"i Jv" ie»iiiiaiw 'WtoiiiliWiiiMWicr'i 'lrftiait!W»J1Bl'J«l»W"H>* -'-*"i-J»fa x\\afF// Mm/// A CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A COLLECTION MADE BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 AND BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL XnSTIVERSITY Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030270395 je^Bl^^ •«»llr*«« MASONIC ORATORY. A COMPILATION OF BRILLIANT ORATIONS, DELIVERH> ON GREAT OCCASIONS BY MASONIC GRAND ORATORS IN THE UNITED STATES. ILLUSTRATED WITH HALF-TONE POR- TRAITS OF THE ORATORS. OOMPILED BY L. S. MYLER, NEW YORK THE M. W. HAZEN CO. 1900 Entered accordittg to Act of Congress in the year i8g8, by L. S. MYLER, In the Office of the Librarian at' Washington, D. C, -^^ , -ihi^ Jtjtjtjtjtjtjtjtjlt TO R.-. W.-. BRO. J. H. C. T>XUL, GRAND SECRETARY OP GRAND LODGE OF ILLINOIS, A. F. AND A, M. : IN GItATEPUL RECOG- NITION OP THE CORDIAL SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICE RENDERED FOR SO MANY YEARS TO THE MASONIC FRATERNITY OF H,LINOIS, AND MORE ESPECIALLY HIS ASSISTANCE TO ME IN THE COMPILATION OF THIS BOOK, AND THE EVER-ABIDING INSPIRATION OF HIS NOBLE LIFE IS THIS VOLUME AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. L. Sr MYLER. PREFACE. ESTINY has always seemed busy with gathering up and handing H' , ,. over, from one%eneration to another, the richest gifts of highest I achievements. The verdict of h!ist6ry has made emphatic the fact that "The pen is mightier than the Swoird." But before the pen was first constructed from v/ii;g,.of bird or forged'steel, the glowing tongue of persuasive eloquence was swaying the niighty masses of men, i,:f , : . . If Sir William Hamilton said truly that "There is nothing noble in man but mind," it is true also that the highest triumphs of mind are thoughts set on fire by words that burn. It is the purpose of this hum- ble volume to bring together in neat form, genis gathered from the splendid orations that have moved and inspired our brethren from many , scores of lodge rostrums. The noblest monuments that mark the progress of man are not of stone, but of men ; and Carlyle says that " The history of the world is the biography of great men," and the children of our children will always be interested and inspired by the sayings of our accomplished orators. It is well to remind ourselves that those noble speakers have antecedents that link us all back to the foundation of our Republic. Washington, Warren, Putnam, Paul ReverC; Franklin, DeWitt Clinton, Jackson, Peyton Randolph, I^a Fayette, "Light Horse Harry" Lee, Gen, Francis Warren, Henry Clay, Buchanan, Stephen A. Douglass, Gar- field and Logan were Masons. Fifty-two of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons; and the historic "Boston Tea Party" was an adjourned Masonic Lodge. Eighty-three of the IX X PREFACE- brave men who went down with the " Maine " in Havana harbor were members of the Masonic fraternity. In truth it goes without saying that the sincere and oft reiterated belief in the Supreme Being, who lives in and under and through every age, has done much to inspire the Masonic tongue with a fervor and glow that is not possible to an unbe- lieving soul. Under every temple erected^ by our ancient and honored Order lies this sublime conception : " That he who built the stories of the skies, aud.laid the fpundation of the earth, with far defter hand-wove the fine filaments of the human soul, and taught the human tongue its wizardry of speech* , To make the scattered gems of our worthiest oratory a present and living inspiration to every student of our Order, I have compiled this book, the "Jewels op Masonic Oratory." L. S. Myler. . Akron, Ohio, 1899.' LIST OF PORTRAITS. Bro. L. S. Myler, # Compiler of Jewei,s of Masonic Oratory - ... 2 Bro. J. H. C. Dill, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Illinois ... 6 Hon. and R.-, W.\ Adlai E. Stevenson, * Grand Orator and Ex- Vice President of the United States- Illinois - - - - - - --- - -18 R.-. W.-. O. P. Sperra, Grand Orator — Ohio - - - - - - .-51 Hon. Wm. H. Upton, A. M., Lli. M., F. R. S. A., Grand Orator— 'Washington - - ... . - .76 R.-. W.". George W. Warvelle, , \ Grand Orator — Illinois - - - - - - - .119 Judge and R.*. W.*. Alfred SiAmple, Grand Orator— Illinois . - • - - - - .168 R.'. W/. lyOmS ZlEGLER, , Grand Orator— Washington - - - - - - -212 Bro. S. M. Yoran, ' Grand Orator — Oregon ---..-.- 238 R.-. W.-. Geo. M. McConnelL) Grand Orator— rlUinoi^ . - - . • •- - 267 W.'. James Albert Zabriskie, Grand Orator — Arizona - - . - - - -310 • Rev. H. R. Coleman, Grand Chaplain— ^Kentucky -.-..-. 355 R.-. W.-. W. S. Hooper, Grand Orator — Illinois ----.... 423 XI xii i,ist of portraits. Rev. Thomas W. Barry, Grand Chaplain — Kansas ...... 4.65 Bro. C. a. Bridbwei.1,, Grand Orator — Arkansas ....... 487 Rbv. Howard T. Wipdemer, Grand Chaplain-^CotfJ5(ecticu,f , - ■' - - - - - 516 R.-. W.-. John C. Black, Gr^nd Orator — niinpis • - , • 544 Hon. John W. McGrath, Past Grand Master and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of ' " Michigan — Michigan ;• - - . . . - - 621 Bro. I,uke A. Lockwood, ' Past Grand Master arid President of the Masonic Charity Foun- dation of Corinecticut— Connecticut - - - . . 672 M.'. W.'. Owen Scott, ■ ' ' ' '- Grand Master — Illinois - - - - - . . - 715 TABLE OF CONTENTS. GRAND ORATORS. Hon. and R.". W.'.AdHai E. Stevenson. ' Grand Orator and Ex-Vice President of the United States— Illinois - - - - - ■" .•■.'' ■■, , ■— ' 19 M.\ W.-. Frank TitFORp, Grand Master — Utah * - ■> * ■ — * . M 27 Bro. J. Q. Goss, ^p^4ir" ■ Grand Orator— Nebraska . ■• ■■ ' 32 Rev. AiiFRED Ji Hough, Vermont - - * ■ ■'}''p:: -; 45 R.-. W.'. O. P. Sperra, Grand Orator — Ohio «" •■-■■- , •■ 0^ ::y. • 5» Bro. J. A. McDougali,, Illinois • - i .^*- 5& R.-. W.-. and Rev. Geo. C. Betts, Grand Orator — Nebraska m •»■,'• « - ' 1 - 67 Hon. Wm. H. Upton, A. M., 1,1^. M., Grand Oratory-Washington - ,F.R. s.a;, f *,rr77, 85 R.-. W.-. James W.. Boyd,' Grand Orator — Missouri • - - - -1 .., 9S W.-. James S. Gilham, Grand Orator — ^Nebraska > * • - • » ■ j'.ifO - 106 R.-. W.*. George W. Warvelle, Grand Orator — Illinois - - • - - Ii8, 126 Bro, Charles Scott, Grand Master — Mississippi - . - -. ■ - . ' I3» W.'. James Laird, Grand Orator— Nebraska „ „ 137 XIII XIV TABLE OF CONTENTS. R.'. W.-. Isaac Clements, Grand Orator — Illinois - - - - - - - -151 Judge and R/. W/. Alfred Sample, Grand Orator — Illinois - - - - - - 167, 169 Bro. a. I,. Ross, Grand Orator — Missouri - - - - - - -179 R.-. W.-. E. R. Roe, Grand Orator — Illinois - -»- - - . - -190 Bro. J. F. Kinney, Grand Orator — Nebraska -- - - - - -198 R.-. W.-. IvOTJiS ZiEGLER, Grand Orator — Washington - 213 Hon. R. T. W. DuKEi Jr., Grand Senior Deacon — ^Virginia ..--.. 223 Rev. Henry G. Perry, Illinois ---...--..- 235 Bro. S. M. Yoran, Grand Orator — Oregon ..--.---. 239 M.". W.'. John Hodge, Grand Master — New York . . - - . 250, 253 R.-. W.". Manoah b. Reese, Grand Orator — Nebraska .---.-- 259 R.-. W.". Geo. M. McCo"nnell, Grand Orator — Illinois - - - - - - -. 266 Bro. a. G. Clarke, Grand Orator — Nebraska ..... 282, 289 R.-. W.-. R. S. Dement, Illinois ----.....-. 295 W.