THE BUILDER MAY 1919

THE COLUMN OF BEAUTY
BY BRO. EDWARD B. PAUL, P.G.M., BRITISH COLUMBIA

It is not often that the Beauty of Holiness and the Holiness of
Beauty is described in language so true and so appropriate as in
the following article, written by a Past Grand Master of British
Columbia. The lessons which he draws from one emblem in the lodge
room will surely inspire other brethren to look for other meanings,
equally wide-reaching and profound in every symbol and emblem of
our Craft. THE BUILDER believes that each and every article of
furniture in the lodge each and every word and act of the ritual
has a meaning and lesson of its own, always beautiful and always
practicable; for this reason it urges upon all Masons to make a
more thorough study of our symbols.

IN the Charge to the Brethren, usually delivered after the ceremony
of the Installation of Officers, the lessons of Freemasonry are
described as being "chiefly veiled in Allegory and illustrated by
Symbols." Here the word "chiefly" is not used without intention. It
seems to indicate that Allegory and Symbolism are the principal
vehicles for the conveyance to the Initiated of the most important
Masonic truths truths which it is the duty of every Freemason to
try to discover and understand.

It must be granted that many symbols are explained in the course of
our ceremonies; but the explanations of some of them are
necessarily incomplete, and others receive merely passing mention.
A great deal is left to the assiduous study of each individual
Freemason, who is responsible, in proportion to his ability, for
the elucidation of whatever seems to him lark and doubtful. He
ought, therefore, to study carefully every act in our ceremonies,
and every symbol in our lodge room, for the purpose not only of
"improving himself in Masonry," but also of adding, as far as in
aim lies, to our general store of knowledge. It is probable that he
may, thus, be able to take a step nearer to the Truth, and guide
his brethren forward, it may be only a short distance, on the right
path. But even, should he himself err, it is more than probable
that his mere attempt would, by indicating some new line of
thought, be a suggestion to his more able brethren, who, avoiding
his errors, might reach the goal which he had missed.

The subject of my article is one of the symbols which are
conspicuous in our lodge room, and which, without audible speech,
but, nevertheless, with silent eloquence, proclaim lessons of the
highest importance o the Craft. I refer to the Column of Beauty.

As is only natural in a society whose profession is Masonry, most
of its symbols are taken from the Science and Art of Architecture.
Prominent among these are the three columns of Wisdom, Strength and
Beauty, placed respectively in the East, West and South, reminding
us that there are three requisites for the erection of any great or
important edifice: 1, It must be wisely planned; 2, it must be
strongly built; 3, it must be pleasing to the eye.

John Ruskin, in the "Stones of Venice," asks, What are the possible
Virtues of Architecture?" and answers his own question in the
following words:

"In the main we require from buildings, as from men, two kinds of
goodness: first, the doing their practical duty well; then, that
they be graceful and pleasing in doing it, which last is another
form of duty."

In another place he says: "We require of any building 

(1) That it act well, and do the things it was intended to do, in
the best way;

(2) That it speak well, and say the things it was intended to say,
in the best words;

(3) That it look well, and please us by its presence, whatever it
has to do or say."

It is that latter point which, applied to the moral structure we
are called on to erect, is one of the duties laid down for us in
the clearest way by Freemasonry, to which I now ask your attention.

And I would, here, in parenthesis, emphasize the fact that it is
not for us to choose which of the lessons of Freemasonry we are to
learn, picking out some of them as important, or, as is often said,
"practical," and passing over others as trivial and unworthy of
consideration. Believe me, brethren, there are many lessons taught
by our beloved Craft which are vital to our characters as
Freemasons, and which we can neglect only at the risk of building
up one side of our natures at the expense of another.

The G. A. O. T. U. has laid his plans on the Trestle Board for the
guidance of mankind. Those plans are of a two-fold nature:

(1) Those relating to the material or physical phenomena by which
we are surrounded, and which, in comparison with the grandest
efforts of human architects in any age are as the contrast between
perfection and mediocrity, between the infinite and the finite, and

(2) Those relating to the moral conduct of mankind which we find in
T. V. O. T. S. L.

But The Most High, while laying down general rules for our
guidance, has, in His wisdom decreed that each individual shall
construct his own spiritual edifice. In his hand are placed the
pencil, skirret and compasses, wherewith to draw his own plans.
Happy is he who has Wisdom to plan his life and to build up his
character in Strength and Beauty so as to merit the approbation of
his Divine Master!

