Extracts From A Minute Book Of The Last Century.

EXTRACTS FROM A MINUTE BOOK OF THE LAST CENTURY .

BY THE EDITOR . I HOPE that this title will not appear misleading , or this paper disappointing to any of my readers . We live at a time when the publication of the oldenMinuteBooks of Lodges seems to be the order of thn day

, and as chance has thrown one into my possession , I see no reason wh y I should not fall in for the nonce with the prevailing fashion of the hour . But I wish to make one or two remarks on the subject . I see no objection to the publication of old

Minute Books if only we do not lay too much store by their evidence , for at the best such evidence , be it remembered , is always of a fragmentary and dubious kind . Minute Books are governed by the unfailing laws of reserve , suppression ,

incorrectness , and unreliability . That is to say , the age of formality and of careful entry had not yet dawned upon the Order , and the secretaries of the last century seem to be animated always by the intense desire to say as little as possible , and that little as carelessly and indistinctly as may be .

Perhaps they had a reason for being so hazy and haphazard in their minutes ; but as it is , the student to-day takes up an old Minute Book and lays it down equall y disappointed and dissatisfied . On every point on which we would much like to be informedwc are told nothingand even

, ; what is communicated to us is so sparingly doled out to us , that we can make but little use of it , and find it impossible often clearly to understand even ! Therefore , with this warning , let us go to the Minute Book in question .

It belonged to No . 194 of the Antients ( perhaps Bro . Hughan can tell us what was its subsequent history ) , and is marked No . 3 . I do not possess Nos . 1 or 2 , but only this chance No . 3 . It commences July 5 th , 1797 , and ends April 3 rd , 1806 .

So my readers will perceive that this Minute Book has not certainly the " hoar antiquity of age" about it , whatever No . 1 might tell us ; and I am bound also to add as an honest chronicler , is as prosaic , commonplace , uninteresting a book to read as well may be .

The Lodge , whatever may have been its subsequent condition , was when the book opens in very " low water , " with few members and not well off for funds . It seems to have been purely a tradesman ' s Lodge , not of the most literate kind , as the

English and spelling of the Minutes would have driven Lindley Murray mad . I have never read anything worse , or more tryin » to those who like good grammar and are partial to correct " concords . " When the third Minute Book commencesthe Lod

, ge was held at the "Pitt ' s Head , " Old Bail ey , and owing to the " non-attendance of the members and the insolvencie of the landlord , " it was determined , as the Americans say , "to make tracks , " and so , the " regalia " being " moved accordingly" they migrated

, to the " Castle , " Smithfield Bar , or Greenhill Rents . In 1797 they shifted their quarters to the " White Swan , " Braham ' s Buildings ; and in 1798 to "The Cooper ' s Arms , " West Street , Smithfield , where they still were in 1806 . In the earlier pages of

the Minute Book the attendance was very limited indeed , four and even three members being sufficient to open the Lodge and transact the business . Take for instance the Minute of April 6 th , 1797 , " verbatim et literatim" : — " At the CastleSmithfield Barsopened

, , at S o Clock p . m . In the Third Degree . The W . M . being sick could not attend . Br . Bollam acted as W . M ., Br . Mead , S . W ., Br . Ray , J ., Warder . The Minuets of Last Lodge Night were Read and Confirmed , and the other Regular Business of the

Lodge being disposed of , Br . Ray requested the Loan of the Constitution Book , which was granted . Nothing more being offered for the Good of Masonvy , the Lodge was closed in good harmony at 10 o'clock . " Then follows the reckoning , which is

patriarchal in its simplicity : — " House Bill - 2 10 Br 3 . present . Tyler - - - 2 0 Br . Bollam - Is . Fxpended - 4 10 Br . Mead - 1 Collected - - 4 0 Bv . Ray - - 2

Due to Treasurer 1 0 Collected - 4 R . Bollam , Secry . " The three Officers W . M , S . and J . Wardens seem to be considered a Lodge . It is very remarkable that almost all the principal business of the Lodge , down to