Provincial Grand Lodge Of Middlesex.

P . G . S . B ., Charles Bullock Prov . Grand Secretary , and others . The newly installed AVorshipful Master subsequently introduced Messrs . Ait man and Rutt to the mysteries of Freemasonry as E . A . ' s , and after some routine business the brethren adjonrned to dispose of a first class meal which had been prepared by mine host , Mr . J . Bushel ) , the new proprietor of this well known house . It is very

pratifyirg to observe tbe rapid strides which have been made by the Ravenscroft since the granting of the warrant by the M . AV . G . M . ; " 2331 " now has 50 members , and there are indications of its becoming one of the largest and most influential Lclges in the Province nnder the genial rule of Col . Halsey , and his Depnty Bro . G . E . Lake . It

is also worthy of note that the members of the Ravenscroft—like the deceased benefactor whose namo they adopted , have not in their prosperity been unmindful of matters charitable , and last year ' s list from the Lodge to the Old People ' s Festival amounted to moro than £ 200 .

MINNEHAHA Mf ^ TREL LODGE , No . 2363 . IT did not transpire who V ... O responsible fcr having provided the intellectual and musical combination given at tho last meeting of the above Lodge , in the Masonic room of the Victoria Hall , Man-Chester , on Monday , the 24 th ult ., but thoso who were happily present enjoyed a treat of a superior kind . Almost at the onset the brethren were invited to listen to a very effective rendering of one of

the Ancient Charges , after which Bro . Henry Hall P . M . J . D . repeated his lecture on " Masonic History , " originally given at the Architect Lodge , No . 1375 , a fortnight previously . Subjoined is a synopsis of the lecture in question , which was of an instructive kind , and very effectively rendered . At the festive board whioh followed one of the visitors ( Brother S . F . Symons ) said ho wondered how it had

been possible for Brother Nail to rake up such interesting matters . He had had most attentive listeners , having opened out a new path in this direction , whioh he hoped would be traversed by other Past Masters . The visitors , most of whom were musical , contributed greatly to the harmony of the evening . A very lovely trio , " Come sweet mirth , " composed by William Shaw , formerly an organist at

one of the Manchester chapels , was rendered by Brothers Hinohcliffe , Thomas , and Shorrock , Brother Forneley presiding at the piano . This was followed by a quartette , " Strike the lyre , " rendered by the same artistes , with the addition of Brother Nail . Bro . Symons sang and played a very humorous song , which was followed by " Blue-eyed Nelly , " given by Brother Hinohcliffe , and a sketch by

Brother Roberts . AVe may here be allowed to correct a slight error which occurred in onr last report of the Minnehaha Minstrel Lodge . By a slip of the pen Brother M . Thomas P . M . was credited with having raised Brother Nagib Fiani to the sublime degree . As a matter of fact , it was Brother Wollaston AVorshipful Master who performed the ceremony , and in justice to the latter Brother we make this correction . The following is onr synopsis of the lecture

on " Masonio History . Brother Nail prefaced his remarks by admitting that until a recent period , all which was known of Freemasonry of the remote past , was founded upon legends and traditional history , and mentioned that the oldest Masonic document ( from which he gave various extracts ) is that of the Halliwell MS ., first brought to light in 1839 , by Mr . not Brother Halliwell , which document had lain for over a century in the king ' s library under thc title of a " Poem of Moral Duties . " He stated that since the

publication of Brother Dr . Anderson in 1723 , of his " Book of Constitntions , " no less than 48 copies of different " old charges " have made their appearance , all tending to prove that . Freemasonry may be traced back to Latnech , the son of Adam , aud from him in true chronological order direct to St . Alban , who , according to Elias Ashmole , the antiquarian , aud founder of the museum at Oxford ,

was the first to introduce it into Britain . During the progress of the lecture Brother Nail explained the difficulty met with in obtain , ing properly authenticated documents and facts with regard to the early history of Freemasonry by saying in effect that being a secret society , its members sworn not to divulge any of its mystic rites ; and because of various vexatious and penal laws , which he quotes ,

being from time to time framed in opposition to them , it was only natural that they would retain and suppress any documentary evidence . According to Dr . Anderson , even Queen Elizabeth herself , " not being able to learn the secrets , aud as she could not be Grand Master , and being jealous of all secret assemblies , sent an armed force to break up their ( the Freemasons' ) annual Grand Lodge at

