One Hundred Masonic Poems - George Markham Tweddell 1887

In 1887 George Markham Tweddell published his book One Hundred Masonic Poems - presented here on these pages - one poem per post. 

A Hundred Masonic Sonnets

The original book includes a long introduction,

which is not published here. A modern reader might

read much of the spirit of the sonnets to be

encouraging Freemasons to study Freemasonry

philosophy in order to adapt its high standards of

personal conduct.

The layout of the original gives a single page to each

sonnet with the page numbering coinciding with

one.

The word ‘Cowan’, which appears in a number of

the following Masonic Sonnets (e.g. No. 3 and No.

31), is used here in its Masonic meaning as an

‘unwelcomed interloper’. As with the Oddfellows

societies, it was the task of the ‘Tyler’ to bar such

people from the Lodge (see No. 72) and financial

accounts of the latter often show money laid aside

for him to pay for beer whilst he undertook his

lonely task at the entrance door.

98

Paul Tweddell 2008

From the original book.

In more recent times, there have been criticisms of Tweddell's Masonic poems, written later in life and suffering ill health. Didactic poetry is no longer the vogue but these next piece is taken from the introduction to the Collected poems of George Markham Tweddell, published in 2008 by Paul Tweddell and Trev Teasdel and the full collection shows the range and depth of the poems - but 

an initial look at these Masonic poems shows that they are: -

•  Clearly didactic (in accordance with the style of the time) and suited to his intended purpose in instructing his fellow Masons and in the words of the second Masonic poem (p. 99 below)“to elevate his vision...help to warm [at least] one frozen mind to life; show the plan of Masonry to be no useless maze to puzzle fools”.
• Have a recognisable form – that of the Sonnet. It is clear that GMT is well acquainted with the form and its variants and there’s evidence to suggest that he might even be innovating with the form if you consider the wide variations of the rhyme schemes over the 100 poems including a few with a non-standard number of lines (these are identified after each poem).
• The diction may not be as ‘elevated’ as in other of his poems however, considering it is a didactic work, the language seems appropriate and nonetheless still contains persuasive imagery with some extended metaphors, etc.
• Indeed the poems employ a range of Masonic emblems such as ‘The All-Seeing Eye’, ‘The Great Architect’, ‘The Gavel’, ‘The Compass’ and more. Furthermore some of the poems refer directly to the emblematic and symbolic function of his poetry but more on that later!
• These sonnets treat a wide range of themes both close to his heart and life’s work as well as being pertinent to being a ‘good Freemason’. Among the themes we find ‘justice’, ‘truth’, ‘love’, ‘sincerity, ‘charity’, ‘freedom from ignorance and superstition’, ‘wisdom’, ‘spiritual development’, ‘prudence’, ‘equality’, ‘friendship’, ‘silence’, ‘tyrants’, ‘oppressors and slavery’, ‘symbolism’, ‘Robbie Burns’, the ‘spiritual temple of the soul’ and many more.

A few of the poems read almost as if he is writing alternative (or Masonic) prayers. Sonnet No. 6 in the collection [p. 100 below] certainly seems to read that way, as could the last, prayer-like four lines of the previous sonnet [p. 100 below], ‘Truth, No I’:
“With joy will welcome in the glorious time
When truth alone will reign. Then, as in heaven
God will be truly served; all wars will cease
And Love and Charity for aye increase”?
v


In Bards and Authors of Cleveland and South Durham GMT comments, in a chapter on Great Ayton’s poet, William Martin, himself a Freemason, with lines that might explain the purpose of his later A Hundred Masonic Poems:
“Save poor Burns’s ever famous “Farewell to the Brethren of the St. James Lodge, Tarbolton”, …… and few other glorious exceptions, the things miscalled Masonic songs are mere bombast, doggerel, or drunken staves, scribbled by men who have been totally unable to comprehend the beautiful system of Morality, “veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols,” which they have profanely professed to defend and illustrate.”
I think, therefore this work clearly attempted to address those concerns. One might therefore look at this work to see to what extent (in compliance with his wish to be judged by the aim of the work) he achieved those aims. Of course GMT exempted William Martin himself from the above!
The Masonic poems illustrate the point that GMT’s full range of poetry functioned in different ways for his various purposes.

Freemasonry—Introduction, No. I

Freemasonry—Introduction, No. I. [No. 1]

I fain would sing—a humble Sonneteer—
The charms of Masonry: which, to my mind,
Comprises all that benefits mankind,
And can our troubled spirits truly cheer;
All Arts and Sciences, all Moral Worth; 5
Whatever raises Man to that high state
Of intellect and goodness which the hate
Of wicked men can harm not. Oh! this Earth
Is beautiful! It would have no dearth
Of happy creatures if we would fulfil 10
Our duties to each other: for the will
Of the Great Architect, who call’d forth
From chaos, is—that happiness should be
Our lot through time and all eternity.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Freemasonry—Introduction

Freemasonry—Introduction, No. II. [No. 2]

And if my feeble lyre should cause one Man
To elevate his vision; if it helps to warm
One frozen mind to life; if it shows the plan
Of Masonry to be no useless maze
To puzzle fools, or merely to amuse 5
Their idle hours; if it give higher views
Of our old Craft to any, in those days
Of full and free inquiry; most of all,
If it should aid in causing us to live
Those holy precepts Masonry doth give 10
To all her children; if it help to call
One laggard Mason to his work again,—
Those simple Sonnets are not sung in vain.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Brotherly Love

Brotherly Love [No. 3]

He in whose heart love for his fellow-men
Hath ne’er ta’en root, a Mason cannot be!
It is the first great requisite; and he
Would be a Cowan in our midst, e’en when
All ceremonies we could on him waste 5
Had been perform’d. Sign he might give, ‘tis true,
Pass-words might answer, and might catch the cue
To act an unfelt part; but ne’er in haste,
Nor e’en at leisure, would we find that man
By Brotherly Love e’er moved to do a deed 10
To help another in his utmost need,
Or comfort the distress’d: for no one can
Make a true Mason of such worthless stuff;
And base material we have quite enough.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Relief

Relief [No. 4]

Open thine ears to listen to the tale
Which Sorrow longs to tell thee; let thy heart
Sympathise with all suffering; or no part
Of Masonry is thine. If thy hand fail
To deal such bounty as thou canst afford; 5
Or thy heart fail in sympathy, though thou
May give relief reluctantly,—bestow
Alms thou hadst rather hoarded; sweet accord
With our dear Craft dwells not within thy soul.
We must relieve the destitute, or we 10
Are rank impostors in Freemasonry,—
Which all our thoughts and feelings should control
To give Relief, by kindly word and deed,
To Brother, Widow, Orphan, and to all who need.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Truth, No. I

Truth, No. I. [No. 5]

Of all the virtue which mankind can bless,
Truth shines the brightest; all the rest would pale
Without it; but it can never fail
To make our Earth an Eden. Let us caress
Truth in our inmost hearts; Truth not alone 5
In words but thoughts and actions, so that we
May stand upright in our integrity,
Like true and perfect Masons. Ev’ry zone
Of Earth shall see the Light; Falsehood be driven
Back to its native Hell; and ev’ry clime 10
With joy will welcome in the glorious time
When Truth alone shall reign. Then, as in Heaven,
God will be truly served; all wars will cease,
And Love and Charity for aye increase.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Truth, No. II

Truth, No. II. [No. 6]

No virtue known to angels or to men
Is more sublime than Truth. Without its aid
Justice and Mercy from our earth would fade,
And happiness no more be known: for then
Hatred and Strife would desolate mankind; 5
The joys of Home would all be quite unknown;
All confidence would from each heart be flown;
And Love no longer could the Mason bind
In Brotherhood to Man. Then let us all
Cherish fair Truth, in thought and word and deed, 10
And all our ways in life would surely lead
Our footsteps where true pleasures never pall,—
In that harmonious Grand Lodge above,
Where we shall dwell with God in everlasting love.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Truth, No. III

Truth, No. III. [No. 7]

Whene’er the webs of Falsehood meet thy sight,
Brush them to earth, and underneath thy feet
Trample the bloated spider; for it is meet
To clear away all that obstructs the Light.
Tissues of error never should remain 5
In any Mason’s mind; it must be Free
Form Ignorance and Superstition. We
Have holy work to do, if we would gain
Admission to that Lodge where the Most High
Wields high behests as happiness for aye, 10
And truest liberty. He is ever nigh
To guide us to all Truth, if we but trust
In him, the Merciful and Wise and Just.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Candidates for Masonry, No. 1

Candidates for Masonry, No. 1. [No. 8]

Let every Mason pause ere he propose
A candidate for Ancient Masonry,
Till fully satisfied that such as he
Will not disgrace the Craft. Has it not rose
To world-wide fame? And now on us depends 5
Its present and its Future. Let us not,
By our misconduct, ever cast a blot
On its unsullied purity. True friends
Will seek to hand their goodly heritage
Down to remotest time, as they received 10
It from the trusty Masons who believed
It capable of blessing every age.
Keep out all men whose hearts have not become
Of Love and Truth and Charity the home.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st publsihed 1887

Candidates for Masonry, No. II

Candidates for Masonry, No. II. [No. 9]

The man who dearly loves all humankind,
And fain would see them dwell in amity,
Spreading all knowledge broadcast—purity
Ennobling all their actions – heart and mind
Cultured in each and all; who loves his race, 5
Wherever they around the globe may dwell;
Is fit for Masonry, and none can quell
Its spirit in his bosom. His right place
In a Masons’ Lodge. He comes prepared
Right to the Tyler’s hands. Little there need 10
Be done for his reception. He indeed
Is half a Mason ere he once has shared
Our Secrets. The portal open: welcome him within,
For the true Mason is to all good akin.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Candidates for Masonry, No. III

Candidates for Masonry, No. III. [No. 10]

Some ask, If we so far can elevate
Men by our holy precepts, why do we
Restrict the Brotherhood of Masonry
Unto the few?—Why open not the gate
To all who choose to rush into the fold? 5
If all were fit, we gladly would embrace,
With arms fraternal, all the human race.
We know that “All that glistens is not gold.”
All men have not true manhood. Some there be
Whom no wise man would trust, mere worldly knaves, 10
Brutes in the form of men—the abject slaves
Of Mammon, whom no charter can make Free.
Yet I am one who entertains the faith
All Good will live for aye, all Evil died its death.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Free-born, No. I.

