The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-11-01
Prince Leopold and the Lodge of Antiquity.

On the 25th of June. his Royal Highness
Prince Leopold was formally installed Master OF
the Lodge OF Antiquity, at London. The cere-
mony was performed by Colonel Stuart, the
Senior Past Master and Chancellor. Among the
brethren present were the Deputy-Master, DIR.
Hope the Immediate Past Master and Chaplain,
the Rev. Adolphus Woodford Mr.. f. Parker
Deacon, Senior Warden Mr.. T. Greetham,
Junior Warden MIR. E.. jackson Barron, Secre-
tary MI. j. Samson PIERCE, Master of the Cere-
monies and Steward Mr.. E. A. Pontifex,
Senior Deacon, Captain Twynan, Junior Dea-
con and Mr.. E. Letchworth. Inner Guard.
The past masters form a large portion of this
small and select lodge, and those among them
who took part in the ceremony, in addition to
such as fill some of the offices already named,
were DR.. Wharton Hood. Mr.. W. Fraser Rae,
MIR. C. A. Swinburne, Mr.. r. A. Holmes, Pro-
fessor Erasmus Wilson, and Mr.. f. A. Philbrick,
Q. G. The only guest present was the Hon. A.
Yorke, in attendance on Prince Leopold. What
rendered the ceremony the more noteworthy was
that the Prince now succeeds to the chair which
was occupied from the year 1909 to 1913 by his
great uncle, the Duke Of Sussex. who instituted
a Royal medal, which is worn by members of the
lodge in COMMUNICATION of his mastership. The
actual medal which the duke himself wore was
presented to Prince Leopold during the ceremony
of installation. The lodge is remarkable for be-
ing The oldest English lodge in the craft, il not
the Oldest authenticated lodge in the world. Ii
possesses many rare and curious Masonic relics.
AhO uIdlICl - = ulSul WI ttut Cm HiOyCQ Oy
Charles ii. to lay the oundation-stOne of St.
Paul's Cathedral, and was presented to the lodge
by its then master-Slr Christopher Wren. This
mallet is made out OF a piece of wood OF the
cathedral which stood where the present one now
stands. A piece of stone dug out when the
foundations were laid, and belonging to the
Roman temple which preceded the Christian
Church, is another curiosity which the lodge
obtained from Sir Christopher Wren. Some of
the lodge furniture in exquisite taste was design
Cd md 1900. - -
The trowels used by the Duke of Sussex to lay
the foundation-stoDes of Hammersmith Bridge
and the Caledonian Asylum are also the property
of this lodge. After the ceremony OF installation,
Prince Leopold presided at a banquet, where the
usual loyal Masonic toasts were duly given and
honored. He expressed his satisfaction at pre-
siding over a lodge with which he was SO tho
roughly in sympathy, and specially compliment
ed one of the members, Professor Erasmus Will
son. for his truly Masonic and generous conduct
IN being the means of bringing Cleopatra's
Needle to adorn the Thames Embankment.
The Times Of the 9th June, referring to the
above election observes that. however well found
ed the doubts may be as to the right of Free
masons to claim an ancient origin for their order,
it is indisputable that the Order itself is widely
dlfused over the earth, and wields an extended
power. In dealing with the pretensions of Ma
sorry 1T is necessary indeed, to pass Judgement in
the dark. The general public cannot Tepose full
confidence IN a secret society, whether, like that
OF the freemasons, Its objects are the practice OF
charity and the recognition OF the personal equal
iy and mutual dependence of mankind, or,
whether, like that of the Jesuits, its aims are the
advancement of the Church of Rome. Perhaps
if the Freemasons and the Jesuits disclosed their
secrets, they would lose little that was worth
keeping, and the world would acquire little that
was worth having. So far as has been shown, the
five or six million Freemasons who inhabit the
earth have not deserved the denunciations which
the head of the Roman Catholic Church has often
levelled against them. Those persons who have
seen the palatial establishments for education of
the sons and daughters of Freemasons and the
asylums for the old and destitute which are MAIN
tanned by English Freemasons, cannot doubt that
the order amply %justifes its existence in this coun-
try.-Enghsh paper.