Contents
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS AND MASONRY THE PHILALETHES SOCIETY NEWS
THE PLUMB FREEMASONRY IN THE HOME
NOTES ON THE CRAFT RITUAL WAS ALBERT PIKE A ROSICRUCIAN ?
SAMUEL HARRIS, M.P.S. What Significance Has Freemasonry's Claim to Antiquity ?
THE VOICE OF ALBERT PIKE Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Freemasonry In India A STUDENT WROTE ''AMERICA"
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS AND MASONRY
By Frank Skelton, M.P.S., Montreal (Quebec), Canada
Secretary Royal Alexandra Lodge No. 104; Montreal, Canada
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, the scribe of the gods, is said to have had several incarnations. Four are mentioned in the legends, and the fourth Hermes was said to be an instructor of Abraham.
Hermes, was, and still is, the great source of all the occult teachings that have come down to us over the ages. In his tractates, and in the aphorisms that have been passed on from mouth to ear over the centuries, there are great truths that are slowly being proved by science. which is still far, far behind him in wisdom. Even the ancient teachings of India, if the legends be true, had their roots in the original Hermetic teachings.
Though Egypt was the scene of his last great appearance, Maya and Atlantis knew him long before. For those who do not believe in physical re-incarnation, there is a conciliative explanation which may be just as true found in the popular prayers of the Greek adherents of the 'Religion of Hermes.' Consider the following invocation translated by G.R.S. Mead:
"An Invocation To Lord Hermes"
"1. Come unto me Lord Hermes, even as into women's wombs come babes !
2. Come unto me, Lord Hermes, who dost collect the food of gods and men!
3. Lord Hermes, come to me, and give me grace, and food, and victory, and health, and happiness, and cheerful countenance, beauty and powers in sight of all !
4. I know thy name that shineth forth in heaven; I know thy forms as well; I know thy tree; I know thy wood as well.
5. I know thee, Hermes, who thou art, and whence thou art, and what thy city is.
6. I know thy names in the Egyptian tongue, and thy true name as it is written on the holy tablet in the holy place at Hermes' city where thou dost have thy birth.
7. I know thee, Hermes, and thou knowest me; and I am thou, and thou art I.
8. Come unto me; fulfill all that I crave; be favourable to me together with good fortune and the blessing of the Good."
The seventh verse gives the clue; for we know that in the Hermetic schools there were three grades of student . . . the 'Tat' grade, the 'Asclepius' grade, and the 'Hermes' grade. The last grade received the supreme initiation, whereby they were re-born into the 'Race' of Hermes. Compare verse 7, Psalm II, 'I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' Also verses 3 and 10 St. John III, 'Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God' .....'Jesus answered and said unto him. Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?'
Hermes was supposed to have written 36,525 books dealing with alchemy, astrology, and all the arts and sciences. As the number 36,525 was the rounded standard from which the ancients formulated their metrological system (The Egyptian aroura, the great unit of square measure, is equal to the area of a circle whose circumference is 3,652.42 primitive inches, which at ten primitive inches to the day, is equal to the number of days in the solar year), it is proper to assume that perhaps what was meant was that the books of Hermes were standard by which all other books were to be measured. There are very few sermons which have come down to us in anything like their original forms, but those which have, have been collected, translated and copiously annotated by G.R.S. Mead, in three volumes, entitled: "Thrice Greatest Hermes." In the first volume is to be found as complete a proof as any reasonable person could demand that these tractates were written long, long before the third century date given them by the encyclopediests.
Dr. A. S. Raleigh, in his "Speculative Art of Alchemy,'' on page 74, has this to say: "The quotation that follows this paragraph has puzzled a great many. This quotation appears to be almost a verbatin quotation from the sayings of Heraclitus, and also in Section 1, and Section 13. Now it appears that in three places in this Sermon, Hermes is quoting from the writings of Heraclitus. At the same time, Hermes distinctly says that he has heard the Good Daimon say this, which would suggest that in no sense of the word was he quoting from any human authority. Again Hermes says: "And had he set it down in written words, He would have greatly helped the race of men." The explanation given by G. R. S. Mead is far from satisfactory. To hold that it was not written simply because it was not written in books accessible to the 'Tat' grade of students, is in the opinion of the present writer very far-fetched indeed. There is here no mention of publication, but the regret that the Good Daimon had not written in words this statement. By implication, Hermes states as positive as words can make it, that this quotation had not been set in written words, that it has never been committed to writing by anyone. There is but one satisfactory explanation for this statement, and that is, Hermes lived and taught before Heraclitus was born (fl. 505 B.C. - my note). Hermes was not quoting Heraclitus, but later on, Heraclitus quoted Hermes. This was extant in the written books of Hermes previous to the time of Heraclitus. The quotations that Mead gives, showing the similarity between Hermes and the Christian Gnostics simply go to show that at that time the books of Hermes were well-known and were perused by all who laid any claim to philosophical scholarship, and were the basis of Gnosticism. The earliest form of the Gnosis is undoubtedly to be found in the books of Hermes, and it follows that the Heathen Gnostics were a set of Hermetics, and the Christian Gnostics being a branch of the Gnostics, their wisdom is traceable directly to Hermetics. As the books of Hermes were accessible in written form in the days of Heraclitus, it shows the great antiquity of the Hermetic teachings, and greatly favors the tradition which places the date of the Fourth Hermes at 3,500 before Christ.
Masonry has several contact points with the Trismegistic tradition, among the foremost of which are:
1. The Regius Manuscript; circum A.D. 1390;
2. The metallic substance test;
3. The name Hiram Abif;
4. The 'lost word';
5. The tongue in cheek references thereto, as found in church sculptures (see my article "The Lesson Notre Dame Cathedral Teaches," in "Masonic Light" (Montreal, Canada), November, 1947).
It is possible that these might not be merely contact points or overworkings of later mystic masons. but that they may be true relics and a legitimate heritage from Masonry's probable parent, the Hermetic school. If, indeed, we accept the story of the Regius Manuscript as having a basis of truth, the possibility becomes almost a certainty. This story, divorced of the mnemonic devices of the professional memory man, or bard, who recited it, and put into the vernacular, is as follows:
"In an old book, we read about a great number of well-born, intelligent families, who, for some unexplained reason, suddenly found themselves without means of livelihood. Their immediate concern was not so much for themselves, as for their children and their children's children. For, in the peculiar situation they found themselves, they could see no possible resumption of the type of work they had been doing and they were forced to seek some other means of making a living. There seemed no chance whatever of their being absorbed in the community in which they lived, for neither in the towns nor in the country around them, could they see prospects of employment which could assure them that their children would eventually come to enjoy the same standards of living to which they themselves were accustomed. They therefore held a great meeting, to which they invited some very learned men in whom they had great confidence. Their problems were carefully discussed and at the request of the meeting, the learned men formed themselves into a council whose objects were to determine: how and where to find work; what work would promise some measure of stability and a kind of work that would give a liberal education to those performing it.
