was not favourable to the order of masons; nor
did it begin again to revive for many years. King William III. was
initiated privately in 1695, and approved the choice of Sir Christopher
Wren as grand master; but shortly after, and during the whole reign of
Queen Anne, the society decreased gradually, for the grand master's age
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.
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