Free-born, No. I. [No. 11]

In those benighted days when it was held
That man could own as goods his fellow-men,
And only few were Free: in ages when
The Bond-born could be claim’d as Serfs; propell’d
By Interest, the Guilds did all enact, 5
That none should be admitted who were not
Born Free: for then all scorn’d to cast their lot
With Slaves in mind or limb. We still exact
Freedom (not of mere Birth—an accident!)
From all who seek admittance to the Craft, 10
For fear they slavish notions might engraft
On the Masonic tree. It ne’er was meant
That flunkey souls should e’er Accepted be
In that dear Craft which boasts itself the Free.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Free-born, No. II

Free-born, No. II. [No. 12]

Who are the favour’d mortals truly Free?
Not him who seeks to wrong his fellow-men;
Nor he who ever fear’d with tongue or pen
To plead the cause of Right. Freemasonry
Disdains the Tyrant and the willing Slave. 5
The vilest Serfdom is that of mind
Which ne’er by Truth and Virtue was refined,—
Oppressive when it can, always a knave.
A man might be unfortunately born
Of some poor Captive sold to Slavery; 10
And now in mind and body purely Free
Might seek admission. I would not him scorn
For his misfortune: and the man who would
Forgets God made all nations of one blood.
[Also quoted in William Andrew’s Modern Yorkshire
Poets (1888), p.54]
102

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Free-born, No. III

Free-born, No. III. [No. 13]

He is not Free who is the slave of Sin,
Whatever his parentage; he can’t be Free
Whose soul is manacled in slavery
To odious Superstition. If in
His heart there be no love of God or Man 5
Call him not Free by Birth, or privilege
Of Manumission. He can give no pledge
That he is fit for Freedom: never can
The Cap of Liberty fit his vile brow.
Rome freed her Slaves who proved themselves to be 10
Worthy, and gave them civil rights; and we
Can ne’er in Justice unto Pagans bow.
With us, all worthy men are deem’d Born Free
Whose eyes can bear the Light of pure Freemasonry.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Trust in God, No. I

Trust in God, No. I. [No. 14]

When trials and when difficulties come,
Put thy full Trust in God; for only He,
In thy dire need, can shield and strengthen thee.
Whether in solitude, or ’midst the hum
Of Marts of commerce, if thou Trust in Him, 5
Thy actions will be pure. That man deceives
Himself and others, who foolishly believes
He can to all gales of Fortune trim
The sails of his mean mind, and yet can Trust
In Justice, Mercy, Wisdom, which are God’s 10
Essential attributes: the very sods
Which he now treads on, but which erelong must
Cover his unfeeling heart, even seem to me
Purer and nearer unto God than he.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Trust in God, No. II

Trust in God, No. II. [No. 15]

O Heavenly Father! without Thee, how vain
Are all our efforts! We must trust in Thee,
And do our duty bravely, if that we
True Masons would become. Sunshine and rain,
Sent in due season, may to ripeness bring 5
Fruit of the trees we plant, and seeds we sow
Through them bring increase; but to Thee we owe
Earth, seed, rain, sunshine, strength, and ev’rything.
All noble thoughts and feelings from Thee come:
Thou art around and in us everywhere: 10
There is no part of earth but thou art there;
And the pure Mason’s heart must be thy home:
He there, in Strength and Beauty, must erect
His own true Temple for the Almighty Architect.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Trust in God, No. III

Trust in God, No. III. [No. 16]

Trials of some sort will most surely come,
To test thy Masonry: be not afraid;
For it to God thou humbly look for aid,
And does thy duty bravely—though struck dumb
Beneath thy heavy sorrows for the time— 5
Though thy life’s sky looks dark, there will appear
A “silver lining” to the cloud. The year
Is not all Summer; but Winter’s chilling rime
Lays only for a while, then melts away,
To come in genial showers. The frosts may bind 10
The streams in icy chains, but soon we find
The sun shines brightly forth, all is gay
And Life-like as before. Then why should Man
Faint-hearted doubt his wise Creator’s plan?

By George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Trust in God, No. IV

Trust in God, No. IV. [No. 17]

Without a saving faith in all things good,
There is no Trust in God: a babbling tongue
May mouth the words; but they are idly flung
As bubbles blown by children,—understood
As little by their owners. In the air 5
The bubbles rise and burst—but they amuse
The innocent child, and I would not refuse
To young their spotless pastime. Oh how fair
And truthful are young children! Let them blow,
Their shining bubbles: soon enough will Care 10
Dull their bright spirits. But, never dare
In the young mind the evil seed to sow
From which must rise a crop of worthless deeds,
When a true Trust in God is all thro’ life there needs.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Trust in God, No. V

Trust in God, No. V. [No. 18]

Say, shall a mason, to maturity grown,
Lack wisdom which e’en Childhood doth possess?
It was true Trust in God alone did bless
Our bubble-blowing hours. As soon as blown,
Up went the fragile globes, tinged with all rays 5
That point the rainbow: we were pleased to watch
Them float in the air and burst; and soon a batch
Of others we sent up: for in those days
We were untroubled when our bubbles burst.
Are we ne’er worse than bubble-blowing, when we 10
Have graver work to do? Eternity
Demands of us a faithful, fervent Trust
In God, proved by our actions being good,—
Our Father He, and Men one Brotherhood.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Freemason’s Apron, No. I

The Freemason’s Apron, No. I. [No. 19]

As spotless as the Aprons which we wear,
As innocent as lambs, our lives should be;
For we are marching to Eternity.
And from our souls must all defilement tear.
Our ancient Brethren, building Temples rare, 5
In honour of the Almighty Architect,
(Whose skill and love hath rear’d and does protect
The Universe, with more than Father’s care,)
Should teach us all to square our actions so
That we may each become as living Stones 10
In his immortal Temple, though our bones
Are crumbled into dust. Then let us go
Through life not slip-shod, nor blindfolded quite,—
But as true Masons who have seen the Light.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Freemason’s Apron

The Freemason’s Apron, No. II. [No. 20]

Nor Golden Fleece, nor Garter and its Star,
Thistle, nor Coronet, nor Crown, (to win
Which men too oft have steep’d their souls in sin,)
By me are deem’d so honorable far
As our white barge of spotless purity. 5
The Bond of Friendship be it to us all,
If Sons of Hiram we would dare to call
Ourselves. Mere Signs and Pass-words ne’er can be
The Band that binds in Bonds of Brotherhood
(Too strong for priestly craft or despot’s power, 10
Or all the evil passions of the hour,
To rend asunder,) so many wise and good,
Of every creed and clime, on neutral ground,
Where Peace and Love and Charity abound.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Rough Ashlar, No. I

The Rough Ashlar, No. I. [No. 21]

A stone rough from the Quarry, to which ne’er
The Mallet and the Chisel were applied,
Nor e’er by skilful Builders had been tried
For column, Frieze, or Architrave: for fear
Of base material made them choose each Stone 5
Worthy of a Mason’s labour to produce,
When dress’d with care, a portion for use
In goodly Fabrics. They would not adorn
Their temples with such workmanship as soon
Might eaten be by gnarling teeth of Time: 10
And now we gaze with wonder in each clime
At their enduring Structures. Sun and Moon
Alike show marvels when they shine upon
Those noble Structures built by Brethren long since gone.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Rough Ashlar

The Rough Ashlar, No. II [No. 22]

If for the earthly Building it be meet
Always to choose sound, firm, and lasting Stone,
We Speculative Masons ought alone
To work up good materials, when we greet
Each other in our Lodges as the Sons 5
Of Light: for Masonry does not profess
To change the vile to good, though it will bless
All who will live its precepts, Mere Goths and Huns
And Vandals—fit alone for Attila
Or Genseric to rule—are not the men 10
From whom to make Freemasons: only when
The heart and mind have been prepared, we may
Each become polish’d Stones, and upright stand,
Fit for acceptance at the Master-Builder’s hand.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Party Politics

Party Politics. [No. 23]

Mere Party Politics can find no place
In a Freemasons’ Lodge: they would breed Strife,
Instead of Peace and Love; for they are rife
With mischief and with misery for our race.
Each Freemason is free to advocate, 5
As Citizens, whenever duty calls,
Measures, his mind approves; but in the halls
Of Masonry, all loyal to the State,
We meet on neutral ground and seek to bind
Good Men of every Party in one Band 10
Of loving Brothers, who well understand
How to “agree to differ.” All mankind
Never can think alike on every theme;
But every Mason’s mind with Love to Man must beam.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Charity

Charity. [No. 24]

Well taught the Apostle Paul, how men might give
Their substance to the Poor, and yet might be
Lacking at heart in all true Charity.
We must in Thought and Word and Deed aye live
In Charity with all the World, or we 5
Are not true Masons. Our Country we must love,
Without despising other Lands, to prove
Our Brotherhood sincere. And Charity
Must guide our hearts to love the many minds
Who think as we do. The Right of Thought, 10
Free Speech, (when utter’d, as all Speaking ought,
Boldly but kindly,) each is a Right which finds
In Masonry defence: or how could we
Bind Men of every Clime into one loving Family.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Volume of the Sacred Law

