Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The "Langdale " Masonic Ms.
It is also probable that the Latin sentence Tunc unus , itc ., is left out because the scribe could not make " any sense of it . " The distance within which a summons to appear had effect is given as 50 miles . The lodge therefore claimed judicial power over a large tract of land .
" By the best advice of Masters and fellows , " indicates that apprentices had no hand in the making of laws , and were not on the same footing as Masters and fellows as has been maintained by some writers ; wc have therefore the three degrees ( using that word in the exoteric sense ) of apprentice , follow and master .
It is also clear that every Mason of the Graft of Masonry did not belong to the lodge , because wo read further on " who is allowed to be a Mason . " The meaning of " allowed " being " accepted as , " or " admitted to be , " a Mason .
" Keep truly the Counsel of the Lodge and all other Counsels that ought to be kept by the way of Masonhood , " appears to mc an obvious reference to those esoteric parts of the admission so clearly indicated in the Alnwick minntes ( Newc . Coll . Rcprod ., II . )
Just at the end we have the sentence " if ho have his convenient . " Did the original have the word " commands" ? that is to say after he had received his orders to proceed with the work . The word ( pay ) suggested by mc I cannot say I like myself .
Finally , I beg , on behalf of the Newcastle College of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia , to express my grateful thanks to Brother Geo . Kenning , Proprietor of the Freemason , for the considerate care bestowed on this reprint , and the courteous manner
in which he has placed his valuable space at the disposal of the College , thereby enabling all who take an interest in the Old Charges and their history to examine the present copy at the trifling sum charged for the Christmas nnmber .
It now only remains for me to record the death , at an early age , of my colleague and co-Editor , Bro . Wm . Davidson , B . A . of Morpeth , who died before the present manuscrip t , was discovered , regretted liy all who knew him , and whose kindly help will ever be missed by Fr . F . SCHNITGER , Editor Newcastle College ( S . R . T . A . ) Transactions .
The Distinguishing Characteristic Of A Freemason's Beart.
The Distinguishing Characteristic of a freemason ' s beart .
Bv TUB Ri ; v . T . SELBY II EN REY . j || p || l | I § ASSWORDS which arc ever present to the mind of ^¦ "Ofcslisl III •cvory ' ° y ! V' Mason , are the proper noun Solomon , and ill l * fci / Jl * n 0 conlmou noun Charity . The reigning thought of III / li - _ Ksfil ^' * . i ° y ^' ll season of Christmas is love . Let ns see if \ @ fh ^ . ~ .. d & h there is any intimate connection between these three words , Solomon , Charity , Christmas ? The classic had two words , which are translated into the English language by the word love . First he had Philco , which conveyed the idea of an emotional love ; secondly ho had in his vocabulary Eros , which was
significant of a mere carnal or sensual love . About a thousand years anterior to the Christian Era a now word made its appearance in the annals of literature , and as every Mason revels in tracing his Craft to the reign of King Solomon , it is with no little pride that ho learns that this now word is to be found in the Biblical book which
bears the title of lhe Song of Solomon , and the word itself is none other than his deal old friend Charity . This word , which , in the Greek is Agape , denotes the highest form of love , a love founded in admiration , and excludes all self seeking . There is no example of its use in any earlier writing . The Romans , at a later date , coined
the word Cur it as as the Latin equivalent of Agape , probably hecanse their word Amo was significant of a too selfish or mercenary love . Thus the Masonic Sovereign password Charity is the same word as the Greek Agape , the highest form of human affection ; a word
which received its birth in the writings of King Solomon , and at no season of the year does this word find greater expression than at Christmas ; and is not the first grand princi p le on which the Order is founded , Brotherly love !
Though in modern times Charity has somewhat lost its original sweetness , grace and fragrance , we will nevertheless employ il synonymously with love , to be in keeping with Masonic phraseology The Masonic Charity enshrines the element of the JJivine J ^ arents ' towards His child ; the love displayed by a mother towards hei
child , a love so sacrificing , so pure , so anticipating , and the reciprocating love of the toddling child , a love so dependent—which is the nearest picture that the human intellect can conceive of the Divine relationship . The Masonic Charity is a reverential one . And can we reverence another without the feeling that our Charity
is directed towards one better than ourselves Y When the life is lost in another , then , as a consequence , there is forgetfulncss , a self iibnegation , for the happiness for another takes the place of self .
i'he noblest qualities and loftiest virtues are never seen at such advantage as in the case of the sou ' s life lost in the parents , the liusband ' s merged into the wife ' s , the lover absorbed in the object of his reverential affection .
