Masonic History—Ii.

putting conjecture on one side , it is at all events quite certain " , that all three of the brethren thc traditional founders of the Grand Lodge , were members of original No . 4 . Of their respective shares in the " reconstruction of the Society , " we can onl y judge by the evidence that has come down to us . Desaguliers as the mo ; . t illustrious of the trio , has received the chief credit of this operation , but I think unfairly . A few extracts from the Constitution book of

173 S will make this clearer : — " 24 June 1718—Bro . Sayer having gather'd the votes after dinner , proclaim'd aloud our Bro . George Payne Esq . Grand Master of Masons , who being duly invested . " . . ' . recommended the strict observance of the Quarterly Communication , and desir'd any brethren to bring to the

Grand Lodge , any old Writings and Records , concerning Masons and Masonry ; in order to shew the usages of Antient Times : And this year several old copies of the Gothic Constitutions were produced and collated . " 1719—Bro . Payne having gather'd the voles . " . . ' . proclaim'd . * . our Reverend Brother John Theophilus Desaguliers . " . . \ Grand Master . \ . \ who forthwith reviv ed the old regular and peculiar Toasts or Healths ot the

Freemasons . " 29 September 1721— His Grace ' s Worship ( Duke of . Montagu ) and the lodge finding fault with all the copies of the old Gothic Constitutions , order'd Bro . James Anderson A . M ., to digest the same in a new and better method . " It is well known that during his second Grand Mastership Payne compiled the thirty-nine Old Regulations , also that Anderson carefully digested the " Gothic

Constitutions . " Having regard to these facts , and upon the evidence submitted above , it is fairly inferential that whilst Payne and Anderson were studious and active Freemasors , Desaguliers on the contrary , joined the Society by way of relaxation from the sufficiently heavy labours which devolved upon him as curator of the Royal Society . Theserips of experiments with which Dr . Desaguliers was honourably associated , were conducted by him as a philosopher , and

not as a Freemason . If our laws and customs , our charges and ceremonials , were altered and reconstructed between 1717 and 1723 . it is extremely unlikely that the official and professorial duties of Dr . Desaguliers at the Royal Society , left him the time , if indeed he cherished the inclination , for active co-operation with the real constructors ef our present Freemasonry . As to Payne and Desaguliers being the earliest of the

" Speculatives " who joined No . 4—the fact of the former having died at his house in New Palace-yard , Westminster , on FeBruary 23 rd , 1757 , may , perhaps , warrant the supposition ( in the absence of direct proof that he resided there in 1717-1 S ) that he joined the old lodge at the Rummer and Grapes , in Channel-row , Westminster , because its meetings were held in the vicinity of his dwelling . According to a scarce pamphlet , cited by Mr . Weld , in his Histarv of

the Royal Society ( Vol . I ., p . 424 ) , entitled , " A List of the RoyalSociety of London , with the places of abode of most of its members , & c , London , i 7 iS , "the then address of Desaguliers is given as Channel-row , Westminster . Here then , we have the fact , that in 1718 Desaguliers was resident in the identical locality where , in the previous year and until its removal to the " Horn " Tavern ( also in Westminster ) , the lodge of his selection held its meetings . This

circumstance , together with his promoti ¦ in of conviviality at the Communications of Grand Lodge , suggest a very simple reason for his becoming a Freemason , viz ., the prop inquity of a lodge and his love of good fellowship . I apprehend that the "love of mechanics" had nothing whatever to do with it . Desaguliers , in all probability , joined the " Club of Masons " at the " Rummer and Grapes , " as he would have ! ioined any other club , meeting at the tavern

where , following the custom of those days , he may have spent his evenings . With the exception of "an elegant oration on the subject of Masonry , " delivered in Grand Lodge in June , 1721 , his fame as a member of our Society rests upon two acts—the introduction of after-dinner toasts ( 1719 ) , andtheappointmentof Grand Stewards ( 172 S ) . Bro . Findel says of the oration : " It is greatly to be regretted that this important lecture is unknown . " I am unable to

agree with him . It is , of course , quite possible that Masonic orations may p lease some hearers , but I am aware of none that are calculated to afford either pleasure or instruction to readers . Unless the " oration" of 1721 , was very far superior to the preface or dedication which Desaguliers wrote for the Constitutions of 1723 , the recovery of the missing "discourse , " would neither add to our knowledge , or justify our including its author within the category of

learned Freemasons . Although not bearing directly on this enquiry , it may not be uninteresting if I here call attention to the ^ cr . r , that the . ___? of the Masonic Fraternity during the lifetime of Wren , and for fifty years subsequent to his decease , left entirely unnoticed the lodge [ now Antiquity ] of which for so many years that great architect is said to have been a member . The " candlesticks , " and other valuable presents , which

