The investiture with the gloves is very closely connected with the investiture with the apron1, and the consideration of the symbolism of the one naturally follows the consideration of the symbolism of the other.
In the continental2 rites3 of Masonry5, as practised in France, in Germany, and in other countries of Europe, it is an invariable custom to present the newly-initiated candidate not only, as we do, with a white leather apron, but also with two pairs of white kid gloves, one a man's pair for himself, and the other a woman's, to be presented by him in turn to his wife or his betrothed6, according to the custom of the German masons, or, according to the French, to the female whom he most esteems7, which, indeed, amounts, or should amount, to the same thing.
There is in this, of course, as there is in everything else which pertains8 to Freemasonry, a symbolism. The gloves given to the candidate for himself are intended to teach him that the acts of a mason should be as pure and spotless as the gloves now given to him. In the German lodges10, the word used for acts is of course handlungen, or handlings, "the works of his hands," which makes the symbolic11 idea more impressive.
Dr. Robert Plott—no friend of Masonry, but still an historian of much research—says, in his "Natural History of Staffordshire," that the Society of Freemasons, in his time (and he wrote in 1660), presented their candidates with gloves for themselves and their wives. This shows that the custom still preserved on the continent of Europe was formerly12 practised in England, although there as well as in America, it is discontinued, which is, perhaps, to be regretted.
But although the presentation of the gloves to the candidate is no longer practised as a ceremony in England or America, yet the use of them as a part of the proper professional clothing of a mason in the duties of the lodge9, or in processions, is still retained, and in many well-regulated lodges the members are almost as regularly clothed in their white gloves as in their white aprons13.
The symbolism of the gloves, it will be admitted, is, in fact, but a modification14 of that of the apron. They both signify the same thing; both are allusive15 to a purification of life. "Who shall ascend," says the Psalmist, "into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart." The apron may be said to refer to the "pure heart," the gloves to the "clean hands." Both are significant of purification—of that purification which was always symbolized16 by the ablution which preceded the ancient initiations into the sacred Mysteries. But while our American and English masons have adhered only to the apron, and rejected the gloves as a Masonic symbol, the latter appear to be far more important in symbolic science, because the allusions18 to pure or clean hands are abundant in all the ancient writers.
"Hands," says Wemyss, in his "Clavis Symbolica," "are the symbols of human actions; pure hands are pure actions; unjust hands are deeds of injustice19." There are numerous references in sacred and profane20 writers to this symbolism. The washing of the hands has the outward sign of an internal purification. Hence the Psalmist says, "I will wash my hands in innocence21, and I will encompass22 thine altar, Jehovah."
In the ancient Mysteries the washing of the hands was always an introductory ceremony to the initiation17, and, of course, it was used symbolically23 to indicate the necessity of purity from crime as a qualification of those who sought admission into the sacred rites; and hence on a temple in the Island of Crete this inscription24 was placed: "Cleanse25 your feet, wash your hands, and then enter."
Indeed, the washing of hands, as symbolic of purity, was among the ancients a peculiarly religious rite4. No one dared to pray to the gods until he had cleansed26 his hands. Thus Homer makes Hector say,—
"Χερσ? δ' ?ν?πτοισιν Δι?λε?βειν ?ζομαι."—Iliad, vi. 266.
In a similar spirit of religion, ?neas, when leaving burning Troy, refuses to enter the temple of Ceres until his hands, polluted by recent strife29, had been washed in the living stream.
"Me bello e tanto digressum et c?de recenti,
Attrectare nefas, donec me flumine vivo
Abluero."—?n. ii. 718.
"In me, now fresh from war and recent strife,
'Tis impious the sacred things to touch
Till in the living stream myself I bathe."
The same practice prevailed among the Jews, and a striking instance of the symbolism is exhibited in that well-known action of Pilate, who, when the Jews clamored for Jesus, that they might crucify him, appeared before the people, and, having taken water, washed his hands, saying at the same time, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man. See ye to it." In the Christian30 church of the middle ages, gloves were always worn by bishops31 or priests when in the performance of ecclesiastical functions. They were made of linen32, and were white; and Durandus, a celebrated33 ritualist, says that "by the white gloves were denoted chastity and purity, because the hands were thus kept clean and free from all impurity34."
