Did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle goof?
Daniel P. B. Smith
astonishes a client by deducing a number of facts about him, including
the fact that he is a Freemason. When the client asks how Holmes knows,
Holmes replies:
"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that,
especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you
use an arc-and-compass breastpin."
Is the term "arc and compass" ever used? Or is this just a blunder on
the part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
--
dpbsmith at world dot std dot com
(replace "at" with at-sign and "dot" with period and remove spaces)
He Comes As No Surprise
>
> In the famous Sherlock Holmes story, "The Red-headed League," . . .
>
> "I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that,
> especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you
> use an arc-and-compass breastpin."
>
> Is the term "arc and compass" ever used? Or is this just a blunder on
> the part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
For the benefit of those who know nothing about freemasonry, somebody
had better explain that "arc and compass" is an error of description
rather than terminology. The correct symbol is a mason's square and
compass.
-:-
First persuade the Ruler to grant Kazunker a monopoly of
pineapples at the North Pole. The Ruler will be happy to
grant such a worthless monopoly. . . .
--Prof. I. M. A. Geek, "How To Square
the Circle with Ruler and Compass"
--
Col. G. L. Sicherman
col...@mail.monmouth.com
Robert M. Wilson
"He Comes As No Surprise" <col...@monmouth.com> wrote in message
news:brgd8l$8hi$2...@news.monmouth.com...
> In <13FF30.140...@news.fu-berlin.de>, DPBS wrote:
> >
> > In the famous Sherlock Holmes story, "The Red-headed League," . . .
> >
> > "I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that,
> > especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you
> > use an arc-and-compass breastpin."
> >
> > Is the term "arc and compass" ever used? Or is this just a blunder on
> > the part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
>
> For the benefit of those who know nothing about freemasonry, somebody
> had better explain that "arc and compass" is an error of description
> rather than terminology. The correct symbol is a mason's square and
> compass.
Doyle became a freemason in 1893.
It may help to know whether *The Red-Headed League" was written before or
after that?
ObQ:
Read not my blemishes in the world's report:
I have not kept my square, but that to come
Shall all be done by the rule.
-- 'Antony and Cleopatra,' II,iii,5.
Kentucky Fried Colonel
>
> Doyle became a freemason in 1893.
> It may help to know whether *The Red-Headed League" was written before or
> after that?
In was published in 1891. Maybe the Masons came after him after that
boner appeared.
-:-
"Next thing you know they'll probably be demanding roast
duck with Lyonnaise potatoes for supper, even though this
has traditionally been the prerogative of the warden."
--Historical Perspective, in _American Pie_
William C Waterhouse
Two notes on this:
1) Acording to M. Booth's biography, _The Doctor and the Detective_
(page 118-119), Conan Doyle joined the Masons while he was practicing
in Portsmouth, in January 1887. He resigned two years later.
2) The usual pattern is certainly a (try) square and compass,
but an internet search seems to show certain emblems that
do indeed use an arc and compass ("Blue Lodge Past Master"
seems to be the appropriate phrase). See for instance the
picture and description at
<http://www.rouletcompany.com/html/masonic.html>
William C. Waterhouse
Penn State
ObQuote:
Thus was the temple of freedom erected,
Crown'd with the key-stone of union and love;
Wisdom, and Beauty, and Strength, were connected,
Three noble pillars which nothing can move.
Tyrants may rage, and in triple alliance,
Seek to demolish so sacred a dome;
Trusting in Heaven, we bid them defiance,
While we thus welcome its architect home.
Hail! friend of Washington!
Hail! Gallia's godlike son!
Brother! companion! as such dearer yet,
Long may thy friendly smile
Our festive hours beguile,
Long may freemasons thus hail La Fayette.
-- from "A Masonic Ode," by Samuel Woodworth (1785-1842)
Robert M. Wilson
"William C Waterhouse" <w...@math.psu.edu> wrote in message
news:bro3u2$u66$1...@f04n12.cac.psu.edu...
>
> Two notes on this:
>
> 1) Acording to M. Booth's biography, _The Doctor and the Detective_
> (page 118-119), Conan Doyle joined the Masons while he was practicing
> in Portsmouth, in January 1887. He resigned two years later.
Our sources differ.
My earlier post that he joined in 1893 was from:
John Hamil & Robert Gilbert (eds) *Freemasonry* Greenwich Editions, 1993.
The Foreward is by HRH The Duke of Kent, Grand master of the United Grand
Lodge of England
so that it has some official recognition.
It says that he was raised in Phoenix Lodge No. 257 at Portsmouth England in
1893.
This does not contradict that he joined ( was initiated) in 1887 as there
are three degrees and the "raising" to a master mason is the last. But it
does not resolve that he resigned two years later.
I found two other sources that state he was a member but no details given.
ObQ:
(from memory)
"Once a priest, always a priest, once a mason always a mason, once a
journalist forever a journalst."
(It is the in the first lines of one of Kipling's short stories.
A number of Kipling's works contain Masonic themes, the best known being *A
Man Born to be King*)
David C Kifer
>
> ObQ:
>
> (from memory)
> "Once a priest, always a priest, once a mason always a mason, once a
> journalist forever a journalst."
> (It is the in the first lines of one of Kipling's short stories.
> A number of Kipling's works contain Masonic themes, the best known being *A
> Man Born to be King*)
I always suspected that the poem THE MOTHER LODGE was probably a Mason Lodge:
Outside-"Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!"
Inside-"Brother," an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!
--Rudyard Kipling, "The Mother Lodge"
available in entirety at:
http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/kipling_ind.html
--
Dave
"Tam multi libri, tam breve tempus!"
(Et brevis pecunia.) [Et breve spatium.]
Daniel P. B. Smith
w...@math.psu.edu (William C Waterhouse) wrote:
> Two notes on this:
>
> 1) Acording to M. Booth's biography, _The Doctor and the Detective_
> (page 118-119), Conan Doyle joined the Masons while he was practicing
> in Portsmouth, in January 1887. He resigned two years later.
>
> 2) The usual pattern is certainly a (try) square and compass,
> but an internet search seems to show certain emblems that
> do indeed use an arc and compass ("Blue Lodge Past Master"
> seems to be the appropriate phrase). See for instance the
> picture and description at
>
> <http://www.rouletcompany.com/html/masonic.html>
>
I got a reply from one Joe Swick in alt.masonry, as follows. (Of
course, I don't know whether a Mason would necessarily "level," so to
speak, with a non-Mason...)
Like the Square and Compass, the Arc and Compass is a Masonic
symbol, commonly used by Past Masters. It is also associated
with several other "High Degrees." Doyle was a Freemason,
and used the Craft and its symbols to good effect in a
number of Holmes tales.
Kindest,
Joe Swick
Verity Lodge No. 59 F&AM
Kent, Washington
Proud Member of the
"Arc and Compass Club" (i.e., I'm a Past Master)