Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ireland.
IRELAND .
" SPECULATIVE PREEMASONRY - "—LECTURE IN PORTADOWN . . On Wednesday , the 27 th ult ., a public lecture was delivered in the Town Hail , Portadown , on "Speculative Freemasonry , " by the R . W . and Rev . Simpson G . Kr . rrison , P . M ., K . H . I ., G-. Chap , to the Grand Lodge of Ireland , aud Chaplain of Grand Royal Arch Chapter of R . A . Masons . The lecture r .-as delivered in aid of the funds of the Masonic Female Orphan School .
There was a most fashionable attendance , and amongst those present we noticed Kis Grace tho . Duke of Manchester and the Duchess of Manchester , the Marquis of Abercorn and tho Ladies Hamilton , J . S . O'Brien , Esq ., J . P ., Tandragee ; Robert Armstrong , Esq ., Mrs . Armstrong , and party ; Hugh Mercer , Esq ., and Mrs . Mercer , Lurgan ; William Emeison , Esq ., Belfast ; Dv . and Mrs . Bredon ; M . B . Bivnie , Esq . ; W . L . Victor , Esq ., Tandragee ; AA oolsey Atkinson , Esq ., and family ; Dunbar
M'Master , Esq ., and party ; George Haslett , Esq ., Lurgan ; Dr . Saundei-son , Longhadion House , Poynt / . pass ; William Campbell , Esq ., Belfast ; William Montgomery , Esq . ; and many others too numerous to be inserted .
The members of the iollowmg Masonic locia-es appeared in tbe costume of the Craft : —Nos . S 3 , 7-49 , 219 , 134 , 741 , 23 , and 7 S 9 . His Grace the Duke of Manchester , Prov . G . IC . of Huntingdon , & c , arrived shortly after eight o ' clock , and was received with Masonic honours by the following members of Lodge 82 , who had requested his Grace to preside : — -Arthur Thornton , W . M . and P . M . ; John Breroton , S . W . ; Wm . HallJ . W . ;
, AVoolsey Atkinson , S . D . ; Robert Clavkson , J . D . ; Thomas SUillington ( Tertius ) , I . GI ; Thomas Carleton , Treas . ; Bros . John Rettrey and M . B . Birnie , K . H . T . ; AV . L . Victor , K . II . T . ; William Montgomery , P . M ., and K . H . I . ; Alex . Dickson , H . F . C . Atkinson , Wm . Campbell , Robert James , & c . The Duke of Manchester took the chair shortly after eight o'clock , and having received a Masonic salute ,
The Rev . S . G . MORRISON proceeded to deliver his address . He said he had frequently had the pleasure of addressing the brethren of the Order within the limits of the lodge , but for the first timo in bis life be felt called upon to deliver a Masonic address in the presence not only of those who were members of the Order , but in the presence of non-members ; and , most embarrassing of all , in the presence of ladies . He had got three
requests forwarded to him from that neighbourhood—one , to deliver an address in advocacy of the Masonic Orphan School ; another , to deliver a Masonic lecture to the brethren of Portadown and the neighbourhood ; and the third request was , that he should come and deliver a kind of exposition of the history and principles of the fraternity , suited for a mixed assemblage , such as the present . If be could comply with tbe three requests ,
he would be much pleased , indeed . In the first place , he should endeavour briefly to give an account of the rise and progress , and the pretensions of the Brotherhood , and having done so , he would endeavour to deliver a Masonic lecture , aud perhaps some of tho secrets might slip out . ( Laughter and applause ) . Having done those two things , lie would call their attention , at all events for a minute or soto the claims of that lorious
institu-, g tion that was at once tho pride and boast of the Order—the Masonic Orphan School , iu Burlington-place , Dublin . As regards the history of the Craft , ho was not altogether satisfied -with the accuracy of what was sometimes talked about regardins their records and traditions . However beautiful and
however fascinating those records and traditions were—and they were both fascinating and beautiful—he could not bring himself to deal with uncertain lore iu the position that he must at all times occupy as a public instructor . He would not take thom back to the beginning of creation , as some of his brethren would perhaps be disposed to do . lie had taken one or two volumes from his library to assist him in giving a few'facts regarding Freemasonry , and the first hook commenced by attempting to
show that Adam was the first Freemason . That was rather a long story , and he laid the book aside . They could easily conjecture what was the ' origin of operative Freemasonry . First , there was the fact of labour as a matter of necessity , and byand-bye combination ; and then , as a matter of course , secrecy existed , for persons who would bo labourers and had not learned a trade would try to imitate the skilled labourers . In consequence , secrecy , and signs and passwords , such as they had at present , became a matter of necessity . As regards speculative
