Project Gutenberg's The Symbolism of Freemasonry, by Albert G.

Mackey This eBook is for the use of anyone any here at no cost an! ith almost no restrictions hatsoe"er. #ou may co$y it, gi"e it a ay or re%use it un!er the terms of the Project Gutenberg &icense inclu!e! ith this eBook or online at .gutenberg.net Title' The Symbolism of Freemasonry Author' Albert G. Mackey (elease )ate' A$ril *, +,,- ./Book 01123*4 &anguage' /nglish 5haracter set enco!ing' AS566 777 STA(T 8F T96S P(8:/5T G;T/<B/(G /B88= T9/ S#MB8&6SM 8F F(//MAS8<(# 777

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.Transcriber's <otes' Footnotes ha"e been renumbere! an! mo"e! to the en! of the ork. This book contains or!s an! $hrases in both Greek an! 9ebre . Greek characters ha"e been transliterate! using Beta%co!e. Most of the 9ebre or!s an! characters are transliterate! in the te>t by the author? those that ere not transliterate! by the author ha"e been transliterate in the AS566 "ersion.4

The Symbolism of Freemasonry' 6llustrating an! />$laining 6ts Science an! Philoso$hy, its &egen!s, Myths an! Symbols.

By Albert G. Mackey, M.)., @A/a enim Buae scribuntur tria habere !ecent, utilitatem $raesentem, certum finem, ine>$ugnabile fun!amentum.A@ 5ar!anus. 1CC+. /ntere!, accor!ing to Act of 5ongress, in the year 1CD2, by A&B/(T G. MA5=/#, 6n the 5lerk's 8ffice of the )istrict 5ourt of the )istrict of South 5arolina.

To General :ohn 5. Fremont.

My )ear Sir' Ehile any American might be $rou! of associating his name ith that of one ho has !one so much to increase the reno n of his country, an! to enlarge the sum of human kno le!ge, this book is !e!icate! to you as a slight testimonial of regar! for your $ersonal character, an! in grateful recollection of acts of frien!shi$. #ours "ery truly, A. G. Mackey.

Preface.

8f the "arious mo!es of communicating instruction to the uninforme!, the masonic stu!ent is $articularly intereste! in t o? namely, the instruction by legen!s an! that by symbols. 6t is to these t o, almost e>clusi"ely, that he is in!ebte! for all that he kno s, an! for all that he can kno , of the $hiloso$hic system hich is taught in the institution. All its mysteries an! its !ogmas, hich constitute its $hiloso$hy, are intruste! for communication to the neo$hyte, sometimes to one, sometimes to the other of these t o metho!s of instruction, an! sometimes to both of them combine!. The Freemason has no ay of reaching any of the esoteric teachings of the 8r!er e>ce$t through the me!ium of a legen! or a symbol. A legen! !iffers from an historical narrati"e only in this%%that it is ithout !ocumentary e"i!ence of authenticity. 6t is the offs$ring solely of tra!ition. 6ts !etails may be true in $art or in hole. There may be no internal e"i!ence to the contrary, or there may be internal e"i!ence that they are altogether false. But neither the $ossibility of truth in the one case, nor the certainty of falsehoo! in the other, can remo"e the tra!itional narrati"e from the class of legen!s. 6t is a legen! sim$ly because it rests on no ritten foun!ation. 6t is oral, an! therefore legen!ary. 6n gra"e $roblems of history, such as the establishment of em$ires, the !isco"ery an! settlement of countries, or the rise an! fall of !ynasties, the kno le!ge of the truth or falsity of the legen!ary narrati"e ill be of im$ortance, because the "alue of history is im$aire! by the im$utation of !oubt. But it is not so in Freemasonry. 9ere there nee! be no absolute Buestion of the truth or falsity of the legen!. The object of the masonic legen!s is not to establish historical facts, but to con"ey $hiloso$hical !octrines. They are a metho! by hich esoteric instruction is communicate!, an! the stu!ent acce$ts them ith reference to nothing else e>ce$t their $ositi"e use an! meaning as !e"elo$ing masonic !ogmas. Take, for instance, the 9iramic legen! of the thir! !egree. 8f hat im$ortance is it to the !isci$le of Masonry hether it be true or falseF All that he ants to kno is its internal signification? an! hen he learns that it is inten!e! to illustrate the !octrine of the immortality of the soul, he is content ith that inter$retation, an! he !oes not !eem it necessary, e>ce$t as a matter of curious or antiBuarian inBuiry, to in"estigate its historical accuracy, or to reconcile any of its a$$arent contra!ictions. So of the lost keystone? so of the secon! tem$le? so of the hi!!en ark' these are to him legen!ary narrati"es, hich, like the casket, oul! be of no "alue ere it not for the $recious je el containe! ithin. /ach of these legen!s is the e>$ression of a $hiloso$hical i!ea.

But there is another metho! of masonic instruction, an! that is by symbols. <o science is more ancient than that of symbolism. At one time, nearly all the learning of the orl! as con"eye! in symbols. An! although mo!ern $hiloso$hy no !eals only in abstract $ro$ositions, Freemasonry still clea"es to the ancient metho!, an! has $reser"e! it in its $rimiti"e im$ortance as a means of communicating kno le!ge. Accor!ing to the !eri"ation of the or! from the Greek, @to symboliGe@ signifies @to com$are one thing ith another.@ 9ence a symbol is the e>$ression of an i!ea that has been !eri"e! from the com$arison or contrast of some object ith a moral conce$tion or attribute. Thus e say that the $lumb is a symbol of rectitu!e of con!uct. The $hysical Bualities of the $lumb are here com$are! or contraste! ith the moral conce$tion of "irtue, or rectitu!e. Then to the S$eculati"e Mason it becomes, after he has been taught its symbolic meaning, the "isible e>$ression of the i!ea of moral u$rightness. But although there are these t o mo!es of instruction in Freemasonry,%%by legen!s an! by symbols,%%there really is no ra!ical !ifference bet een the t o metho!s. The symbol is a "isible, an! the legen! an au!ible re$resentation of some contraste! i!ea%%of some moral conce$tion $ro!uce! from a com$arison. Both the legen! an! the symbol relate to !ogmas of a !ee$ religious character? both of them con"ey moral sentiments in the same $eculiar metho!, an! both of them are !esigne! by this metho! to illustrate the $hiloso$hy of S$eculati"e Masonry. To in"estigate the recon!ite meaning of these legen!s an! symbols, an! to elicit from them the moral an! $hiloso$hical lessons hich they ere inten!e! to teach, is to ith!ra the "eil ith hich ignorance an! in!ifference seek to conceal the true $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry. To stu!y the symbolism of Masonry is the only ay to in"estigate its $hiloso$hy. This is the $ortal of its tem$le, through hich alone e can gain access to the sacellum here its a$orrheta are conceale!. 6ts $hiloso$hy is engage! in the consi!eration of $ro$ositions relating to Go! an! man, to the $resent an! the future life. 6ts science is the symbolism by hich these $ro$ositions are $resente! to the min!. The ork no offere! to the $ublic is an effort to !e"elo$ an! e>$lain this $hiloso$hy an! science. 6t ill sho that there are in Freemasonry the germs of $rofoun! s$eculation. 6f it !oes not interest the learne!, it may instruct the ignorant. 6f so, 6 shall not regret the labor an! research that ha"e been besto e! u$on its com$osition. A&B/(T G. MA5=/#, M.).

59A(&/ST8<, S.5., Feb. ++, 1CD2.

5ontents.

6. Preliminary. 66. The <oachi!ae. 666. The Primiti"e Freemasonry of AntiBuity. 6H. The S$urious Freemasonry of AntiBuity. H. The Ancient Mysteries. H6. The )ionysiac Artificers. H66. The ;nion of S$eculati"e an! 8$erati"e Masonry at the Tem$le of Solomon. H666. The Tra"elling Freemasons of the Mi!!le Ages. 6I. )isse"erance of the 8$erati"e /lement. I. The System of Symbolic 6nstruction. I6. The S$eculati"e Science an! the 8$erati"e Art. I66. The Symbolism of Solomon's Tem$le. I666. The Form of the &o!ge. I6H. The 8fficers of a &o!ge. IH. The Point ithin a 5ircle. IH6. The 5o"ering of the &o!ge. IH66. (itualistic Symbolism. IH666. The (ite of )iscalceation. I6I. The (ite of 6n"estiture. II. The Symbolism of the Glo"es. II6. The (ite of 5ircumambulation. II66. The (ite of 6ntrusting, an! the Symbolism of &ight. II666. Symbolism of the 5orner%stone. II6H. The 6neffable <ame. IIH. The &egen!s of Freemasonry. IIH6. The &egen! of the Ein!ing Stairs. IIH66. The &egen! of the Thir! )egree. IIH666. The S$rig of Acacia. II6I. The Symbolism of &abor. III. The Stone of Foun!ation. III6. The &ost Eor!. Syno$tical 6n!e>.

6. Preliminary.

The 8rigin an! Progress of Freemasonry. Any inBuiry into the symbolism an! $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry must necessarily be $rece!e! by a brief in"estigation of the origin an! history of the institution. Ancient an! uni"ersal as it is, hence !i! it ariseF Ehat ere the acci!ents connecte! ith its birthF From hat kin!re! or similar association !i! it s$ringF 8r as it original an! autochthonic, in!e$en!ent, in its ince$tion, of any e>ternal influences, an! unconnecte! ith any other institutionF These are Buestions hich an intelligent in"estigator ill be !is$ose! to $ro$oun! in the "ery commencement of the inBuiry? an! they are Buestions hich must be !istinctly ans ere! before he can be e>$ecte! to com$rehen! its true character as a symbolic institution. 9e must kno something of its antece!ents, before he can a$$reciate its character. But he ho e>$ects to arri"e at a satisfactory solution of this inBuiry must first%%as a $reliminary absolutely necessary to success%%release himself from the influence of an error into hich no"ices in Masonic $hiloso$hy are too a$t to fall. 9e must not confoun! the !octrine of Freemasonry ith its out ar! an! e>trinsic form. 9e must not su$$ose that certain usages an! ceremonies, hich e>ist at this !ay, but hich, e"en no , are subject to e>tensi"e "ariations in !ifferent countries, constitute the sum an! substance of Freemasonry. @Pru!ent antiBuity,@ says &or! 5oke, @!i! for more solemnity an! better memory an! obser"ation of that hich is to be !one, e>$ress substances un!er ceremonies.@ But it must be al ays remembere! that the ceremony is not the substance. 6t is but the outer garment hich co"ers an! $erha$s a!orns it, as clothing !oes the human figure. But !i"est man of that out ar! a$$arel, an! you still ha"e the microcosm, the on!rous creation, ith all his ner"es, an! bones, an! muscles, an!, abo"e all, ith his brain, an! thoughts, an! feelings. An! so take from Masonry these e>ternal ceremonies, an! you still ha"e remaining its $hiloso$hy an! science. These ha"e, of course, al ays continue! the same, hile the ceremonies ha"e "arie! in !ifferent ages, an! still "ary in !ifferent countries. The !efinition of Freemasonry that it is @a science of morality, "eile! in allegory, an! illustrate! by symbols,@ has been so often Buote!, that, ere it not for its beauty, it oul! become earisome. But this !efinition contains the e>act $rinci$le that has just been enunciate!. Freemasonry is a science%%a $hiloso$hy%%a system of !octrines hich is taught, in a

manner $eculiar to itself, by allegories an! symbols. This is its internal character. 6ts ceremonies are e>ternal a!!itions, hich affect not its substance. <o , hen e are about to institute an inBuiry into the origin of Freemasonry, it is of this $eculiar system of $hiloso$hy that e are to inBuire, an! not of the ceremonies hich ha"e been foiste! on it. 6f e $ursue any other course e shall assure!ly fall into error. Thus, if e seek the origin an! first beginning of the Masonic $hiloso$hy, e must go a ay back into the ages of remote antiBuity, hen e shall fin! this beginning in the bosom of kin!re! associations, here the same $hiloso$hy as maintaine! an! taught. But if e confoun! the ceremonies of Masonry ith the $hiloso$hy of Masonry, an! seek the origin of the institution, moul!e! into out ar! form as it is to%!ay, e can scarcely be reBuire! to look farther back than the beginning of the eighteenth century, an!, in!ee!, not Buite so far. For many im$ortant mo!ifications ha"e been ma!e in its rituals since that $erio!. 9a"ing, then, arri"e! at the conclusion that it is not the Masonic ritual, but the Masonic $hiloso$hy, hose origin e are to in"estigate, the ne>t Buestion naturally relates to the $eculiar nature of that $hiloso$hy. <o , then, 6 conten! that the $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry is engage! in the contem$lation of the !i"ine an! human character? of G8) as one eternal, self%e>istent being, in contra!iction to the mythology of the ancient $eo$les, hich as bur!ene! ith a multitu!e of go!s an! go!!esses, of !emigo!s an! heroes? of MA< as an immortal being, $re$aring in the $resent life for an eternal future, in like contra!iction to the ancient $hiloso$hy, hich circumscribe! the e>istence of man to the $resent life. These t o !octrines, then, of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul, constitute the $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry. Ehen e ish to !efine it succinctly, e say that it is an ancient system of $hiloso$hy hich teaches these t o !ogmas. An! hence, if, ami! the intellectual !arkness an! !ebasement of the ol! $olytheistic religions, e fin! inters$erse! here an! there, in all ages, certain institutions or associations hich taught these truths, an! that, in a $articular ay, allegorically an! symbolically, then e ha"e a right to say that such institutions or associations ere the incunabula%%the $re!ecessors%%of the Masonic institution as it no e>ists. Eith these $reliminary remarks the rea!er ill be enable! to enter u$on the consi!eration of that theory of the origin of Freemasonry hich 6 a!"ance in the follo ing $ro$ositions'%% 1. 6n the first $lace, 6 conten! that in the "ery earliest ages of the

orl! there ere e>istent certain truths of "ast im$ortance to the elfare an! ha$$iness of humanity, hich ha! been communicate!,%%no matter ho , but,%%most $robably, by !irect ins$iration from Go! to man. +. These truths $rinci$ally consiste! in the abstract $ro$ositions of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. 8f the truth of these t o $ro$ositions there cannot be a reasonable !oubt. The belief in these truths is a necessary conseBuence of that religious sentiment hich has al ays forme! an essential feature of human nature. Man is, em$hatically, an! in !istinction from all other creatures, a religious animal. Gross commences his interesting ork on @The 9eathen (eligion in its Po$ular an! Symbolical )e"elo$ment@ by the statement that @one of the most remarkable $henomena of the human race is the uni"ersal e>istence of religious i!eas%%a belief in something su$ernatural an! !i"ine, an! a orshi$ corres$on!ing to it.@ As nature ha! im$lante! the religious sentiment, the same nature must ha"e !irecte! it in a $ro$er channel. The belief an! the orshi$ must at first ha"e been as $ure as the fountain hence they flo e!, although, in subseBuent times, an! before the a!"ent of 5hristian light, they may both ha"e been corru$te! by the influence of the $riests an! the $oets o"er an ignorant an! su$erstitious $eo$le. The first an! secon! $ro$ositions of my theory refer only to that $rime"al $erio! hich as antece!ent to these corru$tions, of hich 6 shall hereafter s$eak. 3. These truths of Go! an! immortality ere most $robably han!e! !o n through the line of $atriarchs of the race of Seth, but ere, at all e"ents, kno n to <oah, an! ere by him communicate! to his imme!iate !escen!ants. -. 6n conseBuence of this communication, the true orshi$ of Go! continue!, for some time after the subsi!ence of the !eluge, to be culti"ate! by the <oachi!ae, the <oachites, or the !escen!ants of <oah. J. At a subseBuent $erio! Kno matter hen, but the biblical recor! $laces it at the attem$te! buil!ing of the to er of BabelL, there as a secession of a large number of the human race from the <oachites. D. These sece!ers ra$i!ly lost sight of the !i"ine truths hich ha! been communicate! to them from their common ancestor, an! fell into the most grie"ous theological errors, corru$ting the $urity of the orshi$ an! the ortho!o>y of the religious faith hich they ha! $rimarily recei"e!. *. These truths ere $reser"e! in their integrity by but a "ery fe in the $atriarchal line, hile still fe er ere enable! to retain only !im an! glimmering $ortions of the true light. C. The first class as confine! to the !irect !escen!ants of <oah, an! the secon! as to be foun! among the $riests an! $hiloso$hers, an!, $erha$s,

still later, among the $oets of the heathen nations, an! among those hom they initiate! into the secrets of these truths. 8f the $re"alence of these religious truths among the $atriarchal !escen!ants of <oah, e ha"e am$le e"i!ence in the sacre! recor!s. As to their e>istence among a bo!y of learne! heathens, e ha"e the testimony of many intelligent riters ho ha"e !e"ote! their energies to this subject. Thus the learne! Grote, in his @9istory of Greece,@ says, @The allegorical inter$retation of the myths has been, by se"eral learne! in"estigators, es$ecially by 5reuGer, connecte! ith the hy$othesis of Aan ancient an! highly instructe! bo!y of $riestsA, ha"ing their origin either in /gy$t or in the /ast, an! communicating to the ru!e an! barbarous Greeks religious, $hysical, an! historical kno le!ge, Aun!er the "eil of symbolsA.@ Ehat is here sai! only of the Greeks is eBually a$$licable to e"ery other intellectual nation of antiBuity. 2. The system or !octrine of the former class has been calle! by Masonic riters the @Pure or Primiti"e Freemasonry@ of antiBuity, an! that of the latter class the @S$urious Freemasonry@ of the same $erio!. These terms ere first use!, if 6 mistake not, by )r. 8li"er, an! are inten!e! to refer%%the or! A$ureA to the !octrines taught by the !escen!ants of <oah in the :e ish line an! the or! As$uriousA to his !escen!ants in the heathen or Gentile line. 1,. The masses of the $eo$le, among the Gentiles es$ecially, ere totally unacBuainte! ith this !i"ine truth, hich as the foun!ation stone of both s$ecies of Freemasonry, the $ure an! the s$urious, an! ere !ee$ly immerse! in the errors an! falsities of heathen belief an! orshi$. 11. These errors of the heathen religions ere not the "oluntary in"entions of the $eo$les ho culti"ate! them, but ere gra!ual an! almost una"oi!able corru$tions of the truths hich ha! been at first taught by <oah? an!, in!ee!, so $al$able are these corru$tions, that they can be rea!ily !etecte! an! trace! to the original form from hich, ho e"er much they might "ary among !ifferent $eo$les, they ha!, at one time or another, !e"iate!. Thus, in the life an! achie"ements of Bacchus or )ionysus, e fin! the tra"estie! counter$art of the career of Moses, an! in the name of Hulcan, the blacksmith go!, e e"i!ently see an etymological corru$tion of the a$$ellation of Tubal 5ain, the first artificer in metals. For AHul%canA is but a mo!ifie! form of ABaal%5ainA, the go! 5ain. 1+. But those among the masses%%an! there ere some%% ho ere ma!e acBuainte! ith the truth, recei"e! their kno le!ge by means of an initiation into certain sacre! Mysteries, in the bosom of hich it as conceale! from the $ublic gaGe. 13. These Mysteries e>iste! in e"ery country of heathen!om, in each un!er a !ifferent name, an! to some e>tent un!er a !ifferent form, but al ays

an! e"ery here ith the same !esign of inculcating, by allegorical an! symbolic teachings, the great Masonic !octrines of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. This is an im$ortant $ro$osition, an! the fact hich it enunciates must ne"er be lost sight of in any inBuiry into the origin of Freemasonry? for the $agan Mysteries ere to the s$urious Freemasonry of antiBuity $recisely hat the Masters' lo!ges are to the Freemasonry of the $resent !ay. 6t is nee!less to offer any $roof of their e>istence, since this is a!mitte! an! continually referre! to by all historians, ancient an! mo!ern? an! to !iscuss minutely their character an! organiGation oul! occu$y a !istinct treatise. The Baron !e Sainte 5roi> has ritten t o large "olumes on the subject, an! yet left it une>hauste!. 1-. These t o !i"isions of the Masonic 6nstitution hich ere !efine! in the 2th $ro$osition, namely, the $ure or $rimiti"e Freemasonry among the :e ish !escen!ants of the $atriarchs, ho are calle!, by ay of !istinction, the <oachites, or !escen!ants of <oah, because they ha! not forgotten nor aban!one! the teachings of their great ancestor, an! the s$urious Freemasonry $ractise! among the $agan nations, flo e! !o n the stream of time in $arallel currents, often near together, but ne"er commingling. 1J. But these t o currents ere not al ays to be ke$t a$art, for, s$ringing, in the long anterior ages, from one common fountain,%%that ancient $riesthoo! of hom 6 ha"e alrea!y s$oken in the Cth $ro$osition,%%an! then !i"i!ing into the $ure an! s$urious Freemasonry of antiBuity, an! remaining se$arate! for centuries u$on centuries, they at length met at the buil!ing of the great tem$le of :erusalem, an! ere unite!, in the instance of the 6sraelites un!er =ing Solomon, an! the Tyrians un!er 9iram, =ing of Tyre, an! 9iram Abif. The s$urious Freemasonry, it is true, !i! not then an! there cease to e>ist. 8n the contrary, it laste! for centuries subseBuent to this $erio!? for it as not until long after, an! in the reign of the /m$eror Theo!osius, that the $agan Mysteries ere finally an! totally abolishe!. But by the union of the :e ish or $ure Freemasons an! the Tyrian or s$urious Freemasons at :erusalem, there as a mutual infusion of their res$ecti"e !octrines an! ceremonies, hich e"entually terminate! in the abolition of the t o !istincti"e systems an! the establishment of a ne one, that may be consi!ere! as the imme!iate $rototy$e of the $resent institution. 9ence many Masonic stu!ents, going no farther back in their in"estigations than the facts announce! in this 1Jth $ro$osition, are content to fin! the origin of Freemasonry at the tem$le of Solomon. But if my theory be correct, the truth is, that it there recei"e!, not its birth, but only a ne mo!ification of its character. The legen! of the thir! !egree%%the gol!en legen!, the Alegen!a aureaA%%of Masonry as there a!o$te! by $ure Freemasonry, hich before ha! no such legen!, from s$urious Freemasonry. But the legen! ha! e>iste! un!er other names an! forms, in all the

Mysteries, for ages before. The !octrine of immortality, hich ha! hitherto been taught by the <oachites sim$ly as an abstract $ro$osition, as thenceforth to be inculcate! by a symbolic lesson%%the symbol of 9iram the Buil!er as to become fore"er after the !istincti"e feature of Freemasonry. 1D. But another im$ortant mo!ification as effecte! in the Masonic system at the buil!ing of the tem$le. Pre"ious to the union hich then took $lace, the $ure Freemasonry of the <oachites ha! al ays been s$eculati"e, but resemble! the $resent organiGation in no other ay than in the culti"ation of the same abstract $rinci$les of !i"ine truth. 1*. The Tyrians, on the contrary, ere architects by $rofession, an!, as their lea!ers ere !isci$les of the school of the s$urious Freemasonry, they, for the first time, at the tem$le of Solomon, hen they unite! ith their :e ish contem$oraries, infuse! into the s$eculati"e science, hich as $ractise! by the latter, the elements of an o$erati"e art. 1C. Therefore the system continue! thencefor ar!, for ages, to $resent the commingle! elements of o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e Masonry. Ee see this in the A5ollegia FabrorumA, or 5olleges of Artificers, first establishe! at (ome by <uma, an! hich ere certainly of a Masonic form in their organiGation? in the :e ish sect of the /ssenes, ho rought as ell as $raye!, an! ho are claime! to ha"e been the !escen!ants of the tem$le buil!ers, an! also, an! still more $rominently, in the Tra"elling Freemasons of the mi!!le ages, ho i!entify themsel"es by their "ery name ith their mo!ern successors, an! hose societies ere com$ose! of learne! men ho thought an! rote, an! of orkmen ho labore! an! built. An! so for a long time Freemasonry continue! to be both o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e. 12. But another change as to be effecte! in the institution to make it $recisely hat it no is, an!, therefore, at a "ery recent $erio! Kcom$arati"ely s$eakingL, the o$erati"e feature as aban!one!, an! Freemasonry became holly s$eculati"e. The e>act time of this change is not left to conjecture. 6t took $lace in the reign of Mueen Anne, of /nglan!, in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Preston gi"es us the "ery or!s of the !ecree hich establishe! this change, for he says that at that time it as agree! to @that the $ri"ileges of Masonry shoul! no longer be restricte! to o$erati"e Masons, but e>ten! to men of "arious $rofessions, $ro"i!e! they ere regularly a$$ro"e! an! initiate! into the or!er.@ The nineteen $ro$ositions here announce! contain a brief but succinct "ie of the $rogress of Freemasonry from its origin in the early ages of the orl!, sim$ly as a system of religious $hiloso$hy, through all the mo!ifications to hich it as submitte! in the :e ish an! Gentile races,

until at length it as !e"elo$e! in its $resent $erfecte! form. )uring all this time it $reser"e! unchangeably certain features that may hence be consi!ere! as its s$ecific characteristics, by hich it has al ays been !istinguishe! from e"ery other contem$oraneous association, ho e"er such association may ha"e simulate! it in out ar! form. These characteristics are, first, the !octrines hich it has constantly taught, namely, that of the unity of Go! an! that of the immortality of the soul? an!, secon!ly, the manner in hich these !octrines ha"e been taught, namely, by symbols an! allegories. Taking these characteristics as the e>$onents of hat Freemasonry is, e cannot hel$ arri"ing at the conclusion that the s$eculati"e Masonry of the $resent !ay e>hibits abun!ant e"i!ence of the i!entity of its origin ith the s$urious Freemasonry of the ante%Solomonic $erio!, both systems coming from the same $ure source, but the one al ays $reser"ing, an! the other continually corru$ting, the $urity of the common fountain. This is also the necessary conclusion as a corollary from the $ro$ositions a!"ance! in this essay. There is also abun!ant e"i!ence in the history, of hich these $ro$ositions are but a meagre outline, that a manifest influence as e>erte! on the $ure or $rimiti"e Freemasonry of the <oachites by the Tyrian branch of the s$urious system, in the symbols, myths, an! legen!s hich the former recei"e! from the latter, but hich it so mo!ifie! an! inter$rete! as to make them consistent ith its o n religious system. 8ne thing, at least, is inca$able of refutation? an! that is, that e are in!ebte! to the Tyrian Masons for the intro!uction of the symbol of 9iram Abif. The i!ea of the symbol, although mo!ifie! by the :e ish Masons, is not :e ish in its ince$tion. 6t as e"i!ently borro e! from the $agan mysteries, here Bacchus, A!onis, Proser$ine, an! a host of other a$otheosiGe! beings $lay the same role that 9iram !oes in the Masonic mysteries. An! lastly, e fin! in the technical terms of Masonry, in its orking tools, in the names of its gra!es, an! in a large majority of its symbols, am$le testimony of the strong infusion into its religious $hiloso$hy of the elements of an o$erati"e art. An! history again e>$lains this fact by referring to the connection of the institution ith the )ionysiac Fraternity of Artificers, ho ere engage! in buil!ing the tem$le of Solomon, ith the Eorkmen's 5olleges of <uma, an! ith the Tra"elling Freemasons of the mi!!le ages, ho constructe! all the great buil!ings of that $erio!. These nineteen $ro$ositions, hich ha"e been submitte! in the $resent essay, constitute a brief summary or outline of a theory of the true origin of Freemasonry, hich long an! $atient in"estigation has le! me to a!o$t. To attem$t to $ro"e the truth of each of these $ro$ositions in its

or!er by logical !emonstration, or by historical e"i!ence, oul! in"ol"e the riting of an elaborate treatise. They are no offere! sim$ly as suggestions on hich the Masonic stu!ent may $on!er. They are but inten!e! as gui!e%$osts, hich may !irect him in his journey shoul! he un!ertake the $leasant although !ifficult task of instituting an inBuiry into the origin an! $rogress of Freemasonry from its birth to its $resent state of full%gro n manhoo!. But e"en in this abri!ge! form they are absolutely necessary as $reliminary to any true un!erstan!ing of the symbolism of Freemasonry.

66. The <oachi!ae.

6 $rocee!, then, to inBuire into the historical origin of Freemasonry, as a necessary intro!uction to any inBuiry into the character of its symbolism. To !o this, ith any e>$ectation of ren!ering justice to the subject, it is e"i!ent that 6 shall ha"e to take my $oint of !e$arture at a "ery remote era. 6 shall, ho e"er, re"ie the early an! antece!ent history of the institution ith as much bre"ity as a !istinct un!erstan!ing of the subject ill a!mit. Passing o"er all that is ithin the ante!ilu"ian history of the orl!, as something that e>erte!, so far as our subject is concerne!, no influence on the ne orl! hich s$rang forth from the ruins of the ol!, e fin!, soon after the cataclysm, the imme!iate !escen!ants of <oah in the $ossession of at least t o religious truths, hich they recei"e! from their common father, an! hich he must ha"e !eri"e! from the line of $atriarchs ho $rece!e! him. These truths ere the !octrine of the e>istence of a Su$reme 6ntelligence, the 5reator, Preser"er, an! (uler of the ;ni"erse, an!, as a necessary corollary, the belief in the immortality of the soul.14, hich, as an emanation from that $rimal cause, as to be !istinguishe!, by a future an! eternal life, from the "ile an! $erishable !ust hich forms its earthly tabernacle. The assertion that these !octrines ere kno n to an! recogniGe! by <oah ill not a$$ear as an assum$tion to the belie"er in !i"ine re"elation. But any $hiloso$hic min! must, 6 concei"e, come to the same conclusion, in!e$en!ently of any other authority than that of reason. The religious sentiment, so far, at least, as it relates to the belief in

the e>istence of Go!, a$$ears to be in some sense innate, or instincti"e, an! conseBuently uni"ersal in the human min!.+4. There is no recor! of any nation, ho e"er intellectually an! morally !ebase!, that has not gi"en some e"i!ence of a ten!ency to such belief. The sentiment may be $er"erte!, the i!ea may be grossly corru$te!, but it is ne"ertheless there, an! sho s the source hence it s$rang.34. /"en in the most !ebase! forms of fetichism, here the negro kneels in re"erential a e before the shrine of some uncouth an! missha$en i!ol, hich his o n han!s, $erha$s, ha"e ma!e, the act of a!oration, !egra!ing as the object may be, is ne"ertheless an ackno le!gment of the longing nee! of the orshi$$er to thro himself u$on the su$$ort of some unkno n $o er higher than his o n s$here. An! this unkno n $o er, be it hat it may, is to him a Go!..-4 But just as uni"ersal has been the belief in the immortality of the soul. This arises from the same longing in man for the infinite? an! although, like the former !octrine, it has been $er"erte! an! corru$te!, there e>ists among all nations a ten!ency to its ackno le!gment. /"ery $eo$le, from the remotest times, ha"e an!ere! in"oluntarily into the i!eal of another orl!, an! sought to fin! a $lace for their !e$arte! s$irits. The !eification of the !ea!, man% orshi$, or hero% orshi$, the ne>t !e"elo$ment of the religious i!ea after fetichism, as sim$ly an ackno le!gment of the belief in a future life? for the !ea! coul! not ha"e been !eifie! unless after !eath they ha! continue! to li"e. The a!oration of a $utri! carcass oul! ha"e been a form of fetichism lo er an! more !egra!ing than any that has been !isco"ere!. But man% orshi$ came after fetichism. 6t as a higher !e"elo$ment of the religious sentiment, an! inclu!e! a $ossible ho$e for, if not a $ositi"e belief in, a future life. (eason, then, as ell as re"elation, lea!s us irresistibly to the conclusion that these t o !octrines $re"aile! among the !escen!ants of <oah, imme!iately after the !eluge. They ere belie"e!, too, in all their $urity an! integrity, because they ere !eri"e! from the highest an! $urest source. These are the !octrines hich still constitute the cree! of Freemasonry? an! hence one of the names besto e! u$on the Freemasons from the earliest times as that of the @A<oachi!aeA@ or @A<oachitesA@ that is to say, the !escen!ants of <oah, an! the transmitters of his religious !ogmas.

666.

The Primiti"e Freemasonry of AntiBuity.

