Monthly Masonic Summary.

Monthly Masonic Summary .

SINCE our last Month ' s Summary , we have to deplore the death of the Duke of Leinster , G . M . of Irish Freemasonry . He had ruled over the Craft for sixtyone years , we believe , with

unprecedented harmony and success . The geniality of his temperament and the courtesy of his manner made him many friends , and few rulers have deserved so well of the Order for his consistent

kindness and toleration . The Irish Grand Lodge has elected as his successor the present popular Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , the Duke of Abereorn . It is a most wise and

opportune choice , as few persons , either hy position or ability , by a kindly disposition , and by a pleasant presence , are more likely to uphold the dignity of the Irish Grand Lodge , or to

maintain its true interests , than our noble brother . Indeed , we do not know where the Irish Freemasons could have found a more fitting occupant of the Grand Master ' s chair than in so distinguished

a statesman , and so popular a nobleman . We wish him and the Irish Grand Lod ge all prosperity , We trust , too , that with a new regime , and with a new year , the Irish Grand Lod ge will relax a little of its strictness

as regards publication , which , as it is now maintained , passes often into the ridiculous . The Irish Grand Lodge will not allow or grant any authorised record of

its proceedings ; and yet most minute reports appear in the Dublin non-Masonic journals , so that our contemporary , the freemason , is actually compelled to borrow from a non-Masonic

paper the report of the Irish Grand Lodge proceedings , which it is not permitted officially to receive or procure . We will hope for better things . At home we hear , on all sides of us , of new lodges , and fresh applications for lodges .

Abroad we notice the same amount of material progress . And yet there never was a time in the memory of this generation of Freemasons when our Order was so much

attacked as it is just now , both at home and abroad . We are told , top , that the Archbishop , if not Cardinal Manning , is about to issue another attack on Freemasonry

in the " Contemporary " for December , so that we shall look forward with some little interest to what our latest and not least distinguished antagonist may say of us . That it will not be

flattering we may fairly expect ; that it will be effective we do not believe . Free-L