Oration.

ORATION .

LONDON , SATURDAY , APRIL 24 , 1869 .

Delivered by the V . W . the Grand Chaplain BEO . R . J . Sntrsos ' , on the occasion of the Inauguration Festival held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday , tiie 14 tlh inst . Most ; Worshipful Grand Master , Grand Officers , and Brethren , —It is recorded in the volume of

the Sacred Law that gold , silver , and precious jewels were willingly offered by the Israelifcish people towards the erection of the glorious Temple which Kins : Solomon afterwards reared to the

honour of Jehovah , and that when these freewill offerings were laid before King David , he blessed the Lord before all the congregation in these words : — " Blessed be Thou , Lord God of Israel . Thine 0 Lord is the greatness and the

power and the glory , for all that is in the heaven and the earth is Thine : both riches and honour come of Thee , and Thou reignest over all ; and in thine hand is power and might and to give strength to all . Now , therefore , our God , we

thank Thee and praise Thy glorious name . " Let this , brethren , be the keynote of our song of praise to-day , assembled on this auspicious occasion ; and catching the spirit of the King of

Israel , let us ascribe unto the Great Architect of the Universe all honour and praise for the bounty thus vouchsafed us , for putting it into the hearts of the brethren to erect these noble buildings now opened by our Grand Master , for giving us power

to carry out this design , and for sparing us to rejoice at its completion ; but , not least , are we bound to praise Him for His merciful kindness in protecting the builders in life and limb , so that no death , no bone broken , no drop of blood , no cry of

pain has interrupted or marred the progress of a work of considerable extent and occupying a period of 5 years , reminding us of that notable description of the peaceful growth of the great Temple , —

, " Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung . " It is , in truth , at once a most happy augury and a most characteristic feature iii this case , that this great centre of English Freemasonry , from which is to emanate all that is to soothe distress ,

relieve suffering , and rejoice the heart , should not only be begun in faith and hope , but be completed in perfect love and joy and safety . And joy , as it must be to us all , how much more to those true and trusty brethren to whose

judgment , zeal , and ability were entrusted the direction and superintendence of this great undertaking , and who must feel how entirely the result has justified the confidence reposed in them . iSTo trifling amount of time and thought and labour must

they have devoted to this work , and no ordinary amount of responsibility must they have incurred , and I am sure I am only echoing the sentiments of every Mason , not only in this Grand Lodge , but throughout the land , when I thus give marked

exuression to the grateful sense we entertain of A . O the benefits they have conferred upon the Graft , and to the unqualified admiration with which we regard the manner in which they have carried out the work which our architect so wisely and

beautifully designed . To possess a magnificent building which should include within its walls good offices for our charities , a handsome board-room for our meetings , convenient lodge-rooms for our lodges , a

grand banqueting-hall for our social gatherings , and a restored temple more worthy of our sacred rites ; this Most Worshipful Sir , was an object grand in its design , and , as we can testify to-day , admirable in its execution ; and , when in future

days our brethren view with satisfaction this noble group of buildings , the names of Havers , Evans , Hervey , Savage , Plucknett , Stebbing , GrisselL Cockerell , and last , not least , our late Bro . Gray Clarke shall not be forgotten .

Nay ; shall it not be recorded of them as of our illustrious Masonic forefather who erected the grandest fabric that adorns this great city— " Si monumentum quceras circumspice . " And if our children , in time to come , inquire under whose

auspices these works were clone , it shall be told with just pride and grateful memory , that on the foundation-stone , on the topstone , and on the keystone of the arch is engraved in characters that time cannot efface , the honoured name of Zetland ;

and , more than this , that the building which our Grand Master has opened this day was the crowning act of that quarter of a century during which he has with so much dignity , usefulness , and ability presided over the Masons of England . How his

reign has illustrated our Masonic annals aud how Masonry has flourished during that eventful period , I will not stop to tell , nor anticipate an occasion not less interesting t han the present on which such recollections may be more appropriately recorded . Brethren , it is a subject of great congratulation that we are honoured on this