St. Edmond's the King, Lombard-street, rebuilt in 1674. St. George, Botolph-lane, 1674. St. James, Garlick-hill, 1683. St. James, Westminster, 1675. St. Lawrence Jewry, Cateaton-street, 1677. St. Magnus, London-bridge, 1676; and the steeple in 1705. St. Margaret Pattens, Little Tower-street, 1687. St. Martin's, Ludgate, 1684. St. Mary Abchurch, Abchurch-lane, 1686. St. Mary's at hill, St. Mary's-hill, 1672. St. Mary Magdalen, Old Fish-street, 1685. St. Mary Somerset, Queenhithe, Thames-street, 1683. Sr. Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside, 1683. This church was built on the wall of a very ancient one in the early time of the Roman colony; the roof is arched, and supported with ten Corinthian columns; but the principal ornament is the steeple, which is deemed an admirable piece of architecture, not to be paralleled by that of any other parochial church. It rises from the ground a square tower, plain at bottom, and is carried up to a considerable height in this shape, but with more ornament as it advances. The principal decoration of the lower part is the door-case; a lofty, noble arch, faced with a bold and well-wrought rustic, raised on a plain solid course from the foundation. Within the arch, is a portal of the Doric order, with well-proportioned columns; the frieze is ornamented with triglyphs, and with sculpture in the metopes. There are some other slight ornaments in this part, which is terminated by an elegant cornice, over which rises a plain course, from which the dial projects. Above this, in each face, there is an arched window, with Ionic pilasters at the sides. The entablature of the order is well wrought it has the swelling frieze, and supports on the cornice an elegant balustrade, with Attic pillars over Ionic columns. These sustain elegant scrolls, on which are placed urns with flames, and from this part the steeple rises circular. There is a plain course to the height of half the scrolls, and upon this is raised an elegant circular series of Corinthian columns. These support a second balustrade with scrolls; and above there is placed another series of columns of the Composite order; while, from the entablature, rises a set of scrolls supporting the spire, which is placed on balls, and terminated by a globe, on which is fixed a vane. St. Mary Woolnoth's, Lombard-street, repaired in 1677. St. Matthew, Friday-street, 1685. St. Michael, Basinghall-street, 1679. St. Michael Royal, College-hill, 1694. St. Michael, Queenhithe, Trinity-lane, 1677. St. Michael, Wood-street, 1675. St. Michael, Crooked-lane, 1688. St. Michael, Cornhill, 1672. St. Mildred, Bread-street, 1683. St. Nicholas, Cole-abbey, Old Fish-street, 1677. St. Peter's, Cornhill, 1681. St. Sepulchre's, Snow-hill, 1670. St. Stephen's, Coleman-street, 1676. St. Stephen's, Walbrook, behind the Mansion-house, 1676. Many encomiums have been bestowed on this church for its interior beauties. The dome is finely proportioned to the church, and divided into small compartments, decorated with great elegance, and crowned with a lantern: the roof is also divided into compartments, and supported by noble Corinthian columns raised on their pedestals. This church has three aisles and a cross aisle, is 75 feet long, 36 broad, 34 high, and 58 to the lantern. It is famous all over Europe, and justly reputed the master-piece of Sir Christopher Wren. There is not a beauty of which the plan would admit, that is not to be found here, in its greatest perfection. St. Swithin's, Cannon-street, 1673. St. Vedast, Foster-lane, 1697. While these churches, and other public buildings, were going forward under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, King Charles did not confine his improvements to England alone, but commanded Sir William Bruce, bart., Grand Master of Scotland, to rebuild the palace of Holyrood House, at Edinburgh, which was accordingly executed by that architect in the best Augustan style. During the prosecution of the great works above described, the private business of the Society was not neglected; Lodges were held at different places, and many new ones constituted, to which the best architects resorted. In 1674, the Earl of Rivers resigned the office of Grand Master, and was succeeded by George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. He left the care of the Brethren to his wardens, and Sir Christopher Wren, who still continued to act as deputy. In 1679, the duke resigned in favour of Henry Ben net, Earl of Arlington. Though this nobleman was too deeply engaged in state affairs to attend to the duties of Masonry, the Lodges continued to meet regularly under his sanction, and many respectable gentlemen joined the Fraternity. On the death of