Celebration Of The Fiftieth Anniversary Of The Surrey Lodge, No. 416, Reigate.

drive in a desolate country where highwaymen were about . He had a brace of pistols , one of which he held himself , and the other he gave to his servant , saying to him " Now , James , if any one stops us don ' t hit the horse . " One night his servant said " What a pity it is we have not used them ; we have been carrying them all this time and no one really stops us . " He remembered with pleasure Major Budgeon , who had served at Waterloo and in the

Peninsula , being initiated . He and others had passed away to where we shall all pass , but if there was any truth in what some people had said that the shades of the departed knew what was going on on earth , some of his brethren of old were now looking down on this meeting with that fraternal kindly feeling they ever had . General BROWNRIGG proposed "Success and prosperity to the Surrey Lodge . " I Ic was excessively proud of this

lodge , and it gave him infinite delight to see the work so ably performed . The work throughout the Province had always been good , but he was bound to say it had been especially good latterly in those lodges which had been consecrated since the last 12 years he had been Grand Master . He supposed it was the old , old story of new brooms sweeping clean , but he was gratified that the hint was taken which he gave , that every Master of a lodge

should do allhisworkinthethree Degrees in thc properway , and upon retiring from their office , should install their successors . 1 le was also p leased that another hint of his had been adopted , that every lodge in the province should appear in Prov . Grand Lodge under their own banners . Many of them had had no banners , but now they had , and appeared in Grand Lodge under them . He thought there was hardly a lodge in the province that had not its banner .

Bro . GEORGE CARTER MORRISON , P . M ., Treasurer , responded . Although the Provincial Grand Master had paid a great compliment to the lodge he was bound to say that the Past Masters had always endeavoured to the utmost of their power to educate the younger members . If other lodges wished to emulate the position of thc Surrey I-odge there was only one way in which they could do it , by having stated times when lodges of instruction should be

held , when it was expected that every officer appointed for the current year should attend and diligently perform his duties . That was how the Surrey Lodge had got on . -Some people might say " It ' s all very well for thc Surrey Lodge to talk of their working , but what else have they done ? " He would give an answer . Thc Surrey Lodge had a young medical man in it who unfortunately met with a gun accident and died leaving a wife and four children

dependent upon charity . He had not been long enough in his profession to make any provision for them , and as he lay on a bank in the parish of Nuffield d y ing , Bro . Carruthers passed him , to whom he said " I commend my wife and children to thc benevolence of the Surrey Lodge . He died that evening , and he ( Bro . Morrison ) waited on the widow and handed her £ 50 . A subscription was started which resulted in thc raising of £ 2384 , which was

invested and every single child was put in thc Institutions and they were now out in the world gaining their own living . I Ic mentioned this to show that Masonry in thc Surrey Lodge was not a sham and a dinner , but a sincere desire to assist as best they coutd in the position in life to which it had pleased God to call them . The WORSHIPFUL MASTER proposed "The Initiate , " and hoped that the brethren would be at the centenary

meeting of thc lodge . Bro . BUKCIIELL replied . Bro . SOUTHEY , P . Dist . G . M . of South Africa , replied . Every brother present would go away with the same amount of instruction as himself . He should never forget thc beautiful work of the evening and the lessons he had received , and if he had heard nothing but what fell from Bro . Carter Morrison , who had told them what Masonry was and what it should do , he should have seen that it was understood in this province . That was quite enough to

show that Masonry was something worthy of being in existence , and he not onl y wished that Masons coutd near what was said there , but that others who were not Masons could know that such was the working of Masonry . Many thought it was quite the reverse , and that it was not the institution it was . In the country where he lived there were many instances like that mentioned , where in time of war men lost their lives , and their widows and orphans had been

taken care of by thc lodge and their expenses paid to the mother country , or they were provided for in thc country where thc husband and father lost his life . He concluded by saying he should long remember the hospitality he had received in this lodge . Bro . J . LEWIS-THOMAS also responded . An occasion like this only occurred at distant periods—the jubilee of a lodge and the jubilee ol thc initiation of the VV . M . There was

no one the brethren felt a greater respect or esteem for than for Bro . I fa . II . His career in Masonry , not only in this lodge but in many other lodges , had been of the most distinguished nature ; he had inaugurated several lodges , of one of which—the St . Ambrose—Bro . Hall was the hrst Master . He ( Bro . Thomas ) had the pleasure of seeing Bro , Hall appointed as Grand Chaplain of England , and no Mason had ever filled that office with greater eclat .