are still fondly cherished by the brethren of " Old Antiquity " as souvenirs of Sir Christopher's membership , appear , nevertheless , to have been remarkably well taken care of during this obscure period of the lodge ' s history ; so well , indeed , that their existence and preservation were unknown outside the well-tyled portals of original No . 1 , until some years after 1774 , at which date Preston was elected to its chair , when lie suddenly awoke to a sense of

the dignity of the senior English lodge , and gradually became aware of the importance of its traditions . Even Desaguliers , elected a F . R . S . in 1714 , four years before Wren was superseded in the office of Surveyor-General by Benson , and nineyears prior to Sir Christopher's decease ( 1723 ) , though Ihe legendary and the historical Grand Masters must have constantly met at the Royal Society , appears to have had no suspicion of Wren having

belonged to thc lodge at the Ge ose and Gridiron , or , indeed , of his being a Freemason at a'l , since we may fairly assume that unless this secret [ including the affair of the " candlesticks" ] , had been kept with a fidelity uniquein the annals of the Craft , the illustrious "Speculatives" of No . 4 would have followed in Wren's wake as members of No .

1 , and thc fact of his membership of the Society would have been noticed in the Constitutions of 1723 . This article having run to a greater length than I had intended , I will very briefly record my opinion , that during the six years , 1717-23 , the system of Masonry formulated in the Constitutions of 1723 , was doubtless arranged .

* Compare successive editions of Illustrations of Masonry appearing after 1774 . The inference is irresistible , that Preston was cither the most credulous or thc most imaginative of Masonic historians .

Masonic History—Ii.

As Bro . Hughan has well put it , " We have no other means of judging what Masonry was , than by studying what is left of its aged documents . " 'The Sloanc MS . and the passage in " Lung Livers " have been cited as supplying evidence , from which we may infer that more ceremonies than one , were in vogue before the epoch of Grand Lodge Masonry ( 1717 ) . With great respect for the brethren who put forward this view , I fail to discern a particle of historical evidence which can be urged in its support . The

contention was very roughly handled by Bro . VV . P . Buchan in 1875 , and it will be sufficient to refer the interested reader to Vol . II . of the F . 'eem is . m , ' Chronicle , f Bro . Buchan ' s withdrawal from further participation in Masonic inquiry 1 much regret , and 1 throw out a suggestion , which I believe will be endorsed by many other students , that by publishing in a collected form his varied contributions to the journals of the Craft , he would promote what 1 am sure he has much at heart , viz ., a more accurate study of Masonic history .

Consecration Of The St. Hilda Lodge, No. 1887, Wallingford.

CONSECRATION OF THE ST . HILDA LODGE , No . 1887 , WALLINGFORD .

For a long time past it has been thought desirable that a Freemasons'Lodge should be established at Wallingford , but there have been difficulties in the way of carrying out this project . Lately , however , those difficulties have been overcome , thc result being largely due to the exertions of Bro . Shanks , a zealous ancl distinguished Freemason , who

has lately come to live in the neighbourhood of Wallingford . 'The consecration of the new lodge took place on Monday , the 14 th inst . The brethren assembled at the Town Hall at half-past one . There was a very poor attendance , a very insufficient notice of the event of the day having been given . 'The weather was very bad , and this fact prevented some from attending . "The brethren walked in procession to church , where afternoon service was held and the sermon

was preached by Bro . the Kev . J . S . Brownrigg , Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Berks and Bucks . He took for his text " What mean ye by these stones ? " ( Joshua 4 th , 6 v . ) In an eloquent sermon the preacher contrasted the buildings of olden times with those of the present day . He attributed the superiority of the workmanship in ancient buildingssuch as the cathedrals and parish churches—to the piety and the conscientious spirit which animated the ancient

brethren . 'They worked not merely for wages , but for God . In the present day , the preacher said , work was "scamped " because people did not take an honest pride in their work , but thought chiefly of getting rich and taking their pleasure . Freemasonry , he said , was valuable because it impressed upon every man that he had a great work to do and that he must do it carefully and well . It was also useful in teaching humility and showing every man that he had a

certain place allotted to him and must work in subordination to the wishes of those who were set over him . In the course of his sermon an appeal was made in aid of the funds of the Wallingford Cottage Hospital . A collection for the hospital was made at the close of the sermon . After service the brethren walked in procession to the new lodge at thc George Hotel . Theroom was suitably fitted up . It is a good sized room . The Provincial Grand

