Jubilee Of The M.W.G.M.

JUBILEE OF THE M . W . G . M .

ON Monday evening the members of the Hnll Masonio Club gave a dinner in honour of the 50 th anniversary of the M . W . G . M . H . R . II . tbe Prince of Wales . The President , Bro . F . B . Grotrian , M . P ., oconpiod the ohair , and was supported by Bros . Canon McCormicfc , D . D ., P . P . G . C , M . C . Peek P . G . S . B . England P . G . Seo ., VV . C . Whiteside P . M ., F . Fullerton P . M . P . P . G . R ., J . R . Stronger P . P . G . O .,

T . A . Haigh P . M ., Jules de Meilhao , J . W . L . Whitfield , T . H . Dixon , J . Hancock , T . Heatoo Haller , H . J . Old royd Hon . Sec , H . C . Lambert , Westerhoff , Wallis , Richard Barton , C . T . Ca » ee , J . Charl-s . worth , Itsao Fawcett , E . Mendelsohn , T . Linsley , M . Schnltz , D . C . McNeill , F . L . Slade , Barron , Barlow , Wilkinson , Carlill , Savill , J . For , and Brown .

Bro . Vessey King , the Steward , provided a recherchS banquet . The President gave " The Queen and the Craft , " which was dnly bononred witb musical honours . Bro . F . B . Grotrian , M . P ., then submitted the toast of the evening ' •H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M . of England . " The Prince of Wales , he raid , had most well and worthily filled his position as

Grand Master of tbe Craft . His Royal Highness presided at the Centenary of the Girls' School , at which £ 51 , 500 were raised . That fact alone showed that the philanthropy of the Craft was not a sham and a delusion , bnt a solid reality . He was quite sure they wonld receive with much enthusiasm tbe toast of the Prince of Waler , who was celebrating tbat evening his Jubilee at Sandringham .

The Secretary , Bro . Oldroyd , had—he was sure with tbe approval of the brethren—sent to his Royal Highness a telegram to the following effect : " Members of Hall Masonio Clob fraternally present hearty good wishes on your Royal Highness ' s birthday . " Continuing , the President said H . R . H . occupied a very distinguished position , and after all Httle or nothing conld be said against the Prince , and very

mnch might be said in his favour . He was most assiduous on all occasions where his presence conld aid a philanthropio object . He thonght the Prince must have felt sometimes that possibly , in the discharge of those varied duties , that life would be tolerable but for its amusements . Another point in his favour was the absolute

disinterestedness which he had oa all occasions shown in regard to the great political parties of this country . In this respect he had responded to the bright example and good training of onr beloved Queen , who had ever been absolutely impartial . The toast having been duly honoured , Bro . Oldroyd sang " God bless the Prince of Wales , " the refrain being taken np with great

heartiness . Bro . T . Linsley proposed '' Success to the Hnll Masonio Club . " The welfare of the olnb had their heartiest sympathies . It had been formed in order that the brethren of the various Lodges might fraternise and enjoy each others company . Whatever success the club bad attained np to the present was due to a large extent to the

zeal put forward by Bro . Oldroyd . Bro . H . J . Oldroyd , in response , said they did not wish to make the club a success merely from a financial point , bnt more from a social aspect . Bro . Canon McCormiok submitted " The Health of the President , Bro . Grotrian , M . P . " The President was , tbo speaker said , a ' ¦ jolly

good fellow " in every sense . He was ever ready to assist m any philanthropic movement for the good of the people , ready to take the ohair on any festive or other occasion . His character stood high with the people , and he ( the Canon ) was sura thafc every Freemason wished him mnch prosperity in this life and happiness in his bosom of bis family . It gavo him much satisfaction to boar hia testimony

of respect for their President , and he was sure it met with their complete approbation . The toast was received with great cordiality and musical hononrs , cheers being alao given for Mrs . Grotrian and tho family . The President , in reply , said his interest in tbe Craft was of long standing , and he felt , when asked to become the President of the

