-
Articles/Ads
Article THE PORTRAIT GALLERY.—No. 1. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Portrait Gallery.—No. 1.
measure to judge for himself—to form his own opinions—to weigh the policy of arguments , and then to decide . Not so with Lord Zetland . He avows his inability to devote his time to a constant supervision of tlie affairs of Masonry : he delegates much of his power to a clique , and is therefore necessarily unacquainted with
the personal merits of many active , intelligent , and able members of the Craft . His mental vision—at no time the brightest , —is mystified by seeing men and things through the optics of others—of those minions who are constantly occupied in pouring the "leprous distilment" into the credulous ears of their noble victim , —thus the mind ' s distinguishing perfection merely reflects the jaundiced views and prejudices of the
power behind the throne , —made greater than the throne itself . To the Craft at large this is exceedingly revolting : it is the irresponsible tyranny of the few , outraging the feelings of the many .
When Dr . Watson , the late Bishop of Llandaff , was suspected of republican tendencies , George the Third—with a brusquerie of manner and petulance of diction so usual with him—rebuked the prelate for his want of political orthodoxy . " No Sire , " replied the Bishop with trenchant irony , — " believe me , I would rather live wnder the oppression of one man , than the tyranny of a hundred . " So it may be said of the
present masonic dispensation , —we would rather endure the domination of one known to us , than the irresponsible tyranny of the mysterious Trinity , —the "holy Vehm , " who meet us at all points of our progress .
The Earl of Zetland is of the middle stature , about fifty-five years of age , and possesses a prepossessing and benevolent countenance . His manner on the masonic throne is unimpressive and undignified , and if betrayed into a fitful display of feeling , his attitude is neither marked by graceful action , nor his expressions by any loftiness of sentiment . His speeches ( if truth dare dignify them with that epithet ) are illogical and
common-place : there is a meanness of verbiage and an emasculated phraseology , utterly inconsistent with the station occupied by the Grand Master . The painful prolixity of his " speeches "—embodying a mass of nothingnesses spun out b y iterations and reiterations—may fairly earn for them the criticism of , —Nulla virtute redemptum a vitiis .
The merit of a portrait consists in the exactness of its likeness—its fidelity to the original . Painful as it may be to the artist to " hold the mirror up to nature " with its inherent defects , yet it is more painful to delineate objects by a false colouring : a homage to truth admits of no compromise , —a subserviency to interest may invest deformity with beauty . Tlie qualities essential to an effective display of the office of Grand
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Portrait Gallery.—No. 1.
measure to judge for himself—to form his own opinions—to weigh the policy of arguments , and then to decide . Not so with Lord Zetland . He avows his inability to devote his time to a constant supervision of tlie affairs of Masonry : he delegates much of his power to a clique , and is therefore necessarily unacquainted with
the personal merits of many active , intelligent , and able members of the Craft . His mental vision—at no time the brightest , —is mystified by seeing men and things through the optics of others—of those minions who are constantly occupied in pouring the "leprous distilment" into the credulous ears of their noble victim , —thus the mind ' s distinguishing perfection merely reflects the jaundiced views and prejudices of the
power behind the throne , —made greater than the throne itself . To the Craft at large this is exceedingly revolting : it is the irresponsible tyranny of the few , outraging the feelings of the many .
When Dr . Watson , the late Bishop of Llandaff , was suspected of republican tendencies , George the Third—with a brusquerie of manner and petulance of diction so usual with him—rebuked the prelate for his want of political orthodoxy . " No Sire , " replied the Bishop with trenchant irony , — " believe me , I would rather live wnder the oppression of one man , than the tyranny of a hundred . " So it may be said of the
present masonic dispensation , —we would rather endure the domination of one known to us , than the irresponsible tyranny of the mysterious Trinity , —the "holy Vehm , " who meet us at all points of our progress .
The Earl of Zetland is of the middle stature , about fifty-five years of age , and possesses a prepossessing and benevolent countenance . His manner on the masonic throne is unimpressive and undignified , and if betrayed into a fitful display of feeling , his attitude is neither marked by graceful action , nor his expressions by any loftiness of sentiment . His speeches ( if truth dare dignify them with that epithet ) are illogical and
common-place : there is a meanness of verbiage and an emasculated phraseology , utterly inconsistent with the station occupied by the Grand Master . The painful prolixity of his " speeches "—embodying a mass of nothingnesses spun out b y iterations and reiterations—may fairly earn for them the criticism of , —Nulla virtute redemptum a vitiis .
The merit of a portrait consists in the exactness of its likeness—its fidelity to the original . Painful as it may be to the artist to " hold the mirror up to nature " with its inherent defects , yet it is more painful to delineate objects by a false colouring : a homage to truth admits of no compromise , —a subserviency to interest may invest deformity with beauty . Tlie qualities essential to an effective display of the office of Grand