The Distinguishing Characteristic Of A Freemason's Beart.
The Masonic Charity is one which makes a Mason act in reference to the things of life on the old saying , that in things essential lot there be unity ; in things doubtful let there be liberty ; and in all things let there bo charily , and charit y is another name for love , and " God is love . " It is one which dominates the man with the thought of the vastness of the love of the author of all charity , so well pnt in the following stanza : —•
Could wo with ink the ocean fill , Were the whole sky of parchment made , Were every stalk on earth a quill , And every man a scribe by trade .
To tell the love of God to man "Would drain the ocean dry ; Nor could the scroll contain the whole 'Though stretched from sky to sky .
Every Mason has promised to keep in memory the scene at his Initiation , which was not made with a view to sport with his feelings : allusion is hero made to the exercise of that virtue which may bo denominated fhe distinguishing characteristic of the Freemasons' heart—the subject of this article . So in a humble way he
may find himself a co-operator with the Angel of Charit y as she goes through the world with an outstretched hand to aid those in poverty and distress , to inspire man with lofty conceptions of the possibilities of life , and to breathe a holy benediction upon the orphan sons and daughters of a previous generation of brother Masons .
Charity not only conducts her Masonic votaries through tho intricate windings of this mortal life , but linked hand in hand she guides them through tho valley and shadow of death to the Grand Lodge above , whoso password shall be the deeds of love . Not Credo then , Agape shall be the talismaiiic password to which her portals will respond . Brother shall not ask his brother any more " Believcst
thou ? " but , "Lovcst thou ? " And all shall answer at the footstool of the Divine Geometer of the Universe " Lord , I Love . " For Hope may anchor , Faith may steer , but Love , great Love alone , shall pass the sonl on its being summoned from this snblnnary abode to ascend to the Grand Lodge above , where the Great Architect lives and reigns for ever surrounded by those who shall shine as stars for ever and ever .
The Permit Of Dunstanborough. A Legend Of Nortbumbria.
The Permit of Dunstanborough . A Legend of Nortbumbria .
By T . C . WALLS , Author of " Saved hi / a Sign , " "Light and Shade , " "Secret Tribunal" " Fatal Divination" § -c , tyc " . CHAI'TBR I .
I ^ gjJr -- ~' j aj GLOOMY tempestuous night , the sky as black as ink . ¦ "" wTfigS I Fiercely howled and roared the wind as it swept in its W ' \\ violence the basaltic rocks of the weird coast of Dunlv _ E __ 5 ! ' stanborough . The huge waves came rolling in with _^ iwji-i !_ 5 l tremendous powe r , and dashed themselves with
impotent fury upon the cliffs of that wild Northumbrian headland . The gale was from the north-east , and had been raging for hours . A few frightened slice ]) , occasionall y bleating in sheer hel p lessness , were huddled together near the ruined walls of tho _ rim old castle . Overhead numerous sea birds soared and uttered
loud discordant cries as il revelling m the strife of tho elements . Altogether ( he weather and the surroundings of tho place wore forbidding to a degree . It was about seven of the clock on the ni ght in question that the figure of a , man emerged from an opening near a part of the castle traditionally known as " Queen Margarot ' s
Tower , " and by the aid ot the crumbling fragments quickly mounted to a giddy position on its summit . His tall form was draped within the folds of a heavy cloak , and his head was uncovered . Having placed his back against the remains of a block of masonry , once forming a deep embrasure , he folded his arms and gazed intently seawards .
As he slootl thus with his long , dark hair streaming in the wind , and his stern , pale face lighted up with an expression of keen enjoyment he resembled a spirit of evil rejoicing at the dire effects caused by the fearful storm then raging . " A brave night , " ho muttered , " a Inavc night . How the waves struggle and shriek , as if maddened
in the ' Churn ' yonder ; roar away , ye demons of the wind . I liko your music . Preach not to me , ye lovers of sloth and luxury , on tho p leasures of a fireside . On a night like this 1 . love to be surrounded thus by Nature in her savage garb , and in her most angry mood . Tho world would doubtless call me a misanthrope , perhaps a madman ; but what care I for that—it affects mo not . There
was a time , though , when I courted its smiles , was dazzled b y the company , and gratified by the praise of my superiors in rank , infatuated with the bright eyes of beauty , and flattered b y the adulation of my inferiors . But that ephemeral period has passed , never to return—I have done with mankind , and with their joys ; their sorrows—their hopes—their fears . "
At this moment a strong gnst of wind swept over the exposed headland , and caused a fragment of the old tower to totter and fall . As the stones and debris crashed down the deep gully and buried
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The "Langdale " Masonic Ms.
