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comforts of life; assist in the erection and completion of this Statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World;" protect the workmen against any accident; long preserve the structure from decay; and grant to us all a supply of the corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy. Amen. So mote it be.

The Grand Honors were then given, after which the Grand Master delivered to the Architect the implements of architecture.

Worthy Sir: Having thus, as Grand Master of Masons, in the State of New York, laid the foundation stone of this structure, I now deliver into your hands the implements of your profession, intrusting you with the superintendence and direction of the work, having full confidence in your skill and capacity to conduct the same.

The Grand Master then addressed the assemblage as follows:

Men and Brethren here assembled: Be it known unto you, that we be lawful Masons, true and faithful to our country, and engaged by solemn obligations, to erect magnificent buildings, to be serviceable to the brethren, and to fear God, the Great Architect of the Universe. We have among us, concealed from the eyes of all men, secrets which cannot be divulged, and which have never been found out; but these secrets are honorable, and not repugnant to the laws of God or man. They were intrusted, in peace and honor, to the Masons of ancient times, and having been faithfully transmitted to us, it is our duty to convey them unimpaired to the latest posterity.

Unless our craft were good, and our calling honorable, we should not have lasted for so many generations, nor should we have been honored with the patronage of so many illustrious men in all ages, who have ever shown themselves ready to promote our interests and defend us from all adversaries. We are assembled here to-day in the face of you all to erect a statue representing liberty enlightening the world, a work of art grand in its conception and birth. As Auguste Bartholdi sailed into the bay of New York, a few years ago, the sight of the great city before him was grand, but grander the thought which found lodgment in his mind, of placing at this entrance to the continent, something that would welcome to these shores all who love and seek liberty, and the thought at this time crude though grand, gave birth to this statue; grand in its figure-colossal in size; grand in its practical use-lighting the storm-tossed mari

ner to a safe harbor, and grand in its very name and the significance thereof-"Liberty Enlightening the World:" "liberty" of thought, of conscience, of action, that true liberty that is not license, but which finds its highest development in obedience to constituted authorities and law; “enlightening”— how necessary enlightenment to true liberty and the highest appreciation thereof; "world"-yes, to the whole world does our continent open its arms and bid it welcome to the blessings of liberty.

The question may and no doubt will be asked, Why call upon the Masonic fraternity to lay the cornerstone of such a structure as is here to be erected?

This fraternity is called upon to lay the cornerstones of public edifices in this country, as has been answered

First, because it has become a common law practice the world over; the adoption of a custom so ancient that the memory of man cannot run to the contrary; a custom which prevailed centuries before modern secret societies were thought of.

Secondly, because the Masonry of the present day is but ancient operative Masonry, with the operative portion dropped and the speculative retained. And as our ancient brethren erected grand old works of architecture that adorn the cities of the world, and which have come down to us covered with the mold and moss of centuries, or lie in ruin's silent data, so ancient that history fails to reach back to the distant point-so in a speculative sense, the Masonic fraternity of the present age are called upon to erect the magnificent works of modern architecture, by laying the cornerstones thereof.

But there is a special reason why we should be called upon for this special duty of to-day.

No institution has done more to promote liberty and to free men from the trammels and chains of ignorance and tyranny than Freemasonry, and we a fraternity take an honest pride in depositing the cornerstone of the pedestal of the statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World."

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And which we pray God may deserve to prosper by becoming a beacon light of liberty to all men and promoting harmony and brotherly love throughout the world till time shall be no more. Amen.

The orator of the day, R. W. Frank R. Lawrence, Deputy Grand Master, was then introduced and spoke as follows:

In the limited time allotted it is impossible to more than briefly glance at the thoughts suggested by the lofty theme to-day before us. The subject

which occasions the present ceremonial is of deep concern to all the nation, and while in some of its aspects particularly interesting to us as Masons, it is chiefly as citizens, partaking and rejoicing in whatever contributes to the prosperity or the glory of our country, that we find pleasure in the contemplation of this stupendous undertaking. As an evidence of the regard in which our craft is held, it is highly gratifying to us to have been invited to participate in this important proceeding, for while as Masons we carefully abstain from taking any part in the affairs of the government, yet it has, from time immemorial, been the custom of our fraternity, upon proper request, to lay with ancient forms the foundation stones of structures intended for the public good. This cornerstone has been duly laid in accordance with ancient usage. As Masons we regard the commencement, and shall watch the progress and hail the completion of this undertaking with the profoundest satisfaction, for we find associated with it ideas which call forth our warmest syınpathy, and bring the spirit of its founders closely into communion within our own.

