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