At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar.

attendance and support of many of the older and more eminent brethren of the day . After his retirement from the Grand Mastership in 1720 , he was three times appointed Deputy Grand Master ; first in 1723 by the Duke of Wharton , next in 1724 by the Earl of Dalkeith , and finally in 1725 by Lord Paisley . When in Edinburgh , in 1721 , Desaguliers

became an affiliated member of the Scottish fraternity , the ceremony of his admission taking place " att Maries Chapell . " On visiting Holland , in 1731 , his lectures attracted the attention of men like Huyghens and Boerhaave , while at the

Hague he specially initiated the Duke of Lorraine , afterwards Grand Duke of Tuscany and Emperor of Germany . On his return to England , he also conferred the three Degrees on Frederick , Prince of Wales , and he continued to attend Grand Lodge till March , 1741 . Desaguliers was zealous in

collecting and investigating the old records of the Order , and largely assisted Dr . Anderson in the compilation of the first edition of " The Constitutions , " the preface to which he wrote . In the frontispiece to that work , Desaguliers is shown on the extreme right of the spectator , acting as Deputy

Grand Master to the Duke of Wharton . In personal appearance Desaguliers was unattractive , being short , thick set , with irregular features , having an ill-shaped figure and being very near sighted . On his removal from Channel Row he took up fresh quarters at the Bedford Coffee

House , over the Grand Piazza , in Covent Garden , and towards the close of his career , which was somewhat clouded with sorrow , he is said to have rather given way to the pleasures of the table . In February , 1742 , he received the Copley gold medal from the Royal Society , and some time prior to this he became a member of the Gentlemen's Society at Spalding .

His lectures on scientific subjects were the first ever givento the general public , and attracted the most learned men of his clay . He invented a machine to determine the distances of the heavenly bodies , and even attempted to solve the problem of fixing a satisfactory ventilator for the then House of Commons . He was also a voluminous contributor

to the scientific journals of his clay . The following incident is typical of his powers of resentment : invited to a social gathering of distinction , he was so annoyed by a gallant soldier " full of strange oaths , " who repeatedly craved his pardon , that after submitting for a while he at last wrapped out : " Sir , you have taken some

pains to render me ridiculous by your pointed apologies ; now , sir , I am to tell you , that if God Almighty does not hear you , I assure you I will never tell him . " As a Mason his efforts , energy , and enthusiasm , materially assisted the revival of 1717 , while his learning and social

position gave a standing to the Order , drew men of influence to it , and paved the way for the subsequent world-wide expansion of the Craft . Desaguliers laid the foundation of the present Fund and Board of Benevolence . He introduced Masonic orations , and it is said invented after dinner

speeches . He died on the 29 th February , 1744 , and was buried in the Savoy six clays afterwards . He left three sons , of whom the most distinguished was Thomas Desaguliers , who fought at Fontenoy , and became Lieut .-General and Colonel

Commandant of the Royal Artillery , and for thirty-two years , till his death in 1780 , was " chief fire-master" at Woolwich . He was the first scientific maker of cannon and was mainly instrumental in perfecting that great arm of the Service of which " gunners" are so proud . ROBERT MANUEL .

Installation Meeting Of The Willing Lodge, No. 2893.

Installation Meeting of the Willing Lodge , No . 2893 .

THE first installation meeting after the consecration of the above lodge was held at the Tivoli Restaurant , Strand , on Thursday , April 2 nd . Before the installation ceremony , the Worshipful Master , Bro . James Willing , jun , initiated two gentlemen into Freemasonry .

The Worshipful Master elect , Bro . Thomas Vansittart Bowater , C . C , was installed by the outgoing Master in a manner highly appreciated by the brethren . The Worshipful Master then invested his officers as follows . - —Bros . Wallis H . Wilson , S W . ; A . E . Gilmer , J . W . ;

the Rev . R . W . J . Smart , Chaplain ; J . Speller , P . G . S . B , Treasurer ; R . H . McLeod , Secretary ; A . H . Maddocks , S . D . ; H . Shirreff , J . . ; H . Willing , I . G . ; J . A . Hare , D . C . ; C . J . Taylor , Organist ; J . R . Hill and J . O . Schuler , Stewards ; and J . W . Harding , Tyler .

The Worshipful Master presented the I . P . M . with the first Past Master ' s jewel , and Bro . Jas . Willing , jun , briefly returned thanks . The Worshipful Master also presented a Past Master ' s jewel to Bro . Chapman , the acting I . P . M , and expressed the thanks of the lodge for the courteous way he

had carried out his duties . Bro . Chapman expressed his appreciation of that mark of their favour . At the banquet which followed , the speeches were unusually brief , the Worshipful Master stating that they had a long musical programme which would be more enjoyable than speech making .

The usual loyal toasts were given and duly honoured . Bro . Colville Smith , in replying for " The Grand Officers , " said the Craft , as a rule , recognised in them real workers . He heartily congratulated the young lodge on its success . Bro . James Stephens said the lodge would join with him in congratulating Bro . Colville Smith on the record he had made at the hist Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution

Festival . He was very sorry to see Bro . Willing " out of work again . " He heartily wished success to the lodge , and commended them on their good balance sheet at the end of the first year . The I . P . M , in proposing " The Worshipful Master , " said

if his tongue had wagged as Bro . Stephens had said it had ,. it had wagged to a good Masonic purpose . He had particular pleasure in proposing the toast , as his father and he had worked up in Masonry together . He looked forward to the time when he would be Lord Mayor of our great

city , of which he was a zealous citizen . He assured him that all who were present would attend the banquet if he would ask them . In reply , the Worshipful Master thanked all for their kind wishes . He felt he would have a difficult task to

perform in following Bro . Willing . Although his civic duties took much of his time , he would do all he could to carry out his duties to the best of his ability , and he hoped to the satisfaction of the brethren . In proposing " The Installing Master , " the Worshipful

Master said the ceremony had been splendidly rendered , and personally he could not detect a single flaw ; but perhaps that was because it was the first time he had been present at the ceremony .

The I . P . M , in reply , said he had clone the best he could for the lodge and the happiness of the brethren . The jewel presented to him was greatly appreciated . He hoped to see four generations of his family in the lodge , three -already being present , his father and son . He looked forward to a good year .

The toasts of " The Initiates , " " The Visitors , " and " The Officers of the Lodge , " followed by the Tyler's toast , closed the proceedings .