The Masonic Revival.

categorically to formulate , viz ., that the essence of Freemasonry has within the last few years been more attended to than its accidents , that an honest , energetic endeavour has been made to develope its ritual , and formulate its teachings , to an extent probably never before known in the

Craft , certainly neversince Speculative , as disjoined and apart from Operative , Masonry commanded the attention of intellectual brethren . As we have pointed out , we claim for Freemasonry in this repect no more than we are willing to allow to every other branch of human

speculation and practice in the regions of intellect and art . The laws of action and reaction are inexorable . The feverish spasmodic energy of one generation will degenerate into the lethargic sloth of the next , and again the stertorous sleep , duller than ,

" the fat weed that rots itself at ease On Lethe ' s wharf , " in one age , is startled by a trumpet blast sharply awakening it in the one succeeding . It is the eternally operating law of action and re-action , but it is worth while occasionally to stand aside , as it

were , and take stock of the results achieved . Now , in this eternal law of action and re-action , one result is most palpable . To paraphrase Shakespeare , out of the nettle extravagance we p luck the flower plenitude . ' An excessive energy in supplying a deficit is not only in itself an

evidence that the vacuum existed , but a tolerably reliable guarantee that it will be filled . A lofty aim may not hit its mark , but the projectile will be propelled to a greater heig ht than when directed to an object nearer the earth ' s surface . This is a platitude—a

truism" He strikes higher far Who aims the moon than he who shoots a star . " but let us , before we begin to consider its application to Freemasonry , endeavour to illustrate it by examining how far it has within the last few years influenced religion and art .

Take the Church of England . Forty or fifty years ago how dull , cold , dead , and lethargic were her services . This is not the proper place , of course , to discuss anything bearing the most distant relation to polemics , religious or political , but it may not be without its utility as a matter

of mere speculation to ponder how far the princip les of disestablishment and disendowment are hereditary , and have been transmitted from the Nonconformists , who lived in a period when the Church was the sluggard , and the dissenter the worker , in the vineyard , to dissenters who ,

from habit , and reliance on tradition , do not take the trouble to verify their present impressions by contemporary examination . Men who do not yet own to middle life remember the " parson and clerk duet , " the mumbled sermon , the quarterly celebrations , the utter neglect of nearly all the

festivals of the Church , and the general laisser allerfaire tone that pervaded all her ministers . Then came the re-action . It is not our province , nor would it be becoming in us here , to enquire how , or if , the sharp competition of Nonconformity animated the dead bones with

life , but the life came . Then , to be brief , came the extravagancies of Pusey et hoc genus omne , thi excesses of ultra-ritualism , excesses even now apparent in many places , ex . gr ., the legislation of last year—but what has been the outcome of it all ? and here we are on ground where all can

agree , Romanist , Churchman , Dissenter , nay , even Jew—for this is not a matter of discussion , but the mere enunciation of a plain , naked fact . The net result of ritualistic extravagance has has been a revival of Church life , a consignment to a degraded oblivion of the sluggishness of the

past , a warmth in the services , an activity in the ministrations , an intelligence in the ceremonial and dogmatic functions which , to say the least , contrasts the Church of England of a past period , and—if we an so call it—the partially ritualistic present time , very favourably with the

anti-Puseyite age . The same development is observable in art . A hundred , nay , fifty years ago , accuracy and local colouring were as little regarded in the English school of painting as three hundred

years ago they were in the Dutch . Indeed , it is doubtful whether , in these matters , we had at the beginning of this century progressed much beyond the practice of Hogarth , who , interpreting the Scripture narrative , that our blessed Lord ' s

The Masonic Revival.

sepulchre was sealed , literally , paints the Roman soldiers sealing it with a stick of red sealing wax , upon which one stili may read legibly inscribed the trade legend of its Dutch manufacturers in the seventeenth century . " Brend wel und houd fest . " Burn well and hold fast .