The ne>t im$ortant historical e$och hich !eman!s our attention is that connecte! ith hat, in sacre! history, is kno n as the !is$ersion at Babel. The brightness of truth, as it ha! been communicate! by <oah, became co"ere!, as it ere, ith a clou!. The !ogmas of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul ere lost sight of, an! the first !e"iation from the true orshi$ occurre! in the establishment of Sabianism, or the orshi$ of the sun, moon, an! stars, among some $eo$les, an! the !eification of men among others. 8f these t o !e"iations, Sabianism, or sun% orshi$, as both the earlier an! the more generally !iffuse!..J4 @6t seems,@ says the learne! 8 en, @to ha"e ha! its rise from some broken tra!itions con"eye! by the $atriarchs touching the !ominion of the sun by !ay an! of the moon by night.@ The mo!e in hich this ol! system has been mo!ifie! an! s$iritually symboliGe! by Freemasonry ill be the subject of future consi!eration. But Sabianism, hile it as the most ancient of the religious corru$tions, as, 6 ha"e sai!, also the most generally !iffuse!? an! hence, e"en among nations hich after ar!s a!o$te! the $olytheistic cree! of !eifie! men an! factitious go!s, this ancient sun% orshi$ is seen to be continually e>erting its influences. Thus, among the Greeks, the most refine! $eo$le that culti"ate! hero% orshi$, 9ercules as the sun, an! the mythologic fable of his !estroying ith his arro s the many%hea!e! hy!ra of the &ernaean marshes as but an allegory to !enote the !issi$ation of $alu!al malaria by the $urifying rays of the orb of !ay. Among the /gy$tians, too, the chief !eity, 8siris, as but another name for the sun, hile his arch%enemy an! !estroyer, Ty$hon, as the ty$ification of night, or !arkness. An! lastly, among the 9in!us, the three manifestations of their su$reme !eity, Brahma, Si"a, an! Hishnu, ere symbols of the rising, meri!ian, an! setting sun. This early an! "ery general $re"alence of the sentiment of sun% orshi$ is orthy of es$ecial attention on account of the influence that it e>ercise! o"er the s$urious Freemasonry of antiBuity, of hich 6 am soon to s$eak, an! hich is still felt, although mo!ifie! an! 5hristianiGe! in our mo!ern system. Many, in!ee! nearly all, of the masonic symbols of the $resent !ay can only be thoroughly com$rehen!e! an! $ro$erly a$$reciate! by this reference to sun% orshi$. This !i"ine truth, then, of the e>istence of one Su$reme Go!, the Gran! Architect of the ;ni"erse, symboliGe! in Freemasonry as the T(;/ E8(), as lost to the Sabians an! to the $olytheists ho arose after the !is$ersion at Babel, an! ith it also !isa$$eare! the !octrine of a future life? an!

hence, in one $ortion of the masonic ritual, in allusion to this historic fact, e s$eak of @the lofty to er of Babel, here language as confoun!e! an! Masonry lost.@ There ere, ho e"er, some of the buil!ers on the $lain of Shinar ho $reser"e! these great religious an! masonic !octrines of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul in their $ristine $urity. These ere the $atriarchs, in hose "enerable line they continue! to be taught. 9ence, years after the !is$ersion of the nations at Babel, the orl! $resente! t o great religious sects, $assing on ar! !o n the stream of time, si!e by si!e, yet as !i"erse from each other as light from !arkness, an! truth from falsehoo!. 8ne of these lines of religious thought an! sentiment as the i!olatrous an! $agan orl!. Eith it all masonic !octrine, at least in its $urity, as e>tinct, although there mingle! ith it, an! at times to some e>tent influence! it, an offshoot from the other line, to hich attention ill be soon !irecte!. The secon! of these lines consiste!, as has alrea!y been sai!, of the $atriarchs an! $riests, ho $reser"e! in all their $urity the t o great masonic !octrines of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. This line embrace!, then, hat, in the language of recent masonic riters, has been !esignate! as the APrimiti"e Freemasonry of AntiBuityA. <o , it is by no means inten!e! to a!"ance any such gratuitous an! untenable theory as that $ro$ose! by some imaginati"e riters, that the Freemasonry of the $atriarchs as in its organiGation, its ritual, or its symbolism, like the system hich no e>ists. Ee kno not in!ee!, that it ha! a ritual, or e"en a symbolism. 6 am incline! to think that it as ma!e u$ of abstract $ro$ositions, !eri"e! from ante!ilu"ian tra!itions. )r. 8li"er thinks it $robable that there ere a fe symbols among these Primiti"e an! Pure Freemasons, an! he enumerates among them the ser$ent, the triangle, an! the $oint ithin a circle? but 6 can fin! no authority for the su$$osition, nor !o 6 think it fair to claim for the or!er more than it is fairly entitle! to, nor more than it can be fairly $ro"e! to $ossess. Ehen An!erson calls Moses a Gran! Master, :oshua his )e$uty, an! Aholiab an! BeGaleel Gran! Ear!ens, the e>$ression is to be looke! u$on sim$ly as a Afacon !e $arlerA, a mo!e of s$eech entirely figurati"e in its character, an! by no means inten!e! to con"ey the i!ea hich is entertaine! in res$ect to officers of that character in the $resent system. 6t oul!, un!oubte!ly, ho e"er, ha"e been better that such language shoul! not ha"e been use!. All that can be claime! for the system of Primiti"e Freemasonry, as $ractise! by the $atriarchs, is, that it embrace! an! taught the t o great

!ogmas of Freemasonry, namely, the unity of Go!, an! the immortality of the soul. 6t may be, an! in!ee! it is highly $robable, that there as a secret !octrine, an! that this !octrine as not in!iscriminately communicate!. Ee kno that Moses, ho as necessarily the reci$ient of the kno le!ge of his $re!ecessors, !i! not $ublicly teach the !octrine of the immortality of the soul. But there as among the :e s an oral or secret la hich as ne"er committe! to riting until after the ca$ti"ity? an! this la , 6 su$$ose, may ha"e containe! the recognition of those !ogmas of the Primiti"e Freemasonry. Briefly, then, this system of Primiti"e Freemasonry,%% ithout ritual or symbolism, that has come !o n to us, at least,%%consisting solely of tra!itionary legen!s, teaching only the t o great truths alrea!y allu!e! to, an! being holly s$eculati"e in its character, ithout the slightest infusion of an o$erati"e element, as regularly transmitte! through the :e ish line of $atriarchs, $riests, an! kings, ithout alteration, increase, or !iminution, to the time of Solomon, an! the buil!ing of the tem$le at :erusalem. &ea"ing it, then, to $ursue this e"en course of !escent, let us refer once more to that other line of religious history, the one $assing through the i!olatrous an! $olytheistic nations of antiBuity, an! trace from it the regular rise an! $rogress of another !i"ision of the masonic institution, hich, by ay of !istinction, has been calle! the AS$urious Freemasonry of AntiBuityA.

6H. The S$urious Freemasonry of AntiBuity.

6n the "ast but barren !esert of $olytheism%%!ark an! !reary as ere its gloomy !omains%%there ere still, ho e"er, to be foun! some fe oases of truth. The $hiloso$hers an! sages of antiBuity ha!, in the course of their learne! researches, ai!e! by the light of nature, !isco"ere! something of those inestimable truths in relation to Go! an! a future state hich their $atriarchal contem$oraries ha! recei"e! as a re"elation ma!e to their common ancestry before the floo!, an! hich ha! been retaine! an! $romulgate! after that e"ent by <oah. They ere, ith these !im but still $urifying $erce$tions, un illing to !egra!e the majesty of the First Great 5ause by sharing his attributes

ith a Neus an! a 9era in Greece, a :u$iter an! a :uno in (ome, an 8siris an! an 6sis in /gy$t? an! they !i! not belie"e that the thinking, feeling, reasoning soul, the guest an! com$anion of the bo!y, oul!, at the hour of that bo!y's !issolution, be consigne!, ith it, to total annihilation. 9ence, in the earliest ages after the era of the !is$ersion, there ere some among the heathen ho belie"e! in the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. But these !octrines they !urst not $ublicly teach. The min!s of the $eo$le, gro"elling in su$erstition, an! !e"ote!, as St. Paul testifies of the Athenians, to the orshi$ of unkno n go!s, ere not $re$are! for the $hiloso$hic teachings of a $ure theology. 6t as, in!ee!, an a>iom unhesitatingly enunciate! an! freBuently re$eate! by their riters, that @there are many truths ith hich it is useless for the $eo$le to be ma!e acBuainte!, an! many fables hich it is not e>$e!ient that they shoul! kno to be false.@ .D4 Such is the language of Harro, as $reser"e! by St. Augustine? an! Strabo, another of their riters, e>claims, @6t is not $ossible for a $hiloso$her to con!uct a multitu!e of omen an! ignorant $eo$le by a metho! of reasoning, an! thus to in"ite them to $iety, holiness, an! faith? but the $hiloso$her must also make use of su$erstition, an! not omit the in"ention of fables an! the $erformance of on!ers.@ .*4 Ehile, therefore, in those early ages of the orl!, e fin! the masses gro"elling in the intellectual !ebasement of a $olytheistic an! i!olatrous religion, ith no su$$ort for the $resent, no ho$e for the future,%%li"ing ithout the kno le!ge of a su$reme an! su$erinten!ing Pro"i!ence, an! !ying ithout the e>$ectation of a blissful immortality,%% e shall at the same time fin! am$le testimony that these consoling !octrines ere secretly belie"e! by the $hiloso$hers an! their !isci$les. But though belie"e!, they ere not $ublicly taught. They ere heresies hich it oul! ha"e been im$olitic an! !angerous to ha"e broache! to the $ublic ear? they ere truths hich might ha"e le! to a contem$t of the establishe! system an! to the o"erthro of the $o$ular su$erstition. Socrates, the Athenian sage, is an illustrious instance of the $unishment that as mete! out to the bol! inno"ator ho attem$te! to insult the go!s an! to $oison the min!s of youth ith the heresies of a $hiloso$hic religion. @They $ermitte!, therefore,@ says a learne! riter on this subject.C4, @the multitu!e to remain $lunge! as they ere in the !e$th of a gross an! com$licate! i!olatry? but for those $hiloso$hic fe ho coul! bear the light of truth ithout being confoun!e! by the blaGe, they remo"e! the mysterious "eil, an! !is$laye! to them the )eity in the ra!iant glory of his unity. From the "ulgar eye, ho e"er, these !octrines ere ke$t in"iolably sacre!, an! ra$$e! in the "eil of im$enetrable mystery.@ The conseBuence of all this as, that no one as $ermitte! to be in"este!

ith the kno le!ge of these sublime truths, until by a course of se"ere an! ar!uous trials, by a long an! $ainful initiation, an! by a formal series of gra!ual $re$arations, he ha! $ro"e! himself orthy an! ca$able of recei"ing the full light of is!om. For this $ur$ose, therefore, those $eculiar religious institutions ere organiGe! hich the ancients !esignate! as the M#ST/(6/S, an! hich, from the resemblance of their organiGation, their objects, an! their !octrines, ha"e by masonic riters been calle! the @S$urious Freemasonry of AntiBuity.@ Earburton,.24 in gi"ing a !efinition of hat these Mysteries ere, says, @/ach of the $agan go!s ha! Kbesi!es the $ublic an! o$enL a secret orshi$ $ai! unto him, to hich none ere a!mitte! but those ho ha! been selecte! by $re$aratory ceremonies, calle! initiation. This secret orshi$ as terme! the Mysteries.@ 6 shall no en!ea"or briefly to trace the connection bet een these Mysteries an! the institution of Freemasonry? an! to !o so, it ill be necessary to enter u$on some !etails of the constitution of those mystic assemblies. Almost e"ery country of the ancient orl! ha! its $eculiar Mysteries, !e!icate! to the occult orshi$ of some es$ecial an! fa"orite go!, an! to the inculcation of a secret !octrine, "ery !ifferent from that hich as taught in the $ublic ceremonial of !e"otion. Thus in Persia the Mysteries ere !e!icate! to Mithras, or the Sun? in /gy$t, to 6sis an! 8siris? in Greece, to )emeter? in Samothracia, to the go!s 5abiri, the Mighty 8nes? in Syria, to )ionysus? hile in the more northern nations of /uro$e, such as Gaul an! Britain, the initiations ere !e!icate! to their $eculiar !eities, an! ere celebrate! un!er the general name of the )rui!ical rites. But no matter here or ho institute!, hether ostensibly in honor of the effeminate A!onis, the fa"orite of Henus, or of the im$lacable 8!in, the Scan!ina"ian go! of ar an! carnage? hether !e!icate! to )emeter, the ty$e of the earth, or to Mithras, the symbol of all that fructifies that earth,%%the great object an! !esign of the secret instruction ere i!entical in all $laces, an! the Mysteries constitute! a school of religion in hich the errors an! absur!ities of $olytheism ere re"eale! to the initiate!. The can!i!ate as taught that the multitu!inous !eities of the $o$ular theology ere but hi!!en symbols of the "arious attributes of the su$reme go!,%%a s$irit in"isible an! in!i"isible,%%an! that the soul, as an emanation from his essence, coul! @ne"er see corru$tion,@ but must, after the !eath of the bo!y, be raise! to an eternal life..1,4 That this as the !octrine an! the object of the Mysteries is e"i!ent from the concurrent testimony both of those ancient riters ho flourishe! contem$oraneously ith the $ractice of them, an! of those mo!ern scholars ho ha"e !e"ote! themsel"es to their in"estigation. Thus 6socrates, s$eaking of them in his Panegyric, says, @Those ho ha"e

been initiate! in the Mysteries of 5eres entertain better ho$es both as to the en! of life an! the hole of futurity.@ .114 /$ictetus.1+4 !eclares that e"erything in these Mysteries as institute! by the ancients for the instruction an! amen!ment of life. An! Plato.134 says that the !esign of initiation as to restore the soul to that state of $erfection from hich it ha! originally fallen. Thomas Taylor, the celebrate! Platonist, ho $ossesse! an unusual acBuaintance ith the character of these ancient rites, asserts that they @obscurely intimate!, by mystic an! s$len!i! "isions, the felicity of the soul, both here an! hereafter, hen $urifie! from the !efilements of a material nature, an! constantly ele"ate! to the realities of intellectual "ision.@ .1-4 5reuGer,.1J4 a !istinguishe! German riter, ho has e>amine! the subject of the ancient Mysteries ith great ju!gment an! elaboration, gi"es a theory on their nature an! !esign hich is ell orth consi!eration. This theory is, that hen there ha! been $lace! un!er the eyes of the initiate! symbolical re$resentations of the creation of the uni"erse, an! the origin of things, the migrations an! $urifications of the soul, the beginning an! $rogress of ci"iliGation an! agriculture, there as !ra n from these symbols an! these scenes in the Mysteries an instruction !estine! only for the more $erfect, or the e$o$ts, to hom ere communicate! the !octrines of the e>istence of a single an! eternal Go!, an! the !estination of the uni"erse an! of man. 5reuGer here, ho e"er, refers rather to the general object of the instructions, than to the character of the rites an! ceremonies by hich they ere im$resse! u$on the min!? for in the Mysteries, as in Freemasonry, the 9iero$hant, hom e oul! no call the Master of the &o!ge, often, as &obeck obser"es, !eli"ere! a mystical lecture, or !iscourse, on some moral subject. Faber, ho, not ithstan!ing the $re!ominance in his min! of a theory hich referre! e"ery rite an! symbol of the ancient orl! to the tra!itions of <oah, the ark, an! the !eluge, has gi"en a generally correct "ie of the systems of ancient religion, !escribes the initiation into the Mysteries as a scenic re$resentation of the mythic !escent into 9a!es, or the gra"e, an! the return from thence to the light of !ay. 6n a fe or!s, then, the object of instruction in all these Mysteries as the unity of Go!, an! the intention of the ceremonies of initiation into them as, by a scenic re$resentation of !eath, an! subseBuent restoration to life,.1D4 to im$ress the great truths of the resurrection of the !ea!

an! the immortality of the soul. 6 nee! scarcely here a!"ert to the great similarity in !esign an! conformation hich e>iste! bet een these ancient rites an! the thir! or Master's !egree of Masonry. &ike it they ere all funereal in their character' they began in sorro an! lamentation, they en!e! in joy? there as an a$hanism, or burial? a $astos, or gra"e? an euresis, or !isco"ery of hat ha! been lost? an! a legen!, or mythical relation,%%all of hich ere entirely an! $rofoun!ly symbolical in their character. An! hence, looking to this strange i!entity of !esign an! form, bet een the initiations of the ancients an! those of the mo!ern Masons, riters ha"e been !is$ose! to !esignate these mysteries as the SP;(68;S F(//MAS8<(# 8F A<T6M;6T#.

H. The Ancient Mysteries.

6 no $ro$ose, for the $ur$ose of illustrating these "ie s, an! of familiariGing the rea!er ith the coinci!ences bet een Freemasonry an! the ancient Mysteries, so that he may be better enable! to a$$reciate the mutual influences of each on the other as they are hereafter to be !e"elo$e!, to $resent a more !etaile! relation of one or more of these ancient systems of initiation. As the first illustration, let us select the Mysteries of 8siris, as they ere $ractise! in /gy$t, the birth$lace of all that is on!erful in the arts or sciences, or mysterious in the religion, of the ancient orl!. 6t as on the &ake of Sais that the solemn ceremonies of the 8sirian initiation ere $erforme!. @8n this lake,@ says 9ero!otus, @it is that the /gy$tians re$resent by night his sufferings hose name 6 refrain from mentioning? an! this re$resentation they call their Mysteries.@ .1*4 8siris, the husban! of 6sis, as an ancient king of the /gy$tians. 9a"ing been slain by Ty$hon, his bo!y as cut into $ieces.1C4 by his mur!erer, an! the mangle! remains cast u$on the aters of the <ile, to be !is$erse! to the four in!s of hea"en. 9is ife, 6sis, mourning for the !eath an! the mutilation of her husban!, for many !ays searche! !iligently ith her com$anions for the $ortions of the bo!y, an! ha"ing at length foun! them,

unite! them together, an! besto e! u$on them !ecent interment,%% hile 8siris, thus restore!, became the chief !eity of his subjects, an! his orshi$ as unite! ith that of 6sis, as the fecun!ating an! fertiliGing $o ers of nature. The can!i!ate in these initiations as ma!e to $ass through a mimic re$etition of the conflict an! !estruction of 8siris, an! his e"entual reco"ery? an! the e>$lanations ma!e to him, after he ha! recei"e! the full share of light to hich the $ainful an! solemn ceremonies through hich he ha! $asse! ha! entitle! him, constitute! the secret !octrine of hich 6 ha"e alrea!y s$oken, as the object of all the Mysteries. 8siris,%%a real an! $ersonal go! to the $eo$le,%%to be orshi$$e! ith fear an! ith trembling, an! to be $ro$itiate! ith sacrifices an! burnt offerings, became to the initiate but a symbol of the @Great first cause, least un!erstoo!,@ hile his !eath, an! the ailing of 6sis, ith the reco"ery of the bo!y, his translation to the rank of a celestial being, an! the conseBuent rejoicing of his s$ouse, ere but a tro$ical mo!e of teaching that after !eath comes life eternal, an! that though the bo!y be !estroye!, the soul shall still li"e. @5an e !oubt,@ says the Baron Sainte 5roi>, @that such ceremonies as those $ractise! in the Mysteries of 8siris ha! been originally institute! to im$ress more $rofoun!ly on the min! the !ogma of future re ar!s an! $unishmentsF@ .124 @The sufferings an! !eath of 8siris,@ says Mr. Eilkinson,.+,4 @ ere the great Mystery of the /gy$tian religion? an! some traces of it are $erce$tible among other $eo$le of antiBuity. 9is being the !i"ine goo!ness an! the abstract i!ea of 'goo!,' his manifestation u$on earth Klike an 6n!ian go!L, his !eath an! resurrection, an! his office as ju!ge of the !ea! in a future state, look like the early re"elation of a future manifestation of the !eity con"erte! into a mythological fable.@ A similar legen! an! similar ceremonies, "arie! only as to time, an! $lace, an! unim$ortant !etails, ere to be foun! in all the initiations of the ancient Mysteries. The !ogma as the same,%%future life,%%an! the metho! of inculcating it as the same. The coinci!ences bet een the !esign of these rites an! that of Freemasonry, hich must alrea!y begin to a$$ear, ill enable us to gi"e its full "alue to the e>$ression of 9utchinson, hen he says that @the Master Mason re$resents a man un!er the 5hristian !octrine sa"e! from the gra"e of iniBuity an! raise! to the faith of sal"ation.@ .+14 6n Phoenicia similar Mysteries ere celebrate! in honor of A!onis, the fa"orite lo"er of Henus, ho, ha"ing, hile hunting, been slain by a il! boar on Mount &ebanon, as restore! to life by Proser$ine. The

mythological story is familiar to e"ery classical scholar. 6n the $o$ular theology, A!onis as the son of 5inyras, king of 5yrus, hose untimely !eath as e$t by Henus an! her atten!ant nym$hs' in the $hysical theology of the $hiloso$hers,.++4 he as a symbol of the sun, alternately $resent to an! absent from the earth? but in the initiation into the Mysteries of his orshi$, his resurrection an! return from 9a!es ere a!o$te! as a ty$e of the immortality of the soul. The ceremonies of initiation in the A!onia began ith lamentation for his loss,%%or, as the $ro$het /Gekiel e>$resses it, @Behol!, there sat omen ee$ing for ThammuG,@%%for such as the name un!er hich his orshi$ as intro!uce! among the :e s? an! they en!e! ith the most e>tra"agant !emonstrations of joy at the re$resentation of his return to life,.+34 hile the hiero$hant e>claime!, in a congratulatory strain,%% @Trust, ye initiates? the go! is safe, An! from our grief sal"ation shall arise.@ Before $rocee!ing to an e>amination of those Mysteries hich are the most closely connecte! ith the masonic institution, it ill be as ell to take a brief "ie of their general organiGation. The secret orshi$, or Mysteries, of the ancients ere al ays !i"i!e! into the lesser an! the greater? the former being inten!e! only to a aken curiosity, to test the ca$acity an! !is$osition of the can!i!ate, an! by symbolical $urifications to $re$are him for his intro!uction into the greater Mysteries. The can!i!ate as at first calle! an as$irant, or seeker of the truth, an! the initial ceremony hich he un!er ent as a lustration or $urification by ater. 6n this con!ition he may be com$are! to the /ntere! A$$rentice of the masonic rites, an! it is here orth a!"erting to the fact K hich ill be hereafter more fully !e"elo$e!L that all the ceremonies in the first !egree of masonry are symbolic of an internal $urification. 6n the lesser Mysteries.+-4 the can!i!ate took an oath of secrecy, hich as a!ministere! to him by the mystagogue, an! then recei"e! a $re$aratory instruction,.+J4 hich enable! him after ar!s to un!erstan! the !e"elo$ments of the higher an! subseBuent !i"ision. 9e as no calle! a AMystesA, or initiate, an! may be com$are! to the Fello 5raft of Freemasonry. 6n the greater Mysteries the hole kno le!ge of the !i"ine truths, hich as the object of initiation, as communicate!. 9ere e fin!, among the "arious ceremonies hich assimilate! these rites to Freemasonry, the Aa$hanismA, hich as the !isa$$earance or !eath? the A$astosA, the couch, coffin, or gra"e? the AeuresisA, or the !isco"ery of the bo!y? an! the

Aauto$syA, or full sight of e"erything, that is, the com$lete communication of the secrets. The can!i!ate as here calle! an Ae$o$tA, or eye% itness, because nothing as no hi!!en from him? an! hence he may be com$are! to the Master Mason, of hom 9utchinson says that @he has !isco"ere! the kno le!ge of Go! an! his sal"ation, an! been re!eeme! from the !eath of sin an! the se$ulchre of $ollution an! unrighteousness.@

H6. The )ionysiac Artificers.

After this general "ie of the religious Mysteries of the ancient orl!, let us no $rocee! to a closer e>amination of those hich are more intimately connecte! ith the history of Freemasonry, an! hose influence is, to this !ay, most e"i!ently felt in its organiGation. 8f all the $agan Mysteries institute! by the ancients none ere more e>tensi"ely !iffuse! than those of the Grecian go! )ionysus. They ere establishe! in Greece, (ome, Syria, an! all Asia Minor. Among the Greeks, an! still more among the (omans, the rites celebrate! on the )ionysiac festi"al ere, it must be confesse!, of a !issolute an! licentious character..+D4 But in Asia they assume! a !ifferent form. There, as else here, the legen! Kfor it has alrea!y been sai! that each Mystery ha! its legen!L recounte!, an! the ceremonies re$resente!, the mur!er of )ionysus by the Titans. The secret !octrine, too, among the Asiatics, as not !ifferent from that among the estern nations, but there as something $eculiar in the organiGation of the system. The Mysteries of )ionysus in Syria, more es$ecially, ere not sim$ly of a theological character. There the !isci$les joine! to the in!ulgence in their s$eculati"e an! secret o$inions as to the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul, hich ere common to all the Mysteries, the $ractice of an o$erati"e an! architectural art, an! occu$ie! themsel"es as ell in the construction of tem$les an! $ublic buil!ings as in the $ursuit of !i"ine truth. 6 can account for the greater $urity of these Syrian rites only by a!o$ting the ingenious theory of Thir all,.+*4 that all the Mysteries @ ere the remains of a orshi$ hich $rece!e! the rise of the 9ellenic mythology, an! its atten!ant rites, groun!e! on a "ie of nature less fanciful, more earnest, an! better fitte! to a aken both $hiloso$hical thought an! religious feeling,@ an! by su$$osing that the Asiatics, not being, from their geogra$hical $osition, so early imbue! ith the errors of 9ellenism, ha! been better able to $reser"e the $urity an! $hiloso$hy

of the ol! Pelasgic faith, hich, itself, as un!oubte!ly a !irect emanation from the $atriarchal religion, or, as it has been calle!, the Pure Freemasonry of the ante!ilu"ian orl!. Be this, ho e"er, as it may, e kno that @the )ionysiacs of Asia Minor ere un!oubte!ly an association of architects an! engineers, ho ha! the e>clusi"e $ri"ilege of buil!ing tem$les, sta!ia, an! theatres, un!er the mysterious tutelage of Bacchus, an! ere !istinguishe! from the uninitiate! or $rofane inhabitants by the science hich they $ossesse!, an! by many $ri"ate signs an! tokens by hich they recogniGe! each other.@ .+C4 This s$eculati"e an! o$erati"e society.+24%%s$eculati"e in the esoteric, theologic lessons hich ere taught in its initiations, an! o$erati"e in the labors of its members as architects%% as !istinguishe! by many $eculiarities that closely assimilate it to the institution of Freemasonry. 6n the $ractice of charity, the more o$ulent ere boun! to relie"e the ants an! contribute to the su$$ort of the $oorer brethren. They ere !i"i!e!, for the con"eniences of labor an! the a!"antages of go"ernment, into smaller bo!ies, hich, like our lo!ges, ere !irecte! by su$erinten!ing officers. They em$loye!, in their ceremonial obser"ances, many of the im$lements of o$erati"e Masonry, an! use!, like the Masons, a uni"ersal language? an! con"entional mo!es of recognition, by hich Aone brother might kno another in the !ark as ell as the lightA, an! hich ser"e! to unite the hole bo!y, heresoe"er they might be !is$erse!, in one common brotherhoo!..3,4 6 ha"e sai! that in the mysteries of )ionysus the legen! recounte! the !eath of that hero%go!, an! the subseBuent !isco"ery of his bo!y. Some further !etails of the nature of the )ionysiac ritual are, therefore, necessary for a thorough a$$reciation of the $oints to hich 6 $ro$ose !irectly to in"ite attention. 6n these mystic rites, the as$irant as ma!e to re$resent, symbolically an! in a !ramatic form, the e"ents connecte! ith the slaying of the go! from hom the Mysteries !eri"e! their name. After a "ariety of $re$aratory ceremonies, inten!e! to call forth all his courage an! fortitu!e, the a$hanism or mystical !eath of )ionysus as figure! out in the ceremonies, an! the shrieks an! lamentations of the initiates, ith the confinement or burial of the can!i!ate on the $astos, couch, or coffin, constitute! the first $art of the ceremony of initiation. Then began the search of (hea for the remains of )ionysus, hich as continue! ami! scenes of the greatest confusion an! tumult, until, at last, the search ha"ing been successful, the mourning as turne! into joy, light succee!e! to !arkness, an! the can!i!ate as in"este! ith the kno le!ge of the secret !octrine of the Mysteries%%the belief in the e>istence of one Go!, an! a future state of re ar!s an! $unishments..314

Such ere the mysteries that ere $ractise! by the architect,%%the Freemasons, so to s$eak%%of Asia Minor. At Tyre, the richest an! most im$ortant city of that region, a city memorable for the s$len!or an! magnificence of the buil!ings ith hich it as !ecorate!, there ere colonies or lo!ges of these mystic architects? an! this fact 6 reBuest that you ill bear in min!, as it forms an im$ortant link in the chain that connects the )ionysiacs ith the Freemasons. But to make e"ery link in this chain of connection com$lete, it is necessary that the mystic artists of Tyre shoul! be $ro"e! to be at least contem$oraneous ith the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le? an! the e"i!ence of that fact 6 shall no attem$t to $ro!uce. &a rie, hose elaborate researches into this subject lea"e us nothing further to !isco"er, $laces the arri"al of the )ionysiacs in Asia Minor at the time of the 6onic migration, hen @the inhabitants of Attica, com$laining of the narro ness of their territory an! the unfruitfulness of its soil, ent in Buest of more e>tensi"e an! fertile settlements. Being joine! by a number of the inhabitants of surroun!ing $ro"inces, they saile! to Asia Minor, !ro"e out the original inhabitants, an! seiGe! u$on the most eligible situations, an! unite! them un!er the name of 6onia, because the greatest number of the refugees ere nati"es of that Grecian $ro"ince.@ .3+4 Eith their kno le!ge of the arts of scul$ture an! architecture, in hich the Greeks ha! alrea!y ma!e some $rogress, the emigrants brought o"er to their ne settlements their religious customs also, an! intro!uce! into Asia the mysteries of Athene an! )ionysus long before they ha! been corru$te! by the licentiousness of the mother country. <o , Playfair $laces the 6onic migration in the year 1,-- B.5., Gillies in 1,JJ, an! the Abbe Barthelemy in 1,*D. But the latest of these $erio!s ill e>ten! as far back as forty%four years before the commencement of the tem$le of Solomon at :erusalem, an! ill gi"e am$le time for the establishment of the )ionysiac fraternity at the city of Tyre, an! the initiation of @9iram the Buil!er@ into its mysteries. &et us no $ursue the chain of historical e"ents hich finally unite! this $urest branch of the S$urious Freemasonry of the $agan nations ith the Primiti"e Freemasonry of the :e s at :erusalem. Ehen Solomon, king of 6srael, as about to buil!, in accor!ance ith the $ur$oses of his father, )a"i!, @a house unto the name of :eho"ah, his Go!,@ he ma!e his intention kno n to 9iram, king of Tyre, his frien! an! ally? an! because he as ell a are of the architectural skill of the Tyrian )ionysiacs, he besought that monarch's assistance to enable him to carry his $ious !esign into e>ecution. Scri$ture informs us that 9iram

com$lie! ith the reBuest of Solomon, an! sent him the necessary orkmen to assist him in the glorious un!ertaking. Among others, he sent an architect, ho is briefly !escribe!, in the First Book of =ings, as @a i!o 's son, of the tribe of <a$htali, an! his father a man of Tyre, a orker in brass, a man fille! ith is!om an! un!erstan!ing an! cunning to ork all orks in brass?@ an! more fully, in the Secon! Book of 5hronicles, as @a cunning man, en!ue! ith un!erstan!ing of 9iram my father's, the son of a oman of the !aughters of )an, an! his father, a man of Tyre, skilful to ork in gol!, an! in sil"er, in brass, in iron, in stone, an! in timber, in $ur$le, in blue, an! in fine linen an! in crimson, also to gra"e any manner of gra"ing, an! to fin! out any !e"ice hich shall be $ut to him.@ To this man%%this i!o 's son Kas Scri$ture history, as ell as masonic tra!ition informs usL%% as intruste! by =ing Solomon an im$ortant $osition among the orkmen at the sacre! e!ifice, hich as constructe! on Mount Moriah. 9is kno le!ge an! e>$erience as an artificer, an! his eminent skill in e"ery kin! of @curious an! cunning orkmanshi$,@ rea!ily $lace! him at the hea! of both the :e ish an! Tyrian craftsmen, as the chief buil!er an! $rinci$al con!uctor of the orks? an! it is to him, by means of the large authority hich this $osition ga"e him, that e attribute the union of t o $eo$le, so antagonistical in race, so !issimilar in manners, an! so o$$ose! in religion, as the :e s an! Tyrians, in one common brotherhoo!, hich resulte! in the organiGation of the institution of Freemasonry. This 9iram, as a Tyrian an! an artificer, must ha"e been connecte! ith the )ionysiac fraternity? nor coul! he ha"e been a "ery humble or incons$icuous member, if e may ju!ge of his rank in the society, from the amount of talent hich he is sai! to ha"e $ossesse!, an! from the ele"ate! $osition that he hel! in the affections, an! at the court, of the king of Tyre. 9e must, therefore, ha"e been ell acBuainte! ith all the ceremonial usages of the )ionysiac artificers, an! must ha"e enjoye! a long e>$erience of the a!"antages of the go"ernment an! !isci$line hich they $ractise! in the erection of the many sacre! e!ifices in hich they ere engage!. A $ortion of these ceremonial usages an! of this !isci$line he oul! naturally be incline! to intro!uce among the orkmen at :erusalem. 9e therefore unite! them in a society, similar in many res$ects to that of the )ionysiac artificers. 9e inculcate! lessons of charity an! brotherly lo"e? he establishe! a ceremony of initiation, to test e>$erimentally the fortitu!e an! orth of the can!i!ate? a!o$te! mo!es of recognition? an! im$resse! the obligations of !uty an! $rinci$les of morality by means of symbols an! allegories. To the laborers an! men of bur!en, the 6sh Sabal, an! to the craftsmen, corres$on!ing ith the first an! secon! !egrees of more mo!ern Masonry, but little secret kno le!ge as confi!e!. &ike the as$irants in the lesser Mysteries of $aganism, their instructions ere sim$ly to $urify an! $re$are them for a more solemn or!eal, an! for the kno le!ge of the

sublimest truths. These ere to be foun! only in the Master's !egree, hich it as inten!e! shoul! be in imitation of the greater Mysteries? an! in it ere to be unfol!e!, e>$laine!, an! enforce! the great !octrines of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. But here there must ha"e at once arisen an a$$arently insurmountable obstacle to the further continuation of the resemblance of Masonry to the Mysteries of )ionysus. 6n the $agan Mysteries, 6 ha"e alrea!y sai! that these lessons ere allegorically taught by means of a legen!. <o , in the Mysteries of )ionysus, the legen! as that of the !eath an! subseBuent resuscitation of the go! )ionysus. But it oul! ha"e been utterly im$ossible to intro!uce such a legen! as the basis of any instructions to be communicate! to :e ish can!i!ates. Any allusion to the mythological fables of their Gentile neighbors, any celebration of the myths of $agan theology, oul! ha"e been eBually offensi"e to the taste an! re$ugnant to the religious $reju!ices of a nation e!ucate!, from generation to generation, in the orshi$ of a !i"ine being jealous of his $rerogati"es, an! ho ha! ma!e himself kno n to his $eo$le as the :/98HA9, the Go! of time $resent, $ast, an! future. 9o this obstacle oul! ha"e been surmounte! by the 6sraelitish foun!er of the or!er 6 am unable to say' a substitute oul!, no !oubt, ha"e been in"ente!, hich oul! ha"e met all the symbolic reBuirements of the legen! of the Mysteries, or S$urious Freemasonry, ithout "iolating the religious $rinci$les of the Primiti"e Freemasonry of the :e s? but the necessity for such in"ention ne"er e>iste!, an! before the com$letion of the tem$le a melancholy e"ent is sai! to ha"e occurre!, hich ser"e! to cut the Gor!ian knot, an! the !eath of its chief architect has su$$lie! Freemasonry ith its a$$ro$riate legen!%%a legen! hich, like the legen!s of all the Mysteries, is use! to testify our faith in the resurrection of the bo!y an! the immortality of the soul. Before conclu!ing this $art of the subject, it is $ro$er that something shoul! be sai! of the authenticity of the legen! of the thir! !egree. Some !istinguishe! Masons are !is$ose! to gi"e it full cre!ence as an historical fact, hile others look u$on it only as a beautiful allegory. So far as the Buestion has any bearing u$on the symbolism of Freemasonry it is not of im$ortance? but those ho conten! for its historical character assert that they !o so on the follo ing groun!s'%% First. Because the character of the legen! is such as to meet all the reBuirements of the ell%kno n a>iom of Hincentius &irinensis, as to hat e are to belie"e in tra!itionary matters..334 @AMuo! sem$er, Buo! ubiBue, Buo! ab omnibus tra!itum est.A@ That is, e are to belie"e hate"er tra!ition has been at all times, in all $laces, an! by all $ersons han!e! !o n.

