-
Articles/Ads
Article Literature. ← Page 3 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Literature.
ancl love , common sense must tell us , that if no practical conclusions folloAv , if it be inoperative , its adherents can have but- little faith in the principles they profess . " , Tlie true Mason is a builder ; his task it is to build up his body , soul , and spirit , a holy temple , acceptable to God . Hence he cannot afford to be idle , his bounden duty it is to work . Whatsoever thy hand filideth to do , saith the Grand Master , do it with thy might , with all thy
might , for if it AA'as worth doing at all it is worth doing well . And the work must not be protracted ; it must be done ere the workman be summoned into the silent land , ere the silver cord be loosed aud the golden boivl be broken , and the dust return to the earth as it ivas , and the spirit go back to God who gave it . Consequently , if he would exhibit himself as a genuine master builder , if it is his aim to promote tho glory of God and tho happiness of his felloiA-s , there must be an active display of the spirit of love , he and his brethren must bring forth fruit , some
thirty , some sixty , some an hundredfold . If Masonry is to be acceptable to the community at large , if it is to manifest itself as the handmaid of religion ,, as emphatically setting forth those principles on AA'hich the strength ancl stability of all oijdei 1 , legislation , and freedom must permanently rest as tho strong upholder of all the amenities of friendship and the purity and courtesies of social life ; it is then imperatiyely required of those who are members of this antient Craft , that they shoiv by the love which they bear towards each other anel those Avho are AA'ithout , that they are mindful of the great commandment—Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ; that ever meditating the precepts of the divine law , they are at all times ready to acquiesce in the exhortation , ' go and do thou likewise . '"
The oration AA'hich forms the third division of the pamphlet was delivered b y the same brother , ancl upon the same day , but within the Provincial Grand Lodge . The subject of it is symbolism and its nature , more especially in reference to its connection with Masonry ; and this topic is handled , in some places , in a masterl y style—the philosophical and the practical bearing of the subject being both duly taken into consideration . One part of this oration appears to us of so truly excellent a character that wc think our readers will require no apology fol" a somewhat long extract .
? Symbolism is a law of humanity , and , provided it be kept within due limits , is well suited to man ' s needs . The monarch , tho judge , the priest , and the soldier , wear the insignia of their several offices . There are the apposite emblems of peace ancl of war ; and flowers , ' the stars that in earth ' s firmament do shine , ' have in their picturesque variety beeu at all times associated with the deepest and tendercst affections . Like everything else , this principle is liable to abuse . The heart of man is prone to idolatry , ever ready to prefer the shadow to the substance , the outward vesture to tho inner irit it behoves
sp . Hence us to watch that ii'C be not enslaved by that which is but a medium of significance , that we labour to grasp the substantial and abiding- truth . AVith this precaution symbolism becomes a AVISO and judicious teacher , ancl exercises an influence for good . ' ¦ " Seeing , then , tho L-iw is of universal application . . AA'e should naturally expect to I race its presence in architecture aud the plastic arts ; and iu them it has been most wideldevelopedAVe have onlto contrast
y . y classical and nicdiawal art in order to Avitness how in either c , i « c the symbolism has been tho reflex of the respective spirit of the age . Classical or pagan art , as has been justly observed , is characterized as bein " ' horizontal , definite , and reposing . ' Its aim ivas to embody strength ! grace , harmony , and proportion . In it the Doric column AIMS rcardecl as the ideal of manly strength , while the Ionic column ivas vieAA'cd as the typo of feminine beauty . It spoke of all that was outwardly noble IjenutUtiland grand connected with earth
, , as ; of gods couiiii' - down from heaven in tho likeness of men , but of gods tormented by evil passions , and oftentimes yielding to degrading lusts ; and of the heroic , but ot the heroic as manifested only in acting , not in suffering . It spoke of tlie dulee and decorum , and the nescio quid venmtum , of life crowned with flowers , inspired by tho wine-cup , and embellished with wit ¦ but it spoke of nothing morein factin it seemed but
