Grand Secretary, Grand Treasurer, and Grand Clerk. Three Grand Stewards, with their rods. Golden square, level, and plumb, carried by three operative masons. A band of French horns. Three Grand Stewards, with their rods. The cornucopia and golden mallet, carried by the officer of the Grand Lodge and an operative mason. The Grand-Master, supported by a former Grand-Master, and the present Substitute. Another body of operative masons. A company of the City-guard covered the rear. At the head of Niddry's Wynd, a body of the military, consisting of 150 men, besides a company of grenadiers, were drawn up in two lines, to receive them. By these the procession was escorted; one half of the grenadiers marching in the front, and the other half in the rear, with their bayonets fixed. The officer on the cityguard, at the head of his company, paid the proper military honours as they passed. In this order they marched, drums beating and music playing, to the Parliament-close. Here the masons and the troops were formed, each into two lines, the troops covering the masons. Notice being sent sent to the council-chamber, the Lord Provost, Magisrates, and Council, in their robes, the citysword and mace borne before them, preceded by the city officers with their partisans, came into the Parliament-close. They were received by the Grand-Master, and the officers of the Grand Lodge, at the north-west corner, next to the Council-chamber. The procession then moved in the following manner : FIRST, the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council, attended by several of the gentlemen employed in directing the public works, walked through the lines. The Grand-Masters upported as before, the jewels, &c. borne before him, went next. Then followed the several lodges according to their seniority. Having passed in this manner through the triumphal arch, the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council, went to the theatre on the west; the GrandMaster, and the officers of the Grand Lodge, to that on the east ; and the several lodges to the galleries respectively assigned them. There was a chair for the Grand-Master, with a table before it, covered with tapestry, on which were placed the jewels, &c. the cornucopia, and two silver vessels, filled, the one with wine, and the other with oil. WHEN all the company were thus properly disposed, the Grand-Master took his seat, and the the stone was, by order of the Substitute GrandMaster, slung in a tackle, and let down gradually, making three regular stops before it came to the ground. While this was going on, the Mason's Anthem was played by the music, and then sung, all the brethren joining in the chorus. The music continuing to play the anthem, the stone was laid on the ground, the Grand-Master came down from the theatre, supported as before, preceded by the officers of the Grand Lodge, the jewels, &c. borne before him, to the ground where the stone lay; and passing through the officers of the Grand Lodge, to the place where the stone lay, the Substitute GrandMaster put into each of the three cavities made in the stone for that purpose, one of the aforementioned medals. Here the music stopped. The former Grand-Master and the Substitute retiring, two operative brethren came in their place; with whose assistance the Grand-Master turned the stone, and laid it in its bed, the inscription undermost. The stone is in the south-east corner of the west wing. After it was laid, the GrandMaster, with the Substitute on his right, placing himself on the east, and the wardens standing on the west of it, the square, the plumb, the level, and the mallet, were successively delivered to the Substitute, and by him to the Grand-Master; and having been severally used by the GrandMaster, one of them, always before he received another, another, they were redelivered in the same manner, to the same persons by whom they were borne. He applied the square to that part of the stone which was square; the plumb to the several edges of the stone; the level above the stone, in several positions, and with the mallet he gave the stone three knocks. On this the brethren gave three huzzas. The anthem was played again; and the cornucopia, and the two silver vessels, were brought from the theatre, and delivered; the cornucopia to the Substitute, and the two vessels to the Wardens. When the anthem was ended, the cornucopia and the two vessels were successively presented by the Substitute to the Grand-Master, and he, according to an ancient ceremony on such occasions, poured out the contents, the corn, the wine, and the oil, on the stone, saying, May the bountiful hand of Heaven ever sup ply this city with abundance of corn, wine, "and oil, and all the other conveniencies of life." This being succeeded by three huzzas, the anthem was again played, and, when finished, the Grand-Master repeated these words, May the Grand Architect of the universe, as "we have now laid this foundation-stone, of his kind providence, enable us to carry on and "finish what we have now begun; and may he "be a guard to this place, and the city in general, and preserve it from decay and ruin to "the latest posterity." Having closed the ceremony with a short prayer for the Sovereign, the senate of the city, the fraternity of masons, and all the people, the anthem was again played, and the Grand-Master returned to his chair; the brethren expressing their applause by repeated clapping of hands, and three huzzas. THE Grand-Master addressed himself to the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council, and such of the gentlemen employed in the direction of the building as were then present, "MY LORD AND GENTLEMEN, "IN the public character which I now hold, at "the head of my brethren of this ancient and "honourable Society, I presume to address you; "and in their name, and for myself, I return 46 you my most humble and hearty thanks for "the honour you have done us in witnessing our laying this foundation-stone. May you "and your successors be happy instruments of "forwarding this great and good work, of which 66 we have now so fair a prospect. As it will "add greatly to the ornament and advantage of "the city, so I hope it will be a lasting honour to you, and a means of transmitting your me"mories to the latest posterity. "To such of you, my fellow citizens, as are joined "in the direction of this building with the other noble and generous patrons of the intended pub 66 |