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Reports Of Masonic Meetings.
The following brethren were proposed from the chair and seconded by the S . W . as joining members , viz .: Bro . Caesar Kupferschmidt , 23 , Woodberry - grove , Finchley-road , of Pilgrim Lodge , 238 , author of the paper of the evening , and of a record of all German lodges ever warranted ( now ready for the press ); Bro . J . Finlay Finlayson , of Mount Olive Lodge , No . 385 , 14 ,
Heathcotestreet , Mecklenburgh - square , W . C , author of the "Symbols and Legends ot Freemasonry , " and Bro . C . Purdon Clarke , of Lodge Urban , 1196 , and 15 , the Grove , Hammersmith , W ., Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire , Member of the Royal Asiatic Society , and of the Society of Arts , Keeper of the Indian Collection , South Kensington , author of many papers read before various
learned societies , amongst others : On the Subterranean Chamber of St . Clements , at Rome , before the Society of Antiquaries , 1874 ; Indian Architecture , Society of Arts ; Curious Methods of Casting Brass , Iron and Steel Institute ; Moghul Architecture , R . I . B . A ., & c . In 1878 received the silver and bronze medals for Architectural Design , and the Legion of Honour , Paris Exhibition , and in 1 S 86 the medal of the Society of Arts .
The following two lodges and 26 brethren were elected members of the Correspondence Circle , viz .: Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 342 ; Lodge of Loyalty , No . S 97 , St . Helens ; and Bros . C . H . Dunn , Durban , Natal ; J . W . Turner , P . G . D . W . Yorks ; C J . Schott , Bradford ; John Cass , J . P . Bradford ; J . B . Knight , Bradford ; F . O . Webb , Port of Spain , Trinidad ; R . V . Vassar-Smith , D . P . G . M .
Gloucestershire ; J . W . Mason , Pietermantzburg , Natal ; Capt . H . Owen , Southampton ; F . J . W . Crowe , Ashburton ; J . Sykes Rymer , Lord Mayor of York , P . P . G . R . N . & E , Yorks ; S . Strasser , W . M . No . 3 , Albany , New York ; A . Mackenzie , G . Steward Scotland ; G . Taylor , Prov . G . Sec , Worcestershire ; R . Roy , P . P . G . Purst . Cambs . j S . B . Wilkinson , Northampton ; Rev . J . N . Palmer , P . G .
Chap . ; F . W . Binckes , P . G . S . B . ; Alf . Gill , Batley ; C . Greenwood , Halifax ; Wm . Flockton , Oulton , Leeds ; Alex . Wilson , Aberdeen ; A . H . J . Fletcher , Huddersfield ; J . P . Browne , Bradford ; J . Smith , Coldstream ; and J . S . Swithenbank , Bradford . This raises the roll of Correspondence members to 447 . The Worshipful Master announced that the preceding
evening a valued member of the lodge ( Bro . W . Kelly , P . P . G . M . Leicester and Rutland ) had completed his 50 th year of initiation and membership in the Lodge St . John's , No . 279 , Leicester ; that the Secretary , Bro . Speth , had attended the proceedings at Leicester , both officially and as a personal friend of Bro . Kelly , and had heartily greeted the veteran on the part of the Quatuor Coronati
Lodge , but that he ( the VV . M . ) thought that some more official notice of so auspicious an event should be taken . He therefore moved a hearty vote of congratulation to Bro . Kelly , such vote to be transmitted to said brother by the Secretary in writing and recorded on the minutes—Carried by acclamation . Letters and communications having been duly
acknowledged , Bro . Gould , the retiring W . M ., proceeded to install into the chair of K . S . the W . M . elect , Bro . Wm . Simpson , the well-known traveller , archaeologist , artist , and war correspondent , a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours , of the Royal Asiatic Society , of the Alpine Club , & c , and author of several interesting works of travel in all parts of the globe , and a frequent
contributor to the transactions of many learned societies . The W . M . then appointed his officers as follows : Bros . R . F . Gould , P . G . D ., I . P . M . and D . C ; Lieut .-Col . S . C Pratt , R . A ., S . W . ; W . M . Bywater , P . G . S . B ., J . VV . ; Walter Besant , Treas . ; G . W . Speth , Sec ; Professor T . Hayter-Lewis , S . D . ; Dr . W . Wynn Westcott , J . D . ; Rev . J . C Ball , I . G . ; and E . Macbean , Steward . The
W . M . read a highly interesting and instructive installation address , reviewing the past history and success of the lodge , and discussing the present position of archaeology in general and of Masonic research in particular . The address will appear in the next number of 'Ars Quatuor Coronatorum , " or transactions of the lodge . " Bro . Kupferschmidt read "Some notes on the relations
between the Grand Lodges of England and Sweden , " producing for the first time some data previously unknown respecting early English lodges in Sweden , and some original correspondence preserved in the Archives of the Grand Lodge of England which had been overlooked , considerably modifying the history of Swedish Freemasonry as hitherto accepted .
