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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Masonic Notes And Queries.
is considered of such little consequence that , the moment the door has heen closed on the candidate , -the harmonist is abruptly and unceremoniously stopped , not only in the middle of a strain , or even a bar , but it as often happens in the middle of a note . Moreover , the same ungraceful and thoughtless style
¦ of procedure is adopted throughout the whole of the beautiful and imposing ceremonials in which Masonry so happily rejoices . Why , I ask , is the office of Musical Director in a lodge not of as much importance as that of the functionary of the Church styled the clerk or
precentor ? I am not , surely , as a Mason restricted from admitting to the world that our ceremonials are of a holy aud religious nature , neither would the acknowledgment of the importance of such an office do aught but redound to the credit and glory of our Order .
If the propagation of sacred music in lodges were more attended to , and full choral effect given to the ceremonies of our Order , as , doubtless , was not only the original intention but the practice , then , I hesitate not to assert , our ritual would stand pre-eminent when compared with whatsoever liturgyas its
-, pre cepts tend to unite every creed and persuasion in the one great end of Freemasonry , which is " Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace and goodwill -towards men . "—J . H . M . BATH . T . ST ' ATTTT ' . R .
SIG-NATTJBES TO ARTICLES . I cannot agree with Bro . A . 0 . Haye as to the desirability of brethren signing all articles contributed to the Freemasons' Magazine . I believe Bro . Haye is both a young man and a young Mason . Is it not probable , then , that I should attach more value to his
productions and opinions , if they were anonymous , than if they were dignified with his name at the foot ? _ _? or instance , Bro . Haye attacks the higher degrees , and , amongst other . natters , sneers at the Templars , because the Order of the Templars and that of St . John of Jerusalem are given as separate degrees , when
, as Bro . Haye affirms , it is well known that , at tbe suppression of the former Order , all the knights became Hospitallers . Hence the absurdity of making two Orders or degrees out of what had virtually become one . I am quite willing to admit that a large proportion of the Knihts Templarswhen
g , released from their vows joined the Knights Hospitallers ; hut it is a well-known fact that many of the Templars did not do so , and , until Bro . Haye can prove that I am wrong in this assertion , I decline to bow to his ipse dixit . Anonymous writing does not appeal to the personal vanitof the writerwhilst
y , at the same time it has far more , influence with the reader , and I for one shall regret the time when every young writer ou Masonry thinks it neeessary to parade his name and titles at the head or foot of his productions in the Freemasons' Maqazine , —> $ < 18 ° .
ATHEISM . —0 TJI 5 LODGES . The answer to an argument contained in a paper -which a correspondent lately sent , that Atheists ought not to he excluded from our lodges , is that Atheists , When they present themselves as witnesses , are -excluded from our Courts of Justice . —C . P . COOPEK .
WASHIXGTOX ' . The following is a verbatim copy of the memorandum which a New York brother saw a short time ago in my manuscript collections upon Freemasonry : — " Oraison fimebre du Prere George Washington , prononcee le I" Janvier , 1800 , dans la Loge de l'Amenite , Orient de Philadelphie , par le Prore Simon Chaudron , Orateur . —[ Caillot , Annales Maconniques , Tome IV ., p . 18 . ] . —C . P . COOPEE .
PnASElLI ... The ensuing copy of an extract in my manuscript Masonic collectionsissenttothe Freemasons' Magazine , in compliance with the request of a very enthusiastic American brother . . . . Le Prure Delalande , un mason zele , fondateur et ancient yenorable de cette
loge ( les Neuf Soeurs ) celui qui avait donne la lumiere Maeonnique a Pranklin et aTtant d ' autres hommes , prodigues enx-memes de la lumiore . " Caillot , Annales Magonniques . —Tome V ., p . 93 . The foregoing extract from Caillot makes Delalande ( he was the celebrated astronomer ) the founder of the- lodge " Les
JS euf Sceurs , " but au extract from the " Monde Maoonnique , " printed in the communication " Voltaire's Iniation , " Freemasons' Magazine , vol . 15 , p . 186 , makes Helvetins the founder of that renowned " Temple . "—0 . P . COOPEE .
rKAincLius' POETEAIT . Turgot ' s Latin inscription for the portrait of Pranklin is : — , "Eripuit ccolo fiilmen , sceptramque tyrannis . " It has been justly remarked that this is a line of which any author might be proud . —Prom a bundle of Masonic Memoranda in Bro . Purton Cooper's manuscript collection .
AMEEICAI . EKEEIIASOXEY . A literary brother , lately deceased , being asked why he had abandoned a favourite project of collecting materials for a Masonic biographical work , made the strange answer , that it was because he found more illustrious names in American Preemasonry than he found in English Preemasonry . —Prom a manuscript in Bro . Purton Cooper ' s Masonic collection , entitled "Preemasons' Table Talk . "
CHEISTIAXITT THE SOUKCE OE EEEEMASOITET . Brother . . . . The Abbe Marotti is the writer who , according to a passage somewhere in " Thory , I-Iistoire de laPondation du Grand Orient de Prance , " makes Christianity the source of Preemasonry . —C . P . COOPEE .
