An Oration

AN ORATION

BY THF . REV . A . F . A . WOODFORD , P . G . C , Delivered on the occasion of the Consecration of Chaucer Lodge , No . 1540 . Most Worshipful Consecrating Officer , Senior and Junior Wardens and Brethren , though I should

personally have preferred that some brother more connected with the locality had addressed you on the present occasion , yet as during my 33 years of connection with our good old Order , I have always obeyed my superiors , I felt bound to defer at once to the wishes and command of my excellent and

respected friend and brother in the chair . I shall , therefore , venture to address a few words to you today , relyipg on your wonted fraternal kindness nnd consideration . I congratulate you , in the first instance , on your name of the Chaucer Lodge . Chaucer is so historical a name to Englishmen ,

that in this locality especially the name of your lodge suggests many and pleasant memories . It is not far from here that the " Tabard" once stood from which Chaucer started in his famous pilgrimages with his goodly companions . The old original Tabard has long since given way to the "

encroaching hand of time , " but a successor has long existed on the same spot , which is now also doomed to pass away * Chaucer may fairly be denominated the Patriarch of English Poetry . Though not the first in that long roll of illustrious names in point of timehe may be looked upon as the eldest of

, that great family which has shed such grace and honour on the English language , which has charmed imagination , vindicated honour , aroused sympathy , and proclaimed the right , and which is now read by countless thousands , not only of the Anglo-Saxon race , but of all nations alike , with

gratification , admiration , and enthusiasm . Chaucer is 7 th in point of time . He was preceded by Cffidmon , by our great King Alfred , by Robert of Gloucester , by Robert de Brunne , by Richard Rolle , by Robert Langlande , though the

last is very nearly contemporary with Chaucer . In his " Pilgrimage " he tells us that " An Haberdashtr and a Carpenter , A Webbe , a Dyer and a Tapiser , Were all y clothed in o livere

Of a solempne and grete fraternite ;" and were amongst those who went out from the Tabard . It is a pity that he has not said also a " Freemasort' ^ as we might have learned whether he were also , as some have surmised from stray expressions

in his writings , a member of our fraternity . Of this I can say nothing certain . It may be so , but we have no evidence of it , further than this , that he was connected with the operative masons . On the 12 th of July , 1389 , he was appointed , by patent , Clerk of the King ' s Works at the Palace of

Westminster , Tower of London , and elsewhere . In July , 1 790 , he was commanded to procure workmen for the repair of St . George ' s Chapel , at Windsor . Chaucer , as it is believed , married Philippa , thc daughter of Sir Payne Roct , a Fleming by birth , and sister of Kathcrtne Roet , first the wife of Sir

Hugh Swmford , and then of John of Gaunt , Duke of Lancaster . He died in a tenement leased from Westminster Abbey , in 1400 , and was buried in that sacred fane . Let us now pass on to one or two topics connected with our present assembly .

Agreeing heartily as I do with all that our excellent Grand Secretary and Presiding Officer has so well said in respect of caution as to thc admission of new members , which at this moment is a great trial of our order , I would , after a long membership , point out , that some of us take a fallacious view of

the subject . I have heard it said , if a person can pay his fees , and is a good sort of a fellow , that is quite enough . I venture to think that such a view is not a true one , nor a Masonic one of thc matter . In the admission of members wc ought to ask ourselves this question , is the candidate so thoroughly

respectable and well principled that we could , if need be , safely introduce him to our own family circle ? If we cannot say so , we have no right to admit him into our lodge , which , remember , is a band of brethren , linked together by the most sacred ties of virtuous and religious sympathies , by

a love of morality , honour , loyalty , and truth . At this moment some , I fear , are tempted to enter into Freemasonry by a sort of idea that they are providing against a rainy day . They treat it as an enlarged benefit club , which view , as Lord Z' etland once most truly said , is utterly opposed to the real teaching of Freemasonry . Freemasonry

never was , and never can be a mere benefit society . Wc relieve our brethren in unforseen emergencies of calamity and distress ; wc educate thc orphan , and we assist the widow , but no one has a right to claim such relief—it is and must ever be the spontaneous expression of pure Masonic benevolence . I think , too , Worshipful Sir and Brethren , that

An Oration

like as our Grand Master so well reminded us , " Loyalty and Charity " should be our watchwords just now . Happily for us we know nothing of political discussions , but as Freemasons we are loyal always to the sovereign of our native land , and we pay honest obedience to the laws of any country where we may casually reside .

