The Boys' School Festival on Wednesday Next. the West Lancashire Alpass Benevolent Institution. Gothic Architecture—Let It Be
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short of THE BOYS' SCHOOL FESTIVAL ON -£872. The number of widoAvs on the Fund is nine, and the total distributed amongst them in annuities £192. The WEDNESDAY NEXT. expenses are only a little in excess of £14, so that the balance to be carried fonvard to the current account Avas -£665. The in- The 93rd Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Insti- vestments reach £3330/ so that even if further candidates for the tution for Boys will be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on benefits of the Charity should come forward and be elected, there is Wednesday next, the 24th instant, under the presidency of Bro. no present likelihood of the cap ital being trenched upon. Such a the Earl of LATHOM, Pro Grand Master of England and Prov. Report as this must be very gratif ying to Bro. the Earl of Grand Master of West. Lancashire. We have alreadv enu- LATHOM and our West Lancashire brethren , ancl makes it clear merated the special circumstances under which the celebration that the true purpose—Avhat many have described as the one will take place. We have pointed out on several occasions and only secret—of our Craft is thoroug hly understood and that the fortunes of the Institution are in a somewhat di- appreciated by them. It is, indeed, an honour of Avhich they lapidated state, and that though its responsibilities have may justly be proud , that, in order to promote the well-being of been as great as ever, the means by Avhich it is their poorer brethren and the AvidoAVS and children of those enabled to fulfil those responsibilities have during the last AVIIO have died in poor circumstances, the Masons of West Lan- two or three years been very seriously curtailed. We have also cashire should have established three Charities—one for the shown that as compared with the other princi pal Masonic Insti- education of the sons and daughters of, and one (the Hamer) tutions , its reserve, that is, the amount of its invested cap ital, is Avhich gives annuities to, indi gent brethren, and a third , Avhich too small to be of any appreciable value. At the same time, its Avas founded only as recently as 1886, and which maintains, or, scheme of government has been entirely remodelled and in at all events, helps to maintain , in something like comfort accordance with the wishes of its supporters and the confidence during their declining years, a certain number of in the wisdom of its administration , Avhich had been greatly AvidoAvs. In successive Analyses of our annual Festival shaken since 1888, is in a fair way of being restored. We are, Returns Ave have ahvays regarded it as a duty to cite this therefore, hopeful that the result of next Aveek's effort will be fact as affording a proper apology for the comparative smallness such as will enable the Executive to carry on their beneficent of the amounts received by our Central Charities from this large work with a comparative freedom from anxiety as regards the and important province. But at the same time AA'e have shoAvn important question of Avays and means. There is, we think, that on certain special occasions it has done its duty ' admirabl y very little reason to doubt that the donations and subscriptions by these, and on Wednesday next, when its PROV. GRAND will suffice to clear the ordinary expenditure during the current M ASTER takes the chair at the Boys' School Festival , we shall year ; to comp lete the extraordinary outlay Avhich the late Pro- find that West Lancashire, while it takes care its Charity shall visional Management Committee declared to be indispensable begin at home, is by no means unmindful of the claims upon its in order to place the School in a state of efficiency ; and to support of the great Centra l Masonic Institutions. make some slight addition to the permanent resources of the Charity. It is in order that these objects may GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE—LE T IT BE PURE. be accomplished that such tremendous efforts have been made during the last 12 months, and it is to us and all friends of the The cathedral at the ancient City of Winchester- is one of the Institution a source of the utmost satisfaction to know that the largest in England. In point of historical interest it is second appeal which will be made on Wednesday next in its behalf , to none. The interior especially is much admired. It was supported as it will be by the labours of a Board of Stewards enlarged and almost wholly rebuilt in the reign of Edward III., mustering upwards of 750 brethren, is likely to prove so favour- by William of'Wyckham , Avho was Bishop of the See, and also, able. We trust, however, that intending subscribers will not be it is said, Grand Master of the Freemasons of England. Thus induced , at the last moment to postpone their good intentions like most of the great church edifices of Europe, it Avas the AVOrk because the prospects of the Festival are known to be so en- of our operative predecessors. The style of architecture which couraging. Let them bear in mind that the present excep- prevails throughout the structure is the mediaeval Gothic. tional The needs of the Institution are very urgent, and that nave, the choir, the side aisles the chapels " all belong to this when , , they have been to a greater or less extent satisfied beautiful and icturesque order and harmonise perfectl y with it will p , still be necessary to go on appealing year by year for the each other. In short, everything in the building, down to the requisite supplies in order to keep the School on its reneAved minutest ornament was fashioned after a Gothic design. footing of efficiency. Therefore , let no Steward relax, even for Earl in the eighteenth century it was thought expedient to a moment y , in his efforts to obtain a goodly list, and then , Avhat- make some improvements in the grand old church , and, among ever the result of Wednesday's gathering may be, both Stewards other things, to remove "the old-fashioned Bishop's seat, Avhich and contributors will have the satisfaction of knowing that William of Wyckham had placed in the choir, and to put a "otmng has been wanting on their part in order to make the success Greek Episcopal Throne in its place. as complete as possible. We hope the report it will be At the time there was a perfect craze for everything classic. °ur privilege to publish next week will gladden the hearts of the many The works of our fine old English poets and prose writers were friends , both new and old, of our Hoys' School, and at the made little of , and some of the very best of them , such as the same time . prove an enduring honour to all Avho have had a hand ancient Ballads and the Pil 's Progress Avere openl •^ rendering grim y ridiculed it a most essential service. Avhile pompous highfalutin essays containing perpetual allusions to something Greek or something Roman , and flat , artificial verses filled Avith invocations to the heathen gods, Avere declared THE WEST LANCASHIRE ALPASS by the critics to be productions of the highest literary merit! BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. T his mania for things classic Avas not confined to literature, I he Report for the past year of this, the youngest of the West it extended to architecture as Avell. Nothing Avas considered -ancashire local Charities, is in all respects most satisfactory. Avorth the attention of persons of refined taste unless it Avas 0 festival was held in its behalf , nor Avere there received any fashioned after some Greek or Roman model. The grand and inordinary donations, and vet the income has been verv con- beautiful Gothic edifices Avhich the genius of our operative 6 owing brethren had desi and constructed and Avhich they d'ff to the generous contributions from the gned , had 1 eren *- lod ges and chapters and individual brethren. These bequeathed as a precious legacy to posterity, Avere pronounced er amounted to close on -£560, Avhile the interest on invest- by the learned asses to be mere monuments of barbaric ignorance Was br 1, £ 10 7> t*ie whole income, including the balance —piles of stone and mortar without the least claim to architec- ght forward from previous account being only a feAV shillings tural merit. One of the fruits of this stup id prejudice was the Greek Comp. W. H. Matthews, 1423 ... ... ... Prov. G.P.S. „ J. D. E. Tarr, 1293 ... ... ... Prov. G. ist A.S. Episcopal Throne in the choir of Winchester Catherdral. ,, R. H. Blatchford , 1549 ... ... ... Prov. G. 2nd A.S. About half a century ago people began to come to their „ H. Hooper, 1326 ... ... ... ... Prov. G.S.B. senses, and to perceive and admit the merits of early English „ W. V. Leonard, 1777 ... ... ... Prov. G. Std. Br. grandeur of our old „ H. Sapssvorth, 1793 ... ... ... Prov. G.D.C. literature, and the matchless beauty and „ S.Jacobs , 946 ... ... ... ••• Prov. A.G.D.C. Gothic cathedral s and churches. Then it was soon seen that a „ W. J. Potter, 1793 (re-appointed) ... ... Prov. G. Org. piece of classic architecture looked as much out of place in a „ Gilbert ... ... ... ¦•• Prov. G. Janitor. fine gentleman among a Comps. Woodward, Capt. Walls, Langton , Bilby, Kentish, and Shutt were Gothic structure, as Avould a modern elected on the Audit Committee, and the Prov. Grand Chapter was then closed. band of old steel-clad knights.