; , many respects , a graceful enunciation of the comfortless adage . 'Let us eat ancl drink for to-morrow wc die . ' Not so with mediroval art , ivhich is contradistinguished as being < vertical , indefinite , and aspiring . ' It was based on the sublimities of laitb , and became the sensuous exponent of tho elevatiii " sentiment— . nn *"
" ' Life is real , life is earnest , And the grave is not is goal ; Dust thou art ; to dust returnost AA as not- spoken of the soul . ' It , too spoke of strength and beauty , but of these in conjunction with t le Iri ° T , 6 etem i \ ? f , 10 hc ! mties of cwth > but " > refe' < - »<* to the gloiie ., of heaven < A Gothic cathedral , ' says Coleridge , Ms the petrifaction of religion its le
, our ; principis infinity made imaginable . ' in " ; to bn ^ MI ^ . ° r P 1 , il i 7 e , n , lrkS ~' A ' - » "tinetivo taste t-eXs me to build then- churches m flat countries with spire-steeples , whieh , to tl Aw 1 T ' eteVm 1 t 0 m * ° tller obJ ° ot = l 10 i » fc a * with silent finger , t n rirftl " 8 . ' */ ° 'so , 'lctlraes ' when they refloat tho brazen light i ' o ' i- , „ , ' ' ' ' ' ramy SUn v * ' api ) 0 al' Hko a I'yramid of flame burning lV \ t "' ?• "" oxom PMe , lion of what I . am propounding , let us IliH ; f " T ° ' mister-one of those august fanes AAtuch are at once the ornament of our land , the glory of our Order , and
the culmination of Masonic art . On approaching we discover that the ground-plan is arranged in the form of a cross , thus shadoAvin" forth tho great truth that the cross , or self-denial , is the only foundation of all that is really noblu and good . Entering through the western portal , tho first object AA'hich presents itself is the font , typical of regeneration or the new birth . The font is generally octagonal in shape , tho number eight being significant of the new creation , as the number seven is of tho old discern tho number three
. Proceeding onwards , we pervadin" - every direction , as emblematic of the Triune Elohim , manifested in length by nave , transept , and chancel ; in breadth by nave , north and south aisles ; and in height by pier arches , triforia , ancl clerestory . The nave , whieh indicates the cliurcli militant on earth , is separated b y a screen from the chancel , which points to the church triumphant in heaven . For this reason tho doors of tho chancel invariably open in-AA-ards—neA'er outwards ; and on the lower parts of the screen allegorical
allusions to Che griui king of terrors are not unfrequently to be met with , as implying that the entrance from the one church into the other must be through the grave and portal of death . Station yourself at the west end of either the north or south aisle , and let the eye wauder in an oblique direction ; and in the seemingly never-ending vista of pier and arch gradually dAviudling- away in the distance , and in nave , aisle , transept , and chancel harmoniously blending into one , you have no inapt symbol of tho infinite . Climb up to the roofor to any place Avhence
, you can survey those portions of the fabric which are removed from observation , and an investigation of them will prove that they have been as thoughtfully designed ancl as carefully executed as those which are more obvious to the eye . And hence the lesson that the acts which are transacted in private ought to be as strictly conformable to the standard of integrity as those ivhich are done before the public gaze . Look upon the
' '' Storied windoAvs richly dight , Casting a dim religious light , ' and know that in performing the offices of devotion , thou onghtest to retire to the inner man , ancl turn away thy attention from the glare of earthly splendour and worldly attraction . And as thou art doomed to die , let the recumbent effigies , ivith their pallid countenances and hands gently clasped over their breasts in the attitude of prayer , admonish thee of the traiisitoriness of the things of this earth , that ere long thou must go to thy long homo , that " ' Only tho actions of tho just
Smell sAi'cet and blossom in the dust . ' Thus , wherever you turn , you will find the beautiful and true , and through earthly magnificence and tho works of human skill you may catch , as through a glass darkly , faint glimpses of the glory Avhich is above . N OAV , what is the moral of all this ? It is obvious . I have said before , that the true Mason is a builder , Avhose task it is to build up his body , soul , and spirit a holy temple , acceptable to God . To accomplish this let him apply himself to the work ivith a stout heart and a willing spirit . Let him rightly use the means of grace . To build high you must dig deep . "
