Metropolitan.

by the centenarian , if man does not improve he must decline . He cannot in his condition be stationary . Brethren , it is the same with Freemasonry ; if Freemasonry is not constantly increasing it must decrease . From the time of Enoch , whom we choose to call the first Freemason , to the beginning of the 18 th century , the world saw the commencement , the rise , and the decline of Freemasonry ; but , at this latter period , the Mr .

Disraeli of that day , by a system of " levelling "—whether "down" or " up "it is not our province now to inquire—by introducing into the Order men who were not operative Masons , so extended it that it immediately made great strides ; and it has since gone on Increasing so much that at the present time it has no less than 500 , 000 members in the United Kingdom . Brethrenwe are always leased to add to the numberalthough

, p , we never try to persuade men to become Freemasons . We have had the pleasure of admitting one member to-night ; and , from what we have seen of him through the ceremony , we are justified , I think , in saying he will be an honour to the Craft . Although of the motives which induce men to join us we acknowledge but two— " a general desire for knowledge ancl a sincere ¦ wish more extensively to benefit our fellow creatures "—there

are very likely other motives frequently at work . No doubt they are both many and various , as many and as various as those which induced a noble family to marry , of whom it is

said"One , with heart aspiring , wooed and won a queen ; One , the miller ' s daughter , on the village green ; Some looked round in marriage ; others looked above ; While twenty wed for mouej * , and two or three for love , " Brethren , let us hope that the brother we have initiated into the Order to-night will take rank amongst this last class , the "two or three for love . " If such is tho case , he will follow up Masonry as it deserves to be followed up ; and the more he follows it up , the more I know he will be pleased with it . He will find it a beautiful system of morality ,

with" No meretricious graces to beguile , No clustering ornaments to clog the pile , From ostentation as from weakness free , It stands like the cerulean arch we see . Majestic in its own simplicity . " He will find that there is in it not a ceremony we go through which has not an explanation ; not an instrument we use which

has not a purpose ; and not a mark on the tracing board which has not a meaning . And I can assure him he will come forth from the stud y much improved . I have only to advise him to attend lodges of instruction , to seek the good treasure with an earnest heart , and , if he follows out the precepts of Masonry faithfully and sincerely , I can promise him he will become a wisera betterand a happier manBrethrenI ive —and

, , . , g you I trust you will drink with the greatest enthusiasm— " the health of our Brother Initiate . " ( The toast was most cordially responded to . ) The newly-initiated brother returned thanks for the honour they had done him , for he looked upon it as a great favour to be introduced into their Order , and he conld assure them that he would do all in his power to be a credit to it .

Bro . James Avery , P . M ., said he had a very pleasing task to perform , as it was to propose the health of the W . Master , and he felt sure the brethren must be highly satisfied with the able manner in which he bad done the work in the lodge , but his conduct at the banquet-table was magnificent , and he promised to be one of the ablest and brightest Masters who ever sat in the chair of that lodge . ( Cordially received . ) The

W . Master said if he did not know that this was a toast that was usually proposed at their meetings , he should have preferred it it it had been passed over altogether , as they knew very little of him , and he should say as little as possible ; but , so ong as lie was supported by such officers , so long would be endeavour to perform his duties so as to meet with their approbation . He thanked the brethren for the warmth and cordiality with which they had drunk the toast , and he also thanked Bro . James Avery for the kind manner iu which he had proposed it .

The W . Master said " The health of the P . M . ' s of the Beadon Lodge' was the next toast in tho order of succession , and he could say that there was no one more indebted to them for assistance than the W . Master who occupied the chair . All the P . M . ' s were good working Masons , and rendered very effective services after they had passed the chair of the Beadon Lodgo There was their P . M ., Bro . Alfred Avery , who held the

responsible office of Treasurer ; and then there was their Bro . Leimard , who performed the duties of secretary rightly and well , and to him the best thanks of the lodge were due . Then there was their Bro . James Avery , who performed the duties of WM ., but more often than he ( the W . M . ) was pleased to see him . Then there were their Bros . Parker and Seaman , to whom they were greatly indebted for their assistance in promoting the harmony of the lodge . There were some other

P . M . 's not present that evening , but no doubt circumstances had kept them from them , and he hoped that in drinking the healths of the P . M's they would do so as warmly as they de « served . The toast was well received . Bro . Parker , P . M ., said : As the most modest man amongst the P . M . 's he had to respond to the toast , and he felt obliged to the W . M . for the compliments he had paid them . Ono of them sung good songs , but he stood as it were between the

two—one poured forth his melody while the other collected their notes . The W . M . had that night given them an earnesb of what he would do for the year , and it was therefore great * pleasure to him to respond on the part of the P . M . 's , ancl to sit in the lodge to witness his working . Their W . Master was a rising star , and he believed he would eclipse all who had gone before him . The W . M . next gave "The health of the visitors" and to

, all of them ho gave a hearty welcome to the Beadon Lodge . Most brethren who visited them were pleased with their reception , and if they were not it was from no fault of theirs , for their desire was to make them happy and comfortable . The W . M . then enumerated the different visitors , and on Bro . Henry Thompson , P . M ., 177 and 1 , 158 , being called upon he said he felt delighted in saying a few words in replto the

y toast- He had not had the opportunity of witnessing the W . Master's working in the lodge , but if what he had seen at the banquet table was to be taken as a sample of the way it . which he had discharged his duties in the lodge he thought the brethren were particularly fortunate In having such a Master . He ( Bro . Thompson ) was a Mason of some years standing , during which time he hid not been unobservant of tbe way in which

Freemasonry was conducted , but he must say during the whole of that time he had never heard the health of a newly initiated brother proposed In such forcible and eloquent terms as had been done by their W . Master that evening , and it must have made a deep impression upon the candidate as it had done on him ( Bro . Thompson ) . The beautiful precepts be had inculcated had been conveyed in eloquent terms , and their W . M , had entireldeparted from the usual terms used on

similary occasions , and doubtless they had sunk deep into the mind of their newly initiated brother , and would never be effaced from his recollection . He ( Bro . Thompson ) thanked their W . M . for the privilege of being present that evening , and he could assure the brethren , although that was not his first visit , that he never enjoyed a greater amount of happiness amongst Masons than he did during a visit to the Beadon Lodge . On his own

part ancl the rest of the visitors he thanked the brethren for the kindness and hospitality they had received from the members of the Beadon Lodge . The W . Master next proposed , " Success to the Masonic Charities . " The brethren he said would excuse him for saying that he was no friend to public charities as he believed that there were excellent pickings obtained from them , but the Masonic charities had done so much in carrying out the Divine

injunction , not to suffer one of the little ones to perish , that he must request their assistance to aid the great institutions connected with their Order . There was their asylum for aged Freemasons and their Widows , which was ably represented by Bro . Terry . Then there was the Masonic Institution for Boys , and the Institution for their little Girls , and he could picture to himself nothing more lonely than a littlo girl being left

fatherless and motherless . The Boys' School he understood , was £ 10 , 000 in debt , ancl for this institution at the next festival Bro . Alfred Avery would stand Steward for the Beadon Lodge , aud he hoped that he would take up such large contributions so that the festival might be made a success . Then Bros . James . Avery , and Parker , would represent the other charities , and he hoped they would also be well supported . He gave " Success to the Masonic Charities . "

Bro . Terry , P . M . 228 , and collector to the Aged Freemasons ' Asylum , said he scarcely knew how to respond to the toast in the manner it deserved , but when he informed the three secretaries of the charities that that- lodge would send stewards to represent that lodge at each of them , it would be most gratify-