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America, You've Got it Better

America, You've Got it Better
By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Translation by Daniel Platt

America, you've got it better
Than our old continent. Exult!
You have no decaying castles
And no basalt.
Your heart is not troubled,
In lively pursuits,
By useless old remembrance
And empty disputes

So use the present day with luck!
And when your child a poem writes,
Protect him, with his skill and pluck,
From tales of bandits, ghosts and knights.

Posted by Jeremiah (guest) on Sat 30 Jan 2010 03:52:03 PM UTC

Goethe's insight

I think it is remarkable that Goethe foretold the growth of The United States, the settlement of California, and the construction of the Panama canal.

Posted by August (guest) on Sat 30 Jan 2010 04:19:16 PM UTC

Goethe the Mason

February 13, 1780, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote a letter to Privy Councillor, J. F. von Fritsch, at that time Worshipful Master of Lodge Amalia:

"Your Excellency:

"I take the liberty of importuning you with a request. For a long time I have had occasion to wish that I might belong to the Society of Freemasons: this desire became very strong during our journey. It is only on this score that I have missed the opportunity of walking in closer union with persons whom I have learned to respect. It is the social feeling alone which leads me to seek for admission. To whom could I better entrust this matter, than to your Excellency? I await the kindly guidance of what you advise in this matter. I await, moreover, your gracious hints, and sign myself respectfully, Your Excellency's "Obedient servant, Goethe."

Posted by Freigan (guest) on Sat 30 Jan 2010 04:34:40 PM UTC

A Talisman

Very insightful. But, the truth is not quite evident. This pentacle was made to protect America from evil chances and events.

Posted by Ruach Elohim (guest) on Sat 30 Jan 2010 04:45:30 PM UTC

Goethe Masonic Poem

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mason Lodge

The Mason's ways are
A type of Existance
And his persistance
Is as the days are
Of men in this world.

The future hides in it
Gladness and sorrow,
We press still thorow,
Naught that abides in it
Daunting us-onward.

And solemn before us
Veiled, the dark Portal,
Goal of all mortal;
Stars silent o'er us,
Graves under us silent.

While earnest thou gazest
Comes boding of terror,
Comes phantasm and error
Perplexes the bravest
With doubt and misgiving.

But heard are the Voices-
Heard are the Sages,
The Worlds and the Ages;
"Choose well; your choice is
"Brief and yet endless;

"Here eyes do regard you
"In Eternity's stillness;
"Here is all fullness,
"Ye have, to reward you.
"Work, and dispair not."

Posted by Jeremiah (guest) on Sat 30 Jan 2010 09:56:13 PM UTC

President Washington Commisions L'Enfant

Major L'Enfant was connected to General Lafayette. He was also one of the few foreign members of the Society of the Cincinnati. He gained artistic mastery at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The details of what President Washington discussed with L'Enfant at Suter's Tavern is what I want to know. His letter to Jefferson gives some insight.

"I had the satisfaction to see the little I had done agreeable to his wish - and the confidence with which he has been pleased since to honor me in ordering the survey to be continued and the delineation of the grand plan for the local distribution of the city, to be done on principle conformable to the ideas which I took the liberty to hold before him.

Posted by Luke (guest) on Sun 31 Jan 2010 02:34:08 AM UTC

French Artists

I would add L'Enfant's relationship with John Trumbull. Both were classmates at the Royal Academy. The two artists met at Suter's Tavern as well. The tavern was also used as the Georgetown masonic lodge during this period.

Posted by Edward Connery (guest) on Sun 31 Jan 2010 03:13:44 PM UTC

L'Enfant Map

Ellicott should be the one credited with the final revisions. I am sure that he, Washington and his brother masons were arcane patterns into the street design. I am sure the everyone who attended the Masonic stone laying on Oct 13, 1792 knew.

Posted by Dark Horse (guest) on Sun 31 Jan 2010 03:24:46 PM UTC

More People Involved

Interesting. I never have seen the star until now. James Hoban and L'Enfant attended St. Patrick's church. I would guess that they both were not masons. Hoban worked on the White House and Capitol Buildings with Dr. William Thornton. Benjamin Henry Latrobe was also a Catholic sympathizer, so I cannot imagine he was a mason also. You might research Baron de Graffe who worked directly with L'Enfant.

Posted by Maus (guest) on Sun 31 Jan 2010 10:27:58 PM UTC

John Claypoole

It is of interesting note that Betsy Ross's third husband, John Claypoole was a member of Lodge No. 2 at Philadelphia.

Posted by Moses R. (guest) on Tue 02 Feb 2010 02:48:34 AM UTC

Templar Symbol

George Washington described the flag's circle of stars as a new constellation. What context was that term used? The heavens above.

Posted by Dark Horse (guest) on Tue 02 Feb 2010 03:13:21 AM UTC

Comte de Saint Germain

Ask "The Professor"

Posted by Widow's Son (guest) on Tue 02 Feb 2010 03:37:38 AM UTC

A Party

Bro. Claude Louis Comte introduced Bro. Benjamin Franklin to Bro. Friedrich Wilhelm von Stueben. He also reorganized and instilled discipline to the Continental Army.

Posted by Jean (guest) on Tue 02 Feb 2010 07:08:36 AM UTC

Cagliostro, Alessandro Conte di

Was "the professor" Giuseppe Balsamo? He supposedly knew Benjamin Franklin during a stay in Paris. He states that he was the Grand Copt (Chief of the Lodge) of the order of Egyptian Masonry. He asserts that Egyptian Masonry was first propagated by Enoch and Elias. Guiseppe planned to restore the glory of masonry, and allow its benefits to participated by both sexes.

See biographies by F. King (1929), W. R. H. Trowbridge (new ed. 1961), F. R. Dumas (tr. 1968), R. Gervaso (tr. 1974), R. Silva (1975), T. Freller (1997), and I. McCalman (2003); H. C. Schnur, Mystic Rebels (1949).
Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, Lewis Spence

Posted by Luke (guest) on Tue 02 Feb 2010 07:30:18 AM UTC

GW Not a Follower of Illuminati.

I am quite sure that Washington was not a follower of the Illuminati. When questioned about whether or not Illuminism had spread to Masonry in America, Washington answered that he "did not believe that the lodges of Freemasons in this country had as societies, endeavored to propagate the diabolical tenet of the former [Illuminati] or pernicious principles of the latter Jacobinism]" (Sparks, 1848, 11: 577).

Posted by Rabbi's Kat (guest) on Tue 02 Feb 2010 02:23:07 PM UTC

a capitol city

That's really the layout of the National Mall in DC? I guess it is not well very known that the city of Washington's designers choose to engineer a pentagram of a plat map as a starting point.

Posted by Freaky (guest) on Fri 26 Feb 2010 07:21:58 PM UTC

Pentachoron

One of the possible projections of the pentachoron into 2 dimensions is the pentagram inscribed inside a pentagon.

Posted by Cambria (guest) on Sat 27 Feb 2010 02:47:02 PM UTC

Uncovering the evils of Freemasonry

Anyone here that want to know the truth about Freemasonry and the Illuminati - go to www.mikehoggard.com

And listen to his teachings on this subject - excellent teachings with proof and he follows along in the KJV bible.



God bless you


Posted by Follower of Christ (guest) on Wed 26 May 2010 02:07:04 AM UTC

Highest quality DC Visitors Map $16.25


Vising Washington this Summer?
Don't forget your laminated map with detailed street and location listings for Washington D.C.

Posted by Washington DC Visitor Guide (guest) on Tue 01 Jun 2010 06:31:44 PM UTC

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