'The Surrey Lodge could not by any possibility have had a better Master , or one who was more appropriate to its jubilee festival . The Prov . Grand Master considered this lodge the most distinguished one in his province , and the visitors entirely endorsed that op inion . This was not the first time he ( Bro . Thomas ) had had the honour of visiting this lodge ; and , feeling what a pleasant and instructive evening they had passed , he was sure he was speaking thc

sentiments of the other visitors when he said he hoped it would not be thc last . Bro . 'THOMAS LLOYD , I . P . M ., responded to the toast of " 'The Past Masters , " who , he said , had a very lively feeling of gratitude for the kindness , instruction , and encouragement they had received ; they felt they were bound to do their duty to encourage their younger brethren by instructing them . 'This instruction all thc Past Masters

would be pleased to give , to enable the youger brethren to arrive at thc enviable position of W . M . In giving the toast of "Thc Treasurer and Secretary , " thc WORSHIPFUL MASTER referred with expressions of commendation to Bro . Lees's book , and said that at one time thc lodge was in abeyance . Bro . Hart , however , who

was then Secretary , preserved all the furniture and kept the Grand Lodge dues paid . Bro . Lees followed in his footsteps , and it was to be hoped it would be a long time before the brethren would have to speak of him as one of the past . Bro . CARTER M ORRISON replied , and said that Bro . Lees was entitled to thc respect and esteem of thc brethren , for

Celebration Of The Fiftieth Anniversary Of The Surrey Lodge, No. 416, Reigate.

he had done everything that could possibly be done to make this meeting a success . Bro . LEES said from the oldest to the youngest officer , and from the oldest to the youngest member , they had all done their best to give liclat to the occasion . The S . W . had foregone his own right of precedence to allow Bro . Hall to go into the chair , and that example was followed by all the other officers . The Prov . G . M . had spoke very flatteringly

of the Surrey Lodge , but this lodge did not stand alone in the province for good work . He hoped it would continue to disseminate the true spirit of Masonry . Referring- to United Grand Lodge he said that in 71 years there had only been four Grand Masters . The Province of Surrey was established in 1 S 37 , and there had been only three Grand Masters of the province , and only two Secretaries of the Surrey Lodge , one having held office 43 years .

The toast of "The Officers" was replied to by Bro . THOS . WOOD , S . W ., who said he thought his junior officers had performed their work exceedingly well . He did not fear for the future of the Surrey Lodge , as they were all anxious to do their duty . Bro . Lees had been pleased to allude to his ( Bro . Wood ' s ) standing aside for Bro . Hall , but for one who had previously filled the chair that was not much . It had afforded him very great pleasure to do so ;

and if he should be honoured by being elected to the chair next in succession to thc present W . M ., he hoped the prestige of thc lodge would not suffer at his hands . The Tyler ' s toast was then given by Bro . C . T . SPEIGHT , the Provincial Grand Tyler , and the proceedings were brought to a close . The musical arrangements of the evening were under the direction of Bro . C . S . Graham .

A Very Curious Ms., With An Account Of Its Discovery.

A VERY CURIOUS MS ., WITH AN ACCOUNT OF ITS DISCOVERY .

BY G . W . SPETH . I have lately come into possession of what for want of a better term may be described as a very curious manuscript . In the early autumn a boy drove to my door a cart laden with twigs and billets of wood which he was offering for

sale . His price was so moderate that I doubted whether he had come honestly by his wares , but having learned that it was drift-wood , gathered on thc coast , my scruples were allayed and 1 purchased thc entire load . Much of it had already perished in the flames , when on a certain afternoon a few weeks ago whilst placing a log on the coals I was struck by its peculiar appearance . Thc entire

surface was covered by scratches and marks as though some powerlul bird had whetted his beak thereon . A closer examination showed that these marks were rectangular , not unlike Masons' marks , and that a certain irregular repetition of particular marks might be observed . Every twig and billet in my wood store was scored in a similar manner , and on one end of each piece there were

appearances of a numeration , or , if 1 may so call it , a pagination . I was not long in coming to thc conclusion that I had to do with a peculiar cypher writing , and after some little pains I succeeded in discovering the key . I now keenly regret that so much had previously been burnt , the consequence being that I am only possessed of fragments of what had apparently been a continuous history .

