M A S O N R Y. 
486 
fringed- The four old lodges, on their part, agreed to 
extend their patronage to every new lodge which thould 
hereafter be conftituted according to the new regulations 
of thefociety ; and, while they aCted in conformity to the 
ancient conftitutions of the order, to admit their mafters 
and wardens to thare with them all the privileges of the 
grand lodge, that of precedence only excepted. 
Matters being thus fettled, the members of the four 
old lodges confidered their attendance on the future com¬ 
munications of the fociety as unneceffary ; and therefore, 
like the other lodges, trufied implicitly to their mafters 
and wardens, fatisfied that no meafure of importance 
would be adopted without their approbation. It was, 
however, loon difcovered, that the new lodges, being 
equally reprefented with the old ones at the communica¬ 
tions, would at length fo far outnumber them, that by a 
majority they might fubvert the privileges of the original 
mafons of England, which had been centered in the four 
old lodges ; on which account, a Code of Laws was, 
with the confent of the brethren at large, drawn up for 
the future government of the fociety. To this the fol¬ 
lowing was annexed, binding the grand matter for the time 
being, his fucced'ors, and the matter of every lodge to be 
hereafter conftituted, to preferve it inviolably: “Every 
annual grand lodge has an inherent power and authority 
to make new regulations, or to alter thefe for the real 
benefit of this ancient fraternity ; provided always that 
the old land marks be carefully preferved ; that fuch altera¬ 
tions and new regulations be propofed and agreed to 
at the third quarterly communication preceding the an¬ 
nual grand feaft:; and that they be offered alfo to the pe- 
rufal of all the brethren before dinner, in writing, even of 
the youngeft apprentice; the approbation and confent of 
the majority of all the brethren prelent being abfolutely ne- 
ceffary to make the fame bindingand obligatory.” To com¬ 
memorate thiscircumllance, it was afterwards cuftomary for 
the mafter of the oldeft lodge to attend every grand in ftalla- 
tion ; and, taking precedence of allprefent, the grand maf¬ 
ter only excepted, to deliver the book of the original con- 
flitutions to the newly-inftalled grand matter, on his pro- 
mifing obedience to the ancient charges and general regu¬ 
lations. By an old record of the Lodge of Antiquity, it 
appears, fays Mr. Prefton, that the new Grand Mafter was 
propofed, and prefented for approbation, in that lodge, 
before his election in the Grand Lodge. By this precau¬ 
tion, the original conftitutions were eftablifhed as the 
balls of all fucceeding mafonic jurifdiftion in the fouth 
of England ; and the ancient land marks, as they are 
called, or the boundaries let up as checks againft inno¬ 
vation, were carefully fecured from the attacks of any fu¬ 
ture invaders. 
In 1720 the fraternity fuftained an irreparable lofs by 
the burning of feveral valuable manuferipts, concerning 
the lodges, regulations, charges, fecrets, &c. (particularly 
one written by Mr. Nicholas Stone, the warden under 
Inigo Jones.) This was done by fome fcrupulous bre¬ 
thren, who were alarmed at the intended publication of 
the mafonic conftitutions. 
Mafonry, however, continued to fpread in the north as 
well as the fouth of England. The General Affembly, 
or Grand Lodge at York, continued to meet as ufual. 
Several lodges met in 1705, under the direction of fir John 
Tempelt, bart. then grand mafter; and many perfons of 
worth and character were initiated into the mylteries of 
the fraternity. The g re ate ft harmony fubfifted between 
the two grand lodges; and private lodges were formed in 
both parts of the kingdom, under their feparate jurifdic- 
tio.n. The only diftinCtion which the grand lodge in the 
north appears to have retained is in the title of the Grand 
Lodge of all England-, while the other was only called the 
Grand Lodge of England. The latter, however, being en¬ 
couraged by fome of the principal nobility, i'oon acquired 
confequence and reputation ; while the former, reftriCted 
to.fewer though very refpeQ&ble members, feemed gra¬ 
dually to decline. 
