Amongst other things provided by this code is a declaration to be read, by the Master, to candidates previous to their initiation.

"Whereas our Christian forefathers, the Knights of Malta, who joined in a holy bond of brotherhood, to support all kings and states against Turks and infidels.--We, the members of the Royal Black Institution, will as far as in our power lies, imitate their glorious acts and great achievements, with our lives and fortunes, to support and defend his present majesty George IV, his heirs and successors, so long as he or they maintain and defend the Protestant religion and the present Constitution."

Rule III provides--

"That a regular visiting officer shall be received at the different lodges in Dublin, for the purpose of communicating their progress to the Grand Lodge; and such lodges as do not meet in the Metropolis shall, by their Secretary, communicate to the Secretary of the Grand Lodge, annually, their progress."

The code goes on to give the obligation which is substantially the same as that still in use. Of course the name of the Sovereign given is George IV, and it was sworn to, a custom long since abolished. It also gives the prayers to be used at the opening and closing of lodges. These are identical with those in use at the present day.

h That the Order was in good working condition both in Scotland and Ireland, long before the time we might limit for the code quoted from above, will be seen by the following documents.

The first we will look at is headed--"No. 155, Grand Black Order of Orangemen: Monaghan Regiment." It has the royal arms on the left, and the skull and cross bones on the right with the words "God be our guide" under the royal arms, and under this a broad black ribbon with an equilateral seal in black wax. The text is as follows:--

"To all Brother Knights of the Grand Black Order of Orangemen, to whom these presents come greeting. We, the Master, Deputy Master, High Priest, Secretary, &c., of the Assembly of Knights of the Grand Order of Orangemen, held in Princes Town, England, do hereby certify that Brother Sir James Henry was by us dubbed a Knight of this Most Grand and Sublime Order, on the 30th day of August, 1814, &c."

We need not quote further, as what follows are common-place formalities. It concludes thus:--

"Given under our hand and seal of Assembly, held in Princes Town, this 31st day of August, 1814. (Signed) JHO. SEAVEN, Master.
JOHN M'CLELLAND, Deputy-Master.
FRANCIS HAWKSHAM, High Priest.
JOHN LAVERTY, Secretary."

From this document it would appear that Companion Henry had been initiated the night before he left the regiment, and brought his certificate with him.

Our next belonged to a Companion of more experience. It is headed with an arch wherein are shown emblems of all the degrees. On the left margin above the ribbons are the royal arms, with the words "King and Constitution we will support." The text runs thus:

Now we, the Master, Deputy-Master, Secretary, &c., do strictly charge you to withdraw yourself from brethren that walketh disorderly."

"We, the Master and Deputy Master, of No. 155 of true Orangemen, do certify that Brother James Henry has regularly received the colours affixed to this certificate, &c."

The degrees represented by the colours affixed are orange, purple, black, scarlet, old blue, and royal make, and concludes thus:--

"Given under our hands and seal of our lodge, in our lodge room, in the County of Monaghan and Kingdom of Ireland and town of Glasslough. Dated this 12th day of June, 1816.

(Signed) DANIEL PRASHEY, Master
JOS. MILLS, Deputy Master.
THOS. SOMMERS, Secretary."
And countersigned "Jos. Mills, Grand Secretary."

Our next is a written document almost as neat as copperplate. The kingdom is not stated. It is headed "Royal Black Association, No. 3," and is a certificate of "Brother Sir Thomas Burgess," who has been "duly initiated into the Mysteries and Secrets of a Royal Arch Black Knight Templar," . . . . "having taken the sword in hand against all Turks and unbelievers. We therefore recommend, &c." It is dated 2nd March, 1821, and

"(Signed) JOHN PATERSON, Master.
RICHARD MARKS, Deputy Master.
WM. M'KEY, High Priest.
JAMES CARSON, Grand Pursuivant."

Brother Burgess became a member of No. 24, and we judge the document to be from No. 3 of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

We now turn to a parchment certificate, which is still in good condition, and issued by a lodge holding its authority from the Grand Black Lodge of Scotland. It runs thus:--

"Now we, the Master, Deputy-Master, &c., do strictly charge you to withdraw yourself from brethren that walketh disorderly. In the name of the most holy, glorious, and undivided Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we grant to Brother John Nixon this certificate from No. 16 Warrant, of the Magnanimous and Invincible Order of Royal Black Lodge Association of Lodge No. 16, held at Bangalore, in the East Indies."

