Mr. ANTONY SAYER Gentleman, Grand Master of Mafons, who being forthwith in-Capt. Jofeph Elliot, ? Grand veited with the Badges Mr. Jacob Lamball, Carpenter, SWardens. of Office and Power by the faid oldest Mafter, and inftall'd, was duly congratulated by the Affembly who pay'd him the Homage. SAYER Grand Mafter commanded N. B. It is call'd the Quarterly the Mafters and Wardens of Lodges to Communication, because it should meet the Grand Officers every Quarter meet Quarterly according to anin Communication, tient Ulage. And * at the Place that When the Grand Mafter is prehe should appoint in his Summons fent fent it is a Lodge in Ample Form; by the Tyler. otherwife, only in Due Form, yet ASSEMBLY and Feast at the having the fame Authority with faid Place 24 June 1718. Ample Form. Brother Sayer having gather'd the Votes, after Dinner pro claim'd aloud our Brother GEORGE PAYNE Efq; Grand Mafter of Mafons who being duly invefted, Mr. John Cordwell, City Carpenter, Grand inftall'd, congra-2 Mr. Thomas Morrice, Stone Cutter, Wardens. tulated and homaged, recommended the strict Obfervance of the Quarterly Communication; and defired any Brethren to bring to the Grand Lodge any old Writings and Records concerning Mafons and Mafonry in order to fhew the Ufages of antient Times: And this Year feveral old Copies of the Gothic Conftitu tions were produced and collated. ASSEMBLY and Feast at the faid Place, 24 June 1719. Brother Payne having gather'd the Votes, after Dinner proclaim'd aloud our Reverend Brother JOHN THEOPHILUS DESAGULIERS, L.L.D. and F.R.S. Grand Master of Mafons, and be- Mr. Antony Sayer forefaid, 2 Grand ing duly invefted, inftall'd, Mr. Tho. Morrice forefaid, SWardens. congratulated and homaged, forthwith reviv'd the old regular and peculiar Toafts or Healths of the Free Mafons. Now feveral old Brothers, that had neglected the Craft, vifited the Lodges; fome Noblemen were alfo made Brothers, and more new Lodges were conftituted. ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY and Feast at the forefaid Place 24 June 1720. Brother Defaguliers having gather'd the Votes, after Dinner proclaim'd aloud GEORGE PAYNE Efq; again Grand Master of Mafons; who being duly invefted, Mr.Thomas Hobby, Stone-Cutter, Grand inftall'd, congratu-Mr. Rich. Ware, Mathematician, Wardens. lated and homag'd, began the ufual Demonstrations of Joy, Love and Harmony. This Year, at fome private Lodges, feveral very valuable Ma nuscripts (for they had nothing yet in Print) concerning the Fraternity, their Lodges, Regulations, Charges, Secrets, and Ufages (particularly one writ by Mr. Nicholas Stone the Warden of Inigo Jones) were too haftily burnt by fome fcrupulous Brothers that those Papers might not fall into ftrange Hands. At the Quarterly Communication or Grand Lodge, in ample Form, on St. John Evangelift's Day 1720. at the faid Place It was agreed, in order to avoid Difputes on the Annual FeastDay, that the new Grand Mafter for the future fhall be named: and proposed to the Grand Lodge fome time before the Feast, by the prefent or old Grand Mafter; and if approv'd, that the Brother propofed, if prefent, fhall be kindly faluted; or even if abfent, his Health fhall be toafted as Grand Master Elect. Álfo agreed, that for the future the New Grand Mafter, as foon as he is inftall'd, fhall have the fole Power of appointing both his Grand Wardens and a Deputy Grand Master (now found as neceffary as formerly) according to antient Cuftom, when Noble Brothers were Grand Mafters. Accordingly, At the Grand Lodge in ample Form on Lady-Day 1721. ar the faid Place Grand Mafter PAYNE propofed for his Succeffor our moft Noble Brother JOHN Duke of MONTAGU, Master of a Lodge; who being prefent, was forthwith faluted Grand Mafter Elect, and his Health drank in due Form; when they all exprefs'd great Joy at the happy Profpect of being again patronized by noble Grand Mafters,, as in the profperous Times of Free Mafonry.. PAYNE PAYNE Grand Mafter obferving the Number of Lodges to encreafe, and that the General Aembly requir'd more Room, propofed the next Affembly and Feast to be held at Stationers-Hall Ludgate-freet; which was agreed to. Then the Grand Wardens were order'd, as ufual, to prepare the Feaft, and to take fome Stewards to their Affiftance, Brothers of Ability and Capacity, and to appoint fome Brethren to attend the Tables; for that no Strangers must be there. But the Grand Officers not finding a proper Number of Stewards, our, Brother Mr. Jofiah Willeneau, Upholder in the Burrough Southwark, generously undertook the whole himself, attended by fome Waiters, Thomas Morrice, Francis Bailey, &c. CHA P. IV. From Grand Mafter the Duke of MONTAGU to Grand