Consecration Of A Masonic Hall At Devizes.

roof than the former one . The roof timbers spring from solid foundations on the ground , thus bearing the greater part of the weight of the roof , and rendering the old walls adequate for their purpose . The Lodge is approached throngh an entrance lobby , inside which is the Tyler ' s room , there being doors from the latter into the Lodge

room itself , and also into a good sized room , which will serve as a committee-room , preparation-room , & c . The walls of the Lodge . room aro painted in two colonrs * , tbe wood-work of the open roof being varnished . There is a pointed geometrical window in each

end wall , filled in with semi-opaqne and tinted glass . The floor has a slightly raised dais on either side , with a still higher elevation at the east end , the sunk central portion of the floor being tessellated in black and white .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Mark Maste R Masons Of Middlesex And Surrey.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTE MASONS OF MIDDLESEX AND SURREY .

THIS Provincial Grand Mark Lodge held its summer meeting at tbe Clarence Hotel , Teddington , on Wednesday , 26 th July , when , the weather being all that conld be desired for the time of year , a large number of Present and Past Provincial Grand Officers and other Mark Masons connected with the twenty-three Lodges which are on the roll of the Province were in attendance . Previous to the assembling of the members of the Provincial Lodge , the Francis Burdett

Lodge of Mark Master Masons , No . 181 , was opened by Bro . W . Taylor P . M . as W . M ., in the unavoidable absence of Bro . J . W . Saunders ; E . Hopwood S . W ., W . Hammond J . W ., James Stevens P . M ., T . C . Walls M . O ., Briggs I . G ., G . Harrison Tyler , and a large number of brethren , and afc the hour appointed , five p . m ., prepared to receive the Provincial Grand Lodge . The R . W . Provincial Grand

Master , Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., was unfortunately prevented from attending as arranged , and consequently the Very Worshipful Bro . Frederic Davison Grand Treasurer Deputy P . G . M . officiated ns Prov . G . M . The present Officers who attended were Worshipful Bros F . C De Crespigny Chaplain , C . Hammerton Treasnrer , J . M . Klenck Secretary , T . W . Adams S . D ., E . Hopwood Snpt . Works , H . J ,

Lardner I . G ., J . V . Willis , C . Kipling , E . Florence , and J . Inglis Stewards , and J . Gilbert Tyler . The Past Grand Officers were represented by the Very Worshipful Brothers D . M . Dewar P . G . M . 0 . and Assistant Grand Secretary , James Stevens P . G . J . O . and P . P . G . Seoretarv , S . Lambert P . P . G . S . D ., and S . C . Dibdin , and Worshipfnl Bros . W . Taylor P . P . G . D ., E . Gilbert , H . Baldwin , J .

Khodes P . P . G . Org ., B . H . Ridge P . B . G . I . G ., T . C . Walls P . G . S . Many brethren omitted to sign the attendance book , which contained the names of Bros . Goodenough J . O . 2 * 23 , W . Hammond P . M . 181 , E . Whittaker J . O . 139 , G . Blackman W . M . 251 , T . Driver J . O . 171 , W . Holloway S . W . 251 , S . G . Redfearn 251 , Johnston S . D . 234 , R . Glutton W . M ., C . P . McKay P . M . 234 , W . C . Brasher 223 , G . R .

Ousey M . 0 . 239 , G . J . Dunkley S . O . 234 , G . B . Brodie 197 , J . Proffitfc J . W . 3 , T . F . Ravenshaw P . G . C , W . Stephens W . M . 1 , Edward Mitchell S . W . 139 , J . W . Sanders W . M . 181 , H . Faija I G . 144 . The Provincial Grand Officers having been received by the Francis Burdett Lodge , and duly saluted , the Lodge was closed , and Bro . Davison Deputy P . G . M ., as Prov . G . M ., proceeded to open the Prov .

Grand Lodge , assisted by Bros . Ravenshaw as Deputy P . G . M ., Walls G . S . W ., Dewar G . J . W ., De Crespigny G . Chaplain , J . W . Adams as M . O ., E . Hopwood S . O ., Lardner J . O ., Klenck Secretary , Hammerton Treasurer , J . Stevens as D . C , H . Baldwin as I . G ., and Gilbert Janitor . The minntes of the previous Provincial Grand Lodge meeting , held at Richmond , on tbe 2 nd July 1881 , were read and confirmed , and a report from the General Committee as to the changes in places of meeting

was read for information . The roll of Lodges was called over , and each Lodge was fairly represented . The number of Lodges in the Province is now 23 as against 21 last year , and the members have increased from 403 to 443 . The R . W . Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , nominatea rrovinciai master

nan ., was unanimously as urana marK for the ensuing period , and the following Officers were appointed , ancl in mosfc instances invested with their collars of office , viz .: — Bro . F . Davison Deputy P . G . M .

Ralph Glutton ... * " ... P . G . Senior Warden Dr . Brodie P . G . Junior Warden Revs . F . C . De Crespigny and Maud P . G . Chaplains C . Hammerton P . G . Treasurer E . P . Florence P . G . Registrar

W . G . Brighten P . G . Secretary — Inglis ' P . G . Master Overseer — Hammond P . G . Senior Overseer — Lewis P . G . Junior Overseer

Hi . Mitchell P . li . Senior Ueacon C . P . McKay P . G . Junior Deacon F . VV . Driver P . G . Supt . of Works T . C . Walls P . G . D . ofC

H . Faija P . O . Assist . D . of C . — Blackman P . G . Sword Bearer C . Kipling P . G . Standard Bearer G . J . Dnnkley P . G . Organist

G . R . Bussey P . G . Inner Guard J . W . Sanders " ) W . C . Brasher V P . G . Stewards C . F . Goodenough ) John Gilbert P . G . Tyler

