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Article THE REVELATIONS OF A SQUARE. ← Page 8 of 12 →
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The Revelations Of A Square.
when the refreshment was introduced and the severity of discipline somewhat relaxed , his lordship , according to a habit then very much in vogue , occasionally intermingled his conversation with an oath . This passed at first without notice , as the vice of swearing was common both to peer and peasant . Now you are aware , I dare say , that the
opening formula in those days was , ' forbidding all cursing , swearing , and whispering , all religious and political disputes , together with all irreligious and profane conversation , under no less penalty than what the by-laws shall prescribe , or a majority of the Brethren shall think proper to impose . ' Profanity , therefore , was a violation of Lodge rules , although they were not remarkable at that period for their stringency ; but the frequent repetition of the interdicted words created
an unfavourable sensation , which was not much to his lordship ' s credit . Bro . Desaguliers said nothing , how much soever he might be disgusted . At length his lordship appealed to the chair for the confirmation of some opinion . " ' I say doctor—d—me , don't you hear—I ask your pardon for swearing ! ' After this had occurred more than
once , Bro . Desaguliers rose from his chair with a dignity which he well knew how to assume when circumstances called for it , and said , "' My lord , you have repeatedly violated the rules of the Lodge by your unmeaning oaths ; and more than this , you have taken some pains to associate me personally with
your profanity , by your frequent appeals to the chair . Now , my lord , I assure you , in answer to those appeals , that if God Almighty does not hear you , I will not tell him !' " The peer was silenced , the Brethren pleased , and , I must say , I was proud of the Master . Another time he said to a person of equal rank , who Avas an adept in the reigning vice— ' My lord , if you thought you were honouring God , you would not swear so furiously . ' *
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Revelations Of A Square.
when the refreshment was introduced and the severity of discipline somewhat relaxed , his lordship , according to a habit then very much in vogue , occasionally intermingled his conversation with an oath . This passed at first without notice , as the vice of swearing was common both to peer and peasant . Now you are aware , I dare say , that the
opening formula in those days was , ' forbidding all cursing , swearing , and whispering , all religious and political disputes , together with all irreligious and profane conversation , under no less penalty than what the by-laws shall prescribe , or a majority of the Brethren shall think proper to impose . ' Profanity , therefore , was a violation of Lodge rules , although they were not remarkable at that period for their stringency ; but the frequent repetition of the interdicted words created
an unfavourable sensation , which was not much to his lordship ' s credit . Bro . Desaguliers said nothing , how much soever he might be disgusted . At length his lordship appealed to the chair for the confirmation of some opinion . " ' I say doctor—d—me , don't you hear—I ask your pardon for swearing ! ' After this had occurred more than
once , Bro . Desaguliers rose from his chair with a dignity which he well knew how to assume when circumstances called for it , and said , "' My lord , you have repeatedly violated the rules of the Lodge by your unmeaning oaths ; and more than this , you have taken some pains to associate me personally with
your profanity , by your frequent appeals to the chair . Now , my lord , I assure you , in answer to those appeals , that if God Almighty does not hear you , I will not tell him !' " The peer was silenced , the Brethren pleased , and , I must say , I was proud of the Master . Another time he said to a person of equal rank , who Avas an adept in the reigning vice— ' My lord , if you thought you were honouring God , you would not swear so furiously . ' *