We need not copy the document further. It is dated 1st August, 1829, and

"(Signed) JAMES GIBSON, Master.
A. BLAIR, Deputy Master.
WM. Halliday, High Priest.
J. R. BAILLIE, Pursuivant."

The colours affixed represent the degrees up to and including the green. These are the oldest written documents to which we have had access, but they are sufficient to prove the existence of the Grand Lodge of Scotland when No. 16 warrant was issued, and that it (No. 16) was working in Bangalore on 1st August, 1829, whither it had removed with the regiment some time previous, therefore an old lodge at the date given. This certificate alone gives the death-blow to the theory so often promulgated, that the Grand Lodge of Scotland was founded in 1831; but when taken together with the other documents quoted we are carried far back beyond the time when the Grand Lodge of Ireland ceased to exist; therefore impossible for them to have granted the letters of authority, held by Grand Master Donaldson, for the re-organization of Grand Lodge in 1831, they being non-existent for at least seven years before the event. Moreover, No. 16 of the Irish Grand was working at the same time as the No. 16 to which we have referred, and continued to work in Ireland up till 1834. When we add to this the fact that the Grand Lodges of Ireland publicly declared their Scottish origin, and were justly proud of it, is it too much to ask, or to expect, that we should hear no more of such foolish fancies being promulgated as facts? Whether the wish be father to the thought or not, the persistence with which it has again and again been put forward proves that the wish is not wanting. Had it been possible for them to prove their case, it would have been done many years ago. They cannot prove a case because they have no case to prove.

Our next is rather a peculiar document consisting of a series of resolutions referring to financial affairs, in which fines are imposed for certain offences, such as absence from the regular meetings of the Lodge, arrears of dues, &c. In each case the resolution closes with the reminder that if they (the members fail they will "receive the benefit of a committee." What that means must be plain to the greatest dullard, so far at least as modern notions carry us: but those who have been privileged to read the "Old Maltese Laws" and the "Old Scotch Laws" will be aware of the fact that the committee had to be paid by the offending member, or members, according to a printed scale. This document is headed Saturday, 12th September, 1829, and begins thus:--"At a committee meeting of the Royal Black Lodge, No. 24, held in M'Culloch's it was resolved, &c." Only one of the resolutions is of any importance to us, namely No. 3, which gives us some data as to the age of the Lodge, and places beyond dispute the claim of its members--that Ancient St. John's, Glasgow, No. 24, is the oldest subordinate Black Lodge in the Universe.

The resolution refers to arrears extending over "the last twelve months," and giving details of meetings held on the following dates:---24th February, 24th March, 12th August, 31st August, 26th October, 24th November, 24th February, 24th March, 24th April, and 24th May. The year dates are not given in above details, but they plainly show the existence of the lodge on 24th February, 1828; and the fact that the committee dealt with an accumulation of arrears proves the existence of the Lodge for a considerable time prior to that date.

The document bears the seal of the lodge--which is a neat little thing, one inch in diameter. Round the outer circle are the words "Loyal Black Association, No. 24," and in the centre a skull and cross bones, surmounted by the Latin words, Memento mori--Remember death. The signatures appended are:--Taylor Rankin, Hugh M'Hutcheon, William Gemmell, William Dickson, and William Kilpatrick.

On being presented to the lodge it was approved and signed "Henry Burnside, M." and "William Dickson." In connection with the foregoing we have the following promissary note:--

We now come to a very important document--a Grand Lodge Warrant--which evidently implies a re-construction of some kind; probably necessitated by the introduction of Orangeism into Scotland, and the consequent flooding of the Order in Scotland by members from Ireland who were, as a matter of course, Orangemen. From this time forward the Order in Scotland had been closely connected with the Orange Institution. That the re-organization of Grand Lodge was a legal one is shown by a letter from the Grand Secretary, on behalf of the Grand Council, to the Grand Master, requesting him to attend a subsequent meeting of Grand Lodge, and "to bring with him the letters authorising them to re-organize the Grand Lodge." So whatever the change was it was legally effected, and Grand Master George Donaldson held the letters of authority.

The warrant is one of a lot lithographed for issue to subordinate lodges, altered to suit the purpose of Grand Lodge. We give it as altered. (It is surmounted by the Royal Arms.)--

In name of the Most Glorious and Undivided Trinity. Amen.

