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Article THE SONGS OF MASONRY. ← Page 5 of 13 →
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The Songs Of Masonry.
An anecdote is related of the Lincoln Brethren of that day , which will serve to illustrate the above proposition , and show thesryleand character which the practical fun of the eighteenth century assumed , and how our jovial forefathers loved it . Tbe Brethren at that time assembled in the city of Lincoln to attend the Lodge from all parts of the county , and having spent the evening in harmony at the Rein Deer Inn , where the Lodge was heldthey usuallseparated after breakfast the next
, y morning . On one of these occasions , as a party of them sat over this social meal , laughing away the cares of the world , and joking on the privileges of Masonry , a bagman , who happened to be at breakfast in the same room , ridiculed the Craft , and gave the Brethren a decent rowing on their hi gh flown pretensions , in the course of the dispute one of the Brethren observed , as if incidentally , what a capital privilege it was that they were allowed to pass through the turnpike gates free of
toll . The bagman pricked up his ears when he heard this ; for the number of gates through which he passed in the course of a year proved a heavy tax upon his purse ; ancl began to be a little more serious ; but as he had endeavoured to hoax them , the Brethren were determined to hoax him in reality . The sly rogue proposed to be made a Mason , that he might enjoy a privilege which would soon repay him a hundred per cent , on his initiation fee ; but they declined to admit hiin . After some
conversation however they agreed , provided he would treat them witli a bottle of wine , to impart so much of their secrets as related to the privilege in question . He eagerly embraced the offer , and the party adjourned to the Lodge room ; where , after many ridiculous ceremonies , ivhich will scarcely bear repetition , although they form a standing joke
with the Lincolnshire Masons of the present clay ; they-told him that when he desired to pass free through a turnpike gate , the sign was to place the first finger of his right hand on the side of his nose , and repeat the word " Twig . " Having finished the bottle with great glee , several of the Brethren , on their return home , had to pass through the same toll-bar with the poor bagman ; who , eager to show a specimen of his new acquirements , summoned the keeper of the gate , ( who happened to
be the tyler , and had been made acquainted ivith the transactions of tlie morning by a Brother who had previously passeel through ) and exhibiting the magic sign significantly exclaimed— " Twig . " Keeper of the gate . " Pay sir if you please . " Bagman . " Twig ! I say . " Keeper . " Three halfpence sir . " Bagmanwith his finger still on his nose . " TwisirTwi—don ' t
, g , , g you understand me ? " Keeper . " I understand that you are a Mason , sir , and as such you may pass through the gate free of toll ; but your horse is not a Mason , so you must pay for him . " Thus were the Brethren led away by the prevailing customs ofthe age , until they excited the attention , and brought upon themselves the ridicule of the great painter of manners , Hogarth ; who showed them up in his
picture of " NIGHT . " There may be some truth in the satire ; yet , like his " Modern Midnight Conversation , " and a few pictures in his " Rake ' s and Harlot ' s Progress , " which contain a similar reference , though overcharged , it must be confessed that it is founded on reality . The like propensity was introduced into a satirical print published about the same time , viz . 1712 , to ridicule the prevalent custom then used by the officers of the Grand Lodge , of forming a procession annually at
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Songs Of Masonry.
An anecdote is related of the Lincoln Brethren of that day , which will serve to illustrate the above proposition , and show thesryleand character which the practical fun of the eighteenth century assumed , and how our jovial forefathers loved it . Tbe Brethren at that time assembled in the city of Lincoln to attend the Lodge from all parts of the county , and having spent the evening in harmony at the Rein Deer Inn , where the Lodge was heldthey usuallseparated after breakfast the next
, y morning . On one of these occasions , as a party of them sat over this social meal , laughing away the cares of the world , and joking on the privileges of Masonry , a bagman , who happened to be at breakfast in the same room , ridiculed the Craft , and gave the Brethren a decent rowing on their hi gh flown pretensions , in the course of the dispute one of the Brethren observed , as if incidentally , what a capital privilege it was that they were allowed to pass through the turnpike gates free of
toll . The bagman pricked up his ears when he heard this ; for the number of gates through which he passed in the course of a year proved a heavy tax upon his purse ; ancl began to be a little more serious ; but as he had endeavoured to hoax them , the Brethren were determined to hoax him in reality . The sly rogue proposed to be made a Mason , that he might enjoy a privilege which would soon repay him a hundred per cent , on his initiation fee ; but they declined to admit hiin . After some
conversation however they agreed , provided he would treat them witli a bottle of wine , to impart so much of their secrets as related to the privilege in question . He eagerly embraced the offer , and the party adjourned to the Lodge room ; where , after many ridiculous ceremonies , ivhich will scarcely bear repetition , although they form a standing joke
with the Lincolnshire Masons of the present clay ; they-told him that when he desired to pass free through a turnpike gate , the sign was to place the first finger of his right hand on the side of his nose , and repeat the word " Twig . " Having finished the bottle with great glee , several of the Brethren , on their return home , had to pass through the same toll-bar with the poor bagman ; who , eager to show a specimen of his new acquirements , summoned the keeper of the gate , ( who happened to
be the tyler , and had been made acquainted ivith the transactions of tlie morning by a Brother who had previously passeel through ) and exhibiting the magic sign significantly exclaimed— " Twig . " Keeper of the gate . " Pay sir if you please . " Bagman . " Twig ! I say . " Keeper . " Three halfpence sir . " Bagmanwith his finger still on his nose . " TwisirTwi—don ' t
, g , , g you understand me ? " Keeper . " I understand that you are a Mason , sir , and as such you may pass through the gate free of toll ; but your horse is not a Mason , so you must pay for him . " Thus were the Brethren led away by the prevailing customs ofthe age , until they excited the attention , and brought upon themselves the ridicule of the great painter of manners , Hogarth ; who showed them up in his
picture of " NIGHT . " There may be some truth in the satire ; yet , like his " Modern Midnight Conversation , " and a few pictures in his " Rake ' s and Harlot ' s Progress , " which contain a similar reference , though overcharged , it must be confessed that it is founded on reality . The like propensity was introduced into a satirical print published about the same time , viz . 1712 , to ridicule the prevalent custom then used by the officers of the Grand Lodge , of forming a procession annually at