The White Rose Of York.

THE WHITE ROSE OF YORK .

It is not every lodge that is ushered into existence under such a favourable combination of circumstances as that which , a short while since , wns added lo the roll of West Yorkshire , and now meets in the busy town of Sheffield . We allude , of course , to the White Rose of York Lodge , No . 2491 , which was constituted by the newly installed Prov . G . Master , on the 27 th ult . What

pariicular reason the founders may have had for selecting this title is a riddle we shall not attempt to solve . We are not aware of any particular sympathy—to our mind , indeed there would be a natural antipathyexisting between the beautiful emblem of the Yorkist line of the Plantagenets , and the soot and grime of a city like Sheffield , where

men toil the day and night through in the manufacture of cutlery and those large and massive plates which are made for the protection of our battle-ships . But ns Bro . J ACKSON remarked , in the course of his address on the occasion , the reason why that name has been chosen for the youngest of the Sheffield lodges is immaterial . What it

concerns us chiefly to realise is that the White Rose of York Lodge was , as we have said , consecrated amid a combination of favourable circumstances which are not often to be met with . There was a large attendance , larger even than might have been expected ; a spirit of earnest enthusiasm pervaded the whole of the proceedings : the

founders , to whose zeal we are indebted for this addition to the roll of lodges , are known to be good and true , who may be trusted to carry out . the difficult task they have undertaken thoroughly and well * , the oration which it is customary to deliver at the birth of a new lodge , was , of its kind , a model of excellence ; while the short address which the Provincial

Grand Master was prompted to deliver at the close ofthe consecration was in all respects admirable , and if tbe founders and members hereafter to be elected will only respond—as we have no doubt they will respond—with alacrity to the wholesome advice which their Right Honourable and Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master so kindly tendered , the success of tbe White Rose of York is assured beyond the possibility of question .

We have said that the oration delivered by the Provincial Grand Chaplain and the address of the Provincial Grand Master were in all respects admirable . We recognise that , as regards a long series of orations on thc same subject , there must always be a strong family likeness pervading them . It is 1 ardly possible for any one , or for any body of men , to be always

harpii g upon a single string , without repeatedly producing the same note ; but , though our Rev . Bro . DUNBAR traversed no new ground , he must have contrived to infuse into the minds of his audience the idea that they were listening to remarks which had about them the appearance of being new . Freemasonry , he truly pointed out , is an institution " whose

princ ' ples must stand till the end of time , consisting as they do of all that is good , all that is true , and all that is elevating . " Kqually true is it that however much we may be condemned by the " ignorant and prejudiced , maligned by lunatics , or ridiculed by the envious , so long as we maintain and uphold in our characters and conduct the

principles so carefully inculcated in our lodges , we may—nay , we shalldefy the world . " Again , " we are not propagandists , " but are content" to let the leaven of Masonic influence work its way silently and steadily , " yet the influence we now exercise is far greater than it was 50 years ago , just as it was far greater then than it had been 50 years previously . It is ,

indeed , this very extension of thc influence of Masonic principles that so infuriates the bigot , the ignorant , and the envious against our Order . We do not concern ourselves to attract or inveigle men into our ranks , they come of their own will and accord , freely and voluntarily offering themselves as candidates for thc mysteries and privileges of our Order , of which

they know nothing but what thc brethren themselves permit to be made known to thc uninstructed and popular world who are not Masons . Herein is the reason why Freemasonry is so hateful to the Papacy . But the more violently the latter thunders forth its excommunication of everything lhat is even in thc remotest degree connected with our Society ,

the more abundantly does the Craft go on prospering . Were Popes and Cardinals wise in their generation , they would cease to attack us , for being what we are , it is—humanly speaking—impossible for them to prevail against us . Then as regards the Prov . G . Master's address with which the ceremony of consecration 111 iy be said to have concluded , it contained

one or two injunctions which have been uttered before on similar occasions , but they were none the less appropriate , nor are thty less likely on that account to exercise the desired influence on the minds of those to whom they were more immediately addressed . Freemasonry , as Bro . J ACKSON was careful to point out , has increased of late years , and " we may congratulate ourselves most heartil y that this is so , if only we are assured that

The White Rose Of York.