Eith this rule the legen! of 9iram Abif, they say, agrees in e"ery res$ect. 6t has been uni"ersally recei"e!, an! almost uni"ersally cre!ite!, among Freemasons from the earliest times. Ee ha"e no recor! of any Masonry ha"ing e"er e>iste! since the time of the tem$le ithout it? an!, in!ee!, it is so closely inter o"en into the hole system, forming the most essential $art of it, an! gi"ing it its most !eterminati"e character, that it is e"i!ent that the institution coul! no more e>ist ithout the legen!, than the legen! coul! ha"e been retaine! ithout the institution. This, therefore, the a!"ocates of the historical character of the legen! think, gi"es $robability at least to its truth. Secon!ly. 6t is not contra!icte! by the scri$tural history of the transactions at the tem$le, an! therefore, in the absence of the only e>isting ritten authority on the subject, e are at liberty to !e$en! on tra!itional information, $ro"i!e! the tra!ition be, as it is conten!e! that in this instance it is, reasonable, $robable, an! su$$orte! by uninterru$te! succession. Thir!ly. 6t is conten!e! that the "ery silence of Scri$ture in relation to the !eath of 9iram, the Buil!er, is an argument in fa"or of the mysterious nature of that !eath. A man so im$ortant in his $osition as to ha"e been calle! the fa"orite of t o kings,%%sent by one an! recei"e! by the other as a gift of sur$assing "alue, an! the !onation thought orthy of a s$ecial recor!, oul! har!ly ha"e $asse! into obli"ion, hen his labor as finishe!, ithout the memento of a single line, unless his !eath ha! taken $lace in such a ay as to ren!er a $ublic account of it im$ro$er. An! this is su$$ose! to ha"e been the fact. 6t ha! become the legen! of the ne Mysteries, an!, like those of the ol! ones, as only to be !i"ulge! hen accom$anie! ith the symbolic instructions hich it as inten!e! to im$ress u$on the min!s of the as$irants. But if, on the other han!, it be a!mitte! that the legen! of the thir! !egree is a fiction,%%that the hole masonic an! e>tra%scri$tural account of 9iram Abif is sim$ly a myth,%%it coul! not, in the slightest !egree, affect the theory hich it is my object to establish. For since, in a mythic relation, as the learne! Mueller.3-4 has obser"e!, fact an! imagination, the real an! the i!eal, are "ery closely unite!, an! since the myth itself al ays arises, accor!ing to the same author, out of a necessity an! unconsciousness on the $art of its framers, an! by im$ulses hich act alike on all, e must go back to the S$urious Freemasonry of the )ionysiacs for the $rinci$le hich le! to the in"oluntary formation of this 9iramic myth? an! then e arri"e at the same result, hich has been alrea!y in!icate!, namely, that the necessity of the religious sentiment in the :e ish min!, to hich the intro!uction of the legen! of )ionysus oul! ha"e been abhorrent, le! to the substitution for it of that of 9iram, in hich the i!eal $arts of the narrati"e ha"e been intimately blen!e! ith real transactions. Thus, that there as such a man as 9iram

Abif? that he as the chief buil!er at the tem$le of :erusalem? that he as the confi!ential frien! of the kings of 6srael an! Tyre, hich is in!icate! by his title of AAbA, or father? an! that he is not hear! of after the com$letion of the tem$le,%%are all historical facts. That he !ie! by "iolence, an! in the ay !escribe! in the masonic legen!, may be also true, or may be merely mythical elements incor$orate! into the historical narrati"e. But hether this be so or not,%% hether the legen! be a fact or a fiction, a history or a myth,%%this, at least, is certain' that it as a!o$te! by the Solomonic Masons of the tem$le as a substitute for the i!olatrous legen! of the !eath of )ionysus hich belonge! to the )ionysiac Mysteries of the Tyrian orkmen.

H66. The ;nion of S$eculati"e an! 8$erati"e Masonry at the Tem$le of Solomon.

Thus, then, e arri"e at another im$ortant e$och in the history of the origin of Freemasonry. 6 ha"e sho n ho the Primiti"e Freemasonry, originating in this ne orl!? ith <oah, as han!e! !o n to his !escen!ants as a $urely s$eculati"e institution, embracing certain tra!itions of the nature of Go! an! of the soul. 6 ha"e sho n ho , soon after the !eluge, the !escen!ants of <oah se$arate!, one $ortion, losing their tra!itions, an! substituting in their $lace i!olatrous an! $olytheistic religions, hile the other an! smaller $ortion retaine! an! communicate! those original tra!itions un!er the name of the Primiti"e Freemasonry of antiBuity. 6 ha"e sho n ho , among the $olytheistic nations, there ere a fe $ersons ho still ha! a !im an! clou!e! un!erstan!ing of these tra!itions, an! that they taught them in certain secret institutions, kno n as the @Mysteries,@ thus establishing another branch of the s$eculati"e science hich is kno n un!er the name of the S$urious Freemasonry of antiBuity. Again, 6 ha"e sho n ho one sect or !i"ision of these S$urious Freemasons e>iste! at Tyre about the time of the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le, an! a!!e! to their s$eculati"e science, hich as much $urer than that of their contem$orary Gentile mystics, the $ractice of the arts of

architecture an! scul$ture, un!er the name of the )ionysiac Fraternity of Artificers. An!, lastly, 6 ha"e sho n ho , at the buil!ing of the Solomonic tem$le, on the in"itation of the king of 6srael, a large bo!y of these architects re$aire! from Tyre to :erusalem, organiGe! a ne institution, or, rather, a mo!ification of the t o ol! ones, the Primiti"e Freemasons among the 6sraelites yiel!ing something, an! the S$urious Freemasons among the Tyrians yiel!ing more? the former $urifying the s$eculati"e science, an! the latter intro!ucing the o$erati"e art, together ith the mystical ceremonies ith hich they accom$anie! its a!ministration. 6t is at this e$och, then, that 6 $lace the first union of s$eculati"e an! o$erati"e Masonry,%%a union hich continue! uninterru$te!ly to e>ist until a com$arati"ely recent $erio!, to hich 6 shall ha"e occasion hereafter briefly to a!"ert. The other branches of the S$urious Freemasonry ere not, ho e"er, altogether an! at once abolishe! by this union, but continue! also to e>ist an! teach their half%truthful !ogmas, for ages after, ith interru$te! success an! !iminishe! influence, until, in the fifth century of the 5hristian era, the hole of them ere $roscribe! by the /m$eror Theo!osius. From time to time, ho e"er, other $artial unions took $lace, as in the instance of Pythagoras, ho, originally a member of the school of S$urious Freemasonry, as, !uring his "isit to Babylon, about four hun!re! an! fifty years after the union at the tem$le of :erusalem, initiate! by the ca$ti"e 6sraelites into the rites of Tem$le Masonry, hence the instructions of that sage a$$ro>imate much more nearly to the $rinci$les of Freemasonry, both in s$irit an! in letter, than those of any other of the $hiloso$hers of antiBuity? for hich reason he is familiarly calle!, in the mo!ern masonic lectures, @an ancient frien! an! brother,@ an! an im$ortant symbol of the or!er, the forty%se"enth $roblem of /ucli!, has been consecrate! to his memory. 6 !o not no $ro$ose to enter u$on so e>tensi"e a task as to trace the history of the institution from the com$letion of the first tem$le to its !estruction by <ebucha!neGGar? through the se"enty%t o years of Babylonish ca$ti"ity to the rebuil!ing of the secon! tem$le by Nerubbabel? thence to the !e"astation of :erusalem by Titus, hen it as first intro!uce! into /uro$e? through all its struggles in the mi!!le ages, sometimes $rotecte! an! sometimes $ersecute! by the church, sometimes forbi!!en by the la an! oftener encourage! by the monarch? until, in the beginning of the si>teenth century, it assume! its $resent organiGation. The !etails oul! reBuire more time for their reca$itulation than the limits of the $resent ork ill $ermit. But my object is not so much to gi"e a connecte! history of the $rogress

of Freemasonry as to $resent a rational "ie of its origin an! an e>amination of those im$ortant mo!ifications hich, from time to time, ere im$resse! u$on it by e>ternal influences, so as to enable us the more rea!ily to a$$reciate the true character an! !esign of its symbolism. T o salient $oints, at least, in its subseBuent history, es$ecially in"ite attention, because they ha"e an im$ortant bearing on its organiGation, as a combine! s$eculati"e an! o$erati"e institution.

H666. The Tra"elling Freemasons of the Mi!!le Ages.

The first of these $oints to hich 6 refer is the establishment of a bo!y of architects, i!ely !isseminate! throughout /uro$e !uring the mi!!le ages un!er the a"o e! name of ATra"elling FreemasonsA. This association of orkmen, sai! to ha"e been the !escen!ants of the Tem$le Masons, may be trace! by the massi"e monuments of their skill at as early a $erio! as the ninth or tenth century? although, accor!ing to the authority of Mr. 9o$e, ho has ritten elaborately on the subject, some historians ha"e foun! the e"i!ence of their e>istence in the se"enth century, an! ha"e trace! a $eculiar masonic language in the reigns of 5harlemagne of France an! Alfre! of /nglan!. 6t is to these men, to their $reeminent skill in architecture, an! to their ell%organiGe! system as a class of orkmen, that the orl! is in!ebte! for those magnificent e!ifices hich s$rang u$ in such un!e"iating $rinci$les of architectural form !uring the mi!!le ages. @Ehere"er they came,@ says Mr. 9o$e, @in the suite of missionaries, or ere calle! by the nati"es, or arri"e! of their o n accor!, to seek em$loyment, they a$$eare! hea!e! by a chief sur"eyor, ho go"erne! the hole troo$, an! name! one man out of e"ery ten, un!er the name of ar!en, to o"erlook the nine others, set themsel"es to buil!ing tem$orary huts.3J4 for their habitation aroun! the s$ot here the ork as to be carrie! on, regularly organiGe! their !ifferent !e$artments, fell to ork, sent for fresh su$$lies of their brethren as the object !eman!e!, an!, hen all as finishe!, again raise! their encam$ment, an! ent else here to un!ertake other jobs.@ .3D4 This society continue! to $reser"e the commingle! features of o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e masonry, as they ha! been $ractise! at the tem$le of

Solomon. A!mission to the community as not restricte! to $rofessional artisans, but men of eminence, an! $articularly ecclesiastics, ere numbere! among its members. @These latter,@ says Mr. 9o$e, @ ere es$ecially an>ious, themsel"es, to !irect the im$ro"ement an! erection of their churches an! monasteries, an! to manage the e>$enses of their buil!ings, an! became members of an establishment hich ha! so high an! sacre! a !estination, as so entirely e>em$t from all local, ci"il juris!iction, ackno le!ge! the $o$e alone as its !irect chief, an! only orke! un!er his imme!iate authority? an! thence e rea! of so many ecclesiastics of the highest rank%%abbots, $relates, bisho$s%%conferring a!!itional eight an! res$ectability on the or!er of Freemasonry by becoming its members%%themsel"es gi"ing the !esigns an! su$erinten!ing the construction of their churches, an! em$loying the manual labor of their o n monks in the e!ification of them.@ Thus in /nglan!, in the tenth century, the Masons are sai! to ha"e recei"e! the s$ecial $rotection of =ing Athelstan? in the ele"enth century, /! ar! the 5onfessor !eclare! himself their $atron? an! in the t elfth, 9enry 6. ga"e them his $rotection. 6nto Scotlan! the Freemasons $enetrate! as early as the beginning of the t elfth century, an! erecte! the Abbey of =il inning, hich after ar!s became the cra!le of Scottish Masonry un!er the go"ernment of =ing (obert Bruce. 8f the magnificent e!ifices hich they erecte!, an! of their e>alte! con!ition un!er both ecclesiastical an! lay $atronage in other countries, it is not necessary to gi"e a minute !etail. 6t is sufficient to say that in e"ery $art of /uro$e e"i!ences are to be foun! of the e>istence of Freemasonry, $ractise! by an organiGe! bo!y of orkmen, an! ith hom men of learning ere unite!? or, in other or!s, of a combine! o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e institution. Ehat the nature of this s$eculati"e science continue! to be, e may learn from that "ery curious, if authentic, !ocument, !ate! at 5ologne, in the year 1J3J, an! hence !esignate! as the @5harter of 5ologne.@ 6n that instrument, hich $ur$orts to ha"e been issue! by the hea!s of the or!er in nineteen !ifferent an! im$ortant cities of /uro$e, an! is a!!resse! to their brethren as a !efence against the calumnies of their enemies, it is announce! that the or!er took its origin at a time @ hen a fe a!e$ts, !istinguishe! by their life, their moral !octrine, an! their sacre! inter$retation of the arcanic truths, ith!re themsel"es from the multitu!e in or!er more effectually to $reser"e uncontaminate! the moral $rece$ts of that religion hich is im$lante! in the min! of man.@ Ee thus, then, ha"e before us an as$ect of Freemasonry as it e>iste! in the mi!!le ages, hen it $resents itself to our "ie as both o$erati"e an!

s$eculati"e in its character. The o$erati"e element that ha! been infuse! into it by the )ionysiac artificers of Tyre, at the buil!ing of the Solomonic tem$le, as not yet !isse"ere! from the $ure s$eculati"e element hich ha! $re"aile! in it anterior to that $erio!.

6I. )isse"erance of the 8$erati"e /lement.

The ne>t $oint to hich our attention is to be !irecte! is hen, a fe centuries later, the o$erati"e character of the institution began to be less $rominent, an! the s$eculati"e to assume a $re%eminence hich e"entually en!e! in the total se$aration of the t o. At hat $recise $erio! the s$eculati"e began to $re!ominate o"er the o$erati"e element of the society, it is im$ossible to say. The change as un!oubte!ly gra!ual, an! is to be attribute!, in all $robability, to the increase! number of literary an! scientific men ho ere a!mitte! into the ranks of the fraternity. The 5harter of 5ologne, to hich 6 ha"e just allu!e!, s$eaks of @learne! an! enlightene! men@ as constituting the society long before the !ate of that !ocument, hich as 1J3J? but the authenticity of this ork has, it must be confesse!, been im$ugne!, an! 6 ill not, therefore, $ress the argument on its !oubtful authority. But the !iary of that celebrate! antiBuary, /lias Ashmole, hich is a!mitte! to be authentic, !escribes his a!mission in the year 1D-D into the or!er, hen there is no !oubt that the o$erati"e character as fast gi"ing ay to the s$eculati"e. Preston tells us that about thirty years before, hen the /arl of Pembroke assume! the Gran! Mastershi$ of /nglan!, @many eminent, ealthy, an! learne! men ere a!mitte!.@ 6n the year 1DD3 an assembly of the Freemasons of /nglan! as hel! at &on!on, an! the /arl of St. Albans as electe! Gran! Master. At this assembly certain regulations ere a!o$te!, in hich the Bualifications $rescribe! for can!i!ates clearly allu!e to the s$eculati"e character of the institution. An!, finally, at the commencement of the eighteenth century, an! !uring the reign of Mueen Anne, ho !ie!, it ill be remembere!, in 1*1-, a $ro$osition as agree! to by the society @that the $ri"ileges of Masonry shoul! no longer be restricte! to o$erati"e masons, but e>ten! to men of

"arious $rofessions, $ro"i!e! that they ere regularly a$$ro"e! an! initiate! into the or!er.@ Accor!ingly the recor!s of the society sho that from the year 1*1*, at least, the era commonly, but im$ro$erly, !istinguishe! as the restoration of Masonry, the o$erati"e element of the institution has been com$letely !iscar!e!, e>ce$t so far as its influence is e>hibite! in the choice an! arrangement of symbols, an! the ty$ical use of its technical language. 7 7 7 7 7

The history of the origin of the or!er is here conclu!e!? an! in briefly reca$itulating, 6 may say that in its first ince$tion, from the time of <oah to the buil!ing of the tem$le of Solomon, it as entirely s$eculati"e in its character? that at the construction of that e!ifice, an o$erati"e element as infuse! into it by the Tyrian buil!ers? that it continue! to retain this com$oun! o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e organiGation until about the mi!!le of the se"enteenth century, hen the latter element began to $re!ominate? an! finally, that at the commencement of the eighteenth century, the o$erati"e element holly !isa$$eare!, an! the society has e"er since $resente! itself in the character of a sim$ly s$eculati"e association. The history that 6 ha"e thus briefly sketche!, ill elicit from e"ery reflecting min! at least t o !e!uctions of some im$ortance to the intelligent Mason. 6n the first $lace, e may obser"e, that ascen!ing, as the institution !oes, a ay u$ the stream of time, almost to the "ery fountains of history, for its source, it comes !o n to us, at this !ay, ith so "enerable an a$$earance of antiBuity, that for that cause an! on that claim alone it !eman!s the res$ect of the orl!. 6t is no recent in"ention of human genius, hose "itality has yet to be teste! by the ear an! tear of time an! o$$osition, an! no su!!en gro th of short%li"e! enthusiasm, hose e>istence may be as e$hemeral as its birth as recent. 8ne of the ol!est of these mo!ern institutions, the 5arbonarism of 6taly, boasts an age that scarcely amounts to the half of a century, an! has not been able to e>ten! its $rogress beyon! the countries of Southern /uro$e, imme!iately a!jacent to the $lace of its birth? hile it an! e"ery other society of our o n times that ha"e sought to simulate the out ar! a$$earance of Freemasonry, seem to him ho has e>amine! the history of this ancient institution to ha"e s$rung aroun! it, like mushrooms bursting from bet een the roots an! "egetating un!er the sha!e of some mighty an! "enerable oak, the $atriarch of the forest, hose huge trunk an! i!e%e>ten!e! branches ha"e $rotecte! them from the sun an! the gale, an! hose fruit, thro n off in autumn, has enriche! an! fattene! the soil that gi"es these humbler $lants their $o er of life an! gro th.

But there is a more im$ortant !e!uction to be !ra n from this narrati"e. 6n tracing the $rogress of Freemasonry, e shall fin! it so intimately connecte! ith the history of $hiloso$hy, of religion, an! of art in all ages of the orl!, that it is e"i!ent that no Mason can e>$ect thoroughly to un!erstan! the nature of the institution, or to a$$reciate its character, unless he shall carefully stu!y its annals, an! make himself con"ersant ith the facts of history, to hich an! from hich it gi"es an! recei"es a mutual influence. The brother ho unfortunately su$$oses that the only reBuisites of a skilful Mason consist in re$eating ith fluency the or!inary lectures, or in correctly o$ening an! closing the lo!ge, or in gi"ing ith sufficient accuracy the mo!es of recognition, ill har!ly cre!it the assertion, that he hose kno le!ge of the @royal art@ e>ten!s no farther than these $reliminaries has scarcely a!"ance! beyon! the ru!iments of our science. There is a far nobler series of !octrines ith hich Freemasonry is connecte!, an! hich no stu!ent e"er began to in"estigate ho !i! not fin! himself insensibly le! on, from ste$ to ste$ in his researches, his lo"e an! a!miration of the or!er increasing ith the augmentation of his acBuaintance ith its character. 6t is this hich constitutes the science an! the $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry, an! it is this alone hich ill return the scholar ho !e"otes himself to the task a se"enfol! re ar! for his labor. Eith this "ie 6 $ro$ose, in the ne>t $lace, to enter u$on an e>amination of that science an! $hiloso$hy as they are !e"elo$e! in the system of symbolism, hich o es its e>istence to this $eculiar origin an! organiGation of the or!er, an! ithout a kno le!ge of hich, such as 6 ha"e attem$te! to $ortray it in this $reliminary inBuiry, the science itself coul! ne"er be un!erstoo!.

I. The System of Symbolic 6nstuction.

The lectures of the /nglish lo!ges, hich are far more $hiloso$hical than our o n,%%although 6 !o not belie"e that the system itself is in general as $hiloso$hically stu!ie! by our /nglish brethren as by oursel"es,%%ha"e beautifully !efine! Freemasonry to be @a science of morality "eile! in allegory an! illustrate! by symbols.@ But allegory itself is nothing else but "erbal symbolism? it is the symbol of an i!ea, or of a series of i!eas, not $resente! to the min! in an objecti"e an! "isible form, but

clothe! in language, an! e>hibite! in the form of a narrati"e. An! therefore the /nglish !efinition amounts, in fact, to this' that AFreemasonry is a science of morality, !e"elo$e! an! inculcate! by the ancient metho! of symbolismA. 6t is this $eculiar character as a symbolic institution, this entire a!o$tion of the metho! of instruction by symbolism, hich gi"es its hole i!entity to Freemasonry, an! has cause! it to !iffer from e"ery other association that the ingenuity of man has !e"ise!. 6t is this that has besto e! u$on it that attracti"e form hich has al ays secure! the attachment of its !isci$les an! its o n $er$etuity. The (oman 5atholic church.3*4 is, $erha$s, the only contem$oraneous institution hich continues to culti"ate, in any !egree, the beautiful system of symbolism. But that hich, in the 5atholic church, is, in a great measure, inci!ental, an! the fruit of !e"elo$ment, is, in Freemasonry, the "ery life%bloo! an! soul of the institution, born ith it at its birth, or, rather, the germ from hich the tree has s$rung, an! still gi"ing it su$$ort, nourishment, an! e"en e>istence. Eith!ra from Freemasonry its symbolism, an! you take from the bo!y its soul, lea"ing behin! nothing but a lifeless mass of effete matter, fitte! only for a ra$i! !ecay. Since, then, the science of symbolism forms so im$ortant a $art of the system of Freemasonry, it ill be ell to commence any !iscussion of that subject by an in"estigation of the nature of symbols in general. There is no science so ancient as that of symbolism,.3C4 an! no mo!e of instruction has e"er been so general as as the symbolic in former ages. @The first learning in the orl!,@ says the great antiBuary, )r. Stukely, @consiste! chiefly of symbols. The is!om of the 5hal!eans, Phoenicians, /gy$tians, :e s, of Noroaster, Sanchoniathon, Pherecy!es, Syrus, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, of all the ancients that is come to our han!, is symbolic.@ An! the learne! Faber remarks, that @allegory an! $ersonification ere $eculiarly agreeable to the genius of antiBuity, an! the sim$licity of truth as continually sacrifice! at the shrine of $oetical !ecoration.@ 6n fact, man's earliest instruction as by symbols..324 The objecti"e character of a symbol is best calculate! to be gras$e! by the infant min!, hether the infancy of that min! be consi!ere! AnationallyA or Ain!i"i!uallyA. An! hence, in the first ages of the orl!, in its infancy, all $ro$ositions, theological, $olitical, or scientific, ere e>$resse! in the form of symbols. Thus the first religions ere eminently symbolical, because, as that great $hiloso$hical historian, Grote, has remarke!, @At a time hen language as yet in its infancy, "isible symbols ere the most "i"i! means of acting u$on the min!s of ignorant hearers.@ Again' chil!ren recei"e their elementary teaching in symbols. @A as an

Archer?@ hat is this but symbolismF The archer becomes to the infant min! the symbol of the letter A, just as, in after life, the letter becomes, to the more a!"ance! min!, the symbol of a certain soun! of the human "oice..-,4 The first lesson recei"e! by a chil! in acBuiring his al$habet is thus con"eye! by symbolism. /"en in the "ery formation of language, the me!ium of communication bet een man an! man, an! hich must hence ha"e been an elementary ste$ in the $rogress of human im$ro"ement, it as foun! necessary to ha"e recourse to symbols, for or!s are only an! truly certain arbitrary symbols by hich an! through hich e gi"e an utterance to our i!eas. The construction of language as, therefore, one of the first $ro!ucts of the science of symbolism. Ee must constantly bear in min! this fact, of the $rimary e>istence an! $re!ominance of symbolism in the earliest times..-14 hen e are in"estigating the nature of the ancient religions, ith hich the history of Freemasonry is so intimately connecte!. The ol!er the religion, the more the symbolism aboun!s. Mo!ern religions may con"ey their !ogmas in abstract $ro$ositions? ancient religions al ays con"eye! them in symbols. Thus there is more symbolism in the /gy$tian religion than in the :e ish, more in the :e ish than in the 5hristian, more in the 5hristian than in the Mohamme!an, an!, lastly, more in the (oman than in the Protestant. But symbolism is not only the most ancient an! general, but it is also the most $ractically useful, of sciences. Ee ha"e alrea!y seen ho acti"ely it o$erates in the early stages of life an! of society. Ee ha"e seen ho the first i!eas of men an! of nations are im$resse! u$on their min!s by means of symbols. 6t as thus that the ancient $eo$les ere almost holly e!ucate!. @6n the sim$ler stages of society,@ says one riter on this subject, @mankin! can be instructe! in the abstract kno le!ge of truths only by symbols an! $arables. 9ence e fin! most heathen religions becoming mythic, or e>$laining their mysteries by allegories, or instructi"e inci!ents. <ay, Go! himself, kno ing the nature of the creatures forme! by him, has con!escen!e!, in the earlier re"elations that he ma!e of himself, to teach by symbols? an! the greatest of all teachers instructe! the multitu!es by $arables..-+4 The great e>em$lar of the ancient $hiloso$hy an! the gran! archety$e of mo!ern $hiloso$hy ere alike !istinguishe! by their $ossessing this faculty in a high !egree, an! ha"e tol! us that man as best instructe! by similitu!es.@ .-34 Such is the system a!o$te! in Freemasonry for the !e"elo$ment an! inculcation of the great religious an! $hiloso$hical truths, of hich it as, for so many years, the sole conser"ator. An! it is for this reason that 6 ha"e alrea!y remarke!, that any inBuiry into the symbolic character of Freemasonry, must be $rece!e! by an in"estigation of the nature of symbolism in general, if e oul! $ro$erly a$$reciate its $articular use

in the organiGation of the masonic institution.

I6. The S$eculati"e Science an! the 8$erati"e Art.

An! no , let us a$$ly this !octrine of symbolism to an in"estigation of the nature of a s$eculati"e science, as !eri"e! from an o$erati"e art? for the fact is familiar to e"ery one that Freemasonry is of t o kin!s. Ee ork, it is true, in s$eculati"e Masonry only, but our ancient brethren rought in both o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e? an! it is no ell un!erstoo! that the t o branches are i!ely a$art in !esign an! in character%%the one a mere useful art, inten!e! for the $rotection an! con"enience of man an! the gratification of his $hysical ants, the other a $rofoun! science, entering into abstruse in"estigations of the soul an! a future e>istence, an! originating in the cra"ing nee! of humanity to kno something that is abo"e an! beyon! the mere out ar! life that surroun!s us ith its gross atmos$here here belo ..--4 6n!ee!, the only bon! or link that unites s$eculati"e an! o$erati"e Masonry is the symbolism that belongs altogether to the former, but hich, throughout its hole e>tent, is !eri"e! from the latter. 8ur first inBuiry, then, ill be into the nature of the symbolism hich o$erati"e gi"es to s$eculati"e Masonry? an! thoroughly to un!erstan! this%%to kno its origin, an! its necessity, an! its mo!e of a$$lication%% e must begin ith a reference to the con!ition of a long $ast $erio! of time. Thousan!s of years ago, this science of symbolism as a!o$te! by the sagacious $riesthoo! of /gy$t to con"ey the lessons of orl!ly is!om an! religious kno le!ge, hich they thus communicate! to their !isci$les..-J4 Their science, their history, an! their $hiloso$hy ere thus conceale! beneath an im$enetrable "eil from all the $rofane, an! only the fe ho ha! $asse! through the se"ere or!eal of initiation ere $ut in $ossession of the key hich enable! them to !eci$her an! rea! ith ease those mystic lessons hich e still see engra"e! u$on the obelisks, the tombs, an! the sarco$hagi, hich lie scattere!, at this !ay, in en!less $rofusion along the banks of the <ile. From the /gy$tians the same metho! of symbolic instruction as !iffuse! among all the $agan nations of antiBuity, an! as use! in all the ancient Mysteries.-D4 as the me!ium of communicating to the initiate! the esoteric

an! secret !octrines for hose $reser"ation an! $romulgation these singular associations ere forme!. Moses, ho, as 9oly Erit informs us, as skille! in all the learning of /gy$t, brought ith him, from that cra!le of the sciences, a $erfect kno le!ge of the science of symbolism, as it as taught by the $riests of 6sis an! 8siris, an! a$$lie! it to the ceremonies ith hich he in"este! the $urer religion of the $eo$le for hom he ha! been a$$ointe! to legislate..-*4 9ence e learn, from the great :e ish historian, that, in the construction of the tabernacle, hich ga"e the first mo!el for the tem$le at :erusalem, an! after ar!s for e"ery masonic lo!ge, this $rinci$le of symbolism as a$$lie! to e"ery $art of it. Thus it as !i"i!e! into three $arts, to re$resent the three great elementary !i"isions of the uni"erse%%the lan!, the sea, an! the air. The first t o, or e>terior $ortions, hich ere accessible to the $riests an! the $eo$le, ere symbolic of the lan! an! the sea, hich all men might inhabit? hile the thir!, or interior !i"ision,%%the holy of holies,%% hose threshol! no mortal !are! to cross, an! hich as $eculiarly consecrate! to G8), as emblematic of hea"en, his ! elling%$lace. The "eils, too, accor!ing to :ose$hus, ere inten!e! for symbolic instruction in their color an! their materials. 5ollecti"ely, they re$resente! the four elements of the uni"erse? an!, in $assing, it may be obser"e! that this notion of symboliGing the uni"erse characteriGe! all the ancient systems, both the true an! the false, an! that the remains of the $rinci$le are to be foun! e"ery here, e"en at this !ay, $er"a!ing Masonry, hich is but a !e"elo$ment of these systems. 6n the four "eils of the tabernacle, the hite or fine linen signifie! the earth, from hich fla> as $ro!uce!? the scarlet signifie! fire, a$$ro$riately re$resente! by its flaming color? the $ur$le ty$ifie! the sea, in allusion to the shell%fish mure>, from hich the tint as obtaine!? an! the blue, the color of the firmament, as emblematic of air..-C4 6t is not necessary to enter into a !etail of the hole system of religious symbolism, as !e"elo$e! in the Mosaic ritual. 6t as but an a$$lication of the same $rinci$les of instruction, that $er"a!e! all the surroun!ing Gentile nations, to the inculcation of truth. The "ery i!ea of the ark itself.-24 as borro e!, as the !isco"eries of the mo!ern /gy$tologists ha"e sho n us, from the banks of the <ile? an! the breast$late of the high $riest, ith its ;rim an! Thummim,.J,4 as in!ebte! for its origin to a similar ornament orn by the /gy$tian ju!ge. The system as the same? in its a$$lication, only, !i! it !iffer. Eith the tabernacle of Moses the tem$le of =ing Solomon is closely connecte!' the one as the archety$e of the other. <o , it is at the buil!ing of that tem$le that e must $lace the origin of Freemasonry in its $resent organiGation' not that the system !i! not e>ist before, but

that the union of its o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e character, an! the mutual !e$en!ence of one u$on the other, ere there first establishe!. At the construction of this stu$en!ous e!ifice%%stu$en!ous, not in magnitu!e, for many a $arish church has since e>celle! it in siGe,.J14 but stu$en!ous in the ealth an! magnificence of its ornaments%%the ise king of 6srael, ith all that sagacity for hich he as so eminently !istinguishe!, an! ai!e! an! counselle! by the Gentile e>$erience of the king of Tyre, an! that immortal architect ho su$erinten!e! his orkmen, sa at once the e>cellence an! beauty of this metho! of inculcating moral an! religious truth, an! ga"e, therefore, the im$ulse to that symbolic reference of material things to a s$iritual sense, hich has e"er since !istinguishe! the institution of hich he as the foun!er. 6f 6 !eeme! it necessary to substantiate the truth of the assertion that the min! of =ing Solomon as eminently symbolic in its $ro$ensities, 6 might easily refer to his ritings, fille! as they are to $rofusion ith tro$es an! figures. Passing o"er the Book of 5anticles,%%that great lyrical !rama, hose abstruse symbolism has not yet been fully e"ol"e! or e>$laine!, not ithstan!ing the "ast number of commentators ho ha"e labore! at the task,%%6 might sim$ly refer to that beautiful $assage in the t elfth cha$ter of /cclesiastes, so familiar to e"ery Mason as being a$$ro$riate!, in the ritual, to the ceremonies of the thir! !egree, an! in hich a !ila$i!ate! buil!ing is meta$horically ma!e to re$resent the !ecays an! infirmities of ol! age in the human bo!y. This brief but eloBuent !escri$tion is itself an embo!iment of much of our masonic symbolism, both as to the mo!e an! the subject matter. 6n attem$ting any in"estigation into the symbolism of Freemasonry, the first thing that shoul! engage our attention is the general $ur$ort of the institution, an! the mo!e in hich its symbolism is !e"elo$e!. &et us first e>amine it as a hole, before e in"estigate its $arts, just as e oul! first "ie , as critics, the general effect of a buil!ing, before e began to inBuire into its architectural !etails. &ooking, then, in this ay, at the institution%%coming !o n to us, as it has, from a remote age%%ha"ing $asse! unaltere! an! unscathe! through a thousan! re"olutions of nations%%an! engaging, as !isci$les in its school of mental labor, the intellectual of all times%%the first thing that must naturally arrest the attention is the singular combination that it $resents of an o$erati"e ith a s$eculati"e organiGation%%an art ith a science%%the technical terms an! language of a mechanical $rofession ith the abstruse teachings of a $rofoun! $hiloso$hy. 9ere it is before us%%a "enerable school, !iscoursing of the !ee$est subjects of is!om, in hich sages might alone fin! themsel"es a$$ro$riately em$loye!, an! yet ha"ing its birth an! !eri"ing its first

life from a society of artisans, hose only object as, a$$arently, the construction of material e!ifices of stone an! mortar. The nature, then, of this o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e combination, is the first $roblem to be sol"e!, an! the symbolism hich !e$en!s u$on it is the first feature of the institution hich is to be !e"elo$e!. Freemasonry, in its character as an o$erati"e art, is familiar to e"ery one. As such, it is engage! in the a$$lication of the rules an! $rinci$les of architecture to the construction of e!ifices for $ri"ate an! $ublic use%%houses for the ! elling%$lace of man, an! tem$les for the orshi$ of )eity. 6t aboun!s, like e"ery other art, in the use of technical terms, an! em$loys, in $ractice, an abun!ance of im$lements an! materials hich are $eculiar to itself. <o , if the en!s of o$erati"e Masonry ha! here cease!,%%if this technical !ialect an! these technical im$lements ha! ne"er been use! for any other $ur$ose, nor a$$ro$riate! to any other object, than that of enabling its !isci$les to $ursue their artistic labors ith greater con"enience to themsel"es,%%Freemasonry oul! ne"er ha"e e>iste!. The same $rinci$les might, an! in all $robability oul!, ha"e been !e"elo$e! in some other ay? but the organiGation, the name, the mo!e of instruction, oul! all ha"e most materially !iffere!. But the o$erati"e Masons, ho foun!e! the or!er, ere not content ith the mere material an! manual $art of their $rofession' they a!joine! to it, un!er the ise instructions of their lea!ers, a correlati"e branch of stu!y. An! hence, to the Freemason, this o$erati"e art has been symboliGe! in that intellectual !e!uction from it, hich has been correctly calle! S$eculati"e Masonry. At one time, each as an integrant $art of one un!i"i!e! system. <ot that the $erio! e"er e>iste! hen e"ery o$erati"e mason as acBuainte! ith, or initiate! into, the s$eculati"e science. /"en no , there are thousan!s of skilful artisans ho kno as little of that as they !o of the 9ebre language hich as s$oken by its foun!er. But o$erati"e Masonry as, in the ince$tion of our history, an! is, in some measure, e"en no , the skeleton u$on hich as strung the li"ing muscles, an! ten!ons, an! ner"es of the s$eculati"e system. 6t as the block of marble%%ru!e an! un$olishe! it may ha"e been%%from hich as scul$ture! the life%breathing statue..J+4 S$eculati"e Masonry K hich is but another name for Freemasonary in its mo!ern acce$tationL may be briefly !efine! as the scientific a$$lication an! the religious consecration of the rules an! $rinci$les, the language, the im$lements an! materials of o$erati"e Masonry to the "eneration of Go!, the $urification of the heart, an! the inculcation of the !ogmas of a

religious $hiloso$hy.

