Ars Quatuor Coronatorum*.

Statistician of thc United States , Past Grand Master of Maine , and unquestionabl y one of the most distinguished amongst our American Brethren . Bro . DRUMMOND , one of whose ancestors migrated from the North ol " Ireland and settled near the mouth

of the Kennebec river in 1729 , is in his 7 Ist year , having been born at Winslow on the 30 th August , 1 S 27 . In early life he exhibited great proficiency in mathematics , and even before the close of his academic career , discharged the duties of Principal of

China Academy . But in 18 4 8 hc gave his attention to the study of the law , and no longtime elapsed ere he succeeded in winning a hig h reputation at the Bar . Mis Masonic career dates from 18 49 , ^ 'i c ' ay ° ^ which he was initialed in the

Watcrville Lodge , No . 33 . Me presided over it as W . M . in 1856 and 18 57 , and is still a subscribing member . After serving as Deputy from 18 5 8 to 18 C 0 , he was , in 1863 , elected ancl installed Grand Master of thc Grand Lodge of Maine . Hc is also Past G . High

Priest of Maine , and Past General G . H . P . of the G . G . Chapter of the United States ; Past G . Commander of the G . Commandery of Maine ; Past G . M . of the G . Council of Maine , and of the General G . Council of thc United States ; Prov . G . Mastcr

of the Royal Order of Scotland , U . S . A ., and Past G . Commander ol the Supreme Council , 33 ° , of the Northern Jurisdiction of the U . S . A . But his services in these several capacities have been surpassed by those he has rendered as Chairman of thc

Committees of Maine on Masonic Jurisprudence and Foreign Correspondence , ar . d hc has reviewed the Proceedings of other Grand Lodges since 1865 , of those of other Grand Chapters and Grand Councils since 1866 , and of other Grand Commanderies

for about nine years prior to 18 7 6 . It is difficult to form an idea of thc amount of labour—to say nothing of the judgment and ability required—in the compilation of these reports , each of which forms a fair-sized Svo . volume . Vet he has compiled over

1 oo-of these reviews , and is still as keen and just in his criticisms as he was a quarter of a century ago . He is , indeed , a man of marvellous ability and energy , and may be looked upon as the greatest authority on Masonic Jurisprudence in the United

States . In treating of the career of this distinguished Mason , Bro . GOULD has done his work as biographer most admirably , and Bro . DRUMMOND and his friends in Masonry—of whom the number is legion—must be delighted al having so interesting and

ample a record compiled b y the foremost of our Fnghsh Masonic historians . As the biograph y has been reprinted separately , it forms a worth y addition to what Bro . GOULD calls his "gallery of' Old Masters ; ' " and we have no doubt it will be appreciated

equally b y his Lnghsh as b y his American readers , more especiall y as it is accompanied b y a well-executed and , we should imagine , a life-like portrait of the eminent brother , with his autograph appended .

I his essay of Bro . GOULD S IS followed b y a short account of " How Frederick the ( ireat of Prussia became a Freemason , " b y Bro . A . J . W . CERK , M . A ., of Trinity College Lodge , No . 357 , I . C , and then begin thc Transactions proper wilh a record of

the lodge meeting on the ist October , when Bro . SYDNEY T . Ki . EIN was elected W . M . for the ensuing year—Bro . C . PUKDON CLARKE , C . I . E ., S . W ., having been under the necessity of declining election to ( he chair for thc present owing to the

pressure of his official duties—and Bro . Sir WALTER BESANT re-elected Treasurer . When the business was over , Bro . GEORGE L . SHACKLES read a most interesting paper on " Masonic Medals , " which had the great advantage of being illustrated b y

lantern slides and received a hearty vote of thanks for his valuable contribution to our knowledge of Masonir . Numismatics . The other meeting of which a record is given was lhat held on the 8 th November last , when Bro . Kl . KIN was installed in office as

W . Mastcr and delivered his inaugural address , the subject of which , as we stated in our Note of last week , was "Wisdom , Strength , and Beauty , a Physical and Psychological

examination of Masonic Symbolism . " The time , however , al the disposal of Bro . Kl . KIN was insufficient to allow of his dealing with the subject in full , and accordingl y he confined his attention " to Wisdom and Beauty" as representing " Omniscience and

Omnipresence . " It is a marvellous paper , which needs to be read and re-read in order that its meaning and intention may be full y grasped . Probabl y no member of the lodge- could have compiled such a paper as this , but Bro , Ki . EIN , as a man of science

Ars Quatuor Coronatorum*.

is accustomed to examine minutely into abstruse questions which are outside the track pursued by the ordinary student . Hence this paper of his will be found exceptionally instructive , as those

who have read it in our Christmas Number will , no doubt , most readily bear witness . The rest of the number is occupied with Notes and Queries , Reviews , and other lighter matter .

Thc " St . John ' s Card " of greeting from theW . M . and officers to the members of the two circles of the lodge is a work of art , accompanied , as wc mentioned last week , by an engraving of thc philosopher , ARISTIPPUS , discovering the

geometrical figures drawn upon the sands of the island upon which hc was wrecked . The greeting is most cordial , and thc card conveying it most appropriate to the year to which it belongs . As usual , the " Card " is accompanied by a complete

list ol " thc names and addresses and Masonic qualifications in chief of the members of the Inner and Correspondence Circles , and hence , apart from the merit of the drawings and explanation , is of especial value as showing the material of which the lodge is composed

The Mark Masonic Calendar.

