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Article THE CONTEST. ← Page 6 of 6 Article THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM. Page 1 of 3 →
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The Contest.
priest , who contended for the lovely prize , gorgeous as it was in fancy , and skilful in design , failed to attract more than a passing glance . The youthful son of the sage Nicoris at last arose , and thus addressed the king , " Monarch , thy predecessors have erected a city , perfect in beauty , magnificent in strength , defective but in justice , and for this the gods have afflicted tbe land of Egypt with pestilence and discontent . Of the builders who toiled to rear the palace of the kinor the temples
g , of our faith , whose wisdom crowns with strength and beauty the sunny plain , how many perished in their age , without a home to shelter or a friend to sooth them ! Ingratitude hath been Egypt ' s sin : lee a refuge for the builder and the craftsman—a temple sacred to mercy and humanity—be its atonement . Then shall the pestilence pass away , and health revisit the people . " As the speaker concluded , he laid at the foot of the throne the plans of the projected edificeno useless magnificence
; adorned it , its beauty consisted in its simplicity ; its foundations were laid in justice ; its stones quarried by good intentions ; its cement benevolence , and its portal merit . No sooner had the monarch heard the speaker , and glanced over the plans , than a ray , as if from heaven , broke in upon him . " This is , indeed , " he cried , " the mystic building demanded by the oracle !—Honour to the architect , prosperity to the builders ! "
So eager were the people , Who shared the enthusiasm of their ruler , . to be relieved ofthe scourge that oppressed them , that they toiled day and night , in raising the temple , which was to prove to them the ark of health ; no sooner was it finished than the pestilence ceased , and the next time the Egyptian king was seated upon his throne , it was to bless the nuptials of his only child with the preserver of his people . Brethrenin the tale I have relatedthere is both a moral and
, , a meaning . The pestilence which afflicted Egypt , was discontent—the lovely Nementbis represents the peace and unity of the Craft—the mystic edifice , the Asylum—the high priest , prejudice , and the successful architect , Perseverance .
The Library And Museum.
THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM .
( No . 2 * . ) IMPORTANT MASONIC MANUSCRIPT ROLL . The first manuscript purchased by the Board of General Purposes , to be deposited in the library and museum , is very curious and interesting . It bears date 25 th December , 11 S 3 , in the twenty-ninth year of Henry II . ; and that this date is nearlcorrect be inferred from the
y , may writing , which is in the court hand of that time . This document consists of a short prayer , six sections , historical and explanatory , the ancient charges of the Order , as agreed on at the Grand Lodge held at York , A . D . ( about ) 926 , and a final exhortation to the Brethren to abide by , and strictly enforce and obey them . This MS . is probably a copy of the records and rules of the aforesaid Grand Lodge , possibly made by authority , for the use of some sub-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Contest.
priest , who contended for the lovely prize , gorgeous as it was in fancy , and skilful in design , failed to attract more than a passing glance . The youthful son of the sage Nicoris at last arose , and thus addressed the king , " Monarch , thy predecessors have erected a city , perfect in beauty , magnificent in strength , defective but in justice , and for this the gods have afflicted tbe land of Egypt with pestilence and discontent . Of the builders who toiled to rear the palace of the kinor the temples
g , of our faith , whose wisdom crowns with strength and beauty the sunny plain , how many perished in their age , without a home to shelter or a friend to sooth them ! Ingratitude hath been Egypt ' s sin : lee a refuge for the builder and the craftsman—a temple sacred to mercy and humanity—be its atonement . Then shall the pestilence pass away , and health revisit the people . " As the speaker concluded , he laid at the foot of the throne the plans of the projected edificeno useless magnificence
; adorned it , its beauty consisted in its simplicity ; its foundations were laid in justice ; its stones quarried by good intentions ; its cement benevolence , and its portal merit . No sooner had the monarch heard the speaker , and glanced over the plans , than a ray , as if from heaven , broke in upon him . " This is , indeed , " he cried , " the mystic building demanded by the oracle !—Honour to the architect , prosperity to the builders ! "
So eager were the people , Who shared the enthusiasm of their ruler , . to be relieved ofthe scourge that oppressed them , that they toiled day and night , in raising the temple , which was to prove to them the ark of health ; no sooner was it finished than the pestilence ceased , and the next time the Egyptian king was seated upon his throne , it was to bless the nuptials of his only child with the preserver of his people . Brethrenin the tale I have relatedthere is both a moral and
, , a meaning . The pestilence which afflicted Egypt , was discontent—the lovely Nementbis represents the peace and unity of the Craft—the mystic edifice , the Asylum—the high priest , prejudice , and the successful architect , Perseverance .
The Library And Museum.
THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM .
( No . 2 * . ) IMPORTANT MASONIC MANUSCRIPT ROLL . The first manuscript purchased by the Board of General Purposes , to be deposited in the library and museum , is very curious and interesting . It bears date 25 th December , 11 S 3 , in the twenty-ninth year of Henry II . ; and that this date is nearlcorrect be inferred from the
y , may writing , which is in the court hand of that time . This document consists of a short prayer , six sections , historical and explanatory , the ancient charges of the Order , as agreed on at the Grand Lodge held at York , A . D . ( about ) 926 , and a final exhortation to the Brethren to abide by , and strictly enforce and obey them . This MS . is probably a copy of the records and rules of the aforesaid Grand Lodge , possibly made by authority , for the use of some sub-