r~iASONIC CHAPLET,

THE
r~iASONIC
CHAPLET,
•
WITH
,I
BY
ANDREW 'M'KENZIE.
" Ye whom 8,o cial kiudness charms,
Whose hearts the tide of frie, ship warm. ;
, Who hold your being on the terms,
Each aid the othersCome to my bowl, come to my arms,
My frleuds, my brothers!"
BU,RNS.
, BELFAST:
P RINTED BY HUGH CLARK,
-
POTl'lNGER.'S ENTRY.
1832.
DEDICATION.
TO THE REV. JOHNSTON NEILSON~
Bbittallllt~.
My
DEAR
SIlt,
UNSKILf.EO in the established forms which
may be required in a formal dedication, and unprovided with any
patron in high life, to whom it might be addressed, permit me to
dedicate the few following trilles to you.
ir
My reason
doing so is, that I feel for you more esteem th~n, '
for most other men In you I have discovered that philanthropy,
without which, no man may pretend to tne high character of a
true Ffeemason. But there is another tie which binds my affections to YOIJ still more closely : yo~r family have long been the
pride and ornament of that part of the couitir~ where my earliest
as~ociations were formed; and, from, bej~ accustomed, auring
the greater part of my life, to look ,up tq" hem with reverence, I
cannot forbear to indulge for you a superior degree of veneration. '
When the hand which now guides this pen shall be mouldering
' in dust, may this remain, as a token of the esteem in which you
were held, by
Your sincere friel1d"
ANDREW , M'KENZIE.
Belfast, 24th Oct. 1832.
PREFACE.
I
I T seems, by long established' custom, that something by '
way of preface is absolutely necessary to every book.Many of these are written by way of an apology to the
public; and I feel that, in my own case, ail apology is
due to my readers.
My excuse for offering such a silly production to the
public, shall possess 'one good quality-it shall be the
simple language of truth.
,.
Many years ago, I had formed the resolution, n~ver to
publi,sh again in a.collected form. To this resolution ' i
is\ probable I woulU have ,adhered, ,had it not been for a
accident. A song which I had written in the earlier par
Of my life, happened 'to faH into the himds Mf a member
9f J?allycarry MasoniC?' Lodge, by whom it was !lung ver
l,astefully, and copies were much required. I then s1,lg"
gested tc? a member of the Lodge, that if they, wit
others, were willing to engage a certain number of copies
which might defray;e expense of printing, I would col
lect a few of my ." f~gitive pieces," and offer them to ih '
pllblic. · Encouf!lged by their ready acquiesce~ce, I ha
'p~?Sp~ctuses disuibuted .; and, as far as I can at presen
j~age., hav~ met with very flattering patronage. To al
who have kindly bestowed ' tp'eir encouragement, I fee
the .deepestgratitude ; btit myproudest reflection is, tha
so respectable a portihn of the inhabitants of my nativ
county, among whom the happiest of my days' wer
spent, have shewn such readiness to support me in this
perhaps my last, literary attelQpt. .
B elfast, 23d Oct. 1832.
THE
MASONIC CHAPLET,
WITH AFEW OTHER POEMS.
DEDICATORY VERSES
.
'
ADDRESSED TO THE REV. JOHNSTON NEILSON.
BY THOMAS ,·BEGGS.
.. While Fortune'. friend, the tasteless sat
'In shameful splendour sins and shines'
Discouraged In SOme lon~ly cot
.:
The'man of parts obscurely p{nes... .
Onn.
By fair Whiteabbey's hermit shore,
In early days, when I 'was~oung,
How happy was the heart I bore I
Ho~ jo.yo'us were the thoughts that sprung!
For wltchmg was the maiden's tongue
And, witching was ,the glQwing thri{l,
That 0 er my reckle~s 'bosom flung
Their wizard spell, at evening chill.
, .
And oft by Monklan~'s mazy brook,
Where thou may'st steal an hour from eart
To linger in its fairy nook,
,,
So green, so fi0!Very, and so fair,A 2
AND OTHER POEMS.
THE lIIASONIC CHAPLET,
-7 .
. Along the ledge of life he winds,
Exposed to all the s.coft', and scorn,
And narrow prejudice that binds .
A world his labours might adorn.
Remember I have wander'd there,
While yet the buoyant flush would start,
Spontaneous as the livi~g air,
Through all the openings of the heart.
.,
While sailing down life's turbid 'stream,
To reach the da~k eternal tide,
There's one who would 'thy friendship claim,
His veering barque sometimes to guide:
So may the joys which neer subside,
p,ervade thy heart with holy' flameThe Muse's friend, the Foet's pride,
; And honour'J aye be NEILSON'S name I
Since Percy vanis~ed.from this earth,
And left a vacuum blank and dreal',
Like NEILSON few have ventur'd. forth,The child of sighs and song to cheer:
Yes, yet we see in humble sphere,
A light no clouds can e'er obscul'e,
Beam out so kindly, calm and c1ear-':"
What holds this wintry world so pure?
And old Dunover's early bard,
. 'Yhose page protection seeks of thee,
Lend, as hismeed,thy kind regard,'the mi~stl'el of thy parent lea :* '
Whose song has bee~, and long shall be,
The '~olace of the stricken breast ;
And not the least" I wep-n, to me,
: This tinl~ has' tMii, and truth ; onfest.
.~.
~ .,j "
)
,
,
. ' ",' ," ' {"
.
But n~f" ii/t~es} 4egenerate days,
A ftliend' fhe pqe't,seldom finds, .
,
.'
.,
To shelter 'anli protect his lays, .
Since lost'· the Ibve'\ ,)f l,il1dred minds:
Should'st thou cross o:er Atlanta's waste,'"
. A loss. poor Erin.long mU!3t feel,
And far Columbia's land begrac'd, "
With Neilson's genius, t~te; ~ndzeal:­
The dove whose couii~g sh~1l reveat
The mystic light of Love sublime; ,
Which round the wigwam. horde shall steal
. ,
And brighten man, and-bless the c~imk <
,
..
