The Masonic " Poet's Corner."

The Masonic " Poet's Corner . "

( Original and Selected . ' ) FAITH , IfORK , AND CHARITY . the Architect

In FAITH designs . The Temple that In fain would raise , Help'd by the Mason ' s mystic rites : Though Cowans stand aloof and gaze . Admiring brethren all approve . As one by one the columns rise , 'Till the grand structure stands complete . High towering upward to the skies .

In HOPE the Craftsman takes in hand , The work requiring ornate skill : He decks the Temple with high art , Adorning all with right good will . And even as the work proceeds , Dictated by the Master mind , The Binr . E , COMPASSES , and SQUARE , In love and truth are all combined .

In CHARITY the brethren join . And lend a willing , helping hand To every upright , perfect work The Worthy Master doth command . Thus , by united strength and skill , The true proportions raised on high , AVe see the Temple wherein dwells , Bright FAITH , find HOPE , and CHARITY . J . H . JEWELL , P . M . 1223 . P . P . G . R , ( Kent . )

THE COMPASS , LEVEL , AND THE SQUARE .

BY CHARLES DIBDIN . In all our dealings take good care , Instructed by the friendly Square . To be true , upright , just and fair . And thou a fellow-craft shall lie . The Level so must poise the mind . That satisfaction thou shalt find A \ hen to another Fortune ' s kind : And that ' s the drift of Masonrv .

The Compass t ' other two compounds . And says thou augur'd on just grounds ; Keep all your passions within bounds . And thou a fellow-craft shall be . Thus symbols of our Order are The Compass , Level , and the Square . AVhich teach us to be just and fair : And that ' * the drift of Masonrv .

FlilAit TUCK . —Many thanks for your . valued contributions . We must ask you to take a vest for a week or two . There are others desirous of being put into the corner . J . F . SKIU / I ' , liolton . We are indebted to you for your original contributions . The two SOIILTS respectively entitled " Hail Freemasonry ! " and " This is the life Lo pursue , " shall appear next week , an 1 we hope our sintring brethren will soon make thorn familiar in our Lodges . The hvnuis we hold in reserve .

Our Trestle Board

OUR TRESTLE BOARD

" For the Master to lay lines and draw designs upon . "

In our correspondence columns will be found a letter from the Chairman of the Scrutineers at the late School elections , on the subject of " spoilt votes . " It would be a great help to the Scrutineers of votes at the Benevolent Institution election on the I 7 th inst ., if the " greater care " he asks for should result from his and our appeals . As for the Scrutineers themselves , it would put them in a "paddy" if they found mi mistakes ! And it would lie a laudable object on the part of all voters to strive for such a result .

" Hearty good wishes . It may seem to some persons a matter of very trilling import , and to others altogether unworthy of consideration , whether or not the courtesy which , if not of ancient usage has for many years past been observed between the visitors to our several Lodges and their entertainers , should be abandoned . But there are a large number , if not a majority of brethren , who are not at all

disposed to forego the practice ot ottering an expression of goodwill to the lodges they visit , and of making the members thereof acquainted with the names of tlvj respective Lodges from which they hail . At the present time the minis of thesa good brethren are greatly exercised between the injunction contained in theantient charges to li behave themselves courteously within the Lodge . " and

the very recent and still unauthorised endeavours to set aside a pleasant , and , as we are prepared to argue , profitable custom . For what does the practice in its use ( of course not in its abuse ) mean , but that the visitor briefly but sincerely thanks the visited for the reception wdiich has been accorded to him , and assures his hearers of his right to do this by informing them whence he comes . '

AVe are told that the practice of offering " hearty good wishes" ' is of modern introduction , and that a quarter of a century ago the practice was not known . It may lie so , but having ourselves had over thirty years' experience , and an inclination ( perhaps too

Our Trestle Board

strong ) to "mark down'' innovations , we can hardly admit the statement , not being able to charge our memory with any abstinenca from the general use of the compliment , and feeling assured that its addition to the ordinary practices in Lodges would not have escaped our attention . However that may be . the questions arise , by what authority did it find place and become custom within the

period named , and by what and whose authority is it now sought to disturb such custom . ' Our brethren as a rule are sticklers for "lawfully constituted authority . " and we are sure would not disobey ; . n injunction emanating from an authority "lawfully constitutcd . " Let it be at once determined by those who have power to determine , that the custom referred to is not in accordance

with any Grand Lodge edict , and it cannot lie supposed that the Craft will fail in obedience ; but it is simply intolerable that at present visitors to Lodges are in some instances encouraged , in others frowned upon , if in pursuance of what they have observed and been taught , they rise in their places to oilier a . courteous acknowledgment to the Lodge which has received them .

