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  • April 2, 1866
  • Page 8
  • HINTS ON THE SECRET LITERATURE OF FREEMASONRY.
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The Masonic Press, April 2, 1866: Page 8

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    Article HINTS ON THE SECRET LITERATURE OF FREEMASONRY. ← Page 8 of 10 →
Page 8

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Hints On The Secret Literature Of Freemasonry.

Eeturnurg to the more immediate subject of our inquiry , let us take an example from La Vita Nuova of Dante . He says : — " Ego tanquam centrum circuli , cui simili modo se habent circumferentioe " partes : tu autem non sic . " One of his latest translators renders the passage thus : —

" Love s & ys , I am the centre of a circle to which all parts of the , cir" cumfercnce bear an equal relation : but with thee it is not thus . " This , surely , is so plain that any master mason , eA ^ en of the present day , can see its application and who is meant for the point AA-ithin tire circle .

In a Sestina he also uses this peculiar figure , AA'hen speaking of the lady of his mind , —the mental lady or his secret love , — ' ¦ ' I wooed her in a field that was all grass " Girdled about with very lofty hills . " And AA hy did he AVOO her thus ? Because it was a place so

high , so deep , and so A ery secret . Lapo Gianni , in a Madrigal of his composition , expresses the folloAving desire : — " Let me seem Solomon for love of words ,

" Samson for strength , for beauty Absolom . " " Knights as my serfs be given ; " And as I will , let music go and come ;

" Till at the last thou bring me into heaven . Here are the three pillars upholding the etherial canopy and the Templars , through Avhom Freemasonry comes to us , the willing servants of the craft , Avhilst he desires that music , the soft and gentle speech of lovers , should carry him forward to

that master who * should take him into heaven , or the lodge . Our own Chaucer wrote largely in this disguise . His Court of Love ; Assembly of Foiols ; The Cuckoo and the Nightingale ; The Flower and the Leaf ; Troylus and Cressid ; The Booh of the Duchess ; The Souse of Fame ; The Bomaunt of the Rose ;

and in all his other AAwks the veiled language is continually resorted to , but in those more especially mentioned above are clear indications of " The shadow cloaked from head to foot , " That keeps the kej r s of all the ci-eeds . " In Mem or i am .

“The Masonic Press: 1866-04-02, Page 8” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 24 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/msp/issues/mxr_02041866/page/8/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
HINTS ON THE SECRET LITERATURE OF FREEMASONRY. Article 1
MASONIC ANTIQUITIES, DOCUMENTS, &c. Article 11
LAWS, &c., OF THE UNITED SACRED BAND OF ROYAL ARCH KNIGHTS TEMPLAR PRIESTS. Article 14
FORM OF CERTIFICATE. Article 15
REPRINT OF SCARCE, ORCURIOUS , BOOKS ON FREEMASONRY . Article 22
Untitled Article 28
NOTES AND QUERIES FOR FREEMASONS . Article 29
NOVEL INVESTITURE. Article 29
GRAND OFFICE. Article 29
BRO. PRESTON'S COLLECTIONS. Article 30
THE ANCIENT LANDMARK. Article 30
THE CYPHER OF NINE. Article 30
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 31
THE LAST THING OUT IN THE MASONIC LINE. Article 31
MASONIC INTERLOPERS. Article 32
To the Editor of THE MASONIC PRESS. Article 33
PROVINCIAL GRAND SUPERINTENDENTS. Article 33
JERSEY FETE. Article 34
"MASONIC TEMPLE COMPANY (LIMITED.) Article 35
REVIEWS. Article 36
POETRY. Article 43
THE MASONIC REPORTER. Article 44
DUBLIN. Article 44
DEVONPORT. Article 44
MARK MASONRY.—(Unrecognized.) Article 44
KNIGHTS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Article 45
OBITUARY. Article 45
THE R.W. BRO. J. J. L. HOFF. Article 46
THE HON. WILLIAM B. HUBBARD. Article 46
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 47
TO SUBSCRIBERS. Article 47
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Hints On The Secret Literature Of Freemasonry.

Eeturnurg to the more immediate subject of our inquiry , let us take an example from La Vita Nuova of Dante . He says : — " Ego tanquam centrum circuli , cui simili modo se habent circumferentioe " partes : tu autem non sic . " One of his latest translators renders the passage thus : —

" Love s & ys , I am the centre of a circle to which all parts of the , cir" cumfercnce bear an equal relation : but with thee it is not thus . " This , surely , is so plain that any master mason , eA ^ en of the present day , can see its application and who is meant for the point AA-ithin tire circle .

In a Sestina he also uses this peculiar figure , AA'hen speaking of the lady of his mind , —the mental lady or his secret love , — ' ¦ ' I wooed her in a field that was all grass " Girdled about with very lofty hills . " And AA hy did he AVOO her thus ? Because it was a place so

high , so deep , and so A ery secret . Lapo Gianni , in a Madrigal of his composition , expresses the folloAving desire : — " Let me seem Solomon for love of words ,

" Samson for strength , for beauty Absolom . " " Knights as my serfs be given ; " And as I will , let music go and come ;

" Till at the last thou bring me into heaven . Here are the three pillars upholding the etherial canopy and the Templars , through Avhom Freemasonry comes to us , the willing servants of the craft , Avhilst he desires that music , the soft and gentle speech of lovers , should carry him forward to

that master who * should take him into heaven , or the lodge . Our own Chaucer wrote largely in this disguise . His Court of Love ; Assembly of Foiols ; The Cuckoo and the Nightingale ; The Flower and the Leaf ; Troylus and Cressid ; The Booh of the Duchess ; The Souse of Fame ; The Bomaunt of the Rose ;

and in all his other AAwks the veiled language is continually resorted to , but in those more especially mentioned above are clear indications of " The shadow cloaked from head to foot , " That keeps the kej r s of all the ci-eeds . " In Mem or i am .

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