The Schaw Statutes Of 1598-9.

ccdence , and concerns not only Kilwinning ancl Edinburgh , but also Stirling , being likewise retrospective as well as prospective . " Item , it is thoght needfull & expedient be my lord warden generall ,

that Edinburgh salbe in all tyme cumin- * " * , as of befoir , ye first and principal ! ludge in Scotland ; and yt Kilwynning be ye secttnd ludge , as of befoir is notourlie manefest in or auld antient wirttis ; & yt S : irueling salbe the thirdAadge , conformeto ye auld privileges thairof . "

It should be noted that the question of precedence or priority on the roll may have been entertained , considered , ancl decided on long prior to these Statutes of 1599 ; the decision not necessarily involving any settlement as to relative antiquity , but only seniority , so to speak , on the roll . In England , Nos , 2 and

4 are very much older than Nos . 1 and 3 , though the latter two are the senior to the other two respectively . Possibly , the decision was due to the metropolitan position of the Loelge of

Edinburgh rather than its greater antiquity , but as to that , it is impossible now to determine ; but precedence was accorded to the Lodge of Edinburgh , then Kilwinning was to follow , and Stirling was third in order of seniority .

The superiority of the Lodge of Edinburgh , as respects the oldest Masonic minutes known , is beyond question , its volume of Records , which begins in July , 1599 , being by far the most ancient document of the kind in the world . By the Statutes of the same year , it continued to be the senior of lodges in Scotland ,

as it long has been of all lodges everywhere , but for the sake of peace and harmony , the Grand Lodge agreed early this century to place "Mother Kilwinning" above it , as No . 0 , as the senior on the Roll—their relative antiquity being undecided —and from that year ( 1807 ) the arrangement has continued ,

notwithstanding the vigorous protests of No . 1 , against taking a junior position on the Register . A few years later a similar decision was arrived at in England , when the " Lodge of Antiquity " No . I , the " Somerset House and Inverness , " No . 2 ,

and other old lodges accepted the second , fourth , and other junior positions respectively , to enable the " Grand Master ' s Lodge" and others dating after 1750 to assume the numbers 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 , & c , on the Roll .

It sounds strangely to refer to three head lodges , but this apparent ambiguity is explained by the addition of " principall luclgc" to Edinburgh , " secund" to Kilwinning , the third to

Stirling , each , as Bro . D . "Murray Lyon has pointed out , being "head Lodges over their respective bounds and independent of each other' * ' ( p . 243 , History of No . I . ) A similar usage is met with in relation to the German Steinmetzen—familiar to students

of Bro . Gould's colossal History—Strassburg , Cologne , and Vienna , being the three great Masonic centres , but the firstmentioned was to be fhe perpetual Head . The Statutes are too long to be produced in full , but they can be consulted by turning to Bro . Murray Lyon ' s great work .

1 am glad to state that a second edition is in progress , and will , doubtless , be most eagerly welcomed by reading Freemasons who appreciate the veteran author ' s pioneer labours in the past . Bro . Dr . George Dickson ( the esteemed R . W . M . of No . 1 ) , has hacl both the Codes most beautifully photographed by his son for

reproduction in the new volume , and has kindly presented me with copies , which have been utilised for the present paper . Through the kind services of Sir Charles Dalrymple , Bart ., M . P ., Grand Master of Scotland , ( on the application of Bro . D .

Murray Lyon , Grand Secretary ) , the Earl of Eglinton lent volume one of the Charters in his Lordship ' s muniment room for reproduction in facsimile ; Dr . Dickson being only loo glad to avail himself of such a special opportunity .

This volume is most ornately bound , labelled "Eglinton Charters : Vol . / , " and measures full 21 in . b y 15 in ., ancl nearl y 2 in . thick . The Code of 159 8 is in two sheets , over II »**• , by close on 8 in . The later one of 1599 , consists of a sheet and a half of slightly larger size , written in two different hands

, the first and last portions being identical in style with that of the Scribe ( Archibald Gibson ) , who wrote the copy in the Records of No . I , Edinburgh . Unfortunately , the third item of this Code has

suffered b y " wear ancl tear , " and is now protected by a thin sh p of paper being placed over a part of it , so that the photo taken b y Dr . Dickson ' s son only exhibits a portion of this important Statute .

As a member of " Mother Kilwinning , " and honorary iiiember _ of No . One , I am exceedingly interested in these old Regulations , and proud to be so intimatel y connected with these l «* o ancient lodges . W . J . HUGHAN .