The council deliberated and came to the conclusion that the geometrical work on which these people had already been engaged could be imitated and pursued in another direction, by the construction of great buildings of masonry, in the construction of which, the principles of geometry they already knew so well, could be put to good use.
The council appointed a leader for the formulation of the rules of the new craft. This leader, a man famous for his learning, was called Euclid, and he set about his task with all the intensity of research for which he was noted. Within the craft, he ordained that there should be a true hierarchy, whereby the most skillful would receive most honor, but would nevertheless be obliged to teach others to become as skillful as himself. He further ordained that, while a man might acquire such skill as to entitle him to worship (worth-ship) and be called Master, yet to his fellow masons he was to be known only as "brother." This craft was founded in Egypt and was taught there for many years. It spread to the lands immediately proximate to Egypt, but did not have any recorded branches in England before the time of King Athelstan.
King Athelstan built many public meeting places and dwellings as well as churches and cathedrals. This building activity aroused his interest in the craft of masonry. He was so benevolently inclined toward the master masons, that he decided to give them certain legal privileges. For this purpose, he called a meeting of the masons, the nobles, and the dignitaries of the kingdom and charged them to draw up a legal constitution for the craft, which was to have all the force of the law of the land."
Such is the story, and I have given it probably just as would the bard, for we must remember that although their writings were sometimes sung or recited, for the most part they were put into special mnemonic forms according to the rules of their guild, but they were told for a fee, so that their hearers could understand.
If we assume it to be true, a search for circumstances that fit the story in every detail results in one and only one conclusion, and that is that these founders of masonry were the geometricians employed at the building of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh. For the Great Pyramid is the world's greatest geometrical monument. In its single, simple solid form there is expressed the most important details of gravitational astronomy as it is applied to our solar system. In its base measures, are shown the value of the solar year, the value of the sidereal year, the value of the anomalistic year, the mean sun distance, the maximum and minimum values of the eccentricity of the earth's orbit, and in the very unit of measurement, the sacred cubit of 25 primitive inches, is shown the ten millionth part of the earth's polar radius, all within the limits of modern scientific accuracy. This tremendous monument took years in the building, and its cost must have been enormous. We can imagine how relieved the Egyptian people were, when on its completion, the heavy tax drain ceased. We can also imagine the sorry plight of the thousands of skilled workers who were suddenly thrown out of work. Do not these circumstances exactly fit the Regius Manuscript story? Do we not also here obtain a perfect explanation of the peculiar masonic usage of considering masonry and geometry synonymous? These founders of masonry were necessarily adherents of the religion of Hermes, and their highly skilled workmanship proves the extent of their knowledge so that it would be reasonable to assume that many of them were initiates of the inner teachings of Hermes. So much for contact point number 1.
The metallic substance test is contact point number 2. In the middle ages, great thinkers were obsessed by the search for the 'philosopher's stone!' From Hermetic initiates they had learned that mercury or lead could be transmuted into gold. The process was given in principle in words engraved on an emerald stone supposed to have been cut by Hermes himself. The language is definitely that of Hermes, but is so general in nature that scores of applications can be drawn from it. The mouth to ear aphorism concerning transmutation is as follows: "Mind, as well as metals and elements, may be transmuted from state to state; degree to degree; condition to condition; pole to pole, vibration to vibration. True Hermetic transmutation is a Mental art."
The process is a very real one, and has actually been performed. A careful study of the statements of Van Helmont and of the researches of Schopenhauer will convince all but those who deliberately refuse to see the truth, that gold was actually produced from lead, by means of a transmutation powder . . . the philosopher's stone . . . given to Van Helmont by a Hermetic initiate, after a public lecture in which Van Helmont had endeavored to prove that transmutation was a scientific impossibility. Of course today, our cyclotrons are transmuting metals, but usually from a higher to a lower.
Whenever the writings of the alchemists mention 'philosopher's mercury,' in all instances Hermes is meant. He was known to the Romans as Mercury, to the Greeks as Hermes Trismegistus, and to the Egyptians as Thoth. The true alchemist had his oratory next to his laboratory, and those who undoubtedly succeeded in the 'great work' have each written that it cannot be performed in the physical realm until it is already accomplished in the spiritual realm. This mysterious statement is thoroughly confirmed by the writings of Hermes, wherein we find not one reference to the transmutation of metals, yet full and detailed instructions as to the transmutation of self. It is by the application to metallic natures of the minutiae of these instructions that ancient alchemists succeeded.
The profit possibilities inherent in the finding of this process naturally attracted astute and cupid persons to its search, and such left no stone unturned in their hunt for the philosopher's stone. It was rumored that Masonry had the keys to the process, and the existence of the metallic substance test in our rituals, with the provision that 'the ceremony thus far must have been repeated' is proof enough that such unworthy persons were seeking clues in Masonry itself. Preston's explanation in the lecture concerning this provision is far too trite to be plausible.
If further proof is needed to show that this test was no idle one, and that Masonry does contain clues to the process of transmutation, consider the following catechism contained in the 'Chemical Pathway of Paracelsus':
"Q. When must the Philosopher begin his enterprise ?
A. At the moment of daybreak, for his energy must never be relaxed.
Q. When may he take his rest?
A. When the work has come to its perfection.
Q. At what hour is the end of the work?
A. High noon, that is to say, the moment when the Sun is in its fullest power, and the Son of the Day-Star is in its most brilliant splendor."
We now come to the most delicate points of contact . . . Hiram Abif and the lost word.
In the not too far distant past, I would have been crucified for what I am about to reveal. Hermetic initiates were exceptionally careful to reveal this portion of the teachings to none but a truly selected few.
There are three sermons of Hermes that may be considered as containing the most vital instructions for the attainment of perfection in the Hermetic art.
