of a Greek cross; its extreme length is five hundred feet; its greatest width is two hundred and twenty-three feet; and it height to the cross above the dome is nearly or quite four hundred feet. This will give you some idea of the vast magnitude of the building.

Standing on the mosaic floor, beneath the centre of the dome, you turn to your left, and in front of the organ, beyond which is the choir -where the religious services are now held. You advance to near the organ, and a record of olden days is before you the most fitting and appropriate epitaph I have ever seen or read. There are eight splendid Corinthian columns of blue veined marble, which support the organ and gallery, and richly ornamented with carved work.

INSTALLATION OF THE G. M. OF MASONS IN ILLINOIS.

THE following is a part of the installation ceremony adopted at the last session of the G. L. of Illinois :

The installing Grand Officer takes the chair, and after calling the Grand Lodge to order, says:

"Brethren of the Grand Lodge-We are now in the East to instal your Grand Officers for the ensuing year. Have they been duly elected?"

Grand Secretary-"They have, Most Worshipful!"

Presiding Officer-" Bro. Grand Secretary, you will report the names of the elected."

(Grand Secretary reports.)

Presiding Officer-"Brethren-You have heard the names of your elected Officers, reported by the Grand Secretary. If any member of this Grand Lodge is apprised of any just or Masonic reason why either of these Officers should not be installed, let him speak now, or forever after be silent."

No objection being made, he proceeds-" We are happy to observe that you still approve the choice made, and we now declare them duly elected, and ready for installation. Bro. Grand Marshal, you will present the Grand Master elect."

Grand Marshal-" Most Worshipful Sir-I have the honor to present Bro. A. B. for installation, who has been duly elected Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Illinois for the ensuing year."

Presiding Officer-"Most Worshipful Brother-We most cordially congratulate you upon your election to this, the most distinguished and

important office within the gift of Masons. The confidence displayed by the members of this Grand Lodge in elevating you to the supreme command, is an ample guarantee to the Masonic world of your wisdom and your worth. You cannot, Sir, be otherwise than aware of the deep and solemn consequence of the duties you are now about to assume; nor of the many cares and perplexities which embitter its unequalled honors. These perplexities, however, will be greatly alleviated by the affectionate sympathy and active assistance of your brethren. You will have to encounter stern opposition from without, and, too frequently, vexatious misunderstandings from within; but, Sir, the most dangerous and insidious enemy to the perpetuity and harmony of our beloved institution, which will disturb and harrass your administration, is an alarming tendency in the Order to innovation. The feverish and impulsive age we live in, has so imbued the whole world with the love of change, that we have to watch with sleepless care, or robust PROGRESSION will dare even to penetrate our venerable and mysterious portals. Let me entreat, Sir, that you will resolutely exert the strong arm of power to guard well our gray old sanctuaries. KEEP OUR ALTARS AS OUR FATHERS BUILDED THEM-and let our harps breathe forth the same sweet and simple music as when first touched by the fingers of the ELD.

"I will now, Sir, administer to you the obligation of your office. (Here call up the Lodge.)

"You do solemnly promise, in the presence of Almighty God and of this Grand Lodge of Masons, that you will, to the best of your abilities, faithfully and impartially perform all the duties incumbent on your office-that you will conform to the constitution, laws, rules and regulations of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Illinois, and that you will enforce a strict obedience to the same, from all subordinate to your control."

Grand Master Elect-"All this do I promise-God being my help."

Presiding Officer-"We now, Most Worshipful, have the honor to invest you with the Jewel of your office, and with the emblem of your control (hand the Gavil) and welcome you to the East of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Illinois, and ask the privilege of being the first to assure you of my fealty and obedience.

"Brethren-Behold your Grand Master.

"Grand Master-Behold your Brethren."

(If the installation is in the Lodge, the Brethren standing in their places, will now Masonically salute the Chair in the three symbolic degrees, and give the grand honors three times. Then the Grand Master, after calling down, can, if he desires, address the Grand Lodge, after which, he, or a proxy for him, will proceed with the installation.)

HISTORICAL BLUNDERING.

From the Freemasons' Monthly Magazine.

We find the following extraordinary sketch of the personal history of the late Thos. S. Webb, in the Voice of Masonry, where it appears as a communication to the editor from "Bro. James Collins." Either the writer's information or his memory are greatly at fault. We have appended a few brief notes which will sufficiently explain the character of the article; and have only to add, that there is quite too much of such unreliable matter on the subject of Masonry, circulating about the country, either for the credit of our Institution or the enlightenment of its younger members :

My recollections with regard to Bro. Webb, are in most particulars so vague and indefinite as not to afford many very reliable statistics. I knew him by sight, as he was familiarly called Tom Webb,* as early as 1813, '14 and '15, but my intimate acquaintance did not commence until the 16th of August, 1818, the evening of which I received the degree of E. A., and from that time until early in the winter of 1819, I was with him nearly the whole of the time.