THE MARK MASONIC CALENDAR .

There is not a Masonic Annual published for any Grand Lodge or other governing organisation lhat is more complete and perfect than the " Masonic Calendar" of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters for England and Wales , & c , Edited by the ever-courteous Grand Secretary , Bro . C . F . Alatier , K . C . T .

Its title does not indicate its far-reaching character , for though one of its main objects is to provide for the lodges , councils , chapters , and preceptories which assemble in the Mark Masons' Hall , a considerable portion of the Annual is devoted to an exhaustive Roll of present and past Grand Officers ( Mark ) , from 1 S 56 to date , including all the Prov . Grand Masters , with their

Deputies , during the same period , both for this Country and Abroad , and there is also a full list of the brethren who have been elected or appointed members of the General Board from 1856 to 1896 , arranged alphabetic illy . Other Degrees are also carefully noted , including the Great Priory of Knight Templars , & c , so that whether for Mark Masons or members of the Chivalric Degrees , this handy work is simply indispensable .

There are several important tables that are of considerable value for reference , one concerning the number of Certificates issued , the total of Registered Members , the Warrants granted , and the Receipts under two divisions , for each year , since 1857 , a period of 40 years , by which it is sein that for 1 S 97 , 1410 Certificates were issued , 3 6 902 members have in all been registered , and over ^ 2660 and £ 2930 have been received for the " General " and the Benevolent Funds respectively .

The Special Grants made from 1872 to 1 SS 9 , inclusive , amount to £ 335 ; and for the Central Masonic Charities , . £ .= 577 . Under the " Benevjlent Fund , " the Receipts are noted from 1 S 6 S to 1 S 9 6 , those for the last year exhibiting a total of Investments , £ 6206 9 ; . 4 L ; the " Education Fund " Investments amount now to A 4938 o- „ 4 d ., with 16 children on the Fund ,

and there are also " Clothing Grants . " The " Annuity Fund for 1896 has £ 6404 os . 2 d . invested , there being ifi Annuitants , costing £ 341 15 ; . per annum , and £ ( M for Christmas Grant . These and many more particulars are carefully detailed , and as the Secretarial work is all honorary , donors have the pleasure of knowing that their contributio . is are not subjected to any deductions for Salaries .

The " Mark Benevolent Fund " deserves still more aid than it receives , and I think if brethren would procure copies of this excellent Masonic Annual from the Grand Secretary ( only sixpence each , post free ) , and familiarise themselves with the advantages of this bsneficent Fand , they would gladly help with their subscriptions .

The Festival will be in July . Sa far , my old friend , the R . W . Bro . C . L . Mason , Prov . G . M . of West Yorkshire " holds the Record " for the largest sum raised in any one year . W . J . HUGHAN .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Albion Lodge , No . 9 . The installation meeting of this ancient lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall , Greit Oueen-street , on Tuesday , the 4 th inst ., when there was a numerous gathering of brethren to witness the addition of another Master to the lengthy roll this lodge already possesses . During the proceedings it was mentioned by the Secretary that Bro . Vallentine , P . G . P ., hoped to complete his 50 years' active membership in March next , when the unique event would be celebrated by appropriate rejoicing . The next in seniority is

Bro . Friend , P . M ., Treas ., who has been a member for 40 years . Ledge was opened by Bro . W . Dennis , W . M ., supported by Bros . H . F . Cain , S . W . ; F . B . Smith , J . W . ; II . S . Friend , P . M ., Treas . ; L . W . Harvey , P . M ., Sec ; J . H . Francis , S . D . ; VV . H . Holroyd , P . M ., D . C ; A . G . Pritchard , P . M ., Org . ; Sydney II . Meyers , P . M . ; G . Russell Beardmore , P . M . ; K . H . Bradley , PM •E . 1 . Wikenden , P . M . ; NV . A . Evans , G . Tennant , and others . Visitors : Hr _ v _ . I . M . McLeod . P . G . S . B .. Sec . R . M . I . B . ; Maior T . C . Walls . P . G . Std . Br . ; J . R .

Cleave , P . P . G . D . Surrey ; C . O . Burgess , P . G . D . Surrey ; E . L . Berry , P . P . G . Supt . of Works Bucks ; J . H . Austin , W . M . ifWg ; H . G . Walker , J . W . 1614 ; C . G . Smith , S . W . 26 4 8 ; J . Young , 1 S 05 ; J- W . Gibbs , P . M . 1 S 04 ; E . H . Selby , P . M . ifioi ; J . W . Cain , P . M . 179 ; T . Hodgson , 231 a ; G . J . Birton , 170 . 1 ; A . li . Rowe , 25 S 0 ; H . F . Digby Smith , Ml 'i R . R . Banks , 1347 ; A . Stribling , P . M . 1317 ; H . I . Keen , J . VV . 2073 ; VV . C . Ferris , 1901 ; A . J . Millington , J . W . 1227 ; T . S . Cookes , W . M 1347 ; Hugh Taylor , I . P . M . 1347 ; E . Parsons , 2473 ; VV . VV . Lee . P . P . G . D . Middx .: and others .

The minutes were conlirmed , and a candidate was raised to the Third Degree . Bro . H . J . Cain was presented as W . M . elect , and was installed into the chair by Bro . W . Dennis , who received well-deserved praise for his impressive and delightful rendering of the