They are: "Mind Unto Hermes" (Corpus Hermeticum XI); "The Secret Sermon on the Mountain" (Corpus Hermeticum Xlll), and "The Perfect Sermon."
Remembering that each word must receive its fall value, and be used in its strictest sense, we can confidently apply these instructions with complete assurance that perfection can be obtained by their means. For example, when Hermes states: "And, thus, think for thyself, and bid thy Soul go unto any land; and there more quickly than thy bidding will it be," we must not think to ourselves, but from ourselves. Practice in this art can be obtained by gazing into a bowl of water, and creating the image of a rose - that can be seen by others.
There are twelve Hermetic disciplines. Nine of these are here shown at length, just to show the daring nature of Hermes' instruction:
"Think, then, of Him who doth contain them all; and think that, than the bodiless, naught is more comprehensive, or swifter, or more potent, but it is the most comprehensive, the swiftest, and most potent of them all.
And, thus, think from thyself, and bid the soul go unto any land; and there more quickly than thy bidding will it be. And bid it journey oceanwards, and there again, immediately 'twill be, not as if passing on from place to place, but as if being there.
And bid it mount also to heaven; and it will need no wings, nor will aught hinder it, nor fire of sun, nor aether, nor vortex swirl, nor bodies of the other stars; but cutting through all, it will soar up to the last Body of them all. And should'st thou will to break through this as well, and contemplate what is beyond . . . if there be aught beyond the Cosmos; it is permitted thee.
Behold what power, what swiftness thou dost have ! And canst thou do all of these things, and God not do them ?
Then in this way know God; as having all things in Himself as thoughts, the whole Cosmos itself.
If, then, thou dost not make thyself like unto God, thou canst not know Him. For like is knowable to like alone.
Make thyself to grow to the same stature as the Greatness which transcends all measure; leap forth from every body; transcend all Time; become Eternity; and thus shalt thou know God.
Conceiving nothing is impossible unto thyself, think thyself deathless and able to know all, all arts. all sciences, the way of every life.
Become more lofty than all height, and lower than all depth. Collect into thyself all senses of all creatures, of fire, of water, dry and moist. Think that thou art at the same time in every place, . . . in earth, in sea, in sky; not yet begotten, in the womb, young old, and dead, in after-death condition.
And if thou knowest all these things at once, . . . times, places, doings, qualities and quantities; thou canst know God."
These instructions now give sense to that interesting name Hiram Abif. The word "Hiram" meaning 'nobly born,' looks very much like Hermes, and the word "Abif" means 'His Father.' The possessive termination "if", in its strictest sense indicates identity, so that quite possibly the name means the nobly born, at-one with his Father, and reminds us of the New Testament phrase, "I and the Father are one."
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NEW MEMBERS
Charles P. Barrett; Los Angeles, California.
(Recommended by Dr. Asbjorn P. Ousdal, M.P.S.)
John D. Bones; Prairie City, Oregon.
(Recommended by Elbert Bede. F.P.S.)
Anton Frederik Bos; Lansing, Michigan.
(Recommended by F. Gibson Butler, M.P.S.)
Herbert Henry Stafford; New York, N.Y.
(Recommended by Edmond C. Gloton, M.P.S.)
Hoyte Hendrik Willem van Eyk; Rotterdam, Holland.
(Recommended by Jan Sybolt van Solkema, M.P.S.)
Sherwood Vincent Westlake; Bloomfield, N. J.
(Vouched for by August Maier, Worshipful Master, St. John's Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M., Newark, N. J.)
* * *
CHANGE OF ADDRESSES
Dr. Watson Boyes, M.P.S.; Oriental Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago 37, Illinois.
George Prentice, M.P.S.; 8 Park Road; Bellshill; Lanarkshire, Scotland.
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The Philalethes - March, 1949; Volume 4, Number 3. - Board of Editors: Walter A. Quincke, F.P.S.; Leo Fischer, F.P.S., and Lee Edwin Wells, F.P.S. The official publication of the Philalethes Society; 274 South Burlington Avenue; Los Angeles 4, California, where all communications should be directed. Publication schedule: Eight (8) issues per year or volume: January; February; March; May (April-May); July (June-July); September (August-September); November (October-November), and December. No advertising in any form is solicited or accepted. When requesting a change of address, please give the old as well as the new addresses, together with your postal zone number, if you have such. Annual subscription, in the United States of America, $3.00; elsewhere, $4.00, payable in advance. - The Philalethes Index, covering volumes 1, 2, and 3, will be sent gratuitously to any Freemason requesting the same. The columns of "Philalethes" are reserved for the literary contributions of the members of the Philalethes Society, and the material is selected for its quality and timeliness rather than upon name. All published articles, however, express the ideas and opinions of their contributors only, and in no way need they be the opinion of the Society. - Member-Editors of Craft magazines, here and abroad, are privileged to reprint in part, or in full, any articles first published in "Philalethes," but are expected to give due credit to its source. If desired, available cuts will be loaned upon certain conditions. For further particulars regarding same, address the Editors. - The Philalethes Society was founded October 1, 1928, and is an International Body of Freemasons who have Light to impart and Freemasons who seek more Light. - The Society's current year book, "The Informant," tells the story since its inception and enlightens one on our aims and purposes. A copy will be mailed free of charge to any Freemason requesting the same.
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The practice of Freemasonry in the daily life of the individual is the important thing. Too often is the lack of it unmistakably evident. - Alfred H. Moorehouse.
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By William T. Corbusier, M.P.S.
Long Beach, California
MANY FALLACIES creep into life by a never ending process of substituting for a cause. In our search for greater light we are confused by these substitutions and become lost in a maze of seeming contradictions.
As far back as history records, man has alternately lost and found the Cardinal Virtues. He seems destined never to be in possession of them all at one time, and so the Word of the Master is not complete.
A story is told of three men who were sent out in search for a lost brother, whom they had exposed to danger. They traveled for many days in many directions. Their path was strewn with hardships, struggles, and discouragement. With the lost brother had gone their honor, their faith and their strength, for these had been intrusted to his care. But there remained in their possession repentance. Conscience, the Mother of Repentance, finally led them to the discovery that their brother had been foully slain by three ruffians, Avarice - Malice - Greed.
Anything worth having is worth "digging" for. They dug, and found that Rectitude of Life survived the ordeal of death.
