Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

and by passion . " Those who attach importance to the arrangement of the furniture of the lodge at certain stages of its floor-work , will note the position of the implements shewn on the second quarter of our present illustration . The

disposition of the square and compasses is not that of the third degree , but it is similar to that of the same emblems on the seal of the Banff Lodge . Turn where we may , there is a want of uniformity in this respect , as our future illustrations will tend

to confirm . Of the fac-similes of the seals of the thirty-six American Grand Lodges ( given by Dr . Rob . Morris in his "Freemasons' Almanac , " for 1861 ) , that of Louisiana has both legs of the compasses crossed by the square ; while on the

seals of Michigan and South Carolina only one le ° of the compasses lies under the square—but even in this there exists a dissimilarity of arrangement : in the first-named seal it is the right leg , in the latter it is the left , which crosses the square .

That the nude arm , trowel in hand , as shown in the annexed illustration , is a happily chosen emblem for a lodge seal , our readers will readily admit . The design is , besides , in accordance with a regulation adopted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in November , 1763 .

Many links having recently been contributed to the fraternal chain by members of the 21 st , or Royal North British Fusiliers , at present doing duty at the Curragh , our primary object in presenting at this early stage of our series a

facsimile of a lodge holding under another than the Scottish Constitution , is to restore a landmark indicative of the close connection which formerly , and for many years , existed between one of our national regiments and Freemasonry , in the hope

that a knowledge of the fact may stimulate others of the same distinguished corps to acquire a reputation for Masonic labour equal in degree to what they have gained by their gallantry in the field . An old Fusilier—Bro . David Brown ( from

whose diploma issued at Portsmouth in 1818 , the seal is copied ) , an affiliated member of Kilmarnock St . Andrew—told us lately , when talking of the

revival of Masonry in his old corps , that on becoming a Craftsman he was led to believe that the charter of his mother lodo-e had , with the remission of fees , been granted to the brethren named in the warrant , in testimony of the Grand

Lodge of Ireland ' s gratitude for the great service which the brethren in the 21 st , aided by their unenlightened comrades in arms , had rendered to law and order by their suppression of a riotous outbreak in Dubliu , in July , 1 S 03 , in which

affair their lieutenant-colonel was killed . Our venerable iuformant not being able , however , to speak with certainty as to the circumstances under which the Royal North British Fusiliers became possessed of the charter alluded to , we applied to

the Worshipful the Depute Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland for information on the subject . In reply , Bro . Charles T . Walmisley ( whose courtesy on this as on a former occasion we beg thus publicly to acknowledge ) wrote to us

in these terms : — " . . . The warrant of Lodge No . 936 , was issued to the brethren in H . M . ' s 21 st regiment on the 9 th October , 1803 , and appears to have been returned and exchanged for

ho . 33 on the 2-inh June , 1817 . It was retained in the regiment up to 1823 , when it was transferred to Hobart Town , Van Dieman ' s Land , where it remained working up to 1850 , but apparently lay dormant from that up to 1 S 61 , when the

wan-ant was called in and returned to this office some time after . I regret to say that the proceedings and account books of Grand Lodge , from 1 S 01 io 1 S 05 , have been lost for many years , so that I am quite unable to say whether your

informant be correct in stating that the warrant was originally issued gratuitously . " In the absence , then , of evidence to the contrary , we are inclined to receive as a fact , Bro . Brown ' s pleasing version of the why and the wherefore of a Masonic

charter being attached to the Boyal North British Fusiliers of 1 S 03 . The circumstances attending the birth of the Lodge No . 936 were certainl y as honourable to its original members as they were novel in Masonic usage ; and we have great

pleasure , while setting up this memorial of an episode in the regiment ' s history , in being enabled to recognise among the Fusiliers of the present day many who have special claims for recognition as sons of light .

The Seal of Burns ' s mother lodge will form the subject of our next illustration . ( To be continued . )