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Article THE CUP OF OBLIVION. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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The Cup Of Oblivion.
Descending from the sky serene , A heaven-horn messenger was seen : llright purple robes her shoulders graced , And on her star-wreathed brow was placed The diadem that spoke command ; The Spirit bore too in her hand The mystic symbol—by whose light Tho Mason guides his steps aright .
The visible GENIUS OIT MASONRY stood before me—Wisdom crowned her with a coronet of stars—Strength upheld her stately steps—and Beauty hacl adorned her with eternal freshness . " Rise ! " exclaimed the benignant Spirit , smiling as she spoke ; " thy prayer is heard . To thee is given to behold the only means by which union can be restored , and discord among my children cease . " The Genius touched me with her sceptre , when in an instant the scene changed . I stood upon the banks of a darkrolling river ; the wrecks
, of ages seemed strewed around , ancl the colossal bones of the huge mammoth ancl gigantic mastadon—relics of the antediluvian worldcrumbled beneath my tread . Like a speck upon the waters of time , appeared a boat . As I gazed around me , it rapidly approached , and touched the mouldering bank on which I stood . The boatman leaped on shore . By his crowned brow , his skeleton limbs , and dripping dart , I knew the King of Terrors , it was—Death ! The grim monarch eyed
me with an expression so peculiar , that my blood curdled in my veins ; and I should have fallen , had not the supporting hand of my protecting guide sustained me . " Fear not ! " she exclaimed ; " thou shalt repass the fearful stream , and mingle again with thy brethren of earth . The passage thou art about to make conducts thee to the Elysium where the just await their final judgment : there wilt thou learn the secret thou hast sought . " " Dost thou accompany me , blessed Spirit ? " I demanded , the terrors
of weak humanity contending with my confidence in the promise of the Genius . " No ! " sternl y answered the Spirit ; I am immortal , and may never pass under the guidance of the tyrant Death . Remember , thou art a Master of the Craft , ancl disgrace not the lessons thou hast received by doubt or unmanly terror . " Blushing with the reproof—which conscience told me I had but too well merited—I entered the boatwhichunder the guidance of its
, , grisly conductor , rapidly receded from the shore . To the last the beneficent Spirit remained visible to me on the fading bank—a star of hope —a beacon on the dreary , silent waters . Arrived on the opposite bank of the river , all was changed . The atmosphere , late so clamp ancl gloomy , was now clear and redolent of perfume ; the immortal amaranth reared its purple flower in every path ; ancl groups of the illustrious and good from every land wandered among
bowers of eternal freshness . I had not proceeded far , wondering where I should direct my steps , before . I was hailed by a voice whose tones I hacl often listened to on earth with pleasure and instruction—the shade of Gilkes stood beside me . A robe of dazzling white , emblem of the purity of his life , fell gracefully over his manly form , and gave to him the appearance of an ancient philosopher . " Welcome , Brother ! " he exclaimed ; " but more welcome shouldst thou return , for this is the Elysium of the just . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Cup Of Oblivion.
Descending from the sky serene , A heaven-horn messenger was seen : llright purple robes her shoulders graced , And on her star-wreathed brow was placed The diadem that spoke command ; The Spirit bore too in her hand The mystic symbol—by whose light Tho Mason guides his steps aright .
The visible GENIUS OIT MASONRY stood before me—Wisdom crowned her with a coronet of stars—Strength upheld her stately steps—and Beauty hacl adorned her with eternal freshness . " Rise ! " exclaimed the benignant Spirit , smiling as she spoke ; " thy prayer is heard . To thee is given to behold the only means by which union can be restored , and discord among my children cease . " The Genius touched me with her sceptre , when in an instant the scene changed . I stood upon the banks of a darkrolling river ; the wrecks
, of ages seemed strewed around , ancl the colossal bones of the huge mammoth ancl gigantic mastadon—relics of the antediluvian worldcrumbled beneath my tread . Like a speck upon the waters of time , appeared a boat . As I gazed around me , it rapidly approached , and touched the mouldering bank on which I stood . The boatman leaped on shore . By his crowned brow , his skeleton limbs , and dripping dart , I knew the King of Terrors , it was—Death ! The grim monarch eyed
me with an expression so peculiar , that my blood curdled in my veins ; and I should have fallen , had not the supporting hand of my protecting guide sustained me . " Fear not ! " she exclaimed ; " thou shalt repass the fearful stream , and mingle again with thy brethren of earth . The passage thou art about to make conducts thee to the Elysium where the just await their final judgment : there wilt thou learn the secret thou hast sought . " " Dost thou accompany me , blessed Spirit ? " I demanded , the terrors
of weak humanity contending with my confidence in the promise of the Genius . " No ! " sternl y answered the Spirit ; I am immortal , and may never pass under the guidance of the tyrant Death . Remember , thou art a Master of the Craft , ancl disgrace not the lessons thou hast received by doubt or unmanly terror . " Blushing with the reproof—which conscience told me I had but too well merited—I entered the boatwhichunder the guidance of its
, , grisly conductor , rapidly receded from the shore . To the last the beneficent Spirit remained visible to me on the fading bank—a star of hope —a beacon on the dreary , silent waters . Arrived on the opposite bank of the river , all was changed . The atmosphere , late so clamp ancl gloomy , was now clear and redolent of perfume ; the immortal amaranth reared its purple flower in every path ; ancl groups of the illustrious and good from every land wandered among
bowers of eternal freshness . I had not proceeded far , wondering where I should direct my steps , before . I was hailed by a voice whose tones I hacl often listened to on earth with pleasure and instruction—the shade of Gilkes stood beside me . A robe of dazzling white , emblem of the purity of his life , fell gracefully over his manly form , and gave to him the appearance of an ancient philosopher . " Welcome , Brother ! " he exclaimed ; " but more welcome shouldst thou return , for this is the Elysium of the just . "