The first qualification essential in one who seeks admission to our fraternity is that the breath of liberty must have nourished and inspired him from the hour of his birth. To bondsmen and slaves Masonic light has ever been denied. To be made a Mason a man must be free-born, and in every manner qualified for a career of usefulness in the community of which he is a member, and hence it is that we regard whatever tends to the advancement of human freedom, or to the benefit of good government, as being also beneficial to the Masonic institution. This enterprise, strongly appealing to the national feeling of our country, highly calculated to stimulate the patriotism of all our people, prominently illustrating the devotion of two great peoples to their dearest principles, has for us a significance of especial solemnity. It fills our hearts with joyful anticipations of the coming of a period when the fundamental tenets of our fraternity may receive universal recognition and acceptance.

The Masonic institution, of which it is our privilege to be members, exists for the elevation of humanity. Itself a science, engaged in the search of divine truth, it practices the principles of benevolence and love, obeys the law of reason and equity, and strives to fulfill the sacred mission of peace on earth and good-will to men. It represents neither class, creed, nor race, but the free and enlightened of all creeds classes and races alike. From distant ages Masons have been conspicuous participants in peaceful undertakings intended for the public welfare. The structures of their creation

in ancient times sufficiently attest alike their public spirit and their skill. In the present age the labors of the fraternity are speculative rather than operative, and its co-operation is frequently asked in the performance of ceremonies such as have to-day been rendered.

Never, since the building of the temple of Solomon, have Masons participated in a work more exalted than that now in progress upon this spot. The colossal statue to be placed upon this massive base is grand in its origin, its execution and its proportions; grand, as representing a pure and ennobling friendship between two great nations of free men, at peace with one another, and at peace with all the world, who, thus happily circumstanced, erect an enduring monument to typify and illustrate to all the earth their love of liberty. To us, as Masons, this event evidences the growth of principles we hold most dear, and we would fain regard it as presaging the coming of a time when the love of a man for his fellow man shall unite all the races of the earth in one great brotherhood, when men of all nations shall commingle and vie with one another in the promotion of liberty and the enlightenment of mankind.

If this hope is too sanguine, we may at least regard the erection of this statue, and the circumstances by which its creation is surrounded, as manifesting a remarkable extension of the principles we cherish, for never before has a similar event occurred, and in no previous age has the occurrence of such an event been possible. When last the Masonic fraternity assembled in the city of New York by order of the Grand Master, to perform a duty similar to that devolved upon us to-day, the event was rare and unexampled. A monument of great antiquity, erected three thousand years before the discovery of America by Columbus, had been removed from its original site, and after being conveyed, entire and uninjured, almost a quarter of the distance round the globe, had arrived in this country as a gift from the ruler of Egypt to the city of New York. Our admiration was compelled alike by the skillful workmanship displayed in the construction of the monument itself, and by the astonishing ingenuity exercised in its conveyance to our shores; and in the ease with which this great mass was removed from one continent to another we found a most pointed illustration of the extent to which modern inventions have broken down the boundaries by which nations are divided.

The presence among us of that venerable column seemed as a link to bind the present to the far distant past, and when the craftsmen gathered to

lay the cornerstone of the original foundation upon which the obelisk was to be replaced, the 'occasion seemed of unequaled interest and the reflections aroused of extraordinary sublimity. But in the age in which we live one great event succeeds another with marvelous rapidity, and scarcely has the active recollection of what seemed a rare and unexampled occurrence had time to grow dim ere we have been called upon to assist in the proceedings preparatory to the erection of another monument, which resembles its predecessor to the extent that it also comes to us from a foreign country, and also as a public gift. Apart from these features of resemblance, the event of which our proceedings to-day are a part is infinitely more important and august. Again, the vicinity of our metropolis is to be beautified, and in the present instance by a structure which, when completed, will form one of the wonders of the world.

The offering which we are now to receive comes from one people to another. In its origin and construction it expresses the exploits of modern science and art, and in the majestic thought which it loftily embodies it suggests the still higher achievements which we believe the future holds in store. It is the gift of France to America-the spontaneous offering of the people of one to the people of the other of the two great nations which to-day upon the earth vindicate the right of man to govern himself. Thus the presentation to the American people of this statue is lifted far above the level of ordinary transactions, and will be memorable, not only during the present age, but through all the future, as long as the annals of history shall be preserved. It is altogether a gift without a parallel. Grand in idea, colossal in proportions, worthy the greatness of both giver and recipient.

