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Article "AUDI, VIDE, TACE." ← Page 2 of 2 Article "AUDI, VIDE, TACE." Page 2 of 2 Article ADMONITIONS. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
"Audi, Vide, Tace."
hearing , or the description of matters which happen m our presence . It is our duty to heed them , and , if necessary or desirable , to observe silence . It is not intended we should never communicate our experiences to others , but we must do so cautiously and respectfully . Those
experiences are acquired from others , whether they reach us in the shape of opinions or statements of fact , and it is returning good for evil when we go about repeating them out of sheer wantonness , aud merely for the pleasure of beinj ? a medium for the dissemination of tittle-tattle .
No doubt a great number of people repeat what they hear in all innocency of heart , and withont the slightest idea that by so doing they may bo the cause of any harm . But there are likewise very many who do this kind of thing with a motive . They aro woll aware of the numerous
embellishments a simple statement will receive m its transmission from one person to another . Their mental perception is limited , and in the sphere in which they move they aro not a little proud when , now and again , the opportunity is presented to them of being able to
circulate a little news in connection with some one of their acquaintances or neighbours . It matters not to them that what they recount is in regular course greatly exaggerated . They always have it in their power to say with truth that the original statement was quite innocuous , and they wonder
how so simple a matter could ever have been swelled to such inordinate dimensions , or so egregiously misrepresented . But the exaggerations and misstatements are beyond the power of recall . The harm , in fact , is done . E ' s frugality , and the retiring habits which he has adopted
from a strict sense of justice , are , in the hearing of many , described as meanness and misanthropy . For one who has afforded him the opportunity of correcting this opinion respecting his nei g hbour ' s character or habits , there are ten who have not ; and even of those who come under the
former category , there are not a few who are unmasonic enough to suggest , on the principle that where there is smoke there must be fire , that the exaggeration or misrepresentation was not after all so very remarkable . How often
has it happened that a man ' s prospects have been injured , or his progress retarded , by the garrulous talk of an irrepressible chatterbox , who is always distributing broadcast titbits of news from his cabinet of small talk . To
many , indeed , this newsmongenng is the be-all and end-all of their existence . Their weak little minds are such that the circulation of on dits , especially of a personal character , is as necessary to their happiness as food to the maintenance of life . These people are very much to be avoided . They do
an immense amount of harm , oftentimes we allow unintentionally , but still more often we fear we must say , from a desire to cause annoyance , if not pain . We wish we could take npon ourselves to be charitable enough to attribute people ' s conduct to a sense of justice and propriety . We
could wish , that people exercised a greater amount of discretion . We cannot expect everybody to be at all times sufficiently circumspect , but on the other hand people need not make it a general rule to cast circumspsction to the winds , as though remarks of a personal character and
" shaves " that affect the position of others were never the cause of any harm . We fear we have so far forgotten ourselves as to have fallen into a style of treatment which many will call sermonising . But our object in writing these presents is
to induce brethren to imitate as little as possible the habit so frequent amongst all classes of society of retailing every little scrap of intelligence which reaches them . Let them hear , see , and be silent on all matters of importance which , spread abroad , are likely to injuriously affect others . The
common conversation of the babbler is never entertaining , and seldom harmless . Our Masonic discretion should act in entire accord with our Masonic charity . The latter bids us think no evil of our neighbour : let the former restrain us from saying aught which even in the slightest
degree may be calculated to do him a disservice . We are none of us so near perfection that we can afford to examine too minutely into the affairs of other people ; and as it is well nigh certain we must prefer not to have every trifling act or habit of our own made a subject of remark from
one person to another , so let us show others the same degree of consideration in this respect as we would have extended to ourselves . Let ns note in silence what passes
around us—in all that almost infinite variety of cases at least in which silence merits to be described as " golden . " A man who is desirous of illustrating by his conduct the respect he entertains for the principles of Freemasonry
"Audi, Vide, Tace."
must be above tho petty meanness of tittle-tattling . He must ever bear in mind the true meaning and force of the motto which serves as text for this article— " Audi , vide , Tace . " In doing that he cannot err .
Admonitions.
ADMONITIONS .