But apart from local colouring and accurate accessories the general slovenliness of treatment in every part of the picture , except the principal figure or figures , was conspicuously censurable . This , it is well known , resulted from the universal practice of allowing backgrounds and accessories

to be filled in by the pupils ; the artist reserving his manual efforts for the central group . But the result was atrocious , and , coupled with the ostentatious contempt for correctness and accuracy which characterised the artists of the first twenty years of this century , rendered the

ante-Wilkie school of—at all events—historical or scripture painting worthless as tangible illustration . Take for instance Northcote , Westall , and even Hay don . The barons of J ohn in the tunics and tights of Queen Elizabeth ' s time—and even those spuriously represented

— the Hotspurs and Plantagenets in the armour of the Cavaliers and Roundheads ; every period in a series of a thousand years in Roman history depicted by means of the same togas and helmets and mantles . What resulted from this long-continuous display of

carelessness and ignorance ? The feeling of a want ; the energy to supply it ; in a word what has been absurdly enough called Pre-Raphaelitism—the Ritualistic extravagance of art . But the fitful fever of Pre-Raphaelitism passed , what remained ? What was the residuum ? Surely the careful conscientious true art work of the

present day . In morals no less than in matter , the rnotto omne majiis' continet in se minus applies , and when excess has been absorbed the probability is that sufficiency will remain . To apply these principles , assisted by an illustration we propose to adduce in our next , to the practice of the Craft , is the object of the present series of articles .

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NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS . The "Freemason" of May ioth and 17 th , 1873 , ( numbers 218 and 219 ) being out of print , the publisher will be glad to receive copies from brethren who may have them . Stamps will be sent on receipt .

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icgttc at itost tollcnt , lloiral , £ rtect , . niiu- guucr . 6 . wUcnt Ufcwtcr . Meetings , under the Authority of the GRAND COUNCIL OF E NGLAND AND WALES , to confer the above Degrees , will be held at the new Lodge Rooms , a , Red Lion-square , Holborn , on the second and fourth Wednesday in every month . Fee *^ a 2 s . Ten days' notice of attendance must be sent to the undersigned , from whom all particulars may be obtained . Candidates must be qualified as Royal Arch and Mark Master Masons . FREDERICK BINCKES , Grand Recorder . Office , —2 , Red Lion-square , W . C . June 8 , 1874 .

