Masonic Contempoearies.—No. Iii.

MASONIC CONTEMPOEARIES . —No . III .

LONDON , SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 22 , 1862 .

THE ' R . W . BEO . EIEID-MARSHAI Visoouira CoHBEBMEBE , G . C . B ., & C . In the wide range of Ereemasonry including men of every shade of political feeling , nationality , and sect , it is not surprising that the order is

equallycomprehensive in admitting to membershi p individuals of every rant , from the king to the peasant , and of every profession , calling , trade , or handicraft . Many of those unfriendly to the craft have argued that as its mission is stated to be universal brotherly love , those who have made arms a profession should not

find a resting place in Ereemasonry ; but such persons are apt to overlook the fact , that so long as there are nations of dissimilar views , so long there must be armies , fleets , and all the appliances of war kept up by every people having a position to maintain and a commerce to protect . This country therefore can boast of some of the most eminent Generals , ancl Admirals , the world has ever seen , and numbers of

them , whilst -wielding the SAvord in its defence , have , at the same time , been foremost members of our brotherhood , laying to heart the practice- of patriotic daring , when their country demanded their services , and evincing , by being Ereemasons , how much the good of the great aggregate of human nature prompted them when

the sword was sheathed , and all their thoughts were directed towards improving and benefiting their fellow-men . It is one of our oldest remaining Generals that we are about to bring before the craft ; a soldier who has seen hard services , fought valiantly for the honour of our native land , and UOAV , in his

green old age , is one of the chief rulers of that Craft whose aim is universal fraternity . The early companions of the great Duke of Wellington in his Indian warfare , are now exceedingly few , but there are some of them still left amongst us , and foremost , by reason of his military rank , if not by seniority , is our E . W . Brother Viscount Combermere .

His lordship comes of an ancient house , that of Cotton of Combermere , county of Cheshire , where the family have been settled since the time of Henry Till , and from which place our illustrious brother takes his title . ¦

Combermere Abbey was founded in the twelfth century , as a Benedictine Monastery , and some of its early walls yet form a portion of the Viscount ' s seat . It contains a handsome library and a good collection of paintings . The mansion is situated in a beautiful park with an ornamental sheet of water , extending

over 130 acres , and in a conspicuous part of the park is "the "Wellington Oak , " planted by His Grace , our brother , the late Duke of Wellington . This estate came into the family by Sir George Cotton , Kni ght , esquire , of the body to Henry VIII , Vice-Chamberlain of the household to Prince Edward

, ( afterwards Edward VI ) , and a member of the Privy Council . Such then is the ancestry of our noble brother , and we shall now confine ourseiye to his personal history . The Ei ght Honorable Stapleton Stapleton Cotton ,

Viscount and Baron Combermere , G . C . B ., G-. C . H ., Grand Cross of the orders of the Tower and Sword , Charles III , and San "Fernando , and one of the first Knights of the lately established , most exalted order of the Star of India ; a Field-Marshal in the Army ; Colonel of the Eirst Eegiment of Life Guards ;

Constable of the Tower of London ; Lord Lieutenant and Custos Eotulorum of the Tower Hamlets , is the second of the four sons of the late Sir Eobert Salusbury Cotton , fifth Baronet , many years M . P . for the county of Chester , by Erances , daughter , and co-heir of James Eussell StapletonEsq . and was "born at

, , Llewenny Hall , Denbighshire , in 1773 . He received his youthful education at St . Peter ' s , Westminster , where he was a sehoolfelloAV with one who was afterwards a Eield-Marshal in the army , the late Earl of Strafford , and at the early age of fourteen obtained his first commission , being

appointed in 1790 as second Lieutenant in the 23 rd Welsh Eusiliers , from which he exchanged to a Captaincy in the 6 th Dragoon Guards , and went with the latter , regiment , on active service , into Inlanders , serving to the end of the campaign . In 1796 he was in command of the 25 th Light

, Dragoons , and Avent through a short but active service at the Cape of Good Hope , under Sir James Craig . Erorn thence he was , with his regiment , ordered to India , and took an active part , in 1798 and 1799 , against the renovmed Tippoo Saib , being present at the battle of Mallavelly and the siege of

Seringapatam , and for his share in the former he received the thanks of General , afterwards Lord , Harris , and was decorated with a medal for the latter . Here his motto , " In xttraque fortnna paratus , " or as Lord Byron has given the same

sentiment" "Whatever sky ' s above me , Here's a heart for every fate , " may fairly be said to have been first earned . Not that he was reckless of all consequences , but , as an older author has it , knew full Avell that" True courage is not the brutal force

Of vulgar heroes , but the firm resolve Of discipline ancl reason . " In 1807 , Major-General Cotton returned to Europe , during the suspension of hostilities in India , and proceeded to active service in the Peninsular as Brigadier of Cavalry , consisting of the 14 th and 16 th Liht

g Dragoons , in which command he signally distinguished himself at Oporto , in Portugal , and Talavera , in Spain . In 1809 he was invested with the local rank of Lieutenant-General , and succeeded the late Marquis of Anglese }' , who was disabled , as Commander of the allied cavalry under Lord Wellingtonand

re-, mained in that position until the peace of 1814 , being present at the various actions , in covering the retreat from Almeida to Torres Vedras , the Battle of Busaco , the affairs at Villa Garcia and Castrajon , the battles of Euentes d'Onor and Salamanca—in which he was second in command and seriously wounded—the

action at El Bodon , and the victories of the PyreneeSj Orthes , and Toulouse . Eor his services in the before mentioned engagements he was decorated with a cross and one clasp as well as repeatedly mentioned by Lord Wellington in terms of the highest commendation , and received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament , being looked upon as one of that