Massive as the statue is-its dimensions greatly exceeding those of the largest colossi erected by the ancients-its physical proportions sink into comparative obscurity when contrasted with the nobility of its conception. Liberty Enlightening the World! How lofty the thought! To be free, is the first, the noblest aspiration of the human breast. And it is now a universally admitted truth that

only in proportion as men become possessed of liberty, do they become civilized, enlightened, and useful.

Of liberty, in the highest, purest sense, we are already the fortunate possessors, and this great monument will symbolize to us not only high anticipations for the future, but glorious promises of the past, now happily realized. Never were men better fitted for the enjoyment of liberty or better able to avail themselves of its advantages; never was there a brighter prospect of its long continuance than exists at present in this happy and favored land; but while in possession of all the blessings of freedom, we should remember that unless supported by virtue and directed by wisdom, even this choice gift may become the means of unmeasured evil, and that to assure its continuance to ourselves and our descendants, it is indispensably necessary that we sedulously cultivate and scrupulously maintain the patriotic virtues through which alone it was originally acquired.

As Masons, we cannot appropriate to ourselves alone the lessons which this monument will teach. Not only to us, but to all men will it appeal. Not only to the half a million Masons within this country, not only to the fifty millions of its inhabitants, but to all the countless myriads of the earth's people; toiling, aspiring, looking ever toward the light; the gigantic figure which is here to stand in unapproachable grandeur while the centuries pass, will command:

"Be noble, and the nobleness that lies
In other men, sleeping, but never dead,
Will rise in majesty to meet thine own."

After a salute of twenty-one guns had been fired Mr. Alfred Lefaivre, as representative of the Republic of France, delivered an address and William Allen Butler, representing the American committee, spoke at considerable. length, after which the exercises were closed with prayer by the Right Rev. Dr. H. C. Potter, then Associate Bishop of New York.

CHAPTER III.

THE CORONATION OF ROBERT MORRIS.

A

NOTHER ceremony took place

on Dec. 17, 1874, which was unique in this country and in a certain degree was unique in the history of the Masonic world. This was the "coronation" of the venerable Dr. Robert Morris as Poet Laureate of Freemasonry. That once famous brother was approaching the end of his earthly pilgrimage (he died July 31, 1888) and his working days were practically over. But he had been a prodigious worker in his prime and possibly no living brother was better known, personally or by reputation, to a larger number of Masons. Never too much blessed with the extent of his share of this world's goods, he turned his face to the sunset of life under a cloud of poverty and to ward this off he gathered together a volume of his poems, by the sale of which he hoped to reap something as the final result of his many years of active work in the quarries. The matter came to the notice of Grand Master Brodie and with his usual kindliness of heart he set about the duty of helping the veteran. As a result of a circular he decided to secure a golden wreath and crown the veteran poet laureate, acting in this way, not as Grand Master, but simply as one of a number of admirers of the bard. So the wreath was bought, invitations issued and on the evening set apart for the presentation the Grand Lodge room was filled with a bright gathering of as intelligent a body of Masons as ever gathered under a single roof, and the reception which the aged hero of the occasion received was one that he remem

bered with the keenest pleasure during the remainder of his years. The story of the presentation and the reasons which inspired it were fully told in the address delivered on that occasion by Brother Brodie. Past Grand Master Charles Roome, who presided, also paid a high tribute to Brother Morris, as did Past Grand Master Joseph D. Evans, who placed the laurel on his brow. Brother Brodie's address was as follows:

In the hall of old St. John's Lodge, Canongate Kilwinning, at Edinburgh, Scotland, hangs a painting which, more than any other object in that historical room, will catch the eye of the Masonic visitor. It represents a young man, tall, dignified, with the fire of intellect sparkling in his eye, bending slightly before a person more venerable for age, who is distinguished by the emblem of Masonic rank. The officer is engaged in laying upon the head of the young man a crown of laurel.

The history of this picture has been preserved in the records of the period, as well as in the traditions of the Lodge and the order of Freemasons generally, and as it affords us the only precedent at our command for the ceremonial this evening, it is proper that I should particularly call your attention to and briefly explain.

The occasion of the ceremony in question was the coronation of Robert Burns as poet laureate of Freemasonry in Lodge No. 2, Canongate Kilwinning, March 1, 1787.

