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Article CORRESPONDENCE. ← Page 2 of 2 Article PRACTICAL MASONIC CHARITY. Page 1 of 2 →
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Correspondence.
am , I cannot strike even a scintillation from such obtuse brains as are possessed by some writers in this Magazine . JEx nihilo nihil fit . I have cast pearls before swine , and they have tried to trample me under foot and rend me . Fortunately for me , the readers of this periodical are not all afflicted with cacocthes seribendi , and the intelligent care little what such unfortunate sufferers may set forth during their
paroxysms . It is true I did request brethren to point out any portion of my writings that might appear inconsistent or incomprehensible , and I would endeavour to render them more lucid Bro . Buehan cannot discover any substantial portion of my writing that is
comprehensible to ordinary minds , or , he might have said , to ordinary Masons ! Bro . Buehan then writes , there is one wise remark of Bro . Melville ' s—viz ., the tropic of Capricornus ending where the tropic of Cancer commences , and , consequently , Capricornus commences where Cancer endeth . This , says he , could
only be equalled by another Masonic Celestial Mystery , which Bro . Buehan gives as his own—viz ., " The day endeth where the night commences ; consequently , the day commences where the night endeth . " Now , my remark respecting the tropics was not wiseit was not correctit was not
suffi-, , ciently explanatory . The tropics are circles equi distant from the equator ; one in the sign Cancer , the other in the sign Capricornus . These circles of themselves are never ending , and cannot approach each other . As to Bro . Buchan's Masonic Celestial Discovery , I have but a few words to offer . The sun in
Masonry is always at the meridian . Pray , Bro . Buehan , when does the Masonic night commence and the Masonic night end ? In the beginning , the evening and the morning were the first day ; and in England day commences and terminates at midnight ; so , Bro . Buehan , your theorem is therefore subject to objections .
Bro . Buehan says my ire is excited . Can it be wondered at ? Am I not a man and a brother ? Does W . P . B . suppose I am as callous as a nigger ? I am dreadfully cut up , and can alone express my feelings in the pathetic words of an inspired poet : —
" Ye little fleas , why bite ye me ? I never did ye harm ; At first ye came by two ' s and three's , and now ye come by swarms . So much for your unfriendly attack . Now let there be no strife between us . I return you your gauntlet . Tou that a few nihts sat
say g ago you down and perused all my papers again . Erorn this acknowledgment I consider you must be a man seeking after truth—the truth which lies at the bottom of a well . I am acquainted with a brother , who I believe is personally known to you , and who is desirous of examining the usage ofthe Masonic implements . I will him to
request write to you with an offer of your both visiting my humble dwelling , when I will , among other things , show you the well wherein truth lies concealed . Eemember , I will not accept any remuneration for my trouble , so you need not fear that I intend to impose upon you , and now peace in sin
cerity , Tours fraternally , HEITBT MELVILIE .
Practical Masonic Charity.
PRACTICAL MASONIC CHARITY .
TO THE EDITOB OE THE PEEEJTASOlfS MAGAZINE AITD MASONIC 3 IIEEOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —If there be any one thing more than another that stands full in front before the eyes of a newly-made member of our Order , it is theoretical Masonic charity ,- bu * as for practical Masonic charity , that is a different matter , the axles of the former are always kept well oiledandin
conse-, , quence , it bowls along at an amazing rate ; but , somehow , those of the latter get continually clogged up , it being terrible work sometimes to get even one revolution , the axle groaning and grunting away all the time as if it were about to break . Permit me to
give the following illustration : — " Oh ! did you hear Bro . was down ? He used to come it rather strong , and did a great deal with his way of it for the Order ; but now he has got a downcome , and here he is , fallen from his pedestal , lying prostrate on the ground , all his own fault too . His hand was stretched out for assistanceand I saw
, some one—who gave me a cry—trying to help him up a bit ; but , as I considered his present position to be all his own fault , I passed on , and , of course , did nothing , believing that , if he had minded his P . ' s and Q . ' s , he would not have been lying there . But here comes Bro . we shall tell himand see what he
, , says . Hallo ! come here . I was just telling my friend here all about what had come over Bro . , and , seeing you passing , I thought to hear your opinion ? " " Well , I shall be most happy to give it , and much good may it do you . Tou saw a brother lying on the ground , and , because you thought he
came there through his own fault , you passed on , refusing to assist him ! That , of course , was quite Masonic , and you were therefore the good Samaritan . Since he has had the misfortune to fall once , of course keep him down , never let him up again , and you will thereby be quite sure to prevent his falling a second time . That is your idea of the charity which " suffereth long and is kind , " and which "rejoiceth
not m misfortune" is it ? Stick his faults on the point of a penknife , and , viewing them through a magnifying glass , exclaim , — "How large they are ! " And as for any good points there may be about him , why of course you must search for them with a farthing candle stuck inside a dim lantern ! Away Read the 7 th and 9 th verses of the Sth chapter of
J ohn , and then tell me about Ms faults . When you are unable to assist a fallen brother with a penny , you may give a halfpenny ; when you cannot give a shilling , you may perhaps manage a sixpence ; when you cannot give ten shillings , you may manage five ; or , if you have no money , can you not spare even a
kind word ? Why jeer at , or kick him when he is down ? think ye not there is sufficient punishment to him in the fact that he is down ? Why even a criminal before a court of law is treated more leniently when it is a first offence . The habit and repute , low , lazy impostors , who go about the country
impudently pawning off their well varnished tales are best served with the point of one ' s boot . But is is otherwise when a brother whom we have esteemed , or with whom we have held fraternal intercourse , or even hob-a-nob'd , falls ? In that case the raising of the hand , or the mute appeal , however simple , ought to call forth our immediate action . Then , when we have helped to set him on his feet again , we can say—
