The Senior Deacon.

at the inner porch , whence , after salutation , he has been conducted to the East and presented to Ihe Worshipful Master before being invited to take his seat on the Master ' s right ; and we strongly commend that practice as evidencing a fuller appreciation of the courteous manners and Brotherly affection we are taught by our Ancient Charges to observe towards one another .

In a Lodge in which there is no regularly appointed Director or Master of Ceremonies , the functions of that office are , or should be , discharged by the Senior Deacon . It is essential that but one Officer , or at the most two , should be permitted to move about the Lodge during labor , in order that the regularity and peace , without

which there can be no perfect Masonic work , should be undisturbed . The Jewel of the Deacon ' s Office , a dove , is an emblem of that peace , and is characteristic of his duty and the orderly manner in which it should be discharged . It should also keep him constantly reminded that , as the Senior of the Assistant Officers ,

his influence should be used amongst the Brethren of his Lodge in particular , as well as in the Craft generally , to maintain peace , harmony , and unity , and to promote , without the intervention of either Master or Wardens , the settlement of any differences that may arise . J AMES STEVENS .

Robert Burns And Freemasonry.

ROBERT BURNS AND FREEMASONRY .

{ Repnnted from the " Scotsman . ) THERE is no period in Burns ' s life when the activity of his mind and body are more observable than the time he spent in the neighborhood of Tarbolton . That period embraced the years from 1777 , when William Burness , the poet ' s father , entered into the

occupancy of the farm of Lochlee , in Tarbolton parish , till 17 88 , when the poet removed to Ellisland , and fixed himself down to farming on his own account . The Kilmarnock edition ( 1786 ) and the Edinburgh edition ( 17 S 7 ) of his works were covered in the interval between his entrance into and removal from the district .

From his brother ' s remarks it can be gathered that there was no time when Burns showed more fully his enjoyment of life , and yet the period is fraught with incidents that might naturally have operated on his constitutional tendency towards melancholy . It was at Lochlee , on February 13 , 1784 , that his father died , after a

manful struggle against poverty and hardship . This in a double sense put an end to the lease of the farm of Lochlee , and it was then that the brothers Robert and Gilbert tried their fortunes at farming as a joint venture a few miles further south , at Mossgiel . It was during the residence of the family at Lochlee that Burns was sent for six months to further his education at Kirkoswald , and a couple of years afterwards he showed his interest

in intellectual pursuits by starting , along with his brother and one or two others similarly inclined , what was called the Tarbolton Bachelors' Club or Literary Society . This Literary Society has been resuscitated in recent years , under the auspices of the parish minister , and is carried on with much appearance of success . Very shortly after the formation of the Bachelors' Club , Burns was

initiated in Tarbolton as a Freemason , and it is more particularly with this latter connection that we wish to deal in this article . Fortunately , the minute-books of the Lodges exist now as they were in Burns ' s time , and an inspection of them affords much amusement as well as instruction . Burns became a Mason on July 4 , 1781 , when

the family had been about four years in the parish , and when he himself must have just started his unfortunate flax venture in Irvine , which morally did so much by its associations to damage the poet ' s character , and was so disastrous financially . His initiation took place in an old building then used as a public-house , and still

standing at the end of the village of Tarbolton , nearest the Willie ' s Mill of " Death and Dr . Hornbook . " The Lodge was named St . David ' s , but at the end of 17 S 1 , after he had been raised to the position of a Master Mason , Burns and some others left St . David ' s , and re-started St . James ' s Lodge , which for a time had been worked in combination with St . David's . It is in connection with the

Robert Burns And Freemasonry.

minutes and relics of St . James ' s that Burns figures prominently as a Mason , three of the minutes having been completely written by his own hand , and about thirty of them having been signed by him as Deputy Master . The minute-book of St . David's is private property , and was lent to the International Exhibition at Glasgow .

That of St . James ' s has always remained the property of the Lodge , despite the utmost exertions of various Burns Museum authorities . Neither persuasion nor money has ever succeeded in removing the property from its original owners , and its value is attested by a holograph certificate on the fly-leaf stating that it was re-bound by

Mr . M'Kie , the well-known Kilmarnock collector and publisher . Mr . M'Kie did this during a visit to Tarbolton in 1853 . The rules of St James ' s present some interesting features as indices to the custom prevailing during Burns ' s time . It is therein laid down that " at the third stroke of the Grand Master ' s hammer

strict silence shall be maintained under a penalty of twopence . " Every transgression of a rule seems to have been followed by penalties in the shape of fines and other modes of punishment . " Any speaker who shall deviate from the subject in debate has a like penalty inflicted upon him , and any Brother using another

affrontively shall be extruded . " More severe in its consequences is the " holding up of funds belonging to the Lodge by a Brother , " such a crime being visited by the exclusion of such Brother from the Lodge for ever .

"Whoever shall break a drinking-glass at any meeting shall be liable to the instant payment of sixpence sterling for it , and to the same sum for every other he may break before he leave tlie room or company . " Those not at meetings within an hour of the fixed time shall be fined twopence , but wellgrounded reasons " will excuse the transgressors ' from the penalty . It is also provided " that if any Brother be so unfortunate as to have disordered his senses by strong liquors , and thereby rendered himself incapable of

behaving decently , peaceably and kindly towards those around him ; such Brother coming to the Lodge in that condition to the disturbance and disgu-st of his Brethren shall be prudently ordered away to some place of safety in the meantime , and at tlie next meeting shall submit to such censure and admonition from the chair , and to such a fine inflicted by the Lodge on him as to them may appear proper to punish his crime , and to deter him from it jn all time coming .

This rule is admirably clear and full , so far as it goes , but riot a word is there in it about the punishment meted out to those unfortunate enough to disorder their senses during the course of a meeting . The ideal of the Lodge is a high one , as can be gathered from the following : —

" Whereas a Lodge always means a company of worthy men and circumspect , gathered together in order to promote charity , friendship , civility , and good neighbourhood ; it is enacted that no member of this Lodge shall speak slightingly , detractingly , or cahimniously of any of his Brethren behind their backs , so as to damage them in their professions or reputations , without any certain grounds ; "' and any member committing such an offence must humble himself by asking " on his knees the pardon of such or as his

person persons folly or malice hath aggrieved . " Obstinate refusal to comply with the finding of tlie Brethren assembled shall be met by expulsion " from the Lodge with every mark of ignominy and disgrace that is consistent with justice and Freemasonry . " These rules were all written on the formation of the Lodge , the

date of the first charter under Mother Kilwinning being Alay 17 , 1771 , and under Grand Lodge May 26 , 1774 , both of these original charters being still amongst the muniments of the Lodge . But the other rule was added under December 7 , 1785 , and signed , " Robt . Bums , D . M . "

That whoever stands as Master , shall be bound at the entry of a new member for that member ' s dues , if the money is not paid , or security such as the Lodge shall approve of given . Other minutes refer to orders for drinking glasses , confirming what may be inferred from some of the rules above quoted , that the meetings were to a great extent of a convivial nature . A good deal

of attention seems to have been given to the financial affairs of the Lodge , frequent mention being [ met with in the records regarding " arrears , " and some curious features are disclosed . Thus we learn that Bro . Hugh Wilson , Monkton , being considerably behind with his quarter accounts , it was agreed by the Lodge that the } ' should

be liquidated to two shillings , which he paid , and was admitted a member . Referring to the same general subject , it is noted " that no Brother that is behind with his quarterly accounts shall have any vote at their meetings , nor be allowed to wear the Lodge ' s aprons . " " John Hall having been dunceted for his entire money ,