Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

INSTALLATION OF H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES AS PATRON OF THE SCOTTISH FREEMASONS . " The Grand Lodge of Scotland held a Special Communication on Thursday , 13 th October , for the sole purpose of installing H . R . H . the Prince

of Wales as Patron of the Scottish Craft- an office of which His Royal Hi ghness was pleased some time ago to intimate his acceptance . The ceremony had been looked forward to with much interest by Freemasons in all parts ofthe country , and accordingly the Grand Lodge Hall

presented on the occasion an imposing assemblage of the Craft . The hall was decorated with emblematical banners , and on the dais were placed three magnificent gilt chairs , that in the centre being for the Grand Master , while those on the right and left , the former surmounted by

a Prince of Wales ' s feather , were set apart for His Royal Highness and the Past Grand Master respectively . From the opening of the hall , about four o ' clock , the Craftsmen arrived , and took their places in quick succession , till all the available sitting room was fully occupied . The

brethren being duly clothed , and decorated with the jewels and other insignia of their various Orders , the long rows of benches which they occupied offered a brilliant spectacle . At five o ' clock the Grand Master ( Lord Dalhousie ) and other office-bearers of the Grand

Lodge entered by the principal door , and walking up the floor of the hall between two rows of Wardens , took their seats on or near the dais , while the Grand Organist , Bro . Davidson , performed a voluntary on the organ . Among the Craftsmen present were Bros . John

AVhyte-Melville , Past Grand Master ; Henry Inglis , of Torsonce , Substitute Grand Master ; William Mann , Senior Grand Warden ; Colonel Campbell , of Blythswood , Junior Grand Warden ; Lord Erskine , Senior Grand Deacon ; William Officer , Junior Grand Deacon ; Revs . Dr . Arnott

and V . G . Faithful , M . A ., Grand Chaplains ; Alexander James Stewart , Grand Clerk ; Lord Rosehill , acting Grand Sword Bearer ; Sir M . Shaw Stewart , Bart ., Prov . G . M . West Renfrewshire ; A . Smollett , of Bonhill , Prov . G . M . Dumbartonshire ; Sir Alexander

Gibson-Maitland , Bart ., Prov . G . M . Stirlingshire ; Lauderdale Maitland , Prov . G . M . Dumfriesshire ; Dr . Beveridge , Prov . G . M , city of Aberdeen ; Hector F . Maclean , Prov . G . M . Upper Ward of Lanarkshire ; Lord James Murray , Representative at the Grand Lodge of England ; Dr . Somerville ,

Representative from the Grand Lodge of Ireland ; Dr . M'Cowan , Representative from the Grand Orient of France ; Aldophe Robinow , Representative from the Grand Lodge of Hamburg ; Charles W . M . Muller , Representative from the Grand Lodge of Saxony ; Major XV

Hamilton Ramsay , Grand Director of Ceremonies , and Representative of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee ; Lindsay Makersy , Representative from the Grand Lodge of Canada ; James Ballantine , Grand Bard ; David Robertson , Grand Bible Bearer ; David Byrce , jun ., acting

Architect ; Murdoch M'Kenzie and John Laurie , Grand Marshals ; Colonel Kinloch , P . G . S . M . ; and P . S . Kerr , of Kindrogan , P . G . W . The following among other brethrenactedasStewards : Bro . John Cunningham , President of the Board

of Grand Stewards ; Colonel Guthrie , Dr . Dickson , Dr . Cairns , H . Copland , Dr . Loth , Dr . Ritchie , R . Mitchell , I' . Cowan , J . D . Porteous , G . B . Brown , Captain Aylmer , Dr . Coghill , and Dr . Fraser .

Ihe various dignitaries having taken their places , the lodge was duly opened in the Apprentice Degree , and subsequently raised to that of Master Mason . Meanwhile , thc Prince of Wales , leaving the Douglas Hotel , St . Andrewsquare , Edinburgh , accompanied by Lord Rosslyn , Deputy Grand Master , had driven up

to the hall in a carriage and pair . So soon as the lodge had been opened , the Grand Master inquired if the Prince of Wales had arrived . The answer being in the affirmative , a deputation , consisting of the Past Master , Deputy and Substitute Masters , the Senior and Junior Wardens , and twelve Stewards ,

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

chosen according to seniority , was appointed to wait upon His Royal Highness , and request his attendance in the hall . After an interval of a few minutes , the door was thrown open , and the Prince entered in formal procession . First walked the Master of Ceremonies , next three

