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of the Transactions during 18 9 8-90 bears undoubted testimony . The live meetings recorded in its pages commence with that of the 26 th September , 18 9 8 , when Bro . P . ILI . SON was installed as W . Master , and end with that of the 29 th May last , when Bro . the

Rev . H . S . BlGGS was elected to succeed him in due course . At each of these meetings there was read a paper compiled by a memberof the Lodge or its Correspondence Circle , the one chosen for the installation being entitled " Tylers and Tyling , " by Bro .

HENRY SADLER , G . Tyler and Sub-Librarian of Grand Lodge , as to the merits of which we need say nothing , as it has already been reproduced in full in the pages of this journal . It was received by the audience to which it was addressed with every

mark of approval , and not only did he receive a vote of thanks for his interesting paper , but he was also unanimously elected an honorary member of the lodge . At the next meeting—held on the 28 th November last—the Secretary , Bro . JOHN T . Tl-IORP ,

gave a description of a recently-discovered copy of the " Old Charges , " upon which , as it has become the property of Bro . THORP , Bro . W . J . HiXHAN has appropriately bestowed the title of the " John T . Thorp , MS . " It dates from the year

1629 , and all the points in which it differs from other MSS of the same kind are carefully noted by Bro . THORP , while , in addition , there is reproduced , from the "Ars Quatuor Coronatorum , " as an appendix , not only the MS . itself in full , but

also the valuable Introduction by Bro . HUGHAN . At the same meeting the W . M . introduced as a subject for discussion " The opening ceremony ; its signification . " Several of those present offered their opinions , and of these

one which will be read with a great deal of interest as to the origin and signification of the ceremony in question , is quoted in extenso . At the third meeting , which took place in January of the present year , the W . M . again contributed to the

enlightment of the brethren by reading a carefully compiled sketch of the famous LAURENCE DKRMOTT , G . Secretary , and subsequently twice Dep . G . Master of the "Ancient" Grand Lodge . Considering that the time at bis disposal was necessarily brief ,

Bro . BlLLSON appears to have introduced into his sketch all the chief acts of the great " Ancient , " who , if not the founder of the Grand Lodge which for so many years was the rival of the 1717 Grand Lodge , was , undoubtedly , its successful organiser ;

while as to the justice of his estimate of DKRMOTT ' S character as a Mason there can be not the slightest doubt , lie is quite ri <* ht in his statement that " the man at the helm of the new organisation "—that is , of course , LAURENCE DERMOTT—

"however , was a giant among men , a man with a purpose and an ability to turn everything , whether apparently favourable or hostile , to the furtherance of that purpose , " and it is owing , as he says , " to his remarkable skill and ability that those

who at one time despised him and his cause , afterwards sought reconciliation , and were glad to accept such terms as were offered . " The paper is a good one , and shows that Bro . BlLLSON has dipped into the arehives ' of the '' Ancient "

Grand Lodge of Kngland more freely and to greater advantage than most brethren . Bro . J . J . XV . K ' NOWI . ES , also , is the author of a capital paper , curiously entitled " The ' x' and the ' y ' of Freemasonry , " having reference , as he explains it , to the subject

of " Refreshment after Labour . " This is well worth reading , Bro . KSOWLKS having brought together from various sources much that is interesting as to the rules by which at different times lodge refreshment was governed . There is , however , an

unfortunate slip in the paragraph beginning— " There arc two well-recognised , well-authenticated , and , 1 believe , undisputed dates , " at pp . 40-41 . One of these dates he says is 159 8 , " when a lodge was founded in Kdinbnrgh by MAISTER WM . SciIAW ,

Master of Works to J AMES VI ., which still exists under the title of the Kdinbnrgh Lodge-. " it was only the other day that the Lodge of Kdinbnrgh , No . 1 , celebrated ihe tercentenary of its earliest recorded minute— " ultimo July , 1 599 "—'" it as SCIIAW ' s

supplementary statutes of 1 599 disclose , the lodge was alread y in existence at that date , though for how long it had existed there is no evidence forthcoming to show . The inaccuracy does not

affect the general merit of the paper , but the recent tercentenary makes it rather more conspicuous . At the meeting on the 2 < jth May thi ; discussion look p lace on Bro . K ' NOWLEs ' s paper , and

