Consecration Of The Crystal Palace Mark Lodge, No. 450.

Money , C . B ., as Provincial Grand Mark Master of Surrey . The WORSHIPFUL MASTER , however , informed Lord Euston and the Consecrating Officers , that the Crystal Palace Lodge would not be their entertainers that day at the banquet , as the Provincial Grand Lodge took that position . On a future occasion he trusted that his lordship and those who assisted him would favour the Crystal Palace Lodge with their company .

Early Masonic Literature.

EARLY MASONIC LITERATURE .

Bro . H . J . Whympcr , CLE . ( District Grand Master of the Punjaub ) , has again done good service for the Craft by editing and publishing at his own expense another pamphlet , which is entitled " Earl } ' Printed Literature referring to Freemasonry . " Our zealous brother has frequently been asked questions respecting the earliest records of the Fraternity , and last spring determined to issue , in pamphlet form , extracts from certain works , in order

to satisfy such a natural want . The advent , however , of Bro . G . W . Bain s facsimile of " Long Livers , " led Bro . Whymper to delay the publication of his very handy and useful work , so that ii may not clash with that excellent reproduction . There was , however , no need for such postponement , as Bro Bain ' s valuable volume was at a premium directly after it was printed , and one does not clash with the other in any respect .

These handy extracts , fairly representative of the originals as respects typography and orthography , are dedicated to the W . M . and members of Lodce Stewart , No . i 960 , Rawul Pindee , and assuredly will be much appreciated by those brethren , as well as by others favoured with copies , only 120 being printed . I thank Bro . Whymper warmly for remembering me .

The first selected is the " Academie of Armory , by Bro . Randle Holme , of the year 16 S 8 , the works used for the selection of excerpts being Bro . Gould ' s history , and Bro . Ryland's " Freemasonry in the 17 th Century , 1650-1700 . " As the author was " a member of that Society called Freemasons , " the particulars given by that ancient worthy are both interesting and valuable , and it is remarkable that the two columns , supporters of the Masons' Arms , support globes , which is a significant circumstance .

Dr . Plot ' s " Natural History of Staffordshire , " 1686 , comes next , and in many respects is the most important work relating to Freemasonry , in part , that was published during the 17 th century . The references to the " Old Charges" and the customs of the Craft are of great interest and most suggestive .

The third reprint is from the diary of Elias Ashmole , 1633-1687 . As Bro . Whymper notes , it was first printed in 1717 , and a second edition in 1774 , but the latter " has considerably garbled the March 10 , 1682 , entry . " Neither is the first issue correct , so it is strange that my friend has reprinted the ifiS 2 extract from this inaccurate edition instead of from the facsimile

which he has in his valuable library . This is unfortunate , as the interpolation of the word " by" in the second paragraph immediately after the " Fellowship of Fiee-Masons" makes the entry read as if the names mentioned were those who conducted the ceremony , whereas they were then initiated . I give the extract from the facsimile of 1682 , Ashm . MS . 1136 . ( By Mr . W . H . Gee , Oxford ) . " Accordingly I went , and about noone were admitted _ into the Fellowship of Free Masons .

Sir William Wilson Knight , Capt . Rich . Borthwick , Mr . Will . Woodman , Mr . Wm . Grey , Mr . Samuell Taylor , and Mr . William Wise . " The paragraphs were also slightly modernized at times in the 1717 work , but the insertion of the word " by " is what quite spoils the entry , and makes it read quite different to the original MS . An article by me in

the Freeuason , June ist , 1889 , might well be consulted as to these points , The reproduction of the whole of the introduction to " Long Livers " of A . D . 1722 , is well done , and forms a most important feature of the pamphlet . The style is much like the work itself , and for all practical purposes is as good and useful as the very scarce original .

Bro . Whymper quotes from Bro . Gould ' s excellent introduction to Bro . Bain's artistic reprint , and thus adds much to the instructive character of his most handy and opportune publication . Then there is the singular extract relating to the Fraternity from " Ebrietatis Encomium " of A . D . 1723 , which , as Bro . Whymper suggests , appears to have been completed in MS ., and possibly printed in 1722 . The title page of Roberts'Constitutions of A . D . 1722 then follows , which is

copied from Bro . Spencer ' s excellent reprint of A . D . 1870 , which can still be had . It preceded the Grand Lodge " Constitutions " by one year , but is solely of an operative character , resembling the " Harleian MS ., 1942 , " and the "Grand Lodge , MS ., No . 2 . " The concluding references are to Picart ' s plate of the lodges ( which Bro . Whymper places later than 1730 , and , as a matter of fact , is in Vol . iv . of A . D . 1736 , original edition ) , and the " Blue Blanket " . of A . D . 1722 . W . J . HUGHAN .

