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  • March 31, 1849
  • Page 50
  • TO THE EDITOR.
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The Freemasons' Quarterly Review, March 31, 1849: Page 50

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    Article TO THE EDITOR. ← Page 3 of 3
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To The Editor.

is most needed by those who most revile and affect to despise it , and who labour to bring its practitioners into contempt—he finds himself in a strange country , and perhaps in tolerably affluent circumstances , his inclinations tending to mix in that sphere of society whicli his profession mig ht close against him , it was necessary he should give some account of himself . To have styled himself Dr . and put M . D . after his name ,

, might have been dangerous ; for , although very useful in the peculiar walk of his profession , had his acquaintance with eminent surgeons and physicians been as easily obtained as with grand officers , he might have required a greater knowledge of the materia medica to escape detection ; and possibly believing that the nearest profession to a doctor is a soldier , he determined to enlist as a general at once—captains and

majors being uncommonly common . This is the worst construction that can be put upon it , for if he be an officer in some village militia , he has as much right to the title of that office as any of the gallant bewhiskered colonels have in England , " who ne ' er set squadron in the field , nor the division of a battle know more than a spinster . " I am not attempting to justify deceit , but I think the case of Bro . Cooke will admit of much palliation , and does not merit the treatment whicli he has received of the Grand Lodge . It speaks well for the heart of Bro .

Cooke , that the deceptions he made ( if he did make any ) were not more to gratify his own vanity , than to render himself benevolent towards that portion of his fellow-mortals whom Providence has placed under our protection . I am even willing to admit that he did impose upon the Craft , more especially upon the grand officers , and is therefore justly liable to reprehension and blame ; but his conduct and

bearing , his generosity and kind feelings , were so conspicuous as to draw from tiie grand officers their warmest approbation , expressed by the bestowing of honours with that unaccountable haste , that the-only justification the grand officers have to plead , is their being struck with Bro . Cooke ' s demeanour and virtues . Is it the peculiar province of Masons to visit with undue severity the failings whicli human flesh is heir to ? Do Masons boast of charity only as clap trap to attract the notice of the passer byand when called upon to exercise it as the spirit of true

, brotherly love should be exemplified , by casting its veil over the delinquencies of an erring brother , do they then act as a procacious prude , who censures and punishes offences , of which if she be not guilty herself , it is only because the coldness of her disposition has prevented her from falling into , or her want of attraction has failed to ensnare ? The generosity of Bro . Cooke has no doubt elicited warm expressions from the lips of many , and flattery possibly bewildered him , and caused him to

commit an act of weakness and vanity , which reflection will teach him was paltry and unbecoming . " Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall . " To meet tbe derisions of those he has imposed upon must surely be punishment sufficient .

Bro . Cooke is an alien to his country , and the conduct of the Grand Lodge in expelling him from English Masonry , is undignified and unworthy themselves . The want of care and forethought on the part of the grand officers , caused them to be led astray by an individual acting under strong feelings of vanity and indiscretion . It was a duty they owed to the Craft to have been more watchful , and if they have succeeded in branding the name of Bro . Cooke with hypocrisy and deceit , they have obtained for themselves an unenviable fame which will shine out in proportion as Bro . Cooke ' s delinquencies are brought to light . Yours , & c . W . B .