-. James Albert Zabriskie, Grand Orator—Arizona - - - 311, 315, 320, 325 Bro. Robert W. Hill, P.G. H.P., Indian Territory 331 Rev. a. T. Wolff, D. D., Grand Orator — Illinois - 347 Rev. H. R. Coleman, Grand/ Chaplain— Kentucky 354 tabte of contents. xv Bro. John T. Hicks, ' Grand Orator — Arkansas- - - - - - - - 362 Rev, George C. Lorimer, D. D., Illinois - - - - - , I- - - 370, 381 W.". Leonhard W. COI how, from the Atlantic seaboard, the streams of population steadily flowed to the great central valley, and to the western limits of the conti- nent. Is it too much to say that the institution of Freemasonry has proved a potent co-worker" with schoolhouse and church in the wonderful achievements that constitute the warp and woof of our civilization? Tested again, by the rule I have indicated, w,hat of the individual member, and what of the institution? In the brief time allotted, I could hardly name the illustrious brothers of our craft who have been such potent factors in the work of building a nation. Two names, illustrious for all time — the one of Puritan, the other of cayalier descent — stand in bold outline upon the pages of history. The monument .at Bunker Hill will serve to remind the on-corning generations of the courage, the lofty patriotism, of Joseph Warren, the first Grand Master of Massachusetts; illustrious as a soldier, no less illustrious as a Freemason. No monument is needed to recall to future ages the name of Washington. And yet this, the greatest of men, after having by his sword achieve4 independence for his country, and later, by wise counsels, „ aided in formulating the great compact, which for more than a htmdred years has held states and people In bond indissoluble; Washington, after laying down the great office to which he had, twice been elevated by his grateful countrymen, thought it derogated nothing from his greatness and dignity, to wear the insignia, and preside over the deliberations of a lodge of Freemasons. On the i8th of September, 1793, the corner-stone of our national capitol was laid, as the old chronicle reads, "by our Worshipful Brother, George Washing- ton," wearing the sash and the apron that had been wrought by the hands of the wife of the eminent .patriot and Freemason, the Marquis de Lafayette. Truly, Warren, Franklin, Washington, Lafayette, are names to conjure with. What Mason does not glory in such kinship? During , the early manhood of some who now hear me, there yet dwelt within the borders of this commonwealth, survivors of the noble band, who at Tippecanoe had achieved final victory over the fierce savage and his allies — thus securing for all time to the hearthstone of the fron- tiersman safety and peace. A spl'eiidid county in Illinois will bear to future ages the horiored name of one of the knightliest of the fallen heroes of that dread conflict — Colonel Jo Davies, illustrious as statesman and soldier, equally illustrious as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ken- tucky. , JBWEI and Obelisks rise in sublime vastness, the wonder and glory of the world, and the admiration of the ages. What mechanical agencies were employed in their construction, or what tools were used in tracing the inscriptions which are carved on their walls are mysteries which the researchers of sct- ence have failed to solve. The great pyramid of Ghizeh', far higher than any edifice which modern art has builded, and dwarfing by comparison the most spacious cathedral of Europe, carries the imagination beyond the period of authentic history into the, twilight of tradition. When our con- tinent was peopled by nations that have vanished like shadows from the ■earth ; before the Israelites had escaped from thraldom and placed the 'oracles of God near the waters of Siloa; ages before civilization had •dawned on the banks of the Tiber or the shores of Greece, this pyramid :and other tombs and temfiles of the Nile had witnessed the silent march I of thecenturies'as they sped onward to the eternity of the past. Hundreds •of generations of men have toiled and passed away — empires have arisen, :flourished and died^creeds, systems and dynasties have disappeared, leav- iing no trace on the sands of time ; mountains have been upheaved by vol- ■canic fires of the globe ; islands have emerged from the depths of ocean and sunk beneath its waves; flaming worlds have shone in the firmament and wandered from their orbits into night and chaoS — and yet, amid all changes and revolutions, these monuments have stood ' i their imperishable and unchangeable majesty on the confines oi the mighty desert. On reflection we can readily trace to their proper caiise the peculiar characteristics of the works of'Egyptian masonry. The vast and shade- less deserts, the Nile with its turbid -waters flowing from mysterious and unexplored sources to the sea, the sea itself-r-all surrounding, unfath- JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY, 29 omableand unknown — were types of the illimitable and eternal. Egyptian architecture received from the. influence of such scenes, form an expression. It was an inevitable result. Hence arose the structure whose massive strength and gloomy vastness have defied the power of man and the ele- ments to^mar or destroy."^ At a much later period of the world's history and in the Isles of Greece we behold architectural effortSj in style and design, as divergent from the sombre monuments in the Valley of the Nile, as the versatile gepius of the .Greek differed from the gloomy mind of the Oriental builder. The happy " temperament and brilliant^fancy of the former revelled in the adoration of the bfeautiful. He delighted in every form, of art and in every manifesta- tion of Nature that pleased the senses or charmed the imagination. He peopled the rivers, groves and mountains of his native land with beings of more than mortal loveliness. ,He heard the glad voices of his joyous ^deities in the rush of the waves, the rustle of the leaves, the murmur of the -winds, the music of the waterfall, -and embodied his poetic conceptions in sculpture, architecture and verse, that lives when the works of his plastic hand are in mouldering ruin. The Grecian temples in their freedom, light- ness, grace, and variety, Reflected alike the ideal ch^acter of the religion of the time, ahd the intellect of the peojple. The glory of Greece has depart- ed. The same sun' that gilded the gardens of Attica, and the plains of Marathon, shines now on the ruined walls and desecrated shrines of her temples. Land of philosophy, song, poesy, and eloquence, whose immortal spirit illumes and instructs a world, how art thou fallen, and yet how lovely in thy desolation ! Roman, Goth, Moslem, and Frank have ravaged thy fields and robbed thee of thy treasures of art, but happily none can tear from thy brow the amarathine , wreath of fame, or pale the glorious memories of the i)ast. "No earth of thine is lost in common mould. But one vast realm of wonder spreads around. And all the muses' tales seem truly told." ' Rome in the style of her temples imitated, with very slight differences, Greciah architecture. Her architects essayed at one time to improve on the beautiful original and gave to the world the Tuscan and Composite orders. Vain attempt to rival in marble the magnificent conceptions of Greece! The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian pillars, with their graceful shafts, capitals and exquisite mouldings, upheld and adorned the temples ^of gods throughout the empire. To Rome, however, the civilized world is indebted for the introductjon^of the Arch. The Greeks and the Egyptians 3° JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. were either neglectful or ignoj-ant of its uses and principle. The Ro- mans employed it not only to embellish and improve their cities, but car- ried it into distant provinces, and by its aid constructed bridges across wide and rapid streams for the passage of their victorious legions. In their forums with splendid architectural porticos; in their theaters and amphitheaters, which could seat armies; in their mighty aqueducts through which the waters of rivers were conducted to their cities, the genius of the Roman people asserted its superiority, and left models foj- the nations of the present day to admire and imitate. With the fall of the Roman .Empire in the West there arose another order of architecture. It indicated a new era in the world's history. In the fourth and fifth centuries the Goths and other races poured irom their Northern homes upon the doomed provinces of Rome. No human power availed against their resistless march. From the shores of the German ocean their camp fires extended to the walls of the Imperial City, Among these warlike nations what is Jcnown as the Order of Gothic Architecture had its origin. It was introduced by them into the North of Italy in the fourth century and remained unchanged until the Crusaders at a later period engrafted upon it the designs of buildings which they had viewed with delight in the Mohammedan and Saracenic lands of