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Article SIGHTS WHICH THE POET LOVES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Sights Which The Poet Loves.
_ Mountain crags , standing like mighty giants , rearing their skykissed crests to heaven—crystal streams , meandering through emerald meads richly studded with daisies , king-cups , ladysmocks , cowslips , and all the thousand wildings which Flora so plentifully scatters over hill and plain—the enamelled woods , where gnarled oaks have borne the brunt of a thousand winds , and the spreading sycamore and the umbrageous chosnut afforded
shade and shelter to many generations—the edge-rows , white with vestal mayblossom—the rustic road , skirted with wild roses , honeysuckle , foxgloves , bluebells , violets , and' primroses—the mi ghty ocean , spooming in undulating pride at the feet of beetlebrowed cliffs , which for ages have stood , the iron coastguards of the isle—sentinels to keep the mass of waters in check , and guard the shore from its encroachment—to speak in terms of admiration
of these and other beauties of nature to the mere drudge of business , or the gossamer of fashion , is indeed to " cast pearls before swine , " and happy are ye , 0 men of letters , if they do not " turn again and rend ye . " The square ivy mantled tower of the old village church , where hundreds of generations have knelt in pious adoration of the Most
High on each returning Sabbath , and whose ashes now repose in silence beneath the shadow of that primitive temple—the mouldering arches of each ancient abbey , where holy monks erst chauntcd their songs of praise and thanksgiving , "morning , evening , and noonday , " to their God ; but where the nettle and the ni g htshade now occupy the site of the high altar , aud the winds of heaven sing a requiem over monks' and abbots' graves—the
time crumbled walls and battlements of our baronial castles , where the feudal lords once held high revelry , living in a style of splendour little inferior to their monarch ' s , and surrounded by dependent serfs , ever ready , at a moment ' s notice , to forsake their ploughs and range themselves in arms beneath their master ' s banner , to conquer or die in his service—the old ruinous halls , where happy hearts once gathered around the log iled hearth
p , and beneath whose windows at the dead of ni ght , when the silver moon was keeping her silent watch on high in the cerulean sky , the amorous minstrel sweetly sang his serenades to the lady whose beauty had captivated his heart , and taken his soul her prisonerthe battle plain , where hostile armies met in furious fi ght , to contend with sword , and spear , and battle axe , for the mastery , while
"Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtled in the darken'd air , " ere the thundering cannon and the murderous musket changed the mode of warfare , and offered fresh auxiliaries to the slaughter of man—the solitary tumulus , where some fierce warrior of bygone days now rests in peace , a blessing which in life he never enjoyed—the humble cot where some immortal genius first
breathed the breath of life—possess no fairy spcl 1 to charm the worldling ' s heart , which is indeed of the " earth , earthy . " The poet , on the other hand , loves to contemplate the beauties of Nature ; and leaving for a while the smoky atmosphere and tmnultnons din of crowded cities and manufacturing towns , he loves to breathe the air of heaven as God has made it , and listen to the vocal minstrels of the grove . The sun , shining with all
his meridian splendour at noonday , or gilding the village windows " ¦ villi Ids fading light as the shades of evening come over the earth like a funereal pall—the queen of night , travelling forth with her myriad attendants in their starry chariots , to view the sleepingearth , or afford their kindl y light to the beni ghted traveller—the fields of clover , richer than the imperial purple of ancient Rome — " the waving of the corn in the valley" —the grassy carpet
which Nature has spread around the earth for her children—the sweet perfume of the beau fields at evening , when the weary labourer rests him from his toil—the sylph-like maiden , moving in love , and beauty , and innocence , along the path of life—aud the smiling child , reposing in placid sleep in its enamoured mother ' s arms—are a few of the things and scenes of earth which entrance the poet's heart , and wing his soul towards heaven .
BOOKS . —Books find an entrance into every home—the palace , the parlour , aud the poor man's tfttle cot ; they are companions by coach and rail—in town and vernal mead—on hill and in valley , and in the family circle by the blazing hearth ; and if they be not free from the soul-poison of vice , how many hundreds , and thousands , and tens of thousands of our fellow-creatures may be rendered wretched by their means . Lot books lie , as they ever should be , the enuneiators and expositors of great truths ; let them be mirrors in which the human
heart may see clearty the passions that play within it , and so learn to direct them aright ; let truth , and not falsehood , preside over our literature ; let the man of fact and the man of fiction work together for the regeneration of the human race . "— -Q , M , Twcd . ddl
Masonic Notes And Queries.
