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The Mason's Duty.
THE MASON'S DUTY .
THE following Oration was delivered by Bro . L . P . Metham P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., at the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , held at South Molfcon , on 31 st August 1876 : — DEAR BRETHREN ,
To me , who havo so often had to perform the grataf ul task of speaking to you and of your words of praise and encouragement at our annual gatherings , who have made so many and warm friendships , who have received so many marks of fraternal kindness and regard , who havo always been so nobly and generously supported in my efforts to relieve the wants of our poorer brethren ,
to mitigate the sufferings of their widows and orphans , and to exalt and sustain the character of our Order for diffusive and universal benevolence , the duty I am driven to perform to-day is peculiarly painful . I shonld , however , be unfaithful to the proud position I fill if I forgot that it carries with it responsibilities as well as privileges , the discharge of onerous duty as well as the enjoyment
of much honour , and if I left my Chief to stand alone , and was silent while ho denounced the practices which in so many Lodges are poisoning the very spring and current of Masonic life , it would bo treason for me to cry Peace ! Peace ! while sentiments are expressed and things aro being done before my eyes with which true Masonry can never be at peace . I cannot stand by with folded arms and
silent tongue while the standard of our noble Order , which has for so many ages floated proudly in a pure and spotless atmosphere , is hauled down from its pre-eminence and draggled in the dirt by men who make Masonry a cloak for and means of self indulgence , and whose daily lifo and conversation show they are ignorant of , and care nothing for its elevating lessons and purifying principles . What I
am about to say to-day has been submitted to your Chief and mine , and it comes to you stamped with his approbation . You know as well as I do that he would never shift to another ' s shoulders a burden that ought to be carried by his own , and that he would never shrink from the pain ( and none but himself can tell how great the pain is ) of blaming and , if need be , reprobating conduct among his brethren
which is worthy of blame and condemnation . So many circumstances however , have lately occurred in various Lodges tending to subvert Masonic discipline , to bring tbe Order into contempt with the outer world , and to make it odious with tho family circle , which ought to love and respect Masonry , and which would love and respect it if the principles taught in our ritual were not utterly forgotten in domestic
find public life , that longer silence becomes a fault if not a crime . Can a wife , a mother , a sister , or a daughter fail to wonder at and denounce " that peculiar system of morality" which permits its members to return to their homes from their Lodges at one or two o ' clock in the morning in a state of semi-intoxication ? Can the outer world respect tho Order or give it credit for brotherly love when an
old Past Master goes from his Lodge to tho bar of a public house , and with oath following oath , boasts of having used tho black ball , and that he would use it even in the case of the Grand Master himself , if by doing so he could spit his spite against tho Master of his Lodgo ? What shall we say to the members of a Lodgo who sit still and , without a protest , allow a candidate to be initiated who was so intoxicated
that he could not even walk round the Lodge without support ? To what will the Order be reduced if men who cannot sign their own names , and common sailors , in whose favour the tongue of good report has never yet been heard , are admitted without protest , if men who cannot or will not pay their jnst debts are proposed to fill the chair of King Solomon , or after compounding with their creditors for
2 jG in the £ in the morning take their place at the festive board in the evening without compunction and as a matter of course ? If men are admitted who , within a month of taking tho third degree , carry round begging letters for funds to enable them to emigrate ? If others , on the very day following their initiation , use the Masonio emblem for trade purposes , and resent remonstrances with the most
profane and obscene language ? I will not multiply instances , which are as numerous as they are outrageous , for I think there is not . one brother in this room who could not furnish me from his own knowledge with similar cases , bnt I will proceed to consider what remedies can be applied to remove evils of so serious a character . But before doing this , I know that the great majority of the Lodges of this Province
will be eager to clear themselves of participating in acta or expressions so derogatory to the dignity of the Craft , and I willingly endorse their disclaimer . But not the less do they , individually and collectively , share the odium and some , at least , of the responsibility . As a little leaven leaveneth the whole mass , so do tho malpractices of even a few bring odium and public discredit on the entire bod y , and
this would not be possible unless the discipline of certain Lodges , and those not a few , was so bad as to admit of the entrance of improper persons into the Order . And as one evil breeds another , so this very admission of improper characters is the result of the indulgence and dissipation of which I have already spoken . Every initiation fee in such Lodges is an excuse for a late sitting , and furnishes the means
of paying for it , and it is in these very Lod » es where late hours and self indulgence most prevail , that the most unfit characters are admitted , and consequently the greatest number of complaints occur . It is , therefore , the duty as well aa tbe interest of every Freemason not only to guard his own L- rb ^ o against the admission of unfit men , but to scan the list of candidates for initiation into other Lodges within their cognizance , so that such may not obtain admission
elsewhere . Too much care cannot be taken in making enquiries into the character of every candidate for initiation , by whomsoever he may be proposed . Independent of this general enquiry , I think it should be the special duty of the Worshipful Master aud his Wardens to make these enquiries diligently , and to be able to report the result to the brethren in op 9 n Lodge before the ballot box goes round . They Bhould satisfy themselves that the candidate is moral in his daily life , upright in his dealings with others , solvent in circumstances , genial
The Mason's Duty.
