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Article THE REVELATIONS OF A SQUARE. ← Page 12 of 14 →
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The Revelations Of A Square.
" The origin of the above significant watchword , " continued the Square prosingly , as if he was taking credit to himself for communicating some very important secret which was known to none but himself , — - "Don ' t speak !"•— -he ejaculated , in a sharp and eager tone of voice , as I exhibited indications of a reply —¦ " Don ' t speakand you shall hear . ' In our timea
, , , cowan , or over-curious , uninitiated person , who was detected in the fact of listening , or attempting to procure , by any undue means , a knowledge of the peculiar secrets of Masonry , was termed an eavesdropper , from the nature of the infliction to which he was subjected . He was placed under the eaves of a house in rainy weather , and retained there till the droppings
of the water ran in at the collar of his coat , and out at his shoes , and therefore the phrase , ' it raitis , ' indicates that a cowan is present , and the proceedings must be suspended . " Bro . Dunckerley always endeavoured to keep the Lodge in good humour , and it was seldom indeed that he was unsuccessful . He ado | 3 ted a very judicious method of lecturing , which never failed to interest the most careless Brother . His
lectures were often delivered extemporaneously , and interspersed with amusing anecdotes . He knew the value of that Horatian maxim , Misce stultitiam consiliis brevem , and used it with a most beneficial effect . He was an acquaintance of the celebrated lexicographer Dr . Johnson ; and I remember , on some particular occasion , when the Lodge was remarkably
full , he entertained the Brethren , at the close of a copious illustration of the Theological and Cardinal Virtues , with the following characteristic sketch . A person in company with Ursa Major , as the learned doctor was sometimes denominated , said lie had been so unfortunate as to displease Dr . Johnson , and , wishing to reinstate himself in his good
opinion , thought he could not do it more effectually than by decrying such light amusements as those of tumbling and rope-dancing . In particular , he asserted that a rope-dancer was in his opinion the most despicable of human beings . Johnson ( awfully rolling himself as he prepared to speak , and bursting out into a thundering tone ) said , ' Sir , you might as
well say that St . Paul was the most despicable of human beings . Let us beware how we petulantly and ignorantly traduce a character which puts all other characters to shame . Sir , a rope-dancer concentrates in himself all the Theological and Cardinal Virtues . We will begin with Temperance . Sir , if the joys of the bottle entice him one inch beyond the line of sobriety , his life or his limbs must pay the forfeit of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Revelations Of A Square.
" The origin of the above significant watchword , " continued the Square prosingly , as if he was taking credit to himself for communicating some very important secret which was known to none but himself , — - "Don ' t speak !"•— -he ejaculated , in a sharp and eager tone of voice , as I exhibited indications of a reply —¦ " Don ' t speakand you shall hear . ' In our timea
, , , cowan , or over-curious , uninitiated person , who was detected in the fact of listening , or attempting to procure , by any undue means , a knowledge of the peculiar secrets of Masonry , was termed an eavesdropper , from the nature of the infliction to which he was subjected . He was placed under the eaves of a house in rainy weather , and retained there till the droppings
of the water ran in at the collar of his coat , and out at his shoes , and therefore the phrase , ' it raitis , ' indicates that a cowan is present , and the proceedings must be suspended . " Bro . Dunckerley always endeavoured to keep the Lodge in good humour , and it was seldom indeed that he was unsuccessful . He ado | 3 ted a very judicious method of lecturing , which never failed to interest the most careless Brother . His
lectures were often delivered extemporaneously , and interspersed with amusing anecdotes . He knew the value of that Horatian maxim , Misce stultitiam consiliis brevem , and used it with a most beneficial effect . He was an acquaintance of the celebrated lexicographer Dr . Johnson ; and I remember , on some particular occasion , when the Lodge was remarkably
full , he entertained the Brethren , at the close of a copious illustration of the Theological and Cardinal Virtues , with the following characteristic sketch . A person in company with Ursa Major , as the learned doctor was sometimes denominated , said lie had been so unfortunate as to displease Dr . Johnson , and , wishing to reinstate himself in his good
opinion , thought he could not do it more effectually than by decrying such light amusements as those of tumbling and rope-dancing . In particular , he asserted that a rope-dancer was in his opinion the most despicable of human beings . Johnson ( awfully rolling himself as he prepared to speak , and bursting out into a thundering tone ) said , ' Sir , you might as
well say that St . Paul was the most despicable of human beings . Let us beware how we petulantly and ignorantly traduce a character which puts all other characters to shame . Sir , a rope-dancer concentrates in himself all the Theological and Cardinal Virtues . We will begin with Temperance . Sir , if the joys of the bottle entice him one inch beyond the line of sobriety , his life or his limbs must pay the forfeit of