{r
•
'
..
:
••.
Braidisland's bard is lilid"at rest
And he who breathed his re~uiem sonD"
Yet lingers on, with suo en crest,
0
The cold, the', heartle crowds amono- .
0"
And mania year of ruthless wI'ong
His doom it was to brook and bear;
But pride
. inherent, hiO'h-, and strong, .
Will dash away the starting timr;
~,"}
\~~ ;\ .
,J"'"
'.
, .'
..
,
.. ANDRBW l\f'K Jo;N ZIE t the author of the following poems, is a nativ~
oC the COllnt y of Down . _The Rev. J. Nellson is a ,n ative of ,the £·am
C,ountYL" His gleat grandfather, Moses Neilson, D.D. was Presbyterian
'Minister of.KilmQr~,; his grandfather succeeded to the lame office, whichj
mis ag~ili ·fiiled by the late Rev. Arthur Nellson, uncle to the' ge.u tlema
l,er. addressed. The Inte Rev, Willi.m Neilson, D.D. ProCesso'r of th
. . 'l.earned Languages in 'the Belfast ,Ad.clemical ID,stitutio~, was anoth.
/:)
.u Shouldst th~u cross o'er A!la~ta'3 waste' "-Th ' .
Ne!lie ' . .
.. '
IS " an allusion to
r. J.. . ~n s desIreof emIgrating to America '; but it Is to be hoped ~bat
• more 'U vourable turu of f t
.
tl '
01 une may yet encourage him to remain la
b IS na 're c·o untry. '
~f
'\
I
-THE MASONIC OHAPLET,
Domestic peace to thee and thine,
The hope' and faith that swell the spring
Of joy terrene, and joy divine,
Beneath thine Angel's azure wing:
And he who now essays to sing,
Should men of doom his' effort blame;
To Neilsou's candour then shall clingA living and a lasting name.
MASONIC SONG,
Sung at the Installation of Lodge No. 173, in Greyabbey, May 3, 1811.
men. received the first decree,
, From Him who reigns above,
It was His will thl/ot they should be
A family of love:
1J~:;ql2";.~~,;,;,t soon the wily serpent rose I
To wake infernal strifeBade man his neighbour'!! faults expose,
And even seek his life.
AND OTHER Po.~MS.
And ye who have that light b~held,
Which guides to Reason's thro';u;~
Wi~h love your gen'rons hearts are fiH:dFell discord ye disown:
' '\
Oh ! .may your influence extend,
'\
WIld warfare to restrain;
.. \
And Peace with olive crown descend,
.
O'er all tHe earth ,t'o reign I
Ye who possess undoubted skill,
Our infant Lodge to guide,
With constant, care your charge fulfilLet virtue still preside:
And may we all, my brethren dear I
Be faithful to our trust-'So shall the wol'l(;l our names revere,
When we li~' i'n the dust.
WHEN
In ev'ry clime, in ~y ,age,
What seas of blood were shed I
For man obey'd the voice ofrage,
Nor dr,eamt a brother bled;
Till MA~ONRY, that glorious light,
Descended from on high,
In love and friends)1ip to unite
, All ranks beneath the sky.
Far distant be each party feud, \
Which would our" peace annoy;
Nor let religious br8.~ls intI'ude,
Our concord to destroy;
For HE who fram'd this'pond'r,ous ball; ,
~ nd laid great Nature'!! pllln, '
Prefers no sect, but will from ' all
Admit the Honestl an.
Then join, my bi·~th
hand in hand,."...
Aloft your voices faise ;"
For ever may our Lodge comm~nd
The world's esteem and prais.e t
Till the dazzling sun withholdi! his light,
And chaos rnles again; ,
Oh! may its honour shine most bright,
Nor know a single stain I
Z
/
10
THE M
7'
SONIC CHAPLET,
AND OTHER POEMS. ·
. rEWELL ADDRESS
To
Lr~t:~~~
qf Green-Hill Lodge;'*' No. ' 985.
,p~ngs
boso~
H
of this
what language can tell,
S' ce now I must bid you a final farewell !
, or fate has ordained it that I ~ust depart,
Yet long. shall your mem'~'y be dear to my heart.
E
./
Wherever I wander through life's thorny maze,
You still shall receive my small tribute of praise,
. Till L~f1ges far distant their glasses shall fill,
And toast with due honours the far-fam'd Green-Hill.
The widow and orphan defend from distress,
The needy relieve, and the injur'd redress;
So will our GRAND MASTER, enthron'd in the sky;
Your actions .approve, ~~~~reward you on high.
Let none enter here who are worthy of blame,
For soon their misdeeds would be told to your sh,ame ;
And those whb with malice -our order pursue, .
The whole will ~ondemn for the faults of a few.
And thou who art worthy o'er men to preside,
The flock will not wander while thou art their guide; ,
Long mayst thou thy duties with honour fulfil, .
And may thy posterity grace,.the Green-Hill!
Here first the great law was impress'd on my mind,
T~at all m!iln are brethren-th~t all shouldl be kind;
That each should his neighbour's ' distresses relieve,
,A nd 'n'Jiinister peace ~o the bosoms that grieve.
,00
SO N· G ? ,.
:,
'the Saviour of 'Mankind, who came to ,bestow
Sweet hope of salvation to sinners bel9w,
.!::1'his ch'al:ge gave ·to men ere he bade them adieu>},,; Stl~llove one anothe'r as I have lo~'d
you."t
,, '
The wisest of mortals, w~ boast, laid our plan,
Which cherishes love"
,nnites man to man; .
Through·life's painful jo " ey ~is precepts obey,
"And see 'that ye do not fall out by the ~ay."t
* Lodge No, 985 held their meetings in a 'country-place, about 2§ mile ..
to the eastward of N ewto\vnards, The place had for centuries receind
the name of Green-Hill. In this Lodge, the author "'a. first initiated in
, . the mysteries of Masonry.