Prime iM * ° i B QUESTS present at the full-dress Parliamentary bam-uet given by the buiv dlj ' T-t' . resliJence in Arlington-street , on Monday , were Bros . Lord Halsof 2 * ell , nl V , " * ' ) i the Dukes of Atholl , Portland , and Abercorn , the Marquis Kintore h , of * at , 1 om ( Lor < J Chamberlain ); th « Earls of Deiby , Crawford , ' -imetfrl r ? cutt ** Warwick . Mount Edgcumbe , Fjrmont , Rosslyn , Onslow , Balfour nf u , . " r ' Whari-cliffe , and Londesborough , Karl Amherst , and Lords S * M Donnell ^ gciton of Tatton , Ashbourne , and Rathraore , and the lion .

Another Masonic Ms.

ANOTHER MASONIC MS .

It affords mc great pleasure to announce that another copy of the "Old Charge ; " has been traced , and that the text is of a special character . It belonged to the late Bro . Vounghusband , who presented it to Bro . Captain J . Macnab , R . N . R . ( P . Prov . G . W . West Lanes . ) , in whose possession it has been until last

month , when it changed hands , and is to be placed in the library of West Yorkshire , much to the delight of the zealous Librarian , my esteemed friend , Bro . William Watson , thus making the : eighth in that famous collection . Only one other Institution has so many , ancl that is the British Museum .

Captain Macnab kindly allowed me to be the purchaser , but expressed the wish that the document should be placed in some permanent collection , hence my choice of West Yorkshire in the adjoining county . I need not state that Bro . Watson was

only too pleased to secure it on Ihe same terms . The late owner has decided to devote the proceeds to Masonic Charities , ancl I have parted with the scroll on thc condition that it be always called

" The Macnab MS : ' Originally it was a roll , but was ( most unfortunately ) cut into strips later on , ancl carefully mounted . Doubtless the document will be reproduced , ere long , by Bro . Watson , and , possibly , I

shall write an Introduction , so it is only needful now for me to state that it is written on paper , ancl has the name " Geo , Webstr ., 1722 , " & c , at the end , the period of its transcription being 1720 circa .

It belongs to the " Roberts' Family , " having the " Apprentice Charge" and the " New Articles " complete , but lacks a small portion of the first part . Tliere are only two other MSS . that have the "New Articles - '

and there are but five now of the Family , one being without these clauses , ancl the other is a reproduction in type ( "Roberts" ) . I am indebted to Bro . T . A . Withey , of Leeds , for the introduction to Captain Macnab .

Since the publication of my " Old Charges of British Freemasons " { London , Bro . George Kenning ) , two MSS . have been announced . The lirst is the " Langdale MS :, " to be numbered

D 40 , of thc latter part of the last century , reproduced in the " Christmas Freemason , " December 7 U 1 , 1 K 95 , by Bro . Schnitger and myself , and the second is this— " The Macnab MS . "—F ., of early 18 th century . Both are ( or were ) Paper Rolls .

I shall be glad to correspond with brethren who know of other copies of the " Old Charges , " as there are still several missing , and we want to trace and collate them all . W . J . HUGHAN ( Torquay ) .

Scotland.

Scotland .

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF STIRLINGSHIRE . The Quarleily Communication of the above Provincijl Grand Lodge was held in the Masonic Hall , Stirling , on Tuesday , the 4 th instant . 13 o . ex-Provost Ch . i . tie , Prov . Grand Masler , presided , and he was supported by Bros . \ V . Black , Depute Prov . Grand Mailer , and Sir J . R . G bson Maitland , Bart ., Sabstitule Prov . Grand Master . The principal business was the nomination of 1 leclive office-bearers for the ensuing year , and the

following is the list : Bro . William Stephen ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . ' ,, James Ferguson ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Or . Dyer ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tr ^ as . „ Fred . Johnston ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ M . O . Thomson ... ... ... Prov . j . G . D .

,, William Drummond ... ... ... Prov . G . Architect . ,, Limbcrt Hi pling ... ... ... Prov . G . Jeweller . „ George Maltman ... ... ... Prov . G . Bible Bearer ,, Robert Hetherington ... ... Piov . G . D . C . „ RoVert Taylor ... ... ... Prov . G . Bird . „ Jamts Scott ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B .

„ J . I .. Graham ... ... ... Prov . G . D . of Music . „ J . A . Wil . nott ... ... ... Prov . P . G . Stewards . „ Sergeant Baldwin ... ... ... Piov . G . Marshal . „ Peter Wright ... ... ... Prov . G I . G . ., William Watson ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . The installation ard annual dinner will take place oi Tuesday , the 2 ;*

-d-instant , in Ihe Royal Hotel , Stirling . Thc Quarterly Communications for the ensuing year were arranged to take place a > follows : April and July , in Falkirk ; Ocloh . r , in Alloa ; and January , in Stirling . Other formal business . having been trait-acted , thc Piov . Grand Lodge was closed .