The Queens Long Reign.

for the honour of Queen and Empire and for the glory of God . Might He prosper all good Masons to do greater good to mankind in general , and above all to work for His supreme and infinite glory . The offertory amounted to £ 28 16 s 9 d .

At the evening service at All Saints , the previous Sunday , the Eev . W . H . Milner , senior Chaplain , speaking of the intention of the Masons to hold a thankgiving service for the Golden Eeign , said that , as they were not all Freemasons , it might be well before beginning his sermon to offer a few remarks

on Masonry . Freemasonry had been defined , he said , as " a beautiful system of morals veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols . " A Mason is supposed to be engaged in the erection of a special temple ; he is to " set his mind on things above . " He is bound ( religion means " binding" ) to afford to his Brother

Masons that encouragement or aid , whether material or moral aid , of which he may stand in need . He is bound to practice collectively and individually every public and private virtue , to be a good neighbour and a good citizen . He is bound to regard all mankind as Brethren , but especially those united by the same

sacred tie of " household of faith , " whatever may be their nation , or whatever their place in the social scale . He is bound to practice charity in its broadest and deepest meaning . All this he is bound to do , and to do it secretly , without any publicity , or ostentation , all this and nothing less is the purpose and work of Masonry

pure and simple . It is summed up in the words of that day ' s Epistle , " pure religion before God and the Father is this , to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction , and to keep himself unspotted from the world . " The Masonic Brotherhood is known as a secret society , and here is their obligation to do good work

secretly , without any bluster or advertisement ; here is their greatest secret . Of those who sound a trumpet and look for their reward in the praise of their fellow men , those who cannot move a muscle in any good cause without expecting a little puffing paragraph in some religious paper , of such our Saviour said ,

" Verily , I say unto you , they have their reward , they have got what they wanted ; thou , when they dolest alms let not thy left hand know what the right hand doeth , that thine alms may be in secret , and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly . "—" Aldershot News . "

Consecration.

CONSECRATION .

NORTHCOTE LODGE .

ON Wednesday , 26 th ult ., by command of Sir Stafford Northcote , C . B ., M . P ., Prov . G . M . of Devon , a special Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Barnfield Hall , Exeter , for the consecration of a new Lodge , to be known as the Northcote Lodge . The growth of Freemasonry in the West during the last decade has been very marked , and Exeter

Freemasons at the present moment are in possession of the oldest and also the most recently warranted Lodge . Lodge No . 39 , Exeter , has the oldest warrant of any working Lodge of Freemasons in this country , and amongst the founders of the Northcote Lodge are many of its prominent members , among

whom may be mentioned Bro . Edward H . Shorto P . M . 39 W . M . designate 2659 . Consequent upon the high honour which the Prince of Wales , as the Grand Master of England , conferred

upon the hon . baronet in appointing him to the office of Prov . Grand Master , in succession to Viscount Ebrington , a few months since , and the gi-eat esteem in which Sir Stafford is held by the citizens of Exeter , the new Lodge has been named after him .

The Provincial Grand Master , assisted by the Prov . G . S . W . Bro . M . Fortescue , and the Prov . G . J . W . Bro . F . B . Westlake , consecrated and dedicated the new Lodge . The Prov . G . M . installed Bro . Edward H . Shorto P . M . 39 as first W . M ., and he invested his Officers , as follow : —W . E . Lisle P . M . 29 P . P . S . G . D .

I . P . M ., E . Coombe P . M . 112 S . W ., F . J . Shapcott P . M . 1254 J . W ., F . Newcombe 39 S . D ., E . Addiscott 1254 J . D ., H . H . Brimblecombe 1254 D . C ., W . S . Vickery 39 Secretary , H .

Jerman P . M . 39 Treasurer , J . E . Pastfield Organist , Dr . Dias Chap ., A . J . Warren , W . Lloyd Jones , and T . B . Pickford Stds . The new Lodge will hold its meetings at the Freemasons ' Hall , Gandy Street , Exeter , on the third Friday in each month .

The Brethren dined at Bro . Eobert Pople ' s New London Hotel , and Loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured . — " Western Morning News . "

The consecration of the Ealing Lodge took place on Thursday , at the Victoria Hall , Ealing . Owing to pressure on our space the detailed report is held over until next week .

Knights Templar.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

AT the Restormel Precsptory , Liskeard , on the 18 th ult ., Sir Kfc . Bedford Kerswill was installed as Ernfc . Preceptor for the ensuing year by Sir Kt . Shanks .