There are those who will tell you that the Plumb is held at arms-length because of the odor of death. There are others who will tell you that the diggers turned their backs for the same reasons. These are some of the fallacies which obscure more deeply the hidden messages and insult the finer senses. We turn from the dazzling light of virtue because it is more than human eyes can stand. Symbolically, death purifies and leaves only precious jewels behind. No body was ever exhumed except in search of wealth, material or spiritual, and in death we must search for the meaning of life.
And so the symbol of Rectitude is carried before us, swayed like a pendulum by the temptations of life, as a constant reminder of the reward that even the grave holds, for those who practice its precepts.
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It is a Masonic rule that a lodge cannot be adjourned, but should be closed on the same day. A notable exception was the case of Hiram Lodge No. 40, A.F. & A.M., of Raleigh, North Carolina. When the news of the assassination of President Lincoln reached Raleigh, in April 1865, Hiram Lodge, founded in 1800, was in session. Some officers of the Union Army were attending the meeting. An Officer brought the news to the Tyler, and advised the immediate dispersal of the brethren, which took place without any formal closing. In 1915, a meeting was called to close the lodge, this being solemnly done by the very brother, Colonel John Nichols, who occupied the oriental chair of the Lodge when its labors were brought to an abrupt conclusion in 1865.
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The true Freemason puts himself unreservedly in God's hands and he grows in Masonic knowledge to the extent that he learns to know God.
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WAS ALBERT PIKE A ROSICRUCIAN ?
By Harold V. B. Voorhis, F.P.S., IX
Red Bank, New Jersey
THE ARTICLE by Brother Arthur C. Parker, F.P.S., in the October-November, 1948, issue of "The Philalethes,'' needs attention. There are some items which, in my opinion, need correcting.
First, what is a Rosicrucian? Reference to various encyclopedias loosely agree that a Rosicrucian was an individual who belonged to a secret society which never met as a group but was bound to others by a tie, probably mystical in character, etc. etc. By far the best treatment of Rosicrucianism and Rosicrucians will be found in "The Royal Encyclopedia" edited by Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie (IX degree), New York, J. W. Bouton edition, 1877, pages 612 to 633, inclusive. The very first sentence will tell us something pertinent in the premises: "In times long gone by, there existed - up to the age of the martyrdom of science - men of various races, religions, and climes, who, consolidated by a humane feeling for the preservation of those means by which human life is maintained, and next by those by which human prosperity in the true sense of knowledge is assured, formed a bond understood never to be broken, unless any brother of this strange fraternity should be really worthy of expulsion, disgrace, and death."
The Society of Rosicrucians which came into being in the 19th century in Scotland and England was not a revival of anything. It was a newly created group, having for its objects:
"To consider, examine, and record all such matters as may come within the purview of the philosophy of Freemasonry, and those sciences embraced in it, as also those sciences which are akin thereto, with the purpose of obtaining verified truth in place of traditional error, of reconciling any apparent discrepancies between history, myths, legends, philosophy, and sciences, as embraced in the study of Freemasonry.
"To facilitate the study of the system of philosophy founded upon the Kabalah and the doctrines of Hermes Trismegistus, and to investigate the meaning and symbolism of all that remains of the wisdom, art, and literature of the ancient world.
"To create a base for the collection and deposit of archaeological and historical subjects pertaining to Freemasonry and Secret Society, and other interesting matter.
"To draw within a common bond men of scientific inclination, and authors who have been engaged in these investigations, and, as well, those interested in them, with the view of strengthening their exertions by associations, and of placing in juxtaposition the results of their labors for comparison, that Freemasonry may be rendered free from some of the apparently gross contradictions within itself, its sciences, and historical myths.
"To promote generally true Science and the principles of philosophy proper, to the end that the members and those within their influence may be enlightened by the results of these investigations, either by published paper on subjects read and discussed within the Society, or by lectures, delivered under its sanction or auspices.
"To revive the good of the life-labors of that class of scientists and scholars whose aim and study was what the name of this Society implies." It may be said, without fear of contradiction, that Albert Pike may have belonged to a remnant of the early Rosicrucians, but this group like their progenitors, is truly secret and nothing at all will be found left behind their earthly traversal which will identify them with such a group. It is obvious, therefore that what is meant by the question proposed by Brother Parker, must, of necessity, refer to the 19th-20th century Society of Rosicrucians (Masonic).
Brother Parker in his article has made some rather ambiguous statements. He refers to the "so-called Rite of Memphis." Just why "so-called" is used this writer cannot say because it was the Rite of Memphis. I say "it" even though there were three groups of the Grades. It was not a revival of anything either. It was a newly constructed Rite - ,just as the Scottish Rite became such in 1801 - the latter being made out of available material and later revised by Pike and constructed in part from rituals coming through the Cerneau controlled organization.
The Rosicrusian Society was formed, not revived and it took into its membership brethren from Greece, Canada and the United States and later chartered bodies in these countries. In turn, these became the basis of sovereign independent bodies just exactly like Freemasons were and are made, then Lodges, and these Lodges form a sovereign and independent Grand Lodge.
The group in Canada made Pike an honorary 9th, which they called IXth erroneously. They then chartered a College as the individual bodies are called, in Washington, D.C. - but they also attempted to make this group independently sovereign when this provision was beyond their power. It would be like a Grand Lodge chartering another Grand Lodge. Moreover, the document gave Templar and Scottish Rite titles to the principals, which titles are not only null and void but in very bad taste. In addition there was already a High Council of the Society of Rosicrucians operating in the United States with four Colleges under its banner, and a set of High Council officers had been elected. Brother Parker states "that it appears that Albert Pike had been invited to assist in compiling or fabricating a ritual and a history of the Society." This is true, but for Canada and for himself. The Canadian Society had come from Greece and they had not received the rituals from that source. The Society in the United States having come from Scotland had the rituals from both Scotland and England. I might say that these rituals are not as bad as has been inferred. There are degrees in both the Scottish and the York Rites which are much worse.
As to the letter from Pike to Meyers quoted by Brother Parker, it might be well to make some corrections before further mention is made about it:
First paragraph
Line 3 - "which" is "will"
Second paragraph
Line 3 - "domain for is "dormant the".
Line 6 - add: "that of" in front of "Greece".
Fourth paragraph
Line 1 - add "if" after "that".
Line 2 - "most" is "not".
Line 3 - "Rosicrucianism" is "Rosicrucian" and "its" is "the".
Line 5 - "Memoires" is "Memoirs".
Line 10 - "I should not have" is "I have not".
