Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No 114, Ipswich. A.D. 1762.

be said to be the founder of Kni g ht lemplarism in Ipswich . In May , 1810 , a Mr . Christian Anchor , a Norwegian , received the three degrees at one time , and at the following Lodge a visitor from the Angel Lodge , Colchester ( a A'ery prosperous and influential Lodge

now ) , was noted as being present . At the St . Jolm ' s Festival , in June , a note was received from the Lodge of Perfect Friendship , giving our Lodge an invitation to join theirs in a clay ' s excursion upon the water . No record is made as to whether

they went , but we can fancy no pleasanter or more Masonic Avay of spending a day than on the beautiful Orwell , and we recommend our Suffolk , and particularly our Ipswich brethren to try a repetition of Avhat must haA'e been a very agreeable al fresco entertainment sixty odd years ago .

Under date Sep . 4 th ., 1810 , we find the folioAving Minute : " It Avas also unaiiiraously agreed that our Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master for this county , Sir William Middleton , Bart ., should be presented with his Grand Warrantnow

, in possession of Bro . Robert King , the W . M . of this Lodge , and his bdl of quarterages due lo this Lodge , the earliest opportunity . " Perhaps Sir William was like the Luke of SussexAvhoby the way , became in

, , 1812 Grand Master of the Kni ghts Templar . A story is told of him that he Avas very willing to put his name down to head a subscription list for £ 100 , but that he could never be got to pay . On one occasion

an unusually plucky secretary of some charity to whom he had given his name in the usual way ventured to ask H . R . H , to pay the amount he had so graciously promised . The Duke looked at him Avith blank amazement .

"What , " said he ? " kill the goose that lays the golden eggs . Never !" And the secretary found , as many had found before , that the Duke ' s word > vas his bond in a sense new to the readers of Shakespeare . Possibly Sir Wm . may have thought with the Royal Duke that the

brethren ought to be cpiite satisfied with his name , and that it Avas all nonsense to expect subscriptions from so august a personage . That this was so is evidenced by the

Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No 114, Ipswich. A.D. 1762.

Minutes of the Lodge in Deer ., where it is recorded that the W . M . did present Sir Wm . Middleton with his bill of quarterage , " which said bill Sir William did not think himself bound to discharge . '' Noblesse oblige . We note that the By-laAVs were revised

this night . At the celebration of St . John ' s Festival , in Deer ., 1810 , Ave find the Lod ge adjourned for dinner at 4 o ' clock , and returned to the Lodge Room at 5 , Avhen the Lodge did not close till 10 . A note is

made at the end of the proceedings : "Received a letter from the Perfect Friendship Lodge , signifying they had honoured us in open Lodge in the usual manner , which compliment was returned in like form and their letter ansAvered . "

It is pleasant to note this little interchange of courtesies betAveen the two Lodges , and one cannot but regret that the old Lodge of Perfect Friendship is now alas no more . It has , however , a worthy successor in its namesake , Avhich we see by

the Cosmopolitan Calendar was founded in 1824 , and whicli is one of the most prosperous and well conducted Lodges in Suffolk , possessing several both bright and learned Masons to carry on the grand traditions of the Craft and to rule Avorthily

each in his turn over a body of men AVIIO zealously uphold the principles of our Order . ( To le Continued . )

Sonnet.

SONNET .

BY BRO . REV . M . GORDON . ( For the "Masonic Magazine . ") SPEAK load , ye tossing woods—thou sounding sea

, And stormy heav ' ns—ye thunders as ye start From cliff to cliff , while lig htnings point your dart ; Speak loud—thy voice , 0 vain humanity ,