and amiable in manner , sober in habits and iu intelleot , one who can appreciate the teachings of Masonry , and , in a liberal and charitable spirit , apply his teaching not only to communion with his fellows , but in his dealings with all classes in daily life . How ranch honour would be reflected on our body , how mnch comfort , happiness and credit would be saved to our Lodges , if men , whoso dispositions , tempers
taste 3 , and moral characters do not come up to this standard were rigorously denied admission into the Order ' . To sustain the character of the Craft , I believe that all brethren shonld be called upon and be zealous to insist on the adoption and strict enforcement of the following rules , in addition to the all important suggestions implied in my previous remarks : —
1 . —The abandonment of refreshments , as a rule , after every Lodge Meeting . 2 . —That when refreshments are taken on special occasions they shonld , under no circumstances whatever , be prolonged beyond eleven o ' clock . 3 . —That no brother should be allowed to sit at table who had not
attended the duties of his Lodge during the evening . 4 . —That no brother who becomes insolvent should be allowed to continue a member of a Lodge , nor be admitted into any other Lodge until his debts have been paid in full . 5 . —That the Worshipful Master elect should be pledged to perform all the duties of his chair , and to instal his successor .
6 . —That the provisions of the Emergency clause should be rigidly complied with , and that a notice be duly sent tothe Provincial Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master and Provincial Grand Secretary , the Masters of every Lodge in the town in which the candidate resides , and to the W . M . of every Lodge within three miles of the Lodge in which he is proposed as a candidate .
That brethren who receive Provincial honours shonld oonsider that they , more than auy others , are bound by their presence both at the Provincial and at their privato Lodges , and by their conduct in and out of Lodge , to support the authority of tho P . G . Master , and to maintain the principles of the Order . Lately I witnessed , with much , regret , that on an occasion when moral support ought to havo been :
afforded in tho discharge of a very painful duty to the Provincial Grand Master not one brother in this large Province on whom the exalted rank of Warden ha 3 been conferred was in his place . There are many other points which will suggest themselves to the ' minds of the brethren which I have not time to dwell on in thia address , but the observance of which will assist in bringing us back
to the straight road from which so many Masons have wandered . My task is finished , and I , your brother , sensible of my own faults and shortcomings , ask you , my brethren , to sustain me in tho path of duty to our noble Craft as I am seeking , by this feeble address , to sustain you . By your own conduct , and by your own influence with your brethren , render unnecessary , nay , render impossible , the
recurrence of tho painful duty I havo , in obedience to your chief , and in accordance with my own convictions of what is required of me , been obliged to perform to-day . If we cannot blot out the memory of the events which have occurred , let the years to come witness for us that they wore but spots on the hitherto unclouded sun of Masonry . Resolutely put on one side all that is false , mean and self-indulgent ,
and as resolutely strive to discover and practise what is truo , to love only what is good , and be zealous to accomplish all that is in accordance with the principles you have voluntarily adopted . Make it a point of conscience so to outwardly guide your steps in every day life a 3 to walk uprightly before the world , and that you may inwardly be so conscious of your own rectitude that you may entertain no thought aud
commit no action incompatible with the strictest honour and morality . Then will the glow of pride and pleasure mantle the cheeks of your fellows when they claim to be members of the same noble Order as yourselves , rather than the blush of shame that they are linked to yon by the close ties of brotherhood , which they would see broken , buried and forgotten if they could .
