Consecration Of The Legiolium Mark Lodge, No. 457, At Castleford.

the wants of . others before his own ; wherever sorrow or suffering is to be found , there we find him , always doing to others as he would have others do to him , dealing fairly with all men , taking no mean advantage , or in the words so well-known to all of us , " one to whom the [ burdened heart may pour forth its sorrows , to whom distress may prefer its suit , whose head is guided by justice and his heart expanded by benevolence . " VVhat do the emblems of this Degree teach us ? Even this , that as the trowel spreads

the cement which binds all the building closely together , thus we are symbolically taug ht to spread brotherly love , affection , and kindness amongst mankind . The hour glass reminds us that life is quickly passing away , and warns us to improve the remaining portion of our lives ; the rope and anchor remind ns of a well-spent life , and teaches us to look forward to that time when we shall be safely anchored in that peaceful haven " where the wicked cease from troubling , and where the weary are at rest . ' The axe teaches us to avoid the danger of indulging

in deception , but to act openly with our fellow men , so that , with minds conscious of right , we need fear no detection or dread explosive , but walk onwards with consciences void of offence towards God and man . The All-seeing eye reminds us forcibly of the vigilance and unceasing watchfulness of the T . G . O . O . T . U ., who it continually watching over us , and whatever be our faults , however we may neglect our various tasks , whether indolence or apathy , cause us to be indifferent to the call of duty , the eye of T . G . O . O . T . U . never slumbers or sleeps , thereby

teaching us to take heed of our steps , to be cautious in our demeanour , and to avoid offending with our tongue . Let the words which surmount the tracing board , "Lapis rcprobatus caput angeliO' keep forcibly before us the leading truth inculcated in this degree , viz ., on the one hand the fallibility of human judgment , and on the other the comforting assurance derived from a belief in the existence of a heavenly judge , to whose unerring , impartial , and , we trust , merciful tribunal , our life work will hereafter have to be submitted . Let us remember God seeth not as man seeth , for man looketh on the outward

appearance , but God looketh on the heart , and , while in an honest endeavour to frame our conduct by the plans laid down for our guidance , interpreting them to the best of our ability by the imperfect light vouchsafed to us , we may be misjudged and misunderstood by our fellow creatures . Yet let us confidently place our reliance on T . G . O . O . T . U ., and look for our reward from Him , who is as merciful as He is unerring , ever remembering that the stone rejected by the builders , possessing merits to them unknown , ultimately became the head stone of the corner . So may we , by patient continuance in well doing , be built up as living stones into a spiritual house meet for the G . O . O . T . U .

The ceremony of consecration was then proceeded with , and at the conclusion Bro . George Frederick Carr , P . M ., Prov . G . Treas ,, was installed lirst Master of thc lodge . He then appointed and invested the following officers : Bros . Thomas Bland Wilson , S . W . ; Alfred Wilson , J . W . ; Charles Arthur Phillips , M . O .: George Henry Schofield , S . O . ; Albeit George Mabin , J . O . ; Thomas Beach ( elected ) Treas . ; John Ripley , Sec . ; Charles Hailes Waterhouse , S . D . ; Maj . William Waterliouse , J . D . ; Joseph Nicholson , I . G . ; and James Edward Mann and John Henry Corbitt . Stewards .

Several brethren were proposed for advancement , and heart ) ' congratulations having been tendered , the lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to refreshment , after which a pleasant and enjoyable evening was spent .

Masonic Reprints.—Vol. Iv.

MASONIC REPRINTS . —VOL . IV .

The new volume of the justly celebrated and invaluable " Masonic Reprints " of the "Ouatuor Coronati" Lodge , No . 2076 , London , is now being delivered to subscribers , and a most sumptuous work it is , artisticall y and Masonically . Volume IV . will rank as one of the best of this important series , because of the variety and very interesting character of the lexts selected for reproduction . There are four complete facsimiles of MSS . or versions of the " Old Charges , " and one partly so , besides four complete

transcripts and live able introductions , so that even if the subject be new to someof the subscribers—which is quite possible—the excellent essays on the distinctive features of each text or version b y Bro . G . W . Speth , the ever-active Secretary , enables even the veriest tyro of a Masonic student to rightly appreciate the peculiarities of each of the selected scrolls .