I reemasonry , ho ( the lecturer ) thought it could not be traced very far beyond the age of King Solomon . That speculative Freemasonry existed on a large scale in Egypt could not be doubted , and that it was carried on in ancient Tyre there was no mistake . He was of opinion that it came very near a state of perfection at tbe building of Solomon ' s Temple , He had no doubt whatever that their traditions in Freemasonry relative to the building of the Temple were founded on fact . They knew
On the authority of the best Greek writers that Masonry was practised in ancient Greece . In process of time the Order ( bund its way into Italy and Rome . Perhaps some of those present would be interested to know that two of the most distinguished Popes of Rome were Freemasons—actually initiated . One Leo X . was the Grand Master of all the Masonic lodges in Home . That was au undoubted fact . Before him Julius II . was also Grand Master of tho Freemasonsand he had as his Senior
, Warden no less a person than Raphael , and on his death his nephew , Bravat , became Senior Warden , and under his supervision St . Peter's at Rome was commenced , and continued until the appearance of Michael Angelo . Coming to England , they had records of the working of speculate Preemasonry from the beginning of the sixth century ; and if they came to their own country they could , trace Freemasonry in Ireland as far back
almost as the beginning of tbe seventh century . If they would go to Mary ' s Abbey , in Dublin , he could give them unmistakable evidence that that work was originally carried on and finished by Freemasons ; but when under the celebrated Brian Born the Danes were expelled from the country , they carried away almost all tho old records . Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin was built- by Freemasons ; and under the supervision of
Charles II ., who was initiated in London , that splendid housethe hospital for old soldiers at Kiluiainham , was erected . The glorious King William III . was a Freemason , and very extensively patronised the Order . ( Loud applause ) . It never reached its real importance until he took the Order under his Royal patronage . The foundation stone of the Parliament House , as it was called , or the Bank of Ireland , was laid by the Freemasons of Dublin . Freemasonry had never been in such working order in this country as it was at present . It owed very much to his Grace the Duke of Leinster , the distinguished
Grand Master . For the last fifty-two years that noble brother had , by his princely contributions—his consistency of Masonic love—done more to exalt the Order before the public than anything which was done previous to his administration . ( Applause . ) In reference to the pretensions of the Order , he should make a few remarks . Freemasonry had done a great deal of good . He ( Mv . Morrison ) would not continue a Freemason for a single day if he did notiu his consciencebelieve that it
, , was better adapted to exalt the moral and social character of bis fellow-countrymen than any other organisation , Christianity always excepted . There had been about 500 volumes written on the subject of Freemasonry , either in exposition of its principles , or in advocacy , or in objection to its claims and pretensions . He would like very much that all his brethren should become reading Freemasons . If a Freemason were to act up
to his principles , he could not be uneducated . He could tell them many instances of the horrors of war being mitigated by the operations of Preemasonry . They were in possession of facts to show that , in instances not a few , actual war between nation aud nation had been prevented by the legitimate operation of those high up in Masonry . ( Applause . ) All their orderstho compassthe leveltbe line & chad an
, , , , , unmistakable utterance to the Craft , and that man was unworthy the name of brother who , in any instance , compromised the purest morality , and who in the veriest trifles deviated from the strict line of moral rectitude and virtue . ( Applause . ) A great objection that was made to the Craft was that it was a secret society . It was no such thing . That was the way to meet that objection . How , in the name of all that was
good , could they call it a secret society when it gave tiie name and address of every brother , and when the name of every Freemason must be furnished to the Government every six months ? Secret societies , he was aware , did exist in the country ; but Freemasonry was not to be classed with those dangerous organisations . Having referred to some objections which were made to the societyand pointed out its advantages
, , the lecturer alluded to the establishment of the Female Orphan School , in Dublin , and said that about tbe year 1792 the Craft began to agitate the question of charity . An effort was made to get up a kind of school , but he regretted to say that in the vear 1829 the contributions from all the lodges in aid of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ireland.