“The Freemasons' Quarterly Review: 1849-03-31, Page 50” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 23 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fqr/issues/fqr_31031849/page/50/.
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Title Category Page
SrjeitF |f | R? ' - Article 1
-^V~:7s^t f i- ;i, 's/*- t V ' * ~ <^ * ... Article 2
: i | llfi Article 3
Untitled Article 4
" '% *r ** • Article 5
THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW, SECOIJB SERIES, AND GENERAL ASSURANCE ADVOCATE. Article 6
TO FOUR or THE MOST DISTINGUISHED FREEMA... Article 7
CONTENTS. Article 8
Otm PORTRAIT GALLERY.—Tiie case of Gener... Article 9
CONTENTS. Article 10
SADDLEWORTH. Article 11
CONTENTS. Article 12
TO OUR READERS. Article 13
CONTENTS. Article 14
TO THE READERS OF THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW. Article 15
THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW, AND GENERAL ASSURANCE ADVOCATE. Article 16
GRAND LODGE. Article 18
THE PORTRAIT GALLERY.—No. 1. Article 21
THE BOOK OF THE LODGE.* Article 24
FREEMASONRY IN TURKEY, PERSIA, AND JAPAN.* Article 31
THE LADIES* Article 35
MASONIC COLLOQUISMS (Query QUIZZINGS?) Article 37
ISRAEL, GREECE, AND ROME. Article 38
THE DEGREE OF HEROINE OF JERICHO.† Article 40
ARE NOT AUTHORS GENERALLY FREEMASONS? Article 41
GENEROUS LIBERALITY Article 44
THE MASONIC CHARITY JEWEL. Article 45
TO THE EDITOR. Article 45
TO THE EDITOR. Article 47
TO THE EDITOR. Article 47
TO THE EDITOR. Article 47
TO THE EDITOR. Article 48
TO THE EDITOR. Article 48
COLLECTANEA. Article 51
POETRY. Article 56
AWA', YE FLAUNTING DAYS O' SPRING. Article 57
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 58
SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS OF ENGLAND. Article 58
UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Article 58
GRAND CONCLAVE Article 67
SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL 33°. Article 69
THE CHARITIES. Article 69
THE ASYLUM FOR AGED MASONS. Article 70
THE REPORTER. Article 71
CHIT CHAT. Article 72
Obituary. Article 76
PROVINCIAL. Article 78
SCOTLAND. Article 91
Copy of Protest by Royal Arch Masons, Aberdeen, sent to the Supreme Chapter, March 6, 1849. Article 92
IRELAND. Article 96
FOREIGN.* Article 102
INDIA. Article 106
GENERAL ASSUEANCE ADVOCATE. Article 112
MEDICAL FEES. Article 117
INCREASE OF ASSURANCES. Article 118
GENERAL MEETINGS. Article 119
THE BRITISH BANK. Article 132
LITERARY NOTICES. Article 133
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 136
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 138
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Page 50

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

To The Editor.

is most needed by those who most revile and affect to despise it , and who labour to bring its practitioners into contempt—he finds himself in a strange country , and perhaps in tolerably affluent circumstances , his inclinations tending to mix in that sphere of society whicli his profession mig ht close against him , it was necessary he should give some account of himself . To have styled himself Dr . and put M . D . after his name ,

, might have been dangerous ; for , although very useful in the peculiar walk of his profession , had his acquaintance with eminent surgeons and physicians been as easily obtained as with grand officers , he might have required a greater knowledge of the materia medica to escape detection ; and possibly believing that the nearest profession to a doctor is a soldier , he determined to enlist as a general at once—captains and

majors being uncommonly common . This is the worst construction that can be put upon it , for if he be an officer in some village militia , he has as much right to the title of that office as any of the gallant bewhiskered colonels have in England , " who ne ' er set squadron in the field , nor the division of a battle know more than a spinster . " I am not attempting to justify deceit , but I think the case of Bro . Cooke will admit of much palliation , and does not merit the treatment whicli he has received of the Grand Lodge . It speaks well for the heart of Bro .

Cooke , that the deceptions he made ( if he did make any ) were not more to gratify his own vanity , than to render himself benevolent towards that portion of his fellow-mortals whom Providence has placed under our protection . I am even willing to admit that he did impose upon the Craft , more especially upon the grand officers , and is therefore justly liable to reprehension and blame ; but his conduct and

bearing , his generosity and kind feelings , were so conspicuous as to draw from tiie grand officers their warmest approbation , expressed by the bestowing of honours with that unaccountable haste , that the-only justification the grand officers have to plead , is their being struck with Bro . Cooke ' s demeanour and virtues . Is it the peculiar province of Masons to visit with undue severity the failings whicli human flesh is heir to ? Do Masons boast of charity only as clap trap to attract the notice of the passer byand when called upon to exercise it as the spirit of true

, brotherly love should be exemplified , by casting its veil over the delinquencies of an erring brother , do they then act as a procacious prude , who censures and punishes offences , of which if she be not guilty herself , it is only because the coldness of her disposition has prevented her from falling into , or her want of attraction has failed to ensnare ? The generosity of Bro . Cooke has no doubt elicited warm expressions from the lips of many , and flattery possibly bewildered him , and caused him to

commit an act of weakness and vanity , which reflection will teach him was paltry and unbecoming . " Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall . " To meet tbe derisions of those he has imposed upon must surely be punishment sufficient .

Bro . Cooke is an alien to his country , and the conduct of the Grand Lodge in expelling him from English Masonry , is undignified and unworthy themselves . The want of care and forethought on the part of the grand officers , caused them to be led astray by an individual acting under strong feelings of vanity and indiscretion . It was a duty they owed to the Craft to have been more watchful , and if they have succeeded in branding the name of Bro . Cooke with hypocrisy and deceit , they have obtained for themselves an unenviable fame which will shine out in proportion as Bro . Cooke ' s delinquencies are brought to light . Yours , & c . W . B .

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