It is also probable that the Latin sentence Tunc unus , itc ., is left out because the scribe could not make " any sense of it . " The distance within which a summons to appear had effect is given as 50 miles . The lodge therefore claimed judicial power over a large tract of land .
" By the best advice of Masters and fellows , " indicates that apprentices had no hand in the making of laws , and were not on the same footing as Masters and fellows as has been maintained by some writers ; wc have therefore the three degrees ( using that word in the exoteric sense ) of apprentice , follow and master .
It is also clear that every Mason of the Graft of Masonry did not belong to the lodge , because wo read further on " who is allowed to be a Mason . " The meaning of " allowed " being " accepted as , " or " admitted to be , " a Mason .
" Keep truly the Counsel of the Lodge and all other Counsels that ought to be kept by the way of Masonhood , " appears to mc an obvious reference to those esoteric parts of the admission so clearly indicated in the Alnwick minntes ( Newc . Coll . Rcprod ., II . )
Just at the end we have the sentence " if ho have his convenient . " Did the original have the word " commands" ? that is to say after he had received his orders to proceed with the work . The word ( pay ) suggested by mc I cannot say I like myself .
Finally , I beg , on behalf of the Newcastle College of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia , to express my grateful thanks to Brother Geo . Kenning , Proprietor of the Freemason , for the considerate care bestowed on this reprint , and the courteous manner
in which he has placed his valuable space at the disposal of the College , thereby enabling all who take an interest in the Old Charges and their history to examine the present copy at the trifling sum charged for the Christmas nnmber .
It now only remains for me to record the death , at an early age , of my colleague and co-Editor , Bro . Wm . Davidson , B . A . of Morpeth , who died before the present manuscrip t , was discovered , regretted liy all who knew him , and whose kindly help will ever be missed by Fr . F . SCHNITGER , Editor Newcastle College ( S . R . T . A . ) Transactions .
The Distinguishing Characteristic Of A Freemason's Beart.
The Distinguishing Characteristic of a freemason ' s beart .
Bv TUB Ri ; v . T . SELBY II EN REY . j || p || l | I § ASSWORDS which arc ever present to the mind of ^¦ "Ofcslisl III •cvory ' ° y ! V' Mason , are the proper noun Solomon , and ill l * fci / Jl * n 0 conlmou noun Charity . The reigning thought of III / li - _ Ksfil ^' * . i ° y ^' ll season of Christmas is love . Let ns see if \ @ fh ^ . ~ .. d & h there is any intimate connection between these three words , Solomon , Charity , Christmas ? The classic had two words , which are translated into the English language by the word love . First he had Philco , which conveyed the idea of an emotional love ; secondly ho had in his vocabulary Eros , which was
significant of a mere carnal or sensual love . About a thousand years anterior to the Christian Era a now word made its appearance in the annals of literature , and as every Mason revels in tracing his Craft to the reign of King Solomon , it is with no little pride that ho learns that this now word is to be found in the Biblical book which
bears the title of lhe Song of Solomon , and the word itself is none other than his deal old friend Charity . This word , which , in the Greek is Agape , denotes the highest form of love , a love founded in admiration , and excludes all self seeking . There is no example of its use in any earlier writing . The Romans , at a later date , coined
the word Cur it as as the Latin equivalent of Agape , probably hecanse their word Amo was significant of a too selfish or mercenary love . Thus the Masonic Sovereign password Charity is the same word as the Greek Agape , the highest form of human affection ; a word
which received its birth in the writings of King Solomon , and at no season of the year does this word find greater expression than at Christmas ; and is not the first grand princi p le on which the Order is founded , Brotherly love !
Though in modern times Charity has somewhat lost its original sweetness , grace and fragrance , we will nevertheless employ il synonymously with love , to be in keeping with Masonic phraseology The Masonic Charity enshrines the element of the JJivine J ^ arents ' towards His child ; the love displayed by a mother towards hei
child , a love so sacrificing , so pure , so anticipating , and the reciprocating love of the toddling child , a love so dependent—which is the nearest picture that the human intellect can conceive of the Divine relationship . The Masonic Charity is a reverential one . And can we reverence another without the feeling that our Charity
is directed towards one better than ourselves Y When the life is lost in another , then , as a consequence , there is forgetfulncss , a self iibnegation , for the happiness for another takes the place of self .
i'he noblest qualities and loftiest virtues are never seen at such advantage as in the case of the sou ' s life lost in the parents , the liusband ' s merged into the wife ' s , the lover absorbed in the object of his reverential affection .