Line 11 - add "the" before "prolonged".
Line 12 - "without" is "with".
The letter was in reply to one from the Supreme Magus, Charles E. Meyer, IX degree, inviting Pike to accept membership and the Rank of Honorary Past Supreme Magus, due to the action of Moore in Canada. Brother Parker states the letter "was written by Albert Pike himself." I might say that it was not in Brother Pike's handwriting, nor is it that of Brother Mac Grotty, who did all the ornamental penmanship in Brother Pike's manuscripts. It is believed to be in the handwriting of Brother Pike's son, who was at the time helping him as Secretary.
Brother Pike became inadvertently placed in a position rather untenable, at least to him. In matters Masonic he was always unwilling to be just a member. He either became the head of a group or avoided it completely but as a gentleman. It can be said, in the present instance, and in his defense, if he needed it, that he thoroughly grasped the purport of the branch in the United States, he would, undoubtedly, have produced some excellent papers for discussion. He was very familiar with considerable Rosicrucian literature for one thing, because he used the works of Alphonse Louis Constant - in many cases without even changing the wording - in the preparation of his "Morals and Dogma."
A full reference to all the letters and correspondence covering the Society in Canada, the United States, and Pike will be found in my 1935 volume "The History of Organized Masonic Rosicrucianism" (O.P.), pages 24 to 31 inclusive, where the Pike letter, the Meyer letter and the "Charter" given Pike by Moore are to be found in reproduction form.
To return to Brother Parker's article, the present Society does not assert it has "an unbroken existence" from the early Rosicrucians. I have, in the beginning of this article, quoted the avowed objects of the Society. No one, that I know about, has asserted that the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite is Rosicrucian. I assert, however, that there are many Rosicrucian symbols and much philosophy of the same in the Scottish Rite rituals and dogma.
When one says that Rosicrucianism is not Masonic, no member will deny it. It is, however, composed of Freemasons only - just as Templary, the Red Cross of Constantine, the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, the Shrine, the Tall Cedars, the Grotto the Sojourners and numerous other groups.
The object of these remarks is to call attention to the "other side of the story," at least in part. There is much more which could be said about this matter, but most is simply historical detail.
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By Murray M. Friedman, M.P.S.
Tel-Aviv, Palestine
CHARITY begins at home. What about Freemasonry ? Well, it is but right and proper that it should begin in the Lodge. The mere knowledge that there is a Lodge meeting awaiting you at the end of the day, does something to you. You may be tired, or have had set-backs during the day. The fact, the anticipation, of a Lodge meeting cannot fail to react upon you. It buoys you up, dispels fears and worries, and strengthens your perhaps temporarily dimmed belief in the essential goodness of mankind.
What happens when you step over the threshold of a Lodge ? If there ever was a cure for worry and fatigue, that is it. You are greeted on all side by a stimulating warmth radiating friendship, fidelity, and fraternity. Your body and mind absorb it as fast as they can take it, and the rays are reflected practically simultaneously, making you feel like a small, but vital cosmos, bent on doing nothing but good.
All that abundant friendship and good-will, and what goes on in the Lodge ceremony, keeps you going for quite some time. Some of the rays you absorbed are reflected in your business relations and community life. Friendship breeds friendship. Courtesy and kindness pave many a stony road in quicker time than we realize. One good deed done on our part brings forth others in people from whom we often least expect any. It certainly feels good to be a member of the Craft. Something glows within, directing and motivating your deeds and thoughts.
But what happens when you get home, when you are at home? Do you faithfully and zealously practice those virtues in which you have put your faith in the Lodge? Are you in deed and in thought consistently charitable to those nearest and dearest to you? Do you unwaveringly keep to the straight and narrow path set by the 24-inch gauge ?
You know the answer, I do not ! But I do know that Freemasonry, like charity, should begin at home . . . in the home. Let us remember this always.
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The most potent force in society is its ideals. They are the sum of the spiritual aspirations of individual men. Without that mainspring they are without vitality.
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Man is not born to solve the problem of the universe, but to find out what he has to do, and to restrain himself within the limits of his comprehension. - Goethe.
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Masonry should not be a mere watch-tower, built upon mystery, from which to gaze at ease upon the world, with no other result than to be a convenience for the curious
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Most men have sentiments, but not principles. The former are temporary sensations, the latter permanent and controlling impressions of goodness and virtue.
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By Ward K. St. Clair, M.P.S., East Williston, New York
A FULL HISTORY of the Masonic Craft ritual would require a lifetime of study and several volumes of printed material. The present article, for obvious reasons, will touch only briefly upon the background and some of the possible sources from which our American Craft ritual was derived.
While it is undoubtedly true that the ritual used in Craft Lodges today in conferring the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason took form during the eighteenth century and very possibly during the latter part of that century, the basic contents and part of the symbolism of that ritual can be traced to earlier times.
As one studies the ritual of the Masonic Order an appreciation of the wealth of knowledge and cultural background of the originators must be acknowledged. Perhaps measured according to the standards of today the brethren of old may have failed to qualify as students of men of culture. However, we must remember the difficulties in obtaining printed or written material in those days. Books, magazines, newspapers and even letters were difficult to obtain and more difficult to transmit from place to place.
The originators of our ritual apparently had a good knowledge of the Holy Bible and of its symbolism. Also they were familiar with the writings of the earlier ages. A general knowledge of the Bible is understood as this was the one book pretty well distributed. There are numerous examples of a knowledge of early books other than the Bible. One such example is the reference to the two pillars. Also they had a basic knowledge of science and architecture. A study of the purposes and aims of those who first compiled our ritual would be an interesting one; however, this is not the time or place.
In the paragraphs to follow, please bear in mind that we are speaking of conditions existing in the eighteenth century and regarding lectures and rituals used at that time. Since then, there have been changes which would alter the picture if we thought in these later terms.
Prior to the period 1717-1723, which saw the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, Masonry existed as individual lodges associated in a great work but loosely tied if at all by any central organization. Prior to this period, say before 1700, Masonic Lodges were mostly operative groups whose purpose was to band together for self-protection, self-advancement and self-education for those skilled in the trade of stone masons and builders of cathedrals, castles and similar stone edifices. When the lodges changed from operative to speculative, or upon the formation of speculative lodges, is a subject still open to discussion. For the purpose of this article it need be said that such a change took place sometime prior to 1717-23.
