INSTALLATION ODE.
[Tune, Rule Columbia.]
WHEN Earth's foundations first were laid,
By the Almighty Artist's hand,
"Twas then our perfect, our perfect laws were made,
Establish'd by his strict command,
Hail, mysterious, hail, glorious Masonry;
Which makes us ever great and free.
As man throughout for shelter sought,
In vain from place to place did roam,
Until from Heav'n from Heav'n he was taught
To plan, to build, to fix his home.
Hail, mysterious, &c.
Hence, illustrious, rose our art:
And now in beauteous piles appear,
Which shall to endless, to endless time impart
How worthy and how great we are.
Hail, mysterious, &c.
Nor are we less fam'd for ev'ry tie
By which the human thought is bound,
Love, truth, and friendship, and friendship socially,
Join all our hearts and hands around.
Hail mysterious, &c.
Our actions still by virtue blest,
And to our precepts ever true,
The world admiring, admiring shall request,
To learn, and our bright paths pursue.
Hail mysterious, &c.
Sung in closing a Lodge of Mark Master Masqus.
Mark Masters all appear,
Before the chief O'erseer,
In concert move;
Let him your work inspect
For the chief Architect;
If there is no defect,
He will approve.
Those who have pass'd the square
For your rewards prepare,
Join heart and hand,
Each with his mark in view,
March with the just and true,
Wages to you are due,
At your command.
Hiram, the widow's son,
Sent unto Solomon,
Our great key-stone;
On it appears the name,
Which raises high the fame,
Of all to whom the same
Is truly known.
Now to the westward move,
Where full of strength and love,
Hiram doth stand;
But if imposters are
Mix'd with the worthy there,
Caution them to beware
Of the right hand.
Now to the praise of those,
Who triumph o'er the foes,
Of Mason's art;
To the praise-worthy three,
Who founded this degree,
May all their virtues be
Deep in our hearts.
MOST EXCELLENT MASTER'S ODE.
To be Sung at the conferring of that degree.
All hail! to the morning
That bids us rejoice;
The temple's completed,
Exalt high each voice;
The cape stone is finish'd,
Our labour is o'er ;
The sound of the Gavel
Shall hail us no more.
To the power of Almighty, who ever has guided
The tribes of old Israel, exalting their fame;
To him who hath governed our hearts undivided,
Let's send forth our voices to praise his great name.
Companions, assemble
On this joyful day,
Th' occasion is glorious,
The key stone to lay;
Fulfil'd is the promise
By the ancient of days,
To bring forth the cape stone
With shouting and praise.
There's no more occasion for level or plumb line,
For trowel or gavel-for compass or square;
Our works are completed, the ark's safely seated,
And we shall be greeted as workmen most rare.
Now those that are worthy,
Our toils who have shar'd,
And prov'd themselves faithful,
Shall meet their reward.
Their virtue and knowledge,
Industry and skill,
Have our approbation,
Have gain'd our good will.
We accept and receive them, most excellent masters,
Invested with honour and power to preside
Amongst worthy craftsmen wherever assembled,
The knowledge of masons to spread far and wide.
ALMIGHTY JEHOVAH,
Descend now and fill
This lodge with thy glory,
Our hearts with good will;
Preside at our meetings,
Assist us to find
True pleasure in teaching
Good will to mankind.
Thy wisdom inspir'd the great institution,
Thy strength shall support it till nature expire;
And when the creation shall fall into ruin,
Its beauty will rise through the midst of the fire.
Almighty Sire! our heavenly king,
Before whose sacred tame we bend,
Accept the praises which we sing,
And to our humble prayers attend!
All hail great architect divine!
This universal frame is thine.
Thou who didst Persia's king command,
A Proclamation to extend ;
That Israel's sons might quit their land,
Their holy temple to attend.
That sacred place where three in one,
Compris'd thy comprehensive name;
And where the bright meridian sun,
Was seen thy glory to proclaim.
Thy watchful eye, a length of time,
The wond'rous circle did attend:
The glory and the power be thine,
Which shall from age to age descend.
On thy Omnipotence we rest,
Secure of thy protection here;
And hope hereafter to be blest,
When we have left this world of care.
Grant us, great God, thy powerful aid
To guide us through this vale of tears;
For where thy goodness is display'd,
Peace soothes the mind and pleasure cheers
Inspire us with thy grace divine,
Thy sacred law our guide shall be;
To every good our heart incline,
From every evil keep us free.
In hist❜ry we're told how the lodges of old,
Arose in the east and shone forth like the sun;
But all must agree, that divine Masonry
Commenc'd when the glorious creation begun ;
With glory divine, oh long may'st thou shine,
Thou choicest of blessings derived from above!
Then charge bumpers high, and with shouts rend the sky
To Masonry, Friendship and Brotherly love.
Judea's great king, whose vast praises we sing;
With wisdom contriv'd while the temple he plann'd;
The mysterious art then took place in each heart,
And Hiram and Solomon went hand in hand :
While each royal name was recorded in fame,
Their works earth and heaven did jointly approve ;
Then charge bumpers high, and with shouts rend the sky
To Masonry, Friendship, and Brotherly love.
Then Masons were true, and the craft daily grew;
They liv'd within compass, and work'd by the square
In friendship they dwelt, no ambition they felt;
Their deeds were upright and their consciences clear:
On this noble plan Free-masons began ;
To help one another they mutually strove;
Then charge bumpers high, and with shouts rend the sky
To Masonry, Friendship, and Brotherly love.
These maxims pursue and your passions subdue,
And imitate those worthy masons of yore;
Fix a lodge in each breast, be fair Virtue your guest,
Let wisdom preside and let truth tile the door;
So shall we arise to an immortal prize,
In that blissful lodge which no time can remove;
Then charge bumpers high, and with shouts rend the sky
To Masonry, Friendship, and Brotherly love.
KNIGHT TEMPLAR'S ODE.
To the Knight Templar's awful dome,
Where glorious Knights in arms were drest,
Fill'd with surpise, I slowly came,
With solemn jewels on my breast.
A pilgrim to this house I came,
With sandal, scarf and scrip so white,
Through rugged paths my feet were led,
All this I bore to be a Knight.
With feeble arm I gently smote,
At the Knight Templar's mercy gate,
What I beheld when it was ope'd
Was splendid, elegant and great.
Twelve dazzling lights I quickly saw,
All chosen for the cross to fight;
In one of them I found a flaw,
And speedily put out that light.
In regimentals did I dress,
Trim'd with colours black and blue,
A blazing star on the left breast,
Denotes a heart that's always true.
Let none the Templar's name deny,
As Peter did the past forsake,
Your conduct still preserve from blame,
And keep your heads free from the stake.
Unite your hearts and join your hands,
In ev'ry solemn tie of love,
Uaited shall each Templar stand,
The virtue of his cause to prove.
Until the world is lost in fire,
By order of the Trinity,
Th' amazing world will admire
Our steadfast love and unity.
THE ENTERED 'PRENTICE'S SONG.
COME let us prepare,
We Brothers that are
Assembled on merry occasion;
Let's be happy and sing,
For life is a spring,
To a Free and an Accepted Mason.
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