The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEMS . A lodge of Instruction has been opened under the authority of the New Concord Lodge ( 1115 ) , to meet every Thursday evening at the Rosemary Branch Tavern , Hoxton . The Joppa Lodge of Instruction ( No . 223 ) has removed to the Bed Lion Tavern , Basinghall-street .

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

01 ? AND STEAVARDS' LODGE—PUBLIC NIGHT . On AV ' cdnesday , the 31 st nit ., the Grand Stewards Lodge gave an extra public night , in the Temple adjoining Freemasons Hall , the free use of which had been kindly granted by the Board of General Purposes . The programme of the evening was one of unusual attraction , and nearly two hundred brethren Avere present , amongst whom we observed Bros . Harris , P . G . D ., President of the Board of General Purposes ; Bro . Eavers , P . G . S . B ., President of

the Colonial Board ; Bro . AV . G . Clarke , G . Sec ; Bro . S . B . Wilson , I ' . U . IX ; Bro . Le A ean , P . G . S . B . ; Bro . Patten , P . G . S . B . ; Bro . Smith , P . G . Purst ., Bro . Parnfield , Assistant G . Secretary , & c . The Lodge was opened by Bro . AA atson , acting as AA . M ., with Bros . Hinxman as P . M . ; Nutt , S . AV . ; Samuels , J . AV . ; Hewlett , P . M . S . D . ; 11 erryweather , J . D . ; AVarren , Sec . The acting AV . M . then proceeded with the ceremony of consecrating a lodge , being assisted by his various officers , and a very excellent oration was delivered

by Bro . Hinxman , with much point and effect . The musical part of the ceremony was performed by Bro . Matthew Cooke , who presided at the organ , and Bro . Donald King , who kindly allbrded their valuable assistance . The ceremony was most efficiently performedand the corn , wine , and oil was distributed from the beautiful consecrated vessels belonging to Grand Lodge . At the conclusion of the ceremony of consecration , the chair was taken by Bro . Nutt , P . M . of 32 , the Senior Deacon of the lodge , and

the AV . M . Bro . H . G . AVarren , having been presented by Bro . AVntson f , A- installation , that ceremony was performed by Bro . Nutt , in so far as it may be in the presence of uninstalled Master Masons , in a manner to call forth general commendation—the addresses to the Master , AVardens and Brethren being admirably delivered by Bros . Merry weather P . M . 324 , and AVatson P . M . 23 . Bro . AVARKEX , AA . M . then rose and said : —In appearing before the brethren for the first time in the character of a lecturer , and taking for his theme the workings of Preston and AA ebb , he had been induced to do so from the works of those brethren being the acknowledged authorities of the Craft of the two great nations of

the Anglo Saxon race , separated from each other by the Atlantic , . and from some attention having been drawn to the subject , through the visit of a brother , still amongst them , who had during' the past year been giving illustrations of American working in various parts of the country . In the cursory remarks he should make and which he had culled a lecture , he begged it to be observed that he used the term more in its popular than its Masonic signification , trusting- that if he could afford no great information to the brethren ,

they would at least give him credit for his endeavour to assist them in the pursuant of Masonic knowledge , he having long held that it would be much to the advantage of the craft if some of the brethren would occasionally favour them with more elaborate illustrations of the principles of the order , its distinguishing characteristics , cardinal virtues , and the various sciences to which it was allied , than were to be found in their regular lectures . Before entering on his subjecthe would premise that between the

, Illustrations of Preston and Webb ' s Monitor , there was no real difference , the latter being in feet nothing but a piracy of the former . It was true that AVebb in his ori ginal preface , stated that bis work was " principally taken from the Illustrations of Win . Preston , " but no one , even under that description , Avould suppose that it was a mere abbreviation—a transposition of words , sentences and chapters , many of which were reproduced verbatim . The proper

title of Webbs Monitor should be Webb's Preston , by which any one would at once recognise it as the work' of one brother edited by another . What should be its title , however , was probably of less consequence , when AVebb first published the work in the United States , than at present , for it was not likely that he ever anticipated that the time would come when a brother would cross the Atlantic to seek subscribers for American Masonic publications in England , and explain to the