Knight Templary.

KNIGHT TEMPLARY .

Bro . Stephen Berry , one of the best informed students of Kni ght Templary , has presented his annual statistical summary for that Degree in the racy little " Masonic Token " for October 15 th , 1892 . The totals are very striking and suggestive , not to say startling , and prove how popular the Degrees of Masonic knighthood are in the United States of America . Thirty-eig ht States have separate Grand Commanderies , which are

integral parts of the Grand Encapmcnt of the United States , the latter having some 30 subordinates belonging to other territories not strong enough to be grouped into distinct organisations . These combined , muster the large number of 914 commanderies or preceptories , having a united roll ol 92 , 821 subscribing members , thus showing an average of rather over 100 brethren to each subordinate , or about three times the average of England .

The Sovereign Great Priory of Canada musters 30 preceptories , with over 1000 members together , thus giving 93 , 874 Knights Templars to America , and only 159 preceptories , with 4830 subscribers for England , Scotland , Ireland , and Victoria . Practically the grand total may be reckoned as fully 1000 preceptories , with 100 , 000 members scattered throughout the world , besides the thousands who have ceased to be active members . Bro . B ERRY speaks thus of the increase : "All the jurisdictions of the

United States have increased except Louisiana and Maryland . The increase in the United Stales has been 5730 against 3158 last year , or 6 5 per cent , against 3 * last year , almost equal to the seven per cent . in . 1890 . Colorado increased almost one-third , as might have been expected , in anticipation of the Triennial . Pennsylvania increased 774 , a gain of almost nine per cent ., and a number greater than the membership of 13 of the smaller Grand Commanderies . Massachusetts gained 505 , which is greater than the

Knight Templary.

membership of ten States in the list , or of Scotland with her forei gn enca ments . North America has 93 , 8 74 of the Templars of the world a ? ^ " 4830 in Great Britain and Australia , or more than 19 times as many . 'P ainst Our friend also furnishes more figures respecting this extraord ' development in the United States , as follows , and has certainl y most '"?? ' summarised the Knight Templar statistics for 1892 . ' y " In the admirable statistical tables of the Grand Lod ge of New V h for 1892 , by Jesse B . Anthony , we find one giving the precentap- ' r

masons to tne white population , similar to one which we prepared for th Grand Commandery of Maine in 1881 , only much more full , and requi an infinite amount of labour . From it we find that the white population " ^ 55 , 753-392 , the Master Masons 640 , 101 , or one to 87 . 10 ; the Royal Arrh Masons 156 , 554 , or one to 4 . 09 Masons ; the Cryptic Masons 33 , 305 , or on to 4 . 70 Royal Arch Masons ; the Templars 86 , 878 , or one to 7 . 36 ' jyf a . Masons , and one to 1 . 80 Royal Arch Masons . r

" Maine heads the list of M . Masons , with one to 31 . 97 of the pooul tion , or about three per cent ., while New York has one to 79 . 15 . a " " Rhode Island heads the Royal Arch list with one to 2 . 02 Mason nearly half ; while Maine has one to 4 . 40 . s ' "Texas heads the Cryptic list with one to 1 . 33 Royal Arch Mas ™ while Maine has one to 3 . 88 . r ons ' "Washington heads the Templar list with one to 1 . 40 Royal Arch Masons , while Maine has one to 1 . 90 . "

Completing the Craft statistics , I suppose we may assume there are 2 , 000 , 000 Craftsmen in the world , and that the annual income of th fraternity is at least £ 5 , 000 , 000 , or $ 25 , 000 , 000 . W . J . HUGHAN .

Transfers Of Old Warrants Prior To A.D. 1813.

TRANSFERS OF OLD WARRANTS PRIOR TO A . D . 1813 .

