Outside Ideas Of Freemasonry

OUTSIDE IDEAS OF FREEMASONRY

WE have heard of a cynic who defined truth as " undiscovered falsehood , " and we have no doubt that the answer was characteristic of the man . This , however , is not the general acceptation of the term , but rather the narrow view of a class , who , being unaccustomed to describe things as they are , consider themselves representative

specimens of humanity in general , and have the impudence to include all others in their category . In the case in point the use of the word " undiscovered , " leads us to suppose some pains wore taken to give a certain amount of colour to the lie , or that there was some apparent reason for it .

Even under such circumstances , however , it is usual with Englishmen to treat with scorn the man who is found to be gnilty in this respect ; but when a man lies or perjures himself merely for the sake of doing so , he deservedly calls down upon himself the most utter contempt , if not pity ,

of those to whom he thinks to . pander . In this class of individual may be included those who in their greed for gain hope , by sensational articles on the rites and ceremonies of Freemasonry , or of other secret societies , to create a demand for their wares , and perhaps acquire a

somewhat unenviable notoriety . This may be , and in our opinion is , in most cases a mere display of tho annoyance felt by unworthy candidates at not having received the benefits they anticipated from association with the Order . We believe we are justified in saying that such

lucubrations are appreciated onl y by those who , like the writers , know no sense of honour , and by those who are utterly ignorant of the first principles of morality . Who would accept the word of a man who by his own lips convicts himself as a wilful neriurer ? Tn the mainritv of +, bP

so-called " accounts of our ceremonies " there is a certain amount of truth , but usually nothing more than may be learned by any one taking the trouble to enquire for himself . For instance , most persons know that an obligation not to divulge anything that is communicated is

amnnothe first things that a candidate is called upon to undertake , and this is usually made especially prominent by thoso who make it their pleasure to profess a knowledge of what they do not understand . The next thing this class

ot writers do is , to make a boast of having broken their promise , and then they ask their readers to believe what follows . We pity the ignorance they thus display , and their utter want of knowledge of gentlemanly behaviour or of the feelings of gentlemen . A writer in the last week ' s number of one of the London

periodicals has taken upon himself the task of exposing what he is pleased to term the childish mummeries of Freemasons . After quoting the following passage from the f

mies : — " Perhaps if Freemasons disclosed their secrets they would lose little worth keeping , and the world would f-cquire little worth acquiring , " he says , " This is all the MOVO true , as the Freemasons have no secrets . ... I

fim lyjfc myself a Freemason , but I have often amused myself % passing for one . " What does he mean by this ? Does he suppose that the mere exhibition of a token , or the flourish , of a supposed sign — more than likely not having anything Avhatever to do with any of the

Alasonic signs —constitutes him a member of our Order , or leads others to suppose that he is one ? We should say not , unless it be those who themselves

are among the uninitiated . After describing what v ?" ^ ° knows of tbe opening of a Lodge , and which we , as Freemasons , politely inform him would immediatel y gain for him summary expulsion from tho

Outside Ideas Of Freemasonry

Masonic meeting , and that may be , if he happened to get among a party who were warm on the subject , in a rather unseemly manner , ho proceeds with the ceremony of initiation , in one part of which he says the candidate " repeats the oath , in which he engages to keep inviolate the secrets

of the Order . " Just so , and having done that , we ask him on what ground he wishes us to believe tho statements ho puts forward ? If a man can , and does take the oath to which he refers , and then supplies the copy for such an exvosij as he would wish us to believe he gives , we hold

that the man must bo a fool , or oxpects his readers aro fools , to believe one word of his statement . He condescends , later on , to describe " tho association as useful as a charitable organisation , " and proceeds , " but assuredly it is full time that reasonable human beings

should no longer waste their time in the frivolous nonsense that goes on at Lodges , or that secrecy should be affected when there is no necessity for it . " We hold that secrecy is necessary if only to keep from our meetings such mon as tho writer we have referred to . We should liko to know

his name , in order that we might find out the Lodge which has so justly refused him admission , for we entertain no doubt but that such an event has occurred . We should like to offer our thanks to its members for having so judiciously guarded the character of the Order .

Tho Annual Convocation of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Middlesex will be held on Saturday , the 2 nd of August , under the superintendence of tho R . W . Bro . Col . Francis Burdett , Prov . Grand Z ., at the Grammar School , Enfield Town . Prov . Grand Chapter will be opened at

4 p . m ., and the banquet will take place at 5 . 80 , at the George Inn . Tickets for tho latter ( 21 s each ) may bo obtained of the Prov . G . Scribe E . Comp . H . C . Levandor , 30 North Villas , N . W . We wish the Coaipanions a fine day , and feel assured if such is the case they will enjoy their visit to this picturesque part of the county .

The Summer Banquet of the Henley Lodge , No . 1472 , will take place on Wednesday , the 30 th July , at tho Clarendon Hotel , Gravesend . The dinner is announced for five o ' clock , and will be presided over by the W . M . Bro . Turner .

The brethren of Dublin are just now making strenuous efforts to increase the accommodation of their Female Orphan School . It having been decided that it would not be safe , consistent with the sanitary comforts of the inmates , to still further enlarge the present buildino-, an

eligible site has been secured , comprising nine acres , situate at the junction of Blackrock and Simmon ' s Court Roads . Plans have been prepared for a new schoolhouse , designed for the reception of seventy girls , and so arranged as to admit of extension in the future . The cost of

building and furnishing is estimated at £ 12 , 000 , of which sum £ 5 , 000 has been voted from the invested capital of the Charity on condition that a like sum of £ 5 , 000 is contributed by members of the Order to this special fund . Already we understand that promises have been received

which reach close on £ 3000 , so that we may confidently look to the scheme being speedily carried out . We wish our Irisb brethren every success in their undertaking , which when completed will become another of tho splendid monuments which are the boast of our Order and the prido of its members .