Influence Of The Art Of Printing On Masonry.

INFLUENCE OF THE ART OF PRINTING ON MASONRY .

IT is conceded that the invention of printing wrought a change in the moral and intellectual world akin to that produced in the physical world by the dawning of light upon darkness ; but it is nofc generally known thafc it

produced as great a revolution iu Freemasonry , at iirsfc even threatening fco destroy ifc , and almost ; accomplishing its work , -while afterwards printing was brought into harmony with the institution , and made fco contribute to its highest glory , and the truest interests of its initiates .

When printing was invented Freemasons were operative Masons . They had covered civilized Europe with the evidences of their skill . Germany , France , England , Scotland and Italy were dotted over with the abbeys and

cathedrals erected after their plans and by their hands . They even invented a style of architecture—the Gothic , and the noblest buildings of all time , full of the loftiest spiritual teaching , and almost animate with life , such as

the cathedrals of Cologne , Strasburg , Amiens , Rouen , Salisbury , Durham , Canterbury and York , pointed men to the Grand- Architect of the Universe , and were literally sermons in stone . That was a glorious era , when , in the

midst of the " dark ages , " a class of men—tho Freemasons , rose above their surroundings , taught tho world by deeds , not words , lifted the mind from the grovelling things of earth to the eternal things of heaven , and by all that was

beautiful , elevating and spiritual in heart , symbolically taught thoir initiates , and measurabl y taught all men , that there is a hi gher life , a better world , a great hereafter ,

while afc the same time they were mutuall y and charitably helpful to each other , and sincerely devoted to ameliorating their condition in this life , while having in view the hereafter .

I 3 ufc in a day a miracle was wrought . The art of printing was invented . Learning , which before was confined to the monasteries—the prerogative of lhe few , was spread over the world , lhe possession of the many . The sen .-: nous

language of art , was largely superseded by the photographic and pictorial language of literature . Object lessons in stone were disused ; the mind displaced the hand . As Jarves has happily phrased ifc , " Words obtained the

ascendency over Art ai the exponent of ideas . " The days of the cathedral aud the abbey were numbered . The vocation of the operative Freemasons was gone ; there were m » more cathedrals to be built .

ireemasonry , however , was instituted when the world was young , and was not made for one age , but for all ao-es . Ifc could adapt itself to the changed oiroum . ^ fcunces of the world . Its initiates might be no longer technical

architects and buddeis , but the symbolism which was theirs , and inherent iu the It > yal Art , was suited to all time , and to a membershi p comp-sod either of operatives aud speculate ves together , or of speculatives alone . The result is the

Freemasonry of to-day , fche heir of tho entire symbolism o ancient Freemasonry , o [ the moral attributes of the Fraternity , aud of its sublime doctrine and practical exemplificat on of that blessed charity , which is . " the greatest of tl eblessed three , " the triune virtues .

lhe enr . hquake which wrecked the ignorance cf the dark ages , which destroyed the manual vocation of the middleage Freemasons , could not enter the sphere of morals and brotherly love , and shako its centre , or any part of its

circumference , and hence we are permitted , in spite of the invention of printing , nay with its aid—for the earthquake has been harnessed , fcho art of printing has been made tho

means of dispensing " more Li ght" in Masonry- —we aro permitted to-day to teach the princi ples of the ancient Craft with more power , more beauty , more efficiency than ever before .

Let no Freemason despise tho a . fc of printing . Masonic Craftsmen are all artis' - * , and our sis ' cr ai t of letters has accomplished untold good for onr fraternity . The literature of Freemasonry is aheady so copious , ro ele . vatinr / so

, enlightening , that whoever will , mav supplement the I lessons of the Lodge room with self . culture by the aid of i books , Masonic nowsppp r ar . rl m g zinc a so as to derive

therefrom an infinite fun , I of plea-uro bi-. l instruction . Lustre has been shed npon the Craft by the wrtings of i Woodford , Hughan , Gould , Lyon , Fort / ilackev , Oliver

find a score of other Masonic authors wto .-se Came s worldwide . The emotional training of operative Loclo-os aud the hiQmge of architecture haw- IAUI ,,:: j ; ersedef by the

Influence Of The Art Of Printing On Masonry.

mental and moral training of Lodges of Free aud Accepted Masons aud the language of the printed page . Freemasonry now employs both types and types . The symbols

used in tho Craffc are tbo types ot moral ideas , the instructive and eloquent language of Masonic history and Masonic disquisition aro made permanent by the types which the printer ' s art invented .