I66. 9e Symbolism of Solomon'S Tem$le.

6 ha"e sai! that the o$erati"e art is symboliGe!%%that is to say, use! as a symbol%%in the s$eculati"e science. &et us no inBuire, as the subject of the $resent essay, ho this is !one in reference to a system of symbolism !e$en!ent for its construction on ty$es an! figures !eri"e! from the tem$le of Solomon, an! hich e hence call the @Tem$le Symbolism of Freemasonry.@ Bearing in min! that s$eculati"e Masonry !ates its origin from the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le by :e ish an! Tyrian artisans,.J34 the first im$ortant fact that attracts the attention is, that the o$erati"e masons at :erusalem ere engage! in the construction of an earthly an! material tem$le, to be !e!icate! to the ser"ice an! orshi$ of Go!%%a house in hich :eho"ah as to ! ell "isibly by his Shekinah, an! hence he as, by the ;rim an! Thummim, to sen! forth his oracles for the go"ernment an! !irection of his chosen $eo$le. <o , the o$erati"e art ha"ing, Afor usA, cease!, e, as s$eculati"e Masons, symboliGe the labors of our $re!ecessors by engaging in the construction of a s$iritual tem$le in our hearts, $ure an! s$otless, fit for the ! elling%$lace of 9im ho is the author of $urity%% here Go! is to be orshi$$e! in s$irit an! in truth, an! hence e"ery e"il thought an! unruly $assion is to be banishe!, as the sinner an! the Gentile ere e>clu!e! from the sanctuary of the :e ish tem$le. This s$iritualiGing of the tem$le of Solomon is the first, the most $rominent an! most $er"a!ing of all the symbolic instructions of Freemasonry. 6t is the link that bin!s the o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e !i"isions of the or!er. 6t is this hich gi"es it its religious character. Take from Freemasonry its !e$en!ence on the tem$le, lea"e out of its ritual all reference to that sacre! e!ifice, an! to the legen!s connecte! ith it, an! the system itself must at once !ecay an! !ie, or at best remain only as some fossiliGe! bone, im$erfectly to sho the nature of the li"ing bo!y to hich it once belonge!. Tem$le orshi$ is in itself an ancient ty$e of the religious sentiment in its $rogress to ar!s s$iritual ele"ation. As soon as a nation emerge!, in

the orl!'s $rogress, out of Fetichism, or the orshi$ of "isible objects,%%the most !egra!e! form of i!olatry,%%its $eo$le began to establish a $riesthoo! an! to erect tem$les..J-4 The Scan!ina"ians, the 5elts, the /gy$tians, an! the Greeks, ho e"er much they may ha"e !iffere! in the ritual an! the objects of their $olytheistic orshi$, all ere $ossesse! of $riests an! tem$les. The :e s first constructe! their tabernacle, or $ortable tem$le, an! then, hen time an! o$$ortunity $ermitte!, transferre! their monotheistic orshi$ to that more $ermanent e!ifice hich is no the subject of our contem$lation. The mosBue of the Mohamme!an an! the church or the cha$el of the 5hristian are but embo!iments of the same i!ea of tem$le orshi$ in a sim$ler form. The a!a$tation, therefore, of the material tem$le to a science of symbolism oul! be an easy, an! by no means a no"el task, to both the :e ish an! the Tyrian min!. )oubtless, at its original conce$tion, the i!ea as ru!e an! unembellishe!, to be $erfecte! an! $olishe! only by future aggregations of succee!ing intellects. An! yet no biblical scholar ill "enture to !eny that there as, in the mo!e of buil!ing, an! in all the circumstances connecte! ith the construction of =ing Solomon's tem$le, an a$$arent !esign to establish a foun!ation for symbolism..JJ4 6 $ro$ose no to illustrate, by a fe e>am$les, the metho! in hich the s$eculati"e Masons ha"e a$$ro$riate! this !esign of =ing Solomon to their o n use. To construct his earthly tem$le, the o$erati"e mason follo e! the architectural !esigns lai! !o n on the Atrestle%boar!A, or tracing%boar!, or book of $lans of the architect. By these he he e! an! sBuare! his materials? by these he raise! his alls? by these he constructe! his arches? an! by these strength an! !urability, combine! ith grace an! beauty, ere besto e! u$on the e!ifice hich he as constructing. The trestle%boar! becomes, therefore, one of our elementary symbols. For in the masonic ritual the s$eculati"e Mason is remin!e! that, as the o$erati"e artist erects his tem$oral buil!ing, in accor!ance ith the rules an! !esigns lai! !o n on the trestle%boar! of the master% orkman, so shoul! he erect that s$iritual buil!ing, of hich the material is a ty$e, in obe!ience to the rules an! !esigns, the $rece$ts an! comman!s, lai! !o n by the gran! Architect of the uni"erse, in those great books of nature an! re"elation, hich constitute the s$iritual trestle%boar! of e"ery Freemason. The trestle%boar! is, then, the symbol of the natural an! moral la . &ike e"ery other symbol of the or!er, it is uni"ersal an! tolerant in its a$$lication? an! hile, as 5hristian Masons, e cling ith unfaltering integrity to that e>$lanation hich makes the Scri$tures of both !is$ensations our trestle%boar!, e $ermit our :e ish an! Mohamme!an

brethren to content themsel"es ith the books of the 8l! Testament, or the =oran. Masonry !oes not interfere ith the $eculiar form or !e"elo$ment of any one's religious faith. All that it asks is, that the inter$retation of the symbol shall be accor!ing to hat each one su$$oses to be the re"eale! ill of his 5reator. But so rigi!ly e>acting is it that the symbol shall be $reser"e!, an!, in some rational ay, inter$rete!, that it $erem$torily e>clu!es the Atheist from its communion, because, belie"ing in no Su$reme Being, no !i"ine Architect, he must necessarily be ithout a s$iritual trestle%boar! on hich the !esigns of that Being may be inscribe! for his !irection. But the o$erati"e mason reBuire! materials here ith to construct his tem$le. There as, for instance, the Arough ashlarA%%the stone in its ru!e an! natural state%%unforme! an! un$olishe!, as it ha! been lying in the Buarries of Tyre from the foun!ation of the earth. This stone as to be he e! an! sBuare!, to be fitte! an! a!juste!, by sim$le, but a$$ro$riate im$lements, until it became a A$erfect ashlarA, or ell%finishe! stone, rea!y to take its !estine! $lace in the buil!ing. 9ere, then, again, in these materials !o e fin! other elementary symbols. The rough an! un$olishe! stone is a symbol of man's natural state%%ignorant, unculti"ate!, an!, as the (oman historian e>$resses it, @gro"elling to the earth, like the beasts of the fiel!, an! obe!ient to e"ery sor!i! a$$etite?@ .JD4 but hen e!ucation has e>erte! its salutary influences in e>$an!ing his intellect, in restraining his hitherto unruly $assions, an! $urifying his life, he is then re$resente! by the $erfect ashlar, or finishe! stone, hich, un!er the skilful han!s of the orkman, has been smoothe!, an! sBuare!, an! fitte! for its a$$ro$riate $lace in the buil!ing. 9ere an interesting circumstance in the history of the $re$aration of these materials has been seiGe! an! beautifully a$$ro$riate! by our symbolic science. Ee learn from the account of the tem$le, containe! in the First Book of =ings, that @The house, hen it as in buil!ing, as built of stone, ma!e rea!y before it as brought thither, so that there as neither hammer nor a>e, nor any tool of iron, hear! in the house hile it as in buil!ing.@ .J*4 <o , this mo!e of construction, un!oubte!ly a!o$te! to a"oi! confusion an! !iscor! among so many thousan! orkmen,.JC4 has been selecte! as an elementary symbol of concor! an! harmony%%"irtues hich are not more essential to the $reser"ation an! $er$etuity of our o n society than they are to that of e"ery human association. The $erfect ashlar, therefore,%%the stone thus fitte! for its a$$ro$riate $osition in the tem$le,%%becomes not only a symbol of human $erfection Kin itself, of course, only a com$arati"e termL, but also, hen e refer to

the mo!e in hich it as $re$are!, of that s$ecies of $erfection hich results from the concor! an! union of men in society. 6t is, in fact, a symbol of the social character of the institution. There are other elementary symbols, to hich 6 may hereafter ha"e occasion to re"ert? the three, ho e"er, alrea!y !escribe!,%%the rough ashlar, the $erfect ashlar, an! the trestle%boar!,%%an! hich, from their im$ortance, ha"e recei"e! the name of @je els,@ ill be sufficient to gi"e some i!ea of the nature of hat may be calle! the @symbolic al$habet@ of Masonry. &et us no $rocee! to a brief consi!eration of the metho! in hich this al$habet of the science is a$$lie! to the more ele"ate! an! abstruser $ortions of the system, an! hich, as the tem$le constitutes its most im$ortant ty$e, 6 ha"e chosen to call the @Tem$le Symbolism of Masonry.@ Both Scri$ture an! tra!ition inform us that, at the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le, the masons ere !i"i!e! into !ifferent classes, each engage! in !ifferent tasks. Ee learn, from the Secon! Book of 5hronicles, that these classes ere the bearers of bur!ens, the he ers of stones, an! the o"erseers, calle! by the ol! masonic riters the A6sh sabalA, the A6sh chotGebA, an! the AMenatGchimA. <o , ithout $reten!ing to say that the mo!ern institution has $reser"e! $recisely the same system of regulations as that hich as obser"e! at the tem$le, e shall certainly fin! a similarity in these !i"isions to the A$$rentices, Fello 5rafts an! Master Masons of our o n !ay. At all e"ents, the three !i"isions ma!e by =ing Solomon, in the orkmen at :erusalem, ha"e been a!o$te! as the ty$es of the three !egrees no $ractise! in s$eculati"e Masonry? an! as such e are, therefore, to consi!er them. The mo!e in hich these three !i"isions of orkmen labore! in constructing the tem$le, has been beautifully symboliGe! in s$eculati"e Masonry, an! constitutes an im$ortant an! interesting $art of tem$le symbolism. Thus e kno , from our o n e>$erience among mo!ern orkmen, ho still $ursue the same metho!, as ell as from the tra!itions of the or!er, that the im$lements use! in the Buarries ere fe an! sim$le, the ork there reBuiring necessarily, in!ee!, but t o tools, namely, the At enty%four inch gaugeA, or t o foot rule, an! the Acommon ga"elA, or stone%cutter's hammer. Eith the former im$lement, the o$erati"e mason took the necessary !imensions of the stone he as about to $re$are, an! ith the latter, by re$eate! blo s, skilfully a$$lie!, he broke off e"ery unnecessary $rotuberance, an! ren!ere! it smooth an! sBuare, an! fit to take its $lace in the buil!ing. An! thus, in the first !egree of s$eculati"e Masonry, the /ntere! A$$rentice recei"es these sim$le im$lements, as the emblematic orking tools of his $rofession, ith their a$$ro$riate symbolical instruction. To the o$erati"e mason their mechanical an! $ractical use alone is signifie!, an! nothing more of "alue !oes their $resence con"ey to his min!. To the

s$eculati"e Mason the sight of them is suggesti"e of far nobler an! sublimer thoughts? they teach him to measure, not stones, but time? not to smooth an! $olish the marble for the buil!er's use, but to $urify an! cleanse his heart from e"ery "ice an! im$erfection that oul! ren!er it unfit for a $lace in the s$iritual tem$le of his bo!y. 6n the symbolic al$habet of Freemasonry, therefore, the t enty%four inch gauge is a symbol of time ell em$loye!? the common ga"el, of the $urification of the heart. 9ere e may $ause for a moment to refer to one of the coinci!ences bet een Freemasonry an! those AMysteriesA.J24 hich forme! so im$ortant a $art of the ancient religions, an! hich coinci!ences ha"e le! the riters on this subject to the formation of a ell%su$$orte! theory that there as a common connection bet een them. The coinci!ence to hich 6 at $resent allu!e is this' in all these Mysteries%%the inci$ient ceremony of initiation%%the first ste$ taken by the can!i!ate as a lustration or $urification. The as$irant as not $ermitte! to enter the sacre! "estibule, or take any $art in the secret formula of initiation, until, by ater or by fire, he as emblematically $urifie! from the corru$tions of the orl! hich he as about to lea"e behin!. 6 nee! not, after this, !o more than suggest the similarity of this formula, in $rinci$le, to a corres$on!ing one in Freemasonry, here the first symbols $resente! to the a$$rentice are those hich inculcate a $urification of the heart, of hich the $urification of the bo!y in the ancient Mysteries as symbolic. Ee no longer use the bath or the fountain, because in our $hiloso$hical system the symboliGation is more abstract, if 6 may use the term? but e $resent the as$irant ith the Alamb%skin a$ronA, the AgaugeA, an! the Aga"elA, as symbols of a s$iritual $urification. The !esign is the same, but the mo!e in hich it is accom$lishe! is !ifferent. &et us no resume the connecte! series of tem$le symbolism. At the buil!ing of the tem$le, the stones ha"ing been thus $re$are! by the orkmen of the lo est !egree Kthe A$$rentices, as e no call them, the as$irants of the ancient MysteriesL, e are informe! that they ere trans$orte! to the site of the e!ifice on Mount Moriah, an! ere there $lace! in the han!s of another class of orkmen, ho are no technically calle! the Fello 5rafts, an! ho corres$on! to the Mystes, or those ho ha! recei"e! the secon! !egree of the ancient Mysteries. At this stage of the o$erati"e ork more e>tensi"e an! im$ortant labors ere to be $erforme!, an! accor!ingly a greater amount of skill an! kno le!ge as reBuire! of those to hom these labors ere intruste!. The stones, ha"ing been $re$are! by the A$$rentices.D,4 Kfor hereafter, in s$eaking of the orkmen of the tem$le, 6 shall use the eBui"alent a$$ellations of the more mo!ern MasonsL, ere no to be !e$osite! in their !estine! $laces in the

buil!ing, an! the massi"e alls ere to be erecte!. For these $ur$oses im$lements of a higher an! more com$licate! character than the gauge an! ga"el ere necessary. The AsBuareA as reBuire! to fit the joints ith sufficient accuracy, the Ale"elA to run the courses in a horiGontal line, an! the A$lumbA to erect the hole ith !ue regar! to $erfect $er$en!icularity. This $ortion of the labor fin!s its symbolism in the secon! !egree of the s$eculati"e science, an! in a$$lying this symbolism e still continue to refer to the i!ea of erecting a s$iritual tem$le in the heart. The necessary $re$arations, then, ha"ing been ma!e in the first !egree, the lessons ha"ing been recei"e! by hich the as$irant is taught to commence the labor of life ith the $urification of the heart, as a Fello 5raft he continues the task by culti"ating those "irtues hich gi"e form an! im$ression to the character, as ell a!a$te! stones gi"e sha$e an! stability to the buil!ing. An! hence the @ orking tools@ of the Fello 5raft are referre!, in their symbolic a$$lication, to those "irtues. 6n the al$habet of symbolism, e fin! the sBuare, the le"el, an! the $lumb a$$ro$riate! to this secon! !egree. The sBuare is a symbol !enoting morality. 6t teaches us to a$$ly the unerring $rinci$les of moral science to e"ery action of our li"es, to see that all the moti"es an! results of our con!uct shall coinci!e ith the !ictates of !i"ine justice, an! that all our thoughts, or!s, an! !ee!s shall harmoniously cons$ire, like the ell%a!juste! an! rightly%sBuare! joints of an e!ifice, to $ro!uce a smooth, unbroken life of "irtue. The $lumb is a symbol of rectitu!e of con!uct, an! inculcates that integrity of life an! un!e"iating course of moral u$rightness hich can alone !istinguish the goo! an! just man. As the o$erati"e orkman erects his tem$oral buil!ing ith strict obser"ance of that $lumb%line, hich ill not $ermit him to !e"iate a hair's brea!th to the right or to the left, so the s$eculati"e Mason, gui!e! by the unerring $rinci$les of right an! truth inculcate! in the symbolic teachings of the same im$lement, is stea!fast in the $ursuit of truth, neither ben!ing beneath the fro ns of a!"ersity nor yiel!ing to the se!uctions of $ros$erity..D14 The le"el, the last of the three orking tools of the o$erati"e craftsman, is a symbol of eBuality of station. <ot that eBuality of ci"il or social $osition hich is to be foun! only in the "ain !reams of the anarchist or the ;to$ian, but that great moral an! $hysical eBuality hich affects the hole human race as the chil!ren of one common Father, ho causes his sun to shine an! his rain to fall on all alike, an! ho has so a$$ointe! the uni"ersal lot of humanity, that !eath, the le"eller of all human greatness, is ma!e to "isit ith eBual $ace the $rince's $alace an! the $easant's hut..D+4 9ere, then, e ha"e three more signs or hierogly$hics a!!e! to our

al$habet of symbolism. 8thers there are in this !egree, but they belong to a higher gra!e of inter$retation, an! cannot be a$$ro$riately !iscusse! in an essay on tem$le symbolism only. Ee no reach the thir! !egree, the Master Masons of the mo!ern science, an! the /$o$ts, or behol!ers of the sacre! things in the ancient Mysteries. 6n the thir! !egree the symbolic allusions to the tem$le of Solomon, an! the im$lements of Masonry em$loye! in its construction, are e>ten!e! an! fully com$lete!. At the buil!ing of that e!ifice, e ha"e alrea!y seen that one class of the orkmen as em$loye! in the $re$aration of the materials, hile another as engage! in $lacing those materials in their $ro$er $osition. But there as a thir! an! higher class,%%the master orkmen,%% hose !uty it as to su$erinten! the t o other classes, an! to see that the stones ere not only !uly $re$are!, but that the most e>act accuracy ha! been obser"e! in gi"ing to them their true ju>ta$osition in the e!ifice. 6t as then only that the last an! finishing labor.D34 as $erforme!, an! the cement as a$$lie! by these skilful orkmen, to secure the materials in their a$$ro$riate $laces, an! to unite the buil!ing in one en!uring an! connecte! mass. 9ence the Atro elA, e are informe!, as the most im$ortant, though of course not the only, im$lement in use among the master buil!ers. They !i! not $ermit this last, in!elible o$eration to be $erforme! by any han!s less skilful than their o n. They reBuire! that the craftsmen shoul! $ro"e the correctness of their ork by the sBuare, le"el, an! $lumb, an! test, by these unerring instruments, the accuracy of their joints? an!, hen satisfie! of the just arrangement of e"ery $art, the cement, hich as to gi"e an unchangeable union to the hole, as then a$$lie! by themsel"es. 9ence, in s$eculati"e Masonry, the tro el has been assigne! to the thir! !egree as its $ro$er im$lement, an! the symbolic meaning hich accom$anies it has a strict an! beautiful reference to the $ur$oses for hich it as use! in the ancient tem$le? for as it as there em$loye! @to s$rea! the cement hich unite! the buil!ing in one common mass,@ so is it selecte! as the symbol of brotherly lo"e%%that cement hose object is to unite our mystic association in one sacre! an! harmonious ban! of brethren. 9ere, then, e $ercei"e the first, or, as 6 ha"e alrea!y calle! it, the elementary form of our symbolism%%the a!a$tation of the terms, an! im$lements, an! $rocesses of an o$erati"e art to a s$eculati"e science. The tem$le is no com$lete!. The stones ha"ing been he e!, sBuare!, an! numbere! in the Buarries by the a$$rentices,%%ha"ing been $ro$erly a!juste! by the craftsmen, an! finally secure! in their a$$ro$riate $laces, ith the strongest an! $urest cement, by the master buil!ers,%%the tem$le of =ing Solomon $resente!, in its finishe! con!ition, so noble an a$$earance of sublimity an! gran!eur as to ell !eser"e to be selecte!, as

it has been, for the ty$e or symbol of that immortal tem$le of the bo!y, to hich 5hrist significantly an! symbolically allu!e! hen he sai!, @)estroy this tem$le, an! in three !ays 6 ill raise it u$.@ This i!ea of re$resenting the interior an! s$iritual man by a material tem$le is so a$$osite in all its $arts as to ha"e occurre! on more than one occasion to the first teachers of 5hristianity. 5hrist himself re$eate!ly allu!es to it in other $assages, an! the eloBuent an! figurati"e St. Paul beautifully e>ten!s the i!ea in one of his /$istles to the 5orinthians, in the follo ing language' @=no ye not that ye are the tem$le of Go!, an! that the s$irit of Go! ! elleth in youF@ An! again, in a subseBuent $assage of the same /$istle, he reiterates the i!ea in a more $ositi"e form' @Ehat, kno ye not that your bo!y is the tem$le of the 9oly Ghost hich is in you, hich ye ha"e of Go!, an! ye are not your o nF@ An! )r. A!am 5larke, hile commenting on this latter $assage, makes the "ery allusions hich ha"e been the to$ic of !iscussion in the $resent essay. @As truly,@ says he, @as the li"ing Go! ! elt in the Mosaic tabernacle an! in the tem$le of Solomon, so truly !oes the 9oly Ghost ! ell in the souls of genuine 5hristians? an! as the tem$le an! all its AutensilsA ere holy, se$arate! from all common an! $rofane uses, an! !e!icate! alone to the ser"ice of Go!, so the bo!ies of genuine 5hristians are holy, an! shoul! be em$loye! in the ser"ice of Go! alone.@ The i!ea, therefore, of making the tem$le a symbol of the bo!y, is not e>clusi"ely masonic? but the mo!e of treating the symbolism by a reference to the $articular tem$le of Solomon, an! to the o$erati"e art engage! in its construction, is $eculiar to Freemasonry. 6t is this hich isolates it from all other similar associations. 9a"ing many things in common ith the secret societies an! religious Mysteries of antiBuity, in this @tem$le symbolism@ it !iffers from them all.

I666. The Form of the &o!ge.

6n the last essay, 6 treate! of that symbolism of the masonic system hich makes the tem$le of :erusalem the archety$e of a lo!ge, an! in hich, in conseBuence, all the symbols are referre! to the connection of a s$eculati"e science ith an o$erati"e art. 6 $ro$ose in the $resent to !iscourse of a higher an! abstruser mo!e of symbolism? an! it may be obser"e! that, in coming to this to$ic, e arri"e, for the first time, at

that chain of resemblances hich unites Freemasonry ith the ancient systems of religion, an! hich has gi"en rise, among masonic riters, to the names of Pure an! S$urious Freemasonry%%the $ure Freemasonry being that system of $hiloso$hical religion hich, coming through the line of the $atriarchs, as e"entually mo!ifie! by influences e>erte! at the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le, an! the s$urious being the same system as it as altere! an! corru$te! by the $olytheism of the nations of heathen!om..D-4 As this abstruser mo!e of symbolism, if less $eculiar to the masonic system, is, ho e"er, far more interesting than the one hich as treate! in the $re"ious essay,%%because it is more $hiloso$hical,%%6 $ro$ose to gi"e an e>ten!e! in"estigation of its character. An!, in the first $lace, there is hat may be calle! an elementary "ie of this abstruser symbolism, hich seems almost to be a corollary from hat has alrea!y been !escribe! in the $rece!ing article. As each in!i"i!ual mason has been su$$ose! to be the symbol of a s$iritual tem$le,%%@a tem$le not ma!e ith han!s, eternal in the hea"ens,@%%the lo!ge or collecte! assemblage of these masons, is a!o$te! as a symbol of the orl!..DJ4 6t is in the first !egree of Masonry, more $articularly, that this s$ecies of symbolism is !e"elo$e!. 6n its !etail it !eri"es the characteristics of resemblance u$on hich it is foun!e!, from the form, the su$$orts, the ornaments, an! general construction an! internal organiGation of a lo!ge, in all of hich the symbolic reference to the orl! is beautifully an! consistently sustaine!. The form of a masonic lo!ge is sai! to be a $arallelogram, or oblong sBuare? its greatest length being from east to est, its brea!th from north to south. A sBuare, a circle, a triangle, or any other form but that of an Aoblong sBuareA, oul! be eminently incorrect an! unmasonic, because such a figure oul! not be an e>$ression of the symbolic i!ea hich is inten!e! to be con"eye!. <o , as the orl! is a globe, or, to s$eak more accurately, an oblate s$heroi!, the attem$t to make an oblong sBuare its symbol oul! seem, at first "ie , to $resent insu$erable !ifficulties. But the system of masonic symbolism has stoo! the test of too long an e>$erience to be easily foun! at fault? an! therefore this "ery symbol furnishes a striking e"i!ence of the antiBuity of the or!er. At the Solomonic era%%the era of the buil!ing of the tem$le at :erusalem%%the orl!, it must be remembere!, as su$$ose! to ha"e that "ery oblong form,.DD4 hich has been here symboliGe!. 6f, for instance, on a ma$ of the orl! e shoul! inscribe an oblong figure hose boun!ary lines oul! circumscribe an! inclu!e just that $ortion hich as kno n to be inhabite! in the clays of Solomon, these lines, running a

short !istance north an! south of the Me!iterranean Sea, an! e>ten!ing from S$ain in the est to Asia Minor in the east, oul! form an oblong sBuare, inclu!ing the southern shore of /uro$e, the northern shore of Africa, an! the estern !istrict of Asia, the length of the $arallelogram being about si>ty !egrees from east to est, an! its brea!th being about t enty !egrees from north to south. This oblong sBuare, thus enclosing the hole of hat as then su$$ose! to be the habitable globe,.D*4 oul! $recisely re$resent hat is symbolically sai! to be Athe form of the lo!geA, hile the Pillars of 9ercules in the est, on each si!e of the straits of Ga!es or Gibraltar, might a$$ro$riately be referre! to the t o $illars that stoo! at the $orch of the tem$le. .6llustration' Ma$ of Me!iterranean Sea an! surroun!ing area.4 A masonic lo!ge is, therefore, a symbol of the orl!. This symbol is sometimes, by a "ery usual figure of s$eech, e>ten!e!, in its a$$lication, an! the orl! an! the uni"erse are ma!e synonymous, hen the lo!ge becomes, of course, a symbol of the uni"erse. But in this case the !efinition of the symbol is e>ten!e!, an! to the i!eas of length an! brea!th are a!!e! those of height an! !e$th, an! the lo!ge is sai! to assume the form of a !ouble cube..DC4 The soli! contents of the earth belo an! the e>$anse of the hea"ens abo"e ill then gi"e the outlines of the cube, an! the hole create! uni"erse.D24 ill be inclu!e! ithin the symbolic limits of a mason's lo!ge. By al ays remembering that the lo!ge is the symbol, in its form an! e>tent, of the orl!, e are enable!, rea!ily an! rationally, to e>$lain many other symbols, attache! $rinci$ally to the first !egree? an! e are enable! to collate an! com$are them ith similar symbols of other kin!re! institutions of antiBuity, for it shoul! be obser"e! that this symbolism of the orl!, re$resente! by a $lace of initiation, i!ely $er"a!e! all the ancient rites an! mysteries. 6t ill, no !oubt, be interesting to e>ten! our in"estigations on this subject, ith a $articular "ie to the metho! in hich this symbolism of the orl! or the uni"erse as !e"elo$e!, in some of its most $rominent !etails? an! for this $ur$ose 6 shall select the mystical e>$lanation of the AofficersA of a lo!ge, its Aco"eringA, an! a $ortion of its AornamentsA.

I6H. The 8fficers of a &o!ge.

The Three Princi$al 8fficers of a lo!ge are, it is nee!less to say, situate! in the east, the est, an! the south. <o , bearing in min! that the lo!ge is a symbol of the orl!, or the uni"erse, the reference of these three officers to the sun at its rising, its setting, an! its meri!ian height, must at once suggest itself. This is the first !e"elo$ment of the symbol, an! a "ery brief inBuiry ill furnish am$le e"i!ence of its antiBuity an! its uni"ersality. 6n the Brahminical initiations of 9in!ostan, hich are among the earliest that ha"e been transmitte! to us, an! may almost be consi!ere! as the cra!le of all the others of subseBuent ages an! "arious countries, the ceremonies ere $erforme! in "ast ca"erns, the remains of some of hich, at Salsette, /le$hanta, an! a fe other $laces, ill gi"e the s$ectator but a "ery ina!eBuate i!ea of the e>tent an! s$len!or of these ancient 6n!ian lo!ges..*,4 More im$erfect remains than these are still to be foun! in great numbers throughout 9in!ostan an! 5ashmere. Their form as sometimes that of a cross, emblematic of the four elements of hich the earth is com$ose!,%%fire, ater, air, an! earth,%%but more generally an o"al, as a re$resentation of the mun!ane egg, hich, in the ancient systems, as a symbol of the orl!..*14 The interior of the ca"ern of initiation as lighte! by innumerable lam$s, an! there sat in the east, the est, an! the south the $rinci$al 9iero$hants, or e>$lainers of the Mysteries, as the re$resentati"es of Brahma, Hishnu, an! Si"a. <o , Brahma as the su$reme !eity of the 9in!oos, borro e! or !eri"e! from the Sun%go! of their Sabean ancestors, an! Hishnu an! Si"a ere but manifestations of his attributes. Ee learn from the 6n!ian Pantheon that @ hen the sun rises in the east, he is Brahma? hen he gains his meri!ian in the south, he is Si"a? an! hen he sets in the est, he is Hishnu.@ Again, in the Noroasteric mysteries of Persia, the tem$le of initiation as circular, being ma!e so to re$resent the uni"erse? an! the sun in the east, ith the surroun!ing Go!iac, forme! an in!is$ensable $art of the ceremony of rece$tion..*+4 6n the /gy$tian mysteries of 8siris, the same reference to the sun is containe!, an! 9ero!otus, ho as himself an initiate, intimates that the ceremonies consiste! in the re$resentation of a Sun%go!, ho ha! been incarnate, that is, ha! a$$eare! u$on earth, or rose, an! ho as at length $ut to !eath by Ty$hon, the symbol of !arkness, ty$ical of the sun's setting.

6n the great mysteries of /leusis,.*34 hich ere celebrate! at Athens, e learn from St. 5hrysostom, as ell as other authorities, that the tem$le of initiation as symbolic of the uni"erse, an! e kno that one of the officers re$resente! the sun..*-4 6n the 5eltic mysteries of the )rui!s, the tem$le of initiation as either o"al, to re$resent the mun!ane egg%%a symbol, as has alrea!y been sai!, of the orl!? or circular, because the circle as a symbol of the uni"erse? or cruciform, in allusion to the four elements, or constituents of the uni"erse. 6n the 6slan! of &e is, in Scotlan!, there is one combining the cruciform an! circular form. There is a circle, consisting of t el"e stones, hile three more are $lace! in the east, an! as many in the est an! south, an! thirty%eight, in t o $arallel lines, in the north, forming an a"enue to the circular tem$le. 6n the centre of the circle is the image of the go!. 6n the initiations into these rites, the solar !eity $erforme! an im$ortant $art, an! the celebrations commence! at !aybreak, hen the sun as haile! on his a$$earance abo"e the horiGon as @the go! of "ictory, the king ho rises in light an! ascen!s the sky.@ But 6 nee! not multi$ly these instances of sun% orshi$. /"ery country an! religion of the ancient orl! oul! affor! one..*J4 Sufficient has been cite! to sho the com$lete coinci!ence, in reference to the sun, bet een the symbolism of Freemasonry an! that of the ancient rites an! Mysteries, an! to suggest for them a common origin, the sun being al ays in the former system, from the earliest times of the $rimiti"e or $atriarchal Masonry, consi!ere! sim$ly as a manifestation of the Eis!om, Strength, an! Beauty of the )i"ine Architect, "isibly re$resente! by the $osition of the three $rinci$al officers of a lo!ge, hile by the latter, in their !egeneration from, an! corru$tion of the true <oachic faith, it as a!o$te! as the s$ecial object of a!oration.

IH. The Point Eithin a 5ircle.

