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Article THE BEST OF FRIENDS MUST PART. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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The Best Of Friends Must Part.
In the first year of his reign Frederick instituted a Lodge , consisting of twenty-four members , of which he was the Bight "Worshipful Master . This Lodge comprised many of the ministers of state and generals who were the most eminent and devoted to the person of the monarch . General Wallrave , the favourite and
most intimate friend of tlie king , was one of the members of this Lodge . Frederick , after the conquest of Sehleswig , intrusted him with the task of repairing the old fortresses and constructing new ones . The fortress of Neise , which , on account of its good strategical position and its mines , was one of the most important , was particularly recommended to his care by the lung .
Seduced by gold , Wallrave entered into a secret correspondence with the Austrian Prince Kaunitz , the sworn enemy of the King of Prussia , to whom he betrayed the plan and secret galleries of this important fortress . In this great dilemma , the king could not allow the traitor to escape without punishment ; but this traitor , on whom he had lavished his favours—this favourite whom he had treated as a
brother , was about to be accused of the crime of high treason . Frederick reflected long and deeply on this fact , and at last resolved on a course which was worthy of him , and which was at the same time truly Masonic . The King-Master having summoned the Lodge , pronounced an eloquent discourse on morality , and especially on the duties which brother Freemasons owe to each other . At the conclusion of his
address , his tones of mildness were changed to words of impassioned fire , which filled his hearers with wonder and emotion . Rising from his seat , the King-Mason deeply affected , uttered these Masonic "words : —" One of our brethren , here present , has committed a beinous offence , a crime for which he deserves death . This Mason has sinned against our Order , against his duty to his country , —he has broken his masonic oath , he has become an ungrateful traitor towards me , his Master , his King , his brother , his friend and
benefactor . As King , I am willing to be ignorant of his crime ; as Master to pardon him ; as brother and friend , I wish to extend towards him the hand of brotherly love and charity , and to raise him from that abyss of moral depravity into which he has fallen ; and as a man , I wish to forget the fact—I only demand that he shall confess his crime , here , in the midst of us his brethren . I ask him to promise that he will repent and atone for his sins , and it shall be for ever a
secret among us , of which we will never make the least mention ; but if he remains silent and does not accept the pardon which I now masonically offer him , I tell him that I shall be obliged to quit this Lodge for ever , and that as his King , his Master , and tlie chief magistrate of tlie country , I shall be obliged to do my duty , and deliver him up to justice that he may receive his reward . " These touching words penetrated the hearts of all the hearers , who regarded each other with sorrow and trembling , but no one dared to speak . No one could divine , to whom could be addressed this rigorous , but
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Best Of Friends Must Part.
In the first year of his reign Frederick instituted a Lodge , consisting of twenty-four members , of which he was the Bight "Worshipful Master . This Lodge comprised many of the ministers of state and generals who were the most eminent and devoted to the person of the monarch . General Wallrave , the favourite and
most intimate friend of tlie king , was one of the members of this Lodge . Frederick , after the conquest of Sehleswig , intrusted him with the task of repairing the old fortresses and constructing new ones . The fortress of Neise , which , on account of its good strategical position and its mines , was one of the most important , was particularly recommended to his care by the lung .
Seduced by gold , Wallrave entered into a secret correspondence with the Austrian Prince Kaunitz , the sworn enemy of the King of Prussia , to whom he betrayed the plan and secret galleries of this important fortress . In this great dilemma , the king could not allow the traitor to escape without punishment ; but this traitor , on whom he had lavished his favours—this favourite whom he had treated as a
brother , was about to be accused of the crime of high treason . Frederick reflected long and deeply on this fact , and at last resolved on a course which was worthy of him , and which was at the same time truly Masonic . The King-Master having summoned the Lodge , pronounced an eloquent discourse on morality , and especially on the duties which brother Freemasons owe to each other . At the conclusion of his
address , his tones of mildness were changed to words of impassioned fire , which filled his hearers with wonder and emotion . Rising from his seat , the King-Mason deeply affected , uttered these Masonic "words : —" One of our brethren , here present , has committed a beinous offence , a crime for which he deserves death . This Mason has sinned against our Order , against his duty to his country , —he has broken his masonic oath , he has become an ungrateful traitor towards me , his Master , his King , his brother , his friend and
benefactor . As King , I am willing to be ignorant of his crime ; as Master to pardon him ; as brother and friend , I wish to extend towards him the hand of brotherly love and charity , and to raise him from that abyss of moral depravity into which he has fallen ; and as a man , I wish to forget the fact—I only demand that he shall confess his crime , here , in the midst of us his brethren . I ask him to promise that he will repent and atone for his sins , and it shall be for ever a
secret among us , of which we will never make the least mention ; but if he remains silent and does not accept the pardon which I now masonically offer him , I tell him that I shall be obliged to quit this Lodge for ever , and that as his King , his Master , and tlie chief magistrate of tlie country , I shall be obliged to do my duty , and deliver him up to justice that he may receive his reward . " These touching words penetrated the hearts of all the hearers , who regarded each other with sorrow and trembling , but no one dared to speak . No one could divine , to whom could be addressed this rigorous , but