"The Queen And The Craft."

Assembly of Union on Alonday , the 27 th December instant * , pursuant to Article IV . ( 4 ) " That the Grand Alaster do nominate nine worthy and expert Master Alasons . and Past Alasters to discharge the duties set forth in Articles V . aud XV .

( 5 ) " That a Special dispensation under the Grand Seal be issued to these nine Brothers and their Secretary , to hold a Lodgeof Reconciliation , in conjunction with an equal number to be appointed and empowered by His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex to fulfil the duties set forth in the said Articles of Union .

( 6 ) " That the Alaster , Wardens , and Past Alasters of the Warranted Lodges do attend the said Lodge of Reconciliation according to Notices to be addressed to them , for the purpose of being obligated , certified , and registered , to entitle them to be present at the Assembly of Alasons for the Union of the two Grand Lodges of England ou Alonday , the 27 th December instant .

( 7 ) " That the Secretary of the said Lodge of Reconciliation shall keep a book , in which shall be entered the names of all the Regular Members of the Lodges belonging to both Fraternities so obligated and certified , that they may be registered without fee or reward in the

books of the two Grand Lodges , and be thereby entitled to tickets of admission to tlie said Assembly of Union ; and that a correct return of tlie whole be made to the Grand Secretary on or before the 23 rd December instant .

( 8 ) " That the Grand Treasurer be directed to issue a sufficient sum out of the fund , to defray the expenses of the said Union , upon the drafts of the Deputy Grand Alaster , who shall submit vouchers of the appropriation thereof to the Stewards' Lodge . ( 9 ) " That a number of copies of the above Articles of Union be printed for the use of the Lodges at home and abroad .

( 10 ) "That a copy of these Resolutions be transmitted to the Grand Secretary of the Society of Freemasons , of which His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex is Grand Alaster , for the information of their Grand Lodge . "

With the transaction of other business of lesser importance the proceedings of this eventful day were brought to a close . On the following 23 i * d of December a last meeting of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Alasons according to the Old Institutions was held under the presidency of Bro . Thomas Harper , Deputy Grand AIaster , at Avhich H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex and several members of the other

Fraternity , in attendance on his Royal Highness , were present . In the course of tho j ^ roceetlings , npon motion made by R . W . Past Deputy Grand Alaster Perry , it Avas resolved unanimously " That the mostgrateful thanks of this Grand Lodge begiven to the Alost Worshipful His Royal Highness theDukeof Kent and Strathearn , Grand Alaster

of Masonsof EngUuidaceording to the Old Institutions for the gracious condescension with which he came forward in a most interesting moment , and yielded to our earnest and unanimous desire to take upon himself the truly important Task of negociating a Union wifch the Fraternity of Alasons , of which His Royal Highness the Duke of

Sussex is Grand AIaster ; for the zeal , ability , and conciliation which he displayed in all the conferences thafc took place in the progress of the same—for the firm ancl brotherl y determination with which he asserted , maintained , and secured the Ancient Landmarks of the Craft , as well as the rights and privileges of this Grand Lodge and of all

its constituents—for the earnest and strict attention which he paid to the princip les of perfect equalit y upon which tho Union was to be founded , and of the pure unity of obligation , discipline , and working to be established , by which alone the Union which was effected could be rendered truly cordial , and au unsullied system of Alasonry be

consolidated in the Metropolis of the British Empire . And they beg leave to express the lively and warm sense which they entertain of the noble generosity Avhich His Royal Highness has manifested in the intimation that he has made to us of his design to move in tho General Assembly of the two Fraternities to bo held on the day of

St . John the Evangelist , that his illustrious Brother , tho Duke of Sussex , should be elected Grand AIaster of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England , a proof of the distinguished spirit by which His Royal Highness has been actuated throughout the whole of this concern , so important to the cause and interests of

Alasonry throughout the world . And , further , to beseech His Royal Highness to be graciously p leased to sit for His picture in quality of of their Grand Alaster , that the same may be placed in the Hall of the United Fraternity . " Thanks were also voted to tlio Deputy Grand AIaster for his services to the Ancient Fraternity during the preceding 28 years , and to Bro . Perry , Past Deputy Grand Alaster , for

his services to the same body generally , and for the talents and eloquence he had at all times displayed in their behalf , and then we are told that " Grand Lodge was closed in dne form , and adjourned till St . John ' s Day next ensuing , then to meet in Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , London , at the hour of ten o ' clock in tho forenoon . "

Of the part played by the Duke of Kent in the memorable " Assembly of Union , " in Freemasons' Hall , on thc 27 th December , 1813 , it is unnecessary to speak . A full account of the meeting will be found in Preston ' s " Illustrations of Freemasonry , " as edited b y the late Bro . the Rev . Georgo 0 ! i \* er , D . D . Suffice if to say , thafc

the Union was effected in the spirit , and on the terms indicated in the foregoing excerpts from the Atholl minutes , and that on tho proposition of his Royal Highness of Kent , his illustrious brother , the Duke of Sussex , Avas elected by acclamation Grand AIaster of the United Fraternities . Nor is there much else to record of his Royal High-

"The Queen And The Craft."

ness ' s Masonic acts during the remainder of his life . He preided at the Anniversary Festival of the Institution for Boys in IS 14 , and died in 1820 , a short time before his father , George III ., letving an only daughter , the Princess Victoria , who , in June , 1837 , ascended the throne of the United Kingdom , and still reigns over ifc as its-Sovereign Lady .

