The Aesthetics Of Masonry.

THE AESTHETICS OF MASONRY .

The initiation of a candiilate to Freemasonry is one of the most important duties of a Loelge j anel , though the first great requisite is , that the R . W . M . and his office-bearers should be able to conduct the ceremony correctly and decorously , there are other matters by no means to be forgotten . It is the impression then made on the mind of

the neophyte that induces him to become " a bright Mason , " or a listless , idle elrone . The R . W . M . must not only be word perfect , but he must confer the degree seilemnly and impressively . The ritual is illusttateel by symbols , those then should not be wanting , but should be present to the eye of the candidate . The floorcloth , the jewels of both kinds , the whole lodge furniture , should bc in their

appointed places . Instead of rude tables , the Master and his Wardens should have their pedestals of proper form and shape , succreounteel with the three pillars , " Wisdom , Strength , and Beauty , " and the granel pedestal with the Sacred Volume in the centre . Many of our brethren may say that this is being hypercritical , others that their loelges could not afford the expense . To these we would reply , thc

expense need not be great , in fact , a very few pounds would pay for every requisite . Moreover , it is better to do a thing well and properly , or not to do it at all . Without the symbols how can the candidate understand one-half of what is told him ? and , without the tracing board before him how could he possibly understand the lecture thereon ? Even a good Mason would get confused if he had to trust

to his memory alone ; at all events he woulel be unable to impart the necessary instruction impressively . I [ ere again it will be said by some , Oh , the lectures are very rarely given ! Others might even say , What are the lectures on the tracing boards ? To the former we would reply , " More shame for you ! " to the latter , " They are the means of imparting instruction to the candidate in the teachings and

lessons of the degree he has received , and of assisting him in the examination that he will have to pass before being advanced to a higher . " Here again wc knew we shall be met by the question , Is ther . *; any examination used in cur Lodges ? In many , very many , no doubt , None ! But when such is the case-, it is forgotten that " degrees are not conferreel as a right , but to mark the proficiency and merit

of thc candidate . " To render the ritual more perfect add suitable music . This not only renders the ceremonies more impressive but more enjoyable , especially to the cultivated mind . The introduction of music is not onl y applicable to the candidates , but to every member of the Loelge . To all our services and ceremonials the addition of music is a charm .

How often is it that we hear of brethren staying away from their lodge meetings , because they understood that , no work was to ]»; dore ! This should never be the case If there are no Initiations , Passings , Raisings , Installations , or Finance elebates , scmething else must be provided , some instruction , some food for ' ihe mind . Lectures on Masonry , its history , antiquity , symbolism , the grand

architectural works of our operative protoytypes , should bc elelivered by eluly qualified brethren . Music should add charms to what , to the satiated , might appear a bald ceremony . Of music there is no lack ; thc great masters of that art were brethren of ours : even at the present day we number in our ranks many of the leading composers and musicians . The toasts , songs , anel general music at our festivals

should be conducted in an enjoyable and musicianly manner—we have means to do this also . Again , before we close our article , Has it never struck you , brethren , that an open night , free from business , might be of the greatest value ? We have accounted for the impression to be made on the candidate ; we have laid out our lodge in perfect formjewels of both kinds , furniture , symbols , everything in

place ; the R . W . M . perfect and impressive in his work , and his officers zealously aiding him ; we have charmed theear of the cultivateeljwith music . Butbefore wecan attain lo perfect excellence , " one thing yet remains . " Even though office-bearers may be perfect in their work , may indeed have not been long appointed , still you must look for a supply for the future . Death may enter your ranks

sickness may break up the happy home of Masonry , the cill of duty may deprive you of some of your best workers , above all , a few should not monopolise the sweets of office —a health y emulation should be excited as to who can best work and best agree . Need a regular meeting night ever come round , and end in nothing but thc mere opening anel closing ? Wc think not . Rather should we

gladly hail a free ni ght for the instruction of our younger brethren in the duties of office , and helping those forward who are now on the lowest rung of thc lodge ladelcr , so that they may hope in time to achieve their highest aim , the greatest honour their lodge can bestow on them , " the chair of K . S . 1 " Lodges so acting , and attending to apparent minutia » , will be ( illeel with active workers , and

true Masonic students , glorying in their Order , and a credit to their loelge and to themselves ; and adding a vitality , a health y anel living vitality , to our Craft . w f are glad to hear that Loelge No . 2 , " Canongate Kilwinning , " has laid down such a programme of work , let them add the last eif our recommendations—instruction "f office-bearers— " ami keep it up , " then their existence will continue to time immemorial . —Thc Scottish FIWIMM .

An Awkward Split.

AN AWKWARD SPLIT .

