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  • July 24, 1886
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    Article GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF SCOTLAND. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article CELEBRITIES AT HOME. Page 1 of 1
    Article CELEBRITIES AT HOME. Page 1 of 1
Page 4

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.

dignitaries of the Scottish Craft , accepting the same corresponding positions in Royal Arch Masonry , confers at least virtual , if not actual , recognition , and a most friendly feeling now exists between the two Bodies . Soon after the Grand Chapter was started , the Grand Lodge opposed it for some y _ ars , and would not permit officers of their organisation to take any part

in the conduct of the other Institution . Of late years , however , everything goes on between the two Grand Bodies as smoothly as can be , and under the genial and able management of Bros . D . Murray Lyon and William Edwards , the Grand Secretary and Grand Scribe E , respectively , the relationship is both imtimate and mutually helpful .

In Scotland , no one can take the Royal Arch unless he has previously obtained the Mark and Excellent Master Degrees , these being worked in the chapters by virtue of the R . A . Warrants . Until recently what is known ns the " Past Masters Degree" was also a sine qua non lor exaltation . As , however , the Grand Lodge now recognises the ceremony of installation , esoterically , a . s well as ritualisiically , as worked in England , the P . M . has been omitted from the preliminary series , though it is still required in the Nonh American Grand Chapters .

The Mark and P . M . were wrought in what was called " Chair Master Lodges , " some years since , separate warrants being granted therefor , if needs be . In 1 S 45 there were three , viz ., I , Kinross ( of 1842 ) , 2 , Edinburgh ( of 1842 ) , and "St . John ' s , " Manchester ( of 1845 . ) These were subsequently altered to Mark Lodges only , some twenty being granted in

England and Wales alone , from 1 S 56 to 1871 . These have either become absorbed in the exceedingly pro-perous Mark Grand Lodge of England ( with which the Scottish Grand Chapter is now on the most friendly terms ) or have become extinct , the only active and separate Mark Lodge on the roll apparently being No . O , " Keystone . " Melbourne , of A . D . 1864 .

By an arrangement with the Grand Lodge of Scotland , its subordinate lodges may legally confer the Mark Degree in their lodges , such Mark Masters being recognized by the Grand Chapter of Scotland , and the Mark Grand Lodge of England , so long as the ceremony is trot conferred on -iny brother below the rank of a Master Mason , as all the Regulations of the three Bodies provide .

Companions joining chapters hailing from jurisdictions not recognising the Mark and Excellent Master , have those degrees conferred upon them prior to affiliation , a special obligation being provided for such occasions . Chapters holding charters from the Scottish Grand Chapter are entitled to give the" Royal Ark Mariners' " ceremony , provided the candidate is a R . A . companion ; the minutes and accounts of such being kept distinct

from those of ihe Royal Arch . Chapters are also empowered to work the " Red Cross Degrees , " including Knights of the Sword , Knights of the East , and Knights of the East and Wtst , commonly known as the "Babylonish Pass , " provided companions only are so advanced ; and a similar ceremony is observed at the installation of the Principals of the chapters as in Encl-md .

The new Regulations are most explicit as to the privileges , duties , and obligations of companions , being beyond question by far the best code yet issued by the Grand Chapter . Being also issued in a handy form , as with the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge , the handsome little volumes

will doubtless be more consulted than the large size of years gone by . There are about 180 chapters on the register , lhe numbers varying from I to 213 Thtre has been no change in the numeration from the origin of the Grand Chapter , the chapters being arranged in consecutive order , as the warrants are issued , and do not take the numbers of the lodges as in England .

Financially , the Grand Chapter is strong and healthy , having some £ 4000 in hand , and an income of about £ 600 annually . Its " Reporter , " issued officially , is a most interesting record , and I am pleased to see in its pages , a list of 18 Grand Chapters with whom it exchanges Representatives , and lhat for the Mark Grand Lodge of England , the Earl of Kintore , and Lord Henniker , have been appointed Representatives at and from the Grand Chapter respectively . W . J . HUGHAN .

Celebrities At Home.

CELEBRITIES AT HOME .

