Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 147 Masonic History and Historians 148 Consecration of the St . ** Michad ' s Chapter , No . i 2 j-j 14 S Consecration of the Mawddach Lodge , No . 108 s . North Wales 140

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 149 CORRESPONDENCERoyal Masonic Institution for Boys 151 The Grand Lodge o £ Ireland 151 The Coining Elections in April i *; i Reviews i . **»

Masonic Notes and Queries i * Ji Cheshire Masonic Educational InsSiSntion i * , * i The Royal Sea-Bathing Infirmary for Scrofula at Margate ija REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonrv 1 * 2

Instruction 154 Royal Arch 154 Knights Templar 154 Funeral o £ the Late Bro . Lord Sherborne ... 154 Masonic and General Tidings 155 Lodee Meetings for Next Week 1 ( 6

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MISTAKES will occur in the best regulated families , and " errata in type- ical arrangements will sometimes take place . We regret , by an oversight , to have credited ^ 125 to Comp . J AMES TERRY , ( we beg his pardon for the mistake ) , and to the Era Chapter , when it ought to have been the Islington , 1471 . Bro . Moss ' s contribution is allotted to the Grosvenor , instead of to the

Star . The 175 mentioned turns out to be 174 , Sincerity , and brought in £ 14 8 ios , the Steward being Bro . FRASER . The Clerkensvell Lodge ( a nesv lodge , so that its return is very creditable to it ) , Bro . HASTINGS MILLER , Steward , has brought £ 150 3 s ., while the Brixton Lodge should really be £ 105 . As regards the provinces , Surrey returns £ 906 4 s . ; West Yorkshire ,

£ 430 2 s . ; Middlesex , £ 356 8 s . 6 d . ; Suffolk , £ 166 12 s . 6 d ., instead of £ 312 is . 6 d ., svhich svas made up by mistakenly including Bro . General BROWNRICG ' S return . Worcestershire , £ 218 13 s ., which was credited to Warwickshire ; Kent , £ 253 5 s . Warsvickshire was carelessly substituted

for Worcestershire , for which we ask forgiveness at the hands of that distinguished province . We repeat our regret for such unsatisfactory inaccuracies , and trust that Masonic courtesy and Masonic goodwill will make every allosvance for a " lapsus penna ; , " as svell as "lapsus typi . "

* * HAVE our readers quite realized the importance of the bearing of the fact , mentioned by Bro . W . H . RYLANDS , of an entry of a Freemason and gentleman of 1603 ? By itself this is in reality worth a good many elaborate lucubrations . It upsets all previous theories , and antagonizes many

dogmatic assertions . That there was a Speculative English Freemasonry in 1603 is a fact svhich demands the close attention of all Masonic students , and will lead , we trust , both to careful researches and ere long to striking " finds . " Let us , therefore , set ourselves to svork . The history of the Gilds and the archives of our lodges are practically a sealed book still to us . Let us seek to investigate the one , and unroll the other .

* He THI election for the Girls' and Boys' charities are again before us , and numerous are the "Canards , " as to relative chances and "double events . " We understand that so great is the pressure for the Boys' , and so light for

the Girls' School election , that the proposition of exchange for girls for boys varies from four to six to one . We are even assured on a good authority , that three Widosvs' votes are exchangeable for one Boys' vote . These are little facts svhich serve to shosv hosv the wind blows , and do not seem out of place in a Masonic journal . They are only for the adepts I

* # SOME one has averred that practically Masonic charity is only in name . The actual incriminations are , " the liberality of the order is not in proportion to its means . " We venture to meet this assertion svith a distinct negative . As an order , the Masonic Order is most remarkable and

commendable for its annual gifts and offerings for Masonic charity . We do not indeed say , that all is done that might be done . Far from it . But we do assert this , that the annual returns of Masonic liberality are very suggestive and striking . Where is the other society that does so much ? Let us see it , or hear of it . To have a fair comparison we must strike out all

professedly religious bodies , for their platform is not ours I Freemasons give for the cause of charity , not in the name of religion , not svith the zeal of proselytism . And though these acts of charity become religious acts , because given liberally , truly , and really , they can only be measured from

their own position , svhich is independent of and different from all other societies and associations . They certainly do not hosvever deserve adverse criticism or petty dispraise . They are in themselves , we repeat , most remarkable and laudable , alike as before the Craft and before the svorld .

