Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

DEATH OF THE GRAND MASTER. 10.*>
Masonry; the'art of finding new arts, and the way of winning
the faculty of A brae."
With what think men excited by so high an aim, and
bent on the dangerous enterprise of violently extorting
from the grand master this precious word, would arm themselves
? Surely with a two foot rule! and a carpenter's
square! and a common mallet!
They probably knew not how to use weapons of war;
and, it being a premeditated assassination, time might have
been lost in learning their use I swords and dirks are not
mentioned among the utensils of that, age ; so, as David
met the champion of Gath with his shepherd's sling, they,
with the implements of their art, hit the grand master,
after shaking him heartily, over the back,or breast, or head,
as it suited them, one blow each, and he died;—verily, as the
fool dies, so died our grand master!
Without striking a blow, without making a struggle, without
lifting a hand, without raising the least outcry, at noon
day, (thy tradition is faithful, O, Free Masonry!) in the
midst of king Solomon's temple, our Grand Master fell beneath
the single and deadly stroke of a rule, a square, and
a mallet, laid on by three of his menials !* What a wonder
! The Master of" the art of foresaying things,' 1 did not
foresee his danger; the master of " the art of wonder-working,"
did not even draw a magic circle; the master of " the
way of winning the faculty of Abrac," did not utter a syllable
of magic, did not spit one mouthful of fire, did not make
the slightest attempt to conjure a spirit to his rescue: but,
alas! forgetful of all his masonic defences, he died; he
basely died!
Why did not this man of authority rebuke with authority
the folly of the fellow crafts ? Morgan could say, in his
last moments," If you take my life, it will be more injury
to you than all I can write or say ;" and there was the force
* Reader, this is faithful to the tradition, however the tradition may be
to the troth.
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