Page 129 - An account of the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. 1777 to 2012UGLE

Lodge of the Nine Muses 129

The design, reproduced on Plate 10, shows a draped female figure facing to
the left, leaning against a pedestal and holding suspended from the outstretched
hand an elaborate device consisting of a pair of compasses opened against an arc
engraved with a scale; within two legs of the compasses are, above, an open Book
surmounted by an Eye, and below, an irradiated Sun; between the two is a Square.
No such Lodge is known to have existed, and it has been plausibly suggested
48
that this jewel was really intended for the I.P.M. of the Nine Muses; if so it
disappeared long ago, and there is no reference to it in the minutes or inventories.
Possibly it was never executed, and the engraving may have been made from the
artist’s preliminary sketch, though, after a lapse of twenty years, this is hardly likely.
It may be noted, however, that while the others are subscribed “Cipriani pinx.”,
or in one case “del”, this has “aft Cipriani”.
Perhaps it was borrowed and never returned, for the Master’s jewel narrowly
escaped that fate. Under 24 November 1815, we read:
Brother Harper, DM. stated that a demand of £12. 18s having been made upon
him for three years arrears due to the lodge he wished to state that he had a set-off
for £10. 10. 0 for a Master’s Jewel made by him for the lodge and that he had a
still further demand which he would produce at the next meeting. And he now
delivered a receipt dated 27 June 1815 for said £10. 10. leaving only a balance of
£2. 8. due to the lodge against which Brother Harper had the said further demand.
The receipt was handed to Bro . H. Martin afs . Treasurer to enable him to get the
t
r
money from H.R.H. The Duke of Sufsex Grand Master who had promised to pay
for it. The Jewel having been made by his order as a substitute for the Master’s Jewell
which had been lent to H.R.H. & which H.R.H. stated he had lost.
If the Duke paid the ten guineas the fact was not minuted.

r
[24 May 1816] Bro . Harper paid £17.4 arrears due from him being allowed as
a sett off £14. 18. 6 due from the lodge.
What the odd £4. 8s. 6d. was for does not appear.
This was Thomas Harper, not to be confused with Edwards Harper; both were
prominent Masons and members of the Lodge, and both are referred to several
times elsewhere.

48 Some authorities hold that among the “Moderns” before the Union there was a definite
office of Past Master differing from the indeterminate status of the present I.P.M.