Gulliver and the Masons

From The Gulliver Code

Jump to: navigation, search

1 Masonic Origins
2 A Masonic Timeline Relating to Swift

[edit]

Masonic Origins

Masonic Symbol. The Monad [top] is male, and the Duad [bottom] is female. Their union produces the Triad [#3], represented by the letter 'G', the generative principle.

Some anagrams may have an origin in masonic ritual. Arbuthnot was certainly a member of the Scottish Masonic Order, which has a Templar degree. He may have been involved in the creation of the first "Union of the English Freemasons Grand Lodge" in 1717, from four Lodges which met at the Apple-Tree Tavern, the Crown Ale-House near Drury Lane, the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's Churchyard, and the Rummer and Grapes Tavern in Westminster.

Arbuthnot's good friends Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope were certainly two of the first British Grand Lodge Freemasons. They belonged to the lodge called "Goat-at-the-Foot-of-the-Haymarket", No. 16, London. ^[1]

Arbuthnot was also in close contact with one of the leading lights of Freemasonry - some say its founder - Jean Theophile Desaguliers (1683-1744), a French-born inventor and scientist, who was experimental assistant to Sir Isaac Newton and Curator of the Royal Society. Desaguliers designed a project to heat salt-boilers and similar vessels by steam rather than fire. He added a safety valve to Thomas Savery's steam engine, which along with an internal water jet, condensed the steam in the displacement chambers, improving the design.

Masonic Initiation in the late 18th Century

In the beginning, the Order did not have the three degrees, but only the first two - Apprentice and Fellow. Desaguliers established the third Master degree in about 1725, the year before the publication of Gulliver's Travels.

[edit]

A Masonic Timeline Relating to Swift

1598-1599. William Schaw, who had become Master of the Works in Scotland in 1584, promulgated two sets of rules. The first regulated the Masons of Scotland; the second gave the Lodge of Kilwinning supervisory powers over the lodges of West Scotland. It used the term "fellow of the craft."

1599. The oldest known written records of a Masonic Lodge; January 9 - Aitchison's Havenhas Lodge in Musselburgh, Scotland. It ceased to exist in 1856. July 3 - Oldest known existing lodge, Edinburgh Lodge No. 1, Edinburgh, Scotland.

1600. First record of the admission of a non-operative mason in a Lodge of Scotland.

John Boswell, laird of Auchinlech, become a member of the lodge of Edinburgh.

The word "Freemason" appeared in the York Roll.

1619-1620. Account Book of the London Mason's Company used the term "Accepted" as a description of some members.

1621. Records of the Worshipful Company of Freemasons of London indicate that there were "accepted" and "operative" members.

1633. John Stow's Survey of London was published mentioning the "Company of Masons being otherwise termed Free Masons."

1634. The following members of the nobility were made Masons at the Lodge of Edinburgh: Lord Alexander, Sir Anthony Alexander, and Sir Alenander Strachan.

1641. Sir Robert Moray initiated by a group of Masons in a Scotch regiment at Newcastle-on-Tyne, May 20. This is the earliest recorded initiation.

1642. Minutes of Mother Kilwinning Lodge go back to this year.

1646. Elias Ashmole wrote in his diary that he made a "Free Mason," October 16.

1655. The Company of Freemasons of the City of London change its name to "The Company of Masons."

1656. John Aubrey began A Natural History of Wiltshire, in which he stated that the Fraternity of Free Masons "are known to one another by certain signes and Watch words," and other significant words.

1659. First known use of the word "club" as a group meeting.

1668. Hall of the Worshipful Company of Masons of London rebuilt. It is believed that a speculative lodge met in the building.

1670. The records of the Lodge of Aberdeen began. They showed that some members were operative and others were speculative.

1680. Dr. James Anderson was born at Aberdeen, Scotland.

1682. Elias Ashmole wrote in his diary that he had attended a lodge meeting at Masons' Hall, London.

June 23, Chief Tamanend of the Lenni-Lenape tribe and William Penn signed a friendship treaty at Shackamaxon, near what is now the Kensington district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The French philosopher and Mason, Brother Francoise Marie Arouet de Voltaire, an admirer of Penn, hailed this as "the only treaty between Indians and Christians that was never broken."

1686. Dr. Robert Plot published his "National History of Staffordshire" in which he ridiculed the society of Freemasons. This is proof that a symbolical lodge was in existence at that time.

John Aubrey, an antiquary, wrote his "National History of Wiltshire" (published in 1847) and spoke of "Fraternity of Free-Masons" and also described them as "adopted masons" and "accepted masons."

