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Article THE W. BROTHER JOHN BIGG, P.M.—P.Z. Page 1 of 3 →
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The W. Brother John Bigg, P.M.—P.Z.
THE W . BROTHER JOHN BIGG , P . M . —P . Z .
Quales sunt summi civitatis viri , talis est civitas . —CICEKO . - * - * ¦ * * * Mine honesty , aud I , begin to square . The loyalty , well held to fools , does make our faith mere folly .
THE constitution of the English masonic legislature , as the Grand Lodge has been not inaptly described , is as fairly founded on principle as the most deliberate mind could desire . Yet so extensively may undue influence be exercised upon it , that its acts may be as easily turned towards a wrong as into a right direction . This is owing to the mode of ascertaining the votes of its members . Containing , in itself , through
the choice of the Grand Master , the bestowal of the highest masonic honours , those who look to the purple badge as the only distinction in the Craft worthy of attainment—and they are , we fear , more numerous than our readers suppose—are excited by their hopes , or coerced by their apprehensions , as the case may be , to hold up hands in adoption of the view alleged or assumed to be entertained by the ruling power ,
when decision has to follow discussion , that would otherwise drop into the ballot-box a ball demonstrative of the opposite opinion . Of the truth of this , the pages of the " Freemasons' Quarterly Review" gave many and startling proofs , daring the Grand Mastership of the Duke of Sussex .
When , however , the present Grand Master became the occupant of the masonic throne , the warmest hopes were entertained of his avoiding the errors , whilst he emulated the good traits , of his illustrious predecessor—that he would put away from a too intimate propinquity the undeserving favourites , the Camerilla that mischievously influenced masonic councils ; and , relying upon the palpable presence of masonic
worth , wherever existing , howsoever fairly sustained , whether humble or eminent in its individual manifestation , encourage , sustain , and honour it—if not with masonic distinction , at least public countenance and approbation . So we thought ; so thought hundreds besides , who desired
to promote the prosperity of the Craft , and to extend the genial influence of the masonic virtues ; and so thought the right worthy subject of this notice . Overshadowed by the parasites of a Royal Duke , he had retired from scenes in which , for him , no sunshine of even evanescent favour could be expected . Too honest , too independent , too self-sustained to be competitive with those , Whose servile fawnings smooth the way to place ; Whose honours are but symbols of disgrace !
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The W. Brother John Bigg, P.M.—P.Z.
THE W . BROTHER JOHN BIGG , P . M . —P . Z .
Quales sunt summi civitatis viri , talis est civitas . —CICEKO . - * - * ¦ * * * Mine honesty , aud I , begin to square . The loyalty , well held to fools , does make our faith mere folly .
THE constitution of the English masonic legislature , as the Grand Lodge has been not inaptly described , is as fairly founded on principle as the most deliberate mind could desire . Yet so extensively may undue influence be exercised upon it , that its acts may be as easily turned towards a wrong as into a right direction . This is owing to the mode of ascertaining the votes of its members . Containing , in itself , through
the choice of the Grand Master , the bestowal of the highest masonic honours , those who look to the purple badge as the only distinction in the Craft worthy of attainment—and they are , we fear , more numerous than our readers suppose—are excited by their hopes , or coerced by their apprehensions , as the case may be , to hold up hands in adoption of the view alleged or assumed to be entertained by the ruling power ,
when decision has to follow discussion , that would otherwise drop into the ballot-box a ball demonstrative of the opposite opinion . Of the truth of this , the pages of the " Freemasons' Quarterly Review" gave many and startling proofs , daring the Grand Mastership of the Duke of Sussex .
When , however , the present Grand Master became the occupant of the masonic throne , the warmest hopes were entertained of his avoiding the errors , whilst he emulated the good traits , of his illustrious predecessor—that he would put away from a too intimate propinquity the undeserving favourites , the Camerilla that mischievously influenced masonic councils ; and , relying upon the palpable presence of masonic
worth , wherever existing , howsoever fairly sustained , whether humble or eminent in its individual manifestation , encourage , sustain , and honour it—if not with masonic distinction , at least public countenance and approbation . So we thought ; so thought hundreds besides , who desired
to promote the prosperity of the Craft , and to extend the genial influence of the masonic virtues ; and so thought the right worthy subject of this notice . Overshadowed by the parasites of a Royal Duke , he had retired from scenes in which , for him , no sunshine of even evanescent favour could be expected . Too honest , too independent , too self-sustained to be competitive with those , Whose servile fawnings smooth the way to place ; Whose honours are but symbols of disgrace !