Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No. 114, Ipswich. A.D. 1762.

AVe shall leave to our next paper , sundry suggestions which we should like to make on tbe subject of operative masonry in the present day . ( To be continuedJ )

I Am Willing To Be Tried Again.

I AM WILLING TO BE TRIED AGAIN .

BY BRO . D . B . FKENCII . I Avas tried upon the metal point , When in my manhood's morn , I passed tbe vestibule of Truth , And to Masonry was born ;

The pledge I made is Avith me yet , It , with life , I shall retain , And I am always Avilling To be tried by it again .

As in the Middle Chamber A neophyte I stood , And Avas taught Art ' s fair proportions , And saw that all was good , My second step of trial came , It did not come in vain , And I am ever Avilling To be thus tried again .

Then I passed that serious trial , That every Mason must . When taught tbe solemn lesson , "Man's frail body is but dust ;" But a glorious symbol followed That , though in earth Wre lain , Before our Father and our God We must be tried again !

I ' ve been tried upon the level , I've been tried upon the square , I ' ve borne the heavy burdens That each Mason true must bear ; But through tbe Mercy Infinite , And the Lamb for sinners slain , Am ever , ever Avilling , To be thus tried again .

Every Mason must have trials On tbe checkered floor of life—The world is full of vcickedness—Of folly , danger , strife ; Let us ever bear and forbear , And meet each earthly pain

As ahvays to be ready To be tried on high again ! The Craftsman .

Extracts From The Minute Books Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Paradise, No. 139.

EXTRACTS FROM THE MINUTE BOOKS OF THE ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF PARADISE , No . 139 .

Freemasons Hall , Surrey Street , Sheffield . MINUTE BOOK NO . 1—EXTENDING FROM 1783 to 1811 . ' THE firstor oldest Bookbears

unmistak-, , able evidences of its antiquity . In size it is 8 inches x 6- - inches x J- inch thick , or about 140 pages , of which only a very few appear to be missing . This book is bound in stiff boards , on one side of Avhich is written "Royal Arch Records 1783 to

1811 . " The paper is of the old-fashioned ribbed kind . Tbe writing varies much — from time to time—but , generally speak ing , it ( also the colour of the ink ) is good . From enquiries I have made , I may say that this Book ( Avbieb I will term " No . 1 " )

is the oldest known record of the Chapter , but that " there are some loose papers , principally old accounts ; " at some early date I purpose carefully examining them . ( Minute Book No . I—Title Page )

" Royal Arch Transactions "from December 28 th , 1873 . to December 15 th , 1811 , No III " ( in another hand ) . ( Pages 1 and 2 . ) " Names of the Members BelongiN .

" The Chapter of the Holy Royal arch " ( here follows a list of 83 names to each of Avhich is prefixed "Br . " ( not " companion" ) some of the names have been crossed out and " DEAD" or " LEFT" added . Several are good , old , local family names , but not otherwise remarkable .

( Page 3 ) " Copy of Certificate . " " Chapter of Paradise , No III . " Sheffield , 9 th March , 1806 . "We the most excellent Z . H . & J . in Royal Arcb Chapter assembled—do hereb y certify that Bro . Robert Cadman is dul y

exalted by US to tbe supreme degree of an exalted Royal Arch Companion in our Royal Arch Chapter of Paradise on the Ninth clay of March , 5810 . "Witness our hands S . R . Z . S . T . H .

W . R . J . T ' p " j- Scribes J . R . IstSojour '"