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GREAT as are our annual returns to our Charities sve are a little afraid we trace in them one or tsvo symptoms of sveakness and retrogression , despite all that is said and done . We allude mainly to the small number of contributing new lodges and chapters , and above all to that vast majority svhich sends no Stesvards and "makes no sign . " It is quite clear now that if our

Charities are to be maintained , much less progress , they must has-e nesv blood to help their efforts and increase their returns . We cannot keep going over the same old tract again and again ; we cannot appeal only to the same old friends year by year . For though it is of course true that new Stewards and fresh friends appear , yet their number is not in proportion to the needs

of the Institutions and the numbers of the Craft . Strictly speaking , taking any test you like , the proportion of old Stesvards , hosvever striking , is too large , and seems to urge a little more zeal on the part of our new lodges and somesvhat more earnestness on the part of our younger Masonic generation . There are still many lodges and chapters , old and nesv , svhich have as yet

done nothing officially for our Charities , and sve therefore press upon them one and all to throsv oft" their lethargy , and before 1 SS 3 has passed asvay to qualify themselves svith votes for the Charities by reasonable , and

seasonable , and proper grants . The tsvo great Educational Charities have their anniversary festivals still before us ; sve trust later on to be permitted to recount some remarkable proofs of asvakened zeal and meritorious energy on the part of our lodges , chapters , and brethren .

* * * WE call attention elsesvhere to a most interesting little history of the Margate Sea Bathing Infirmary . We do so among other reasons as well as the inherent excellency and abounding usefulness of the institution itself , on

account of this fact , that our distinguished brethren , Sir ERASMUS WILSON , J CLABON , and Lieut .-Col . J CREATON , have taken , and still take , a very active part in its management and developement . It is a purel y philanthropical and meritorious institution .

* * ALL our readers , for English Freemasons are ever patriotic citizens of their great country , svill have been appalled by the Westminster outrage , and have deeply regretted to hear of the alleged atrocious attack on Lady FLORENCE DIXIE . Such , the outcome of dynamite heroes and unbridled

savagery on the part ot Irish secret societies and assassination circles , svill have ineffably distressed , nay , disgusted all lovers of peace , order , and legality amongst us . It would almost seem as if , despite our boasted advance in civilization , education , and the like , the only apparent result is this outburst of hopeless savagery and barbarism . We shall all heartily join in the

hope that the fautors and actors in these detestable conspiracies of outrage , destruction , and coldblooded murder mayspeedily be tracked out and brought to justice , and that a proper measure of vindicatory punishment may be meted out to them . We are glad to note that the authorities have decided to increase the police force in the metropolis .

* * WE are sorry to note every nosv and then evidences amongst us that our normal professions of brotherly kindness , good feeling , courtesy , and consideration , are moreon the lips than in our hearts , merely technical expressions , svithout any living meaning or reality . If our readers svill turn to our

correspondence columns to-day they will notice readil y one or two striking illustrations of a prevalence of personal feelings and even reckless unkindliness , utterly un-Masonic in temper and developement , by which some svho boldly term themselves brethren and Freemasons are actuated even as regards pure acts ot philanthrophic goodsvill .

* * IT would almost seem as if the great annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge was about to degenerate into a losv form of meeting for suburban betting . We deeply regret to read the statements and comments of the press . We trust that something of a more chivalrous and creditable

spirit will prevail , and that we may be spared the scandal in 1883 of having these , our " Olympian games " put a stop to by the University authorities , because hurtful to , and subversive of , the best interests of the undergraduates . In the recent race Oxford , as might have been realized without adventitious betting , beat the Cambridge crew .

We propose to call attention to Bro . Binckes ' s important letter in our next .