The Drama.
THE DRAMA .
" Dan'l Druce " at the Haymarket . THE long delayed production of Dan'l Druce took place on Monday last , and was decidedly a success . The author , Mr . W . S . Gilbert , acknowledges his indebtedness to the Silas Marner of George Eliot for the leading incident in the play , but the piece is none the less in all essential features the work of Mr . Gilbert . Dan'l Druce labours
under the obvious disadvantage of having no strong female character ; it is , in fact , what may be called a one character play , Dan'l Druce , as portrayed by Mr . Hermann Vezin , being the all important personage from beginning to the end . It need hardly be stated that the dialogue is admirable , those who have seen any other of Mr . Gilbert ' s plays will be prepared to take this for granted . The language
is everywhere forcible and suited to the occasion , A greater measure of real pathos is observable hero than in Mr . Gilbert ' s former productions , and to this , perhaps , and the excellent opportunities thus afforded for Mr . Vezin ' s powers of pathetic expression , the snecess of this play mainly deserves to be attributed . An exquisite lovo episode in the second act merits more than a word of commendation ,
and the manner in which it is rendered by Mr . Forbes Robertson and Miss Marion Terry , in the characters of Geoff ry Wynward and Dorothy Drnce , is beyond all praise . For the rest , Messrs . Howe , Odell and Braid fill up the measnro of a most excellent cast , and conduce , as far as tho author has permitted them the opportunity of doing , to the general effect of the representation .
A new Masonic Journal has been started at Louisville , Kontucky , its name being the same as the journal published at Greensboro , North Carolina , that is to say , The Masonic Journal . Wo heartily welcome tho new member , and we express a hope that its career may be both a long and a prosperous one ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Mason's Duty.
THE MASON'S DUTY .
THE following Oration was delivered by Bro . L . P . Metham P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., at the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , held at South Molfcon , on 31 st August 1876 : — DEAR BRETHREN ,
To me , who havo so often had to perform the grataf ul task of speaking to you and of your words of praise and encouragement at our annual gatherings , who have made so many and warm friendships , who have received so many marks of fraternal kindness and regard , who havo always been so nobly and generously supported in my efforts to relieve the wants of our poorer brethren ,
to mitigate the sufferings of their widows and orphans , and to exalt and sustain the character of our Order for diffusive and universal benevolence , the duty I am driven to perform to-day is peculiarly painful . I shonld , however , be unfaithful to the proud position I fill if I forgot that it carries with it responsibilities as well as privileges , the discharge of onerous duty as well as the enjoyment
of much honour , and if I left my Chief to stand alone , and was silent while ho denounced the practices which in so many Lodges are poisoning the very spring and current of Masonic life , it would bo treason for me to cry Peace ! Peace ! while sentiments are expressed and things aro being done before my eyes with which true Masonry can never be at peace . I cannot stand by with folded arms and
silent tongue while the standard of our noble Order , which has for so many ages floated proudly in a pure and spotless atmosphere , is hauled down from its pre-eminence and draggled in the dirt by men who make Masonry a cloak for and means of self indulgence , and whose daily lifo and conversation show they are ignorant of , and care nothing for its elevating lessons and purifying principles . What I
am about to say to-day has been submitted to your Chief and mine , and it comes to you stamped with his approbation . You know as well as I do that he would never shift to another ' s shoulders a burden that ought to be carried by his own , and that he would never shrink from the pain ( and none but himself can tell how great the pain is ) of blaming and , if need be , reprobating conduct among his brethren
which is worthy of blame and condemnation . So many circumstances however , have lately occurred in various Lodges tending to subvert Masonic discipline , to bring tbe Order into contempt with the outer world , and to make it odious with tho family circle , which ought to love and respect Masonry , and which would love and respect it if the principles taught in our ritual were not utterly forgotten in domestic
find public life , that longer silence becomes a fault if not a crime . Can a wife , a mother , a sister , or a daughter fail to wonder at and denounce " that peculiar system of morality" which permits its members to return to their homes from their Lodges at one or two o ' clock in the morning in a state of semi-intoxication ? Can the outer world respect tho Order or give it credit for brotherly love when an