Bro . Gould said that the time allotted for the dispatch of their business having run out , he did not rise vvith a view of prolonging the discussion , but in order to propose the customary vote of thanks to the lecturer . Having had the privilege of perusing the paper , he had hoped that time would have permitted him to make some observations upon it . This , however , he was precluded from doing by the
lateness of the hour , and must , therefore , restrict himself to the motion to which he had already referred , though he would add to it his own congratulations to Bro . Kupferschmidt on having cast a new and much needed light on a very obscure portion of Masonic history . Bro . Speth observed that , being very much in the same posiiion as the last speaker , he begged leave to second the
resolution before the lodge , which would enable him to say that he had noted many points for further remark and would contribute what he had to say in writing . The paper added considerably to our knowledge of Swedish affairs . The vote of thanks vvas then accorded and acknowledged by the lecturer . The Secretary called attention to the deed vvhich had
been prepared , according to a resolution of the lodge , and vested the lodge library and Museum in the hands of Trustees , so that should untoward circumstances befall the lodge , the collection would be placed in the Grand Lodge library and thus be preserved to the Craft . He therefore requested all members of the lodge then present to execute the deed in the interval between the closing of the lodge and the sitting down to refreshment .
The lodge vvas closed , and the brethren adjourned to dinner . The W . M . proposed "The Queen" in felicitous terms , and , in calling upon the brethren to drink " The Health of the M . W . G . M ., " took occasion to relate some few incidents that had come under his personal notice , and which illustrated very forcibly the kindness of heart and regard of H . R . H . for all those about him , from the highest to the lowest .
The toast of "The Grand Officers" vvas responded to by Bro . Partridge , P . A . G . D . C . and Prov . Dep . G . M . for Leicester and Rutland .
Reports Of Masonic Meetings.
Bro . Gould , who next proposed " The Health of the W . Master , " said : On occasions like the present , vvhen it is observed that the I . P . M . has possession of the gavel , the brethren become aware that the toast of the evening is about to he proposed . The privilege thus devolving upon me I value very highly , and will now , to the best of my ability , proceed with the somewhat difficult task of
compressing within a short speech the varied and interesting " record" of our Worshipful Master , of which , indeed , some kind of summary is boch due to the lodge and , I am aware , is anticipated by the brethren . Of our personal relations , 1 shall merely say that during my year of office no Master of a lodge ever received greater support from his Wardens than I did . More than once , in matters that
had lain outside the course of my own reading , I consulted the Senior Warden , and the information sought for was never withheld . Indeed , quite the contrary , and I remember in one special instance , having written to our brother concerning the symbolism of the hand , that I found myself very much in thc same position as the Indian ryot , of whom it is related , that praying fervently for rain , he
was somewhat disconcerted when straightway the Ganges overflowed him . From this , however , I conceived the hope that our Bro . Simpson might perhaps , be equally communicative with regard to the circumstances of his own very remarkable career . But here I vvas disappointed , as our brother observes a singular reticence with regard to achievements of which he has every reason
to feel proud . Nevertheless , I have succeeded , after a fashion , in piecing together , from one source or another , at least a bare outline of the previous career of the worthy and distinguished brother whose installation this night has been the chief feature of our proceedings . What may be termed the notable career of the W . M . began in iS 54 with the Crimean War , and he vvas in Balaklava during the
terrible winter of that year . Days and nights were spent by him in the trenches ; nor was he associated with the land service only , for he often accompanied one of our ships of war when such was- detached for the purpose of bombarding a fortress . Bro . Simpson ' s sketches were published in two folio volumes , dedicated to the Queen , and I have it on good authority , that the greatest lady of the
land vvas graciously pleased to compliment our brother , not only on the result of his labours , but also on the gallantry and daring vvhich he had evinced in the pursuit of his profession . -After the Crimean War , Bro . Simpson made a tour in Circassia . Then came the Indian Mutiny , and our brother , long attracted by the East , went to India to illustrate that country . There he remained for three years ,
visiting all the most celebrated spots , including the wonderful cave-temples of Ellora and Ajunta , and in this way became familiar with Indian temples , from seeing and sketching the various places of worship . While in the Himalayas , among other sacred spots , our brother visited the source of the Ganges , where he bathed and drank the water—a ceremony , 1 may observe in passing , vvhich ,
according to the Hindu belief , entirely whitewashes all former sin . The precise extent , indeed , to which our W . M . benefited by his ablutions 1 cannot say , but he was , at all events , sufficiently invigorated corporeally , as to be able shortly afterwards to penetrate into Tibet , where he found himself among Buddhist Lamas , or monks , and , as a matter of course , embraced the
opportunity of sketching their monasteries and ceremonies . In 1 S 66 vve find him at St . Petersburg attending the marriage of the present Emperor of Russia , after which he vvas included in the suite of H . R . H . the Grand Master on a visit made by the Prince of Wales to Moscow . In 1 S 6 S he was with the Abyssinian Expedition , and , at the close of the year , went to Egypt to illustrate the Suez
Canal , and , this completed , he went to Jerusalem , where he vvas shown the underground wonders of that city by one of our Past Masters , then Captain Charles Warren , ot the Royal Engineers . Two years later we find our brother at Rome , the occasion being the meeting of the Vatican Council . Then followed the Franco-German War , vvith regard to which 1 shall only mention in passing that
the late Emperor Frederick sent our brother the war medal for it . After this , Bro . Simpson had some thrilling experiences of the Commune in Paris , and was a witness to the street'fighting . In 1 S 72 he went to Peking to illustrate the marriage of the Emperor of China , and here our VV . M . proved himself to be a man ot resource , for the most important part of the ceremony , vvhich no facilities were
afforded him for seeing , he succeeded in witnessing by a midnight ambush , or , in other words , by looking through a chink in the paper window of an opium den . It almost goes without saying that our brother paid a visit to the Great Wall . On his homeward journey , Bro . Simpson travelled via Japan and America , and , reaching San Francisco , found a great excitement over the Modoc War ; sooff
he went again ( where I am quite unable to follow him ) on the war-path . Before leaving the United States , our brother accomplished a good deal , and I have certain information that he visited Yosemite Valley , and the great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky , besides interviewing the Mormon patriarch , Brigham Young , at Salt Lake City . In 1 S 76 he accompanied H . R . H . the Prince of Wales on his Indian tour , and
a few years later , 1878-9 , was again in the same country , the occasion being the Afghan War , at the conclusion of vvhich he explored some old Buddhist monuments , and made several archaeological discoveries . In 1883 he was at Moscow , attending the coronation of the Emperor of Russia , and the following year accompanied the Afghan Boundary Commission , under Sir Peter Lumsden . It was
through his absence with this expedition that our W . M . does not figure as a founder of this lodge , vvhich it was always the intention that he should do , though 1 may here observe that vve have always regarded him a virtual founder , as the offices he has successively been called upon to fill will attest . Bro . Simpson got back to England from Afghanistan bv way of Persia , the Caucasus , and the
Caspian Sea ; and here my story of his travels approaches an end , though I shall just mention the funeral obsequies of the late Emperor Frederick of Germany , which were recently brought so vividly before our eyes in the oldest of our illustrated newspapers , where , also , there vvas the following notice : " From sketches by our Special Artist , Mr . William Simpson . " One event , indeed ,
m the Worsnipful Master s " record I have omitted in its proper order . His last collection of drawings vvas entitled "Troy , Mycenae , and Ephesus . " These were the sketches he made when sent out to illustrate Dr . Schliemann's explorations , and in connection therewith he wrote some articles in " Eraser ' s Magazine , " vvhich led to a paper war in the Times . But ,
Reports Of Masonic Meetings.
although Dr . Schliemann denied the accuracy of what our VV . M . said about his Hissarlik { Troy ) explorations , the former has since had to concede the position taken up by Bro . Simpson , vis ., the absence of any evidence to establish the doctor's claim that he had discovered the palace of Priam . Our brother is honourably known in connection with more than one of the fine arts , and , as we all know
combines in himself both those qualifications of which vve offer candidates their choice , who may be duly recommended for our full membership . But I must confine my remarks to the master art or science with vvhich as Freemasons we are , or should be , most closely concerned . Bro . Simpson has read papers before the Royal Institution of British Architects , on the architecture of India , of China , of
Abyssinia , of Afghanistan , and on the wooden architecture of the Himalayas . His last paper , read before the same body , vvas on quite a novel subject— " Mud Architecture "—and though the title vvas at first regarded as a j oke , I believe 1 am right in saying , that by the authorities of the Institute it was pronounced to be the very best which Bro . Simpson had ever produced for them . All these architectural
papers contained new matter picked up by our W . M . on his visits to different countries , and each of them was a very valuable contribution to our knowledge of the architecture of the world . With this introduction , brethren , I now give you "The Health of the W . M ., " with whose extensive learning and varied experience all of you may not yet be as familiar as you already are with the kindness of heart
and geniality of disposition , vvhich has endeared him to every member of the lodge . Bro . Simpson , in returning thanks , remarked that , owing to his deficiency in the ritual requirements for the occupant of the chair , he should have felt constrained to decline the honour if proffered by any other lodge ; but , as W . M . of the Quatuor Coronati , he felt that those .
