The Lodge Of Scoon And Perth.*

wealth of material at his command than in all probability he would have had had he been an English brother writing of an English lodge . He has accordingly succeeded in compiling a history which , though in its early stages traditional , may be

described as fairly continuous , while there can be no question as to the amount of interest which he has been able to infuse into his narrative . Thus his third Chapter is devoted to a " Sketch of the MYl . NKS , Master Masons of the King , " sundry members of

this famil y having been members of this ancient lodge . In Chapter V . we are introduced to the earliest of the lodge records , to wit ' the "Mutual Agreement "—bearing date the 14 th December , 1658—the importance of which it is impossible

to exao-o-erate . This document is reproduced in facsimile , and also forms part of the letterpress , so that those who are not skilled in decip hering old documents may be able to read , mark , learn , and digest its contents . According

to this Agreement or Contract , the lodge at the date of its being drawn up had been in existence 465 years " or thereby , and as the Abbey of Scoon or Scone was founded in 1114 , the foundation of the lodge would date from about the same period . This

as it may be ; but the document records also that " to our record and knowledge of our predccessoris ther cam one from the North countrie , named Johne M y lne , ane Measone , a man weill experted in his calling , Who entered himsclff both fricman and

burges of this brugh , Who , in proces off tymc ( by rcasone of his skill and airt ) wes preferred to be the Kings Maties Mr . Measone , and Master of the said Lodge at Scone . " This John M y lne was succeeded b y his son John , who became both Master

of the Lodge and Master Mason to King James the sixth "of blessed memorie , Who by the said second John My lne , was ( be the King ' s own desire ) entered ffrieman , measone , and fellow Craft . And during all his ly ftyme he mantayncd the same

as ane member of the Lodge off Scone : So that this Iodge is the most famous Lodge ( iff wccll ordored ) within this Kingdome . " We arc further told that this second JOHN MYLNE was succeeded as King ' s Master Mason

and Master of the Lodge b y other MYLNKS , the last of whom who held die two offices concurrently died in 16 57 . Thus , though many may scruple to assign so earl y a date as 465 years " or thereb y " before 165 8 for the foundation of the lodge , we

have specific statements as to certain members of the MYLNE famil y having presided successively as Masters ad vilain of this lodge during a term of years that carry us well back into the 16 th century . Moreover , mention is made in this document of

the Lodge of Kilwinning , and Bro . SMITH points out that when the question of precedence between Mother Kilwinning and Lodge of Edinburgh , No . 1 , had to be considered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , the reference to the former in this Contract

or Agreement , was not without its influence in determining the arrangement that was made b y which Mother Kilwinning was assigned the p lace at the head of the Register of Lodges , but without a number , while its rival retained its position as No . 1

on the list . The contract is further , and in respect of the lodge itself especially , valuable , from the fact that it has always been regarded as the ledge ' s charter , and when it threw in its lot with the Grand Lodge of Scotland a few years

after that body had been constituted , it was accepted as such b y the Grand Lodge , and its place on the register of lodges determined thereby . Unfortunatel y , the minutes onwards from the year 165 S arc not forthcoming and

it is not till the year J 725 that Bro . SMITH finds himself in a position to furnish from the lodge records themselves chapter and verse for the particulars he has vouchsafed us during the period

between 1725 and 1777 , when a further gap occurs in the lodge records and continues till 1 S 15 . But this portion of the volume must be treated in a further article .

Free And Freemasonry.

FREE AND FREEMASONRY .

I am very pleased that the Masonic Historian ( Bro . Gauld ) has written and published a thoughtful article on the prefix free in relation to Masonry ( "Freemason , " September iothand 17 th , 1898 ) , for the subject is one of considerable interest as well as difficulty , and is yet not finally settled . His remarks about the compliment paid our esteemed Secretary of the " Quatuor Coronati Lodge , " will be shared by all the members , for Bro . Speth is a

Free And Freemasonry.

very earnest and intelligent Craftsman , and any honour paid to him is looked upon as rendered to the lodge likewise . His ingenious theory , however , as to the prefix free will require something more than its preference by the Editors of the great " English Dictionary" to secure its acceptance generally by Masonic S ' . uients , as there are several other theories on this important point , one of which appears to have more evidence in its fivouron philological grounds , and

another apparently obtains most support from existing records from the 17 th Century as respects actual Masonic usage . These two views , b . isid upon Mr . Papworth ' s Paper ( Second Edition ) , on the " Superintendents of English Buildings in the Middle Ages , " and excerpts from existing Minute Books of lodges are , to my mind , more likely to be the final verdict when the whole subject has been dealt with exhaustively ; that time , however , is not yet come .

