Skip to main content
Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic Periodicals Online

  • Explore
  • Advanced Search
  • Home
  • Explore
  • The Masonic Magazine
  • Dec. 1, 1881
  • Page 41
  • "GLEANINGS FROM THE BLUE."
Current:

The Masonic Magazine, Dec. 1, 1881: Page 41

  • Back to The Masonic Magazine, Dec. 1, 1881
  • Print image
  • Articles/Ads
    Article "GLEANINGS FROM THE BLUE." ← Page 2 of 4 →
Page 41

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

"Gleanings From The Blue."

than " good . " In the early days of the Christian Church , when we might expect absolute serenity and virtue , we read of querulous widows and hypocritical philanthropists . Whence , then , arises this idea of departed excellence ? It is just possible that it is a bit of grumble . Discontented with the present , men throw a halo over the past : human nature loves a grievance , and having found one , hugs it . Of a piece with this , as it seems to some , is the hackneyed regret for childhood : what humanity generally does for its own past , that each individual does for his : that is to say , extols it at tae expense of the present . The past being hopelessly gone , what can be a simpler

and safer grumble than to profess regret for it ? The broken toys and scalding tears of childhood are carefully forgofcteu , while the present uneasiness is exaggerated . If we would but be honest with ourselves , we should find that the past was not so nice and the present not so nasty as we profess it to be . It has been hinted that poets are mainly responsible for these fictions : to quote passages depicting the delights of a sensual and otiose past would be an endless task . Instances will occur to all . One poet , however , stands out as a noble exception . Homer makes a hero profess his belief that his generation is better than the one preceding , and in another passage

represents childhood as not being altogether blissful , by introducing a simile of a child running by the side of its weary mother and ceaselessly wailing until it is picked up and carried . Homer spoke from experience , not from a frenzied imagination . Aristophanes professes to regret the " good old times " of Marathon , but hard measure need not be meted out to him , for there is a natural affinity between comedy and conservatism —an affinity , by the way , lost sight of by Punch in recent days , somewhat to the detriment of that publication . Eemembering this affinity , the writer was astonished to hear an advanced Radical talk of the good old times in language often used by a rigid Conservative .

The wonder ceased with the thought that extremes meet . In answer to inquiry , both agreed in placing the Golden Age fifty years ago . This coincidence seemed to imply reality , until it was remembered that this was the period of their youth , and also that the time was too recent to admit as yet of impartial or authentic history . If we turn to history , not merely strings of dates and lists of battles , but such as is recorded by novelists , we shall find it hard to fix the date of the " good times . " Thackeray is supposed to give a fair picture of the period whereof he treats , and certainly in the Georgian era , which he describes , there is nothing so very lovely that we need desire or regret it . And turning to another great writer—Charles Dickens—his recently-published letters show plainly how his righteous soul was vexed by the sentimental regrets for an imaginary past .

Thus neither in the earliest records of humanity , nor in those of Christianity , nor , again , in those times just distant enough to be called " old , " do we find a monopoly of what is " good . " If it were a mere matter of sentiment , it would not , be worth while to attack this " poetic licence ; " but as a fact , this view of the past implies and fosters a discontent with , and ingratitude for the present , and this leads humanity as a body , and each man as an individual , to be contented with a low standard of morality . If the natural tendency of human nature in general , and of each human nature in particular , is downwards ( as the phrase "good old times" implies ) rather than upwards , neither a nation nor a man will make a real effort to rise . The words act like a prophecy that fulfils itself .

We commend much the " freshness of the " lines " 0 uhi Campi , " theii sense ancl bri ghtness of youth . They are trul y redolent of green fields , hawthorn lanes , and summer flowers . 0 UBI CAMPI . I am tired , I am tired , I ' ve been stewing for weeks Over musty collections of Romans and Greeks ,

Over mummies and dummies in sawdust and bran ; I can't understand them and don't know who can . I am tired , I am tired of Cicero ' s jokes ; Oh , surely the Romans were very dull folks : Bucolics and Tusculans put them together , Compared with Miss Braddon they don't weig h , a feather . Just think of those antediluvian times

, Of Virgil or Horace reciting their rhymes : AVith a voice full of passion , and gesture to mate it , In toga and slippers—I can't contemplate it . Then take them and fling them all out to the winds j Let JEolus collar whatever he finds . He is welcome , for I , for a lo g time to come , Shall not be in need of their aumiliuni .

“The Masonic Magazine: 1881-12-01, Page 41” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 28 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmg/issues/mmg_01121881/page/41/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
FREEMASONRY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY: WARRINGTON, 1646. Article 1
APPENDIX. Article 14
DRIFTING AWAY. Article 16
Untitled Article 17
A BIT OF OLD LONDON. Article 19
A PRE-HISTORIC BROTHER. Article 22
HISTORY OF THE AIREDALE LODGE, No. 387, Article 23
THIRLMERE LAKE. Article 27
COME, FORTH MY LOVE ! Article 29
A MEMORABLE YEAR IN ENGLISH MASONRY. Article 30
GOING HOME: Article 33
AFTER ALL; Article 34
MASONIC RECITATION, Article 39
"GLEANINGS FROM THE BLUE." Article 40
LITERARY GOSSIP. Article 44
THE FREEMASONS' APRON. Article 46
Page 1

