Page 145 - An account of the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. 1777 to 2012UGLE

Lodge of the Nine Muses 145

that Office until the Festival of Saint John the Baptist or Saint John the Evangelist
as either of these shall first happen after my election, and until a Successor has
been regularly elected in my room by the said Lodge.
2 I do hereby promise during my said Office a strict adherence to all the
ndly
Constitutions of the original Masons of England, and to all the Bye-Laws of this
Lodge – And I do engage to endeavour to enforce a faithful observance of the same
on every person who during my Mastership shall be initiated into Masonry in this
Lodge, or who at present are, or may be admitted Members thereof during that time.
3 I do hereby engage to preserve and keep in good condition, as to me
rdly
they have been delivered, & cause to be preserved and kept in. good condition
for the use of this Lodge all the Books, Records, Charters, Warrants, Furniture,
Jewells, and all other apparatus and property of the Members of the said Lodge
during my said Mastership, And at the expiration thereof I do promise and agree
to resign the same in equal good condition (wear and tear excepted) to my next
and immediate Successor in Office, who shall have been regularly elected and
installed as aforesaid, he having previously thereto, signed, sealed, and confirmed
in open Lodge this solemn engagement.
Witnefs my Hand and Seal at London in open Lodge convened the day, month
and year underwritten.
Then after a short space follows, in another and less professionally perfect hand:
I accept the Trust agreeable to the preceeding Engagement.
Signed and sealed in open Lodge
this day of 1806.
This and the members’ declaration must have been taken from an earlier
source, for the number given for the Lodge, 502, was changed to 408 in 1782.
The festivals of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist fall respectively
on 24 June and 27 December, two dates which, occurring about the times of the
summer and winter solstices, are of immemorial sanctity and were much regarded
by earlier Masons, as they still are by our Scottish Brethren.
If successive Masters had been more careful to fulfil the obligation of clause
No. 3, the labours of the compiler would have been much reduced and the
interest of this work proportionately enhanced.