The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-25 00:00:00

DORSETSHIRE.

• POOLE•—A Prov. Grand Lodge for this County was held
on Friday, the 12th instant, at the Town Hall, of Poole, by
Writ.' Williams, Esq. 31. P., the IL W. Prov. Grand Master.
—Being the birthAay of our host gracious Sovereign, the
Grand Patron of the Order, the morning was ushered in with
the ringing of bells, and every other demonstration of joy usual
on suds occasions. The Prov. Grand Lodge was opened at
10 o'clock, and after the various Lodges had been arranged
under their respective banners, they formed In procession, and,
preceded by the town band of Poole, walked to Church in the
following order, viz..:—
Two Tylers.
Visiting Brethren.
LODGES FROM HAMPSHIRE.
New Forest Lodge,
• Lymington.
Lodge of Hengist,
Christchurch.
Lodge of Unity,
Ringwood.
LODGES OF THE PROVINCE.
Lodge of Benevolence,
Sherborne.
Lodge of Honour and Friendship,
Blandford.
Lodge of Friendship and Sincerity,
Shaftesbury.
Dunsovarian Lodge,
Dorchester.
Royal George Lodge,
Bridport.
All Soul's Lodge,
Weymouth,
Lodge of Amity,
Poole.
PROV. GRAND OFFICERS FROM HAMPSHIRE.
Prov. Grand Sword Bearer,
Br. Ilebberd.
Prov. Grand Secretary,
Br. Bower.
Prov. Junior Grand Warden,
Br. Parr.
Dep. Prov. Grated Master,
Br. R. S. Atcheson.
PROV. GRAND LODGE.OF DORSETSIIIRE.
Prov. Grand Tyler.
Prov. Grand Standard Bearer.
Prov. Jun. Grand Deacon.
Prov. Sen. Grand Deacon.

p-
-1 Rev. Br. Mr. O. Prov. Grand Chaplain, Prov.GrantlCha
lain for Smiler-
Bartlett. The Rev. Br. Brice. setshize.

I'rov. Jun. Grand Warden,
. l'rov. Sen. Grand Warden,
Br. Parr.
Dep. Prov. G. M.
Br. Elliott.
Banner of the Prey. Grand Master.
Prov. Grand Sword Bearer.
I'rov. Grand Master,
William Williams, Esq. M.P.
Prov. Grand Stewaids.

Upon arriving at the Church, the procession halted, -and the
brethren thrmed in two lines, through which the Pray. G. M.
and his Officers passed into the Church, followed by the seve-
ral Lodges in inverted order. The fineness of the weather had
attracted a vast concourse of spectators, and the Church was
crowded to excess, though from the judicious arrangements of
the Prov. Grand Officers, assisted by the Members of the Poole
Lodge, not the slightest inconvenience either from the heat
or pressure was felt. Divine
.service was read in a very im-
pressive manner by the Ito,. Brother W. 0. Bartlett, of
Lytchett ; and a most excellent and suitable sermon was
preached by the Rev. Brother 0. I'. Brice, Pm. Grand
Chaplain, from Romans xii. 10, 11: " Be kindly affection-
ed one to another with brotherly love, in honour prefer-
ring one another; not slothful in business, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord." The gentlemen of the amateur private
concerts had kindly volunteered their services on this occasion :
and, aided by the eminent musical abilities of Br. Baker, of
Christchurch, anti several Ladies and Gentlemen of the town and
neighbourhood, produced a treat for the lovers of harmony,
which has seldom been equalled on a similar occasion. The
following selection of sacred music was admirably executed, both
the instrumental and vocal departments being well sustained
by all the ,performers :—Overture, Handel ; Full Piece, Han-
del ; Te Deum, King; Grand Jubilate Chant, Jones; Ode,
" Almighty Sire, our heavenly King," Calcott ; Anthem,
" Let there be light, the Almighty spoke," Mozart; Halle-
lujah Chorus, Handel; and Coronation Anthem, Handel.
After the service, the Brethren forrned in the same order and
returned to the Town Hall, where the business of Masonry
was resumed, and the Prov. Grand Master delivered a most
eloquent anti forcible address to the Brethren, remarking. on
the prosperity of the Society, nod drawing their attention to
several occurrences in the past year, highly gratifying to the
Members and important to the Order. Ile then appointed his
Prov. Grand • Officers for the ensuing year, viz.:—
Prov. Sen. Grand Warden - Br. Warry ofSherborne.
Prov. Jun. Grand Warden - Br. Nicholetts of Bridport.
Prov. Grand Chaplain - Br. the Pelt. G. T. Brice.
Prov. Grand Treasurer - Br. Bower of \Veymout':.
Prov. Sen. Grand Deacon - Br. James of Blandford.