'The events referred to probably happened ( from internal evidence , strengthened by the opinion of experts as to caligraphy , Sic ., ) in prc-historic times . I was therefore at first puzzled to account for the quotation from Shakespeare , but have decided that as he was the poet " for all time "

wc cannot exclude any time from his influence . Without further comment I subjoin the fragments saved from the burning . The various scraps arc dated , at least such I take to be the meaning of certain undecypherable marks , but as I can make no sense of these supposed dates I am reluctantly compelled to omit them .

How little did I know when , leaving thc land of my birth , I followed the guidance of that mysterious bird of thc dangers . ( now happily surmounted ) which then awaited mc . Even now I can scarcel y realize the fascination under which 1 began that long journey ! But something in his speech , his manners , in the cock of his tail , thc turn of his head inspired mc with an irresistible desire to accompany

him . And then came those long days and nights on thc wing , ever onwards , ever eastwards , nearer and nearer to the rising sun , days of toil , nights of labour , one prolonged hunger and thirst , an awful period of striving against despair and weariness . Behind us lay thc habitations of man , beneath us thc unknown ocean , above us thc illimitable ether , before us the undiscovcrablc isles of light .

And had my soul been forewarned of these trials , would it not have shrunk therefrom ? I know not , thc influence upon mc was so strong ! And most glad am I that I thus followed it , for am not I now a dweller in these isles of thc noonday sun , which know not night and darkness , neither morn nor eve ? And what a land is this ! All birds which arc here allowed

to alight , shed their plumes by which they were distinguished amongst men , and become of one feather , even that of the Jackdaw . Nor does one Jackdaw differ from the other , but all are as the young of one nest . Neither do they differ in disposition , becoming all harmless as doves but gifted with a wisdom beyond that of other Jackdaws . Nevertheless , long service and high deserts do meet with their just reward ,

for at thc head of this wise nation is one who is elected by universal consent as fitted to rule ; and behold ! when he is appointed he doth shed his plumage and becometh unto a Raven , whereupon he doth call upon other Jackdaws to assist him in his governance , and these do put on the likeness of Rooks . Yet arc they not all alike , for some there be that have license to cock their tails higher than others , and

by the height of their tails arc they known , each in his degree . And one has there been , from time immemorial , who doth also assist in the governing of thc realm , although not appointed by the Raven but elected by the Jackdaws . And his feathers areas those of the Rook also , and he doth likewise cock his tail . In former times he was used to hold in his claws a nut of gold , or having

the semblance thereof ; but in these days this nut hath grown so prodigiously that his two claws would not compass it about , wherefore it hath come to pass that he hath been relieved of thc charge thereof . And , behold ! when by reason of their great age , or in submission to the will of the Raven , any one of these doth resign his office , then doth he drop his tail and cease to cock it ; none the less doth he retain thc nlumasrc of thc Rook , nor doth he ever revert to

A Very Curious Ms., With An Account Of Its Discovery.

that of . the jackdaw . And many there be who in his wisdom the Raven hath converted into Rooks , from the great love he did bear unto them , although their probationary years as Jackdaws were few . And many there be whose services do entitle them to high honour ; but who because they have never come prominently under the eye of the Raven do still remain Jackdaws .

Now , the chief occupation of the Jackdaws is to entrap the beams of the sun ; which shineth perpetually , and to carry them over all the earth , even unto the uttermost ends thereof , and to destroy the cankcrwnrm wheresoever found . 'Their food doth consist of roasted caterpillars , the search for which doth cause them much toil , but some there be who have inherited such store of caterpillars that they

be able to devote all their time to thc catching of sunbeams and the killing of cankerworms . And there be also some who die before they have amassed many caterpillars , and leave young Jackdaws of tender age ; these are then assembled in one large nest and fed at the expense of those who , having many caterpillars , do bestow of their abundance on the helpless young . And in like manner are the infirm and aged provided for if their store be small .

Verily have 1 come to high honour this *! Although still but a Jackdaw yet have I stood in the presence of the Rooks . For there is a lower house of J ackdaws and an upper of Rooks , and these two form the great Pow-wow of the realm . Nor do they assemble separately but together , and discuss all matters as equals and in loving kindness .

