Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

I . think somehow you deserve to be made an honorary member , for being able to see for yourself Avhat so many Masonic authors have overlooked . The fact of there being an old cathedral in Glasgow ought to have drawn the attention of Masonic authors to itand then from it to its builders—the brethren

, of the Lodge of Glasgow St . John—more especially as our cathedral now standing has seen so many striking events since its foundation . Its walls have echoed the tramp of Edward I . of England , aud that great national gathering Avhich left its mark so deeply on the destinies of the Avorld—I refer to the groat

Presbyterian Assembly of 163 S—was held within its walls . I think , therefore , that Masonic authors have now nothing left but simply to apologise to St . John ' s for past negligence , and make up her lost time as quickly as possible . Tet should any sceptic askHow comes it that the

, Lodge of Glasgow St . John is able , or is said to be able , to give such strong proofs , not only of its great antiquity , but even presumes to state the exact year of its constitution ?

To such au one I would make answer by asking , HOAV comes it that out of the many beautiful and great cathedrals , abbeys , & c , that existed in all their pride iu the 12 th and succeeding centuries in Scotlaud , the GlasgOAv Cathedral should be about the only one that—instead of ling a shapeless heap of

y stones , or , at tbe best , a ruiu lovely even in decaystill stands out in bold relief , not only in all its pristine beauty , but UOAV with such au air of solidity , grandeur , sublimity , and beauty about it * as Avould make even the " magnificent" Cameronf sigh iu astonishment could he again revisit the scene of his

former pomp ? Sceptic , answer that ? Then may I tell you further of its builders . I must UOAV turn my attention for a little while to the letter of P . L ., C . K . L ., which I take to mean Poet Laureate of Cannongate Kilwinning Lodge , our esteemed friend and brotherAnthony Oneal

, Haye . Now if his letter is intended to disprove what Bro . Captain Speirs says regarding the antiquity of St . John ' s , I greatly fear that it will have very little effect ; for what use is there iu speaking about the Cannongate Kilwinning minutes being earlier than 173 Gor of a charter of date 1 G 77 ? As a set

, off to that I have simply to state , that iu 162 S Bro . Boyd , Master of St . John ' s Lodge , GlasgOAv , signed the charter granted to St . Clair of Roslin as Grand Master .

If the Cannongate Kilwinning Lodge is so old as he states—viz ., as old as Mother Kilwinning , let him show how he proves it , aud in the first place begin by fairly proving hoAv old Mother Kilwinning is herself

And as Bro . Haye says- - the Cannongate Kilwinningwas a sort of branch establishment of the'Mother Kilwinning , let us knoAV when this branch was first constituted , as it could hardly have been at the-same time as the Mother Kilwinning herself , as it generally takes a mother some time to get up a family ' . .

As a set off to Bro . Haye ' a nev ? Avay of placing ' the old lodges , I wonder how it would look—Glasgow St . John ' s No . 1 , Mother Kilwinning No . 2 , then either Mary ' s Chapel or Melrose St . John 3 or 4 , asthe case may be , the Scone and Perth taking Na . 5 , unless Cannongate Kilwinning can go further back '

than it . In placing the Melrose St . John so high , I do it upon Bro . Have ' s authority in his letter ; but we must look at it again . Aud his assertion that should a turn-up come " the GlasgOAv St . John ' s Avould find itself placed half a huudreddown the roll , " sounds too good to be true . But be that as it may . What we want to be at is truth—which I Avould like to see

brought out and established on the square , on a proper historical basis . I have said a little to show that St . John ' s existed in the Ilth and 12 th centuries ; by-and-bye we shall try ancl bring the connection down , step by step , to the present year , getting up a fuller history of our old lodgeAvhich may prove interesting to alland in

, , vrhich Ave may be able to show that St . John ' s has , not merely antiquity on its side—although old age is honourable— -but can also show a Masonic status second to none in the kingdom , its members having been , and still are , able to rank amongst the highest wherever practical Masonry is i-equired . As a sample

amongst our office-bearers of a follower of Hiram Abiff , I may mention the late Bro . David Hamilton , architect of the GlasgOAv Eoyal Exchange , one of the noblest institutions of the kind in the kingdom . He also gave iu designs for the Houses of Parliament , the inside plans of which Avere AA'ished to be

adopted , taking some other one ' s plans for the outside ; but Bro . Hamilton objected to have his plans mutilated . "No , " said he , "the Avhole or none . " Although , from the nature of its past membership , St . John ' s may uot be able to show an Emperor's name on its roll , seeing the Emperor would have

found some difficulty in handling the mallet to that perfection required to pass the examination of "three of the ablest of the Mason trade , " still I haA-e no . doubt but manyjeAvels are lying , which , Avhen the dust is wiped off them , Avill shiue out clearly Avith a lustre all their ownmen Avho have Avritten their poetry in

, stone . Tours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN . 151 , West Nile-street , Glasgow , Jan . 27 , 1 S 6 S .

HOPE . —Hope on , frail mortal ; Avhat though thy path berugged , and strewed lA-itli thorns ? tliou hast only to persevere and thy reward awaits tUee . Msny days and nights , perchance years , hast thou struggled with adversity . Thou hast said in thine heart , woe is me—therefore was I born ? Hope then Avhispered , persevere , before thee lies thy reward . What though thou art poor , despised , by those it may be who are thy inferiors in all save wealth ? AVhat matters itthat thy short life is exposed

, to the rude blasts of adverse fortune , if at last thou art crowned Avith immortality , which those AA-IIO rudely push thee from them think not of ? Hope on , then , in thy poverty—be honest in thy humility—ssspire to be truly great by being truly good .