prevented his attending regularly, and the annual feasts were neglected.

On the accession, therefore, of Geo. I. the masons in London determined to
revive, if possible, the grand lodge and the communications of the society
under a new grand master, Sir Christopher Wren being dead. In February,
1717, accordingly, the only four lodges then existing in London met, and
voting the oldest master mason, constituted themselves a grand lodge; and
on St. John Baptist's day, meeting again, they elected Anthony Sayer, Esq.,
grand master, and he was regularly installed by the grand master who had
before been voted into the chair.

Mr. Sayer was succeeded by George Payne, Esq., in 1718, who collected all
the records of the society--by which means some copies of the old Gothic
constitutions were produced and arranged. In 1719, Dr. Desaguliers was
grand master, and by his activity the order made great progress; and at the
feast of his installation, the custom of drinking healths was first
introduced. In the next, year, under Mr. Payne again, the fraternity
sustained a great loss by the burning of some valuable manuscripts, by some
too scrupulous brethren; and next year, the Duke of Montague was proposed
for, and accepted the chair of grand master.

* * * * *

In 1726, the masons of Wales attached themselves to the grand lodge of
England, and the office of provincial master was instituted soon after. The
Society was introduced into India in 1728, and the grand lodge of America
constituted, by warrant from London, in 1735; and that of Holland, at
Hamburgh, in the same year. In 1738, the Book of Constitutions was
published; the grand lodge of Prussia constituted under the Scotch
constitution, and has ever since flourished in that country; and in 1774,