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the hands of the Provisional Committee till the latter have made their nport . Let the Finance Committee follow the example of the House Committee , and when the scheme of reform is ready there will be ample

time to grant a legal indemnity to both those who may have done more than their prescribed duty and those who may have done less . In the meantime , let all combine together in order to secure the success of the Festival on Wednesday , the 3 rd luly .

Since the above article was written , the news has reached us that the remaining members of the House Committee held a meeting on Wednesday at Freemasons' Tavern , and resolved to hand over the entire management of the Institution to the Provisional Committee appointed at the Special

General Court of Governors and Subscribers on Thursday , the 6 th inst . We cannot avoid expressing our satisfaction at the adoption of one of the alternative courses we recommend above , and at the consequent avoidance of all possibility of friction between the Committees .

* * * WE understand that a joint conference has been held between Koyal Masonic , TT .... ^ . r . .-. , „ .

institution the House and Audit Committees of the Royal Masonic for Girls . Institution for Girls , with the object of seeing if any improvements can be introduced for the benefit of the Institution . # . #

WE congratulate Bro . E . WOODALL PARKER , Dist . G . M ., The Punjab _ ., „ ., , , ,.. _ - , ., _ . Masonic Punjab , President , and the Vice-Presidents , Governors , and institution . Subscriber generally , of the Punjab Masonic Institution for the Maintenance and Education of the Children of Deceased and Indigent

Masons , on the very satisfactory position to which the Institution has attained during the past lew years . It is evident that very great care is exercised by the authorities in the management of the Charity , nearly the whole of the expenditure being incurred on behalf of the children vvho are elected to the Charity . Of these the number in 1888 was 27 , an increase of

one annually having taken place since 1884 , when it vvas only 23 , and as the funds are in a healthy condition , it was determined , at the annual meeting in February , that it should be further increased by the election of all the candidates—who were seven as against three vacancies—to 31 . The receipts for 1888 amounted to upwards of 13 , 831 rupees , of which all but about

2250 rupees , representing interest on investments , consisted of subscriptions and donations fiom the Craft . The expenditure was over 6272 rupees , of which 5838 was disbursed for the children in school fees and boaid , travelling expenses , and clothing , the bulk of the small remainder consisting of 263 rupees for printing and postages ,

and 120 rupees for the Clerk's pay . Thus , there remained at ihe close of 18 S 8 a large balance in hand amounting to considerably more tl an cne-half of the Receipts , and this , in accordance with the lules of the institution , will be invested , raibing the total of investments from 61 , 600 iupees to 68 , 8 ( 0 rupees . It appears also that the Rules and Regulations

have been carefully 1 evised and approved , and only await the necessary confirmation in order to become operative , so that vve may reasonably look for a further peiiod of still greater prosperity under the new regime , seeing how much has bten done under the old . In any circumstances , great

credit is due to our Punjab brethren for having organised and maintained so successfully a Charity which is conferring so large an amount of good on the children of poor and deceased brethren , and vve trust their annual repoits will never prove to be less satisfactory than that vve have had the pleasure of reviewing for the year 1888 .

Review.

REVIEW .

ARS QUATUOR CORONATORUM . We are pleased to greet the first part of the second volume and to acknowledge that the indomitable Secretary , as the editor , still gives an immense amount of valuable material for the careful digestion of his numerous readers . The annual report and balance sheet are of a very favourable character

better indeed than we had anticipated , after publishing so much during the past year ; so that ail things considered , and though the four figures of members has not been reached , the Quatuor Coronati Lodge continues as great a success as ever , and the importance of its meetings , the value of its papers , and the influence of its literature gene rally , are such as to ampl y

repay its founders . The permanent and Audit Committe e did their work thoroughly , the result being a very full statement of all the accounts under their several departments of 1 , Library ; 2 , Reprints ; 3 , Transactions ; 4 , Medals ; 5 , Correspondence Circle ; 6 , Lodges ; and 7 , Cash Account .

Ihe chief paper is on " The Worship of Death , " by the gifted W . Master , Bro . William Simpson , R . I ., his illustrations being numerous , most suggestive , and all o f a special character : beyond question , the elaborate essay is a very valuable contribution to a very curious inquiry , but we do not think it quite suitable for a full discussion of the numerous points

raised in our columns , much as we admire the research , ability , and ingenuity displayed in its production . The discussion vvas of a peculiarly interesting character . We quite tak e the view of the matter propounded b y Bro . Gould as a justification of the paper . " The one great and pressing duty of the Freemasons was , he thought , to try and recover the lost meanings of

many Masonic symbols , and to do this effectually it would be desirable to ascertain whether the symbolism they possessed became theirs by inheri . tance , or was the accidental product of adoption ( orassimilation . ) If their symbolism was inherited , then the analogous customs of remote antiquity should form the subject of their study and investigation . "

Review.