IRELAND .
" SPECULATIVE PREEMASONRY - "—LECTURE IN PORTADOWN . . On Wednesday , the 27 th ult ., a public lecture was delivered in the Town Hail , Portadown , on "Speculative Freemasonry , " by the R . W . and Rev . Simpson G . Kr . rrison , P . M ., K . H . I ., G-. Chap , to the Grand Lodge of Ireland , aud Chaplain of Grand Royal Arch Chapter of R . A . Masons . The lecture r .-as delivered in aid of the funds of the Masonic Female Orphan School .
There was a most fashionable attendance , and amongst those present we noticed Kis Grace tho . Duke of Manchester and the Duchess of Manchester , the Marquis of Abercorn and tho Ladies Hamilton , J . S . O'Brien , Esq ., J . P ., Tandragee ; Robert Armstrong , Esq ., Mrs . Armstrong , and party ; Hugh Mercer , Esq ., and Mrs . Mercer , Lurgan ; William Emeison , Esq ., Belfast ; Dv . and Mrs . Bredon ; M . B . Bivnie , Esq . ; W . L . Victor , Esq ., Tandragee ; AA oolsey Atkinson , Esq ., and family ; Dunbar
M'Master , Esq ., and party ; George Haslett , Esq ., Lurgan ; Dr . Saundei-son , Longhadion House , Poynt / . pass ; William Campbell , Esq ., Belfast ; William Montgomery , Esq . ; and many others too numerous to be inserted .
The members of the iollowmg Masonic locia-es appeared in tbe costume of the Craft : —Nos . S 3 , 7-49 , 219 , 134 , 741 , 23 , and 7 S 9 . His Grace the Duke of Manchester , Prov . G . IC . of Huntingdon , & c , arrived shortly after eight o ' clock , and was received with Masonic honours by the following members of Lodge 82 , who had requested his Grace to preside : — -Arthur Thornton , W . M . and P . M . ; John Breroton , S . W . ; Wm . HallJ . W . ;
, AVoolsey Atkinson , S . D . ; Robert Clavkson , J . D . ; Thomas SUillington ( Tertius ) , I . GI ; Thomas Carleton , Treas . ; Bros . John Rettrey and M . B . Birnie , K . H . T . ; AV . L . Victor , K . II . T . ; William Montgomery , P . M ., and K . H . I . ; Alex . Dickson , H . F . C . Atkinson , Wm . Campbell , Robert James , & c . The Duke of Manchester took the chair shortly after eight o'clock , and having received a Masonic salute ,
The Rev . S . G . MORRISON proceeded to deliver his address . He said he had frequently had the pleasure of addressing the brethren of the Order within the limits of the lodge , but for the first timo in bis life be felt called upon to deliver a Masonic address in the presence not only of those who were members of the Order , but in the presence of non-members ; and , most embarrassing of all , in the presence of ladies . He had got three
requests forwarded to him from that neighbourhood—one , to deliver an address in advocacy of the Masonic Orphan School ; another , to deliver a Masonic lecture to the brethren of Portadown and the neighbourhood ; and the third request was , that he should come and deliver a kind of exposition of the history and principles of the fraternity , suited for a mixed assemblage , such as the present . If be could comply with tbe three requests ,
he would be much pleased , indeed . In the first place , he should endeavour briefly to give an account of the rise and progress , and the pretensions of the Brotherhood , and having done so , he would endeavour to deliver a Masonic lecture , aud perhaps some of tho secrets might slip out . ( Laughter and applause ) . Having done those two things , lie would call their attention , at all events for a minute or soto the claims of that lorious
institu-, g tion that was at once tho pride and boast of the Order—the Masonic Orphan School , iu Burlington-place , Dublin . As regards the history of the Craft , ho was not altogether satisfied -with the accuracy of what was sometimes talked about regardins their records and traditions . However beautiful and
however fascinating those records and traditions were—and they were both fascinating and beautiful—he could not bring himself to deal with uncertain lore iu the position that he must at all times occupy as a public instructor . He would not take thom back to the beginning of creation , as some of his brethren would perhaps be disposed to do . lie had taken one or two volumes from his library to assist him in giving a few'facts regarding Freemasonry , and the first hook commenced by attempting to
show that Adam was the first Freemason . That was rather a long story , and he laid the book aside . They could easily conjecture what was the ' origin of operative Freemasonry . First , there was the fact of labour as a matter of necessity , and byand-bye combination ; and then , as a matter of course , secrecy existed , for persons who would bo labourers and had not learned a trade would try to imitate the skilled labourers . In consequence , secrecy , and signs and passwords , such as they had at present , became a matter of necessity . As regards speculative