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Now Ready , price is ., post free is . id . CARTES DE VISITE OF THE FOLLOWING Masonic Celebrities . Qie Most Hon . the Maniness of Ripon . l"hc Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , D . G . M . [ 'he Right H'li . Lord Wnvenv , I ' rov . Grand Master Suffolk . I'he Right Hon . the Earl of llective , P . G . M . Cumberland ! and Westmorland . - - ¦ * lhe Right Hon . the Earl of Limerick , I' . G . M . I ' . ristol . iir Eredk . M . irtin Williams , Bart , M . l \ , U . l ' . G . M . Cornwall . i \ dair , Col ., P . Prov . G . Master-Somerset . Ilagshaw , R . [ ., 1 ' rov . G . Master Kssex . -i . . . ' - Beach , W . W . 11 ., M . P ., Prov . G . Master Hants . Iliinlett , Col . F ., I ' rov . G . Waster' Middlesex . " •' ' llohic , A ., P . I'rov . G . Master Surrey ., ill Graham , J . ., L . L . D ., M . W . G . Master Quebec . , , - Huvshe , Rev . Ino ., Prov . G . Master Devon , . az ' ar , J ., District G . Master New Zealand . ' ] Smith / Augustus , P ., I'rov . G . Master Cornwall . ' Stuart , \ V ., Past Grand Master , K . T . , , ; Vernon , Col ., P . Prov . G . Master Staffordshire Mams . las , P . jr .. P . Z . Monckton , J . ' ; U ., P . G . I ) , 1 \ d . avd , Frederick , t ' . l ' . G . D . C , 'Moore ' , Rc \\ T . F .. ' l ^ G . C ' Essex . Moss , J . T ., P . MV , P . Z . ' [ lannistcr , J ., P . G . S . ll . Muggeridge , Henry :. . ... . ' . Binckes , fcredk ., Sec . R . M . I . Norton , Jacob . Boys . OUren Magnus , P . M ., P . Z ., 31 % [ lower , R . P . P . G . J . W . Surrey . Urennan . J . l' \ Parvin ,-T . R Sec' Cud . Lodge Campbcll , " Thos . M . of Iowa . Christie , P . M ., Edinburgh . Piatt , ' [ . ' P ., M . P . Z . ' " " osra , Ralph , 32 " Port , ) ' . - 3 osta , Sir Michael , 33 ° , l ' . G . O l ' ullen ,. Hyde , if . P . G . S . 11 . ^ oshurn , Geo . Purdav , P . M . : : « , Edward . Roebuck . \ V ., P . l ' . G . S . ll . Surrey , [' ronin , Dr . Rule , P . G . Pursuivant . Doselle . Scott , Chas ., Commander , R . N . Dumas , C . C , P . G . D . Surrcv . Shaboe , Rev . ]) ., l ' . P . G . Chaplain Edwards T . H ., P . M . 8 . ' Middx . Eliot , Lord , P . G . W . Simms , | . Lambert . Flavelle , E . E ., Irish K . T . Smith , P ' . G . l ' . Foxalt Samuel , P . M . Spiers , R . \ ., P . G . S . B ., I ) . P . G . M . G . irey , William . Oxford Gouley , George Frank , Editor Sptirr , J . I *' ., P . M . St . Louis " Freemason . " Stebbing , | . R inkin , P . D . G . M ., Havers , John , P . G . W . Hants . ' Harding ! Stevens , Jame . ; , : ' . ;' ., V . ' / .. Hervey , | no ., Grand Secretary . Slewart , ' Ravuh . im W ., I' . G . D . Hodgcs . ' H . B ., M . D . Stohwasser / l ., P . M ., i ' . / .. Holden , Rev . P . M . Stone , W .. P . M ., K . T . Holmes . F . mra , Stringer , j . Holmes R . I ) . Stuart , W „ P . Z . Hopkins , D . II . Sugg , P . M . Hughan , Wm . James , r . S . G . l ) . Swan , C . P . P V . S . I ! . Herts . Hunt , G . Want T ' avlor , ( ., p . p . | . W , Middlesex . Inns , Samuel , !) . P . G . M ,, Norths ., Thomas , ' Jas ., i' . M . Hunts . Udall , | ., P . G . D . John , R . Walters , Fredk ., >\ M .. P 7 .. Lambert , Geo ., 30 . Wigginton , Col ., W . Al . 1503 . Little , Robert Wentworlh , Sec . William- ! , John . R . M . I . Girls . Woodford , ' The Rev . A . F . A ., Past May , Samuel , P . G . Steward . Grand Chaplain . Mackenzie , P . M . Wright . Meggy , J ., P . G . Steward London : GEORGE KENNING , K ; 8 , Fht't-steet , E . C . FREDERIC K AD L A RD , MASONIC CLOTHIER , & C , &<\ , Inventor of the Masonic Jewel AU ; : < ' !' .. r ( Kgstd ) , J y Urn . Adlard ' s far-JSH fam-. vi Jew el Attacher J / ifsKiife" ' ' " '" ' ts sim l > l ' y Ji I , £ ||| JKb ||| j ^> in I convenience has / «^ W « Ktfl & iil' §^^ ""' ' k' ke know" ' » / ^ *§ Lf ?§ fji § fj ^ ^ jjjt- ' * - iwtsaUy adufit-£ i ^ M \ Wk \ / V , ! The l , rice 7 s ' ' &^ Js"W l * *>' ¦ ' } plices it within the . ^^ ¦ JM' *^ ^ '/ / n- " * "''• — " " i- ^ fr Wi ^ k 4 i ' I s "" ' Magazine . " ^^^¦^^ W ^ W ^ 7 Wc have much l > ltt ! l " $$ & " ? £ *!& . ' JkJLlx ' )| Vi / sure '" recommendm ^ ifrt ^ mpi U , » 'S Bro . Adlard's At-Ifi ifcTBuZJjb & wS'l * / tidier for its cimu-ni-Vk ibw ' vKHHLJ ; •* I y » ' , 1 , . ?*• Mi . vP ^ G & X J ?) * ' nice ami usefulness . « i $ ** $ ; " ¦ " ^ J *> V " ' - ' ' ' Freemason . " V * % 7 - f >\ lln > . Adlard ' s Su" % 1 , puior Fittintr Lwlire * ' » ' ¦ ¦ ¦ •' ¦¦ ¦ " Collars are also well worthy the attention of the Craft . No . 221 ; , HIGH II O I . 15 CI U N , Opposite Soutliampton-rww , W . C .

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