Among Masons and admirers of Burns considerable interest has been aroused by an advertisement offering for sale the building in Tarbolton in which Burns was initiated a member of St, David's Lodge on July'4, 1781; Burns was. only 22." "When certain: differences of-opinion: arose among-the' members of St.' David 'Lodge, Burns was one of those who Jeff and resuscitated' ah old Lodge called St. James. He became Depute Master of this Lodge, an office of more practical importance than itis to-day, for the office of Worship fol Master was then for the most part honorary, the actual work being done by the Depute Master. Major-General Montgomerie, of the House of Eglinton, was Worshpful Master, but he did not attend the Lodge meetings, and for over three years Burns was the actual Master of the Lodge. More than a score of the minutes are signed by him, and three are wholly in his hand-writing. During his tenure of office his, brother Gilbert became a Freemason, and Professor Dougald Stewart and Cloud Alexander' of Ballochmyle, brother, of the lady who formed the theme of Burns' beautiful song, "The Bonnie Lass of honorary was financial straits, and preparing to the brethren assisted ug out the now famous first edition of his poems. While he was in Kilmarnock superintending the printing of the work he was wade an honorary member of St. John's Lodge the brethren of which fil subscribed freely for the work.
When Burns went to Edinburgh to bring out the second edition, Freemuusonry again took him by the hand, and on February 1, 1787, he became a member of Lodge Canongate (Kilwinning), No. 2. At a meeting in connexion with Lodge St. Andrew the Worshipful Grand Master of Scotland, Lord Elcho, gave the toast of "Caledonia and Caledonia's Bard—Robert Burns," '8 toast which Burns tells us rang through the whole assembly with multiplied honours and repeated a clamations. Having no idea such thing would happen he-was taken completely by surprise, but he made 'a suitable and modest reply. At a general encampment of St. Abb's Lodge, Eyemouth, on May 19, 1787, Burns was made a Royal Mason. At Dumfries he was Senior Warden of St. Andrew's Lodge.
Burns makes direct reference to Masonry in about a dozen of his Foems, and he has several other references which the initiate readily recognize.
the Brethren of utters this: may keep thy unerring. line, Stil ising by the plum Till order bright compl
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.