It continued to flourish for several years after he went to London; but the government of the lodge having fallen into the hands of brethren not so well skilled in the latin language, the latin has been disused, and the advantages which might have arisen from it to students, have been lost.

On the 9th March, 1786, his royal highness, prince William Henry, was initiated into the secrets of masonry, and his brother the prince of Wales, followed his example 6th February, 1787, and on the 21st November, the duke of York, likewise, became a member of the fraternity. In February, 1790, prince Edward, now duke of Kent, was initiated in the union lodge, at Geneva, and the prince Augustus Frederick, was made a mason at Berlin. the 24th of November, of the same year, royal highness the prince of Wales was elected to the important office of grand master, (which office was vacant by the death of his uncle, the duke of Cumberland), and appointed lord Rawdon, now the earl of Moira, his deputy.

On

his

Indisposition had prevented the prince of Wales from attending at the meeting, when he ought to have been installed; his deputy, however, supplied his place. But at the next grand festival in the year 1792, he was inducted into his office with the usual solemnities. "His highness," says Preston, "performed the duties of his office in a style superior to most of his predecessors; his expression

was fluent, manly, and pertinent; and his eulogium on his deceased uncle, the duke of Cumberland, last grand master, pathetic, graceful, and eloquent."

In the year 1793, the late king of Sweden was initiated into the order, in the grand lodge of Stockholm, under the auspices of the duke of Sudermania, who presided as grand master on the occasion.

At the grand lodge held 10th April, 1799, a letter was presented by the Swedish minister, the baron de Silverhjelm from the grand lodge of Sweden, expressing a desire to form an intimate, sincere and permanent tie between the national grand lodge of Sweden, and that of England, &c.

The letter being read, it was resolved unanimously, that the grand master be requested to return an answer on the part of the society, to the duke of Sudermania grand master of Sweden, expressive of every sentiment correspondent to the warm and brotherly address received.

At the next grand lodge, 8th May 1799, the earl of Moira being in the chair, reported, that his royal highness the grand master had, on the part of the body, returned an answer to the duke of Sudermania, of which I shall only transcribe a part.

"It was with the truest satisfaction,most worshipful and most enlightened brother, that I received the letter, in which you express your desire to see an intimate connexion establish

D

ed between the worthy and regular masons of Sweden, and those of England. The high opinion, that I have of your character, and the fraternal esteem, which is the consequence of it, add greatly to the pleasure, I feel on your being on this occasion the voice of your brethren. A reciprocal sentiment has long disposed these two brave nations to admire each other; but this admiration, however generous, is barren. It is, therefore, to be wished, that it should be improved by a close relation between the members of a craft, the existence of which, in each of the countries, is founded on benificence to mankind."

Having thus traced the progress of masonry in Europe, from its early dawn to the present period, I proceed to give some account of its introduction into the British provinces, on this side of the Atlantic, now denominated the United States of America.

CHAPTER II.

Of the Commencement and History of Masonry in America.

FREE-MASONRY although of a date more ancient than can be easily traced, was not established in America till the year A.L. 5733, when in consequence of several brethren re

siding in New England, who were free and accepted masons, having presented a petition to the right honourable lord Montague, grand master in England, dated 30th April, 5733, he was pleased to appoint the right worshipful Henry Price, grand master of New England.

Upon the receipt of this commission, he brethren assembled and constituted themselves into a grand lodge, in Boston, to which they gave the appellation of "St. John's Grand Lodge,"* and the right worshipful Andrew Belcher was installed as deputy grand master.

A petition was then presented by several brethren in Boston, praying to be constituted into a regular lodge. Whereupon, resolved, that the prayer of the said petition be granted, † and this may be considered as the foundation of masonry in North America.

The anniversary of St. John the Baptist was celebrated June 24th, 5734, when a petition being presented from Benjamin Franklin and several other brethren residing in Philadelphia, for a constitution to hold a lodge there, the grand master having in this year received orders from the grand lodge of England, to establish masonry in all parts of North America, granted the prayer of the petitioners, and appointed the worshipful Benja

* Sometimes called "the grand lodge of modern masons."

This lodge is styled "the first lodge in Boston," or "St. John's lodge."

min Franklin* their first master. At the same time, a warrant was granted to a number of brethren for holding a lodge at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

In the year 5738, the right worshipful the grand master, went to England by the way of Antigua, where finding some old Boston masons, he formed them into a lodge, giving them a charter of incorporation, and initiated the governor and several gentlemen of distinc tion into the society. This was the origin of masonry in the West Indies.

It would be very little interesting to my readers, were I to transcribe the application of sundry brethren for charters in different places. I shall, therefore, deem it sufficient to say, that from this grand lodge originated the first lodges in Massachusetts, Rhode Is land, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, New-York, North Carolina, Maryland, Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, the West Indies, Surinam, and very probably some other places, which have not been transmitted on record.

A number of brethren, who had travelled, and been initiated into the mystery of the craft in ancient lodges abroad, became emulous to cultivate the art in this western world.

* This celebrated statesman and philosopher, whose services were so pre-eminent in affecting the liberty of his country, and whose writings were no less celebrated throughout Europe than in America, died in Philadelphia, 5790, Æt. 84.