I reemasonry , ho ( the lecturer ) thought it could not be traced very far beyond the age of King Solomon . That speculative Freemasonry existed on a large scale in Egypt could not be doubted , and that it was carried on in ancient Tyre there was no mistake . He was of opinion that it came very near a state of perfection at tbe building of Solomon ' s Temple , He had no doubt whatever that their traditions in Freemasonry relative to the building of the Temple were founded on fact . They knew
On the authority of the best Greek writers that Masonry was practised in ancient Greece . In process of time the Order ( bund its way into Italy and Rome . Perhaps some of those present would be interested to know that two of the most distinguished Popes of Rome were Freemasons—actually initiated . One Leo X . was the Grand Master of all the Masonic lodges in Home . That was au undoubted fact . Before him Julius II . was also Grand Master of tho Freemasonsand he had as his Senior
, Warden no less a person than Raphael , and on his death his nephew , Bravat , became Senior Warden , and under his supervision St . Peter's at Rome was commenced , and continued until the appearance of Michael Angelo . Coming to England , they had records of the working of speculate Preemasonry from the beginning of the sixth century ; and if they came to their own country they could , trace Freemasonry in Ireland as far back
almost as the beginning of tbe seventh century . If they would go to Mary ' s Abbey , in Dublin , he could give them unmistakable evidence that that work was originally carried on and finished by Freemasons ; but when under the celebrated Brian Born the Danes were expelled from the country , they carried away almost all tho old records . Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin was built- by Freemasons ; and under the supervision of
Charles II ., who was initiated in London , that splendid housethe hospital for old soldiers at Kiluiainham , was erected . The glorious King William III . was a Freemason , and very extensively patronised the Order . ( Loud applause ) . It never reached its real importance until he took the Order under his Royal patronage . The foundation stone of the Parliament House , as it was called , or the Bank of Ireland , was laid by the Freemasons of Dublin . Freemasonry had never been in such working order in this country as it was at present . It owed very much to his Grace the Duke of Leinster , the distinguished
Grand Master . For the last fifty-two years that noble brother had , by his princely contributions—his consistency of Masonic love—done more to exalt the Order before the public than anything which was done previous to his administration . ( Applause . ) In reference to the pretensions of the Order , he should make a few remarks . Freemasonry had done a great deal of good . He ( Mv . Morrison ) would not continue a Freemason for a single day if he did notiu his consciencebelieve that it
, , was better adapted to exalt the moral and social character of bis fellow-countrymen than any other organisation , Christianity always excepted . There had been about 500 volumes written on the subject of Freemasonry , either in exposition of its principles , or in advocacy , or in objection to its claims and pretensions . He would like very much that all his brethren should become reading Freemasons . If a Freemason were to act up
to his principles , he could not be uneducated . He could tell them many instances of the horrors of war being mitigated by the operations of Preemasonry . They were in possession of facts to show that , in instances not a few , actual war between nation aud nation had been prevented by the legitimate operation of those high up in Masonry . ( Applause . ) All their orderstho compassthe leveltbe line & chad an
, , , , , unmistakable utterance to the Craft , and that man was unworthy the name of brother who , in any instance , compromised the purest morality , and who in the veriest trifles deviated from the strict line of moral rectitude and virtue . ( Applause . ) A great objection that was made to the Craft was that it was a secret society . It was no such thing . That was the way to meet that objection . How , in the name of all that was
good , could they call it a secret society when it gave tiie name and address of every brother , and when the name of every Freemason must be furnished to the Government every six months ? Secret societies , he was aware , did exist in the country ; but Freemasonry was not to be classed with those dangerous organisations . Having referred to some objections which were made to the societyand pointed out its advantages
, , the lecturer alluded to the establishment of the Female Orphan School , in Dublin , and said that about tbe year 1792 the Craft began to agitate the question of charity . An effort was made to get up a kind of school , but he regretted to say that in the vear 1829 the contributions from all the lodges in aid of