The $oint ithin a 5ircle is another symbol of great im$ortance in Freemasonry, an! comman!s $eculiar attention in this connection ith the ancient symbolism of the uni"erse an! the solar orb. /"erybo!y ho has rea! a masonic @Monitor@ is ell acBuainte! ith the usual e>$lanation of this symbol. Ee are tol! that the $oint re$resents an in!i"i!ual brother, the circle the boun!ary line of his !uty to Go! an! man, an! the t o $er$en!icular $arallel lines the $atron saints of the or!er%%St. :ohn the

Ba$tist an! St. :ohn the /"angelist. <o , this e>$lanation, trite an! meagre as it is, may !o "ery ell for the e>oteric teaching of the or!er? but the Buestion at this time is, not ho it has been e>$laine! by mo!ern lecturers an! masonic system%makers, but hat as the ancient inter$retation of the symbol, an! ho shoul! it be rea! as a sacre! hierogly$hic in reference to the true $hiloso$hic system hich constitutes the real essence an! character of FreemasonryF Perfectly to un!erstan! this symbol, 6 must refer, as a $reliminary matter, to the orshi$ of the APhallusA, a $eculiar mo!ification of sun% orshi$, hich $re"aile! to a great e>tent among the nations of antiBuity. The Phallus as a scul$ture! re$resentation of the Amembrum "irileA, or male organ of generation,.*D4 an! the orshi$ of it is sai! to ha"e originate! in /gy$t, here, after the mur!er of 8siris by Ty$hon, hich is symbolically to be e>$laine! as the !estruction or !e$ri"ation of the sun's light by night, 6sis, his ife, or the symbol of nature, in the search for his mutilate! bo!y, is sai! to ha"e foun! all the $arts e>ce$t the organs of generation, hich myth is sim$ly symbolic of the fact, that the sun ha"ing set, its fecun!ating an! in"igorating $o er ha! cease!. The Phallus, therefore, as the symbol of the male generati"e $rinci$le, as "ery uni"ersally "enerate! among the ancients,.**4 an! that too as a religious rite, ithout the slightest reference to any im$ure or lasci"ious a$$lication..*C4 9e is su$$ose!, by some commentators, to be the go! mentione! un!er the name of Baal%$eor, in the Book of <umbers,.*24 as ha"ing been orshi$$e! by the i!olatrous Moabites. Among the eastern nations of 6n!ia the same symbol as $re"alent, un!er the name of @&ingam.@ But the Phallus or &ingam as a re$resentation of the male $rinci$le only. To $erfect the circle of generation it is necessary to a!"ance one ste$ farther. Accor!ingly e fin! in the A5teisA of the Greeks, an! the A#oniA of the 6n!ians, a symbol of the female generati"e $rinci$le, of co%e>tensi"e $re"alence ith the Phallus. The A5teisA as a circular an! conca"e $e!estal, or rece$tacle, on hich the Phallus or column reste!, an! from the centre of hich it s$rang. The union of the Phallus an! 5teis, or the &ingam an! #oni, in one com$oun! figure, as an object of a!oration, as the most usual mo!e of re$resentation. This as in strict accor!ance ith the hole system of ancient mythology, hich as foun!e! u$on a orshi$ of the $rolific $o ers of nature. All the !eities of $agan antiBuity, ho e"er numerous they may be, can al ays be re!uce! to the t o !ifferent forms of the generati"e $rinci$le%%the acti"e, or male, an! the $assi"e, or female. 9ence the go!s ere al ays arrange! in $airs, as :u$iter an! :uno, Bacchus an! Henus, 8siris an! 6sis. But the ancients ent farther. Belie"ing that the $rocreati"e an! $ro!ucti"e $o ers of nature might be concei"e! to e>ist in

the same in!i"i!ual, they ma!e the ol!er of their !eities herma$hro!ite, an! use! the term .Greek' aLrLrKenotheOlys4, or Aman%"irgin,A to !enote the union of the t o se>es in the same !i"ine $erson..C,4 Thus, in one of the 8r$hic 9ymns, e fin! this line'%% .Greek' NeyPs aLOrsen geOneto, NeyPs aLOmbrotos eLOPleto nyOm$he4 :o"e as create! a male an! an uns$otte! "irgin. An! Plutarch, in his tract @8n 6sis an! 8siris,@ says, @Go!, ho is a male an! female intelligence, being both life an! light, brought forth another intelligence, the 5reator of the Eorl!.@ <o , this herma$hro!ism of the Su$reme )i"inity as again su$$ose! to be re$resente! by the sun, hich as the male generati"e energy, an! by nature, or the uni"erse, hich as the female $rolific $rinci$le..C14 An! this union as symboliGe! in !ifferent ays, but $rinci$ally by Athe $oint ithin the circleA, the $oint in!icating the sun, an! the circle the uni"erse, in"igorate! an! fertiliGe! by his generati"e rays. An! in some of the 6n!ian ca"e%tem$les, this allusion as ma!e more manifest by the inscri$tion of the signs of the Go!iac on the circle. So far, then, e arri"e at the true inter$retation of the masonic symbolism of the $oint ithin the circle. 6t is the same thing, but un!er a !ifferent form, as the Master an! Ear!ens of a lo!ge. The Master an! Ear!ens are symbols of the sun, the lo!ge of the uni"erse, or orl!, just as the $oint is the symbol of the same sun, an! the surroun!ing circle of the uni"erse. But the t o $er$en!icular $arallel lines remain to be e>$laine!. /"ery one is familiar ith the "ery recent inter$retation, that they re$resent the t o Saints :ohn, the Ba$tist an! the /"angelist. But this mo!ern e>$osition must be aban!one!, if e !esire to obtain the true ancient signification. 6n the first $lace, e must call to min! the fact that, at t o $articular $oints of his course, the sun is foun! in the Go!iacal signs of 5ancer an! 5a$ricorn. These $oints are astronomically !istinguishe! as the summer an! inter solstice. Ehen the sun is in these $oints, he has reache! his greatest northern an! southern !eclination, an! $ro!uces the most e"i!ent effects on the tem$erature of the seasons, an! on the length of the !ays an! nights. These $oints, if e su$$ose the circle to re$resent the sun's a$$arent course, ill be in!icate! by the $oints here the $arallel lines touch the circle, or, in other or!s, the $arallels ill in!icate the limits of the sun's e>treme northern an! southern !eclination, hen he arri"es at the solstitial $oints of 5ancer an! 5a$ricorn.

But the !ays hen the sun reaches these $oints are, res$ecti"ely, the +1st of :une an! the ++! of )ecember, an! this ill account for their subseBuent a$$lication to the t o Saints :ohn, hose anni"ersaries ha"e been $lace! by the church near those !ays.

IH6. The 5o"ering of the &o!ge.

The 5o"ering of the lo!ge is another, an! must be our last reference to this symbolism of the orl! or the uni"erse. The mere mention of the fact that this co"ering is figurati"ely su$$ose! to be @a clou!e! cano$y,@ or the firmament, on hich the host of stars is re$resente!, ill be enough to in!icate the continue! allusion to the symbolism of the orl!. The lo!ge, as a re$resentati"e of the orl!, is of course su$$ose! to ha"e no other roof than the hea"ens?.C+4 an! it oul! scarcely be necessary to enter into any !iscussion on the subject, ere it not that another symbol%%the theological la!!er%%is so intimately connecte! ith it, that the one naturally suggests the other. <o , this mystic la!!er, hich connects the groun! floor of the lo!ge ith its roof or co"ering, is another im$ortant an! interesting link, hich bin!s, ith one common chain, the symbolism an! ceremonies of Freemasonry, an! the symbolism an! rites of the ancient initiations. This mystical la!!er, hich in Masonry is referre! to @the theological la!!er, hich :acob in his "ision sa , reaching from earth to hea"en,@ as i!ely !is$erse! among the religions of antiBuity, here it as al ays su$$ose! to consist of se"en roun!s or ste$s. For instance, in the Mysteries of Mithras, in Persia, here there ere se"en stages or !egrees of initiation, there as erecte! in the tem$les, or rather ca"es,%%for it as in them that the initiation as con!ucte!,%%a high la!!er, of se"en ste$s or gates, each of hich as !e!icate! to one of the $lanets, hich as ty$ifie! by one of the metals, the to$most ste$ re$resenting the sun, so that, beginning at the bottom, e ha"e Saturn re$resente! by lea!, Henus by tin, :u$iter by brass, Mercury by iron, Mars by a mi>e! metal, the Moon by sil"er, an! the Sun by gol!, the hole being a symbol of the si!ereal $rogress of the solar orb through the uni"erse. 6n the Mysteries of Brahma e fin! the same reference to the la!!er of se"en ste$s? but here the names ere !ifferent, although there as the

same allusion to the symbol of the uni"erse. The se"en ste$s ere emblematical of the se"en orl!s hich constitute! the 6n!ian uni"erse. The lo est as the /arth? the secon!, the Eorl! of (ee>istence? the thir!, 9ea"en? the fourth, the Mi!!le Eorl!, or interme!iate region bet een the lo er an! u$$er orl!s? the fifth, the Eorl! of Births, in hich souls are again born? the si>th, the Mansion of the Blesse!? an! the se"enth, or to$most roun!, the S$here of Truth, the abo!e of Brahma, he himself being but a symbol of the sun, an! hence e arri"e once more at the masonic symbolism of the uni"erse an! the solar orb. )r. 8li"er thinks that in the Scan!ina"ian Mysteries he has foun! the mystic la!!er in the sacre! tree A#!rasil?A.C34 but here the reference to the se$tenary !i"ision is so im$erfect, or at least abstruse, that 6 am un illing to $ress it into our catalogue of coinci!ences, although there is no !oubt that e shall fin! in this sacre! tree the same allusion as in the la!!er of :acob, to an ascent from earth, here its roots ere $lante!, to hea"en, here its branches e>$an!e!, hich ascent being but a change from mortality to immortality, from time to eternity, as the !octrine taught in all the initiations. The ascent of the la!!er or of the tree as the ascent from life here to life hereafter%%from earth to hea"en. 6t is unnecessary to carry these $arallelisms any farther. Any one can, ho e"er, see in them an un!oubte! reference to that se$tenary !i"ision hich so uni"ersally $re"aile! throughout the ancient orl!, an! the influence of hich is still felt e"en in the common !ay life an! obser"ances of our time. Se"en as, among the 9ebre s, their $erfect number? an! hence e see it continually recurring in all their sacre! rites. The creation as $erfecte! in se"en !ays? se"en $riests, ith se"en trum$ets, encom$asse! the alls of :ericho for se"en !ays? <oah recei"e! se"en !ays' notice of the commencement of the !eluge, an! se"en $ersons accom$anie! him into the ark, hich reste! on Mount Ararat on the se"enth month? Solomon as se"en years in buil!ing the tem$le' an! there are hun!re!s of other instances of the $rominence of this talismanic number, if there ere either time or necessity to cite them. Among the Gentiles the same number as eBually sacre!. Pythagoras calle! it a @"enerable number.@ The se$tenary !i"ision of time into eeks of se"en !ays, although not uni"ersal, as has been generally su$$ose!, as sufficiently so to in!icate the influence of the number. An! it is remarkable, as $erha$s in some ay referring to the se"en%ste$$e! la!!er hich e ha"e been consi!ering, that in the ancient Mysteries, as A$uleius informs us, the can!i!ate as se"en times ashe! in the consecrate! aters of ablution. There is, then, an anomaly in gi"ing to the mystical la!!er of Masonry only AthreeA roun!s. 6t is an anomaly, ho e"er, ith hich Masonry has ha!

nothing to !o. The error arose from the ignorance of those in"entors ho first engra"e! the masonic symbols for our monitors. The la!!er of Masonry, like the eBui$ollent la!!ers of its kin!re! institutions, al ays ha! se"en ste$s, although in mo!ern times the three $rinci$al or u$$er ones are alone allu!e! to. These roun!s, beginning at the lo est, are ATem$erance, Fortitu!e, Pru!ence, :ustice, Faith, 9o$e,A an! A5harityA. 5harity, therefore, takes the same $lace in the la!!er of masonic "irtues as the sun !oes in the la!!er of $lanets. 6n the la!!er of metals e fin! gol!, an! in that of colors yello , occu$ying the same ele"ate! $osition. <o , St. Paul e>$lains 5harity as signifying, not alms%gi"ing, hich is the mo!ern $o$ular meaning, but lo"e%%that lo"e hich @suffereth long an! is kin!?@ an! hen, in our lectures on this subject, e s$eak of it as the greatest of "irtues, because, hen Faith is lost an! 9o$e has cease!, it e>ten!s @beyon! the gra"e to realms of en!less bliss,@ e there refer it to the )i"ine &o"e of our 5reator. But Portal, in his /ssay on Symbolic 5olors, informs us that the sun re$resents )i"ine &o"e, an! gol! in!icates the goo!ness of Go!. So that if 5harity is eBui"alent to )i"ine &o"e, an! )i"ine &o"e is re$resente! by the sun, an! lastly, if 5harity be the to$most roun! of the masonic la!!er, then again e arri"e, as the result of our researches, at the symbol so often alrea!y re$eate! of the solar orb. The natural sun or the s$iritual sun%%the sun, either as the "i"ifying $rinci$le of animate! nature, an! therefore the s$ecial object of a!oration, or as the most $rominent instrument of the 5reator's bene"olence%% as e"er a lea!ing i!ea in the symbolism of antiBuity. 6ts $re"alence, therefore, in the masonic institution, is a $regnant e"i!ence of the close analogy e>isting bet een it an! all these systems. 9o that analogy as first intro!uce!, an! ho it is to be e>$laine!, ithout !etriment to the $urity an! truthfulness of our o n religious character, oul! in"ol"e a long inBuiry into the origin of Freemasonry, an! the history of its connection ith the ancient systems. These researches might ha"e been e>ten!e! still farther? enough, ho e"er, has been sai! to establish the follo ing lea!ing $rinci$les'%% 1. That Freemasonry is, strictly s$eaking, a science of symbolism. +. That in this symbolism it bears a striking analogy to the same science, as seen in the mystic rites of the ancient religions. 3. That as in these ancient religions the uni"erse as symboliGe! to the can!i!ate, an! the sun, as its "i"ifying $rinci$le, ma!e the object of his a!oration, or at least of his "eneration, so, in Masonry, the lo!ge is ma!e the re$resentati"e of the orl! or the uni"erse, an! the sun is $resente! as its most $rominent symbol.

-. That this i!entity of symbolism $ro"es an i!entity of origin, hich i!entity of origin can be sho n to be strictly com$atible ith the true religious sentiment of Masonry. J. An! fifthly an! lastly, that the hole symbolism of Freemasonry has an e>clusi"e reference to hat the =abalists ha"e calle! the A&GAB6&%%the AMaster Buil!erA%%him hom Freemasons ha"e !esignate! as the Gran! Architect of the ;ni"erse.

IH66. (itualistic Symbolism.

Ee ha"e hitherto been engage! in the consi!eration of these sim$le symbols, hich a$$ear to e>$ress one single an! in!e$en!ent i!ea. They ha"e sometimes been calle! the @al$habet of Freemasonry,@ but im$ro$erly, 6 think, since the letters of the al$habet ha"e, in themsel"es, unlike these masonic symbols, no significance, but are sim$ly the com$onent $arts of or!s, themsel"es the re$resentati"es of i!eas. These masonic symbols rather may be com$are! to the elementary characters of the 5hinese language, each of hich !enotes an i!ea? or, still better, to the hierogly$hics of the ancient /gy$tians, in hich one object as re$resente! in full by another hich bore some subjecti"e relation to it, as the in! as re$resente! by the ings of a bir!, or courage by the hea! an! shoul!ers of a lion. 6t is in the same ay that in Masonry the $lumb re$resents rectitu!e, the le"el, human eBuality, an! the tro el, concor! or harmony. /ach is, in itself, in!e$en!ent, each e>$resses a single elementary i!ea. But e no arri"e at a higher !i"ision of masonic symbolism, hich, $assing beyon! these tangible symbols, brings us to those hich are of a more abstruse nature, an! hich, as being !e"elo$e! in a ceremonial form, controlle! an! !irecte! by the ritual of the or!er, may be !esignate! as the Aritualistic symbolismA of Freemasonry. 6t is to this higher !i"ision that 6 no in"ite attention? an! for the $ur$ose of e>em$lifying the !efinition that 6 ha"e gi"en, 6 shall select a fe of the most $rominent an! interesting ceremonies of the ritual.

8ur first researches ere into the symbolism of objects? our ne>t ill be into the symbolism of ceremonies. 6n the e>$lanations hich 6 shall "enture to gi"e of this ritualistic symbolism, or the symbolism of ceremonies, a reference ill constantly be ma!e to hat has so often alrea!y been allu!e! to, namely, to the analogy e>isting bet een the system of Freemasonry an! the ancient rites an! Mysteries, an! hence e ill again !e"elo$ the i!entity of their origin. /ach of the !egrees of Ancient 5raft Masonry contains some of these ritualistic symbols' the lessons of the hole or!er are, in!ee!, "eile! in their allegoric clothing? but it is only to the most im$ortant that 6 can fin! o$$ortunity to refer. Such, among others, are the rites of !iscalceation, of in"estiture, of circumambulation, an! of intrusting. /ach of these ill furnish an a$$ro$riate subject for consi!eration.

IH666. The (ite of )iscalceation.

The Arite of !iscalceationA, or unco"ering the feet on a$$roaching holy groun!, is !eri"e! from the &atin or! A!iscalceareA, to $luck off one's shoes. The usage has the $restige of antiBuity an! uni"ersality in its fa"or. That it not only "ery generally $re"aile!, but that its symbolic signification as ell un!erstoo! in the !ays of Moses, e learn from that $assage of />o!us here the angel of the &or!, at the burning bush, e>claims to the $atriarch, @)ra not nigh hither? $ut off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the $lace hereon thou stan!est is holy groun!.@ .C-4 5larke.CJ4 thinks it is from this comman! that the /astern nations ha"e !eri"e! the custom of $erforming all their acts of religious orshi$ ith bare feet. But it is much more $robable that the ceremony as in use long anterior to the circumstance of the burning bush, an! that the :e ish la gi"er at once recogniGe! it as a ell%kno n sign of re"erence. Bisho$ Patrick.CD4 entertains this o$inion, an! thinks that the custom as !eri"e! from the ancient $atriarchs, an! as transmitte! by a general tra!ition to succee!ing times. Abun!ant e"i!ence might be furnishe! from ancient authors of the e>istence of the custom among all nations, both :e ish an! Gentile. A fe of them,

$rinci$ally collecte! by )r. Me!e, must be curious an! interesting. The !irection of Pythagoras to his !isci$les as in these or!s' @.Greek' Any$oO!etos thyOe kai $roOskynei4?@ that is, 8ffer sacrifice an! orshi$ ith thy shoes off..C*4 :ustin Martyr says that those ho came to orshi$ in the sanctuaries an! tem$les of the Gentiles ere comman!e! by their $riests to $ut off their shoes. )rusius, in his <otes on the Book of :oshua, says that among most of the /astern nations it as a $ious !uty to trea! the $a"ement of the tem$le ith unsho! feet..CC4 Maimoni!es, the great e>$oun!er of the :e ish la , asserts that @it as not la ful for a man to come into the mountain of Go!'s house ith his shoes on his feet, or ith his staff, or in his orking garments, or ith !ust on his feet.@ .C24 (abbi Solomon, commenting on the comman! in &e"iticus >i>. 3,, @#e shall re"erence my sanctuary,@ makes the same remark in relation to this custom. 8n this subject )r. 8li"er obser"es, @<o , the act of going ith nake! feet as al ays consi!ere! a token of humility an! re"erence? an! the $riests, in the tem$le orshi$, al ays officiate! ith feet unco"ere!, although it as freBuently injurious to their health.@ .2,4 Me!e Buotes Nago Naba, an /thio$ian bisho$, ho as ambassa!or from )a"i!, =ing of Abyssinia, to :ohn 666., of Portugal, as saying, @Ee are not $ermitte! to enter the church, e>ce$t barefoote!.@ .214 The Mohamme!ans, hen about to $erform their !e"otions, al ays lea"e their sli$$ers at the !oor of the mosBue. The )rui!s $ractise! the same custom hene"er they celebrate! their sacre! rites? an! the ancient Peru"ians are sai! al ays to ha"e left their shoes at the $orch hen they entere! the magnificent tem$le consecrate! to the orshi$ of the sun. A!am 5larke thinks that the custom of orshi$$ing the )eity barefoote! as so general among all nations of antiBuity, that he assigns it as one of his thirteen $roofs that the hole human race ha"e been !eri"e! from one family..2+4 A theory might be a!"ance! as follo s' The shoes, or san!als, ere orn on or!inary occasions as a $rotection from the !efilement of the groun!. To continue to ear them, then, in a consecrate! $lace, oul! be a tacit insinuation that the groun! there as eBually $ollute! an! ca$able of $ro!ucing !efilement. But, as the "ery character of a holy an! consecrate! s$ot $reclu!es the i!ea of any sort of !efilement or im$urity, the

ackno le!gment that such as the case as con"eye!, symbolically, by !i"esting the feet of all that $rotection from $ollution an! uncleanness hich oul! be necessary in unconsecrate! $laces. So, in mo!ern times, e unco"er the hea! to e>$ress the sentiment of esteem an! res$ect. <o , in former !ays, hen there as more "iolence to be a$$rehen!e! than no , the casBue, or helmet, affor!e! an am$le $rotection from any su!!en blo of an une>$ecte! a!"ersary. But e can fear no "iolence from one hom e esteem an! res$ect? an!, therefore, to !e$ri"e the hea! of its accustome! $rotection, is to gi"e an e"i!ence of our unlimite! confi!ence in the $erson to hom the gesture is ma!e. The rite of !iscalceation is, therefore, a symbol of re"erence. 6t signifies, in the language of symbolism, that the s$ot hich is about to be a$$roache! in this humble an! re"erential manner is consecrate! to some holy $ur$ose. <o , as to all that has been sai!, the intelligent mason ill at once see its a$$lication to the thir! !egree. 8f all the !egrees of Masonry, this is by far the most im$ortant an! sublime. The solemn lessons hich it teaches, the sacre! scene hich it re$resents, an! the im$ressi"e ceremonies ith hich it is con!ucte!, are all calculate! to ins$ire the min! ith feelings of a e an! re"erence. 6nto the holy of holies of the tem$le, hen the ark of the co"enant ha! been !e$osite! in its a$$ro$riate $lace, an! the Shekinah as ho"ering o"er it, the high $riest alone, an! on one !ay only in the hole year, as $ermitte!, after the most careful $urification, to enter ith bare feet, an! to $ronounce, ith fearful "eneration, the tetragrammaton or omnific or!. An! into the Master Mason's lo!ge%%this holy of holies of the masonic tem$le, here the solemn truths of !eath an! immortality are inculcate!%%the as$irant, on entering, shoul! $urify his heart from e"ery contamination, an! remember, ith a !ue sense of their symbolic a$$lication, those or!s that once broke u$on the astonishe! ears of the ol! $atriarch, @Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the $lace hereon thou stan!est is holy groun!.@

I6I. The (ite of 6n"estiture.

Another ritualistic symbolism, of still more im$ortance an! interest, is

the Arite of in"estitureA. The rite of in"estiture, calle!, in the colloBuially technical language of the or!er, the Aceremony of clothingA, brings us at once to the consi!eration of that ell%kno n symbol of Freemasonry, the &AMB%S=6< AP(8<. This rite of in"estiture, or the $lacing u$on the as$irant some garment, as an in!ication of his a$$ro$riate $re$aration for the ceremonies in hich he as about to engage, $re"aile! in all the ancient initiations. A fe of them only it ill be reBuisite to consi!er. Thus in the &e"itical economy of the 6sraelites the $riests al ays ore the abnet, or linen a$ron, or gir!le, as a $art of the in"estiture of the $riesthoo!. This, ith the other garments, as to be orn, as the te>t e>$resses it, @for glory an! for beauty,@ or, as it has been e>$laine! by a learne! commentator, @as emblematical of that holiness an! $urity hich e"er characteriGe the !i"ine nature, an! the orshi$ hich is orthy of him.@ 6n the Persian Mysteries of Mithras, the can!i!ate, ha"ing first recei"e! light, as in"este! ith a gir!le, a cro n or mitre, a $ur$le tunic, an!, lastly, a hite a$ron. 6n the initiations $ractise! in 9in!ostan, in the ceremony of in"estiture as substitute! the sash, or sacre! Gennaar, consisting of a cor!, com$ose! of nine threa!s t iste! into a knot at the en!, an! hanging from the left shoul!er to the right hi$. This as, $erha$s, the ty$e of the masonic scarf, hich is, or ought to be, al ays orn in the same $osition. The :e ish sect of the /ssenes, ho a$$roache! nearer than any other secret institution of antiBuity to Freemasonry in their organiGation, al ays in"este! their no"ices ith a hite robe. An!, lastly, in the Scan!ina"ian rites, here the military genius of the $eo$le ha! intro!uce! a arlike s$ecies of initiation, instea! of the a$ron e fin! the can!i!ate recei"ing a hite shiel!, hich as, ho e"er, al ays $resente! ith the accom$animent of some symbolic instruction, not "ery !issimilar to that hich is connecte! ith the masonic a$ron. 6n all these mo!es of in"estiture, no matter hat as the material or the form, the symbolic signification inten!e! to be con"eye! as that of $urity. An! hence, in Freemasonry, the same symbolism is communicate! by the a$ron, hich, because it is the first gift hich the as$irant recei"es,%%the first symbol in hich he is instructe!,%%has been calle!

the @ba!ge of a mason.@ An! most a$$ro$riately has it been so calle!? for, hate"er may be the future a!"ancement of the can!i!ate in the @(oyal Art,@ into hate"er !ee$er arcana his !e"otion to the mystic institution or his thirst for kno le!ge may carry him, ith the a$ron%%his first in"estiture%%he ne"er $arts. 5hanging, $erha$s, its form an! its !ecorations, an! con"eying at each ste$ some ne an! beautiful allusion, its substance is still there, an! it continues to claim the honorable title by hich it as first ma!e kno n to him on the night of his initiation. The a$ron !eri"es its significance, as the symbol of $urity, from t o sources%%from its color an! from its material. 6n each of these $oints of "ie it is, then, to be consi!ere!, before its symbolism can be $ro$erly a$$reciate!. An!, first, the color of the a$ron must be an uns$otte! hite. This color has, in all ages, been esteeme! an emblem of innocence an! $urity. 6t as ith reference to this symbolism that a $ortion of the "estments of the :e ish $riesthoo! as !irecte! to be ma!e hite. An! hence Aaron as comman!e!, hen he entere! into the holy of holies to make an e>$iation for the sins of the $eo$le, to a$$ear clothe! in hite linen, ith his linen a$ron, or gir!le, about his loins. 6t is orthy of remark that the 9ebre or! &ABA<, hich signifies Ato make hiteA, !enotes also Ato $urifyA? an! hence e fin!, throughout the Scri$tures, many allusions to that color as an emblem of $urity. @Though thy sins be as scarlet,@ says 6saiah, @they shall be A hiteA as sno ?@ an! :eremiah, in !escribing the once innocent con!ition of Nion, says, @9er <aGarites ere $urer than sno ? they ere A hiterA than milk.@ 6n the A$ocaly$se a A hite stoneA as the re ar! $romise! by the S$irit to those ho o"ercame? an! in the same mystical book the a$ostle is instructe! to say, that fine linen, clean an! A hiteA, is the righteousness of the saints. 6n the early ages of the 5hristian church a A hite garmentA as al ays $lace! u$on the catechumen ho ha! been recently ba$tiGe!, to !enote that he ha! been cleanse! from his former sins, an! as thenceforth to lea! a life of innocence an! $urity. 9ence it as $resente! to him ith this a$$ro$riate charge' @(ecei"e the hite an! un!efile! garment, an! $ro!uce it uns$otte! before the tribunal of our &or! :esus 5hrist, that you may obtain immortal life.@ The A hite albA still constitutes a $art of the "estments of the (oman church, an! its color is sai! by Bisho$ /nglan! @to e>cite to $iety by teaching us the $urity of heart an! bo!y hich e shoul! $ossess in being $resent at the holy mysteries.@

The heathens $ai! the same attention to the symbolic signification of this color. The /gy$tians, for instance, !ecorate! the hea! of their $rinci$al !eity, 8siris, ith a hite tiara, an! the $riests ore robes of the hitest linen. 6n the school of Pythagoras, the sacre! hymns ere chante! by the !isci$les clothe! in garments of hite. The )rui!s ga"e hite "estments to those of their initiates ho ha! arri"e! at the ultimate !egree, or that of $erfection. An! this as inten!e!, accor!ing to their ritual, to teach the as$irant that none ere a!mitte! to that honor but such as ere cleanse! from all im$urities, both of bo!y an! min!. 6n all the Mysteries an! religions rites of the other nations of antiBuity the same use of hite garments as obser"e!. Portal, in his @Treatise on Symbolic 5olors,@ says that @ hite, the symbol of the !i"inity an! of the $riesthoo!, re$resents !i"ine is!om? a$$lie! to a young girl, it !enotes "irginity? to an accuse! $erson, innocence? to a ju!ge, justice?@ an! he a!!s%% hat in reference to its use in Masonry ill be $eculiarly a$$ro$riate%%that, @as a characteristic sign of $urity, it e>hibits a $romise of ho$e after !eath.@ Ee see, therefore, the $ro$riety of a!o$ting this color in the masonic system as a symbol of $urity. This symbolism $er"a!es the hole of the ritual, from the lo est to the highest !egree, here"er hite "estments or hite !ecorations are use!. As to the material of the a$ron, this is im$erati"ely reBuire! to be of lamb%skin. <o other substance, such as linen, silk, or satin, coul! be substitute! ithout entirely !estroying the symbolism of the "estment. <o , the lamb has, as the ritual e>$resses it, @been, in all ages, !eeme! an emblem of innocence?@ but more $articularly in the :e ish an! 5hristian churches has this symbolism been obser"e!. 6nstances of this nee! har!ly be cite!. They aboun! throughout the 8l! Testament, here e learn that a lamb as selecte! by the 6sraelites for their sin an! burnt offerings, an! in the <e , here the or! AlambA is almost constantly em$loye! as synonymous ith innocence. @The $aschal lamb,@ says )i!ron, @ hich as eaten by the 6sraelites on the night $rece!ing their !e$arture, is the ty$e of that other !i"ine &amb, of hom 5hristians are to $artake at /aster, in or!er thereby to free themsel"es from the bon!age in hich they are hel! by "ice.@ The $aschal lamb, a lamb bearing a cross, as, therefore, from an early $erio!, !e$icte! by the 5hristians as referring to 5hrist crucifie!, @that s$otless &amb of Go!, ho as slain from the foun!ation of the orl!.@ The material, then, of the a$ron, unites ith its color to gi"e to the in"estiture of a mason the symbolic signification of $urity. This, then, together ith the fact hich 6 ha"e alrea!y sho n, that the ceremony of

in"estiture as common to all the ancient religious rites, ill form another $roof of the i!entity of origin bet een these an! the masonic institution. This symbolism also in!icates the sacre! an! religious character hich its foun!ers sought to im$ose u$on Freemasonry, an! to hich both the moral an! $hysical Bualifications of our can!i!ates un!oubte!ly ha"e a reference, since it is ith the masonic lo!ge as it as ith the :e ish church, here it as !eclare! that @no man that ha! a blemish shoul! come nigh unto the altar?@ an! ith the heathen $riesthoo!, among hom e are tol! that it as thought to be a !ishonor to the go!s to be ser"e! by any one that as maime!, lame, or in any other ay im$erfect? an! ith both, also, in reBuiring that no one shoul! a$$roach the sacre! things ho as not $ure an! uncorru$t. The $ure, uns$otte! lamb%skin a$ron is, then, in Masonry, symbolic of that $erfection of bo!y an! $urity of min! hich are essential Bualifications in all ho oul! $artici$ate in its sacre! mysteries.

II. The Symbolism of the Glo"es.

The in"estiture ith the glo"es is "ery closely connecte! ith the in"estiture ith the a$ron, an! the consi!eration of the symbolism of the one naturally follo s the consi!eration of the symbolism of the other. 6n the continental rites of Masonry, as $ractise! in France, in Germany, an! in other countries of /uro$e, it is an in"ariable custom to $resent the ne ly%initiate! can!i!ate not only, as e !o, ith a hite leather a$ron, but also ith t o $airs of hite ki! glo"es, one a man's $air for himself, an! the other a oman's, to be $resente! by him in turn to his ife or his betrothe!, accor!ing to the custom of the German masons, or, accor!ing to the French, to the female hom he most esteems, hich, in!ee!, amounts, or shoul! amount, to the same thing. There is in this, of course, as there is in e"erything else hich $ertains to Freemasonry, a symbolism. The glo"es gi"en to the can!i!ate for himself are inten!e! to teach him that the acts of a mason shoul! be as $ure an! s$otless as the glo"es no gi"en to him. 6n the German lo!ges, the or! use! for AactsA is of course Ahan!lungenA, or Ahan!lingsA, @the orks of his han!s,@ hich makes the symbolic i!ea more im$ressi"e.

)r. (obert Plott%%no frien! of Masonry, but still an historian of much research%%says, in his @<atural 9istory of Staffor!shire,@ that the Society of Freemasons, in his time Kan! he rote in 1DD,L, $resente! their can!i!ates ith glo"es for themsel"es an! their i"es. This sho s that the custom still $reser"e! on the continent of /uro$e as formerly $ractise! in /nglan!, although there as ell as in America, it is !iscontinue!, hich is, $erha$s, to be regrette!. But although the $resentation of the glo"es to the can!i!ate is no longer $ractise! as a ceremony in /nglan! or America, yet the use of them as a $art of the $ro$er $rofessional clothing of a mason in the !uties of the lo!ge, or in $rocessions, is still retaine!, an! in many ell%regulate! lo!ges the members are almost as regularly clothe! in their hite glo"es as in their hite a$rons. The symbolism of the glo"es, it ill be a!mitte!, is, in fact, but a mo!ification of that of the a$ron. They both signify the same thing? both are allusi"e to a $urification of life. @Eho shall ascen!,@ says the Psalmist, @into the hill of the &or!F or ho shall stan! in his holy $laceF 9e that hath clean han!s an! a $ure heart.@ The a$ron may be sai! to refer to the @$ure heart,@ the glo"es to the @clean han!s.@ Both are significant of $urification%%of that $urification hich as al ays symboliGe! by the ablution hich $rece!e! the ancient initiations into the sacre! Mysteries. But hile our American an! /nglish masons ha"e a!here! only to the a$ron, an! rejecte! the glo"es as a Masonic symbol, the latter a$$ear to be far more im$ortant in symbolic science, because the allusions to $ure or clean han!s are abun!ant in all the ancient riters. @9an!s,@ says Eemyss, in his @5la"is Symbolica,@ @are the symbols of human actions? $ure han!s are $ure actions? unjust han!s are !ee!s of injustice.@ There are numerous references in sacre! an! $rofane riters to this symbolism. The ashing of the han!s has the out ar! sign of an internal $urification. 9ence the Psalmist says, @6 ill ash my han!s in innocence, an! 6 ill encom$ass thine altar, :eho"ah.@ 6n the ancient Mysteries the ashing of the han!s as al ays an intro!uctory ceremony to the initiation, an!, of course, it as use! symbolically to in!icate the necessity of $urity from crime as a Bualification of those ho sought a!mission into the sacre! rites? an! hence on a tem$le in the 6slan! of 5rete this inscri$tion as $lace!' @5leanse your feet, ash your han!s, an! then enter.@ 6n!ee!, the ashing of han!s, as symbolic of $urity, as among the ancients a $eculiarly religious rite. <o one !are! to $ray to the go!s until he ha! cleanse! his han!s. Thus 9omer makes 9ector say,%%

.Greek' @5hersiP !' aLniOPtoisin )iiPQleiObein AKPGomai.@4%%A6lia!A, "i. +DD. @6 !rea! ith un ashe! han!s to bring My incense! ine to :o"e an offering.@ 6n a similar s$irit of religion, A/neas, hen lea"ing burning Troy, refuses to enter the tem$le of 5eres until his han!s, $ollute! by recent strife, ha! been ashe! in the li"ing stream. @Me bello e tanto !igressum et cae!e recenti, Attrectare nefas, !onec me flumine "i"o Abluero.@%%AA/n.A ii. *1C. @6n me, no fresh from ar an! recent strife, 'Tis im$ious the sacre! things to touch Till in the li"ing stream myself 6 bathe.@ The same $ractice $re"aile! among the :e s, an! a striking instance of the symbolism is e>hibite! in that ell%kno n action of Pilate, ho, hen the :e s clamore! for :esus, that they might crucify him, a$$eare! before the $eo$le, an!, ha"ing taken ater, ashe! his han!s, saying at the same time, @6 am innocent of the bloo! of this just man. See ye to it.@ 6n the 5hristian church of the mi!!le ages, glo"es ere al ays orn by bisho$s or $riests hen in the $erformance of ecclesiastical functions. They ere ma!e of linen, an! ere hite? an! )uran!us, a celebrate! ritualist, says that @by the hite glo"es ere !enote! chastity an! $urity, because the han!s ere thus ke$t clean an! free from all im$urity.@ There is no necessity to e>ten! e>am$les any further. There is no !oubt that the use of the glo"es in Masonry is a symbolic i!ea borro e! from the ancient an! uni"ersal language of symbolism, an! as inten!e!, like the a$ron, to !enote the necessity of $urity of life. Ee ha"e thus trace! the glo"es an! the a$ron to the same symbolic source. &et us see if e cannot also !eri"e them from the same historic origin. The a$ron e"i!ently o es its a!o$tion in Freemasonry to the use of that necessary garment by the o$erati"e masons of the mi!!le ages. 6t is one of the most $ositi"e e"i!ences%%in!ee! e may say, absolutely, the most tangible e"i!ence%%of the !eri"ation of our s$eculati"e science from an o$erati"e art. The buil!ers, ho associate! in com$anies, ho tra"erse! /uro$e, an! ere engage! in the construction of $alaces an! cathe!rals, ha"e left to us, as their !escen!ants, their name, their technical language, an! that !istincti"e $iece of clothing by hich they $rotecte! their garments from the $ollutions of their laborious em$loyment. )i! they also beBueath to us their glo"esF This is a Buestion hich some mo!ern !isco"eries ill at last enable us to sol"e.

