgomery Castle , & c . About half-a-mile further on is a magnificent old timbered black and white house called "Lymore , " which , after the destruction of the Castle in 16 49 , was made the residence of the Lords Herbert of Cherbury , the ancestors of the present Earl of Powis , the now owner , and it contains many well preserved hangings of tapestry . The finest specimen represents the "Visit of the ftueen of Sheha tn nnrRranrl
Master King Solomon . " The figures in the foreground are nearly life size , and two of them are boldly depicted as embracing as Master Masons . The date of the tapestryis 1556 , and evidently was removed from Montgomery Castle . Can any brother give any further information of tapestry having so marked an intimation of our aporreta ? D . P . OWEN ,
P . M ., P . Z . 99 8 . CONSECRATION OF THE DUKE OF CORNWALL LODGE , 1839 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I beg to call your attention to a clerical error in your otherwise faithful record of the proceedings on this
occasion . You stste Bro . Josepk Woolley , W . M . designate , was installed , & c , but omitted my surname—Brooke . As my friends may not recognise me when shorn of my principal cognomen , I shall be obliged by your kindly correcting the omission . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally ,
J . W . BROOKE , 34 , Chryssell-r < ad , W . M . 1839 . Brixton-road , S . W . September Oth , 1879 .
Masonic Notes And Queries.
Masonic Notes and Queries .
ANOTHER MASONIC MS . I am very delighted to inform the Craft through the medium of the Freemason that another old and valuable Masonic MS . has been traced , this time the fortunate finder being a most painstaking and intelligent Masonic student , Bro . W . Fred Vernon , P . M ., & c , of Kelso , Scotland . For years I have , with others , entleavoured to find
out if there were any versions of the " Old Charges " at Melrose , but I have utterly failed to do so , all enquiries ending with the same negative result , though I felt sure it was most likely one or more existed there somr > hp $ v , or other . Bro . Vernon has just communicated tq 0 ffle , ' - ! the pleasing intelligence that he has found one at last ,- after many trials , and so naturally it will be designated ,, .,
THE MELROSE MS ., it being in the archives of the ancient lodge which assembled in Melrose for centuries . The beginning of tha . MS . is , as usual , an invocation to the Trinity . Of its general ^ character Bro . Vernon had not time to make sure , hut Iat _ the end of the MS . is the following : — . " Be it known to all men to whom these presents shall
come that Robert Wincester hath lawfully done his dutie to the science of Masonrie , in witness whereof I , John Wincester , his Master Free Mason , have subscribit my name and sett to mj mark , in the year of our Lord 1581 , and in the raing of our most Sovereign Lady Elizabeth , the ( 22 ) year . " For the time then we put it down to 1583 . On the
margin is a note to this effect , " Extracted by me , A . M ., upon the 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 dayes of December , Anno MDCLXXIIL , " but it is evidently a copy of an older MS . I await impatiently for any further details , and have at once sent word to Bro . Vernon of the importance of his
discovery , in which , as my able co-labourer , I feel certain Bro . the Rev . A . F . A . AYoodford will most gladly join . I trust the ancient lodge will afford Bro . Vernon every opportunity and facilities for his researches , and we have all full confidence In his ability to do full justice in the matter . WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN .
WILLIAM PRESTON'S INITIATION . In answer to " Masonic Student " I have to report that at present it is not possible to state exactly when Preston was initiated , as the dispensation was acted upon before the constitution of the lodge , but it is quite evident that he received the light between March 2 nd and April 20 th , 1763 , or in other words , as the dispensation was agreed to
on the 2 nd March , to continue in force for " the space of thirty clays , " it is most likely the initiation took place in March , 1763 . I think it probable that too much stress has been laid upon the order of the list of members of Lodge , No . 111 , "Ancients , " under date 1 st June , 17 63 , and for the reasons stated very clearly in a letter received from our able Bro . Gould , as follows : —
" It must be recollected that the memoir in the " Freemasons' Magazine " of 1795 was professedly compiled by his friend ( and brother P . M . of Lodge Antii / nily ) Stephen Jones , Preston himself being at the time a contributor to the journal in question , and there can be no doubt he inspired , if indeed he did not actually write , this article . The entry in the books of Grand Lodge ( Register of Lodges , vol . 4 , letter D ) proves , I think , that Bro .
Lochhead having used his dispensation to good purpose , the brethren gathered together under his provisional authority , were constituted as a lodge on April 20 th , 1763 . Preston ' s position on the list ( twelfth ) might indicate that ten members of the new lodge had met under the dispensation leforc Preston and tine first initiate wtre admitted . 1 am disposed , however , to attach no importance to the order in which the names appear . The three first on the roll Were Wm . Leslie , Charles Holden , and John Irwin . "