I.
t St. John, 15th chap. 12th verse.
~ Genesis,
hap. 24th.v.erse,
11
AIR-"Erin go Bragb."
oh! my harp, from t~ silence of sadn~ss,
A bright beam disperses th~ darkness of woe;
Again let thy chords ring responsive to gladness,
And into each soul pour the patriot glow:
The sons of green Erin, in harmony blend~t:Jg, •
Warm national f~elings their bosoms 'expanding,
In friendship assemble, each ,patriot intending
T() pour' a libation on Patrick's Day.
.
AWAKE,
12
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
AND OTHER POEMS.
:f31est Spirit I look down on thy children 'delighted;
No more by division's false light led astray;
.Each breast by the pure flame of Friendship is lighted"
The demon of ·discordis fled far away:
The few who religious dissension would cherish,
The soil of our island no longer will nourish,
Their power shall decline, and their influence perish,
Ere next we assemhle on' Patrick's Day.
,
Accurst be the wretch, who, by bigotry blinded,
The badge of a party would dare to ,displayThe Shil~rock is ours, round our hearts we,have twined it ;
The soil where it grew we will never betray:
Yes, land-of the brave, though 'insulted and slighted,
The .time yet may come when thy wrongs will be righfed ;
~. ;Lo.qg, long may thy children, like bre,thren united;':
In .Love, Peace, and Plenty, hail Patrick's Day.
Wlj:erever the sons of our isle are collected,
To Patrick their heart's warm devotions to pay,
May their meetiIlgs bE! joyful, their f~eling~ respected, ; ;
-Alld hallq'tfed by,stmIlgers their Hllqi's dulcet lay: :
From India's far shores to Columbian recesses, .
.W here Irishmen meet, may they share no distresses;
. ~IJIY pure native spirit replenish their glasses,
And wake all their fervour on Patrick's Day•.
]'3 ,
ST ANZAS
A ddressed loa,Young Friend on hisdepal'turefor America.
I'VE
seen a florist, o'er some fav'rite stem
Deligh~d bending in t'h~' ~awn of sp~ing, '
And. I?ainti~g, in his mind some flowery gem
It might bnng forth ere summer birds would sing:
Just s~, my HENRY, borne on Fancy's wing,
Ev~n IU ~hy days of cbilqhood, oft would I
The summer of thy life bef.ore me bring,
~nd many a Godlike attribute descry,
Which wight assist to raise my country's. fame ' on high.
•
As I have mark'd the opening) flower unfold
<
Some l~t~nt beauty each succeeding day;
So, while thf fe~ brief years of youth .have roll'dI'v.~ seen thee n~b,Jer qualities display;
'.
Eut ~s the s~piel' meteor flits away,
L eavmg a patn of darkness where it flew
Ere yet thy mind feels Reason's fullest r~y,
The dazzling light of HORe thou dost purs~
And to thy weeping country bidst a last adieu(
Yes, hapless Erin! it must, long be thine,
From thy sweet harp to p\>ur the sounds of woe; .
Thy sons who yet m~ght bid ,thy glory shine,
Are dQom'd the exile's ~apless fate to know:
The fervid souls which feel that purest glow,
True-.love of count[·y only can inspire,
Seek those rewards thou hast not to bestow,
And earlY ,to some distant clime retire,- ,
Adorn a foreign soil, and far from thee expire!
B
- ---- -- -"*'.- - -"-
, \
THE , MASONIC CHAPLET,
,'
~
iI ,
The woe-fraught widow in her humble shed
I've seen, the big tear glistening in her eye;
. Dispensing to her sons the scanty bread,
Which all her efforts could 'but ill supply;
Yet even then a transient gleam of joy
Would light her soul-Hope named a happier day.
WhElD, grown to greater ~trength, her eldest boy
Should well his mother's an:8:ious, cares repay,
And keep the frightful fiend of poverty at bay.
Fallacious hope! that youth, his mother's pride,
Ere yet he was to manhood's stature grown,
Those comforts saw her narrow lot denied,
A d left her struggling with distress alone 1Thus; Erin, tIms thy dearest sons are flown,
To swell the glori'il~ of Columbia's name; ' .
Thollgh/ thou the cradle of the brave art known,
_ And many a conquering hero's birth can claim,
. :Yet thou art left a' prey to bitterest. grief and shame!
Dear youth, farew!lll' May fortun~'s brightest smil
Illume thy path wherever thou sha1t roam;
:Long mayst thou flourish on that foreign soil,
And long enjoy an independent home!
And when mild evening's peaceful hour shall come,
1 To 'shed the' balm of·~litmber o'er my woes,
.
,J,Vliysoul shall glide across the western foam, '
And for 'thy weal a.fervent prayer propose,
Or, sighing forth thy name, 'my weary eyelids close.
DunOV8r, 7th Mu.y, 1818.
15
AND ' OTHER POEMS.
LINES
W ritten on tlle departure qf d btZoved Son for: the West Indies.
WHY did t linger on the shore?
Why swell'd .the tear-drop in my eye?
Because I might behold no more
My lov'd, my long~lost sailor boy.
Full many an anxious month had pass'd
Since first he left his mqther's sideShe strain'd Rim to her breast at last,
, And o'er her long-lost treasure joy':d. ,
l:.t
..
"
fI. '
- :~ f
.'
But now his ~ayward 'fancy leads
Tbe'thoughtfess boy ,again to roam;" ,
Tofoi'~ign climes again he speeds,
And braves the billowy ocean's foam: ' "
" Cast off," they cry-the bustling crew
To spread the sails co~fusedly fly;
Now from the mast he waves adieuPerchance a tear-dl;op dims his eye.