worthy men and true have thereby been added to our ranks . " Those who take part in the foundation of a lodge lay themselves under a very grave responsibility . "They must not found a new lodge with a view to , or even thc possibility of , weakening an existing one , and they must exercise the closest and strictest attention to the merits or otherwise of candidates

for admission . " Having expressed his entire confidence in Bro . HUNT , the W . M . designate , and the brethren associated with him , that they would spare no effort to fulfil their duties manfully , the address concluded with thc following admonition ; which , considering the quarter it came from and the earnest , kindly manner in

which it was impressed upon his attention , wc have no doubt he will do his utmost to observe : " I entreat then , nay , I solemnly charge you , Bro . HUNT , under the sacred obligation which you will shortly be called upon to take , that you see that , like the rose , your lodge may be pure in its Masonic teaching , beautiful in its practice of Charity and Mercy , fragrant in

its exemplification of brotherly love and harmony , and spotless in its honour , its reputation , and its character . " Let us hope the " White Rose of York " will flourish in its new role as the title of a I . odge of Freemasons , whose principles—however it may in some few cases fare with their practice—consist of all that is e * ood , and true , and beautiful .

Ars Quatuor Coronatorum.—Vol. Vi.

ARS QUATUOR CORONATORUM . —VOL . VI .

The concluding part to Volume V I . is of a thoroughly Masonic character , full of interest , entertaining from ( irst to last , and abundantly illustrated . I think it will " hold its own " with most of its predecessors , and is certainly superior in attractiveness to several of the past issues . It is marvellous to me that Bro . Speth , our esteemed Secretary and able F . ditor , has contrived

to maintain the excellence , originality , and value of these important Transactions for so long . So far as we can see , however , and judging from the eloquent testimony of the previous volumes , there is every reason to

anticipate that with Bro . Speth in the editorial chair , and a continuance of the enthusiasm which has never failed to this day , but really appears to be on the increase , we shall have a succession of volumes quite as valuable and mportant as the grand collection of Proceedings so far published .

A really good portrait of the Immediate Past Master , Professor T . Hayter Lewis , F . S . A , forms the appropriate frontispiece , and will be warmly welcomed by the members of our Lodge No . 2076 , by whom that Masonic worthy is much appreciated . We all trust his health will soon be better , and enable him to attend to lodge duties as of yore .

To begin with , for we can but glance at the contents of this part , there are some really good illustrations of Canterbury—fourteen in all , —which serve to give point to the " Summer Outing" of the lodge in that city on the 24 th June last . The excursion was a most enjoyable one , thanks especially to Bro . Ward , who did his best to make the brethren comfortable ,

and , what is more , succeeded , as he always does on such occasions . His " Fountain " is a " home from home , " and what with abundant food for the body and the mind , the members—as the Americans would say—had an " elegant time" of it . Bro . Bywater has written a readable sketch of St . Gabriel ' s Chapel , and thus has added much to the value of the happy account given by the Secretary .

The article by liro . Crowe on " Masonic Clothing , " with several plates of aprons and jewels—some being of a very curious and extraordinary character—forms a capital supplement to his previous paper . Several of the illustrations are valuable , as well as most interesting , and his remarks thereon enable the ordinary reader to better appreciate the rare specimens

he has been enabled to secure . Bro . Crowe is always ready , and waiting in fact , to receive still more curios in the department , which he has thoroughly mastered , and as all his great collection will be donated to the " Quatuor Coronati " Lodge , brethren having aprons that are either old or singular in style , and who have certificates , & c , they do not particularly need , should forward them to him at his residence , " Marsden , " Torquay .

The " Consecration of a Parsee Priest , " by Bro . Simpson , reprinted from the Illustrated London News ( by permission ) , with the suggestive illustrations by that talented brother , will be read with much pleasure , even if it has been perused before in the famous weekly . Bro . Gould contributes a sketch of our lamented friend , Major Irwin ,

one of the members of the lodge , and a fair portrait of that enthusiastic Craftsman is also given . Dr . Begemann sends a learned disquisition on " The Assembly , " in relation to Bro . Gould's able paper on the subject ; so does Bro . Speth , who read his communication at the lodge held on 6 th October last , and these two valuable papers are followed with another b y Bro . Ry lands , one by Mr . Papworth , and Bros . Gould and Speth have also