Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

What kind of Mason is he, who, loaded with opulence, and in whose hand abundance overflows, can look on virtue in distress, and merit in misery, without pity? Who could behold without tears, the desolate and forlorn state of a widow, who in early life, having been brought up in the bosom of a tender mother, without knowing care, and without tasting of necessity, was not fitted to adversity; whose soul was pure as innocence, and full of honour; whose mind had been brightened by erudition under an indulgent father; whose youth, untutored in the school of sorrow, had been flattered with the prospect of days of prosperity and plenty; one, who at length by the cruel adversity of winds and seas, with her dying husband, is wrecked in total destruction and beggary; driven by ill fortune from peace and plenty, and from the bed of ease, changes her lot to a miserable pallet, for the relief of her weariness and pain; grown meagre with necessity, and sick with woe; at her bosom hanging her famished infant, draining off the dregs of parental life for sustenance, bestowed from maternal love, yielding existence to support the babe. Hard hearted covetousness, can you behold such an object dry eyed? Can avarice grasp the mite which should sustain such virtue? Can high life lift its supercilious brow above such scenes in human life, above such miseries sustained by a fellow creature? If perchance the voice of the unfortunate and wretched widow is heard in complainings, when wearying patience and relaxed resignation breathes a sigh, whilst modesty forbids her supplication: is not the groan, the sigh, more pathetic to your ear, you rich ones, than all the flattering petitions of a cringing knave, who touches your vanity and tickles your follies, extorting from your weaknesses the prostituted portion of Charity.

I have heard it often remarked, where is the boasted charity of Free Masons? we never hear of any of their acts. So much the better. A Mason's charity should be

his greatest secret. No worthy object who is in want that does not obtain relief. We assuage their grief and cheerfully alleviate their distress. If he is in want, every heart is moved; when he is hungry, we feed him; when he is naked, we clothe him; and when in trouble, we fly to his relief. Our ears are always open to the distresses of the deserving poor; yet our charity is not dispensed with a profuse liberality on impostors; and because we relieve distress without making a boast of our acts, our enemies have the hardihood to say, we preach more charity than we actually do.

A few instances of Masonic charity will convince the world that a Mason's charity is as expansive as the canopy of heaven, and knows no bounds save those of Prudence.

During the Emperor Ferdinand's reign in Germany, fifty pounds sterling were distributed among those prisoners of war who were Masons. Can there be a greater generosity exercised than to relieve your enemies.

One hundred pounds sterling were sent to such of the brethren as had suffered during the rebellion in Canada; and a like sum was sent to Barbadoes to relieve the sufferers by the great fire in that Island.

The lodges La bien Aimee and La Charite, in Holland, relieved a foreign brother with one hundred and fifty gold ducats, upwards of two hundred dollars, besides redeeming his clothing, discharging his lodgings, and defraying his expenses on his journey to Mietau, in Courland. Gratitude did not permit him to retain such a noble gift. Six months afterwards the money was returned, accompanied with a letter of thanks, couched in the most polite terms, and in such pathetic language that the most obdurate and inflexible heart must have burst into tears on hearing the letter read.

In Portugal, where Masonry is prohibited, although Masons at the risk of their lives meet to dispense the good

offices of the fraternity, they relieved a captain of a merchant vessel, who was cast away on the coast, with twentyseven Moidores, (equal to one hundred and eighty dollars.)

In the Hague, the capital of Holland, a purse was made up of one thousand guilders, for the relief of a foreigner, whose house and effects had been destroyed by fire.

With honour to the Masonic fraternity of France be it said, that during the last war with England, men were employed along the coast to find out who were Masons among the prisoners of war, and those who were fortunately found to be such were immediately taken out of confinement, had liberty to walk in the cities wherever they pleased, and were most generously supplied with every thing they in their different stations stood in need of.

At Eisenach, in Germany, under the patronage of the lodge Des trois Glaives, they have a school for the tuition of poor children of all classes. There are upwards of seven hundred children educated.

For the diffusion of knowledge, the brethren have, at their expense, erected a public Library, which is thrown open for public utility.

At Prague, in Bohemia, the brethren have erected an extensive Asylum, for poor Masonic children and orphans, called St. John the Baptist's Asylum, where the children are educated in the duties of religion, reading, writing, arithmetic, universal geography, with such parts of drawing as are necessary in arts, trades, and agriculture; and the girls are taught house-wifery, spinning, knitting, sewing, and every other necessary female occupation.

The lodge Au Lion Couronné, at Cassel, erected a school for educating the children of poor Masons, which is now in a flourishing condition. Two hundred and fortyfive children have already been educated, from the age of eight years until they could in some measure provide for themselves.

In Emden, (Kingdom of Holland,) at the festival of St. John, a collection was made among the fraternity and the proceeds sent to the church wardens of the various religious denominations, to be distributed among their poor.

In the united lodges of Dresden and Leipsig, a fund was raised for the support and education of the poor children of every denomination in the electorate of Saxony; for which purpose they purchased a large and commodious house in Frederichstadt, and converted it into a seminary of learning. The Masonic subscription for this laudable purpose amounted during the first year to seventeen thousand Rix dollars.* This school is at present in the most flourishing condition, having in the short space of five years educated eleven hundred children.

Some years ago, at a time when all kind of provisions were so exceeding dear that the poor people could scarcely procure any, and a famine was apprehended, the lodges in Saxony, especially Dresden, Leipsig, and Sachsenfeld, opened a subscription for the relief of the needy, when upwards of two thousand families were relieved, who in all probability must have perished through want.

In Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Holland, the Masonic fraternity are continually establishing seminaries of learning for the education of youth of both sexes, not only for Free Mason's children, but for the poor of every denomination.

1

Thousands of similar acts could be mentioned here, and in all countries where Masonry exists, members are never found wanting in acts of Charity and Philanthropy.

Hence, by the liberality of the brotherhood they enjoy a kind of foretaste, and an anticipation of the joys above; whilst they are more and more fitting and preparing themselves, by the uniform practice of virtue, especially of cha

* Upwards of eight thousand dollars.

rity and fraternal kindness, for the beatific vision, or the enjoyment of the august presence of the supreme GRAND MASTER of us, and all things, where, may we all meet to love, praise, and glorify him for ever.

The following beautiful stanzas I thought would be acceptable to my readers. It is a translation of the famous Gellert, from the German :

Charity decent, modest, easy, kind,

Softens the high, and rears the abject mind:
Knows with just reins and gentle hand to guide
Betwixt vile shame and arbitrary pride.

Not soon provok'd, she easily forgives,
And much she suffers as she much believes ;
Soft peace she brings, wherever she arrives,
She builds our quiet, as she forms our lives;
Lays the rough paths of peevish nature even,
And opens in each heart a little heaven.

Each other gift which God on men bestows,
His proper bound, and due restriction knows;
To one fix'd purpose dedicates its power,
And finishing its all, exists no more.

Thus, in obedience to what heaven decrees,

Knowledge shall fail, and prophecy shall cease;
But lasting charity's more ample sway,

Nor bound by time, nor subject to decay,

An happy triumph shall forever live,

And endless good diffuse, and endless praise receive.

To Heaven's high Architect all praise,

All gratitude be given;

Who deign'd the human soul to raise,

By secrets sprung from heaven.

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »