Notice Of Meetings.

THE PROVINCE OP BERKSHIRE .

ON the afternoon of the 21 st inst ., a large and influential gathering of Freemasons , representing the Lodges throughout Berks , was held , in the Council Chamber at Reading , for the purpose of making the preliminary arrangements in connection with tha installation of the Duke of Clarence and Avondale as Provincial Grand Master of

the Berks Province , which will take place in the Town Hall , Reading , in the middle of December . Bro . the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg Deputy Prov . Grand Master in charge of the Province presided . The announcement thafc the Prince of Wales Grand Master of the

Order would accompany his sou and perform the ceremony of installation was received by the meeting with great satisfaction . The Mayor and Corporation of Reading will welcome their Royal Hig h , nesses on their arrival at the Greafc Western Railway Station , but no corporate address will be presented . A special Provincial Grand

Lodge will be held iu the new Town Hall at one o ' clock , and the installation of the Duke will be followed by a luncheon . The forthcoming Royal visit to the town is exciting the greatest possible interest , and it is anticipated that aa many as 600 or 700 Masons will be present . Nearly 20 years have elapsed since the Prince of Wales

paid a Masonio visit to the county town of Berks , fche occasion being the laying of the stone of the Reading School , which was performed by his Royal Highness with full Masonic honours , the late Sir Dajjiel Gooch being then Provincial Grand Master of fche combined Province of Berks and Bucks .

THE annual meeting of this unostentatious bufc valuable Charity was held , at the Masonic Hall , Greafc George Street , Leeds , on the 18 th inst . The Charity has been founded for the relief of itinerant Masons , and during the few yeara it has been in existence it has done a noble work . Bro . Allison P . M . P . P . G . D . presided , and there was a good attendance . Bro . Fretwell W . M . 2069 presented the

LEEDS MASONIC LOCAL RELIEF FUND

Auditors' report , from which it appeared thafc during the year 35 oases had been relieved , at a cost of £ 8 16 s 6 d . The average relief per case was 5 s OJd . Of the persons relieved 24 were English Masons , 4 were Scotch , 7 were foreigners , and there were no Irish . In the previous year 44 cases had been relieved , at a cost of £ 9 12 s 3 Jd . The balance in the hands of the Treasurer is £ 8 la 4 £ d ,

whioh will carry the Society on until June next . It ia 18 months since there waa a levy on each of the 8 Leeds Lodges of ls per member . The report was adopted as satisfactory , and ordered to be circulated among the Leeds Masons . Bro ; Jose Rickard waa elected President , Bro . Tudor Trevor Vice-President , Bro . Craig P . M . Treasurer , Bro . S . Barrand Almoner , Bro . R . Lucas Secretary , Bros .

Fretwell W . M . and Tomlinson W . M . Auditors . Grout , credit is due to the Almoner for the careful manner in which he has investigated the oases . It was stated that tho formation of the Society had done away entirely with the nuisance of travelling Masons calling upon Masters of Lodges at their private addresses , and it has been the means of exposing many impostors . It would be wise for other towns to copy this Society .

The following is fche text of tbe address delivered by fche Very Rev . Dr . E . R . Cnrrie , Grand Chaplain , afc the Centenary Festival of the St . Paul ' s Lodge , No . 194 , at the Cannon Street Hotel , on the 18 fch instant : —

Eheu ! fugaces latuntur anni . " Alas ! the fleeting years slip by . " With fche heathen poet we admit tbe lapse of time , with him we do not sigh over it , if we be in truth deserving of the name of Masons . If we be such , then time , with the experience and the knowledge which it brings , is doing for us that which the skill and labour of the

expert operative Mason effect for the perfect ashlar , which , we are taught , is " a stone , a true die or square , fit only to be tried by the square and compasses ; this represents man in the decline of years , after a regular well-spent life in acts of piety and virtue , whioh cau be no otherwise tried and approved than by the S . of O . 's Word

aud C .: hia owu self-convincing conscience . " In such the words of our Grand Master , King Solomon , are accomplished , " The hoary head is a orown of glory , if it be found in the way of righteousness . " But " the days of an age are but three score years and ten " —rarely four ; still more rarely longer . While , however , we count our owu

years by units and by decades , Speculative Masonry reckons its age by centuries . Ifc has seen the wreck of mighty dynasties ; ifc has witnessed the overthrow of famous cities . Generations are born , and generations die , bufc Speculative Masonry continues firm and unshaken , uninjured by the wasting hand of time , unweakened by

the enfeebling lapse of ages . It stands firm , while other societies come and go around it ; are formed in one generation to be dissolved in another . It has seen the rise of every existing monarchy in the world , it will nofc probably witness their close . Ifc stands thus

