M A S O N R Y. 
4Q2 
which might fupport the authority neceSary to be main¬ 
tained by the reprefentative body of the whole craft over 
.any individual lodge. That the Grand Lodge of Ireland 
.pledges itfelf not to countenance, or receive as a brother, 
-a ny per foil {landing under the interdict of the Grand 
Xodge of England for mafonic tranfgreffion. Upon which 
.it was refolded, that the Acting Grand Mafter be re- 
iq-uefted to exprefs to the Grand Lodge of Ireland the due 
fienfe which this Grand Lodge entertains of fo cordial a 
•communication. 
On the 31ft of December, 1809, the foundation-done 
icf Covent-Garden Theatre was laid by his royal hig-bnefs 
-the prince of Wales, as Grand Mafter-mafon of England 
and Scotland, with great mafonic and military honours. 
A detailed account of this proceeding may be feen in our 
article London, vol. xiii. p. 186. And it may be proper 
here to remark, that almoft the only occaCons whereon 
the fociety of mafons comes in immediate contafl with the 
community, at large, are in folemn ceremonials like the 
above, and of which massy others are fully defcribed in_ 
Mr. Prefton’s Uluftrations of Mafonry. Some members of 
the fraternity, however, were recently (Jan. 1815.) called 
into a court of judicature, as evidence on a trial in the Pa¬ 
lace Court, wherein Thomas Smith was plaintiff, and one 
William Finch defendant. The plaintiff was a copper¬ 
plate printer; and the aflion was brought to recover 4I. 
as. being the amount of work done for the defendant. 
A plea was fet up by Finch, (fating that the plaintiff 
was indebted to him 16 1 . 19s. 6d. for making him a Ma- 
fon, and giving him inftruftions in the various degrees, 
in his Independent Lodge, at his own houfe near Weft- 
rninlter-bridge. It was proved by the evidence of the 
Rev. Dr. Hemming, paft fenior grand warden, as well as 
Mr. White, and Mr, Harper, joint fecretaries to the 
Grand Lodge, that the defendant was not authorifed 
to make Mafons ; on the contrary, that his whole fyftem 
was an impofition on the parties who were fo deceived hy 
him, and that no man had a right to make Mafons for 
private emolument. The trial occupied a confiderable 
portion of time; and after an excellent charge from the 
juclge, (rating, that from the whole evidence it appeared 
that Finch’s conduct was altogether unjuftifiable; that he 
could neither make Mafons nor procure them admiffion 
to any Lodge ; and that he was totally difavowed by the 
fraternity ; the jury', without hefitation, gave a verdict 
Against Finch, to the full amount of the printer’s de¬ 
mand. 
On the 12th of April 1809, it had been refolved, in Grand 
Xodge, That this Grand Lodge do agree in opinion with 
the Committee of Charity, that it is not necelfary any 
longer to continue in force thofe meafures which were re¬ 
lented to, in or about the year 1739, respecting irregular 
mafons, and do therefore enjoin the feveral lodges to re¬ 
vert to the ancient land-marks of the fociety. This will 
appear to have been a ffep preparatory to the much-de¬ 
ft red union of Mafons ancient and modern. 
On the death of fir Peter Parker, bart. admiral of the 
fleet, Dec. si, 1S11, his royal highnefs the Grand Mafter 
was pleafed to confer the office of Deputy Grand Mafter 
Upon his royal brother the duke of Suffex.(Matter of 
the Lodge of Antiquity) ; and when, by the acceffion of 
the prince to the regency of the united kingdom, etiquette 
feemed to require his refignation as Grand Matter, the 
cUtke of Suffex was, by the unanimous acclamation of the 
Grand Lodge, elected to fill that high and important 
fituation ; and the prince regent foon after condefcended 
to accept the title of Grand Patron of the Order. 
