|
songs
illustrations of masonry
william preston
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.
back to top | 
