A Banquet At " Ours."

The accession of Bro . Albert Edward Prince of Wales to the ranks of Freemasonry ( which bye the bye we were the first to announce in Great Britain ) was suitably recognised at the banquet . Instead of " the Queen and the Craft , " so long

interlinked in Masonic honours , her Majesty was separatel y honoured , and " the Prince of Wales and the Craft" received due appreciation . This was the first occasion on which we had witnessed the change and it met with a hearty and truly

fraternal reception . The Heir Apparent has evidentl y increased the depth and earnestness ofthe loyalty with which he is regarded by joining our Order . Long live our Royal Past Grand Master . A custom prevails among the Suffolk lodges

of " chorusing" the toasts of the evening , which is done in a peculiarly stentorian manner . Thus after the health of the W . M . or other distinguished brother has been toasted , he is honoured with the following choruses : — . " Prosper the man

Prosper the man Join in one chorus to prosper the man . " " Prosper his lodge Prosper his lodge Join in one chorus to prosper his lodge . " 'This is diversified occasionally by singing

"prosper the art" and other variations , and when the " choruses " are lead by an experienced brother whose lungs are sound , their effect may well be described as " Suffolk harmony . " The Unity Lodge at Lowestoft and the Appollo

Lodge at Beccles , have long maintained a close alliance and constant interchange of visits . The Beccles brethren mustered very strongly on this occasion , headed by the veteran Bro . Fenn , P . Prov . G . S . W ., and Bro . Ward the W . M . of the

Apollo Lodge . It was a singular fact remembered during the evening , that Bro . Chambers and Bro . Ward were schoolfellows in childhood , and in mature years have been called upon during the same years to act as Worshipful Masters of lodges

in neighbouring towns . The ancient corporation of Beccles was well represented , inasmuch as three of the brethren present had served the office of Chief Magistrate of that Borough . JBro . Fenn who has we believe been more than once Mayor

of Beccles , has rendered many public services to that town among the rest , that of promoting the formation of the park or recreation ground which passengers in the Great Eastern Railway will find branching off from the Railway station . The " Old Century Lodge" otherwise the

Lodge of Friendship , Great Yarmouth , No . 100 in the Grand Lodge of England , was represented by its Junior Deacon Bro . James Beaumont who having delighted the brethren with a song on the virtues of the fair sex , appropriately wound up

by proposing the health of the excellent " sister " who presides over the household of Bro . Chambers —a compliment to Mrs . 0 . which was given with hearty enthusiasm . The respected secretary of the Unity Lodge

Bro . W . R . Archer was unfortunately absent in London , but the duties of the secretai'iat were for the evening ably discharged by Bro . Bradbeer , P . Prov . G . S . W . for Suffolk .

At the house of Bro . Archer we met with one of the few remaining links which unite the present generation , with the Battle of Waterloowon be it remembered by the Duke of Wellington himself a craftsman . Bro . Archer has a lady relative whose husband commanded a man-of-war

when Waterloo was fought , and she herself was at Ostend and heard the firing of the guns during the great conflict . This venerable lady had her own experience of the Craft to relate and in proof that Freemasonry was " a good thing" she told

us how on board her husband ' s ship the officers recognised brother Masons among the French captives taken at Waterloo , and carefully showed the grateful prisoners that the fraternal principles of Freemasons had power enough to subdue even

the animosities of sworn foes separated by race language and religion . In these happier times Englishmen and Frenchmen have established an entente cordiale which we would fain hope may never be broken , but though each nation may cherish different reminiscences of the battle-field of Waterloo Bro . John Bull and Bro . Johnny

Crapaud have alike reason to feel proud , that even amid the grim struggle there were not wanting illustrations of the power and philanthropy of the Royal Art which hallowed by the antiquity of Ages , is still girdling the globe with its peaceful and elevating' influence .

It was not without some determination of purpose that we were able to attend the banquet . The day was terribly wet and we had a dozen miles across country to drive . But we were well rewarded by the pleasant evening we spent . The command for brethren to " dwell together in

unity " is carried out to the fullest extent in the Unity Lodge , and distant frbres who wish to enjoy a summer holiday will find Lowestoft a pleasant place to visit , Bro . Clarke a hospitable and yet economical host , aud the Unity Lodge a happy home of the Craft .