old Past Master goes from his Lodge to tho bar of a public house , and with oath following oath , boasts of having used tho black ball , and that he would use it even in the case of the Grand Master himself , if by doing so he could spit his spite against tho Master of his Lodgo ? What shall we say to the members of a Lodgo who sit still and , without a protest , allow a candidate to be initiated who was so intoxicated
that he could not even walk round the Lodge without support ? To what will the Order be reduced if men who cannot sign their own names , and common sailors , in whose favour the tongue of good report has never yet been heard , are admitted without protest , if men who cannot or will not pay their jnst debts are proposed to fill the chair of King Solomon , or after compounding with their creditors for
2 jG in the £ in the morning take their place at the festive board in the evening without compunction and as a matter of course ? If men are admitted who , within a month of taking tho third degree , carry round begging letters for funds to enable them to emigrate ? If others , on the very day following their initiation , use the Masonio emblem for trade purposes , and resent remonstrances with the most
profane and obscene language ? I will not multiply instances , which are as numerous as they are outrageous , for I think there is not . one brother in this room who could not furnish me from his own knowledge with similar cases , bnt I will proceed to consider what remedies can be applied to remove evils of so serious a character . But before doing this , I know that the great majority of the Lodges of this Province
will be eager to clear themselves of participating in acta or expressions so derogatory to the dignity of the Craft , and I willingly endorse their disclaimer . But not the less do they , individually and collectively , share the odium and some , at least , of the responsibility . As a little leaven leaveneth the whole mass , so do tho malpractices of even a few bring odium and public discredit on the entire bod y , and
this would not be possible unless the discipline of certain Lodges , and those not a few , was so bad as to admit of the entrance of improper persons into the Order . And as one evil breeds another , so this very admission of improper characters is the result of the indulgence and dissipation of which I have already spoken . Every initiation fee in such Lodges is an excuse for a late sitting , and furnishes the means
of paying for it , and it is in these very Lod » es where late hours and self indulgence most prevail , that the most unfit characters are admitted , and consequently the greatest number of complaints occur . It is , therefore , the duty as well aa tbe interest of every Freemason not only to guard his own L- rb ^ o against the admission of unfit men , but to scan the list of candidates for initiation into other Lodges within their cognizance , so that such may not obtain admission
elsewhere . Too much care cannot be taken in making enquiries into the character of every candidate for initiation , by whomsoever he may be proposed . Independent of this general enquiry , I think it should be the special duty of the Worshipful Master aud his Wardens to make these enquiries diligently , and to be able to report the result to the brethren in op 9 n Lodge before the ballot box goes round . They Bhould satisfy themselves that the candidate is moral in his daily life , upright in his dealings with others , solvent in circumstances , genial
The Mason's Duty.
and amiable in manner , sober in habits and iu intelleot , one who can appreciate the teachings of Masonry , and , in a liberal and charitable spirit , apply his teaching not only to communion with his fellows , but in his dealings with all classes in daily life . How ranch honour would be reflected on our body , how mnch comfort , happiness and credit would be saved to our Lodges , if men , whoso dispositions , tempers
taste 3 , and moral characters do not come up to this standard were rigorously denied admission into the Order ' . To sustain the character of the Craft , I believe that all brethren shonld be called upon and be zealous to insist on the adoption and strict enforcement of the following rules , in addition to the all important suggestions implied in my previous remarks : —
1 . —The abandonment of refreshments , as a rule , after every Lodge Meeting . 2 . —That when refreshments are taken on special occasions they shonld , under no circumstances whatever , be prolonged beyond eleven o ' clock . 3 . —That no brother should be allowed to sit at table who had not
attended the duties of his Lodge during the evening . 4 . —That no brother who becomes insolvent should be allowed to continue a member of a Lodge , nor be admitted into any other Lodge until his debts have been paid in full . 5 . —That the Worshipful Master elect should be pledged to perform all the duties of his chair , and to instal his successor .
