Ceylon.

propose brethren is "The health of his Eoyal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh , " I am sure you must have all watched with interest the movements of his Royal Highness since he left the shores of England on the present cruise , especially as he is shortly to pay us a visit in Ceylon , where I am quite sure he will meet a hearty reception , and let ns hope that he will be spared to visit us and to return to bis native land an honour to the service

he represents . Bro . Grenier in proposing tbe fourth toast said : —It was his turn to propose the first purely Masonic toast of the evening" The health of the three Grand Masters of Ireland , England , and Scotland . " He mentioned Ireland first , in accordance with a well-known and long-established custom , as the Sphinx and Leinster Lodges both hailed under the Irish constitution ; but whether this conventionality were observed or not , he felt sure

that the names of Leinster , Zetland , and Dalhousic would be received with equal warmth and enthusiasm . In the Initiation Charge , they were reminded that monarchs in all ages had been promoters of tho Masonic art , that they had not deemed it derogatory to their dignity to exchange the Sceptre for the Trowel , to patronise Masonic mysteries and join in Masonic assemblies . Freemasonry was still as truly attractive as ever , and independent of the circumstance that Royaltyin the of the

, person Prince of Royalty , had joined the brotherhood , there was the no less encouraging fact of three great Peers of the Realm ruling the three Grand Lodges , —a fact which was in itself a sufficient guarantee of the pure and honourable nature of the Craft .

Bro . Larkum , P . M ., next proposed "The AV . M . 's of tbe Sphinx and Leinster . " Bro . Nicholls in responding to the toast , said : W . M . ' s of the Leinster and Sphinx Lodges—I rise on behalf of the Leinster Lodge to return you my best thanks for the very kind manner in which you have proposed our health on this occasion . I can assure you it will be my constant endeavour as far as lies in my power to promote the interests and welfare of the Leinster

Lodge , and I feel very proud of tbe position I occupy iu connection with tbe lodge this evening . Brethren , I thank you for your kind reception of the toast . Bro . Grenier in returning thanks on behalf of the Sphinx , said he was much indebted to the brethren for the kind manner in which they bad welcomed bis name , as Master of the Sphinx . That was a position which be had long coveted , and which

might properly be tbe object of every Mason ' s ambition , for , viewed either in the light of tradition or of history , or of actual experience , the office of Master involved a very high honour indeed . In ancient times , it was said , no brother , however skilled in the Craft , was designated a Master Mason unless he had passed the chair , while the history of the blue lodges in the island showed that some of the ablest and the best of men who had come against them bad aspired to and obtained the honour . His memory carried him back that night to the days of Col . Maydwell , who had initiated him in that very room many years ago . Then followed Col . Sim , whom they all learnt to love and

revere , and then the worthy Past Masters he saw around him . To succeed such good men and true at the head of the oldest , the largest , and the mother lodge in Colombo was to him—a comparatively young Mason—a source of much pride and gratification . The Treasurer had , in submitting his accounts , pointed to a falling off in the initiation fees during the past six months , but that was no criterion by which to judge of the prosperity of the Sphinx . He would point to the Leinster Lod which

ge , had recently sprung from them , as an indication of the welfare of the Sphinx . He would point to that very joint banquet as illustrating the truly Masonic spirit which characterised the Sphinx , and which could not fail to ensure success . The Leinster had been allowed to take tbe initiative , and the Sphinx had heartily supported the movement . He hoped that this spirit would pervade all their future proceedings , and that both

lodges would co-operate to further the common interests of the Craft . He was conscious of tbe power for good which his office gave him , and with the valuable aid of his trusty officers he would do his best to sustain the reputation of the old mother lodge . Bro . Skeen , in rising to propose the sixth toast , ' Tho Past Officers , " said that he spoke at a disadvantage ; for , in the first place , he liked to have time to arrange his thoughts , and he was

not asked to speak until after be had sat down to table ; and , in the second , so many good things had been said by the older Masters who had preceded him , and which would have been applicable to this particular toast , that he was inclined to say

