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Article OUR ARCHITECTURAL CHAPTER. Page 1 of 5 →
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Our Architectural Chapter.
OUR ARCHITECTURAL CHAPTER .
The full account given invtte'J ^ 66 ^( Mcm * V ' J ^ ^ ^^ and Masonic Mirror of last week of the great event in Scotland , must exercise a material influence , not only on Masonry generally , but on the architectural profession ; though , with all its splendour , due _ scope was not given for the development of the architectural element . This ,
architects will think , with some degree of jealousy , rather detracted from the full dignity of a most imposing ceremonial . The occasion was the establishment of a hall which is not only to be dedicated to Masonic celebrations , but is itself to be an architectural ornament to the Scottish metropolis—we might perhaps say to the northern metropolis of Masonry . On an occasion when so much enthusiasm was displayed for the Craft , some will think more regard might have been
displayed for the art . This could in no degree have derogated from the importance and dignity of the celebration , but would have enhanced it . Not one word was there for architecture , and very few were there of architects . Has Masonry no speakers who can claim the attention of an audience for architecture as do Ruskin , Alexander Beresford Hope , or George Gilbert Scott ? Was it that the zealous medievalists were muzzled when it was determined to devote the
temple of Masonry to the resuscitation of the classic forms of the Ionic—for the medievalists have always something to say when they have a chance—they are ever ready to propagate as missionaries the articles of their faith and practice . A few words on the connexion of architecture and Masonry would not have been misplaced , but among all the dignitaries of architecture present , not one was there found to allude to such considerations .
Still the event must have a great influence on architecture , for it will put architects in mind 6 f their obligations to the great Craft , it will put the public in mind that the initiation of a building ought to be celebrated by due rites , and that there are legitimate authorities on whom a call may be made for the discharge of such duties . Of late years there has been rather a neglect of this observance , for instead of
every building of pretension being begun or consecrated with Masonic ceremonial , this ceremonial has been omitted on- too many occasions . This is perhaps partly attributable to the influence of some clerical agitators who see with jealousy the G . A . O . T . U . invoked by celebrants other than themselves , and partly perhaps to the fact that there are leading persons called on to lay foundation stones , who being
uninitiated , cannot take part in the rightful celebration ; whereas in the last generation every prince was a Mason—it may be said almost every peer—and it was rare to find a man in a high public station debarred from the exercise of the honoured rites of Masonry . In the honourable position now held by Masonry , and with the rightful exercise of its influence , we may hope that the new generation of princes and peers now
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Our Architectural Chapter.
OUR ARCHITECTURAL CHAPTER .
The full account given invtte'J ^ 66 ^( Mcm * V ' J ^ ^ ^^ and Masonic Mirror of last week of the great event in Scotland , must exercise a material influence , not only on Masonry generally , but on the architectural profession ; though , with all its splendour , due _ scope was not given for the development of the architectural element . This ,
architects will think , with some degree of jealousy , rather detracted from the full dignity of a most imposing ceremonial . The occasion was the establishment of a hall which is not only to be dedicated to Masonic celebrations , but is itself to be an architectural ornament to the Scottish metropolis—we might perhaps say to the northern metropolis of Masonry . On an occasion when so much enthusiasm was displayed for the Craft , some will think more regard might have been
displayed for the art . This could in no degree have derogated from the importance and dignity of the celebration , but would have enhanced it . Not one word was there for architecture , and very few were there of architects . Has Masonry no speakers who can claim the attention of an audience for architecture as do Ruskin , Alexander Beresford Hope , or George Gilbert Scott ? Was it that the zealous medievalists were muzzled when it was determined to devote the
temple of Masonry to the resuscitation of the classic forms of the Ionic—for the medievalists have always something to say when they have a chance—they are ever ready to propagate as missionaries the articles of their faith and practice . A few words on the connexion of architecture and Masonry would not have been misplaced , but among all the dignitaries of architecture present , not one was there found to allude to such considerations .
Still the event must have a great influence on architecture , for it will put architects in mind 6 f their obligations to the great Craft , it will put the public in mind that the initiation of a building ought to be celebrated by due rites , and that there are legitimate authorities on whom a call may be made for the discharge of such duties . Of late years there has been rather a neglect of this observance , for instead of
every building of pretension being begun or consecrated with Masonic ceremonial , this ceremonial has been omitted on- too many occasions . This is perhaps partly attributable to the influence of some clerical agitators who see with jealousy the G . A . O . T . U . invoked by celebrants other than themselves , and partly perhaps to the fact that there are leading persons called on to lay foundation stones , who being
uninitiated , cannot take part in the rightful celebration ; whereas in the last generation every prince was a Mason—it may be said almost every peer—and it was rare to find a man in a high public station debarred from the exercise of the honoured rites of Masonry . In the honourable position now held by Masonry , and with the rightful exercise of its influence , we may hope that the new generation of princes and peers now