Recollections Of The Lodge Of Freemasons At Thornhill.

Wo stand to our Queen , to our Master we bend ; For these are the rulers wo are bound to defend ; And when such a Queen , such a Master arise , As Britons , as Masons , we ' ve cause to rejoice . Then since we're bound by secresy to unity and love , Lot us like brethren faithful to every brother prove ;

Then hand to hand we'll firmly stand , all Masons in a ring , Protectors of our native land , the Craft , and tho Queen . Thus the semi-centennial demonstration Avas ended ; but its happy memories Avill long keep possession of each participant ' s heart . As to the

clothing of No . 252 , in addition to the ordinary badge , its officers wear a silk collar . The distinctive colour used to be dark blue , but in 1851 green was adopted . Green is the colour of the ribbon and clothing of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; it is also the emblematic colour of a Knight

of the Red Cross ( a degree conferred m encampments of Knights Templars ) , and of a perfect Master ( the fifth degree in the Ancient Scottish Rite ) . The Red Cross Kni ght is reminded b y . ^ . is colour that truth is divine attributeand

a , lhat , like the green bay tree , it "will flourish in perpetual verdure . Blue is the colour of the clothing" of the Grand Lodges of England and Ireland . It is Said to be the appropriate colour

of the first three degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry , and has been explained as emblematic of Universal friendship and benevolence , instructing us that in the minds of Freemasons these virtues should be as extensive as the blue arch of heaven

itself . We are not aware of the circumstances under which the Lodge of Thornhill discarded blue as the colour of its livery . There is no mention of the change in the minutes . . . .

There have been " greater and lesser lights " among the representatives of St . John ' s'in Grand Lodge . Its first Proxy Master was , as Ave have already indicated , Bro . John Maitland , accountant , who Avas Assistant Grand Clerk from 1821 to 1837

and Grand Clerk from 1837 till his resignation of that office on his removal to London in 1846 . He relinquished his proxy commission in 1847 , and was succeeded by another distinguished brother , John Deuchar of Morningside , for several years

Grand Bible-bearer in the Grand Lodge of Scotland . F . D . M'Cowan , M . D ., a brother of considerable eminence , proved , during the years 1852-4 , aAvorthy successor to the brethren named , and AvithdreAv from the post on his election to the chair of Mary ' s Chapel , No . 1 . He is an ex-Grand Deacon , and Representative in Grand Lodge

Recollections Of The Lodge Of Freemasons At Thornhill.

from the Grand Orient of Fiance . Judging from his Masonic antecedents , Bro . F . Barrow of GlasgOAY is Avell qualified Avorthilyto sustain the prestige of St . John ' s , of AA'hich he is the present Proxy Master .

Of the five hundred candidates who have crossed the tesselated border in the Lodge of Thornhill , more than one-tenth have been brought to light by the present R . W . M ., now completing his second year of service in that capacity . No previous

R . W . M . of St . John ' s has put his mark upon so many blocks as Bro . A . C . Hislop ; and his work will stand long after he has been translated to the Celestial Lodge ., His mark is the pentalpha , ov , endless triangle with five points .

Lecture On The Origin, Nature, Object, And Tendency Of Freemasonry.

LECTURE ON THE ORIGIN , NATURE , OBJECT , AND TENDENCY OF FREEMASONRY .

DELIVERED TO THE BRETHREN OF THE LODGE OF LIGHTS ( NO . 148 ) , WARRINGTON , AFTER THE S . W . HAD DONE HIS DUTY ON MONDAY , THE 25 TH DAY OE JUNE , 1866 . Bg Bro . H . B . WHITE P . M . and Treas ., 148 , Prov . G .

StevMrd , WestBancasUre , K . T . S . P . B ., > fc 8 re . Brethren : At our last meeting , I announced my intention of giving , this evening , a lecture on the orig in , nature , object , and tendency of Freemasonry . I Avould not , however , have you to >

suppose that , iu the short space of time availablefor the purpose , I can do more than give you a general outline of the subject , Avhich is practically almost inexhaustible . I originally intended to deliver the lecture in open lodge , but , having received an intimation that a portion of it might by

some be deemed too nearly allied to a religious discussion to be there admissible , I have deferred it until after the ordinary duties of the evening are ended . Firstly , then , as to the origin of Freemasonry , I

can tell you positively nothing , and in this respect I believe I am not singular ; all sorts of conjectures have been hazarded as to the foundation of the system , but none are capable of proof , and I much question Avhether , if it could be proved Avhen '

Masonry was instituted , it Avould not at once loseone of its principal charms ; it ought and practicallymust suffice us to knoAV that it is excellent in itself , and has existed from time immemorial . Some enthusiasts make the Craft coeval with creation , and state that Adam received it direct