Notable Lodge Meetings.

their shoulders , a whisper passes that their duties will be " done well , aye and excellent well , my masters . " With slow and solemn steps the Grand Secretary paces the length of the room and then once again we hear the concluding portion of the ceremony performed with that turn of voice and modulated tone we all love .

A list of candidates is read by the Secretary which speaks well for the future of the lodge , and then amidst a circle of welcoming faces a founder's jewel is pinned upon the already well-covered breasts of the Grand Secretary and Bro . Frank

Richardson . Turning to Lord Euston , the Worshipful Master offers for his acceptance the first past master ' s jewel of the Grafton Lodge , and with one more glance at the soft-hued Temple we troop forth .

The banquet , my brothers , is A BANQUET , one can say no more , for how can one describe it save by reciting the list of delicate dishes set forth on the menu card , or the portly regiment of magnums as they appear on the board . Let us speak then but of the cheery talk as it flows from lip to lip , of the rich fund

of anecdote and humour which lights up these ancient walls as ' twere sunlight , of the handgrip of brotherhood passing from man to man , and of the gentle tinkle as glass meets glass , expressive all of peace , goodwill , and love . So mote it be .

The "Regius Ms." And Masonic Symbolism.

THE " REGIUS MS . " AND MASONIC SYMBOLISM .

Two most suggestive pamphlets have lately been issued by my good friend , General Albert Pike , one being on " The Regius Manuscript , " and the other , " Touching Masonic Symbolism . " The first mentioned , addressed to Bro . Gould , refers particularly to the able Commentary on the oldest document of the Craft

by that distinguished Craftsman . As General Pike accepts the conclusions arrived at b y the author , it is as well to clearly understand what these are . t— " That the Regius MS . points to the existence of a Symbolical or Speculative Masonry at the date from which it speaks ; " 2—¦ " That it would appear that at the

date from which the MS . speaks there was a Guild or Fraternity , commemorating the science , but without practising the art , of Masonry ; " 3—" That the Poem was in possession of a Guild , and that the Guild was not composed of Operative Masons ; " 4— " That the persons to whom the text of the MS . was sung or

recited were a Guild or Fraternity , from whom all but the memory or tradition of its ancient trade had departed ; " and , 5 —" That by some readers certain passages may be held to point

rather to the absorption of the Craft legend by a social guild than to a gradual transition from Operative to Speculative or Symbolical Masonry , by a Craft or Fraternity composed in the first instance of members of the building art . "

These five points—in the words of General Pike—are certainly both comprehensive and suggestive , and , if justified by the MS . itself , cannot fail to introduce a new and valuable factor

into the evidence in favour of independent speculative Freemasonry long before the seventeenth centtiry . I am unable to agree with Bros . Gould and Pike , but wish much that I could .

However , their position in the Craft is such as to entitle their views to extra study , respect , and consideration , and doubtless many will be inclined to follow their lead without any more thought on the subject .

This is the MS . " supposed to have been completed in the time of Athelstan , " according to Dr . Oliver * but possibly dates about four centuries later , if safer and more critical guides are preferred . It appears to me that if the concluding portion of the MS . referring to conduct generally had not been attached to

the document , the main evidence in testimony of its supposed exclusivel y speculative character would be gone , and , as this addendum is reall y not a necessary and dependant part of the original MS ., I fail to see why its text should be quoted in favour

of the sole object aimed at by the compiler . The chief points of the "Regius MS . " would be utterly unsuitable for a Social Guild , and quite as much inappropriate then as now , for any but operative Masons .

I do not think that it would be fair to assume no more intelligence for the Master Masons of the fourteenth century , as to their knowledge of the architectural division of their labours , than is manifest in such Craftsmen at the present time , seeing that to such an extent then they were both Masons and architects combined .

Symbolism in some operative "Old Charges" is not absent even in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries , and there is no reason to be surprised that various figurative references are to be found in documents of an earlier date , particularly those of a religious character , when so much of the time and skill of the

The "Regius Ms." And Masonic Symbolism.

Craftsmen were devoted to the building of cathedrals , in which Ecclesiastics would naturally take a deep interest , and be present in force and influence . General Pike considers that the Masons summoned to attend the assembly of dukes , earls , and other nobles , & c , "were not

the poor , rude , unlettered , uncultivated working stone-masons . " My belief is they were some of the numerous master masons responsible for the building of the cathedrals and other large structures of the period , over whom the magistracy and other authorities held power ; and for my part I fail to see how it

would be possible for these architects and builders to be other than brethren who revelled in the symbolism of geometrical science . To suppose that such men did not , but that those of no practical knowledge of the building art did , at the period in question , is surely to assume more than facts warrant .