An argument ot some ot the brethren who have somewhat suddenly , and after many years' adoption of the custom , found out its impropriety , is that the individual visitor has no right to pledge his lodge to the act of courtesy , he not being accredited by the AV . M . of his lodge for that purpose . But does he pledge his lodge . ' AVe think not : and further that if he did it would be no more than

masonic that he should do so . AY hat he practically dees is to render his individual thanks , and . as we have already said , inform his hearers whence he comes . The word "from'' introduced into the stereotyped phrase gives colour to the argument above stated , and we would counsel those who still uphold the good old custom

to refrain from the use of that one word . Mention the lod ge to which you subscribe , by all means , for by so doing most frequcntlv an increase of good fellowship results through the interest taken , by others in connection therewith . There are abundant reasons which we could give for the continuance of the practice now sought to be condemned , but they must abide a future opportunity should such arise .

It is suggested to us , and m no measured terms , that we are forgetting certain declarations of our own as to the ' impartiality , justice , and fearlessness" with which our journal should be conducted . This , because we have seen fit to delay the publication of a letter from a well-known brother who writes over the num . ile

p lume of SUBSCRIBE !! , and in respect of which delay there was . to our thinking , good and sufficient reason . Our correspondent may be assured that we did not intend to withold it altogether . As circumstances which held us back are now somewhat changed , his letter , minus a column and a reference thereto which we have thought proper to de ' ete , will be found in our present number .

A \ e regret to hear of the somewhat serious illness of W . Bro . John Mason , the Collector for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and that , under medical advice , he will be compelled to absent himself for awhile from his duties . If our correspondent SUBSCRIBER will take this fact in connection with the above paragraph he will quite understand why we have delayed and deleted .

AVe arc supporting the eases of Bros . E . Dodson ( Xo . 2 ">) and H . C . tvnill ( Xo . 38 ) at the ensuing election of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , to take place at Freemasons' liall , London , on the 17 th inst .. and should be glad to receive proxies for either of those brethren , both of whom have been well-known to us for manv yeais . The former is a Life Governor of both R . M . B . I . and

RAI . I . G . ; the latter a highly respected servant of the Craft for many years as hall porter at Freemasons' Tavern until incapacitated by accident . For the latter we have to acknowledge receipt of proxies from AV . Bro . Magnus Ohren , P . G-. A . D . C . : and on behalf of both shall be glad to receive further assistance . It will be thankfully received and faithfully applied .

JOPPA LODUE—Xo . 188 . —Ihc Centenary I estival of this Lodge was celebrated on Monday last , the i ! thinst ., at Freemasons' Tavern . The event was made more interesting by the visit of ladies to the banquet and subsequent musical entertainment , at which some 130 brethren and ladies were jwesent . A number of distinguished Craftsmen were unable to attend , in consequence of the 3 Ieeting of

the Prince of AVales ' s Lodge on the same evening , and several letters of regret were received . In proposing the toast of the evening , " The Centenary of the Lodge . " Bro . Abrahams , the oldest effective Past Master of the Lodge , said it had been determined by the members to mark the occasion by making a presentation to their Hon . See . Bro . Lewis Lazarus , who hod a ; ted in that capacity for the

last six years without fee or reward . An illuminated testimonial was couched in the following terms : "Presented , with a silver tea and coffee service , by the Lodge of Joppa to Bro . Lewis Lazarus , P . M ., Hon . Sec . at the Festival of the Centenary , as a mark of esteem for services rendered . " In acknowledging the compliment Bro .

Lazarus gave one or two facts in connection with the Lodge , not the least interesting of which was a statement that the Joppa was the first to establish a Lodge Benevolent Fund . After giving many a sum of C 1 O 0 in time of need to set a momber upon his legs again , and donations of . C 50 and tMOO to widows and orphans , the fund was still in the healthv condition of having . CSOO in hand .

JOPPA LOTKIK OV INSTRUCTION—No . 1 SS . —Manchester Hotel , on the 7 th inst . Present : —Bros . Garrard , AV . M . ; Goodingo . S . W . : Liseombe , J . AV . : Ansell , S . D . : Poppmacher , J . D . : J . Davis , jun ., ! . (! . ; S . Danzigor , asst . preceptor ; II . Saqui . sec . : It . J . Chillingworth . treas . : Marcus , A . Botibol , C . H . Cohen , II . AVaud , J . Botibol .

A . Cohen . Jenkins , J . Danzigor . A . Quadratstein . J . Davis , sen .. Peye , AVhite , and Marks . The ceremony of initiation was rehearsed . Bro . Quadratstein personating candidate . The officers elected for ensuing year were Bros . S . Danziger , preceptor : Goodinge . treas .: and H . Saqui . sec .