Bro. Bains Masonic Library.

Peo -rees , when I held in my hand the Song for "Bro . Puglis Lodo -e , " dated 1765 , which alludes to " The London Royal Arch . " Tliis , after all , as I pointed out to my friend , is one year later than " Hiram , " first edition , in the library , which also refers to that ceremony , ancl was published in 17 6 4 .

The "Light and Truth of Masonry , " 1757 , b y Thomas "Dunckerley ( of time-honoured memory ) , is to me , however , much more valuable , and probabl y still rarer . The address was delivered by this old worth y at the "Pope ' s Head Inn , " Plymouth , in 1757 , when he was the Master of the lodge held in that hostelry .

A grand copy of Plots Staffordshire , A . D . 1686 , was not in the Masonic part of the library , but I detected it p laced with a a lot of sumptuously-bound volumes . ft is a treasure in any library , but Bro . Bain should secure the volume of Randle Holme ' s of 1688 to go with it , though I confess it is very

difficult to get ; and , to make the trio , wh y not add the Roberts Constitutions of 1722 or an engraved list of 1733 ? A quartette would be better still , with Dr . Dassi gny ' s "Enquiry" of 1 744 , having the Frontispiece ! When these are obtained , I hope to make another pilgrimage lo the county of Durham .

"A Free-Mason s Song interested me "B y the Ty ler of Grand Lodge for the Province of Chester , 1777 , " and also the "Secrets of Freemasonry revealed b y a Disgusted Brother , " second edition , oi 1762 . The first was of 1759 . This one has a list of lodges to I 760 , ending with " 255 St . Andrew . "

A startling title greeted me as follows * . " Remarks on a Sermon late Pubd . entitled Alasonry the way to Hell" 17 68 . The bane and the antidote are both scarce ancl curious , and so also are the large number of the so-called " Exposures " in the

library , which are valuable in many ways , the lists of lodges they contain being often of considerable utility . There is also a variety of collected songs from 1 730 , not a few * of which are neither poetry nor Masonic , but withal singular productions , and most difficult to meet with in any library .

I noticed an ornately-bound Calendar of the Grand Lodge , formerly owned by George IV ., evidentl y one of a set , thc remainder of which , consisting of a goodly array , may be found in the celebrated collection at Worcester . The rare work of

17 88 , by Gavin Wilson , Poet Laureate of St . David ' s Lodge , Edinburgh , is also on the shelf , with some other very scarce wee books , such as ihe "Fame and Confession" of 1652 ( two copies ) and various Rosicrucian publications of that century . Many of the old pamphlets are simpl y treasures , such as Dr . llolherham ' s address before thc members of the " Union "

Lod ge , Gateshead , in 1779 ( fourpence each then ) , the Eev . W . Johnson ' s Discourse at Doncaster , 1781 , & c . Some of the choice books in this truly magnificent collection 1 referred to , at more or less length , in an article on " Bro . Bain ' s Masonic Library" { Freemason , May 6 th , 1893 ) , and I find

that it is as necessary for mc to leave much unsaid just as it was then . The old Masonic certificates , prints , clothing , mugs , jugs , plates , bowls , medals , and jewels , & c , must be left for another opportunity , for even the chief books can only be barel y noted . I should have liked to say a few words about the

complete set of Lodge Histories , the very valuable " G . W . Bain MS . ' , ' * of the "Old Charges , " the several editions of the " Plain Bealer , " Lc Gere ' s Architecture , and certain foreign works and MSS . ; but I must bring this article to a conclusion , and make

another trial later on . So constantly are additions being made 10 the collection , that even the exhaustive catalogue of 18 93 is "ow out of date ancl practically superseded . W . J . HUGHAN .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Buckinghamshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE .

, r ! le annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Bucks was held at e Masonic Hall , Buckingham , on Thursday , the 25 th ult ., and proved a cry successful gathering . A special train from Baker-street conveyed a ¦ "iiber ° f brethren , and proved a great convenience .

( ' M *^ * Grand Lodge was opened by Bro . Lord Addington , Prov p " Master , supported by Bros , the Rev . J . S . Brownrigg . P . G . Chap ., Dep ™ ° v . G . M . ; Will E . Chapman , P . A . G . D . C ; J . K . Bowen , Prov . G P ' »» m im ., \ -, iiauiiit % lt , L % rk *\ J . lmJ . \_ ,,-t J . 1 ,. JJUYYCU , IIUV « * OT 5

, c- Bliss , Prov . S . G . W . ; Taj lor , P . P . S . G . W . ; J . W . Burgess , c . ' , * D * ' J- Williams , P . P . G . Treas . ; Laundy , P . P . G . Reg . ; James "Phens , P . P . G . D ; ; J . Hattersley , P . P . G . D . ; Simcox , P . P . G . Org . ; apshaw , P . P . G . Org . ; J . F . D . Towers , P . P . G . D . ; and many others . Tl . --o-i j--- — . , - . . . ., u .. u ... c . „ ... * .. „ .

M v ; .. m'nuteswere read and confirmed , and the DEI \ PROV . GRAND rer ^ . ' ' ^ then P P osed that the report of the Charity Committee should be " ** 'ved and adopted . i , thg J- . STEP »* fNS , P . P . G . D ., Secretary to the Committee , in secondkfethf " ! " * wllicl 1 was unanimously carried , drew the attention of the e " ° second paragraph . He Eaid it was imperative , ii the pro-

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Buckinghamshire.

vince desired ( o make itself felt as a power at the elections , that the brethren should organise and send their votes to the Charity Representative . The P . G . Treasurer ' s accounts , which were of a very satisfactory nature , were then adopted and an apology read from Bro . J . J . Thomas , Prov . G . Treas ., Vice-President Board Gen . Purps ., regretting his unavoidable absence .