CO _ SUOECET . There exists a Masonic song attributed to Prere Condorcet . I subjoin four lines : — " Je piefere mon tablier 0 toutes les richesses . * * * * Rien ne rend heureux
Que la Maconnerie . " This , I assure our Bro . S ., is all that I know concerning Condorcet that may not be found in any good biographical dictionary . An esteemed correspondent ' s letter received a few hours since , reminds me of a Prench bourgeois with whom I was acquainted at
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
is considered of such little consequence that , the moment the door has heen closed on the candidate , -the harmonist is abruptly and unceremoniously stopped , not only in the middle of a strain , or even a bar , but it as often happens in the middle of a note . Moreover , the same ungraceful and thoughtless style
¦ of procedure is adopted throughout the whole of the beautiful and imposing ceremonials in which Masonry so happily rejoices . Why , I ask , is the office of Musical Director in a lodge not of as much importance as that of the functionary of the Church styled the clerk or
precentor ? I am not , surely , as a Mason restricted from admitting to the world that our ceremonials are of a holy aud religious nature , neither would the acknowledgment of the importance of such an office do aught but redound to the credit and glory of our Order .
If the propagation of sacred music in lodges were more attended to , and full choral effect given to the ceremonies of our Order , as , doubtless , was not only the original intention but the practice , then , I hesitate not to assert , our ritual would stand pre-eminent when compared with whatsoever liturgyas its
-, pre cepts tend to unite every creed and persuasion in the one great end of Freemasonry , which is " Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace and goodwill -towards men . "—J . H . M . BATH . T . ST ' ATTTT ' . R .
SIG-NATTJBES TO ARTICLES . I cannot agree with Bro . A . 0 . Haye as to the desirability of brethren signing all articles contributed to the Freemasons' Magazine . I believe Bro . Haye is both a young man and a young Mason . Is it not probable , then , that I should attach more value to his
productions and opinions , if they were anonymous , than if they were dignified with his name at the foot ? _ _? or instance , Bro . Haye attacks the higher degrees , and , amongst other . natters , sneers at the Templars , because the Order of the Templars and that of St . John of Jerusalem are given as separate degrees , when
, as Bro . Haye affirms , it is well known that , at tbe suppression of the former Order , all the knights became Hospitallers . Hence the absurdity of making two Orders or degrees out of what had virtually become one . I am quite willing to admit that a large proportion of the Knihts Templarswhen
g , released from their vows joined the Knights Hospitallers ; hut it is a well-known fact that many of the Templars did not do so , and , until Bro . Haye can prove that I am wrong in this assertion , I decline to bow to his ipse dixit . Anonymous writing does not appeal to the personal vanitof the writerwhilst
y , at the same time it has far more , influence with the reader , and I for one shall regret the time when every young writer ou Masonry thinks it neeessary to parade his name and titles at the head or foot of his productions in the Freemasons' Maqazine , —> $ < 18 ° .
ATHEISM . —0 TJI 5 LODGES . The answer to an argument contained in a paper -which a correspondent lately sent , that Atheists ought not to he excluded from our lodges , is that Atheists , When they present themselves as witnesses , are -excluded from our Courts of Justice . —C . P . COOPEK .
WASHIXGTOX ' . The following is a verbatim copy of the memorandum which a New York brother saw a short time ago in my manuscript collections upon Freemasonry : — " Oraison fimebre du Prere George Washington , prononcee le I" Janvier , 1800 , dans la Loge de l'Amenite , Orient de Philadelphie , par le Prore Simon Chaudron , Orateur . —[ Caillot , Annales Maconniques , Tome IV ., p . 18 . ] . —C . P . COOPEE .
PnASElLI ... The ensuing copy of an extract in my manuscript Masonic collectionsissenttothe Freemasons' Magazine , in compliance with the request of a very enthusiastic American brother . . . . Le Prure Delalande , un mason zele , fondateur et ancient yenorable de cette
loge ( les Neuf Soeurs ) celui qui avait donne la lumiere Maeonnique a Pranklin et aTtant d ' autres hommes , prodigues enx-memes de la lumiore . " Caillot , Annales Magonniques . —Tome V ., p . 93 . The foregoing extract from Caillot makes Delalande ( he was the celebrated astronomer ) the founder of the- lodge " Les
JS euf Sceurs , " but au extract from the " Monde Maoonnique , " printed in the communication " Voltaire's Iniation , " Freemasons' Magazine , vol . 15 , p . 186 , makes Helvetins the founder of that renowned " Temple . "—0 . P . COOPEE .
rKAincLius' POETEAIT . Turgot ' s Latin inscription for the portrait of Pranklin is : — , "Eripuit ccolo fiilmen , sceptramque tyrannis . " It has been justly remarked that this is a line of which any author might be proud . —Prom a bundle of Masonic Memoranda in Bro . Purton Cooper's manuscript collection .
AMEEICAI . EKEEIIASOXEY . A literary brother , lately deceased , being asked why he had abandoned a favourite project of collecting materials for a Masonic biographical work , made the strange answer , that it was because he found more illustrious names in American Preemasonry than he found in English Preemasonry . —Prom a manuscript in Bro . Purton Cooper ' s Masonic collection , entitled "Preemasons' Table Talk . "
CHEISTIAXITT THE SOUKCE OE EEEEMASOITET . Brother . . . . The Abbe Marotti is the writer who , according to a passage somewhere in " Thory , I-Iistoire de laPondation du Grand Orient de Prance , " makes Christianity the source of Preemasonry . —C . P . COOPEE .
CO _ SUOECET . There exists a Masonic song attributed to Prere Condorcet . I subjoin four lines : — " Je piefere mon tablier 0 toutes les richesses . * * * * Rien ne rend heureux
Que la Maconnerie . " This , I assure our Bro . S ., is all that I know concerning Condorcet that may not be found in any good biographical dictionary . An esteemed correspondent ' s letter received a few hours since , reminds me of a Prench bourgeois with whom I was acquainted at