Public meetings and public celebrations are but too often characterised hy conventionalism and spurious excitement ; and of such a preserved record inevitably becomes as spiritless as a long uncorked bottle of champagne , whose effervescence has disappeared , leaving nought but insipidity behind . Such will not be the verdict pronounced upon the proceedings chronicled in the pages we have been noticing . A praiseAvorth y and noble object ,
energetically worked out and happily concluded , terminating in a ceremony which was characterised by good taste and unanimity , and adorned with the flowers of eloquence and the charms of fraternal intercourse , will leave upon the memories of those brethren who were present an impression which they will not soon or willingly part Avith ; and to them and to the Craft in general ( as feeling an interest in all that is for the general goocl of the
Order ) this little hook Avill he a welcome record often to he referred to , in order in future years to refresh the memory as to the events of a clay that deserves to be marked with a wliitc stone in the annals of English freemasonry .
NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND ART . LOUD AtACAULAY has two volumes more of his ' ' History of England " nearly ready for the press ; but AVC believe that they ivill not bo published this season . Tho great care which the noble author bestoAVs on the work before it finally leaves his hands necessitates some delay . A correspondent of the Athaueum Avrites : — " The church authorities arc restoring the York Minster without referring to an architect . A
master-mason shortens the gurgoyles , shuts their mouths , and lowers the parapets at his oivn good pleasure . AVhat a compliment to tho good old builder ! " Surely the literary and antiquarian gentlemen of Yorkshire need no other proof than this of their want of an Arclueologieal . Society in that shire 1 A statue has been decreed by the city of Mexico to the illustrious Alexander Yon Humboldt , The statue is to be executed in marble by
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Literature.
ancl love , common sense must tell us , that if no practical conclusions folloAv , if it be inoperative , its adherents can have but- little faith in the principles they profess . " , Tlie true Mason is a builder ; his task it is to build up his body , soul , and spirit , a holy temple , acceptable to God . Hence he cannot afford to be idle , his bounden duty it is to work . Whatsoever thy hand filideth to do , saith the Grand Master , do it with thy might , with all thy
might , for if it AA'as worth doing at all it is worth doing well . And the work must not be protracted ; it must be done ere the workman be summoned into the silent land , ere the silver cord be loosed aud the golden boivl be broken , and the dust return to the earth as it ivas , and the spirit go back to God who gave it . Consequently , if he would exhibit himself as a genuine master builder , if it is his aim to promote tho glory of God and tho happiness of his felloiA-s , there must be an active display of the spirit of love , he and his brethren must bring forth fruit , some
thirty , some sixty , some an hundredfold . If Masonry is to be acceptable to the community at large , if it is to manifest itself as the handmaid of religion ,, as emphatically setting forth those principles on AA'hich the strength ancl stability of all oijdei 1 , legislation , and freedom must permanently rest as tho strong upholder of all the amenities of friendship and the purity and courtesies of social life ; it is then imperatiyely required of those who are members of this antient Craft , that they shoiv by the love which they bear towards each other anel those Avho are AA'ithout , that they are mindful of the great commandment—Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ; that ever meditating the precepts of the divine law , they are at all times ready to acquiesce in the exhortation , ' go and do thou likewise . '"
The oration AA'hich forms the third division of the pamphlet was delivered b y the same brother , ancl upon the same day , but within the Provincial Grand Lodge . The subject of it is symbolism and its nature , more especially in reference to its connection with Masonry ; and this topic is handled , in some places , in a masterl y style—the philosophical and the practical bearing of the subject being both duly taken into consideration . One part of this oration appears to us of so truly excellent a character that wc think our readers will require no apology fol" a somewhat long extract .