the East. In the, tall spires, pointed arches and delicate traceries of the Gothic architecture we see the influence of, fancies that had been moulded by the lights and shadows of the forest — ^by the overarching branches of the grand old trees, the caves with their sparry columns and by the mountains with their dark gorges and beetling crags. The Greeks dedicated their temples to the protecting deities of a city or state and displayed in their adornment a poetic character and specula- tive tendency. The Gothic races on the contrary designed their religious edifices for the worship of a personal, ever present God by the individual man. This idea predominates in the plan of every cathedral of the medieval ages, and is perhaps today the distinguishing trait which renders the Gothic architecture for devotional purposes more suitable than any model from antiquity. ~ • Our Brotherhood operating in lodges of labor, and extending through all lands, builded many of the noblest structures of, the Middle Ages. Freemasonry was in those days of violence the ally of religion and assisted the Church to represent in forms of enduring beauty and grandeur the sublime hopes of the soul aspiring to God and immortal life. Freema- sonry, however, achieved its grandest triumph when organized and di- rected by the wisdom of Israel's King ; it erected the first temple on the JEWEI^ OF MASONIC OK.ATORY. 31 sacred mount. No discordant sound of metal was heard at its walls, tow- ers and pinnacles arose into the air like an embodied dream of loveliness. During seven years the work continued beneath the cloudless skies of Pal- estine. When at length .the purple glories of departing day were reflected from its dome, he who beheld that vision might well exclaim: "A star is trembling on the horizon's verge ; That star shall glow and broaden on the! night Until it hangs divine and beautiful In. the proud zenith." 41 . Our Brotherhood has ceased to be an operative institution. The im- plements of' the craft are no longer employed in actual labor. They have ' become symbols of speculative truth, and speak to the mind of laws and duties the observance of which will render our lives pure and harmonious and our characters firm and symmetrical. We may not regret the change. It was a modification demanded by the progress of civilization and the im- proved conditions of society. Throughout the world Masonry is to-day do- ing-a nobler work than' when its Ancient Craftsmen builded their stateliest columns. The Masonic institution itself is morie wonderful than any edifice which it ever constructed from the perishable materials of earth. It has an unspoken language older than any living language of Christendom. It has survived wars and revolutions, and is now silently ascending to loft- ier planes of usefulness. It looks to the heavens for its model, and in its work imitates the Divine plan of Nature. The Sun draws in vapory tributes the moisture from the ocean ; the invisible winds carry it in clouds over the globe and distribute in refreshing showers the liquid treasures of the skies. In like manner Masonry draws its strength and resources from the deep sea of human sympathies, and employs them to redress the wrongs and relieve the sorrows of humanity. And now before we return to our several walks in life, let the holiest aspirations of our hearts unite and cluster around the edifice which will rise above this stone. May the lightning and tempest spare its walls ; may the music of happy voices and the anthems of praise resound beneath its dome; may faith and peace, like ministering angels, illumine its altar, and shed their benign influence within its portals; and may the shadow pf ages pass over this valley ere the eyes of man shall behold again the memorial of our work. 32 JEWEW OF MASONIC ORATORY. ORATION. . DELIVERED BY J. Q. GOSS AT OMAHA, NEB., JUNE I9, 1867. M.\ W.\ Grand Master, Fellow Craftsmen, Ladies and Gentlemen: In standing before this vast audience, composed of many whom we, in Masonic language, term "profane," of the representatives of the Fraternity of tliis State, and I have no doubt, of many others — skillful craftsmen — representing the Fraternity at large, but not members of this Grand Body, I feel that the duty assigned me is one of no ordinary magnitude, and were it not that I have been schooled in the Masonic lesson of obedience, my feelings would have prompted me to have declined the honor of beiiig your orator on this occasion. I shall not, at this time, urge upon you the necessity of becoming Ma- sons, or ask you to unite yourselves with the Fraternity, for this the regu- lations and spirit of Masonry forbid ; but in obedience to the commands of the Grand Lodge, and in accordance with a custom of our Order, on occa- sions like the present, I stand here to address you upon the principles, the aims and object of our institution. So much- has been said and written about the antiquity of Masonry, that no one, not impervious to the charge of being a mere "copyist," would attempt, on such an occasion as this, or indeed at any other tirne, to trace the Masonic institution through all its periods of prosperity and adversity, from its inception to the present time. In relation to the date of its origin, permit me to say, that it is so far back in the remote ages of the past that the precise time cannot be determined. This is sufficient proof, if proof be necessary, that Masonry is not of modern origin, that it has passed through its periods of prosperity and adversity, and it stands before you to-day with the traces of age upon its brow, yet marked with none of those signs and evidences of decay, which age generally produces. I shall not, then, on this occasion, delve into the subterranean caverns of the dead past, and, from amid the rubbish and ruins of antiquity, ex- Tiume musty records, and from their time-stained pages decipher those mystic characters and letters which tell of the mysteries of the Gymnoso- phists of India, of the Persian Rite of Mithras, the Egyptian, of Osiris and Isis, the Eleusis of Greece, or of the Scandinavian and Druidical Rites, of the Gothic and Celtic tribes, and adduce these as proofs of the antiquity of JEWEW OF MASONIC ORATORY. 33 Masonry, for however much we may search those vaults of antiquity, trans- late the dUsty records of dead centuries,, and decorate and beautify the walls of our Masonic temple with the fragrant garlands of poesy, or with traditions and legends of the days- of yore, it will avail us nothing, unless we know what Masonry is, and what are its priiiciples and teachings. , In leaving those empyreati heights, intended only for the flights of genius, and contenting myself with traveling in more practical path's, and an examination of the vital, living present of Masonry — that in which we live and move, and with which we have to d6 — I ask your indulgence for the brief time allotted me sn this, occasion. ' Masonry is founded in the very wants of the nature of man. When the human emerged from the hand of the Divine Being, there was im- planted within him a desire for society and for social intercourse. The - declaration of God, that "it is not good for man to be alone," applies as well to every individual and to all classes of society, as it did to Adam in the garden. Through the ages that have rolled into eternity since Gk)d created man, and looked upon everything that He had made, and pronounced it "very good," down to the present, this longing for social intercourse has maintained its position in the human brea'st, and inspired man with noble aspirations and desires to elevate himself and his fellow-man in the scale of moral and social being. It is'true that there are some who have none of those Heaven-born aspirations and longings within their bosoms, who are content to grovel in ignorance^ and who seek not their own good or the welfare of their race. Such as these can never become Masons. It was but the beatings of the pulsations of our common humanity that laid the corner-stone of the Masonic temple, that has plated block upon block in the walls of this stupendous edifice, and