Neither does it appear to me there is evidence that the Freemasons of the fourteenth century were any more secret as respects their trade mysteries than those of other organisations , for all were bound to preserve their " mysteries " from cowans and intruders of all kinds , simply as a means of their own selfpreservation as the members of particular handicrafts .

The " letter touching Masonic Symbolism , " also addressed to Bro . Gould , is another important contribution to the subject . Bro . Pike is of the opinion that to the men of intelligence who belonged to one of the four old lodges in 1717 "is to be ascribed the authorship of the Third Degree , and the

introduction of Hermetic and other symbols into Masonry ; that they framed the three Degrees for the purpose of communicating their doctrines , veiled by their symbols , to those fitted to receive them , and gave to all others trite moral explanations of them which they could comprehend . " Now , there is so much to confirm this

view , that it seems to me of all the most probable and reasonable ; and this being so , the notions as to the solel y speculative character of the " Regius MS . " are not supported ; the changes from the mainly operative to the wholly speculative basis of the Society being much later than the fourteenth century .

General Pike emphatically states that we cannot be warranted in assuming that among Masons generally—in the body of Masonry—the symbolism of Freemasonry is of earlier date than

1717 , but he , however , admits that " among Freemasons of a certain class and limited number , the same symbolism , or a larger part of the same , afterwards placed in the Degrees , did exist long before , perhaps some centuries before 1717 . "

The following deliverance by the same gifted brother exactly describes my opinion , only better expressed than I could have worded it , relative to the period of the " Regius MS . " : —¦ "The art of building then stood above all other arts , and made all others subservient to it . It commanded the services of the

most brilliant intellects and of the greatest artists . The old symbolism was embodied in the churches and cathedrals , and some of these were adorned by figures and devices , which would never have been tolerated there if the priesthood had known what they meant to the adepts . "

Why not then believe that the " Regius MS . " was addressed to such intellectual and brilliant artists , and not to speculatives exclusivel y ? To my mind the second letter suggests such to

have been the case . Anyway , without more evidence , it seems to me better to wait than to accept the first mentioned theory , though it is so ably introduced by Bro . Gould , and as ably defended by General Pike . W . J . HUGHAN .

Records Of Phœnix Lodge, No. 331.

RECORDS OF PH ? NIX LODGE , No . 331 .

The writer of this paper desires at once to say that it is not the outcome of purely Masonic Study , nor has he even tried to any great extent to group the various matters treated of under any particular heads ; but it is simply a running comment on the Minute and other books of the Lodge taking things as they come , mostly in chronological order , and , in short picking out such incidents of past days and past working as he thinks may interest members of the present time .

And , first , I am indebted to W . Bro . W . J . Hughan for the following facts , which are of an earlier date than any of our books . He says , " The first Lodge in Truro was formed or warranted 22 Sept ., 1752 , as No . 220 , becoming No . ' 55 755- ^ constituted at the " Seven Stars " Hotel , and afterwards held at the "Mason Anns" and " Kings Head " from 1760 , but was erased in 1769 . " Bro . Hughan adds " I cannot trace that this L . ever had a name and am inclined to think not . "

He next tells us , "The real Phoenix Lodge of Honor and Prudence" was warranted 1 Jan ., 1779 , by Provincial Authority , which then was sufficient , and the Warrant itself is still preserved and hangs over the L . door in the Ante-room . It met at the " Red Lion " and was numbered 429 , and was erased 13 th February , 1788 .

Turning now to the books of the L . we find them to consist of 3 small parchment covered minute books and a similar Treasurer's book . These contain its history from 1806 to 18 3 8 . Then there are 4 larger volumes ( all minute books ) , which record the proceedings from 1847 ( 'he date of the resuscitation ) , to the present day ; and it is from the first 6 of these minute books that I have obtained the materials for this sketch .

Vol . 1 . —The L . was re-opened 3 Oct ., 1806 , after a dormancy of 18 years in pursuance of Authority from Sir John St . Aubyn , P . G . M . ( Thomas Warren Master , styled R . W . M . ) . It was resolved to meet on both St . John Days , Feast of Annunciation of B . V . Mary and Michaelmas Day ; but this fell through . In