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .
ANCIENT MASONIC CHARGE WASTED . AA HEKE can I find a copy of a charge by Bro . Shedden , and where was it delivered ?—PLUTO . —fin the Freemasons' Magazine and Cabinet of Universal Literature , for August , 179 C , p . 87 , is "A Charge delivered to the Members of the Union Lodge , regularly constituted and held at the Union Punch House , Princes Street , Bristol , A . L . 5767 . By Brother Alexander Shedden , R . AALM . " Perhaps this is the charge alluded to . ]
TUE INFLUENCE OF MASONRY ON RELIGION . I am anxious to trace what connexion Masonry has had with regard to religious influences . How am I to set about it' ?—A PARISH PRIEST . —[ First , read La Magonnerie , Considerce comme le Residtat des Religions Eg / jptienne , Juice , et Chretienne . Par Le F . M . R . de S ., 3 vols . 8 vo . Paris , 1833 ; after which , write again . ]
MASONIC MEDAL . Having seen a drawing of a Masonic medal , which may be described as an outer double ring fractured at both sides , makingtwo segments of a circle , on the upper , the word " Alpha , " on the lower , the word " Omega . " Within this a serpent , with his tail in his mouth , enclosing the letters R . C ., in the centre . To what , and whom , does it allude , and is it belonging to the Rose Croix degree ?—AN AMATEUR MEDALLIST .
AMERICAN GRAND LODGES . Suppose I wish to know something of the Grand Lodges in America , and what they have done in years gone by , how can I obtain the information?—INQUISITOR . —[ Most of tho Grand Lodges of America publish their transactions yearly , but some form them into a volume , one of which is now lying before us , being an Abstract of the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Pennsgloania , from 1831 to 1838 . Brother Spencer can obtain it for you , if required . ]
THE SWAN LODGE . I met with the following lately , which is worthy a corner among your Notes . It is headed " Extract from the Records of the Swan Lodge . " " This Lodge was constituted iu the year 1724 , by Martin Polices , Esq ., Deputy Grand Master to His Grace the Duke of Eichniond , and afterwards had the honour of a visit from the Eight Hon . the Lord
Coleraine , whilst he was Grand Master ; who declared his approbation , and signified his desire of becoming a member thereof , as may be seen now at large in the first sederunt book . " Several remarkable distinctions have been paid to this Lodge by tho many Honourable and Eight AA orshipful brethren who have visited it very frequently . Many also have been initiated into the solemn mysteries and ancient science of Masonry ; but , as an extraordinary instance of the great regard shown to this Lodge , the Eight Hon . the Lord
Lovel , Earl of Leicester , when he was Grand Master , summoned the Master and brethren to hold a Lodge at Houghton Hall ; there were present the Grand Master , His Royal Highness the Duke of . Lorrain , and many other noble brethren ; and when all was put into due form , the Grand Master presented His Grace the Duke of Newcastle , tho Eight Hon . the Earl of Essex , Major General Churchill , and his own Chaplain , who were unanimously accepted of , and made Masons by the Eight AVorshipful Thomas Johnson , the then Master of this Lodge . '
This leads me to inquire , which is now the Swan Lodge ' ? Arc there any other instances of the Grand Masters visiting private Lodges and being enrolled members thereof ? And who was Thomas Johnson , the A \ . M ., spoken of?—E . T . A .
ROOKS rOllLISIIED BY THE SANCTION OF THE GRAND LODGE . Arc there any books , not necessarily official lists , & c , that have ever been published under the avowed sanction of Grand Lodge . —A MEJIUEII OF GRAND LODGE . —[ AA e will give you one instance . The Elements of Freemasonry Delineated . Second edition , with additions . Sanctioned by the Grand Lodge of England . Twelve lines of poetry . Svo . Belfast . Printed for Bro . R . J .
Ferguson . 1808 . Such is an exact copy of the title page . In his address to the brethren , he ( the author ) thus speaks of himself : — "The following Lectures were composed for the use of the different Lodges in England , Ireland , Scotland and America , over some of which I presided for several successive years . " Wc presume he cannot mean in all the above countries ; but shall be glad to learn something of Bro . Ferguson from some of our Belfast brethren . ]
BRO . GAVIN WILSON ' S SONGS . A brother , in a former number , wishes to borrow these songs , I wish I had them to lend him , but have not , yet I should be obliged by knowing who Bro . Gavin Wilson was?—A VOCAI BiiOTUEE , —[ The title of his book is A Collection , of Masonk
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Sights Which The Poet Loves.