During the period of the Operative Lodges a ritual apparently played a minor part. Each lodge had a copy of the rules and regulations and certain other information which was read to the initiate. This material is currently known as the "Old Manuscripts" or "Old Charges." Numerous versions of these manuscripts are in existence and while most of them date from the 1600's, they are sufficiently similar to indicate a common source, probably of an earlier date. Those of an origin of the latter part of the seventeenth century contain lectures or catchism which have been incorporated in our rituals. Just what use was made of the lectures or their purpose in the early manuscripts can only be surmised. We can assume they were used to instruct the members.
Soon after the formation of the Grand Lodge of England in the period 1717-23, the issuance of a Book of Constitutions and Charges was authorized by that body. This publication became known as the Anderson Constitution "because it was prepared by Dr. James Anderson." This book contains material which has found its way into our ritual.
In 1735, a William Smith issued a monitor or handbook of the lectures. This publication was not officially approved. It was called "A Pocket Companion for Freemasons." It was probably the first attempt at a compilation of the work of the Lodge into book form and which can be considered to be semi-official. Of course, soon after the formation of the Grand Lodge there appeared several publications which claimed to be exposures of the Masonic work. The first of these was published in 1724 under the title of "The Grand Mystery of the Freemasons Discovered." This publication was the first of a number of such type of publications to extend into the early part of the nineteenth century. Just how accurate they were we can only assume. They never had official status.
The ritual in the eighteenth century and for that matter in many jurisdictions even today has not been committed to writing, and has been passed from mouth to ear. It is the only way in which the secrecy of the ritual can be assured, although it handicaps the student. There are in existence manuscript copies of rituals which are said to have been the working of various Lodges during the latter 1700's. They are sufficiently similar to indicate they are perhaps authentic. However, they have never been printed and are difficult to obtain.
The next important step or milestone in the development of the ritual was the publication of the book by William Preston, in 1772, which he entitled "Illustrations of Masonry." It contained much if not all of the exoteric part of our ritual and it was undoubtedly the basis of Thomas Smith Webb's ritual which has become known as the Webb-Preston work. And this work has been the source of a great deal of discussion, both pro and con, among the members of various Grand Lodges of the United States during the middle of the last century.
With these few brief remarks regarding the ritual in England, let us now turn our attention to the United States.
Freemasonry was introduced into this country principally by Military Lodges operating under charters or warrants from the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Thus it is natural that our ritual should have come from those three places. The Irish ritual did not play as important a part as did the English and the Scottish. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, in 1797, adopted the Irish ritual and has made only minor changes since then. Even these minor changes have been relatively few in number, so that today Pennsylvania uses a ritual which is almost identical to that used by the Grand Lodge of Ireland and one which is practically the same as the one used in 1797.
The American ritual in general follows the Scottish as regards floor work, and the English as to the content of the lectures. Perhaps we should state that we refer to the English work of the Preston era.
Thomas Smith Webb probably had more to do with the formulation of the American Craft Ritual than any other American Freemason. Whether or not Webb wrote the ritual is a subject open to discussion, however, he did the formulating and was the guiding light in the work. For years he was the principal lecturer and advocator of the work which is now the basis of the majority of the rituals used in the various Grand Jurisdictions of this country. In the formation of this ritual he drew heavily upon Preston's 'Illustrations of Masonry' as is evidenced by a comparison of early manuscripts of the Webb ritual with the Preston book.
Webb had as his students such leading Masons of his time as John Barney, of Vermont, and John Snow, who later lived in Ohio. Barney spent some time with Webb learning the work, then returning to his home state where he taught it in his Grand Lodge, and finally had it adopted as the official work of that jurisdiction. Later Barney moved to the West and he was at one time the official lecturer of the jurisdiction of Ohio. He traveled through the state of Vermont and attended the Convention in Baltimore. Maryland, in 1843, when efforts were made to secure the adoption of a national ritual. He also lectured in Illinois so it can be seen that his influence was widespread.
During the period of 1840 to 1870 there was a great revival of interest on the part of various Grand Lodges in this country to obtain and adopt the "true working." As a result of this revival rituals were adopted by the various Grand Lodges and with few exceptions these rituals were based upon the Webb work.
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When the old Portuguese navigators started out on their voyages of discovery, they were accustomed to take with them stone pillars to set up in a prominent place at the farthest limits of their newly claimed territory as the national door-posts in that direction. Such a pillar was erected at the mouth of the Congo River at the time of its discovery in 1484. On this account, the river was known for a time as the Rio de Padrao," or Pillar River.
This custom of setting up stone pillars as boundary marks along the borders of countries, nations, and states, has been continued to the present day. Such "landmarks" are still to be seen along the borders of Europe, and they are on the lines of several states of the United States of America. The line between the English grants in America, originally made to the Duke of York and to Lord Baltimore, was, after much dispute, run by two English surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in 1763-67, and marked by stone pillars at intervals of five miles. Known as the "Mason and Dixon's line" it separated Pennsylvania from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and was the dividing line between the free and the slave states before the Civil War of 1861-65. One of those early stone landmarks on that line is still to be seen near Oxford, Pennsylvania, as an illustration of a practice beginning in Babylonia as far back as 4000 B.C and continued in America down to 1895 A.D.
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Brother Samuel Harris, whose portrait appears on the cover page of this issue, was born at Broadwoodkelly, Devonshire, England, May 27, 1885. He came to the Dominion of Canada during 1904 and lived at Miami, Manitoba, until October, 1905, when he moved to Saskatchewan and filed on a homestead north of Regina. In 1910 he moved to High Prairie, Alberta, where he established his permanent home.
Our Brother saw the light of Masonry in Wascana Lodge No. 23 (now No. 2, G.R.S.), A.F. & A.M., of Regina, Saskatchewan, on June 18, 1906, and was elected a life member in 1921. He is a Charter and Life member of Wahpun Lodge No. 88, A.F. & A.M., High Prairie, Alberta, and served as its first Senior Warden in 1915 and 1916, was elected the Worshipful Master in 1917, and again in 1921, and 1935. He is an Honorary Life member of Peace Lodge No. 12G, A.F. & A.M., Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
Brother Harris served the Grand Lodge of Alberta as the first Deputy GrMaster of Masonic District No. 13, in 1918. In 1921 he was appointed as the GrRepresentative of the GrLodge of Mississippi near the GrLodge of Alberta, resigning, however, in 1941 to become the GrRepresentative of the GrLodge of Manitoba. Since 1921 he served continuously as a member of the Broad of General Purposed of Grand Lodge. Elected Junior GrWarden in 1937, Senior GrWarden in 1938, Deputy GrMaster in 1939, and GrMaster in 1940, he is now an Honorary Past GrMaster of the GrLodges of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
In Capitular Masonry he was exalted Waseana Chapter No. 121 (now, No. 1), in 1907, and at present holds Life membership in Wascana Chapter No. 1, Saskatchewan, and Capitol City Chapter No. 13, Alberta .