Loyalty is a wide word , and includes not only loyalty to our sovereign , but loyalty to our own duties as fathers and husbands , as brethren , as citizens . Loyalty too to those fair sisters of ours , in the true chivalry of Freemasonry , who shed , let us ever remember with gratitude and devotion , the inestimable blessing of Masonic grace , and faith ,

and love , and truth , on this hard world of ours . Bro . Woodford here read an extract from Chaucer called " Praise of Women , " which was loudly applauded by the brethren . He proceeded to say , as to charity I need say but very little ; we can fairly point to our great charities when the outer world asks us , either with

sincere good will or impertinent curiosity of what good we are . Bro . Woodford here read another extract from Chaucer , entitled " Mercy , " which was also greatly appreciated . .

And now , brethren , I beg to conclude my short and imperfect oration , thanking you for your attention , craving your forbearance , and reiterating my own hearty good wishes for the progress and prosperity , the harmony and the welfare of the Chaucer Lodge .

Lodge "Roman Eagle," Edinburgh , No. 160.

LODGE "ROMAN EAGLE , " EDINBURGH , No . 160 .

A Funeral Lodge was held in the Lodge Roman Eagle , No . 160 , on Tuesday the 15 th ultimo , in memory of Bro . Dr . Thomas Cairns , J . P . M . The lodge was opened at the Third Degree by Bro . George Laing , RW . M ., assisted by Bro .

B . Miller , S . W . ; Bro . Thomas Willmott , J . W . ; Bro . W . Cownie , P . M . ; liro . Dr . W . Stevenson , D . M . ; Bro . I . Mann , S . M . ; Bro . Cowan , Chaplain ; Bro . \ V . Anderson , Treasurer ; Bro . Alex . Scott , Secretary ; and a large attendance of the Brethren . There were also present , Bro . Dr . W . S .

Carmichacl , P . M . 48 ; Bro . Geo . Borland , R . W . M . 151 ; Bro . D . Cameron , P . M . 429 ; Bro . A . D . Cairns , S . W . 392 ; Bro . Walter W . Mooney , S . W . 145 , & c . Thc following is the Programme of thc proceedings : Solemn music while brethren are taking their seats , and office bearers and brethren of sister lodges enter in procession and take their appointed

scats . Dead March in Saul . The R . W . M . then opened the lodge in the Third Degree . Prayer . —Chaplain . Grand Honours .

Requiem . —Harmonium . Anthem . — Holy , Holy Lord God Almighty , who was , and is , and is to come , who shall not glorify Thy name , for Thou only art holy , Thou only art the Lord . Service with responses . —M . It is appointed unto

all men once to die , and after death thc judgment . Response . So teach us to number our days , that wc mayapplyourheartsuntowisdoin . M . Lord , makeus to know our end , and the measure of our days , what it is , that we may know how frail we are . R . Behold thou hast made our days as an handbreadth ,

and our age is as nothing before Thee . M . What is life ? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time , and then vanishcth away . R . Therefore , whatsoever our hands find to do , may we do it with all our might , seeing there is no work , nor device , nor wisdom , nor knowledge in the grave ,

whither wc arc going . Grand Honours . Anthem ( Luther ) . —Blest are the departed who in the Lord are sleeping , from henceforth , for evermore . They rest from their labours , and their works follow them .

Service with responses . —M . Let me die the death of the righteous , and let my last end be like his . R , God is our God for ever and ever ; He will be our God even unto death . Grand Honours . Anthem ( Kent ) . —O Lord , our Governor , O how excellent is Thy name in all the world !

ORATION HY BRO . GEORGE LAING , R . W . M . ICO . Brethren , not long ago , we met within this hall , in joyous festivity , to acknowledge , as best we could , the honour of receiving the first official visit paid to a daughter lodge by the M . W . the G . M . M . of Scotland , Sir Michael Robert Shaw Stewart , after his election to the throne .