? Symbolism is a law of humanity , and , provided it be kept within due limits , is well suited to man ' s needs . The monarch , tho judge , the priest , and the soldier , wear the insignia of their several offices . There are the apposite emblems of peace ancl of war ; and flowers , ' the stars that in earth ' s firmament do shine , ' have in their picturesque variety beeu at all times associated with the deepest and tendercst affections . Like everything else , this principle is liable to abuse . The heart of man is prone to idolatry , ever ready to prefer the shadow to the substance , the outward vesture to tho inner irit it behoves
sp . Hence us to watch that ii'C be not enslaved by that which is but a medium of significance , that we labour to grasp the substantial and abiding- truth . AVith this precaution symbolism becomes a AVISO and judicious teacher , ancl exercises an influence for good . ' ¦ " Seeing , then , tho L-iw is of universal application . . AA'e should naturally expect to I race its presence in architecture aud the plastic arts ; and iu them it has been most wideldevelopedAVe have onlto contrast
y . y classical and nicdiawal art in order to Avitness how in either c , i « c the symbolism has been tho reflex of the respective spirit of the age . Classical or pagan art , as has been justly observed , is characterized as bein " ' horizontal , definite , and reposing . ' Its aim ivas to embody strength ! grace , harmony , and proportion . In it the Doric column AIMS rcardecl as the ideal of manly strength , while the Ionic column ivas vieAA'cd as the typo of feminine beauty . It spoke of all that was outwardly noble IjenutUtiland grand connected with earth
, , as ; of gods couiiii' - down from heaven in tho likeness of men , but of gods tormented by evil passions , and oftentimes yielding to degrading lusts ; and of the heroic , but ot the heroic as manifested only in acting , not in suffering . It spoke of tlie dulee and decorum , and the nescio quid venmtum , of life crowned with flowers , inspired by tho wine-cup , and embellished with wit ¦ but it spoke of nothing morein factin it seemed but
; , many respects , a graceful enunciation of the comfortless adage . 'Let us eat ancl drink for to-morrow wc die . ' Not so with mediroval art , ivhich is contradistinguished as being < vertical , indefinite , and aspiring . ' It was based on the sublimities of laitb , and became the sensuous exponent of tho elevatiii " sentiment— . nn *"
" ' Life is real , life is earnest , And the grave is not is goal ; Dust thou art ; to dust returnost AA as not- spoken of the soul . ' It , too spoke of strength and beauty , but of these in conjunction with t le Iri ° T , 6 etem i \ ? f , 10 hc ! mties of cwth > but " > refe' < - »<* to the gloiie ., of heaven < A Gothic cathedral , ' says Coleridge , Ms the petrifaction of religion its le
, our ; principis infinity made imaginable . ' in " ; to bn ^ MI ^ . ° r P 1 , il i 7 e , n , lrkS ~' A ' - » "tinetivo taste t-eXs me to build then- churches m flat countries with spire-steeples , whieh , to tl Aw 1 T ' eteVm 1 t 0 m * ° tller obJ ° ot = l 10 i » fc a * with silent finger , t n rirftl " 8 . ' */ ° 'so , 'lctlraes ' when they refloat tho brazen light i ' o ' i- , „ , ' ' ' ' ' ramy SUn v * ' api ) 0 al' Hko a I'yramid of flame burning lV \ t "' ?• "" oxom PMe , lion of what I . am propounding , let us IliH ; f " T ° ' mister-one of those august fanes AAtuch are at once the ornament of our land , the glory of our Order , and
the culmination of Masonic art . On approaching we discover that the ground-plan is arranged in the form of a cross , thus shadoAvin" forth tho great truth that the cross , or self-denial , is the only foundation of all that is really noblu and good . Entering through the western portal , tho first object AA'hich presents itself is the font , typical of regeneration or the new birth . The font is generally octagonal in shape , tho number eight being significant of the new creation , as the number seven is of tho old discern tho number three
. Proceeding onwards , we pervadin" - every direction , as emblematic of the Triune Elohim , manifested in length by nave , transept , and chancel ; in breadth by nave , north and south aisles ; and in height by pier arches , triforia , ancl clerestory . The nave , whieh indicates the cliurcli militant on earth , is separated b y a screen from the chancel , which points to the church triumphant in heaven . For this reason tho doors of tho chancel invariably open in-AA-ards—neA'er outwards ; and on the lower parts of the screen allegorical