,. l . e regrc ! ' t ° hear of a very awkward and unfortunate division in the old Lodge of Loyalty ( 86 ) , meeting at lrcscot , in Lancashire—a elivision which we fear , without some friendl y settlement can speedily bearrivedat , may injure the old

lodge very seriously . So far as wecan get at the 'acts , the dispute appears to have ori ginated in some little misunderstanding which might eisily have been settled , if the matter hael been properly brought forwarel , but the "reach has now wielened to such an extent that much un-

An Awkward Split.

pleasantness if not permanent ill-feeling will , in all probability , be the result , unless an " armistice " be proclaimed , and some friendly mediation takes place . At present , we regret to say , the feeling which exists is anything but one of a brotherly and "Masonic character . The lodge , as most of our Lancashire readers will know , is held at Prescot , an old watch-making town about eight miles out

of Liverpool , and it has existed there for upwards of a century . Of late years it has admitted many members from Liverpool , and most of the Present brethren , having passed through the chair , have gradually fallen off in their attenelance , until practically the lodge became allmost a Liverpool lodge , and certainly could not have been kept up if it had not been for the very regular attendance

of the Liverpool brethren . In this state of things one of the more recent aelmissions , cot having perhaps as much veneration for the town of Prescot as he had for the loelge , whispered a suggestion that it would be more convenient to remove the lodge to Liverpool . This seems at once to have aroused the Prescot brethren , who , if they rarely entered the lodge-room except at the annual

installation , still retained their membership and a nominal interest in its association with thc town . Therefore the Prescot brethren to a man naturally opposcel the removal of the loelge from their town , anel the S . W . for thc past year being a Liverpool brother , it was secretly resolved to oppose his election as W . M . Accordingly at the October meeting , when the election was to take place , the Liverpool

brethren , never dreaming there would be the slightest opposition to the ordinary course of progression in the lodge , and there being only formal business on the circular , mustereel but few in number , whilst , to tbeir great surprise , they saw a strong gathering of their Prescot confreres . When the election came on thc S . W ., who had passed through all thc . lower offices , and is personally much

respected , was reje'ctcel in favour of a Prescot brother , an old P . M . of the lodge , but who hael left years ago , and who , had only been rc-admitteel eluring thc year as a joining member , after a strong opposition for some time , on the ground that when he resigned before he had been returned as a defaulter . As may be supposed , the Liverpr . ol brethren were very much annoyed , especially as it was

whispered that not only the S . W ., but all the other officers who had been working the lodge for years , were to be entirely thrust aside in favour of Prescot brethren . So matters stooel when the November meeting came on , all the arrangenents having been maele for the election of the W . M . elect , including a grand banquet and thc invitation of visiting brethren from a distance . They

had reckoned without their host , however , for at this meeting the Liverpool brethren , being in a majority , refused to confirm the minutes of the previous meeting , anil so a fresh election hail to take place . At the December meeting the Prescot brethren made a vigorous whip , bringing in even an old brother just on the verge of the grave , and others who had not been in the lodge-room for a

twelvemonth or more . Of course they carried their man again , and now at the January meeting , pursuing thc same tactics , they have secured the confirmation of the proceedings , but no notice of the installation appearing this time on the circular , thc ceremony could not take place . But the matter did not end even here , for a P . M . of the lodge , though not himself a Liverpool brother , gave notice for

the next meeting of a resolution conelemning in the strongest manner the way in which thc S . W . hatl been passed over , without the slightest reason being assignee ! , and without any possible objection to him personally , seeing that he bore an irreproachable character , had creditably served all , the lower offices , and was one of the most regular attendants at the loelge meetings . The resolution

further expresses' strong sympathy w » th him , protests against the election of one who is said to have been a defaulter to the lodge , anel who is in point of fact the most recently joined member , and it calls upon him to withdraw , " in order that the harmony of the lodge may be restorcel . "

Phis is how the matter stands , and this is the resolution which will appear , wc suppose , on the circulars calling the next meeting , when thc W . M . elect is to be installed . We can only say , in the interest not simply of this old Lancashire lodge , but of the Craft , we hope some friendly cou nsel will prevail to prevent such a scandal upon our Order .

The Obelisk.

THE OBELISK .

We congratulated Bro . Erasmus Wilson in our last on the successful result of his munificent enterprise , anil we think it well to remind our rcaelers of what has actually taken place . The " Cleopatra " left Ferrol on the 15 th inst . in tow of a paddle-tug , and the voyage to London was performeil

m six days and eight hours . The . cylindrical ship , the ballast of which had been rearranged during , her detention at Ferrol , behaved admirably duiing the passage , and , though some rough weather was encountered , no mishap occured , and Captain Austin ' s ojiinion is that she had not made a wincglassful of water . Thc vessel anchored or the 20 th at ni ght off the Chapman Light , and early on

Monday , the 21 th inst ., steamed up the river to Gravesend , where Mr . Dixon went on board , and where a telegram was received from the Queen announcing Her Majesty's gratification at hearing of the safe arrival of the Obelisk . As they passed up the Thames the steam-tug and the cylinder vessel which she had in tow attracteel much attention , the wharves and piers on each side of the river

being thronged with spectators , who cheered lustily , anel the boys of the training ships "Cornwall" anel "Chichester " manned the yards—a greeting which was acknowleelged by the dipping of the ensigns on boarel the " Anglia " and " Cleopatra . " Blackwall was reached by four o ' clock on the 2 ist , and an hour later the Obelisk was safely moored in thc East India Dock , the Company giving her a berth free of charge . The next thing will be to bring the

The Obelisk.

