Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-08
MEMORIAL
Annual Services by the Knights
in Augusta.
Strong Sermon by Rev. Brother Henry
E. Dunnack.
Visiting Brethren from Lodges at Gar
diner and HaIIoWell.

Knights of PythiaS was held by Au-
guSta members of the fraternity, Sun
day afternoon. Members of Calanthe
Lodge, No. SO, and King Company, Uni
form Rank, met in their hall at 1.3C
o'clock. They were joined for the oc-
casion by members of Gardiner Lodge
and Gardiner Company of Uniform
Rank of Gardiner and members OF
Granite Lodge and Hallowell Company
of Uniform Rank of Hallowell. The
march to the Congregational church
started at 2.3O, led by Augusta Cadet
Band. There We're 45 men marching
in the lodge with an escort of SO men
in the Uniform Rank. The line of
march was Water, Bridge and State
streets to the church.
The services opened with organ vol
untary by Frederic Dunster, and an
them, THE Lord Is My Refuge" sung
by quartet composed of Miss Helen
Small, soprano; Miss Georgia Clark.
alto; Aaron Ripley, tenor; j. w. Beck,
bass.
The Scripture reading and prayer
were by Rev. Norman Mckinnon of the
congregational church. The hymn by
the choir and large congregation was
to the tune Of BoylSton, "Blest Be the
Tie that Binds
Rev. Henry f. Dunnack of the
Methodist church, a brother in the fra
ternity, was the preacher of the oc-
casion, giving a stirring sermon on
the subject of THE Test of Friend
ship. The Journal is privileged to give
it's readers this abstract of the SER
mon:
Text John 1913. Eye are my friends,
if We do what l command you" Sub
ject. The Test of Friendship
The dawn of knighthood marked an
important epoch in the worlds history.
1T was born in the Christian church.
therefore it took to itself much of re-
ligious form, and ceremonial chivalry
was formally recognized as an institu-
ton in the eleventh century by the
council of Clermont. Knighthood was,
however, then confined to the nobility,
and that council decreed that every boy
of noble birth, twelve years old, should
take upon himself an oath to defend
to the uttermOst the oppressed, widows
and orphans. An elaborate system of
education, or rather training, was es-
tablished to fit the youth for knight
hood, and the ceremonies of induction
into it's orders were most solemn and
impressive. The candidate was thor
Oughly trained in the use of arms,
tested in everything that would prove
his courage and worthiness, and be-
fore final charging spent a prescribed
time in fasting, praying, and medita-
ton in solitude. The obligation of the
knight of chivalry bound him to the
highest duties mans knowledge of
moral law and obligation compre-
hended, and the upholding of these
duties and obligations was by the
strong right arm. That obligation
bound him to serve God religiously, to
fight for the faith with all his strength,
and to die a thousand deaths rather
than renOunce Christianity; to serve
his sovereign faithfully. and to fight
for him valiantly; to maintain the just
cause of the weak, as widows, orphans
and maidens in q good quarrel; that
would avoid all fraud and deceit;
that he would safely conduct a lady or
maiden, serve and protect her, save her
from all danger or insult or die in the
attempt; that he would faithfully OBJ
serve his word and pledged faith. Re
Numbering that this was time of
profound ignorance, that almost all of
education was confined to the monas-
terics of the church, that the world was
but just emerging from the darkness
that had blotted out all knowledge, all
recollection of the culture, refinement,
and glory of ancient Greece and Rome,
.l,r1r |, hoo tod
Considering all these matters, could
there have been higher standards of
action than these of the ancient
knghthood? But the crOwning glory
of knighthood was it's devotion to wo-
man. Woman owes to chvalry the first
great step towards equality. Under its
influence she first became her hus-
bands equal. Indeed, the chivalric de-
votion to woman in that time attestcd
not alone by song and story, but Verl-
fied by history, was such as to place
her on a plane higher than man, as an
object of alteration. Nor was it vain
and empty homage. She became as
chivalrously true, pure and high in her
aims and purposes. She scOrned rich
es, and only looked for manhood,
truth and valor in him who sought her
hand and heart. At no time in the
worlds history was individual merit
more highly regarded than i'll that
chivalric age.
True, the sword, spear and battle
axe were the arguments used to over
come wrong, and to rear and sustain n
high standard of individual moral OK
cellence; but the men of those centuries
knew little of logic, save the logic of
force and might. While men had come
to realize in some degree that might
was not always right, yet right found
| its most efficient advocate in might
| The ideas which originated in the
chivalry of the middle ages were adj
/ vanced and civliZing, and their ten
dency was to advancement and civil
| cation, barbarous and dark as they
| may seem with the light of almost a
| thousand years upon them. They
served their purpose. they accom-
| plished their end, they broadened the
worlds ideas of mans duty to his God,
his country, his neighbor and to him
| self"
| The Pythian Knight is the successor
| of the valiant men of ancient days,
| founded as it is upon the classic story
| of Damon and PythiaS This story will