Provincial.

dinner shortly after seven o'clock , the AV . M . being supported by his officers—Bro . Savage , P . G . D . ; Bro . Smith , P . G . Purst ., and some twenty other brethren . The healths of Her Majesty and the M . AV . Grancl Master having been drunk with all the honours , the AA . M . asked the brethren to charge their glasses , bumpers , and said that ifc was rarely the good fortune of the Eoyal Union Lodge to be honoured with the presence of a Grancl Officer , but that evening they were doubly honouredthere being two presentboth brethren

, , distinguished for their Masonic talents , and for the independence they ever displayed in Grand Loclge . Of the merits of the Earl de Grey and Eipon , the new D . G . Master , or the other Grand Officers he felt he need not speak , and on those of the brethren present he would nofc dilate , feeling assured that he had only to mention their names to assure to the toast a hearty welcome . He would therefore propose " The Health of the D . G . Master and the

rest of fche Grand Officers , " coupled with the names of Bros . Savage ancl Smith . —The toast having been cordially responded to , Bro . SAVAGE , P . G . D ., rose to acknowledge the compliment paid to the Grand Officers . It was an easy and agreeable task to return thanks on behalf of the D . G . M ., the Earl de Grey and Eipon , but that duty was not unaccompanied with regret , as owing to ill health , they had lost the services of so distinguished a Mason as Bro . the

Earl of Dalhousie , who had ever shown the greatest interest in the prosperity of the Craft . Thafc regret , however , was lessened by the knowledge that the Earl de Grey and Eipon , who had accepted the office , was distinguished not only as a statesman and a scholar , but by his business habits and his evidently sincere desire to carry out the principles of Masonry to the utmost of his power . As regarded the other Grand Officers , he was sure he might state that he believed

they were all actuated by a sincere desire to promote the best interests of the Craft ; . It had often been his lot , when sitting on the floor of Grand Lodge , to disagree with many of the Grand Officers ; but , he trusted , he had always done so with courtesy aud gentlemanly feeling , which , he was happy to say , had ever been reciprocated on their part . In taking office he had by no means sacrificed his independence , and he often found himself opposed to others who held seats on the dais—as was the case on a recent

occasion—bufc he had no reason to believe that any of them ever acted from other than the most conscientious and disinterested motives . He assured them that he was delighted to have the opportunity of attending the Eoyal Union Lodge , of which he had often heard much , and to see how excellently it was worked , and the prosperity which attended it . As he felt certain Bro . Smith would like to say something on his own account , he would do no than

more again thank them for the compliment they had paid the Grand Officers , and the very handsome reception they had given to himself . —Bro . J . SMITH had expected Bro . Savage would have made his remarks a little more general ; but as he had left ifc to him ( Bro . Smith ) to acknowledge the compliment on his own part , he assured them that he did so with a great deal of pleasure , and was glad that he had availed himself of the opportunitof

y visiting them . This was only his first visit to the Eoyal Union Lodge , though he had received many invitations , indeed so many that he was almost afraid the W . M . would think that he never intended to visit them . He was delighted at observing the excellence of their working , and the prosperity of their lodge , which could nofc do otherwise than continue and increase whilst they were presided over by such excellent Masons as their AA . M . and his

officers . He could endorse every word that had been said by Bro . Savage with regard to the other Grand Officers , whose opinions he always respected , whilst independently asserting his own . He again thanked them for the compliment paid him , and as that was his first visit to the Eoyal Union Loclge , he trusted it would not be the last . —The AA . M . said that the next toast was one which was always drunk with great pleasure in the Eoyal Union Lodge , " The Health of the A isitors . " During his of officelie had

year , had the honour of being surrounded by many distinguished visitors , and upon the present occasion , if not so numerous as at former meetings , they certainly were not the less distinguished nor the less welcome , each of the three brethren who sat to his right hand having taken a prominent-position in the business of the Craft ; they being Bros . Savase and Smith , whom he had already introduced to them , and Bro . Warren , P . M ., of the Grand StewardsLocl

' ge , whose name was doubtless known to every brother present , and who , he was sure , would respond -to the toast with which he would couple his name . —Bro . HENBT G . WAEEEN begged to thank the AA . M . and brethren for the compliment paid to the visitors , and the honour conferred upon him in coupling his name with the toast . He felt that he need say little more than , "ditto to Bro . Smith" inasmuch as this was his first visit to the

, Eoyal Union Loclge . He had been asked many times , so many , that he was afraid the AV . M . would be of opinion that it was because he would not , and not because he could not , that he did not visit tnem ; and he could also bear testimony to the excellent working ol the lod ge . He ueed not , however , have come to Uxbridge to

ascertain how well their W . M . could work ; but it was necessary that he should do so to witness how well the lodge was worked , and the great elements of prosperity it possessed . He was glad that he had done so , and was the no less pleased at finding himself sitting by two of his oldest friends in Freemasonry , Bros . Savage and Smith , whose acquaintaince he made almost immediately after entering the Craft , some twenty-one years sinceand it was gratifing to observe that if independence

; y was not always the shortest way to the purple —( laughter ) —it was no bar to it , as the brethren who so obtained it could look back with the proud satisfaction of feeling that they had fairly earned their position by their own exertions and attainments . He again thanked them for the visitors , who , he assured them , ivould be proud to meet any of the members of the Eoyal Union Lodgejit all times , either in their own loclge or elsewhere . —Bro . AA'EEDOS

P . M ., said the brother who had last spoken had talked of being twenty-one years a Mason—now , lie had been thirfcy-one a member of that ; lodge , during which it had passed through various phases , but he had never known it more prosperous than at present , which he attributed to the great skill and exertions of their Master and his very excellent officers . He was sure they were greatly indebted to the AV . M . for his exertions in bringing the lodge into its present position , and he was equally certain that- they

would drink his health with the utmost cordiality . — -The AV . M . returned thanks in a humorous speech , and assured the brethren that he rejoiced in the prosperity of the lodge , in which he should always continue to take the deepest interest , even after he had left the chair ; and though they could not aim—indeed , it would be folly to do so—at making it the first loclge in the Order , they would certainly endeavour to render it second to none . —The W . M . then " The Past Masters" led with the name of

gave , coup Bro . AVeedon , who never failed to attend its meetings . The toast having been acknowledged , the AV . M . gave "The Officers , " and bore testimony to the excellence of their working , and the able manner in which they seconded his exertions on behalf of the lodge . —Bro . AV . AVATSON , who officiated as S . AA . in the absence of Bro . AVm . Smith , G . E ., responded , after which , the AV . M . gave " The FEEEMASON ' S MAGAZINE , the Independent Organ of the Craft , "

the utility of which , and its able management , he had great pleasure in acknowledging . —Bro . H . G . AA ASBEN' briefly replied , assuring the brethren that the conductors of the Magazine were always anxious to render it as useful and interesting as possible to the brethren . — " Prosperity to the Eoyal Union Lodge , " and the Tyler ' s toast , brought a pleasant meeting , which was much enhanced by the vocal exertions of the AV . M ., Bros . W . and G . Caiter , Herring , and Exall , to a happy close .

WILTSHIRE COEsnAH . —Lodge of Rectitude ( No . 420 . )—This lodge held its usual meeting at the Methuen Arms , on Tuesday , the llth inst ., Bro . Marshall , AA . M ., in the chair , supported by his different officers , when , after the usual business had been transacted , the brethren proceeded to the election of a brother to fill the chair of

the year ensuing , when the unanimous choice was declared in favour of Bro . Payne , J . AV ., the brethren expressing their great regret that illness prevented Bro . King from being put in nomination , having filled the office of S . W . during the past year . Bro . Broadley was again elected Treasurer , and three brothers proposed as joining members , the ballot to be taken at the next meeting , ivhich is fixed for July 2 nd , on which occasion the installation will

take place . To those of our brethren who may not have , visited this very pretty village and neighbourhood , one of the most picturesque in AViltshire , we may be excused for saying it was formerly tho residence of the Saxon kings , and afterwards of the Earls of Cornwall . It was also the birthplace of the celebrated physician to King AVilliam III ., Sir Eichard Blaekmore , who died in 1729 but who is better known as the poet Blaekmore . In the

, village church are some very large altar tombs , as well as a richly carved wood screen , with a canopy of fan tracery . Adjoining the village is Corsham Court , the residence of the E . AV . Prov . G . M ., Lord Methuen , which was built in 1582 , and which is well known to contain the oldest private collection of original paintings in England , described afc great length by Dr . AVaagen , in Galleries of Arts in Great Britain . The park is also noted for having cedars

and oriental planes of extraordinary growth , one of the latter being considered the largest of its kind iu this country . There is likewise in the village a Gothic almshouse and free grammar school , founded by Sir Edward Hungerford ( a commander of the Parliament forces in the time of Cromwell ) who resided here . The mastership of this charity was once filled by that historian of Kent , Edward Hasted , who died in 1812 . It is needless to add that , with such attractions as these , the brethren enjoyed a pleasant ramble after the conclusion of their Masonic duties .