clnb , tbat he could not do otherwise than accept the office , with a view , in any minor degree , to show his continued interest in Masonry . Those pleasant social gatherings were beneficial to one ' s better ] nature , they softened all feelings of asperity and sabdned antagonisms j the voice of rivalry was shut ont , and only the nnble tenets of the Order—brotherly love , concord , and peace—prevailed ,

and where they gave their mntnal snpport and help to one another . During the evening songs were rendered by Bros . Oldroyd , Richd , Barton , H . C , Lambert , Peck , and Whiteside , whilst Bro , Canon MoCormick delighted the brethren with some droll personal reminiscences . Bro . J . R . Stronger P . P . G . O , kindly officiated at the piano

with bis well-known masterly skill and ability . Shortly before the brethren retired the following telegram was received from the Prince of Wales : "Tho President of Masonio Club , Hall . I thank yoa for fraternal and kind congratulations . — Albert Edward . "

" The Basochb."

" THE BASOCHB . "

" rpHE Basoobe , " whioh for some time to come will be a household I word , is unfamiliar to the great majority , nor does it awaken tbe memories whioh cling to it across the Channel . A decree promulgated exactly a century ngoon the 13 th of list February pnt an end to the famous corporation , which had honn formed five centuries before , but which had-been nhorn of much of its importance and some of its privileges since tbe days of Charles VII . " The Basoohp , "

ns nnthoriced by Philip the Fair , was no ordinary guild . It was tinned a" kingdom , " and the clerks learned in tho law of whom it was composed administered justice among themselves , and elactecl a " Kim ? of the Basoche , " who was no simulacrum of a monarch , bnt a redoubtable pn'soungp , with a court , a char-cello * -, and an army , who dispensed justice , and coined money for the uso of hi J subjects . " The Kins ? s of the Basoche " lent their soldiers on occasions to thc Kin" » i > f 1 ? ration . A roundel a < old as tho Bittlo of Pavia has it—

" The Basochb."

Soldat , olero , le basoohien Est bon vivant ot bon cLrt ' tien , Vive la basoche ! A son apprrche Tout vabien .

Tho last miliatry exploit in whioh the " Basoohiens" had a share was the taking of the Bastille . The members of " The Baioohe " were the founders of French comedy . They first made nse of tint weapon of ridicule whioh has been used witb such effect iu France . The humour of their productions was coarse and Rabelaisian , but it marks the beginning of

pablio opiaion , as exhibited in the criticism of public men and measures . No man , however exalted , was sacred from their attacks . They did not spare Louis XII . himself , who had granted them the privilege of using as a stage the great marble table which stood in the hall of the Palais . In the "Princo of Fools" they bur . leaqaed Pope Julius II ., and then arose the feud between the Church

and the theatre whioh is not quite healed yet . The " moralities " of " The Basoche , " in supplanting the old " mysteries" took the stage out of the hands of the clergy , and placed it in those of the laity . There is no trace of a Basoche representation later than 1582 . The burlesque trial , called the " Cause GMSse , " obtained afc a much later period . It exhibited the licence without tbe didaotio intent of tho " moralities . "—The Echo .

The Masonic "Comic."

THE MASONIC " COMIC . "

WE had known him for years , as one gets to know music-hall managers , and had always looked upon him as a most jovial and rudely prosperous person . Whenever we met him , in his official capacity , he was always tho same , cheery as to countenance , glossy as to hat ; with a fixed , but merry twinkle in his eye , and a tremendous diamond solitaire jabbed into the highly starched

" booeom of a shirt that fitted him as perfectly as his very epidermis . We came npon him suddenly , in the Strand last week , an altered man . Of course one doesn ' t expect music-hall managers to look so well in the daylight , but here there was a falling off that all the gas in the huge reservoirs that charm the eye and cheer the heart of tho

rain-sogged mariner as be steers the homebonnd paddle-boat down the Thames at Vanxhall Reaob , could not have atoned for . His clothes hung about him , his hat had become too large : the only little spark of the old cheer came from that diamond stud shining out of all the gloom like the reflection of the son in the silver handle of a hearse door .