York , on St . John ' s day , 27 th December 1561 . " Brother Nail traced the development of Operative Freemasonry throngh many of its varying fortunes , and also explained tbe genesis of the term Speculative Mason . He said that although ancient Masonry was an operative organisation , yet others besides operatives were admitted into their congregations , these being lords , knights , squires , and

sheriffs , who might have become members merely for judicial and other purposes , without being intrusted with the secrets ; and according to the records of the time , gentlemen or Speculative Masons were admitted to full membership . Operative and non-operative Masons were members of the same Lodges as far back as 300 years ago , and in looking retrospectively over the history of the transitory

period from purely Operative Masonry to purely Speculative Masonry , we have mostly to rely upon the records of Scottish Lodges , with the satisfaction , however , of knowing that these records are reliable and authentic . Brother Nail quoted from a paper read by Brother Speth in the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , to prove that in Scotland the Masons had laws of their own , applicable only to themselves

thoy being practically an isolated brotherhood as far as their dealings with each other were concerned . He dascribed how Apprentices and Fellow Crafts were admitted , giving the conditions imposed npon them . For instance , a yonth desirous of learning the Mason ' s Craft , was apprenticed to a Master Mason for a term , the shortest of which was 7 years . The Master Mason having bound bis Apprentice ,

it became his duty to report this to the Lodge , in order tbat the youth might be bmked , or " entered . " He was then entrusted with the grip and word ; I o paid certain fees ( £ 6 Scots being mentioned ) " to pay to the banquet for all the members of the Craft within the Lodge , and 'prentices thereof . " As a general rule every Mason chose a mark , which became an integral pait of his signature , and

was also used operaiively . In Kilwinning , apprentices paid their booking money and got their marks . A Fellow Craft was an apprentice , who , having served his time , was passed into the Lodge and its fellowship . Certain statutes provided that " no apprentice shall bo mado brjthcr or fellow in Craft unless he has served an additional term of 7 years , making 14 in all . What then became of

the other apprentices who did not complete this second term ? They remained journeymen . In 1681 we find tho Lodge of Edinbro' for . bidding the employment of journeymen who had not passed , thereby showing that all apprentices did not become Fellow Crafts . The fees payable at tbe passing of a Fellow Craft in 1599 were £ 10 , which included cost of banquet , and 10 J worth of gloves . Modern ,

or Speculative Masonry , said Brotaer Nail , dates from the formation of the Grand Lodge in 1717 , and he furnished some very inte r esting particulars relating thereto . It appears that in 1716 , the members of Lodges meeting at various taverns in London ( which are named ) imagining that they were neglected by Sir Christopher AVren , their Grand Master , appointed a general meeting to be held at the Apple

Tree Tavern , wear Covent Garden , and made preliminary arrangements towards the formation of a Grand Lodge , which included the appointment of a Grand Master , and tbe fixing of the first annnal assembly . This was to bo held at the Goose and Gridiron , St . Paul ' s Churchyard , on the day sacred to tho memory of St . John the Baptist , in tho 3 rd jear of tho reign of King George the First

( circa 1717 . ) At a subsequent mooting Constitutions were framed , and ordered to be printed , and thus was built up the important fabric by which the Order is now regulated , and whioh differs , not in principle , but only in matters of detail from the original ones . The lecturer referred to the schisms arising between the Loudon " moderns" and the York " ancients , " and their

ultimate incorporation in 1813 under the comprehensive title of the United Grand Lodge of England . Brother Sir C Warren , author of " Underground Jerusalem , " & c , who conducted the Palestine Exploration 1867-1870 , and who was first Worshipful Master of tho Quatuor Coronati Lodge , gives it as his opinion , founded upon careful and exhaustive personal investigation in the East , that