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
am , I cannot strike even a scintillation from such obtuse brains as are possessed by some writers in this Magazine . JEx nihilo nihil fit . I have cast pearls before swine , and they have tried to trample me under foot and rend me . Fortunately for me , the readers of this periodical are not all afflicted with cacocthes seribendi , and the intelligent care little what such unfortunate sufferers may set forth during their
paroxysms . It is true I did request brethren to point out any portion of my writings that might appear inconsistent or incomprehensible , and I would endeavour to render them more lucid Bro . Buehan cannot discover any substantial portion of my writing that is
comprehensible to ordinary minds , or , he might have said , to ordinary Masons ! Bro . Buehan then writes , there is one wise remark of Bro . Melville ' s—viz ., the tropic of Capricornus ending where the tropic of Cancer commences , and , consequently , Capricornus commences where Cancer endeth . This , says he , could
only be equalled by another Masonic Celestial Mystery , which Bro . Buehan gives as his own—viz ., " The day endeth where the night commences ; consequently , the day commences where the night endeth . " Now , my remark respecting the tropics was not wiseit was not correctit was not
suffi-, , ciently explanatory . The tropics are circles equi distant from the equator ; one in the sign Cancer , the other in the sign Capricornus . These circles of themselves are never ending , and cannot approach each other . As to Bro . Buchan's Masonic Celestial Discovery , I have but a few words to offer . The sun in
Masonry is always at the meridian . Pray , Bro . Buehan , when does the Masonic night commence and the Masonic night end ? In the beginning , the evening and the morning were the first day ; and in England day commences and terminates at midnight ; so , Bro . Buehan , your theorem is therefore subject to objections .
Bro . Buehan says my ire is excited . Can it be wondered at ? Am I not a man and a brother ? Does W . P . B . suppose I am as callous as a nigger ? I am dreadfully cut up , and can alone express my feelings in the pathetic words of an inspired poet : —
" Ye little fleas , why bite ye me ? I never did ye harm ; At first ye came by two ' s and three's , and now ye come by swarms . So much for your unfriendly attack . Now let there be no strife between us . I return you your gauntlet . Tou that a few nihts sat
say g ago you down and perused all my papers again . Erorn this acknowledgment I consider you must be a man seeking after truth—the truth which lies at the bottom of a well . I am acquainted with a brother , who I believe is personally known to you , and who is desirous of examining the usage ofthe Masonic implements . I will him to
request write to you with an offer of your both visiting my humble dwelling , when I will , among other things , show you the well wherein truth lies concealed . Eemember , I will not accept any remuneration for my trouble , so you need not fear that I intend to impose upon you , and now peace in sin
cerity , Tours fraternally , HEITBT MELVILIE .
Practical Masonic Charity.
PRACTICAL MASONIC CHARITY .
TO THE EDITOB OE THE PEEEJTASOlfS MAGAZINE AITD MASONIC 3 IIEEOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —If there be any one thing more than another that stands full in front before the eyes of a newly-made member of our Order , it is theoretical Masonic charity ,- bu * as for practical Masonic charity , that is a different matter , the axles of the former are always kept well oiledandin
conse-, , quence , it bowls along at an amazing rate ; but , somehow , those of the latter get continually clogged up , it being terrible work sometimes to get even one revolution , the axle groaning and grunting away all the time as if it were about to break . Permit me to
give the following illustration : — " Oh ! did you hear Bro . was down ? He used to come it rather strong , and did a great deal with his way of it for the Order ; but now he has got a downcome , and here he is , fallen from his pedestal , lying prostrate on the ground , all his own fault too . His hand was stretched out for assistanceand I saw
, some one—who gave me a cry—trying to help him up a bit ; but , as I considered his present position to be all his own fault , I passed on , and , of course , did nothing , believing that , if he had minded his P . ' s and Q . ' s , he would not have been lying there . But here comes Bro . we shall tell himand see what he
, , says . Hallo ! come here . I was just telling my friend here all about what had come over Bro . , and , seeing you passing , I thought to hear your opinion ? " " Well , I shall be most happy to give it , and much good may it do you . Tou saw a brother lying on the ground , and , because you thought he
came there through his own fault , you passed on , refusing to assist him ! That , of course , was quite Masonic , and you were therefore the good Samaritan . Since he has had the misfortune to fall once , of course keep him down , never let him up again , and you will thereby be quite sure to prevent his falling a second time . That is your idea of the charity which " suffereth long and is kind , " and which "rejoiceth
not m misfortune" is it ? Stick his faults on the point of a penknife , and , viewing them through a magnifying glass , exclaim , — "How large they are ! " And as for any good points there may be about him , why of course you must search for them with a farthing candle stuck inside a dim lantern ! Away Read the 7 th and 9 th verses of the Sth chapter of
J ohn , and then tell me about Ms faults . When you are unable to assist a fallen brother with a penny , you may give a halfpenny ; when you cannot give a shilling , you may perhaps manage a sixpence ; when you cannot give ten shillings , you may manage five ; or , if you have no money , can you not spare even a
kind word ? Why jeer at , or kick him when he is down ? think ye not there is sufficient punishment to him in the fact that he is down ? Why even a criminal before a court of law is treated more leniently when it is a first offence . The habit and repute , low , lazy impostors , who go about the country
impudently pawning off their well varnished tales are best served with the point of one ' s boot . But is is otherwise when a brother whom we have esteemed , or with whom we have held fraternal intercourse , or even hob-a-nob'd , falls ? In that case the raising of the hand , or the mute appeal , however simple , ought to call forth our immediate action . Then , when we have helped to set him on his feet again , we can say—