History Of The Lodge Of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel), No. 1.*

written , and of the event in its history of which it is the memorial record , as well as of the distinguished brother who , in spite of his weight of years , has still further strengthened his claims upon our respect and admiration .

Passing to the History itself , we feel sorel y tempted to enter into a more or leas detailed consideration of its chief points , but we assume that most of our readers are acquainted with the 18 73 edition , and whatever Bro . LYON then thought necessary to introduce in tracing the career of No . 1 , and whatever else he

may have looked upon as of special interest or importance to the general body of the Craft , is carefully reproduced in these pages . Here will be found the Schaw Statutes of 1598 and 1599 . Here is a facsimile reproduction of the earliest extant minute of the lodge , bearing date " Vltimo , Julij , 1599 . " Here ,

too , is the " earliest authentic record of a non-operative being a member of a Mason lodge , " the 8 th June , 1600 , being the date of the record—a facsimile of which faces page 52—while the non-operative is JOHN BOSWELL , of Auchinleck , who was present with " Wll . SCHAW , maister . of work to ye Kingis

maistie , " and " ye haill maissonis of ye Ludge of Edr , " when JOHN BROWN was lined £ 10 for contravening one of the laws of Masonry ; and here also is a biographical sketch of WILLIAM S CHAW which , on the authority of the late WILLIAM A . LAURIE , Bro . LYON ascribes to Sir DAVID

BREWSTER . Here is carefully and critically examined " the statement made by LAURIE regarding the office of Grand Master having been made hereditary by JAMES II . in

the Barons of ROSSLYN , a statement which , in our opinion , is fabulous and unsupported by any trustworthy evidence . " In the course of the arguments lie employs in support of his view Bro LvON introduces the St . Clair Charters both in facsimile and in

ordinary type . He has no doubt as to the genuineness of the documents and g ives his reasons for determining approximately the dates of their issue . But he comes to the conclusion that

the whole thing is a fable , the concluding sentence of the chapter in which he deals with the subject reading as follows " Altogether the story of the ' Hereditary Grand Master' and his 'Annual Assemblies at Kilwinning' is so myth-like , that we decline

to accept it as a historical fact . I his opinion is strengthened by the author's fortunate discovery in the interval between the publication of the first and present editions of his work of a

letter written by CHARLES I . in February , 16 35 , to the Scottish Exchequer and preserved among the State Papers in the Register House at Edinburgh , and as our readers are necessarily unacquainted with the document we produce it in full as follows :

Right trustie and well-beloved , —Havemg heard that yow have stopped the passing of that gift which we wer latelie pleased to grant vnto our ryght trustie and weilbeloved Sir Anthonie Alexander , Knyght , Master of ouv Works of our Kingdome of Scotland , be reasone of some objections maid be Sir William Sinclair of Roslin , Knycht , pretending ano heritable

charge of the Maissones of our said kingdome , though we have nevir gevin warrant for strengthning of any heritable right , yitt we intend not to wrong any man who is sufficientlie secured therin . ' bot to recover it by dew course of law ; therfoir it is our pleasur that yow caus the said Sir Williame Sinclair make it appear vnto yow and to

our Advocat what right and title he hath wherby the passing of the said signature should be stayed ; and if yow find that ther be just caus in his pairt why the said signature should be stayed and that it conteyne any new clause more to his prejudice then others Maisteris of works formerlie had , we desyre that our

Advocat may certifie ws of the trew estate therof ; and if ther be no such just caus of stay , seing we will that the present Master of Work have as much priviledge as any of his predicessours in that place have ever had , it is our pleasure that immediatlie yow cause pass the same throw our sealls . And we will lykwayes for the better clearing of the said bussines that yow

examyne the maissones of that our kingdome , and that not by papers whervnto ather of the pairties may have procured ther hands in a privat way , bot that yow give order to the magistrals of everie toun and to the

shirrefiis of everie shyre or to any other officers whom yow shall think fin , that so they , haveing called before them and heard the saids maissones , may report vnto yow what they shall find in the same . CHARLES R .

