Historical memoir of the family of Eglinton and Winton

142 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
it could only be placed as second in order. The
following " ordinance" cannot otherwise be under-
stood than as referring to this change — " Item, it is
thoucht needful and expedient be my lord warden
generall, that Edinburgh salbe in all tyme cuming,
as of befoir [that is, now long has been,] the first
and principall ludge in Scotland, &c." But even
still more strongly would the following " Item"
seem to indicate the original priority and precedency
of Kilwinning — " Item, it is ordainit be my lord
generall, That the hale auld antient actis and statu-
tis maid of befoir be the predecessouris of the
masounis of Kilwynning, be observit faithfullie and
kepit be the craftis in all tymes cuming."
But indeed the right of Kilwinning to priority
and precedency in masonry does not appear ever to
have been disputed. Neither, probably, did any
very material change in its arrangements take place
till comparatively modern times, whilst its head
courts would appear invariably to have been assem-
bled at the monastery of Kilwinning. On the
return of the royal poet, King James the First of
Scotland, from his long captivity (and education) in
England, he would seem to have interested himself
in Scottish freemasonry, and especially to have
" patronised the mother lodge Kilwinning," where
he "presided as grand master, till he settled an
annual salary, to be paid by every master mason in
Scotland, to a grand master, chosen by the brethren
and approved by the crown ;" and in the subse-
quent reign of James the Second this office became