Through high-wrought dreams of hope' may ri~e " '
Park thoughts, which give his bosom pain,
And whisper that his longing eyes
This shore may ne' eroehold again.
. Dear child 'of love! I little thought,
When, cradled in thy mother's ru;ns,
That thou shouldst,leave my peaceful cot,
So soon, to hr,ave the world of storms.
,
16
THIj: MASONIC CHAPLET ,
And while thy fast-receding barque
I watch with dim and steadfast eye,.
And can thy form no longer mark,
Forebodings dark my hopes destroy.
Imagination paints the~ laid
Where foul contagion's victims pine~,
Or number'd with the nameless dead,
Beneath the ever-sultry line;
(
A ND OTHER POEMS.
Yet never have my wand'ring eyes survey'd
A scene like that which lies before me here.
Deligbtful are the ~ank& where' Liffey flows~
l'he Boyne through fertile vaUies seeks the sea ;
And many a scene of wildest beauty glow.s
Along thy woody baliks, romantic Cree ! .
But this sweet prospect 'yields me more delight
Than all that ever met my raptul"d· sight.
Or 'mid the wild tornado's sweep,
Far fl'oll) thy friends and native shore-,.
Driven headlong in the foaming deep,
And sunk, alas I. to ~'ise no morc.
'But HE whose hand is prompt t~ save. Whose power pervades both land and sea. May snatch, him from th' o'erwhelming wave,
: ' And yet l'estOl'e my child to me.
B elfast, 8th D,e. 1831.
SONNET
. lVritte~ in the Cottag.e .at CJ:reyabqey, in the month of Oct. 181<t..
;
EL~GY
On the dea~' qf'JAMES ORR, the Bard of Bal'yearlY_
child of wealth Jnto th~ grave descends,
And venal bards the songs 'of sadness raise:
Down to the du.st the son ef,Genius bends,
Too oft denied the weIJ-won meed of praise r.
T HE
Shall ORR, the rustic mus-e's favourite child
I
'
•
Through Death's dark-, drear.y portal pass away,
And shall no bard who loved his.' " wood notes wild,'"
Pour o'er his. grave it. spirit-seothing lay?
,
SINCE
last my steps- w~l'e· gui.ded tp·this-. cot,
Far have. I wander-'d on lif1l's: chequer'd ,way;
Repining oft beneath my luckless lot,
And sometimes. blesttw.ithjoy's delicious l'Ryr
Yes, gentle shade, though\~ild and. rude my l~y:
Thou?,h o'er I11Y harp the n~stof.time hath sPf~ad,.
\:'et I will seek "the narrow house of clay" .
,
"
Where rests thy mortal part auJ~ng the dead.,'
O 'er many aJplainJ81."1distant haye I stray'd; ,
O'er luany, a..£elltile-_vale and n;rountain drea): ;
There shall my '~ adde~t song of sorrow rise,
f or him whose voice must never mor,e be heard,.
B
2
19
AND OTHER POEMS.
·18
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
Whilst all the villagers, with streaming eyes,
Shall join to wail the patriotic bard.
Though humble WllS his lot, for Elin's weal
He would have braved the fiercest tyrant's wrath;
For all the race of mankind he could foolA kinder heart ne'er met the blow of death.
' MONODY,
On receiving an account ofthe death of GEORGE M'Kzl!ZlIt, who
died at Stoney-hill Barrack, in the islllnd of Jamaica, on the
4th June, 1830, in the 22d year of his age.
-I
1
But, oh! that heart, so tender and so kind,
Which ne'er from honour's path was known to stray;
By unsuspecting friendship rendered blind,
To_o oft was led far, far from wisdom's way.
Such is the fate of him w~ose fervid soul
The mu~e's sacred fl.a~e hath taught to glow:
"
Driven on by passions which den! contro~,
Full soon his" thoughtless fo1111:s lay hUD low.
t1:ii.?\·:Ye~ let his failings in oblivion rest,
r,': '
'f ..
.
The sorrows they prQduced were hiS alonE! ..; .
That love of justice which his mind possessed,
Now pleads for all his faults at Mercy's throne.
,
.
.
Yes, gentle spirit, by thy nameless grave, ,
I brood o'er many a joy for ev~r fled;
But soon the rank grass o'er me too shall wave,
And I shall slumber in,a dreamless .bed.
But; if sweet Hope deceive not, yet wit~ thine,
On some bright orb, far from this vale of woe,
My spirit may in blest communion join,
.
And feel the j~ys which mortals never know.
"ThuI with forgiving leara. and reconell'd,
The King of Judah mourn'd his rebel child I
'Musing on days when yet the guiltless boy
8mll'd on hi. sire. aod IIl1'd hi. heart with joy I"
CA.MPBBr, L.
I
oh! Jamaica, t~o' thy fervid sun is bright,
And thy fairy prospects all are bath'd in Heavep's most
brilliant light;
Tho' verdure crowns thy waving woods throughout the
circling year,
'Yet there dwelis baleful Pestilence, the source of many
a tear.
JAMAICA,
To me thou art the source' of woe~as ! my gallant
boy!
Whose years of childhood fiU'd my breast with ardent
hope aad joy,
Allur'd by drea!Ds of future bliss, pass'd o'er the western
wave,
And landed on thy deadly shore, but found an early grav".
Alas I my son, what joy was mine, thy infant steps to
guide;
, , '
And mark thy 'daily growing strength with all a father', .
. pride;
AND OTHER POElIiS.
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
20
I
When first . thy tongue essay'd to speak, how did my
bosoJ,ll bound !
My spirit th1'ill'd wi.th ecstacy, and hung upon the sound.
Perhaps on Some bright planet, far retilov'd in boundless
space,
Thy spirit, with my father's, may have found a resting
place I
Yes, bn those rong~lost scenes of bliss tenacious memory
dwells,
And of thy childhood's playful hom:s with fond p1'ecision
And when this time-worn fabric shall become a clod of
~~;
ciay,
,
My soul to that far distant orb may wing her joyful way;
May join your kindred spirits, above man's conceptions
blest,
Where "the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary
are at rest."
