The History Of Freemasonry.*

for such a building as St . Albans , or even designing it—such as William of Sens , English William , and perhaps Farleigh at Salisbury—to the humble individual who undertook a tomb , a portion of a dormitory ( as at Durham ) , or a village spire . " Then from the clerics ,

" we have the great clerical trio ( I omit Gundulph ) Derham , Wykeham , Walsingham , more especially the latter , since the account of his work is so clear and ample . It is quite evident from these three , backed and confirmed as they are by the positive accounts in the ' Historia ElienBis , '

that there existed , at least here and there , ecclesiastics who were quite capable of taking the superintendence , perhaps even the execution , of a building into their own hands , provided they had competent workmen under them . " Lastly , there was yet another mode of proceeding , adopted

at York and probably elsewhere , where there was maintained a school of competent workmen , whioh in time of need could be augmented from outside sources . In considering what share each of these classes had in the erection of medieval architecture , Bro . Gould comes to the conclusion

that " in England , the masonic body may very fairly be credited with a very large portion of mediaeval , not to say other , church architecture , and must have very materially contributed to that in which the clerics had really the chief share . "

Turning to ecclesiastical edifices abroad , Bro . Gould thinks they were , " like those in England , the product partly of lay , and partly of clerical architects . " It is his opinion , however , that" the laymen" would "seem to predominate , " but whether this is so " from the fact of the art being more

exclusively in the hands of laymen , or because it has merely happened that more of their names have been preserved , may be doubtful . " As to the class which is known in the present day as architects he considers that " out of Italy , and during the Middle Ages" they did not exist , and that

all the buildings we so much admire were the combined work of certain priests and monks educated specially for the work , in conjunction with their master mason , usually attached to the building , as at York , and more often by the master mason alone ; but that when the latter was the

case , the master mason was an independent individual . " With the author ' s further remarks as to how the class of architects came into existence , & c , we need not concern ourselves . Let it suffice , therefore , if , in concluding our observations on the opening chapter of Bro . Gould ' s second

volume we express our belief that , over-elaboration notwithstanding , he has succeeded in showing " that the operative Masons had a much larger share in the construction

of mediaeval " buildings than is usually supposed , inasmuch as they were to a very large extent the actual designers of the edifices on which they worked , and not the mere servants of the ecclesiastics . " ( To be continued . )

The Albert Edward Lifeboat.

THE ALBERT EDWARD LIFEBOAT .

C \ ENEROSITY is never utterly thrown away . Like VX bread cast upon the waters , it returns after many days . In some cases results follow with pleasing rapidity , and sometimes in a form that is peculiarly gratifying . Bordered all round as this country is with rugged and

dangerous coasts , upon which the ever restless and ofttimes stormy waves dash with relentless force , the necessity of precaution against shipwrecks is particularly urgent . For many years , the National Lifeboat Institution has performed most valuable duty in this respect , and now our coasts are

dotted over with buildings containing boats and life-saving gear , under the charge of brave andgallant seamen . Many of the boats and gear are the gifts of persons or institutions , and one of these Lifeboats owes its existence and usefulness to the members of the Craft . The boat is very properly

named after our Royal Grand Master , and is called the " Albert Edward . " It is stationed at Clacton-on-Sea , where it has done good service . On several occasions during the past year it was instrumental in rescuing many persons from peril and even from death . A misfortunehowever

, , befell this noble little vessel on the 23 rd ult ., which unfortunately resulted in the loss of two of the brave crew . The following account of the event , the accuracy of which we can vouch for , will tell its own tale of manly daring and endurance : —

At about 10 p . m . on the 23 rd January , the Albert Edward Lifeboat was promptly launched in reply to signals of distress , during a gale irom the W . N . W . The boat proceeded under closed reefed canvas

The Albert Edward Lifeboat.