The Volume of the Sacred Law. [No. 25]

Thanks for this record of the Sacred Laws,
To teach us two-fold Duties to fulfill;—
To bow ourselves obedient to the will
Of Him we worship, as the Great First Cause,
At whose creative fiat all things sprung: 5
Our first great Duty. Next, to love our Brother,—
To teach and raise and cherish one another,
Whate'er our creed or clime. When Earth was young
These Duties were the same, and will remain,
Binding on all, till Time shall be no more. 10
Then let our Thoughts and Words be pure, before
They bourgeon into Actions. Sorrow, Pain,
Will then be known, and Earth will be
A Paradise of Joy and Purity.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Religious Liberty

Religious Liberty. [No. 26]

Unto the Volume of the Sacred Law
Take not thy fancies, nor the Church’s Creed,
To force on other minds; for much we need
Freedom of Thought, in order to lay low
Those foolish Hatreds which have kept apart 5
Men who should love as Brothers. Strike a blow
At Bigotry, if ye would ever know
True Brotherhood,—its death-blow: for the heart
Of Man was form’d to love, not hate this kind.
In all Religions there is much good, 10
When there true teachings are well understood;
In most much Superstition with their blind
And rabid devotees. Let us be wide,—
Embrace their good, and learn their evil to despise.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Twenty-Four Inch Gauge

The Twenty-Four Inch Gauge. [No. 27]

Our ancient Brothers, Operative true,
Learnt well the use of the numeric Gauge
Of Four-and-Twenty Inches. Every page
Of History—all Temples which we view
Raised by their skilful fingers—prove they knew 5
Full well the use of all Masonic Tools:
Our admiration of them never cools,
But still keeps warm and constant: but in lieu
Of literal Measures, Speculative we
Apply them to our Morals. This one may 10
Remind us how to use the Hours each Day
To bless us here and through eternity.
Labour, Rest, Prayer, Help to some poor Brother,
All, each and every Day, should follow one another.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Gavel

The Gavel. [No. 28]

Nimbly the Gavel in each Ghiblim’s hand
Smote off Excrescences from every Stone,
Before it left the Quarry; so that none
Might reach Moriah’s Mount but what would stand
Where the Menatzchim had them wisely plann’d. 5
Let Conscience to us as a Gavel be,
To keep down all degrading Thoughts, that we
May bear to have our Actions duly scann’d
By the All-Seeing Eye: so that the call
From Labour here on Earth, to Rest in Heaven, 10
May be to us in truest mercy given;
And when the Shadow of Death’s Valley fall
Upon our mortal Eyes like darkest Night,
A Voice unto our Souls may say, “Let there be Light!”

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Chisel

The Chisel. [No. 29]

Small is the Chisel, but its power is great!
Its potent edge, to every Stone applied
Of the most stately Fabrics, well was tried
By long-departed Builders. Though the date
Of each Erection might for aye be lost 5
In the dim vista of the distant Past.
The triumphs of the Chisels long will last,
In bringing rudest Matter into form.
So Education, at whatever cost,
Should be the object of each Mason’s mind: 10
For as the Chisel cut the shapeless mass
Into most beauteous forms, so must our crass
Vices and Ignorance, which now deform,
By Education change to things refined.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

White Gloves, No. I

White Gloves, No. I. [No. 30]

Wear not White Gloves to hide hands that are stain’d
With deeds of violence and wrong: be sure
Your fingers as the Gloves you wear are pure.
If wealth be yours, let it not be obtain’d
By force of fraud: if in the social scale 5
’Tis yours to rise, bend not your souls to climb,—
Or seeming-upward steps will prove in time
All down to shame. Mere rank can naught avail
To shield you from dishonour, unless ye
Are true at heart: all subterfuges fail, 10
In time to serve the worthless: and they quail,
Lake craven cowards, when they come to see
Their wretched fall. Let all who wear White Gloves,
Be spotless as their Clothes, and innocent as Doves.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

White Gloves, No. II

White Gloves, No. II. [No. 31]

White in all ages has an emblem been
Of spotless Innocence: a Cowan he,
Though in our Clothing drest, whose Masonry
In Signs and Words and Clothes alone is seen!
The outer world is full of Shams, I ween; 5
But every Masons’ Lodge should be secure
From such intruders; there we should be sure
Of meeting none who’re cruel, false or mean.
The tongue of Good Report must be well heard.
Before a Candidate I dare propose, 10
Vouching him as obedient to the laws
Of God and man; his soul must first be stirr’d
With aspirations all good deeds to dare,
Ere I assist him our White Gloves to wear.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Wisdom

Wisdom. [No. 32]

Wisdom is Knowledge won and rightly used,—
Not worn for gaudy show, nor schemed for gain
Of this world’s gear: the wise man will refrain
From having heavenly gifts so much abused.
Mere worldly pomp should, to the Mason’s eye, 5
Be a fool’s bauble. Not worth cap and bells,
And Avarice a demon which propels
The soul of man to Hades. We must fly
On wisdom’s wings, and learn to soar above
Each sensual and merely sensuous thing, 10
Which to the soul no lasting joy can bring,
If we would enter the Grand Lodge where Love
And all Masonic Virtues aye abound,
And true Felicity will evermore be found.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Strength, No. I

Strength, No. I. [No. 33]

Each man possesses Faculties which, used
Aright, resembles God’s. He can control
Forces he can’t oppose. It is the Soul,
More than the Body, that needs Strength. Abused
Too much in every age has been the Power 5
With which we are endow’d. We must prepare
To Study and Obey His Laws with care,
If we would feel true Strength: then a dower
Of Happiness will bless the human race!
Our Heavenly Father wishes all to be 10
From Sin, and its companion, Misery,
Fully exempt. Then let us all embrace
The proffer’d good: a Mason’s heart must long
On Him to lean, and thus be truly Strong.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Strength, No. II

Strength, No. II. [No. 34]

They greatly err who fancy that true Strength
Consists in mere Brute Force. All Force is good
When used aright; and, properly understood,
A lever to raise up the World at length.
Obedience to God will give us Power 5
To bravely battle with all human ills;
And he is Strongest who most fulfils
His duties as a Man: and in the hour
Our Great Grand Master calls the Muster-roll,
And we must Stand to Order, then the Strong, 10
It will be seen, are those who did belong
On Earth to them who learnt to make the Soul
The Monarch of the Body. Many then
Will be Accepted who are now despised of men.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Beauty, No. I

Beauty, No. I. [No. 35]

Love thou the Beautiful, and there will be
A Mine of Wealth discover’d in thy Brain
Which none can rob thee of. It is quite vain
To seek the Secrets of Freemasonry,
Unless all Beauty has for thee a charm 5
Which worldly minds ne’er know. The varied forms
Of Beauty must be prized: all that deforms
The Soul must be abhorr’d; all that can harm
Ourselves or others shunn’d. True Beauty ne’er
To Wickedness belongs. A sacred thing 10
Is Beauty; no mere phantom to take wing
When needed most; though all the changing year
’Tis in thee and around thee, if thy Mind
Only has Culture the great Boon to find.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Beauty, No. II

Beauty, No. II. [No. 36]

If Beauty lives not in our Brother’s Mind,
He ne’er can feel the charms of Masonry.
He who loves Beauty truly, holds in fee
The Universe around him: he can find
Good things in all things which the Great Architect 5
Has made, that Man can use or look upon.
E’en all the Evils of the ages gone,
And of the times we live in, he sees fleck’d
With much Good. For Evils—while they spring
From Disobedience to the unchanging Laws 10
Wisely laid down for All by the First Cause—
In time work their own Cure, and help to bring
About the banishment of Error hence,
And teach the Rebel, Man, Obedience.

By George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty

Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. [No. 37]

Let every Mason fortify his Soul
With Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty: pillars those
Which never fall: for who can long oppose
Wisdom?—which is true Knowledge, in control
Of Reason—neither dormant or run wild. 5
It triumphs over Ignorance for aye:
A Beauty is no Phantom of To-day,
That shines and fades. ‘Tis loved by every Child
In all things, until we pervert their powers.
Without these two, real Strength can never be: 10
They are a Trinity in Unity;
And he who makes them his, most nobly towers
Above all things of earth. Only the Good
Have Wisdom, Strength and Beauty understood.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Temperance

Temperance. [No. 38]

A drunken Mason is a foul disgrace
To any Lodge that owns him. Well we know
With holy Precepts Masonry doth glow
Brightly in all her Teachings. We embrace
All Virtues and all Wisdom known to man 5
In true Freemasonry: and Temperance
In all things has been taught, but choice, not chance;
In all our Lodges, and the strongest ban
Placed on Intemperance, through all the ages.
Then let no Drunkard soil the purity 10
Of our good Craft; for, surely, such as he
Can ne’er uphold its honour. All the Sages
Of every Land sweet Temperance have taught,—
A Virtue with divinest Blessings fraught.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Fortitude

Fortitude. [No. 39]

In a Good Cause, be Firm; for Fortitude
Is a Masonic Virtue. Every Age
Has honoured it: it glows upon the page
Of History; for Nations, from the rude
Barbarian, to most Civilised, have seen 5
It can subdue the Passions, when applied
In Virtue’s cause; but when it is allied
With Vice, becomes Stupidity, I ween,
Losing its very Name. Oh, ye who seek
To raise the Fallen and uphold the Good— 10
To banish Vice from Earth, so that it should
Become an Eden!—be ye ever Meek
And Innocent as Doves; but also Firm
As yonder Rock, alike in Calm or Storm.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Prudence, No. I