The "Grand Lodge No . I" MS . is beyond question one of the most valuable of all the rolls preserved , as it bears date the 25 th December , 15 S 3 , nnd is beautifull y written for the period . The * ' Lansdowne" is supposed lo be about the same age , but it is not dated . It cost the Grand Lodge on ' y £ 5 in 1839 , and is a veritable treasure . Bro . H . Sadler had it

reproduced in his " Masonic b acts and Fictions , " 1887 , and a portion in facsimile , and I had it in my " Old Charges of British Freemasons , " 1872 , hut my transcript was not so accurate . The " Grand Lodge No . 2 " MS . was only lately acquired through Bro Sadler at something like one-sixth of its actual value , and is of the utmost

consequence as a text , confirming as it does thc " Harleian MS . 1942 " in lhe British Museum . The additional articles are peculiar to these two MSS . and Roberts' print of 1722 , and , all the authorities consulted , date the roll " about the middle of the seventeenth century , " which seems a just estimate . Justice has not yet been done to this particular family of MSS ., lor with the special rules and the " charges belonginge to an apprentice , " the MSS . of this version or text are exceedingly curious and suggestive .

Flic " Buchanan MS . " is a fine roll , and written in a bold hand—late 1 7 th century . Bro . George Buchanan kindly lent it to me to transcribe hefore presenting it to the Grand Lodge in 18 S 0 , and I gave my copy to 15 ro . R . F . Gould to have reproduced in his noble " History of Freemasonry . " Its beginning is unusual , and so also the conclusion , the latter apparentl y being a survival of a much older period .

What is known as " Mrs . Dodd ' s MS . " is a typographical reproduction ol " The Beginning and First Foundation of the Most Worthy Craft of Masonry , with thc Charges thereunto belonging , " and was issued in 1739 . It is very rare , the only copy known in Europe being the one preserved in lhe library of the Grand Lodge of England , which was presented quite recentl y by Bro . John A . Farnfield . Bro . E . T . Carson , of Cincinnati , Ohio

, has one , which was purchased for him at the late Bro . Spencer ' s sale 01 Masonic works in 18 75 for 23 s ., but of course the price then paid was in " 0 wise indicative of thc real value of the treasure . The third copy is in jbe magnificent library of the Grand Lodge of Iowa , and belonged to my "inented friend , Bro . R . F . Bower . The handsome little book was reprinted J y that enthusiastic Masonic Bibliographer , Bro . Carson , in 1 . S 76 , and , like le Present reproductionis equal in all respects lo the oriinal .

, g s If 1 " ^ arr * s MS *> No . 2 , " was discovered b y Bro . John Lane and my-* ol - > bound up with a Grand I . odge Calendar of 1781 in the British b . " 1 H ' and partakes of the character of the " Harris MS ., No . 1 ., " owned jije c '' Bedford Lodge , " No . 157 , London , and the " Dumfries Kilwinning ' ^ ° * 3 i" the property of the Dumfries Kilwinning Lodge , No . ** - .-:. The

Masonic Reprints.—Vol. Iv.

latter is given by Bro . James Smith in his most attractive little history of that old and famous lodge , and the two pages in facsimile give a capital idea of the style and make-up of the MS . generally . Bro . Speth has taken great pains to make the transcripts accurate and faithful reproductions of the originals , and hc has succeeded most admirably . Doubtless this volume and its immediate predecessor ( Vol . Ill ) will soon be out of print , as the first two published , and at half-a-guinea per copy , are

marvels of cheapness and excellence combined . It is only by the large number of subscribers that such gems can be published at such small sums . The special attraction to me , however , is the series of facsimile rolls , inaugurated by Bro . Speth , by the exact reproduction of the " William Watson MS ., " of which only some half-dozen are now left for sale at one guinea each out of the limited edition of 100 copies . These will soon be at a premium , as the beautiful facsimiles of the "Regius" and "Cooke " MSS . b

The three rolls , added to this most attractive series , all in perfect facsimile , as respects caligraphy , size , style , & c , even to the vellum paper , are now before me , and please me exceedingly . Not being a monied man , I highly value such a chance of obtaining reproductions of these important scrolls , equal practically to the originals , and all the more , because the vellum scrolls will never occur for sale .

lhey are the " Grand Lodge MS ., No . i , the " Grand Lodge MS ., No . 2 , " and thc " Buchanan MS ., " all in the museum of the Grand Lodge Library . These are sold at one guinea each , or the three for two guineas , and strictly limited to 100 copies . My opinion is that the trio will soon be " snapt up , " and be carefully treasured by ardent Freemasons and in Masonic libraries , as they deserve to be , and I again desire to thank Bro . G . VV . Speth ( of Lancaster-place , Margate ) for the pleasure he has thus afforded us . * W . J . HUGHAN .

