senior warden of St. Patrick's lodge. We have been favoured with a copy of the exordium, by our worthy brother and companion BIRKETT D. THOMPSON, and with pleasure give it a place in the MASONIC REGISTER. The oration has not yet come to hand. EXORDIUM.

My Brethren and Friends,

Wretched and deplorable indeed, would his condition then have been, protected, and loved, and cherished if his heavenly Father had not still him. Yes! God still loved man, wayward, sinful man, and provided Means are still provided by the mua ransom for his future salvation. nificent hand of his maker, for his improvement, pleasure, and happiness in this world, through the aid of his social nature, which powerfully contributes to these great ends. Mankind thus situated, and con

Man, as he came from the hands of his great Creator, was pure, innocent, and undefiled. He wanted not the aid of human wisdom,scious of their own individual weakand human institutions, to renderness, found it necessary to form sohis condition in life happy. He cieties of different kinds, for the mustood in no need of the artificial ties, tual good of all. Hence the estabwhich, since the fall, have so often lishment of religious, moral, and and so greatly added to the comfort political institutions; the co-operaof man. No! he then was pure tion of individuals to promote the and harmless, the favourite of his public good; to extend the arts and great Creator, fearing nothing, de- sciences; to civilize the heathen; siring nothing. All nature bore a to suppress vice and immorality; to pleasing, delightful aspect. The extend the gospel to the utmost lion and the lamb tenanted one fold, bounds of the earth; to minister the and peace, universal peace, pervad-cup of consolation to the wretched; ed the extended field of nature. No to extend the hand of charity and jarring discord, nor envious hate; wipe the falling tear from the eye of no misery, the offspring of crime, distress; to relieve the unfortunate nor misery, the offspring of misfor- of every nation, and generally, to tune; no jealous eye, nor revenge- meliorate the condition of man, ful desire; no hunger, nor thirst, whilst journeying through this wil nor nakedness; no malice, nor cruderness of wo; becoming a pillar elty, nor angry passions, then were of cloud by day, to protect from known, to corrupt the heart, or mar pain, and a pillar of fire by night, to the happiness of man. The great light his footsteps in the paths of truth Creator, well pleased with his work, and virtue,which lead to the promised benignantly smiled; all nature join-land. The great good which has ed with one accord to praise his been produced, by the instrumentalgreat name; and man stood erectity of these various associations, has under the smiles of Heaven with joy and gratitude, adoring the eternal Author and Finisher of all. How happy then was he! little did he know his future fate; the misery which future transgression should bring on him and his posterity.ed, eternity alone can bring to light. But, alas! sin entered the world; man fell from his high station, and sickness, pain, and death, and all the ills that man is heir to, followed in the train.

often been attested by the incense which burns on the altar of grateful hearts. But, the aggregate of hap piness which flows from these sources, time can never unfold; and how much misery has been prevent

Among all the various institutions which have been established, either religious, political, or moral, for the melioration of the condition of man, none stands more pre-eminently

conspicuous for charity,benevolence, I say, "is not this painting a caricature; can all this be true?" Yes, my friends, all this is true. A juster portrait never was drawn by the combined powers of Raphael and Titian. 'Tis true that the likeness is not always seen; because the beholder, sometimes from ignorance, and sometimes from design, places himself in that direction from the