Dr . Chetwode Crawley , as a scholar of research and repute , naturally looks at the question from a philological standpoint , but some of us in the " Quatuor Coronati " Lodge , while grateful for all such powerful aid , are diligently seeking to discover more entries as to the prefix free bsing us ; d by various trades . There may be no difference , but I submit that each body of

investigators is entitled to consideration , and until the enquiry has b ; en as thoroughly made , as it deserves to be , it will be well to suspend a final decision , notwithstanding the high authority of Dr . Murray and Mr . Bradlry . Bro . Speth has described his theory as tentative only , and as such , I am ready to admit that among a number of students , it holds the field especially by those who take a philological view and ignore the minutes of old lodges .

I wrote B : o . Gould for his opinion on the subject , in relation to the latest discoveries and theories . He has kindly replied with a quotation from his ' •Concise History cf Freemasonry " ( Chap . II . ) in MS ., now preparing for publication . II It will be seen that the word free-stone , or its equivalent in French or Litin , was employed from the beginning of the thirteenth century ( 1212 ) and the conclusion has been drawn that the term freemason itself is clearly

derived from the Mason who worked freestone , in contradistinction to the Mason who was occupied on rough work . But it has been shown that the earliest use of the English word freemason , ( at present known to us ) is associated with the freedom of a London Company ( 1376 ) and it is from a similar ( or in part identical ) class of persons , and not the Masons who worked freestone , that I imagine the existing term freemason to have been inherited . "

Personally it seems to me that the prefix under consideration Masmically meant free cf or to , rather than / row * something ; and so likewise in regard to other trades . Free of the lodge , or free to act as Masons , rather than free from any disabilities , would appear to be the idea of the Craftsmen of the 17 th century and later ; j ist as with other compuiies and bodies . Fret to be a carpenter , sewer , dredger , & c , within a certain district cjvered by

and including the liberties and privileges of the pirticular society . In this view , a man who had served his time and been regularly past , was free to follow his odupaiion and obtained the countenance and support of his fellow freemen belonging to the free lodge , or other organisation , as may be . I do not , however , discuss the point now , but only ask for time before a decision is arrived at . VV . J . HUGHAN .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of North Wales.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF NORTH WALES .

On the 20 th ult ., the above Provincial Grand Chapter was held at Portmadoc . Special interest was attached to the proceedings by reason of the installation as Grand Superintendent of Comp . John Ernest Greaves ( Lord Lieutenant of Carnarvonshire ) , in succession to Comp . Col . the Hon . VV . E . Sackville West , who , upon ceasing to reside in North Wales , reigned all the offices which he filled in the province .

Comp . VV . W . B . Beach , M . P ., G J ., was the Installing Officer , to whom at the close of the ceremony a cordial vote of thanks was tendered on the motion of Comp . VV . J OSKS-MORUIS , seconded by Comp . CORNELIUS DAVIS . The Grand Superintendent invested the following as Provincial Grand Officers :

Comp . Col . C . H . Rees ... ... ... Prov . G . H . „ Samuel Griffith ... ... ... Prov . G . J . „ J . G . Tuxford ... ... ... Prov . G . S . E . ,, Edward Roberts ... ... ... Prov . G . S . N . ,, R . Owen ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ A . G . Benbow ... ... ... Prov . G . P . S . ,, A . Bromwich ... ... ... Prov . 1 st A . G . S . ,, Caradoc Rowland ... ... ... Prov . 2 nd A . G . S . ,, James Porter ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B .

„ U . H . Ellis ... ... ... i'rov . U . Std . lie . „ E . W . Kirkby ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ W . Lloyd Griffith ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ J . Jones Morris ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ J . H . Carey ... ... ... Prov . A . G . S . E . „ J . W . Fendick ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor . The Prov . Grand Officers present were : Comps . J . Danby , P . G . J , i

James G . Tuxford , 1 * 509 , P . G . S . E . ; H . Jones Roberts , 606 , P . A . G . Soj . ; W . Hole , 99 S , P . G . Std . Br . ; Llewelyn R . Hughes , 1509 , P . A . G . D . C . ; James Porter , 384 , P . A . G . S . E . ; and John VV . Fardick , 384 , P . G . Janitor , The attendance of P . P . Grand Officers included Comps . Thomas Edwards , 606 and 1509 , P . P . G . J . ; Charles H . Rees , 606 , P . P . G . J . ; G . Pritchard , 1509 , P . P . G . A . S . ; Samuel Griffith , 1509 , P . P . G . S . N . ; W . Charles

Logan , 1509 , P . P . G . S . N . ; Edward Kirby , 1509 , P . P . G . Scribe E . ; Jas . Tomlins / w S , P . P . G . D . C ; T . VV . Best , 1509 , P . P . G . A . S . ; R . M . Greaves , 1509 , P . P . G . S . ; Edward Roberts , P . P . A . G . Reg . ; J . Jones , P . P . G . P . Soj . ; C . K . Benson ; J . S . Hughes , 1509 ; and J . Jones Morris , 1509 , P . P . G . J . Among the visitors were Comps . W . W . J . Jones Morris , John Davis , P . G . S . ; and J . O . Morris , P . P . G . S . N .

It was resolved to hold the next annual Provincial Grand Chapter at Newtown . The banquet was held in the evening at the Commercial Hotel ,