Among all the Rooks none did interest me more than the Rook of the golden nut , though methinks he did miss the nut sorely , for he did strutt around and cock his tail with a vacant air as though not rightly knowing what he had to do . None the less is it a hi g h honour to be the chosen of all the Jackdaws : even as Caw-caw , the great nut-bcarcr .

There was a great stir in this ' s Pow-wow . For there arose a great speaker amongst the Jackdaws anil did address the Raven thus : " Inasmuch as wc Jackdaws have only power to create one Rook every 1 am inclined to think that it would be well if we exerted our power on every possible occasion : we should thus be able to honor as is very right and ( it many worthy lackdaws ,

and show the high esteem in which they are held by Jackdawdom . Let it not be said that our old friend Caw-caw will be thereby offended ; for wc honor him much ; nor will he lose honour thereb y , for is he not and will he not ever continue a Rook ? He will but cease to cock his tail . Neither let it be said that his great experience in nut-bearing hath rendered him more expert than anv other

lackdaw or Rook , for it is well known unto us that he hath no longer any nut to bear . He hath but to strutt around and cock his tail , the which will come quite naturally to any Jackdaw . Therefore let us choose us a new nutbearcr every whereby wo shall mightily rejoice the hearts of many old , tried , and wcll-dcscrving Jackdaws . " Whereupon many of his friends amongst the Jackdaws and some

of thc Rooks clapped their wings and shouted " Caw . " After which the speaker did propose Cau-cus to be nutbearcr . Saith he : " Cau-cus , as is well known to you all , did become a Jackdaw when he was very young , and behold he is now well advanced : also hath he caught many sunbeams and killed many cankerworms ; and hath given freely of his roasted caterpillars , aye , very

abundantly hath he bestowed of his substance ; wherefore let us thank Caw-caw and let him retire , and let us honor Cau-cus and raise him to thc rank of a Rook ; and next—let us look us out another deserving Jackdaw—thus shall wc do well . " Whereupon many said "Caw , " and some said " Naw ; " but thc " Caws '' had it . So it came to pass that Caw-caw ccaced to cock his tail , and Cau-cus became a Rook and great nut-bcarcr .

Much do I marvel at the speaker at the last Pow-wow ; for he did much praise Cau-cus for his long service and for his great charity ; and , behold . ' it is now not only whispered but openly cawed that though he became a Jackdaw a very long while ago , yet did he soon after leave these isles and the light of thc perpetual sun , and did but very recently return ; so that he hath really caught but very few sunbeams , and killed but very few cankerworms . Of a truth

he hath distributed many caterpillars , and in so far hath he done well ; nevertheless , if good store of caterpillars will advance a Jackdaw to be a Rook , then is thc ollicc of nutbearer of little account and unworth y thc acceptance of a Jackdaw who respects himself . And much do I marvel that his friends should so have deceived the Pow-wow respecting the merits of Cau-cus ; thc which I would fain attribute to their ignorance of his true history . But we shall shortly have to appoint a new nut-bcarcr , and so thc harm may possibly be made good .

I do hear that Caw-cum will be nominated for thc office of nut-bearer . I must make sonic inquisitions into his jackdawship before 1 give my caw in his favour . * * # * « Verily thc friends of Cau-cus do much lack logic . They do now maintain that it would be great pity to disturb him in his office when he is onl y just getting used to bear the nut , and yet some short time back they did avouch that

there was no nut to bear ( as is most evident ) and that any Jackdaw knew how to cock his tail . And moreover they do now aver that it will lower the dignity of nut-bearer if it is changed too often , whereas but a short time back they did desire to change as often as possible in order to do honour to the more Jackdaws . And they do deprecate frequent elections as tending to foment strife , the which drawback

they did not anticipate formerly . Methinks they would have done better to let Caw-caw continue to cock his tail ! Ot this I am assured—neither for his own sake , nor for the sake of steadfastness can I caw for Cau-cus . And I would be better pleased if the friends of Cau-cus did now account for their having deceived the Pow-wow as to the length of his services .

My mind is much troubled . Caw-cum hath nought to recommend him but his great bestowal of caterpillars . He is a very worthy bird indeed , but not of long standing as a Jackdaw . For whom shall 1 caw ? I may not caw for Caw-cus , I will not caw for Caw-cum , and there is none other for whom to caw . I am most sorely perplexed . "A plague on both your houses , " in a Jackdawian sense only , of course .