M. )i!ron, in his @Annales ArcheologiBues,@ $resents us ith an engra"ing, co$ie! from the $ainte! glass of a in!o in the cathe!ral of 5hartres, in France. The $ainting as e>ecute! in the thirteenth century, an! re$resents a number of o$erati"e masons at ork. AThreeA of them are a!orne! ith laurel cro ns. May not these be inten!e! to re$resent the three officers of a lo!geF All of the Masons ear glo"es. M. )i!ron remarks that in the ol! !ocuments hich he has e>amine!, mention is often ma!e of glo"es hich are inten!e! to be $resente! to masons an! stone%cutters. 6n a subseBuent number of the @Annales,@ he gi"es the follo ing three e>am$les of this fact'%% 6n the year 1331, the 5hatelan of Hillaines, in )uemois, bought a consi!erable Buantity of glo"es, to be gi"en to the orkmen, in or!er, as it is sai!, @to shiel! their han!s from the stone an! lime.@ 6n 8ctober, 13C3, as he learns from a !ocument of that $erio!, three !oGen $airs of glo"es ere bought an! !istribute! to the masons hen they commence! the buil!ings at the 5hartreuse of )ijon. An!, lastly, in 1-CD or 1-C*, t enty%t o $air of glo"es ere gi"en to the masons an! stone%cutters ho ere engage! in ork at the city of Amiens. 6t is thus e"i!ent that the buil!ers%%the o$erati"e masons%%of the mi!!le ages ore glo"es to $rotect their han!s from the effects of their ork. 6t is eBually e"i!ent that the s$eculati"e masons ha"e recei"e! from their o$erati"e $re!ecessors the glo"es as ell as the a$ron, both of hich, being use! by the latter for $ractical uses, ha"e been, in the s$irit of symbolism, a$$ro$riate! by the former to @a more noble an! glorious $ur$ose.@

II6. The (ite of 5ircumambulation.

The Arite of circumambulationA ill su$$ly us ith another ritualistic symbol, in hich e may again trace the i!entity of the origin of Freemasonry ith that of the religious an! mystical ceremonies of the ancients. @5ircumambulation@ is the name gi"en by sacre! archaeologists to that religious rite in the ancient initiations hich consiste! in a formal

$rocession aroun! the altar, or other holy an! consecrate! object. The $re"alence of this rite among the ancients a$$ears to ha"e been uni"ersal, an! it originally Kas 6 shall ha"e occasion to sho L allu!e! to the a$$arent course of the sun in the firmament, hich is from east to est by the ay of the south. 6n ancient Greece, hen the $riests ere engage! in the rites of sacrifice, they an! the $eo$le al ays alke! three times aroun! the altar hile chanting a sacre! hymn or o!e. Sometimes, hile the $eo$le stoo! aroun! the altar, the rite of circumambulation as $erforme! by the $riest alone, ho, turning to ar!s the right han!, ent aroun! it, an! s$rinkle! it ith meal an! holy ater. 6n making this circumambulation, it as consi!ere! absolutely necessary that the right si!e shoul! al ays be ne>t to the altar, an! conseBuently, that the $rocession shoul! mo"e from the east to the south, then to the est, ne>t to the north, an! after ar!s to the east again. 6t as in this ay that the a$$arent re"olution as re$resente!. This ceremony the Greeks calle! mo"ing .Greek' ek !e>ia en !e>ia4, Afrom the right to the rightA, hich as the !irection of the motion, an! the (omans a$$lie! to it the term A!e>tro"orsum,A or A!e>trorsumA, hich signifies the same thing. Thus Plautus makes Palinurus, a character in his come!y of @5urculio,@ say, @6f you oul! !o re"erence to the go!s, you must turn to the right han!.@ Grono"ius, in commenting on this $assage of Plautus, says, @6n orshi$$ing an! $raying to the go!s they ere accustome! to Aturn to the right han!A.@ A hymn of 5allimachus has been $reser"e!, hich is sai! to ha"e been chante! by the $riests of A$ollo at )elos, hile $erforming this ceremony of circumambulation, the substance of hich is, @Ee imitate the e>am$le of the sun, an! follo his bene"olent course.@ 6t ill be obser"e! that this circumambulation aroun! the altar as accom$anie! by the singing or chanting of a sacre! o!e. 8f the three $arts of the o!e, the Astro$heA, the Aantistro$heA, an! the Ae$o!eA, each as to be sung at a $articular $art of the $rocession. The analogy bet een this chanting of an o!e by the ancients an! the recitation of a $assage of Scri$ture in the masonic circumambulation, ill be at once a$$arent. Among the (omans, the ceremony of circumambulation as al ays use! in the rites of sacrifice, of e>$iation or $urification. Thus Hirgil !escribes 5orynasus as $urifying his com$anions, at the funeral of Misenus, by $assing three times aroun! them hile as$ersing them ith the lustral aters? an! to !o so con"eniently, it as necessary that he shoul! ha"e mo"e! ith his right han! to ar!s them.

@6!em ter socios $ura circumtulit un!a, S$argens rore le"i et ramo felicis oli"ae.@ AA/n.A "i. ++2. @Thrice ith $ure ater com$asse! he the cre , S$rinkling, ith oli"e branch, the gentle !e .@ 6n fact, so common as it to unite the ceremony of circumambulation ith that of e>$iation or $urification, or, in other or!s, to make a circuitous $rocession, in $erforming the latter rite, that the term AlustrareA, hose $rimiti"e meaning is @to $urify,@ came at last to be synonymous ith AcircuireA, to alk roun! anything? an! hence a $urification an! a circumambulation ere often e>$resse! by the same or!. Among the 9in!oos, the same rite of circumambulation has al ays been $ractise!. As an instance, e may cite the ceremonies hich are to be $erforme! by a Brahmin u$on first rising from be! in the morning, an accurate account of hich has been gi"en by Mr. 5olebrooke in the @Asiatic (esearches.@ The $riest, ha"ing first a!ore! the sun hile !irecting his face to the east, then alks to ar!s the est by the ay of the south, saying, at the same time, @6 follo the course of the sun,@ hich he thus e>$lains' @As the sun in his course mo"es roun! the orl! by the ay of the south, so !o 6 follo that luminary, to obtain the benefit arising from a journey roun! the earth by the ay of the south.@ .234 &astly, 6 may refer to the $reser"ation of this rite among the )rui!s, hose @mystical !ance@ aroun! the AcairnA, or sacre! stones, as nothing more nor less than the rite of circumambulation. 8n these occasions the $riest al ays ma!e three circuits, from east to est, by the right han!, aroun! the altar or cairn, accom$anie! by all the orshi$$ers. An! so sacre! as the rite once consi!ere!, that e learn from Tolan!.2-4 that in the Scottish 6sles, once a $rinci$al seat of the )rui!ical religion, the $eo$le @ne"er come to the ancient sacrificing an! fire%hallo ing AcairnsA, but they alk three times aroun! them, from east to est, accor!ing to the course of the sun.@ This sanctifie! tour, or roun! by the south, he obser"es, is calle! A)eisealA, as the contrary, or unhallo e! one by the north, is calle! ATua$hollA. An! he further remarks, that this or! A)eisealA as !eri"e! @from A)easA, the ArightA Kun!erstan!ing Ahan!AL an! AsoilA, one of the ancient names of the sun, the right han! in this roun! being e"er ne>t the hea$.@ 6 might $ursue these researches still further, an! trace this rite of circumambulation to other nations of antiBuity? but 6 concei"e that enough has been sai! to sho its uni"ersality, as ell as the tenacity ith hich the essential ceremony of $erforming the motion a mystical number of times, an! al ays by the right han!, from the east, through the south, to the est, as $reser"e!. An! 6 think that this singular analogy to the

same rite in Freemasonry must lea! us to the legitimate conclusion, that the common source of all these rites is to be foun! in the i!entical origin of the S$urious Freemasonry or $agan mysteries, an! the $ure, Primiti"e Freemasonry, from hich the former sece!e! only to be !eteriorate!. 6n re"ie ing hat has been sai! on this subject, it ill at once be $ercei"e! that the essence of the ancient rite consiste! in making the circumambulation aroun! the altar, from the east to the south, from the south to the est, thence to the north, an! to the east again. <o , in this the masonic rite of circumambulation strictly agrees ith the ancient one. But this circuit by the right han!, it is a!mitte!, as !one as a re$resentation of the sun's motion. 6t as a symbol of the sun's a$$arent course aroun! the earth. An! so, then, here again e ha"e in Masonry that ol! an! often%re$eate! allusion to sun% orshi$, hich has alrea!y been seen in the officers of a lo!ge, an! in the $oint ithin a circle. An! as the circumambulation is ma!e aroun! the lo!ge, just as the sun as su$$ose! to mo"e aroun! the earth, e are brought back to the original symbolism ith hich e commence!%%that the lo!ge is a symbol of the orl!.

II66. The (ite of 6ntrusting, an! the Symbolism of &ight.

The Arite of intrustingA, to hich e are no to !irect our attention, ill su$$ly us ith many im$ortant an! interesting symbols. There is an im$ortant $erio! in the ceremony of masonic initiation, hen the can!i!ate is about to recei"e a full communication of the mysteries through hich he has $asse!, an! to hich the trials an! labors hich he has un!ergone can only entitle him. This ceremony is technically calle! the @Arite of intrustingA,@ because it is then that the as$irant begins to be intruste! ith that for the $ossession of hich he as seeking..2J4 6t is eBui"alent to hat, in the ancient Mysteries, as calle! the @auto$sy,@ .2D4 or the seeing of hat only the initiate! ere $ermitte! to behol!.

This Arite of intrustingA is, of course, !i"i!e! into se"eral $arts or $erio!s? for the Aa$orretaA, or secret things of Masonry, are not to be gi"en at once, but in gra!ual $rogression. 6t begins, ho e"er, ith the communication of &6G9T, hich, although but a $re$aration for the !e"elo$ment of the mysteries hich are to follo , must be consi!ere! as one of the most im$ortant symbols in the hole science of masonic symbolism. So im$ortant, in!ee!, is it, an! so much !oes it $er"a!e ith its influence an! its relations the hole masonic system, that Freemasonry itself anciently recei"e!, among other a$$ellations, that of &u>, or &ight, to signify that it is to be regar!e! as that sublime !octrine of )i"ine Truth by hich the $ath of him ho has attaine! it is to be illuminate! in his $ilgrimage of life. The 9ebre cosmogonist commences his !escri$tion of the creation by the !eclaration that @Go! sai!, &et there be light, an! there as light@%%a $hrase hich, in the more em$hatic form that it has recei"e! in the original language of @Be light, an! light as,@ .2*4 is sai! to ha"e on the $raise, for its sublimity, of the greatest of Grecian critics. @The singularly em$hatic summons,@ says a $rofoun! mo!ern riter,.2C4 @by hich light is calle! into e>istence, is $robably o ing to the $reeminent utility an! glory of that element, together ith its mysterious nature, hich ma!e it seem as 'The Go! of this ne orl!,'

an! on for it the earliest a!oration of mankin!.@ &ight as, in accor!ance ith this ol! religious sentiment, the great object of attainment in all the ancient religious Mysteries. 6t as there, as it is no , in Masonry, ma!e the symbol of AtruthA an! Akno le!geA. This as al ays its ancient symbolism, an! e must ne"er lose sight of this emblematic meaning, hen e are consi!ering the nature an! signification of masonic light. Ehen the can!i!ate makes a !eman! for light, it is not merely for that material light hich is to remo"e a $hysical !arkness? that is only the out ar! form, hich conceals the in ar! symbolism. 9e cra"es an intellectual illumination hich ill !is$el the !arkness of mental an! moral ignorance, an! bring to his "ie , as an eye% itness, the sublime truths of religion, $hiloso$hy, an! science, hich it is the great !esign of Freemasonry to teach. 6n all the ancient systems this re"erence for light, as the symbol of truth, as $re!ominant. 6n the Mysteries of e"ery nation, the can!i!ate as ma!e to $ass, !uring his initiation, through scenes of utter !arkness, an! at length terminate! his trials by an a!mission to the s$len!i!ly%illuminate! sacellum, or sanctuary, here he as sai! to ha"e attaine! $ure an! $erfect light, an! here he recei"e! the necessary instructions hich ere to in"est him ith that kno le!ge of the !i"ine

truth hich it ha! been the object of all his labors to gain, an! the !esign of the institution, into hich he ha! been initiate!, to besto . A&ightA, therefore, became synonymous ith truth an! kno le!ge, an! A!arknessA ith falsehoo! an! ignorance. Ee shall fin! this symbolism $er"a!ing not only the institutions, but the "ery languages, of antiBuity. Thus, among the 9ebre s, the or! A;(, in the singular, signifie! AlightA, but in the $lural, A;(6M, it !enote! the re"elation of the !i"ine ill? an! the Aaurim A an! AthummimA, literally the AlightsA an! AtruthsA, constitute! a $art of the breast$late hence the high $riest obtaine! oracular res$onses to the Buestions hich he $ro$ose!..224 There is a $eculiarity about the or! @light,@ in the ol! /gy$tian language, hich is ell orth consi!eration in this connection. Among the /gy$tians, the AhareA as the hierogly$hic of Aeyes that are o$enA? an! it as a!o$te! because that timi! animal as su$$ose! ne"er to close his organs of "ision, being al ays on the atch for his enemies. The hare as after ar!s a!o$te! by the $riests as a symbol of the mental illumination or mystic light hich as re"eale! to the neo$hytes, in the contem$lation of !i"ine truth, !uring the $rogress of their initiation? an! hence, accor!ing to 5ham$ollion, the hare as also the symbol of 8siris, their chief go!? thus sho ing the intimate connection hich they belie"e! to e>ist bet een the $rocess of initiation into their sacre! rites an! the contem$lation of the !i"ine nature. But the 9ebre or! for hare is A(<aBeT. <o , this is com$oun!e! of the t o or!s A;(, AlightA, an! <aBaT, Ato behol!A, an! therefore the or! hich in the /gy$tian !enote! AinitiationA, in the 9ebre signifie! Ato behol! the lightA. 6n t o nations so intimately connecte! in history as the 9ebre an! the /gy$tian, such a coinci!ence coul! not ha"e been acci!ental. 6t sho s the $re"alence of the sentiment, at that $erio!, that the communication of light as the $rominent !esign of the Mysteries%%so $rominent that the one as ma!e the synonyme of the other..1,,4 The orshi$ of light, either in its $ure essence or in the forms of sun% orshi$ an! fire% orshi$, because the sun an! the fire ere causes of light, as among the earliest an! most uni"ersal su$erstitions of the orl!. &ight as consi!ere! as the $rimor!ial source of all that as holy an! intelligent? an! !arkness, as its o$$osite, as "ie e! as but another name for e"il an! ignorance. )r. Bear!, in an article on this subject, in =itto's 5yclo$ae!ia of Biblical &iterature, attributes this "ie of the !i"ine nature of light, hich as entertaine! by the nations of the /ast, to the fact that, in that $art of the orl!, light @has a clearness an! brilliancy, is accom$anie! by an intensity of heat, an! is follo e! in its influence by a largeness of goo!, of hich the inhabitants of less genial climates ha"e no conce$tion. &ight easily an! naturally became, in conseBuence, ith 8rientals, a re$resentati"e of the highest human goo!.

All the more joyous emotions of the min!, all the $leasing sensations of the frame, all the ha$$y hours of !omestic intercourse, ere !escribe! un!er imagery !eri"e! from light. The transition as natural%%from earthly to hea"enly, from cor$oreal to s$iritual things? an! so light came to ty$ify true religion an! the felicity hich it im$arts. But as light not only came from Go!, but also makes man's ay clear before him, so it as em$loye! to signify moral truth, an! $reeminently that !i"ine system of truth hich is set forth in the Bible, from its earliest gleamings on ar! to the $erfect !ay of the Great Sun of (ighteousness.@ 6 am incline! to belie"e that in this $assage the learne! author has erre!, not in the !efinition of the symbol, but in his !e!uction of its origin. &ight became the object of religious "eneration, not because of the brilliancy an! clearness of a $articular sky, nor the armth an! genial influence of a $articular climate,%%for the orshi$ as uni"ersal, in Scan!ina"ia as in 6n!ia,%%but because it as the natural an! ine"itable result of the orshi$ of the sun, the chief !eity of Sabianism%%a faith hich $er"a!e! to an e>traor!inary e>tent the hole religious sentiment of antiBuity..1,14 &ight as "enerate! because it as an emanation from the sun, an!, in the materialism of the ancient faith, AlightA an! A!arknessA ere both $ersonifie! as $ositi"e e>istences, the one being the enemy of the other. T o $rinci$les ere thus su$$ose! to reign o"er the orl!, antagonistic to each other, an! each alternately $resi!ing o"er the !estinies of mankin!..1,+4 The contests bet een the goo! an! e"il $rinci$le, symboliGe! by light an! !arkness, com$ose! a "ery large $art of the ancient mythology in all countries. Among the /gy$tians, 8siris as light, or the sun? an! his arch%enemy, Ty$hon, ho ultimately !estroye! him, as the re$resentati"e of !arkness. Noroaster, the father of the ancient Persian religion, taught the same !octrine, an! calle! the $rinci$le of light, or goo!, 8rmuG!, an! the $rinci$le of !arkness, or e"il, Ahriman. The former, born of the $urest light, an! the latter, s$rung from utter !arkness, are, in this mythology, continually making ar on each other. Manes, or Manichaeus, the foun!er of the sect of Manichees, in the thir! century, taught that there are t o $rinci$les from hich all things $rocee!? the one is a $ure an! subtile matter, calle! &ight, an! the other a gross an! corru$t substance, calle! )arkness. /ach of these is subject to the !ominion of a su$erinten!ing being, hose e>istence is from all eternity. The being ho $resi!es o"er the light is calle! AGo!A? he that rules o"er the !arkness is calle! A9yleA, or A)emonA. The ruler of the

light is su$remely ha$$y, goo!, an! bene"olent, hile the ruler o"er !arkness is unha$$y, e"il, an! malignant. Pythagoras also maintaine! this !octrine of t o antagonistic $rinci$les. 9e calle! the one, unity, AlightA, the right han!, eBuality, stability, an! a straight line? the other he name! binary, A!arknessA, the left han!, ineBuality, instability, an! a cur"e! line. 8f the colors, he attribute! hite to the goo! $rinci$le, an! black to the e"il one. The 5abalists ga"e a $rominent $lace to light in their system of cosmogony. They taught that, before the creation of the orl!, all s$ace as fille! ith hat they calle! AAur en so$hA, or the A/ternal &ight,A an! that hen the )i"ine Min! !etermine! or ille! the $ro!uction of <ature, the /ternal &ight ith!re to a central $oint, lea"ing aroun! it an em$ty s$ace, in hich the $rocess of creation ent on by means of emanations from the central mass of light. 6t is unnecessary to enter into the 5abalistic account of creation? it is sufficient here to remark that all as !one through the me!iate influence of the AAur en so$hA, or eternal light, hich $ro!uces coarse matter, but one !egree abo"e nonentity, only hen it becomes so attenuate! as to be lost in !arkness. The Brahminical !octrine as, that @light an! !arkness are esteeme! the orl!'s eternal ays? he ho alketh in the former returneth not? that is to say, he goeth to eternal bliss? hilst he ho alketh in the latter cometh back again u$on earth,@ an! is thus !estine! to $ass through further transmigrations, until his soul is $erfectly $urifie! by light..1,34 6n all the ancient systems of initiation the can!i!ate as shrou!e! in !arkness, as a $re$aration for the rece$tion of light. The !uration "arie! in the !ifferent rites. 6n the 5eltic Mysteries of )rui!ism, the $erio! in hich the as$irant as immerse! in !arkness as nine !ays an! nights? among the Greeks, at /leusis, it as three times as long? an! in the still se"erer rites of Mithras, in Persia, fifty !ays of !arkness, solitu!e, an! fasting ere im$ose! u$on the a!"enturous neo$hyte, ho, by these e>cessi"e trials, as at length entitle! to the full communication of the light of kno le!ge. Thus it ill be $ercei"e! that the religious sentiment of a goo! an! an e"il $rinci$le ga"e to !arkness, in the ancient symbolism, a $lace eBually as $rominent as that of light. The same religious sentiment of the ancients, mo!ifie!, ho e"er, in its !etails, by our better kno le!ge of !i"ine things, has su$$lie! Freemasonry ith a !ouble symbolism%%that of A&ightA an! A)arknessA. )arkness is the symbol of initiation. 6t is inten!e! to remin! the

can!i!ate of his ignorance, hich Masonry is to enlighten? of his e"il nature, hich Masonry is to $urify? of the orl!, in hose obscurity he has been an!ering, an! from hich Masonry is to rescue him. &ight, on the other han!, is the symbol of the auto$sy, the sight of the mysteries, the intrusting, the full fruition of masonic truth an! kno le!ge. 6nitiation $rece!es the communication of kno le!ge in Masonry, as !arkness $rece!e! light in the ol! cosmogonies. Thus, in Genesis, e see that in the beginning @the orl! as ithout form, an! "oi!, an! !arkness as on the face of the !ee$.@ The 5hal!ean cosmogony taught that in the beginning @all as !arkness an! ater.@ The Phoenicians su$$ose! that @the beginning of all things as a in! of black air, an! a chaos !ark as /rebus.@ .1,-4 But out of all this !arkness s$rang forth light, at the !i"ine comman!, an! the sublime $hrase, @&et there be light,@ is re$eate!, in some substantially i!entical form, in all the ancient histories of creation. So, too, out of the mysterious !arkness of Masonry comes the full blaGe of masonic light. 8ne must $rece!e the other, as the e"ening $rece!e! the morning. @So the e"ening an! the morning ere the first !ay.@ This thought is $reser"e! in the great motto of the 8r!er, @A&u> e tenebrisA@%%&ight out of !arkness. 6t is eBui"alent to this other sentence' Truth out of initiation. A&u>A, or light, is truth? AtenebraeA, or !arkness, is initiation. 6t is a beautiful an! instructi"e $ortion of our symbolism, this connection of !arkness an! light, an! ell !eser"es a further in"estigation. @Genesis an! the cosmogonies,@ says Portal, @mention the antagonism of light an! !arkness. The form of this fable "aries accor!ing to each nation, but the foun!ation is e"ery here the same. ;n!er the symbol of the creation of the orl! it $resents the $icture of regeneration an! initiation.@ .1,J4 Plutarch says that to !ie is to be initiate! into the greater Mysteries? an! the Greek or! .Greek' teleutaRSn4, hich signifies Ato !ieA, means also Ato be initiate!A. But black, hich is the symbolic color of !arkness, is also the symbol of !eath. An! hence, again, !arkness, like !eath, is the symbol of initiation. 6t as for this reason that all the ancient initiations ere $erforme! at night. The celebration of the Mysteries as al ays nocturnal. The same custom $re"ails in Freemasonry, an! the e>$lanation is the same. )eath an! the resurrection ere taught in the Mysteries, as they are in Freemasonry. The initiation as the

lesson of !eath. The full fruition or auto$sy, the rece$tion of light, as the lesson of regeneration or resurrection. &ight is, therefore, a fun!amental symbol in Freemasonry. 6t is, in fact, the first im$ortant symbol that is $resente! to the neo$hyte in his instructions, an! contains ithin itself the "ery essence of S$eculati"e Masonry, hich is nothing more than the contem$lation of intellectual light or truth..1,D4

II666. Symbolism of the 5orner%Stone.

Ee come ne>t, in a !ue or!er of $rece!ence, to the consi!eration of the symbolism connecte! ith an im$ortant ceremony in the ritual of the first !egree of Masonry, hich refers to the north%east corner of the lo!ge. 6n this ceremony the can!i!ate becomes the re$resentati"e of a s$iritual corner%stone. An! hence, to thoroughly com$rehen! the true meaning of the emblematic ceremony, it is essential that e shoul! in"estigate the symbolism of the Acorner%stoneA. The corner%stone,.1,*4 as the foun!ation on hich the entire buil!ing is su$$ose! to rest, is, of course, the most im$ortant stone in the hole e!ifice. 6t is, at least, so consi!ere! by o$erati"e masons. 6t is lai! ith im$ressi"e ceremonies? the assistance of s$eculati"e masons is often, an! al ays ought to be, in"ite!, to gi"e !ignity to the occasion? an! the e"ent is "ie e! by the orkmen as an im$ortant era in the construction of the e!ifice..1,C4 6n the rich imagery of 8rientalism, the corner%stone is freBuently referre! to as the a$$ro$riate symbol of a chief or $rince ho is the !efence an! bul ark of his $eo$le, an! more $articularly in Scri$ture, as !enoting that $romise! Messiah ho as to be the sure $ro$ an! su$$ort of all ho shoul! $ut their trust in his !i"ine mission..1,24 To the "arious $ro$erties that are necessary to constitute a true corner%stone,%%its firmness an! !urability, its $erfect form, an! its $eculiar $osition as the connecting link bet een the alls,%% e must attribute the im$ortant character that it has assume! in the language of symbolism. Freemasonry, hich alone, of all e>isting institutions, has $reser"e! this ancient an! uni"ersal language, coul! not, as it may ell be su$$ose!, ha"e neglecte! to a!o$t the corner%stone among its most

cherishe! an! im$ressi"e symbols? an! hence it has referre! to it many of its most significant lessons of morality an! truth. 6 ha"e alrea!y allu!e! to that $eculiar mo!e of masonic symbolism by hich the s$eculati"e mason is su$$ose! to be engage! in the construction of a s$iritual tem$le, in imitation of, or, rather, in reference to, that material one hich as erecte! by his o$erati"e $re!ecessors at :erusalem. &et us again, for a fe moments, !irect our attention to this im$ortant fact, an! re"ert to the connection hich originally e>iste! bet een the o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e !i"isions of Freemasonry. This is an essential intro!uction to any inBuiry into the symbolism of the corner%stone. The !ifference bet een o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e Masonry is sim$ly this%%that hile the former as engage! in the construction of a material tem$le, forme!, it is true, of the most magnificent materials hich the Buarries of Palestine, the mountains of &ebanon, an! the gol!en shores of 8$hir coul! contribute, the latter occu$ies itself in the erection of a s$iritual house,%%a house not ma!e ith han!s,%%in hich, for stones an! ce!ar, an! gol! an! $recious stones, are substitute! the "irtues of the heart, the $ure emotions of the soul, the arm affections gushing forth from the hi!!en fountains of the s$irit, so that the "ery $resence of :eho"ah, our Father an! our Go!, shall be enshrine! ithin us as his Shekinah as in the holy of holies of the material tem$le at :erusalem. The S$eculati"e Mason, then, if he rightly com$rehen!s the sco$e an! !esign of his $rofession, is occu$ie!, from his "ery first a!mission into the or!er until the close of his labors an! his life,%%an! the true mason's labor en!s only ith his life,%%in the construction, the a!ornment, an! the com$letion of this s$iritual tem$le of his bo!y. 9e lays its foun!ation in a firm belief an! an unshaken confi!ence in the is!om, $o er, an! goo!ness of Go!. This is his first ste$. ;nless his trust is in Go!, an! in him only, he can a!"ance no further than the threshol! of initiation. An! then he $re$ares his materials ith the gauge an! ga"el of Truth, raises the alls by the $lumb%line of (ectitu!e, sBuares his ork ith the sBuare of Hirtue, connects the hole ith the cement of Brotherly &o"e, an! thus skilfull" erects the li"ing e!ifice of thoughts, an! or!s, an! !ee!s, in accor!ance ith the !esigns lai! !o n by the Master Architect of the uni"erse in the great Book of (e"elation. The as$irant for masonic light%%the <eo$hyte%%on his first entrance ithin our sacre! $orch, $re$ares himself for this consecrate! labor of erecting ithin his o n bosom a fit ! elling%$lace for the )i"ine S$irit, an! thus commences the noble ork by becoming himself the corner%stone on hich this s$iritual e!ifice is to be erecte!. 9ere, then, is the beginning of the symbolism of the corner%stone? an! it is singularly curious to obser"e ho e"ery $ortion of the archety$e has

been ma!e to $erform its a$$ro$riate !uty in thoroughly carrying out the emblematic allusions. As, for e>am$le, this symbolic reference of the corner%stone of a material e!ifice to a mason, hen, at his first initiation, he commences the intellectual task of erecting a s$iritual tem$le in his heart, is beautifully sustaine! in the allusions to all the "arious $arts an! Bualities hich are to be foun! in a @ ell%forme!, true an! trusty@ corner%stone..11,4 6ts form an! substance are both seiGe! by the com$rehensi"e gras$ of the symbolic science. &et us trace this symbolism in its minute !etails. An!, first, as to the form of the corner%stone. The corner%stone of an e!ifice must be $erfectly sBuare on its surfaces, lest, by a "iolation of this true geometric figure, the alls to be erecte! u$on it shoul! !e"iate from the reBuire! line of $er$en!icularity hich can alone gi"e strength an! $ro$ortion to the buil!ing. Perfectly sBuare on its surfaces, it is, in its form an! soli! contents, a cube. <o , the sBuare an! the cube are both im$ortant an! significant symbols. The sBuare is an emblem of morality, or the strict $erformance of e"ery !uty..1114 Among the Greeks, ho ere a highly $oetical an! imaginati"e $eo$le, the sBuare as !eeme! a figure of $erfection, an! the .Greek' aLnePr tetraOgonos4%%@the sBuare or cubical man,@ as the or!s may be translate!%% as a term use! to !esignate a man of unsullie! integrity. 9ence one of their most eminent meta$hysicians.11+4 has sai! that @he ho "aliantly sustains the shocks of a!"erse fortune, !emeaning himself u$rightly, is truly goo! an! of a sBuare $osture, ithout re$roof? an! he ho oul! assume such a sBuare $osture shoul! often subject himself to the $erfectly sBuare test of justice an! integrity.@ The cube, in the language of symbolism, !enotes truth..1134 Among the $agan mythologists, Mercury, or 9ermes, as al ays re$resente! by a cubical stone, because he as the ty$e of truth,.11-4 an! the same form as a!o$te! by the 6sraelites in the construction of the tabernacle, hich as to be the ! elling%$lace of !i"ine truth. An!, then, as to its material' This, too, is an essential element of all symbolism. 5onstructe! of a material finer an! more $olishe! than that hich constitutes the remain!er of the e!ifice, often car"e! ith a$$ro$riate !e"ices an! fitte! for its !istinguishe! $ur$ose by the utmost skill of the scul$tor's art, it becomes the symbol of that beauty of holiness ith hich the 9ebre Psalmist has sai! that e are to orshi$ :eho"ah..11J4

The ceremony, then, of the north%east corner of the lo!ge, since it !eri"es all its ty$ical "alue from this symbolism of the corner%stone, as un!oubte!ly inten!e! to $ortray, in this consecrate! language, the necessity of integrity an! stability of con!uct, of truthfulness an! u$rightness of character, an! of $urity an! holiness of life, hich, just at that time an! in that $lace, the can!i!ate is most im$ressi"ely charge! to maintain. But there is also a symbolism about the $osition of the corner%stone, hich is ell orthy of attention. 6t is familiar to e"ery one,%%e"en to those ho are ithout the $ale of initiation,%%that the custom of laying the corner%stones of $ublic buil!ings has al ays been $erforme! by the masonic or!er ith $eculiar an! im$ressi"e ceremonies, an! that this stone is in"ariably !e$osite! in the north%east corner of the foun!ation of the inten!e! structure. <o , the Buestion naturally suggests itself, Ehence !oes this ancient an! in"ariable usage !eri"e its originF Ehy may not the stone be !e$osite! in any other corner or $ortion of the e!ifice, as con"enience or necessity may !ictateF The custom of $lacing the foun!ation%stone in the north%east corner must ha"e been originally a!o$te! for some goo! an! sufficient reason? for e ha"e a right to su$$ose that it as not an arbitrary selection..11D4 Eas it in reference to the ceremony hich takes $lace in the lo!geF 8r is that in reference to the $osition of the material stoneF <o matter hich has the $rece!ence in $oint of time, the $rinci$le is the same. The $osition of the stone in the north%east corner of the buil!ing is altogether symbolic, an! the symbolism e>clusi"ely allu!es to certain !octrines hich are taught in the s$eculati"e science of Masonry. The inter$retation, 6 concei"e, is briefly this' /"ery S$eculati"e Mason is familiar ith the fact that the east, as the source of material light, is a symbol of his o n or!er, hich $rofesses to contain ithin its bosom the $ure light of truth. As, in the $hysical orl!, the morning of each !ay is ushere! into e>istence by the re!!ening !a n of the eastern sky, hence the rising sun !is$enses his illuminating an! $rolific rays to e"ery $ortion of the "isible horiGon, arming the hole earth ith his embrace of light, an! gi"ing ne %born life an! energy to flo er an! tree, an! beast an! man, ho, at the magic touch, a ake from the slee$ of !arkness, so in the moral orl!, hen intellectual night as, in the earliest !ays, broo!ing o"er the orl!, it as from the ancient $riesthoo! li"ing in the east that those lessons of Go!, of nature, an! of humanity first emanate!, hich, tra"elling est ar!, re"eale! to man his future !estiny, an! his !e$en!ence on a su$erior $o er. Thus e"ery ne an! true !octrine, coming from these @ ise men of the east,@ as, as it ere, a ne !ay arising, an! !issi$ating the clou!s of intellectual !arkness an! error. 6t as a uni"ersal o$inion among the ancients that the first learning came from the east? an! the often%Buote! line of Bisho$