the king, in 1685, James II. succeeded to the throne, during whose reign the Fraternity were much neglected. The Earl of Arlington dying this year, the Lodges met in communication, and elected Sir Christopher Wren Grand Master, who appointed Mr. Gabriel Cibber and Mr. Edward Strong his wardens. Masonry continued in a declining state for many years, and a few Lodges only occasionally met in different places. At the Revolution, the Society was so much reduced in the south of England, that no more than seven regular Lodges met in London and its suburbs, of which two only were worthy of notice; the old Lodge of St. Paul's, over which Sir Christopher had presided during the building of that structure; and a Lodge at St. Thomas's Hospital, Southwark, over which Sir Robert Clayton, then Lord Mayor of London, presided during the rebuilding of that hospital.+ King William, having been privately initiated into Masonry in 1695, approved the choice of Sir Christopher Wren as Grand Master, and honoured the Lodges with his royal sanction, particularly one at Hampton Court, at which, it is said, his majesty frequently presided during the building of the new part of that palace. Kensington Pa • Both these gentlemen were members of the old Lodge of St. Paul with Sir Christopher Wren, and bore a principal share in all the improvements which took place after the fire of London; the latter, in particular, displayed his abilities in the cathedral of St. Paul. See the Book of Constitutions, 1738, p. 106, 107. lace was built during this reign, under the direction of Sir Christopher; as were also Chelsea Hospital, and the Palace of Greenwich, the latter of which had been recently converted into an hospital for seamen, and finished after the design of Inigo Jones. At a general assembly and feast of the Masons, in 1697, many noble and eminent brethren were present, and among the rest, Charles Duke of Richmond and Lenox, who was at that time Master of the Lodge at Chichester. His Grace was proposed and elected Grand Master for the following year; and having engaged Sir Christopher Wren to act as his deputy, he appointed Edward Strong, senior, and Edward Strong, junior, his wardens. His Grace continued in office only one year, and was succeeded by Sir Christopher, who continued at the head of the Fraternity till the death of the King in 1702. During the following reign, Masonry made no considerable progress. Sir Christopher's age and infirmities drawing off his attention from the duties of his office, the Lodges decreased, and the annual festivals were entirely neglected.* The old Lodge of St. Paul, and a few others, continued to meet regularly, but consisted of few members.† To increase their numbers, a proposition was made, and afterwards agreed to, THAT THE PRIVILEGES OF MASONRY SHOULD NO LONGER BE RESTRICTED TO OPERATIVE MASONS, BUT EXTEND TO MEN OF VARIOUS PROFESSIONS, PROVIDED THEY WERE REGULARLY APPROVED AND INITIATED INTO THE ORDER. In consequence of this resolution, many new regulations took place, and the Society once more rose into notice and esteem. Book of Constitutions, 1738, p. 108. + Ibid. SECT. VII History of the Revival of Masonry in the South of England. ON the accession of George I. the Masons in London and its environs, finding themselves deprived of Sir Christopher Wren, and their annual meetings discontinued, resolved to cement themselves under a new Grand Master, and to revive the communications and annual festivals of the Society. With this view, the Lodges at the Goose and Gridiron, in St. Paul's Church-yard-the Crown, in Parker's-lane, near Drury-lane-the Apple-tree Tavern, in Charles-street, Covent-garden, and the Rummer and Grapes Tavern, in Channel-row, Westminster, (the only four Lodges in being in the south of England at that time,) with some other old Brethren, met at the Appletree Tavern, above-mentioned, in February, 1717; and, having voted the oldest Master-mason then present into the chair, constituted themselves a Grand Lodge, pro tempore, in due form. At this meeting it was resolved to revive the Quarterly Communications of the Fraternity, and to hold the next annual assembly and feast on the 24th of June, at the Goose and Gridiron, in St. Paul's Church-yard (in compliment to the oldest Lodge, which then met there), for the purpose of electing a Grand Master among themselves, till they should have the honour of a noble brother at their head. Accordingly, on St. John the Baptist's day, 1717, in the third year of the reign of King George I., the assembly and feast were held at the said house; when the oldest Master-mason, and the Master of a Lodge having taken the chair, a list of proper candidates for the office of Grand Master was pro |