" I shall be more like myself again in a few days , " he said , " now that I ' ve got rid of him . " "Of whom ?" " What ? you , haven't heard ?" " No . " " Great Dover Street ! is it possible ? Here lot us stop into

Dslando ' s—I'll tell you all about it . " " Soda in this gentleman ' s , too , miss—thanks . Well , as I was saying , you know at our hall we only give engagements for ooo week : we can keep on re-engaging ' em if we like ' em , bnt , Ieat wo shouldn ' t their booking is only for one week . Well , tbe last week in July Mr . Warcott , tbe agent , comes round , quite in the way of

businesshe ' s a Mason y know ; so am I—gives me the grip ; thon we come fco the job . ' What artistes am I wanting ? Oh , so-and-so , and so-and-so , you know . Then he asks if I can bill a good spSciali' 6 . Well , specialities come high , bnt you ' re bound to have ' em . What ' s he got ? ' Strong man Juggler , ' says he . ' Sick and tired of jnggler ' s , ' says I , 'Ah but this covo joggles with live elephants , ' says he . ' What ' s his

price ?' says I , 'Well , ' says he , ' its ' cording to how many elephants you care to have : twenty-five quid a week for himself , seventeen an ' six each , elephants . ' ' Too high , ' says I ; ' what else ? ' ' Couple o ' song aud dance men , ' says he . •Shades of McGinty ! ' says I , " you don ' t call song and dance men a novelty ? ' ' These are , says he , ' they do their " torn " upside down in a tank of rainwater . ' ' How much ?'

says I . 'Sixteen , says he . ' Can't afford it jnst now , ' says I ; ' y see all our patrons is away at the seaside . ' ' Try a Masonic Comic ? * says be , just as though he were recommending a bronchial troche : ' now there ' s something yon can deal witb ? ' ' Does he sing about tbe Craft ? ' says I . ' W-well , just Craft enough—he ' s a good Mason , ' says he s ' dirt cheap at six a week . ' I thought I'd rather liko to book

this chap . ' Make it five ? ' says I . ' Split tho difference , ' says he , ' five-ten ? ' And we dealt . " We could see that the mere reference to the matter pained him . But" Go on , " wo said , as we poshed . the glasses over to the barmaid to be refilled . " Go on ? Ah ! I wish in this case I'd ha' stopped . You NEVER

DID HEAK IN ALL YOUB ' NATURAL , '" he exclaimed , with great emphasis , " snch a downright rotten oomio ! He hadn ' t got enongh in him to lick stamps ! Oh , Jiminy ! when I think of it even—He'd nomore ear for musio than a steam tug whistle—not a song worth a cent , aud no drum band part ! Weeping Roohael ! he was a terror o How I endured that week I don ' t know . Wticn it was time to com !

on I used to go up through tho trap-door on to the roof and try and forget him as I watched the 'basses go by . On the Saturday , when ho came to ' treasury ' I gave him his notice . WHAT DO YOU THINK ? He gave me the first Masonic sign calling on a brother for assistance I What conld I do ? I had to take that notice back , and keep him . another week . Second Saturday came . ' Ob , Mr . So- !* nd-Sr > , ' sait-I , meeting him in the bar , ' by-the-way , you close to . night . ' ' What ? *

says he , and , rushing after me as I made for tbe door leading to tho scene-flock , he gave me the second sign for assis ' ance . " Wo saw the luck of frenzy thnt was gathering in his eyo : wo thonght we'd better bring the conversation to a close . " How long was it before yoa got rid of him ? " we asked . EI- clenched his fist and grit his teeth as he ans-vered : " There arc seventeen Masonic signs calling on a , brother for umdance ' . "—Judy . ' ¦