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Article MASONIC MINSTRELSY. ← Page 2 of 2 Article MASONIC MINSTRELSY. Page 2 of 2 Article A FEW WORDS ON AMERICAN MASONRY. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Minstrelsy.
have good grounds for complaining of the abuse of tune ? popularly—but no doubt erroneously—believed to be hit favourites . A notable instance in which grammar is sacrificed to rhyme will be found on pnge 46 , as italicised by us : —
Freemasons all from Pole to Pole , May love unite , and truth control ; If sorrows come lohat can condole ; Our griefs like Masonry ?
Nor is tho meaning of the concluding line of the last verse very
apparent—And whon the spirit hence has fled , May angels o'er their pinions spread , And crown with bliss each Mason ' s head With heavenly Masonry .
Them s our sentiments , " no doubt ; but we are in a fog as to whether the angels are invited to spread themselves over their pinions—a somewhat difficult task , we should imagine—or their pinions over themselves .
Song 46 has something in it of Dr . Watts ' s style . The third verse
begins—Then let no angry passions raise Bad humour in your breast . The words seem suggestive of pimples or sores , and as the words are meant to be sung to the tune of The Spotted Cow ,
it may be the poet is invoking the aid of vaccination against the small-pox . " Bad humour" is not very poetical , nor " dirty humour " in the previous verse . The last two stanzas are worth quoting , the rhythm is so
good—Now a good will to Masonry , I give freely from my heart ; And the brethren in Society , Though evor so far apart .
Here ' s a health to our Worthy Grand , And Worshipful likewise ; And when in Lodge they give command , May the Craft in duty rise .
We fear " the worshipful " must have been suffering from an attack of gout , for he moves haltingly—at least in the place assigned him here . The writer of Song 64 is a bold man , if not a poetical . He begins by plunging headlong into the remotest ages .
It was Hiram , the great Architect , Whose actions ever will shine bright j Solomon , who wisely did project , In Masonry took much delight .
What Solomon " wisely did project , " the poet vouchsafes not to tell us . We should have had a footnote , " Templeunderstood . " But this writer goes even further back than the days of Solomon , for later on he sings : —
When Adam was King of all Nations , He formed a plan with all speed , And soon made a sweet habitation
For himself and his partner Eve . When Adam did this he was indubitably "King of all Nations , " just as , and for the same reason that , Robinson Crusoe , on his uninhabited island , was " Monarch of all
he surveyed . " In fact , Adam and his " partner Eve " were " all nations . " But what puzzles us most in this song is the rhyming . Ostensibly the lines rhyme alternately , but the poet , with the licence of his art , makes
them do so or not , just as is most convenient . Thus " architect" and " project" rhyme together ; not so "Mason" and " Morality , " "level" and " beggar "
( devil , in a good-natured sense , as in " you funny little devil ! " would have suited admirably in place of "beggar" ) , " square" and " sincere , " " action" and " compass , " " fire " and " secrets . "
In song 68—Air , Come all Eands ahoy to the Anchor—the poet is also in love with Solomon , "thatwise projector , " and Hiram ; but having a more decent regard for rhyme , though little for the English language , he describes the
latter as " that great architector . " We might , of course , go on multiplying these instances of slipshod grammar , new-coined words , careless rhythm , impossible rhymes , and generally , this silly balderdash . But we have a regard for
our readers patience , as well as for the value of the limited space at our disposal . We close , therefore , this article with a song quoted in extenso . With a view to testing whether the institution of new lines for certain of the original would materially affect the sense of this effusion
Masonic Minstrelsy.
tve have supplied readings of our own , which will be found jiinted in italics , while the original lines are given in a footnote . The result , in our opinion is , that not only have we not in tho slightest degree altered the pool ' a meaning , but we flatter ourselves we have even improved it .