No . CCCCLXL—SIR JOHN MONCKTON , F . S . A ., AT THE GUILDHALL . The following effective Bketch of one of the leaders of English Freemasonry , derived from the columns of the World , and emanating , apparently , from the pen that so vividly pourtrayed our Grand Secretary some weeks since , will , no doubt , he read with interest by the brethren generally . Every trace of recent festivities and the last civic contest has already disappeared

from the venerable abode of the Corporation of London . The great Colonial Ball and the well-fought election of Sheriffs \ yhich followed it are alike matters of history ; the pigeons which inhabit the tower of St . Michael's , Bassishaw , and flutter fearlessly over the festooned facade of St . Lawrence , Jewry , are again in undisputed possession of Guildhall-yard ; King-street has recovered its wonted equanimity , and Gog and Magog look down once more complacently on the brass plates which indicate the standard of measurement in the floor beneath them . You have ,

in all probability , seen many times before the allegorical cenotaphs of the dead and gone warriors and statesmen , so you pass rapidly beneath the Elcho Shield , leave the glided gates of the new Council Chamber behind you , and enter by a glass door at the side of the bust of John , first Earl Russell , a bewildering labyrinth of corridors . The Committee of Markets happens just now to be in solemn session ; a crowd of applicants for its favours throng the passages , and seem to eye you with the suspicion of possible rivalry , while you wend your way to the lobby guarded by four

iron doors of ponderous thickness which divide the territory of Mr . Hallkeeper from the domain of the Town Clerk . Abundance of light comes through the glass roof ; tho spacious room is divided and sub-divided into pews and pens ; the sober paint and Georgian panelling seem to protest against the modern electric bells , and the speaking tube through which your arrival is announced in the realms below . A messenger in uniform promptly appears : Sir lohn Monckton will see you presently , and you plunge

down by the narrowest of lead-covered staircases into an atmosphere of subterranean gloom . Although the July sun shines brightly out of doors , the gas burns perpetually in these hidden precincts of the Corporation , and the mysterious receptacles for records which line the walls give them the appearance of a catacomb . A few paces only divide you from Basinghall-street , when your guide suddenly opens a door which admits you somewhat abruptly to the presence of the Customary Officer of the Corporation . A flight of half a dozen steps , flanked by polished hand-rails , takes you to the floor , which is covered by a well-worn and much-faded

Turkey carpet . The " sanctum sanctorum" of the keeper of the Lord Mayors conscience is long and lofty j tall windows , partly filled with ground . glass , give it a brightness which contrasts strikingly with the darkness you have traversed , and softens the depressing effect of the massive and monumental bookcases which half hide the gray-green walls , and enshrine the Public General Statutes in calf and gold , the Minutes of the Courts of Alderman and Common Council in red morocco , and the Reports of Royal Commissions in sober black . The ledge which divides them into two portions is completely occupied by a framed picture of the new

Celebrities At Home.

Tower Bridge , some newly-arrived boxes of cartridges , cards of invitation to longsince forgotten civic feasts , piles of paper neatly tied up with red tape , and a wigbox of formidable proportions . By the window opposite hangs a chart of the Thames , which serves to remind its owner of his pleasant Sundays " up river , " and close by is an engraving of one of the meetings of the Corporation in the old Council Chamber , in which ( notwithstanding his oflicfal attire ) you readily recognise the stalwart figure of the man who now rises from behind the great table at the end of the room to welcome you to the Guildhall . Magog , the famous black

cat who wages war relentlessly against the feline pets of half a dozen other departments , and checks effectually the increase of rats in the Record Room , evidently resents your intrusion , and rubs his back nervously against the legs of one of the angular chairs , standing on the homeliest of hearthrugs , in the neighbourhood of the solid white marble chimneypiece , which forms a convenient resting-place for an imposing collection of invitation cards , and a series of neatly bound volumes , which , at first sight , may be possibly taken for breviaries , but are in reality the official Pocket-books of the Corporation , destined ( as an inscription informs you ) for the special use of ' * Mr . Town Clerk . "

_ There is something unmistakeably martial in the bearing of Sir John Monckton . His black alpaca worUinp-jacket is eminently suited to his present occupation ; but you cannot help thinking that he should be in uniform , and once more at the head of his mounted battery of Middlesex Artillery Volunteers . He has , however , long since exchanged the sword for the pruning-hook ; but some thirty silver cups in his pleasant house in Cromwell-road still serve to remind him of the joys and triumphs of soldiering . Business happens to bo particularly brisk just now ; and while he

affixes his signature to a pile of papers which a clerk places on the slope before him , you have ample leisure to indulge in further contemplation of his characteristic surroundings . An old Chippendale clock ticks sonorously on a mahogany bracket over the arms of the Moncktons and the singularly appropriate device , " Famam extendere factis ; " the photographs of her Majesty's judges ( how many of them have passed away since they sat for them in 1880 !) look down gravely on a heap of papers in the corner ; the bookcase with the green calico curtains , before which