Lodge was formed , Bro . Brownrigg acting as Prov . Grand Master , Bro . the Rev . R . T . Bent as Senior Warden , and Bro . Arthur Welch as Junior Warden . The lodge having been opened in due form the reading of the charter of the new lodge and other ceremonies were gone through . The ceremony of consecrating the new lodge , the St . Hilda , No . 1 SS 7 , was performed by Bro . Brownrigg . He also installed the Master designate , Bro . Shanks , as

W . M ., and the latter invested the Wardens , Bros . Barrett , S . VV ., and E . Home , J . W . Amongst the brethren who were present in the lodge were the following : V . W . Bros . Rev . Studholme Brownrigg , D . P . G . M . ( Berks and Bucks ); R . Bradley , P . G . S ., acting as D . P . G . M . ; the Rev . R . P . Bent , P . G . Chap ., actingas G . S . VV . ; P . M . A . Welch , P . G . Registrar , acting as G . J . VV . ; P . G . Or . VV . H . Willis , acting as G . P . ; VV . Ferguson , 1101 , W . M . ;

C . W . Cox , 1564 , I . P . M . ; Rev . Whitaker , 331 ; Charles Luker , V . W . Horsa , 1770 , I . P . M . ; W . C . Sell , V . W . Horse , 1770 , Sec ; J . T . Dodd , Union , 414 ; B . Hunn , Loyalty , 1533 ; F . Marsh , Loyalty , 1533 ; P . G . T . M . Hemmings , Grey Friars , 1101 . The following members and founders of the St . Hilda Lodge were present : Bros . Major Shanks , P . M ., P . P . G . VV . Devon , VV . M . ; H . A . Clarke , I . P . M . ; A . C . Barrett , S . W . ; Edward Home ,

J . W . ; J . S . Fisher , Hon . Sec , St . Hilda Lodge ; H . Trollope , and F . Weedon . After the proceedings in the lodge had terminated the brethren adjourned to the Town Hall , where a dinner had been provided . It was nota strictly Masonic banquet , other persons besides Masons being present . Bro . Shanks , VV . M ., presided , and most of the brethren who attended the lodge , and whose names are given above , were

present at the banquet . There were also present at the dinner the Mayor , Mr . H . Hawkins , Mr . W . FYampton , Rev . VV . Sayer Mifward , Rev . Dr . Shcppard , Rev . —Whitaker , Mr . S . Payne , J . P ., Mr . Councillor Wilder , and Mr . J . VV . Champion . 'The W . M . said that the first toast in all Masonic meetings was that in which thty expressed theirloyalty . Freemasons were eminently loyal . They were pleased to find that many

members of the Royal family were members of the Craft . The Queen might bejsaid to have a body guard of a hundred thousand Freemasons . The Queen is a daughter of a Freemason , and she is the mother of several members of the mystic tie . The toast of "The Queen" was very heartily received . The WORSHIPFUL MASTER then gave " The Health of H . R . H . the Grand Master of England . " Sincethe Prince

of Wales had been Grand Master Freemasonry had made great strides , not because it was fashionable , but because the Prince of Wales had set such a good example . 'The Prince of Wales was a thorough-going Mason . It was most pleasing to hear him perform some of their ceremonies . He felt an especial interest in the Order , and he ( the W . M . ) had heard the Prince say that he never felt such

great pleasure as he experienced when he found himself surrounded by his Masonic brethren . To the duties of his office as Grand Master the Prince paid the most scrupulous attention . ( Cheers . ) He gave "The Health of the Grand Master , and of the Ofiicers , Past and jPresent , of the Grand Lodge . " Bro . BENT , P . G . Chap ., said that he was present at the installation of the G . Master in the Albert Hall . He was

t P-P > 53 » 70 , 86 , 101 , 116 , 132 , 151 , and 198 .

Consecration Of The St. Hilda Lodge, No. 1887, Wallingford.

acting as Grand Chaplain at that time . He recollected also when the Prince of Wales was first made a Mason . He ( Bro . Bent ) was residing in Sweden at the time , and it was in Sweden that thc Prince first saw Masonic light . He ( Bro . Bent ) had been a member of the O ' rder for thirty years . He was , while in Sweden , English Chaplain in the " second city of that kingdom . In Sweden Freemasonry had made such way that he could always find if

, he wished to do so , some lodge that was being held . When the Prince of Wales was invested by the King of Sweden his Royal Highness went through " the ceremony splendidly . The King treated him with no partiality . ( Laughter . ) In Sweden there are ten Degrees in Masonry , and the Prince had passed through all of ' them . He ( Bro . Bent ) had taken nine of the ten Degrees . He had the pleasure of responding to " The Ofiicers of Grand Lodge "

on one occasion when it was proposed by the King . Bro . Bent went on to say that he was now residing at Windsor , and he was the Master designate of a new lodge , the Herschell , at Slough . It svould shortly be consecrated , and he hoped that some of the brethren present would attend when the new lodge was consecrated . ( Cheers . ) The W . M . next proposed "The Health of the Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master , the Dep .

