The Royal Arch At York.

Duty to lay before the Chapter whatever may tend to such Salutary Purposes . " That any new Discovery or other Matter thought worthy of

observation be communicated to the Grand Chapter at York , -who will alwavs be ready to support and forward whatever may be found useful to the Fraternity in general , or that Chapter in particular , not repugnant to the common Welfare . "

On some future occasion I may ask for space to notice some of the later minutes of this augaat body . T . B . WnvTKHE \ D .

Old Lodge Minutes,

OLD LODGE MINUTES ,

No . 246 . A . D . 1756-69 .

[ The Minutes commenoe with the petition for a Warrant of Constitution , which was granted August 24 , 1759 , in tho following words : —] I do Grant the Prayer of the above Petition , and allow the Brethn to meet and make Masons , nntill I constitute them into a regular Lodge . JOHN REVIS , D . G . M . Au ^ aat 24 th 1759 . A . TRUE COM .

[ No date ] these Night Brother Jacob moses Lasers Levy Edwerd merley

Solomon Levy Jacob Aran ware made masons and Past folo Crafts and pad thrare yousell Feas and became Bambers [ Members ?] of the Lodge .

Sep : the 19 th 1759 . July 18 , 1760 . Proposed and approved that every Vizifcor pay 18 / d Admitt : [ Minutes commonly headed

The Lebeck ' s Head Lodge in the Strand . ] Dec . 19 th , 1760 . Mr . Jacob Atkinson was made a Mason , & went thro tko degrees of Apprentice & fellow Craft , & paid his feo £ 110 accordingly , & became a member .

[ The election of officers , semi-annual , June & December . ] August 20 th , 1761 . Br Sam l Bromfield was proposed to be Remade a Mason , being formerly made by tho Antients , & carried N . C .

Oct . 16 th , 1761 . Resolved that any Br who can work himself in may be admitted , & in case any doubts arise to take the obligation , a Member of the Regular Lodges to pay 1 6 for Viziting , & a Member of St . John ' s 2 s .

Nov . 20 th , 1761 . The Tyler was Reproved becanse the Song book was missing . Oct . 15 th , 1762 . Evald Ribo , M . D ., Member of St . Edward ' s Lodge at Stockholm , took tho obligation , & was proposed to become a member , & carried N . C .

March 18 th , 1763 . Br Secretary having applied for and Gott a dispensation for Mr . Joachim Dreyer , he was made a Mason , Apprentice , & Fellowcraft , & Raised Master , & paid his fees for Making and Raising £ 1 6 0 .

Sept . 16 th , 1763 . The Lodge this Night agreed to give Notice to all Brs in Arroar that Unless they pay or Signify their Reasons for Nonpayment of them , on or beforo Next Lodge Night , that thoy Will be Summonod to tho Court of Cons [ Conscience ] for the Same .

Nov . 18 th , 1763 . Tho Tyler having Left the List at home , intended for tho Court of Conscience , it was agreed to defer it till Next Lodge Night . May 18 th , 1764 . Bror John Dnckett , Master of this Lodge , sent a

letter , bearing date this day , thereby desiring to bo withdrawn from this Lodge . [ B ' Dnckett had been Master since the Constitution of the Lodge . The appointment of other officers seems to have been a prerogative of the R . W . M . l

Sept . 20 th , 1765 . Viseters—Br Dickey jn . W . [ M . ] of No . 14 , Antient [ and others ] . Jan . 17 th , 1766 , Visiters—B . Taylor R . W . M . of the Horn , Westminster , [ also members of ] the Lodge Frederick , at Hanover and the White Horse , No . 217 . '

March 21 st , 1766 . B . Lowno Proposed Mr . Willm Dickey , Junior , to Be made a modern mason of , was Firsted and Seconded , and was admited , aud was made a mason In this Lodge , and went through the Regular Dogres of the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft , nnd Roisd to the sublime decree of

Master Mnson . At the same time , Mr . James Bunn to Be made a Modern Mason of Ic this Lodgo was Firsted and Seconded , and went throngh the three Regular degres of Entered Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and was Raisd to the

sublime decree of Master Mason , and Pay'l their Admison Fees accordingly . [ These brothers did not become members . Br W"i Dickey succeeded Br Laurence Dermott a 9 Grand Secretary , "Ancients , " 6 March 1771 . ] July 21 , 1766 . [ Present Br Dickey , Junior ] . Aug . 15 , 1766 . A Lecture From our PaBtnaster in tho First Branch . Nov . 27 th 1766 . It was proposed , seconded , and unanimously agreed

Old Lodge Minutes,

That for the future no Person calling himself a Mason , but not having been initiated under the English Constitntion , shall be made a Masou in this Lodge for less than one Guinea , conformable to the Constitutions and to the good order of tho Royal Craft . And that snch sum shall defray all Expenses nttending his passing the three Degrees .