across the Sivin , and when about mid-channel , tbe csswain ordered the second coxswain to burn a blue light , so that a reply might be obtained from the vessel in distress , no signals having been seen from her for some time . While the blue light in question was being held , two or three verv heavy seas , in quick succession , struck the

boat , one of them breaking into the sails . The coxswain immediately put the helm down , but the boat , instead of answering it , heeled over , and then turned over to port , the coxswain calling on the crow to " hold on . " The boat came np on her starboard broadside and there remained . The coxswain managed to pull himself np to the port side

from under the ropes and there found one of the orew . He at once endeavoured to free the sheets , whioh were foul , bnt being unable to do so , he , with great presence of mind , pulled out his knife and out them . The boat ' s head , whioh had been checked by the anohor falling overboard , now came round , head to sea , and she immediately

righted . This was at about ll - 30 p . m . The coxswain having called over the orew , found two missing , viz ., Cross , the second coxswain and T . Cattermole . He can only account for their loss by thoir being down on the lee side and being hampered by the ropes and oars . The boat then laid-to at anohor until daylight , but nothing could be Been

of the missing men or the wreok . Sail was then set , and Claoton was reaohed at 11-30 the following day . All the men were thoroughly exhausted with the immersion and the cold wind . Cross , the second ooxswain , leaves a wife and six children under 14 years of age , and Cattermole a wife and 3 children under four years of age . Captain

Carter , R . N ., the Distriot Inspector of Lifeboats , at once proceeded to Claoton , and made inquiries into the oiroumstances of the case . After full consideration , he ia of opinion that the accident was occasioned , in great measure , if not entirely , by the foresheet getting foul . Great praise is due to the coxswain , who , when the boat was oapsizing , urgently impressed on his men the importance of holding on .

A local subscription is being made for the relief of the widows and children of the two men , towards which his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has contributed £ 5 . The National Lifeboat Institution has subscribed the sum

of £ 450 towards the fund— £ 250 for the widow with six children , and £ 200 for the widow with three children . The noblest fact of all in connection with this melancholy disaster remains to be recorded . The men who endured so

much on the occasion referred to received from the Institution a money payment for their services , but , like generous-hearted fellows as they are , they handed over the whole of the amount to the widows of their unfortunate colleagues . One who knows these men , and who

speaks with authority , writes : — " The Lifeboat men there ( Clacton-on-Sea ) are splendid fellows , and are daunted by nothing . " That they are as generous as they are brave we have proved . Freemasons ought to feel proud that the boat was provided by the Craft , and is manned by such a

crew , and now is the time and the opportunity for showing that bravery and generosity are attributes of the English character as highly prized as ever they were . The Pythagorean Lodge , No . 79 , has set a good example . They have subscribed £ 5 towards the local fund , and we believe nothing

would gratify the crew of the Albert Edward more than by knowing that many other Lodges and Chapters had done the same . We hope the act of the Pythagorean Lodge will be felt as a challenge to a noble contest in the cause of charity , the guerdon being a satisfied conscience .

There seems to be a happy combination of amusement with work at the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , Wood Green , as we are reminded by the recurrence of little entertainments and concerts that are given there now and again . One of these pleasant gatherings took place

on Wednesday evening , when the Carolina ( Original ) Minstrels—very original , we should state—carried out a very interesting programme . There were sentimental and comic songs , instrumental music , two Ethiopian trifles entitled , "The Pilgrim Fathers" and "A Photographer ' s

Difficulties . The fare was varied and sufficient to satisfy all reasonable demands . Bones and tambourines figured among the instruments called into use , but we missed the tinkle of the banjo , without which the negro element of the entertainment could hardly be said to be complete .

The very nature of the performance and the performers themselves render criticism unnecessary , but we may say that all who took part in the amusements on Wednesday night acquitted themselves well . We are often told that the English are not a musical people ; perhaps not , in

some senses , but if our City establishments—from one of which the entertainers in question hail—can produce so efficient a set of performers , able to please and even satisfy a moderately critical standard , we think the slur is

fast being wiped out , if it ever existed . The School Boys ' Band played during the evening , under the baton of their Master , Mr . Whare . Several visitors were present , and the wlJie proceedings were pleasurable and satisfactory .