Sir John now sits and writes , was once sacred to the affairs of the " Watermen , " " Ballastage , " and " the Courts of Hustings ; " but in its old age contains nothing better than miscellaneous rubbish ; the second table near the door still bears the literary dehris of the Colonial Ball ; over the abiding-place of the Public General Statutes are to be seen a couple of rolled spring maps of the City of London in

wards and the borough of Southwark , just by the Town Clerk ' s serviceable writingchair the red and black calendar of the Corporation , in which the eccentric spelling of " Plow Monday " and other kindred terms is consistently preserved , is placed beneath an engraving of the first of the three Woodthorpes , ar . d above the fireplace hang coloured lithographic views of the new Library and the Central and Billingsgate Markets .

By this time the documents awaiting signature have received due attention ; the heavily-laden clerk takes his departure , and the ever active " Clericus Communis " is ready for a brief talk about his avocations and himself . The contents of the table before him help you amazingly . Beneath the goodly collection of summonses which call him to the meetings of half-a-score committees and sub-committees peeps out furtively Mr . 'James Purdey ' s annual reminder of the approach of September . The sarcophagus-like black inkstand with the nest of little drawers and quaint

taperstand was once probably used by the elder Woodthorpe himself . This paper-weight came from a French battle-field ; this square ot marble was picked up in the quarry of Ba-. eno ; the pebble which helps to keep the next set of letters in . order was found by the falls of Triimlenbach at Lauterbriinen . You have talked of sport , war , and travel before you come to the long row of books which fringes the opposite side of the table . Here we find " Riley's Memorials , " the " Liber Albus , " and " Loftie's London , " to remind you of the history of the Corporation , in which Sir

John , as becomes a zealous Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries , takes the deepest interest ; " Polling ' s Laws and Customs of London , " " Municipal Law and Practice at Elections , " " Norton's Franchises of the City , " and " May ' s Law of Parliament , " lead to a pleasant discussion on the functions appertaining to the Secretary of the City ; "The Rugby Calendar " takes you back to the time when John Monckton was the companion of George Goschen , William Henry Waddington , and Lewis Cave , and affords an excuse for some cheerful talk about the "Close , " the "Big

School , " and the " Quads , " long ago immortalised in " Tom Brown , " while the " Consuetudines Kantije" turns the convers ition to the old county of which Sir John Monckton is so justly proud , and induces him to tell you something of his life . The Town Clerk of London is " a man of Kent . " He was born at Maidstone , educated at Rugby and Kin . ' s College , London , and for many years followed his father ' s profession as a solicitor in Lincoln ' s Inn Fields . In 18 73 hc relinquished his practice to become the trusted adviser of the Corporation . He had already

found more than one congenial sphere for his constitutional energy and remarkable power of organisation . For many years he discharged with conspicuous ability the onerous duties of President of the Board of General Purposes—tho principal executive officer of the Masonic Fraternity . As a Volunteer he was equally successful . The jurisdiction of the Municipality of London is by no means limited to the traditional square mile . It comprehends the vast markets from Islington to Deptford ; the " open spaces " from Burnham Beeches to Epping Forest ; the Port

of London , and the supervision of sanitation from the City down to the Nore . The correspondence of the Town Clerk ' s office is ever increasing ; it involves constant communication with every Government Department , and occasional letters to nearly every municipality in the world . Sir John Monckton ' s native force of character , coolness in argument , and clearness of thought have won for him considerable power in the Civic Parliament . The influence he has gained is never unduly pushed , and is always exercised with scrupulous honesty . The multifarious

duties of his office have come to engross almost the . whole of his time , and his "home" in many senses of the word is literall y at the Guildhall . His autumn shooting is his one surviving recreation . The signal triumph of the great ball , which will for months to come excite the wonderment of our Colonial visitors , is only a specimen of the administrative achievement of thc popular Town Clerk . Sir John Monckton married longago . His accomplished wife has won name

and fame as an actress of undisputed merit . His eldest son—a Charterhouse boyis already doing well at the Bar , and distinguished himself at Oxford as a skilful musician . One of the last official acts of Lord Beaconsfield was to procure for thc most dilligent servant of the Corporation the honour of knighthood , and several foreign ribbons and stars have also fallen to his lot , but Sir John Monckton has never been spoiled by success :