To that humble sea} of learning 1'ecollection loves ttl-'
st1'ay,
Where 'I saw thee from the proudest .often bear the palm
away;
Then Hope would with my darkest thoughts a ray of
. sunshine blend,
.
'\.
~nd 'whisper. that when all' was lost, I ,should possess
Friend.
Those Heaven-directed drelrns or hope, whicH raise the
mind on high,
Depart, as flits the meteor's light that mocks the gazer's
eye;
"'
Imagination earthward falls, and takes her gloomy stand
By thy solitary death-bed, in th~t fl'iendless foreign land.
She seeks mr ,happy . native ..vales. · and lingers in the
bowers, .
Where thou hast wander'd by my side, and cull'd the
fairest, flowers.
;For dou,?t w.ould o'er my future path her darkening shadows cast,
- An~ tel'l 'l,Ile pain andpovel'by would chase me to the
last;
Oh! then how sweet the< .soothing hope, that on thy
kindly breast
_
My hoary tead might nndrepose, till deat,h should give
me rest.
,
But thou hast gone before m~ to that country' undefin' d~
Whence traveller never has retum'd to cheer the hwnaQ
", mind-
Alas I no father's voice was-there thy agonies to Booth,
No weeping mother's tender hand thy bed of pain to.
smooth';
,
No comrade of thy early yauilii thy last request to hear;.
No sister o"enhy nameless grave to shed ~ffectibn'si teilr.
Oh I in thy last sad agonies how did thy spirit mourn
Fol' thy country, and those friends' to whoin thOu cOlilirst
no mQre return ;
Through dreams of dark eternity, di~tracting- thoughts
would come,
lid picture to thy tortur'd mind' thy cI1ild~ood:s happy
home.
-
22
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
AND OTHER POEMS.
Though other sons survive thee, yet their heart~
provC( ~nkind,Their deeds may tinge my cheek with shame, and wrec '
my peace of mind;
But thou canst never more offend, which will thy me
mory saveThe deep~Bt; last transgression is forgotten in the grave
J"arewell" my son I : throughop.t ,the space w~ich here '
" must remain,
IT ever joy's .el}ch~nting beam should gild my path 0
pain,. ,:.
As driving clouds enwrap the sun with deep and sudde
gloom,
My soul will :By the hour of mirth, to linger o'er th'
'; tomb.
THE MASON'S WELCOME.
AIR_" Cauld house
,
0'
clay."
,
Thrl.ce welcome, Magarry'*-my cottage is poor,
And seldom the affiuent call.at its door;
Yet, here' beats a he~rt which is upl;ight an4 fair,
And would shield"ev'ry son of the compass and square.1
"
,
Lo~g, Jong have Ijourn~y'd ~n life's chequer'd way,
,But my soul yet expands under friendship's bright ray ,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:-----"---1.
.. The foregoing song was written on receiving an accidental yie
from Mr. Richard Magarry" master, pro t empore, of Ballycarry 1\1"so
Lodge.' I h ~ve s ince vi.ited that body, and have seen, Indeed, "n ba
of true brothen."
23
Yes, children of love! it is yours to impart
A warm youthful glow to this time-wither'd heart.
Oh! that scene.fond remembrance will often renew,
When the bandage of blindness a brother withdrew '
'
And surveying the circle a~ound me, it seem'd
That the sunshine of Love on each countenance beam:d :
So, the pOOl' wandring wight, who had long heen l'emov'd
To a clime far remote from the family he lov'd,
Looks around him with feelings of pleasure and pride,
On the lov'd ones for whom, in his exile, he sigh'd.
Ask thEi':{athet, w40se chUdren have play'd round his
knee,
What pleasure he f eels when in love they agree;
!l,llt if ~~:9,E(~r spite in their bosoms should 'reign,
I lint parent must feel th e most exquisite pain.
Ho the Builder of Systems, our Father on h'igh,
Looks down 011 this globe with an all-seeing e.1fe ;
And the men who to brotherly' love are indin'd,
III that all-seeing eye the most favour will find.
To the birth-place of Orr let me' wander with thee,
Where a band of true brothers united we'll see
AIlIong whom party spirit 110 entrance can firid" lIut each bosom dilates with the love of mankind.
I.'
,
Itllllown'd BallycaiTY! till time's latest day,
WhlJn the earth's proudest glories shall sink in decay,
Mlly honour and truth in your temple preside,
!lilt! the names of your sons be remembdd with pride!
24
,25
THE MASONIC CHAPL"ET,
AND OTHER POEMS.
SO NG,
Then let our lives be ordered according t? that law,
Which from the ancient emblems of MASONRY we draw;
That when we feel the moment of dissolution nigh,
We may hope to be transferred to a happier Lodge on
high.
Sung in the Lodge-room of No. 173, Greyabbey, on the e"e~ing
of St. John's Day. 1815.
(INSCRIB,ED TO SIR WALTER JAMES, BART.)
AGAIN, IllY chosen bretpren,we hail our patron's, day,
This happy era 'tell~ us a year has roll'd away.;
Oh! 1l!ay our minds assure us, when that period w
review,
That to th~ square and compass our conduct has bee
true.
For ye ~ho the deep mysteries of ~ASONI'lY clm trace,
Should set a bright example to all the human race;
Since MASONRy' WaS founded by H~aven's Eternal Kin
Your morals should be pure as the limpid mounta'
spring:
But if some thoughiless brother has wander'd from t
way ,
Which leads to that great temple where shines etern
day,
From him withhold not mercy, the attribute of Heave
EJldeavour to forgive, as yOU hope to be forgiven.
Since last we were assembled,th,is festive day to hail,
How many of our brethren in death's embrace lie pale!
