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CONTENTS . - PAGE LHADBRFreemasonry Abroad ... ... ... ... ... 749 Masonic Jurisprudence ... ... ... ... ..- ... 750 KNIGHTS TEMPLARGreat Priory ... ... „ . ... ... ... 751

SCOTLANDSupreme Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... 752 Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 753 POETRYThe New Year ... ... ... ... ... ... 753 MASONIC

NOTESNew Year Greeting ... ... ... _ ... ... 755 Meeting of the Board of Stewards for Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... ... ... 755 Ouatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 ... ... ... ... 755 Great Priory of the Order of the Temple ... ... ... 755 New Year ' s Entertainment at the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... 755 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 756

Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 756 The Late Bro . W . Simpson , R . I .... ... ... ... ... 756 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 756 Freemasonry in Berkshire ... ... ... ... ... 757 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 757

Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 S Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 S Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... ... ... 75 S Ladies' Festival of the John Hervey Lodge , No . 1260 ,.. ... ... 759 Craft . Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 759 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 7 60

Freemasonry Abroad.

FREEMASONRY ABROAD .

The news that reaches us from time to time relating to Freemasonry on the continent of Europe is , as a rule , extremely meagre . In some countries , such as Russia , Austria , & c , the brethren are interdicted from forming lodges and observing anv

of the rites and ceremonies peculiar to the Craft . In the Latin states of Italy , Spain , and Portugal there are Grand Orients and Grand Councils , and other kinds of Masonic organisations , but not much is known of the character of the Masonry they

profess , while in France it is Masonry with the fundamental principle of belief in God and future state omitted , and is , therefore , unrecognised by our Grand Lodge . In Hungary and Greece there are Grand Lodges or Orients , and in Switzerland the Grand

Lodge Alpina , with which our Grand Lodge exchange representatives . But it is chiefly in Germany—which has some eight Grand Lodges—Sweden , Norway , Denmark , and the Netherlands that Freemasonry has firmly established itself , and where the

principles it professes are in harmony with our own . In Sweden and Norway King OSCAR and the Crown Prince are thc heads of the Craft ; in Denmurk it is the Crown Prince who is Grand Master , while of the three Grand Lodges in Berlin Prince

FREDERICK LEOPOLD of Prussia is the Protector . On the 18 th November a new Masonic Hall in Berlin was inaugurated , and as the intercourse between our own and the Berlin G . Lodges has been always of the most friendly kind , and as the Duke of

CONNAUGHT is representative of the latter at our Grand Lodge , and the Prince Protector of the Berlin G . Lodges , one of our Past G . Masters , the important function of last month was attended by a deputation from the Grand Lodge of England , the

principal members of which were tlie Earl of WARWICK and the Prov . Grand Masters nominate—who have since been installed in office—of Cheshire and Surrey . It may also be mentioned that a Third Volume of the elaborate Work on Medals , of which

two have already been published under the auspices of the Hamburg Correspondence Circle , is in course of compilation , and will no doubt be issued when the needful support has been

obtained . But beyond these facts , and a few others , there is not much in thc way of information relating to Masonry on the European continent that is worthy of being recorded ..

Freemasonry Abroad.

As regards Freemasonry as it is organised under independent Grand Lodges in the British Colonies and Possessions abroad and in the United States of North America , the case is far otherwise , and it would not be difficult , had we space and time at our

disposal , to write an elaborate and lengthy account of what has happened during the year 1900 in these numerous jurisdictions . In British North America alone there are as many as seven independent Grand Lodges , comprising those of Canada ( Province

of Ontario ) , Quebec , Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , Manitoba , and British Columbia . The most powerful of these is the Grand Lodge of Canada , which has between 350 and 400 lodges in active working , with an

aggregate membership of some 27 , 000 brethren . This has fared most prosperously during the past 12 months , and so have the Grand Chapter , the Great Priory of the Order of the Temple ) the Supreme Council of the A . and A . Rite , and the other

organisations there existing . Quebec and the other Grand Lodges have also prospered , though , as they are less imposing in respect of numbers , their progress attracts less notice . Still , it is worthy of remark , that the Grand Lodge of British

Columbia , which till within the last few years was one of the least numerous among the Masonic bodies on the continent of North America , has increased latterly to a considerable extent . At the Antipodes there are now , including , the newly-formed Grand

Lodge of West Australia , six Grand Lodges , which are all recognised by the Grand Lodge of England , and in nearly every case progress has been the order of the day . But , after all , it is in the United States of North America that Freemasonry has been .

and still is , making such marvellous strides . Here there are 50 Grand Lodges , with an aggregate subscribing membership which very largely exceeds 806 , 000 ; 45 Grand Royal Arch . Chapters , under a General Grand Chapter ; 43 Grand Commanderies of

Knights Templar under a Grand Encampment of the United States , which meets triennially , and of which Sir . Knight REUBEN H . LLOYD is the M . E . Grand Master ; and -34 'Grand Councils of Royal and Select Masters , under a General Grand

Council . In addition , there are the Supreme Councils 33 of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions of the United States respectively , witli Knights of Rome and the Red Cross of Cons . antine , Royal

Order of Scotland , " Shriners , " & c , & c , and , to crown all , tlie Order of the Eastern Star—of which the late Ron MORRIS was the founder—for women who take kindly to the Masouic Order . Indeed , everything connected with Freemasonry is on a

lnaonilicent scale as regards numbers in the United States , aiid it is greatly to the credit of the American Craft that the work of the Order is , as a rule , most ably carried out . Some of the Grand Lodges are very strong , such as those of New York ,

Pennsylvania , Illinois , Massachusetts , Ohio , Iowa , & c , & c , and the number of important Masonic functions that are held yearly all over the States is almost beyond calculation . Every now and then we lay before our readers particulars relating to one or

other of the more influential Grand Lodges , so that what is passing , Masonically , among our American brethren , is not entirely lost sight of ; but it would be beyond the compass of our ability , as regards time and space , to give anything like an

adequate idea of what is being done annually by the . -. e Grand Lodges and other Supreme authorities . It is enough to remark that Freemasonry appears to have taken a firm hold of the

Americans , and that in nearly all the States and Territories the Craft is prospering . And this has all sprung , directly or in ? directly , from our Grand Lodge formed in i . 717 , . ' ¦ ' ' .... '