This wayward, but brilliant child of genius had come up to the metropolis, for the purpose of superintending the publication of an edition of his poems, which, however, meritorious in themselves, and evincing a fire and originality never excelled since David tuned his inspired strains at Jerusalem, had attained only a provincial celebrity up to that period. He was, immediately upon his arrival, taken in hand by the leading spirits connected with the Lodges of Edinburgh, and espe

cially the Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, and introduced through Masonic circles, then as now, composed of the best of rank and family that the metropolis afforded. Finding that their gifted brother possessed every quality of grace, dignity and propriety of deportment, he was next taken into the more exclusive circles of the city, where he shone as the acknowledged wit and conversationalist of the season.

So much honored and distinguished were the Freemasons of Edinburgh by the fame of their poet brother, that it was deemed fitting to make a public demonstration of the high regard in which he was held. So, at a meeting called for the purpose in the old stone building, yet standing within the Canongate, so famous in Scottish history, Robert Burns was crowned with a garland of evergreen, and hailed poet laureate of Freemasonry, as the beautiful painting to which I have alluded clearly shows. The record of the evening was made up, and Burns, the first person upon whom the title was ever bestowed, was adopted by the Masonic craft, as he had already been adopted by the peasantry of Scotland, as he has since been adopted by a consensus of all who recognize the divinity in the poet, as the laureled song writer of the ages.

It would have been well for Robert Burns, that great genius, whose sun went down at noonday, had he borne in mind the two lessons of that coronation, for it warned him with no uncertain tongue.

"A sacred title is the name you bear;
Look on it and sustain it solemnly;
Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly;
Fear not for sorrow; falter not for sin;
But onward, upward, till the goal ye win."

Since that memorable incident, nearly a century has passed and the mantle of poet laureate has not been placed on other shoulders. The Grand Lodge of Scotland has from time to time had among its office bearers a "Grand Bard" to compose verses for important occasions.

One of these was the eloquent George Gilfillan, whose songs greatly delighted Scotch ears fifty years ago.

But although nearly a century has passed there has been no poet laureate to enjoy the distinction merited by the genius of Robert Burns.

The use of laurel as an emblem of honor is too well known to ordinary readers to demand comment from me. Among the older poets of Greece and Rome very many allusions to it may be found. At first its use was limited to statesmen and heroes, but in later times it became the means of testifying the national triumphs of poets, as Dante, Petrarch and others.

Our own Benjamin Franklin placed the chaplet of bay leaves upon the head of Voltaire in Paris in 1778, thus expressing the general sentiment of reverence for his genius.

I need not add that in the symbolism of earlier times the laurel was consecrated to Apollo, god of music and poetry. Thus it became one of the sacred plants, as the myrtle, the acacia, the olive, etc., and a favorite poet of Rome sang in these lines his devotion to the laurel:

"I wed thee, laurel, as my tree;

Be thou the prize of honor and renown:
The deathless poet and the poem crown,
Thou shalt the Roman festival adorn
And, after poets, be by victors worn."

With these brief remarks explanatory of that portion of the evening's exercises which have been allotted to me, and which I now perform not as Grand Master of Masons of the State of New York, but as an individual brother, I now proceed to justify myself and the distinguished speakers who have preceded me, in this attempt to repeat a ceremony so long obsolete.

There are few English speaking Masons who have not at some time been entertained by the odes and poems accredited to the pen of Dr. Morris. The older brethren will recall how some forty years since a voice of melody came up from the south and penetrated our Masonic circles.

Need I name the production which has since come to the front as the most popular emanation of his genius under the name of "The Level and the Square?" Either because this poem was among the first of Brother Morris' pieces, or because its theme is one familiar above all others to the Masonic ear, or because it has in truth the genuine fire and genius pervading it, from whatever cause, it is not too much to say, nothing in verse has ever stirred the Masonic heart like "The Level and the Square." Since its production and general acceptance the pen of its composer has been active until the whole imagery of Freemasonry seems to have yielded to him its most eloquent thought.

Several years ago an old and well known Mason of this city proposed to Dr. Morris that his genius, enterprise and industry should be publicly acknowledged in the form we are attempting this evening, and it was only his own diffidence and shrinking from such public observation that delayed it. No sooner was his consent obtained than communications were sent to the leading Masons in all the Grand Lodge jurisdictions of this continent announcing the proposed coronation and soliciting fraternal opinions upon its propriety. The replies number more than 200 and are carefully

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