Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-03-16
Sncrn, Sncinties

InrIiruuuN ann HtNNN n WV Hu'A E'I'iA
view Of the .pirit aud character Of such a.
ISOLATION, from the time Of toe NEUROLOGICAL
and orphic legend, down 90 Masonry, Odd
Fellowship and Euow.Nothirci1n.
Speaking or tho specific causes Of these 50,
cie,ics the article in questions PHILOSOPHERS
9Th. specific cause, Of the phenomena W.
are considering are several. and among The
first, the inhcrcu, and irrrprrssohlo love OF
our poor human nature for mystery it-'lf-
mystery which is consuhztan,iatc, live may
80 express IL, with the infinite depth and
warnings Of our souls We, all II u', feel
at timcs. with Thomas Brown, a. II there
were mol, miracles enough in thruniycr,, %
en- 1ur b5unllc- capacity f7r faith. But,
without entering In tho,' Trolgunirr regions,
Do vcuoi know that simpl, secret, .harsI
between 70, or two prr~'ns, ia boudofunion
and ami'v. and q source of peculiar cnthu-
,'asm ? When the hear, Of the Young man
has spoken the word lrooi,d over In silence
80 long with tremendous Alterations offrar
and hopes. 9, the heart Of iho maiden, dos
not the world take on another Iuo, and nm
ur with an unwon'rl glory What sweet
aud blessed radiance hover, over the -ccr',
urrt1l couch. which one rlimmor % the
day, 1n, rryinr cyc. or one listening ca,
would vi'hcr and dash into darkness 90
Sp,rh. .lv. the German rrovrh, i,.il,cm,
hut silence 0, golden. "B,gs will network,
except in darkness, 80 .ay. Carlyle though,
viii not work except IN silsrr1 neither viii
virtue work except In sarrrsy." Il j. not,
however. .rcr,sy it,alf. 50 much a. CONE
muniru of sccrcsy which vcaycs the charm.
1t the silsuc, and s,rrrsv relat' not 90 a
few bu, 90 a multitude, lst ispnn the earth
with i,s unseen mystic tio-, let 1t trae' itself
hack 90 boar and venerable antiquity and
look forward % the f,r visionary nturs,
linkir. the two together hy awful truth.
which Jar, not o. av1vcl, and yc, must Boz
rrorasatcI, communicating in tho hruNdc'i
daylight on unseen trlcrraphs, and stretch,
ing ont In the gloom of night a bloody hand
as IN Srala,ro'. vision while hack Of all
there stands vast, intangible, dark ass'cia.
,i1u. woven into a complicated network OF
affiliated as.oriati1a having ii' agents every.
where. omui,ricu, as ,hr eve Ut Cuar-om,
rirotout a. the hand of Drlth,-anl whata
mingled fascination Of terror and power and
glory steals into our thoughts. Conucctth'
idea of brnc,olcncc with il, or the watch and
ward Of some high truth, aud the socrstsTrl
becomes q grand cuchautmcnt II recall'
,ho,, imposing oriental fables of suh,rrnne
ou. spirits who guard che acr'd tcra'urr b.
Meath the root of the 50. or We think 9th.
mystic virgins, who, in the depths Of caves
mumri rom human sight, shelter the flame
orhf, or li,tin- image. Of the cycrla-iin.
w,nirrcr. who hcar, from generation % gen,
Grafton. a knovl,d.r Of the s5rrow' an.
woes Of hi, race. OF which he must not who'll
lv unburicn hi, breast, impart a kind Of ~
p,rua,ur,l sublimi,y, or at least an aprari
,iounl and Portrntous GREATNESS to the con
eoption."
"The symbolism ofthese socic,ics-thc i'm
rrcs.ivo rite. and ccrcmonirs-thc hrillian
dc,orati1n.-thc dirui,irs and ORDERS {
second cause of the powerful appeal which
they make 20 human nature. Our orlinar,
life, save under certain exceptional cirrum
stances, j. prosaic. but our souls arc full o
poetry. and glad 20 escape from is dryncs
and mon1,nny We tire or the arid desert
over which, with our haltinc caravans ant
heavy merchandise. we pass w,arily, and w
run Ike children toward, any vcrdurou
p!a.n, ~ Turlin- brook, though il prove on
/ IL , fa,rmergara. Our souls feel themsalyc
rcral. while o. environments are squaliJ
and b,rsarlv. Lying in manscr-swaddl,y
in rar,-toilins a, the * or I'll" AS ncvc
toilod-,zhaus,ed, oyer,ssE"J, feeding OF
husks-vi,h a curtain Of drab drawn acros
the clorics Of the landscape and the 'anTis'
we are ye, conscious natives Of TalacN'--a
home amid flowers, and wine, and music
and dresses studded with gems, and hishl,
and stately intercourse, and life whose ap
4 planes are srlcndor, and who's, motions ar,
. graces and harmonics. Even the stimulation
or mere appearance Of these is seductive
. Whatever recalls to Us a sense OF our tru,
dcstiny-whatcver represents il 70 our i'm
aginatious, though'intrinsically puerilc an,
aatulcnt-hish-souriing titles-rcsalia-th
pomp Of ccramonics-bauusrs, ornaments
is welcome in the absence Of the reality
"Not one logical, mensuraiive faculty, eS
claims Teufelsdrockh, "but our imaginatig,
one is king over Us priest and prophet t
lead US helven.wsrd. or Magician and wiz
lard to lead us hell.Ward." The State an,
the Church have long known this, and ad
dressed themselves to its nice application
by the brilliancy ofeourts, heraldic coats
arms, military cnsigns, the insignia ofofhoC
baldricks and oaplrisons, buttons and doc
Oratious, and the masnifcencC Of rites the
have WELDED tue minds, by FIRST dazzling tn
i. imagiDatiOns Of men. Consider an arm
without it. CAV trsppiug' and uniforms II