Mafter RICHMOND. A SSEMBLY and Feast at Stationers-Hall, 24 June 1721. PAYNE Grand Mafter with his Wardens, the former Grand Officers, and the Masters and Wardens of 12 Lodges, met the Grand Master Elect in a Grand Lodge at the King's-Arms Tavern St. Paul's Church-yard, in the Morning; and having forthwith recognized their Choice of Brother MONTAGU, they made fome new Brothers, particularly the noble PHILIP Lord Stanhope, now Earl of Chesterfield: And from thence they marched on Foot to the Hall in proper Clothing and due Form; where they were joyfully receiv'd by about 150 true and faithful, all clothed. After Grace faid, they fat down in the antient Manner of Masons to a very elegant Feaft, and dined with Joy and Glad-. nefs. After Dinner and Grace faid, Brother Brother PAYNE the old Grand Mafter madefSee the Form of it at the first Proceffion round the Hall, and when re-Richmond, Page 117. turn'd, he proclaim'd aloud the most noble Prince and our Brother. 1. JOHN MONTAGU Duke of Montagu GRAND MASTER of Mafons! and Brother Payne having invefted his Grace's WORSHIP with the Enfigns and Badges of his Office and Authority, install'd him in Solomon's Chair and fat down on his Right Hand; while the Affembly own'd the Duke's Authority with due Homage and joyful Congratulations, upon this Revival of the Profperity of Masonry. MONTAGU G. Mafter, immediately call'd forth (without naming him before) as it were carelefly, John Beal, M. D. as his Deputy Grand Mafter, whom Brother Payne invested, and inftall'd him in Hiram Abbiff's Chair on the Grand Master's Left Hand. In like Manner his Worships Mr. Jofiah Villeneau Grand call'd forth and appointed, 2 Mr. Thomas Morrice SWardens. who were invested and install'd by the laft Grand Wardens. Upon which the Deputy and Wardens were faluted and congratulated as ufual. Then MONTAGU G. Mafter, with his Officers and the old Officers, having made the 2d Proceffion round the Hall, Brother Defaguliers made an eloquent Öration about Mafons and Mafonry And after Great Harmony, the Effect of brotherly Love, the Grand Mafter thank'd Brother Villeneau for his Care of the Feaft, and order'd him as Warden to close the Lodge in good Time. -The Gland Lodge in ample Form on 29 Sept. 1721. at King's-Arms forefaid, with the former Grand Officers and those of 16 Lodges. His Grace's Worship and the Lodge finding Fault with all the Copies of the old Gothic Conftitutions, order'd Brother James AnderJon, A. M. to digeft the fame in a new and better Method. -The Grand Lodge in ample Form on St. JOHN's Day 27 Dec. 1721. at the faid King's Arms, with former Grand Officers and thofe of 20 Lodges. MONTAGU MONTAGU Grand Mafter, at the Defire of the Lodge, appointed 14 learned Brothers to examine Brother Anderfon's Manufcript, and to make Report. This Communication was made very entertaining by the Lectures of fome old Mafons. Grand Lodge at the Fountain Strand, in ample Form 25 March 1722. with former Grand Officers and thofe of 24 Lodges.. The faid Committee of 14 reported that they had perused Brother Anderfon's Manufcript, viz. the Hiftory, Charges, Regulations and Master's Song, and after fome Amendments had approv'd of it: Upon which the Lodge defir'd the Grand Mafter to order it to be printed. Mean while Ingenious Men of all Faculties and Stations being convinced that the Cement of the Lodge was Love and Friendship, earnestly requested to be made Mafons, affecting this amicable Fraternity more than other Societies then often difturbed by warm Disputes. Grand Mafter MONTAGU's good Government inclin'd the better Sort to continue him in the Chair another Year; and therefore they delay'd to prepare the Feast. But Philip Duke of Wharton lately made a Brother, tho' not the Master of a Lodge, being ambitious of the Chair, got a Number of Others to meet him at Stationers-Hall 24 June 1722. and having no Grand Officers, they put in the Chair the oldest Mafter Mafon (who was not the prefent Mafter of a Lodge, alfo irregular) and without the ufual decent Ceremonials, the faid old Mafon proclaim'd aloud Philip Wharton Duke of Wharton Grand Mafter of Mafons, and Mr. Joshua Timfon, Blacksmith, Grand but his Grace apMr. William Hawkins, Mafon, SWardens. Spointed no Deputy, nor was the Lodge opened and closed, in due Form. Therefore the noble Brothers and all thofe that would not countenance Irregularities, difown'd Wharton's Authority, till worthy Brother MONTAGU heal'd the Breach of Harmony, by fummoning -The Grand Lodge to meet 17 January 172. at the King'sArms forefaid,, where the Duke of Wharton promifing to be True and Faithful, Deputy Grand Mafter Beal proclaim'd aloud the moft noble Prince and our Brother. II. PHILIP |