Provincial.

Architect of the Universe may have you in His care and keeping ; that He will pour down upon you His choicest blessings , and long spare you to preside over the brethren of the province . " To this loyal and feeling address his Grace replied—I can assure you that it is ivith varied and deep emotions of the heart that I have listened to the address ivith which you have

been kind enough to present me ; on tho one hand I feel most deeply those generous professions of attachment to myself , and on the other I am greatly touched by your loving allusions to my father . You onl y do his memory justice , for in him I can safely say you have not only lost your Provincial Grand . Master , but a kind neighbour and devoted friend . I cannot but feel hoiv incapable I am of suppling his place in the

y pro vince , but still , at the same time , I have experienced such uniform kindness and forbearance , that I feel sure that if I only do my duty by you , ' you Avill make all alloivances for any shortcomings and deficiencies . I deeply regret the unavoidable absence of the Most AVorshipful the Grand Master of England , but I beg to thank the Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire and others for their personal attendance here to-dayand fco

, these feAV Avords of acknowledgment . I need only add . that it is my earnest desire to uphold and promote , by every means in my power , the interests of our Craffc , nofc only in this province bnt throughout the country afc large , and my constant endeavours shall be to further , to the best of my ability , the views

and subjects of our Order , and carry out ifcs principles to the fullest extent . ( Loud applause . ) Some other lodge business having been transacted , the newly - installed Prov . G . Master received the congratulations of Colonel Bowyer , as Grand Master of Oxfordshire ; Bro . M'Intyre , for the province of Berkshire ; Bro . A . Butel , on behalf of Derbyshire ; Bro . the Rev . — Denton , for' Leicestershire ; Bro . Harveyrepresenting Lincolnshirewhile other members of

, ; the Order oft ' ered expressions of esteem aud goodwill on behalf of the Lodge of Truth , Huddersfield , Burton-on-Trent , and Staffordshire . The R . AV . Prov . G . M . appointed his officers as follows : Bros . Thomas Close , D . Prov . G . M . ; J . C . L . Marsh , Prov . S . G . W . ; J . C . Nixon , Prov . J . G . AV . ; Rev . J . L . Prior , Linby , Prov . Grand Chap . ; T . Banks , Prov . G . Treas . ; AV . T . RobertsonProv . G . RegJohn AVatsoujunProvGSec

, . ; , ., . . ; E . M . Kidd , Prov . S . G . D . ; J . C . Neale , Prov . J . G . D . ; James Carter , sen ., Prov . G . Supt . of AVorks ; AV . Richards , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; S . R . P . Shilton , Prov . Assist . Dir . of Cers . ; T . A . Cullen ; Prov . G . Org . ; M . Voivles , Prov . G . Pursfc . ; C . Pearce , Standard Bearer ; J . Fioggatt , E . Peat , H . Barnett , T . Hiekling , F . G . Rawson , and IT . Taylor , Prov . G . Stewards ; J . C . Banwell , Prov . G . Tyler .

The lodge was shortly afterwards closed , and the brethren proceeded to the School of Art , Avhere a banquet had been prepared . _ The Prov . G . M . presided , and ivas supported by the brethren just mentioned , the company numbering about one hundred .

The noble CIIAEKMAN , in asking the brethren fco drink " The Health of Her Majesty the Queen , " said she was the daughter of a Mason , and the niece ol three . On giving " The Health of his Royal Highness tho Prince of AVales , the Princess of AA ales , and the rest of the Royal Family , " his Grace expressed the hope that the Prince of AVales , although not yet a Mason , like his brother-in-law the Prince of Prussia , Avould at no distant clay be enrolled among the Order .

Bro . Lord DE TABLET , Prov . G . M . of Cheshire , gave "The Army and Navy . " Bro . Lord AETHTJB CLINTOS responded for the navy in most able and seamanlike terms . Colonel BOAVVEE acknowledged the compliment for the army . The succeeding toast ivas thafc of " The Earl of Zetland and the other Officers of the Grand Lodge , " Avhich Avas replied to by the Acting Grand Master .

