Royal Arch.

panions , good advice . Comp . Pepper m a Masonic speech , proposed the-visitors and Comp . Banister , who was at all times ready and willing to lend a hand to help in the good work , drunk with full honours and acclamations , and responded to . Toasts , sentiments , and songs , brought a very happy evening to a close , and the companions separated happy to meet again .

Masonic Festivities.

MASONIC FESTIVITIES .

SCOTLAND . THE 10 TH IN AYRSHIRE . True to their principles , the Freemasons of the cradle land of Scottish Masonry have , iu the late rejoicings in honour of H . R . H . the Prince of AVales , mingled perfumes of the sweetest odour with tlie incense ascending from the censers which the loyalty of the British people had charged . Without waiting a formal invitation to don the badge of the Craftwithout even

, , as every installed R . AV . M . knows ought to be the case , obtaining the consent of their Provincial Grand Master , many of the lodges were formed on the 10 th , to have by their presence imparted a richly picturesque appearance to the various civic processions which were marshalled to render the day in which the royal nuptials was celebrated , one commemorable in the nation ' s history . The brethren in Mauchline , Kilmarnock ,

Ardrossan , Saltcoats , Stevenston , Beith , Maybole , Irvine and Ayr , during tbe day , perambulated the streets of their respective towns , and in the evening , joining free with the denizens of the the neutral world , enjoyed themselves in many ways , some at the " feast of reason and the flow of soul , " others in the " mazes of the giddy dance . " In Ardrossan the public dinner was presided over by Bro .

Provost Barn ; in Mauchline by Bro . Gavin Hamilton , youngest son of Burns ' s early patron ; in Kilwinning by Bro . J . Meickle , in the one held in Bro . Ross's , King Arms , Ayr . The Croupiers were Dr . Ronald , and AV . Pollock , and in that held in Bro . Park ' s , Prince of Wales Inn , Bro . D . Murray Lyon presided , and was faced by Bro . Sergt .-Major Loekhart , of the Royal Ayr and AA'iton Kifles . Having been present at

g the latter affair , we present an extract from the Chairman's speech . In introducing the toast of the evening he remarked that not since the marriage of her Majesty in 1810 had the people of this country given such unbounded expression to their feelings of joy at the consummation of any event in which the royal

family were more immediately interested , than they now did on the occasion of the nuptials of the heir apparent to the throne of these realms ; and while such homage paid to the Royal Family could not be otherwise than most grateful to the feelings of onr beloved Sovereign , its exhibition was well calculated to engender , in the heart of the despot , longings after the blessings of constitutional government . But it was neither to sing the requiem of despotismnor to sound the praises of liberty that

, they had that afternoon assembled round tbe festive board- —it was theirs rather to swell the measure of a nation's rejoicings over an event which might yet affect tbe destinies of their country "; he begged , therefore , to call upon them , to fill a bumper in which to quaff the health of the most illustrious of Britain's sous , whose espousal of a fair Danish damsel of royal blood had that day been celebrated within the walls of her Majest's ancient

y Castle of AA'indsor . After adverting to the matrimonial alliances formed in tbe olden time between the Danes and Britons , and taking a retrospect of the events occurring in the beginning of the present century which led twice to the surrender of the Danish fleet to Britain , when the wooden walls of old England belched forth their thunders with such terrible effect upon Copenhagen as to cause tbe

surrender of that devoted capital into the hands of the mistress of the seas , the Chairman showed how little prospect there was then presented to view of an alliance of the nature which the crowning event of that day had ratified , and remarked that what the force of arms or the skill or intrigue of the most consummate diplomatist could never have produced had been quietl effected through the irresistible influences of those

y native charms which grace the mind and person of the lovely Danish maiden whom he who is destined to be our future Soverei gn now calls by the endearing name of wife . He had no inflated panegyric upon the Royal pair to pronounce ; by those who from personal intercourse with them were best qualified to judge as to their worth they were well spoken

ofthe Prince for his intelligence and manly bearing , the Princess , for her womanly graces and accomplishments ; hut as the son and daughter of the Queen they were entitled to their highestrespect , and it would ill become British subjects to mar by any discordant note that harmony of feeling in regard to the Royal marriage which seemed to animate the whole body of the people , or by their silence to break the vibration of the joyful notes of the nuptial song , as they pass along from island to island , to be taken up by onr most distant colonies : —