The Distinguishing Characteristic Of A Freemason's Beart.
The Masonic Charity is one which makes a Mason act in reference to the things of life on the old saying , that in things essential lot there be unity ; in things doubtful let there be liberty ; and in all things let there bo charily , and charit y is another name for love , and " God is love . " It is one which dominates the man with the thought of the vastness of the love of the author of all charity , so well pnt in the following stanza : —•
Could wo with ink the ocean fill , Were the whole sky of parchment made , Were every stalk on earth a quill , And every man a scribe by trade .
To tell the love of God to man "Would drain the ocean dry ; Nor could the scroll contain the whole 'Though stretched from sky to sky .
Every Mason has promised to keep in memory the scene at his Initiation , which was not made with a view to sport with his feelings : allusion is hero made to the exercise of that virtue which may bo denominated fhe distinguishing characteristic of the Freemasons' heart—the subject of this article . So in a humble way he
may find himself a co-operator with the Angel of Charit y as she goes through the world with an outstretched hand to aid those in poverty and distress , to inspire man with lofty conceptions of the possibilities of life , and to breathe a holy benediction upon the orphan sons and daughters of a previous generation of brother Masons .
Charity not only conducts her Masonic votaries through tho intricate windings of this mortal life , but linked hand in hand she guides them through tho valley and shadow of death to the Grand Lodge above , whoso password shall be the deeds of love . Not Credo then , Agape shall be the talismaiiic password to which her portals will respond . Brother shall not ask his brother any more " Believcst
thou ? " but , "Lovcst thou ? " And all shall answer at the footstool of the Divine Geometer of the Universe " Lord , I Love . " For Hope may anchor , Faith may steer , but Love , great Love alone , shall pass the sonl on its being summoned from this snblnnary abode to ascend to the Grand Lodge above , where the Great Architect lives and reigns for ever surrounded by those who shall shine as stars for ever and ever .
The Permit Of Dunstanborough. A Legend Of Nortbumbria.
The Permit of Dunstanborough . A Legend of Nortbumbria .
By T . C . WALLS , Author of " Saved hi / a Sign , " "Light and Shade , " "Secret Tribunal" " Fatal Divination" § -c , tyc " . CHAI'TBR I .
I ^ gjJr -- ~' j aj GLOOMY tempestuous night , the sky as black as ink . ¦ "" wTfigS I Fiercely howled and roared the wind as it swept in its W ' \\ violence the basaltic rocks of the weird coast of Dunlv _ E __ 5 ! ' stanborough . The huge waves came rolling in with _^ iwji-i !_ 5 l tremendous powe r , and dashed themselves with
impotent fury upon the cliffs of that wild Northumbrian headland . The gale was from the north-east , and had been raging for hours . A few frightened slice ]) , occasionall y bleating in sheer hel p lessness , were huddled together near the ruined walls of tho _ rim old castle . Overhead numerous sea birds soared and uttered
loud discordant cries as il revelling m the strife of tho elements . Altogether ( he weather and the surroundings of tho place wore forbidding to a degree . It was about seven of the clock on the ni ght in question that the figure of a , man emerged from an opening near a part of the castle traditionally known as " Queen Margarot ' s
Tower , " and by the aid ot the crumbling fragments quickly mounted to a giddy position on its summit . His tall form was draped within the folds of a heavy cloak , and his head was uncovered . Having placed his back against the remains of a block of masonry , once forming a deep embrasure , he folded his arms and gazed intently seawards .
As he slootl thus with his long , dark hair streaming in the wind , and his stern , pale face lighted up with an expression of keen enjoyment he resembled a spirit of evil rejoicing at the dire effects caused by the fearful storm then raging . " A brave night , " ho muttered , " a Inavc night . How the waves struggle and shriek , as if maddened
in the ' Churn ' yonder ; roar away , ye demons of the wind . I liko your music . Preach not to me , ye lovers of sloth and luxury , on tho p leasures of a fireside . On a night like this 1 . love to be surrounded thus by Nature in her savage garb , and in her most angry mood . Tho world would doubtless call me a misanthrope , perhaps a madman ; but what care I for that—it affects mo not . There
was a time , though , when I courted its smiles , was dazzled b y the company , and gratified by the praise of my superiors in rank , infatuated with the bright eyes of beauty , and flattered b y the adulation of my inferiors . But that ephemeral period has passed , never to return—I have done with mankind , and with their joys ; their sorrows—their hopes—their fears . "
At this moment a strong gnst of wind swept over the exposed headland , and caused a fragment of the old tower to totter and fall . As the stones and debris crashed down the deep gully and buried