I think, from what I can now recollect of his account of himself, that he must have been an Englishman by birth, but he may have been a Scotchman; at any rate his connections must have been on the old continent, as I have often heard him speak of writing them there. I have often heard him speak of his father, Joseph Webb, an Episcopal clergyman, who was appointed Deputy Grand Master of a Grand Lodge at Boston,‡ and all parts within the distance of one hundred miles, in 1771, which appointment he held until 1777; when, after the revolutionary troubles were at an end, it was thought best to establish an independent Grand Lodge in Massachusetts, of which he was elected Grand Master, which he held until his death in 1782.§

Thomas Smith Webb was small in stature, dark complexioned, and anything but prepossessing in his appearance. His father had intended him for the law. He graduated in the classical department with the highest honors, and had nearly finished the study of his profession when he was initiated into Masonry, and from that time abandoned the idea of the law, and paid his whole attention to the institution, and made frequent visits to his friends in the old country, for the purpose of perfecting himself.¶

This is a vulgarism-which, if true, is not remembered by his friends.

Brother Webb was born in Boston, and was of course neither an Englishman nor a Scotchman.

Col. Joseph Webb was a Merchant in Boston, and during the revolution an officer in the army. He was not an Episcopal Clergyman, nor was he the father of Thos. S. Webb.

Col. Jos. Webb was Grand Master in 1786. The inference, therefore, is pretty conclusive that he did not die in 1782!

He graduated from a Bookbindery in Boston, at the age of 21 years! and had fully finished "the study of his profession when he was initiated into Masonry."

He never visited the "old country" at all, nor had he any occasion to do so in order to perfect himself in the lectures of Masonry. All the information he possessed or needed on that subject, he obtained in this country.

His manner of teaching was very familiar, easy and communicative; a stickler as to words or letters, but in possession of all the necessary patience, accompanied with explanations, illustrations and all manner of anecdotes calculated to make such impressions upon the memory as to rivet his particular phraseology in such a manner as not easily to be forgotten.

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AN OLD DOCUMENT.*

The following is a copy of the original Circular issued by a Committee of Lodge No. 164, at Washington, Pa., in 1824, which has been placed in our hands. It exhibits a state of darkness in the public mind, in relation to Masonry, prior to the Morgan excitement, scarcely conceivable at this day. The reader will find it given with an account of the circumstances which gave rise to it, in Creigh's Masonry and Anti-Masonry, pp. 58, 59.

[CIRCULAR.]

Washington, Pa., March 4th, 1824. At a stated meeting of Lodge No. 164, held in the town of Washington, it was unanimously agreed by the Brethren, that the anniversary of St. John the Baptist, (24th June next,) be celebrated by a public procession. In pursuance thereof, the undersigned were appointed a committee to address our Brethren upon the subject, to state some of the reasons which induced the adoption of such a resolution, and to ascertain from them what assistance we may expect on the occasion.

In these days, which are characterized by zeal for the propagation of the gospel and the dissemination of truth among the unenlightened nations of the earth, an opinion prevails among many who hold conspicuous stations in the societies expressly formed for these purposes, that Masonry is inimical to their designs, and that the Order recognizes no principle in which the spiritual welfare of mankind is embraced, but rather rests satisfied with the inculcation of some of the moral virtues. The falsity of this opinion is known to every Mason.

Hence it is, that in some worshipping assemblies Masons are excluded from the sacramental board, and are looked upon as entirely unworthy of membership in a Christian church, unless they renounce-what?— the purest morality, the most extensive benevolence-nay, the New Testament. For if every Mason does not perform the requirements of "the law," neither does he imitate the conduct of the Priest or the Levite, but follows in the footsteps of the Samaritan, and becomes a

* From the Masonic Signet and Journal.

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"neighbor to him who fell among thieves." But those who are opposed to us will not see these things, for some are blinded by ignorance, and some by prejudice.

Some measures particularly hostile to the Institution have originated in this county, nay, in this town-and although their penal operation on the fraternity has been prevented by the good sense and charity of a majority of the members of the body in which they were introduced, they have yet had their effect. Some were weak enough to withdraw, and many have withheld their countenance and support in consequence. Our enemies are anticipating the most unfavorable results here; but we hope that by strict adherence to the ancient land-marks of the Order, and a frequent recurrence to the fundamental principles of the Institution, we will be enabled to establish Masonry in this place, upon a firmer basis, to convince the ignorant of their errors, and disappoint the bigot in his uncharitable expectations.

As we have never yet had a procession, it has been frequently urged by our enemies, that we "love darkness rather than light," and they have insinuated that we neither possess numbers nor respectability sufficient to justify us in publicly celebrating any of the festivals of the Order. These are calumnies that " pass us by like idle winds, which we respect not;" but they, joined to the hackneyed charge of immorality in the Masonic body, have a powerful effect upon the minds of a large portion of our citizens, and are calculated to perpetuate illiberal and unfounded aspersions cast on the fraternity.

To free ourselves from such imputations, and to convince the world that we possess an individual and collective character of which we are not ashamed, we call upon you to assist us in the attempt. We call upon you by the sacred bond of Masonic union, to make vigorous exertion for the accomplishment of so desirable an end-to leave no stone unturned, that we may have such a procession as will remove the doubts of the incredulous, and silence the tongue of the slanderer.

We request that as speedily as possible we may be informed of the probable number of the Brethren that would attend from your Lodge. Yours, fraternally,

JOHN WILSON,
DAVID ACHESON,
JAMES DUNLAP,
GEORGE BAIRD,
JOHN WATT,

Committee of Correspondence and Arrangement.

IF Masons ought to be moral men. Consequently they should be good husbands, good parents, good sons, and good neighbors; avoiding all excess injurious to themselves or families, and wise as to all affairs, both of their own household and of the Lodge, for certain reasons known to themselves.-Ancient Constitutions.