Whythatl , . 7 February / rt . yj . Bro . LYON ' S comment on this letter is as follows : " We have no means of knowing the grounds upon which Sir WILLIAM

based his objection to the appointment of Sir ANTHONY to the post of General-Warden and Master of Work to the King , but it may be inferred that he failed to convince King CHARLES of the . validity of his claim , because Sir ANTHONY was sustained

History Of The Lodge Of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel), No. 1.*

in his high office and held it until his death in August , 16 37 , and was succeeded in it by his brother IiENRIE ALEXANDER . " Other documents bearing upon the subject which we are told "came to hand too late for insertion in the text" will be found

as an addendum towards the end of the volume and should be read together with King CHARLES ' letter as above , quoted . \ n our opinion , this new evidence full y justifies Bro . LYON ' S opinion —which be it remarked , he arrived at before the discovery of

these letters , & c . —that the whole story is too myth-like to be accepted as historical fact . The further comments we . are desirous of offering will be set forth in a second article .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

[ COMMUNICATED . ! CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES . In the course of our researches hitherto , there , have been

several subjects mentioned to which onl y incidental reference was made , the detailed consideration required by their importance being postponed . One of these is the . question of confirmation of minutes .

Now , there are several Articles in the Book of Constitutions referring to this matter , and we shall endeavour to obtain all the light we can from them , first of all . Article 172 describes what the minutes should comprise . Anything in addition is inserted at the Secretary ' s own wish . The first two clauses arc :

selfexplanatory , and no Secretary can experience the slightest doubt when entering minutes under these two heads . It ' is the third clause which sometimes gives rise to misconceptions culminating in a vote of non-confirmation , " Minutes of all such transactions of the lodge as are proper to he written . "

On the motion for confirmation , then , three points an determined . An the minutes records of actual transaction * are they proper to be written , and are they correct ?

A speech or a conversation , not resulting in a motion put to the meeting , has been ruled not to be a transaction , and it has even been ruled that the speech of the Grand Master was not a part of ( he minutes of Grand Lodge .

1 he Secretary then enters such things at his own wish . A vote of non-conlirmalion , resulting in the expunging of such matters , does not impugn the accuracy of his recollection . The minutes should lie facta 110 n * vrfia . Are they proper to be written ? Of this the Worshipful

Master should not leave the Secretary lo be the judge unless hi be a very old and experienced brother . For instance , a petition for relief comes before the lodge and for excellent reasons is rejected . The fact of the rejectior is sufficient . A statement of the reasons might possibly In

ordered to he expunged on tin ; rote for confirmation , and tin vole ot non-conlirmalion would be restricted to the partieulai clauses objected to , not to the fact of the rejection . A detailed description of a ceremonial would lie improper to be written and would very rightly be expunged . The . actual fact of tin ceremony having taken place is quite sufficient .

As to the accuracy of the Secretary ' s recollection . A vote is sometimes taken on these grounds , and to avoid subsequent controversy he should insist on every motion made beini ^ submitted in writing . The rough draft of minutes should he

looked over by the Worshipful Master , and if there be seriou : doubt by one or two other brethren . .. In any case the vote 0 the majority in lodge , however unacceptable to the minority , i ^ final .

I he most important transaction in a lodge ' s history is the election of its Master , and accordingly the act of confirmation in this case is specially referred to in Article 130 . This , with Articles 74 and 251 , contain all that the Constitutions have !" teach us as to the exact meaning of the term .

Article I 30 practically states that the Master is only " deemed to be elected " when that part of the : minutes relating to his election has been confirmed , and Bro . Fenn stated in Grand Lodge that the " real and valid election of Master was only complete as the result of such confirmation . " Article 2 si refers to voles of the Board of Benevolence

granting sums ol money between / . 20 and / 40 , which shall ii"t be effectual until confirmed " at the next ov a subsequent nieelim , ' of the Board . " The arlicie goes on to say that when such vet '' or grant is put for confirmation , it may be reduced , and -a"' ' reduction shall not nvi-i ] confirmation .

Article 74 relcrs to grants of money originating with Grand Lodge , and the alteration and repeal of laws and regulation ^ which shall not become valid until confirmed at the next Quarterly Communication .