The place the same , how changed the scene Assembled as we now are to pay the last M . H . to the memory of our I . P . M ., and in accordance with usual Masonic custom , it devolves on me to lay before you some sketch of the life of our departed brother , Dr . Cairns . In the performance of that duty , I must crave

Lodge "Roman Eagle," Edinburgh , No. 160.

that sympathy at your hands on which I feel 1 can rely , for any shortcomings which may become apparent to you , and this the more readily , that it is to our deceased brother that the L . R . E . and I are indebted for being brought together . That introduction was under circumstances o £ solemn sadness and mourning , through the death

of your beloved and lamented late R . W . M ., Bro . James Paterson , the immediate successor to Bro Dr . Cairns , who , on the last occasion of a Funeral Lodge in your midst , though himself suffering severely under illness and physical exhaustion , so ably and so eloquently conducted those honours to thc memory of Bro . Paterson , which it is now

incumbent upon me to attempt for him . Brother Thomas Cairns was born in the post town of Saline , Fifeshire , in the year 1822 . The family from which he sprung had resided there through many generations , his father in his day occupying the position of builder and architect in

his native town . Thomas was the second son in a family of five sons and three daughters , and although he alone ultimately turned his energies towards a professional career , all his brothers attained useful and prominent positions in agricultural and commercial life . Two brothers and

two sisters now survive to mourn his loss . After receiving the education requisite for the career intended for him by his father , Thomas was , at the age of twelve , placed behind the counter of Mr . Matthew Brady , a respectable and successful grocer in Alloa . Here he faithfully served a formal and long apprenticeship of seven

years . To a mind like his , this must have been tedious training indeed , but probably not without great influence in disciplining him to toil patiently and perseveringly in acquiring those stores of highly cultivated knowledge and information in the many and varied branches which he mastered so ably at a future period .

At the age of nineteen , having completed his apprenticeship , he commenced studying with the intention of becoming a clergyman , and prosecuted those studies so earnestly and well , as in due time to be formally licensed as a preacher in connection , with thc Free Church of Scotland , in which capacity he officiated most satisfactorily in different

pulpits in various places , Edinburgh among others . This and subsequent successful results to his labours were entirely due to his own prudence and indomitable spirit of perseverance , and from first to last carried on without any pecuniary help whatever from family or friends . Thus launched in a

definite profession , most men would , under ordinary circumstances , have been satisfied with the prospects now unfolding , still more after such an achievement as his against obstacles requiring every possible exertion of prudence , forethought and care . With him , however , his course of studies and battle with difficulties were little more

than begun . From what cause is not exactly known , but shortly after being licensed as a probationer , he commenced the study of surgery and medicine , furnishing himself with thc necessary means by devoting the time he had to spare to teaching classical literature , mathematics , and other branches

of the higher education . Former pupils—and I believe some such are now here—bear grateful testimony to his high intellectual culture , and thc great fluency he possessed in imparting instruction . Thc result of his own second course of professional studies was thc attainment of a degree from the R . C . P . as well as from the R . C . S ., both in

Edinburgh . Of his career as a medical practitioner , others could speak with more authority than I possibly can , yet this I may assert , that when death ' s pale peace came o'er him , many a grateful patient mourned his loss . In his application to professional duties in thc hour of sickness and pain , he was thoroughly zealous—his own health and

comfort the least of his thoughts . Full of earnest anxiety where danger existed or threatened , with his natural fertility of resource , if one remedy failed he had another to apply , and the performance of his professional duties was accompanied throughout , by a degree of kindly sympathy and interest , evinced in the soothing accents with which he

brought hope to alarm and relief to suffering , that linked him to the affections of his patients and their friends . As an accoucheur , in the opinion of his professional brethren , he was great and successful in his art . That he had devoted much attention to the treatment of the diseases of children was proved

by his skilful practice amongst them . Of children he was naturally fond , soon gaining the affectionate confidence of the little ones who lispingly welcomed the Doctor , whose visits were , in their minds more associated with gifts of barley-sugar and sweeties . of

than with doses of medicine in the hateful forms powders and draughts . In any address to you I need not dwell upon the social virtues which endeared him to all who had the privilege to call him friead , but personally , I must acknowledge *» never-varying courtesy to myself .