1688. A lodge of accepted Masons met at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and The Society of Freemasons was mentioned in a satirical speech at the commencement exercises in July. Swift had entered Trinity College in 1682, was awarded a BA in 1686, and remained at Trinity for his master;s degree. He left Ireland in 1688 because of the Williamite troubles, and entered the household of Sir William Temple as his secretary. A good case has been made that Swift was Temple's illegitimate son.

1690. The defeat of James II, at the battle of the Boyne, 12th July.

1696. The Edinburgh Register House Manuscript suggests that Masons had words, a grip, signs and "five points."

1697. Mention on a letter from Scotland of the "mason's word," used for purpose of recognition.

1698. An Anti-Masonic leaflet was published warning people against the "Free Masons."

1709-1710. Richard Steele, in "The Tatler," famous paper of the day, in discussing certain people said: "They have some secret Intimations of each other like the Free Masons."

1714. Swift was a founding member of the Scriblerus Club, with Pope, Arbuthnot, Gay, Congreve, Lord Oxford, and Bishop Atterbury. All became Masons. They agreed to write a series of papers ridiculing, in the words of Pope, "all the false tastes in learning, under the character of a man of capacity enough, but that had dipped into every art and science, but injudiciously in each." Arbuthnot was also a member of the Scottish Masonic Order, which has a Templar degree.

1715. Swift started writing Gulliver's Travels.

1716. Meeting held at the Apple Tree Tavern in Charles Street, Covent Gardens, to discuss a revival of the Quarterly Communications and the Annual Assembly.

1717. The first "Union of the English Freemasons Grand Lodge" was formed on June 24, in London, by four lodges of the city. It was not the Grand Lodge of England at that time but of "London and Westminster." Arbuthnot, Swift and Pope were two of the first British Grand Lodge Freemasons. They belonged to the lodge called "Goat-at-the-Foot-of-the-Haymarket", No. 16, London.

1719. Arbuthnot's friend Reverend John T. Desaguliers, Curator of the Royal Society, was elected Grand Master of the Mother Grand Lodge of England.

1720. Charles Montesquieu was made a Mason while on a visit to London; author of L'Esprit des Lois.

1721. The Grand Lodge of England, on June 24, adopted the regulation requiring all regular lodges to secure a charter. John, Duke of Montagu, became The Grand Master attendant publicity brought the Craft much prestige.

1722. Reads Weekly Journal published the Enter' D ‘Prentice Song, December 1. The Old Constitution belonging to the Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons was published.

1723. The Flying Post, on April 11-13, printed "A Masons' Examination," the earliest known printed catechism of the Craft. Dr. James Anderson publishes first edition of "The Constitution of the Free-Masons." The Grand Mystery of Freemasons Discovered was published. It contained a Masonic catechism. The Gormogons, anti-Masons, made their appearance. The Committee on Charity founded by the Grand Lodge of England.

1725. Swift likely involved in the formation of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. A lodge was known to exist in Paris.

1726. Swift published Gulliver's Travels.

1730. Prichard's Masonry Dissected was published. It was the first expose of the ritual. Today in is of value in studying the development of the ritual. Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, John Pennell, published his version of the Book of Constitutions. Martin Clare published his Defense of Masonry, an answer to Prichard's book.

1732. First traveling Military Lodge formed by Grand Lodge of Ireland.

1733. Freemasonry appeared in Italy and persecution followed in Florence, Italy.

1734. First Masonic Temple in America erected in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin reprinted Anderson's Book of Constitutions. This was the first Masonic book published in America. On November 28, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter as Grand master for the Province of Pennsylvania.

1736. Grand Lodge of Scotland formed.

1738. Dr. James Anderson published the Second edition of The Constitution of the Freemasons. Edward Oakley, on December 31, delivered a speech in which he commended the giving of lectures in lodges on the subjects of architecture and geometry. A new edition of masonry Dissected, by Prichard, was published. Pope Clement XII issued his Papal Bull in Eminenti, April 28. This is the first official edict of the Roman Catholic Church against the Craft.

1739. Committee met in London to discuss Freemasonry. It eventually developed into the Ancient Grand Lodge.

April 7, 1778. Voltaire became a Mason in the Lodge Les Neuf Soeurs less than two moths before his death on May 30, 1778. His last words: "I die adoring God, loving my friends, not hating my enemies, and detesting superstition.") (The Learning Kingdom)

Notes