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Article MASONIC REMINISCENCES. ← Page 2 of 5 →
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Masonic Reminiscences.
and pride of his manhood , one whose social qualities and gentlemanlike bearing fitted him to hold a high and dignified position among his fellowmen ; thus sunk into an unhonourcd grave , the victim of a savage code . An affianced bride , was left to mourn the loss of a betrothed bridegroom , for a day or two would have seen him the happy husband of a blooming wife , peace to Ms ashes ! let us hope he received mercy , at the judgment
seat ; there was no malice in his light and buoyant heart . This was one of the last fatal cases of duelling in Ireland , for very soon after , Masonry began to spread among those classes with whom the duello was most frequent and fashionable , and we have no hesitation in tracing to ' the spread of those principles , the abatement of a crime at once disgraceful to Christianity and civilization .
The philanthropists , moral philosophers , and religionists who have written , spoken and reasoned against the practice of duelling , all admit the difficulty of establishing any system , or creating any tribunal with sanctions sufficiently powerful to supersede the arbitrary laws of honour which certain classes of society feel constrained ( and many no doubt reluctantl ) to obeyThe law of the land is still so far from perfect
y . , that frequently it is insufficient effectually ^ reach certain eases of offence , ' ' certain wrongs without a remedy , " which are more deeply injurious and more keenly hurtful to ^ sensitive minds than more open and flagrant breaches of the law .
To meet instances of this nature , no doubt , this fashionable code was first instituted , though it snvours strongly and would almost seem to be a remnant of that obsolete barbarism which we will not dignify by the name of law , known in the old books as " the trial by Wager of Battle , " where the rights of parties was decided in deadl y conflict , by which the clearest title to a disputed estate or to the contested hand of some queen
of beauty was demonstrated by killing an adversary in single combat , and presenting to the Lords Justices the severed head , by whom it was received as the unerring proof , the unfailing evidence of the survivor ' s claim both in law and equity . In the eyes of the present generation these things seem so wicked and absurd , as to be almost incredibleyet in the enlihtened days of our
fore-, g fathers , in the vaunted days of chivalry , such hideous deeds have been done under the sanction and authority of British law . "The trial by Wager of Battle" has disappeared before the common sense and civilization of an improved age , but its prototype still remains ; though " scotched not killed . "
Dr . Paley in his moral philosophy speaking of duelling says—" public opinion is not easil y controlled by civil institutions , for which reason I question whether any regulations can be contrived of sufficient force to suppress or change the rule of honour which stigmatizes all scruples about duelling , with the reproach of cowardice . "The insufficiency of the redress which the law of the land affords for
those injuries which chiefly affect a man iu his sensibility and reputation , tempts many to redress themselves . " This learned divine and philosopher , as well as others who have wiitten
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Reminiscences.
and pride of his manhood , one whose social qualities and gentlemanlike bearing fitted him to hold a high and dignified position among his fellowmen ; thus sunk into an unhonourcd grave , the victim of a savage code . An affianced bride , was left to mourn the loss of a betrothed bridegroom , for a day or two would have seen him the happy husband of a blooming wife , peace to Ms ashes ! let us hope he received mercy , at the judgment
seat ; there was no malice in his light and buoyant heart . This was one of the last fatal cases of duelling in Ireland , for very soon after , Masonry began to spread among those classes with whom the duello was most frequent and fashionable , and we have no hesitation in tracing to ' the spread of those principles , the abatement of a crime at once disgraceful to Christianity and civilization .
The philanthropists , moral philosophers , and religionists who have written , spoken and reasoned against the practice of duelling , all admit the difficulty of establishing any system , or creating any tribunal with sanctions sufficiently powerful to supersede the arbitrary laws of honour which certain classes of society feel constrained ( and many no doubt reluctantl ) to obeyThe law of the land is still so far from perfect
y . , that frequently it is insufficient effectually ^ reach certain eases of offence , ' ' certain wrongs without a remedy , " which are more deeply injurious and more keenly hurtful to ^ sensitive minds than more open and flagrant breaches of the law .
To meet instances of this nature , no doubt , this fashionable code was first instituted , though it snvours strongly and would almost seem to be a remnant of that obsolete barbarism which we will not dignify by the name of law , known in the old books as " the trial by Wager of Battle , " where the rights of parties was decided in deadl y conflict , by which the clearest title to a disputed estate or to the contested hand of some queen
of beauty was demonstrated by killing an adversary in single combat , and presenting to the Lords Justices the severed head , by whom it was received as the unerring proof , the unfailing evidence of the survivor ' s claim both in law and equity . In the eyes of the present generation these things seem so wicked and absurd , as to be almost incredibleyet in the enlihtened days of our
fore-, g fathers , in the vaunted days of chivalry , such hideous deeds have been done under the sanction and authority of British law . "The trial by Wager of Battle" has disappeared before the common sense and civilization of an improved age , but its prototype still remains ; though " scotched not killed . "
Dr . Paley in his moral philosophy speaking of duelling says—" public opinion is not easil y controlled by civil institutions , for which reason I question whether any regulations can be contrived of sufficient force to suppress or change the rule of honour which stigmatizes all scruples about duelling , with the reproach of cowardice . "The insufficiency of the redress which the law of the land affords for
those injuries which chiefly affect a man iu his sensibility and reputation , tempts many to redress themselves . " This learned divine and philosopher , as well as others who have wiitten