with an Irishman of old , " Och ! bother the ancients , they've stolen all our best thoughts ! " However , be had no doubt but that whatever his shortcomings as a speaker might be , those present would respond to the toast as heartily as they had done to any which had preceded it . The past officers had done good service in their respective lodges ; and , while tbe Master was the mainspring , they were the pivots and train-wheels which

kept the lodge in harmonious co-operation . The Past Officers had always worked well with the Past Masters ; they had not allowed ill-will or dislikes to clog their bearings , or passion or prejudice to twist or turn out of gear tbe regularity of their action , and , as they had invariably acted in tbe subordinate offices of their lodges so as to win tbe approbation of their brethren , or , at any rate , with such rare exceptions as only to prove the rule to be as he had stated it , there was no doubt but

they would in due time be welcomed to the high and honourable offices of AVorshipful Master for which they had qualified themselves so well , and to which post it was the ambition as well as tbe privilege of all true Masons to aspire to . He proposed to their most cordial reception "The Past Officers . " Bro . Larkum returned thanks for the Sphinx , and Bro . Halloran on behalf of the Leinster . BroFerdinandsin proposing tbe health of tbe officers said

. , that , with all deference to Princes , and Dukes , and Worshipful Masters , he would say Freemasonry could not get on satisfactorily without lodge officers . They new officers were tried and trusty men in whom they all had implicit confidence . Bro . Andree returned thanks on behalf of the officers .

Bro . Lorenz , P . M ., in proposing the health of " The Guests and Visitors , " said that one of the finest features of a meeting like this was the opportunity of meeting with and entertaining strangers and foreigners . Freemasons visiting our lodges in Colombo were always welcome ; and long from bis experience of Freemasonry be knew that it was so in all lodges and in all countries . He was sure that those who bad done them the honour of visiting the lodge that evening , and of partaking of

their humble fare , had done two good things—they bad asserted themselves as good Masons , and g iven the Colombo Masons due credit for one of the distinguished features of Mosonry , a ready and brotherly welcome to all good Masons . Bro . Crookshank returned thanks . As a military man he was apt to be considered solcitous only for his pay and allowances , and to be treated as such , but whenever he had gone on public dut—to Canadaor South Americaor the West Indiesor

y , , , Ceylon—he was welcomed and befriended by brother Masons . And , when he should leave Ceylon , he would carry away happy recollections of meetings like the present and of the hospitality and true fellowship accorded to him by the Ceylon Masons . Bro . Ledward proposed " The Ladies . " Bro . Williams returned thanks . Bro . O'Halloran proposed the absent brethren .

Bro . James Alwis proposed tbe first private toast . — " The health of the oldest P . M . in the room . " Bro . Venn was a very old resident in the Colony and was regarded as quite an institution . Both Masonically and in private life he was deservedly respected and esteemed , and the brethren would do honour to themselves in cordially responding to the toast . Bro . Venn , in returning thanks , said he had watched with livelinterest the proceedings of the evening and as the oldest

y man and Mason amongst them be would recommend the cultivation of that spirit of peace and harmony so prominently displayey on that occasion . Bro . Skeen proposped , in suitable terms , " The Press . " Bro . Ludovici in returning thanks said , that while all tbe other toasts seemed to have fallen to tbe lot of the several speakers , the duty of returning thanks fell to him by an

accident . He would not dilate at any length on the old established portion of the local press—whether on that of which tbe worshipful proposer was chief editor and manager , nor that with which he had himself the honour of being connected , but there was a recent acquisition to the local press in the character of Muniandi who deserved their best wishes . He himself had been , suspected of muniandism , aud some people bad gone so far as to suspect of him of a tailbut all be could was that he was

-, say per fectly innocent of the appendage . He was nevertheless glad to be in any way identified with Henry" Adams , and he thanked the proposer as well as the brethren who had drunk to the press with so much enthusiasm , both for himself and that august personage very cordially . Bro . Grenier proposed " St . John's Lodge , Kandy . "