commiseration of Brethren uninterested in the dispute. They issued another appeal to the Lodges, in which they condemn the Brethren who had been reinstated on petition, in no measured language; and declare that they wish it to be perfectly understood that they shall not petition to be reinstated; nor shall they be satisfied with reinstatement, unless a full and impartial inquiry be made into the abuses and innovations of which they have complained.'

Petitions for readmission continued still to be received and attended to by the Grand Lodge, for the door of forgiveness was not finally closed until the month of March, 1823, when at the Quarterly Communication, held on the 5th of that month, the Grand Lodge declared that every possible opportunity had been afforded for the offending Brethren to reconsider and make atonement for their past misconduct; but instead of profiting by the indulgence thus granted, they this day transmitted a statement replete with additional insult to the Grand Lodge and other masonic authorities; whereupon, on a motion duly made and seconded, it was resolved unanimously, that the said Brethren be for ever expelled from masonry; and thus twenty-six individuals, who remained refractory, were finally and for ever excluded from any participation in the business of the Craft.

The agitation which these events produced did not easily subside. The leaven continued to work; and those who refused to submit to the authoritative mandate of the Grand Lodge, or to conciliate by a respectful submission, resolved once more to have recourse to the old system of menace; and in September, 1823, the Sea Captain's Lodge at Liverpool, No. 140, having transmitted to the Grand Lodge, at its last meeting, a paper dated 29th May, 1823, and signed by John Thompson,

it

W. M., Peter Bainbridge, S. W., Thomas Read, J. W., and Thomas Berry, Sec., in which paper was declared to be the fixed resolution of the said Lodge to separate itself from the Grand Lodge, unless the warrant of the late Lodge No. 31, at Liverpool, should be reinstated, and the privileges of the twenty-six individuals who had been expelled from the Craft were restored; and it appearing that three of the individuals who had signed the said paper, were amongst those who had been so expelled, and the fourth was not registered as a member of the Lodge, it had been ordered, that the Lodge No. 140, should be summoned to shew cause at this meeting why its warrant should not be declared forfeited, and the Lodge erased, for continuing or admitting as members, individuals who had been expelled from masonry, and for transmitting or sanctioning the said paper. And as no communication could be held with the expelled members, it was intimated to the Lodge that its only admissible representatives would be the regular Past Masters and Past Wardens. And it was ordered, that Thomas Read, who signed the above paper as Junior Warden without being registered as a member of the Lodge, should be summoned to shew cause why he should not be expelled from masonry for having affixed his signature to the paper in question. The parties thus summoned not having appeared to answer to the complaint, it was ordered that the warrant of the Sea Captains' Lodge at Liverpool, No. 140, be, and the same is hereby declared forfeited, for violating the laws of the Craft, and for contumacy, and that the Lodge be accordingly erased from the list of Lodges; and that the said Thomas Read, so signing himself as J. W. of the Lodge No. 140, although not registered as a member thereof, be henceforth disqualified from acting as a Mason, or from being recognized or received as such in any Lodge whatever.'

This prompt example was completely efficacious, and from hence we hear no more of opposition or intemperate resistance to the decrees of the Grand Lodge.

SECT. XIX.

History of Freemasonry from 1823 to 1829.

IN the year 1823, the installation of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, as Master of the Prince of Wales's Lodge, was performed; and was attended by some circumstances which may be interesting to the Craft. The warrant of constitution had been granted to this Lodge in the year 1787, by his Royal Highness the late Duke of Cumberland, at the instance of his present Majesty, then Prince of Wales. In this warrant, Sir Samuel Hulse, the Honourable Colonel Stanhope, and the late Lord Lake, were nominated as the Master and Wardens; but in the year 1792, their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Clarence were appointed to the latter offices, which they continued to hold till his Majesty's accession in 1820.