Thus have I set forth—in greater detail than was absolutely necessary , because the incidents in the Alasonic career of tie Duke of Kent , as derived from the " Ancient" minutes are -less fully and generally known than they deserve to be—a number of circumstances Avhich give point and emphasis to the association Avhich . has been established by custom in our first and most honoured toast at all

Masonic festivities between her Gracious Alajesly the Queen and the Craft of Freemasonry . They demonstrate clearly that to her illustriousfather , as well as to his younger brother , the Duke ol Sussex , the Fraternity is deeply indebted , not only fcr the interest le manifested in our Society , but also for the active and beneficent part he took

in the mosfc momentous Alasonic event of the present century . Alore-OA'er , they will help to infuse—if that be possible—still greater enthusiasm into the proposal and acceptance of the slid toast when it is realised that it is to the Queen ' s father , acting * in conjunction with one of the Queen ' s uncles , that the Craft in England mainly owes its present position .

But there are still other reasons which give force to the conjunction in the aforesaid toist . The Queen is not only the daughter of an illustrious Alason , but the mother of three , and the grandmother in the direct line of descent of one , who have—or to our SOITOAV , be ifc said , in fche case of two of thom , had ir . their lifetimedistinguished themselves as members of our Society- Among them

THE PRINCE OF WALES , ns the eldest son of her Alajesty and as having occupied the foremost place in English Alasonry for the last 18 years , is of necessity the central figure . His Royal Highness was made a Alasou , while on a visit to the Swedish Court , by the late King of Sweden—who wat assisted in his task by the present King—towards the close of the year 1868 , the event , which turned out to be fraught with such importans

consequences to the Craffc in this country , being announced in Grand Lodge by the then Grand Alaster , Bro . the Earl of Zetland , at the June Communication , 1869 . After making the announcement , his lordship stated his intention of moA'ing at thenext Quarterly Communication in September that , iu accordance Avith precedent , the rank of Past Grand Alaster be conferred on his Royal Highness , and he

added that thc Prince had already expressed his wish to become a member of three or four English lodges , so that he mig ht the more thoroughly identify himself with the Fraternity * . In the ensuing September , Bro . Bagshaw , P . G . AI . Essex , acting as G . AI . in the absence of the Earl of Zetland , proposed thafc the rank of Past G . AL be conferred on the Prince ; and at the Quarter ! v Communication on the 1 st

December following , as soon as the minutes ofthe September meeting had been confirmed , his Royal Highness was introduced into Grand Lodge , and the Earl of Zetland , M . W . G . AL , invested him Avith the insignia of his rank , the Prince acknowledg ing the honour in a brief , bnt appropriate , speech , hi 1874 , ou the retirement from Freemasonry of fche Alarquis of Ripon , AI . W . G . M ., his Royal Highness was

pleased fco accepfc the office of Grand AIaster thus suddenly vacated , and on the 28 th April , 1875 , in the presence of from 8000 to 10 , 000 brethren , he was installed as AI . W . Grand Alaster by Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Alaster , in a Grand Lodge holden in the Royal Albert Hall . Soutli Kensington , the speech addressed to the brethren by bis Royal Highness after his induction into the chair being received Avith unbounded enthusiasm

by those present , AVIIO made the vast hall ring again and again with their cheers , the passages which were acclaimed with the greatest heartiness being that in which he declared , with exceptional emphasis , that ifc would be impossible for him while he lived to forget the events of so memorable a day , and his declaration that the fundamental princip les of Freemasonry wore " Loyalty and Charity . "

Since that glorious event the occasions have been vory numerous on which his Royal Hig hness the AI . W . Grand Alaster has exhibited his sympathy with the grand principles enunciated by him in fche Royal Albert Hall , as well as the . great personal interest ho has always taken in the more active pursuits of Alasonry . In the year following his installation he laid with Alasonic ceremonial the foundation-stones

of the new Docks at Bombay , the new Alarket at Gibraltar , and the new Post Office afc Glasgow . In 1880 he visited Truro , for the purpose of performing a similar function in connection with the Cathedral about to be erected in that city ; while in 1882 he presided in Grand Lodge , and moved that an address be presented to her Alajesty the Queen , congratulating heron her providential escape from

the hand , s of a would-be assassin ; his Royal Highness subsequently attending - at Buckingham Palace at the head of a deputation from Grand Lodge—all wearing their Alasonic regalia—and presenting the said address to her Alajesty . In connection with the visit of the Prince to Grand Lodge for this special purpose it may bo mentioned by way of parenthesis that his brothers , the Dukes of Connaught and Albany , wero also present , it , being the

only occasion I can call to mind on which the thiee Royal brothers attended Grand Lodge together . In 1883 the Prince laid the memorial-stone , firstly , of thc Indian Institute at Oxford , and secondly , of the New Institute of Art , Science , and Literature , afc York , while in 1884 he performed a like office on behalf of the Chapel of fche new schools of the Royal Asylum of St . Anne ' s at Redhill . In 1885 he had fche very great pleasure , of initiating his eldest son , Prince Albert