The Grand Lodge Of Ulster.

THE GRAND LODGE OF ULSTER .

BY HENRY SADLER . ( Continued from page 87 ) . under its protection and granting Warrants ,- & c ., therein . It is my wish to assimilate our proceedings as much as possible with those of England , and , therefore , I have to request the favour of you to afford me such advice , and furnish such documents as may enable me to effectuate this , and which I shall entreat of you to remit by the Bearer , who will call on you for that purpose previous to his leaving town .

We have here another Degree , styled Knights Templars , which is very prevalent among the lower kind of Masons and Military Lodges throughout the kingdom —who act wholly independent of the Grand Lodge—obtain warrants , and are registered , & c , by persons wholly unauthorized , but who assume a pretended power of doing so—nay , warrants for Knights Templars degree have come to my hands under the signature of persons who were suspended from Masonry by order of the Grand Lodge for gross misconduct .

To put a stop to many evils which have arisen , and are likely to arise , from such proceedings , it has been submitted to take this Degree under the cognizince of the Grand ; not only as a measure of regulation , but also of finance , for I think that the funds of the Order will derive near . £ 500 by it . Now I write to know if your Grand Lodge recognises in any respect the Degree of Knight

Templars—or if such a Degree is even known to you , and whether you have any and what powers ( save those given by the late Act of Parliament , under which-1 conceive all irregular meetings of Masons , or persons styling themselves such , may be effectually suppressed ) by which you can check , controul , or regulate disorders and irregularities committed in this Degree ?

We have no means of ascertaining thc precise nature of the reply to the foregoing ; but from the fact that the Ancients never issued either Royal Arch or Templar warrants ( being of opinion that an ordinary lodge warrant empowered the holders thereof to work the Royal Arch , or 4 th Degree as they termed it ) , it was probably not quite what was expected .

So far as I can learn , th ; Ancients never interfered in any way with the Knights Templar Degree , and all that they insisted upon with regard tothe Royal Arch was that every brother exalted to that Degree should be registered in the books of the Grand Chapter , for which registration the nominal sum of three shillings was charged .

Thc Grand Lodge of Ireland , i . e ., the regular Grand Lodge , had apparently determined upon taking the Orders of Knights Templar and Royal Arch under its " protection , " or , in other words , annexing them ; consequently on thc 5 th of September , 1805 , certain regulations for the better government of these Degrees were passed in that Grand Lodge , those relating to the Royal Arch being evidently an adaptation of the Royal

Arch regulations of the " Ancients in England , with the addition that Royal Arch warrants should be issued on payment of one guinea , while for a Knights Templar warrant thc charge was fixed at two guineas . It will be remembered that thc chief grievance of thc Northern and Military lodges was the interference of the Grand Lodge with what they considered their

rights with regard to the working of the Royal Arch and Knights Templar Degrees . They doubtless considered it a case of " taxation without representation , " and in all probability there would have been no Grand Lodgeof Ulster had the Dublin authorities been contentwith charging a merely nominal fee for registration and for a certificate .

In justice , however , to the Grand Ollicers it is onl y fair to remark that they had very good reasons for endeavouring to increase the revenue ol the Grand Lodge , that body having but recently established and taken under its care a school for the maintenance and education of the " Female Orphan Children of Free and Accepted Masons , " to support which excellent Institution funds were badly needed . The remainder of Bro . Boardman ' s correspondence is of a personal nature , with the exception of a letter dated 2 nd November , 1 S 0 S , in which he describes the recent disturbances

at considerable length , but as the same ground was traversed a few months later by the Deputy Grand Master , with probably more care , in a letter intended for the edification of the " Ancient " Grand Lodge of England , I will not trouble the Editor with transcripts of both these documents , but will give the preference to the latter , which may be deemed strictl y official , and which doubtless influenced the " Ancients " in the decisive measures , already mentioned , as having been adopted by them against Sehm and his adherents .

Dublin , 3 June , 1807 . Right Worshipful Sir and Brother , I am favoured with your letter of the 30 th ulto ., and beg to express my satisfaction at the opening of a correspondence with a Brotner who I n .-we Oeen prepared to esteem , not only on account of his high station in the Order ot Free { To 61 ' COIlfl ' llIICl /) .