At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

At the Sign of the perfect Ashlar

The retirement of Bro . the Earl of Warwick from the office of Provincial Grand Master for Essex , a position held by him for the past twenty years , naturally gave rise to a widespread desire on the part of the brethren of the province he had so genially and wisely ruled , to mark the occasion by a presentation , which , by general consent , took

the form of a portrait . The commission was entrusted to Mr . Milbanke , and on Tuesday , June 30 th , it was unveiled at a large gathering of brethren and ladies at Keyset ' s Royal Hotel on the Thames Embankment .

@ © © Bro . Col . Mark Lockwood , the successor of the Earl of "Warwick in the Provincial Grand Mastership , presided , and was supported by the Countess of Warwick , Mrs . Lockwood , Bro . C . E . Egerton Green , Deputy Provincial Grand Master ; Bro . Sir Horace Marshall , P . G . Treasurer ; the Grand

Secretary and Ladj * Letchworth , Bro . Under-Sheriff Langton , P . D . G . D . C , and Mrs . Langton ; Bro . Mayor Woodall , P . G . Treasurer ; Bro . T . J . Railing , Provincial Grand Secretary , and Mrs . and Miss Railing ; and a large number -of other representatives of the Provincial Grand Lodge of JEssex , with several well known London brethren .

© © © Bro . Col . Lockwood , in proposing the toast of " The Earl of Warwick , " remarked that the occasions in Freemasonry when the members could indulge in functions of this description where they could invite ladies , were few . He reminded his hearers of the old tradition that once there

was an Irish lady who obtained such surreptitious knowledge of the secrets of Masonry by hiding herself in a clock case , that the brethren in self defence were constrained to give her the benefit of initiation , but for the truth of this , although Lord Warwick intervened to aver that he himself had seen the very clock case , he , the Chairman , declined

to vouch . He added , however , that French history attested that the wife and sister of Philip Egalitic Due d'Orleans and father of King Louis Phillippe , did secure sufficient knowledge to qualify the former to become Grand Mistress of France ; but he hastened to assure Lady Warwick that , distinguished

. as was her husband in Freemasonry , he could hold out no hope that such a position could be promised to herself . Emphasising the fact that the most important practice of

Freemasonry was Charity , the Chairman declared that by his assistant in that work , as well as in all that concerned the Craft , their late Provincial Grand Master would never leave their hearts , and avowed his conviction that the portrait they were about to present , painted by a relative of his own , would never be pointed out on the walls of Warwick Castle ,

by the housekeeper , as that of the traditional " Wicked Earl , " but of " the Good Earl , who was a Mason . " He then unveiled it as giving certain proof of the affection for Lord Warwick entertained by the Freemasons of Essex , who had benefited by his long reign as Grand Master ; and he added

that , as Lady Warwick desired that the additional presentation which they wished to give her as a memento of the occasion should take the form of books , he would guarantee that the literature chosen should be both instructive and edifying . © © ©

Bro . Railing , Provincial Grand Secretary , then unveiled , amidst general cheering , the portrait , which represents Lord Warwick in the uniform of Lord Lieutenant of Essex , and is an admirable likeness . © © _>

The guest of the day , on rising to express his thanks , was ^ very warmly received . He assured them that the gift would

be valued most deeply by Lady Warwick and himself . Not being a society beauty , he observed , he had seldom been photographed , and had never had his portrait painted before , but he was glad to have the opportunity of showing to those who come after them that Freemasonry was a good thing to be connected with , and the more so because remembering

that the two Lords Lieutenant of Essex , in the time of Cromwell , were Lord Warwick and Lord Maynard , he was glad that the uniform in which he was depicted would perpetuate the memory of the Lord and Lady Lieutenant of Essex of to-day . He paid a heart }* tribute to the zeal and

efficiency of the officers and brethren of the province , from the headship of which he had now retired , and he hailed Colonel Lockwood as a most worthy successor in the Grand Mastership , concluding by expressing his sorrow for the absence of his son ,. Lord Brooke , who , in search of adventure , had just gone to Servia .

<& i 3 > <© Then came the most pleasant and striking surprise of the day , for Lady Warwick , in response to special and hearty cheers in her honour , also rose to reply . With admirable enunciation , and interrupted only by frequent bursts of approving laughter and applause , she observed " It would

seem to be most unseemly , not to say indecorous , of one of my sex to say anything in a gathering of Freemasons , from which body we are excluded , but I cannot let the occasion pass without acknowledging the kindness of your coupling me with the presentation to my husband . It needs no words

of mine to say how much his work is appreciated by the Craft ; but that I should be included in this recognition of that work comes as a great surprise , and I am more than grateful for the expressions of goodwill which have been used towards my husband and myself to-day . I may ,

however , express the hope that , in the future , perhaps , there may be a chance that a woman—and , indeed , all women—may know a little more of the mysteries—the deep and solemn mysteries—which surround and envelop the Craft . Then we shall know what is the heart of the mystery which has

made Freemasonry such a power as it is to-day . I remember that when the Essex Grand Lodge was held at Easton , my chief interest was to find out that which I did not know . I took every step I could , even to being at the keyholes and the windows , to discover it , and I ended no wiser than I was before . And now I can say no more than , ' I thank you with all my heart . ' "

© © © Bro . C . E . Egerton Green , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , proposed " The Chairman . " They were all proud of their connection with Lord Warwick , he said , and they all grieved when his lordship gave up his office as Provincial Grand Master . They had found a worthy successor , however , and

the province was still progressing . During the year four new lodges had been consecrated , and another was in course of formation .

© o <•_> The Provincial Grand Master , who was cordially greeted , said Lord Warwick was perfectly right when he said it was in the vitality and work of the brethren that the success of the Master of the province lay . He was finding out every day how deep-seated that feeling was , and he could assure

them that appreciation of that would encourage him in his task . If he had nineteen years still to run in the province , he had no doubt he would resign with the same regret that Lord Warwick did .

© © © An addition to the roll of hospital lodges in London was made on the 2 nd of July by the consecration of the King ' s College Hospital Lodge , No . 2973 . The ceremony took place at the Trocadero Restaurant , the Consecrating Officer being the Grand Secretary , Sir Edward Letchworth ,

who was assisted by Bros . Clement Godson , M . D ., P . G . D ., as S . W . ; Sir Alfred Cooper , M . D ., P . G . D ., as J . W . ; the Rev . Sir Borradaile Savory , Bart ., P . G . C ., as Chaplain ; and Fitzroy Tower as D . of C . The founders were all members of the medical profession .