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Article MASONIC ANECDOTES. Page 1 of 2 →
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Masonic Anecdotes.
MASONIC ANECDOTES .
" What sig ht can be more acceptable in the eyes of the God ivhom Ave adore ? what object move gratifying to the feelings of humanity , than an extensive society of benevolent men , established for the great purposes of relieving the distress of their fellow-creatures ; of breaking asunder the iron bands of the prisoner , and cheering his sight with , the blaze of the noon-tide sun ; of exchanging the cell of his loathsome dungeon for the possession of liberty , —that choicest blessing in
heaven ' s gift ? " This A'ery eloquent description of the operation of the principles of the Masonic Fraternity , from the Orations of that very distinguished Brother , Dalcho , Avas never more literally verified than in the particulars of the foUoiving tale . During the late Avar , ( recites an old naA'al officer , ) I AA'as taken , with several others , a prisoner of Avar . We Avere carried to the Mauritius , and in that island confined together in one dungeon . Some few months had elapsed in our uncomfortable situation , and we had experienced very many disagreeable privations , Avhen one of our companions in misfortune requested the use of pens , ink , and paper , aud permission to
dispatch a letter to tho Governor , to state our circumstances , which Avere granted . On the day folloAving this event , some French gentlemen visited our cell , and paid most particular attention to our comrade . Our general condition too , afterwards , w'as rendered more supportable . But , Avhat most surprised us all , and me especially , for I Avas not then in the Secret , Avas the mysterious change which took place in our fellow-sufferer ' s lot . The former misery which AA'e had all equally enduredAA'as certainlgreatlalleviatedbut our comrade was A'
, y y ; ery shortly altogether removed , and as Ave subsequently learnt , not only - released from prison , but every necessary procured for him , and kindnesses heaped upon him , his purse ivell stocked , ancl a ship obtained , in Avhich he Avas returned to his native country . This man ivas a Freemason . We remained in confinement , though its former rigour Avas mitigated , for two years after his departure . FRATER CLERICIJS .
Our Reverend Brother Oliver , in his Sermon , before the P . G . Lodge for the county of Lincoln , preached 28 th June , A . D . 1821 , AVrites , " I have many times asserted , and I again repeat , that Masonry is not —cannot be responsible for the gross misconduct , of those false Brethren ivho are unimpressed with the purify of its general principles , and are , consequently , ready to sacrifice their solemn obligations at the shrine of ¦ interest or ambition . " Without having seen this passagea similar
, argument was made use of by myself on a recent occasion . A lady of quality , moving in the hig hest circles of society , and a Avoman of masculine mind , finding in the course of conversation , that I Avas a Freemason , started aghast , as if some horrible thing was in her presence , reminding one of the passsages often scanned in prosody : —
" Horrid' ingens cui lumen ademptum . She appeared to have read Robison ' s " Proofs ! " and thought me an Illuminist . I assured her Freemasonry had not the most remote affinity Avith any such iniquitous Association . She then observed that it must haA'e something treasonable in it , as some of its leaders were always
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Anecdotes.
MASONIC ANECDOTES .
" What sig ht can be more acceptable in the eyes of the God ivhom Ave adore ? what object move gratifying to the feelings of humanity , than an extensive society of benevolent men , established for the great purposes of relieving the distress of their fellow-creatures ; of breaking asunder the iron bands of the prisoner , and cheering his sight with , the blaze of the noon-tide sun ; of exchanging the cell of his loathsome dungeon for the possession of liberty , —that choicest blessing in
heaven ' s gift ? " This A'ery eloquent description of the operation of the principles of the Masonic Fraternity , from the Orations of that very distinguished Brother , Dalcho , Avas never more literally verified than in the particulars of the foUoiving tale . During the late Avar , ( recites an old naA'al officer , ) I AA'as taken , with several others , a prisoner of Avar . We Avere carried to the Mauritius , and in that island confined together in one dungeon . Some few months had elapsed in our uncomfortable situation , and we had experienced very many disagreeable privations , Avhen one of our companions in misfortune requested the use of pens , ink , and paper , aud permission to
dispatch a letter to tho Governor , to state our circumstances , which Avere granted . On the day folloAving this event , some French gentlemen visited our cell , and paid most particular attention to our comrade . Our general condition too , afterwards , w'as rendered more supportable . But , Avhat most surprised us all , and me especially , for I Avas not then in the Secret , Avas the mysterious change which took place in our fellow-sufferer ' s lot . The former misery which AA'e had all equally enduredAA'as certainlgreatlalleviatedbut our comrade was A'
, y y ; ery shortly altogether removed , and as Ave subsequently learnt , not only - released from prison , but every necessary procured for him , and kindnesses heaped upon him , his purse ivell stocked , ancl a ship obtained , in Avhich he Avas returned to his native country . This man ivas a Freemason . We remained in confinement , though its former rigour Avas mitigated , for two years after his departure . FRATER CLERICIJS .
Our Reverend Brother Oliver , in his Sermon , before the P . G . Lodge for the county of Lincoln , preached 28 th June , A . D . 1821 , AVrites , " I have many times asserted , and I again repeat , that Masonry is not —cannot be responsible for the gross misconduct , of those false Brethren ivho are unimpressed with the purify of its general principles , and are , consequently , ready to sacrifice their solemn obligations at the shrine of ¦ interest or ambition . " Without having seen this passagea similar
, argument was made use of by myself on a recent occasion . A lady of quality , moving in the hig hest circles of society , and a Avoman of masculine mind , finding in the course of conversation , that I Avas a Freemason , started aghast , as if some horrible thing was in her presence , reminding one of the passsages often scanned in prosody : —
" Horrid' ingens cui lumen ademptum . She appeared to have read Robison ' s " Proofs ! " and thought me an Illuminist . I assured her Freemasonry had not the most remote affinity Avith any such iniquitous Association . She then observed that it must haA'e something treasonable in it , as some of its leaders were always