Freemasonry In Newport, Monmouthshire.

FREEMASONRY IN NEWPORT , MONMOUTHSHIRE .

Bx A MASON 7 . * Tho Isca Lodge , " So . 683 , had its Anniversary Festivaj on the 18 th ult ., when the brethren met in Lodge , and indulged at banquet . Bro . E . J . Chambers was re " elected to the honourable post of W . M ., which ho so efficiently filled last year . There was , of course , no

"installation , " the AV . M . being already installed , but the usual adjuncts which dignify a Masonic ceremonial , sufficiently effective and striking in its native simplicity , were present on this occasion . Bro . Groves , the Prov . G . O ., presided afc the organ ; and the least that can be said of the music is that ifc was excellent . The sublime degree of that mysterious rita was gone through by the

W . M . in a manner which won for him warm encomiums , and high praise from expert and experienced Masons hailing from all parts of the compass . Does any one know what this compass business means ? Tho reporter who peeped through the key-hole , whose tympanum was sound , and whose retina was correct , unfortunately got caught by the Tyler , and very nearly run through for a

Cowan . Like the inquisitive wife who lodged herself in the clock-case , he was made a Mason on the spot . Ever since the eye applied to the key-hole has been wilfully blind . Nevertheless , as an indiwiddlum ( to quote

Dickens ) , he has a burning desire to— "tell you all about it . " I was present at the lodge , where Bro . Chambers was re-installed ( if I may so term it ) , and I was afc the dinner at the King's Head . Ay , the dinner ; let mo say something about the dinner . Mr . Gretton ( have I spelt his name rightly P ) Gretton—he is the man to do the

menu ( French ) . Mr . Gretton put the Masonic dinner on the table a la mode ( French again ) , which means in Uhlglish " & <^ Gi-etton 51 1 nrr . Tint QCn-ng t & qi-twrpl - < v ? tb the short-comings of wiseacres . I am not the man to "blow up the landlord . " I take no exception to the wine , although , by the way , claret is rapidly rising in price . But let me say that the wines afc the " Limited "

were good ; and that Host Gretton was exceedingly benign—immensely condescending , tremendously jolly when you challenged tbe price of his liqour . It ' s no good ; I ' ve tried it . I ' ve signally failed to make an impression upon his pericranium , and ( bad luck to it , not to him ) I ' ve always had to " shut up" with the painful consciousness that I had hazarded an opinion about something of which I knew nothing . Wines are very extraordinary things now-a-days . Only one word more . If I'd a " Limited "—Gretton's the man for me .

But I have tarried too long afc the cuisine . Tho banquet waits 1 The guests are assembled . The Masons with their appropriate costumes ( I wonder what those costumes mean ?) troop in ; there is a glare of gas and a glitter of jewellery . The W . M . takes the chair , and the brethren , to the number of between forty and fifty , sit down at table . "Now good digestion wait on appe .

tite , and health on both 1 " so said Shakespeare , although he ' s often misquoted . This Masonic occasion was rendered the more interesting by tho attendance of the E . W . the Prov . G . M . nominate of Monmouthshire , Bro . Charles Lyne . Tho Province well knows how greatly the late lamented Bro . Eolls was respected in JIasonic circles . The manner in

which Bro . Lyne acted as his deputy no donbfc contributed tu this honourable appointment , it is well -understood that Bro- Lyne would not have accepted the office had not the Province pointed its finger afc him and said " Thou art the man . " Captain George Homfray has been nominated as his Deputy . In fact , " I hoar thafc the Prov . G . JI . thought so highly of Bro . Homfray ' s

services thafc he made ifc a sine qua non that Bro . Horn fray shonld undertake the onerous office of D . Prov . G . JI . That the Province will be well worked , and that tho Grand JIaster , his Deputy , and the JIasters of Lodges will not be slow in advancing tho principles which should designate all Jlasons throughout the world , I have not the slightest doubt .