SONG 106 . Tho' my voice can't enchaut like tho Syrens of old , I ' 11 venture your ears to assail ; The attempt do not deem too intruding or bold , — Will I / OH please take a glass of pale ale ?*
Of the compact which binds proud ambition and pow r , My poor simple lays never droam ; But that which for ages true friendship has wore—I'm a begger to get up the steam !*
Chorus : Then join my song , brothers ! the sentiment pass , No harm ' s in a drop of good liquor ;* Fill higher—affection presides o ' er tho glass , " May Free-Masonry flourish for ever . "
Their pillows of rectitude ne ' er will decay 5 Honour ' s temple ' s erected on high j And Architect Truth does a building display In the form of a veal and ham pie . ' *
I flattery scorn , it to falsehood gives birth 5 But rapturo the deed must impart , Which bids soft humanity patronise worth , — A light crust is the best for a tart !*
Chorus : Then join , & o . Let sensual drones to rich viands invite , Or tempt to gay Bacchns ' s board , One moment of feeling will give more delight
Than wine , beer , or spirits afford . ' * To wipe from the eye the big tears of distress ! Infant gratitude view fondly shown ! To blessings bestow , sure the donor must bless , Who is fond of a game 0 ' Pope Joan !*
N . B . —Observe the " pillows" in verse 2 , which we suppose are intended to be " pillars ! " We have retained the poet's sentiments in all their pristine beauty , the only liberty we have taken has been , as we have said , slightly to alter a few lines , thereby , perhaps , adding to his song a dignity it knew not before .
Thus have we striven to deal with the subject of "Masonic Minstrelsy" from a jovial point of view . We trust our readers will believe that none of our criticisms are intended to be , even in the remotest degree , ill-natured .
But , seriously , we should like to see and hear , and—even though our voice may possibly compare with the sound of a fiddle out of tune—join in a good Masonic song . May some poetic brother be moved to satisfy this want !
A Few Words On American Masonry.
A FEW WORDS ON AMERICAN MASONRY .
LAST week we published a letter from Bro . Hughan , in which , in his usually courteous manner , he questioned the accuracy of certain remarks of ours in our opening number on the above subject . We may perhaps have occasion to deal with the question in some future issue .
Meanwhile , lest our correspondent should imagine that silence , even for a brief period , is an indication of our assent to his arguments , we meet him briefly now on the grounds selected by himself .
1 . Says Bro . Hughan : — " As to ' outlay and Masonic architecture' the ' new country ' is much ahead of the ' old , ' and so that may be taken as indicative of the hearty
co-operation of the American fraternity in seeking to provide homes and temples worthy of the Craft , and suitable for the working of our solemn ceremonies . "
Admitted , but it does not follow that the American fraternity as heartily co-operate in the fulfilment of their other and far more important duties as Masons . A .
builds himself a magnificent house , and all the appointments are in keeping . This indicates A . ' s respect for the class or rank he belongs to , but it follows not that because
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Minstrelsy.
have good grounds for complaining of the abuse of tune ? popularly—but no doubt erroneously—believed to be hit favourites . A notable instance in which grammar is sacrificed to rhyme will be found on pnge 46 , as italicised by us : —
Freemasons all from Pole to Pole , May love unite , and truth control ; If sorrows come lohat can condole ; Our griefs like Masonry ?
Nor is tho meaning of the concluding line of the last verse very
apparent—And whon the spirit hence has fled , May angels o'er their pinions spread , And crown with bliss each Mason ' s head With heavenly Masonry .
Them s our sentiments , " no doubt ; but we are in a fog as to whether the angels are invited to spread themselves over their pinions—a somewhat difficult task , we should imagine—or their pinions over themselves .
Song 46 has something in it of Dr . Watts ' s style . The third verse
begins—Then let no angry passions raise Bad humour in your breast . The words seem suggestive of pimples or sores , and as the words are meant to be sung to the tune of The Spotted Cow ,
it may be the poet is invoking the aid of vaccination against the small-pox . " Bad humour" is not very poetical , nor " dirty humour " in the previous verse . The last two stanzas are worth quoting , the rhythm is so
good—Now a good will to Masonry , I give freely from my heart ; And the brethren in Society , Though evor so far apart .
Here ' s a health to our Worthy Grand , And Worshipful likewise ; And when in Lodge they give command , May the Craft in duty rise .
We fear " the worshipful " must have been suffering from an attack of gout , for he moves haltingly—at least in the place assigned him here . The writer of Song 64 is a bold man , if not a poetical . He begins by plunging headlong into the remotest ages .
It was Hiram , the great Architect , Whose actions ever will shine bright j Solomon , who wisely did project , In Masonry took much delight .