Prov. Jun. Grand Deacon - Br. Laurence of Weymouth.
Resolutions of thanks were passed to the Prov. Grand Chap-
lain for his admirable discourse, accompanied with every ex-
pression of fraternal respect and esteem for the Reverend Bro-
ther Brice, who has filled that office five•and-twenty years ;—to
the Rev. W. O. Bartlett, for his assistance in reading the Church
Service—to the Corporation for the use of the Town Hall—and
to the Musical Gentlemen and Brethren whO had contributed
so much to the effect of the Meeting, by their admirable per-
formance in the Church.
After the other duties of the Craft were gone through, the
Lodge was closed, and the Brethren adjourned to the Antelope
Hotel, where they partook of an excellent dinner provided by
Brother Vie.

After the cloth was removed, the health of his Majesty,
George IV., the Grand Patron of the Order, was drank with
enthusiasm, as was also that of his Royal Highness the Duke
ofSussex, the M. W. Grand Master; his Royal Highness the
Duke of York, and the other Members of the Royal Family,
who are Masons.
The health of the R. W. Prov. Grand Master was then pro-
posed by Br. ELLIOTT, the Dep. Prov. G.lll. in a short
but energetic address, in which he adverted to the unwearied
zeal and ability with which the Prov. G. M. devoted himself
to every subject connected with the welfare and prosperity of
Masonry in his province.
The R. W. Prov. Grand Master, in returning thanks, assured
them that he received the compliment which they had paid
him with feelings of unaffected pleasure, and that it was to him
the source of the highest gratification to meet them year after
year, and to witness the cordiality and truly Masonic spirit
which pervaded the Lodges under his superintendance, which
he did not hesitate to say held forth a bright example to the
fraternity in the surrounding counties, and excited in his mind
feelings of pride and umningled satisfaction, when he found
Brethren from those and other counties attending their Meet-
ings. He was sure that such visits were productive of mutual
advantage, as they p:omoted a friendly rivalry, at the same time
th th led to an acquaintance with each other, which was
highly desirable, and tended to preserve a knowledge of their
usages, and an uniformity of practice, with the importance of
whiTh they must all he duly impressed. Ile assured them,
end whilst he perceived the same zeal and energy, and the
same desire to maintain the excellent-principles of the Order
pure and unsullied, which he hal observed during the fifteen
years he had filled the office of Grand Master of their Pro-
vince, he should omit nothing on his part which could contri-
bute to the welfare and bat interests of their Lodges, or which