We, the Grand Master and Officers of the Grand Black Assembly of Scotland, &c., held in Glasgow, do hereby authorise and empower our well beloved brother, Sir George Donaldson, to establish a lodge of true and worthy Black Men, and to act as Grand Master thereof, this being his Warrant; also to issue out Warrants.

Given under our hand and seal of our grand Assembly, at our Lodge Room, 24th June, A.D. 1831, and of Royal Black, 4344.

We, the Grand Master and Officers of the Grand Black Assembly of Scotland, &c., held in Glasgow, do hereby authorise and empower our well beloved brother, Sir George Donaldson, to establish a lodge of true and worthy Black Men, and to act as Grand Master thereof, this being his Warrant; also to issue out Warrants.

Given under our hand and seal of our Grand Assembly, at our Lodge Room, 24th June, A.D. 1831, and of Royal Black, 4344.

(Signed) Sir GEORGE DONALDSON, G. M.
Sir ANDREW KETING, D.G.M.
Sir WILLIAM JOHNSTONE, H.P.
Sir ANDREW WILLIAMSON, G.T.
On Black and Scarlet Sir JOHN ALLAN, G.S.
Ribbon. Sir JAMES HENRY, G.P.M."

We again return to Lodge No. 24. This lodge has in its possession an old Warrant of the pattern referred to, but as we have proof of the existence of the lodge long before the granting of this Warrant, we are forced to conclude that it is not the original, or first, Warrant, but a renewal of one previously held, probably exchanged for the purpose of bringing them into conformity with the new state of affairs created in 1831. The heading of this Warrant is the same as the Grand Lodge Warrant already given, and the text is as follows:

"Lodge No. 24. HELD IN GLASGOW, COUNTY OF LANARK.-- We, the Grand Master and Officers of the Grand Black Lodge of Scotland, &c., held in Glasgow, do hereby authorise and empower our well-beloved brother, Adam Thomson, to establish a lodge of true and worthy Black Men, and to act as Master thereof, this being his Warrant.

"Given under our hand and seal of our Grand Assembly, at our Lodge Room, 24th March, 1833; and of Royal Black, 4346.

(Signed) Sir GEORGE DONALDSON, G. M.
Sir ANDREW KEATING, D.G.M.
Sir ANDREW WILLIAMSON, H.P.
Sir JAMES HENRY, G.T.
Sir JOHN M'KEAND, G.S.
. Sir ADAM THOMSON, G.P.M."

..............

"Grand Assembly Rooms, No. 71 Nelson Street, Glasgow, 24th March, 1854.--By the advice and consent of the Very Right Worshipful the Grand Master and Office-bearers of the Parent Grand Black Encampment of the Universe, I, Sir Hans Newell, Grand Chancellor in virtue of said office, do hereby authorise and empower our truly and well-beloved friend and constituted Knight Companion, Sir and Brother James Scott, and each of his successors, to hold a Sub-Commandery of Knights of Malta, in the town of Johnstone, in the County of Ayr and dominion of Scotland (of course this is a simple yet important error. Geographically the Town of Johnstone is in the County of Renfrew) to act been badly conducted these last four years, but I think there will shortly be a change in its affairs. I have written several times during the last two years, but could get no satisfactory account for them. We will shortly have an entire change in the Orange system, its laws and government--which I hope will be more satisfactory in every department--which, when it takes place, I will send you the particulars."

The remainder of the letter is of a private nature testifying to the good character of Wm. Battersby, and is signed--"Dan. Cook, Martin B, L. No. 13; and of O.L., No. 250."

We have quoted this letter at length because it is the first evidence we have of the degenerate condition of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, which as a matter of fact was dormant at the time this letter was written although Brother Cook seems not to have been aware of it. Later on we have proof positive that Warrants were not obtainable in 1825. On February 11th, 1832, we have an application for a Warrant to work in Airdrie, Lanarkshire. The names appended are David Lindsay, Samuel Black, Henry Rollins, Joseph M'Gowan, John Craig, John Graham, Charles Birch, William Laughlan, and Samuel Robinson. The warrant granted was No. 32. In this encampment we were duly initiated into all the mysteries of the Order in the year 1869. We may be pardoned for adding that in our boyhood we were personally acquainted with three of the above-named applicants--Joseph M'Gowan, John Graham, and William Laughlan.

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