THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MASONRY
THE MASONIC REVIEW - 1854
Hail mystic
science, seraph maid !
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 imitation
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 Freemasons 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. back to top
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