Freemasonry In Berlin.

FREEMASONRY IN BERLIN .

' B ' . FIE Deputy Grand Master the Earl of Warwick , the Flon X Alan de Tatton Egerton , Colonel John Davis ( Aidede-Camp to the Queen ) , Lieutenant-Coionel Sir Terence O'Brien , and Colonel W . Campbell ( Royal Marine Artillery ) arrived in Berlin on Saturday , says the Correspondent of the " Daily Telegraph , " to be present at the function of opening

the new grand residence of the National Lodge of Prussian Freemasons . The function took place on Sunday at the new Lodge in Eisenach Street . The British deputation , who stayed at the Hotel Bristol , Unter den Linden , were invited to dinner by Sir Frank Lascelles on Saturday night at the

British Embassy . On Sunday they were the guests of their Brother Masons at the grand banquet organised for the occasion , and Prince Frederick Leopold of Prussia Grand Master invited them to dine with him on Monday , at his

chateau at Glienicke-on-the-liavel , just outside Potsdam . The presence of the distinguished British Freemasons at this grand specifically Prussian Masonic fete has , our contemporary - feels assured , been a source of great pleasure to the Brethren of the Craft in Germany .

A correspondent of the same paper adds : " The opening of the new grand residence of the National Lodge of Prussian Freemasons in Berlin on Sunday , and at which several distinguished Englishmen were present , reminds me of a fact not very generally known . Frederick the Great , long before

he ascended the throne , was admitted to the Craft , and subsequently founded a Lodge at the Castle of Rheinsberg , where during his youth he spent so many happy days . His initiation took place during the night of 14 th- ! 5 th August 1738 , at Brunswick . The step he took was unknown to his father .

The latter was not favourably inclined to the Brotherhood , whose first Lodge was only opened at Hamburg eight montiis before the Prince Royal became one of its members . It was at the pleasaunce of " He , t Loo , " in Gelderland , where Queen Wilhelmina is to spend her approaching honeymoon , that the

idea first took possession of Frederick ' s mind , after having heard a very outspoken speech by Count Schaumburg-Lippe in favour of the Brotherhood . lie confided his intention to the Count , but Frederick was travelling with his father , whose itinerary had been mapped out beforehand , and their road

did not he by Hamburg , the only city in which at that period there was a Lodge . Schaumburg-Lippe communicated with Baron von Albedyll , at Hanover , who in his turn apprised the Hamburg Lo . dge of Frederick ' s project , and of the obstacles in consequence of his inability to leave the King . Father and

son were , however , timed to arrive at Brunswick on 12 th August , and the day before Master vom Stehl vom Oberg reached that city with the members of the Flanseatic city ' s Lodge . The next night was fixed for the ceremony , which took place at the hostelry Zum Schloss Salzdahlum , and up

to the present clay the anniversary is kept by all the Grand Lodges of Berlin . It has often been asserted that as the years went on Frederick ' s relations with the Freemasons became strained . It has even been stated that Frederick , when Regent , resigned his membership , persuaded , as he was

supposed to be , that some of the military secrets of the comparatively new kingdom had been divulged to Austria by a Freemason . The tale had been embellished in various ways . There is not a particle of truth in it . It had its foundation in a curious fact . After the loss of the Battle of Kollin , a

letter in an unknown handwriting reached the general headquarters . It contained an offer of assistance of the Freemasons , and bore the signature of some eminent members of the Craft . Frederick was sufficiently subtle to detect a manoeuvre , not of the Freemasons , but of the Jesuits . Not

the slightest notice was taken of the epistle , which was sent to the archives . There are many proofs of Frederick ' s unwavering friendship to the Brotherhood , and notably a letter in French , written in 1781 , to the Lodge in Berlin , which , curiously enough , was called ' The Royal York of Friendship . ' "

Dean Of York And Freemasonry.

DEAN OF YORK AND FREEMASONRY .