The Freemason who rests satisfied with what he can learn of Masonry in tbe Lodge , fails to avail himself of other privileges to which , as a Craftsman , he is equally entitled . He ignores the fact that printing has been

invented , thafc there is a rich literature iu Freemasonry , thafc ifc lies open before him , and that ho may , if ho will , possess ifc and enjoy ifc . And this is a rare enjoyment . Brethren every day , we aro glad to know , are more and

more using both the eyes of the body and the eyes of the mind—in other words they aro increasingly becoming reading and thinking Masons . Let the good work go on ,

until every Brother owns his own , ifc may be bfcfcle Masonic library , and regularly takes aud reads afc least one newspaper of the Craft . —Keystone .

Consecration Of The Talbot Lodge. No. 2231.

CONSECRATION OF THE TALBOT LODGE . No . 2231 .

ON Saturday au addition waa made to the roll of Masonic Lodges under the English Constitution , when the Talbot Lodge , No . 2231 , waa consecrated at Talbot Eonse School , Talbot Road , Old Trafford . The ceremony was performed , ia the absence of the Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire , the Earl of Lathotn , by

Bro . W . Gooilacre P . G . S . B . England , and P . G . Secretary of West Lancashire , assisted by Bros . T . Forrester P . G . Standard Bearer of England , Marshall P . P . G . D ., J . J . Lambert P . G . Registrar , J . D . Murray P . G . D . C , E . L . Littler P . G . Pursuivant , and others , there being about sixty members of tbo Order preseut . A L . jdge

was formed in the school-room—the future meeting place of the new Lodgo—shortly afier two o ' clock , ami tbo ceremony of consecration was proceeded with . An orjtion on the principles of Freemasonry waa delivered b y Bro . the R < w . TI . Milner , and an anthem— " Behold how good aud joyful a thing it is "—was suing by Bros . W . Dumville ,

N . Dumville and A . Luwt , i \ Bro . II . 0 . Miller , P . P . G . Organist Cheshire , presiding at lhe harmonium . The consecration being concluded , Bro . Go ; dacre installed B . o . J . E . Boden as the firsfc Master of the Lodge . Bro . Boden invested thj following as his Officers for the ensiling year : —Bros . C . S . Allot P . M . 1009 I . P . M ..

Rev . II . Leathley S . W ., F . G . Goulaere J . ' vV ., Rev . H . Milner Chap , lain , J . \ V . Leathley Treasurer , A . Shirley Secretary , C . Martyue S . D ., P . Batty J . D ., J . Coxoti I . G ., W . RidJell P . M . Tyler . Hearty

votes of thanks were passed to Bro . Guodaere and the brethren who Lu'l assisted hiin in the consecration ceremony , and the Lodge waa then closed . Subsequently refreshments wore served afc the Do ; ' and Partridge Hotel , the newly installed Master presidium

Lord Brooke s visit to the Freemasons' Lodgo at Chelmsford , on the 29 th instant , will he of unusual interest to evei-y Ma-son in Essex . Oa that oecasi > n his lordship , as Provincial Grand Master , will invest some brethren of the Province with the much coveted purple— " our Most Worshipfnl Graud Master , Albert Edward , Prince of Wales , "

with the concurrence of Grand Lodge , having sanctioned the bestowal of Past Provincial Grand lank upon a certain number of brethren in each Province in commemoration of Her Majesty ' s Jubilee . On the samo day Bro . Wilson Metcalf , tho W . M . of the Lodge of Friendship , will bo placed iu the chair of King Solomon , and in the evenin- ' ho

will be called up in to preside over tho large and representative muster of Masons which the presence of the Provincial Grand Master , tho exceptional object of tbat distinguished Officer ' s visit , and the annual banquet of the Lodge Good Fellowship are certain to bring together . — Essex Weekly News .

no extract fcbe following from the Kimberley Diamond Fields Advertiser : — While touching on fche subject of thu Centenary of tho Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , we are reminded , from a facsimile of the warrant of' Tranquility . ' 185 , now bafore us , that the present ia

the Cent--nary year of this Lr . dge , aud we sympathise with the regret expressed by Bro . John Constable that ho is unable to bo present in London for tho Centenary Celebration of hia paicnfc Lodge . We know from Bio . Constable ' s History of thia Lodgo that ho had seb tin heart on the coming event . Ho , however , haa the satisfaction of

knowing that his labours will reap thoir reward , from the fact that he has proved tho uninterrupted existence of tho Lodge sinc-j its foundation iu 1787 , relieving his brethren at Home of any difficulty in obtaining their Centenary Warrant . Tha vclumc iu question ia not only a striking monument of patient research , often undertaken

under the most difficult circumstances , but is a most valuable memorial of Masonic history , containing as it does a complete history of " Tranquility " from the year 17 S 7 , no till 1 S 71 . It is to

be hoped that fomo member of i . ' ., o Lodge with tho necessary taste , talent , and capability , will continue the good work thus begun by Bro . Constable , and bring up the interesting imtrariro from 167 / - up to the year of the Lodge ' s Centenary .