that will continue to infuse life and energy into the hearts of those who bow at its altars, until the temple shall be completed in'all its parts — the keystone having been placed in its proper position — a inonument to the wisdom of its founders and builders — its pillars being, strong and enduring, and "beauty" being inscribed thereon in indelible characters. Man should not live for himself alone, for he is a member of one great fanjily or brotherhood, each member of which derives its support and assist- ance from the whole, and is therefore a dependent being. This dependence of the parts is true of all created matter, and is beautifully exemplified in all the works of the Sovereign Architect of the Universe, as proclaimd in the dignity, peace and harmony of nature. The animal world 'breathes out gases for the vegetable kingdom, and in turn exhales or stores up those elements that are essential to animal health and vigor. Every mountain 34 JBWEW OF MASONIC ORATORY. slope supports its own herbage, and from the gentle rains which fall from heaven to moisten their surface, the little, rill is formed, which flows into the vale below and feeds the herbage there, — thence it flows onward and still on, until it reaches the boundless ocean, whose waves wash every shore, and upon whose bosom is carried the commerce of the world. The warm gulf stream that flows from the sunny regions of the equator to near the polar coasts, softens the winds of that arctic region'; the poles, in return, send forth their vast array of icebergs, which, floating onward, at length reach the torrid zone, and there serve to temper the fierce tropical heat. Thus we find that, by the harmonies of creation, selfishness is condemned," and that from the interwoven service of nature each department gives and receives a corresponding benefit. • The harmony of nature is produced by the organization and order which over all prevails. The idea of organization is. in fact connected with that of order. This is true of societies as well as in nature ; and the more perfect the organization, the greater the harmony. It makes no difference how discordant the elements of which a society is composed ; if there is perfect organization, entire harrtiony exists therein. This is beautifully illustrated in Masonry; within our lodges may be found men of every shade of opinion, political and religious ; yet, notwithstanding those differ- ences, peace and tranquillity abound; arid while assembled in the lodge room,. at least, "brethren dwell together in unity." There. is a reciprocity of brotherly kindness, which springs up in the hearts of those who in deed and in truth are Masons, that time cannot obliterate, and that circumstance can never change. This has been fully exemplified during the strife from which our country has just emerged. When hostile armies met in deadly conflict — when the fiercest passions of hate and revenge were aroused-r- when the clashing of arms and the booming of the cannon were heard — when the shrieks of the wounded and dying saluted the ear on every hand — above all these. Masonry asserted her sway — the mystic sign was not unheeded. It checked those unholy passions of strife, envy, hatred and discord, which, but a few moments previous, had crushed out all the ennobling qualities of the man, and rekindled within the bosom of those hostile combatants, those feelings of brotherly love and affection which Masonry inculcates. We do not claim for Masonry that it is of Divine origin. It is an in- stitution founded by man, upon those divine principles which underlie all that is truly noble and good in humanity. Its object is to educate man, and to devfelop him to the fullest extent in all those faculties of his nature that tend to harmonize the human family, and to elevate mankind to the JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. 35 highest attainable cbndition to which it is possible for human agencies and institutions to raise him. Its teachings are pure and holy,, designed to fill the soul of the initiate with higher concepitions of those duties which every man owes to himself, to his fellow man and to his God. He is taught that to himself he owes tlie sacred duty of refraining from all those indulgences which tend to impair his faculties and degrade his being; to be temperate in all his desires, and chaste in all his actions, and to place such restraint upon all his affections and passions as shall most effectually free his mind from the allurements of vice. To, his fellow man he i»itaught to act upon the principles of brotherly love. From the time when he first crosses the threshold of the Masonic temple, throligh all the forms and ceremonies of the three degrees, until he becomes a fuU brother among us, and as long as he continues to worship at the Masonic altar, he is constantly reminded that 'it is his duty to practice brotherly love, relief and truth. Love to his fellow man, and especially to the brotherhood, is strongly inculcated ; and he is taught that the unity and harmony that pervades the universe should form conspicuous elements in the human character. To the individual who has been fully prepared at heart to become a Mason, how beautifully sublime must fall^upon his ear the exhortation to "behold how goojd and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." He learns that "There is a calm in friendship's hdur, T^here is a spell when hearts unite. There is a magic in that power. That leads to better worlds of light — That cheers the soul with heavenly ray, , And tells about a peaceful home, • / And, 'mid the gloom of sorrow's day. Says softly, 'brighter hours will come.' " This unity constitutes the secret of the permanence of our Order. At oUccommunicationsi all those subjects which tend to produce discord and contention are strictly forbidden. Political partisanship is forever de- barred, and cannot enter within our walls. In this respect, Masonry is in- deed peculiar. The founders of the institution, and those who btiilt upon the foundations so skillfully laid, have ever solemnly declared that this prolific source of bickering and strife should never enter within her doors. How truly good and pleasant, then, is it, when, the heart has become care- worn and chilled by the beating of pitiless storms of ad,versity, to enter there, Where "kindred hearts in fond embrace doth meet." When tlje 36 JEWEI^S OF MASONIC ORATORY. angry waves of the troubled ocean of political contests have tossed us about, and almost made shipwreck all the faith, hope and charity that once existed within our breasts; when fierce prejudices and passions have been engendered, how good and how, pleasant to enter the lodge room, where this fruitful source of jarring disccird cannot enter, and where heavenly peace is a welcome and delightful guest. In religious matters, also. Freemasonry holds itself aloof from any and all attempts to control the opinions of its members. It is true that we recognize the existence of Church and of State; but we also recognize to its fullest extent the fact that were we to go farther than this, were we to point out the party to which those who become associated with us should belong, were we to lay down the principles or tenets of a religious faith and prac- tice to be observed and believed by all, we should endanger the very exist- ence of our Order. In religion, therefore, where religious denominations. begin to construct their systems of faith. Masonry halts. Here her path lies in a different direction from theirs. Denominations, or religious sects,, adopt a theology peculiar to the views of their founders, and to these views, their devotees must subscribe; while Masonry demands from its disciples, a recognitionof a simple and primitive faith in Diety, an acknowledgment of, and- a pure simple trust in Him as the author and giver of all good — r those principles in which all men who are not atheists agree — leaving it to their own consciences as .to their application of this faith to their daily walk and conversation; thus reserving to itself the sacred mission of propagat- ing the principles and true ideas of brotherhood of man as extended as humanity itself, and of uniting in the bonds of friendship and love ^ose who otherwise must have remained at variance, and possibly at enmity, with each other. , In the lodge room, then, we may truly say that Earth's distinctions vanish here ; Wp know no race, nor sect nor clan, Only the brother tried and dear ; Only the Mason and the man. Hail, holy, happy brotherhood ! Truth, love and friendship bind in one Hearts that are true, sincere and good. By thy refining influence won. There are certain prominent points of Masonic duty, of which no Mason can be ignorant, although he may not be acquainted with aU the minutiae and ceremonies of the Order. The peculiar traditions and doc- JEWBI,S OF MASONIC ORATORY. 