Sonnet: To Bro. Henry Sadler, P.M
by George Markham Tweddell
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:
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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/
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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]
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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”.]
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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”.]
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