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Article A MASONIC FACT—NOT A STUBBORN THING. Page 1 of 1
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A Masonic Fact—Not A Stubborn Thing.
A MASONIC FACT—NOT A STUBBORN THING .
FRIDAY—by Bome considered an unlucky day—now and then turns up fortunate . Friday the 4 th of February , 1842 , was a red-letter day among the Bibliopolists of London , and deserves commemoration from the pleasing associations arising Out of a fortuitous circumstance , which may prove the forerunner of good fortune to her whom it ultimately concerned . The publishers and booksellers of London hold monthly meetings of the trade at the Albion TavernAldersgate Street ; and on
, these occasions the current merit of the intellect of the British Empire is brought before their grand Council to be tested as to its commercial value . Rarely does any " canty chiel" find admittance ; perhaps it is well so ; all trades have their Freemasonry , and in signs manual and tokens typographic , their proceedings are regulated by the system exclusive ; still if there be even no clock-case in the room or market , Charity cannot be altogether excluded . On the day stated , the chair
was taken , the bell tinkled , and various new works were named . Some , by well known authors , ran quickly up , in twenty-fives , fifties , hundreds , tokens ; next came others , in the press , parturient , ancl near to deliverance , that had lagged subscription— "How does it look ? " asks one of the Row ; " Who illustrates ? who has revised the proofs ? " inquired the second and third—this list moved slowly on ; then came five or six notices of embryotic authorship that were scarcely noticed .
New subscriptions for published works were then asked for , and obtained ; at length " Dibdin ' s Sea Songs " were announced . " I'll take six , Murray . " " Four for me , Murray . " " And though I only want six , " said another , '' I'll take twenty-five if Murray will sing one of the songs , ' ' The worthy publisher expressed his regret that he had no voice ; it was then suggested that if Frank Crew would sing one , no doubt all would subscribe . " And I will sing one , " cried Frank , but on condition , — " Name it!—name it ! " vociferated all . " That you will also each
subscribe half-a-crown for the widow of poor 'Tom Dibdin , who is in a state of destitution . Poor Tom Dibdin was a Mason ; and in aid of the Mason ' s widow I will comply with your request . " Pointing to the first song , " Poor Jack / ' he sang it even as he himself never sang before . Mute attention , and the glistening tear , were the tribute paid to nature ' s melodist , and the acclamation was conveyed to his own heart hy the sound of half-crowns rattling towards him to a number amounting to
little , if any , less than ten pounds .. Masonic warbler ! long may nature bless thee with tones seraphic to touch the hearts of men in the cause of the widow . Known as a true Mason , may peace bless thine own course , and mayst thou , in the bright cause of Charity , never encounter the glance of envy , or the hatred of malice ! Sing on , kind bird ! and may the warbling from thy tuneful throat remind thy fellows , that while engaged in the profitable concerns of business , an author ' s words may convey a moral as lasting as obligatory on the man of feeling .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Masonic Fact—Not A Stubborn Thing.
A MASONIC FACT—NOT A STUBBORN THING .
FRIDAY—by Bome considered an unlucky day—now and then turns up fortunate . Friday the 4 th of February , 1842 , was a red-letter day among the Bibliopolists of London , and deserves commemoration from the pleasing associations arising Out of a fortuitous circumstance , which may prove the forerunner of good fortune to her whom it ultimately concerned . The publishers and booksellers of London hold monthly meetings of the trade at the Albion TavernAldersgate Street ; and on
, these occasions the current merit of the intellect of the British Empire is brought before their grand Council to be tested as to its commercial value . Rarely does any " canty chiel" find admittance ; perhaps it is well so ; all trades have their Freemasonry , and in signs manual and tokens typographic , their proceedings are regulated by the system exclusive ; still if there be even no clock-case in the room or market , Charity cannot be altogether excluded . On the day stated , the chair
was taken , the bell tinkled , and various new works were named . Some , by well known authors , ran quickly up , in twenty-fives , fifties , hundreds , tokens ; next came others , in the press , parturient , ancl near to deliverance , that had lagged subscription— "How does it look ? " asks one of the Row ; " Who illustrates ? who has revised the proofs ? " inquired the second and third—this list moved slowly on ; then came five or six notices of embryotic authorship that were scarcely noticed .
New subscriptions for published works were then asked for , and obtained ; at length " Dibdin ' s Sea Songs " were announced . " I'll take six , Murray . " " Four for me , Murray . " " And though I only want six , " said another , '' I'll take twenty-five if Murray will sing one of the songs , ' ' The worthy publisher expressed his regret that he had no voice ; it was then suggested that if Frank Crew would sing one , no doubt all would subscribe . " And I will sing one , " cried Frank , but on condition , — " Name it!—name it ! " vociferated all . " That you will also each
subscribe half-a-crown for the widow of poor 'Tom Dibdin , who is in a state of destitution . Poor Tom Dibdin was a Mason ; and in aid of the Mason ' s widow I will comply with your request . " Pointing to the first song , " Poor Jack / ' he sang it even as he himself never sang before . Mute attention , and the glistening tear , were the tribute paid to nature ' s melodist , and the acclamation was conveyed to his own heart hy the sound of half-crowns rattling towards him to a number amounting to
little , if any , less than ten pounds .. Masonic warbler ! long may nature bless thee with tones seraphic to touch the hearts of men in the cause of the widow . Known as a true Mason , may peace bless thine own course , and mayst thou , in the bright cause of Charity , never encounter the glance of envy , or the hatred of malice ! Sing on , kind bird ! and may the warbling from thy tuneful throat remind thy fellows , that while engaged in the profitable concerns of business , an author ' s words may convey a moral as lasting as obligatory on the man of feeling .