_ Mountain crags , standing like mighty giants , rearing their skykissed crests to heaven—crystal streams , meandering through emerald meads richly studded with daisies , king-cups , ladysmocks , cowslips , and all the thousand wildings which Flora so plentifully scatters over hill and plain—the enamelled woods , where gnarled oaks have borne the brunt of a thousand winds , and the spreading sycamore and the umbrageous chosnut afforded
shade and shelter to many generations—the edge-rows , white with vestal mayblossom—the rustic road , skirted with wild roses , honeysuckle , foxgloves , bluebells , violets , and' primroses—the mi ghty ocean , spooming in undulating pride at the feet of beetlebrowed cliffs , which for ages have stood , the iron coastguards of the isle—sentinels to keep the mass of waters in check , and guard the shore from its encroachment—to speak in terms of admiration
of these and other beauties of nature to the mere drudge of business , or the gossamer of fashion , is indeed to " cast pearls before swine , " and happy are ye , 0 men of letters , if they do not " turn again and rend ye . " The square ivy mantled tower of the old village church , where hundreds of generations have knelt in pious adoration of the Most
High on each returning Sabbath , and whose ashes now repose in silence beneath the shadow of that primitive temple—the mouldering arches of each ancient abbey , where holy monks erst chauntcd their songs of praise and thanksgiving , "morning , evening , and noonday , " to their God ; but where the nettle and the ni g htshade now occupy the site of the high altar , aud the winds of heaven sing a requiem over monks' and abbots' graves—the
time crumbled walls and battlements of our baronial castles , where the feudal lords once held high revelry , living in a style of splendour little inferior to their monarch ' s , and surrounded by dependent serfs , ever ready , at a moment ' s notice , to forsake their ploughs and range themselves in arms beneath their master ' s banner , to conquer or die in his service—the old ruinous halls , where happy hearts once gathered around the log iled hearth
p , and beneath whose windows at the dead of ni ght , when the silver moon was keeping her silent watch on high in the cerulean sky , the amorous minstrel sweetly sang his serenades to the lady whose beauty had captivated his heart , and taken his soul her prisonerthe battle plain , where hostile armies met in furious fi ght , to contend with sword , and spear , and battle axe , for the mastery , while
"Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtled in the darken'd air , " ere the thundering cannon and the murderous musket changed the mode of warfare , and offered fresh auxiliaries to the slaughter of man—the solitary tumulus , where some fierce warrior of bygone days now rests in peace , a blessing which in life he never enjoyed—the humble cot where some immortal genius first
breathed the breath of life—possess no fairy spcl 1 to charm the worldling ' s heart , which is indeed of the " earth , earthy . " The poet , on the other hand , loves to contemplate the beauties of Nature ; and leaving for a while the smoky atmosphere and tmnultnons din of crowded cities and manufacturing towns , he loves to breathe the air of heaven as God has made it , and listen to the vocal minstrels of the grove . The sun , shining with all
his meridian splendour at noonday , or gilding the village windows " ¦ villi Ids fading light as the shades of evening come over the earth like a funereal pall—the queen of night , travelling forth with her myriad attendants in their starry chariots , to view the sleepingearth , or afford their kindl y light to the beni ghted traveller—the fields of clover , richer than the imperial purple of ancient Rome — " the waving of the corn in the valley" —the grassy carpet
which Nature has spread around the earth for her children—the sweet perfume of the beau fields at evening , when the weary labourer rests him from his toil—the sylph-like maiden , moving in love , and beauty , and innocence , along the path of life—aud the smiling child , reposing in placid sleep in its enamoured mother ' s arms—are a few of the things and scenes of earth which entrance the poet's heart , and wing his soul towards heaven .
BOOKS . —Books find an entrance into every home—the palace , the parlour , aud the poor man's tfttle cot ; they are companions by coach and rail—in town and vernal mead—on hill and in valley , and in the family circle by the blazing hearth ; and if they be not free from the soul-poison of vice , how many hundreds , and thousands , and tens of thousands of our fellow-creatures may be rendered wretched by their means . Lot books lie , as they ever should be , the enuneiators and expositors of great truths ; let them be mirrors in which the human
heart may see clearty the passions that play within it , and so learn to direct them aright ; let truth , and not falsehood , preside over our literature ; let the man of fact and the man of fiction work together for the regeneration of the human race . "— -Q , M , Twcd . ddl
Masonic Notes And Queries.