A wisely conceived plan must recognize the architectural virtues
referred to above. Man "must do his practical duty well, and he
must be graceful and pleasing in doing it." He must, therefore,
contemplate the columns of Strength and Beauty before he can
determine the nature of the spiritual building he ought to erect.

First, and briefly, the fabric must be strongly supported by
Morality and Virtue. As, in Architecture, an edifice must, above
all, be built of sufficient strength to resist all possible stress,
so, in "Moral Geometry," a Mason's character must be of sufficient
strength to withstand temptation, however powerful. It must be
"steadfast, unmovable."

But Masonry requires of us more than strength. It also demands
beauty. Beauty is defined in the Century Dictionary as "that
quality of an object by virtue of which the contemplation of it
directly excites pleasurable emotions. The word denotes primarily
that which pleases the eye or ear, but it is applied also to that
quality in any object of thought which awakens admiration or
approval; as, intellectual beauty, moral beauty, and so on."

But it is impossible, in a short definition to convey an adequate
idea of the Theory of Beauty; and it would be beyond the scope of
this lecture, even if it were desirable, to discuss that theory at
length. Let us, in stead, at once proceed to ascertain, if we can,
the practical teachings of the Column of Beauty.

One of the first lessons we have to learn is to appreciate the
great work of Creation. Do we ever properly estimate the wealth of
beauty the G.A.O.T.U. has lavished on the world around us? Or have
we not become so accustomed to it that we are insensible or only
partially alive to the countless beauties of form and colour which
God has spread before our eyes, and the exquisite harmonies of
sound with which He regales our ears. Think what the world would be
like without those blessings the colours of the flowers, the
perfect forms of leaves and stems, the songs of birds, the laughter
of children! In humble gratitude, therefore, let us cultivate those
faculties which enable us to value the glorious architecture of the
Most High, lest it may be said of us that we have "eyes, but see
not; ears, but hear not; and hearts without understanding." Carlyle
has said: "Man always worships something; always he sees the
Infinite shadowed forth in something finite; and indeed can and
must so see it in any finite thing, once tempt him well to fix his
eyes thereon." The contemplation of the wondrous works of Creation,
therefore, lifts up the mind of the observer from the Earth, which
is God's footstool, to humble adoration of the Great Creator, whose
infinite Wisdom and Goodness are proclaimed by every object He has
made.

"How often from the steep 
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or responsive each to other's note,
Singing their great Creator."


The beauties of Nature have a refining effect on the minds and
characters of men. There is much truth in the saying of a wise man
of Ancient Greece that "Men's spirits are susceptible to certain
influences, diffused like streams or currents by fair things or
persons visibly present green fields or children's faces, for
instance into the air around them, and which, with  certain
natures, are like potent material essences, conforming the seer to
themselves, as by some cunning physical necessity." In other words,
the mind of a man, who is surrounded by beautiful objects, if he be
in a proper frame of mind, will imbibe their beauty, and become, in
its turn, beautiful.

The masterpiece and crowning glory of Creation, distinguished from
all other objects, animate or inanimate, by its perfect adaptation
as an instrument used by the most perfect finite intelligence for
the government of the world, is the Human Body. There is a passage
in Carlyle's "Lectures on Heroes" in which this thought is brought
out with such exquisite beauty that I cannot refrain from quoting
it, although only part of it is pertinent to the subject
immediately under discussion:

"But now if all things that we look upon are emblems to us of the
Highest God, I add that more so than any of them is man such an
emblem. You have heard of St. Chrysostom's celebrated; saying in
reference to the Shekinah or Ark of Testimony, visible revelation
of God among the Hebrews: 'The true Shekinah is Man!' Yes it is
even so; this is no vain phrase; it is veritably so. The essence of
our being, the mystery in us that calls itself 'I,' - ah, what
words have we for such things? - is a breath of Heaven; the Highest
Being of ours is it not all a vesture for that Unnamed? 'There is
but one Temple in the Universe,' says the devout Novalis, 'and that
is the Body of Man. Nothing is holier than that high form. Bending
before men is a reverence done to this Revelation in the Flesh. We
touch Heaven when we lay our hands on a human body!"

