THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MASONRY.

BY AN ANCIENT WRITER.

THE MASONIC REVIEW - 1854

Hail mystic science, seraph maid l
Imperial beam of light!
In robes of sacred truth arrayed,
Morality's delight.
O give me Wisdom to design,
And Strength to execute ;
In native beauty e'er be minx,
Benevolence thy fruit.

DR. PERFECT.

In the history of mankind there is nothing more remarkable
than that Masonry and civilization, like twin sisters, have
gone hand in hand together. The orders of architecture mark
their growth and progress; dark, dreary, and comfortless
were those tunes when Masonry had not laid her line, nor
extended her compass. The race of man in full possession of
wild and savage liberty, sullen and solitary, mutually
offending and afraid of each other, hid themselves in thickets
of the woods, or dens and caves of the earth. In these murky
recesses, these sombrous solitudes, the Almighty Architect
directed Masonry to find them out; and pitying their forlorn
and destitute condition, instructed them to build houses for
convenience, defence, and comfort. The habitations they
then built were of the Rustic or Tuscan order which, as a
prototype of their manners, was an artless imitafion of
coarse and simple nature. Yet rude and inelegant as they
were, they had this happy effect, that by aggregating
mankind they prepared the way for improvement. The
hardest bodies will polish by collision, and the roughest
manners by communion and intercourse. Thus by degrees
they lost their asperity and ruggedness, and became
insensibly mild and gentle. Masonry beheld and gloried in
the change, and, as their minds softened and expanded, she
showed them new lights, and conducted them to new
improvements.

The Tuscan mansions please no more. In the Doric order
they aimed at something more high and noble; and taking
their idea of symmetry from the human form divine, adopted
that as their model. At that era their buildings, though simple
and natural, were proportioned in the exactest manner, and
admirably calculated for strength and convenience.

It can be no matter of astonishment, that men who had
formed their original plan from nature, should resort to nature
for their lessons of ornament and proportion, to complete
their labors. The eye that was charmed with the fair sex, the
heart that was conscious of woman's elegance and beauty,
would instantly catch the idea from thence, and transpose
the lovely form in perfect symmetry, to complete the column
he was then studying. Accordingly, the Ionic order was
formed after the model of a beautiful young woman, with
loose disheveled hair, of an easy, elegant, flowing shape.

Thus human genius, which we have seen in the bud, the
leaf, the flower, ripened to perfection, and produced the
fairest, richest fruit; every ingenious art, every liberal
science, every moral and social virtue, that could delight,
exalt, refine, adorn, edify, or improve mankind.

Now it was that Masonry put on her richest robes, her most
gorgeous apparel, and in the Corinthian displayed a
profusion of ornaments, the principal parts of which were
eminently conspicuous in Israel's holy temple. She displayed
the torch and enlightened the whole circle of arts and
sciences. Commerce flew to her on canvas wings, fraught
with the treasures and produce of the universe. Painting and
sculpture exerted every nerve to decorate the building she
had raised, and the curious hand of design contrived the
furniture and tapestry - Geometry, Music, Astronomy -
Virtue, Honor, Mercy, with an infinite variety of masonic
emblems were wrought thereon; but none shone more
conspicuous than MORALITY, CHARITY, and BROTHERLY
LOVE.

Were I to take a general survey of the order of Freemasonry,
a field of unbounded space would open to the view; replete
with more beauties than the most fanciful pencil can
delineate, or poet describe, assisted by all the flowers of
metaphor. But time will not perms me to investigate the
ground plan of the fabric. I shall, therefore, take an
allegorical view of the building and mode of introduction.

Virtue, crowned with a wreath of laurel, dressed in a robe of
palest sapphire, girt round her waist by an azure zone, on
which peculiar emblems were richly embroidered in blue,
purple, and crimson, formed the mosaic work, or ground plan
of the building.

Wisdom, Justice, Truth, Mercy, and Benevolence, as pillars
of the purest marble, supported the portal, over which, on a
magnificent dome of a quadrangular form, the principles of
the establishment were delineated by Religion and Morality;
together with certain hieroglyphics descriptive of the order.

The entrance was guarded by two sentinels, who had
something in their looks so awful, that strangers recoiled at
the sight of them. Their names were Temperance and
Fortitude, the former held a bridle, the latter a spear.
Notwithstanding their aspect was so forbidding, yet when a
candidate approached, conducted by Honor and
Perseverance, their countenance was softened by affability
to serene courtesy.