Although another batchofpressingpapershasarrived , yourhostwill not suffer yon to depart without a visit to the fireproof crypt , over which he rules as custodian , of the muniments and charters of the City . Under his care , you are soon deep in "Hustings' Rolls , " the "Repertories" of the Court of Aldermen , and thc " Journals " of the Court of Common Council , nnd you venture to examine with due respect thc enormous volume lettered " Fowler , " bound in white vellum , with bands of red russia leather , which is the latest addition to its treasures . You pause a moment in thc adjacent room , whero Dr . Sharpe is patiently deciphering the will

of some worthy fourteenth-century burgess in the interests of his coming work . By this time , however , you have well-nigh outstayed your welcome . The messenger in uniform informs Sir John that Mr . Horace Jones wishes to see him on urgent business . You accordingly postpone to a more convenient season your proposed visit to the City Museum , under the auspices of so expert a numismatist and so ardent an antiquary as the Town Clerk of London ; apologise hastily for the unwarrantable extent of your intrusion , and pass out once more from the great Hall of the Corporation , with its unrivalled historical associations , into busy and prosaic Cheapside ,

“The Freemason: 1886-07-24, Page 4” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 31 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fvl/issues/fvl_24071886/page/4/.
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CONSECRATION OF THE MAKERFIELD LODGE, No. 2155, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS. Article 2
THE FIRST GRAND STEWARDS AND THEIR LODGES. Article 2
GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF SCOTLAND. Article 3
CELEBRITIES AT HOME. Article 4
BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE. Article 5
THE RECENT BOYS' SCHOOL FESTIVAL. Article 5
THE ANNUAL SUMMER BANQUET AND LADIES' DAY OF THE LODGE OF ST. JOHN, No. 1306. Article 5
SUMMER BANQUET. Article 5
FIRST SUMMER FESTIVAL OF THE LION AND LAMB LODGE, No. 192. Article 5
FREEMASONRY IN YORK. Article 5
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WILLING'S SELECTED THEATRICAL PROGRAMME. Article 7
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To Correspondents. Article 7
Masonic Notes and Queries. Article 7
REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS. Article 8
INSTRUCTION. Article 9
Royal Arch. Article 10
INSTRUCTION. Article 11
Scotland. Article 11
LECTURE ON THE GREAT PYRAMID BY BRO. JOHN CHAPMAN AT PHILADELPHIA , U.S.A. Article 11
BRITISH UNION LODGE, No. 114, IPSWICH. Article 11
LODGE OF PROSPERITY, No. 65. Article 11
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS. Article 12
THE NEW FURNITURE OF THE MARK GRAND LODGE. Article 12
THE QUEEN ELEANOR CROSS AT WALTHAM. Article 12
INSTALLATION MEETING OF .THE BARD OF AVON LODGE, No. 778. Article 12
Obituary. Article 12
THE THEATRES. Article 12
MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS Article 13
METROPOLITAN MASONIC MEETINGS. Article 14
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THE LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN SUMMER TOURIST ARRANGEMENTS. Article 14
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.

dignitaries of the Scottish Craft , accepting the same corresponding positions in Royal Arch Masonry , confers at least virtual , if not actual , recognition , and a most friendly feeling now exists between the two Bodies . Soon after the Grand Chapter was started , the Grand Lodge opposed it for some y _ ars , and would not permit officers of their organisation to take any part

in the conduct of the other Institution . Of late years , however , everything goes on between the two Grand Bodies as smoothly as can be , and under the genial and able management of Bros . D . Murray Lyon and William Edwards , the Grand Secretary and Grand Scribe E , respectively , the relationship is both imtimate and mutually helpful .

In Scotland , no one can take the Royal Arch unless he has previously obtained the Mark and Excellent Master Degrees , these being worked in the chapters by virtue of the R . A . Warrants . Until recently what is known ns the " Past Masters Degree" was also a sine qua non lor exaltation . As , however , the Grand Lodge now recognises the ceremony of installation , esoterically , a . s well as ritualisiically , as worked in England , the P . M . has been omitted from the preliminary series , though it is still required in the Nonh American Grand Chapters .