Prudence, No. I. [No. 40]

Though richly laden the good Bark may be
With Wealth beyond compare, if at the Helm
Prudence presides not, Storms will overwhelm
Both Crew and Cargo in the raging Sea.
Despite of Courage, all will then be Lost: 5
For “Courage unrestrain’d,” the wide EURIPIDES
Sings, “is abhorr’d by Jove and men.” He sees
But dimly when the vessel, tempest-tost,
And threaten’d every moment by each wave,
(Needing calm Courage with far-seeing Thought, 10
And wisest Counsel to quick Action brought,)
Loses the Chances in his cause to Save.
Courage, by Prudence ruled, must ever be
Prepared at once for each Emergency.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Prudence, No. II

Prudence, No. II. [No. 41]

So in the Voyage of Life, the Mason must
Have Prudence at the Helm, if he would miss
Or Scylla’s Rock or Whirlpool Charybdis.
Let him in the Great Architect o’er trust,
And calmly do his Duty. If men praise 5
His valiant efforts, well; but if they blame
His noble conduct, let it be the same
To him, who only seeks to help to raise
Mankind to their true Level. Fortitude
Is ever needed by the Wise and Good: 10
Without it, no Greatness ever stood
The attacks of Despots or the Multitude
Be the true Mason guarded at all points,
And Prudence will protect even his Armour’s joints.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

Justice, No. I

Justice, No. I. [No. 42]

Justice—not merely meting out the Law,
E’en to the Letter, but giving to each Man,
Woman, and Child, whatever rightly can
Be call’d their Own—would save unmeasured Woe
To all the Human Race. It binds in one 5
Pillar of Strength and Beauty all the rest
Of Virtues; wanting this heavenly guest,
They would be useless: none can stand alone.
“Best boon of Heaven,” good HESIOD well did name
This Master Virtue. Much Evil has been done— 10
Mere work of Vengeance—in its name and gone
Unquestion’d for long ages: as if the aim
Of Justice was to Injure,—not Redress
All Creatures’ Wrongs, and make the sum of Suffering less.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

Justice, No. II.

Justice, No. II. [No. 43]

He is no Mason in whose inmost heart
Justice has not her throne. Glibly each Sign
And Word may leave him; but if the divine
Spirit of Justice does not to him impart
Its holy influence, he is at best 5
A Cowan in our midst; and such as he
Can have no love for Freemasonry:
There are but Wolves, who have in Lambskins drest
Themselves, the better to make men their prey.
If such there be, oh, Brothers, in your fold, 10
Quick drive them out!—for silver nor for gold
Ne’er suffer them to remain. No single ray
From Masonry’s pure Light can penetrate
The dungeons of a Mind in such a state.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published 1887

“From Labour to Refreshment”

“From Labour to Refreshment”. [No. 44]

“From Labour to Refreshment” is not wrong,
When Temperance and Harmony unite
To form for Mason’s innocent delight,—
The rational Feast, wise Speaking, and the Song
Which elevates the Soul. Then let us Use 5
All things as they were meant by Him who made
Them for wise ends. True pleasures never fade
From memory: it is only their Abuse
Which leaves a sting behind. We must be Pure,
If we’d be Happy. Virtue is indeed 10
Its own Reward: but Vice will cause to bleed
The Heart that harbours it. They must endure
The Penalty who dare to Disobey;
But Blessing aye Reward the Souls who will Obey.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Winding Stairs, No I

The Winding Stairs, No I. [No. 45]

Up long-gone Winding Stairs, methinks, I see
The Ancient Craftsmen boldly make their way
Into the Middle Chamber, feeling they
Full well deserved Reward. For Masonry
Claims Good for All whate’er their Station be, 5
So that their Work be Useful. They who plann’d
The Building of the temple; they who scann’d
The Stones when dress’d; and they whose Industry
Hew’d, squared or fixed each in its proper place,
Had shekels, or shared Corn and Wine and Oil. 10
No Useful Labour ever yet could soil
The Soul of Man: and nothing can efface
The Image of our Maker there, if we
Will Build our temple with true Masonry.

By George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Winding Stairs, No II

The Winding Stairs, No II. [No. 46]

For us there yet is work, e’en more divine
Than those who labour’d on Moriah’s Mount,
Him as a Labourer for God I count
Who seeks with all his dealings to combine
Good to his Fellow-men. We look in vain— 5
Poor foolish mortals!—for some enterprise
To be accomplish’d whilst ten thousand eyes
Gaze on approvingly; and we disdain
To do our utmost Duties close at Home.
This is vain Pride, and not Freemasonry: 10
For it requires that we should always be
Ready, at any moment, forth to come
To succour the Distress’d. Our Mystic Tie
Needeth no Witness but the Great All-Seeing Eye.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Square

The Square. [No. 47]

Without the Square, each Building would have been
Wanting in due precision; edges, sides
And angles all awry. No Master chides
The cunning Workman who has duly seen
The Square to every well dress’d Stone applied: 5
For when the Eye might err, the Square would not:
So that Temple, Castle, Convent, Cot,
Were out of Square. And now, with pleasant pride,
Which no true Mason need attempt to hide,
We view the “Poems in Stone” left by their hands: 10
And while through all the Ages one Stone stands
Upon another, they will seem to chide
Unworthy Masons, who neglect to see
The Square put to their Conduct constantly.

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Level. [No. 48]

The Level. [No. 48]

“Meet on the Level, part upon the Square,”
Is a good Mason’s adage; and the man
Alone who merits honour ever can
Rise to the Level which Freemasons dare
To reckon true Equality. We care 5
Little for Worldly Wealth or rank, when we
Meet in our well-loved Lodges! There we see
A band of Brothers, who are proud to wear
The Badge of Innocence. We Level up
The true mark of manhood: to pull down 10
The one dull level, and on Wisdom frown,
Is not Masonic; but we seek to sup
Draughts riches that e’er heavenly Hebe bore,
Or Gannymede could boast in all his store

by George Markham Tweddell  1st published 1887

The Plumb-line. [No. 49]

The Plumb-line. [No. 49]

Without the Plumb-line, wisest Builders’ hands
Could ne’er erect their fabric so Upright
As safe to bear for centuries the dense weight
That rest upon their walls. The skilful Bands
Who rear’d yon noble Buildings knew full well 5
The Plum-line’s use, all Uprights to adjust
On their true basis: so Freemasons must
Stand Upright in true Manhood; they must quell
All Evil Thoughts, should they arise, lest they
Should lead to Evil Actions. Then I’ the hour 10
Of fell Adversity, no cloud will lour
Too darkly on their Souls. At times they may
Know trials; but their Upright Conduct will
Enable them for aye to obey their Master still.

by George Markham Tweddell    First published 1887

King Sol-Om-On’s Temple.

King Sol-Om-On’s Temple. [No. 50]

That was a splendid Temple which was raised
By the great Sol-Om-On,—three names in one,
All from “the god of day” whose sheen was on
Those Masons’ labours which e’en yet are praised.
Each Brother must build up, in his own heart, 5
A nobler Temple than e’er graced the brow
Of Mount Moriah, fro which will ever flow
Incense more pure than e’er can form a part
Of priestly fumigations. Let us be
Builders of Spiritual Temples, where our Lord 10
Will find our Souls constantly in accord
With Him through Time and all Eternity.
We must, all life long, Build for Sin or God:
Happy the Mason who his Maker’s paths hath trod.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Hiram, King of Tyre

Hiram, King of Tyre. [No. 51]

Tis well when Rulers can allow the Sword
To rest within the Scabbard; it is wise
To strive alone in peaceful enterprise,
Binding each Land in Commerce,—silken chain
Which never chafes. ’Twas wise in Israel’s King 5
To make such Treaty with the King of Tyre,
When he to Build the temple did aspire.
Even now we seem to hear the Axes ring
In Lebanon’s big Forest. How they fall,
Those Pines and Cedars! And Sidonian skill 10
Soon carves them into shape; the Craftsman’s will
Bringing rude matter into forms which all
Admire for Strength and Beauty. So must we
Carve Thoughts and Feelings with true Masonry.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Widow’s Son.

The Widow’s Son. [No. 52]

Behold a Sculptor!—he, the Widow’s Son,
We learnt in all the Plastic Arts of Tyre,
As practices with skill’d Sidonian Sire:
Which with his Mother’s Piety did run
Blended, as she received it from her Tribe 5
Of Naphtali. He upon Jordan’s Plain,
Between Succoth and Zarthan, with hands and brain
Modell’d the clay in forms which every scribe
Delights to chronicle; in metal cast,
They had endured to the end of time, 10
Had man permitted: and in every clime
Masons his name have honour’d. It will last
For ever; and, in all our Lodges, he
Is the grand type of faithful Secrecy.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Valley of the Shadow of Death.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death. [No. 53]

Dark is the Valley where Death’s Shadow flings
Its sombre hue around: most dense to him
Whose life being evil, all before is dim
To his Soul’s vision. The Master Mason clings
Fast to Hope’s anchor, and perceives a Light, 5
At first seen faintly glimmering in the East,
To guide him onward,—which he knows at least
Is no mere quagmire flame, delusive, bright
To lead astray. That Light is seen more clear
When worldly cares have ceased to dim our sight, 10
And, like true heroes, we resolve to fight
Life’s battle bravely; deeming nothing dear
To wise and worthy Masons here below
Which will not on Mankind true Happiness bestow.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Seeking for the Word.