For the sand is always running, which no human po
can stay,
~nd the sweeping scythe of Time soon must lop us
away.
Adieu, my worthy brethren! may peace and concord
f
•
reign,
Till on the same occasion you shall be met again;
May He who from confusion bade order to arise,
Watch over all our actions, and guide us to the skies!
STANZAS
Addre.sed to Mr. R-- M-y, on the departure of the year 1831.
"What is the worst of woes that wait on age I ..
What stamps the wrinkle deepe"",n the brow I
To view each loved one blotted from life's page,
And he alone on earth, as I am now .."
CSJLDS HAlt OLD, Canto II.
THE ever-flowin' stream 0' time
lI~s floated down anither year,
An' leaves thee yet in manhood's prime,
While I, thoughauld an' craz'd, am here:
Then bid the mantlin' cogie reamLet's talk 0' joys we ken'd langsyne,
An' lov"d anes sunk in that dark stream, .
Whose virtues memory ne'er may tine.
Now half a hundred years ha~e fled,
Since first I brav'd life's troubled sea I
c
/'
.
'
, 27
(AND OTHER POEMS.
' ~6
THE,' MAS0NIC CHAPLET,
If we should baith ,be 'spar'd to see
.I,'I;n' mOUIY,a hear.t's beenJowly laid,
That ance beat true wi', love to. me: j
I ,seem like some POOl; shipwreck'd wight,
.' .T he last sUl'vivor, of'th«;l crew" I ' •
,Wha lang may strain hie aching sight,
But nae familiar face can view.
.
'~
,
•
,I
1
~
•
An' thou, though few ha'e been thy years,
Bast felt the-cauldrife blast 0' 'woe';
An"pour'd thy.unavailing· tears
. Owre kindly kindred hearts laid· low • '
I've seen thee by thy mither's knee,
Her gowden-hair'd-her dawted wean ;
But she was snat ch'd awa frae thee,An' Jock an' Sandy baith are gane I
'. Kind-hearted lads! shortsyne I hail'd
Wi' t hem . the dawnin' 0' the year, ' ,
When lightsome jest an' sang prevail'cl;
, But now their memory claims a tear ! ,F ol1.\Jock the warmest heart possest,
That e:er in human bosom lay;
An' Sandy' was 0' men the best,I
But Heaven soon,,call'd its ain away.
0'
The birth"rlay anither year, .
Frae s~lf-accusin' memory free,
May inward peace our bosoms cheer;
An' las we're 'horne alang the flood,
To meet eternity's dark wave,
M ay HE; tne'source 0' ~, that's good,
\
'
Stretch forth a hall~ our sauls to save.
31st De~. 1831.
t ,
( INSCRIBED TO
8ilOuld hail anithel" yeaJ s return"
Ne'er let our hearts ,ulI,thanlj.fu' be, ),
Thou~h for departed fr~en's we ,mourn ;
The CUD 0' ,life is mixed wi' gall,
Yet e'en the wretch some sweets may share ;
While on, thEl lamLo' hope 'we dwell,
Let's J}e'er gi'e. way to dm'k despair.
:)
~Op~E
I
NO. llS,
",
,
B~LFA S'E;):
"
.-
AIR-" Then join, brother Masons. "
ATTEND, ye bold sailors, who ,cross the wid~ se~,
Whatever your creed or complexion may be ;
.
,
I
,!.,
If your hearts m'e expanded with MASONRY'S glow,
VOlt will meet with pure friendship wherev; r you go.
CHORUS. '
J lure's a health to all Masons, where'er they may be,
MIlY they feel no misfor~~nes by land or by )s~a.
....
J.'~~~~{." ,~~,'<
~
•
Then"si~ce 'tis saeprd~i~'dthat ~~
MASO ~IC P~RATE.
THE
.
:~,
!
'.
,
.:
AR from RlO JamerQ for Brltam we steer d, '
, ,) ~""'J,':;'~':",
T hrough the lI\arning's .dl rk haze a smart schaoner ap,;lt"
x "
, t ,
":1:
~
~,
pear'd ;
"
, .1
, ' \
! " ' '''-fll'-/,
'l'hllt hel' decks were a~l cover'd with men we descrie}i..+'
Mho bore down with all sails set, and ran ~ongside.
':
, ' Here's a health, &c.
I
T hoy boarded in swarms, and we saw, with dismay,
'1'111 y were pirates, who made all fair traders their prey;
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
• .IAND OTHER POEMS•.
Our men hand and foot they proceeded to bind,
.
And we read in their looks that they murder design'd [
Here's a health, &c.
As resistance ' was vaiD, and our lives were at stake,
I was urged by despair a last trial to make:
Ere my arms they had pinion'd, to ODe of the crew
The sign of a Royal Arch Mason I threw.
Here's a health, &c.
That sign in an instant gave hopes of reliefThe man understood me, and flew to theit: cqief ; .
He call'd me aside, and our signals agreed,
So from bondage my crew were immediately freed !
H ere's a health, &c.
They abandon'd our ship:-all our goods were restor'd,
And a cask of fine brandy they sent us on board;
With three ~earty cheers then they bade us adieu,
Andwish'd us fair breezes our voyage to pursue.
H ere's a health, &c.
,
Though the'bigot and fool may our order deride,
W e'pity their folly, and smile at their pride;
For. ours is the tie 'which to virtue doth bind,
.And. confirms a Freemason the FRIEND OF MANKIN
-).r
, A F .R 'IEND . . "
~
,1'
.. Frieudsh\p! mysterious cement of the soul,
Sweet'h~lr 'O r iife, ant ;solder 'ot' sO'Clety: '.1(1,
l owe thee much." .. /,.I?,
BtAIR .
.
,I.
1
~,
).".'
"
WHEN cai'es oppress, when' joy is fl~d,
And every thought of pl,easure deaaWhen terror-waking d~eam~ infest,
And oft disturb the ho~rs ,;)t ~estWhen Hope, the wretch',s·.b~ightest aiai-,
,
I..
i
'0.:
.
