Knights Templar.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

DEVONSHIRE . PLYMOUTH . —Loyal Brunswick Encampment . —An emcrgency convocafcion of the above encampment was held in the Freemasons ' Chapter Room , St . George ' s Hall , on Wednesday , the 13 th February , 1 SG 1—present , the following Sir Knts ., Dowse , Triscott , Edmonds , Lord Graves , P . odd , Mackay , Merryfield , Mills , Thomas , and Blight . —The encampment was opened in due form at half-past three o ' clock , p . m ., when the following Royal Arch Companions ,

George J . Gilbard , of Chapter No . 137 , Irish Register ; Frederick AVm . Dabb , of Chapter 1-1-2 , English Register ; and J . Coleman AATlls , of Chapter 352 , English Register , having been accepted by "ballot , and signed the required declaration , were introduced in ancient form ancl duly installed Sir Knts . of the Royal , Exalted , Religious , and Military Order of Masonic Knights Templar . The ceremony being over , the encampment was closed in solemn form , with prayerat six o'clockwhen the Sir Knts . adjourned to a

, , banquet given in honour of their Em . Com . The usual loyal and Masonic toasts having been given , the Em . Com . elect , Sir Knt . Lord Graves , proposed the healthof their Em . Com ., Sir Knt . Dowse , which his lordship prefaced by a few remarks on the services which Sir Knt . Dowse had rendered to the Order of Knights Templar in this neighbourhood , by resuscitating the . Loyal Brunswick Encampment , after its being in abeyance for better than eight years , an bringing it to its present prosperous state . —Sir Knt . Dowse , in

returning thanks for the cordial manner in which his health was received , gave a succinct statement of the Loyal Brunswick Encampment since its revival in September , 1857 , and expressed his sincere hope , now that it had surmounted those difficulties whicli , for a time , had retarded its progress , that it would long prosperously continue to diffuse the Christian principles of Freemasonry throughout the brethren of the AVest of England . The Sir Knts . retired at an early hour , well pleased with the few hours of social converse they enjoyed .

OXFORDSHIRE . OXFORD . —Encampment of Coeur de Lion . —The ordinary meeting was held at the Masonic Hall , on the 12 th Feb ., when , in obedience -to the directions of the Grand Conclave , the encampment and its members appeared in mourning . The E . C , Sir Knt . the Rev . R . AV . Norman , G . St . B ., presided , supported by Sir . Knt . Comp-Spiers , Past Capt . Sir George M . Grant , Bart ., Reg . ; Sir . Knt . Comp . SeversG . ; H . Sir . Knt . the Rev . C . M . StleG . D . of C ;

, y , aud others . Comp . Neaves , of Balliol College , son of Lord Neaves , of Edinburgh , was installed a Knt . Comp . The election for the ensuing year took place , when Sir . Knt . Rainsford ( W . M . of the Alfred Lodge ) was unanimously chosen Em . Com ., and Sir Kufc . Comp . Spiers , Treas . The banquet was attended by sixteen Knts ., and it was announced that the annual festival would be held on Tuesday , May the 28 th .

Ancient And Accepted Rite.

ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE .

AA ' OOLWICH . —In-iiicla Chapter [ of Sovereign , Princes Hose Croix . —A convocation of the above chapter took place at the Masonic Hall , AVoolwich , on the 15 th inst . Tbe Excellent and Perfect Princes present were the IU . Bro . Carter , M / W . S . ; Col . Clerk , Prelate ; Figg , 1 st General ; AV . Smith , 2 nd General ; Fuirley , Grand Marshall ; Cockcraffc , Raphael ; Schwartzkoif , Captain of Lines ; Matthew Cooke , Organist ; and the Ex . Prince Stuart ; ancl several others . The business ofthe evening consisted in perfecting the

following brethren , viz ., Dr . Normanby , Trcherne , Hewitt , Pulman , andO'Donovan , LL . D . The ceremony was effectively performed , and impressed each of the new members with a due sense of its beauty and perfection . The hall was a subject of universal remark amongst those who had been there for the first time ; its appointments being perfect , ancl the association being all that the most ardent admirers of Masonry could wish . After the ceremony , the brethren adjourned to the Freemasons' Tavernwhere the members partook

, of their usual frugal repast . On the cloth being removed , the M . W . S . gave " The Health ofthe Members of the Supreme Grand Council of the 33 ° , " whicli was drunk with the accustomed honours . —The Prelate , Colonel Clerk , said it was his pleasing duty , for the first time , to propose " The Health of the M . W . S ., " who was able in his capacity , amiable in conduct , and under whose auspices the chapter ivould be sure to flourish . — The M . AV . S . rose to return thanks for the kind manner in

very which their estimable prelate had proposed bis health . He had in all he undertook endeavoured to do his best , and the Invicta Chapter would not be an exception to the rule . The AV . M ' . S . said it gave him great pleasure to propose "The Health of their newly perfected Brethren , " and he hoped thev had been pleased ; the more they saw of it , he felt sure the more thev would like it , and

