348 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE 1^79^ 



celebrate the feast of St. John the Evangelist, since your election to 

 the chair of government of the United States, beg leave to approach 

 you with congratulations from the east, and, in the pride of fraternal 

 affection, to hail you as the great master builder (under the Supreme 

 Architect) by whose labors the temple of liberty hath been reared in the 

 west, exhibiting to the nations of the earth a model of beauty, order 

 and harmony worthy of their imitation and praise. Your knowledge of 

 the origin and objects of our institution — its tendency to promote the 

 social affections and harmonize the heart — give us a sure pledge that 

 this tribute of our veneration, this effusion of love, will not be ungrate- 

 ful to you ; nor will Heaven reject our prayer, that you may be long- 

 continued to adorn the bright list of master workmen, which our Fra- 

 ternity produces in the terrestrial lodge ; and that you may be late 

 removed to that celestial lodge where love and harmony reign tran- 

 scendent and divine, where the great Architect more immediately pre- 

 sides, and where cherubim and seraphim, wafting our congratulations 

 from earth to heaven, shall hail you brother. 



By order and in behalf of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Gen- 

 eral Communication assembled in ample form. 



Signed by the Grand Master and officers. 



" Dr. Smith," so says Hayden, in " Washington and his Ma- 

 sonic Compeers," " delivered this address in person." On the 

 5th of the following March, Dr. Smith reports to the Grand 

 Lodge the following reply from the President : 



To tlie Ancient York Masons of the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania : 



GentlEiMEN and Brothers: I received your kind congratulation with 

 the purest sensations of fraternal affection ; and from a heart deeply 

 impressed with your generous wishes for my present and future happi- 

 ness, I beg you to accept my thanks. 



At the same time I request you will be assured of my best wishes and 

 earnest prayers for your happiness while you remain in this terrestrial 

 mansion, and that we may hereafter meet as brethren in the celestial 

 temple of the Supreme Architect.* George Washington. 



On the 20th of January, 1792, there were elected into the 

 American Philosophical Society a number of foreigners in a body 

 — Count Paul Andreani, of Milan ; Rudolph Vall-Travers, of Ham- 

 burg; Anthony Renatus, Charles M. de la Forest, Joseph Ceracchi, 

 of Rome, a sculptor, but not a philosopher, nor indeed a man of 

 the highest character in all things; Palisot de Bcauvois, etc. I 



*The oriiiinal of this letter is in the Temple at Philadelphia. It is addressed to Wil- 

 liam Moore .Smith, Esq., who was at that time Grand Master of Pennsylvania. — H. W. S. 



