St. Paul's Cathedral.

ST . PAUL'S CATHEDRAL .

A LETTER has been addressed during the past week to several of the London papers , by Mr . VV . Woodward , who seems to share a popular erroneous opinion in regard to the banquets of Freemasonry , and propounds a proposition that the Brethren of England should forego one banquet during the year , in order to devote the money it might cost to the decoration of

our metropolitan cathedral . Why should the Freemasons be singled out ? Why not ask the Architects of the Kingdom to forego one of their meals for an equally laudable object ? But it is hardly necessary for us to notice the remarks of Mr . Woodward ; he has been replied to by the Grand Superintendent

of Works , in the " Standard , " and Brother E . F . Gould , the eminent historian , has addresssed a letter on the subject to the " Daily Telegraph , " after which we think Mr . Woodward will have some difficulty in making out a case in support of his particular whim . We reproduce the correspondence , and the comments of the " Daily Telegraph " :

THE FREEMASONS OF ENGLAND AND ST . PAUL'S CATHEDRAL .

To tho Editor of the " Standard . " SIR , —May I outline an idea which has been formulated , with regard to a contribution from the Freemasons of England towards tho fund for decorating our great Metropolitan Cathedral ? I need not here dilate upon the architectural merits of " the finest Protestant Cathedral in the world , " with a grand interior left in its cold nakedness for two centuries , and which

led Dean Milman , in response to a letter addressed to him in 1858 by the Bishop of London , regarding the decoration of the church , to uso the following eloquent words : — " I should wish to see such decorations introduced into St . Paul's as may have somo splendour , while they would not disturb the solemnity , or the exquisitely harmonious simplicity , of the edifice ; some colour to enliven and gladden the eye , from foreign or native marbles , tho

most permanent , safe modes of embellishing the building , exposed to the atmosphere of London . I would seo the dome , instead of brooding liko a dead weight over the area below , expanding and elevating the soul towards heaven . I would see the adornment carried out in rich and harmonious ( and as far as possible from gaudy ) style , in unison with our simple form of worship . "

Since that date various attempts have been made to deal with the decoration , and during tho last few years somo progress has been made , which has led the present Doan and Chapter to renewed and hearty attempts to carry the great work forward to completion . Towards this most worthy

end they are appealing to the public for support , and I have every confidence that , when the subject is duly brought before the Freemasons of England , they will show , in the usual practical form , their sympathy with the Dean ' s efforts , and their recognition of the peculiar connection thoy themselves have with the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren .

In 1666 Wren was appointed Deputy Grand Master , under Earl Rivers , and " distinguished himself beyond any of his predecessors in legislating for and promoting the success of the Lodges under his care . " Ho was Master of the St . Paul ' s Lodge—now the Lodge of Antiquity ( of which His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Sussex was a Past Master)—and attended their meetings

regularly for upwards of eighteen years . In 1685 he was elected Grand Master , and appointed Gabriel Gibber , the sculptor , and Edward Strong , the master mason at St . Paul's , his Wardens . So that Freemasons , operative and speculative , are to somo extent bound up in this appeal to complete the work of their distinguished predecessor in the Craft .

We are now approaching an interesting date . On 2 nd December 1697 the choir of tbe now Cathedral of St . Paul was opened for Divine Service , on the thanksgiving-day for the Peace of Eyswick , and the Bishop of Salisbury ( Gilbert Burnet ) preached before the King and a great Court , which was held at Whitehall , the evening concluding with grand illuminations and fireworks , and this was tho first service in the Church since the Fire in 1666 .

Tlie practical suggestion which I venture now to put forward for the consideration of English Freemasons is as follows : — 1 . That every Lodge in England forego one banquet this year , and devote to the Decoration Fund the amount which would probably have been expended on such banquet .

2 . That a grand Masonic ceremony , with H . E . H . the Prince of Wales at its head , take place this year in St . Paul ' s , to . further direct attention to the needs of the Cathedral , and to aid the Decoration Fund . 3 . That , inasmuch as the contributions resulting from these efforts

would probably not be sufficient to complete the scheme of decoration , a certain portion—say the Dome and tho Transcopts—be set apart as that with which the Freemasons would be particularly associated , and that the work be completed before December 18 'J 7—the bi-centcnary of tho opening of the choir for service .

In asking you , Sir , to bc good enough to allow this matter to bc ventilated iu " The Standard , " permit mo to add that I am not in any way , directly or indirectly , interested in tho decoration work , except as ono who earnestly desires to see our magnificent church completed in a way worthy of its grand architect , and in a manner commensurate with the opulence and dignity of the nation .

I am , Sir , your obedient servant , WM . WOODWAED , A . E . I . B . A ., F . S . I 13 Southampton-street , Strand , April 5 .

Sin , —I feel sure all English Freemasons , as also those in other parts of the world owing allegiance to our Grand Master , the Prince of Wales , will feel grateful to your Correspondent , Mr . William Woodward , for his letter

To tho Editor of tho " Standard . "

upon the above subject , for which you have kindly found space in "The Standard " of this date . Agreeing as 1 do witli his remarks as an architect , I must disagree with his suggestion as to the means he would adopt to raise the necessary funds—viz ., that of every Lodge foregoing " one banquet this year . " For my part , I am prepared to forego , not one banquet , but all banquets , for this year or the next ; but is it right to associate one part of thc decoration

St. Paul's Cathedral.

of " our great Metropolitan Cathedral" with dining , or to give those outside the Order an erroneous impression that Freemasonry exists and flourishes upon such gastronomical and baser influences ? The subject of your Correspondent's letter can be brought forward at any of our Grand Lod ge meetings , when I firmly believe that it would receive the attention it warrants , and have the support it merits , if only it be shorn of tho " practical suggestion " above alluded to , and denounced by ,

Sir , your obedient servant , THE GEAND SUPERINTENDENT OF WOEKS . April 6 .

