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Article THE SONGS OF MASONRY. ← Page 5 of 7 →
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The Songs Of Masonry.
attachment to this particular canticle , arises in some measure from associations connected with certain feelings produced by my first initiation into Freemasonry . I love to indulge in retrospections of the past ; to think on those times when all was sunny and cheerful—when care thrust not his bald pate and haggard countenance into view—and life presented an elastic and jocund front—Faith firm , Hope buoyant , unfeignedGenius and Taste unribut enthusiastic—not a
Charity ; pe speck to darken the clear prospect of the future—not a threatening cloud to overshadow the vision of bliss . I delight in such thoughts . They are at least a dream of happiness , and that is something . Putting these feelings out of the question , the above is an excellent song , and when it is well sung to its good old manly tune of " Anacreon in heaven , " it cannot fail to produce a thrill in any virtuous mail ' s bosom , whether he be
a Mason or not . AVhat may be termed the domestic manners of a society , vary with the customs of the age in which it flourishes ; and the fluctuations are accurately marked in the character of its songs . It is unnecessary to enter into a prosy dissertation on the merits of Masonic poetry . In this respect I am willing to confess that the Craft does not occupy the first rank in the literature of the day . But our songs are not destitute of poetical meritif it consist in the display of images which are peculiarl
, y appropriate to the subject under illustration;—sentiment , which strikes the imagination and excites new feelings in the mind;—pathos , which touches a sensitive chord in the listener ' s heart , and a moral to inspire a love of virtue;—all expressed in chaste language , and divested of extravagancies either in style or matter . Our songs possess these qualities in some perfection ; and it is probable that I shall be able to introduce Masonic poetry of a passable character before this essay is
concluded . It has been frequently observed by the opponents of Freemasonry , that , because some of our printed songs are of a bacchanalian character , it necessarily follows that the Craft is nothing but a convivial society . No conclusion can be more lame and illogical . But we will meet the
objection fairly , and give it battle on its own ground . __ The Quarterly Communications of Masonry appear to have been instituted by Inigo Jones , G . M ., at the very beginning of the seventeenth century ; and were continued by his successors , the Earl of Pembroke and Sir Christopher AFren , till the infirmities of the latter obliged him to discontinue them . In 1717 they were revived , and a permanent Grand Lodge instituted in London , as " a centre of unity and harmony . have been into the
At this period Song appears to incorporated ceremonies of the Order . Music being one of the seven liberal sciences , which the Craft professed to cultivate in their Lodges , it was not thought inconsistent that it should be reduced to practice , and become part and parcel of the details which constituted the legitimate business of their private and social meetings . Labour and refreshment relieved each other like two brothersand the gravity of the former was
renloving ; dered more engaging by the characteristic cheerfulness and jocund gaiety of the latter . And these two pursuits became mutually beneficial . Labour , amongst other important duties , taught the theory of music as a science connected with the Order ; and the song of Refreshment shed a bright lustre over Labour , by its animated recommendation of the pursuits which the laws of Masonry prescribe . Take an example .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Songs Of Masonry.
attachment to this particular canticle , arises in some measure from associations connected with certain feelings produced by my first initiation into Freemasonry . I love to indulge in retrospections of the past ; to think on those times when all was sunny and cheerful—when care thrust not his bald pate and haggard countenance into view—and life presented an elastic and jocund front—Faith firm , Hope buoyant , unfeignedGenius and Taste unribut enthusiastic—not a
Charity ; pe speck to darken the clear prospect of the future—not a threatening cloud to overshadow the vision of bliss . I delight in such thoughts . They are at least a dream of happiness , and that is something . Putting these feelings out of the question , the above is an excellent song , and when it is well sung to its good old manly tune of " Anacreon in heaven , " it cannot fail to produce a thrill in any virtuous mail ' s bosom , whether he be
a Mason or not . AVhat may be termed the domestic manners of a society , vary with the customs of the age in which it flourishes ; and the fluctuations are accurately marked in the character of its songs . It is unnecessary to enter into a prosy dissertation on the merits of Masonic poetry . In this respect I am willing to confess that the Craft does not occupy the first rank in the literature of the day . But our songs are not destitute of poetical meritif it consist in the display of images which are peculiarl
, y appropriate to the subject under illustration;—sentiment , which strikes the imagination and excites new feelings in the mind;—pathos , which touches a sensitive chord in the listener ' s heart , and a moral to inspire a love of virtue;—all expressed in chaste language , and divested of extravagancies either in style or matter . Our songs possess these qualities in some perfection ; and it is probable that I shall be able to introduce Masonic poetry of a passable character before this essay is
concluded . It has been frequently observed by the opponents of Freemasonry , that , because some of our printed songs are of a bacchanalian character , it necessarily follows that the Craft is nothing but a convivial society . No conclusion can be more lame and illogical . But we will meet the
objection fairly , and give it battle on its own ground . __ The Quarterly Communications of Masonry appear to have been instituted by Inigo Jones , G . M ., at the very beginning of the seventeenth century ; and were continued by his successors , the Earl of Pembroke and Sir Christopher AFren , till the infirmities of the latter obliged him to discontinue them . In 1717 they were revived , and a permanent Grand Lodge instituted in London , as " a centre of unity and harmony . have been into the
At this period Song appears to incorporated ceremonies of the Order . Music being one of the seven liberal sciences , which the Craft professed to cultivate in their Lodges , it was not thought inconsistent that it should be reduced to practice , and become part and parcel of the details which constituted the legitimate business of their private and social meetings . Labour and refreshment relieved each other like two brothersand the gravity of the former was
renloving ; dered more engaging by the characteristic cheerfulness and jocund gaiety of the latter . And these two pursuits became mutually beneficial . Labour , amongst other important duties , taught the theory of music as a science connected with the Order ; and the song of Refreshment shed a bright lustre over Labour , by its animated recommendation of the pursuits which the laws of Masonry prescribe . Take an example .