The Warden’s Song

I

WHEN e’er we are alone,

And ev’ry Stranger gone,

In Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring,

Begin to play, begin to sing,

The mighty Genius of the lofty Lodge,

In ev’ry Age

That did engage

And well inspir’d the Prince, the Priest,

the Judge,

The Noble and the Wise to join

In rearing Masons Grand Design.

II

The Grand Design to rear,

Was ever Mason’s Care,

From Adam down before the Flood,

Whose Art old Noah understood,

And did impart to Japhet, Shem and Ham,

Who taught their Race

To build apace

Proud Babel’s Town and Tow’r, until it came

To be admir’d too much, and then

Dispersed were the Sons of Men.

III

But tho’ their Tongues confus’d

In distant Climes they us’d,

They brought from Shinar Orders good,

To rear the Art they understood:

Therefore sing first the Princes of the Isles;

Next Belus great,

Who fixt his Seat

In old Assyria, building stately Piles;

And Mitzraim’s Pyramids among 

The other Subjects of our Song.

IV

And Shem, who did instil 

The useful wondrous Skill 

Into the Minds of Nations great: 

And Abram next, who did relate 

Th’ Assyrian Learning to his Sons, that when 

In Egypt’s Land 

By Pharoah’s Hand, 

Were roughly taught to be most skilful Men; 

Till their Grand-Master Moses rose 

And them deliver’d from their Foes.

V

But who can sing his Praise, 

Who did the Tent upraise?

Then sing his Workmen true as Steel, 

Aholiab and Bezaleel; 

Sing Tyre and Sydon, and Phenicians old. 

But Samson’s Blot 

Is ne’er forgot: 

He blabb’d his Secrets to his Wife, that sold 

Her Husband, who at last pull’d down 

The House on all in Gaza Town.

VI

But Solomon the King

With solemn Note we sing,

Who rear’d at length the Grand Design,

By Wealth, and Pow’r, and Art divine;

Helpt by the learned Hiram Tyrian Prince,

By Craftsmen good,

That understood

Wise Hiram Abif’s charming Influence:

He aided Jewish Masters bright,

Whose curious Works none can recite

VII

These glorious Mason Kings

Each thankful Brother sings,

Who to its Zenith rais’d the Art,

And to all Nations did impart

The useful Skill: For from the Temple fine,

To ev’ry Land,

And foreign Strand,

The Craftsmen march’d, and taught the Grand Design;

Of which the Kings, with mighty Peers,

And learned Men, were Overseers.

VIII

Diana’s Temple next,

In Lesser Asia fixt;

And Babylon’s proud Walls, the Seat

Of Nebuchadnezar the Great;

The Tomb of Mausolus, the Carian King;

With many a Pile

Of lofty Style

In Africa and Greater Asia, sing,

In Greece, in Sicily, and Rome,

That had those Nations overcome.

IX

Then sing Augustus too,

The Gen’ral Master true,

Who by Vitruvius did refine

And spread the Masons Grand Design

Thro’ North and West; till ancient Britons chose

The Royal Art

In ev’ry Part,

And Roman Architecture could disclose;

Until the Saxons warlike Rage

Destroy’d the Skill of many an Age.

X

At length the Gothick Style

Prevail’d in Britain’s Isle,

When Masons Grand Design reviv’d,

And in their well form’d Lodges thriv’d,

Tho’ not as formerly in Roman Days: 

Yet sing the Fanes

Of Saxons, Danes,

Of Scots, Welch, Irish; but sing first the Praise

Of Athelstan and Edwin Prince,

Our Master of great Influence.

XI

And eke the Norman Kings

The British Mason sings:

Till Roman Style revived there,

And British Crowns united were

In learned James, a Mason King, who rais’d

Fine Heaps of Stones

By Inigo Jones,

That rival’d wise Palladio, justly prais’d

In Italy, and Britain too,

For Architecture firm and true.

XII

And thence in ev’ry Reign

Did Masonry obtain

With Kings, the Noble and the Wise,

Whose Fame resounding to the Skies,

Excites the present Age in Lodge to join,

And Aprons wear,

With Skill and Care,

To raise the Masons ancient Grand Design,

And to revive th’ Augustan Style

In many an artful glorious Pile.

XIII

From henceforth ever sing

The Craftsman and the King,

With Poetry and Musick sweet

Resound their Harmony compleat;

And with Geometry in skilful Hand,

Due Homage pay,

Without Delay,

To Wharton’s noble Duke our Master Grand

He rules the Free-born Sons of Art,

By Love and Friendship, Hand and Heart.

CHORUS

Who can rehearse the Praise,

In soft Poetick Lays,

Or solid Prose, of Masons true,

Whose Art transcends the common View?

Their Secrets, ne’er to Strangers yet expos’d,

Preserv’d shall be

By Masons Free,

And only to the ancient Lodge disclos’d;

Because they’re kept in Masons Heart

By Brethren of the Royal Art.