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man , and to the bright hope and prospect of a future life . While the fourth reminds us as responsible beings , of the solemn account we must one day give to our just yet merciful Judge , entailing on us the necessity for temperance , honesty , and purity of life and , to this end , the duties of watchfulness against evil and of

prayer for aid . We regret to find that these principles are not even formally hold by all who call themselves Masous , and that on the Continent of Europe this is especially the case . But we must make some charitable allowance for our Brethren in those countries where , for years , freedom of conscience has been put

down with an iron hand , and where , even now , the dread anathema is hurled by a professedly infallible power against the earthly happiness of the offending Mason , while at the same time it dooms him to eternal perdition . Can we then wonder at such a terrible extreme producing such reaction ? Can we be surprised

at the fact , which I think we may glean from history , that superstition is the mother of infidelity , and that the wildest atheistic doctrines have sprung from the same parentage ? Other tenets may be , and have been , built on our Masonic foundation by various bodies of thoughtful and religious meu , but every

truly religious man should rejoice in the maintenance of those fundamental tenets , which are , as it were , the cement which holds society together , and which are more or less-incorporated with every religious system under heaven . Brethren , let us smile at the curses aimed at our noble Order , and let us forgive

them who thus condemn us . But one lesson and caution I would draw from what I have stated . It is this—let us hold fast our very important rule , to avoid political or theological controversy in our Lodges , and may our Graud Lodge set a decided and a bright example in this matter . On the other hand , may

our Order and our country ever revere the " perfect law of liberty , and continue therein . " Law without liberty would be the destruction of all responsibility , and liberty without law would be the most insupportable tyranny . How true are the eloquent and striking words of the present ambassador of the United

States , uttered only last week : " The individual freedom of man ' s life and soul was the instrumentality by which the world has been raised from brutality and barbarism to its present standard of civilisation , the safe-guarding of personal liberty is the true seed of progress , and the torch of knowledge which was to

illumine man s pathway onward and upward was caught by one human hand as it was dropped by another . Justice enthroned on law is the only protection of the humble and defenceless , while the personal conscience and the living soul of the free man are essential to make mankind to conform to the changes which

are inevitable in its onward journey . I venture to think these are thoughts a true Mason can endorse , while all true Freemasons , free subjects and free men , will rejoice to act upon that terse and comprehensive charge which has survived eighteen centuries ,

is found in the volume of the Sacred Law , and is to-day as applicable to the needs and well-being of society as on the day when it came fresh from the pen of the inspired Philosopher and Apostle , " Honour all men , love the Brotherhood , fear God , honour the King . "

The Consecration having been completed in regular form the Grand Secretary proceeded to instal Brother Lieut-Colonel J . W . Beningfield as first Master , and he appointed the following as his Assistant Officers : —Brothers Surgeon-Captain E . G . Younger 1718 S . W ., Captain T . E . Carey Bates 12 J . W ., Lieut .-

Colonel C G . Brown 1589 1962 ( unanimously elected by the Founders ) Treasurer , Captain Gordon T . J . Carey P . M . 1722 Secretary , Captain E . Pugh 1827 S . D ., Captain E . J . H . Eccles 1669 J . D ., Captain 0 . M . W . Turner 2021 I . G ., Major W . E . Bobbins 90 Steward , Captain J . A . Carpenter 227 Assistant Steward , Sergeant-Instructor E . Sanders 1093 Tyler .

A committee having been elected to frame the bye-laws , the Worshipful Master proposed that honorary membership of the Lodge should be conferred on the distinguished members of the Order who had come among them that day and had so

successfully launched their new Lodge . The way in which the varied ceremonies had been performed displayed an amount of care and forethought that they might well take as an example in the future conduct of the Lodge .

The proposal was duly seconded , carried with unanimity , and acknowledged on behalf of the elected members by the Grand Secretary . The names of nineteen candidates for initiation were then handed in , and the Lodge was closed until the second Monday of December .

The Brethren afterwards sat down to banquet , under the presidency of the Master , who gave the usual Loyal toasts , following with that of the Grand Officers of England , whose

really good work , he said , was manifest on all sides , and had especially been displayed in their midst that day . The Master particularly thanked Colonel Dundas for his assistance , for , in addition to being a Grand Officer , he was also a Fusilier .