In 1938 he served as Grand Inspector General in the Grand Council, R. & S.M., of Western Canada, and, during 1946, he was the Grand Principal Conductor of Works. In 1938 he was appointed the Grand Representative of the Grand Council, R. & S.M., of Maine, near the Grand Council of Western Canada.
Our Brother holds membership in the Alberta Provincial Council No 5, R.&S.M.; Taylor Conclave No. 5, Red Cross of Constantine, Edmonton; Edmonton Preceptory No. 46, K.T.; Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; Al Azhar Temple of the Mystic Shrine; the Royal Order of Scotland, Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Philalethes Society.
Brother Harris continues to be useful to the Craft as the editor of the Grand Lodge of Alberta "Masonic Bulletin," while carrying on quietly with his farm on the outskirts of High Prairie.
W. A. Q.
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What Significance Has Freemasonry's Claim to Antiquity?
By Frederick T. Parker, M.P.S.
Westmount (Quebec), Canada
ASSUMING that the claim of Freemasonry to antiquity is an established historical fact, has it any special significance, or value, to us, as speculative Freemasons, today ? And if "speculative" is concerned with pursuing an inquiry about the nature or cause of a thing, then, of course, a past "history" becomes a fundamental.
But speculative Freemasonry goes beyond this. If "speculative" means to ponder over so-called practical things, and to work out a system of moral or spiritual values, the past has certain additional significance. It may show us whether or not our presumed values have withstood the test of time. If they have, we can accept them as proven truths, and, as such, they are eternal verities. We can use them as basic and proven foundations upon which we, in all confidence, can erect a superstructure. perfect in all its parts, knowing that our house will be founded upon solid rock.
The past, therefore, is of significance, or value, only as we can use it to our advantage in the present, and in our planning for the future.
Setting aside the relationship of Freemasonry with the old mysteries as not being quite pertinent to the question, the claim is made that Freemasonry dates back to the Romans; that groups of men united in their various capacities in the erection of buildings and temples; that perforce they lived together and usually in lodges quite close to the buildings they were erecting. Being by existing circumstances obliged to live and work together, it became essential to institute rules of social conduct to insure peace and harmony. As these rules proved of practical value they were formed into codes. And the latter may be found in Roman literature as well as in the old English Masonic manuscripts. Probably they should be termed "moral" codes since they dealt primarily with man's relationship with his fellows. They were based on the individual acceptance of certain principles, or at least one was bound to accept a code of conduct based on these moral principles. We may as well call them "Masonic ornaments" . . . brotherly love; truth; justice, and many others, all having been incorporated into our speculative philosophy, and some being symbolized in the furniture of our lodges.
And here the matter of symbolism naturally arises. Symbols are of value because they are visual representations and enable one to more fully grasp and remember the sometimes abstract principles they represent.
It would be a natural step for these early builders to apply the tools they used as representing or symbolizing these moral ethics of conduct which proved of practical value in their relationship with one and another. Hence, the square would symbolize morality; the level, equality; the plumb, justice, etc.
As time went on and the speculative mind developed, other symbols were instituted to represent other "wise and serious truths," together with other principles or values which the past had clearly proved of basic qualities and essential to man's harmonious relationship with his fellow-men.
The past, therefore, is of real significance, of real value to us, for it has given to us pragmatical proof than man can live with his fellow-men if certain practical principles are observed. In consequence, they are basic truths. The past, and indeed the present, have proven without a doubt that people cannot live in peace and harmony unless these principles are accepted.
As speculative Masons we should accept and enact the principles of brotherly love, truth, justice, mercy. and tolerance as being essentially fundamental to the solution of the manifold perplexing problems of the present day. In their universal acceptance and practice lies the salvation of the world, and in our individual acceptance of them we can help build that superstructure of the North East corner lecture to exemplify one of the great aims of the Craft of which we are members.
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We must learn the thoughts of the common people, if we would be wise and do good work.
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We think, at the age of twenty, that life is much too long for that which we have to learn and do; and that there is almost fabulous distance between our age and that of our grandfather. But when, at the age of sixty, we halt and look back along the way we have come, we acknowledge, with a sigh, that we could have learned and done, in half a score of years well spent, more than we have done in all of our forty years of manhood.
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It is our duty to obey the laws of our country, and to be careful that prejudice or passion be not mistaken for conscience.
It is not enough that the conscience be taught by nature; but it must be taught by God, conducted by reason, made operative by discourse, assisted by choice, instructed by laws and solemn principles.
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The original purpose of the Mysteries was to teach men to know and practice their duties to themselves and their fellows, the great practical end of all philosophy and all knowledge.
Freemasonry still follows the ancient manner of teaching. Her symbols are endeavors to interpret these symbols. He who would become an accomplished Mason must not be content merely to hear the lectures; he must study, interpret, and develop these symbols for himself.
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Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT HALL,
8 RUE PUTEAUX, PARIS
Translation of Extract from 'La Chaine d'Union,' Paris, France, by Leo Fischer, F.P.S.
ON THURSDAY, December 9, 1948, at 8 P.M., the Crypt Hall, transformed into a Masonic Temple for the occasion, was inaugurated. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, having been specially invited, came to honor the ceremony with her presence. The opening, set for 8:30 P.M., had been advanced half an hour because Mrs. Roosevelt had an appointment to address the Society of United Nations in connection with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and was, therefore, obliged to leave earlier than planned. It had not been possible to inform many of the Brethren of the change of the schedule, and the Masons of the Grand Orient had not been informed of this historical ceremony, so that at the beginning of the manifestations, the hall was fully occupied, but not to overflowing.
At 8 P.M., Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt was introduced, accompanied by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of France and the members of the Federal Council and of the delegations from the sister Grand Jurisdictions. The Arch of Steel was formed by the Brethren.
The Grand Master assured her of the joy of the Masons to see her with them and thus complete the consecration of the Hall which would henceforth be known as Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hall.
