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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 6 of 18 →
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Provincial.
I am persuaded , —to such of my Masonic Brethren , indeed , as have kindly united in this tribute of fraternal esteem , —be the most gratifying acknowledgment I can offer for their acceptance . " I desire , also , thankfully to acknowledge the request which was unanimously made to me , to assume the duties of the chair a second year ; but I felt that , however complimentary to myself such a request might be viewedand sincerelintendedit was my duty to waive all personal
, y , considerations , and to remember that , by acceding to such a request , I should be keeping from that post of honorable ambition , for another year , my highly-respected and talented friend on my right ( Bro . Forder ) , whose duty it now is to ' enlighten and instruct' his Brethren , and maintain , to the utmost of his power , the intellectual reputation of the Craft . Be assured , that the gratification of being succeeded by one so well qualified to discharge this duty , —possessing , as he does , all the which could have been
requisite qualifications for office , —far exceeds any created by my own re-appointment . Perhaps , to be perfectly candid , I should admit that I was in some degree influenced in my determination , by calling to mind the maxim once inculcated by a renowned Roman emperor , who remarked , ' that it was better to retire from the stage of active life , when you had succeeded in gaining the applause of your friends , rather than run the hazard of continuing upon it until you had incurred the censure of your enemies . ' Knowing , therefore , how arduous and important are the duties of the office , if regularly performed at homeand honorably sustained abroad—for I hold that the Master of
, a Lodge very imperfectly discharges the functions of his trust , if he does not frequently carry out that portion of the Constitutional law , which recommends neighbouring Lodges to exchange visits , by which unanimity and good discipline may be promoted , —knowing , 1 repeat , how difficult it is for any man adequately to fulfil so onerous a station , I must candidly confess , I did fear that my powers would be too severely tested during a second year of office . in
" A very flattering reference has also been made to the manner which the Jubilee of the Shakspeare Lodge was celebrated in this town in August last , —a reference too complimentary to myself individually for me to dwell upon ; but I may , perhaps , be permitted briefly to give expression to those feelings of gratitude which naturally animate my breast , when that 'high holiday' of the Craft , with all its interesting associationsis brought to my recollection . The Jubilee festival
, was undertaken but with one desire , namely , to hold up to the uninitiated world the intellectual capabilities of that Order which advances the hitihest claims to public confidence and national regard , not so much because it is invested with the 'purple and pall of antiquity , ' but that its sublime tenets are calculated to promote a vast moral revolution in the great family of man , by cleansing the heart of all those impurities which national contentions and private rivalries are too apt to engender . union for the
Happily , the removal of such obstacles to general promotion of benevolence , good-will , and peace , is gradually leading society at large to the great beneficent end of all human desires and virtuous ambition , namely , extended civilization in man and increased faith in
the Deity . " Happily , too , the festival , to which I have referred , was not unsuccessful , either in its present or remote results . Its ceremonials were commenced with a studious regard to the ' ancient landmarks , ' which have so miraculously sustained the links that form the vast chain of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
I am persuaded , —to such of my Masonic Brethren , indeed , as have kindly united in this tribute of fraternal esteem , —be the most gratifying acknowledgment I can offer for their acceptance . " I desire , also , thankfully to acknowledge the request which was unanimously made to me , to assume the duties of the chair a second year ; but I felt that , however complimentary to myself such a request might be viewedand sincerelintendedit was my duty to waive all personal
, y , considerations , and to remember that , by acceding to such a request , I should be keeping from that post of honorable ambition , for another year , my highly-respected and talented friend on my right ( Bro . Forder ) , whose duty it now is to ' enlighten and instruct' his Brethren , and maintain , to the utmost of his power , the intellectual reputation of the Craft . Be assured , that the gratification of being succeeded by one so well qualified to discharge this duty , —possessing , as he does , all the which could have been
requisite qualifications for office , —far exceeds any created by my own re-appointment . Perhaps , to be perfectly candid , I should admit that I was in some degree influenced in my determination , by calling to mind the maxim once inculcated by a renowned Roman emperor , who remarked , ' that it was better to retire from the stage of active life , when you had succeeded in gaining the applause of your friends , rather than run the hazard of continuing upon it until you had incurred the censure of your enemies . ' Knowing , therefore , how arduous and important are the duties of the office , if regularly performed at homeand honorably sustained abroad—for I hold that the Master of
, a Lodge very imperfectly discharges the functions of his trust , if he does not frequently carry out that portion of the Constitutional law , which recommends neighbouring Lodges to exchange visits , by which unanimity and good discipline may be promoted , —knowing , 1 repeat , how difficult it is for any man adequately to fulfil so onerous a station , I must candidly confess , I did fear that my powers would be too severely tested during a second year of office . in
" A very flattering reference has also been made to the manner which the Jubilee of the Shakspeare Lodge was celebrated in this town in August last , —a reference too complimentary to myself individually for me to dwell upon ; but I may , perhaps , be permitted briefly to give expression to those feelings of gratitude which naturally animate my breast , when that 'high holiday' of the Craft , with all its interesting associationsis brought to my recollection . The Jubilee festival
, was undertaken but with one desire , namely , to hold up to the uninitiated world the intellectual capabilities of that Order which advances the hitihest claims to public confidence and national regard , not so much because it is invested with the 'purple and pall of antiquity , ' but that its sublime tenets are calculated to promote a vast moral revolution in the great family of man , by cleansing the heart of all those impurities which national contentions and private rivalries are too apt to engender . union for the
Happily , the removal of such obstacles to general promotion of benevolence , good-will , and peace , is gradually leading society at large to the great beneficent end of all human desires and virtuous ambition , namely , extended civilization in man and increased faith in
the Deity . " Happily , too , the festival , to which I have referred , was not unsuccessful , either in its present or remote results . Its ceremonials were commenced with a studious regard to the ' ancient landmarks , ' which have so miraculously sustained the links that form the vast chain of