37 trines which are includeid in the lectures may, by him, have been unex- plored ; but the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth— of Faith, Hope and Charity — have all been inscribed upon his tracing-board in such bright, indelible characters that he cannot be uninformed as to his duties in relation thereto. The true Mason is continually seeking opportunities for the exercise of those virtues of which I have just spoken, and which have formed so prominent a part in his Masonic education. He knows his duties, and knowing, seeks to reduce them to practice; for with him Masonry is a living reality and not theom alone. It is in the practice of those virtues that he delights for he has learned that in doing good there is much joy. Is a brother afflicted and distressed, his hand is ever ready to aid and assist him, and to relieve his wants and necessities. The blessed influences of brotherly loye and charity — twin daughters' of Heaven^ — ^prompt him to those noble deeds of benevolence which give joy and gladness to many a weary, sad and sorrowing heart. Masonic charity is not limited to simple gifts and contributions of money or other tangible: material of worldly goods, although these, when necessary, are right and proper, and are included within the term of char- ity. The being who is compelled, by the force of adverse circumstances, to beg from door to door, feels grateful for a crust of bread or other food with which to appease the cravings of hunger. Thanks are uttered for a pair of shoes, to protect the feet, or a coat to shield the body from the chilling blasts of winter. He calls these acts charity, because they alleyiate his bodily sufferings and provide for him the necessaries lof physical life. True charity, however, extends beyond these, \.o.all the wants of the great broth- erhood of mankind. Have the cold and pitiless storms of a selfish, unfeeling world beat upon the heart, charity throws around it her, broad mantle of brotherly love and affection, which warms and infuses iiito its whole being new life and animation, and as the genial showers and summer sun cause the face of nature to smile and look glad, so the drops of genial affection and the rays of brotherly love, beaming from the benign countenance of one whose heart is prompted by the honest impulses of genuine charity, cause the soul of the recipient thereof to overflow with gratitude and joy. Is a brother led astray by the erring propensities of his nature, this charity prompts the true Mason to gently remind him of his faults, to whisper good counsels in his ear, and to aid and assist him, in all his efforts at reforma- tioHi V She bends over the poor fallen brother, and with her broad mantle hides from the inquiring and condemning gaze of the world the self-in- flicted shame and degradation, and at the first dawn of returning reason, I 38 JEWELS' OF MASONIC ORATORY. she lifts him again to his feet, and by the gentle- allurements of affection, endeavors to lead him back to the paths of rectitude and self-respect. She enters the house of mourning, and there, unto the saddened heart that has been bereft of some loved one by the cruel hand of death, she presents the cup of sympathy and affection, and pours the oil of consolation into its bleeding wounds. This is the charity which envieth not another and which puffeth not itself, which is kind and forbearing, full of long-suffering, and goodness and truth; and this charity every Mason should practice. It is to be feared, however, that there are some who become members of the Fraternity for the benefit they expert to derive from it, rather than from a desire to confer blessings and benefits on others. They are advo- cates of brotherly love, when that love is to, flow froih another's breast towards them, but which kindles within their own hearts no sympathetic spark of love and affection. They believe it to be a duty to relieve the distressed, and who more distressed than they? They hope that great good will enure fo them from their association with Masons, and above all they believe that charity is the greatest of, Christian graces, and they have also learned that "charity begins at home." Such men have no sentiment, in common with the teachings and spirit of Masonry. Within their breasts there pulsates no emotion of pure love. They live for themselves, and fqr themselves alone; and their hearts, if any they have, are like the glaciers of the Alps and the icebergs of the arctic seas. I thank God that but few such ever darken the doorway in the Masonic temple; and those few soon find that the lodge is no place for them, and they soon cease to frequent our assemblies, for the heartfelt greetings and fraternal com- munions there enjoyed are but torments to their uncongenial natures. Faith, Hope and Charity are so interwoven that they cannot be sep- arated. They are stars which give light and lustre to the Mason's path- way here, urging him onward to the exercise of the noble principles of the Order to which he belongs. Faith lends to him her seraphic wings, whereby he soars above the transitory things of earth, and beholds the Great Architect of the Universe, and learns to adore Him as the chief good ; while Hope points him to a home beyond the tomb. He has "faith in God, hope in immortality," and these engender withih his bosom "charity toward all mankind." These stars shine with brighter lustre, as he becomes more and more in harmony with the teachings of Masonry. The poet has sung : JEWBI,S OF MASONIC ORATORY, 39 I There are three stars of lustre bright, ' Which cheer the Mason's conflict here. And cast their pure and holy light Across life's billows dark and drear. The star of Faith, when doubts arise. And veil the troubled heart in gloom. Points to bright realms beyond ^the skies. And lasting joys beyond the tomb. When o'er life's ocean, rude and wild, ;<■• Our fragile barks are madly driven. The star of Hope, with radiance mild. Points to a harbor safe in Heaven. When reckless of a brother's tears, Down pleasure's slippery track we go. The star of Charity appears, . And points us to that brother's woe. Oh ! brethren of the mystic tie. Pure light upon our path will shine. If on these stars we fix our eye — "Faith, Hope and Charity divine." Masonry is a permanent institution. Its existence dates far back into the annals of the past; and although empires and kingdoms have been overthrown, aind changes and revolutions have taken place in Govern- ments and in society, since it first had a being, yet Masonry still lives, having withstood the ravages of tirne, the shafts of persecution, through periods of prosperity and adversity; and to-day occupies a prominent position on the earth — yCa, is has to-day a living, vital existence, and will continue to exist as long as time shall be. It stands forth to the world as a tried institution. She has been weighed in the balances, and "Tekel" has not been written against her. Notwithstanding the ancient origin that Masonry can boast, the permanent character that she sustains, and the moral influence of her teachings, she has, in all ages, been assailed by her enemies, and the shafts of persecution have been hurled against her — yet without eflfect. We may congratulate ourselves, however, that organized opposition has long since ceased; yet there are still some who bring objections against the Order. 40, JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. These objections have been met and answered, from time to time, until they have become stale; and, to Masons, it seems almost a waste of time to consider them. There are one or two, however, that I will at the pres- ent time briefly consider, coming, as they do, from a source that deserves . some attention, and also to combat any idea that may be entertaiiied of their truth. Some of our clerical friends ( ?) have, not long since, as- serted that "Masonry teaches infidelity." We, who belong to the Fraterni- ty, know full well that this, charge is utterly unfounded; but coming, as it does, from those who prof ess, to be ministers of the Gospel of Christ, and who consider it to be their duty to warn mankind against all attempts to overthrow the influence of the Christian religion — and in this work we bid them Godspeed — some imight be induced to believe the charge. , Let us .first inquire as to the means of knowledge of those who thus testify ; against us. Are they now, or have they ever been, Masons ? If not, they know nothing about Masonry, except so much as they can derive from sources that are open to all who do not belong to the institution. AH oth- ers, then, have as good an opportunity of judging as they. Read, then, our Masonic literature — our" Monitors — which give all that is 'connected with the ceremonies of Masonry, that instructs the candidate as to the principles of the Order. View the class of men who are Masons ; look at them, as they appear before you to-day, and tell me if they are hot men who rank as high in community as those even who oppose us. Some of our members are even ministers of tfiat same Gospel of peace. Examine these things carefully, and you can readily determine whetheT the charge of "infidelity" is well founded. Masonry challenges yoyr scrutiny in this as well as in everything or objection that is urged against her. There are others who bring wholesale charges against Masonry be- cause some of its members violate its teachings. Is one Mason intemper- ate in his habits, then Masonry teaches and encourages drunkenness. Does one Mason swear, then Masonry teaches profanity. And thus, from the niisdeeds of its members, Masonry is brought into disrepute, and its enemies exultantly exclaim : "I would not belong to an Order that teaches . or allows such practices as these." Stop, one moment, my' friend, and see what would be the result of your reasoning. Are you a member of some one of the Christian denomi- nations? Do all who profess religion, or who belong to any of these de- nominations, live in accordance with the doctrines of Christianity? If not, then you must denounce Christianity, sever the ties which bind you to the sect to which you belong, and come out from among them. JE^yEI■ As leaves torn from the book of Tiirie. Designing men, from morbid thought, The Morgan Myth to being brought, And at Masonic doors was laid A charge, the foulest ever made. Killed Morgan? He came to his death, Like other men- — for want of breath. The only Morgan this Lodge through The State has sent, as though it flew. With' something of Masonic pride, Is the Morgan horse that never died. The anti-Masons had their day. And like all anti's passed^away. Leaving a few that we may see How thoughtless thinking men can be. Englesby, Hall arid Davis rise In calmer days, with brighter skies Above .the Lodge, to grace her chair And all her rifted walls repair. To mention Bowman, Smith and Read, Men pure in thought and great in deed ; A Butler, Meacham, Perkins, Hall, Wirig, Bacon, is but to recall JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. 49 To this Grand Lodge the late and rare Grand Masters who have filled her chair, And brief the roll, for it appears She had but twelve in eighty years, \ And only twenty-four held sway Since Rutland saw her natal day. As age goes back to youthful things, And streams return to their old springs, The GranH Lodge with her hundred years In touch with Manchester "iappears. Finds in her chair a man of worth From the fair heights that gave her birth, John Harris Whipple, nobler name _ , Appears not on her scroll of fame. In him all past Grand Masters meet, Through him the honored line we greet. The living cheer, and o'er the dead Acacia sprigs in silence spread. What of the future ? Fair' and bright ! The cry still rings,- "Let there be light!" Long as the radiant sun shall rise To high noon from the eastern skies ; Long" as the old Green Mountains stand. Like sentinels, to guard our land. While changing seasons come and go Toi strew the flowers and sift the snow. Through Winter's cold and Summer's heat The Grand Lodge of Vermont shall meet. Her chair the throne of grace and power As it has been and is this hour. - Then, when tired Time has reached his boufne. This Grand Lodge shall rise aiid adjourn To other hills, in Summer lands. Whose temples are not made with hands. 50 JEWEI3 OF MASONIC ORATORY. ADDRESS. DELIVERED BY R. :. W. •. O. P. SPERRA, GRAND ORATOR, AT THE DEDICATION OF THE OHIO MASONIC HOME AT SPRINGFIELD^ OHIO, OCTOBER 23, 1895. Most Worshipful Grand Master, Masons of Ohio, Ladies and Gentlemen: These customs of celebrating with festivities and ceremony a great act performed, an extraordina];y work accomplished, are as old as is man- kind. The crude records of savage life and the hieroglyphical archives of barbarous pfeople and the history of more advanced civilization alike de- monstrate and attest this fact. They are all in this respect actuated by the same feeling and governed by the same impulses. It is most fitting and eminenly proper that all public edifices, and more especially and par- ticularly those designed for advanced and continuing good, for the amelior- ation of the condition of man, for the promulgation of HonOr, Truth and Justice, should have their dedication and their dedicatory ceremony ; and although the ceremony may differ in act and speech, the spirit which prompts and underlies, and the motive which determines- it, are alike un- changing and unchangeable. My Brethren and friends, the history of Masonry in Ohio (to us the best in the increasing crowd of States) is coextensive with the history of the Commonwealth itself. Masonfy is as old as is government; in fact, Masonry is government, and brings within its charmed circle, from its own power, order out of chaos, union from disruption, light from dark- ness, liberty and freedom out of slavery, structures upon, ruins. In its origin, its principles, organization, and likewise in its administration, are to be found obedience to the laws of God and man, loyalty to country, com- pliance with established ilsages and customs, hope of immortality, charity for all mankind, and love for Brothers and Fellows. Without all of these attributes there can not be Masonry. Demonstrating, then, the practicability and truthfulness of these prin- ciples, and in conformity with our duty as Masons, we are this day per- jnitted to crown with fitting ceremonial the completion of part, at least, of tlie greatest work of practical Masonry in the history of Ohio. This day is a Masonic heirloom, and this event a rich Masonic legacy. Cherish and pre- serve it even as the Spartan cherished the olive-branch of the victor*. No h JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. 