The Eev . E . J . Simpson responded , saying he felt much indebted to the Brethren for the attention they had given him in Lodge when it fell to his lot to deliver what , in the grandiloquent terms of the Craft , was designated the Oration . He had

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then taken the opportunity of saying a few words in defence of the Craft , and especially in reference to the position in which it had lately been placed in connection with those on the Continent who were described as murderers and everything that was bad .

It was necessary that they should protest against such calumnies as had lately been hurled against them , as silence was often taken as giving consent ; still , he thought that really the best course to adopt was to pray for those who persecuted them .

The Grand Secretary submitted the toast of the Master , a duty he regarded as a very agreeable one , inasmuch as it was really the toast of the evening . That was not the first occasion on which he had had the pleasure of installing Colonel Beningfield into the chair as first Master of a new Lodge . It seemed

but a short time since he had performed a like office . He was pleased to know that the Lodge over which he then ruled had made satisfactory progress , and hoped that the Eoyal Rose would be equally successful . He felt sure the members of the Lodge just launched would long be able to look back with satisfaction to the year Colonel Beningfield was Master .

The W . M . responded , expressing the great pleasure it afforded him to be placed in the chair as first ruler of the Lodge , which he felt was going to be a success from the outset . When

he was asked to take the office of first Master he had not known what to do , but he was pleased that he had not refused , as he really felt an interest in any work associated with the Fusiliers , although no longer officially connected with the regiment .

The next toast , that of the Consecrating Officers , was responded to by Bro . Letchworth , who referred to a similar work he had performed a few months back , when he consecrated a Lodge attached to the Militia battalion of the regiment they were associated with , on which occasion he had the pleasure of

installing Colonel Dundas as first Master . Further , he hoped in a short time to instal another distinguished Fusilier , in the person of Colonel Keyser , as Master of an ancient body of which they were both members—the Lodge of Antiquity . He hoped their new Lodge would become a power in the Craft , and

would be tne means of still further cementing the good feeling already existing between the different branches of the regiment . The toast of the Visitors was next given , the Master remarking they had a number of distinguished guests among them , notably Colonel Dundas—a honoured Fusilier , who

had seen some active service in connection with the regiment , especially in the Crimea ; Brother Mann the present Master of the Pickwick Lodge , of which , as the Grand Secretary had told

them , he ( Colonel Beningfield ) had been the first Master ; Bro . Pickering , and many others . The Founders were pleased to see Visitors that night , and he felt there was no doubt the Lodge would be equally pleased to see guests at its future meetings .

Colonel Dundas replied . Although claimed by the W . M . as a Visitor , he found himself in the proud position of being a member , an honour the Founders had conferred on him , as one of the Consecrating Officers , in open Lodge that night . Still he felt he might return sincere thanks on behalf of the Visitors for

the reception accorded them , and the earnest desire that had been manifest to ensure the enjoyment of all present . As commanding officer of the Militia battalion of their regiment , and

as first Master of the Train-Bands Lodge , he felt particularly in the position of being able to wish the new Lodge every success . He hoped they would prove not only a Eoyal Eose , but an everlasting rose in Freemasonry , ever going on with prosperity .

Bro . Mann considered it a very great honour to be called upon to respond to the toast , as a representative of the Visitors . He was pleased to think the new Lodge had in its midst every sign of prosperity . They could but feel gratified to hear so many new members proposed for initiation in the Lodge , and he felt he

was justified on behalf of the guests in offering their sincere congratulations on the way in which the new Lodge had been started . It was not often London Masons had the opportunity of visiting a Lodge that met in its own building , and not only that , but was also able to provide for its refreshment . The toast of the Officers was next submitted from the chair .

If ever a Master was able to congratulate himself on the band of Brothers he had working with him as Officers he was in that position . True they had no experiences to refer back to in their new Lodge , but they had all come together and started it as

nearly like a perfect machine as possible . There was one , however , whose work he could speak of , that being Bro . Captain Pugh , of whose efforts in arranging for a successful start it was impossible to say too much .

The Senior Warden replied . The Officers , he said , were all animated by one spirit—to work to secure the success and prosperity of the Eoyal Eose Lodge , aud to faithfully support the Worshipful Master in his exalted position . The Musical Brethren , to whose services in Lodge we have

already referred , continued their efforts to increase the enjoyment of the company after the banquet , and their success was such as to win them the heartiest applause . We congratulate our old friend Bro . Wright on the excellence of the party b y whom he was supported on this occasion .