Seeking for the Word. [No. 54]

Know’st thou what’s meant by Seeking for the Word?
’Tis emblematic of the Search for Truth,—
The Mason’s great desire. He must in youth
And manhood labour to afford
The Mind free scope for growth. All Nature must 5
Be as a Book in which he loves to read
And study well; so that he may be freed
From grovelling Superstition. To be Just,
Courageous in all Righteousness, and Wise;
Trusty, and Merciful to all; to be 10
A man of Honour and Integrity,—
Is ever the true Mason’s high emprise.
He alone Finds the Word who comprehends
His purpose here, and to all Duty humbly bends.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Acacia.

The Acacia. [No. 55]

Revered by Masons let the Acacia be!
The Hebrews used the plant to mark a grave;
And o’er a Brother’s breast I have
Dropp’d it upon the coffin; just when we
Were taking our last look; ere the priest had done 5
His obsequies—or his fellow Volunteers
Discharged their farewell volleys—and the tears
Were trickling down our cheeks. And I have gone
Often alone to visit the green spot
Where the true Brother’s ashes calmly rest: 10
For, when we muse among the tombs, ‘tis best
To be alone. Those Friends we ne’er forget
Seem then to visit us. Then let us be,
Acacia emblem, innocent as thee!

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Legends of the Craft.

The Legends of the Craft. [No. 56]

Whether out legends Facts or Fictions be,
Their Teaching is the same: and that man knows
Little of Ethics who too rashly vows
All Fiction must be Falsehood. Do not we
Find highest Truths in Parables? And He 5
Who taught in Palestine so long ago,
As none else taught, used them to strike a blow
At all Untruth. But we must have the Key
To unlock Symbolic Teaching, in the Mind,
Or Allegories ne’er can benefit 10
The sluggish brain of country clown or cit.
He who knows how to Search, will surely Find
Truth hid e’en in her Well; but they who boast
Sole love of Literal Facts, too often Err the most.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Skirret.

The Skirret. [No. 57]

When, from the Central Pin, the Line was drawn,
To mark the ground where Builders were to raise
Some noble Temple to their Maker’s praise;
Sure were the deep Foundations laid, and Stone
On Stone was deftly piled; until men saw 5
A Building quite complete in all its parts,
And Masonry rank’d first of all the Arts.
Let us, as speculative Masons, go
As wisely-well to work; so that we may
Lay fast Foundations for our Souls to Build 10
A Spiritual Temple, which, for ever fill’d
With incense of true worship, will for aye
Enable us, in the Grand Lodge Above,
To meet, where all is Harmony and Love.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Pencil.

The Pencil. [No. 58]

Small is the Pencil, but how great its power
When the skill’d Artist guides it for some Plan
Design’d to benefit his Fellow-man!
The gift of genius is a glorious dower,
When well applied. ’Tis given that we may Bless 5
Ourselves and others. Let us use it well,
If we possess it. When the Funeral-bell
Tells of our Soul’s departure, it will less
Concern us that Mental Gifts were ours,
Than that we Used them Well, however Small: 10
For there is work to do for one and all,
At our own doors, if we will use our powers.
Where much is given, there will be most required;
But all must be by Holiness inspired.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Compasses.

The Compasses. [No. 59]

Mark well the Compasses! Their use you see
In giving just proportions, to insure
Beauty and Strength to Fabrics that endure
When they who rear’d them can no longer be
Heedful of praise or blame from those who live. 5
Then let us learn to keep our Actions so
Within due Compass, that when we too go
To join “the great majority,” and give
A strict account of all our labours here,
We need not fear the Great All-Seeing Eye, 10
But feel that it is happiness to die,
And enter the Grand Lodge where sorrow ne’er
Shall mar our perfect Bliss. Brothers! If Just,
Safely in the Most High we may repose our Trust.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Symbols.

Symbols. [No. 60]

Nature abounds in Symbols for the Wise!
Sunset and Sunrise; Phoebus in his pride;
Luna, as she doth in her glory ride,
With all her starry train; the watchet Skies,
Fleckt with all-gorgeous Clouds; the whimpling Rill, 5
The rushing River, and the booming Sea;
Birds of all hues and songs; all seem to me
Pregnant with potent Teachings. Every Hill
And Valley, Tree, Flower, Grass, Moss, Lichen; all
The Insect Tribes that there have their brief day; 10
The very Dust we tread on; each, all may
Form Symbols to a thinking Mind, and call
On Masons here to Read them. Oh, that we
May Think and Work with God through all eternity!

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The All-seeing Eye, No. I.

The All-seeing Eye, No. I. [No. 61]

“God is all Eyes!” far-seeing PLINY said;
And all the ages His unceasing care
For all His creatures, caused men everywhere,
By Natural Piety and Wisdom led,
To picture forth the Great All-Seeing Eye 5
As Symbol meet of watchful Deity.
’Twas used in Egypt’s far antiquity;
Greece, Rome, and every ancient Mystery,
Wisely preserved the Emblem. From then, we
Accepted it with gratitude. When Sleep 10
Doth on all toil-worn Mind and Body creep,
To renovate our Strength, our God on high
Ever keeps wakeful watch: the darkest Night
Is to that Eye clear as the noontide Light.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The All-seeing Eye, No. II.

The All-seeing Eye, No. II. [No. 62]

His Laws pervade all Space; if we rebel,
Then happiness is ours; if we rebel,
We bear, in our own Souls, a burning Hell
Of Misery to scorch us: we must Pay
The utmost Penalty. He strikes in Love; 5
For Anger is unknown to the Most High:
Unchangeable his Laws; in vain we cry
To be exempted. We have but to prove
Ourselves fit for His Mercies to receive.
That Ever-Watchful Eye, high over all, 10
See Thoughts as well as Actions. If we fall
From Righteousness, then wantonly we leave
The flowery Paths of truest Happiness:
For Vice will Curse, and Virtue ever Bless.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Trowel.

The Trowel. [No. 63]

Honour the Trowel far above the Sword!
Its Work is much more useful to Mankind.
Well know the Ancient Builders how to bind
Their Masonry, when all, in one accord,
Spread the well-temper’d Mortar: and we know 5
How, e’en in Ruins, many Stones lie bound
Into one Solid Mass. Let us be found
Spreading true Cement, which will Unite us so
In strongest Bonds of Brotherhood, that we
May live in Love together all our days; 10
And safely pass through Life’s perplexing maze,
With steady footsteps, to Eternity:
Living in perfect Friendship whilst on Earth,
And finding Death to us Immortal Birth.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

True Brotherhood.

True Brotherhood. [No. 64]

Wrong thou no man; but, if ’tis in thy power,
Shield all from Injury: but, more than all,
Be every ready at a Mason’s call,
To render all thy Aid, in Sorrow’s hour.
Are we not bound in holy Brotherhood, 5
(Despite of Colour, Politics, or Creed,)
To serve each other in the hour of Need,
So long we prove worthy? “Of One Blood”
God made “all Nations of Men,” wherever they
May “dwell on all the face o’ the Earth,”—as we 10
Find bravely taught by eloquent PAUL, when he
Undaunted stood on Mar’s Hill, ‘midst the bray
Of Athen’s angry Sons! For all time,
Masons are Brothers, spite of Creed or Clime.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Precept and Practice.

Precept and Practice. [No. 65]

Brothers! If we would all be Masons true:
In public and in private strove to be
Faithful unto the Principles which we
Are taught in our tyled Lodges; they would imbue
Our Minds with all which tends to elevate 5
The Man above the Brute. A Phalanx firm,
Standing unmoved by any raging Storm
Of Worldly Cares or Wickedness, our state
Would then be one of Peace with God and Man.
All that is Pure and Lovely would be ours; 10
And we should feel within us nobler powers
Of thought and Action, than we ever can
So much as dream of, marching to our graves
Mere slothful, sinful, worldly-minded Slaves.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Slander.

Slander. [No. 66]

Slander is hateful to the Mason’s mind:
It is a vulgar Vice, which only those
Whose Souls in Virtue never knew Repose,
Will e’er indulge in. To Brothers refined
By noble Studies and a blameless Life, 5
All Slander is disgusting. The Good Name
Of each true Mason is to him the same
As though it were his Own: and in the Strife
Of the World’s Warfare, he will bravely Fight
With Moral Weapons, at whatever Cost, 10
To defend the Absent. Never can be Lost
The timely Word of Truth spoke for the Right.
All Masons must be True to one another,
And ready to Defend their Absent Brother.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Good Freemason.

The Good Freemason. [No. 67]

Honour’d—yea more—Beloved by Mason’ true,
Be he who, in his Daily Life, maintains
The Precepts of our Craft; who never stains
His Soul with Vice; but ever has in view
The Higher Life known only to the Few. 5
Not only in the Lodge-room is’t that he
Thinks of the Principles of Masonry:
His Mind they aye so thoroughly imbue,
Pure Thoughts, Pure Words, Pure Actions are his own
Without much effort. For all Humankind— 10
Yea, e’en the Brute Creation – his Free Mind
Has care and Love, until Himself hath grown
A part of All, and All a part of Him,
And his pure Life is one transcendent Hymn.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Bumptious Brother.

The Bumptious Brother. [No. 68]

They blunder’d badly who could introduce
Your Bumptious “Brother” to a Mason’s Lodge,
Whate’er his social station: honest Hodge,
Who tends his swine and cattle, far more use
And ornament had been. He never had 5
More preparation for Freemasonry
Than that the Tyler gave him; nor will he
Be aught but a mere Stumbling-block. How sad
To see such weak-brain’d but conceited thing—
Whose hear is wrapt in Selfishness—sit down 10
In a tyled Lodge, or standing up to frown
On better Brothers! It can only bring
Disgrace and trouble on the Craft, to have
In any Lodge either a Fool or Knave.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Cliques.