accomplishments Were of a secondary nature , and that being so , the honour vvas too great to refuse . No position in Masonry appeared to him equal to the one he then occupied , and it would be his first thought during his year of office to uphold the proud position the lodge had already acquired , and to further its interests to the utmost of his power . Before sitting down , he vvould ask the brethren to
pledge "The Past Masters and Founders of the Lodge . " Two of these were that day absent—Sir C . Warren , whose acquaintance he had first made many years ago in the excavations beneath the Temple of Jerusalem , detained owing to the necessity of preparing for the Lord Mayor ' s Show , and his old friend Walter Besant , whose health prevented his attendance . Others , however , were present ,
and he would call upon the I . P . M ., Bro . Gould , to reply . Bro . Gould said that the founders of the lodge , who mustered that evening in greater strength than the Past Masters , derived much satisfaction from the success which had already crowned their initial efforts . With regard to the Mastership , the responsibility seemed to him not unlike that appertaining to the keeping of a watch on board ship .
The out go : / ig Master had , so to speak , in their own case , handed over the charge of the ship to his successor . But the course of the vessel remained the same , and though he ( Bro . Gould ) from being the captain , had become one of the crew , he hoped and believed that in him , the I . P . M ., their present VV . M . possessed no more loyal or dutiful subordinate . Both Circles , he thought , vvould feel confident ,
that with Bro . Speth at the helm and the W . M . on the bridge , their ship could not possibly be in better hands , and that those brethren , with the officers of the lodge , would be found fully equal to the duties devolving upon them , or to any emergencies that might arise . More he vvould not say , because his watch on deck was at an end , and he had handed over the speaking-trumpet , with the other
emblems of authority , to the worthy and distinguished brother who , to the satisfaction of them all , had already entered upon the discharge of his duties , as Master for the 12 months ensuing , in a manner which left no no room for doubt that his tenure of office vvould be productive of the greatest possible benefit to the lodge . The Worshipful Master next proposed " The Officers of the Lodge , " coupled with the name of the S . W .
Bro . Lieut .-Col . Pratt replied , and incidentally mentioned that the W . M . had left future travellers little to do in the way of discovery . There yet , however , remained Central Africa , and he thought it would be interesting if a deputation of the lodge invaded that district , in order to ascertain whether the whitewashing which , on the authority of the W . M ., was there applied to the natives under certain conditions of
initiation , at all resembled the process as carried out in their own Law Courts . The Worshipful Master , in proposing "The New Members , " said in a lodge like theirs , more than in any other , it was quality , not quantity , that was to be desired . Their regulations insured this by insisting upon a literary and
artistic qualification , and the success of their system vvas proved by the eminence in various lines of the one member admitted that evening and of the three proposed for joining . It vyas necessary that members should not only be fit to appreciate the labours of the lodge , but competent themselves to afford instruction to the others . He coupled the toast with the name of Bro . Mattieu Williams .
Bro . Williams returned thanks , and remarked that years ago he entered Masonry for the sake of knowledge . He could not say that he received none , but to him personally it vvas unsatisfying in its nature and extent . That evening he had made a second venture in the same direction , and , from what he had already seen , vvas convinced that that time at least he need not fear disappointment .
The Worshipful Master proposed "The Treasurer and Secretary , " and appealed to the latter to maintain the high standard of their transactions , as upon that depended their future and continued success . Bro . Speth returned thanks , and said his connection vvith the transactions was confined to the editing * , the maintenance of the standard depended upon the contributors . He
must , therefore , pass on the appeal to the members of the lodge in general ; but he vvas confident that they would not leave him in the lurch , and that , however good the preceding numbers of " Ars Quatuor Coronatorum " might be , those to come would be better , ln proposing " The Correspondence Circle , " the W . M .
pointed out that at the date of his predecessor s appointment to office the roll numbered 155 members . The year just passed had witnessed the accession of 292 members , bringing the total up to 447 . He trusted the year to come would prove still more successful . Bro . J . B . Mackey responded , and the Tyler ' s toast brought a very enjoyable meeting to a close ,
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Reports Of Masonic Meetings.
