Thus beauty's gay charms, with lustre divine,
Our art shall adorn, which for ever will shine,
'Till time circling round shall unfold the great truth,
Which thus has united the sage and the youth.
Hence harmony springs, &c.
Begin O ye muses, a free-mason's strain;
Let the numbers be gentle, and easy, and plain,
While thus in concert we joyfully sing,
Each brother's happy and blest as a king,
For princes disdain not companions to be,
With a man that's own'd for a mason and free.
Why seek the best nobles our mystery to know,
And rather sing here than sip tea with a beau;
The notes of knowledge more powerfully call,
Than fav'rite at court, or toast at a ball;
For truth's sake a lord is of equal degree*,
With a man that is own'd for a mason and free.
Great Jove first lightened the glorious flame
Of science, that sages free-masonry name,
From Adam it past to the patriarchs old,
And wisest of kings did prefer it to gold;
Hiram of Tyre join'd with him to be,
Of the number of those that were masons and free.
The Gregs and the Galhest, and others they say,
Have set up their lodges, and mimic our way;
But frogs claim a curse when they croak from the fen,
And monkies a kick when they imitate men;
In vain shallow mortal the rivals would be,
To the man that is own'd for a mason and free.
* The highest person in the lodge is upon a level with the lowest; (the officers excepted) but when out of the lodge, all due distinction is strictly observed: and free masons are so far from taking any liberty with noble brothers on account of masonical familiarity, that they pay then more homage than the rest of mankind.
† See the note to the 36th Song..
The wisdom of Greece and old Rome we explore,
Nay pass to the learn'd of the Memphian shore,
What secrets Euphrates and Tygris have known,
And Palestine gather'd, are here made our own;
Well may the world wonder what strange things we see,
With the man that is known a free-mason to be.
Tho' women from lodges are always debarr'd,
Dear fair ones repent not, nor censure too hard;
No rivals are here, no not even in glass,
Where fribbles so doat on the shade of an ass;
Your own dearest pictures, our hearts could you see,
Would be found in the bosom of him that is free.
The graces and virtue here mutually join,
And science and knowledge the soul to refine :
Bless'd concord and eagle-high truth hover round,
And face to face friendship cries, see the bowl crown'd;
Here's a health, let it pass with the number of three,
To him that is known a good mason and free.
When a lodge of free-masons are cloath'd in their aprons,
In order to make a new brother,
With firm hearts and clean hands they repair to their
And justly support one another.
Trusty brother take care, of Ere's droppers beware,
'Tis a just and solemn occasion;
Give the word and the blow, that workmen may know
You are going to make a free-mason.
The master stands due, and his officers too,
While craftsmen are plying their station; The deacons doth stand right for the command
Of a free and an accepted mason.
Now traverse your ground, as in duty you're bound,
And revere the most sacred oration,
That leads to the way, and proves the first ray,
Of the light of an accepted mason.
Here's tokens and signs, with problems and lines,
And room too for deep speculation;
Here virtue and truth are taught to the youth,
When first he is bound to a mason.
Hieroglyphicks bright, and light reverts light,
On the rules and tools of vocation;
We work and we sing, the craft and the king,
'Tis both duty and choice in a mason.
What's said or is done, is here truly laid down,
In form of our high installation,
Yet I challenge all men to know what I mean,
Unless he's an accepted mason.
The ladies claim right to come into our light,
Since the apron they say is their bearing;
Can they subject their will, and keep their tongues still,
And let talking be chang'd into hearing.
This difficult task is the least we can ask
To secure us on sundry occasions,
When with this they comply, our utmost we'll try
To raise lodges for lady free-masons.
'Till this can be done, must each brother be mum,
Thơ' the fair one should wheedle and teaze on,
Be just, true, and kind, but still bear in mind,
At all times, that you are a free-mason.
By brother Edward Fenner.
With grateful hearts your voices raise,
To sound the great Creator's praise,
Who by his word dispell'd the night,
And form'd the radiant beams of light;
Who fram'd the heav'ns, the earth, the skies,
And bid the wondrous fabric rise,
Who view'd his work and found it just,
And then created man from dust.
Happy in Eden was he laid,
Nor did he go astray,
Till, by the serpent, Eve betray'd,
First fell and led the way.
But falling from this happy plain,
Subject to various wants and pain,
Labour and art must now provide,
What Eden freely once supply'd;
Some learn'd to till th'unwilling ground;
Some bid the well-strung harp to sound;
Each different arts pursu'd and taught,
Till to perfection each was brought.
Masons pursue the truth divine,
We cannot go astray,
Since three great lights conjointly shine,
To point us out the way
Zion appears, rejoice, rejoice,
Exult, and hear, obey the voice,
- Of mercy and enlightening grace,
Recalling us to Eden's place;
With faith believe, and hope pursue,
And mercy still for mercy shew;
Proclaim aloud, with grateful theme,
The great Redeemer's blessed name.
The Eastern star now shews us light,
Let us not go astray;
Let faith, hope, charity unite,
To cheer the gladsome way.
To send the gay chorus around, to send the gay chorus around.
For like pillars we stand,
An immovable band,
Cemented by powers from above;
Then freely let's pass
The generous glass,
To masonry, friendship and love, to masonry, friendship and
The grand architect,
Whose word did erect
Eternity, measure, and space,
First laid the fair plan,
On which we began,
Cement of harmony and peace, cement of harmony and peace.
Chor. For like pillars we stand, &c.
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