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Article METROPOLITAN, ← Page 7 of 11 →
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Metropolitan,
The , W . M . then -proposed- ' . 1 ' ' The Health of Her Majesty the Queen , making special allusion to the recent happy event , which had united her eldest daughter toaMason * The toast having been most loyally responded to , The W . M . called on the Brethren , in honour of their Masonic allegiance , to drink > f To the Health of the M . W . the G . M . the Earl of Zetland ; " a command which was most enthusiastically obeyed .
The W . M . next proposed " The Health of the D . G . M ., Lord Pannmre , and " The rest of the Grand Officers , past and present ;* V and highly eulogized his lordship . He coupled with the toast the name of Bro . Cooper , Prov . G . M , for Kent . Bro ^ Cooper replied , and in the course of his observations expressed his satisfaction in having on the muster roll of his province the name of Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson .
Bro . Havers then took the gavel , and said , —'' Eight Worshipful Master and Brethren , —When the Master in the chair entrusts his gavel to another , there usually follows one toast which , is known to you all . On this occasion , however , we depart from that practice , I have been desired ¦—and I assure you , Brethren , I consider it a great honour to be so requested—to propose to you the health of one dear to all who are members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , and equally dear to the Craft in general . ( Hear ,
hear . ) My good friend on the left ( Bro . Cooper ) has , with justifiable pride , claimed him for Kent . I claim him not for Kent , I claim him not for the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , but for all Masonry . ( Cheers . ) The labours of the working Brethren of the Lodge we have this evening all witnessed . Will you bear with me while I endeavour to trace the result of the exertions of a good and active Mason . You have all seen the amount of memory and brain-work which is required for working the several sections of each lecture . ( Hear , hear . ) Well , then , just as we teach our * children important principles of religion and morality in certain
formulae of words the true meaning of which they do not at the time comprehend , but which , impressed upon the mind , become the nucleus or abiding place of future thoughts—so must young Masons be content to commit to memory certain forms of words the full import of which they are hereafter to acquire . ( Hear , hear . ) I do not insist that the ritual of Masonry should be regarded as the principle and essence of Masonry itself . A prayer-book is not a religion . But the ritual of Freemasonry contains the expression of the truth of those doctrines by which we profess to be guided , and those rules of life which we profess to practice . Masonry
boasts of no books , no ponderous tomes , or carefully-writ parchments , containing the record of its ceremonies . ( Hear , hear . ) Such as they are , they have been handed down to us by oral tradition , varying in their phraseology to suit the altered character of the language , but still possessing that quaint simplicity of diction which both attests their age and gives a peculiar charm to their delivery . ( Hear , hear . ) These traditions , transmitted to us through many generations and through many mouths , would have varied much more , were it not that there have arisen at all times and seasons , and in regular succession , true and trusty men , who by no election , by no canvas , but by the universal consent of their Brethren , have
been recognized as leaders and teachers . ( Hear , hear . ) Among those teachers more true or more trusty none have been found than he in whose honour we are this evening assembled . ( Great cheering . ) It has been remarked that at the present day we possess but the traditionary remnant of what Masonry was in former times . In earlier days , in addition to its moral power it also possesed great
political and religious power . Here we have to deal with its moral power only , and the wonder is not that so much of it has been lost , but that so much remains . ( Btear , hear , and cheers . ) Instituted by the skilled artificers of old , in times of the most remote antiquity , when kings and princes presided over us and joined in the work ,
Masonry passed through a great and glorious career of peace and prosperity ; since then , however , it has had to pass through many perils and contend with many difficulties . Attacked by base imitators , who , under the assumed name of Masons , carried out the wildest schemes of religious and political intrigue ; wounded by the baser treachery of some of its own children , who endeavoured for motives of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Metropolitan,
The , W . M . then -proposed- ' . 1 ' ' The Health of Her Majesty the Queen , making special allusion to the recent happy event , which had united her eldest daughter toaMason * The toast having been most loyally responded to , The W . M . called on the Brethren , in honour of their Masonic allegiance , to drink > f To the Health of the M . W . the G . M . the Earl of Zetland ; " a command which was most enthusiastically obeyed .
The W . M . next proposed " The Health of the D . G . M ., Lord Pannmre , and " The rest of the Grand Officers , past and present ;* V and highly eulogized his lordship . He coupled with the toast the name of Bro . Cooper , Prov . G . M , for Kent . Bro ^ Cooper replied , and in the course of his observations expressed his satisfaction in having on the muster roll of his province the name of Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson .
Bro . Havers then took the gavel , and said , —'' Eight Worshipful Master and Brethren , —When the Master in the chair entrusts his gavel to another , there usually follows one toast which , is known to you all . On this occasion , however , we depart from that practice , I have been desired ¦—and I assure you , Brethren , I consider it a great honour to be so requested—to propose to you the health of one dear to all who are members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , and equally dear to the Craft in general . ( Hear ,
hear . ) My good friend on the left ( Bro . Cooper ) has , with justifiable pride , claimed him for Kent . I claim him not for Kent , I claim him not for the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , but for all Masonry . ( Cheers . ) The labours of the working Brethren of the Lodge we have this evening all witnessed . Will you bear with me while I endeavour to trace the result of the exertions of a good and active Mason . You have all seen the amount of memory and brain-work which is required for working the several sections of each lecture . ( Hear , hear . ) Well , then , just as we teach our * children important principles of religion and morality in certain
formulae of words the true meaning of which they do not at the time comprehend , but which , impressed upon the mind , become the nucleus or abiding place of future thoughts—so must young Masons be content to commit to memory certain forms of words the full import of which they are hereafter to acquire . ( Hear , hear . ) I do not insist that the ritual of Masonry should be regarded as the principle and essence of Masonry itself . A prayer-book is not a religion . But the ritual of Freemasonry contains the expression of the truth of those doctrines by which we profess to be guided , and those rules of life which we profess to practice . Masonry
boasts of no books , no ponderous tomes , or carefully-writ parchments , containing the record of its ceremonies . ( Hear , hear . ) Such as they are , they have been handed down to us by oral tradition , varying in their phraseology to suit the altered character of the language , but still possessing that quaint simplicity of diction which both attests their age and gives a peculiar charm to their delivery . ( Hear , hear . ) These traditions , transmitted to us through many generations and through many mouths , would have varied much more , were it not that there have arisen at all times and seasons , and in regular succession , true and trusty men , who by no election , by no canvas , but by the universal consent of their Brethren , have
been recognized as leaders and teachers . ( Hear , hear . ) Among those teachers more true or more trusty none have been found than he in whose honour we are this evening assembled . ( Great cheering . ) It has been remarked that at the present day we possess but the traditionary remnant of what Masonry was in former times . In earlier days , in addition to its moral power it also possesed great
political and religious power . Here we have to deal with its moral power only , and the wonder is not that so much of it has been lost , but that so much remains . ( Btear , hear , and cheers . ) Instituted by the skilled artificers of old , in times of the most remote antiquity , when kings and princes presided over us and joined in the work ,
Masonry passed through a great and glorious career of peace and prosperity ; since then , however , it has had to pass through many perils and contend with many difficulties . Attacked by base imitators , who , under the assumed name of Masons , carried out the wildest schemes of religious and political intrigue ; wounded by the baser treachery of some of its own children , who endeavoured for motives of