EESPONDING to the toast of the Grand Officers of England , on the occasion of the installation meeting of the Eboracum Lodge , No . 1611 , held at York on the 12 th

mst ., the Dean of York said he had been a Freemason just about fifty-three years . That was a long time to look back upon , during which a great many things had happened . During those fifty-three years crowned heads had been

Dean Of York And Freemasonry.

swept off their thrones , some nationalities had been broken up , and many associations of men had vanished into nothingness . The world' had been full of change , but they found Masonry the same as ever . When he was initiated at Oxford it was thought that Freemasonrv meant nothing but brandy

and water—whisky had not come into fashion then—and some of his relatives thought that it was an unwise and unfortunate thing for a young man to take such a step , but it was a step which he had never regretted , for Freemasonry had been a help to him in a great mam' ways . Fie felt that

it was a proud thing to be associated with such a body , but whilst they had those feelings they must think of those to whom they were indebted for the prosperity of Freemasonry , which was due in a great measure to the Grand Master the Prince of Wales . As Freemasons they owed His Royal

Highness a great debt of gratitude for what he had done . It would be a great misfortune for them not only as Englishmen but as Freemasons if it became necessary for the Prince of Wales to withdraw from the position of Grand Master . The Prince had been worthily supported by the various Officers

of the Grand Lodge , and they had worthily gained the confidence of the Brethren generally . Whilst they looked round the world they heard loud calls for reform , but the Brethren were very well satisfied with their Craft as it was . They all pulled together harmoniously , and the result was that the

Craft stood high m the estimation of those outside its boundaries . The progress of Freemasonrv had been one of prosperity- —it had been lengthening its cords , strengthening its stakes and enlarging its borders , for the number of English Masons and Lodges had wonderfully increased during the

last half century . Fie said it gave him peculiar pleasure to be present that evening , as some few years ago their Worshipful Master was one of the choristers at the Minster . The Dean said he had the welfare of the boys at the Minster very

much at heart , and he was anxious that their association with York Minster should have a happy edifying influence on their future lives , and the position of their Worshipful Master that night was evidence that it did so .

Bro . T . B . Whytehead also replied . He said he thought that at that moment he was the father of that Lodge , and he was very proud of that position . The Lodge was founded in 1876 , and there was no doubt that the progress of the Eboracum Lodge during the years of its existence had been

phenomenal . He did not know any Lodge with whose history he was acquainted that had made such progress and achieved such success as ths Eboracum Lodge . They might congratulate themselves on being members of such a distinguished Lodge , which had a name and reputation not only

in York and Yorkshire , but almost everywhere . It was a great pleasure to see such progress , and to know that they stood in the enviable position of being absolutely solvent . He mentioned the fact that he was initiated in New Zealand , and said that when he came home there was only one

Freemason s Lodge in York , and that was the York Lodge ; now there were four Lodges in the city , and none too many , for they had thereby channels by which good and worthy Brethren could be advanced to higher honours , and he ; thought that they might be proud of the array of Past Masters

that they had in York . Those who studied Freemasonry in the true light in which it ought to be studied would discover that . it was the most wonderful society that had ever existed , lie denied that it only commenced its existence at the beginning of the eighteenth century . They would find that

it had existed through centuries and centuries , and had had enrolled among its members the most marvellous artists in the way of architects that the world had ever known . The great minsters and beautiful abbeys had been constructed by members of the Society , though now they were not occupied

in constructing huge cathedrals and beautiful abbevs they had another duty . They were doing what they could to elevate society , to make all men in different degrees of life to come

together , and to realise their common bond of Brotherhood . To be happy together and try to disseminate happiness was the great delight of Freemasons . Their aim was to honour God , and to do their duty as good citizens .

Antiquity Of Chester Masonry.

ANTIQUITY OF CHESTER MASONRY .

AT the regular meeting' of the Cestrian Lodge , on Thursday of last week , a most interesting paper was read by Bro . J ohn Armstrong P . P . G . W . of Cheshire , on the history of Freemasonry in Chester . He claimed that the old Lodge of Chester originated at or soon after the found-