The Bond Of Brotherhood.

The Bond of Brotherhood .

THE ZETLAND ROOM .

ANj exemplification of the universality of Masonry was -.. ivgiven at a notable reception , held in London during ; the Jubilee year , in honour of those distinguished Indian and Colonial visitors who are Freemasons , when it was found that quite a large proportion of our visitors from across the seas were members of the Craft ; those

present on that occasion including representative public men from nearly every British Colonial possession . - Indeed , as one speaker remarked , " Freemasonry has a great deal to do in cementing the good relations which exist between the English rulers and the diverse native races of India—HindooParseeMohammedan and Christianmeeting

, , , in friendly relations which are not limited to mere Masonic observance . " . In this connection I am reminded of an incident that occured to me , which may interest not only Masons , but readers who are not members of the Mystic Brotherhood . During the Autumn of last year , I was spending a clay at

that charming old world town on the Dorset coast , Swanage , and had walked to what are known as the Tilly Whim Caves , where , sitting among the gigantic rocks , one may read , carved upon the cliffs , some hundreds of feet above the sea , the wellknown lines from Shakespeare : — " The cloud capp'd towers , Yea , all il doth inherit The gorgeous palaces , . Shall dissolve , The solemn temples , And like the baseless fabric of a vision , The great glohe itself , Leave not a rack behind . "

Returning to the town , I halted at Durlstone Castle , to examine some of the numerous objects of interest collected there , among them being a granite globe , weighing forty tons and measuring ten feet in diameter . On it are shown the continents , oceans and rivers , and round the globe are large slabs on which are given various items of general interest

and instruction , particulars of the Earth , the Sun , Moon , Stars , and so forth . Some lines in particular , however , attracted my attention , and I read them aloud to my son who accompanied me . They will be familiar to Masons the world over : — " Let Prudence direct you , Temperance chasten you , Fortitude support you , and Justice be the guide " of all your actions . "

A gentleman who stood near turned to me and asked" Understandest thou what thou readest ? " We were quite strangers the one to the other , but a heart ) hand shake , and that sign which serves to distinguish a brother by night as well as by clay , was all the introduction required , for I found upon comparing notes , that my

interrogator was a distinguished Craftsman from Lancashire , delighted , as I was , to meet a brother under such unexpected and pleasing circumstances . We may never meet again , but I shall not soon forget the pleasant time we spent together , and I returned home , charmed with the clay ' s excursion , and thankful that I was a Freemason . j . J . BRAZIKR .