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Article THE SONGS OF MASONRY. ← Page 7 of 7 Article THE PEACOCK. Page 1 of 3 →
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The Songs Of Masonry.
Now , respecting the latter of these , I shall merely observe , that if it be characteristic of a very high degree of merit in a song , to he constantly used , through many successive ages , with a delig ht that never fails , this remarkable song must be placed in the first rank of its species ; for while songs on other subjects , no matter by whom written , whether by a Scott , a Byron , a Baily , or a Moore , are ephemeral and vanish in a single season ; the E . A . P . has continued a favourite for more than a
hundred years ; is still used in the Lodges with peculiar zest ; and I venture to predict , will be cherished so long as Masonry shall endure . It stands alone like an isolated column unshaken by the storms of time;—no competition can uproot it from the solid basis of Masonic approbationno adverse circumstances will ever weaken its hold on Masonic esteem . AVhere is the song that can entertain a similar boast , or the song writer who can emulate the immortality of Matthew Birkhead ? The E . A . P .
song is an unique production , unmatched in the history of this species of composition ; and has attained an elevation which no other song will ever reach . I propose to continue this subject next quarter .
The Peacock.
THE PEACOCK .
A HOUSEHOLD INCIDENT .
THE goddess Fortune , playing at blind-man ' s-buff , had , in a sportive mood , thrown her wanton arms about Abel Staff . She had suddenly g iven him a happy competence—a comfortable wife . He who had lived upon the voice and finger of others , was now himself a master . He was the lord of a house which , in the words of the prince of auctioneers , " advanced a peculiar claim to the epithet of snugness : " one of those suburban cottages with which giant London , " like a swart Indian with when
his belt of beads" stands girted . Abel wanted nothing—nothing ; in an evil hour , the Prince of Darkness , pointing to him the fatal glory in the yard of a dealer , cried— " Abel—Abel—buy a peacockj "
It was about eight in the morning , and our hero sat at his breakfast . A neighbour dashed into the parlour , and holding in his hand something for the inspection of Abel , asked , " Pray , sir , do you think this is to be borne ? " Abel , tucking his crossed arms under the tails of his coat , looked , acutely as a gypsey , into the hand of the querist , and saw there an exanimate chicken of about a week old , with a hole in its head . this ?
" I ask you , sir , if you think anybody can continue to endure " " Not more than once , " said Abel , looking at the mortal hole in the head of the murdered "" That peacock of yours , Mr . Staff "—but the gentleman with the chicken could say no more , —his sentence being cut short by the discordant scream of the creature on the lawn . ( Had the radiant tail of the bird been used to wing a bundle of arrows at the head and heart
of Abel , his sorrows had been less . The peacock of Abel Staff proved to him a raven—nay , a very harpy . ) " That peacock of yours , Mr . Staff , " again cried the neighbour ; and again the bird screamed , as if conscious of the notice . —
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Songs Of Masonry.
Now , respecting the latter of these , I shall merely observe , that if it be characteristic of a very high degree of merit in a song , to he constantly used , through many successive ages , with a delig ht that never fails , this remarkable song must be placed in the first rank of its species ; for while songs on other subjects , no matter by whom written , whether by a Scott , a Byron , a Baily , or a Moore , are ephemeral and vanish in a single season ; the E . A . P . has continued a favourite for more than a
hundred years ; is still used in the Lodges with peculiar zest ; and I venture to predict , will be cherished so long as Masonry shall endure . It stands alone like an isolated column unshaken by the storms of time;—no competition can uproot it from the solid basis of Masonic approbationno adverse circumstances will ever weaken its hold on Masonic esteem . AVhere is the song that can entertain a similar boast , or the song writer who can emulate the immortality of Matthew Birkhead ? The E . A . P .
song is an unique production , unmatched in the history of this species of composition ; and has attained an elevation which no other song will ever reach . I propose to continue this subject next quarter .
The Peacock.
THE PEACOCK .
A HOUSEHOLD INCIDENT .
THE goddess Fortune , playing at blind-man ' s-buff , had , in a sportive mood , thrown her wanton arms about Abel Staff . She had suddenly g iven him a happy competence—a comfortable wife . He who had lived upon the voice and finger of others , was now himself a master . He was the lord of a house which , in the words of the prince of auctioneers , " advanced a peculiar claim to the epithet of snugness : " one of those suburban cottages with which giant London , " like a swart Indian with when
his belt of beads" stands girted . Abel wanted nothing—nothing ; in an evil hour , the Prince of Darkness , pointing to him the fatal glory in the yard of a dealer , cried— " Abel—Abel—buy a peacockj "
It was about eight in the morning , and our hero sat at his breakfast . A neighbour dashed into the parlour , and holding in his hand something for the inspection of Abel , asked , " Pray , sir , do you think this is to be borne ? " Abel , tucking his crossed arms under the tails of his coat , looked , acutely as a gypsey , into the hand of the querist , and saw there an exanimate chicken of about a week old , with a hole in its head . this ?
" I ask you , sir , if you think anybody can continue to endure " " Not more than once , " said Abel , looking at the mortal hole in the head of the murdered "" That peacock of yours , Mr . Staff "—but the gentleman with the chicken could say no more , —his sentence being cut short by the discordant scream of the creature on the lawn . ( Had the radiant tail of the bird been used to wing a bundle of arrows at the head and heart
of Abel , his sorrows had been less . The peacock of Abel Staff proved to him a raven—nay , a very harpy . ) " That peacock of yours , Mr . Staff , " again cried the neighbour ; and again the bird screamed , as if conscious of the notice . —