"Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, 1886-7."—Ii.

Hermetic and Rosicrucian influence on Freemasonry may not lead to the results some of us anticipate from it , when we have mastered the essential and imperative conditions of fact , evidence , and certainty . " The four illustrations around which his thoughts crystalize ( to speak figuratively ) are Masons' Marks , Ark of the Lodge , Pentalpha , or five pointed star , and the

Hexapla or Hexalpha . It is not our intention to dwell on these , at all events , not whilst the Proceedings or Transactions may be had of the Secretary , so there we leave them at present ; the subscription annually being so moderate and barely sufficient to clear expenses , that all ordinary students of

the Craft are without excuse , who do not secure copies whilst they may . It is better , however , for intending subscribers to join the " Correspondence Circle , " by the annual payment of half-a-guinea , than to pay ten shillings for Part I . of the Transactions only . " A word to the wise is enough . "

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS

FROM ITS ORIGIN , 1788 , TO ITS CENTENARY , 1888 .

In tlie year 1790 and those immediately following it , the attention of the Governors -was directed chiefly towards consolidating the work that had been already accomplished and enlarging the borders of the Institution , so that in time it might he capable of accommodating the

majority , if not all , of the children who offered themselves as candidates for admission and were found worthy . The relations towards each other of the several governing bodies were more clearly defined a stricter economy was enforced in the various branches of

expenditure ; the idea of making the School partially self-supporting by means of the work done by the children was carried out more systematically ; and every opportunity Avas taken to recommend the Charity to the support of the Graft at large . Moreover , it very soon

became manifest that , however desirous and even anxious the Governors might be to increase the number of girls in the establishment , the limit of accommodation that was possible in a house at £ 35 per annum must speedily be reached , and a second autumn had

hardly been spent in Somers Place East , when measures were taken to obtain more commodious premises , the Governors ,, however , very wisely determining not to lease a house already built , but to build one of their own on ground suitable for the purposes of a boarding school .

Influenced by these motives , the Governors pursued their task of administration both steadily and skilfully . At their meeting on the 28 th January , 1790 , the General Committee , finding that the previous Quarterly Court had received certain reports directly from the

Sub-Committees , instead of indirectly through themselves , resolved on formulating and submitting to the Quarterly Court in April a proposition to the effect that , being so respectably chosen and appointed , " they conceive themselves entrusted by the Institution with the Internal

Management of the Charity , subject to the Sanction and Controul of the General Court , and that all other Committees are but subordinate Committees , apj ) ointed by and amenable to the General Committee to whom all their Beports should be first made . And that no matter

should be admitted as a Report to the Quarterly Court but thro' the General Committee , where the same may be first duly considered , digested , and brought into a state of maturity , for taking the opinion of the Contributors at large , and that all Orders to be given to the

Sub-Committee should be given through the General Committee . '' The wisdom and propriety of this suggestion was at once recognised , the General Quarterly Court in April not only confirming the minutes which contained it , but anting on the resolution itself instantly by

referring a report from the Audit Committee to the General Committee for the latter ' s " confirmation and approval . " Henceforth , whatever differences of opinion may have existed on questions of policy , no conflict of authority between the Court and the General

Committee appears to have arisen . In April , the Rules and Regulations , which had been thoroughly revised by a Committee specially appointed for the purpose , were passed by the Court , and 2000 copies , of which ¦ loOO were to have a list of subscribers to the School appendedwere

, ordered to be printed forthwith for circulation among the lodges and I'ethren generally . At the same time it was resolved that , owing to lie increased number of Governors and supporters , the General Comittee should be enlarged , as regards its elective members , to thirty . acier

ordinary circumstances , perhaps , the policy of such an nlargenient would be somewhat questionable ; for the practical purposes of administration , a small and compact ruling body is variabl y more efficient than one that is too numerous . But

e object of the Governors at this juncture was to obtain a 1 rger measure of support , and it was no doubt considered that the Pportunit y of serving on the Committee might operate as an

inducea w brethren to contribute . At the same Court Viscount Dudley nij . ' > on tlle proposition of Bro . the Chevalier Ruspini , was f Y ^ llncmsly elected . Treasurer for the ensuing year , the latter signin g that "having had the pleasure , and satisfaction to see his

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

endeavoui's m promoting this Institution brought to so great a degree of perfection , and in such a flourishing state , which he flattered himself was fully evinced by the extensive Patronage which it received both in Europe and Asia , " he should be glad to decline re-election . On this it was unanimously resolved " That the Thanks of this General