Cliques. [No. 69]

No Clique should we be able e’er to trace
In a Freemasons’ Lodge: there all should be
Kind, Just, and Candid—perfect Amity;
Each able an implicit Trust to place
In every Brother’s Honour. Are not we 5
Bound each to Aid each other and our Race?—
To seek in daily practice to embrace
Each Virtue that adorns Humanity?
Cliques spring from selfish thirst for Place and Power,
And are most Unmasonic: let them ne’er 10
Disturb the Harmony with which we cheer
The Pilgrimage of Life. Love is a dower
Too precious to be idly cast away;
And Justice, Truth, will Blessings bring for aye.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Promotion by Merit.

Promotion by Merit. [No. 70]

If Rank and Wealth gains precedence o’er Worth,
The thing is not Masonic. In the Lodge,
We all are Equal; and no worldly dodge
Should there upset the Level. Pride of Birth,
Purse-pride, or Pride of Power, if carried there, 5
Is out of place; and Flunkeyism ne’er
Should fill a Mason’s Breast. We need not fear
For the old Craft, if we will only dare
To live to its noble Precepts. Let us Trust
Them fully; for their practice will conduce 10
To truest Happiness, if we will use
Them as all Masons ought. Let us be Just
In choosing into Office the best Brother,
And foster Loving-kindness to each other.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Worshipful Masters.

Worshipful Masters. [No. 71]

It pains me deeply when I look upon
A weak-brain’d man presiding in the Chair,
To represent wise Solomon! Despair
Of Masonry in such a Lodge should learn
All to be careful whom they so elect: 5
Cool Head, well-train’d to Think, with Heart as warm,
Aye to the Master’s Working gives a charm
From Icy Hearts and Feeble Brains protect
The good old Craft!—such have no business there:
Reject them, e’en for Tylers. They disgrace 10
And lower the Craft, which from the human race
Should choose the wise and good: for none should wear
The simplest Badge of pure Masonry
Save those who are from Vice and Folly Free.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Tylers.

Tylers. [No. 72]

Though, at the Lodge, your station be Outside,
That all Intruders may be kept away,
Arm’d with well-temper’d Swords, with which you may
Guard all our Secret Meetings; could you but guide
None but the Good, where all Men should be Pure,— 5
Your Loins girt round with Truth; well skill’d to wield
The Sword o’ the Spirit; bearing Faith for Shield,
Salvation for your Helmet, Breastplate sure
Of Righteousness, with Feet well shod
With Peace; Oh, Tylers! Could you drive away 10
From Masonry, all who may come but they
Who are Prepared by Love for Man and God;
Angels and Men for you would have regard,
And i’ the Grand Lodge Above would be your sure reward.

by Geogre Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

National Prejudices, No. I.

National Prejudices, No. I. [No. 73]

Love well thy Native Land!—all that is Great
And Glorious in its History, make thine Own.
Aided by other Countries, it has grown
To what it Is: Unaided, none can mate
With Civilised Communities. We prate 5
Most foolishly when we set up to be
The ever People ever Wise and Free,
And dare to look on other Lands with Hate.
The Great, whate’er their Clime, belong to All:
Nations are Tribes of one Great Family: 10
Eons of Heat or Cold have made One be
Dark and the other Fair. I cannot call
That Man a true Freemason whose weak Soul
Has Sympathies mere Climate can control!

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

National Prejudices, No. II.

National Prejudices, No. II. [No. 74]

The Fatherhood of the Great Architect
And Universal Brotherhood of Man,
Are two great factors in the glorious plan
Of pure Freemasonry. Those who object
To teach and Practise these, should have no place 5
In a Freemasons’ Lodge. All Prejudice
Of Clime of Colour, is a foolish Vice
In true Freemasons’ eyes: the Human Race,
With them, being held a One Great Family.
The good of every Creed and Clime are One, 10
However they may differ. We must Learn
To Prize all Worth, wherever it may be;
And, whilst we cherish our own Country’s Good,
Hold God had made All Nations of One Blood.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Friendship, No. I.

Friendship, No. I. [No. 75]

Seek not for Friendship with the Vile of Earth,
Whose highest aspirations are to gain
Honours unearn’d and Wealth, whatever Pain
They give their Fellow-men: those who from Birth
Have Crawl’d, or Stalk’d, or Run, as best they could, 5
Along the Path of Life; pushing aside
More modest Merit, in their bloated Pride;
Worldly Success their God. But with the Good
Of every Creed and Clime—though they may not
See with the eyes in Statesmanship, but love 10
Fair Freedom here, and hope for Peace above,
In the Grand Lodge Eternal—cast thy lot.
The Friends we lose we may never recall:
Then let us Strive through Life to Keep them All.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Friendship, No. II.

Friendship, No. II. [No. 76]

Give the Friendship of the truly Good—
The Approbation of the Wise of Earth;
And then, however humble be my Birth
And Social Situation; and whether my Blood
Had coursed in veins of Peasants or of Peers; 5
My home may be a Cottage, and my Purse
And Raiment may be Poor; yet I will nurse
Bright Thoughts and Noble Feelings all my Years;
And, so that plainest Food and Health be mine,
For Rank and Wealth my Soul shall never fret: 10
Yea, I full fain would owe no other Debt
Than that of Gratitude to the Divine
Dispenser of all Good, and those choice Friends
With whom my Soul in Harmony now blends.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Friendship, No. III.

Friendship, No. III. [No. 77]

The wisest and the best of men have been
Too often Misunderstood. He who would gain
The gratitude of Men, must bear the pain
Of being most Unpopular, I ween,
With Owls of his own day. But he who makes 5
No Friends, however few, who love him well,
Has surely never learnt how he could quell
That Selfish Disposition which e’er takes
All Loveliness from Man. Deserve a Friend,
And when thou need’st him most, thou then wilt find 10
Some whom thou least expected act most kind
And trusty to thee. Learn thyself to bend
Lowly to every Suffering Thing on Earth,
And thou of Friends will never know a dearth.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Friendship, No. IV

Friendship, No. IV. [No. 78]

There are some Icy Hearts in which the germs
Of Friendship ne’er can grow. You know them long,
Yet never would prefer your lot among
Such Undeveloped Manhood; for the Forms
Of Men, but not the Souls, are theirs: no terms 5
Which they could offer, be they Rich or Poor,
Could bind our Hearts in Friendship for an Hour,
Much less for Life. Little above the Worms,
To which we all are journeying, are they.
The friends we lose by Death, we can’t recall, 10
E’en would we do so, to this earthly ball;
But yet around our path the golden ray
Of other Friendships may illumine the gloom,
And cheer us in our passage to the Tomb.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Friendship, No. V.

Friendship, No. V. [No. 79]

There is no Friendship ever known to man
More pure than that true Masonry imparts:
It is a perfect union of hearts,
Together bound with cords of love, which can
Bless each and all who own this heavenly dower. 5
The Good alone can feel this “Mystic Tie:”
And every Mason ought to seek to vie
Alone in Deeds of Goodness. In the hour
Of fell Adversity—though Clouds may lour
Above and all around him—he will find 10
Some Brother Mason who will seek to bind
Up all his wounds. There is a magic power
In Masonry to link in Friendship’s chain
Each man possess’d of noble heart and brain.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Gentleness.

Gentleness. [No. 80]

Never speak harshly when a kindly word
Will answer the same end. We little know
The potent power of Gentleness. No blow
Struck by Thor’s Hammer, (Thor, the mighty Lord
Our Scandinavian Ancestors adored,) 5
No vile abuse, no curses deep or loud,
No speech or act of men in evil mood,
Ever unto the heights of Manhood soar’d.
All Masons should be men of gentle mind,—
Brave as the lion, harmless as the dove— 10
Their hearts imbued with Justice, Mercy, Love;
And then through life they will be sure to find
The Gentleness is from all Weakness free,—
That it is Strength and Power through all eternity.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Time.

Time. [No. 81]

Hath e’er, in childhood, ridden in a cart,
And watch’d how trees and houses seem to fly
Past thee, as though thyself were stationary,
And they in rapid motion? Perhaps now thou art
In mind scarce more advanced. Days, years roll by, 5
We say, but fancy that we stand unmoved!
How little has our mental sight improved,
Although Life’s journey’s end may fast draw nigh!
Years are but links in an unending chain,
Time but a portion of Eternity! 10
Thy Temple build with true Freemasonry,
If thou admittance to that Lodge would gain
Where the Great Architect doth surely reign;
And those who build for aye are freed from every pain.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Silence.

Silence. [No. 82]

Silence is often as eloquent as Speech,
To souls which to its teaching are attuned,—
Minds of superfluous exuberance pruned,
And taught to see the True. For we must reach
Through all things which surround us, if we would 5
Be true Freemasons. Much hidden mystery
Must be unveil’d and traced, if we would see
The grandeur of God’s Universe. The Good
In Man and Nature must be understood;
Of the Great Architect of All can ne’er 10
Be spiritually worshipp’d in this sphere
Of mundane darkness; nor the Brotherhood
Of the now wide-spread family of Man
Be loved as part of our Good Father’s plan.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Departed Brothers, No. I.

Departed Brothers, No. I. [No. 83]

Oft by my cheerful hearth as I have sat,
Smoking the pipe of peace at eventide,
Divested of all prejudice and pride,
Giving my fancy reins to roam to what
So often gives me pleasure,—thoughts of those 5
Dear Friends whom I have met in social hours,
When soul to soul seem’d to assert their powers
To mingle into one,—there has arose
Kindly remembrances of friends I ne’er
Shall meet on earth again; and Masons then 10
Seem with me, who were always happy when
They met good Brother Masons. Very dear
To me is now their Memory. Will I
Be thus remember’d when I too shall die?

