The Records Of An Ancient Lodge.

" ( signed ) Andro mein Alex mein George Hall wittnes Thomas bunyie wittnes Jo : Mein witnes " Off the above writn ffyftio merks , payed out to Johne mein osier * the soume of Sevine pundthrie shillings Scotts of the s Jo discharge the Boxm as witnes his hand

, qr day and year fors " ( signed ) John Mein " Page 7 contains the following entries : — "Upon St . John's day being the twentie seiven day of december fourscor and Ane yeir Jo" Bunye sons Law to Eobirt was entered and Received fr [ ee ] to the tread And Eobert Bunye his father his master And " Lykways the s day Jo" Bunye sone Lav , -11 to Jo" Bunye elder is entered and

Eeceivetinto the tread and the for Eobert Bunye is his Master And Alex Mein sone Law" to Andrew Mein elder is bound and obliged to be cationer for him for his Continuing Eemaining w' his master AIex Mein " " 27 of December 1681 It was found yat James mein sone to James Mein in Dalketh was entred at Dalketh and not on ye 27 of december wher for they are to be anserable for it ye next St John ' s Day 1682 " . ' There is no reference to this irregularit y in the minutes for 1682 , and the entries under that date are very meagre , and are to be found at the end of the book on page 236 , between memoranda for 1680 and 1685 ; they are as follows : —

" Neusteid 27 december 1682 " Thomas mein was entered and Eobert Bunye was his Mester " " Neusted 27 dec' 1682 " Georg tullie was enterd and Georg bell was his master " We cannot find any entry for 1683 , but upon page 238 is one for the following year : — "At Neusteid thef day of december 1684 itisfastlie compted be the measons in the lodge of melros what the trou expence of the building of the loft and seat iu the kirk of melros is the wholl soume is 242 13 6 I say tua huudrith ffortio tuo pund thretin shillin six penis "

On the fly-leaf at the end of the book is the following memorandum , written in very faint characters : — " 29 dec 1684 ther is in 16 s" 2 in the box " And these two entries comprise all we can find in the minute book for this year . For the following year there are two or three entries scattered up and down the book ; for instance , there is one on page 12 as follows : —

" December 28 1685 " Given out to John mein osier upon ye ) 7 „ , n fors d day of December for meat & \ ' * „ , „„ Drink & making of it readie J U This is the first mention we have of these old brethren "keeping the feast of the good Saint John , " but we find several entries of the same nature following . On page 236 there is a nearl y obliterated minute or memorandum

of the same date , as follows : — " 28 December 1685 Patrick Steven entred & Georg falk was his Master Thomas mein & John mein was his Master & Eichard mein his Master . "

Again , on page 238 we find another entry for this date , " December 28 1685 lb S D The fors Day y was laid in to ye box of money 21 : 00 : 00 " The next in chronological order is on page 19 , and is to this effect" Neusteid ye 27 of December 1686 yeirs " The whlk day we under Subscriband in name and behalf of ye rest of ye massons finding ye truble y' we have had in tyme bygain y' the thesaurer had In not getting readie