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On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
goes on to say , respecting the recipe just named , " this I know of a truth , for I have myself found the stone at the root of plantain , at the hour of noon on the above day , and have had experience of its virtues . " Nay , they not only possessed amulets for the cure of bodily diseases , but also for those of the mind . Thus Peter Hispanus recommends
to " grind mustard with vinegar , and rub it well and hard on the palms of the hands , or soles of the feet , and it will help and quicken forgetful persons . " Again , " When you are melancholy , take rosemary flowers , and , making them into powder , bind them on your rig ht arm with a linen cloth , and you will immediately become merry and
cheerful . " I could multiply instances of these fanciful reveries of learned men for ever . And it is probable that from this cause these sages were termed " wiseacres " in the manuscript above mentioned , from the Saxon weisager , wise sage philosopher or wizard ; and the science of Freemasonry , the " arte of ffyndynge neue artes . " Indeed , to
without calling in the aid of these speculative sciences account for the great estimation which our Order acquired in these ages , and the influence which it exerted over the
public mind , we need only refer to the splendid specimens of architecture which the fraternity executed in times of the grossest ignorance , to be convinced that these alone were sufficient to excite the admiration and reverence of a benighted people , and cause them to be esteemed the productions of a genius and talent something more than human .
The knowledge of natural philosophy , which was doubtless cultivated in the Masonic Lodges of those days , and the curious experiments to which it led , might easily be mistaken for magic amongst an unlearned and superstitious people . And there are good grounds for believing that the adepts themselves entertained a very high opinion of the
miraculous character of their successful experiments . Chaucer gives a curious account of some exhibitions of natural philosophy which were performed in his time , and could not fail to excite the awe and wonder of the ignorant . " There are , " says he , " sciences by which men can delude the with divers such as the magicians
pereye appearances , form at feasts . In a large hall they will produce water , with boats rowed up ancl down upon it . Sometimes they will bring in the similitude of a grim lion , or make flowers sprino- up as in a meadow ; sometimes they cause a vine to flourish , bearing white and red grapes , or shew a castle
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Freemasonry. Evidences, Doctrines, And Traditions.
goes on to say , respecting the recipe just named , " this I know of a truth , for I have myself found the stone at the root of plantain , at the hour of noon on the above day , and have had experience of its virtues . " Nay , they not only possessed amulets for the cure of bodily diseases , but also for those of the mind . Thus Peter Hispanus recommends
to " grind mustard with vinegar , and rub it well and hard on the palms of the hands , or soles of the feet , and it will help and quicken forgetful persons . " Again , " When you are melancholy , take rosemary flowers , and , making them into powder , bind them on your rig ht arm with a linen cloth , and you will immediately become merry and
cheerful . " I could multiply instances of these fanciful reveries of learned men for ever . And it is probable that from this cause these sages were termed " wiseacres " in the manuscript above mentioned , from the Saxon weisager , wise sage philosopher or wizard ; and the science of Freemasonry , the " arte of ffyndynge neue artes . " Indeed , to
without calling in the aid of these speculative sciences account for the great estimation which our Order acquired in these ages , and the influence which it exerted over the
public mind , we need only refer to the splendid specimens of architecture which the fraternity executed in times of the grossest ignorance , to be convinced that these alone were sufficient to excite the admiration and reverence of a benighted people , and cause them to be esteemed the productions of a genius and talent something more than human .
The knowledge of natural philosophy , which was doubtless cultivated in the Masonic Lodges of those days , and the curious experiments to which it led , might easily be mistaken for magic amongst an unlearned and superstitious people . And there are good grounds for believing that the adepts themselves entertained a very high opinion of the
miraculous character of their successful experiments . Chaucer gives a curious account of some exhibitions of natural philosophy which were performed in his time , and could not fail to excite the awe and wonder of the ignorant . " There are , " says he , " sciences by which men can delude the with divers such as the magicians
pereye appearances , form at feasts . In a large hall they will produce water , with boats rowed up ancl down upon it . Sometimes they will bring in the similitude of a grim lion , or make flowers sprino- up as in a meadow ; sometimes they cause a vine to flourish , bearing white and red grapes , or shew a castle