Jan . 16 th , 1767 . B . Dnrhnn proposed Mr Willm Brown , Gent" to be made a mason of In this Lodge , was Resrnlarly proposed and duly Balloted for , nnd was Justly mnde an Entered Apprentice , and was Crnftod , and wont throngh tho two Dogros of masonry , aud Becanio an Honary Member of this Lodge .

[ Amongst the By-laws of the Lodge is tho following : —] Art . R . Any Vizitor being a Member of a Regular Lodge to pay 2 [ shillings ] for admittance , & if a member of St . John ' s [ i . e . a brother belonging to no Lodge ] to pay two shillings & sixpence . The Minute Book is inscribed" 246 . Lodge—Lebeck ' s Head "

" In the Strand 1768 . " From the foregoing extracts we may infer : — 1 . That Lodges occasionally worked for some while , under dispensations from the D . G . M ., prior to the issne of regular warrants from Grand Lodge . [ See ante , pp 290 , 297 . It was a oommon practioe

for new Lodgps to be constituted by the Deputy Grand Master in porsin , n record of the circumstance forming the first entrv in the Minute Book , and being duly attested by tho signatures of the Grand or acting Grand Officers . ] 2 . That the first two degrees were usually conferred on the same evening , the addition of the third degree requiring a dispensation .

3 . That the election of office bearers was semi-annual . [ In some Lodges there was a quarterly election . ] 4 . That brethren holding under the "Ancients" were re-made by the "Moderns" if they wished it , but allowed to visit freely , e . g . Bro . Dickey , afterwards Grand Secretary "Ancients , " visited the

Lodge several times , prior to being again passed through the various degrees . 5 . The title " Pasmaster" [ Aug . 15 , 1766 ] suggests that a recognised " Initiator" may have been known in the Lodge [ vide F . jf , Mag ., Aug . 4 , 1866 , p 90 ] . R . F . GOULD .

Masonic Ceremony At Reading.

MASONIC CEREMONY AT READING .

THE thriving town of Reading may bo congratulated upon the auspicious circumstances under which two most important undertakings , largoly affecting the future of the Borough , have been inaugurated with Masonio rites . A few years ago tho Heir Apparent , in his capacity as Grand Master , laid the principal stone of Reading School , on which occasion his Royal Highness was accompanied by the

Princess of Walos , and the town of biscuits , seeds , and sauce , presented a gay and festive scene . On Monday , a still more costly work—the eroction of a new Town Hall , Public Library , Museum , School of Art , & c , to cost £ 45 , 000 , was commenced under Masonic auspices by the Right Hon . tho Earl of Carnarvon Pro Grand Master , in the presence of a gathering of the brethren , more numerous , we believe ,

than any known in the annals of the Craft in the Provinco of Berks and Bucks . The ceremony was to have been performed last month , but it was postponed in consequence of Lord Carnarvon beincr attacked with gout , from which the noble earl was still suffering on Monday to snch an extent as to prevent bis lordship attending tho Provincial Grand Lodge , and joining in the procession , as had been proposed .

It was an unfortunate circumstance , also , that the R . W . Prov . G . M . Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart ., M . P ., and the V . W . the D . P . G . M . Arch , deacon Cnst were both prevented being present through illness . In Sir Daniel's absence , the Rev . Sir J . W . Hayes , Bart , ( for some years D . P . G . M . ) , presided over the special Provincial Grand Lodge held in the Corn Exchange , and after the Lodge had beon opened a

procession was formed by Bro . Bicrgs P . P . G . Sec , who acted throughout the day a 8 Director of Ceremonies . His lordship , with the Countess of Carnarvon , arrived at the Town Hall shortly before twelve , when they wero escorted by tho Mayor ( Mr . H . B . Blandy ) and Mrs . Blandy to the Council Chamber . Hero , in the presence of a select company of guests , Lord and Lady

Carnarvon were presented with a joint address from the Corporation of the borough and the members of the Building Committee , in the following terms : — To the Risrht Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , D . C . L ., P . O ., & c—On the arrival of your lordship in this ancient Borough , for tho purpose of laying the memorial stone to commemorate the erection of a new

Town Hall , and other public buildings , comprising a Free Library , Reading Rooms and Museum , and Schools for Science and Art , the Mayor , Aldermen , and Bnrgosses of tho Borough unite with tho Committee who have been entrusted with this impoi tant nndertaking in offering a hearty welcome to your lordship and to the Countess of Carnarvon . The Committee were induced to invite yoar lordship to

honour them and the town of Rending by laying the memorial stono of the proposed buildings , not only as a near neighbour , bnt from the recognition also of your lordship ' s distinguished character and attainments , and of the great interest which yonr lordship has always shown in nndertakings having for their object the social and moral

good of the people . We cordially thank your lordship for your ready response to the invitation of the Committee , and for tho kindly interest taken by yonr lordship in their work , which owes its successful progress to its present stage to the great liberality of numerous snb . scribers , and tho active labours of those who havo freely devoted thei r