The following brethren were proposed from the chair and seconded by the S . W . as joining members , viz .: Bro . Caesar Kupferschmidt , 23 , Woodberry - grove , Finchley-road , of Pilgrim Lodge , 238 , author of the paper of the evening , and of a record of all German lodges ever warranted ( now ready for the press ); Bro . J . Finlay Finlayson , of Mount Olive Lodge , No . 385 , 14 ,
Heathcotestreet , Mecklenburgh - square , W . C , author of the "Symbols and Legends ot Freemasonry , " and Bro . C . Purdon Clarke , of Lodge Urban , 1196 , and 15 , the Grove , Hammersmith , W ., Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire , Member of the Royal Asiatic Society , and of the Society of Arts , Keeper of the Indian Collection , South Kensington , author of many papers read before various
learned societies , amongst others : On the Subterranean Chamber of St . Clements , at Rome , before the Society of Antiquaries , 1874 ; Indian Architecture , Society of Arts ; Curious Methods of Casting Brass , Iron and Steel Institute ; Moghul Architecture , R . I . B . A ., & c . In 1878 received the silver and bronze medals for Architectural Design , and the Legion of Honour , Paris Exhibition , and in 1 S 86 the medal of the Society of Arts .
The following two lodges and 26 brethren were elected members of the Correspondence Circle , viz .: Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 342 ; Lodge of Loyalty , No . S 97 , St . Helens ; and Bros . C . H . Dunn , Durban , Natal ; J . W . Turner , P . G . D . W . Yorks ; C J . Schott , Bradford ; John Cass , J . P . Bradford ; J . B . Knight , Bradford ; F . O . Webb , Port of Spain , Trinidad ; R . V . Vassar-Smith , D . P . G . M .
Gloucestershire ; J . W . Mason , Pietermantzburg , Natal ; Capt . H . Owen , Southampton ; F . J . W . Crowe , Ashburton ; J . Sykes Rymer , Lord Mayor of York , P . P . G . R . N . & E , Yorks ; S . Strasser , W . M . No . 3 , Albany , New York ; A . Mackenzie , G . Steward Scotland ; G . Taylor , Prov . G . Sec , Worcestershire ; R . Roy , P . P . G . Purst . Cambs . j S . B . Wilkinson , Northampton ; Rev . J . N . Palmer , P . G .
Chap . ; F . W . Binckes , P . G . S . B . ; Alf . Gill , Batley ; C . Greenwood , Halifax ; Wm . Flockton , Oulton , Leeds ; Alex . Wilson , Aberdeen ; A . H . J . Fletcher , Huddersfield ; J . P . Browne , Bradford ; J . Smith , Coldstream ; and J . S . Swithenbank , Bradford . This raises the roll of Correspondence members to 447 . The Worshipful Master announced that the preceding
evening a valued member of the lodge ( Bro . W . Kelly , P . P . G . M . Leicester and Rutland ) had completed his 50 th year of initiation and membership in the Lodge St . John's , No . 279 , Leicester ; that the Secretary , Bro . Speth , had attended the proceedings at Leicester , both officially and as a personal friend of Bro . Kelly , and had heartily greeted the veteran on the part of the Quatuor Coronati
Lodge , but that he ( the VV . M . ) thought that some more official notice of so auspicious an event should be taken . He therefore moved a hearty vote of congratulation to Bro . Kelly , such vote to be transmitted to said brother by the Secretary in writing and recorded on the minutes—Carried by acclamation . Letters and communications having been duly
acknowledged , Bro . Gould , the retiring W . M ., proceeded to install into the chair of K . S . the W . M . elect , Bro . Wm . Simpson , the well-known traveller , archaeologist , artist , and war correspondent , a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours , of the Royal Asiatic Society , of the Alpine Club , & c , and author of several interesting works of travel in all parts of the globe , and a frequent
contributor to the transactions of many learned societies . The W . M . then appointed his officers as follows : Bros . R . F . Gould , P . G . D ., I . P . M . and D . C ; Lieut .-Col . S . C Pratt , R . A ., S . W . ; W . M . Bywater , P . G . S . B ., J . VV . ; Walter Besant , Treas . ; G . W . Speth , Sec ; Professor T . Hayter-Lewis , S . D . ; Dr . W . Wynn Westcott , J . D . ; Rev . J . C Ball , I . G . ; and E . Macbean , Steward . The
W . M . read a highly interesting and instructive installation address , reviewing the past history and success of the lodge , and discussing the present position of archaeology in general and of Masonic research in particular . The address will appear in the next number of 'Ars Quatuor Coronatorum , " or transactions of the lodge . " Bro . Kupferschmidt read "Some notes on the relations
between the Grand Lodges of England and Sweden , " producing for the first time some data previously unknown respecting early English lodges in Sweden , and some original correspondence preserved in the Archives of the Grand Lodge of England which had been overlooked , considerably modifying the history of Swedish Freemasonry as hitherto accepted .