" Cleopatra " up to the Thames Embankment , where ' she will be made fast to one of the landing stages , and , after being relieved of her freight , will remain for some weeks in order to give the public an opportunity of inspecting her , after which she will be broken up and sold as old iron . We have reason to believe that the Obelisk will be permanently located in Parliament-square .

Henry Muggeridge Testimonial.

HENRY MUGGERIDGE TESTIMONIAL .

Amounts received and promised : — Panmure Loelge ... ' ,,. ... ... £ 10 10 o Lion and Lamb Lodge ... ... ... 10 10 o Lion and Lamb Chapter ... ... ... 10 10 o Neptune Lr-dge ... ... ... ... 10 10 o Felicity Lodge ,,. ... ... ... S 5 ° Bvo . E . M . HUBBUCK , P . G . S ., Treasurer .

Lodge of Emulation ... ... ... ... 5 5 ° Gilion Lodge ( several old members of ) ... 5 > ° Gresham Lodge ... ,.. ... ... 220 Bro . J . B . Scriven ... ... ... ... 10 10 o „ E . M . Hubbuck ,,, ... ... 10 10 o ,, Lord De Tabley ... ... ... 5 5 ° „ George Kenning ... ... ... 5 5 o „ Winkfield ... ... ... ... 5 5 o ,, R . Grey s ! o

„ B . Head 440 „ Jas . Casey , ... ... 3 3 o „ Ii . Snell ... ,,. ... ... ,,. 330 ,, J . H . Townend ... ... ... ... 220 „ E . Jones ... .,. ... ... 220 ., F . M . Newton ... ... ... ... 220 „ S . Rcynolels ... 220 „ S . Tomkins ... ... ... ... 220 „ l . C . Harris ... ... ... ... 220

„ F . Barnford ... ... ... ... 220 „ W . F . Larkins ... ... ... ... 220 „ F . Fellows ... ... ... ... 220 „ F . D . R . Copestick 220 „ S . G . Myers ... ... ... ... 220 „ Henry Blrdseye ... ... ... 220

„ W . J . Crossfield 220 „ M . Bennett ... ... ... ... 220 „ E . Phillips ... ... ... ... 220 T Tnnoc *> n Jonas 220

„ J . , ... „ A . J . Selwall 220 „ W . Birelseye ... ... ... ... 220 „ A . H . Diaper ... ... ... ... 220

„ Grocott ... ... ,,, ... 220 ,, Mclntyre ... ... ... ... 2 20 „ Watkin Williams 220 ,, C . Giay 220

„ E . F . Storr 220 ,, E . Crichton ... ... ... ... 220 „ J . Lorkin ... ... ... ... 220 ,, W . S . Gover ... ... ... ... 220 „ E . Fox 220

„ C . Birch ... ... 220 „ G . W . Hunt 220 . , C . Jacomb ... ... 220 „ C . Arkell ... ... ... ... 220 „ E . Jones ... ... ... ... 220 „ Philbrick ... . . . ... ... 220 „ Thos . James 220

„ J . Burroughs 1 1 o „ W . Smithett 1 1 o ,, Jardine ... ... ... ... ... 110 „ F . W . Braine ... 1 1 o „ George Abbott ... ... ... ... t 1 o „ C . Magnay 1 1 o ,, E . W . Richardson 1 1 o ,, Cohu ... ... ... ... .,. 110 11 Hogg 1 r o ,. J . Paeldle 1 1 o

„ W . Weedon ... ... ... ... 1 1 o ,, A . C . Cope ... ... ... .,. 110 „ C . W . M . Wilson 1 1 o „ II . Watts ito „ Warden 1 1 o „ J . Forsyth 110 „ E . Pottle ... 1 1 o „ R . W . Little t 1 o ,, A . Partridge 1 1 o

,. G . Phythian ... 1 1 o „ Darnell ,., ... , „ 1 1 o ,, Geo . Cockle ... , „ ... 110 „ J . Waddeil . 10 „ Partridge 1 1 o ,, Tattershall ... .,, ... 110

„ Col . Creaton ... ... , „ iti 1 1 o „ Darnell ... , „ \\\ l l 0 ,, Hooton . . . ... tll 1 1 o 11 Kent " ,. , t 0 „ Capt . Saville ... ... ... „ , r , 0 ,, S . L . Tomkins ... ... ,,, ,,, 110 „ G . Beanmann ... .,. ... ,,, t 1 o „ T . C . Chapman ... 1 1 o „ Thos . Perry , . Q

„ Ddmas ... 110 „ Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , P . G . C . ... 1 1 o „ W . Bennett ... ' 110 „ Downing 100 „ W . Hopekirk o 10 6 11 J- R . Jones 0106 „ C . B . Mayo o 10 6 „ Eugene Benard ... o 10 6 11 . ]• Copestick o 10 6 ,, W . H . Bowden 050 „ T . Howe ° S ° Making a total received up to Jan . 3 ist , of £ 228 16 6