Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland.
gentlemen , and also the whole of my Masonic Brethen , honour—a verygreat and distinguished honour ; and for the very kind and flattering manner in which you have drunk our health , I beg to return you , in their name and my own , very cordial and sincere thanks . It afforded us very great gratification to have an opportunity of being present , to labour in our vocation , by laying the foundation of your harbour to-day , according to tbe practice of our Orderand the rules of architecture , ancl
, in placing the first stone of so great and valuable a work . In the name of the Provincial Grand Lodge over which I have the honour to preside , ¦ —and , as I will venture to say , in the name of every other Lodge in Scotland , —I beg to express the pleasure our coming amongst you affords us at all times , the pleasure it would yield us to come again , and more especially , if it were for the purpose of laying the extended corner-stone of the intended harbour of refuge at Dunbar —( loud cheers)—harmonizing .
as does the art we profess , and the principles of the Order to which we belong , with the feelings of charity , benevolence , and good will , and good fellowship to all mankind —( cheers ) . One only regret occurred to my mind amidst the transactions of this clay ; it occurred to me on the platform , and it was brought back to my mind with a torrent of regret during the observations addressed to you by my venerable friend in the chair—the regret that we have not Provost Middlemass amongst the
members of our Order—( applause ) . I can assure my venerable friend , however , that this is easily remedied—( laughter}—that it is ' free and easy '—( laughter)—that it is ' never too late to learn '—( cheers and laughter ;)—and as for the ' vivid and fiery inspiration' to which my venerable friend so enthusiastically refers , as belonging to Masonry—the
red-hot poker , exclaimed his lordship , " will put it into him m a crack ! —( deafening cheers ) . To be serious , for a moment , " continued his lordship , " and if 1 may refer to my own feelings , for the honour you have personally done me , I return thanks very sincerely , and that not with any flourish of exaggeration ; for , connected with it as I am , both by birth and heritage , I belong to the county —( hear , hear)—and have become every year , at each stage of my life , by some new step more
closely connected with its interests —( loud cheers;)—and I can assure you , that it is not easy to over-estimate the extent of my gratifications at having the honour to be associated by name , and officiall y , with the undertaking begun this day —( immense applause ) . I appreciate most highly , and set a high value upon meetings such as this , where individuals of every name , and from every district , of every difference of opinionand of every shade of political feeling , meet upon neutral ground ,
, and join together to effect one common and valued object —( cheers ) . The influence of such meetings will subsist long after the elements that composed it are scattered asunder . I please myself with the belief that , although amid the heat of polities , the strife of party animosities must needs have arisen and arise among us ; although amidst the mere things of ambition , and the jostle of inteiests in our passage through life , some estrangements and bitterness must be createdyet the meeting of this
, day will have tended , in some degree , to remove or alleviate them . 1 am willing to please myself with the belief that , when hereafter we look back to the common work of good in which we have united to-day , every one of us will be conscious that he has left behind him some of the animosities—some of the bitterness—some of the estrangements or discontents of his life , buried deep , drowned at the bottom of the new
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland.
gentlemen , and also the whole of my Masonic Brethen , honour—a verygreat and distinguished honour ; and for the very kind and flattering manner in which you have drunk our health , I beg to return you , in their name and my own , very cordial and sincere thanks . It afforded us very great gratification to have an opportunity of being present , to labour in our vocation , by laying the foundation of your harbour to-day , according to tbe practice of our Orderand the rules of architecture , ancl
, in placing the first stone of so great and valuable a work . In the name of the Provincial Grand Lodge over which I have the honour to preside , ¦ —and , as I will venture to say , in the name of every other Lodge in Scotland , —I beg to express the pleasure our coming amongst you affords us at all times , the pleasure it would yield us to come again , and more especially , if it were for the purpose of laying the extended corner-stone of the intended harbour of refuge at Dunbar —( loud cheers)—harmonizing .
as does the art we profess , and the principles of the Order to which we belong , with the feelings of charity , benevolence , and good will , and good fellowship to all mankind —( cheers ) . One only regret occurred to my mind amidst the transactions of this clay ; it occurred to me on the platform , and it was brought back to my mind with a torrent of regret during the observations addressed to you by my venerable friend in the chair—the regret that we have not Provost Middlemass amongst the
members of our Order—( applause ) . I can assure my venerable friend , however , that this is easily remedied—( laughter}—that it is ' free and easy '—( laughter)—that it is ' never too late to learn '—( cheers and laughter ;)—and as for the ' vivid and fiery inspiration' to which my venerable friend so enthusiastically refers , as belonging to Masonry—the
red-hot poker , exclaimed his lordship , " will put it into him m a crack ! —( deafening cheers ) . To be serious , for a moment , " continued his lordship , " and if 1 may refer to my own feelings , for the honour you have personally done me , I return thanks very sincerely , and that not with any flourish of exaggeration ; for , connected with it as I am , both by birth and heritage , I belong to the county —( hear , hear)—and have become every year , at each stage of my life , by some new step more
closely connected with its interests —( loud cheers;)—and I can assure you , that it is not easy to over-estimate the extent of my gratifications at having the honour to be associated by name , and officiall y , with the undertaking begun this day —( immense applause ) . I appreciate most highly , and set a high value upon meetings such as this , where individuals of every name , and from every district , of every difference of opinionand of every shade of political feeling , meet upon neutral ground ,
, and join together to effect one common and valued object —( cheers ) . The influence of such meetings will subsist long after the elements that composed it are scattered asunder . I please myself with the belief that , although amid the heat of polities , the strife of party animosities must needs have arisen and arise among us ; although amidst the mere things of ambition , and the jostle of inteiests in our passage through life , some estrangements and bitterness must be createdyet the meeting of this
, day will have tended , in some degree , to remove or alleviate them . 1 am willing to please myself with the belief that , when hereafter we look back to the common work of good in which we have united to-day , every one of us will be conscious that he has left behind him some of the animosities—some of the bitterness—some of the estrangements or discontents of his life , buried deep , drowned at the bottom of the new