"Ancients") adorn the headings of very old Lodge Minutes, sometimes also superadorned by the "Seal of King Solomon"! It also came to pass. that a certain mode of "work" became known as "the York Rite," and this anomaly remains with us to this day!

In 1756, Dermott published the first edition of his Book of Constitutions, called "Ahiman Rezon; or, a Help to a Brother." This, with various alterations, was a copy of Dr. Anderson's 1738 edition of the Constitutions of the premier Grand Lodge, and contained some of the defects of the latter, and not all of the unsurpassed excellences of the original edition of 1723! Dermott published three succeeding editions, in 1764, 1778 and 1787. These books were very popular with the Craft at home and abroad. They had a large sale, which must have been very remunerative to the compiler. In 1785, he generously gave up his property in the Ahiman Rezon to the "Grand Charity," for which act he was specially thanked by the Grand Lodge. After his decease, four other editions were published, in 1800, 1801, 1807 and 1813.

In some editions of the Ahiman Rezon, Dermott was unstinted in his ridicule and denunciation of the "Modern Masons" and the "Modern" Grand Lodge!

A very unhappy spirit was often manifested by both parties to this "family quarrel." It permeated the Craft almost everywhere. The then state of affairs may be best understood from a perusal of a few of the resolutions passed by these Grand Bodies and others.

On June 1, 1774, Grand Secretary Dickey, of the "Ancients." having reported that several Lodges assembled under an authority from a set of gentlemen called "Modern" Masons, it was resolved: "If any Lodge under the ancient constitution of England, from the time hereafter mentioned, viz: Europe, six months; Asia, two years; Africa and America, twelve months,—to be computed from the 24th day of June, 1774, that shall have in their possession any authority from the Grand Lodge of Moderns; or in any manner assemble or meet under such authority, shall be deemed unworthy of associating with the members of the Ancient community; and the Warrant they hold under this Right Worshipful Grand Lodge shail be immediately cancelled: compleat notice of which, the Grand Secretary shall give to all Warranted Lodges under the Ancient Sanction."

It was further "Resolved, that all Ancient Masons of Repute, under the sanction of the Moderns, that may be inclined to obtain an authority from this Right Worshipful Grand Lodge, shall, by applying at any time before the 24th June, 1776, be warranted, and the expense of such Warrant to be charged only as a renewal."

"April 7, 1777, an extraordinary Grand Lodge of the Moderns' was held, consisting of the Grand Officers, the Master, Wardens, and assistants of the Stewards' Lodge, and the Masters of seventyfive private Lodges. The Grand Secretary informed the Brethren that the object of the meeting was to take into consideration a report from the Hall Committee, concerning the proper means of discouraging the irregular assemblies of persons calling themselves Ancient Masons, etc.'" The Report being read, it was resolved: "That the persons who

assemble in London and elsewhere in the character of Masons, calling themselves "Ancient Masons" by virtue of an authority from a pretended Grand Lodge in England, and at present said to be under the patronage of the Duke of Atholl, are not to be countenanced or acknowledged as Masons by any regular Lodge, or Mason, under the Constitution of England; nor shall any regular Mason be present at any of their Conventions, to give sanction to their Proceedings, under a Penalty of forfeiting the Privileges of the Society; neither shall any Person initiated at these irregular meetings be admitted into any Lodge without being re-made, and paying the usual Making Fees."

The second Resolution made exceptions in favor of "Masons made in Scotland or Ireland under the Constitutions of either of these Kingdoms; and of those made abroad under the Patronage of any foreign Grand Lodge in Alliance with the Grand Lodge of England."

1791-1798. As illustrating the state of affairs between the "Ancients " and "Moderns," on this continent, during the latter part of the last century, the following are cited :-In 1798, the Grand Lodge of Virginia, U.S., "Resolved,— That if any member of a Lodge under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge shall visit or work in any Lodge of Masons, commonly called Modern Masons, or in any Lodge of Masons not working agreeably to the ancient usages of York Masons, he shall be reprimanded by the Lodge to which he belongs; and if he should afterwards be guilty of a similar offence, he shall be expelled from the Lodge, and be excluded from the benefits of Masonry."