allusions to Che griui king of terrors are not unfrequently to be met with , as implying that the entrance from the one church into the other must be through the grave and portal of death . Station yourself at the west end of either the north or south aisle , and let the eye wauder in an oblique direction ; and in the seemingly never-ending vista of pier and arch gradually dAviudling- away in the distance , and in nave , aisle , transept , and chancel harmoniously blending into one , you have no inapt symbol of tho infinite . Climb up to the roofor to any place Avhence
, you can survey those portions of the fabric which are removed from observation , and an investigation of them will prove that they have been as thoughtfully designed ancl as carefully executed as those which are more obvious to the eye . And hence the lesson that the acts which are transacted in private ought to be as strictly conformable to the standard of integrity as those ivhich are done before the public gaze . Look upon the
' '' Storied windoAvs richly dight , Casting a dim religious light , ' and know that in performing the offices of devotion , thou onghtest to retire to the inner man , ancl turn away thy attention from the glare of earthly splendour and worldly attraction . And as thou art doomed to die , let the recumbent effigies , ivith their pallid countenances and hands gently clasped over their breasts in the attitude of prayer , admonish thee of the traiisitoriness of the things of this earth , that ere long thou must go to thy long homo , that " ' Only tho actions of tho just
Smell sAi'cet and blossom in the dust . ' Thus , wherever you turn , you will find the beautiful and true , and through earthly magnificence and tho works of human skill you may catch , as through a glass darkly , faint glimpses of the glory Avhich is above . N OAV , what is the moral of all this ? It is obvious . I have said before , that the true Mason is a builder , Avhose task it is to build up his body , soul , and spirit a holy temple , acceptable to God . To accomplish this let him apply himself to the work ivith a stout heart and a willing spirit . Let him rightly use the means of grace . To build high you must dig deep . "
Public meetings and public celebrations are but too often characterised hy conventionalism and spurious excitement ; and of such a preserved record inevitably becomes as spiritless as a long uncorked bottle of champagne , whose effervescence has disappeared , leaving nought but insipidity behind . Such will not be the verdict pronounced upon the proceedings chronicled in the pages we have been noticing . A praiseAvorth y and noble object ,
energetically worked out and happily concluded , terminating in a ceremony which was characterised by good taste and unanimity , and adorned with the flowers of eloquence and the charms of fraternal intercourse , will leave upon the memories of those brethren who were present an impression which they will not soon or willingly part Avith ; and to them and to the Craft in general ( as feeling an interest in all that is for the general goocl of the
Order ) this little hook Avill he a welcome record often to he referred to , in order in future years to refresh the memory as to the events of a clay that deserves to be marked with a wliitc stone in the annals of English freemasonry .
NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND ART . LOUD AtACAULAY has two volumes more of his ' ' History of England " nearly ready for the press ; but AVC believe that they ivill not bo published this season . Tho great care which the noble author bestoAVs on the work before it finally leaves his hands necessitates some delay . A correspondent of the Athaueum Avrites : — " The church authorities arc restoring the York Minster without referring to an architect . A
master-mason shortens the gurgoyles , shuts their mouths , and lowers the parapets at his oivn good pleasure . AVhat a compliment to tho good old builder ! " Surely the literary and antiquarian gentlemen of Yorkshire need no other proof than this of their want of an Arclueologieal . Society in that shire 1 A statue has been decreed by the city of Mexico to the illustrious Alexander Yon Humboldt , The statue is to be executed in marble by