Having dealt somewhat fully with this subject iu my " Handy Book to the List of Lodges , " * may I be permitted to refer now to some new and important evidence in confirmation of my previous statement—that "in many cases the actual warrants of dormant or extinct lod ges were assigned or delivered over to members of new lod ges in other localities , sometimes near , but in many instances very remote , and in neither case does it ann » 5 r

that there was any connection whatever with the former lodge , except in thus receiving its number ( and warrant ) and its position and ' precedence' on the list of lodges . " I have recently been favoured with a copy of the endorsement made on the warrant of the Silurean Lodge , No . 576 , of 25 th January , 1791 ( No . 48 s of 1792 enumeration ) , which reads as follows : —

"To all whom it may concern , be it known that the Silurean Lodge formerly No . 576 , but which by the general alteration of numbers in the year 1792 became No . 485 , and held at the King ' s Head Inn , Kington in the County of Hereford , on the application of the Bretheren of the said Lodge , and with the approbation of the Deputy Grand Master , Admiral

Sir Peter Parker , Baronet , was removed to the Angel Inn , Ludlow , in the County ot Salop , to be there held under the name or denomination of the Mercian Lodge . In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the Grand Lodge , this nineteenth day of February A . U 5805 , . D . 1805 . " "

0 WM . WHITE , G . S . Brother 1 . J . Salwey , to whom I am indebted for the foregoing transcript in his " Notes on the History of the Lodge of the Marches , Ludlow , and its predecessors" ( " Ars Quatuor Coronatorum " Vol . 5 , p . 78 , ) , quotes from the "History of Kington" published in 1845 , which states that " The Silurean Lodge continued in existence until the year 1800

, or following year , and then separated and divided the cash among the brethren ; the Lodge furniture was sold in the year 1804 by the Treasurer to a person in Ludlow for the sum of twenty-two pounds and ten shillings . " Bro . Salwey adds that the " Brethren in Ludlow desired to form a Lodge to be called the Mercian Lodge and , having purchased the furniture of the Silurean Lodge , procured the transfer of the Warrant by memorandum endorsed in 1805 . "

The foregoing official and authentic evidence will confirm what I have elsewhere stated , that in the case of many new lodges formed after the Act of 1799 the "Seniority of Constitution , which was previously considered to be a matter of great importance , because very seriously disturbed , inasmuch as all the 46 lodges [ cited in my Hand y Book ] constituted between 1800 and 18 n , obtained positions on the Roll to which their ages did not entitle them , and thus permanently disarranged the natural

consecutive order and precedence of the lodges . " Further corroborative evidence is incidentally found in the Freemason of October 15 th , 1892 , wherein are chronicled some important events in the history of the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 289 , Leeds , read at its Centenary Festival on October ist . Thus we find that Lodge was officially connected with the consecration of the Nelson of the Nile Lodge , at Batlcy ( now 264 ) 1

in 1801 ; the Amphibious Lodge at Hightown ( now 258 ) in 1803 ; and the Lodge of the Three Grand Princi ples at Dewsbury ( now 208 ) in 1804 . All these were entirely new organizations , but the lodge at Batley took the Warrant of the Lodge of Honour and Perseverance constituted at Cockermouth , in 1788 , and which was dormant about 1796 . The lodge at Hig htown worked under the Warrant of a Lodge constituted at Stonehouse ,

Devon , in 1786 or 1787 , but which ceased to exist in 1792 . The Lodge at Dewsbury took the number and place of a London lodge constituted i " 1772 , which lapsed about 1801 , but instead of receiving the orig inal Warrant endorsed ( il it then existed ) , a " Warrant of Confirmation " was issued , signed by Sir Peter Parker , D . G . M ., and dated 10 th February , 1 Sot-Consequently , this brief history of the Lodge of Friendship at Leeds confirms very conclusively my previous statement in relation to this subject ,

although in the case of the lod ge at Dewsbury my opinions were stoutly , though unsuccessfully , assailed some years ago . The fact that these three lodges were duly consecrated by the Lodge of Fidelity , acting under the authority of the Grand Lodge , ought to convince the most sceptical of t " truth that , notwithstanding the possession of Old Warrants , & c , and their relative position and precedence on the Roll , these three lodges were entirely new organizations , and should date onl y from 1801 , 1803 , and iM respectively . JNO . LANfc » __