Is dimm'd amid .the mllhtal war.!
' t'
~h
What can a ray of comfort lend?
-The consolation Of-A FRiEND! '~L
~
j
f
t
I'll
-
•
~
•
The captive, from a du~geon d~-ear .
Ileleas'd, feels freedom doubly dearT he wanderer; doom'd'afat'to toam,
With joy reviews his native homeT he traveller on Arabian(Wffilte,
The long-sought spring/ will gladly taste, T et he whose ~osotil,sbtrow8\'
rebd;
\
.
More joyful .hails a genel:ous .FIUEND !
The guilty W'reich,"cohatllr,irl'd to die,
1<
Who feels his desi)iird' ho~r is"nigli...-. . ·1
Whose gloodiy sbj:iHno ~opes! i1lunie;
I Chi'
I'i[ive those which i'ise bef orrd the tomb_/'
What joys 'his wretcligd bos~nl tll~ti'r;; ' '/
When pardtlh's voice s&1liies hIS'
I
Nnch j oys (t'h~ grief-~orri wtbtcli attend;
Who meets a symp'~thiZing Fi LEi:om I '
c 2
ear
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
Bebold wbat fawning crowds cares~
The man whom Fortune deigns t.o bless;
Base adulation's v.oice tbey raise,
And even his grossest vices pr~ise ;
But mark the
cbange
!~bis
wealth is fl.owll,
'
I
His f.oibles n.ow t.o all ate kn.own ;
The selfisb crew n.o~l.onger -hend,
N.or pr.ostitute tbe name .of FRIEND!
Yet .one, perchance, .of n.obler mind,
T.o share his sorr.ows seems indin'd ;
Witb kind attenti.on so.otbes his' care,
And lures his thougbts fr.om fell despair :
lIis love .outlives the squander'd st.oreHe feels a tie
lmfelt bef.ore-,
<
His soul to flattery could n.ot bend,
Yet in distr~ss he ,pr.ov!ls-A FRIEND;
SON G,
Written on visiting Legoniel Lodge of Friendship, No. 513.
AI&-" Rejected Mason."
YE brethren true, wh.o wear tbe blue,
And prize tbat(~andent ,.order,
Oh I could y.ou Qur encampment view,
On Lagan's vez;dant border: Tbere disc.ord's v.oice is never beard,
B~t pe~ce~nd, l.ove are chllrisb'd,
.
In .our blest retreat, pure friendsbip'~ se,a t, .
Where ~parity is nourisb'd.
AND O;THER POEMS.
:
While nati.ons war, and-parties jar,
Their peace .ot mind destr.oying,
Far happier, we like friends agree,
, Sweet harmony enjoiing ;
Dire faction's !I.oisl! ,W? a I :despise,
That nurse .of, wiW' distracti.on ;
Religious pride :,we 1,~y., 1I,side,
And c~ltivate affection.
Where fam'd Belfast fro~ .ocean's blast
By mountains is protected,
Far fr.om the ken of enviORs men,
0111' temple is erected:
.,
Three pillars grand bkne~th it stand ,
Nam'd wisdom, strength, and beaut".
", ,
And the level, true to each ,member's view
Marks .out a Mason'~ du~y.
,.
,
The stranger p.oor, W~\l;~ .hea; t is pure, ,
By us is still befriended;
To Adam's race ,in every piace
Our kindness is extended:
T hen charge y.ou~ gobl; ts-Iet this toast
Go r.ound ere we' retiI:~ :-;May honest men adorn th~ glen,""
Till Nature ,shall e¥pire f,r
.
j.
,
,
"
"
,
• 'rh~ plllc. where this respectable bpdy of Masons hold their'meetings,
I. Illllllt, d ILt the h~a d of a heautiful and rqmaotic glen. among themoun.
IAII" 10 the we8tward of B elfast: on this accou~t it is fre'qu~nt1y d.llo .. l.
H ." ~ " lb . Olen L o dg~."
( , !
.AND
32
THE MASONIC 'Ckf\,PLET,
LI
N~" S
,
l. '
; ,"
On the Death oftlfe late,lQUEEN
CAROLINE.
AND art thou freed from ;,~i1y' tr~aso~\ toil? "
And is thy heart at I'est? I '! Poor Caroline !
The brow of death m'tist Mer we~r a smile,
To souls opprest ;with ai\gui~h such as thine:
Tho' round thy bier the cypress wreath we twine,
We bless the hand thaf8et thy spirit free;
For calumny's fell pHso~ bade thee pine,
As blight destroys the fairest bud; and he
Who should have cherished, c~ose thy deadliest foe to be ~
Yet fatherless arid fI'ie'ridj~ss as tbo~ wei't,
,
When;bas~ detractihn ~8'tt'ove to Blast thy fame;
Hadst thou reigned guiltless in a liusband's lieart,
'The front of mal,ice had been put to shame:
But there'bad,jeal'ousy's ~ccursed fl~me
Already blazed; and as 'the hunted roe,
When from the hertl fohe would prote~tion claim,
In every former favo¥rite 'meets a foe,
So, thou w~rt left a 'pl~i__
Jy-i~ 'life-consuming
woe !
r
~"
The wretch whose warlaefings ~laim no plac~ of rest,'
Save that by melting ~liaritt supplied,
Oft nourishes an infant"at' her breast,
Whose ~mile can 'turn the 'shafts of-woe aside ; "
But even that comfort'was' to tnee denied.,Thoti~h born to share the splendour of a throne,
Thy child, a m'other's and a nation's pride,
"Vas doom'd a mother's fondness to disown, And thou 'wert childless left, heart·broken, and alone.
OTHER POEMS.
H ow shall our children wish from history's page
To blot that era, stain to Britain's name I
When persecution strove with headlong ra"'e
",
To drag an injured Queen to public shame!