The Lodge Of Research*

this was followed by the consideration of " The Square as a Symbol , " which , as the subject was dealt with esoterically , is , of course , not reported . The value of this issue of the Transactions is still further

enhanced by the publication , as a second appendix , of Bro . THORP ' historical sketch of the Knights of Malta Lodge , No . 50 , Hinckley , from 1803 to 1859 , which , as regards the care taken in the compilation , leaves nothing to be desired .

Provincial Grand Rank.

PROVINCIAL GRAND RANK .

In a " communicated " article on " Provincial Grand Rank " in the Freemason of July 29 th it is stated that in consequence of the " Board " having to provide the salary of the Provincial Grand Secretary it has practically " the appointment " of that officer . If the writer of the article were more familiar with the usages and

customs of Provincial Grand Lodges he would be aware that , excepting any advice tendered by Provincial Grand Masters ' Committees ( which are nominated in some Provinces , / , the Provincial Grand Masters alone , and of their ri ght , make sucli appointments , any such appointments as those noted b y the writer being unknown .

It is the exception in Kngland , so far as my knowledge extends , for Provincial Grand Secretaries to be paid for their important and valuable services . liven in such a large Province as Devon , with 59 lodges and nearly 4000 members , my esteemed friend , Bro . John Stocker , P . Prov . S . G . W ., oaves his

time and almost constant services freely , not even accepting a honorarium for clerical assistance ; and in my other Province ( Cornwall ) Bro . BernardJ . Kdyvean , the indefatigable Prov . Grand Secretary ( P . A . G . D . C . of Eng . ) never receives the slightest

remuneration , even though , he has , to now , ably discharged the duties of the Charity Representative as well . Neither are the Assistant Provincial Grand Secretaries usually paid any salaries , but in Cornwall a "Clerk Assistant to Prov . G . Sec . " receives a

small sum in recognition of his aid . There are many Provinces thus situated as respects their Provincial Grand Secretaries , and in my opinion their indebtedness to such officers is not so frequently expressed as they deserve . There are no other brethren who do so much work in the Provinces ( many of which

are larger than some Grand Lodges ) , and I am glad to see that the M . W . Grand Master is gradually and graciously acknowledging their merits and real Masonic worth by appointment to office in Grand Lodge just as with D . Prov . G . Masters . The

latter really should have a status in Grand Lodge , as in the Mark Grand Lodge , for it is somewhat of an anomal y for a Grand Pursuivant to take precedence in processions of a Deputy Prov , ( irand Master , unless the Deputy is otherwise qualified .

As an ex-Prov . G . Sec . I know something of the nature and extent of the duties appertaining to that office , and have no hesitation in declaring that brethren who kindly occupy such positions , without any cost to their Prov . Grand Lodges ,

especially in those ranging from 30 lodges and upwards , ought to be required to accept an annual grant to pay competent brethren to accomplish the ordinary clerical work of their Provinces , and thus keep the Prov . Grand Secretaries freer for visitations and important consultations and correspondence .

In saying this much as to these officers f do not forget others who so kindly and efficiently act as Honorary Secretaries of most of our local Educational and Benevolent Funds , some of which are almost like Metropolitan Organisations in their si / . e and widespread benefits ; but

these brethren would readily admit that valuable as their services are , they are far from requiring the constant labour , anxiety , and discretion , incident to the full discharge of the duties of Provincial Grand Secretary , The fact is , there is a great deal done for the benefit of Provincial brethren , in a

quiet , but no less efficient manner , that because little is said , little gratitude is expressed ; but the work goes on all the smoother for such well-directed and quietly-rendered aid . One of the best helps lo Provincial ( irand Masters and others needing precise information is to be found in the Provincial

Calendars and Directories now being so generall y edited by Provincial Grand Secretaries , and which are worth their weight in gold , because of their real practical value , locally and generally . W . J . HUGHAN ,