( FROM THE VOICE OV MASONRY . ) REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS OF LODGES . —Another and one whioh I fear iB a growing evil , and to whioh I would hero allude , ia the difference manifested by members of Lodges in their attendance npon the Tegular meetings . The slightest pretext is often sufficient to keep them away . In all the departments of business , punctuality and regular attendance npon its demands is the only sure guarantee
of snocess . So in Masonry . If a Lodge is deserted by its members , or seldom attended and then out of season , it mnst languish and bring reproaoh upon the Fraternity . It ia far better that a Lodge should not exist than to maintain a feeble , morbid and sickly existence by the cold indifference and inattention of its members . True we are taught that Masonry is by no means to interfere and embarrass
our usual vocations , but where is the man of industrious business habits who could not , by a little forethought , so calculate and arrange his business that it would not suffer by a few hours of attendance upon his Lodge ? Frequently those who urge a pressure of business as an apology for neglecting the Lodge can find abundant time and opportunity , even on Lodge nights , to attend places of amusement ,
sit round saloons or other public places of resort , indulging in fnvo-Ions conversation ( or perhaps doing worse ) or walking several miles around a billiard table when they are too busy or too much exhausted by fatigue to walk a single block to the Lodge room . This evil , whero it exists , should be remedied , and it can be done in no other way but
by pointing it out and convincing members of their duty and urging upon them a prompt performance . With a view to its correction I have thus referred to the subject , knowing that the evil exists to au alarming extent in some Lodges , but hoping and trusting that this vile and pernicious practice is limited to a few .
SYMBOLS . —It is , I am sorry to say , an acknowledged fact that we as Freemasons do not always practise those cardinal virtues , Fortitude , Prudence , Temperance and Justice , which are laid down for our guidance , and so beautifully typified in our Masonio symbols . If every Mason was thoroughly instructed and made familiar with the hidden meaning attached to the knowledge conveyed in onr
Masonio emblems and symbols , we would soon see avast improvement in the daily life and practice of Freemasons . How often do we see persons flaunting the square and compass and blazing sun before the public gaze who are entirely ignorant of their moral significance or meaning , without which these frequent symbols become bnt glittering baubles , pandering to vulgar vanity and ostentation . The true Mason ,
wearing these sacred emblems , feels their influence urging him to honour and duty both in public and private life . It is tbe proper businoss of the Lodge to teach , and of the brethren to learn the import of our emblems , symbols and usages ; they form altogether a code of principles which , if lived up to , cannot fail to make us better men and better Masons . We exemplify our principles in the proceedings
of our Lodge sand have one universal language to recognize one another in all nations . Wo have explanations of many of our emblems and charges even in our printed books , which may be known to all who choose to read them . We are bound to study and know them ourselves ; we explain them in our lectures so that these principles , made impressive on the mind , serve a valuable purpose as a ruler of our
conduct , not only among the Fraternity but before all men . We are bound by the Masonic teachings , hence how important that we shonld know and understand the duties we owe to ourselves and to all the members of our ancient brotherhood ! The importance of understanding thoroughly the significance and language of our Masonic emblems and symbols is most beautifully illustrated by the poet , —
" You wear the square , but do you have That thing the square denotes ? Is there within your inmost soul That principle that should control All deeds and words and thoughts ? The square of Virtue , is it there , — Oh you that wear the Mason's square ?
" You wear the compass ; do you keep Within the circle due , That's circumscribed by law divine , Excluding hatred , envy , sin , — Including all that's true P The compass , does it trace the curve Inside of which no passions swerve ?
SECRECY . —Masonry is condemned by its enemies because it is a secret society . It is true that Masonry does its work in secret , but it cannot be said we conceal onr principles or designs . Masonry upholds and supports everything that is calculated to promote the happiness and best interests of mankind , and also requires us to do our duty to God , our neighbours and ourselves . What member of a family would
not repel impertinent curiosity should it attempt to penetrate the secrets of the family circle ? What man of respectability wonld allow a total stranger to listen to his private conversation with his wife and children about domestic affairs ? There is no man but has some secret of the past hid away in the depths of his heart . Every conscience , every church , every society , every organization , every party , political , religious or otherwise , has its secrets upon which the sun is not allowed to shine . The great tenets of a Freemason ' s profession are Brotherly Love , Belief and Truth . These are published openly to
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
"Audi, Vide, Tace."
hearing , or the description of matters which happen m our presence . It is our duty to heed them , and , if necessary or desirable , to observe silence . It is not intended we should never communicate our experiences to others , but we must do so cautiously and respectfully . Those
experiences are acquired from others , whether they reach us in the shape of opinions or statements of fact , and it is returning good for evil when we go about repeating them out of sheer wantonness , aud merely for the pleasure of beinj ? a medium for the dissemination of tittle-tattle .