6 . —That the provisions of the Emergency clause should be rigidly complied with , and that a notice be duly sent tothe Provincial Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master and Provincial Grand Secretary , the Masters of every Lodge in the town in which the candidate resides , and to the W . M . of every Lodge within three miles of the Lodge in which he is proposed as a candidate .
That brethren who receive Provincial honours shonld oonsider that they , more than auy others , are bound by their presence both at the Provincial and at their privato Lodges , and by their conduct in and out of Lodge , to support the authority of tho P . G . Master , and to maintain the principles of the Order . Lately I witnessed , with much , regret , that on an occasion when moral support ought to havo been :
afforded in tho discharge of a very painful duty to the Provincial Grand Master not one brother in this large Province on whom the exalted rank of Warden ha 3 been conferred was in his place . There are many other points which will suggest themselves to the ' minds of the brethren which I have not time to dwell on in thia address , but the observance of which will assist in bringing us back
to the straight road from which so many Masons have wandered . My task is finished , and I , your brother , sensible of my own faults and shortcomings , ask you , my brethren , to sustain me in tho path of duty to our noble Craft as I am seeking , by this feeble address , to sustain you . By your own conduct , and by your own influence with your brethren , render unnecessary , nay , render impossible , the
recurrence of tho painful duty I havo , in obedience to your chief , and in accordance with my own convictions of what is required of me , been obliged to perform to-day . If we cannot blot out the memory of the events which have occurred , let the years to come witness for us that they wore but spots on the hitherto unclouded sun of Masonry . Resolutely put on one side all that is false , mean and self-indulgent ,
and as resolutely strive to discover and practise what is truo , to love only what is good , and be zealous to accomplish all that is in accordance with the principles you have voluntarily adopted . Make it a point of conscience so to outwardly guide your steps in every day life a 3 to walk uprightly before the world , and that you may inwardly be so conscious of your own rectitude that you may entertain no thought aud
commit no action incompatible with the strictest honour and morality . Then will the glow of pride and pleasure mantle the cheeks of your fellows when they claim to be members of the same noble Order as yourselves , rather than the blush of shame that they are linked to yon by the close ties of brotherhood , which they would see broken , buried and forgotten if they could .
The Drama.
THE DRAMA .
" Dan'l Druce " at the Haymarket . THE long delayed production of Dan'l Druce took place on Monday last , and was decidedly a success . The author , Mr . W . S . Gilbert , acknowledges his indebtedness to the Silas Marner of George Eliot for the leading incident in the play , but the piece is none the less in all essential features the work of Mr . Gilbert . Dan'l Druce labours
under the obvious disadvantage of having no strong female character ; it is , in fact , what may be called a one character play , Dan'l Druce , as portrayed by Mr . Hermann Vezin , being the all important personage from beginning to the end . It need hardly be stated that the dialogue is admirable , those who have seen any other of Mr . Gilbert ' s plays will be prepared to take this for granted . The language
is everywhere forcible and suited to the occasion , A greater measure of real pathos is observable hero than in Mr . Gilbert ' s former productions , and to this , perhaps , and the excellent opportunities thus afforded for Mr . Vezin ' s powers of pathetic expression , the snecess of this play mainly deserves to be attributed . An exquisite lovo episode in the second act merits more than a word of commendation ,
and the manner in which it is rendered by Mr . Forbes Robertson and Miss Marion Terry , in the characters of Geoff ry Wynward and Dorothy Drnce , is beyond all praise . For the rest , Messrs . Howe , Odell and Braid fill up the measnro of a most excellent cast , and conduce , as far as tho author has permitted them the opportunity of doing , to the general effect of the representation .
A new Masonic Journal has been started at Louisville , Kontucky , its name being the same as the journal published at Greensboro , North Carolina , that is to say , The Masonic Journal . Wo heartily welcome tho new member , and we express a hope that its career may be both a long and a prosperous one ,