National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-07
MASONIC CEREMONIES.
KING SOLOMON AND THE BLACKSMITH.


pr..,.,.,,or s,.s.h n, Cou,,r,or n. N.
rreseh'a'o" speee" o' oo"p"""" "' W.
BIiss-RerdIpR of Orlatual Poem BY
,--..,,, AZ a., us mi.
oo"p"n''" " u "''pe"''o " Is"
Lafayette Il. A. Chapter for the East.
me members o. lafayette ,ho H. a. Inap'e,
ceive the present to be made them by Dc. D. W.
Bliss, full description OF which was published
in the Rsruniicls OF yesterday. As was TO
=. a. ,o.n !, ,or,,J ina room vas oIle, 70 aver.
.',. ., ~ ,,c,nr. nnc,n,,,. . .onsr,.-
moving, anu Tue pic'u'c' ovoupy'us consp'c-
uous position In the east, attracted universal at
tention, High Priest Joseph II. Mccoy promptly
c.,,ed ,he chan,er Ia or,ler. and Comp,nion DR..
D. W. Bliss then arose and addressed him as
follows
Ma.t Erceilcnt HIM Priest and Companions n
70 San and Il place n yoaT ssepnr ,s,s Masonic
engrnyIny, which, to the uninitiated, although
beautiful work OF art, will I've unmeaning aud I'M
annreciate1 hut 10 Tho craft who have been
l'llgent in carefully studying the history Of Ma
sonfy, is full 81 lessons OF wisdom, and from
which the true Mason will derive great strength
him by the Urcat Architect Of the Universe in
constriictinp temples Of goodness, virtue and
brotheriy love in the hearts Of mankind. l,
Won 10 place i, upon the walls OF this Chapter,
feeling assured that the synlboilcal lessons Oh the
IAeRcpd embodied In Its dcaign will become en-
gfaycn in The hearts OF tho companions OF this
Chapter and prompt them 10 higher aud nobler
| deeds In emulation OF the great founder OF our
craft, and bring forth the good fruits contem-
plated BY the Masonic artist, and most earnestly
desired by your companion AND humble servant,
| ID. W. Bliss. ,,,,-
| Attic conclusion o. companion biiss remsrts,
Companion Dr. Z, Z; Cpx was introduced ~
| lows: 81,
| Most breeuem hgh Ir'sst' ~ preiAcine
the poem l nave prepared Ior tnis occasion. y
may not be unlnteresting 70 notice brieny tne
two distinguished personaHes VINO constitute
the principals OF nus splendid picture, hing
Solomon and hlrin OF Tyre. -, an. ,..u,,.,
In reviewing the history OF the lsraeitisn
monarch, we arc impressed WIN nls Punucai
power and his unsurpassed wisdom. ne was
emphat,cally, grsM ting:, Inc kinguoms o.
syria, Damascus, moab aud AmaIon were nis
tributaries. ite trlgneu over al tnat vsst 10.
main from the bnpnIa'es 70 INC connnes OF
Egypt, ACCORDING 70 the estimate , o. ,osu , CON
sumption ~ Calvislus, not less tnan MY thou-
sand were ied az ms palace uaiiy sna We are
told he had iorty tnousana s'aiis Oh horses anu
twelve thousand hotsemen' -,.,o
But i Is chiefly lot n's grea wsdom ne va
known AMI feoogn,hea ,f9usnout ne tnen
world. rms ekeelIe sa,a' ~. Inc Wis
dom OF al 'ne enmen " w, n, ins o. a,
Jury; mat is, tne SnalaoAns, Ifuss'Ans sna
Afaplans, anu Al Tue "suon ~ bgyp.
And ne SPOKE, sSs tnc saoleu osu'psu'es;
tnree tnousann Pl"'e,os' "e n uuu' Mn,e " =
when only sufvive1 anu MS sonts Me,e -,
thousand aud nye VI the ia'ter oniy one oooN
OF cantlcies Icnsns' ,.,, ,,. ,.,.. fra.
anu ne spoke Vi .ees' ,.vn IN Wy seusn ~, nsv
. that Is IN Leuanon, even uheo tue hyssop 'nn'
spuingetn OUT o. me WILL , =, .,. an, n,
ne spoke, aso, ~ ye 49, ~" Vi io"'' ""' VI
Z creeping things aud Oh nshes."
. | lie was, In other word, thoroughly versed In
botany and every part OF natural history. What
an astonishing exhibit OF wisdom Is this
But most interesting parsonage 10 this pic.
J this time he must have been advanced In years
, lie was an intimate friend Of solomons father
David, and, indeed, built hts palace. Loving thu
J father, II was natural he should be profoundly
! were not reInarksbie for proficiency in the me
: chanic arts. The sidonlans were the great car
s penters, joinert and builders. When, therefore
: solomon proposed 10 build q temple, OF, as ht
= expressed II, "a house unto the name Of tn,
!. Lord God" he sent word 20 Hiram, the great mas
: hew trees out OF Lebanon. When the messag,
9 reached Hiram he rejoiced greatly, and, like
9 worshiper OF the true Deity, as he doubtless
!. was, blessed God that David had so wise a sol
n bring The .'hewcd timber down from Lebanon
into the sea-" and TO deliver II by "sea In noats
u Al Inc place arpointcd. And we are further 10
a formed that he furnished and brought owe
"great stones, costly stones, and hewed stone
g to lay the foundation Of the house"
= shall not take up your time by attempting I,
= describe the great temple. Those OF you VIII
. peruse the sacred volume-an,l II Is to DO hope
J. no good Mason ncgiects to do so-wili ind
9 It's architecture aud material. In Kings, chap
J. VI. suffioo 1t to say the building was perfect
! some conception Of It's high ilnish and the elan
from the fact that, although every timber wa
y prepared for ia place, every stone hewed
. ie,aai neVeriSeless TOOK seven long years
IS complete the temple. so elaborate were ii
gliding. carved worn, ne OysTl.yias win ssl.
ments OF that vast and splendid structure lin
u Of "hSmmer, Ak, or any tool Of ron" What