GTON attended the meeting of his Lodge at Alexandria, on Saturday,
April 1, 1797, when his reply to Brother Gillies' address was read in
open Lodge, viz.:

"BROTHERS OF THE ANCIENT YORK MASONS OF
"LODGE NO. 22.

"While my heart acknowledges with Brotherly
"Love, your affectionate congratulations on my re-
"tirement from the arduous toils of past years, my
"gratitude is no less excited by your kind wishes for
"my future happiness.--

"If it has pleased the supreme architect of the
"universe to make me an humble instrument to pro-
"mote the welfare and happiness of my fellow men,
"my exertions have been abundantly recompensed
"by the kind partiality with which they have been
"received; and the assurance you give me of your
"belief that I have acted upon the square in my
"public capacity, will be among my principles en-
"joyments in this Terrestial Lodge.

"Go. Washington"

=FAC-SIMILE OF LETTER FROM W. M. OF ALEXANDRIA LODGE TO BRO. WASHINGTON,
MARCH, 1797. LETTER BOOK II, FOLIO 294.=

=FAC-SIMILE OF ADDRESS FROM ALEXANDRIA LODGE, NO. 22, TO WASHINGTON, MARCH,
1797. LETTER BOOK II, FOLIO 294-295.=

=FAC-SIMILE OF WASHINGTON'S REPLY TO ALEXANDRIA LODGE, NO. 22, VIRGINIA,
MARCH, 1797.=

After which the Brethren went in procession from their room to Abert's
Tavern,[60] where they partook of an "elegant" dinner, following which a
number of toasts were offered. The tenth toast was by Brother
WASHINGTON, "The Lodge at Alexandria, and all Masons throughout the
World," after which he returned to Mount Vernon under an escort of
mounted troops of the town.[61]

The copies of the letter, address and reply in WASHINGTON's Letter Book
are in the handwriting of his secretary, Tobias Lear. Photostats of all
are in the collection of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. No direct
photograph of the original in possession of Alexandria-Washington Lodge,
No. 22, was obtainable.

Footnotes:

[60] Abert's Tavern, formerly "John Wise's." _Vide_ p. 35 _supra_.

[61] Cf. "Washington after the Revolution," W. S. Baker, p. 347.

XIII

CORRESPONDENCE WITH GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS, MARCH, 1797.

At a Grand Lodge in Quarterly Communication, held at Concert Hall,
Boston, on the evening of March 18, A.L. 5797.

"On motion it was Voted, That a committee be appointed to draft an
Address, to be presented to our Illus