The following extract from the Minutes of Albion Lodge, No. 2 Q.R., about two years after the arrival in Quebec from Woolwich, England, of the 4th Battalion of Royal Artillery, to which Regiment the Lodge was then attached, will clearly indicate the condition of "Ancient" and "Modern " Masonic matters in the Province of Quebec about the same time :-" Nov. 9, 1792, a Brother McCarthy, formerly a member of the Merchants Lodge, No. 1, under the Modern Sanction of Canada, was healed from Modern to Ancient Masonry." In the Minutes of Lodge, No. 241, city of Quebec, of date "June 13, 1791," it is recorded that Mr. Cuthbert Grant, Mr. Wm. Lindsay, Jr., and Mr. Wm. McNider were, on prayer, healed from Modern to Ancient Masonry, they having been members of the Merchants Lodge, No. 1, at Quebec, under the Modern Sanction. An able American writer in speaking of the "Grand Lodge of the Ancients" at Quebec, 1794, under Prince Edward, says: "The feud between the Ancients' and' Moderns' was then at its height." Fraternal correspondence and an intimate union, nevertheless, existed between the" Ancient" Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland, each deeming the other to be "Ancient Masons."

It may also have been that the title "Grand Master of Masons" (of all Masons?), given to the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England; and the fact that Anderson, in the English Book of Constitutions, had with seeming disparagement spoken of the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scot

land "as affecting independence!" had something to do with the want of whole-hearted cordiality towards the premier Grand Lodge at London; and in determining the various causes of these and similar unhappy outcomes, there are also to be taken into consideration the repellant effects of the prevalence and oftentimes irritating manifestations amongst many in South Britain in those days, of notions in part pointedly expressed in the following extract from Bro: R. F. Gould:-" Neither the English writer nor the English reader, it has been observed with some justice,' can keep clear from the egotistical tendency to look upon England as the central point of the whole system of events in this wide world!"

"Ancients."-The " Ancient " Grand Lodge was governed by a "Grand Committee" during the first two years of its existence, 1751-53; and amongst its ten Grand Masters were two, the Earls of Blessington and Antrim, who had been Grand Masters of Ireland; and two, the 3d and 4th Dukes of Atholl, had been Grand Masters of Scotland. Hence the "Ancients" were often called "Atholl Masons," and for a similar reason the "Moderns" were frequently styled-" Prince of Wales Masons"! The last Grand Master of the "Ancients was H. R. H. Prince Edward, who had been created Duke of Kent in 1799, and who had been Provincial Grand Master of the "Ancients" at Quebec till his election as Grand Master of the "Ancients " at London, Nov. 8, 1813. His Installation took place on the 1st day of Dec. following, and hence " Quebeckers" recall with pride the fact that their Provincial Grand Master for the preceding twenty years became their Grand Master from the latter date till the "blessed union"! on Dec. 27, 1813.

After an existence of about sixty-three years, the Grand Lodge of the "Ancients" closed its career as a separate Grand Body, with 344 Lodges on its Registry and having, as in Lower Canada and elsewhere, many other Lodges of its institution which had never been registered in England; and others also, as in the United States, which had become of local Grand Lodge obedience. To this day, the "boast" of many of these Lodges is: "Our fathers were, and we are, 'Ancient York Masons'!"

Of the 344 Lodges on the Registry of the "Ancients" in 1813, 260 only in the "Union List" of 1814! Upwards of "four score appear " did not respond to the "roll-call"!

Grand Masters of the Ancients, 1751-1813.- 1751-53, a "Grand Committee "; 1753-55, Robert Turner; 1755-56, Hon. Edward Vaughan; 1756-60, the Earl of Blessington, G: M: of Ireland, 1738-39; 1760-66, Thomas, Earl of Kelly; 1766-70, Hon. Thos., Mathew, Prov. G: M: of Munster; 1771-74, John, 3d Duke of Atholl, G: M: of Scotland, 1773; 1775-81, John, 4th Duke of Atholl, G: M: of Scotland, 1778-79; 1782, William Dickey, D: G: M: presiding; 1783-91, Randall, Earl of Antrim, G: M: of Ireland, 1773-79; 1791-1813, John, 4th Duke of Atholl; 1813, H. R. H. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Prov. G: M: Lower Canada, 17921813!