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .
ANCIENT MASONIC CHARGE WASTED . AA HEKE can I find a copy of a charge by Bro . Shedden , and where was it delivered ?—PLUTO . —fin the Freemasons' Magazine and Cabinet of Universal Literature , for August , 179 C , p . 87 , is "A Charge delivered to the Members of the Union Lodge , regularly constituted and held at the Union Punch House , Princes Street , Bristol , A . L . 5767 . By Brother Alexander Shedden , R . AALM . " Perhaps this is the charge alluded to . ]
TUE INFLUENCE OF MASONRY ON RELIGION . I am anxious to trace what connexion Masonry has had with regard to religious influences . How am I to set about it' ?—A PARISH PRIEST . —[ First , read La Magonnerie , Considerce comme le Residtat des Religions Eg / jptienne , Juice , et Chretienne . Par Le F . M . R . de S ., 3 vols . 8 vo . Paris , 1833 ; after which , write again . ]
MASONIC MEDAL . Having seen a drawing of a Masonic medal , which may be described as an outer double ring fractured at both sides , makingtwo segments of a circle , on the upper , the word " Alpha , " on the lower , the word " Omega . " Within this a serpent , with his tail in his mouth , enclosing the letters R . C ., in the centre . To what , and whom , does it allude , and is it belonging to the Rose Croix degree ?—AN AMATEUR MEDALLIST .
AMERICAN GRAND LODGES . Suppose I wish to know something of the Grand Lodges in America , and what they have done in years gone by , how can I obtain the information?—INQUISITOR . —[ Most of tho Grand Lodges of America publish their transactions yearly , but some form them into a volume , one of which is now lying before us , being an Abstract of the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Pennsgloania , from 1831 to 1838 . Brother Spencer can obtain it for you , if required . ]
THE SWAN LODGE . I met with the following lately , which is worthy a corner among your Notes . It is headed " Extract from the Records of the Swan Lodge . " " This Lodge was constituted iu the year 1724 , by Martin Polices , Esq ., Deputy Grand Master to His Grace the Duke of Eichniond , and afterwards had the honour of a visit from the Eight Hon . the Lord
Coleraine , whilst he was Grand Master ; who declared his approbation , and signified his desire of becoming a member thereof , as may be seen now at large in the first sederunt book . " Several remarkable distinctions have been paid to this Lodge by tho many Honourable and Eight AA orshipful brethren who have visited it very frequently . Many also have been initiated into the solemn mysteries and ancient science of Masonry ; but , as an extraordinary instance of the great regard shown to this Lodge , the Eight Hon . the Lord
Lovel , Earl of Leicester , when he was Grand Master , summoned the Master and brethren to hold a Lodge at Houghton Hall ; there were present the Grand Master , His Royal Highness the Duke of . Lorrain , and many other noble brethren ; and when all was put into due form , the Grand Master presented His Grace the Duke of Newcastle , tho Eight Hon . the Earl of Essex , Major General Churchill , and his own Chaplain , who were unanimously accepted of , and made Masons by the Eight AVorshipful Thomas Johnson , the then Master of this Lodge . '
This leads me to inquire , which is now the Swan Lodge ' ? Arc there any other instances of the Grand Masters visiting private Lodges and being enrolled members thereof ? And who was Thomas Johnson , the A \ . M ., spoken of?—E . T . A .
ROOKS rOllLISIIED BY THE SANCTION OF THE GRAND LODGE . Arc there any books , not necessarily official lists , & c , that have ever been published under the avowed sanction of Grand Lodge . —A MEJIUEII OF GRAND LODGE . —[ AA e will give you one instance . The Elements of Freemasonry Delineated . Second edition , with additions . Sanctioned by the Grand Lodge of England . Twelve lines of poetry . Svo . Belfast . Printed for Bro . R . J .
Ferguson . 1808 . Such is an exact copy of the title page . In his address to the brethren , he ( the author ) thus speaks of himself : — "The following Lectures were composed for the use of the different Lodges in England , Ireland , Scotland and America , over some of which I presided for several successive years . " Wc presume he cannot mean in all the above countries ; but shall be glad to learn something of Bro . Ferguson from some of our Belfast brethren . ]
BRO . GAVIN WILSON ' S SONGS . A brother , in a former number , wishes to borrow these songs , I wish I had them to lend him , but have not , yet I should be obliged by knowing who Bro . Gavin Wilson was?—A VOCAI BiiOTUEE , —[ The title of his book is A Collection , of Masonk