Ancient And Accepted Rite.

pronounce ifc the most beautiful in Masonry . He was not so deeply read in the privileges of the Order as his predecessors , and called upon Dr . Hinxman and Colonel Clerk , to afford the information he covtkl not undertake . —The two 111 . Bros , alluded to explained much of the principles of . the degree which cannot appear in print . Dr . Normanby in reply said , he considered what he had seen as an extension of the wide principles of Masonry . He thought it was meant to singularise a more religions and binding

union without being sacerdotaI , ; 'if he might so term it . He thought it was a closer ! tying together the brotherhood in acts of charity , but more particularly amongst Christians , or an eclecticism of a choice people . In England , Masonry had but little to do , because the country was free ; but in despotic states few could imagine tho value of finding a brother , and if liberty was ever to sink , he hoped its principles would ' ever be cherished in Masonry . He prided himself to see many faces he did not expectand hoped to find

, many friends among them . Bro . Pulman said , years might elapse before he had again the pleasure of meeting them . He had come from Constantinople , where he was Master of a loclge , ancl by the advice of Bro . Hyde Clarke he had presented himself for installation in the Invicta Chapter ; and although an entire stranger to them , they had very kindly received him on the recommendation of Bro . Hyde Clarke . —Bro . Hewitt felt much pleasure in the instruction

he had received that evening . His first essay in . Masonry was made out of curiosity , as he then believed the Craft to be only a scheme for people making themselves jolly and ridiculous , but now he knew better , ancl that evening had been one of his greatest Masonic treats . The Ex . and Perf . Bro . Traherne , who had come from New Zealand , had great pleasure in stating how much he appreciated the honour they had done him ; and for their information he could tell them that no one could calculate the value of

Masonry to all whose lot might be cast in New Zealand or Australia . Dr . O'Donovan returned his personal thanks for the honour they had done him , in making him a Prince Mason . —The M . W . S . said he had to propose the health of one -much beloved hy the chapter who ; although he was in a distant country , was both a well-skilled Mason , and one who had done good service to the Craft in the East . He alluded to Bro . Hyde Clarke , AV . M . of the Homer Lodge at Smyrna , who had sent them a very excellent

Bro ., the new Prince Bro . Pulman , to be installed there ; and it was a considerable honour that so eminent a Bro . as Hyde Clarke , known in almost every quarter of the globe , should have recommended a brother to the Invicta Chapter , in preference to any other . —The Ex . and Perf . Bro . Pulman , on again rising on behalf of Bro . Hyde Clarke , could hut thank them for entertaining such an opinion of his labours in a good cause , and which he , Bro . Pulman , could heartily endorse . —The M . AV . S . said it was usual to

propose the fourth estate in all public meetings , and they had their ' s in the Masonic Press . THE FUEEJIASONS' MAGAZINE was a good exponent of the Craft , and they had one who held an office in their Chapter of great importance , thafc of Organist . He was not only useful in the chapter , but had given two interesting lectures on music in behalf of the hall fund . He should therefore couple with the FREEMASONS MAGAZINE the name of the 111 . Prince Bro . M . Cooke . Bro . Cooke replied in a few words . —Bro . Cool-craft bore witness to

the value of the MAGAZINE , as conveying a mass of intelligence not often found amongst Masons . —Bro . Hewitt had been six years a Mason , but had never heard of THE MAGAZINE until that night , but should , from the testimony borne to its utility , anxiously look for its future appearance . Tbe sovereign princes then drew near the tire , ancl the evening " was passed in a manner that seems peculiar to the Invicta Chapter of Rose Croix Masons .

West Indies

WEST INDIES

SAINT CiiRiSTornnn's . —On Sunday , Dec . 30 fch , tho occasion of sermon being preached , ancl a collection made , in our parish church in behalf of "The British Syrian Relief Fund , " there was a Masonie procession from the Mount Olive Lodge to church . The A'enerably Archdeacon Poore—himself a " Brother Mason "—preached a ver ' y cloquent and impressive sermon on Gal . vi . 10 , "As we have therefore opportunity , let us do good unto all men , especially unto them who are of the household of faith . " In his exordium ,

the preacher observed , with reference to the results of the fearful massacre— " It has produced an amount of distress and destitution which call for aid from all who profess to be Christians , from all who deserve to he called lirothei-Masons , brethren of the Mystic tie—in other words , from every one of this large congregation . " In establishing the claims of the unfortunate suffers on the Christian sympathy and liberality of his hearers , he remarked " The persons on whoso behalf your charitable contributions are requested are styled , in a circular addressed to me 'Our fellow Christians in Syria . ' In a paper which accompanied that circular they are called