The Library And Museum Of The Grand Lodge Of England.

The manuscripts belonging to the Grand Lodge , apart from the ordinary records of the Society , are sufficiently numerous to deserve a separate department , but many of them being in book form , they are easily found by the aid of the Library catalogue . The most important and valuable among them are what are known as "The Old Charges of the

British Free-Masons . " Of these ancient and interesting documents the Grand Lodge owns no less than seven , ranging in age from 1583 to 1723 . Six out of the seven consist of parchment rolls , two of which are handsomely illuminated , the other being written on paper and stitched in book form .

These are all on view in the Library , together with facsimiles of many of the same class of documents in other libraries . Hughan ' s " Old Charges of the British Freemasons , " Kenning , 1895 , contains full particulars and descriptions of

all the then known versions of these old relics of the Operative Fraternity , including those in the Grand Lodge collection , with the exception of the " Thomas Foxcroft MS . " 1699 , purchased for Grand Lodge . in 18 99 . The gem of the manuscript collection , from an " ar-listic point of view , is a

small quarto volume written in French and handsomely bound , containing 9 8 Masonic illustrations carefully drawn and coloured by hand , two of which are here reproduced . This was the gift of Rowland Pluinbe , G . Supt . Works in 18 9 6 .

( 7 ' d be continued . )

Orpheus Lodge, No. 1706.

Orpheus Lodge , No . 1706 .

Jnslallalion of W . < J 3 ro . <§ eorge cAckerman , ^ P . cM ., cP . & . c / l . S . Sec . Ssseoc .

r T W \ L installation meeting of this important musical I lodge was held at the Holborn Restaurant , recently , and a large number of members and visitors were present . The Worshipful Master , Bro . Gregory Hast , was supported by Bros . F . W . Murton , I . P . M . ; George Ackerman , W . M . Elect ; R . Carrington Willis : R . Clowes , P . M ., P . G . S . B . ;

R . J . Hennings , P . M ., P . P . G . D . Essex ; Thos . Ward ; C . W . Paine ; Harvey Lohr , P . M . ; John Curran , F . R . C . O . ; John Haddon ; Eaton Failing , P . M ., Mus . Doc . ; Henry Guy , P . M . ; H . Walmsley Little , Mus . Doc , P . M ., P . G . O . ; Fred Cambridge , Mus . Bac , P . M ., P . P . G . O . Surrey ; S . GYaughan , P . M . ; R . Kemp , P . M . ; Albert Fox , P . M . ; James Gawthrop , P . M . ; C . G . Sadler , P . M . ; and many of

the members . Amongst the visitors were Bros . Col . Lockwood , M . P ., Prov . G . Master Essex ; T . W . Sanderson , P . P . G . W . Surrey ; C . Long , P . P . G . W . Surrey ; J . Cawley Edge , P . P . G . D . Surrey ; F . W . Ward , Prov . A . G . Sec . Essex ; G . Hawkins , W . M . No . 198 ; A . L . Rogers , W . M . No . 2182 ; Geo . Rankin , W . M . No . 2508 ; W . Helen ,

W . M . No . 2734 ; J . W . Stevens , W . M . No . 2661 ; R . H . Haynes , P . M . ; H . Cattermole , P . M . ; G . Micklewood , P . M . ; H . Traill , P . M . ; P . J . Davies , P . M . ; C . H . Peacock , P . M . ; and many others . After the minutes had been confirmed , the Worshipful

Master installed as his successor , W . Bro . George Ackerman , P . M ., P . P . A . G . Sec . Essex , who afterwards invested his officers for the ensuing year . The balance sheet and the report of the audit committee were then taken , which proved the lodge to be in a very

prosperous condition . Twenty guineas were voted from the lodge funds to be placed on the Worshipful Master's list as Steward at the next Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The Past Master ' s jewel of the lodge was presented to Bro . Gregory Hast in commemoration of a very happy year of office .

After the banquet an excellent programme of music , carried out by the members , worthily maintained the reputation of this lodge , and was greatly appreciated by the brethren . The loyal toasts having been heartily received , the Worshipful Master then proposed " The Grand Officers . "

He said this must always be an important toast , as the Grand Officers were the backbone of the Institution . Whether in the cause of Charity or in the excellence of their working , they were always in the van of Masonic progress . They had two members of their lodge present who were Grand

Officers—Bros . Clowes and Dr . Walmsley Little . He personally thanked R . W . Bro . Col . Lockwood , his Provincial Grand Master , for attending to support him on this occasion .

R . W . Bro . Col . Lockwood , in responding , said he would have come a thousand miles to have heard the song just given by the I . P . M ., and he thanked the Worshipful Master for inviting him . The soldiers chorus from Faust , sung by the brethren , reminded him of the true spirit of Masonry—not a note out of tune . The duties of the Grand Officers must

HUO . r . l . OR ( . ] - _ ACKKIIMAX , W . M . be heavier in the future because the standard of Masonry was higher . They had been singularly fortunate in their Masonic leaders , such as Bro . Halsey , M . P ., the Deputy Grand Master , and he believed that the Deputy Grand

Masters of the future would have to continue to march ahead of the brethren of the present , and that was a very hard task .