Bro . Gould said that the time allotted for the dispatch of their business having run out , he did not rise vvith a view of prolonging the discussion , but in order to propose the customary vote of thanks to the lecturer . Having had the privilege of perusing the paper , he had hoped that time would have permitted him to make some observations upon it . This , however , he was precluded from doing by the
lateness of the hour , and must , therefore , restrict himself to the motion to which he had already referred , though he would add to it his own congratulations to Bro . Kupferschmidt on having cast a new and much needed light on a very obscure portion of Masonic history . Bro . Speth observed that , being very much in the same posiiion as the last speaker , he begged leave to second the
resolution before the lodge , which would enable him to say that he had noted many points for further remark and would contribute what he had to say in writing . The paper added considerably to our knowledge of Swedish affairs . The vote of thanks vvas then accorded and acknowledged by the lecturer . The Secretary called attention to the deed vvhich had
been prepared , according to a resolution of the lodge , and vested the lodge library and Museum in the hands of Trustees , so that should untoward circumstances befall the lodge , the collection would be placed in the Grand Lodge library and thus be preserved to the Craft . He therefore requested all members of the lodge then present to execute the deed in the interval between the closing of the lodge and the sitting down to refreshment .
The lodge vvas closed , and the brethren adjourned to dinner . The W . M . proposed "The Queen" in felicitous terms , and , in calling upon the brethren to drink " The Health of the M . W . G . M ., " took occasion to relate some few incidents that had come under his personal notice , and which illustrated very forcibly the kindness of heart and regard of H . R . H . for all those about him , from the highest to the lowest .
The toast of "The Grand Officers" vvas responded to by Bro . Partridge , P . A . G . D . C . and Prov . Dep . G . M . for Leicester and Rutland .
Reports Of Masonic Meetings.
Bro . Gould , who next proposed " The Health of the W . Master , " said : On occasions like the present , vvhen it is observed that the I . P . M . has possession of the gavel , the brethren become aware that the toast of the evening is about to he proposed . The privilege thus devolving upon me I value very highly , and will now , to the best of my ability , proceed with the somewhat difficult task of
compressing within a short speech the varied and interesting " record" of our Worshipful Master , of which , indeed , some kind of summary is boch due to the lodge and , I am aware , is anticipated by the brethren . Of our personal relations , 1 shall merely say that during my year of office no Master of a lodge ever received greater support from his Wardens than I did . More than once , in matters that
had lain outside the course of my own reading , I consulted the Senior Warden , and the information sought for was never withheld . Indeed , quite the contrary , and I remember in one special instance , having written to our brother concerning the symbolism of the hand , that I found myself very much in thc same position as the Indian ryot , of whom it is related , that praying fervently for rain , he
was somewhat disconcerted when straightway the Ganges overflowed him . From this , however , I conceived the hope that our Bro . Simpson might perhaps , be equally communicative with regard to the circumstances of his own very remarkable career . But here I vvas disappointed , as our brother observes a singular reticence with regard to achievements of which he has every reason
to feel proud . Nevertheless , I have succeeded , after a fashion , in piecing together , from one source or another , at least a bare outline of the previous career of the worthy and distinguished brother whose installation this night has been the chief feature of our proceedings . What may be termed the notable career of the W . M . began in iS 54 with the Crimean War , and he vvas in Balaklava during the
terrible winter of that year . Days and nights were spent by him in the trenches ; nor was he associated with the land service only , for he often accompanied one of our ships of war when such was- detached for the purpose of bombarding a fortress . Bro . Simpson ' s sketches were published in two folio volumes , dedicated to the Queen , and I have it on good authority , that the greatest lady of the
land vvas graciously pleased to compliment our brother , not only on the result of his labours , but also on the gallantry and daring vvhich he had evinced in the pursuit of his profession . -After the Crimean War , Bro . Simpson made a tour in Circassia . Then came the Indian Mutiny , and our brother , long attracted by the East , went to India to illustrate that country . There he remained for three years ,
visiting all the most celebrated spots , including the wonderful cave-temples of Ellora and Ajunta , and in this way became familiar with Indian temples , from seeing and sketching the various places of worship . While in the Himalayas , among other sacred spots , our brother visited the source of the Ganges , where he bathed and drank the water—a ceremony , 1 may observe in passing , vvhich ,
according to the Hindu belief , entirely whitewashes all former sin . The precise extent , indeed , to which our W . M . benefited by his ablutions 1 cannot say , but he was , at all events , sufficiently invigorated corporeally , as to be able shortly afterwards to penetrate into Tibet , where he found himself among Buddhist Lamas , or monks , and , as a matter of course , embraced the
opportunity of sketching their monasteries and ceremonies . In 1 S 66 vve find him at St . Petersburg attending the marriage of the present Emperor of Russia , after which he vvas included in the suite of H . R . H . the Grand Master on a visit made by the Prince of Wales to Moscow . In 1 S 6 S he was with the Abyssinian Expedition , and , at the close of the year , went to Egypt to illustrate the Suez
Canal , and , this completed , he went to Jerusalem , where he vvas shown the underground wonders of that city by one of our Past Masters , then Captain Charles Warren , ot the Royal Engineers . Two years later we find our brother at Rome , the occasion being the meeting of the Vatican Council . Then followed the Franco-German War , vvith regard to which 1 shall only mention in passing that
the late Emperor Frederick sent our brother the war medal for it . After this , Bro . Simpson had some thrilling experiences of the Commune in Paris , and was a witness to the street'fighting . In 1 S 72 he went to Peking to illustrate the marriage of the Emperor of China , and here our VV . M . proved himself to be a man ot resource , for the most important part of the ceremony , vvhich no facilities were
afforded him for seeing , he succeeded in witnessing by a midnight ambush , or , in other words , by looking through a chink in the paper window of an opium den . It almost goes without saying that our brother paid a visit to the Great Wall . On his homeward journey , Bro . Simpson travelled via Japan and America , and , reaching San Francisco , found a great excitement over the Modoc War ; sooff
he went again ( where I am quite unable to follow him ) on the war-path . Before leaving the United States , our brother accomplished a good deal , and I have certain information that he visited Yosemite Valley , and the great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky , besides interviewing the Mormon patriarch , Brigham Young , at Salt Lake City . In 1 S 76 he accompanied H . R . H . the Prince of Wales on his Indian tour , and
a few years later , 1878-9 , was again in the same country , the occasion being the Afghan War , at the conclusion of vvhich he explored some old Buddhist monuments , and made several archaeological discoveries . In 1883 he was at Moscow , attending the coronation of the Emperor of Russia , and the following year accompanied the Afghan Boundary Commission , under Sir Peter Lumsden . It was
through his absence with this expedition that our W . M . does not figure as a founder of this lodge , vvhich it was always the intention that he should do , though 1 may here observe that vve have always regarded him a virtual founder , as the offices he has successively been called upon to fill will attest . Bro . Simpson got back to England from Afghanistan bv way of Persia , the Caucasus , and the
Caspian Sea ; and here my story of his travels approaches an end , though I shall just mention the funeral obsequies of the late Emperor Frederick of Germany , which were recently brought so vividly before our eyes in the oldest of our illustrated newspapers , where , also , there vvas the following notice : " From sketches by our Special Artist , Mr . William Simpson . " One event , indeed ,
m the Worsnipful Master s " record I have omitted in its proper order . His last collection of drawings vvas entitled "Troy , Mycenae , and Ephesus . " These were the sketches he made when sent out to illustrate Dr . Schliemann's explorations , and in connection therewith he wrote some articles in " Eraser ' s Magazine , " vvhich led to a paper war in the Times . But ,
Reports Of Masonic Meetings.
although Dr . Schliemann denied the accuracy of what our VV . M . said about his Hissarlik { Troy ) explorations , the former has since had to concede the position taken up by Bro . Simpson , vis ., the absence of any evidence to establish the doctor's claim that he had discovered the palace of Priam . Our brother is honourably known in connection with more than one of the fine arts , and , as we all know
combines in himself both those qualifications of which vve offer candidates their choice , who may be duly recommended for our full membership . But I must confine my remarks to the master art or science with vvhich as Freemasons we are , or should be , most closely concerned . Bro . Simpson has read papers before the Royal Institution of British Architects , on the architecture of India , of China , of
Abyssinia , of Afghanistan , and on the wooden architecture of the Himalayas . His last paper , read before the same body , vvas on quite a novel subject— " Mud Architecture "—and though the title vvas at first regarded as a j oke , I believe 1 am right in saying , that by the authorities of the Institute it was pronounced to be the very best which Bro . Simpson had ever produced for them . All these architectural
papers contained new matter picked up by our W . M . on his visits to different countries , and each of them was a very valuable contribution to our knowledge of the architecture of the world . With this introduction , brethren , I now give you "The Health of the W . M ., " with whose extensive learning and varied experience all of you may not yet be as familiar as you already are with the kindness of heart
and geniality of disposition , vvhich has endeared him to every member of the lodge . Bro . Simpson , in returning thanks , remarked that , owing to his deficiency in the ritual requirements for the occupant of the chair , he should have felt constrained to decline the honour if proffered by any other lodge ; but , as W . M . of the Quatuor Coronati , he felt that those .
