Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated - The Masonic Trowel

80 NOACHITE OR PRUSSIAN KNIGHT.
fixed his residence in that part now called Prussia, where
he erected a dwelling to shclter himself from the inclemency
of the weather, and where he also erccted many
monuments.
In Lhe ycaf 1553, in digging for salt mines, ~thework~
men found thc ruins of a triangular edifice 15 cubit.s
deep. In the ccntrc of this edifice they found many
trophies of antiquity: An urn of agate, and many marble
columns ~vxthhierogi) phicb engraven thereon.
The origin of this ordcr, my brother, wa~ long before
the era of Hiram or Solomonian Masonry; as every one
knows that the to~’er of Babel ~va~built long before the
temple of Solomon, and in former txmcs it was not
necessary that a candidate should be a MasLer Mason to
be qualified to reccive this; for in the times of the e’usade~
the Knights of the different ordcrs in Europe were
initiatcd into this degree by the Christian Priiiecs to
conquer the Holy Land which was invaded by the Infidels,
as were also the masons descendant from Hiram.
You are especially charged in this degree, to be modest
and humble, and not ~vain-g1orious nor fihlcd with
~e1f-conceit. Be not ~viserin your own opinion than the
Deity, nor find ~fau1twith his works, nor ~udeavor to
improve upon ~~‘liathe iia~ done.
Be modest ail~o in ~‘ourintcreourse ~~‘it1iyour fellows,
and slow to entertain ev~1 thoughts of them, and rehic—
tant to a~(ribe to them evil intentions.
~Vhena mason hears of any man who hath fallcn into
public disgrace, he should have a mind to commiserate
his mishap and not to iiiake him more disconsolate. To
envenom a name by lihels that aircady is openly tainted
is to add stripes with an iron rod to one that is flayed
with whipping, and to every well tempered mind will
seem most inhuman and diabolical.
Even the man who does wrong and commits errors,
often has a quiet home, a fireside of his own, a gentle
loving wife, and innocent children who, perhaps do not
know of hi8 past errors and lapses, past and long repented
of, or if they do, do love him the better, because being
mortal, he bath erred, and being in the image of God, he
hath repcntcd.
That every blow at this husband and father, strikes
full upon the pure and tender bosoms of the wife and
those daughLers is a consideration that doth not concern
~r stay the hand of the base and brutal informer.
My brother, if men weighed the imperfections of
humanity, they would breathe less condemnation. Igflora
nce gives disparagemcnt a louder tongue than knowledge
does; wise men had rather know than tc]1. If WE.
even do know viecs in men we can scarce show our~eivc~
in a nobler virtue than in the charity of conecaling thorn.
if that be not a flattery, persuading to continuance and
it is the basest office man can fall into, to make his
tongue the defamer of the worthy man.
There iB but one rule for a mason in this matter: If
there bc virtues, and he is called upon to speak of him
who knows them, let him tell them forth impartially,
and if there be vices mixed with them let him be content
the world ~haII know them by some othcr tongue than
his; for if the evil doer deserves no pity, his wife, his
parents or his children, or other innocent persons who
love him, may.
Where we want experience, charity bids us think the
best and leave what we know not to the searcher of
hearts. For mistakes, ~uspicion~and envy often injure
a clear fame; and there is leaRt danger in a charitable