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Departed Brothers, No. II

Departed Brothers, No. II. [No. 84]

However we may fancy we despise
The estimation in which we are held
By others, are at times all compell’d
To yearn for Sympathy. The Mason wise
Seeks to endear himself unto the Good,— 5
Aiming at moral deeds of high enterprise;
Feeling that peace and highest honour lies
Alone in acts of virtue, he fain would
For Friends have all the Wisest and the Best:
And these are they who will his Memory cherish 10
When death has come. Then let the Body perish,
Returning to its parent, Earth, to rest
When this life’s trying work at last is done
So wisely-well that men must honour us when gone.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Departed Brothers, No. III.

Departed Brothers, No. III. [No. 85]

He, who would live in human hearts, when life
Has left his earthly tabernacle, must
Endear himself, by actions wise and just,
To all his fellow-creatures; parents, wife,
Children, and neighbours, all must feel that he 5
Was one who loved them. Love begetteth Love,
And Hate engenders Hate. The Grand Lodge Above
Would be no Heaven for him whom Masonry
Had been a farce or bauble to on Earth.
Cherish Masonic Principles when here, 10
And then, my Brother, thou need’st never fear,
Alike in moods of sadness or of mirth,
But Brother Masons will remember thee
With Love, and Honour, and Fidelity.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Departed Brothers, No. IV.

Departed Brothers, No. IV. [No. 86]

Even now, methinks, I see a genial Band
Of Brothers round me, long since pass’d away
From this sublunar globe; who seems to say:—
Brothers! be faithful to the Craft; both Hand
And Heart with pleasure ready to obey 5
Its high behests; and then thou safely may
Hope for Remembrance here, when Life’s brief Day
Has reach’d Low Twelve; and though wilt Serve for aye
Our Great Grand Master; and to whom Serve is now,
And was, and e’er will be, true Happiness 10
Be not ashamed to Practise and Profess
Our holy Precepts. Faithful to thy Vow,
For thee the Grave no Terrors need possess,—
Being but the gate that leads to realms of endless Bliss.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Masonic Jewelry, No. I.

Masonic Jewelry, No. I. [No. 87]

Wear on thy Finger no Masonic Ring,
Nor let the Emblems of Freemasonry
Flare on thy Breastpin, if they do not bring
Thy Duties as a Mason home to thee,
And aid thee in their practice. Let them be 5
For Use as well as Ornament; or fling
Them from thee as mere gauds, which we
As Masons should despise. True Poets sing
“A good time coming,” ever brightening
The darkness of the Present with the hope 10
That, in the Future, Man will nobly cope
With all the Evils which in our days wring
The heart with anguish! and the “Mystic Tie”
Ever has help’d to bless humanity.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Masonic Jewelry, No. II

Masonic Jewelry, No. II. [No. 88]

If now thy motives bear the All-Seeing Eye
To scrutinise them; though thy weakness may
Cause thee regret at close of many a day
That little seems accomplish’d, and to sigh
For golden opportunities to prove 5
That Masonry with thee is no mere toy,
Or idler’s luxury, but giveth joy
Unspeakable, because ’tis Truth and Love,—
Reverence for God, in whom we place our Trust,
And Love abounded for our Fellow-man, 10
To benefit whom is our noble plan,
By actions ever brave and wise and just;—
If in thy Heart thou a Freemason be,—
Then only may’st thou wear Masonic Jewelry!

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Masonic Press, No. I

The Masonic Press, No. I. [No. 89]

Give, my good Brothers, all the aid you can
To the Masonic Press. It is an age
Of Free Inquiry; and we must engage
In nought we can’t Defend. There is no Ban
By Popish hate e’er put on our dear Craft 5
Can injure us, if we are only true
To our own Precepts. We have men enow,
Wise and courageous, who have ever laugh’d
All curses unto scorn: full able they
To Answer all the Churches’ Calumnies: 10
They see the naked Truth with undimm’d Eyes;
Their Pens are ever ready for the fray,
Knowing their Cause is Right, they’re not afraid,
But only ask the reading Mason’s aid.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Masonic Press, No. II.

The Masonic Press, No. II. [No. 90]

There is a class of Owlets in our ranks
Whose feeble eyes bear not the light of day.
Bear with them, till we bury them; but they
Should ne’er have been admitted; and no thanks
The Literary Mason need expect 5
From such as these. We must in future have
Men who are Wise and Good and Brave:
Such, and such only, must we now Accept.
Our History needs re-writing; we must prove
All things, and keep most firmly to the Truth 10
Our Craft is not decrepit; in its youth
It ne’er was stronger. Friendship, Truth, and Love
Of all that’s Lovely, still to teach are ours;
And these for aye will task the Mason’s manliest powers.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

The Masonic Press, No. III.

The Masonic Press, No. III. [No. 91]

There yet are Lodges where no Magazine
Or good Masonic Book, to teach Mankind
What Was, and Is, and Might Be, you can find.
Among such Brothers, never can be seen
The genuine working of Freemasonry. 5
They stumble on through some Masonic Rite,
Shorn of its Beauty; and their chief delight
Seems in the Banquet. Wisdom, Charity,
All that ennobles Man, they only deem
Are things to prate of, not to make their own. 10
The seeds of Masonry have there been sown
On barren ground: their Life is but a Dream.
There needs the Light of the Masonic Press
Such cells of Darkness to Illume and Bless.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Lodge Libraries, No. I.

Lodge Libraries, No. I. [No. 92]

I would that every Masons’ Lodge should have
A Library of good Masonic Lore.
The Arts and Sciences we should explore,
And all that’s calculated Man to save
From Ignorance and Vice. Mere Sign and Word 5
Were never Masonry: they help to guard
The Craft from Cowans; but the great reward
Is his who fights with Masonry’s keen sword
To slaughter Error. Men have labour’d hard,
Age after age, to chronicle each Thought 10
They felt was worthy; and all Masons ought
To cherish and to spread them, and to guard
Them from destruction. Thus a choice Library,
By all good Masons, ever must well-treasured be.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Lodge Libraries, No. II.

Lodge Libraries, No. II. [No. 93]

Time was, when Books were scarce and Readers few,
(Learning being chiefly then to Priest confined.)
The Builders who in Lodges had combined
To study Masonry, only could pursue
Their courses by Oral Teaching: we must still 5
Reserve it for each Secret Word or Sign
Ne’er to be Written. Let not the benign
Spirit of Masonry be known so ill
For any to imagine Masons can
Care naught for Literature, however good; 10
Or Scientific Teaching is not food
Fit for our Mental Palates. Whate’er for Man
When cultured is most excellent, that we
Must cherish most in pure Freemasonry.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Lodge Libraries, No. III.

Lodge Libraries, No. III. [No. 94]

The Psalmist David ruled o’er Israel’s land,
And Homer had not sung the siege of Troy,
When Osymandias nobly did employ
His royal leisure in a work as grand
As any who e’er occupied the throne 5
Of Ancient Egypt, when in Memphis he
Wisely establish’d the first Library
Which we now wot of. That was the dawn
Of Mental Light for Man: and shall not we—
When twice ten thousand Tinkers have since then 10
Bequeath’d their Writings to their Fellow-men—
Treasure Wise Teachings?—we, who claim to be
Children of Light! Good Books are ever True
To all who keep their proper Use in view.

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Bro. Robert Burns, No. I.

Bro. Robert Burns, No. I. [No. 95]

BURNS! Few there be who know how much they owed
To the fine Teachings of Freemasonry!
Our ancient Craft did much to wake in thee
That love of Manhood which thou taught the Crowd
In Songs which now are sung in every Land. 5
It taught thee the wide Brotherhood of Man,
Whate’er his Creed or Clime; from it began
That feeling in thee which will ever stand
As one grand feature of thy noble Soul—
That Rank and Wealth are playthings of the hour, 10
Unless for good their owners use their power;
And if at times thou in “the Flowing Bowl”
Sought surcease of thy Sorrows,—even then
Thou often soar’d full high above thy Fellow-men!

by George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Bro. Robert Burns, No. II.

Bro. Robert Burns, No. II. [No. 96]

There are dark spots e’en on “the god of day.”
The strongest souls from weakness are not free;
And BURNS was truly great and good, though he
Had human failings. Which of us can say
That we are purer than our gifted Brother? 5
His faults may not be our faults; yet have we
Arrived at that true Manhood all may see
Shine through his Life and Hymnings? Some other
Failings may sink us lower than the great Bard
Whom meaner souls traduce. Freemasonry 10
Glows brighter through his noble Poësy,—
Hence all the Craft should be the first to guard
His ever-famous Name from the mean Lies
Of Slanderers who all wise men despise.

By George Markham Tweddell 1st published c 1887

Bro. President Garfield.

Bro. President Garfield. [No. 97]

Brother! Thou fell by base Assassin’s hand,—
Like that illustrious Mason long ago,
Whose cherish’d name the Craft for e’er will show
As on whose Life and Death alike was grand;
A fine example of Fidelity. 5
Thy spotless Life and thy most cruel Death
Merit alike Laurel and Cypress Wreath.
Well the true Master Mason knows to Die,
After a well-spent Life, is but to lie
Aside the mortal Casket which enshrined 10
On Earth, for a brief time, the immortal Mind,
Whose Home is the Grand Lodge Above; to try
Our pinions well for which, whilst here on Earth,
Is preparation meet for the Eternal Birth.

by George Markham Tweddell (1st published c 1887)

Bro. George Marwood, P.D.G.M., N. & E.York.