No Right Of Initiation.

NO RIGHT OF INITIATION .

THERE is an erroneous opinion abroad , in certain quarters , that the best men among the profane have the right to be initiated into Freemasonry , if they see fit to claim the right . This opinion every well-informed Freemason knows is utterly unfounded . The only right which any profane enjoys is the right to petition

for initiation , and even this right is qualified by the fact that his petition is of no effect unless it be recommended by two Master Masons , members of the body which he seeks to enter . As all Freemasons are on the level , so are all the profane . All must follow in the old paths which their fathers trod , from time

immemorial . Hence no repute , however general it may be , for virtue , ability or character , can take the place of that Masonic scrutiny whioh has always been required to precede initiation . Indeed , the profane cannot know what the criterion of judgment is which the Craft sets up . It cannot understand what physical , mental , moral or social attributes are required of candidates .

These are familiar only to members of the Fraternity . And even if a profane knew and possessed them all , he would still be in the dark as to the result of his application . Initiation is a favour , not a right . The Craft is a Brotherhood , and every Brother in a Lodge has the inherent right to say whether an applicant possesses the qualifications for becoming , in the highest and best sense of the term , a Brother of the Craft .

The regulations , written and unwritten , which Freemasonry prescribes with reference to applicants for initiation are of exclusion rather than of inclusion . That is to say , all who do not possess certain indispensable qualifications are forever excluded . Not possessing these , he is not entitled even to the right of petition

, and even after he has petitioned , without the knowledge of his deficiency by the members , the Master of a Lodge , as soon as he becomes aware of the disqualifying facts , is justified in declining to act upon bis petition . JBreemasonry does not strain its

regulations or landmarks in favour of any applicant . It stands on so high a level , has such an established repute , has existed so long , that it is above all petty or individual considerations . It lives for itself , and the continued accomplishment of its high mission . Let us seek to obtain a glimpse of what this mission is .

The mission of Freemasonry , in a word , is to do good unto all men , but especially to thosa who have been admitted to the fellowship of the mystery . In the old charges we find such phraseology as this : an applicant must be competent to perform " the Lord ' s work , " and capable in all respects of " serving his Master ' s Lord , "

"The Lord ' s work" is the enlightenment of the initiate , his instruction in Masonic symbolism , and those noble principles , the nobility of labour , the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man . No one is admitted who cannot labour . All the Officers , seconded by the members , engage in labour at the initiation or advancement of a candidate . When made a Mason the candidate

is a new creation . He has been born into Masonry ; he has been brought to Masonic light ; he has learned a new language ; he has been introduced into a mystic company , all the members of which have passed through the same ceremonies and are bound by the same promises as himself . Hence all Freemasons are one—in spirit , in purpose , in pride .

Does someone say the Craft is weakened when it fails to admit worthy men ? Not at all . It is not the exclusion of the worthy , but the inclusion of the unworthy that is the peril of the Craft . The scrutiny cannot be too severe . We cannot be too exact in living up to all the landmarks . Let the applicant always be a

" perfect youth , " so that he may be in himself a physical symbol of that intellectual and moral perfection which is expected of all applicants . Let him be in all respects fitted to " serve his Master ' s Lord , " and perform " the Lord ' s work . " Let him be qualified for entry into the Brotherhood by being dominated by the spirit of

brotherly love . Let him be a lover of science and art , of liberty and good government . Let him be a lover of wisdom , a discerner of secrets , and ambitious to learn all he can concerning the origin , history , and purpose of the Craft . Being such a man , he is in the highest sense qualified for Freemasonry . But even he possesses no right to be initiated . The Masonic Brethren must select him

from , the profane , rather than he them . He first seeks them , but they alone accept him . Weighty responsibility is that which rests upon every Brother when he passes upon the merit or demerit of a candidate for initiation . It is his duty to see that the Mosaic pavement of the Lodge Boom be not trodden by hasty feet , or the portals of the Lodge entered by one who is not the possessor of clean hands and a pure heart . — " Keystone . "

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

THE funeral took place at Liskeard Cemetery on Monday afternoon of Bro . George Beswarick , of the Eailway Hotel , Liskeard , who , having been in ill-health for a considerable time , died on Thursday of last week , at the age of 35 years . He was a member of St . Martin Lodge , No . 510 , and also of the Loyal Union Lodgs Oddfellows ; members of both those bodies attended .