The Province Of Suffolk.

THE PROVINCE OF SUFFOLK .

The circumstances attending the recent annual meeting-of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Suffolk were of a more than usually agreeable character . In the first place , Prov . Grand Lodge was held at Thornham Hall , the seat of Bro . Lord

HENNIKER , the respected Grand Master of the Province , whose hospitable reception of the Present and Past Prov . Grand Officers and brethren was generally and most fully appreciated . In the second place , his lordship was in a position not only to

welcome those who attended under his own roof , but likewise to congratulate them on the very prosperous condition of the lodges both collectively and severally under his charge . The statistical returns showed a fair increase in the number of

subscribing members , who now muster close on a thousand strong , while the statement of account gave a balance in hand of ^ 95 . But most encouraging of all was the Report presented by Bro . J . M . HARVEY , of the Suffolk Masonic Charity Association ,

from which it appeared that during the past year the Province had subscribed to the three Masonic Charitable Institutions no less a sum than ^ 743 . We have again and again had occasion to congratulate our Suffolk brethren

on the very great services they have rendered for many years past to our Institutions ,. and this Report of Bro . HARVEY ' S demonstrates the fact that , though on more than one . occasionand more especially in 188 9 , when Lord HENNIKER occupied the chair at the Girls' School Festival—it must have been hard

work for an agricultural Province to contribute so regularly , and at the same time so generously , our Suffolk brethren are as zealous as ever they were in the cause of Masonic Charity . They have , indeed , every reason to be proud of their achievements in

this particular sphere of duty , and though , in the ordinary course of things it is to be expected that the high figures of one year will now and again be surpassed by the figures of another year , we are confident the Province will never wittingly vacate the

high position to which it has attained among the Provincial supporters of our Charities . Appropriately too , it happened that Bro . the Rev . W . T . CORFIELD , Prov . G . Chap ., in his very eloquent sermon , which formed part of the supplemental

proceedings of the meeting , very justly laid stress on the motives which prompt men to do acts of Charity . "We as a body of men , " said he , " give liberally to the relief of our poor and distressed brothers . We each year provide

an enormous sum of money for our Masonic Institutions . Outwardl y , whatever the world may say of us , we are members of a Charitable Order . Outwardly , indeed , we seem to qualify ourselves for the reward of One who said ' Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren , ye have done it unto Me . ' But we are apt to degrade this glorious attribute of Charity . We are apt to look upon this giving of our means as a duty merely . Is there not great need for each one of us to bear in mind that to

exercise this virtue both in the character of Masons and in our common life we must forget every obligation but love , or otherwise we shall confound Charity with duty . The feelings of the

Heart must direct the hand of Charity , and for this purpose we must be divested of every idea of superiority and estimate ourselves as all equal in the scale of brotherhood . Compassion , remember , is of heavenl y birth . It is one of the grandest characteristics of humanity , and that relief , that Charity , which the angels

delight to see , which the Great Architect stamps with his approval , is the Charity which springs from an intense love for man as- man . " We have alread y admitted the justice of our reverend brother ' s exposition of Charity , and doubtless , theretore , he will forgive us if we suggest that our Suffolk brethren ,

The Province Of Suffolk.

whether they have been prompted by Charity in its sense of love or by a sense of the duty they owe to their fellow Masons , or by the two senses combined , to do what ; they have done in support

of our Institutions , are practical examplars of the chiefest of the Masonic virtues , whom it will discredit none to imitate . We " commend them for what they have done , and congratulate them on the prosperous condition of the Craft in their Province .

"Ars Quatuor Coronatorum."

"ARS QUATUOR CORONATORUM . "

VOL . IV . ; PART 2 , 1891 . The current issue of the Transactions , of bur lodge is , . Masonically speaking , one of the most interesting and valuable of the important series , inaugurated in 188 7 , and edited from

that year to the present time by our esteemed Secretary , Bro . G . W . Speth ; in fact , in some respects it has few equals and no superiors amongst its predecessors .

It will not do to particularise at any length all the attractive features of this part , though for the benefit of those brethren who have not yet joined the "Correspondence Circle" ( which

costs but half-a-guinea per annum , so as to obtain the portions of each volume as published ) , many reasons may be urged for my presenting a general sketch of the chief articles printed in this important division of the " Ars Quatuor Coronatorum . "

Many of us have been longing to peruse the biography of our lamented friend . Genera ! Albert Pike , who has been wisely placed in the " pen and ink portraits" of Masonic celebrities , so ably written by Bro . R . F . Gould , the Masonic historian .

This , the third of the group , is by far the most valuable , and will be most heartily welcomed b y the American as well as the British Craft , for it is much more than an ordinary biography , dealing as it does with many questions of the greatest interest

in relation to the origin of certain Masonic Degrees . Albert Pike had no equal in the particular departments he so thoroughly made his own , and hence a glance at his life would be

incomp lete without reference to his views Masonically , his convictions being usually well considered , and so firmly based as to be unassailable .

• As a rule , the General was a warm defender of the " Historic School , " in Freemasonry but here and there he went on his own way , hence some of his deliverances would be questioned by a

few of us in this country , as evidenced in portions of the correspondence quoted by Bro . Gould . My long correspondence with the beloved Grand Commander of the " Ancient and

Accepted Rite , " S . J . of the U . S . A ., has been one of the greatest ¦ p leasures of my life , and all that his fond biographer has said in his praise finds a deep-seated counterpart in my own heart .

He was devoted to the Rite over which he so long and so wisely ruled , and his services to the Craft universal have been so many and so valuable , that they are not likely ever to be adequately estimated or appreciated .

Bro . C . C . Howard's paper , or treatise , entitled " A Critical Examination of the Alban and Athelstan Legends , " will , I hope , be carefully studied by many members of our widely-spread organisation , assuch critiques revivify these Old Charges , and

suggest how much might be done by several competent and enthusiastic workers , on similar lines to popularise what until recently has been terra incognita even to the majority of Masonic students .

It would be premature just now to criticise this excellent paper , especially as an opportunity will be afforded us all at one of the meetings of our lodge . Injustice to the author , however ,