Illustrations of Masonry
by
William
Preston
Songs
Song 1
{tune, Attic Fire.]
Arise, and blow thy trumpet,
Fame!
Free-masonry aloud proclaim,
To realms and worlds unknown:
Tell them 'twas this, great
David's son
The wise, the matchless Solomon,
Pris'd far above his throne.
The solemn temple's cloud-capt
towers,
The aspiring domes are works of
ours
By us those piles were raisd,.
Then bid mankind with songs
advance,
And through the ethereal vast
expanse,
Let masonry be praised
We help the poor in time of
need,
The naked clothe, the hungry
feed.
'Tis our foundation stone;
We build upon the noblest plan
For friendship rivets man to
man.
And makes us all as one.
Still louder, Fame! they trumpet
blow;
Let all the different regions
know
Free-masonry is this;
Almighty Wisdom gave it birth,
And Heaven has fixed it here on
earth
A type of future bliss
Song II
[tune, He comes &c]
Unite, unite, your voices raise,
Loud, loudly sing Free-masons'
praise;
Spread far and wide their
spotless fame,
And glory in the sacred name.
Behold, behold, the upright
band,
In Virtue's paths go hand in
hand;
They shun each ill, they do no
wrong,
Strict honour does to them
belong.
How just, how just are all their
ways,
Superior far to mortal praise!
Their worth, description far
exceeds,
For matchless are Free-mason's
deeds.
Go on, go on, ye just and true,
Still, still the same bright
paths pursue;
The admiring world shall on ye
gaze,
And Friendship's altar ever
blaze.
Begone, begone, fly discord
hence!
With party rage, and insolence!
Sweet Peace shall bless this
happy band.
And Freedom smile throughout the
land.
Song III
[Tune, Rule Britannia]
When earth's foundation first
was laid,
By the almighty Artist's hand,
'Twas then our perfect, our
perfect laws were made;
Established by his strict
command.
CHORUS
Hail, mysterious; Hail, glorious
Masonry
That makes us ever great and
free.
In vainm mankind for shelter
sought,
In vain from place to place did
roam,
Until from heaven, from heaven
he was taught
To plan, to build, to fix his
home.
Illustrious hence we date our
Art,
Which now is beauteous piles
appear;
And shall to endless, to endless
time impart,
How worthy and how great we are.
Nor we less famed for every tie
By which the human thought is
bound;
Love, truth, and friendship, and
friendship socially,
Unite our hearts and hands
around.
Our actions still be virtue
bless,
And to our precepts every true;
The world admiring, admiring
shall request.
To learn, and our bright paths
pursue.
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