Bro. George Marwood, P.D.G.M., N. & E.York. [No. 98]

A good Man and true Mason in peace,—
One our fine Ritual who could render well;
And Brother Masons for long years will tell
Of his good Working; and will never cease
To tell how, in all his dealings with mankind, 5
Masonic maxims were by him revered;
And now his princely Bounty often cheer’d
His suffering Fellow-creatures. We find
Too few such sterling Masons. We must learn
To follow his example, far as we 10
Have means to use substantial Charity;
And when they fail, our Hearts can always burn,
Like his, with the pure fire of Masonry,
And be from Selfishness entirely Free.

By George Markham Tweddell (1st Published c 1887)

Bro. H.R.H. Prince Leopold.

Bro. H.R.H. Prince Leopold. [No. 99]

Mourn for our Brother, Leopold, for he
Was a true Man and Mason; a true Prince
In Intellect and Morals: never since
His gifted Father, could we ever see
A Prince more truly worthy of the name. 5
For he had love for all that raises Man
To Manhood; all that elevates, and can
Refine out Nature: and the trump of Fame
Will loudly o’er the World his Worth proclaim,
Though he, for us, hath all too early Died; 10
For he in nought to meanness was allied,
But loved his Fellow Men; so that his Name
Was ever link’d with all that’s Pure and Good—
A Prince in Thought and Act, not merely one in Blood.

By George Markham Tweddell (1st published c 1887)

Bro. General Garibaldi.

Bro. General Garibaldi. [No. 100]

A Hero of the highest type was he!
No Mason ever loved his Country more;
And Doomsday will appear to men before
Again thy see his equal. Liberty
Ne’er had a purer, bolder, wiser Son: 5
No greed of Gold, or Power, or Rank, had he,
But urgent wish to serve Humanity,—
And love from every Patriot he has won.
Hated alone by those who wish’d to enslave
The Minds and Bodies of their Fellow Men, 10
Our Brother’s Name will, to the future Pen
Of Poet or Historian, be brave
And spotless one: and they will him proclaim
As worthy o’er the World of Everlasting Fame!

George Markham Tweddell (first published c 1887)

Additional Masonic Poems by George Markham Tweddell

Sonnet: To Bro. Henry Sadler, P.M

by George Markham Tweddell

From http://njfreemason.net/dev/content/sonnet-researcher

"Sonnet for a Researcher
After collecting and publishing the collected poems of George Markham Tweddell, including those from his 1887 book - One Hundred Masonic Poems, Paul Tweddell, then in contact with the Centre for Research into Freemasonry at Sheffield University, added this poem to the collection in which GM Tweddell celebrates the book "Masonic Facts and Fictions" by Henry Sadler

"Rebecca Coombes, the Librarian of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry, recently drew our attention to the following sonnet, by George Markham Tweddell, author of A Hundred Masonic Sonnets, published in The Freemason, 21 January 1888, on the occasion of the publication of Masonic Facts and Fictions by Henry Sadler, the first Librarian and Curator of United Grand Lodge. If the work of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry is also celebrated in verse, its success will be assured."

Sonnet: To Bro. Henry Sadler, P.M., &c., on reading his valuable volume on "Masonic Facts and Fictions", just published.

Souls of the "Ancient Masons" who did keep
The Good Old Craft in England far more pure
Than "Moderns" would have made it, I am sure,
E'en now, in bliss, with gratitude must leap
To see a worthy Brother rise to sweep
The cobwebs of delusion from the page.
Where they have hung, dirt-catching, black with age;
For thy researches have been carried deep
Into such records as do now remain.
Thanks, Bro. SADLER, hearty thanks to thee,
For thy wise labours in Freemasonry;
Thou now hast made what erst was dark most plain.
"Masonic Facts and Fictions" well have shown
How seeds which germinated were by "Ancient Masons" sown.

The sonnet was reprinted in a flyer advertising Masonic Facts and Fictions 'just published, 250 pages, price seven shillings and sixpence', produced by the book's publisher, George Kenning. The flyer goes on to give an example of a further press notice of Sadler's volume in Funny Folks, January 21st, 1888:

................................

The Craft and symbolism of  Freemasonry is not far away in GM Tweddell's other poetical works - but on this site we've just included those from his One Hundred Masonic Poems and a few here where the subject matter whole relates to the craft of Freemasonry or Oddfellowship. The rest can be found by looking through the pdf files of his collected poems on Tweddell Hub - here - http://georgemarkhamtweddell.blogspot.co.uk/

..................................................

This is an early poem from the 1840's written after George Markham Tweddell joined the Cleveland Lodge in Stokesley.

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

How deeply doth my soul abhor the guile

Of those, who, hating “Friendship, Love, and Truth,”

The motto that our Order doth espouse,

And lacking Charity in their hearts’ core:

Hearts where no virtues enter; hearts which are 5

A cess-pool for the blackest vice and crime;

Who, being shamed to witness our good deeds,

And think that they in them have borne no part,

Would make the world believe that we are men

Bound in some hellish combination strong 10

To interrupt the peace of social life,

Create fresh ills to curse our fellow-man,

Or add to those which they now keenly feel,

And which beneath they groan with grief and pain.

To view distress can never give us joy. 15

Who can rejoice in a Brother’s pain?

The souls of those must be, indeed, most base,

Or blinded by a more than double mist

Of darkest ignorance, who represent

The pillar of Oddfellowship to have 20

Ought for its base but pure Benevolence;

It’s column being Purity’s good stone,

Bound with the cement of enduring Truth,

On which stands, dealing blessings all around,

The spotless goddess, heavenly Charity 25

A pedestal like this, who can upset?

A cause like this who can overthrow?

Though skulking Slander, like a snake I’ the grass,

May strive to poison with his venomous sting;

11

Though hollow-hearted hypocrites may cant, 30

And, dog like, snarl and bark, against our deeds;

Though Mammon’s sons from us may stand aloof,

And those who worship Wealth refuse their aid,

Shall we, like cowards, stand aghast, deter’d

From ministering unto the sick man’s wants, 35

Striving his failing health for to recruit,

Or smooth his pillow in his dying hour?

Shall we allow the orphan’s heart to break,

Nor strive to pour in Consolation’s oil?

Shall we neglect to dry the widow’s tear, 40

Because, forsooth! Our conduct may offend

Those who delight to look on human woe,

Exulting o’er man’s misery and pain?

To me their petty persecutions seem

Encouragement more onward to advance, 45

Dispensing blessings to the sick and those

Who fain would toil, but cannot get employ.

What has our Order’s enemies e’er done

To cure the sores which we now strive to heal?

When laying on the rugged way of life, 50

Oppress’d with pain, and starving fast with want,

Some fellow-man hath cried to them for aid,

Have they not look’d upon him with contempt;

And like the Priest and Levite pass’d him by,

Without so much as list’ning to his cries? 55

Nay, like a peacock with expanded tail,

Have strutted past, with looks which more than said:

“What means this wretch, whose cries for aid annoy

“My ear which ne’er would listen to the tale

“That suff’ring creatures would not me intrude? 60

“Where’er I walk my eye is sure to meet

“Some needy suppliants, who e’er assail

“My ears with some of their unwelcome ‘plaints.

“I hate to see them, or to hear their cries.

“I have enough, and what need I to care 65

“How others famish, so no want I know.

“Why does ‘the powers that be’ not them remove

“To foreign lands, far, far beyond the sea,

“Where they might join their howl unto the wolves,

“Shriek with the vulture, or concert roar 70

“With lions, tigers, and with Norway’s bear?”

These are the men, and such as those, who howl

With wide expanded jaws, like crocodiles

12

Gaping for their prey. These the villains are

Who disguise their deeds infernal in the 75

Holy garb of sweet Religion. These are

They, who when the great, the holy cause of

Suffering humanity demands their aid,

Can coolly sit them down with folded arms,

Survey the wreck of thousands of their kind, 80

Without one effort to ward off their doom.

Villains! wretches these, until to number

In the list of men. But why waste word on

Such a worthless crew? ‘Midst all their slander,

And ‘midst all their jeers, our goodly barque 85

Does onward course her way: her sails are spread;

Her azure flag, unfurl’d, waves with graceful

Men courageous, fit for dread Danger’s hour,

Whom all the foul attacks of wicked men

Can ne’er prevent from finishing their voyage. 90

The rocks of danger may she safely pass

And reach the haven of her hope at last.

Cleveland Lodge ‘One of the Order’

[No. 10, 01.08.1843, p. 78]

.......................................


Freemasonry.

Thou asks me why I love Freemasonry,
And I will try to simply answer thee.
It is because, when Properly understood,
It trains its notaries in all things good;
Now differing in opinions most wide 5
Can take their place as Masons side by side,
Workers together for humanity,
Quite free to worship where and as they will,
In their own modes their duties to fulfil.
To the Most High; then duties to the State 10
Through any party; but indulge no hate
To Another who may not agree
With them in politics, theology,
Or on the many subjects which one finds
Prove that ‘mongst many men are many minds. 15
Freedom of thought is every Mason’s claim,
And he allows to every man the same;[1]
No matter what the colour of his skin,
So that a true soul he contain’d within;
No matter in what nation he was bred, 20
So that he has warm heart and clean head,
To comprehend and love the truths we teach,
As well by actions as by books and speech,
And from the wise by deeds of worthy sort
Has earn’d the constant “Tongue of Good Report,” 25
And is one giving promise e’er to be
A lover of our genuine Masonry.
’T is ours no longer to be call’d to raise
Temples of stone to our Creator’s praise;
But our own hearts should be order’d so well, 30
That He in them may ever please to dwell.
Fair either Temple on Moriah’s mount,
Turning e’en superstition to account;
For better far that beeves and sheep should bleed,
Than human victims stain a cruel creed. 35

George Markham Tweddell
[From his notebook Rhymes in M/S, pp. 43-44]
[[1] The text here offers “all mankind” as an alternative
to “every man”.]