No doubt a great number of people repeat what they hear in all innocency of heart , and withont the slightest idea that by so doing they may bo the cause of any harm . But there are likewise very many who do this kind of thing with a motive . They aro woll aware of the numerous
embellishments a simple statement will receive m its transmission from one person to another . Their mental perception is limited , and in the sphere in which they move they aro not a little proud when , now and again , the opportunity is presented to them of being able to
circulate a little news in connection with some one of their acquaintances or neighbours . It matters not to them that what they recount is in regular course greatly exaggerated . They always have it in their power to say with truth that the original statement was quite innocuous , and they wonder
how so simple a matter could ever have been swelled to such inordinate dimensions , or so egregiously misrepresented . But the exaggerations and misstatements are beyond the power of recall . The harm , in fact , is done . E ' s frugality , and the retiring habits which he has adopted
from a strict sense of justice , are , in the hearing of many , described as meanness and misanthropy . For one who has afforded him the opportunity of correcting this opinion respecting his nei g hbour ' s character or habits , there are ten who have not ; and even of those who come under the
former category , there are not a few who are unmasonic enough to suggest , on the principle that where there is smoke there must be fire , that the exaggeration or misrepresentation was not after all so very remarkable . How often
has it happened that a man ' s prospects have been injured , or his progress retarded , by the garrulous talk of an irrepressible chatterbox , who is always distributing broadcast titbits of news from his cabinet of small talk . To
many , indeed , this newsmongenng is the be-all and end-all of their existence . Their weak little minds are such that the circulation of on dits , especially of a personal character , is as necessary to their happiness as food to the maintenance of life . These people are very much to be avoided . They do
an immense amount of harm , oftentimes we allow unintentionally , but still more often we fear we must say , from a desire to cause annoyance , if not pain . We wish we could take npon ourselves to be charitable enough to attribute people ' s conduct to a sense of justice and propriety . We
could wish , that people exercised a greater amount of discretion . We cannot expect everybody to be at all times sufficiently circumspect , but on the other hand people need not make it a general rule to cast circumspsction to the winds , as though remarks of a personal character and
" shaves " that affect the position of others were never the cause of any harm . We fear we have so far forgotten ourselves as to have fallen into a style of treatment which many will call sermonising . But our object in writing these presents is
to induce brethren to imitate as little as possible the habit so frequent amongst all classes of society of retailing every little scrap of intelligence which reaches them . Let them hear , see , and be silent on all matters of importance which , spread abroad , are likely to injuriously affect others . The
common conversation of the babbler is never entertaining , and seldom harmless . Our Masonic discretion should act in entire accord with our Masonic charity . The latter bids us think no evil of our neighbour : let the former restrain us from saying aught which even in the slightest
degree may be calculated to do him a disservice . We are none of us so near perfection that we can afford to examine too minutely into the affairs of other people ; and as it is well nigh certain we must prefer not to have every trifling act or habit of our own made a subject of remark from
one person to another , so let us show others the same degree of consideration in this respect as we would have extended to ourselves . Let ns note in silence what passes
around us—in all that almost infinite variety of cases at least in which silence merits to be described as " golden . " A man who is desirous of illustrating by his conduct the respect he entertains for the principles of Freemasonry
"Audi, Vide, Tace."
must be above tho petty meanness of tittle-tattling . He must ever bear in mind the true meaning and force of the motto which serves as text for this article— " Audi , vide , Tace . " In doing that he cannot err .
Admonitions.
ADMONITIONS .