The W . M . was able to hold his own , notwithstanding the stiffness of the discussion , and the lodge owes him a debt of gratitude for the pains he has taken vvith respect to the subject . Bro . W . H . Rylands has concluded his " Word on the Legends of the Compagnonnage , " and like all that brother undertakes the paper ;<> thoroughly done . The result of his exhaustive researches are noted in the conclusion to his paper . He states that the legend of Maitre Jacques is 0 f Provence origin , and considers the legend of Mary Magdalene ( also of Provence ) was the original , so to speak , of that of the Compagnonnage but , though cleverly contrived , "is of comparatively late date . " Even its prototype vvas not of remote antiquity , and almost certainly "not earlier

than the 17 th century . Finally , after having spent a considerable amount of time on the subject , and though he has given an immense quantit y of detail and facts in the paper , now completed , his material is still far from being exhausted , so vve may yet be favoured with more interesting * matter . He unhesitatingly affirms that

While admitting that the Society , with a devoir , and perhaps some legend from the Temple of Solomon ( though I think this unlikely ) may have existed for several hundred years , I cannot help thinking , in the present state of our knowledge , and the materials we present , that it is quagmire , if not a quicksand . The valuable Paper should be read most carefully and critically , side by side , with Bro . Gould ' s great history and Bro . Speth ' s admirable addresses on the Compagnonnage , so that the matter might be well considered from all of the numerous standpoints .

In the Reviews is a capital notice of Bro . Norman ' s "History of the Royal Union Lodge , " Cheltenham , by Bro . G . W . Speth , and two critical examinations of Bro . Hughan ' s last work— " Engraved List of Lod ges , A . D . 1734 , " by Bro . Lane and Bro . Gould . Two more competent brethren

could not be found to write on the question , and as both are lavish in their praises , vve may take it for granted that this souvenir is deserving of all that has been so kindly expressed about its contents . Bro . Lane ' s review especially is particularly descriptive , and will doubtless prove most welcome to students of this important branch of Masonic literature .

The Secretary , also , has a very friendly notice of Bro . Finlayson ' s "Symbols and Legends of Freemasonry , " commending it highly as intra , ductory to a more massive work on the subject , so that , what with Papers and Reviews , there is no lack of material , and , as all bears the stamp of careful preparation , No . 2076 may be congratulated once again on the conspicuous merits of its publications .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Gloucester Shire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF GLOUCESTER SHIRE .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand . Lodge of Gloucestershire was . held on Wednesday , the 5 th inst ., at Tewkesbury . An interval of eleven years had elapsed since a similar meeting had been held in the old town , the occasion then being the re-opening of the Abbey Church after its extensive restoration , in which restoration the Masons of the province had taken part by contributing to the repair of the Chapter House . The pre- ,

vious visit had been a memorable one , from its association with a work national in its importance . On the present occasion the Tewkesbury brethren sought to make the occasion worthy of remembrance by those vvho took part in it by the thoroughness of the welcome offered to their visitors . Provincial Grand Lodge had been called for half-past two o ' clock , but

accompanying the summons to the meeting a circular had been sent in the name of St . George ' s Lodge , No . 900 , notifying the fact that the brethren of that Iodge had arranged to hold a Lodge of Recreation , in the shape of a water trip on the Severn , in the steamboat Ceres , which Bro . W . Rice

had kindly lent for the occasion ; and they intimated that they vvould be pleased to have the company of the brethren proposing to attend Prov . Grand Lodge . In response to this invitation , and under the genial encouragement of glorious summer weather , nearly 100 of the brethren had joined

the Ceres when , shortly before 11 o ' clock , she steamed from the town quay on her way down the Severn . Many of the guests had already driven a fair day's journey to join the party , and others had travelled by rail from the southern extremity of the province , and to such the opportunity for refreshment , vvhich the hospitality of the Tewkesbury Lodge had

provided on board , was especially acceptable . The programme provided tor a trip down the river as far as Wainlode-hill , with a short halt en route at Deerhurst ; but the stay at Deerhurst vvas so far extended that Wainlode was not reached . Those who have visited Deerhurst , and who can app reciate the attractions of its pre-Norman chapel and church , will scarcely he

surprised at the departure from the programme which was thus caused . Those who availed themselves of the opportunity of going over the 01 a buildings were courteously met by the vicar , the Rev . G . Buttervvorth , who took evident pleasure in briefly telling what is known of the history of tne abbey of vvhich the old buildings formerly formed a part , and describing

and explaining their architectural details . On the return passage up tn river , time permitted for the extension of the trip a little beyond Tew * ' bury , past the in-take of the Waterworks owned by the Cheltenham Corpo

ration at the Mylhe , and under the graceful bridge , designed by Tello' > which 70 years ago was opened by the then Deputy Prov . Grand Maste , Bro . J . Quarington , " in the presence , " as the reporter of the day tells u ¦ " of an incalculable assemblage of well-dressed persons . " The water party found a large number of brethren who had not be able to join in the morning's excursion awaiting their return at TevvkesbuO * and when Prov . G . Lodge opened there vvas a very large attendance ! eluding , as a visitor , the Prov . G . Master of Worcestershire , Bro . Edmund Lechmere . Those of the Provincial Officers present included 1 Bros , the Right Hon . Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . M ., pref cIin |*' K . V . Vassar-Smith , D . P . G . M .: ¦ T . G . Seymour , P . M . 1363 , Prov . S . G . W .. Q Millman , P . M . S 55 , Prov . J . G . W . ; T . Nelson Foster , P . M . 839 , P . P . G . W ., Prov * ^ Treas . ; J . ti . Winterbotham , P . M . 82 , P . P . G . W ., Prov . G . Sec ; E . Denmsf , vv * . 951 , Prov . S . G . D ; E . Witchell , P . M . 702 , Prov . G . D . C . ; W . Kenwick , U •&* , $ ., Prov . G . S . B . ; J . A . Matthews , 82 , Proy . G . Org . ; and B . London and J- 1 > I" - Prov . G . Stwds .