Berkeley, that%% @Eest ar! the course of em$ire takes its ay@%% is but the mo!ern utterance of an ancient thought, for it as al ays belie"e! that the em$ire of truth an! kno le!ge as a!"ancing from the east to the est. Again' the north, as the $oint in the horiGon hich is most remote from the "i"ifying rays of the sun hen at his meri!ian height, has, ith eBual meta$horical $ro$riety, been calle! the $lace of !arkness, an! is, therefore, symbolic of the $rofane orl!, hich has not yet been $enetrate! an! illumine! by the intellectual rays of masonic light. All history concurs in recor!ing the fact that, in the early ages of the orl!, its northern $ortion as en"elo$e! in the most $rofoun! moral an! mental !arkness. 6t as from the remotest regions of <orthern /uro$e that those barbarian hor!es @came !o n like the olf on the fol!,@ an! !e"astate! the fair $lains of the south, bringing ith them a !ark curtain of ignorance, beneath hose hea"y fol!s the nations of the orl! lay for centuries o"er helme!. The e>treme north has e"er been, $hysically an! intellectually, col!, an! !ark, an! !reary. 9ence, in Masonry, the north has e"er been esteeme! the $lace of !arkness? an!, in obe!ience to this $rinci$le, no symbolic light is allo e! to illumine the northern $art of the lo!ge. The east, then, is, in Masonry, the symbol of the or!er, an! the north the symbol of the $rofane orl!. <o , the s$iritual corner%stone is !e$osite! in the north%east corner of the lo!ge, because it is symbolic of the $osition of the neo$hyte, or can!i!ate, ho re$resents it in his relation to the or!er an! to the orl!. From the $rofane orl! he has just emerge!. Some of its im$erfections are still u$on him? some of its !arkness is still about him? he as yet belongs in $art to the north. But he is stri"ing for light an! truth? the $ath ay u$on hich he has entere! is !irecte! to ar!s the east. 9is allegiance, if 6 may use the or!, is !i"i!e!. 9e is not altogether a $rofane, nor altogether a mason. 6f he ere holly in the orl!, the north oul! be the $lace to fin! him%%the north, hich is the reign of !arkness. 6f he ere holly in the or!er,%%a Master Mason,%%the east oul! ha"e recei"e! him%%the east, hich is the $lace of light. But he is neither? he is an A$$rentice, ith some of the ignorance of the orl! clea"ing to him, an! some of the light of the or!er beaming u$on him. An! hence this !i"i!e! allegiance%%this !ouble character%%this mingling of the !e$arting !arkness of the north ith the a$$roaching brightness of the east%%is ell e>$resse!, in our symbolism, by the a$$ro$riate $osition of the s$iritual corner%stone in the north%east corner of the lo!ge. 8ne surface of the stone faces the north, an! the other surface faces the east. 6t is neither

holly in the one $art nor holly in the other, an! in so far it is a symbol of initiation not fully !e"elo$e!%%that hich is incom$lete an! im$erfect, an! is, therefore, fitly re$resente! by the reci$ient of the first !egree, at the "ery moment of his initiation..11*4 But the strength an! !urability of the corner%stone are also eminently suggesti"e of symbolic i!eas. To fulfil its !esign as the foun!ation an! su$$ort of the massi"e buil!ing hose erection it $rece!es, it shoul! be constructe! of a material hich may outlast all other $arts of the e!ifice, so that hen that @eternal ocean hose a"es are years@ shall ha"e ingulfe! all ho ere $resent at the construction of the buil!ing in the "ast "orte> of its e"er%flo ing current? an! hen generation after generation shall ha"e $asse! a ay, an! the crumbling stones of the ruine! e!ifice shall begin to attest the $o er of time an! the e"anescent nature of all human un!ertakings, the corner%stone ill still remain to tell, by its inscri$tions, an! its form, an! its beauty, to e"ery $asser%by, that there once e>iste! in that, $erha$s then !esolate, s$ot, a buil!ing consecrate! to some noble or some sacre! $ur$ose by the Geal an! liberality of men ho no no longer li"e. So, too, !o this $ermanence an! !urability of the corner%stone, in contrast ith the !ecay an! ruin of the buil!ing in hose foun!ations it as $lace!, remin! the mason that hen this earthly house of his tabernacle shall ha"e $asse! a ay, he has ithin him a sure foun!ation of eternal life%%a corner%stone of immortality%%an emanation from that )i"ine S$irit hich $er"a!es all nature, an! hich, therefore, must sur"i"e the tomb, an! rise, trium$hant an! eternal, abo"e the !ecaying !ust of !eath an! the gra"e..11C4 6t is in this ay that the stu!ent of masonic symbolism is remin!e! by the corner%stone%%by its form, its $osition, an! its $ermanence%%of significant !octrines of !uty, an! "irtue, an! religious truth, hich it is the great object of Masonry to teach. But 6 ha"e sai! that the material corner%stone is !e$osite! in its a$$ro$riate $lace ith solemn rites an! ceremonies, for hich the or!er has establishe! a $eculiar ritual. These, too, ha"e a beautiful an! significant symbolism, the in"estigation of hich ill ne>t attract our attention. An! here it may be obser"e!, in $assing, that the accom$animent of such an act of consecration to a $articular $ur$ose, ith solemn rites an! ceremonies, claims our res$ect, from the $restige that it has of all antiBuity. A learne! riter on symbolism makes, on this subject, the follo ing ju!icious remarks, hich may be Buote! as a sufficient !efence of our masonic ceremonies'%%

@6t has been an o$inion, entertaine! in all $ast ages, that by the $erformance of certain acts, things, $laces, an! $ersons acBuire a character hich they oul! not ha"e ha! ithout such $erformances. The reason is $lain' certain acts signify firmness of $ur$ose, hich, by consigning the object to the inten!e! use, gi"es it, in the $ublic o$inion, an accor!ant character. This is most es$ecially true of things, $laces, an! $ersons connecte! ith religion an! religious orshi$. After the $erformance of certain acts or rites, they are hel! to be altogether !ifferent from hat they ere before? they acBuire a sacre! character, an! in some instances a character absolutely !i"ine. Such are the effects imagine! to be $ro!uce! by religious !e!ication.@ .1124 The stone, therefore, thus $ro$erly constructe!, is, hen it is to be !e$osite! by the constitute! authorities of our or!er, carefully e>amine! ith the necessary im$lements of o$erati"e masonry,%%the sBuare, the le"el, an! the $lumb,%%an! !eclare! to be @ ell%forme!, true, an! trusty.@ This is not a "ain nor unmeaning ceremony. 6t teaches the mason that his "irtues are to be teste! by tem$tation an! trial, by suffering an! a!"ersity, before they can be $ronounce! by the Master Buil!er of souls to be materials orthy of the s$iritual buil!ing of eternal life, fitte! @as li"ing stones, for that house not ma!e ith han!s, eternal in the hea"ens.@ But if he be faithful, an! ithstan! these trials,%%if he shall come forth from these tem$tations an! sufferings like $ure gol! from the refiner's fire,%%then, in!ee!, shall he be !eeme! @ ell%forme!, true, an! trusty,@ an! orthy to offer @unto the &or! an offering in righteousness.@ 6n the ceremony of !e$ositing the corner%stone, the sacre! elements of masonic consecration are then $ro!uce!, an! the stone is solemnly set a$art by $ouring corn, ine, an! oil u$on its surface. /ach of these elements has a beautiful significance in our symbolism. 5ollecti"ely, they allu!e to the 5orn of <ourishment, the Eine of (efreshment, an! the 8il of :oy, hich are the $romise! re ar!s of a faithful an! !iligent $erformance of !uty, an! often s$ecifically refer to the antici$ate! success of the un!ertaking hose inci$iency they ha"e consecrate!. They are, in fact, ty$es an! symbols of all those abun!ant gifts of )i"ine Pro"i!ence for hich e are !aily calle! u$on to make an offering of our thanks, an! hich are enumerate! by =ing )a"i!, in his catalogue of blessings, as @ ine that maketh gla! the heart of man, an! oil to make his face to shine, an! brea! hich strengtheneth man's heart.@ @Eherefore, my brethren,@ says 9arris, @!o you carry Acorn, ine, an! oilA in your $rocessions, but to remin! you that in the $ilgrimage of human life you are to im$art a $ortion of your brea! to fee! the hungry, to sen! a cu$ of your ine to cheer the sorro ful, an! to $our the healing oil of your consolation into the oun!s hich sickness hath ma!e in the bo!ies, or affliction rent in the hearts, of your fello %tra"ellersF@ .1+,4

But, in!i"i!ually, each of these elements of consecration has also an a$$ro$riate significance, hich is ell orth in"estigation. 5orn, in the language of Scri$ture, is an emblem of the resurrection, an! St. Paul, in that eloBuent !iscourse hich is so familiar to all, as a beautiful argument for the great 5hristian !octrine of a future life, a!!uces the see! of grain, hich, being so n, first !ieth, an! then Buickeneth, as the a$$ro$riate ty$e of that corru$tible hich must $ut on incorru$tion, an! of that mortal hich must assume immortality. But, in Masonry, the s$rig of acacia, for reasons $urely masonic, has been al ays a!o$te! as the symbol of immortality, an! the ear of corn is a$$ro$riate! as the symbol of $lenty. This is in accor!ance ith the 9ebre !eri"ation of the or!, as ell as ith the usage of all ancient nations. The or! A!aganA, hich signifies AcornA, is !eri"e! from the "erb A!agahA, Ato increase, to multi$lyA, an! in all the ancient religions the horn or "ase, fille! ith fruits an! ith grain, as the recogniGe! symbol of $lenty. 9ence, as an element of consecration, corn is inten!e! to remin! us of those tem$oral blessings of life an! health, an! comfortable su$$ort, hich e !eri"e from the Gi"er of all goo!, an! to merit hich e shoul! stri"e, ith @clean han!s an! a $ure heart,@ to erect on the corner%stone of our initiation a s$iritual tem$le, hich shall be a!orne! ith the @beauty of holiness.@ Eine is a symbol of that in ar! an! abi!ing comfort ith hich the heart of the man ho faithfully $erforms his $art on the great stage of life is to be refreshe!? an! as, in the figurati"e language of the /ast, :acob $ro$hetically $romises to :u!ah, as his re ar!, that he shall ash his garments in ine, an! his clothes in the bloo! of the gra$e, it seems inten!e!, morally, to remin! us of those immortal refreshments hich, hen the labors of this earthly lo!ge are fore"er close!, e shall recei"e in the celestial lo!ge abo"e, here the G.A.8.T.;. fore"er $resi!es. 8il is a symbol of $ros$erity, an! ha$$iness, an! joy. The custom of anointing e"ery thing or $erson !estine! for a sacre! $ur$ose is of "enerable antiBuity..1+14 The statues of the heathen !eities, as ell as the altars on hich the sacrifices ere offere! to them, an! the $riests ho $resi!e! o"er the sacre! rites, ere al ays anointe! ith $erfume! ointment, as a consecration of them to the objects of religious orshi$. Ehen :acob set u$ the stone on hich he ha! sle$t in his journey to Pa!an%aram, an! here he as blesse! ith the "ision of ascen!ing an! !escen!ing angels, he anointe! it ith oil, an! thus consecrate! it as an altar to Go!. Such an inunction as, in ancient times, as it still continues to be in many mo!ern countries an! contem$orary religions, a symbol of the setting a$art of the thing or $erson so anointe! an! consecrate! to a holy $ur$ose.

9ence, then, e are remin!e! by this last im$ressi"e ceremony, that the culti"ation of "irtue, the $ractice of !uty, the resistance of tem$tation, the submission to suffering, the !e"otion to truth, the maintenance of integrity, an! all those other graces by hich e stri"e to fit our bo!ies, as li"ing stones, for the s$iritual buil!ing of eternal life, must, after all, to make the object effectual an! the labor successful, be consecrate! by a holy obe!ience to Go!'s ill an! a firm reliance on Go!'s $ro"i!ence, hich alone constitute the chief corner%stone an! sure foun!ation, on hich any man can buil! ith the reasonable ho$e of a $ros$erous issue to his ork. 6t may be notice!, in conclu!ing this to$ic, that the corner%stone seems to be $eculiarly a :e ish symbol. 6 can fin! no reference to it in any of the ancient $agan rites, an! the /B/< P6<A9, the Acorner%stone,A hich is so freBuently mentione! in Scri$ture as the emblem of an im$ortant $ersonage, an! most usually, in the 8l! Testament, of the e>$ecte! Messiah, a$$ears, in its use in Masonry, to ha"e ha!, unlike almost e"ery other symbol of the or!er, an e>clusi"ely tem$le origin.

II6H. The 6neffable <ame.

Another im$ortant symbol is the 6neffable <ame, ith hich the series of ritualistic symbols ill be conclu!e!. The Tetragrammaton,.1++4 or 6neffable Eor!,%%the 6ncommunicable <ame,%%is a symbol%%for rightly%consi!ere! it is nothing more than a symbol%%that has more than any other Ke>ce$t, $erha$s, the symbols connecte! ith sun% orshi$L, $er"a!e! the rites of antiBuity. 6 kno , in!ee!, of no system of ancient initiation in hich it has not some $rominent form an! $lace. But as it as, $erha$s, the earliest symbol hich as corru$te! by the s$urious Freemasonry of the $agans, in their secession from the $rimiti"e system of the $atriarchs an! ancient $riesthoo!, it ill be most e>$e!ient for the thorough !iscussion of the subject hich is $ro$ose! in the $resent $a$er, that e shoul! begin the in"estigation ith an inBuiry into the nature of the symbol among the 6sraelites. That name of Go!, hich e, at a "enture, $ronounce :eho"ah,%%although

hether this is, or is not, the true $ronunciation can no ne"er be authoritati"ely settle!,%% as e"er hel! by the :e s in the most $rofoun! "eneration. They !eri"e! its origin from the imme!iate ins$iration of the Almighty, ho communicate! it to Moses as his es$ecial a$$ellation, to be use! only by his chosen $eo$le? an! this communication as ma!e at the Burning Bush, hen he sai! to him, @Thus shalt thou say unto the chil!ren of 6srael' :eho"ah, the Go! of your fathers, the Go! of Abraham, the Go! of 6saac, an! the Go! of :acob, hath sent me unto you' this .:eho"ah4 is my name fore"er, an! this is my memorial unto all generations.@ .1+34 An! at a subseBuent $erio! he still more em$hatically !eclare! this to be his $eculiar name' @6 am A:eho"ahA? an! 6 a$$eare! unto Abraham, unto 6saac, an! unto :acob, by the name of A/l Sha!!aiA? but by my name A:eho"ahA as 6 not kno n unto them.@ .1+-4 6t ill be $ercei"e! that 6 ha"e not here follo e! $recisely the some hat unsatisfactory "ersion of =ing :ames's Bible, hich, by translating or angliciGing one name, an! not the other, lea"es the hole $assage less intelligible an! im$ressi"e than it shoul! be. 6 ha"e retaine! the original 9ebre for both names. /l Sha!!ai, @the Almighty 8ne,@ as the name by hich he ha! been heretofore kno n to the $rece!ing $atriarchs? in its meaning it as analogous to /lohim, ho is !escribe! in the first cha$ter of Genesis as creating the orl!. But his name of :eho"ah as no for the first time to be communicate! to his $eo$le. ;shere! to their notice ith all the solemnity an! religious consecration of these scenes an! e"ents, this name of Go! became in"este! among the 6sraelites ith the $rofoun!est "eneration an! a e. To a!! to this mysticism, the 5abalists, by the change of a single letter, rea! the $assage, @This is my name fore"er,@ or, as it is in the original, ANeh shemi l'olamA, as if ritten ANeh shemi l'alamA, that is to say, @This is my name to be conceale!.@ This inter$retation, although foun!e! on a blun!er, an! in all $robability an intentional one, soon became a $rece$t, an! has been strictly obeye! to this !ay..1+J4 The or! A:eho"ahA is ne"er $ronounce! by a $ious :e , ho, hene"er he meets ith it in Scri$ture, substitutes for it the or! AA!onaiA or A&or!A%%a $ractice hich has been follo e! by the translators of the common /nglish "ersion of the Bible ith almost :e ish scru$ulosity, the or! @:eho"ah@ in the original being in"ariably translate! by the or! @&or!.@ .1+D4 The $ronunciation of the or!, being thus aban!one!, became ultimately lost, as, by the $eculiar construction of the 9ebre language, hich is entirely ithout "o els, the letters, being all consonants, can gi"e no $ossible in!ication, to one ho has not hear! it before, of the true $ronunciation of any gi"en or!. To make this subject $lainer to the rea!er ho is unacBuainte! ith the 9ebre , 6 ill "enture to furnish an e>$lanation hich ill, $erha$s, be

intelligible. The 9ebre al$habet consists entirely of consonants, the "o el soun!s ha"ing al ays been inserte! orally, an! ne"er marke! in riting until the @"o el $oints,@ as they are calle!, ere in"ente! by the Masorites, some si> centuries after the 5hristian era. As the "o el soun!s ere originally su$$lie! by the rea!er, hile rea!ing, from a kno le!ge hich he ha! $re"iously recei"e!, by means of oral instruction, of the $ro$er $ronunciation of the or!, he as necessarily unable to $ronounce any or! hich ha! ne"er before been uttere! in his $resence. As e kno that A)r.A is to be $ronounce! A)octorA, an! AMr. MisterA, because e ha"e al ays hear! those $eculiar combinations of letters thus enunciate!, an! not because the letters themsel"es gi"e any such soun!? so the :e kne from instruction an! constant $ractice, an! not from the $o er of the letters, ho the consonants in the !ifferent or!s in !aily use ere to be "ocaliGe!. But as the four letters hich com$ose the or! A:eho"ahA, as e no call it, ere ne"er $ronounce! in his $resence, but ere ma!e to re$resent another or!, AA!onaiA, hich as substitute! for it, an! as the combination of these four consonants oul! gi"e no more in!ication for any sort of enunciation than the combinations A)r.A or AMr.A gi"e in our language, the :e , being ignorant of hat "ocal soun!s ere to be su$$lie!, as unable to $ronounce the or!, so that its true $ronunciation as in time lost to the masses of the $eo$le. There as one $erson, ho e"er, ho, it is sai!, as in $ossession of the $ro$er soun! of the letters an! the true $ronunciation of the or!. This as the high $riest, ho, recei"ing it from his $re!ecessor, $reser"e! the recollection of the soun! by $ronouncing it three times, once a year, on the !ay of the atonement, hen he entere! the holy of holies of the tabernacle or the tem$le. 6f the tra!itions of Masonry on this subject are correct, the kings, after the establishment of the monarchy, must ha"e $artici$ate! in this $ri"ilege? for Solomon is sai! to ha"e been in $ossession of the or!, an! to ha"e communicate! it to his t o colleagues at the buil!ing of the tem$le. This is the or! hich, from the number of its letters, as calle! the @tetragrammaton,@ or four%lettere! name, an!, from its sacre! in"iolability, the @ineffable@ or unutterable name. The 5abalists an! Talmu!ists ha"e en"elo$e! it in a host of mystical su$erstitions, most of hich are as absur! as they are incre!ible, but all of them ten!ing to sho the great "eneration that has al ays been $ai! to it..1+*4 Thus they say that it is $ossesse! of unlimite! $o ers, an! that he ho $ronounces it shakes hea"en an! earth, an! ins$ires the "ery angels ith terror an! astonishment.

The (abbins calle! it @shem ham$horash,@ that is to say, @the name that is !eclaratory,@ an! they say that )a"i! foun! it engra"e! on a stone hile !igging into the earth. OP O P O.#o!4P O P %%%%%%%%% the triangle itself being a symbol of )eity. This symbol of the name of Go! is $eculiarly orthy of our attention, since not only is the triangle to be foun! in many of the ancient religions occu$ying the same $osition, but the hole symbol itself is un!oubte!ly the origin of that hierogly$hic e>hibite! in the secon! !egree of Masonry, here, the e>$lanation of the symbolism being the same, the form of it, as far as it res$ects the letter, has only been angliciGe! by mo!ern inno"ators. 6n my o n o$inion, the letter AGA, hich is use! in the Fello 5raft's !egree, shoul! ne"er ha"e been $ermitte! to intru!e into Masonry? it $resents an instance of absur! anachronism, hich oul! ne"er ha"e occurre! if the original 9ebre symbol ha! been retaine!. But being there no , ithout the $ossibility of remo"al, e ha"e only to remember that it is in fact but the symbol of a symbol..1+C4 Ei!ely s$rea!, as 6 ha"e alrea!y sai!, as this re"erence for the name of Go!? an!, conseBuently, its symbolism, in some $eculiar form, is to be foun! in all the ancient rites. Thus the 6neffable <ame itself, of hich e ha"e been !iscoursing, is sai! to ha"e been $reser"e! in its true $ronunciation by the /ssenes, ho, in their secret rites, communicate! it to each other only in a his$er, an! in such form, that hile its com$onent $arts ere kno n, they ere so se$arate! as to make the hole or! a mystery. Among the /gy$tians, hose connection ith the 9ebre s as more imme!iate than that of any other $eo$le, an! here, conseBuently, there as a greater similarity of rites, the same sacre! name is sai! to ha"e been use! as a $ass or!, for the $ur$ose of gaining a!mission to their Mysteries. 6n the Brahminic Mysteries of 9in!ostan the ceremony of initiation as terminate! by intrusting the as$irant ith the sacre!, triliteral name, hich as A;M, the three letters of hich ere symbolic of the creati"e, $reser"ati"e, an! !estructi"e $rinci$les of the Su$reme )eity, $ersonifie! in the three manifestations of Bramah, Si"a, an! Hishnu. This or! as

forbi!!en to be $ronounce! alou!. 6t as to be the subject of silent me!itation to the $ious 9in!oo. 6n the rites of Persia an ineffable name as also communicate! to the can!i!ate after his initiation..1+24 Mithras, the $rinci$al !i"inity in these rites, ho took the $lace of the 9ebre :eho"ah, an! re$resente! the sun, ha! this $eculiarity in his name%%that the numeral "alue of the letters of hich it as com$ose! amounte! to $recisely 3DJ, the number of !ays hich constitute a re"olution of the earth aroun! the sun, or, as they then su$$ose!, of the sun aroun! the earth. 6n the Mysteries intro!uce! by Pythagoras into Greece e again fin! the ineffable name of the 9ebre s, obtaine! !oubtless by the Samian Sage !uring his "isit to Babylon..13,4 The symbol a!o$te! by him to e>$ress it as, ho e"er, some hat !ifferent, being ten $oints !istribute! in the form of a triangle, each si!e containing four $oints, as in the anne>e! figure. . .. ... .... The a$e> of the triangle as conseBuently a single $oint then follo e! belo t o others, then three? an! lastly, the base consiste! of four. These $oints ere, by the number in each rank, inten!e!, accor!ing to the Pythagorean system, to !enote res$ecti"ely the Amona!A, or acti"e $rinci$le of nature? the A!ua!A, or $assi"e $rinci$le? the Atria!A, or orl! emanating from their union? an! the ABuaternia!A, or intellectual science? the hole number of $oints amounting to ten, the symbol of $erfection an! consummation. This figure as calle! by Pythagoras the AtetractysA%%a or! eBui"alent in signification to the AtetragrammatonA? an! it as !eeme! so sacre! that on it the oath of secrecy an! fi!elity as a!ministere! to the as$irants in the Pythagorean rites..1314 Among the Scan!ina"ians, as among the :e ish 5abalists, the Su$reme Go! ho as ma!e kno n in their mysteries ha! t el"e names, of hich the $rinci$al an! most sacre! one as AAlfa!erA, the ;ni"ersal Father. Among the )rui!s, the sacre! name of Go! as A9uA.13+4%%a name hich, although it is su$$ose!, by Bryant, to ha"e been inten!e! by them for <oah, ill be recogniGe! as one of the mo!ifications of the 9ebre tetragrammaton. 6t is, in fact, the masculine $ronoun in 9ebre , an! may be consi!ere! as the symboliGation of the male or generati"e $rinci$le in nature%%a sort of mo!ification of the system of Phallic orshi$. This sacre! name among the )rui!s remin!s me of hat is the latest, an!

un!oubte!ly the most $hiloso$hical, s$eculation on the true meaning, as ell as $ronunciation, of the ineffable tetragrammaton. 6t is from the ingenious min! of the celebrate! &anci? an! 6 ha"e alrea!y, in another ork, gi"en it to the $ublic as 6 recei"e! it from his $u$il, an! my frien!, Mr. Gli!!on, the !istinguishe! archaeologist. But the results are too curious to be omitte! hene"er the tetragrammaton is !iscusse!. /lse here 6 ha"e "ery fully allu!e! to the $re"ailing sentiment among the ancients, that the Su$reme )eity as bise>ual, or herma$hro!ite, inclu!ing in the essence of his being the male an! female $rinci$les, the generati"e an! $rolific $o ers of nature. This as the uni"ersal !octrine in all the ancient religions, an! as "ery naturally !e"elo$e! in the symbol of the A$hallusA an! ActeisA among the Greeks, an! in the corres$on!ing one of the AlingamA an! AyoniA among the 8rientalists? from hich symbols the masonic A$oint ithin a circleA is a legitimate !eri"ation. They all taught that Go!, the 5reator, as both male an! female. <o , this theory is un!oubte!ly unobjectionable on the score of ortho!o>y, if e "ie it in the s$iritual sense, in hich its first $ro$oun!ers must necessarily ha"e inten!e! it to be $resente! to the min!, an! not in the gross, sensual meaning in hich it as subseBuently recei"e!. For, taking the or! Ase>A, not in its or!inary an! colloBuial signification, as !enoting the in!ication of a $articular $hysical organiGation, but in that $urely $hiloso$hical one hich alone can be use! in such a connection, an! hich sim$ly signifies the mere manifestation of a $o er, it is not to be !enie! that the Su$reme Being must $ossess in himself, an! in himself alone, both a generati"e an! a $rolific $o er. This i!ea, hich as so e>tensi"ely $re"alent among all the nations of antiBuity,.1334 has also been trace! in the tetragrammaton, or name of :eho"ah, ith singular ingenuity, by &anci? an!, hat is almost eBually as interesting, he has, by this !isco"ery, been enable! to !emonstrate hat as, in all $robability, the true $ronunciation of the or!. 6n gi"ing the !etails of this $hilological !isco"ery, 6 ill en!ea"or to make it as com$rehensible as it can be ma!e to those ho are not critically acBuainte! ith the construction of the 9ebre language? those ho are ill at once a$$reciate its $eculiar character, an! ill e>cuse the e>$lanatory !etails, of course unnecessary to them. The ineffable name, the tetragrammaton, the shem ham$horash,%%for it is kno n by all these a$$ellations,%%consists of four letters, Ayo!, heh, "auA, an! AhehA, forming the or! .9ebre ' yo!%heh%"au%heh4. This or!, of course, in accor!ance ith the genius of the 9ebre language, is rea!, as e oul! say, back ar!, or from right to left, beginning ith Ayo!A, an! en!ing ith AhehA. 8f these letters, the first, Ayo!A, is eBui"alent to the /nglish AiA

$ronounce! as AeA in the or! AmachineA. The secon! an! fourth letter, AhehA, is an as$irate, an! has here the soun! of the /nglish AhA. An! the thir! letter, A"auA, has the soun! of o$en AoA. <o , rea!ing these four letters, .9ebre ' yo!4, or 6, .9ebre ' heh4, or 9, .9ebre ' "au4, or 8, an! .9ebre ' heh4, or 9, as the 9ebre reBuires, from right to left, e ha"e the or! .9ebre ' yo!%heh%"au%heh4, eBui"alent in /nglish to 69%89, hich is really as near to the $ronunciation as e can ell come, not ithstan!ing it forms neither of the se"en ays in hich the or! is sai! to ha"e been $ronounce!, at !ifferent times, by the $atriarchs..13-4 But, thus $ronounce!, the or! gi"es us no meaning, for there is no such or! in 9ebre as AihohA? an!, as all the 9ebre names ere significati"e of something, it is but fair to conclu!e that this as not the original $ronunciation, an! that e must look for another hich ill gi"e a meaning to the or!. <o , &anci $rocee!s to the !isco"ery of this true $ronunciation, as follo s'%% 6n the 5abala, a hi!!en meaning is often !e!uce! from a or! by trans$osing or re"ersing its letters, an! it as in this ay that the 5abalists conceale! many of their mysteries. <o , to re"erse a or! in /nglish is to rea! its letters from Aright to leftA, because our normal mo!e of rea!ing is from Aleft to rightA. But in 9ebre the contrary rule takes $lace, for there the normal mo!e of rea!ing is from Aright to leftA? an! therefore, to re"erse the rea!ing of a or!, is to rea! it from Aleft to rightA. &anci a$$lie! this cabalistic mo!e to the tetragrammaton, hen he foun! that 69%89, being rea! re"ersely, makes the or! 98%96..13J4 But in 9ebre , AhoA is the masculine $ronoun, eBui"alent to the /nglish AheA? an! AhiA is the feminine $ronoun, eBui"alent to AsheA? an! therefore the or! 98%96, literally translate!, is eBui"alent to the /nglish com$oun! 9/%S9/? that is to say, the 6neffable <ame of Go! in 9ebre , being rea! cabalistically, inclu!es ithin itself the male an! female $rinci$le, the generati"e an! $rolific energy of creation? an! here e ha"e, again, the i!ely%s$rea! symbolism of the $hallus an! the cteis, the lingam an! the yoni, or their eBui"alent, the $oint ithin a circle, an! another $regnant $roof of the connection bet een Freemasonry an! the ancient Mysteries. An! here, $erha$s, e may begin to fin! some meaning for the hitherto

incom$rehensible $assage in Genesis Ki. +*L' @So Go! create! man Ain his o n image? in the image of Go!A create! he him? Amale an! femaleA create! he them.@ They coul! not ha"e been @in the image@ of 6989, if they ha! not been @male an! female.@ The 5abalists ha"e e>hauste! their ingenuity an! imagination in s$eculations on this sacre! name, an! some of their fancies are really sufficiently interesting to re$ay an in"estigation. Sufficient, ho e"er, has been here sai! to account for the im$ortant $osition that it occu$ies in the masonic system, an! to enable us to a$$reciate the symbols by hich it has been re$resente!. The great re"erence, or in!ee! the su$erstitious "eneration, entertaine! by the ancients for the name of the Su$reme Being, le! them to e>$ress it rather in symbols or hierogly$hics than in any or! at length. Ee kno , for instance, from the recent researches of the archaeologists, that in all the !ocuments of the ancient /gy$tians, ritten in the !emotic or common character of the country, the names of the go!s ere in"ariably !enote! by symbols? an! 6 ha"e alrea!y allu!e! to the !ifferent mo!es by hich the :e s e>$resse! the tetragrammaton. A similar $ractice $re"aile! among the other nations of antiBuity. Freemasonry has a!o$te! the same e>$e!ient, an! the Gran! Architect of the ;ni"erse, hom it is the usage, e"en in or!inary riting, to !esignate by the initials G.A.8.T.;., is accor!ingly $resente! to us in a "ariety of symbols, three of hich $articularly reBuire attention. These are the letter AGA, the eBuilateral triangle, an! the All%Seeing /ye. 8f the letter AGA 6 ha"e alrea!y s$oken. A letter of the /nglish al$habet can scarcely be consi!ere! an a$$ro$riate symbol of an institution hich !ates its organiGation an! refers its $rimiti"e history to a $erio! long anterior to the origin of that language. Such a symbol is !eficient in the t o elements of antiBuity an! uni"ersality hich shoul! characteriGe e"ery masonic symbol. There can, therefore, be no !oubt that, in its $resent form, it is a corru$tion of the ol! 9ebre symbol, the letter Ayo!A, by hich the sacre! name as often e>$resse!. This letter is the initial of the or! A:eho"ahA, or A6hohA, as 6 ha"e alrea!y state!, an! is constantly to be met ith in 9ebre ritings as the symbol or abbre"iature of A:eho"ahA, hich or!, it ill be remembere!, is ne"er ritten at length. But because AGA is, in like manner, the initial of AGo!A, the eBui"alent of A:eho"ahA, this letter has been incorrectly, an!, 6 cannot refrain from again saying, most inju!iciously, selecte! to su$$ly, in mo!ern lo!ges, the $lace of the 9ebre symbol. 9a"ing, then, the same meaning an! force as the 9ebre Ayo!A, the letter AGA must be consi!ere!, like its $rototy$e, as the symbol of the life%gi"ing an! life%sustaining $o er of Go!, as manifeste! in the meaning

of the or! :eho"ah, or 6hoh, the generati"e an! $rolific energy of the 5reator. The AAll%Seeing /yeA is another, an! a still more im$ortant, symbol of the same great Being. Both the 9ebre s an! the /gy$tians a$$ear to ha"e !eri"e! its use from that natural inclination of figurati"e min!s to select an organ as the symbol of the function hich it is inten!e! $eculiarly to !ischarge. Thus the foot as often a!o$te! as the symbol of s iftness, the arm of strength, an! the han! of fi!elity. 8n the same $rinci$le, the o$en eye as selecte! as the symbol of atchfulness, an! the eye of Go! as the symbol of !i"ine atchfulness an! care of the uni"erse. The use of the symbol in this sense is re$eate!ly to be foun! in the 9ebre riters. Thus the Psalmist says KPs. >>>i". 1JL, @The eyes of the &or! are u$on the righteous, an! his ears are o$en to their cry,@ hich e>$lains a subseBuent $assage KPs. c>>i. -L, in hich it is sai!, @Behol!, he that kee$eth 6srael shall neither slumber nor slee$.@ .13D4 8n the same $rinci$le, the /gy$tians re$resente! 8siris, their chief !eity, by the symbol of an o$en eye, an! $lace! this hierogly$hic of him in all their tem$les. 9is symbolic name, on the monuments, as re$resente! by the eye accom$anying a throne, to hich as sometimes a!!e! an abbre"iate! figure of the go!, an! sometimes hat has been calle! a hatchet, but hich, 6 consi!er, may as correctly be su$$ose! to be a re$resentation of a sBuare. The All%Seeing /ye may, then, be consi!ere! as a symbol of Go! manifeste! in his omni$resence%%his guar!ian an! $reser"ing character%%to hich Solomon allu!es in the Book of Pro"erbs K>". 3L, hen he says, @The eyes of :eho"ah are in e"ery $lace, behol!ing Kor as it might be more faithfully translate!, atchingL the e"il an! the goo!.@ 6t is a symbol of the 8mni$resent )eity. The AtriangleA is another symbol hich is entitle! to our consi!eration. There is, in fact, no other symbol hich is more "arious in its a$$lication or more generally !iffuse! throughout the hole system of both the S$urious an! the Pure Freemasonry. The eBuilateral triangle a$$ears to ha"e been a!o$te! by nearly all the nations of antiBuity as a symbol of the )eity. Among the 9ebre s, it has alrea!y been state! that this figure, ith a Ayo!A in the centre, as use! to re$resent the tetragrammaton, or ineffable name of Go!. The /gy$tians consi!ere! the eBuilateral triangle as the most $erfect of figures, an! a re$resentati"e of the great $rinci$le of animate! e>istence, each of its si!es referring to one of the three !e$artments of

