A Choice Collection of Masonic Songs, Song

Let drunkards boast the powers of wine, And reel from side to side; Let lovers kneel at beauty's shrine, The sport of female pride: Be ours the more exalted part, To celebrate the mason's art, And spread its praises wide.

To dens and thickets dark and rude, For shelter beasts repair; With sticks and straws the feather'd brood, Suspend their nests in air: And man untaught as wild as these, Binds up sad huts with boughs of trees And feeds on wretched fare.

But science dawning in his mind, The quarry he explores, Industry and the arts combin'd, Improv'd all nature's stores: Thus walls were built and houses rear'd, No storms or tempest's now are fear'd, Within his well-fram'd doors.

When stately palaces arise, When columns grace the hall, When tow'rs and spires salute the skies, We owe to masons all: Nor buildings only do they give, But teach men how within to live, And yield to reason's call.

All party quarrels they detest, For virtue and the arts, Lodg'd in each true free-mason's breast, Unite and rule their hearts: By these while mason's square their minds, The state no better subjects finds None act more upright parts.

When Bucks and Albions are forgot, Free-masons will remain; Mushrooms each day, spring up and rot, While oaks stretch o'er the plain: Let others quarrel, rant, and roar; Their noisy revels when no more, Still masonry shall reign.

Our leathern aprons may compare With garters red and blue; Princes and kings our brothers are; While they our rules pursue: Then drink success and health to all The craft around this earthly ball, May brethren still prove true.