The Initiation Of Prince Arthur Into Freemasonry.

his capacity as Master of the Lodge . Pursuant to a resolution which was unanimously passed , and approved by the AVorshipful Master in January last , no member was permitted to introduce visitors upon the occasion . Indeed , it was his

Eoyal Highness ' s express command that the meeting should bo strictly eon lined to members of tho lodge , with the exception of the most AA ^ orshipful Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , the Grand AVardens , the Grand Secretary , and the Grand Director of . Ceremonies . Tims the

meeting did not number more than 40 members . His Eoyal Highness the Prince of AVales , accompanied by the Earl of Eipon , the Grand Master , arrived in lodge at six o ' clock , and immediately proceeded to the business of the evening , the lodge

having been previously opened by the Deputy Master Brother Grey . His Eoyal Highness confirmed the appointment of officers for tho present year , after which Prince Arthur was introduced , and the ceremony of initiation was impressively

performed by his Eoyal Highness the AVorshipful Master , who was assisted by Deputy Master Eobert Grey , Senior Warden John Gibson , Junior AVarden Arthur B . Cook , Senior Deacon T . D . Bolton , the Junior DeaconA . Backer & c . At the

, , conclusion of tho business his Eoyal Highness closed the lodge in the usual manner , and the brethren subsequently adjourned to the banquet , at which his ltoyal Highness the AVorshipful Master presided .

The Area Round St. Paul's.

THE AREA ROUND ST . PAUL'S .

The well-known cast-iron railings round St . Paul ' s-chra ' chyard , having been sold by auction , are now being removed . The railing brought 311 / . 5 s ., or about 8 / . per ton . It is of Sussex iron , about the last produced in that county . The sum named

is for the ironwork only , not the stone parapet wall into which it was s . cured . This still remains the property of the Cathedral , and consists of some line blocks of Portland , equal in : udify , or nearly so , to that of which the Cathedral itself is built . AV .

The Old Masonic Poem.

THE OLD MASONIC POEM .

This version of the Masonic Poem ( ftl S . A ., Hughau ' s Catalogue ) , known better liy some as the " Haliwell MS ., " or the MS . Bill . Beg . 17 , A 1 ., If 33 , in the old Eoyal Library , British Museum , has been modernized , as far as is practicable , by AIv . E . Simsof the MS . Department ;

, , Briti ! i Museum , for me with great care and skill . It is intended to form part eventually of a larger edition of the British AiS . Constitutions , edited by Brother W . G . Hughan and myself , when we shall seek to lay before our brethren all known

Constitutions up to the time of publication , every effort being made in the interim lo trace any MS . of which indictee still exist , but which have so far eluded aU research . It seemed however well to me , to give this version of the old Poem in a modern

garb , as modern , that is , as cm be ., to the readers of tho " Masonic Magazine ; " in the first instance , in order to interest some of our good Brotherhood in these literary studies and . efforts of ours , undertaken " pro eonimuni bono , " so that when the fuller and larger work appearsit may be appreeialod

, by all Masonic students , and be considered in accordance with our aim and design , an authorilafivo edition , and an exhaustive account oi' all ihe . "Ancient Charges" so far known . It is proposed in that more elaborate workto give the . actual old AIS .

, version of the poem with this modernized version paginally . And as this poem is undoubtedly so far the most ancient-Masonic MS . known to be in existence ,

and dating back , as it does unquestionably , to A . I ) . 1390 , it must ever ha v . ; Ihe deepest interest and value for all who , like Bro . Hughan and myself , are . desirous of exploring the arcana of our Masonic evidences , and unrolling carefully and completelythe long forgotten , yet ever

valu-, able , documents , which serve so ' strikingly to illustrate the history oi' Ihe past , Cor \ i ^ , and to bring into ' order , and under the loll rays of the lig ht of historic truth , the "disjecta membra , " of our . Masonic legends and traditions .

Though there have been iiini ; r . i < ruble diliieultics in carrying out the plan of ihe translation 1 suggested to Mr . . Sims , he has admirably succeeded in his endeavour to render faithfully the old English into Y l !