Worshippers of every nation, in all times, have devoted their
wealth and skill in order to make their temples and churches
beautiful, and worthy of the Deity in whose honour they are
erected. Do not the inspired architecture and inimitable
workmanship of the stately cathedrals of Europe the work of our
ancient brethren bear eloquent testimony to the reverence
underlying the erection of those glorious temples erected to the
Most High? The devout cannot conceive of any edifice too rich or
too beautiful for the services of their God- Any neglect or
mutilation of their churches has always been regarded as sacrilege.

If such reverence is bestowed on inanimate creations of man's
intellect, it seems strange to think that the "one Temple in the
Universe" is so frequently neglected and abused. Is it because the
true meaning of the Body of Man is not understood? No doubt that
is the explanation. The Chrysostoms, Novalis and Carlyles of this
world are few, and spiritual insight such as they had is rare. But
we cannot fail to be impressed with their utterances, especially
seeing that they give us a loftier idea of man, and show us his
relationship to the Divine. Assuming the actual truth of the
statement of Novalis that there is "nothing holier than that high
form," are we not moved to regard our bodies in a new light? Should
they not be the objects of our diligent care? Must not every act of
omission or commission that tends to mar their beauty be avoided?
Exercise and cleanliness now become solemn duties, while
intemperance and excess should be shunned as desecration of the
"emblems of the Highest God."

Lastly, the Column of Beauty suggests beauty of character. It is
not enough that a man act morally and virtuously. He ought to do
every duty in the most graceful and pleasing manner possible. The
ancient Greeks and the Romans used the same words for expressing
"manners" and "morals." And that there is a close affinity between
them cannot be doubted, if we grant that the best manners are those
which come straight from a man's heart, in his endeavour to please
his fellow men or save them from pain; to communicate to them
whatever joy or happiness he may possess; and, in his own sorrow,
to abstain from adding even by a passing sigh to the great total of
the world's unhappiness. How many an act of intended kindness is
spoiled by tactless manners, converting it, sometimes, even into an
offense! How often a refusal can be softened by the considerate
manner in which a request is denied ! What tragedies occur from the
inability, or, from false shame, the unwillingness of people of
kindly and loving dispositions to express the love which they feel
for their nearest and dearest who, perhaps for years, have longed
for words of affection !

How different the manners of the heart from the superficial tricks
of the body and tongue that are sometimes mistaken for good
manners! Like garish ornaments on an ill-planned and badly
constructed building, which try to conceal the viciousness of the
architecture, such manners often try to hide an unworthy and
insincere character. Good manners ought not to be the monopoly of
any class. They are within everyone's reach, for they are the
natural concomitant of a beautiful disposition.

Let us, therefore, see to it that our plans are drawn with the view
not only to the acts which morality and virtue require of us, but
also to the manner in which we are to perform these acts.

Let us see to it that in our speech we use words and tones
calculated not only for the purpose of avoiding offense to our
brethren, but also of conveying to them pleasure and happiness.

Let us exercise tact, which, in its best sense, may be defined as
that spiritual delicacy of feeling which is sensitive to every
susceptibility and emotions of our fellowmen.

Let us cultivate our senses so as to better appreciate the
beautiful things with which we are surrounded. By so doing we shall
be drawn insensibly nearer and nearer to Him from whom flows every
good and perfect gift.


Let us see to it that we keep our bodies clean and wholesome, and
fit dwellings for clean and beautiful souls.

Then only shall we be doing the duties required of us by
Freemasonry when she commands us to build with Beauty as well as
with Strength.

It may be asked how can we attain to such high [deals. Freemasonry
in another symbol, suggests the answer. As, throughout the degrees,
we were accompanied by a brother who guided our steps through dark
paths, giving us instruction and counsel during our pilgrimage, so
we are accompanied throughout our lives by a companion who never
leaves us, who tells us what to do and say, and how to do and say
it. The Romans called that companion a man's genius. To us he
represents the Spirit of God, or Conscience, to whose whispers we
ought to lend our ears, not in slavish fear, but with lively
gratitude. If, as we, in the degrees, followed our guide trustfully
and obediently, we act and speak as our Heavenly guide prompts us,
we need fear no danger, knowing that with such leading we are sure
to be conducted along the right Path, and be worthy of the great
Fraternity to which it is our high privilege to belong.