The Mark and P . M . were wrought in what was called " Chair Master Lodges , " some years since , separate warrants being granted therefor , if needs be . In 1 S 45 there were three , viz ., I , Kinross ( of 1842 ) , 2 , Edinburgh ( of 1842 ) , and "St . John ' s , " Manchester ( of 1845 . ) These were subsequently altered to Mark Lodges only , some twenty being granted in

England and Wales alone , from 1 S 56 to 1871 . These have either become absorbed in the exceedingly pro-perous Mark Grand Lodge of England ( with which the Scottish Grand Chapter is now on the most friendly terms ) or have become extinct , the only active and separate Mark Lodge on the roll apparently being No . O , " Keystone . " Melbourne , of A . D . 1864 .

By an arrangement with the Grand Lodge of Scotland , its subordinate lodges may legally confer the Mark Degree in their lodges , such Mark Masters being recognized by the Grand Chapter of Scotland , and the Mark Grand Lodge of England , so long as the ceremony is trot conferred on -iny brother below the rank of a Master Mason , as all the Regulations of the three Bodies provide .

Companions joining chapters hailing from jurisdictions not recognising the Mark and Excellent Master , have those degrees conferred upon them prior to affiliation , a special obligation being provided for such occasions . Chapters holding charters from the Scottish Grand Chapter are entitled to give the" Royal Ark Mariners' " ceremony , provided the candidate is a R . A . companion ; the minutes and accounts of such being kept distinct

from those of ihe Royal Arch . Chapters are also empowered to work the " Red Cross Degrees , " including Knights of the Sword , Knights of the East , and Knights of the East and Wtst , commonly known as the "Babylonish Pass , " provided companions only are so advanced ; and a similar ceremony is observed at the installation of the Principals of the chapters as in Encl-md .

The new Regulations are most explicit as to the privileges , duties , and obligations of companions , being beyond question by far the best code yet issued by the Grand Chapter . Being also issued in a handy form , as with the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge , the handsome little volumes

will doubtless be more consulted than the large size of years gone by . There are about 180 chapters on the register , lhe numbers varying from I to 213 Thtre has been no change in the numeration from the origin of the Grand Chapter , the chapters being arranged in consecutive order , as the warrants are issued , and do not take the numbers of the lodges as in England .

Financially , the Grand Chapter is strong and healthy , having some £ 4000 in hand , and an income of about £ 600 annually . Its " Reporter , " issued officially , is a most interesting record , and I am pleased to see in its pages , a list of 18 Grand Chapters with whom it exchanges Representatives , and lhat for the Mark Grand Lodge of England , the Earl of Kintore , and Lord Henniker , have been appointed Representatives at and from the Grand Chapter respectively . W . J . HUGHAN .

Celebrities At Home.

CELEBRITIES AT HOME .

No . CCCCLXL—SIR JOHN MONCKTON , F . S . A ., AT THE GUILDHALL . The following effective Bketch of one of the leaders of English Freemasonry , derived from the columns of the World , and emanating , apparently , from the pen that so vividly pourtrayed our Grand Secretary some weeks since , will , no doubt , he read with interest by the brethren generally . Every trace of recent festivities and the last civic contest has already disappeared

from the venerable abode of the Corporation of London . The great Colonial Ball and the well-fought election of Sheriffs \ yhich followed it are alike matters of history ; the pigeons which inhabit the tower of St . Michael's , Bassishaw , and flutter fearlessly over the festooned facade of St . Lawrence , Jewry , are again in undisputed possession of Guildhall-yard ; King-street has recovered its wonted equanimity , and Gog and Magog look down once more complacently on the brass plates which indicate the standard of measurement in the floor beneath them . You have ,

in all probability , seen many times before the allegorical cenotaphs of the dead and gone warriors and statesmen , so you pass rapidly beneath the Elcho Shield , leave the glided gates of the new Council Chamber behind you , and enter by a glass door at the side of the bust of John , first Earl Russell , a bewildering labyrinth of corridors . The Committee of Markets happens just now to be in solemn session ; a crowd of applicants for its favours throng the passages , and seem to eye you with the suspicion of possible rivalry , while you wend your way to the lobby guarded by four

iron doors of ponderous thickness which divide the territory of Mr . Hallkeeper from the domain of the Town Clerk . Abundance of light comes through the glass roof ; tho spacious room is divided and sub-divided into pews and pens ; the sober paint and Georgian panelling seem to protest against the modern electric bells , and the speaking tube through which your arrival is announced in the realms below . A messenger in uniform promptly appears : Sir lohn Monckton will see you presently , and you plunge