and humanity, than the masonic. In point of intrinsic excellence, and universal prevalence, it ranks infinitely superior to any other of human origin. The very nature and existence of man, necessarily creates a relation, which binds man to man; and masonry, as a social compact, adds increasing weight and force to each original obligation. Friend-picture, whence he can only see the ship, charity, and brotherly love, dark shade, which forms the back are enjoined and cultivated. "Oh! ground of the painting. But the what celestial balm does friendship man of taste and feeling, who, withpour into the troubled heart!" It out prejudice, views this portrait soothes affliction, alleviates pain, from a situation, where he can have revives the drooping heart, and the advantage of the rays of light gives to life a value, far beyond properly thrown on the canvass, will its real worth. In the social hour, be forced to declare the likeness friendship gives a new zest to every true. joy; and, in the hour of distress, it We are not disposed to deny that is a prop for the wounded heart to there are black spots in the sun of rest upon. Charity! thou godlike masonry. But are there not black virtue-thee we hail, as the bond of spots sometimes seen even in the perfectness, the pole star of mason- great luminary of the solar system? ry. Thou givest bread to the hun- And shail we despise the blessed gry, and raiment to the naked; thou || light he gives us, because he is not givest comfort and relief to the poor spotless? No! my friends, we hail and the needy, the wretched and with joy and delight his enlivening the forlorn; and thy mantle covers rays, although, sometimes, he may the many imperfections of frail, be eclipsed by the intervention of an miserable, deluded man. And thou opaque body. too, brotherly love! come thou, and We know, and we regret it too, bring with thee truth and universal that many masons act very differbenevolence. Come ye, and draw ently from the profession they make, your chairs round the social fire; ye and are actually a disgrace to the too are necessary to form the bright society, and to human nature. But galaxy of masonic attributes! But this argues nothing against masonare these all? No! there is yet onery; if there were no bad men in sowanting, to complete the circle.-ciety, except the few who are to be Here she comes; welcome thou di- found within the pales of the lodge, vine messenger of peace; thou Ho- then indeed, we should cease to sing ly Religion; Come, draw thy chair, the praises of masonry. No arguand make us full; preside thou over ment can be drawn from the vice these earthly worthies, and give di- and immorality of bad masons, rection to their zeal. What a bless-whereby to condemn the institution, ed circle, my friends, is this? This circle, whose centre is the great, || the adorable Jehovah! before Him, all masons are taught to bow with reverence; Him, they are taught to obey, love, and adore.

But, methinks I hear some of you

or the virtuous members. As well might you say, that because there are some vile, profligate men, who disgrace the nature they bear, there are therefore no virtuous men, because all men are human, and possess the same passions. How would

such argument comport with common sense? Does your reason assent to it? No! reason must have lost her empire, and folly usurped the throne, before the human mind can be forced to such conclusions. My friends, we are willing that masonry shall be tested by its own intrinsic excellence and utility. If it has ever been productive of inju-ished. If misery, and want, and ry to society, it deserves to be reprobated and annihilated. But if it has never caused any evil, and on the contrary has ever produced the smallest good, it deserves to be praised and cherished.

If any, even the most abject individual of the human race, has been relieved from want and misery by the benevolent hand of masonry, it | deserves to be fostered. If masonry pours the balm of consolation into the wounded heart, and grants relief to the distressed widow and helpless orphan, it deserves to be cher

hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, have never cried in vain to masonry, then indeed it deserves to be praised. And until truth, justice, benevolence, friendship, and brotherly love, cease to be virtues; and chariIf masonry has ever done evil in ty, the principal round in the mathe world, I am ignorant of the evi-sonic ladder, which leads from earth dence which establishes the fact: to heaven, becomes a vice, masonry and I defy all the powers of earth will be hailed by virtue, as one of and hell to establish one solitary in- her brightest stars. stance, in which masonic principles or practice have produced injury to society, in any point of view, either legal or political, moral or religious. I assert then, without the fear of contradiction, that masonry never has done, and never will do any injury; and I assert too, that it has done more moral good in the world, than any other society that ever existed. That this is true, the world has ample evidence, although we do not go on the house-top to proclaim our benevolence.

Such, my brethren, being the divine purity of the principles of masonry, let us endeavour to emulate the divine perfections of Him, whom we profess to adore; and, in the figurative language of this Holy Book, which we declare to be the first great light in masonry, let us seek to make our robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Then indeed will we grace the profession we make. Then indeed will we have the pass word, which will gain us admittance into the grand celestial Lodge above.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MASONIC REGISTER.

The following Song is transmitted, and if you think it worthy a place in your REGISTER, you will please to insert it.

THE GENIUS OF MASONRY.

