Repaid.

" Too late ! we ' re lost , " lie frantic cried , " The house is tired , my- comrades gone , They think mc safe , none left but you , In anguished death to die alone ;

Too long we ' ve tarried—one chance yefc — To reach the roof by ladder frail , If left by chance , we may escape , If not , all human aid will fail .

' ¦ Here , take uiy cloak , ( will shield your face , Have care you stumble not , nor fall ; Steady and prompt let action be , Follow mo close and within call . "

By- ladder stair the root was gamed , Their lungs refreshed by cool night air , Volumes of flame and smoke arise . Below the gafh ' riug crowd is there .

Hope of escape irom root is vain . The flames have seized the house on left , A yawning chasm on the right , From which all access is bereft :

To leap the gap was certain death . While to remain was doom delayed , Though blenched the youth , the elder man , Nerved for the worsi . no fear betrayed .

"Quick , lend a hand ! thc ladder' draw From stair beneath , our only chance , 'Twill serve as bridge , by * ifc alone , i ., i •__ i __ . . . l * . i _> Each lmust his advance

. singy steps . " United strength a way has made , Escape from danger is assured , But old , and fragile , is the bridge , And injury from time endured .

" Now then , dear youth , ( lie leader bc , The means of safety to assay , Your weight is light . I'll firml y keep Thc ladder as you pass the way . "

The wooden bridge it creaked and bent , The passage cautiously he fried , Success attends him , he litis reached In safely to the other side !

"Be nunc the task , now , I am safe , Let me secure the ladder hold , The liarnes are mounting , lose rro time , But , grateful , let my arms enfold

My brave preserver—onward come , The precious moments why delay—" He gazed with horror at the sight , The bridge was slowly giving way !

'' Too great my weight . 1 no er can hope In safety by your side to . stand , Still 1 will try "—so , stooping down ,

lie crossed , mid-way , hand over hand ; But , sinking ' neafh the falling bridge , His las ! expiring effort made From liery gulf arose the words .

" Alorton , farewell ! my debt is paid ! ' Crowned with success , to keep his oath he tried , And 1 hough he basely lived , yefc nobly died .

Thomas Harper.

Thomas Harper .

DEPUTY GRAND AIASTER "ANCIENTS , " iNoo—1 . S 13 . l ^ wpj ^ j N the Christmas Number of the Freemason of 1 S 98 , ivt $ Nl ' ' l ' ' rt : " ' ippwircd an article entitled " An ' Ancient ' leaf ! P | . Worthy , William Dickey , jun ' , Deputy ( jrand | gp £ jg § | : Master , " in the course of which 1 spoke of that ~ ~ brother as having , perhaps , done more than any other member of our Society of " Ancient Free and Accepted Masons according lo the old Institutions , " for its

suecesslul development with tlie exception of Laurence Dermott : uul Thomas Harper , the former of whom was the organiser , if not the founder , of the Society while the latter occupied the chair of Deputy Grand . Master from 1800 to 1813 , and took a very prominent part in ils Union with the" Modern" Society ot

Freemasons on terms equal and honourable to both . In the present Article I purpose doing what is in my power to justif y the hi gh opinion there expressed of Thomas Harper b y describing , in such detail as may be necessary or desirable , the Masonic career of this must distinguished brolher .

Thomas Harper , though he may have stood hi gher in the social scale than many of his " Ancient " contemporaries , does 'lot appear ID have been indebted to rank or fortune for the fame ' •s a Mason to which he ultimatel y attained . He was a prosperous je \ vcller , and silversmith whose residence and place of busi-

Thomas Harper.

ness were at No . 207 , Fleet-street , close to the very spot , where during the first 12 or 13 years of its existence this journal was published . He must also have combined with this calling that of a printer and publisher , as many of the forms and other printed documents in use among the "Ancient" lodges bear his

imprint . He was , in short , a well-to-do City of London tradesman , who appears to have been as hi ghly esteemed and respected in private life as he was among his brother Craftsmen . He was , I feel sure , a good man , as , long before this paper is completed , he will be seen to have been a thoroughly good Mason .

According lo Bro . Henry Sadler , in his entertaining book entitled " Masonic Facts and Fictions , " Thomas Harper was initiated in Lodge No . 24—which was warranted at Bristol on the 17 th October , 1753 , in the days when our " Ancient " Masonry was governed by a Grand Committee— -in the year 17 61 , when Thomas

Earl of Kellv was Grand Alaster , and Laurence Dermott was 111 the tenth year of his Grand Secretaryship . If is not , however , till the year 1785 that I find mention of his name in the records of Grand Lodge , but it is evident that in the interval he must have made his mark in the Society , as in the minutes of the

24 th May , of that year , I lind that " Harper 5 —who had joined Dermott's favourite lodge , which still survives under the style ancl title of the Albion Lodge , No . 9—was one of a Committee appointed to wait upon the G . Master—the Earl , and subsequently Alarquis , of Antrim— -and the following month he

served on another Committee , chosen to make the necessary arrangements for a special meeting of Graud . Lodge , to be held on the 7 th June , for the purpose of installing his lordship . In the September following , he was elected Junior G . Warden , and about three weeks later was present at the constitution of

No . 231—now the Phoenix Lodge , No . 173—while on the 29 th of the same month at a Grand Lodge of Emergency , the minutes record that " the \ Y' Brother Harper , Master of No . 5 , made a motion for fixing a proper sum for making Modern Masons . Antient , which was carried by a majority to be one pound one

shilling , and a line laid upon such warrant if not strictl y observed , in the sum of one pound one shilling . " In 1786 , and again in 17 8 7 and 1788 , he w ; is elected Senior G . Warden , and look part in the constitution of Lodge , No . 240 , at the Pheasant , Stangate , on the 1 oth October , 17 S 7 , and tided as Dep . G .

Master at that of Ltlge No . 251 , at the Ship and Whale , Wapping , on the 12 th June , 1788 . It was also in this latter year—on the 3 rd September— -that in his capacity of S . G . W ., he formed one of the Committee appointed to inquire into the irregularities that were occurring in Royal Arch Alasonry . In

17 8 9 , he was again nominated to the ollice of S . G . W ., but Bro . James Agar was also put up as a candidate , and on a ballot the latter was preferred over Harper b y a majority of two votes . There can be no doubt , however , that his defeat was not in . consequence of any lack of appreciation of his services on the .

part of the brethren , for in the minutes of the 3 rd March , 1 790 , I read , " It was moved , seconded , and carried unanimousl y , that the Rig ht Worship ful Brother Thomas Harper , Esq ., Sen ' - Grand Warden , be presented wilh a gold medal in testimony of the Regard the Grand Lodge entertains of his faithful and

Diligent Discharge of his Duly as Senior Grand Warden and for his Services rendered to the G . Lodge thereby , and on the 1 st December following , 1 find it recorded , lhat "The R . W . D . M ., in the name of tlie G . L ., and in form presented the Gold Medal granted and Ordered the RAY . Br . Thomas Harper ,

S . G . W ., in March last and confirmed in June following . " But it was not for long that he remained out of office . On the 27 th December , 1791 , Bro . Robert Leslie , ( jrand Secretary , with the approval of Grand Lodge , appointed him his Deputy Grand Secretary , and he continued to hold that oflice and discharge its

duties efficiently , but quietl y and unostentatiousl y , until the year 1800 , when , on the lamented death of William Dickey , Thomas Harper was chosen to succeed him as Dep . G . Master .

The following letter , in which his appointment was notified , was read at the meeting of Grand Lodge which was held under his presidency as Dep . G . Master , on the 4 th March , r 8 oi , and may with great propriety be quoted here : —

" London , 4 U 1 March , 1801 ., "Worship full Secretary Leslie , " As indispensable business prevents my attendance in the Grand Lodge llus evening I have to request that you will be pleased to inform the worth y Brethren that I have appointed the

Worshi p ful Brolher Thomas Harper to be my Depuly , in lhe linn persuasion that b y such appointment the real interest of the Craft will be promoted , and I have 110 doubt that the knowledge which the Grand Lodge , must have , of the Masonic virtues of Brolher Harper will induce the Grand Lodge to think along with me lhat the Ancient Fraternity will derive benefit lrom lhe

choice I have made . " I remain , your true Brother in Masonry , "ATHOLL , G . M , "