down by the narrowest of lead-covered staircases into an atmosphere of subterranean gloom . Although the July sun shines brightly out of doors , the gas burns perpetually in these hidden precincts of the Corporation , and the mysterious receptacles for records which line the walls give them the appearance of a catacomb . A few paces only divide you from Basinghall-street , when your guide suddenly opens a door which admits you somewhat abruptly to the presence of the Customary Officer of the Corporation . A flight of half a dozen steps , flanked by polished hand-rails , takes you to the floor , which is covered by a well-worn and much-faded

Turkey carpet . The " sanctum sanctorum" of the keeper of the Lord Mayors conscience is long and lofty j tall windows , partly filled with ground . glass , give it a brightness which contrasts strikingly with the darkness you have traversed , and softens the depressing effect of the massive and monumental bookcases which half hide the gray-green walls , and enshrine the Public General Statutes in calf and gold , the Minutes of the Courts of Alderman and Common Council in red morocco , and the Reports of Royal Commissions in sober black . The ledge which divides them into two portions is completely occupied by a framed picture of the new

Celebrities At Home.

Tower Bridge , some newly-arrived boxes of cartridges , cards of invitation to longsince forgotten civic feasts , piles of paper neatly tied up with red tape , and a wigbox of formidable proportions . By the window opposite hangs a chart of the Thames , which serves to remind its owner of his pleasant Sundays " up river , " and close by is an engraving of one of the meetings of the Corporation in the old Council Chamber , in which ( notwithstanding his oflicfal attire ) you readily recognise the stalwart figure of the man who now rises from behind the great table at the end of the room to welcome you to the Guildhall . Magog , the famous black

cat who wages war relentlessly against the feline pets of half a dozen other departments , and checks effectually the increase of rats in the Record Room , evidently resents your intrusion , and rubs his back nervously against the legs of one of the angular chairs , standing on the homeliest of hearthrugs , in the neighbourhood of the solid white marble chimneypiece , which forms a convenient resting-place for an imposing collection of invitation cards , and a series of neatly bound volumes , which , at first sight , may be possibly taken for breviaries , but are in reality the official Pocket-books of the Corporation , destined ( as an inscription informs you ) for the special use of ' * Mr . Town Clerk . "

_ There is something unmistakeably martial in the bearing of Sir John Monckton . His black alpaca worUinp-jacket is eminently suited to his present occupation ; but you cannot help thinking that he should be in uniform , and once more at the head of his mounted battery of Middlesex Artillery Volunteers . He has , however , long since exchanged the sword for the pruning-hook ; but some thirty silver cups in his pleasant house in Cromwell-road still serve to remind him of the joys and triumphs of soldiering . Business happens to bo particularly brisk just now ; and while he

affixes his signature to a pile of papers which a clerk places on the slope before him , you have ample leisure to indulge in further contemplation of his characteristic surroundings . An old Chippendale clock ticks sonorously on a mahogany bracket over the arms of the Moncktons and the singularly appropriate device , " Famam extendere factis ; " the photographs of her Majesty's judges ( how many of them have passed away since they sat for them in 1880 !) look down gravely on a heap of papers in the corner ; the bookcase with the green calico curtains , before which

Sir John now sits and writes , was once sacred to the affairs of the " Watermen , " " Ballastage , " and " the Courts of Hustings ; " but in its old age contains nothing better than miscellaneous rubbish ; the second table near the door still bears the literary dehris of the Colonial Ball ; over the abiding-place of the Public General Statutes are to be seen a couple of rolled spring maps of the City of London in

wards and the borough of Southwark , just by the Town Clerk ' s serviceable writingchair the red and black calendar of the Corporation , in which the eccentric spelling of " Plow Monday " and other kindred terms is consistently preserved , is placed beneath an engraving of the first of the three Woodthorpes , ar . d above the fireplace hang coloured lithographic views of the new Library and the Central and Billingsgate Markets .