The Very Illustrious Brother J. Marechal, representing the Grand Commission, which was unable to be present, announced, in the name of the Supreme Council, what Masonry and the whole world owe to our Brother Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He touched upon the elevation of Brother Harry Truman to the 33rd Degree and stated that the conduct and record of our Brother Roosevelt would always be an example for the Masons of all countries.
The Orator praised the courage displayed by our Brother Roosevelt in the struggle with his malady in order to consecrate himself fully to his country and humanity. He gave instances of the "support which he received from his wife," and emphasized the most important part played by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt during his lifetime as well as after his death.
The Grand Master, after a brief allocution addressed to Mrs. Roosevelt, asked her to address the gathering, who had risen to their feet. In replying she spoke of her great affection for our country, so sorely tried by the war, and assured us that the United States would help France all it could because it would ever be mindful of the help they had received from France during the struggle for their independence. She added that she would never forget the enthusiastic reception of the French Masons.
The Grand Master explained to her that it was a tradition to present red roses to the ladies who honored us with their visit, and offered her a bouquet of thirty-three red roses, tied with the colors of the Grand Lodge. On behalf of the Masons of the Grand Lodge, he saluted the widow of our lamented Brother Roosevelt with the Fraternal accolade and caused a triple battery to be given in her honor.
Accompanied by the Grand Master and the members of the Grand Commission, Mrs. Roosevelt retired at 8:30 P.M. under the Arch of Steel.
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In Bombay are a good many Lodges, and they are classified as purely European Lodges, purely Parsee, purely Mohammedan, and purely Hindu. There you would see the four sacred volumes . . . the Holy Bible, Yasna, Koran, and Samyutta, and when the time comes every year at the Annual Meeting for the Grand Master to invest the office-bearers for the following year, a group would be formed kneeling in three-quarters of a circle around the altar, each around his sacred volume. The Christian kisses the Holy Bible, the Parsee salutes the book, the Mohammedan lifts the book against his forehead, and the Hindu uses that beautiful form of salutation customary in India. That is a fine illustration of how the different races are brought together under the aegis of Freemasonry. - Harry P. Gibbs, Past Grand Master of India.
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It is also the duty of Masonry to assist in elevating the moral and intellectual level of society; bringing ideas into circulation, and causing the mind of youth to grow; and putting, gradually, by the teaching of axioms and the promulgation of positive laws, the human race in harmony with its destinies.
Ethics of right conduct are not abstractions, mere dreams or illusions, but in every-day affairs become tangible and valuable realities. The ethics of Freemasonry, applied in practical fashion, will bring into the heat and stress of the days a larger measure of sweetness and joy . . . a joy not only of accomplishment but of the deepest satisfaction in doing for others.
Surely the way of Freemasonry is wise. Instead of becoming only one more factor in a world of factional feud, it seeks to remove all hostility which may arise from social, national, or religious differences. It helps to heal the haughtiness of the rich and the envy of the poor, tends to establish peace by allaying all fantastical hatreds of an economic variety at the same time making the wisdom of the past available for the culture of men, in faith and purity. Not a party, not a sect, nor a cult, it is a great Order of men, selected, initiated, sworn, and trained to make reason and the will of God prevail.
The ethics of Freemasonry are not merely a code of conduct, but a vibrant impulse. Its teachings, the fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood of man stand as bulwarks to the hope of mankind. - Irving J. Mitchell.
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Every age has a religion suited to its capacity.
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Samuel Smith never knew his hymn would have long life and national standing
MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE was first sung at a children's Fourth of July celebration, in Park Street Church, Boston.
The hymn, often known as "America," was written by Samuel Francis Smith, of Boston, a classmate of Oliver Wendell Holmes at Harvard, who was in 1832 attending Andover Theological Seminary. He told friends years later, and not without a shade of regret, that the poem was written in less than half an hour and with no thought that, either as poem or hymn, these words would have long life and international standing. While "The Star Spangled Banner" is our national anthem, Samuel Smith's hymn is more readily sung, especially by children, and probably has at least another century of common use before it. The Andover student was twenty-four years old when he wrote "America."
"I have heard 'America' sung half-way around the world," Dr. Smith said, in after years. "I have heard it on the Atlantic Ocean, on the Baltic Sea, and on the Mediterranean; in London, Liverpool, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Naples, in the baths of Pompeii, in Athens, Calcutta, and Rangoon. I have heard it on Pike's Peak and under the earth, in the caverns at Manitou, Colorado, where it was played on the stalactites."
The author of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" wrote more than a hundred hymns. One was inspired by a phrase used by the famous missionary Adoniram Judson, who wrote to one of the Baptist boards that the morning light was breaking in the Christianizing of Burma. "The morning light is breaking" became the theme of Smith's great missionary hymn. Others were "Lord of our life, God, whom we fear," "Softly fades the twilight ray," and "Founded on Thee, our only Lord," the last-named having been written at the age of eighty-six, only a year before his death.
In later life, at a time when Dr. Smith was doing editorial work, he became a trusted friend and counsellor of Dr. Francis E. Clark, founder of the Christian Endeavor movement. The author of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" wrote a number of poems for Christian Endeavor meetings and observances.
My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrim's pride,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring.
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.
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Nature is calling the spring from countless hills and slopes. In the Northland the waters are beginning their first soft murmuring songs of release from winter's icy chains.
Traveling southward, isn't it almost time for the slender blades of the wild iris to be poking through the mellowing earth? Are there snowdrops on the sunnyside of the house? And where are the grape hyacinths? It will take a few more warm days to persuade the catkins dangling from the black birch to open their silvery sheaths.
In Pennsylvania's wooded hills the beloved dogwood is unfurling her lovely showers of snowy blossoms against the dark background of the pines - faithful sentinels undaunted by winter's furious winds.
No signs of violets yet in our chilly northwoods - not even a tiny leaf peeping out of its winter wrapping.
The lilac buds are scarcely swelling and the daring forsythia shows only the barest glint of gold on the still closely folded buds.
Stormy March has done his part, but we look to mild April to bring the miracle to pass. In her gentle sunshine the cardinals will whistle from the hillsides and the flash of their crimson wings will make our hearts leap. The willows will string their exquisite rosaries, and the time of singing of birds will have come.
Joy, music and color will vie with each other to show us how gloriously possible is spiritual renewal, and that God has made everything beautiful in His time.