Having passed the sentinels and entered the building, Honor
end Perseverance presented him to Brotherly-love, who after
discharging the duties of his office, led him to a beautiful
transparent arch, descriptive of the six days' work of the
creation; on the right side of the arch stood Charity, her eyes
were blue, beautiful, and piercing; in one hand she held a
chalice of wrought gold, m the other a censer of incense. On
the left stood Contemplation; her looks were directed
towards heaven; a large folio book lay open in the center, on
the back of which was written in letters of gold, THE HOLY
BIBLE. Here Brotherly-love delivered him to the care of
Faith, Humility, and Hope. The former had her head invested
with a circle of rays, which threw a bright lustre on all around
her; she bore a shield of divine workmanship, and went
foremost. Humility clothed in a venture of a dark sober hue,
which trailed the ground, walked slowly by her side. Hope
had in her hand an opening bud, fresh and fragrant as the
morning rose: by those he was conducted to an elderly
personage, who still appeared fresh and rigorous ; she had a
meek and contented aspect, having a staff in her hand on
which she sometimes leaned. Her name wad Prudence,
from whom he received peculiar instructions respecting the
institution.

Leaving her, they ascended, by easy steps, towards the
GRAND HALL; near the entrance, on an elevated throne, sat
a comely matron in her bloom, well dressed, but without art,
and crowned after a very beautiful manner: her name was
Happiness, to whom he was presented by Hope. She
received him most cheerfully, and introduced him to the
Liberal Arts and Sciences, by whom he was led into the hall,
and after being regularly initiated, he was invested by
Innocence with the ensign of the Order.

Sacred and profane history concur with respect to this
institution, and allow it to be co-eval with human society. In
all ages, and in all countries, we find men of the most
exalted situations in life, as well as those of the most
enlightened characters, have been anxious to be invested
with the badge of innocence, and to have their names
enrolled as brethren of the Order. Always considering the
society of FREEMASONS as the safeguard of the state, the
defence of the country, the welfare of the nation.

Having slightly touched on the origin of the institution, and
mode of introduction, the principles may be conveyed to you
in a few words, BROTHERLY-LOVE, RELIEF, and TRUTH.
Were I to take a retrospective view of those principles, it
would only be recapitulating a subject with which you are
well acquainted. Allow me, however, to call your attention to
the excellence and utility of FREEMASONRY from that all-
informing science, on which it is founded, - GEOMETRY,
and bring to your recollection a figure which is generally
delineated on the master's tracing board, namely, the 47th
proposition of the first book of Euclid, proving that the square
subtending a right angle is equal to the squares on the sides
that form the right angle: from the construction of the figure it
is evident, that the triangles within the squares are
reciprocally equal, and also, that the squares on the sides
forming the right angle are equal to the squares subtending
the right angle. Pythagoras, the inventor of this proposition,
which is the foundation of geometry, in grateful testimony for
the happy discovery, is said to have sacrificed an hecatomb
to the muses.

But Freemasors consider geometry as a natural logic; for as
truth is ever consistent, invariable, and uniform, all truths
may and ought to be investigated in the same manner. Moral
and religious definitions, axioms, and proportions, have as
regular and certain a dependence upon each other as any in
physics or the mathematics.

As the figure abovementioned depends on the connexion of
the several lines, angles, and triangles which form the whole;
so Freemasonry depends on the unanimity and integrity of
its members, the inflexibility of their charitable pursuits, and
the immutability of the principles upon which the society is
established. The position is clear, and, therefore, in a
synthetical sense we demonstrate, that some of our brethren
from their exalted situation in life, rolling in their chariots at
ease, and enjoying every luxury, pleasure, and comfort, may
with strict propriety be considered as standing on the basis
of earthly bliss, emblematic of the greater square, which
subtends the right angle. Others whom Providence hath
blessed with means to tread on the flowery mends of
affluence; are descriptive of the squares which stand on the
sides which form the right angle. The several triangles
inscribed within the squares, are applicable to those happy
beings, who enjoy every social comfort, and never exceed
the bounds of mediocrity. Those, who by application to
peculiar arts, manufactures and commerce, from their
several productions not only add to the wealth of the nation,
and to the happiness of the exalted, but have the heart-felt,
satisfaction of administering to the wants of the indigent and
industrious, may, with strict justice, be compared to the
angles which surround and support the figure, whilst the
lines which form it, remind us of those unfortunate brethren,
who, by a series of inevitable events, are incapable of
providing the common necessaries of life, until aided by our
cheerful and ever-ready assistance.

Hence from the corollary we draw an axiom in Masonry; for
by connecting the several lines together, and bringing the
unfortunate and industrious into compact with the affluent
and exalted, we form a figure descriptive of the true basis on
which our ancient brethren raised the superstructure of
FREEMASONRY. A basis which no mortal power can shake;
THE BOSOM of ALL GENTLE CHARITY; that heaven-born
virtue, is the attribute divine of GOD OMNIPOTENT: a
sublime emotion, that fully demonstrates the existence of our
spiritual being, and animates us to the glorious certainty of
immortality.

| top | back |