could express the fraternal regard he entertained for them col-
lectively and individually.
The Pm.. Grand Master next gave " the memory of the
" late pep. Prov. Grand Master, Br. Parr." In proposing
this sentiment he observed, that though it might for the moment
call their minds from the conviviality and hilarity of the meet-
ing, he had no doubt it would be received with sincere and un-
affected demonstrations of respectful and affectionate attach-
ment. They all participated in his feelings of regret for the
-loss of theirlamented brother, and of obligation to him for his
unwearied, his gentlemanly, and his effective attention to the
duties of his office. If any man was entitled to the love and
esteem of his brethren, it was their departed friend, and he was
convinced that his memory would long be cherished amongst
them with reverence and gratitude.—" The Memory of Brother
Parr, the late Dep. Prov. Grand Master," was then drank in
the most respectful silence.
The Prov. Grand Master for Hampshire, Sir William Ch.
de Crespigny ; the Dep. Prbv. Grand Master, Br. Atcheson ;
and the Pray. Grand Officers by whom he was accompanied,
were next given, and drank with warm expressions of cordiality
and fraternal regard; for which Br. Atcheson returned thanks
for himself and the other Prov. Grand Officers.
The Prov. Grand Master then gave the health of the Dep.
Prov. G. M., Br. Elliott which was drank with great applause,
and Br. Elliott returned thanks in a speech expressive of his
gratitude for the flattering attention paid him by his brethren,
and his anxious desire to promote the welfare of Masonry, and
to execute the duties of his office to the satisfaction of die Prov.
Grand Master and of the brethren under his superintendence ;
difficult as he was sensible the task must be, whilst the zeal,
the abilities, and the exertions of their late Dep. Pros-. Grand
Master were fresh in the recollection of all of them.
" The Pro. Sen. and Jun. Grand Wardens," " the Prov.
Grand Chaplain," " the other Prov. Grand Officers," and
many other masonic toasts went round, and songs were sung,
during the evening; and the Brethren separated at an early
hour highly gratified, in having spent the day in that rational,
friendly, and brotherly manner, which in all times has distin-
guished our ancient and honourable society.
There is perhaps no part of England where the spirit of Ma-
sonry is preserved with greater zeal than in l)orsetshire, and it
is worthy of remark, that the majority of the Lodges meet in
Lodge Rooms of their own, dedicated solely to masonic purposes.
The number of Masons in this Province is not great, perhaps
not exceeding 200 subscribing Members of Lodges, but if they
are not numerous, they are highly respectable, and have long
ranked amongst the most able, zealous, and best informed
Members of the Craft. We think they have done wisely in
aiming at the attainment of masonic knowledge, rather than
an overwhelming increase of numbers. It has enabled them
to maintain a degree of respectability which has secured
the permanent prosperity of their Lodges, and obtained for
them marks of consideration, which must not only have
• been highly gratifying to them, but on many occasions
the source of great and unexpected advantage to their
Members. A circumstance is recorded in the Lodge of
Amity at Poole, which, whilst it proves the esteem in which
the Dorsetshire Masons are universally held, affords a pleasing
and interesting illustration of the influence of masonic senti-
ment.

In the winter of 1813, the brig Oak of Poole, Er. Stephen
Pack, Master, and belonging to Bra. Ledgard and John Gosse,
was captured on her passage from Bilboa to that port, by the
French privateer Junon, of St. Haloes, commanded by
Jacques de Bon, who, after treating the Master of his prize and
the crew with every mark of kindness and fraternal regard, ge-
nerously returned him his vessel, and sent on board a dog, which
had belonged to a mason, with a biscuit appended to his neck,
signifying thereby that he would not keep even a brother's dog
in bondage, nor suffer him to want bread. This biscuit was pre-
sented to the Lodge of Amity, and has been preserved by them
in a glass case, as a memorial of their gratitude and brotherly ai
fection for Jacques de Bon, in which we are sure every Mason
will heartily participate. Many similar instances of disinterested
generosity occurred during the late war, and in many instances
were the wants and sufferings of Masons alleviated by their
foreign brethren ; but we know not of any well attested case
where personal advantage has been sacrificed to such an extent
in favour of a Mason under the influence of the principles which
are inculcated in our Lodges, and we think it cannot fail
strongly to impress on the mind of the uninstructed world,
that our ceremonies and usages are not empty forms, but that,
under the veil ofour mysteries, there is something which teaches
ths Mason to extend his hand to the relief of his necessitous
brethren, and to feel in the approbation of his own mind and
.the gratitude of a brother—an ample reward.