Mozart As A Freemason.

choruses for three voices are made use of in other Freemasons' cantatas . So , for an example , in the original manuscript of Mozart in tbe possession of Andre , tbe text of Avhich begins , " Dir Seele des Weltalls , o Sonne , " etc ., ( To thee , soul of the

universe , 0 sun , etc . ) ; as also the cantata composed in honour of the oft-mentioned Brother Born , on the 20 th April , 1785 , engraved at Vienna and sold for the benefit of the poor , which was performed in the presence of Mozart ' s father a short time before his departure . This Avith other words has been arranged for use in church .

The second Freemasons' cantata was composed on the loth of November , 1791 , and Avas brought out by Mozart a few days afterwards in the Lodge " zur gekronten Hoffnung . " It is the last work which he completed . The score , Avith the ori ginal

text , AA'as published by Joseph Hraschanski at Vienna , for the benefit of Mozart ' s family , under the title '' Mozart ' s last Masterpiece "; and through tho kindness of Brother Gretschel , IIOAV gone to the eternal East , the brethren of our lodge heard this cantata

under the title , " Lob der Frenndschaft , " ( Praise of Friendship , ) with great deli ght . A composition of wonderful beauty and of the highest peculiar character is the Masonic funeral music , composed in July , 1785 , on the occasion of tbe death of

Brothers Mecklenburg aucl Esterhazy , for the orchestra , which was published as Opus 114 by Andre of Offenbach . That Masonry by its stand against the monks bad gained many enemies may be seen from the fact that Mozart ' s fatherwho

, , as Avell as his son , was in the service of the Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo , at Selzburg , feared lest his son mi ght hint at the secret of the Order in his letters , since he generally received tbem alread y opened . In a truly sublime stle Mozart writes

y about death to his father , Avho was taken into the Masonic Society while on a visit to bis son , Avhen he Avas suffering from sickness :

" Since death is the true end of our life , I bave for a feAV years past made myself so Avell acquainted Avith this true , best friend of man , that its image has not only nothing terrible for me , but is very full of rest and comfort ! And I thank my God that be has granted me the good fortune to provide for me the opportunity ( you understand

me ) to learn to know him as the key to our true happiness . " These expressions are a proof of the high moral earnestness Avith Avhich Mozart , in his connection Avith Freemasonry , sought for enli ghtenment on the highest questions of being . It will

not be Avithout interest to compare the utterances on death and immortality of Baggeson , whose excellent song for the bass voice , " 0 selig , werdies Pilgerleben , " etc ., ( 0 happy , AVIIO this pilgrim life , etc ., ) is often sung among us , and Avho Avas an

enthusiastic Freemason . ( Correspondence , Book I , page 314 ) . The letter of Mozart sets the seal on that beautiful , pure and manly relation Avhich existed between father and son ; iu the face of death stood they as men

prepared through the conviction that pure love and faithfulness , earnest striving for morality and truth , reach beyond the bounds of earthly being . Now , permit me , my dear Brethren , to close with the folloAving brief extract from the funeral oration on Mozart :

" He was in hie good and kind and upright , a Mason in intellect ancl feelings ; the darling of music , —for he raised us to higher experiences . Severed IIOAV is the tie ! Him shall the blessings of Masons follow , joyously and confidently , for our Brotherly love shall load him even to the

land of harmonies . We in silence folloAved his steps as he sought those Avhom fate had struck down , as he to the AVICIOAV ' huts so often carried the unboasted gifts , where be built bis fame on tbe blessing of orphans , gave his cloak to naked povert

y , and trusted to God for the reward which foliotved him to the grave ; who , rocked by the siren songs of flattery , could rejoice in the joyous glances of his poor Brothers , and not forget to be a man . " We select the following interesting

items in explanation of the foregoing , from Edward Holmes' charming " Life of Mozart , " published by Harper & Brothers in 1845 : "Mozart had now [ 17 S 3 ] for some time been enrolled a Brother of a Lodge of

Freemasons at Vienna , and had the honour to compose the music for most of the remarkable solemnities and festiA'als of that Order . The jolities of this club seem to bave been much to his taste , and often raised his spirits Avhen depressed by too close attention to composition .