Grand Stewards , after them the AVardens , then other three Grand Stewards , and next His Royal Highness , supported on his right and left respectively by the Past and Deputy Masters , and followed by four Stewards , including the President of the Board . As the procession

moved up the hall , the brethren , upstanding , warmly cheered their future Patron , while the Organist performed another voluntary . The Prince wore , over evening custume , the sash , gauntlets , and apron which had been prepared for his use . His Royal Highness having

reached the dais , took the chair reserved for him on the ri ght of the Grand Master , the remaining places on thc platform being occupied by Lord Rosehill , Lord Erskine , Bros . John Whyte-Melville , Henry Inglis , Lauderdale Maitland , and Dr . Beveridge .

I he lodge having been called to ordcr ; the Prince was greeted with the Masonic salute , after which , The GRAND MASTER said : It is my duty to announce to you , and I do it with the highest satisfaction , that His Royal Highness , our brother , the Prince of AA * alcs , Duke of Rothesay , and Grand

Steward of Scotland , has condescended to accept the ofler which we laid before him , and to become the Patron of the Scottish Craft . ( Applause . ) Our royal brother has done us thc honour to attend here to-day , in order to bc installed into that dignified position ; and I have , Sir ( addressing the

Prince ) , to request you to permit me to conduct you to the altar , where I shall administer to you the obligation . His Royal Highness accordingly left the dais , and . standing with Bros . AA hytc-Melville on his right and Lord Rosslyn on his left , took the obligation in

usual form . He was then invested by the Grand Master with thc jewel of his office , and having resumed his place on thc dais , again received the Masonic salute . The GRAND MASTER then said : Most Illustrious Sir and Brother , the Grand Lodge of Scotland

through the unworthy hands of me as their Grand "Master , have now obligated you as the Patron , not only of Masonry in Scotland , but of Scottish Masons throughout the world . In thc name of that ancient and distinguished body , I have to thank your Royal Highness for thc honour you have done us . Thc

office of Patron is the highest honour which wc have it in our power to offer to a brother , and as your Royal Highness is aware , it has already been held by your Royal Higbness ' s illustrious predecessors , George IV . nnd AVilliam lA ^ . That office , Royal Sir , has now descended upon you , and it is not only

my own earnest wish , but it is thc prayer of every good Mason here and throughout the bounds of Scotland , that you may be long spared to fill the high position in which this day we have installed you , and that when in thc course of events you shall come to occupy the same high station in this

country as your predecessors in this office have occupied , wc may hail in the Grand Lodge of Scotland anolncr Sovereign of the country as Patron of our Craft . Permit me , most Royal Patron , to tender you , on the part of the Grand Lodge ancl of the . Masons of Scotland , the right hand of fellowship .

Ihe i ' uiNCE of AVAI . ES , who was received with renewed cheering , said : Most AVorshipful Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , Senior and Junior Wardens , and brethren , I cannot tell you how deeply the ceremony of to-day has touched me , how thankful 1 am to you for the great honour you

have conferred on 111 c in making nic the Patron ofthe Craft in Scotland , and how deeply touched 1 have been by the excessively kind manner in which your Most AVorshipful Grand Master has addressed inc . Brethren , I have not long been a member of the Craft ; still I hope that I may bc considered a

worthy member of it . If so , you may bc all convinced that I shall always and on every occasion endeavour to do my utmost to fulfil such duties as may be imposed upon me as a brother Mason . Allow me once more to thank you for the honour you have conferred upon me ; * an honour which I

shall never forget . I assure you , brethren , I felt it a high honour when 1 was last year made a Past Grand Master of I lie Freemasons of England . Now an additional honour has , 1 consider , been conferred upon me , an honour which alone was wanting to complete my satisfaction as a member

member of the Craft , and that is the honour of being Patron of this Illustrious Order in Scotland . Thc GRAND MASTER : It now remains for me to put into your Royal Higbness ' s hands a copy ofthe Laws and Constitutions of our Order . 1 have , further , at thc request of our Grand Secretary , whose

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

absence on the present occasion through indisposition I deeply deplore , to place in your Royal Higbness ' s hands a work on Freemasonry which he has published , and which your Royal Highness , I think , will find well worthy of your study . Thc vohnr . es , both of which were handsomely bound , having been duly presented ,

The GRAND MASTER impressed on Masters ancl AVardens of lodges the importance of punctuality in reference to thc procession of Thursday . At halfpast twelve he should open Grand Lodge in the first degree , after which officers would retire to their different posts , and get their respective lodges marshalled into order , so that the procession might start exactly at the hour appointed .

