An American Vindication Of Americans.

colossal public debt attests a deep and ¦ \ bidiug sense of justice and honour in the American people . We hope the Marquis de Talleyrand-Perigord AA'HI remain in the country until he understands us better , unci that he will thoroughly revise the disparaging parts of his book before he publishes it in France .

No. 194, Under The "Ancients" And Its Records.

No . 194 , UNDER THE "ANCIENTS " AND ITS RECORDS .

AVILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN . THE Editor of the " Masonic Magazine " has desired my assistance in unravelling some doubtful matters respecting No . 194 . I with pleasure comply . The history of the Lodge , explained in

part by the Editor in the " Masonic Magazine , " for November , cannot be completed without tho missing links , and especially the minutes from its origin , the book of records described being but No . 3 . The Lodge was in all probability

constituted as No . 194 of the "Ancients , " about 1775 , and was so numbered until the " Union of A . D . 1803 , " when it became No . 239 . Another alteration occurred in 1832 , which witnessed a movement up-Avard to 167 , and finally in 1863 it was raised to 143 , at which it still remains . At the " Union of 1813 , " according to the "Freemasons Cedenelar" of 1815 (

published in 1814 ) , the Lodge Avas described as " The George * Brook Street , Holborn , London . " Since then , however , the name of the Lodge has been given , Avhich is , in fact , the " Middlesex Lodge , " No . 143 , Aldersgate Street , London . The old

minute book , therefore , was in all probability , once the property of the members , and the Lodge may still have the older volumes of records in their archives . The Editor ' s discovery of the lost volume reminds me of a similar fortunate

find , through the medium of my friend and brother Constable , viz : a volume of the Records of the Enoch Loclcje , No . 11 . I find No . 194 in a list of '' Ancient Lod ges , " about 1805 , and also in the Roll of A . D . 1807 as held at " Coojiers' Arms "

, , West Smithfield ; and in a List of 1813 , li ; is described as " 194 , Crown and Anchor Meet Mevrhtr Of course I cannot say without more

No. 194, Under The "Ancients" And Its Records.

evidence that the Middlesex Lodge has continued to meet regularly from say 1775 , or that the members of the Lodge still meet b y A'irtue of the orig inal Avarrant , as young Lodges before the " Union " purchased old lapsed charters by permission .

The Minutes certainly are only evidence so far as they go , and no farther . Yet if there are no records that mention the three degrees , or any degrees as such prior , to last century , surely it is fair to state such as a fact 1 There may ham been Masonic

degrees prior to the Revival of 1717 , and there may not have been ; and there Ave leave the matter . The "Nine Worthies" Avere appointed annually by the " Ancient" Grand Chapter , and approved by the " Ancient "

Grand Lodge , as "Nine skilful Royal Arch Masons , " Avhose duty it Avas to secure " a general uniformity of the practice and ceremonies of Ancient Masonry . " In other words they Avere virtually Grand Lecturers , officers Ave should like to see still retained in our regulations . I hope tho Editor has more old Records in store for his readers .

Sonnet.

SONNET .

BY BRO . KEV . II . GOBDON . ON ST . JOHN THE EVANGELIST ' S DAY , 187 G . BY bleak December ' s skies are UOAV besprent Fields , Avoods , Avith snows , aud drifts of Avintry heav ' n ;

Yet blest this day—his clay who Avrote the seven Epistles j—sharer , too , of Love ' s lament ; AVho on Thy sacred bosom , erewhile , leant O Love—OLove Divine , so darkly riv ' n ; Ev ' n as some barqueby force impetuous

, driv ' n Of storms , cloth lean with buoyant hope unrent Safe in th' embrace of ocean ' s boundless breast And billoAvs vast of the upheaving main ;

Though like the waves , not all itself at rest , Yet still upheld from sorrow's utmost strain By each full perilous , yet exulting crest Of ocean ' s troubled , tempest-harrow'd plain .