( FROM THE VOICE OV MASONRY . ) REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS OF LODGES . —Another and one whioh I fear iB a growing evil , and to whioh I would hero allude , ia the difference manifested by members of Lodges in their attendance npon the Tegular meetings . The slightest pretext is often sufficient to keep them away . In all the departments of business , punctuality and regular attendance npon its demands is the only sure guarantee
of snocess . So in Masonry . If a Lodge is deserted by its members , or seldom attended and then out of season , it mnst languish and bring reproaoh upon the Fraternity . It ia far better that a Lodge should not exist than to maintain a feeble , morbid and sickly existence by the cold indifference and inattention of its members . True we are taught that Masonry is by no means to interfere and embarrass
our usual vocations , but where is the man of industrious business habits who could not , by a little forethought , so calculate and arrange his business that it would not suffer by a few hours of attendance upon his Lodge ? Frequently those who urge a pressure of business as an apology for neglecting the Lodge can find abundant time and opportunity , even on Lodge nights , to attend places of amusement ,
sit round saloons or other public places of resort , indulging in fnvo-Ions conversation ( or perhaps doing worse ) or walking several miles around a billiard table when they are too busy or too much exhausted by fatigue to walk a single block to the Lodge room . This evil , whero it exists , should be remedied , and it can be done in no other way but
by pointing it out and convincing members of their duty and urging upon them a prompt performance . With a view to its correction I have thus referred to the subject , knowing that the evil exists to au alarming extent in some Lodges , but hoping and trusting that this vile and pernicious practice is limited to a few .
SYMBOLS . —It is , I am sorry to say , an acknowledged fact that we as Freemasons do not always practise those cardinal virtues , Fortitude , Prudence , Temperance and Justice , which are laid down for our guidance , and so beautifully typified in our Masonio symbols . If every Mason was thoroughly instructed and made familiar with the hidden meaning attached to the knowledge conveyed in onr
Masonio emblems and symbols , we would soon see avast improvement in the daily life and practice of Freemasons . How often do we see persons flaunting the square and compass and blazing sun before the public gaze who are entirely ignorant of their moral significance or meaning , without which these frequent symbols become bnt glittering baubles , pandering to vulgar vanity and ostentation . The true Mason ,
wearing these sacred emblems , feels their influence urging him to honour and duty both in public and private life . It is tbe proper businoss of the Lodge to teach , and of the brethren to learn the import of our emblems , symbols and usages ; they form altogether a code of principles which , if lived up to , cannot fail to make us better men and better Masons . We exemplify our principles in the proceedings
of our Lodge sand have one universal language to recognize one another in all nations . Wo have explanations of many of our emblems and charges even in our printed books , which may be known to all who choose to read them . We are bound to study and know them ourselves ; we explain them in our lectures so that these principles , made impressive on the mind , serve a valuable purpose as a ruler of our
conduct , not only among the Fraternity but before all men . We are bound by the Masonic teachings , hence how important that we shonld know and understand the duties we owe to ourselves and to all the members of our ancient brotherhood ! The importance of understanding thoroughly the significance and language of our Masonic emblems and symbols is most beautifully illustrated by the poet , —
" You wear the square , but do you have That thing the square denotes ? Is there within your inmost soul That principle that should control All deeds and words and thoughts ? The square of Virtue , is it there , — Oh you that wear the Mason's square ?
" You wear the compass ; do you keep Within the circle due , That's circumscribed by law divine , Excluding hatred , envy , sin , — Including all that's true P The compass , does it trace the curve Inside of which no passions swerve ?
SECRECY . —Masonry is condemned by its enemies because it is a secret society . It is true that Masonry does its work in secret , but it cannot be said we conceal onr principles or designs . Masonry upholds and supports everything that is calculated to promote the happiness and best interests of mankind , and also requires us to do our duty to God , our neighbours and ourselves . What member of a family would
not repel impertinent curiosity should it attempt to penetrate the secrets of the family circle ? What man of respectability wonld allow a total stranger to listen to his private conversation with his wife and children about domestic affairs ? There is no man but has some secret of the past hid away in the depths of his heart . Every conscience , every church , every society , every organization , every party , political , religious or otherwise , has its secrets upon which the sun is not allowed to shine . The great tenets of a Freemason ' s profession are Brotherly Love , Belief and Truth . These are published openly to