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Article ON THE INSTITUTION OF FREEMASONRY.* Page 1 of 13 →
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On The Institution Of Freemasonry.*
ON THE INSTITUTION OF FREEMASONRY . *
AN impression is gaining ground that the modern Freemasons might spend their time and their money more profitably than they do now : and we have been often asked , at intervals , to furnish some account of the early history of the institution . As a contribution towards this , we are led to print , with all its imperfections , the followingpaper , read several years ago by the conductor of this journal at the Institute of Architects .
" Hail to the craft ! at whose serene command , The gentle arts in glad obedience stand : Hail sacred Masonry ! of source divine , Unerring sov e reign of th' unerring line ; "Who rears vast structures from the womb of Earth , And gives imperial cities glorious birth !" Anthem of the Craft .
There are few persons who have attentivel y examined the cathedral churches of Germany , France , and England , those gorgeous monuments of the daring ingenuity ancl persevering industry of man , but have inquired of themselves , in what state of civilisation was the great mass of the people , how far advanced were the sister sciences ancl
arts , when these stupendous buildings , displaying the most delicate workmanship , the richest fancy , and profound mathematical skill , were raised ? The feathery fairy-like spires , towering into heaven , and seeming , so beautifully figurative , to connect therewith the dull earth ; the slender and graceful columns holding as it were in sportthe
up , , traceried roof ; so easy , yet so confident ; the problem which requires the maximum of strength with the minimum of materials , everywhere so admirably solved ; all bespeak an advancement in civilization equal , at the least , to that of which we boast , even at this period . How great , then , must be the astonishment of every- inquirer when he finds
that , at this very time , Ignorance , with Superstition , her eldest-born , usurped the land ; that few could even read ; to be able to write entitled one to the appellation of scholar ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Institution Of Freemasonry.*
ON THE INSTITUTION OF FREEMASONRY . *
AN impression is gaining ground that the modern Freemasons might spend their time and their money more profitably than they do now : and we have been often asked , at intervals , to furnish some account of the early history of the institution . As a contribution towards this , we are led to print , with all its imperfections , the followingpaper , read several years ago by the conductor of this journal at the Institute of Architects .
" Hail to the craft ! at whose serene command , The gentle arts in glad obedience stand : Hail sacred Masonry ! of source divine , Unerring sov e reign of th' unerring line ; "Who rears vast structures from the womb of Earth , And gives imperial cities glorious birth !" Anthem of the Craft .
There are few persons who have attentivel y examined the cathedral churches of Germany , France , and England , those gorgeous monuments of the daring ingenuity ancl persevering industry of man , but have inquired of themselves , in what state of civilisation was the great mass of the people , how far advanced were the sister sciences ancl
arts , when these stupendous buildings , displaying the most delicate workmanship , the richest fancy , and profound mathematical skill , were raised ? The feathery fairy-like spires , towering into heaven , and seeming , so beautifully figurative , to connect therewith the dull earth ; the slender and graceful columns holding as it were in sportthe
up , , traceried roof ; so easy , yet so confident ; the problem which requires the maximum of strength with the minimum of materials , everywhere so admirably solved ; all bespeak an advancement in civilization equal , at the least , to that of which we boast , even at this period . How great , then , must be the astonishment of every- inquirer when he finds
that , at this very time , Ignorance , with Superstition , her eldest-born , usurped the land ; that few could even read ; to be able to write entitled one to the appellation of scholar ;