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Article MASONIC ANECDOTES. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Masonic Anecdotes.
volutionary war . After having routed a detachment of the British army , the constitution and regalia of a Lodge fell into the hands of the American general , Parsons . Actuated by the genuine principles of Masonry , he immediatel y returned them to the Uritish commander , with a note in the following words : —
' ' AA hen the ambition of monarcbs , or the jarring interests of states , call forth their subjects to war , we , as Masons , are disarmed of that resentment which stimulates to indiscriminate desolation ; and however our political sentiments may impel us in the public dispute , we are still Brethren ; and , our professional duties apart , ought to promote the happiness and advance the welfare of each other . Accept , therefore , at the hands of a Brother , the constitution of the Lodge ' Unity , No . 18 / held in the British 17 th regiment , which your late misfortunes have put it in my power to return to you . "—Address by Bro . C . XV- Moore , 1836 .
THE SNUFF-BOX . —AVhat Mason has not heard of the snuff-box that has gone the round of so many Lodges , always returning to the Treasurer of the Asylum charged with the " spolia opima" of Charity ? How many snuff-boxes have been gratefully awarded to deserving Brethren , as rewards of merit ; but the SNUFF-BOX of which we now write , is in the possession of Brother Blaquierre , Past Deputy Grand Master for Bengalthe veteran of Anglo-Indian Masonrywhoalthough
approach-, , , ing his eighty-sixth year , is not only in the enjoyment of all his faculties , hut is enabled to share the pleasures of social life with the esprit of a young man . To the Calcutta Masons he is well known to be full of anecdote , which he relates with good conversational power ; his description of the manner in which he became possessed of his snuff-box , always creates a deep interest ; and is to the following effect : —
" A medical gentleman had realized a moderate fortune in the Brazils , and intending to return to England , he invested the fruits of his industry in precious stones , which were secured in a small box ; this treasure he shipped on board a vessel , secured his own passage in another , and safely reached England- But , alas for him ! scarcely had he arrived , when he received the fatal intelligence that the vessel on board which he had freighted his entire fortune , had been wrecked on the coast of Cornwall .
Thus , in his declining years , the means of existence had vanished from him—he had returned to his native land poorer than lie had left it . About a twelvemonth had passed , when , one day a stranger called at his humble lodgings , and enquired for him ; he was admitted . The stranger , who was closely muffled up , and appeared desirous of concealment , asked a few questions relating to the Brazils , and others as to the circumstances of our hero , who felt somewhat disconcerted . At length , the stranger
drew from under his cloak the identical box containing the lost treasure ; his surprise and emotion satisfied the stranger , who , simply asking him if it were his , immediately delivered it to him , and made a siGfr , All that transpired was , that the box came into the possession of the stranger , . who , on opening it , found at the top a snuff-box , with Masonic emblems , and a name , that enabled him , after much difficulty , to discover the real owner . The stranger took a hasty leave , and was no more heard of , " Conjecture pointed at the possibility of his being what is termed " a wrecker ; " but the ways of Providence are inscrutable in teaching the powerful lessons of retribution . Masonry , as a moral engine , has elicited
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Anecdotes.
volutionary war . After having routed a detachment of the British army , the constitution and regalia of a Lodge fell into the hands of the American general , Parsons . Actuated by the genuine principles of Masonry , he immediatel y returned them to the Uritish commander , with a note in the following words : —
' ' AA hen the ambition of monarcbs , or the jarring interests of states , call forth their subjects to war , we , as Masons , are disarmed of that resentment which stimulates to indiscriminate desolation ; and however our political sentiments may impel us in the public dispute , we are still Brethren ; and , our professional duties apart , ought to promote the happiness and advance the welfare of each other . Accept , therefore , at the hands of a Brother , the constitution of the Lodge ' Unity , No . 18 / held in the British 17 th regiment , which your late misfortunes have put it in my power to return to you . "—Address by Bro . C . XV- Moore , 1836 .
THE SNUFF-BOX . —AVhat Mason has not heard of the snuff-box that has gone the round of so many Lodges , always returning to the Treasurer of the Asylum charged with the " spolia opima" of Charity ? How many snuff-boxes have been gratefully awarded to deserving Brethren , as rewards of merit ; but the SNUFF-BOX of which we now write , is in the possession of Brother Blaquierre , Past Deputy Grand Master for Bengalthe veteran of Anglo-Indian Masonrywhoalthough
approach-, , , ing his eighty-sixth year , is not only in the enjoyment of all his faculties , hut is enabled to share the pleasures of social life with the esprit of a young man . To the Calcutta Masons he is well known to be full of anecdote , which he relates with good conversational power ; his description of the manner in which he became possessed of his snuff-box , always creates a deep interest ; and is to the following effect : —
" A medical gentleman had realized a moderate fortune in the Brazils , and intending to return to England , he invested the fruits of his industry in precious stones , which were secured in a small box ; this treasure he shipped on board a vessel , secured his own passage in another , and safely reached England- But , alas for him ! scarcely had he arrived , when he received the fatal intelligence that the vessel on board which he had freighted his entire fortune , had been wrecked on the coast of Cornwall .
Thus , in his declining years , the means of existence had vanished from him—he had returned to his native land poorer than lie had left it . About a twelvemonth had passed , when , one day a stranger called at his humble lodgings , and enquired for him ; he was admitted . The stranger , who was closely muffled up , and appeared desirous of concealment , asked a few questions relating to the Brazils , and others as to the circumstances of our hero , who felt somewhat disconcerted . At length , the stranger
drew from under his cloak the identical box containing the lost treasure ; his surprise and emotion satisfied the stranger , who , simply asking him if it were his , immediately delivered it to him , and made a siGfr , All that transpired was , that the box came into the possession of the stranger , . who , on opening it , found at the top a snuff-box , with Masonic emblems , and a name , that enabled him , after much difficulty , to discover the real owner . The stranger took a hasty leave , and was no more heard of , " Conjecture pointed at the possibility of his being what is termed " a wrecker ; " but the ways of Providence are inscrutable in teaching the powerful lessons of retribution . Masonry , as a moral engine , has elicited