Freemasonry , like every other system of abstract philosophy , has heretics as well as orthodox believers . The latter place implicit trust in what is told them and ask no questions , while the former are continually finding flaws in tradition . Some of them even go as far as to assert that the story of the assassination of Hiram Abiff is to be found in the Scandinavian story of " Balder tho Beautiful . " It is to be feared that Mr . E . F . Gould , of tho

Quatuor Coronati Lodge , is one of the heretics , for in a letter forwarded to us he traverses all tho interesting facts adduced the other day by Mr . W . Woodward to prove Sir Christopher Wren's connection with Freemasonry , and to show why , therefore , members of the Craft should now aid tho completion of the interior decoration of St . Paul ' s Cathedral . Mr . Woodward alleged that Wren was Grand Master of the Order in 1685 , and Mr .

Gould writes : " May I bo permitted to say that tho office of Grand Master was created in 1717 , and that there is not a particle of authentic evidence to show that Sir Christopher Wren was a Freemason at all . It is quite true that in various silly ' Histories ' of Freemasonry , Nimrod , Moses ( with Joshua as Deputy and Aholiab and Bezaleel as Grand Wardens ) , Solomon , Nebuchadnezzar , and Augustus Ciesar , are mentioned as having been Grand

Masters among tho Antients ; and St . Augustine ( founder of the English Church ) , St . Swithin , Alfred the Groat , Edward the Confessor , William of Wykeham , Cardinal Wolsey , and Sir 0 . Wren among tho Moderns . The first of these ' Histories' —from which all the nonsense about legendary Grand Masters has been derived—was written by ,. Dr . James Anderson , a Presbyterian minister , in 1738 . It is there that the popular delusion which

makes Wren a notable Freemason and a Grand Master had its origin ; and the pilgramage which Mr . Woodward suggests should be made by the Freemasons , with the Princo of Wales at their head , to St . Paul's , in order to do honour to Sir Christopher , might with equal propriety bo made to Hampton Court , in memory of Cardinal Wolsey , whose ' Grand Mastership' was quite as much a reality as that of Wren or of Nebuchadnezzer . "—" Daily Telegraph . "

DENVER FREEMASONRY

REFEEE 1 NG to the town of Denver , in " An American Tour , " which Bro . John Chapman , of Torquay , is publishing in the "Devon County Standard , " our Brother observes : I paid a visit to the Masonic Temple where the great gathering of the Knights Templars Conclave was held in August 1892 . The spacious apartments and well-decorated halls , for the several degrees in Freemasonry , indicated an amount of taste and enterprise that reflected very great credit upon the rulers of the Craft in Denver .

At tho annual mooting of the Accident Insurance Company , Limited , held on the 22 nd ult ., the Directors reported that the Income for the year ending 31 st December 1894 amounted to £ 51 , 377 10 s 7 d . The Claims Paid amounted to £ 22 , 278 18 s 7 d , and the Bonus allowances to Policy-holders to

£ 3 , 484 3 s 5 d . A Bonus of 5 per cent ., free of Income Tax , was declared , making , with the interim interest already paid , 10 per cent , for the year , while a sum equivalent to 3 per cent , was set aside to increase the Paid Capital Account . The Assets of the Company at the end of the year amounted to £ 71 , 590 3 s 9 d .

Ad01002

CANDIDATES FOR THE INSTITUTIONS . Announcements are inserted under this bead at the rate of five shillings per inch , to appear each week from the time the ballot papers are issued up to the day of election , for cash with order . — : o ;—BOYS SCHOOL . Your Votes and Interest are earnestly solicited on behalf of FREDERICK SAMUEL LANG ( Aged 10 ) . Second Application . Son of tho late Frederick Alexander Giles Woolgar Lang , Master Tailor , of 114 Seven Sisters Eoad , Holloway , N ., who was initiated in thc Now Finsbury Park Lodge , No . 1695 , on the 17 th October 1882 , and was a subscribing member to the timo of his death , October 1890 . Votes will be thankfully received b y Bros . T . G . Hodges , E . T . Mackrill , C . W . Allen ; and Mrs . F . Lang , 8 Bird Street , Oxford Street , London , W .

Ad01003

GIRLS SCHOOL . ETHEL BRANDON STANFORD , Daughter of the late Edwin Ernest Stanford Past Master of the Paxton Lodge , No . 1686 , and Member of the Lodge of Union , No . 166 ; aged 7 i , earnestly desires your vote and interest for the above Election . Her father died suddenly at the early age of 36 , leaving a Widow and Three Children unprovided for .

Ad01004

BENEVOLENT INSTI 1 UTION . Your Votes and Interest aro earnestly solicited on behalf of BRO . THOMAS SAMUEL STOCKMAN , Who was born on 16 th May 1826 , and who has been a paying member for twenty-three years to True Love and Unity Lodge , No . 24 a , Brixham , Devon . Bro . Stockman has been confined to his bed with influenza and acute bronchitis for near a fortnight ; his wife also for two months ; previous to which he has earned very little—a mere pittance—by night watching , to which may be attributed his present illness .