It was early difeovered, that the duke of Suffex's 
whole heart was bent on accomplifhing that great deside¬ 
ratum of Mafons, the union of the two fraternities who 
had been millermed Ancient and Modern ; and his high 
rank in life certainly carried with it an influence which 
could not be expected in an humbler individual. 
We have before faid, that his grace the duke of Athol 
was at the head of the Ancient Fraternity; (for, to be 
explicit without circumlocution, we rmxft at prefent make 
life of thefe terms relatively.) The faff is, that the An¬ 
cients, after their fecefficwi, continued to hold their meet¬ 
ings without acknowledging a fuperior, till 1772 ; when 
they chofe for their grand mafter the duke of Athol, 
who was then Grand Mafter Eleft for Scotland. 
This venerable and worthy nobleman, we may pre¬ 
fume, was foon convinced by the royal duke's argu¬ 
ments, (Lengthened by his own good fenfe and benevo¬ 
lent mind, how deurable muft be an aftual and cordial 
union of the two focieties under one head ; for, to pave 
the way for the meafure, his grace, in the handfoineft 
manner, fhortly after refigned his feat of Grand Mafter, 
recommending his royal highnefs the duke of Kent (who 
had been made a mafon under that conftitution) as his 
lucceffor, who was accordingly elected and inftalled Grand 
Mailer of that body of Mafons, on the ilt of December, 
1813 ; on which occafion his royal highnefs liberally pro- 
feffed, that he had accepted the office with the foie view 
of co-operating, more effectually, perhaps, with his iiluf- 
trious brother in promoting and cementing the fo-much- 
deflred Union. 
Thefe were not words of courfe; they came warm from 
the heart; and zealoufly did the two royal brethren de¬ 
vote themfelves to the arduous tafk ; and, taking to their 
counfel three diftinguifhed brethren belonging to each 
fociety, they at length arranged the following (among 
other) 
Articles of Union between the Two Grand Lodges of England. 
The Mod Worftiipful His Royal Highnefs Prince Ed- 
Vap.d, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Earl of Dublin, 
Knight Companion of the Molt Noble Order of the Gar¬ 
ter and of the Molt Illuftrious Order of Saint Patrick, 
Field Marlhal of His Majefty’s Forces, Governor of Gib¬ 
raltar, Colonel of the Firft or Royal-Scots Regiment of 
Foot, and Grand Mafter of Free and Accepted Mafons 
of England, according to the Old Injlitutions ; the Right 
Worlhipful Thomas Harper, Deputy Grand Mafter; 
the Right Worlhipful James Perrv, Paft Deputy Grand 
Mafter; and the Right Worlhipful James Agar, Paft; 
Deputy Grand Mafter; of the fame Fraternity: for thern- 
lelves and on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Freemafons of 
In the Name of God, Amen. 
The Mod Worlhipful His Royal Highnefs Prince Au¬ 
gustus Frederick, Duke of Suffex, Earl of Invernefs, 
Baron Arklow, Knight Companion of the Moll Noble 
Order of the Gaiter, and Grand Mafter of the Society 
of Free and Accepted Mafons under the Conjlitution of 
England-, the Right Worlhipful Waller Rodwell 
Wright, Provincial Grand Mafter of Mafons in the 
Ionian Illes; the Right Worftiipful Arthur Tegart, 
Paft Grand Warden ; and the Right Worlhipful James 
Deans, Paft Grand Warden; of the fame Fraternity; 
for themfelves and on behalf of the Grand Lodge of the 
Society of Freemafons under the Conftitution of Eng¬ 
land : being thereto duly conftituted and empowered 
on the other part. 
England, according to the Old Inftitutions: being thereto 
duly conftituted and empowered:—on the one part. 
Have agreed as follows— 
I. There Hull he, from and after the day of the feitival of Saint John the Evangelift next enfuing, a full, perfefl, 
apd perpetual, Union of and between the two Fraternities of Free and Accepted Mafons of England above deferfbed; 
fo as that in all time hereafter they (hall form and conftjtute but one Brotherhood; .and that the faid community (hall 
be 