Provincial Grand Master , and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Berks and Bucks . " The VV . M . expressed his regret at the absence of the two chief officers of the province , and especially regretted that Bro . Brownrigg ' s absence was caused by a domestic affliction . Bro . R . BRADLEY returned thanks , and advised the members of the new lodge to try not so much to get a large number of new members as to be sure and institute none

but men of the right stamp . Bro . Bradley concluded b y proposing in complimentary terms " The Health of the W . M . of the St . Hilda Lodge . " The VV . M . returned thanks . Bro . BRADLEY proposed " The Health of the I . P . M ., Bro . H . A . Clarke . " He said that , although the lodge had only just been formed , it was necessary that some one should act as Immediate Past Master , and no one was

better qualified to do so than Bro . Clarke . Bro . CLARKE said that twenty years ago he had attempted to form a lodge in Wallingford , but the difficulty was to obtain a -uitable room . This difficulty they were unable at that time to surmount , but he was glad that they had been able to form a lodge . Bro . WEEDON proposed "The Health of the Visiting Brethren , " and coupled with the toast the name of Bro . A . Welch .

Bro . WELCH expressed Ins regret at the very small attendance of brethren . He believed that there would have been a much better attendance if the brethren had had adequate notice that such a meeting was about to take place . He had not heard of it until Saturday afternoon , although he lived in the centre of civilisation and Masonic light—the town of Reading . ( Laughter . ) Ihe VV . M . next proposed " The Health of the Officers

of St . Hilda Lodge . " Bro . BARRETT , S . W ., responded , and said that he had been obliged to go to Abingdon in order to attend to his Masonic duties , and he was very glad that a lodge had been established at Wallingford . Bro . HORNE , J . W ., proposed " The Health of the Clergy , " and said that he was glad that so many of them were Masons .

Bro . the Rev . — WHITAKER said that in Masonic societies the health of the clergy was always well received , but the same could not be said of all societies . Sometimes the clergy were looked upon as interlopers . But it was not so at Masonic meetings . There they were all true brethren ; they all bowed in reverence to one great God , and they worked together for one _ great object . The clergy should always be ready to assist Freemasons , and true Masons

were ready to assist the clergy . He was sure that between the one and the other there was the hearty grip of good fellowship which would never be dissevered . The Rev . SAYER MILWARD then proposed "The Health of the Mayor and Corporation . " The MAYOR responded in an able speech , and said that he did not know much of Freemasonry , but he had not heard anything of it that was not good . He knew that

Freemasons established schools for the education of children , and that provision was made for receiving aged and impoverished members of the Order . Freemasonry was very ancient , and he was quite sure that it would not have existed so long if there had not been some good in it . Wallingford was a very ancient borough . He had recently had occasion to examine the ancient seals of the borough , and he found that in the year 141 S all of the sixteen members of the Corporation attached theirseals to a

document . He found that in 1423 they had a copy of the present seal of the . Corporation , lt seemed to him strange that in such an ancient borough it was not until St . Valentine's Day ( laughter ) , 18 S 1 , that Masonic light should dawn upon them . The Mayor concluded by thanking them for making a collection in aid of the Cottage Hospital . Capt . TROLLOPE , in an amusing speech , proposed "The Ladies , " and Mr . FISHER suitably responded . One or two other toasts were proposed , and the proceedings were brought to a close about seven o ' clock .

Westbourne Lodge Ball.

WESTBOURNE LODGE BALL .

The second annual ball in connection with this successful lodge was held at Lord ' s Hotel , St . John ' s Wood , on Monday , the 14 th inst . The programme , which was exceedingly well arranged , consisted of twenty-five dances , all of which were entered into with great spirit . At the supper table , the Worshipful Master , Bro . John Welford ,

presided , who gave in due course the toasts usually proposed at Masonic balls . The company afterwards repaired to the ball room , where dancing was again commenced , and continued with unflagging spirit until an early hour . All thc arrangements of the ball were well carried out , and apparently gave general satisfaction , and every credit is due lo the indefatigable Honorary Secretary , Bro . S . R . Walker , and the rest of the Stewards for so satisfactory

and pleasing a result . The bon-bons at the supper table are worthy of special mention . Instead of their containing the old style of head-dress , the ladies wire delighted to find paper "fac similes " of Craft and Royal Arch aprons and sashes , which , perhaps , it is needless to remark , immediately adorned the fair sex . The company present included Bro . John and Mrs . Welford , Bro . and Mrs . R . Welford , Bro . W . Hallettand Master Hallett , Bro . and Mrs . Knight , Bro . F . Ridley and