On the 24-th of June, 1721, the Grand Lodge met at the 
Queen’s Arms Tavern in St. Paul’s Church Yard (whi¬ 
ther the Old Lodge of St. Paul's, now the Lodge of An¬ 
tiquity, had been removed) ; when John duke of Mon¬ 
tague took his feat as Grand Malter; at whole requeft 
Philip lord Stanhope (afterwards earl of Chefttrfield) was 
initiated into Mafonry. The Grand Lodge then ad¬ 
journed in proceftion to Stationers’ Hall, where they fat 
down,in the ancient mannerofMafons,toa very elegant feaft. 
The duke of Montague was fucceeded in his office of 
Grand Mafter of England by the dukes of Wharton, Buc- 
cleugh (then earl of Dalkeith), and Richmond ; under 
the aufpices of the latter of which noblemen the Com¬ 
mittee of Charity was inftituted. 
The year 1726 was diltinguifhed in Mafonry by the 
brethren of Wales uniting under the banner of the Grand 
Lodge in London. 
In the year 1731, H.R. H. Francis duke of Lorraine, 
afterwards grand duke of Tufcany and emperor of Ger¬ 
many, together with Thomas Pelham duke of Newcaltle, 
who had been previoufiy admitted to the firlt anti fecond 
degrees, were, by lord LovMl, grand mafter, made Mafter 
Mafons, at an occafional lodge convened at Houghton 
Hall in Norfolk, the feat of fir Robert Walpole. 
In 1737, the earl of Darnley, grand mafter, had the 
honour to initiate into mafonry H. R. H. Frederic prince 
of Wales, his piefent majelly’s father, at a lodge held for 
the purpofe at the palace of Kew. He foon after received 
the fecond and third degrees of the order. 
The marquis of Carnarvon, afterwards duke of Chandos, 
fucceeded lord Darnley as grand mafter in April 1738. 
Two deputations for the office of Provincial Grand Mat¬ 
ter were granted by his lordfhip ; one for the Caribbee- 
iflands, and the other for the Welt Riding of Yorkfliire. 
This latter appointment was confidered as an encroach¬ 
ment on the jurifdiftion of the Grand Lodge of York, 
and occafioned a ceflution of all correfpondence between 
the two Grand Lodges. 
On the 15th of Auguft, 1738, Frederic the Great, af¬ 
terwards king of Prulfia,' was initiated into Mafonry in 
a lodge at Brunfwick, being at that time prince royal ; 
and fo highly did he approve of the inftitution, that, on his 
aceeffion to the throne, he commanded a Grand Lodge to 
be formed at Berlin; in which many of the German 
princes were initiated, who afterwards filled the office of 
Grand Mafter, with much honour to theinlelves, and ad¬ 
vantage to the craft. Thus was Mafonry regularly efta¬ 
blifhed in Pruffia ; and it has flourifhed there ever fince. 
His majefty’s attachment to the fociety foon induced him 
to form feveral new regulations for its advantage; and, 
amongft others, he ordained, “ That no perfon ftiould be 
made a mafon, unlefs his character was unimpeachable, 
and his profeffion, and manner.of living, refpeftable ;” and 
that “ the money received by the grand treafurer fhould be 
divided into three parts: one, to defray the expenfesof the 
lodge; another to be applied to the relief of diltrefTed bre¬ 
thren 5 and the third to be allotted to the p >or in general.” 
About this period fome difagreeable altercations arofe 
in the fociety. A number of dilfatisfied brethren, having 
feparated themfelves from the regular lodges, held meet¬ 
ings in different places for the purpofe of initiating per¬ 
fons into Mafonry, contrary to the laws of the Grand 
Lodge. Thefe leceding brethren, taking advantage of 
the breach which had been made in the friendly inter- 
courle between the Grand Lodges of London and York, 
on being cenfured for their conduct, immediately affumed 
at their irregular meetings, without authority, the cha¬ 
racter of York Mafons. Meafurts were adopted to check 
them, which (topped their progrefs for feme time ; but, 
taking advantage of the general murmur fpread abroad on 
account of fome innovations that had been introduced, 
and which feemed to atithorife an omiffion or, and a va¬ 
riation in, tlie ancient ceremonies, they role again into 
notice. This imprudent meafure of tlie regular lodges 
offended many old mafons; but, through the mediation 
4. of 