WHEN Sol, with grave motion, had plung'd in the ocean,
And twilight hung over the borders of day,

A splendid reflection, with downward direction,

Stole softly the senses of mortals away:

My thoughts were suspended, as darkness descended,
With night's ample canopy widely unfurl'd

The solar succession of mist in progression,
Bid twilight in silence retire from the worl

B S

While thus I was tranced, a person advanced,

All sprightly and active with transporting glee;
With rapture I trembled, I thought he resembled
Some angelic form more than man could e'er be.
With ardour I viewed him, in fancy pursued him,
His mien was majestic, and noble his mind;
His actions discreetly, fulfilling completely,
The precepts of nature by wisdom enjoin'd.

His heart was in motion with zeal and devotion,
His voice was an organ of music and mirth;
Profuse as a fountain that flow'd from a mountain,
His charities gladden'd the children of earth:

In fancy I caught him, and home with me brought him,
And sought with my heart-strings to bind him with care;
Nor would I unloose him, for in his blest bosom,

I saw the best image that human can wear.

I thought he said to me, " In vain you pursue me,
For on the strong pinions of science I soar,
But if you will hasten, and be a freemason,
I'll speak of the order a moment or more :
No other legation since earth's first creation,
Has e'er kept a secret in union so long;
No other communion so firm as this union,

No friendship with man that's so lasting and strong.

"For kings may make quarrels for conquest and laurels, And churches, though Christian, may wrangle and jar, There's no such invasions allow'd among masons,

Nor ruptures nor rumours of internal war:

Through time's ancient measure, with freedom and pleasure,
The sons of fair science have mov'd hand in hand;
Through every commotion, by land or by ocean,
In triumph have pass'd the harmonious band.

Old time may keep beating, his numbers completing,
And wear out his wings in the region of years;
But wisdom and beauty shall teach us our duty,
Until the Grand Master in glory appears.

The world may keep gazing, their senses amazing,
And wreck their inventions to find out our plan;

With candour we meet them, and prove as we greet them,
That masons respect every virtuous man.

Let envy degrade us, and scribblers invade us,
And all the black regions of malice combine;
Though demons and furies turn judges and juries,
With innocent lustre the order will shine.

Like rocks in the ocean, we fear not the motion
Of waves which asssail us in foaming career;
With truth and discretion, we still make progression,
And leave all the envy of fools in the rear.

While each in his station, with great admiration,
Beholds the fair temple of wisdom arise,
Let each faithful brother support one another,
Till the lodge universal shall meet in the skies:
With orient grandeur and dazzling splendour,

The wide arch of heaven reflecting the blaze,
Where sisters and brothers and millions of others,
Shall shine in the courts of the Ancient of Days.

The scene is before us, then join in the chorus,
Let worlds with all beings unite in the song;
To God the Creator and Author of nature,
And ages eternal the anthem prolong :

Thus armies terrestrial, and squadrons celestial,
Shall echo through heaven the music serene;
Yet will their high story fall short of his glory,
And silent expression must muse on the theme."

He closed this oration, with great admiration,
While extasy kindled his countenance high;
With due preparation, he soar'd from his station,
And buoyant from earth he ascended the sky:
In awe I beheld him, which clearly reveal'd him,
The genius of masonry full in my sight;
Through ether progressing, receiving earth's blessing,
Triumphant he enter'd the portals of light.

ON FREEMASONRY.

By a Mason's Wife,

With what malicious joy, e'er I knew better,
Have I been wont Freemasons to bespatter;
How greedily have I believ'd each lie
Contriv'd against that fam'd society;

With many more complain'd-'twas very hard,
Women should from their secrets be debarr'd,
When kings and statesmen to our sex reveal
Important secrets which they should conceal,
That beauteous ladies by their sparks ador'd
Never could wheedle out the mason's word;
And oft their favours have bestow'd in vain,
Nor could one secret for another gain:
I thought, unable to explain the matter,
Each mason sure, a woman hater:
With sudden fear and dismal horror struck,
I heard my spouse was to subscribe the book-
By all our loves I begg'd he would forbear ;
Upon my knees I wept, and tore my hair;
But when I found him fix'd, how I behav'd,
I thought him lost, and like a fury rav'd;