English brethren the principles of Masonry as practised in his country , those explanations being based on a work which was only a piracy from an English authority . He ( Bro . Warren ) was , IIOAV - ever , astonished that a brother of " the standing of Bro . Bob . Morris

in the "United States , in issuing a new edition of AA'ebb ' s work ( which was now publicly advertised in England ) , and which he had illustrated by some valuable notes , did not give it its proper title , more especially as he was himself the publisher of an edition of Preston in its original form . He might observe that in illustrating the three degrees Preston divided them into six , four , and twelve sections respectively , whereas AVebb condensed them into three , two , and three , and to show how close they run he would quote from

PjirsTOS " , pp . 10 , 11 . "If the secrets of Masonry are replete with such advantage to mankind it may be asked , why - are they not divulged for the general good ? To this it may answered : —AVere the privileges of Masonry to be

indiscriminately dispensed , the purposes of the institution would not only be subverted ; but our secrets being familiar , like other important matters Avould lose their value and sink into disregard . "

WEBB , pp , 21 , 22 . "If the secrets of Masonry are replete with such advantage * to mankind it may be asked , why are they not divulged for the general good of society ? To which it may be answered : — AVere the privileges of Masonry

to be indiscrimately bestowed , the design of the institution would be subverted ; and being familiar like many other important matters Avould soon lose their value and sink into disregard . "

Again , in the following page Ave find : —

PllESXON . "Did the essence of Masonry consist in the knowledge of particular secrets , or peculiar forms , it might , indeed , be alleged , that our pursuits were trilling and superficial . "

AA ' JUJB . " Did the particular secrets or peculiar forms prevalent amongst Masons constitute the essence of the art , it might be alleged that our amusements were trifling and our ceremonies superficial . "

The last extract was an ingenious specimen of transposition , and so it was throughout the work . The 1 st chapter of AVebb and the 3 rd section of Preston were almost verbally the same , with the exception of slight abbreviations , and the omission of the last paragraph in Preston , and the same again with the 2 nd chapter of AVebb and the 5 th of Preston—excepting that in AVebb allusion was made to degrees not recognized in England , and of which Bro . Morris , the editor of A \ ebb , writes .- " This is according to the American system ,

.... All the degrees of the chapter here named are intensely Americanised . " The only recommendation in AVebb be could seeif recommendation it was—was that be entered rather fully into an explanation of the jewels and working tools—a knowledge of which Preston recommended should bo attained by a regular attendance at " Lodges . Bro . Warren then proceeded to illustrate the difference between English and American working—the latter of which he expressed an opinion was too dramaticand without the utmost

per-, fection in all the workers or actors , would be more likely to create ridicule than inspire the candidate with that awe and reverence of the majesty of the Most High , which it should be at all times their great object to produce in the minds of their members . Ho also pointed out how the American system , as laid down in Morris's edition of Webb , connected Masonry with Christianity , and thereby deprived the former of that universality which was one of its proudest boasts . Bro . AVarren also dilated upon the variations between

the English and American obligations—the latter of which lie regarded as too stringent , and likely to drive many of the best thinking men from the order , being sure it would have that effect in England . But into this part of the subject it is evident we cannot enter in print He concluded by thanking the brethren for the attention with which they had listened to him , assuring them that if he found it likely to be acceptable , he would , on a future occasion , draw a comparison between the ancient and modern

workings . The W . M . having resumed his seat , Bro . HAVEKS , P . G . D ., President of the Board of General Purposes , said that , having obtained the permission of the AA . M . to move a resolution , he should make use of the privilege by asking the visitors present to join him in requesting that a vote of thanks might be entered on the minutes of the lodge to the AV . M . anil the brethren for the very instructive evening which they had afforded

them . As to the accuracy of the ceremony of consecration , he could scarcely offer an opinion . The ceremony there worked was one with which ho was not familiar , but it was one in which he believed great latitude was allowed , and it was evident that the brethren had deeply studied it , and were anxious to give due effect to it in its performance . Ii everting to the part of the proceedings in which the AV . M . had taken the prominent part , he was glad to observe that that brother had came forward with his remarks on

American Masonry , for , looking at the antecedents of other Grand Lodges , and at the position of the Grand Lodge of England , it Avas most important that they should keep their system as pure as possible ; and he had that day received a letter from a well-known clergyman win had been spending his