Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Speech
A SPEECH
DELIVERED TO THE WORSHIPFUL AND ANCIENT SOCIETY OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS , - At a GRAND LODGE , held ' at Merchant ' s Hall , in the City of York , on St . John ' s Day , December 27 , 1726 . THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL CHARLES BATHURST , ESQ , GRAND-MASTER . BY TFIE JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN .
( Continued from Page 331 . ) THE learned author of the Antiquity of Masonry , annexed to which are our constitutions , has taken so much true pains to draw it out from the rubbish which the ignorant ages of the world had buried it in , as justlmerits the hihest gratitude from his Brethren .
y g That diligent antiquary has traced out to us those many stupendous works of the antie ' nts , which were , certainly , and without doubt , infinitely superior to the moderns : 1 shall not , therefore , follow his steps ; but since there ought to be something said of antient architecture , to illustrate the real antiquity of Masonry in" general , I shall beg leave to subjoin what an elegant modern author , the ever-celebrated Mr .
Addison , has wrote on this subject . " We find , says'he , in architecture , the antients much superior to . " the moderns ; for not to mention the Tower of Babel , of which an old " - author says , there were the foundations to be seen in his time , which " looked like , a spacious mountain , what could be more noble than the " walls of Babylon , its hanging gardens , and its temple to Jupiter "> Belus , that rose a mile hig h by eight several stories , each story a " furlong in height , and on the top of ivhich was the Babylonian
" observatory J I might here , likewise , take notice of the huge rock " that was cut into the figure of Semiramis , with the smaller rocks " that lay by it in the shape of tributary kings ; the prodigious bason . . " which took in the whole Euphrates , until such time as a new canal was " formed for its reception , with the several trenches through which " that river was conveyed . I know , " adds our author , " there are
" persons , who look upon some of these wonders of art to be fabulous ; " but I cannot find any grounds for such a suspicion , unless it be that " we have no such works amongst us at present . There were , indeed , . " many greater advantages for building in those times , and in that " part of the world , . than , have been met with ever since . The earth " was extremely . fruitful , men lived generally on pasturage which
re" quires a much smaller number of hands than agriculture . There " were few trades to employ the busy part of mankind , and fewer arts" and sciences to give work to men of speculative tempers , and , what " is more than all the rest , the prince was absolute ; so that when he " went to . war he put himself at the head of a whole people ; as we " find Semiramis leading her three millions to the field , and yet over" powered by the number of her enemies . It is no wonder then , VOL . II . 3-E '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Speech
A SPEECH
DELIVERED TO THE WORSHIPFUL AND ANCIENT SOCIETY OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS , - At a GRAND LODGE , held ' at Merchant ' s Hall , in the City of York , on St . John ' s Day , December 27 , 1726 . THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL CHARLES BATHURST , ESQ , GRAND-MASTER . BY TFIE JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN .
( Continued from Page 331 . ) THE learned author of the Antiquity of Masonry , annexed to which are our constitutions , has taken so much true pains to draw it out from the rubbish which the ignorant ages of the world had buried it in , as justlmerits the hihest gratitude from his Brethren .
y g That diligent antiquary has traced out to us those many stupendous works of the antie ' nts , which were , certainly , and without doubt , infinitely superior to the moderns : 1 shall not , therefore , follow his steps ; but since there ought to be something said of antient architecture , to illustrate the real antiquity of Masonry in" general , I shall beg leave to subjoin what an elegant modern author , the ever-celebrated Mr .
Addison , has wrote on this subject . " We find , says'he , in architecture , the antients much superior to . " the moderns ; for not to mention the Tower of Babel , of which an old " - author says , there were the foundations to be seen in his time , which " looked like , a spacious mountain , what could be more noble than the " walls of Babylon , its hanging gardens , and its temple to Jupiter "> Belus , that rose a mile hig h by eight several stories , each story a " furlong in height , and on the top of ivhich was the Babylonian
" observatory J I might here , likewise , take notice of the huge rock " that was cut into the figure of Semiramis , with the smaller rocks " that lay by it in the shape of tributary kings ; the prodigious bason . . " which took in the whole Euphrates , until such time as a new canal was " formed for its reception , with the several trenches through which " that river was conveyed . I know , " adds our author , " there are
" persons , who look upon some of these wonders of art to be fabulous ; " but I cannot find any grounds for such a suspicion , unless it be that " we have no such works amongst us at present . There were , indeed , . " many greater advantages for building in those times , and in that " part of the world , . than , have been met with ever since . The earth " was extremely . fruitful , men lived generally on pasturage which
re" quires a much smaller number of hands than agriculture . There " were few trades to employ the busy part of mankind , and fewer arts" and sciences to give work to men of speculative tempers , and , what " is more than all the rest , the prince was absolute ; so that when he " went to . war he put himself at the head of a whole people ; as we " find Semiramis leading her three millions to the field , and yet over" powered by the number of her enemies . It is no wonder then , VOL . II . 3-E '