By this time the documents awaiting signature have received due attention ; the heavily-laden clerk takes his departure , and the ever active " Clericus Communis " is ready for a brief talk about his avocations and himself . The contents of the table before him help you amazingly . Beneath the goodly collection of summonses which call him to the meetings of half-a-score committees and sub-committees peeps out furtively Mr . 'James Purdey ' s annual reminder of the approach of September . The sarcophagus-like black inkstand with the nest of little drawers and quaint

taperstand was once probably used by the elder Woodthorpe himself . This paper-weight came from a French battle-field ; this square ot marble was picked up in the quarry of Ba-. eno ; the pebble which helps to keep the next set of letters in . order was found by the falls of Triimlenbach at Lauterbriinen . You have talked of sport , war , and travel before you come to the long row of books which fringes the opposite side of the table . Here we find " Riley's Memorials , " the " Liber Albus , " and " Loftie's London , " to remind you of the history of the Corporation , in which Sir

John , as becomes a zealous Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries , takes the deepest interest ; " Polling ' s Laws and Customs of London , " " Municipal Law and Practice at Elections , " " Norton's Franchises of the City , " and " May ' s Law of Parliament , " lead to a pleasant discussion on the functions appertaining to the Secretary of the City ; "The Rugby Calendar " takes you back to the time when John Monckton was the companion of George Goschen , William Henry Waddington , and Lewis Cave , and affords an excuse for some cheerful talk about the "Close , " the "Big

School , " and the " Quads , " long ago immortalised in " Tom Brown , " while the " Consuetudines Kantije" turns the convers ition to the old county of which Sir John Monckton is so justly proud , and induces him to tell you something of his life . The Town Clerk of London is " a man of Kent . " He was born at Maidstone , educated at Rugby and Kin . ' s College , London , and for many years followed his father ' s profession as a solicitor in Lincoln ' s Inn Fields . In 18 73 hc relinquished his practice to become the trusted adviser of the Corporation . He had already

found more than one congenial sphere for his constitutional energy and remarkable power of organisation . For many years he discharged with conspicuous ability the onerous duties of President of the Board of General Purposes—tho principal executive officer of the Masonic Fraternity . As a Volunteer he was equally successful . The jurisdiction of the Municipality of London is by no means limited to the traditional square mile . It comprehends the vast markets from Islington to Deptford ; the " open spaces " from Burnham Beeches to Epping Forest ; the Port

of London , and the supervision of sanitation from the City down to the Nore . The correspondence of the Town Clerk ' s office is ever increasing ; it involves constant communication with every Government Department , and occasional letters to nearly every municipality in the world . Sir John Monckton ' s native force of character , coolness in argument , and clearness of thought have won for him considerable power in the Civic Parliament . The influence he has gained is never unduly pushed , and is always exercised with scrupulous honesty . The multifarious

duties of his office have come to engross almost the . whole of his time , and his "home" in many senses of the word is literall y at the Guildhall . His autumn shooting is his one surviving recreation . The signal triumph of the great ball , which will for months to come excite the wonderment of our Colonial visitors , is only a specimen of the administrative achievement of thc popular Town Clerk . Sir John Monckton married longago . His accomplished wife has won name

and fame as an actress of undisputed merit . His eldest son—a Charterhouse boyis already doing well at the Bar , and distinguished himself at Oxford as a skilful musician . One of the last official acts of Lord Beaconsfield was to procure for thc most dilligent servant of the Corporation the honour of knighthood , and several foreign ribbons and stars have also fallen to his lot , but Sir John Monckton has never been spoiled by success :

Although another batchofpressingpapershasarrived , yourhostwill not suffer yon to depart without a visit to the fireproof crypt , over which he rules as custodian , of the muniments and charters of the City . Under his care , you are soon deep in "Hustings' Rolls , " the "Repertories" of the Court of Aldermen , and thc " Journals " of the Court of Common Council , nnd you venture to examine with due respect thc enormous volume lettered " Fowler , " bound in white vellum , with bands of red russia leather , which is the latest addition to its treasures . You pause a moment in thc adjacent room , whero Dr . Sharpe is patiently deciphering the will

of some worthy fourteenth-century burgess in the interests of his coming work . By this time , however , you have well-nigh outstayed your welcome . The messenger in uniform informs Sir John that Mr . Horace Jones wishes to see him on urgent business . You accordingly postpone to a more convenient season your proposed visit to the City Museum , under the auspices of so expert a numismatist and so ardent an antiquary as the Town Clerk of London ; apologise hastily for the unwarrantable extent of your intrusion , and pass out once more from the great Hall of the Corporation , with its unrivalled historical associations , into busy and prosaic Cheapside ,

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