Metropolitan.

the Ancients elected the Hon . Thomas Matthew , who continued to hold that office until 1771 , when John Srd Duke of Atholl was elected to that high office . We cannot doubt therefore that the Ancient Masons did acknowledge many superiors before the year 1772 . AVith regard to the assertion that the Duke of Atholl , who was elected Grand Alaster in 1771 , " continued to hold that office until 1813 . " a similar error has been perpetuated . John 3 rd Duke of Atholl died in November 1774 . He was

succeeded to his title by his son John Murray , who ( born in 1755 ) , was initiated , passed and raised in February , 1775 , at the age of 20 , and was installed Grand Master in March in the same year , and held the office until 1782 , when the Earl of Antrim became Grand Master which office he held until his death in July 1791 , when the Duke of Atholl was re-elected Grand Master , and continued so until the union iu 1813 ,

Having thus , I trust , traced the line of the Ancient Masons to your satisfaction , from the secession in 1739 to the union iu 1813 , we must retrace onr steps to the month of February 3 . 769 . On the 27 th of that mouth , the Grand Lodge was held at the sign of "The Ship" in the Strand , and Bro . William Clarke , Senior Grand Waiden being in the chair , Lodge No . 159 was constitutedand the following brethren were duly

, instailed officers thereof viz .: —Bros . Robert Lnchhead , Worshipful Master ; James Inglis , Senior Warden and William Cousings , Junior Warden . [ The Warrant No . 159 , Registered in vol . A L , letter F , page 289 ] , The first quarterly Grand Lodge return ofthe Lodge 159 , is dated June 7 th , 1769 , aud gives the names of 23 members , at that time belonging to it . In 1790 our lodge was held at the Griffin , A'illicrs-street , Strand , and

in 1791 it met at the City of Hereford , Lichlield-street , Soho . Up to this date it appears to have prospered as I find that upwards of 120 members had joined , or had been initiated in it during the period . In 1792 , in accordance with the custom which at that time prevailed our lodge petitioned the Grand Lodge for permirsion to take the vacant No . 10 , that being a lodge which had been constituted in 1703 , hut had ceased to meet . Accordingly we find recoi ( led in the Atholl minutes the ¦ following : — " March 7 1792 , at a meeting of the Grand Lodge

of Ancient Masons held at the Crown and Anchor , Strand , upon motion made , it was resolved that Lodge No . 159 be allowed to take the No . 10 in consideration of the sum of live guineas to the charity . " * On the same day the wan ant was issued commencing , "Atholl , Grand Master , We the Grand Lodge of the most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons ( according to the old constitution granted by His Royal Highness Prince Edwin at York , A . D . 926 ) " & c & cand

, , , authorizing the Lodge No . 10 to meet at the Red Lyon , Crosslane , Long Acre now King-street , ( where tbe old house may still be seen ) . In 1795 the lodge was held in the vicinity of Bedford-square . Iu 1807 it met at the Golden Lyon , Long Acre , and in 1809 it removed to the Golden Anchor , Cross Lane , Long Acre . In the following year ( 1810 , ) it met at the King's Arms , High

Holborn , and in 1812 at the Angell Inn . Broad-street , Bloomsbury . We now approach that epoch in the history of English Freemasonry which afforded a lively satisfaction to every true mason , when all divisions ceased , controversy -was obliterated and an indissoluble bond of Fraternal Union was cemented and established . Early in the present century great efforts had been made by zealous brethren to bring about a

¦ better understanding more worthy ofthe two limit bodies , but it was not until 1813 , that the wishes of the Duke of Sussex , Grand Master of England and the Duke ol Kent , who was an Atholl Mason , and Grand Master , according to the eld constitution of Ancient Masons , prevailed over the prc-judices of the day . A lodge of reconciliation was held at which the articles of union were duly signed . A grand assembly of Freemasons was

afterwards held , at which the act of union was solemnly accepted , ratified and confirmed ; and the Grand Lodge , henceforth to be . known as " The United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England" was opened in due form . It was on this occasion the Royal Athelstan Lodge became No . 19 . From that day to the present , we have continued to meet in an uninterrupted course of progression—content , as our predecessors were , to cling to our " old traditions , " and to endeavour by the culti'vation of social virtues to unite our hearts in the bonds of brotherhood . During the century this day completed tbe