What Solomon " wisely did project , " the poet vouchsafes not to tell us . We should have had a footnote , " Templeunderstood . " But this writer goes even further back than the days of Solomon , for later on he sings : —
When Adam was King of all Nations , He formed a plan with all speed , And soon made a sweet habitation
For himself and his partner Eve . When Adam did this he was indubitably "King of all Nations , " just as , and for the same reason that , Robinson Crusoe , on his uninhabited island , was " Monarch of all
he surveyed . " In fact , Adam and his " partner Eve " were " all nations . " But what puzzles us most in this song is the rhyming . Ostensibly the lines rhyme alternately , but the poet , with the licence of his art , makes
them do so or not , just as is most convenient . Thus " architect" and " project" rhyme together ; not so "Mason" and " Morality , " "level" and " beggar "
( devil , in a good-natured sense , as in " you funny little devil ! " would have suited admirably in place of "beggar" ) , " square" and " sincere , " " action" and " compass , " " fire " and " secrets . "
In song 68—Air , Come all Eands ahoy to the Anchor—the poet is also in love with Solomon , "thatwise projector , " and Hiram ; but having a more decent regard for rhyme , though little for the English language , he describes the
latter as " that great architector . " We might , of course , go on multiplying these instances of slipshod grammar , new-coined words , careless rhythm , impossible rhymes , and generally , this silly balderdash . But we have a regard for
our readers patience , as well as for the value of the limited space at our disposal . We close , therefore , this article with a song quoted in extenso . With a view to testing whether the institution of new lines for certain of the original would materially affect the sense of this effusion
Masonic Minstrelsy.
tve have supplied readings of our own , which will be found jiinted in italics , while the original lines are given in a footnote . The result , in our opinion is , that not only have we not in tho slightest degree altered the pool ' a meaning , but we flatter ourselves we have even improved it .
SONG 106 . Tho' my voice can't enchaut like tho Syrens of old , I ' 11 venture your ears to assail ; The attempt do not deem too intruding or bold , — Will I / OH please take a glass of pale ale ?*
Of the compact which binds proud ambition and pow r , My poor simple lays never droam ; But that which for ages true friendship has wore—I'm a begger to get up the steam !*
Chorus : Then join my song , brothers ! the sentiment pass , No harm ' s in a drop of good liquor ;* Fill higher—affection presides o ' er tho glass , " May Free-Masonry flourish for ever . "
Their pillows of rectitude ne ' er will decay 5 Honour ' s temple ' s erected on high j And Architect Truth does a building display In the form of a veal and ham pie . ' *
I flattery scorn , it to falsehood gives birth 5 But rapturo the deed must impart , Which bids soft humanity patronise worth , — A light crust is the best for a tart !*
Chorus : Then join , & o . Let sensual drones to rich viands invite , Or tempt to gay Bacchns ' s board , One moment of feeling will give more delight
Than wine , beer , or spirits afford . ' * To wipe from the eye the big tears of distress ! Infant gratitude view fondly shown ! To blessings bestow , sure the donor must bless , Who is fond of a game 0 ' Pope Joan !*
N . B . —Observe the " pillows" in verse 2 , which we suppose are intended to be " pillars ! " We have retained the poet's sentiments in all their pristine beauty , the only liberty we have taken has been , as we have said , slightly to alter a few lines , thereby , perhaps , adding to his song a dignity it knew not before .
Thus have we striven to deal with the subject of "Masonic Minstrelsy" from a jovial point of view . We trust our readers will believe that none of our criticisms are intended to be , even in the remotest degree , ill-natured .
But , seriously , we should like to see and hear , and—even though our voice may possibly compare with the sound of a fiddle out of tune—join in a good Masonic song . May some poetic brother be moved to satisfy this want !
A Few Words On American Masonry.
A FEW WORDS ON AMERICAN MASONRY .
LAST week we published a letter from Bro . Hughan , in which , in his usually courteous manner , he questioned the accuracy of certain remarks of ours in our opening number on the above subject . We may perhaps have occasion to deal with the question in some future issue .
Meanwhile , lest our correspondent should imagine that silence , even for a brief period , is an indication of our assent to his arguments , we meet him briefly now on the grounds selected by himself .
1 . Says Bro . Hughan : — " As to ' outlay and Masonic architecture' the ' new country ' is much ahead of the ' old , ' and so that may be taken as indicative of the hearty
co-operation of the American fraternity in seeking to provide homes and temples worthy of the Craft , and suitable for the working of our solemn ceremonies . "
Admitted , but it does not follow that the American fraternity as heartily co-operate in the fulfilment of their other and far more important duties as Masons . A .
builds himself a magnificent house , and all the appointments are in keeping . This indicates A . ' s respect for the class or rank he belongs to , but it follows not that because