There is no necessity to extend examples any further. There is no doubt that the use of the gloves in Masonry is a symbolic idea borrowed from the ancient and universal language of symbolism, and was intended, like the apron, to denote the necessity of purity of life.
We have thus traced the gloves and the apron to the same symbolic source. Let us see if we cannot also derive35 them from the same historic origin.
The apron evidently owes its adoption36 in Freemasonry to the use of that necessary garment by the operative masons of the middle ages. It is one of the most positive evidences—indeed we may say, absolutely, the most tangible37 evidence—of the derivation of our speculative38 science from an operative art. The builders, who associated in companies, who traversed Europe, and were engaged in the construction of palaces and cathedrals, have left to us, as their descendants, their name, their technical language, and that distinctive39 piece of clothing by which they protected their garments from the pollutions of their laborious40 employment. Did they also bequeath to us their gloves? This is a question which some modern discoveries will at last enable us to solve.
M. Didron, in his "Annales Archeologiques," presents us with an engraving41, copied from the painted glass of a window in the cathedral of Chartres, in France. The painting was executed in the thirteenth century, and represents a number of operative masons at work. Three of them are adorned42 with laurel crowns. May not these be intended to represent the three officers of a lodge? All of the Masons wear gloves. M. Didron remarks that in the old documents which he has examined, mention is often made of gloves which are intended to be presented to masons and stone-cutters. In a subsequent number of the "Annales," he gives the following three examples of this fact:—
In the year 1331, the Chatelan of Villaines, in Duemois, bought a considerable quantity of gloves, to be given to the workmen, in order, as it is said, "to shield their hands from the stone and lime."
In October, 1383, as he learns from a document of that period, three dozen pairs of gloves were bought and distributed to the masons when they commenced the buildings at the Chartreuse of Dijon.
And, lastly, in 1486 or 1487, twenty-two pair of gloves were given to the masons and stone-cutters who were engaged in work at the city of Amiens.
It is thus evident that the builders—the operative masons—of the middle ages wore gloves to protect their hands from the effects of their work. It is equally evident that the speculative masons have received from their operative predecessors43 the gloves as well as the apron, both of which, being used by the latter for practical uses, have been, in the spirit of symbolism, appropriated by the former to "a more noble and glorious purpose."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
apron
|
|
| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
continental
|
|
| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
rites
|
|
| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
rite
|
|
| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
masonry
|
|
| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
betrothed
|
|
| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
esteems
|
|
| n.尊敬，好评( esteem的名词复数 )v.尊敬( esteem的第三人称单数 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
pertains
|
|
| 关于( pertain的第三人称单数 )； 有关； 存在； 适用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
lodge
|
|
| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
lodges
|
|
| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
symbolic
|
|
| adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
aprons
|
|
| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
modification
|
|
| n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
allusive
|
|
| adj.暗示的；引用典故的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
symbolized
|
|
| v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
initiation
|
|
| n.开始 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
allusions
|
|
| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
injustice
|
|
| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
profane
|
|
| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
innocence
|
|
| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
encompass
|
|
| vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
symbolically
|
|
| ad.象征地，象征性地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
inscription
|
|
| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
cleanse
|
|
| vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
cleansed
|
|
| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
incensed
|
|
| 盛怒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
strife
|
|
| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
bishops
|
|
| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
linen
|
|
| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
celebrated
|
|
| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
impurity
|
|
| n.不洁，不纯，杂质 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
derive
|
|
| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
adoption
|
|
| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
tangible
|
|
| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
speculative
|
|
| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
distinctive
|
|
| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
laborious
|
|
| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
engraving
|
|
| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
adorned
|
|
| [计]被修饰的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
predecessors
|
|
| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |