Gloucester Cathedral.

sixteenth century , however , it had become much dilapidated , and when the famous Laud was appointed dean , in i ( 5 t 6 , there vvas scarcely a church in England so much in decay . Laud

soon procured an Act of Chapter , by which what appears now to be the insignificant sum of £ 60 a year was voted for the maintenance of the fabric . During the civil war the stately tower

formed a fine target for the artillerists of the beseigers , who pounded away at it , and the church of St . Mary de Crypt , and the other prominent objects within the walls . Fortunately no S ir

William Armstrong had arisen in those days , for , primitive as were the weapons ofthe King ' s forces , it is certain that they managed to hit the Cathedral , cannon balls havingrecently been found embedded in the exterior walls . But the

Cathedral only escaped one peril to be menaced by another , as during the Commonwealth it was " in danger of total destruction from the plots and contrivances of persons who , " as one of the

local historians tells us , " agreed amongst themselves for their several proportions of the plunder expected out of it . " Some two hundred years ago Mr . Dorney , whose name figures conspicuously

in the history of the period , urged the authorities to join shoulders to " hold up the stately fabric of the College Church , the great ornament of the city , which some do say is now in danger of

falling , " and in 165 7 the church was " granted to the Mayor and burgesses , at their own request , and Oliver Cromwell , under his broad seal , gave them an exemplification of it , " Years of neglect ,

relieved only by spasmodic and ill-considered means of restoration , followed ; works of Art in painting , glass , and sculpture , werc beaten into fragments , or buried in linievvash , wall , columns

and floor were allowed to decay , or were ruthlessly destroyed . Ken , the designer of the present organ-screen , suggested to Bishop Benson that the decay-defying Norman pillars of the

nave should be channeled and fluted , and it was only the discovery that the interior of the columns consisted of rubble that prevented the attempting

of this " improvement . " The duty of reparation has thus been thrown upon the present authorities , who have so far carried it out in a nohle

spirit . To us Masons Gloucester is especially interesting as containing some curious specimens of Masonic Marks , which if we remember rightly ,

are to be found upon the Norman pillars in the nave , and also the sculptured Masons' Square , discovered wc believe by Bro . the Kev . G . Roberts

sometime since , and ol which a description vvas given in the Freemasons' Alagaxine at that time . To Mark Masons those , writinics on slime are of

great interest and significance , and . some have gone so far as to assert , that in course of time we may discover through them , much of the ancient science of symbolism . Certain we are that

many of these marks , as for instance at Gloucester , are in places widely remote exactly similar , and this points at once to a great solidarity in the universal mystery of Masonry .

Thc Masons of Bristol restored sometime since the Lady Chapel of St . Mary Redclille , the noblest parish church in the three kingdoms .

The Masons of Bath have helped largely in the restoration of their beautiful Abbey . The Masons of Worcester recently gave a magnificent

Gloucester Cathedral.

window to adorn that noble edifice ; but what have we done in London , and what have the Masons in the wealthy and prosperous provinces of the north done towards expounding the

principles of wisdom , strength , and beauty ? To our shame we say nothing , absolutely nothing ! The Chapter of St . Paul's Cathedral is greatly in need of funds to complete the work

commenced by our Grand Master , Sir Christopher Wren , yet Giand Lodge gives nothing towards so noble an object .

Our late revered Grand Master dies in the fulness of years and full of honours , and what more natural than that the brethren of his own

great province in Yorkshire should desire that some rich memorial window in their noble Minster should testify to the glory of God , and to his memory . Yet no step seems to have been made ,

no suggestion offered to connect . the names of the Grand Master of Freemasons of England with those edifices which were reared by the piety of our ancestors , and which testify to-day

to the greatness of their skill , and which we today emulate in vain . To our metropolitan and northern brethren we say learn the lesson taught by the Masons of Gloucester , and " go do thou likewise . "

Consecration Of The Percy Lodge (No. 1427) At Newcastle.

CONSECRATION OF THE PERCY LODGE ( No . 1427 ) AT NEWCASTLE .

On Thursday , the 5 th inst ., there was a great gathering of Freemasons in Newcastle , upon the occasion of the consecration of a new lodge , called the " Percy , 1437 , " on the roll of lodges of England and Wales , which took place in the Freemasons' Hall , Maple-street , in this town ,

by the Right Hon . the Earl Percy , M . P ., Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master for the county of Northumberland , assisted by J . S . Challoner , Esq ., Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden , in the absence of L . M . Cockcroft , Esq ., Deputy Provincial Grand Master .

The ceremony of consecration took place at three o ' clock in the afternoon , and vvas most ably performed by the Provincial Grand Master , who delivered an excellent address upon the occasion , in which , amongst other things , he pointed out the right principle upon which their friends should be induced to become

Alasons . After the consecration , the Provincial Grand Master installed Bro . John Hooper as the first Master of the lodge . The Master then invested his officers as

follows : —J . H . Bentham , Senior Warden ; Shaftoe Kobson , Junior Warden ; B . J . Thompson , Treasurer ; J . Nicholson , Senior Deacon ; J . R . Young , J unior Deacon * H . Nothwanger , Inner Guard .

lhe lodge vvas very fully attended upon the occasion , about J ^ Masons being present ; and upon the dais were several distinguished brethren , amongst them being—Bros . W . Foulsham , P . P . G . R . ; Geo . Thompson , P . P . G . S . W . ; T . Anderson , P . G . S . W . ; StrakerWilson , P . G . J . W . ;

R . Smaile , P . P . G . R . ; J . M . Ridsdale , P . G . J . D . ; E . D . Davis , P . G . D . C . ; IL Hotham , P . G . S . W . ; Rev . W . Greenwell , P . P . G . C . ; Rev . E . Marrett , P . P . G . C ; Thos . Robinson , P . P . G . D ., and others . 1 he building in whicli the ceremony look place is one of the finest Masonic halls in Great

Britain . At the entrance is a vestibule , the basement of the walls of which is decorated with encaustic tiles of a be .-uitiful antl appropriate design . Proceeding inwards , to the ri ght is a lavatory , and to tiie left thc T yler ' s room , vvith tile work of a similar description , and with oak

furniture corresponding with the entire suite of the hall . The adjoining room , iu which candidates for the Masonic mysteries are prepared , is a beautiful apartment , suitably furnished , and on the same floor is the private room of the Provincial Grand Master , furnished with every requisite to domestic comfort . On the

Consecration Of The Percy Lodge (No. 1427) At Newcastle.

same floor is the Grand Lodge room , which is a most magnificent apartment , though it presented yesterday a sombre appearance , in consequence of being draped in black " in memoriam" of the late Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland , the late

Past Grand Master of England . Notwithstanding this drawback , however , the appearance of the hall was that of splendour and magnificence , to which the grand emblems and jewels of the provincial officers , and the artistic stained glass window of the hall itself contributed not a little .

Every care bad been bestowed in order to do honour to Earl Percy , on this his first visit to Newcastle-upon-Tyne . Immediately above his throne was p laced his crest , which was beautifully illuminated ; and his Lordship sat behind a pedestal which he had himself presented to

the hall on its inauguration . It is an unique piece of carving , and worthy of the donor . The chair in which he sat was presented b y B . J . Thompson , Esq . ; and at the right of his Worshi p was a chair presented by the late Earl of Zetland : the whole of the beautiful carved

oak chairs on the dais had been presented to the hall by honourable members of the Craft . On the floor of the hall , to the right and left of the dais , are two superbly carved oak desks , one the gift of Major Joicey , and the other the gift of J . H . Thompson , Eq . Immediately in front of

the Master ' s pedestal is a superbly carved oak reading-desk . In the centre of the room , on the left , look ing west , is the Junior Warden ' s pedestal , presented by George Elliott , Esq ., M . P . for North Durham , and on the opposite side of the hall is the Senior Warden ' s pedestal , presented

by the Right Hon . the Earl of Durham . Each piece of furniture is emblazoned with the Masonic emblems and the coats of arms of the donor . The very elaborate mantelpiece was designed and presented by John J ohnson , Esq ., the architect of the building . The illuminated

stamed-glass window is the only instance of the kind that has been attempted in this country : it vvas presented by George Thompson , Esq ., as the result of his own subscription and that of friends . On the north end of the dais is a fine portrait in oil of the late

Sir Wm . Lorraine ; and on the south is a portrait , also in oil , of the late Earl of Durham . A portrait of St . Peter , patron saint of the lodge , is esteemed a great work of art . In the centre compartment of the south wall , are copies of the late Duke of Cambridge ' s three

tracing boards . Immediately opposite these is a handsome time-piece , presented by Bro . Ralph Thompson , of the Royal Arcade . At the west end are two finely proportioned pillars in the Ionic and Doric styles , surrounded by the celestial and terrestrial globes . A kneeling stool and

rest , in carved oak , is a new feature in Alasonic lodges . The three candlesticks have a somewhat curious history . They were consecrated by the present Pope of Rome for use in a Roman Catholic chapel in this country , and were purchased by the late Bro . Fenwick , by whom they were

presented to St . Peter ' s lodge . Several other gentlemen have made handsome donations , amongst them being Bros . Wright , Wilson , W . Smith , J . S . Wilson , Laycock , and Straker . The hall is surrounded by a dado , above which are the crests , most beautifully

emblazoned , of the Knights Templar . Above them are the warrants of the different lodges and encampments , together with the various Masonic representations connected with St , Peter ' s and the Northern Counties' Lodges . The coronas ancl brackets are iu the cathedral style , and of a

most elaborate description . At each of the three pedestals is a splendid oak candlestick . The side elevations and fixed seats are covered with crimson to correspond with the dais , and the floor is covered with a handsome carpet . The

othcers collars and jewels , the square and compasses for Bible , and the floor-cloth were manufactured by Bro . George Kenning . On the second floor is a grand chib-rjom , which is decorated with Masonic emblems , and a peculiar portrait of an ancient Tyler .

Alter the ceremony of consecration , a banquet took place in the banqueting hall , and was presided over b y the Worshipful Master , J ohn Hopper , ofthe Percy Lodge , about sixty members being present . Bro . Challoner proposed " Success to the New Lodge , " coupled with the health