Coui't be given to the Chevalier Ruspini for his Humane and Benevolent Intention in bringing forward and promoting the Plan of this Institution , which will ever do honour to the Fraternity of Masons , and for which his Name will be rever'd to the most distant period of time , ' and , farther , that he should be " deemed a Governor for Life , and that the Secretary do summon him to all Committees . "

In May , in consequence of the refusal of Bro . Lascelles , President of the Board of Festival Stewards , to hand over the proceeds ( £ 21 13 s . 9 d . ) of the Anniversary Sermon in St . Andrew ' s Church , until the other Stewards had paid their quota of the expenses , the Committee resolved " that any Money collected for the benefit of this

Charity ought not . to be liable or subject to any deduction on Account of the Expenses incurred by the Stewards acting in behalf of this Charity . " * In June the first step was taken towards obtaining more commodious premises , a Committee , consisting of Messrs . John Allen , George Cooper , Hull , Spicer , and the Rev . Mr . Sandfordbeing

, appointed to make inquiries for a larger house , so that the benefits of the Charity might be extended . But though inquiries were made , suggestions offered , and plans for building a Schoolhouse were prepared at the instance of the General Committee , it was some time before anything was clone to carry out the intentions of the Governors .

In the meantime , arrangements were made with the lessee of Free- . masons' Tavern , which had been let by the Hall Committee , for the meetings to be continued in accordance with certain charges as agreed , and cards of the prices to be charged for the needlework to be clone by the children were ordered to be printed , while , in Julythe

Secre-, tary had the good fortune to announce that a lady—Mrs . Culling , of Marylebone—had bequeathed to the Institution a legacy of £ 100 , which the deceased ' s executors promised should be paid over as soon as the affairs of the testatrix had been arranged . In August it was determined to increase the number of children by five , and at the

same time it was recommended " that particular Attention should be paid to the Petition of any Child from the Country as an inducement to the Country Lodges to contribute to the support of the Charity , " the result of these resolutions being that five girls , including one from Colchester—provided her father was found to have been registered in

Grand Lodge , and that she herself was in good health—were recommended hy the Committee and elected by the Court . In September the Institution sustained a heavy loss through the death of its Patx-on —the Duke of Cumberland , G . M . —and it was ordered , out of respect to his memory , that the Children should appear at Chapel on the

Sunday appointed for the General mourning on account of his Royal Highness to begin , with black crape round their arms and hats , and that the House Committee should accompany them on the occasion . " But one other occurrence during 1790 deserves to be noticed—to wit , the adoption , in October , as a Standing Regulation , of a resolution to the effect " That no Child whatever shall be admitted into the School

( an Orphan excepted ) , unless the Father of such child , at the time of presenting his Petition , shall have been a Subscribing Member for three years , and produce his certificate thereof . " The Commiteee , however , at their next meeting , so far modified the Rule as to require only that the father of a child should have been " three years Initiated into

Masonry , " and produce a certificate to that effect , and the Quarterly Court , m January , 1791 , confirmed it in its modified form , but forbade its action being retrospective in the case of one child whose candidature

had been accepted priorto the October Committee , and of asecondwhose petition had been rejected because her father had been made a Mason within two months previous to its presentation in December , when , as yet , the Regulation had not obtained the force of law .

The year 1791 passed quietly . Bro . Chas , Carpenter was elected Treasurerin succession to LordDndley and Ward , and differenceshaving arisen between the Matron and the House Committee and Secretary , the former twice tendered her resignation , which was accepted ultimately , and Mrs . Lovekin , aged 40 years , who was the widow of

a Mason , and had kept a school , proved the successful candidate , her stipend being fixed at £ 21 per annum , with supplementary allowances of £ 5 5 s . for groceries and £ 5 5 s . for porter and other requisites . Frequent changes in so important a post as that of Matron and Schoolmistress are certainly to be deprecated , but it is absolutely

necessary in such an Institution as this that the governing body and its oflicers should work harmoniousl y together ; while it is clear that as the change from Mrs . Le Clerc to Mrs . Learmonth was a decided improvement , the improvement . caused by tho change from Mrs . Learmonth to Mrs . Lovekin was still more

decided . The former seems entitled to the credit of having initiated or suggested the plan of employing the children at needlework , and so contributing towards their own support , but Mrs . Lovekin may claim to have made the plan substantially remunerative , the product of the girls' work increasing in value so rapidly that in 1794 it

amounted to but little short of £ 150 for the year . Among other entries of moment which demand our attention must be mentioned , in the first place , an announcement made at the Committee Meeting on 28 th January , to the effect that " A letter from the Secretary of the Shakespear Lodge "—one of the most regular and liberal support-