Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Prince Of Wales And The Irish Freemasons.
NORTH MUNSTEE . —Bro . J . Spaight , D . Prov . G . M . ; H . J . Land , Prov . G . M . SOUTH EASTERN . —Bro . Sir John Kean , Bart ., Prov . G . M . ; E . Fitzm ' aurice , Prov . G . "VV . TYRONE . —Bro . Major Irvine , D . Prov . G . M . ; Capt . Nicholson , Prov . G . Sec .
WICKLOW . —Bro . Viscount PoAverscourt , Prov . G . M . ; J . R . Sutcliffe , Prov . G . Treas ; H . Ebbs , Prov . G . Sec . The Duke of Leinster , who has been the Grand Master of Irish Masons more than fifty years , and who therefore filled his present position during George the Fourth ' s visit to Ireland , presided with genial cordiality .
The reception of the Royal Brother was full of heartiness , tempered with , respect , and the proceedings passed oif without a single hitch from first to last . Tbe Duke of Manchester was announced a short time before the Prince , and , as Provincial Grand Master of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire ( under the English
Constitution ) , was received with fitting honours . The Irish Masons Avere bent on giving a cordial reception to their English brethren , and it was the subject of much regret that more of these were not present . A deputation of Grand Officers then proceeded from the Grand Lodge Room to wait upon his Royal Highness in
the Robing Room , and conduct him to the Grand Lodge Room . The Prince was then led by the deputation to his chair , on the left of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master , the Grand Organist playing the National Anthem . The brethren on the Prince ' s entering , rose and stood to order in silence . Upon the Prince taking
his seat , his Royal Highness was saluted with full Masonic honours as Past Grand Master of England and Wales ,
The Deputy Grand Master , Bro . Sheckleton read the following address -. — May it please your Royal Highness , —AVe , tbe Grand Master and brethren of the most ancient and honourable society of Freemasons of Ireland , in Grand Lodge assembled , do most cordially and fraternally welcome your Royal Highness to the
Grand Lodge of Dublin . We bail with the highest gratification your Royal Higlmess's accession as a Brother of the Order . Your Royal Highness , in following tbe example of your Royal and illustrious relatives , by affording your patronage to our Order , has conferred upon it the highest honour which it is possible for it to receive . The more particularly have we to
express our warmest thanks and gratitude for the distinguished mark of favour your Royal Highness has conferred upon the Order in Ireland by accepting tbe office of Patron ; and we pray the Great Architect ofthe Universe that He may grant you a long life , and continue to pour upon you His best blessings . — LEINSTER , G . M . , MAXWELL . C . CLOSE , G . S .
His Royal Highness then read his answer , as follows : I thank you very sincerely for your cordial and fraternal address , and for the kind sentiments contained in it towards myself . It Avas a source of undeniable satisfaction to me when I was elected a member of the Craft , and I think I may without presumption point the different Masonic meetings which ,
since my initiation , I have attended as a proof of the interest I take in all that relates to Freemasonry . I can assure you that it has afforded me great satisfaction to become the patron ef the most ancient and honourable society of FreemrsonB in Ireland .
and that an opportunity has been given to me hy my vist to Ireland of being installed here to-day . The R . W . the Deputy Grand . Master , assisted by the Grand Secretary , then brought forward the clothing and jewel prepared for his Royal Highness as Patron of the Order in Ireland , and his Royal Highness was invested Avith these by his Grace the Most Worshipful Grand Master .