Masonry has undoubtedly descended to us through the Gentiles , and not through tho Hebrews , and after citing his reasons for this , he expresses his conclusions , as follow : — " The Phoenicians instituted our present Order of Masonry , with the concurrence of the Hebrews , and on their own mysteries ( including their own knowledge of the Arts ancl Sciences ) , engrafted the knowledge of the true God , learnt

at the building of tbe Temple , thafc they were aware of the untimely death of H . A ., assisted at tbe last ceremonies , and carried their account into their own Lodge . " Sir C AVarren goes on to explain that Solomon ' s Temple had but one door , and that in the East , whereas the early heathen temples of Syria , Greece , and Italy had doors in tin East , North and South , and proceeds , " Tbe fact seems

simply to be that the Phoiaiciaus obtained from the Hebrews the knowledge of tho trno God , and added it to their own mysteries , together with details legendary and otherwise of the death of the Master of tho work , and incorporated tbe latter into a ceremony symbolising tho whole matter to suit their existing temples . In a word , I think there is not a doubt that in our Order we are the

direct descendants from the Phccnicians , wbo first moulded Masonry into its present form , and who were unable to openly worship tho true God for fear of the people . " The words used in Freemasonry , and which were explained by tho lecturer , we cannot for obvious reasons do more than make a passing reference to . Of them , and the signs , Brother Nail said , as they are tho very secrets of secrets amongst us , we

cannot possibly trace the origin of their use , but the following very remarkable coincidence has recently been brought under our notice . In the early portion of the year 1890 Brother Rev . Haskett Smith , Rector of Bniuucewell , Lincolnshire , after a sojourn of many months among the Druses of Lebanon , was admitted to the most secret intimacy of the tribe by reason of his having saved the life of

a prominent young man amongst them , and was initiated into a number of mysterious rites hitherto unknown to any foreigner . To use his own words , the natives startled him , as a Freemason , by commnnicating the signs which are most characteristic of Masonry . " This , continues Brother Nail , is a wonderful confirmation of Brother Sir C Warren's belief , as the Druses are an isolated hill tribe ,

dwelling on tbe high lands above ancient Tyre . In concluding his very admirable lecture , Brother Nail said , to-day Masonry forms a bond of Brotherhood among all nations , races , and creeds ; it enables men , vastly different in every other respect , to unite in common fellowship with ono another ; it aims to bring out the better portions of our nature ; aud teaches us " to give up every selfish

propensity which might injure others ; ' and it extends , witb no sparing hand , comfort , relief , and consolation to the aged , tho worn , and the afflicted , as well as to the widow and tbe fatherless ; and above all , it unites all its adherents in a recognition ancl a worship of the One Great Architect of the Universe . Brother Wollaston proposed a vote of thanks to the lecturer , which was seconded by Brother Wrigley ,

and snpported by Brothers Brabner and Thomas . The following is a list of those present at tbe Lodge and festif e board : —Brothers F . VV . Wol . astrm W . M ., Seth AVrigley I . P . M ., VV . A . Brabner S . W ., Cyril H . Beever J . W ., Charles Hnrrop Treasurer , Fred Hilton P . M . acting Secretary , G . R . Ward S . D ., Henry Nail P . M . J . D ., M . Thomas P . M .

P . P . G . D . D . C , H . V . Lilly , A . J . Schofield , and Arthur B . Barlow Steward ^ E . Rober ' s P . M . ( FKKKMASON ' CHRONICLE ) , Nagib Fiani , J . VV . Lloyd , Sam Lnke , Richard Brown , Thomas Hamnett , W . AV . Hitchin . Visitors—Brothers Thomas Shorrock P . M . 204 , S . F . Simons P . M . 1531 , B . Haworth P . M . 1077 , M . Ferniley 1387 , and J . Hinchliffe 204 .