" Fill high the cup , and let the health go round ! Then shout for joy amain—Shout till the rafters overhead resound , For such a day as this we shall not see again 1 " Bat while they thus rejoiced over the union of Albert and . Alexandra in the holy bonds of wedlock , let one grand universal orison rise to Heaven , burdened with the wish that these

youthful and distinguished persons may in their future career be so guided by the Most High as to realise the nation ' s hopes , and that when they are summoned to resign their temporal crowns and demit the honours of their exalted rank , they may ha enabled to do so in the sure hope through grace of eternal felicity . Pledge , then , in a flowing bumper , continued the Chairman , " The Health of their Royal Highnesses the Prince

and Princess of Wales . " Other toasts were given , but these need not be farther adverted to : and at an early hour the party broke up , and sallied , forth to enjoy a sight of the fireworks and illuminations . The dinner was one of a sumptuous kind , and in all respects characteristic of the profusion and tastefulness with which Bro .. Park usually garnishes the banquetting table ; and the company

were much indebted to Bro . Hamilion Nimmo for the cheerful and ready manner in which he responded to the numerous calls made upon him during the evening , by singing some of his favourite songs . Bro . Sergt . David Wallace rode as jauntily as ever on his "low haek'd car , " and Bros . H . Livingston and D . Hunter , warbled forth their woodnotes wild in their usually , tasteful style .

The dinner party in the Black Bull ( Bro . Simonds' ) was presided over by Bro . G . Gilfillan , that in the Victoria ( Bro . Gray's ) - bad for croupier the facetious brother , Rob . Gondie , and the supper in the Tam o' Shantev ( Bro . Glass ' s ) was , in the absence of Bro . Donald McDonald , presided over by Bro . Lyon , who , in . introducing " The Prince and Princess of AVales , " alluded to the dissimilarity of circumstances under which the last

two-Princesses of AVales had been led to the hymenial altar;—the marriage of the eldest son of George III . with the Princess Caroline was one of expediency , and proved an unhappy union to both parties ; that of Victoria ' s son with the Princess of Denmark was an affair ofthe heart , the result of mutual attachment , and bade fair to realise the most sanguine wishes for the . future happiness of the young couple more immediately interested . Garrick could now boast of a countess in the person

of a descendant of those roving sea-kings of the north , who for two hundred years were the scourge of Europe . It was no doubt singular that such an one should wear the coronet which encircled the brow of Marjory , Countess of Garrick ; but the youthful Princess to whom it had fallen in right of her husband would not wear it the less gracefully because of her descent from the hardy race of Norsemen who had placed their feet ,

upon the necks of some of the ancient Kings of' Britain . After a few other remarks , for which we have not room , the health of the Earl and Countess of Carrick was pledged amid great enthusiasm . Several other toasts were given , and the eveningspent in a most hilarious manner . The company having expressed , through the chair , their perfect satisfaction with the arrangements made for their comfort bMr . and Mrs . Glass

y , broke up at a seasonable hour . The Masonic ball in honour of the Royal marriage , held in Ayr , under the auspices of the senior lodge in town , Ayr Kilwinning , No . 124 , was numerously attended , and came oft " very successfully . AVhile the light blue and scarlet of Ayr Kilwinning predominated , a sprinkling of green and gold , scarletcrimsonand dark bluevisible amongst the insignia

, , , worn by the brethren , discovered the presence among the company of craftsmen hailing from Mother Kilwinning , Ayr Operative , Royal . Arch , and St . Paul . The arrangements of the committee of management were unique , and the nianner in which the Dir . of Cers ., Bro . David Bone , aided by Bro . R . Fergusson , discharged the duties of that office , contributed to the comfort and enjoyment of all present . The programme