Brothers Lambert , Klenck , Lardner , and Walls , were elected on tho Committee of General Purposes , to which Committee was referred a proposition for the purchase of a Standard and Sword of State . Bro . Hammerton Prov . Grand Treasnrer presented his balance sheet , which was of a highly satisfactory character . Tho

thanks of Provincial Grand Lodge were unanimously accorded to Bro . Hammerton , and also to Bro . Klenck P . G . Secretary , for services during the past year , aud after some minor matters had

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Mark Maste R Masons Of Middlesex And Surrey.

been disposed of , the Provincial Grand Mark Lodge was closed in due form . Subsequently a banquet was provided , whioh a large propor . tion of the brethren attended , bnt the want of " good service " detracted from what might otherwise have been greatly enjoyed , and in this respect , at least , the nsnal good repute of the Clarence Hotel was not upheld . The customary toasts were briefly given , and met with equally brief response , and , partaking of nothing

beyond the ordinary character , such compliments and acknowled g . meuts do not require lengthy notice . The evening was made agree * able by the vocal and instrumental efforts of the Provincial Grand Organist ; , Bro . Dunkley , assisted by able volunteers in the persons of Bros . Walls , Dibdin , and Stevens . An early train conveyed the company to London , rejoicing in the continued prosperity of their Provincial Grand Mark Lodge .

Bro. Dr. Benjamin Franklin,

BRO . DR . BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ,

PENNSYLVANIA'S THIRD GRAND MASTER . EROJI THE KEYSTONE .

( Continued from page 68 . ) In 1785 , when Franklin left France , his French brethren bid him an affectionate and fraternal adieu , fche Lodge afc Rouen especially honouring him as a greafc Statesman and a Freemason . Thus did three great countries—America , England and France , and the highest Masonio authority of each of them , delight fco do honour to

Bro . Benjamin Franklin , fche Philadelphia Freemason . In France especially does he appear to have been idolised . John Adams wrote from Paris to his wife in 1778 : " My venerable colleague , Dr , Franklin , enjoys a privilege here that is much to be envied . Being seventy years of age , the ladies not only allow him to embrace them as often as he pleases , bufc they are perpetually embracing him . I

told him , yesterday , that I would write this to America . " In person Frauklin was well formed , five feet ten inches in height , with light complexion and grey eyes . In manners he was affable and winning . In early life he formed the excellent habit of speaking ill of no one , and as much good as possible of everybody . This course made the number of his friends legion . While a boy his father often

repeated to him the proverb of King Solomon : " Seesfc thon a man diligent in his calling , he shall stand before kings . " Franklin did stand before five kings , and wifch one of them , Christian VII . King of Denmark , he had the honour to sit down to dinner . George III . of England , in one of his Note Books , applied the following quotation from Shakespeare ' s " Julius Caesar , " to Franklin :

" 0 , let us have him , for his silver hairs Will purchase us a good opinion , And buy men ' s voices to commend our deeds . " The name of Franklin is everywhere in America . There are twenty-two States in the Union that have a Franklin county , while Ohio has nineteen towns called Franklin . His name is applied to

Masonic Lodges , colleges , hanks , hotels , insurance companies , streets , squares , and , in fine , for all purposes for whioh a good name ia needed . Franklin died in the city of his choice , the only home he ever knew , where he was married , where his children were born , and his wife died—in Philadelphia . This event occurred on 17 th April 1790 .

when he was in the eighty-fifth year of his age . He left a fortune of £ 30 , 0 C 0 , all honestly gained , and a reputation which was great in his lifetime , greater at his death , and which has ceaselessly grown ever since . It belongs not fco the eighteenth centnry only , bufc to all time , and not to America exclusively , but to the world . On Franklin's death , the Congress of fche United States ordered

that badges of mourning should be worn by the members for one month ; and even the Legislature of France , on motion of Mirabeau , unanimously resolved that mourning should be worn in his memory for three days . Although Franklin was so distinguished a Mason , his remains were interred without Masonic ceremonies . Twenty thousand of his

fellowcitizens attended his funeral , but his brethren were nofc there in a body , as Masons . There was a reason for this—it was the result of Masonic schism . Franklin had been Grand Master of Pennsylvania under tbe earliest Grand Lodge of England , nicknamed the "Moderns , " and a rival Grand Lodge of England , self-sfcyled , and miscalled , the " Ancients . " had grown more popular , and finally had

supplanted the earlier one , so that when Fr \ nklin died , there had uot been , for nearly twenty years , a Lodge of the " Moderns" in Philadelphia . Dnriner much of this period Franklin had been abroad , in England and France , and unacquainted with Masonic matters afc home , where many of the old Masons , when they found their Lodges decaying , had given them up , and either remained unaffiliated , or

petitioned for admission into a Lodge of their schismatic , but unsuccessful rivals , the so-called " Ancients . " Franklin , in bis old acre , was not inclined to seek new Masonio affiliations . He respected and loved the sinking ship of the "Moderns , " aud never deserted it . This is very far from being to his discredit . He had been twice P . G . M . of the old Craffc which introduced Masmiry on this continent , and that

in the "City of Brotherly Love , " and it would have been eminently unbecoming in him to haul down his Masonic colours , and when nearly eighty years of ago to peiition a rival , but successful Masomc Lodge , to be heled . and received among its membership . Franklin was not given a Masonic funeral , because , *' n the lingo of the day , he

was a " Modern" Mason , which v / as greatly to his credit . Franklin is represented at the present day by numerous descendants . In the year 18 G 3 they numbered 110 , represented chiefly by such families as the Baches , Duaues , Hodges and Sergeants . Bufc the pilgrims to his fcatnb , in the venerable graveyard of old Christ