Colonel BOAATTEE then said : I call upon you to fill bumpers , and I am sure Avhen I mention to you the toast is " The Health of your Provincial Grand Master the Duke of NeAveasfcle , " you Avill drink the toast in that cordial manner which , it deserves . I consider myself very fortunate in being able to bo present today , and also in having the toast entrusted to me ; for I am proud to say that your Provincial Grand Master is a novitiate of my province , Oxford . I saiv him initiated , and I can say , from the services he has rendered in my Grand Lodge , that he has proved himself a most accomplished Mason . You have now a grand centre of the province of Masonry round ivhich von

may rally , and assist your Grand Master in shedding fresh lustre on the principles of our Order . This toast having been most warmly received , Bi'o . the Duke of NEWCASTLE , in response , said : From the bottom of my heart I thank you , not only for the cordial and generous reception you have given me this evening , but for your kindness in promoting me into that hih office into which I

g have this day been installed . I told my friends at Retford , when ifc was first suggested that I should be your Grand Master , that I AVOUICI rather nofc undertake it , not from any desire to shirk from its duties and responsibilities , but because I felt quite unequal to the task of taking the place of those AVIIO formerly so ivell and Avorthily occupied the Grand Master ' s chair . AVitb this hesitationhoweverthere came a conviction

, , that I should be performing an ungrateful act if I refused the urgent request that AVSS made to me . Therefore I at once replied in the affirmative ; it being my determination to do my duty in that high office to the Craft in general , Avhilst I shall rely upon you to supply any deficiencies or shortcomings . There are many people now a days , I regret to state , AVIIO taunt us about being a secret society , and Avith having evil secrets . It

is therefore our bounden duty fco show to fchem by our outward actions that there never Avas a baser libel upon us . _ Our secrets are founded upon the purest principles of religion . They Avere entrusted to Masons of old , who handed them doivn until the present time , and ifc will be our duty to hand them down to those who follow us . It was with deep regret that I read in the newspapers the umvarrantable attack made upon us bfche Pope of Romean attack as distasteful as ifc ivas maligant ,

y , and which conveyed us back to the dark ages of superstition . This attack breathes a spirit of hatred aud oppression towards us ; Avhile our doctrine is love , forbearance and charity . I ivas mufih pleased Avith the reply of the Freemasons of Antiverp to his Holiness , ivhen they said thafc Masonry Avas above all religions , inasmuch as they Avere willing to concur in anything thafc Avould make men better . A society founded on such

principles deserved not those senseless attacks , but ought to merit the highest respect and confidence of fche people at large . In conclusion , I thank you most kindly . I shall do all I can to serve even the humblest member of the Craft , and I hope that Avhen I go down to the grave it may be said of me , " He was respected by all , he was regretted as a benefactor , and he ivas beloved as a friend "

Bro . BANKS gave " The Provincial Grand Master and Officersfrom other Provinces , " which Avas responded to by Bro . Colonel Bowyer . Bro . Lord AUTHAJB CLINTON gave "The Health of Bro-Percy , D . Prov . G . M . of Nottinghamshire , " of whom he spoke in highly eulogistic terms . In the evening the brethren attended the theatre , whieh they had engaged for the benefit of certain local charities . Under

their patronage there was one of the most fashionable audiences thafc have ever honoured the performances . Nearly every seat was occupied , the Craft mustering in great force , and in full Masonic costume . Bro . his Grace the Duke of Newcastle , ivhose breast was covered Avith the orders of his high office , was conducted with much ceremony to what is called the Royal box . Miss Bernhardt spoke fche prologue , which had been

written by Bro . Walter Montgomery . The opening piece was the lively comedietta , "Court Favour , " in ivhich Miss Clara Den vii appeared as Lucy ; and her graceful impersonation ivas most favourably received . Bro . Walter Montgomery was the David Broimi . The Christmas pantomime of " The House that Jack Built" succeeded . On AVednesday afternoon , the TOfch inst ., the brethren conferred upon the newly-installed Prov . G . M . and his brother the

degree of the Rose Croix . The ball , which took place at the assembly rooms in the evening , closed the festivities , ivhich will long be remembered in the province . The corporation testified their friendship towards the Craffc by draping the windows of tho ball-room with lace . In various parts , also , were displayed Masonic banners . The Prov . G . M . opened the ball with Mrs . Percy , wife of the Acting D . Prov . G . M . Dancing was kept up till the morning ivas advanced .

AVALES ( WESTERN DIVISION ) . ABEEYSTWITH . — -AberystmithLodge (& o . lQ 7-2 ) . —Themembers of this lodge met at the Belle Vue Royal Hotel , Aberystivith , on Thursday , fche 11 th inst . ; present Bros . J . D . Perrott , AV . M . 651 and 1072 ; J . Jones , S . W . ; G . T . Smith , J . W . ; Jesse Baker , S . D . pro tern . ; Alexander Monteith , S . P ) . protein . ; J . Vaughan ,