The lodge being then closed , the Prince of AVales left the hall in procession as he had entered ; and so thc proceedings terminated .

AFFILIATION OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS TO THE LODGE OF EDINBURGH , MARY'S CHAPEL , No . 1 . The installation ceremony being over , the Prince of AA'ales retired to an upper room , and was waited on by a deputation from Mary ' s Chapel Lodge ,

No . 1 , who attended for the purpose of affiliating His Royal Highness as a member of that ancient lodge . The Prince was surrounded by the Grand Master , Past Grand Master , Deputy and Substitute Masters , and other office-bearers of the Grand Lodge . The deputation , which was ushered in by the Master of Ceremonies , was headed by Bro .

AVilliam Officer , R . W . M . of Marys Chapel , and comprised Bros . AA . Mann , Past Master ; F . S . Melville , Deputy Master ; XV . J . C . Abbott , Substitute Master ; Thomas Swinton , Senior AVarden ; AV . G . Roy , Junior Warden ; A . N . Clarke , Treas . ; Dr . Dickson , Secretary ; Sir Alex . Gibson-Maitland , James Ballantine , David Biycc , jun ., and Dr .

Maccowan . The Grand Master having introduced thc deputation to His Royal Highness , The R . XV . MASTER said : Most illustrious Patron , your Royal Highness has been graciously pleased to comply with a request made through our valued

Grand Master , that you should affiliate into the ancient Lodge of Edinburgh , Mary's Chapel , Nc . 1 . In compliance with your Royal Higbness ' s commands , I am here with this deputation from the lodge 10 administer the rite of affiliation . Most illustrious Patron , the lodge which I represent is

one of great antiquity . It is probably thc oldest Masonic body in Scotland , and it certainly possesses the oldest Masonic records of any Masonic body in thc world . Thc R . AV . M . went on to refer to thc many distinguished men who , during the long period of its existence , had been connected

with the lodge . Among those at present living he mentioned thc Grand Master of Scotland , Lord Dalhousie ; thc Grand Master of Ireland , the Duke of Leinster ; thc Past Grand Master ol England , the Earl of Zetland — adding that , illustrious as were those names in the annals of Masonry , thc

most illustrious of all was that of His Royal Highness , who had so condescendingly agreed to become an affiliated member ofthe lodge . 'The following certificate , beautifully illuminated on vellum by Bros . Melville and Adamson , of Lodge St . James , No . 97 , and lithographic

draughtsmen , Edinburgh , was then presented lo His Royal Highness : — " The Lodge of Edinburgh , Mary ' s Chapel , No . 1 . —At Edinburgh , the I 2 ih day of October , A . n . 1 S 70 , A . L . 5 S 74 . " William Officer , R . W . M .: William Mann , P . M .:

Francis S . Melville . P . M . ; \ Y . J . C . Abbott , S . M . ; Thomas Swinton , S . W . ; AV . G . Roy , J . W . ; Alex . N . Clarke , Treas . ; George Dickson , Sec . " The lodge having been opened in due , ancient , and regular form , His Koyal Highness Albert Edward , Prince of Wales , Puke of Rothesay , Prince Steward of Scotland ,

Patron of the Scottish Craft of Freemasons , was afliliate < a member of this lodge , with all ihe privileges appertaining thereto . " In testimony whereof this certificate is signed , sealed , and delivered in presence of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland , the Earl of Dalhousie , K ' . ' l ' ., G . CJi , & . £ ., at Freemasons' Hall , in the city of

Edinburgh , of tlie date above-mentioned .--Signed by Dalhousie , G . M . ; Rosslyn , D . G . M . ; II . Inglis , S . G . M . ; \ V . A . Laurie , G . Sec ; William Officer , R . W . M . ; William Mann , P . M . ; Francis S . Melville , D . M . ; W . C . Abbutl , S . M . ; Thomas Swinton , S . W . ; \ Y . G . Roy , JAY . ; A . N . Clarke , Tiers ; George Dickson , Sec . "

The certificate was enclosed in a handsome casket , bearing , among oilier devices , the arms of Ihe Prince of ' Wales and lho . se of Mary's Chapel , the work of Bro . Francis Law , jeweller to the lodge .

The ceremony baling been completed , thc Prince of Wales briefly thanked the members of thc lodge for the honour they had conferred upon him . The R . W . . Master then called the Prince ' s attention to the oldest minute-book of the lodge , which I lis Royal Highness examined with great care .