unmoved only because its foundations rest on an eternal verity . Thoy are laid in the responsibility of duty , which belongs to each intelligent being . We read in sacred writ that our Grand Master , King Solomon , built " the inner court of the Temple afc Jerusalem with hewed stones . " From this solid foundation rose the

sacred shrine itself . Thus from duty in its threefold relations to God , to our neighbour , to ourselves , rises the sacred shrine of Masonry to the honour and glory of the Most High , " perfect in ita parts , and honourable to its builders . " The permanency , the solidity , the beauty of Speculative Masonry is witnessed by the happy occasion on which we are met this evening . For a hnndred years

the sublime principles of our Order have prevailed , and its sacred tenets have been taught within the Lodge of St . Paul . May they long continue to be so . And while I congratulate you on the honourable past of your Lodge , which has to-day received so well-earned an honour , allow me to wish it a grand and prosperous future , which , by the blessing of the G . A . O . T . U ., may ever exhibit " the indelible imprint of Truth , of Honour , and of Virtue . "

The Theatres, &C.

THE THEATRES , & c .

Tory's Theatre . —Mr . Terry has been well advised in reviving Mr . Pinero's diverting farce " la Chancery . " Mr . Pinero wonld not himself claim to place it on the same level with its predecessor , " Sweet Lavender , " but the dialogue is characterised by that freshness and originality whioh form a marked feature of Mr . Pinero ' s plays . The plot ia ingenious , and turns on the well known medical fact , used

very little on the stage , that by some sudden accident a pe-son may be afflicted with a total loss of memory . Mr . Terry , as a commercial traveller , meets with a railway accident at Sleepleton Junction , and finally finds himself placed in a position which , however bearable in Utah city , is one of great difficulty in London town . The complications that arise are exceedingly ludicrous , and Mr . Terry

is the very life and soul of the piece , keeping the audience in roars of laughter from beginning to end . Mr . Terry at the close of the performance very gracefully thanked his company for the assistance they had rendered him , but it is only just to say that he himself deservedly took all the honours . Mr . Julian Cross was effective as Captain Dionysius MoCafferty , and ao were Messrs . Robert Soutar and George Belmore in the respective parts of butcher and draper .

Mr . Prince Miller was a poor detective , and Mr . Henry Dana , as Johu , did nofc show to great advantage . Amongst the ladies Miss Rose Dearing waa capital aa Kettles , a lodging-house servant girl . Mies Elmore Leyshon , Miss Alice York , Miss Kate Mills , and Miss Violet Ambraster all deserve a word of commendation . The piece will no doubt have a very long run , and Mr . Terry afc least need nofc be in any fear afc putting his money " In Chancery . "

For "The Penalty , " afc Terry ' s Theatre , on 2 nd December , Mr . Julian Cross has engaged Mr . A . Wood , who will play the part of "Jack Barnacle , " an ancient mariner who mingles comedy with pathos .

THE ROYAL MILITARY ASYLUM , CHELSEA . —To all who are interested in fche welfare of the British Soldier , it is well to be made known thafc the chapel of the little "Sons of the Brave" is in anything but a satisfactory condition , and that funds are required for restoration , and for purchasing an organ . To meet this great want a matinee entertainment will be given afc the Princes Hall , Piccadilly , on the

afternoon of Saturday , 13 th December , at whioh His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge , Commander-in-Chief , has consented to preside , supported by the moat distinguished of our military lenders . The entertainment , entitled " Our Men in Africa , " will be of a most unique and varied character . Mr . Herbert Ward , of Stanley ' s Rearguard , will give an account of some of his most interesting personal experiences on the Congo ; Mr . Melton Prior , the celebrated war

artist of The Illustrated London mws , will speak of what befell him at the bombardment of Alexandria , and tho battle of Tol-el-Kebir j while Mr . Harry Pearse , The Daily News' special war correspondent , will describe what he saw during the ever-memorable night march ou the Nile . Tickets may be obtained of Colonel Fitzgerald , R > yal Military Asylum , Chelsea . It ia desirable that seats should be at once secured by written application .

The Feast of St . Andrew , the Patron Saint of Scotland , will be celebrated at fche Crystal Palace , on St . Aurlrew ' a Eve ( Saturday , 29 fch Nov . ) , by a Grand Evening Promenade Concert . Favonrito Scotch songs will bo suns' by Madame Antoinette Sterling , Misa

Minnie Duffus , and Mr . Iver McKay . Tho Band of tho Royal Horse Guards ( Blues ) has been specially engaged , and will , in conjunction with the Crystal P . jlace Military Band , play selections of Scotch music . The Grand Central Nave and Transept of fche Palace will be specially decorated and illuminated for Promenade .

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