Bro . J . STEPHENS , P . P . G . D ., proposed Bro . F . W . Taylor , I . P . M . St . Peter and St . Paul Lodge , for election as Prov . Grand Treasurer , and said it would be difficult to find a brother whose merits would excel ihose of the candidate he had nominated . Bro . J . VV . BURGESS , P . P . G . D ., seconded the nomination , which was unanimously carried .

Ti he PROV . GRAND MASTER then announced that he WKS authorised to confer two jubilee appointments , and he therefore conferred the Past rank of Prov . S . G . W . upon Bros . Willmer and J . E . Bowen , Prov . Grand Secretary . The following Prov . Grand Oflicers were appointed and invested :

Bro . H . P . Harris ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ Jas . Stephens ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . Wyatt ... ... ... •¦ 7 n n nu „ Rev . Kiddle ... ... j Prov . G . Chaps . „ F . W . Tay ' or ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ H . Bullock ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, J . E . Bowen ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ A . Mitchell ... ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ G . H . Sampson ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . r ? T w .. Kik-t .. i n— n c „ c WT

„ Edginton ... ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ Lewcock ... ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . ,, G . MacLean ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . ;; S ? pe ::: ::: ;;;} iwG . std . B « . ' „ G . F . Whitlock ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . ,, Young ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . ., Crowhurst ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst .

,, Reynolds ... ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . ,, Hambling ... ... ... ... "* ] „ Holson ... ... ... ... j " Hobbs ; : ; ;;; . ' .. \ Pcov-G-stewards * ,, Pulman ... ... ... ... j „ Berry ... ... ... ... I

The Audit Committee was appointed , and Charity jewels and bars presented to the brethren entitled to them . The PKOV . G . SECRETARY announced the receipt of a resolution from the Province ol N jrlh and East Yorkshire , protesting agiinst the contemplated removal of the Boys' School , which , on the proposition of Bro . J . STEPHENS , seconded by Bro . BURGESS , was ordered to lie on or under the table .

Provincial Grand Lodge was closed , and a banquet was subsequently held at the Town Hall , under the presidency cf the Prov . Grand Master . " The Queen and the Craft " and " H . R . H . the Prince of Wales and the Grand Officers " were the first toasts honoured . Bro . WILL E . CHAPMAN , P . A . G . D . C , replying for the latter , said lhat was the first time since he had Grand office conferred upon him that he had had the privilege of being with them . On behalf ol the body of Grand

Officers , he wiihed the province success in every sense of the word , and felt certain that , as they were now presided over by a Provincial Grand Master who was not only of them , but with them , whose name not only appeared as their Provincial Grand Master , but who was with them in all their undertakings , the future of the province was assured . As a humble member of Grand Lodge , he wished the province all the success and prosperity which the possession of such a Provincial Grand Master was bound to bring .

Bro . Rev . J . S . BROWNRIGG , Dep . Prov . G . M ., proposed " The Health of the R . W . Prov . G . Master . " He said it was about 20 years since he had been speaking to them on the same subject , but he was able on this occasion to make an entirely new speech and not inflict any of the 19 old ones . They had now a Prov . Grand Master who worked heart and soul in

the province , who did not leave all the work for the other officers and simply preside occasionally at a banquet . There was no one in the whole county who was so acceptable as Prov . G . Master as Lord Addington , for whether they regarded him as a distinguished Mason and citizen , or as Lord High Steward of Bucks , he was received in every quarter with respect and an enthusiastic welcome .

The PROV . G . MASTER thanked the Deputy Prov . G . Master for his kind words . He was put in a doubly difficult position for he had been also addressed in a most musical fashion by the excellent quartet they had heard sing " Come , live with me . " He regarded that quartet as a sonnet addressed to him by the Province of Bucks , and should make it his pleasure and

privilege to visit the lodges during his term of office . He would re-echo the appeal made by Bo . Jas . Stephens in the lodge that the brethren should support the province by sending in all the votes they could . As Freemasons they wcre pleased that H . R . H . the M . W . G . M . had presided at the recent wonderful meeting in behalf of Guy ' s Hospital when the grand total collected included an amount of ^ 525 sent from Grand Lodge .

ln proposing " Ihe Deputy Prov . Grand Master , the PROV . GRAND MASTER said that Bro , Brownrigg had for 20 years been largely doing the Prov . Grand Master ' s work } and like the son of a soldier , had done his work well . Bro . Rev . J . S . BROWNRIGG , Dep . Prov . G . M ., in reply , said it was not expected that he should make two new speeches . The province was

progressing by leaps and bounds . He remembered that when a few of them tried to obtain a province for Bucks they were told it was absurd for a handful of Masons like themselves to think of it , but in the best days of Berks and Bucks he did not remember having seen a meeting equal to the present one . With the exception of one or two installation meetings they had never hid so large a meeting as the present , and this was the more remarkable

because they had been told it was impossible to obtain large meetings except in South Bu ; ks . He was a North Bucks man , and they had that day set a record which would be hard to beat . 11 was always a pleasure to him to do what he could for Bucks , but as old age was coming upon him very fast , he relied on their indulgence to give him as little work as possible , but his poor , humble services , such as they were , were at their disposal .