The jewel is fixed within an oval wreath of shamrocks in gold upon a ground of enamelled blue It comprises the square and compasses , studded with diamonds , and standing on the segment of a circle similiarly enriched ; surmounting it is a regal crown , studded with diamonds and rubies ; on the reverse side
is a plate of gold , Avith the following inscription : — " Presented by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland to his Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of "Wales , Earl of Dublin , Knight of St . Patrick * who was made patron of their ancient order , 1871 . " The Prince Avas then saluted as Patron of the Order ,
The ceremony of investiture over , the Prince rose again , and spoke as follows : — Brethren , —I have now to thank you heartily and cordially for your fraternal reception , and for the honour you have done me . I beg to assure you of the pleasure I feel at having been invested a patron of the Freemasons of Ireland . It is a source
of considerable satisfaction to me to know that my visit to this country has afforded this opportunity of meeting you , Brethren , in Lodge , and of interchanging these frank and hearty greetings ; It is true that I have not been a mason very long , still I will take tbe liberty of saying that during the short period that I have been one of yourselves I may not be considered an unworthy
member . I was , as you may be aware , initiated in Sweden , and attended the Grand Orient Lodge of Denmark . Since then I had the honour conferred on me of being made Past Grand Master of England , last year I received the high and distinguished rank of Patron of the order in Scotland ; and last , though notleast , Ihave now been raised to the high position which you have j ust placed me in—that of being elected a member of this
Grand Lodge , and Patron of the Order in Ireland . I again thank you for the marked compliment which you have paid me _> and I am very glad , indeed , of being afforded an opportunity of mooting my Irish brethren hero in Grand Lodge . I thank you from the bottom of my heart . I know Ave all know how good and holy a thing Freemasonry is How
excellent are its precepts , how perfect its doctrines ! But forg < tve me if , I remind you that some of our friends outside are not s well acquainted with its merits as Ave are ourselves , and that a most mistaken idea prevails in some minds that because we are a secret society , Ave meet forjpolitical purposes , or have a politica l bias in anything Ave do . I am delighted , Brethren , to have this
opportunity of proclaiming what I am satisded you AVIU agree with me in , namely , that we have as masons , no politics , that the great object of our order is "to strengthen the bonds of fraternal affection and make us live in pure and Christian loA e with all men ; " though a secret . Ave are not a political body ; that our Masonic principles and hopes are essential parts of our attachment to the constitution and our loyalty to the CroAvn .
It is not too much to say that this speech fairly took its hearers by storm . Althoug h the sentiments expres sed were the same as in the reply to the address of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Prince Of Wales And The Irish Freemasons.
NORTH MUNSTEE . —Bro . J . Spaight , D . Prov . G . M . ; H . J . Land , Prov . G . M . SOUTH EASTERN . —Bro . Sir John Kean , Bart ., Prov . G . M . ; E . Fitzm ' aurice , Prov . G . "VV . TYRONE . —Bro . Major Irvine , D . Prov . G . M . ; Capt . Nicholson , Prov . G . Sec .
WICKLOW . —Bro . Viscount PoAverscourt , Prov . G . M . ; J . R . Sutcliffe , Prov . G . Treas ; H . Ebbs , Prov . G . Sec . The Duke of Leinster , who has been the Grand Master of Irish Masons more than fifty years , and who therefore filled his present position during George the Fourth ' s visit to Ireland , presided with genial cordiality .
The reception of the Royal Brother was full of heartiness , tempered with , respect , and the proceedings passed oif without a single hitch from first to last . Tbe Duke of Manchester was announced a short time before the Prince , and , as Provincial Grand Master of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire ( under the English
Constitution ) , was received with fitting honours . The Irish Masons Avere bent on giving a cordial reception to their English brethren , and it was the subject of much regret that more of these were not present . A deputation of Grand Officers then proceeded from the Grand Lodge Room to wait upon his Royal Highness in
the Robing Room , and conduct him to the Grand Lodge Room . The Prince was then led by the deputation to his chair , on the left of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master , the Grand Organist playing the National Anthem . The brethren on the Prince ' s entering , rose and stood to order in silence . Upon the Prince taking
his seat , his Royal Highness was saluted with full Masonic honours as Past Grand Master of England and Wales ,
The Deputy Grand Master , Bro . Sheckleton read the following address -. — May it please your Royal Highness , —AVe , tbe Grand Master and brethren of the most ancient and honourable society of Freemasons of Ireland , in Grand Lodge assembled , do most cordially and fraternally welcome your Royal Highness to the
Grand Lodge of Dublin . We bail with the highest gratification your Royal Higlmess's accession as a Brother of the Order . Your Royal Highness , in following tbe example of your Royal and illustrious relatives , by affording your patronage to our Order , has conferred upon it the highest honour which it is possible for it to receive . The more particularly have we to
express our warmest thanks and gratitude for the distinguished mark of favour your Royal Highness has conferred upon the Order in Ireland by accepting tbe office of Patron ; and we pray the Great Architect ofthe Universe that He may grant you a long life , and continue to pour upon you His best blessings . — LEINSTER , G . M . , MAXWELL . C . CLOSE , G . S .