The following Memorial was shortly afterwards presented to his Majesty, who was graciously pleased to accede to the prayer of it, in terms as flattering to the Lodge as they were characteristic of that accomplished urbanity so peculiarly possessed by the revered sovereign of these realms:

WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Acting Master, Wardens, and Brethren of the Prince of Wales's Lodge, humbly entreat permission to approach your Majesty with the expression of our affectionate attachment to your Majesty's person. Unwilling to break in upon your Majesty's privacy during the first period of your happy accession to the Throne of these realms, we have hitherto refrained from presenting this our humble Petition.

For many years past it has been the highest honour of which our Lodge can boast, and, at the same time, its greatest pride, to recognise your Majesty as its patron and protector, in the character of Master of the Lodge.

In making this our earnest solicitation, that the same high patronage may be continued to us, we trust we are not acting incompatibly with our respectful duty to a beloved Sovereign, or presuming too much upon that condescending benignity, which has hitherto been so graciously manifested towards us.

We further bumbly petition, that the Lodge may be permitted to retain the jewel so long worn by its members, as their most honourable and distinctive badge, and be empowered to present it to all future members of the Lodge; or if your Majesty should be pleased to make any alteration berein, we shall bow with dutiful submission to the royal will: and, under every circumstance, feel the deepest sense of gratitude, veneration, and affection, for past acts of kindness and beneficence. As your Majesty has long possessed the love and confidence of the Society of Freemasons, so may you, Sire, continue to live in the hearts of all men; from no class, however, can this prayer be offered up to the Great Architect of the Universe with more fervour and sincerity, than from those individuals who have the high honour to be members of the Prince of Wales's Lodge.

(Signed, &c.)

The first duty of the Lodge being thus performed, and happily sanctioned by the gracious reception which this Memorial had the good fortune to meet with; the attention of the Brethren was next directed to the Royal Senior Warden, the Duke of York, whose support, under existing circumstances, would so effectually preserve and perpetuate the proud connection which had so long existed between the Lodge and its Royal Founder. The following letter was therefore transmitted to his Royal Highness by Lord Dundas, the Master:—

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS,

We, the undersigned, the Acting Master, Wardens, and Brethren of the Prince of Wales's Lodge, baving, for many years, been honoured with the name of your Royal Highness as Senior Warden, together with that of his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, as Junior Warden of the Lodge. by the especial appointment of his present Majesty when Prince of Wales, most respectfully beg leave to represent, that the Lodge has, upon a recent Memorial presented to the King, received the proud distinction of his Majesty's gracious

permission to act under the royal patronage; it being, however, incompatible with the dignity of the Throne that the Lodge should continue to recognise his Majesty as its Master, with great humility we crave permission to tender this office to your Royal Highness's acceptance.

Should we be fortunate enough to obtain your Royal Highness's assent to this our respectful solicitation, we shall indeed feel ourselves most highly honoured; and we can only add, that it will be an additional stimulus to our exertions, in promoting the welfare, respectability, and prosperity of a Lodge, which is already deeply sensible of the lustre it has acquired by having their beloved Sovereign for its immediate patron.

With every sentiment of respect and dutiful attachment, we have the honour to subscribe ourselves,

Your Royal Highness's

Most devoted and obedient humble Servants,

(Signed, &c.)

His Royal Highness, with the greatest kindness and condescension, acceded to the request of the Brethren; and the preliminary measures being completed, the installation of the Master Elect took place on Saturday March 22, 1823, at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's Street. His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex performed the ceremony, and conducted the whole proceedings with the greatest masonic dignity. When the new Master had been installed, and had received the customary salutations, he appointed and invested his Deputy Master, Wardens, and other Officers; after which the warrant, the book of constitutions, the Bible, square and compasses, the by-laws, and the working tools, were presented by different Brethren, accompanied by appropriate addresses. The former were presented by Sir Frederick Fowke, P. S. G. W. the Deputy Master, with the following address:

I have peculiar pleasure in presenting to your Royal Highness a document of equal interest to you, Sir, and to ourselves. It is the Warrant of Constitution of the Prince of Wales's Lodge, which was granted by your Royal Highness's uncle, the late Duke of Cumberland, as Grand Master, at the instance of his present Majesty, then Prince of Wales.