Oh I haqst thou e'er indulged a guilty flame,
The senate's gaze had struck thee with dismay'
,
'
Thy hravery did thy innocence proclaim,
And many hearts by f~~ehood led astl'aY,
Confessed thy wrongs, and now weep o'er thy lifeless clay.
Thou saw'st the gaudy pageant pass away,
In which thou wert denied to bear a part;
A languid smile did o'er thy features playBut, oh I it was a smile! which rent thy heart,
Then did that wondrous fortitude depart,
Which long had borne th~e through a sea of woe;
Yet was no tear of thine observed to start;
Nor were thy deep complainings heard to flowBlit silent rankling sorrow quickly laid thee low.
Ponce to thy spirit, hapless Caroline,
T ho road of life had many thorns for thee:
T o judge thy wrongs and frailties is not mineThy suflerings claimed IIlY sympathy; but HE
Who all the secrets of all hearts can see,
n~th fairly judged,between thee and thy foes;
rr mnocent, sure thy reward will be ;
If guilty, still may Mercy interpose,
.\utl shod eternal bal~ o'er all thy wounds and woel.
THE MASONIC CHAPLET,
AND OTHER
GANNAWAY ·BURN.*
ot fearless, when guided by early affection,
1 cross'd it at midnight my lassie to see':
01. I sad is my 'soul when 1 think 0' that ~aiden,
An' brood OWre the joy~ that can never return1'1l1'cr love never glow'd sin,c its birth-day in Eden,
Than that which we felt '~>!I' the Gannaway Burn.
_THY banks, silver Lagan, rir.h 'beauties discover,
An' commerce expands her braid wings on thy
Tall ships frae thy port roam the :universe over;
Between thy twa headland~ a navy might ride.
Tho' blithe 1 hae stray'd on tJI¥ banks, noble river,
Yet visions 0' boyhood would aften return,
An' tell me ill whispers 'that here 1 might never
Be blest, as when wand'ring on Gannaway Burn.
7
,
'1'110 dark grove 0' pine which its margin o'ershaded,
110nd memory shall cherish, while life warms my breast;
'1'1.01'0 aften, ero sorrow my,mi~d had invaded,
I stl'l.1y'd wi' blithe com~'ades, in innocence blest;
IJIIL tlmt grove is laid low, an' my playmates sae cheery
i\ 1'0 gane to that countr)\' whence nane can retur~ ;
Whilo some wha 'survive, ~lllldel' heartless an' weary,
L iko me, far a~a' fme the Gannaway BUi,n.
Yes, dear native streamlet, wherever 1 wander,
Tho' a'"nature's beauties afore me were spread,
Thou com'st o'er my sou] wi' a feeling sae tender,
That ' back-to thy margin my fancy is led:
There e'arly ken'd ob'jects, by memory hallow'd
Awake recollection wljerever 1 turn ;
For ilature;s "rude dictates 1 carelessly follow'd,
Alriang the rich vales ,c)' the Gannaway Burn.
----GREEN-HILL.
That spot whar the earliest may-flow'rs ,I gather'd,
On memory's vista 1 mark Wi' delightThat bank whar 1 w,atch'd till the nestlins were ~eat~er'
An' wept ·when I found they had a' ta'en theIr ~l~Ilt
That pool, wh,ar 'the quick fleeting m~nno~s pursulIl,
I walled, ' nor wist how ,the time glided by;
That"nook whar llinger'd' the green rashes puin',
'.Dill gloamin' had SPi'e,ad 'her ?ark veil owre the
Th~~ 'fOl:d ;et is precious to fond' recolle,ction,
Whar fairies were said to dance roun the auld t~ee
* A small stream ;UDning through a fertile and well cultivated
in the barony of Ards, and County of Down, which, tho'
children of taste and literature, is the" native streamlel" of the
'",
POE~S.
11',1/1911
011
beillg initiated a Member of the Green-Hill Lodge,
No. 985, Feb. 2, 1810,
TUNE_"
,
Lochabe'r no more,"
1 ,~ V IHtOl"D in darkness, for1prn and astray,
IIIHlI' lonely wand'rer e~quiring my way;
l
I "pia'itR were ,lost in th,e horrors of night,
IItl vlLiuly I wish'd foh the morning's fair light: .
"Ill, PI'uvidence deign'd i~~ my \Vants to provide,
~ h"1I fllidy bewilder'd, I met with a guide,
\ 'Itn K"VII me his hand with the purest good will,
11,1 Mlift Iy conducted me to the GreenrHill.
nl
'" ,
'11111 thnt temple of friendship and love,
tll'i1Mof illstruction I heard from above;
36
THE MA'SONIC CHAPLET .
I
. Three lights the most glorious threw splendour around,
. And shew'd mellO falsehood was there to be found.
What bosom so cold but must glow with delight,
To~ see all the brethren in friendship unite!
All striving their Master's great plan to fulfil,
They joyfully labour upon the Green Hill.
Let none to this temple of friellllship repair,
• But those who in dealing with men will be square.
May virtue's strict compass our factions confine
Iri the bounds of true MailOnry's precepts divine;
The level shall teach us no rank to despise- ~.
The beggar's our brother, if upright and wise: .
And; oh! till the lwuT-glass of time shall stand still,
M ay peace, love, and harmony crown t~e Green Hill.
TO A FRIEND,
ON THE DEATH OF HIS INFANT SON.
My friend, the tenderest tie which bound
Thy soul to this dark world is broken;
And shall no soothing voice be found,
Through .which ~ind comfort may be spoken?
No I friendship's words would fall in vain,
When nature's holiest chords are riven;
No voice can sooth the bosom's pain,
Save that sweet Voice which sp.~ks from heaven.
\.
Of sorrow's children, happiest they
Who' say, when 'reft of all they valued,
"The Lord hath given anel taken away;"
Oh! may his wise decrees be hallowed!
THE END.