At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

At the Sign of the perfect Ashlar

We understand that the necessary prelimmaries have been arranged for the formation of a new lodge to represent Shropshire men in London . This will be the sixth "County " lodge to meet in the Metropolis , the lirst being the United Northern Counties Lodge , the next the Cornish , No . 236 9 , which was followed by the Lancastrian , No . 2528 , the White

Rose of York , No . 26 94 , the Devonian , No . 28 34 , and the Norfolk , No . 2852 . It is not unsafe to prophesy that many more counties will seek representation in this way , as from the list we have given above it may be seen that Grand Lodge has not regarded the formation of such lodges with an

unfavourable eye . The hearty congratulations of the Craft will be tendered to V . W . Bro . Charles Swinfen Eady , K . C ., Past Deputy Grand Registrar , on his appointment as a Judge of the Chancery

Division in the place of Lord Justice Cozens Hardy . Our esteemed brother , who was initiated almost at the commencement of his professional career , has been markedly successful in

BRO . CUAIir . I'S SWINFEN KADV .

all that he has undertaken . He was the lirst Worshipful Master of the Justinian Lodge , No . 26 94 , founded a short time since in connection with the law , and he is also a Past Master of his mother Lodge , No . 21 , as well as a Life Governor of the three Institutions .

The absolute necessity for organisation in connection with the election of candidates for the Charity Institutions was strongly exemplified at the Boys' School election in October . It appears that although 26 , 000 votes were polled

by the London brethren , not a single candidate was returned , the whole of the twenty vacancies being filled by Provincial brethren . Many attempts have been made to form associations in London similar to those so successfully organised in the Provinces , but whether it is that London is too large and

unwieldly to be dealt with , or that it is lacking in that spirit of clanship which renders cohesion on the part of workers so difficult , it remains a fact that all attempts in that direction have for some cause or other resulted in comparative failure .

At the meeting of the Council ot the Boys School on the 26 th October it was reported that a scholar , Harry D . A . Mattiment , had been awarded the Victoria Diamond Jubilee Scholarship and had entered at the Royal College of Science , South Kensington , to undergo a series of studies to qualify as a mining engineer . A grant of £ 20 was made to him for

his assistance during the period of his scholarship . The Secretary also reported that Lodge Victoria , No . 2329 , Buenos Avres , had made a special donation of 75 guineas to the Institution in memory of its late Grand Patron , Her Majesty Otieen Victoria , after whom the lodge was named .

Masonry in Port Elizabeth especially appears to be making rapid strides , a movement being now on foot to establish a third lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England , and what is a most gratifying feature of recent Masonic work is the increase in the funds of the Educational scheme , which has now reached £ 2000 . In addition to this ,

three permanent scholarships are at the disposal of the Educational Committee . This is a branch of Masonic work which we venture to commend to the earnest attention of the Craft in South Africa , as it needs no gift of prophecy to foresee that the close of the war will bring many claims to be dealt with by this and similar funds .

"S » ' ¦ £ >' ' &>> As might have been expected , the new Editor of the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , Bro . W . H . Rylands , has opened its pages to various sympathetic appreciations of the life and work of its former editor , the

late Bro . G . W . Speth . A full report of the lirst meeting of the lodge after the sad event contains the address of the Worshipful Master , Bro . Condor , as well as an eloquent tribute by Bro . Rylands himself , whose long and close intimacy , both literary and personal , with our deceased

brother , entitled him to speak with a knowledge and authority which few possessed . The speeches of Bros . Ross Robertson , Past Grand Master of Canada , R . F . Gould , Edward MacBean , W . F . Lamonby , and W . J . Chetwode Crawley are also fully reported , and together convey a vivid picture of a charming personality and a man of rare and varied attainments .

> £ . « S » As indicating the cosmopolitan reputation acquired by Bro Speth , the report of a meeting of St . Albans Lodge , Adelaide , may be taken as representing the views and opinions formed by the thousands of Alasons beyond the seas , of the man to

whose energy and zeal they owe a debt of gratitude for the knowledge they possess of the history and literature of the Craft . Bro . J . Edwin Thomas , the W . M ., in a lengthy address spoke of our late brother in terms of the greatest admiration and regard , recalling his visit to Bro . Speth ' s

home in 18 95 as one of the most pleasant and memorable reminisences of his visit to the mother country . Bro . Barlow on the same occasion referred to the irreparable loss which the Craft had sustained , and read several extracts from letters he had received all testifying to his sterling worth and

invaluable services to Freemasonry , and amongst others he read a portion of the article by Bro . J . W . Chetwode Crawley , which appeared in the columns of "THE MASONIC ILLUSTRATED . "

< £ » ¦; = > * Referring also to Bro . Speth's cheery and light-hearted spirit Bro . Barlow went on to say : " I had written him in rather a doleful strain upon a critique which I had read exploiting Asser ' s ' Life of Alfred the Great , ' and attempting to

annihilate the traditional anecdote , which everybody loves , about Alfred negligently allowing cakes to be burnt on the lire and getting well scolded accordingly . Bro . Speth's characteristic treatment of the attempt exhibits the delightful tenacity with which he clung with all the strength of a

strong nature to the precious heritage of the picturesque old faith , even if that faith should prove to be a baseless superstition .