Page 1

1 Article
Page 2

Page 2

1 Article
Page 3

Page 3

1 Article
Page 4

Page 4

1 Article
Page 5

Page 5

1 Article
Page 6

Page 6

1 Article
Page 7

Page 7

1 Article
Page 8

Page 8

1 Article
Page 9

Page 9

1 Article
Page 10

Page 10

1 Article
Page 11

Page 11

1 Article
Page 12

Page 12

1 Article
Page 13

Page 13

1 Article
Page 14

Page 14

2 Articles
Page 15

Page 15

1 Article
Page 16

Page 16

2 Articles
Page 17

Page 17

1 Article
Page 18

Page 18

0 Articles
Page 19

Page 19

1 Article
Page 20

Page 20

1 Article
Page 21

Page 21

1 Article
Page 22

Page 22

1 Article
Page 23

Page 23

1 Article
Page 24

Page 24

1 Article
Page 25

Page 25

1 Article
Page 26

Page 26

1 Article
Page 27

Page 27

2 Articles
Page 28

Page 28

1 Article
Page 29

Page 29

2 Articles
Page 30

Page 30

1 Article
Page 31

Page 31

1 Article
Page 32

Page 32

1 Article
Page 33

Page 33

1 Article
Page 34

Page 34

1 Article
Page 35

Page 35

1 Article
Page 36

Page 36

1 Article
Page 37

Page 37

1 Article
Page 38

Page 38

1 Article
Page 39

Page 39

2 Articles
Page 40

Page 40

1 Article
Page 41

Page 41

1 Article
Page 42

Page 42

1 Article
Page 43

Page 43

1 Article
Page 44

Page 44

1 Article
Page 45

Page 45

1 Article
Page 46

Page 46

2 Articles
Page 41

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

"Gleanings From The Blue."

than " good . " In the early days of the Christian Church , when we might expect absolute serenity and virtue , we read of querulous widows and hypocritical philanthropists . Whence , then , arises this idea of departed excellence ? It is just possible that it is a bit of grumble . Discontented with the present , men throw a halo over the past : human nature loves a grievance , and having found one , hugs it . Of a piece with this , as it seems to some , is the hackneyed regret for childhood : what humanity generally does for its own past , that each individual does for his : that is to say , extols it at tae expense of the present . The past being hopelessly gone , what can be a simpler

and safer grumble than to profess regret for it ? The broken toys and scalding tears of childhood are carefully forgofcteu , while the present uneasiness is exaggerated . If we would but be honest with ourselves , we should find that the past was not so nice and the present not so nasty as we profess it to be . It has been hinted that poets are mainly responsible for these fictions : to quote passages depicting the delights of a sensual and otiose past would be an endless task . Instances will occur to all . One poet , however , stands out as a noble exception . Homer makes a hero profess his belief that his generation is better than the one preceding , and in another passage

represents childhood as not being altogether blissful , by introducing a simile of a child running by the side of its weary mother and ceaselessly wailing until it is picked up and carried . Homer spoke from experience , not from a frenzied imagination . Aristophanes professes to regret the " good old times " of Marathon , but hard measure need not be meted out to him , for there is a natural affinity between comedy and conservatism —an affinity , by the way , lost sight of by Punch in recent days , somewhat to the detriment of that publication . Eemembering this affinity , the writer was astonished to hear an advanced Radical talk of the good old times in language often used by a rigid Conservative .

The wonder ceased with the thought that extremes meet . In answer to inquiry , both agreed in placing the Golden Age fifty years ago . This coincidence seemed to imply reality , until it was remembered that this was the period of their youth , and also that the time was too recent to admit as yet of impartial or authentic history . If we turn to history , not merely strings of dates and lists of battles , but such as is recorded by novelists , we shall find it hard to fix the date of the " good times . " Thackeray is supposed to give a fair picture of the period whereof he treats , and certainly in the Georgian era , which he describes , there is nothing so very lovely that we need desire or regret it . And turning to another great writer—Charles Dickens—his recently-published letters show plainly how his righteous soul was vexed by the sentimental regrets for an imaginary past .

Thus neither in the earliest records of humanity , nor in those of Christianity , nor , again , in those times just distant enough to be called " old , " do we find a monopoly of what is " good . " If it were a mere matter of sentiment , it would not , be worth while to attack this " poetic licence ; " but as a fact , this view of the past implies and fosters a discontent with , and ingratitude for the present , and this leads humanity as a body , and each man as an individual , to be contented with a low standard of morality . If the natural tendency of human nature in general , and of each human nature in particular , is downwards ( as the phrase "good old times" implies ) rather than upwards , neither a nation nor a man will make a real effort to rise . The words act like a prophecy that fulfils itself .

We commend much the " freshness of the " lines " 0 uhi Campi , " theii sense ancl bri ghtness of youth . They are trul y redolent of green fields , hawthorn lanes , and summer flowers . 0 UBI CAMPI . I am tired , I am tired , I ' ve been stewing for weeks Over musty collections of Romans and Greeks ,

Over mummies and dummies in sawdust and bran ; I can't understand them and don't know who can . I am tired , I am tired of Cicero ' s jokes ; Oh , surely the Romans were very dull folks : Bucolics and Tusculans put them together , Compared with Miss Braddon they don't weig h , a feather . Just think of those antediluvian times

, Of Virgil or Horace reciting their rhymes : AVith a voice full of passion , and gesture to mate it , In toga and slippers—I can't contemplate it . Then take them and fling them all out to the winds j Let JEolus collar whatever he finds . He is welcome , for I , for a lo g time to come , Shall not be in need of their aumiliuni .

  • Prev page
  • 1
  • 40
  • You're on page41
  • 42
  • 46
  • Next page
  • Accredited Museum Designated Outstanding Collection
  • LIBRARY AND MUSEUM CHARITABLE TRUST OF THE UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1058497 / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025

  • Accessibility statement

  • Designed, developed, and maintained by King's Digital Lab

We use cookies to track usage and preferences.

Privacy & cookie policy