The Three Grand Lodges.

along with a translation ( from the monkish Latin ) is printed , as an appendix to the by-laws of the lodo-e . The Loclo-e Mother Kilwinning- which was nourishing vigorously upwards of nine centuries ago , also declined to recognise the authority of anybody , or combination of lodges , on the

ground that she was the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and in that chai-acter had granted charters to the ancient lodges of the kingdom , who were bound to own her sway , as they admitted the soui-ce whence they emanated by the addition of the name " Kilwinning" to their respective titles . There can be no doubt that such was the case in

many instances , and that an unbroken and unanimous chain of tradition pointed to her as the root of St . John ' s Masonry in Scotland . Mother Kilwinning was propitiated with nothing , which is now her number on the roll . Other marks of

honour were bestowed— -notably the high office of Provincial Grand Master of Ayrshire on her E . W . M . for the time being . It is proper to advert here to the confused and anomalous way in which the lodges of Scotland and Ireland are ranked on their rolls . For example , a Scotch lodge

started in 1735 occupies the forward position of No . 4 , while another , 136 years older , ancl actually the fourth in date , is no higher on the list than 57 . A variety of similar specimens of entanglement might easily be produced ; indeed , up till 1799 , the Grand Lodge of Scotland , it appears ,

employed no means to introduce order among her children . From 1799 to 1806 , her family was not increased even " by a unit , and it is a noticeable coincident that the Grand Lodge of England also did not issue a charter during that time . Ireland experienced the same fortuneforalthough she

, , acquired one lodge in 1802 , that was the single exception occurring in the interval of nine years which commenced with 1799 likewise . Had the French revolution any influence in bringing about such a beggarly account of Masonic progress in all the Grand Lodges ? To return to the Grand

Lodge of Scotland , however , that lull of seven years afforded her leisure to set in motion machinery to place ancl kee ] 3 in order all lodges which have sought her protection since 1806 till now . But if Scotland be blameable in the matter , what shall be ° said of Ireland ? To me her list seems to

have been got up in the way in which sweepstakes are drawn from the hat containing names ancl numbers have been shaken ; but , as often happens , small batches of lodges , begun about the same time at home and abroad , clung together . The only sort of exception to this disregard of

chronological sequence is that lodges following number 372 , and dated between 1761 ancl 1797 , run on regularly ; but at the same time plentifully interspersed with sisters , some of whom are so young as only to have seen the lig-ht for the first time during the last twelve months . The English roll presents an agreeable contrast to this , and it will be seen that the Grand Lodge of Canada has so

weeded ancl trimmed her ' s , that there are only three lodges fewer in it than 156 , which is the age of her youngest daughter . In 1740 the first foreign lodge ( 67 ) holding of the Grand Lodge of England was constitutedthe first holding of Scotland in 1760 ; it ancl 23

other foreigners , the same number of military , ancl 136 home lodges are all known to have perished , utterly . The oldest foreigner owing allegiance to Scotland , and in life , took out its credentials in 1797 . Not till 1813 had the Grand Lodge of Ireland a lodge in foreign parts , and now in

operation . England is divided into 42 provinces , and has 22 foreign provinces besides—Scotland into 30 ancl 17 abroad , the earliest home and colonial ones being Edinburgh , erected 1736 , ancl America , 1757 . The latter was , of course , subverted by

the achievement of American Independence in 1783 , or perhaps by its Declaration more than six years before . Upper and Lower Canada are set clown as having provinces under the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; but as only one lodge at Montreal and another at Quebec make up the total of her

vassals there , it would be better , I humbly think , that these two should cast in their lot with the Grand Lodge of Canada . That is a matter for their decision , however . Ireland is apportioned into 7 provinces and has 3 foreign Provincial Grand Lodges .

The impulses which give rise to lodges are much the same as those which set agoing and expand commercial undertakings of a speculative tendency . Abundance of currency and the consequent temporary prospering of a country usually excite the desire , and afford opportunity for the

cultivation of mental , or ornamental , pursuits . We know that the United Kingdom , spite of the war in America , has , with the exception of the population depending on the cotton supply , prospered exceedingly for several years byegone . Through the beneficial effects of treaties of

commerce her revenue has been more than maintained , ancl in this good fortune the colonies have fully participated . Accordingly , I find that whereas in 1855 only 17 lodges joined the Grand Lodge of England , a number very considerably above the average of the previous quarter of

a century , in 1856 34 ranged themselves under her auspices , ancl the number of charters annually granted has never fallen below that high figure . In 1861 it reached the extraordinary total of 53 , 24 of which were foreign , the additions during the six years from 1856 till 1861 inclusive

being exactly 40 ^ lodges per annum , a rate of increase unparalleled in the history of Freemasonry . During the same six years the Grand Lodge of Scotland authorised the establishment of 44 lodges , being an average of 7 ^ a year—the hi ghest number ( 12 ) having been admitted in 1858 , and of which 10 were foreign . No more than 2 were consecrated in the mother country that year ,