accomplishments Were of a secondary nature , and that being so , the honour vvas too great to refuse . No position in Masonry appeared to him equal to the one he then occupied , and it would be his first thought during his year of office to uphold the proud position the lodge had already acquired , and to further its interests to the utmost of his power . Before sitting down , he vvould ask the brethren to
pledge "The Past Masters and Founders of the Lodge . " Two of these were that day absent—Sir C . Warren , whose acquaintance he had first made many years ago in the excavations beneath the Temple of Jerusalem , detained owing to the necessity of preparing for the Lord Mayor ' s Show , and his old friend Walter Besant , whose health prevented his attendance . Others , however , were present ,
and he would call upon the I . P . M ., Bro . Gould , to reply . Bro . Gould said that the founders of the lodge , who mustered that evening in greater strength than the Past Masters , derived much satisfaction from the success which had already crowned their initial efforts . With regard to the Mastership , the responsibility seemed to him not unlike that appertaining to the keeping of a watch on board ship .
The out go : / ig Master had , so to speak , in their own case , handed over the charge of the ship to his successor . But the course of the vessel remained the same , and though he ( Bro . Gould ) from being the captain , had become one of the crew , he hoped and believed that in him , the I . P . M ., their present VV . M . possessed no more loyal or dutiful subordinate . Both Circles , he thought , vvould feel confident ,
that with Bro . Speth at the helm and the W . M . on the bridge , their ship could not possibly be in better hands , and that those brethren , with the officers of the lodge , would be found fully equal to the duties devolving upon them , or to any emergencies that might arise . More he vvould not say , because his watch on deck was at an end , and he had handed over the speaking-trumpet , with the other
emblems of authority , to the worthy and distinguished brother who , to the satisfaction of them all , had already entered upon the discharge of his duties , as Master for the 12 months ensuing , in a manner which left no no room for doubt that his tenure of office vvould be productive of the greatest possible benefit to the lodge . The Worshipful Master next proposed " The Officers of the Lodge , " coupled with the name of the S . W .
Bro . Lieut .-Col . Pratt replied , and incidentally mentioned that the W . M . had left future travellers little to do in the way of discovery . There yet , however , remained Central Africa , and he thought it would be interesting if a deputation of the lodge invaded that district , in order to ascertain whether the whitewashing which , on the authority of the W . M ., was there applied to the natives under certain conditions of
initiation , at all resembled the process as carried out in their own Law Courts . The Worshipful Master , in proposing "The New Members , " said in a lodge like theirs , more than in any other , it was quality , not quantity , that was to be desired . Their regulations insured this by insisting upon a literary and
artistic qualification , and the success of their system vvas proved by the eminence in various lines of the one member admitted that evening and of the three proposed for joining . It vyas necessary that members should not only be fit to appreciate the labours of the lodge , but competent themselves to afford instruction to the others . He coupled the toast with the name of Bro . Mattieu Williams .
Bro . Williams returned thanks , and remarked that years ago he entered Masonry for the sake of knowledge . He could not say that he received none , but to him personally it vvas unsatisfying in its nature and extent . That evening he had made a second venture in the same direction , and , from what he had already seen , vvas convinced that that time at least he need not fear disappointment .
The Worshipful Master proposed "The Treasurer and Secretary , " and appealed to the latter to maintain the high standard of their transactions , as upon that depended their future and continued success . Bro . Speth returned thanks , and said his connection vvith the transactions was confined to the editing * , the maintenance of the standard depended upon the contributors . He
must , therefore , pass on the appeal to the members of the lodge in general ; but he vvas confident that they would not leave him in the lurch , and that , however good the preceding numbers of " Ars Quatuor Coronatorum " might be , those to come would be better , ln proposing " The Correspondence Circle , " the W . M .
pointed out that at the date of his predecessor s appointment to office the roll numbered 155 members . The year just passed had witnessed the accession of 292 members , bringing the total up to 447 . He trusted the year to come would prove still more successful . Bro . J . B . Mackey responded , and the Tyler ' s toast brought a very enjoyable meeting to a close ,