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Article HASSAN AND ZOOLMA; ← Page 3 of 18 →
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Hassan And Zoolma;
Masonry ( as it is , we Ihink , somewhat injudiciously called , seeing that it is practically highly beneficial ) , and yet that this separation has had no deteriorating effect on the latter . This may be deemed to be the ease in India , though it is to be confessed , that we here begin io tread on ground of a more doubtful nature . There are few Europeans in India who divest themselves altogether of their domestic prejudicesso as to mix on perfectlfamiliar terms
, y with the respectable natives of the country . This want of familiar intercourse precludes us from learning much of their habits of manners , the detail of which would not only be highly interesting , but eminently useful . Though there are some exceptions to the general rule , it is still nevertheless to be apprehended that in these cases , a free and unrestricted intercourse lias ever been partially obstructed by Oriental jealousy . Indeed the terms of Oriental society almost forbid the idea of such famithe
liarity . Nevertheless , those who have approached most nearly to threshold of this inviolability , have discovered what appears with much reason to be the remains of Freemasonry , so far as we can discover it by some of its effects and appearances . Another fact which seems to bear on the argument is , that all the Mussulman population are most anxious to hear and learn what we profess in Freemasonry , and they will readiljoin in mysteries—point in which the Hindoos bear no
simiy our a litude to their fellow countrymen . The practice to which we refer , as bearing a strong resemblance to that of Freemasonry , is as thus . Some person , generally aged , and who having been brought up to the pries ! - hood , has had a good education , not unfrequently too a moolvce ov doctor , receives into his house and society as inmates , youths of good
family , expectations , and reputation . These go through certain probationary trials , and are gradually admitted into a participation in the knowledge of their master . He is called peer , and the noviciates termed mureeds . Implicit obedience and respect to their superior are indispensable requisites in the disciples , and all failure in this , or ^ any ot . ier misconduct , meets with the punishment of exclusion from the society . When the full prescribed period is passed , the mureeds return to their les of such
homes , and are ever distinguished as having been discip a master . Between youths thus brought up together , a fraternal tic and regard exists , which binds them peculiarly one to another , and this obligation is considered of a very sacred nature . They have likewise among themselves certain private signs and tokens by which they know one another to be of this same society . Of this fact , we have been fully and indubitablinformedso as to leave no doubt on the subject .
Musy , sulmans , who have been on friendly terms with Europeans , have avowed the fact ; and when asked for their peculiar characteristic , have , appealed to the Freemasons as an example , wherein a breach of confidence would , if possible , be terribly criminal . One very singular feature in this system , however , remains to be noticed , and this , it must be acknowledged , makes a wide difference between it and Freemasonry . Males and females are equally admitted to a participation in the secrets which saidthat in
are imparted to the disciples ; and / to their credit be it , no - stance of treachery on the part of a female is to be found in fable , or in the records of reality . The foregoing observations may partially serve to illustrate the following narrative , which lias been derived from sources which leave little , if any doubt , of its authenticity . Shaik Azim was a respectable landholder in the vicinity of the district of Tirhoot , in the Behar province ; he had inherited a mode-I'OI ,. vi . v
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Hassan And Zoolma;
Masonry ( as it is , we Ihink , somewhat injudiciously called , seeing that it is practically highly beneficial ) , and yet that this separation has had no deteriorating effect on the latter . This may be deemed to be the ease in India , though it is to be confessed , that we here begin io tread on ground of a more doubtful nature . There are few Europeans in India who divest themselves altogether of their domestic prejudicesso as to mix on perfectlfamiliar terms
, y with the respectable natives of the country . This want of familiar intercourse precludes us from learning much of their habits of manners , the detail of which would not only be highly interesting , but eminently useful . Though there are some exceptions to the general rule , it is still nevertheless to be apprehended that in these cases , a free and unrestricted intercourse lias ever been partially obstructed by Oriental jealousy . Indeed the terms of Oriental society almost forbid the idea of such famithe
liarity . Nevertheless , those who have approached most nearly to threshold of this inviolability , have discovered what appears with much reason to be the remains of Freemasonry , so far as we can discover it by some of its effects and appearances . Another fact which seems to bear on the argument is , that all the Mussulman population are most anxious to hear and learn what we profess in Freemasonry , and they will readiljoin in mysteries—point in which the Hindoos bear no
simiy our a litude to their fellow countrymen . The practice to which we refer , as bearing a strong resemblance to that of Freemasonry , is as thus . Some person , generally aged , and who having been brought up to the pries ! - hood , has had a good education , not unfrequently too a moolvce ov doctor , receives into his house and society as inmates , youths of good
family , expectations , and reputation . These go through certain probationary trials , and are gradually admitted into a participation in the knowledge of their master . He is called peer , and the noviciates termed mureeds . Implicit obedience and respect to their superior are indispensable requisites in the disciples , and all failure in this , or ^ any ot . ier misconduct , meets with the punishment of exclusion from the society . When the full prescribed period is passed , the mureeds return to their les of such
homes , and are ever distinguished as having been discip a master . Between youths thus brought up together , a fraternal tic and regard exists , which binds them peculiarly one to another , and this obligation is considered of a very sacred nature . They have likewise among themselves certain private signs and tokens by which they know one another to be of this same society . Of this fact , we have been fully and indubitablinformedso as to leave no doubt on the subject .
Musy , sulmans , who have been on friendly terms with Europeans , have avowed the fact ; and when asked for their peculiar characteristic , have , appealed to the Freemasons as an example , wherein a breach of confidence would , if possible , be terribly criminal . One very singular feature in this system , however , remains to be noticed , and this , it must be acknowledged , makes a wide difference between it and Freemasonry . Males and females are equally admitted to a participation in the secrets which saidthat in
are imparted to the disciples ; and / to their credit be it , no - stance of treachery on the part of a female is to be found in fable , or in the records of reality . The foregoing observations may partially serve to illustrate the following narrative , which lias been derived from sources which leave little , if any doubt , of its authenticity . Shaik Azim was a respectable landholder in the vicinity of the district of Tirhoot , in the Behar province ; he had inherited a mode-I'OI ,. vi . v