His Royal Highness then read his answer , as follows : I thank you very sincerely for your cordial and fraternal address , and for the kind sentiments contained in it towards myself . It Avas a source of undeniable satisfaction to me when I was elected a member of the Craft , and I think I may without presumption point the different Masonic meetings which ,
since my initiation , I have attended as a proof of the interest I take in all that relates to Freemasonry . I can assure you that it has afforded me great satisfaction to become the patron ef the most ancient and honourable society of FreemrsonB in Ireland .
and that an opportunity has been given to me hy my vist to Ireland of being installed here to-day . The R . W . the Deputy Grand . Master , assisted by the Grand Secretary , then brought forward the clothing and jewel prepared for his Royal Highness as Patron of the Order in Ireland , and his Royal Highness was invested Avith these by his Grace the Most Worshipful Grand Master .
The jewel is fixed within an oval wreath of shamrocks in gold upon a ground of enamelled blue It comprises the square and compasses , studded with diamonds , and standing on the segment of a circle similiarly enriched ; surmounting it is a regal crown , studded with diamonds and rubies ; on the reverse side
is a plate of gold , Avith the following inscription : — " Presented by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland to his Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of "Wales , Earl of Dublin , Knight of St . Patrick * who was made patron of their ancient order , 1871 . " The Prince Avas then saluted as Patron of the Order ,
The ceremony of investiture over , the Prince rose again , and spoke as follows : — Brethren , —I have now to thank you heartily and cordially for your fraternal reception , and for the honour you have done me . I beg to assure you of the pleasure I feel at having been invested a patron of the Freemasons of Ireland . It is a source
of considerable satisfaction to me to know that my visit to this country has afforded this opportunity of meeting you , Brethren , in Lodge , and of interchanging these frank and hearty greetings ; It is true that I have not been a mason very long , still I will take tbe liberty of saying that during the short period that I have been one of yourselves I may not be considered an unworthy
member . I was , as you may be aware , initiated in Sweden , and attended the Grand Orient Lodge of Denmark . Since then I had the honour conferred on me of being made Past Grand Master of England , last year I received the high and distinguished rank of Patron of the order in Scotland ; and last , though notleast , Ihave now been raised to the high position which you have j ust placed me in—that of being elected a member of this
Grand Lodge , and Patron of the Order in Ireland . I again thank you for the marked compliment which you have paid me _> and I am very glad , indeed , of being afforded an opportunity of mooting my Irish brethren hero in Grand Lodge . I thank you from the bottom of my heart . I know Ave all know how good and holy a thing Freemasonry is How
excellent are its precepts , how perfect its doctrines ! But forg < tve me if , I remind you that some of our friends outside are not s well acquainted with its merits as Ave are ourselves , and that a most mistaken idea prevails in some minds that because we are a secret society , Ave meet forjpolitical purposes , or have a politica l bias in anything Ave do . I am delighted , Brethren , to have this
opportunity of proclaiming what I am satisded you AVIU agree with me in , namely , that we have as masons , no politics , that the great object of our order is "to strengthen the bonds of fraternal affection and make us live in pure and Christian loA e with all men ; " though a secret . Ave are not a political body ; that our Masonic principles and hopes are essential parts of our attachment to the constitution and our loyalty to the CroAvn .
It is not too much to say that this speech fairly took its hearers by storm . Althoug h the sentiments expres sed were the same as in the reply to the address of