Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-12-28

which connect THIS VaT fabric, ana 70
bend the knee, in humble alteration Of
him who fwsys the fceptre Of fuprelne and
eternal right. might here have men
toned the authorities upon which we date
The commencement of our order; but 1t is
faRiciert tolay, thar our worthy mafonic
Establishment is found to have commenced
withstine and it is known to you, my
brethren, thar there is as great difference
between nominal privileges and real pr-
yileges, between nominal dialnefions and
real honors, as between profeGional free
mafonry and the practice Off. BY many
traditional and hiaorical accounts, the an
guilty of free mafonfy is carried back as
early as the building Of Solomon's tenn
pie. Men, my brethren, who can read
the psopenhties and properties ola Ma
fon's heart, may very well be executed for
fuppofng the principles Of benevolence 70
have originated in the reiources of viii
dom. From the creation. fays celebrat,
ed mafonic writer, ever fnce fymetIy
began and harmony has dilplayed her
charms, our order, has had being, in
tetlinony of which thoie valuable records
which remain 10 the archives of manlon-
ry, farniih abundant proof. From this
early period, then, we trace the progreis
and improvements of the maionic intituti-
on, commencing with the year Of light,
or FIVE thoufand eight hundred and two
years ago.
Matonry is branch Of srth.teaute con-
fitting in the art of hewing or lquaring Of
aones, and cutting them level or perpen-
dicuiar for the ules OF building /; mott Of
the authorities of architecture mention
teven kinds of nlalonry Three of hewed
aone, viz. that in the form of a net
that in binding, and that called Greek
Maionry land three of unhewed fone,
viz. that of an equal courfe, tina, Of an
unequal courfc, and that filled up in the
middle; the feven,h was competition of
all the ref, the perfect number feven With
The various appellations affixed to each
number, the diviGon of architecture into
three general kinds civil, military, and
navaI8. In the hrf diviGon Of which,
there being the five elfabliihed orders,
Tufcau, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and
CoInpohte, prove the iyttem Of proper
tons in mechanical architecture and ope.
rative mafonry, TO be but the Tendance
& profile ,ranfcript offpeculative malonry,
which is its ancient and original archi-
type.
In the earliee Rate Of fociety, man
wild and uncoltivafed, rude and unpolih.
ed, haunted the lonely frean that winds
its courfe among the broken cliffs and pro-
jetting mountains ; here he lhelteTed him
ielf from the inclemcnt vic;aitudes OF iea-
fops, and feated on the delights Of animal
qualification, an unlatisfa Cory and preca-
rious exiaence. Such were the enjoy
ments of uniocial man.
twas then the genius Of mafonry arole,
girded with The fairy zone ftruth, wear
ing The isndals Of juttice, with the arm
OF fortitude extending, the palm of charity,
and veRed in all the excelling virtues of
humanity. Then man became civilized,
locieties were formed, fcience promoted !
Affections extended, virtue honored, peace
cultivated! Friendhip preierved, and all
the tender charities of life mutually in
terchanged for the great advantage of all.
Thefa are the blefings of an inlfitution
dehgned by wilton, founded on the
llrengsh of bcneyoleDce, and ornamented
with the beauties of brotherly love ana
charity. This is the realon why men in
every age, have availed themielves of
the privileges attached TO the order ; and
the belt reafon why its principles have
been preierved pure amid the conflicting
and complicated connections of the world.
1t will. be needleEs to remind you of
the improvements in ancient or modern
operative architecture, though there is a
large field for difcufion, riting in per-
fpeetiye. Between The uaaay Tufcan CO.
lumn and the highly ornamented Compo-
lise, We make no ptetenfons beyond mo-
raj speculative mafonry cur tools and