53 man — particularly a Mason, and surely no Ohio Mason — can stand in the presence of his Grand Lodge, within the shade of this beautiful building, and not feel his heart grow more tender, and his breast fill and well up with ' sympathy, when he considers that within this structure will be fostered and perpetuated the beautiful truths of our profession ; wherein Brotherly Love will prevail; wherein ReHef will be furnished; and above all" of these, wherein the highest type of Masonic manhood will be taught and inculcated, until the prattle of baby orphans becomes the stronger sense of maturer years. Stop and realize whut your enterprise has accomplished. Let the nat- ural feeling assert itself, and thereby consider the irnportance and magni- tude of the results to be obtained ; that there will old men be protected ; prostrate old age, with usefulness all gone, be cheered and comforted ; and you, in your home, surrounded with family and comforts, can have that pure and better feeling that you have lived the Hfeof a true Mason, and have aided in smoothing; the life of your fellow men. But, again, within these rooms will be provided comforts for the widow — your widow, per- haps — who can tell? And thus, as God's beautiful sun shall rise On each succeeding day, and with its warmth kiss the dew of night from grass and flowers, from turret and roof ; at the hour when the pure air of morning is filled with the joyous songs of happy birds; from within these walls will come forth the happy prattle of little 'children, orphan children, your chil- dren, perhaps— you hope not, but who cant tell ? — as they again commence the round of the day's duty and pleasure. Masonry has, in greeting this beautiful building, and again in its dedi- ; ■cation with the presence of so many of the Craft from all parts of the State, demonstrated that its teachings are fraught with thought and deeds of love and kindness, and that to be a Mason one must be willing to aid and succor his fellow men. And now, my friends and my Brethren, as members of this great Fra- ternity, as Free and Accepted Masons, and belonging to an Order emerg- ing from the dim uncertainty of the past, as members of this great and honorable institution that was born in the shades of King Solomon's tem- ' pie, bathed in the inspiration of his wisdom, it has come thundering down the ages loaded with good deeds, and crowned, with the gem of universal charity; and as it has, in the light of good and generous deeds, walked .hand in hand with the Christian Church, it has aided in teaching the les- sons that the' Master taught, inculcating Charity, Truth and Justice. ' • As members, then, of such an Order, and with such a history, we com- plete this day, and at this time, one of its rtiogt impressive ceremonials J and 54 JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. this completion of ceremonial work, this pageant, and this great inter^ mingling of Masons, would be but an idle thing indeed did we draw no new lessons from it, or did we not anew become impressed with the many vir- tues our beloved Fraternity inculcates. When you stop to think that in the completion of this building you have fiiiished. the greatest single act of your history of the State ; by dedicating thii splendid building to its practical uses, wherein may be fostered those twin agents of civilization and prog- ress — education and charity. To-day this structure has had to pass the inspection of us all. We have examined it to see if it is complete in all its parts ; to see if it has been completed plan-like and workmanlike. Satisfied with our examination, we have retired ; and, figuratively at least, we have met in the Hall of As- sembly the Grand Master Architect, and grasping Him by the right hand, in the joy of our hearts have ekclaimed, "Hail, Raboni !" which is, being interpreted, "Hail Most Excellent Master !" Masonry builds up character by the lessons taught from the Orders of Architecture. Let us see that these lessons may be exemplified in us. Masonry is what we make it, and we are no better as Lodges, Chapters, Councils, Commanderies or Consistories than we are as individuals. ^ We may never witness again- a Masonic spectacle so interesting; for the years of human life are few arid short; and fast they are speeding away ; and the most splendid scenes, and the most august ceremonies that ever call us together on this earth, may serve to convince us more surely that we are to be summoned to a Grand Lodge other than this ; and let us hope that the result of the examination there will be: "Well done! Thou hast professed little; but in actual good accomplished, in benevolent acts and deeds per- formed, the balance is on the right side." The heat and burden of life's day of labor will soon be over, and we will be called upon to present our work. It will then be tested, and must stand the test of the great Oversefer's unerring square. , Let us make for ourselves a history that we were ever faithful in the performance of work and duty. Let us here and now make the resolution that we will ever strive > to brighten the endless chain of Masonry link by link, as it girdles and en- circles civilization, and so pass it on, and hand, it down, without blemish and unbroken, till time and Masonry shall perish together. Let us, in doing this, build a Masonic Home in our daily lives. Let, it be built broad and wide; let us build it strotjg, substantial. Let it be builded on an everlasting and eterna:! foundation, thorough and solid, magnificent, rearing its walls as we place one perfect ashler upon another, and placing keystone and copestone with deeds of honor and duty ; and JEWEI.S OF MASONIC ORATORY. 55 Still more than these, let us adorn it with the pillars and pilasters of Brotherly Love, of Charity and Self-Sacrifice ; and this done, our personal building will be the light, the admiration, and the blessing of mankind, even as this grand structure is now at once the gratification and admiration of the Masons of Ohio. "In the elder da,ys of Art, Builders wrought with greatest care Each minute and unseen part, For the gods see everywhere. . ' ' "Let us do our part as well. Both the unseen and the seen ; Make the house where gods may dwell Beautiful, entire and clean." g6 JBWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. ADDRESS. DELIVERED BY J. A. M'DOUGALL BEFORE THE GRAND LODGE OF ILLINOIS AT ITS SECOND GRAND ANNUAL COMMUNlfcATION, HELD AT JACKSONVILLE, OCTOBER 4, 184I. Brethren:, The occasion which has brought, us together is one of deep and im- posing interest. We are here the representatives of an institution about the temples of which have whistled the winds of, more than thirty centuries; assembled, as was the wont of the brotherhood of old, to repolish the jewels of our faith, and brighten the links of that mystic chain that unites in the sympathy of friendship, in the practice of charity, and in the cultivation of virtue, the scattered members of our order throughout the world. Who is there that can look along the line- of receding ages, back to the time when the world's history fades into the dim obscurity of the long for- gotten past, and behold emerging from that obscurity, with the first rays of the dawning light, the broad foundations of our institution ; and watch its gradual extension, until within its walls are found citizens of every nation — votaries from every shrine, all speaking one common language, the lan- guage of truth,of virtue and of friendship ;andthen remember that this time- consecrated edifice has had no dependence upon physical existences — no as- sociation with political power — no connection with particular creeds; but was erected of the material of moral principle ; by the labors of immaterial thought? Who is there, I say, that with the mind's eye, can take in this vast conception, and his pulse not throb, and his soul swell within him as he contemplates the sublime reality. Time, the destroyer, in his eternal and continued work of devastation, has swept over cities ; and the sands of what once were gardens, but now are deserts, cover them; the prone column, the broken obelisk, the moul- dering pile furpish the only mementp of their forgotten founders ; empires after empires have grown into power and dwindled into nothingness; gen- erations after generations have lived and flourished, and ceased to be. Physical man and his physical work are alike ephemeral ; but the works of the eternal mind partake of its own indestructible essence. Thus, while the chisel of Praxiteles left no trace upon the things that be, of the perfection JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. 57 of his art ; the strains of the old blind man of Scia are to many as familiar now as when he himself struck his harp in the presence of his favorite heroes. Thus, while the beautiful fabric, which the Poet of Israel erected to his God, has been dust for ages, the music of his song still lingers upon the lips of thousands. But all the productions of thought, all the creations of intellect, have not the like claim to immortality. Of the achievements of the human mind, as of the workmanship of the human hand, man naturally seeks to preserve " that which is most perfect, most beautiful and most pure. Thus the subtle and mischievous speculalipons of the ancient sophists were forgotten, with the schools in which they were taught ; while the beautiful and profound philosophy of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle yet lives on the page of learn- ing, and in the admiration of its votaries. Thus the religions which stained their altar stones with the blood of human victims are remembered only with horror ; while that faith, which asks as the only fitting sacrifice to the Omnipotent, the aspirations of a pure and unpolluted heart, is becoming the religion of the world. And thus, and for all these reasons, while em- pires have beien creating and crumbling ; false religions been promulgated and forgotten; while time has crumbled all that was physical into dust, and consigned most that was intellectual into oblivion, this institution has con- tinued a connected and prosperous existence. The stormy surge of time, dashing against its whitened walls, but only rendering them more purely, white. The revolutions of the earth shaking all other institutions to their fall, but only settling the foundation of this more firmly. It has stood for three thousand years, and stands iiow, -fitting and glorious emblem of the immortality of truth and virtue. To those, ignorant of the character of our order, this may seem but the veriest rhapsody — but unmeaning sound, signifying nothing. To the Mason, however, they are old, familiar truths, he need not be told of the antiquity of Masonry, he already knows it. He need not be told of the purity of its principles, he has already felt it. But aside from the lessons tiiught in our temples, the inquisitive and curious may learn the truth of all my observations from recorded and veritable history. It was one of the peculiarities of ancient learning that it was taught in secret, and taught by symbol. The instructions thus inculcated were never reduced to writing, but registered only upon the tablets of the memory of the initiated ; such was the case in the schools of the Gymnosphists, and in the colleges of the Egyptian priesthood. In these institutions were taught not only the mysteries of religion and the maxims of philosophy, but also 58 JEWEIyS OF MASONIC ORATORY. the rules of art. From them all the learnnig of the East derived its source; in them existed the germ of the world's enlightenment. The wise and magnificent Solbmon had in his youth gathered the learning of the oriental world. In the language of inspiration, "His wis- dom excelled the wisdom of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt." He is supposed to have been not only master of the Egyptian, mys- teries, but familiar with the learning of the Persian and Chaldean magii; and when he conceived the design of erecting the temple at Jerusalem, the learning thus acquired he applied to the regulation, organization and in- struction of those whom he engaged in the erectiqn of that vast edifice ; and it was thus that of the builders of the Temple of Solbmon was established the first lodge, properly, of Masons. From the East the learning of the Craft was transplanted into Europe by Pythagoras. As was then the custom among the lovers of learning, that philosopher spent a great portion of his life' in travel; studied in the col- leges of Egypt ; visited the Gymnosphists of India, and acquired the learn- ing of thfe Magii. Attracted by the reputation for learning and wisdom which had at that day placed Solomon first among the wise men of the East, he visited Jerusalem, where his own great reputation gave him access to all the institutions of that most remarkable people. Having acquired all the learning of his age, he returned, to his native island, but finding its tyrant his enemy, he established himself in Crotona, in Magna Grecia, where, adopting the Eastern mode of instruction, he taught the rich and varied lessons acquired in his many years of travel. Numa Pompillius, the second Roman Sovereign, was one of his dis- ciples, and from him adquired those principles of government, philosophy and religion which distinguished hini' as one of the wisest monarchs of an- tiquity. After his accession to the throne, among other institutions he estab- lished the Collegia Fabrorum, or College of Builders; introduced into it the organization and mysteries of the Hebrew Lodges, and endowed its members with many privileges. So high was the estimate placed upon this institution by the Roman people that they afterwards extended, recognized and established those privileges by the laws of the twelve tables. Thus patronized by the' Government, similar institutions niultiplied and early became dispersed through all the provinces of the Roman State. They, as it were, cultivated the soil which the sword had gained, and where the Roman arms brought desolation and death, they erected the monu- ments and taught the arts of a refined civilization. It is said that there was no town, at all important, no province, however distant, where members of JEWELS OF MASONIC ORATORY. 59 these colleges did not exist, until the downfall of the Western ahd East:^m empires. Numbers of them accompanied each Roman Legion, and when the Roman power established itself in Britain, the extensive works there undertaken drew a large number of the craft to that then remote province ; the same was the case in France, Spain, on the Rhine and on the Da:nube. During the invasion and devastation of England by the Picts, Scots and Saxons the order nearly vanished in that country, but it continued to flour- ish in France, Spain and the Greek Empire, and from these countries the Christian Saxon rulers of England re-introduced it into their territories. In the seventh centWry, Athelstane granted to his brpther Edwin a charter for a Grand Lodge at York, which was then established and that prince became its Grand Master. This ancient temple, yvith its charter, of twelve centuries, still continues in existence, and to it all due allegiance was rendered; and from it all Masonic jurisdiction originated, until the foundation of the Grand Lodge at London, by its authority and consent, in 1567- During ah age when science wandered not forth into the world's gen- eral darkness; when virtue was a word seldom used, save in the absurd refinements of the schoolmen, it was in these lodges that the votaries of learning, truth and virtue trimmed their lone lamps in secrecy and' silence. During the reign of Henry the Sixth, the Bishop of Winchester made a fierce, and for a time, a successful attack upon the fraternity. But that monarch, for the purpose of ascertaining its real character, was himself in-, itiated into the mysteries, and sO highly gratified was he with the pure mor- ality and elevated principles inculcated, that he drew up in his own hand- writing a series of questions and answers respecting the nature and ten- dency of Freemasonry, and vindicating the order from all the charges of its enemies. This manuscript was obtained frqm the Bodlien library by Locke, who transmitted it to the Earl of Pembroke, with explanatory notes. Such was the character of those questions and answers that Locke, after their inspection, determined to join the order; he afterwards did so, and became one of its most distinguished members. , Were it not that it would exhaust my own strength and your patience, it would please me to trace the history of Masonry minutely through those ages in modern Europe, where, ever and anon, the spirit of the arch fiend seems to have been unchained and let loose,' fitted for destruction; times when intestine and foreign war made all Europe one great battle-field. Suf- fice it, however, that abbv« the turbid waves of that chaos of government, of law> of religion, of all things, the ark of Masonry rode tranquil, like the 6o JEWEI