Of the toasts at the banquet I give a list below , so far as I recollect them . One thing I heard with satisfaction , The ex-Mayor repudiated all distinctions on the floor of tho "lodge . " "Mayors , ex-Mayors , Colonels , and Captains , " said Bro . Beynon , '' have no recognition here . AVe are brethren , nothing more , nothing less . " Bro . Beynon is right , and the sentiment was applauded to the

echo . Ifc is a singular fact thafc Masonry holds its own , and attracts to its side a host such as no other organisation in the world can command . Even the Pope , himself a Freemason ( he took his first degree in America ) recognises the importance of the Craft , for he politely anathematises it . And why ? Because the Roman Catholic system will have no secret institution . There is essentiall

y secrecy in Freemasonry . Roman Catholicism will have none of it . You abjure your lodge or your confessional : that is the practical issue . I am certain that numbers of our Eoman Catholic citizens would join our fraternity were it not for the fulmination so strangely exercised , so ruthlessly put in force . There'was a pleasing incident at the Isca dinner . Bro .

Cheese had composed some verses on Masonic Charities ( dedicated to the Prov . G . M . ) , and Bro . Groves had set them to music ; but if Bro . Cheese wrote , he wasn't going to sing , aud if Bro . Groves sung he wasn't going to play the accompaniment . As tho Prov . G . O . said it is extremely difficult , to play and sing properly afc any time , much more so when there has been no " rehearsal . " He introduced a young ladv pupil who had kindly consented to pEi-oaiJc at , tiio uiauv . xne Drebnrcn , in token or

respect for the compliment , rose as she entered and took her seat . Moreover , on her retirement she was greatly applauded , and Bro . Groves was requested to convey the thanks of the lodge to this spirited daughter of a Mason ; for that such she was , we have it on the authority of the Prov . G . O . The harmony of the evening was materially enhanced

by the efforts of brethren who sang when they were requested to sing , and who did not shelter themselves under the shield of bronchial incapacity , such as this very severe weather is particularly prone to be credited with . Bro . George Homfray especially was up to the mark , and he has , ifc must be admitted , a happy knack of selecting those songs which take people by . surprise and make them laugh ; mother words , the music is novel as well as the words , and the effect—well , the effect is decidedly good 1

The party at the dinner , as already stated , was between forty and fifty . The W . M ., Bro . R . J . Chambers , was in the chair . On his rig ht was the R . W . the Prov . G . M-( nominate ) of Monmouthshire , Bro . Charles Lyne , P . M ., 471 ; Bros . George Homfray , V . W . Deputy Prov . G . M . ( designate ) ; L . Augustus Homfray ( Mayor of Newport ) , S . D . 683 ; Capt . Shadwell Clarke , 21 st Fusiliers , P . M .

1 , 205 , and Prov . 6 . S ., Devon ; Thomas AVilliams , I . P . M . 683 , and Prov . A . G . D . C ; Charles Homfray , 366 , an 1 , 098 , and Prov . G . S . ; AV . H . Wickey Homfray , I . G . 683 ; James Cheese , S . AV-, ( In the AVest , as vice-chairman , exactly as he ought to be ); Thomas Beynon , P . M . ; fifinrfre AV . Jones , J . S . Adam , John Griffith , p . M ' o ., H . J . ParnellProv . < a ~ Supt . of Worksand P . AI . 471 ;

, , R . B . Evans , P . M . 471 , P . Prov . G . D . C . ; H . J . Grafcfce , W . M . 471 ; "W . Pickford , P . M . 471 , and Prov . G . S . ; G . Gould , P . M . ; James JIaddooks , P . JI . 683 ; George Robinson , AV . M . 36 ; Jamos Hor man , W . M . 960 ; J . B . Passadora , J . W . 683 ; F . H . Bladon , J . D . 683 ; 0 . AV . Ingram J . AV-, 471 ; John L . Lloyd , 471 ; Joseph Gibbs , 471 ; H-