lodge has held its meetings at a variety of places too numerous to mention here , and during that period has enrolled about ' 710 members under its banner . I have fortunately secured all their names . I am not aware that any of them were famous in the annals of their country , and in all probability some were of them nevertheless , who were genial men and worthy masons , and earnestly endeavoured to do their duty , and "fill the circle marked bHeaven . " Aud of those old and

y worthy Past Masters who , in troublesome times , each in bis turn bore the heat and burden of the day , truly may it be said , " although dead , not forgotten . " They have long since passed to their account , hut the influence of their deeds for good or evil remains with us , and the very nourishing condition of our lodge at the present day , is , in a large measure , due to their zeal for its interests . As they workedeach one nobly

per-, forming bis allotted task while to him it was yet day , and unconscious perhaps of the impressions he was making on the hard and lasting rock of time—unconscious as we are at this moment of the influence we are spreading around us—they worked on zealously hut silently ; and , as the glorious Temple of our Grand

Master , King Solomon , was reared in all its magnificence without the sound of the workman's tool , so did these Masons labour silently , but with an earnestness worthy of the cause , and have left us a lodge of which we may be justly proud . Of our Past Masters now in our list of members , we are glad to have 18 ; and it is a circumstance somewhat remarkable that the period of membership of the senior three amounts to exactly 100 years . ThusWorshiful MasterI have endeavoured to give

, p , you a short sketch of our lodge ; excessively meagre in facts I am aware it is , but , I have no doubt , sufficiently long to have considerably taxed your patience . The occasion of a centenary is so rare that it is , perhaps , excusable if one is led away to ramble a little into the past . I trust , however , that to all of us , collectively and individually , the I ' will ever bear reflectionand thatif it yield no other goodit may at least lead us

, , , sometimes to give a thought to its glorious antithesis—the FUTURE ; and may the Great Architect of the Universe grant that when that mysterious aud unknown FUTURE shall he revealed to us , we may each have a joyful part in it , and be admitted into the celestial fraternity of angels , and the spirits of just men made perfect . —So mote it be .

LODGE OF PROSPERITY ( NO . 65 . )—This lodge met on the 2 oth ult ,, at the Guildhall Tavern , Bro . II . AY . Goddard , AV . M . in the chair . The former lodge minutes having been read and confirmed , the AV . M . passed Bro . Edwards , and raised Bros . Muggleton , and Potts . This being the night for the election of AV . M . for the ensuing year , Bro . J . L . Mather , S . W . was unanimously chosen by the brethren ; Bro . E . C . Mather , was re-elected as Treasurer and Bro . SpeihtTler ; the brethren

g , y numbering 52 , sat down afterwards to a very splendid dinner when the usual loyal and Alasonic toasts were honoured . The AV . M . said he had to propose the toast of evening , namely , the W . M . elect ; and he congratulated the brethren on their judicious selection . Bro . Mather in suitable terms , returned thanks . Bro . Bellerby , I . PM ., with his usual eloquence , proposed the health of the W . M . The brethren separated at

an early hour . LODGE OF FAITH ( No . 141 . )—This lodge met on Tuesday 23 rd ult ., at Anderton's Hotel , Fleet-street , Bro . George Hyde ' AA ' . M . in the chair . The business iu the lodge being concluded tiie brethren adjourned to partake of a substantial repose . After which the usual toasts were gene through in regular succession , and the proceedings came to a close .

ROTAL OAK LODGE ( NO . 871 ) - —The eighth anniversary of this lodge was hell at the Royal Oak Tavern , Deptford , on AVednesdav , the 24 th ult . Bros . John Hawker , W . M ., supported bv Bros . W . Jelfery , S . AV . ; . J . Truelove , J . W . ; F . AValters , Sec . and AV . M . elect ; H . Whittle , S . D . ; J . AV . T . Barrett , J . D . ; S . G . Cook , I . G . ; J . Killner , Dir . of Cers ., and other members , opened the lodge . The minutes of lust meeting were read and confirmed , fbe report of the audit committee was read . A

Board of Installed Musters was formed , aud Bro . F . Walters was installed W . M . for the ensuing year . The officers appointed for the ensuing year were Bros . 11 . Whittle , S . AV . ; J . \ V . T Barrett , J . AV . ; H . A . Collington , P . M ., Treas . ; J . Hawker , P . M ., Sec ; I . Killner , S . D . ; S . G . Cook , J . D . ; Billington , I . G . ; J . AVhifl ' en , Dir . of Cers . ; J . L . AVinn , P . M ., Tyler . The usual addresses were delivered , and when the ceremony was completed a hearty burst of applause greeted the Installing Master .