1813. "The United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England.”—The spirit of alienation could not exist always. Dermott and others in antagonism had passed away. Brethren of unusual influence, of marked ability, and deeply imbued with the genuine spirit of the Fraternity, held the highest offices in both Grand Bodies. The Craft, everywhere, longed for "union;" and, as pointed out more fully hereinafter, few did more to aid in bringing it about than the Brethren in far-off Quebec !

H. R. H. the Duke of Kent, the Grand Master of the "Ancients; his Royal brother, H. R. H. the Duke of Sussex, the Grand Master of the Moderns;" and many other good Brethren of either part, desirous above all things to secure harmony and union, conferred, made mutual concessions, and so harmoniously and effectively co-operated, that a basis previously agreed upon by them was unanimously accepted, ratified, and confirmed by the assembled Brethren of both Grand Lodges, on "St. John the Evangelist's Day (the ancient Winter Solstitial Festival), Dec. 27, 1813.

H. R. H. the Duke of Kent thereupon stated that as the great end he had in view in taking upon himself the office of Grand Master of the "Ancients" had been happily consummated, he therefore proposed His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex to be the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons for the ensuing year. This proposal was unanimously ratified amidst great rejoicings. The Duke of Sussex continued in the Grand Master's chair for 29 years!

Prior to the Union, the Duke of Sussex was re-made from "Modern" to "Ancient" Masonry. In the "Articles of Union," he is styled "Grand Master of the Society of Free and Accepted Masons under the constitution of England;" and the Duke of Kent is denominated "Grand Master of Masons of England, according to the Old Institutions."

In Article II," It is declared and pronounced that pure Ancient Masonry consists of three degrees, and no more, viz., those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and the Master Mason, including the Holy Royal Arch. But this Article is not intended to prevent any Lodge or Chapter from holding a meeting in any of the degrees of the Orders of Chivalry, according to the Constitutions of the said Orders."

This Article is remarkable chiefly because of its non-recognition of the "Mark Degree ;" and the concession to "Lodges, or Chapters" to hold meetings in Christian and other Orders of Chivalry! The practical outcome, however, has been that in England, the "Mark" and the "Orders of Chivalry" are under separate Grand Governance; and the "Royal Arch" is regulated by Chapters (attached to Lodges), which are governed by a Grand Chapter whose principal officers, if Royal Arch Masons, are those holding the corresponding offices in Grand Lodge.

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Article VI declares the "stile and title" of the Grand Incorporated Lodge to be "the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England!' Of the 568 Lodges on the Registry of the "Moderns" in 1813, 388 only, 128 more than of the "Ancients," found a place upon the "United List” of the following year!

And to-day, 175 years since the formation of the premier "Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England,” 79 years since the establishment of the "United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England" called since 1816 the United Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of England," and still pre-eminent in the munificence of her benefac tions, and having, along with the other Grand Lodges of Great Britain and Ireland, been largely instrumental in introducing Freemasonry throughout the four quarters of the globe, and after so many of the Lodges thus established by her having with others, constitutionally taken upon themselves the duties and responsibilities of Independent Local Grand Governance, she numbers to-day upon her Grand Registry some two thousand Lodges, under the Illustrious Grand Mastership of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales; and the earnest prayer of every Brother throughout the world is: Esto perpetua.

Grand Masters, 1813-92.-1813-42, H. R. H. the Duke of Sussex; 1843-70, the Earl of Zetland; 1870-74, Earl de Grey and Ripon; 187492, H. R. H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.

Pro Grand Masters.-1834-38, Lawrence, Lord Dundas; 1839 40, John George, First Earl of Durham; 1841-43, Thomas, Second Earl of Zetland: 1874-90, Henry Howard Molyneux, Earl of Carnarvon; 1891-92, the Earl of Lathrom.

1892. The present Grand Secretary is Edward Letchworth.

Re-numberings of the Lodges under the United Grand Lodge took place in 1813, 1832, and in 1863. Its Lodges have generally been known both by names and numbers.

1717-1892. Expansion.-At the present day, Freemasonry, with its allied orders, is most fully organized in the following countries, namely:— The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the United States of America; the Colonies, and other Dependencies of the British Crown; in Germany, France, Norway and Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland Belgium, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Roumania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Argentine Republic, the United States of Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Hayti, San Domingo, PortoRico, Liberia, etc., etc., etc.