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Article ON THE FREEMASONRY OF HOMER. Page 1 of 3 →
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On The Freemasonry Of Homer.
ON THE FREEMASONRY OF HOMER .
TO THK EJHTOH Oi' THE 2 ' - ' -KI _ .. ; ASO > i '' s W . IKTEnJ _ y IJEl-iEU " .
" Misce stnltitiam , & c . " " Sin AND BROTHER . —That the great father of epic poetry was intimately acquainted witli the principles and practices of Freemasonry , is a fact which must be very obvious to the eye of the initiated . Both the Iliad and Odyssey are full of this truth . The latter poem , in
particular , seems to have been written with no other view than to illustrate ancl show forth thegreat objects of our Order ; namely , the extension oi our sympathies and assistance to the relief of the distressed , and the inculcating of morality and virtue under every trial and temptation . Nothing can be easier than to produce proofs of those positions , only that in doing so at large we should have to quote almost every page of
the Odyssey . To give a single instance to satisfy the incredulous , only look at the unfortunate Ulysses , when he has been shipwrecked on the coast of the Phoenicians , and behold how powerful is the efficacy of the universal secret and sign , in obtaining for him the most hospitable reception . True it is that a lady first clothed him , ( bless the dear creatures 1 for Iheg require no masonifying to make them kind , ) and pointed to him the way to the palace of her father .
11 To Good / . lemons' hospitable dome . " But mark the manner of his reception there . With manly mien , in accents slow and sad , he addressed himself to the royal court , shortly and feelingly setting forth his luckless lot , and entreating the icing and queen , and each assembled guest , to have compassion on him ; only begging that they would
" Dut deign convey to his paternal soil A wanderer worn with unrelaxi :. £ toil . " And what does he , " the good Alcinous , " upon the presentation of this very humble petition ? He gazes on him for a moment with mixed admiration and compassion—perhaps doubt . An aged office-bearer who sat near to him , whom long experience doubtless had made sage ,
then whispered something in the royal ear . An idea seems to flash across his mind ; he instantly descends from his throne , and shaking the suppliant stranger by the hand , welcomes him to his house and board , with demonstrations of cordiality and joy , which astonished the whole court . " Tiie monareh clasped Ulysses' hand , and raised The suppliant from his henrth . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Freemasonry Of Homer.
ON THE FREEMASONRY OF HOMER .
TO THK EJHTOH Oi' THE 2 ' - ' -KI _ .. ; ASO > i '' s W . IKTEnJ _ y IJEl-iEU " .
" Misce stnltitiam , & c . " " Sin AND BROTHER . —That the great father of epic poetry was intimately acquainted witli the principles and practices of Freemasonry , is a fact which must be very obvious to the eye of the initiated . Both the Iliad and Odyssey are full of this truth . The latter poem , in
particular , seems to have been written with no other view than to illustrate ancl show forth thegreat objects of our Order ; namely , the extension oi our sympathies and assistance to the relief of the distressed , and the inculcating of morality and virtue under every trial and temptation . Nothing can be easier than to produce proofs of those positions , only that in doing so at large we should have to quote almost every page of
the Odyssey . To give a single instance to satisfy the incredulous , only look at the unfortunate Ulysses , when he has been shipwrecked on the coast of the Phoenicians , and behold how powerful is the efficacy of the universal secret and sign , in obtaining for him the most hospitable reception . True it is that a lady first clothed him , ( bless the dear creatures 1 for Iheg require no masonifying to make them kind , ) and pointed to him the way to the palace of her father .
11 To Good / . lemons' hospitable dome . " But mark the manner of his reception there . With manly mien , in accents slow and sad , he addressed himself to the royal court , shortly and feelingly setting forth his luckless lot , and entreating the icing and queen , and each assembled guest , to have compassion on him ; only begging that they would
" Dut deign convey to his paternal soil A wanderer worn with unrelaxi :. £ toil . " And what does he , " the good Alcinous , " upon the presentation of this very humble petition ? He gazes on him for a moment with mixed admiration and compassion—perhaps doubt . An aged office-bearer who sat near to him , whom long experience doubtless had made sage ,
then whispered something in the royal ear . An idea seems to flash across his mind ; he instantly descends from his throne , and shaking the suppliant stranger by the hand , welcomes him to his house and board , with demonstrations of cordiality and joy , which astonished the whole court . " Tiie monareh clasped Ulysses' hand , and raised The suppliant from his henrth . "