creation%%the animal, the "egetable, an! the mineral. The symbol of uni"ersal nature among the /gy$tians as the right%angle! triangle, of hich the $er$en!icular si!e re$resente! 8siris, or the male $rinci$le? the base, 6sis, or the female $rinci$le? an! the hy$othenuse, their offs$ring, 9orus, or the orl! emanating from the union of both $rinci$les. All this, of course, is nothing more nor less than the $hallus an! cteis, or lingam an! yoni, un!er a !ifferent form. The symbol of the right%angle! triangle as after ar!s a!o$te! by Pythagoras hen he "isite! the banks of the <ile? an! the !isco"ery hich he is sai! to ha"e ma!e in relation to the $ro$erties of this figure, but hich he really learne! from the /gy$tian $riests, is commemorate! in Masonry by the intro!uction of the forty%se"enth $roblem of /ucli!'s First Book among the symbols of the thir! !egree. 9ere the same mystical a$$lication is su$$lie! as in the /gy$tian figure, namely, that the union of the male an! female, or acti"e an! $assi"e $rinci$les of nature, has $ro!uce! the orl!. For the geometrical $ro$osition being that the sBuares of the $er$en!icular an! base are eBual to the sBuare of the hy$othenuse, they may be sai! to $ro!uce it in the same ay as 8siris an! 6sis are eBual to, or $ro!uce, the orl!. Thus the $er$en!icular%%8siris, or the acti"e, male $rinci$le%%being re$resente! by a line hose measurement is 3? an! the base%%6sis, or the $assi"e, female $rinci$le%%by a line hose measurement is -? then their union, or the a!!ition of the sBuares of these numbers, ill $ro!uce a sBuare hose root ill be the hy$othenuse, or a line hose measurement must be J. For the sBuare of 3 is 2, an! the sBuare of - is 1D, an! the sBuare of J is +J? but 2 a!!e! to 1D is eBual to +J? an! thus, out of the a!!ition, or coming together, of the sBuares of the $er$en!icular an! base, arises the sBuare of the hy$othenuse, just as, out of the coming together, in the /gy$tian system, of the acti"e an! $assi"e $rinci$les, arises, or is generate!, the orl!. 6n the me!iae"al history of the 5hristian church, the great ignorance of the $eo$le, an! their inclination to a sort of materialism, le! them to aban!on the symbolic re$resentations of the )eity, an! to !e$ict the Father ith the form an! lineaments of an age! man, many of hich irre"erent $aintings, as far back as the t elfth century, are to be foun! in the religious books an! e!ifices of /uro$e..13*4 But, after the $erio! of the renaissance, a better s$irit an! a $urer taste began to $er"a!e the artists of the church, an! thenceforth the Su$reme Being as re$resente! only by his name%%the tetragrammaton%%inscribe! ithin an eBuilateral triangle, an! $lace! ithin a circle of rays. )i!ron, in his in"aluable ork on 5hristian 6conogra$hy, gi"es one of these symbols, hich as

car"e! on oo! in the se"enteenth century, of hich 6 anne> a co$y. .6llustration' tetragrammaton inscribe! ith an eBuilateral triangle an! $lace! ithin a circle of rays4 But e"en in the earliest ages, hen the )eity as $ainte! or scul$ture! as a $ersonage, the nimbus, or glory, hich surroun!e! the hea! of the Father, as often ma!e to assume a triangular form. )i!ron says on this subject, @A nimbus, of a triangular form, is thus seen to be the e>clusi"e attribute of the )eity, an! most freBuently restricte! to the Father /ternal. The other $ersons of the trinity sometimes ear the triangle, but only in re$resentations of the trinity, an! because the Father is ith them. Still, e"en then, besi!e the Father, ho has a triangle, the Son an! the 9oly Ghost are often !ra n ith a circular nimbus only.@ .13C4 The triangle has, in all ages an! in all religions, been !eeme! a symbol of )eity. The /gy$tians, the Greeks, an! the other nations of antiBuity, consi!ere! this figure, ith its three si!es, as a symbol of the creati"e energy !is$laye! in the acti"e an! $assi"e, or male an! female, $rinci$les, an! their $ro!uct, the orl!? the 5hristians referre! it to their !ogma of the trinity as a manifestation of the Su$reme Go!? an! the :e s an! the $rimiti"e masons to the three $erio!s of e>istence inclu!e! in the signification of the tetragrammaton%%the $ast, the $resent, an! the future. 6n the higher !egrees of Masonry, the triangle is the most im$ortant of all symbols, an! most generally assumes the name of the A)eltaA, in allusion to the fourth letter of the Greek al$habet, hich is of the same form an! bears that a$$ellation. The )elta, or mystical triangle, is generally surroun!e! by a circle of rays, calle! a @glory.@ Ehen this glory is !istinct from the figure, an! surroun!s it in the form of a circle Kas in the e>am$le just gi"en from )i!ronL, it is then an emblem of Go!'s eternal glory. Ehen, as is most usual in the masonic symbol, the rays emanate from the centre of the triangle, an!, as it ere, enshrou! it in their brilliancy, it is symbolic of the )i"ine &ight. The $er"erte! i!eas of the $agans referre! these rays of light to their Sun%go! an! their Sabian orshi$. But the true masonic i!ea of this glory is, that it symboliGes that /ternal &ight of Eis!om hich surroun!s the Su$reme Architect as ith a sea of glory, an! from him, as a common centre, emanates to the uni"erse of his creation, an! to hich the $ro$het /Gekiel allu!es in his eloBuent !escri$tion of :eho"ah' @An! 6 sa as the color of amber, as the a$$earance of fire roun! about ithin it, from the a$$earance of his loins

e"en u$ ar!, an! from his loins e"en !o n ar!, 6 sa , as it ere, the a$$earance of fire, an! it ha! brightness roun! about.@ K5ha$. 1, "er. +*.L )ante has also beautifully !escribe! this circumfuse! light of )eity'%% @There is in hea"en a light hose goo!ly shine Makes the 5reator "isible to all 5reate!, that in seeing him, alone 9a"e $eace? an! in a circle s$rea!s so far, That the circumference ere too loose a Gone To gir!le in the sun.@ 8n a reca$itulation, then, of the "ie s that ha"e been a!"ance! in relation to these three symbols of the )eity hich are to be foun! in the masonic system, e may say that each one e>$resses a !ifferent attribute. The letter AGA is the symbol of the self%e>istent :eho"ah. The AAll%Seeing /yeA is the symbol of the omni$resent Go!. The AtriangleA.1324 is the symbol of the Su$reme Architect of the ;ni"erse%%the 5reator? an! hen surroun!e! by rays of glory, it becomes a symbol of the Architect an! Besto er of &ight. An! no , after all, is there not in this hole $re"alence of the name of Go!, in so many !ifferent symbols, throughout the masonic system, something more than a mere e"i!ence of the religious $rocli"ities of the institutionF 6s there not behin! this a more $rofoun! symbolism, hich constitutes, in fact, the "ery essence of FreemasonryF @The names of Go!,@ sai! a learne! theologian at the beginning of this century, @ ere inten!e! to communicate the kno le!ge of Go! himself. By these, men ere enable! to recei"e some scanty i!eas of his essential majesty, goo!ness, an! $o er, an! to kno both hom e are to belie"e, an! hat e are to belie"e of him.@ An! this train of thought is eminently a$$licable to the a!mission of the name into the system of Masonry. Eith us, the name of Go!, ho e"er e>$resse!, is a symbol of )6H6</ T(;T9, hich it shoul! be the incessant labor of a Mason to seek.

IIH. The &egen!s of Freemasonry.

The com$oun! character of a s$eculati"e science an! an o$erati"e art, hich the masonic institution assume! at the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le, in conseBuence of the union, at that era, of the Pure Freemasonry of the <oachi!ae.1-,4 ith the S$urious Freemasonry of the Tyrian orkmen, has su$$lie! it ith t o !istinct kin!s of symbols%%the AmythicalA, or Alegen!aryA, an! the AmaterialA? but these are so thoroughly unite! in object an! !esign, that it is im$ossible to a$$reciate the one ithout an in"estigation of the other. Thus, by ay of illustration, it may be obser"e!, that the tem$le itself has been a!o$te! as a material symbol of the orl! Kas 6 ha"e alrea!y sho n in former articlesL, hile the legen!ary history of the fate of its buil!er is a mythical symbol of man's !estiny in the orl!. Ehate"er is "isible or tangible to the senses in our ty$es an! emblems%%such as the im$lements of o$erati"e masonry, the furniture an! ornaments of a lo!ge, or the la!!er of se"en ste$s%%is a Amaterial symbolA? hile hate"er !eri"es its e>istence from tra!ition, an! $resents itself in the form of an allegory or legen!, is a Amythical symbolA. 9iram the Buil!er, therefore, an! all that refers to the legen! of his connection ith the tem$le, an! his fate,%%such as the s$rig of acacia, the hill near Mount Moriah, an! the lost or!,%%are to be consi!ere! as belonging to the class of mythical or legen!ary symbols. An! this !i"ision is not arbitrary, but !e$en!s on the nature of the ty$es an! the as$ect in hich they $resent themsel"es to our "ie . Thus the s$rig of acacia, although it is material, "isible, an! tangible, is, ne"ertheless, not to be treate! as a material symbol? for, as it !eri"es all its significance from its intimate connection ith the legen! of 9iram Abif, hich is a mythical symbol, it cannot, ithout a "iolent an! ine>$e!ient !isru$tion, be se$arate! from the same class. For the same reason, the small hill near Mount Moriah, the search of the t el"e Fello 5rafts, an! the hole train of circumstances connecte! ith the lost or!, are to be "ie e! sim$ly as mythical or legen!ary, an! not as material symbols. These legen!s of Freemasonry constitute a consi!erable an! a "ery im$ortant $art of its ritual. Eithout them, the most "aluable $ortions of the masonic as a scientific system oul! cease to e>ist. 6t is, in fact, in the tra!itions an! legen!s of Freemasonry, more, e"en, than in its material symbols, that e are to fin! the !ee$ religious instruction hich the institution is inten!e! to inculcate. 6t must be remembere! that Freemasonry has been !efine! to be @a system of morality, "eile! in allegory an! illustrate! by symbols.@ Symbols, then, alone, !o not

constitute the hole of the system' allegory comes in for its share? an! this allegory, hich "eils the !i"ine truths of masonry, is $resente! to the neo$hyte in the "arious legen!s hich ha"e been tra!itionally $reser"e! in the or!er. The close connection, at least in !esign an! metho! of e>ecution, bet een the institution of Freemasonry an! the ancient Mysteries, hich ere largely imbue! ith the mythical character of the ancient religions, le!, un!oubte!ly, to the intro!uction of the same mythical character into the masonic system. So general, in!ee!, as the !iffusion of the myth or legen! among the $hiloso$hical, historical, an! religious systems of antiBuity, that 9eyne remarks, on this subject, that all the history an! $hiloso$hy of the ancients $rocee!e! from myths..1-14 The or! AmythA, from the Greek .Greek' myRthos4, Aa storyA, in its original acce$tation, signifie! sim$ly a statement or narrati"e of an e"ent, ithout any necessary im$lication of truth or falsehoo!? but, as the or! is no use!, it con"eys the i!ea of a $ersonal narrati"e of remote !ate, hich, although not necessarily untrue, is certifie! only by the internal e"i!ence of the tra!ition itself..1-+4 5reuGer, in his @Symbolik,@ says that myths an! symbols ere !eri"e!, on the one han!, from the hel$less con!ition an! the $oor an! scanty beginnings of religious kno le!ge among the ancient $eo$les, an! on the other, from the bene"olent !esigns of the $riests e!ucate! in the /ast, or of /astern origin, to form them to a $urer an! higher kno le!ge. But the obser"ations of that $rofoun!ly $hiloso$hical historian, Mr. Grote, gi"e so correct a "ie of the $robable origin of this uni"ersality of the mythical element in all the ancient religions, an! are, ithal, so a$$ro$riate to the subject of masonic legen!s hich 6 am no about to !iscuss, that 6 cannot justly refrain from a liberal Buotation of his remarks. @The allegorical inter$retation of the myths,@ he says, @has been, by se"eral learne! in"estigators, es$ecially by 5reuGer, connecte! ith the hy$othesis of an ancient an! highly%instructe! bo!y of $riests, ha"ing their origin either in /gy$t or the /ast, an! communicating to the ru!e an! barbarous Greeks religious, $hysical, an! historical kno le!ge, un!er the "eil of symbols. At a time K e are tol!L hen language as yet in its infancy, "isible symbols ere the most "i"i! means of acting u$on the min!s of ignorant hearers. The ne>t ste$ as to $ass to symbolical language an! e>$ressions? for a $lain an! literal e>$osition, e"en if un!erstoo! at all, oul! at least ha"e been listene! to ith in!ifference, as not corres$on!ing ith any mental !eman!. 6n such allegoriGing ay,

then, the early $riests set forth their !octrines res$ecting Go!, nature, an! humanity,%%a refine! monotheism an! theological $hiloso$hy,%%an! to this $ur$ose the earliest myths ere turne!. But another class of myths, more $o$ular an! more ca$ti"ating, gre u$ un!er the han!s of the $oets%%myths $urely e$ical, an! !escri$ti"e of real or su$$ose! $ast e"ents. The allegorical myths, being taken u$ by the $oets, insensibly became confoun!e! in the same category ith the $urely narrati"e myths? the matter symboliGe! as no longer thought of, hile the symboliGing or!s came to be construe! in their o n literal meaning, an! the basis of the early allegory, thus lost among the general $ublic, as only $reser"e! as a secret among "arious religious fraternities, com$ose! of members allie! together by initiation in certain mystical ceremonies, an! a!ministere! by here!itary families of $resi!ing $riests. @6n the 8r$hic an! Bacchic sects, in the /leusinian an! Samothracian Mysteries, as thus treasure! u$ the secret !octrine of the ol! theological an! $hiloso$hical myths, hich ha! once constitute! the $rimiti"e legen!ary stock of Greece in the han!s of the original $riesthoo! an! in the ages anterior to 9omer. Persons ho ha! gone through the $reliminary ceremonies of initiation ere $ermitte! at length to hear, though un!er strict obligation of secrecy, this ancient religion an! cosmogonic !octrine, re"ealing the !estination of man an! the certainty of $osthumous re ar!s an! $unishments, all !isengage! from the corru$tions of $oets, as ell as from the symbols an! allegories un!er hich they still remaine! burie! in the eyes of the "ulgar. The Mysteries of Greece ere thus trace! u$ to the earliest ages, an! re$resente! as the only faithful !e$ositaries of that $urer theology an! $hysics hich ha! been originally communicate!, though un!er the una"oi!able incon"enience of a symbolical e>$ression, by an enlightene! $riesthoo!, coming from abroa!, to the then ru!e barbarians of the country.@ .1-34 6n this long but interesting e>tract e fin! not only a $hiloso$hical account of the origin an! !esign of the ancient myths, but a fair syno$sis of all that can be taught in relation to the symbolical construction of Freemasonry, as one of the !e$ositaries of a mythical theology. The myths of Masonry, at first $erha$s nothing more than the sim$le tra!itions of the Pure Freemasonry of the ante!ilu"ian system, ha"ing been corru$te! an! misun!erstoo! in the se$aration of the races, ere again $urifie!, an! a!a$te! to the inculcation of truth, at first by the !isci$les of the S$urious Freemasonry, an! then, more fully an! $erfectly, in the !e"elo$ment of that system hich e no $ractise. An! if there be any lea"en of error still remaining in the inter$retation of our masonic myths, e must seek to !isengage them from the corru$tions ith hich they ha"e been in"este! by ignorance an! by misinter$retation. Ee must gi"e to them their true significance, an! trace them back to those ancient !octrines an! faith hence the i!eas hich they are inten!e! to embo!y

ere !eri"e!. The myths or legen!s hich $resent themsel"es to our attention in the course of a com$lete stu!y of the symbolic system of Freemasonry may be consi!ere! as !i"i!e! into three classes'%% 1. The historical myth. +. The $hiloso$hical myth. 3. The mythical history. An! these three classes may be !efine! as follo s'%% 1. The myth may be engage! in the transmission of a narrati"e of early !ee!s an! e"ents, ha"ing a foun!ation in truth, hich truth, ho e"er, has been greatly !istorte! an! $er"erte! by the omission or intro!uction of circumstances an! $ersonages, an! then it constitutes the Ahistorical mythA. +. 8r it may ha"e been in"ente! an! a!o$te! as the me!ium of enunciating a $articular thought, or of inculcating a certain !octrine, hen it becomes a A$hiloso$hical mythA. 3. 8r, lastly, the truthful elements of actual history may greatly $re!ominate o"er the fictitious an! in"ente! materials of the myth, an! the narrati"e may be, in the main, ma!e u$ of facts, ith a slight coloring of imagination, hen it forms a Amythical historyA..1--4 These form the three !i"isions of the legen! or myth Kfor 6 am not !is$ose!, on the $resent occasion, like some of the German mythological riters, to make a !istinction bet een the t o or!s.1-J4L? an! to one of these three !i"isions e must a$$ro$riate e"ery legen! hich belongs to the mythical symbolism of Freemasonry. These masonic myths $artake, in their general character, of the nature of the myths hich constitute! the foun!ation of the ancient religions, as they ha"e just been !escribe! in the language of Mr. Grote. 8f these latter myths, Mueller.1-D4 says that @their source is to be foun!, for the most $art, in oral tra!ition,@ an! that the real an! the i!eal%%that is to say, the facts of history an! the in"entions of imagination%%concurre!, by their union an! reci$rocal fusion, in $ro!ucing the myth. Those are the "ery $rinci$les that go"ern the construction of the masonic myths or legen!s. These, too, o e their e>istence entirely to oral tra!ition, an! are ma!e u$, as 6 ha"e just obser"e!, of a !ue a!mi>ture of the real an! the i!eal%%the true an! the false%%the facts of history an! the in"entions of allegory.

)r. 8li"er remarks that @the first series of historical facts, after the fall of man, must necessarily ha"e been tra!itional, an! transmitte! from father to son by oral communication.@ .1-*4 The same system, a!o$te! in all the Mysteries, has been continue! in the masonic institution? an! all the esoteric instructions containe! in the legen!s of Freemasonry are forbi!!en to be ritten, an! can be communicate! only in the oral intercourse of Freemasons ith each other..1-C4 )e Eette, in his 5riticism on the Mosaic 9istory, lays !o n the test by hich a myth is to be !istinguishe! from a strictly historical narrati"e, as follo s, namely' that the myth must o e its origin to the intention of the in"entor not to satisfy the natural thirst for historical truth by a sim$le narration of facts, but rather to !elight or touch the feelings, or to illustrate some $hiloso$hical or religious truth. This !efinition $recisely fits the character of the myths of Masonry. Take, for instance, the legen! of the master's !egree, or the myth of 9iram Abif. As @a sim$le narration of facts,@ it is of no great "alue%%certainly not of "alue commensurate ith the labor that has been engage! in its transmission. 6ts in"ention%%by hich is meant, not the in"ention or imagination of all the inci!ents of hich it is com$ose!, for there are abun!ant materials of the true an! real in its !etails, but its in"ention or com$osition in the form of a myth by the a!!ition of some features, the su$$ression of others, an! the general arrangement of the hole%% as not inten!e! to a!! a single item to the great mass of history, but altogether, as )e Eette says, @to illustrate a $hiloso$hical or religious truth,@ hich truth, it is har!ly necessary for me to say, is the !octrine of the immortality of the soul. 6t must be e"i!ent, from all that has been sai! res$ecting the analogy in origin an! !esign bet een the masonic an! the ancient religious myths, that no one acBuainte! ith the true science of this subject can, for a moment, conten! that all the legen!s an! tra!itions of the or!er are, to the "ery letter, historical facts. All that can be claime! for them is, that in some there is sim$ly a substratum of history, the e!ifice constructe! on this foun!ation being $urely in"enti"e, to ser"e us a me!ium for inculcating some religious truth? in others, nothing more than an i!ea to hich the legen! or myth is in!ebte! for its e>istence, an! of hich it is, as a symbol, the e>$onent? an! in others, again, a great !eal of truthful narrati"e, more or less intermi>e! ith fiction, but the historical al ays $re!ominating. Thus there is a legen!, containe! in some of our ol! recor!s, hich states that /ucli! as a !istinguishe! Mason, an! that he intro!uce! Masonry among the /gy$tians..1-24 <o , it is not at all necessary to the ortho!o>y of a Mason's cree! that he shoul! literally belie"e that /ucli!, the great geometrician, as really a Freemason, an! that the ancient /gy$tians ere

in!ebte! to him for the establishment of the institution among them. 6n!ee!, the $al$able anachronism in the legen! hich makes /ucli! the contem$orary of Abraham necessarily $rohibits any such belief, an! sho s that the hole story is a sheer in"ention. The intelligent Mason, ho e"er, ill not holly reject the legen!, as ri!iculous or absur!? but, ith a !ue sense of the nature an! !esign of our system of symbolism, ill rather acce$t it as hat, in the classification lai! !o n on a $rece!ing $age, oul! be calle! @a $hiloso$hical myth@%%an ingenious metho! of con"eying, symbolically, a masonic truth. /ucli! is here "ery a$$ro$riately use! as a ty$e of geometry, that science of hich he as so eminent a teacher, an! the myth or legen! then symboliGes the fact that there as in /gy$t a close connection bet een that science an! the great moral an! religious system, hich as among the /gy$tians, as ell as other ancient nations, hat Freemasonry is in the $resent !ay%%a secret institution, establishe! for the inculcation of the same $rinci$les, an! inculcating them in the same symbolic manner. So inter$rete!, this legen! corres$on!s to all the !e"elo$ments of /gy$tian history, hich teach us ho close a connection e>iste! in that country bet een the religious an! scientific systems. Thus =enrick tells us, that @ hen e rea! of foreigners .in /gy$t4 being oblige! to submit to $ainful an! te!ious ceremonies of initiation, it as not that they might learn the secret meaning of the rites of 8siris or 6sis, but that they might $artake of the kno le!ge of astronomy, $hysic, geometry, an! theology.@ .1J,4 Another illustration ill be foun! in the myth or legen! of the AEin!ing StairsA, by hich the Fello 5rafts are sai! to ha"e ascen!e! to the mi!!le chamber to recei"e their ages. <o , this myth, taken in its literal sense, is, in all its $arts, o$$ose! to history an! $robability. As a myth, it fin!s its origin in the fact that there as a $lace in the tem$le calle! the @Mi!!le 5hamber,@ an! that there ere @ in!ing stairs@ by hich it as reache!? for e rea!, in the First Book of =ings, that @they ent u$ ith in!ing stairs into the mi!!le chamber.@ .1J14 But e ha"e no historical e"i!ence that the stairs ere of the construction, or that the chamber as use! for the $ur$ose, in!icate! in the mythical narrati"e, as it is set forth in the ritual of the secon! !egree. The hole legen! is, in fact, an historical myth, in hich the mystic number of the ste$s, the $rocess of $assing to the chamber, an! the ages there recei"e!, are in"entions a!!e! to or ingrafte! on the fun!amental history containe! in the si>th cha$ter of =ings, to inculcate im$ortant symbolic instruction relati"e to the $rinci$les of the or!er. These lessons might, it is true, ha"e been inculcate! in a !ry, !i!actic form? but the allegorical an! mythical metho! a!o$te! ten!s to make a stronger an! !ee$er im$ression on the min!, an! at the same time ser"es more closely to connect the institution of Masonry ith the ancient tem$le. Again' the myth hich traces the origin of the institution of Freemasonry

to the beginning of the orl!, making its commencement coe"al ith the creation,%%a myth hich is, e"en at this !ay, ignorantly inter$rete!, by some, as an historical fact, an! the reference to hich is still $reser"e! in the !ate of @anno lucis,@ hich is affi>e! to all masonic !ocuments,%%is but a $hiloso$hical myth, symboliGing the i!ea hich analogically connects the creation of $hysical light in the uni"erse ith the birth of masonic or s$iritual an! intellectual light in the can!i!ate. The one is the ty$e of the other. Ehen, therefore, Preston says that @from the commencement of the orl! e may trace the foun!ation of Masonry,@ an! hen he goes on to assert that @e"er since symmetry began, an! harmony !is$laye! her charms, our or!er has ha! a being,@ e are not to su$$ose that Preston inten!e! to teach that a masonic lo!ge as hel! in the Gar!en of /!en. Such a su$$osition oul! justly subject us to the ri!icule of e"ery intelligent $erson. The only i!ea inten!e! to be con"eye! is this' that the $rinci$les of Freemasonry, hich, in!ee!, are entirely in!e$en!ent of any s$ecial organiGation hich it may ha"e as a society, are coe"al ith the e>istence of the orl!? that hen Go! sai!, @&et there be light,@ the material light thus $ro!uce! as an antity$e of that s$iritual light that must burst u$on the min! of e"ery can!i!ate hen his intellectual orl!, theretofore @ ithout form an! "oi!,@ becomes a!orne! an! $eo$le! ith the li"ing thoughts an! !i"ine $rinci$les hich constitute the great system of S$eculati"e Masonry, an! hen the s$irit of the institution, broo!ing o"er the "ast !ee$ of his mental chaos, shall, from intellectual !arkness, bring forth intellectual light..1J+4 6n the legen!s of the Master's !egree an! of the (oyal Arch there is a commingling of the historical myth an! the mythical history, so that $rofoun! ju!gment is often reBuire! to !iscriminate these !iffering elements. As, for e>am$le, the legen! of the thir! !egree is, in some of its !etails, un!oubte!ly mythical%%in others, just as un!oubte!ly historical. The !ifficulty, ho e"er, of se$arating the one from the other, an! of !istinguishing the fact from the fiction, has necessarily $ro!uce! a !ifference of o$inion on the subject among masonic riters. 9utchinson, an!, after him, 8li"er, think the hole legen! an allegory or $hiloso$hical myth. 6 am incline!, ith An!erson an! the earlier riters, to su$$ose it a mythical history. 6n the (oyal Arch !egree, the legen! of the rebuil!ing of the tem$le is clearly historical? but there are so many accom$anying circumstances, hich are uncertifie!, e>ce$t by oral tra!ition, as to gi"e to the entire narrati"e the a$$earance of a mythical history. The $articular legen! of the Athree eary sojournersA is un!oubte!ly a myth, an! $erha$s merely a $hiloso$hical one, or the enunciation of an i!ea%%namely, the re ar! of successful $erse"erance, through all !angers, in the search for !i"ine truth. @To form symbols an! to inter$ret symbols,@ says the learne! 5reuGer, @ ere the main occu$ation of the ancient $riesthoo!.@ ;$on the stu!ious Mason the same task of inter$retation !e"ol"es. 9e ho !esires $ro$erly

to a$$reciate the $rofoun! is!om of the institution of hich he is the !isci$le, must not be content, ith uninBuiring cre!ulity, to acce$t all the tra!itions that are im$arte! to him as "eritable histories? nor yet, ith un$hiloso$hic incre!ulity, to reject them in a mass, as fabulous in"entions. 6n these e>tremes there is eBual error. @The myth,@ says 9ermann, @is the re$resentation of an i!ea.@ 6t is for that i!ea that the stu!ent must search in the myths of Masonry. Beneath e"ery one of them there is something richer an! more s$iritual than the mere narrati"e..1J34 This s$iritual essence he must learn to e>tract from the ore in hich, like a $recious metal, it lies imbe!!e!. 6t is this that constitutes the true "alue of Freemasonry. Eithout its symbols, an! its myths or legen!s, an! the i!eas an! conce$tions hich lie at the bottom of them, the time, the labor, an! the e>$ense incurre! in $er$etuating the institution, oul! be thro n a ay. Eithout them, it oul! be a @"ain an! em$ty sho .@ 6ts gri$s an! signs are orth nothing, e>ce$t for social $ur$oses, as mere means of recognition. So, too, oul! be its or!s, ere it not that they are, for the most $art, symbolic. 6ts social habits an! its charities are but inci!ental $oints in its constitution%%of themsel"es goo!, it is true, but ca$able of being attaine! in a sim$ler ay. 6ts true "alue, as a science, consists in its symbolism%%in the great lessons of !i"ine truth hich it teaches, an! in the a!mirable manner in hich it accom$lishes that teaching. /"ery one, therefore, ho !esires to be a skilful Mason, must not su$$ose that the task is accom$lishe! by a $erfect kno le!ge of the mere $hraseology of the ritual, by a rea!iness in o$ening an! closing a lo!ge, nor by an off%han! ca$acity to confer !egrees. All these are goo! in their $laces, but ithout the internal meaning they are but mere chil!'s $lay. 9e must stu!y the myths, the tra!itions, an! the symbols of the or!er, an! learn their true inter$retation? for this alone constitutes the science an! the $hiloso$hy%%the en!, aim, an! !esign of S$eculati"e Masonry.

IIH6. The &egen! of the Ein!ing Stairs.

Before $rocee!ing to the e>amination of those more im$ortant mythical legen!s hich a$$ro$riately belong to the Master's !egree, it ill not, 6 think, be un$leasing or uninstructi"e to consi!er the only one hich is attache! to the Fello 5raft's !egree%%that, namely, hich refers to the allegorical ascent of the Ein!ing Stairs to the Mi!!le 5hamber, an! the symbolic $ayment of the orkmen's ages.

Although the legen! of the Ein!ing Stairs forms an im$ortant tra!ition of Ancient 5raft Masonry, the only allusion to it in Scri$ture is to be foun! in a single "erse in the si>th cha$ter of the First Book of =ings, an! is in these or!s' @The !oor for the mi!!le chamber as in the right si!e of the house? an! they ent u$ ith in!ing stairs into the mi!!le chamber, an! out of the mi!!le into the thir!.@ 8ut of this slen!er material has been constructe! an allegory, hich, if $ro$erly consi!ere! in its symbolical relations, ill be foun! to be of sur$assing beauty. But it is only as a symbol that e can regar! this hole tra!ition? for the historical facts an! the architectural !etails alike forbi! us for a moment to su$$ose that the legen!, as it is rehearse! in the secon! !egree of Masonry, is anything more than a magnificent $hiloso$hical myth. &et us inBuire into the true !esign of this legen!, an! learn the lesson of symbolism hich it is inten!e! to teach. 6n the in"estigation of the true meaning of e"ery masonic symbol an! allegory, e must be go"erne! by the single $rinci$le that the hole !esign of Freemasonry as a s$eculati"e science is the in"estigation of !i"ine truth. To this great object e"erything is subsi!iary. The Mason is, from the moment of his initiation as an /ntere! A$$rentice, to the time at hich he recei"es the full fruition of masonic light, an in"estigator%%a laborer in the Buarry an! the tem$le%% hose re ar! is to be Truth. All the ceremonies an! tra!itions of the or!er ten! to this ultimate !esign. 6s there light to be aske! forF 6t is the intellectual light of is!om an! truth. 6s there a or! to be soughtF That or! is the symbol of truth. 6s there a loss of something that ha! been $romise!F That loss is ty$ical of the failure of man, in the infirmity of his nature, to !isco"er !i"ine truth. 6s there a substitute to be a$$ointe! for that lossF 6t is an allegory hich teaches us that in this orl! man can only a$$ro>imate to the full conce$tion of truth. 9ence there is in S$eculati"e Masonry al ays a $rogress, symboliGe! by its $eculiar ceremonies of initiation. There is an a!"ancement from a lo er to a higher state%%from !arkness to light%%from !eath to life%%from error to truth. The can!i!ate is al ays ascen!ing? he is ne"er stationary? he ne"er goes back, but each ste$ he takes brings him to some ne mental illumination%%to the kno le!ge of some more ele"ate! !octrine. The teaching of the )i"ine Master is, in res$ect to this continual $rogress, the teaching of Masonry%%@<o man ha"ing $ut his han! to the $lough, an! looking back, is fit for the king!om of hea"en.@ An! similar to this is the $rece$t of Pythagoras' @Ehen tra"elling, turn not back, for if you !o the Furies ill accom$any you.@ <o , this $rinci$le of masonic symbolism is a$$arent in many $laces in each of the !egrees. 6n that of the /ntere! A$$rentice e fin! it !e"elo$e! in the theological la!!er, hich, resting on earth, leans its

to$ u$on hea"en, thus inculcating the i!ea of an ascent from a lo er to a higher s$here, as the object of masonic labor. 6n the Master's !egree e fin! it e>hibite! in its most religious form, in the restoration from !eath to life%%in the change from the obscurity of the gra"e to the holy of holies of the )i"ine Presence. 6n all the !egrees e fin! it $resente! in the ceremony of circumambulation, in hich there is a gra!ual inBuisition, an! a $assage from an inferior to a su$erior officer. An! lastly, the same symbolic i!ea is con"eye! in the Fello 5raft's !egree in the legen! of the Ein!ing Stairs. 6n an in"estigation of the symbolism of the Ein!ing Stairs e shall be !irecte! to the true e>$lanation by a reference to their origin, their number, the objects hich they recall, an! their termination, but abo"e all by a consi!eration of the great !esign hich an ascent u$on them as inten!e! to accom$lish. The ste$s of this Ein!ing Staircase commence!, e are informe!, at the $orch of the tem$le? that is to say, at its "ery entrance. But nothing is more un!oubte! in the science of masonic symbolism than that the tem$le as the re$resentati"e of the orl! $urifie! by the Shekinah, or the )i"ine Presence. The orl! of the $rofane is ithout the tem$le? the orl! of the initiate! is ithin its sacre! alls. 9ence to enter the tem$le, to $ass ithin the $orch, to be ma!e a Mason, an! to be born into the orl! of masonic light, are all synonymous an! con"ertible terms. 9ere, then, the symbolism of the Ein!ing Stairs begins. The A$$rentice, ha"ing entere! ithin the $orch of the tem$le, has begun his masonic life. But the first !egree in Masonry, like the lesser Mysteries of the ancient systems of initiation, is only a $re$aration an! $urification for something higher. The /ntere! A$$rentice is the chil! in Masonry. The lessons hich he recei"es are sim$ly inten!e! to cleanse the heart an! $re$are the reci$ient for that mental illumination hich is to be gi"en in the succee!ing !egrees. As a Fello 5raft, he has a!"ance! another ste$, an! as the !egree is emblematic of youth, so it is here that the intellectual e!ucation of the can!i!ate begins. An! therefore, here, at the "ery s$ot hich se$arates the Porch from the Sanctuary, here chil!hoo! en!s an! manhoo! begins, he fin!s stretching out before him a in!ing stair hich in"ites him, as it ere, to ascen!, an! hich, as the symbol of !isci$line an! instruction, teaches him that here must commence his masonic labor%%here he must enter u$on those glorious though !ifficult researches, the en! of hich is to be the $ossession of !i"ine truth. The Ein!ing Stairs begin after the can!i!ate has $asse! ithin the Porch an! bet een the $illars of Strength an! /stablishment, as a significant symbol to teach him that as soon as he has $asse! beyon! the years of irrational chil!hoo!, an! commence! his entrance u$on manly life, the laborious task of self%im$ro"ement is the

first !uty that is $lace! before him. 9e cannot stan! still, if he oul! be orthy of his "ocation? his !estiny as an immortal being reBuires him to ascen!, ste$ by ste$, until he has reache! the summit, here the treasures of kno le!ge a ait him. The number of these ste$s in all the systems has been o!!. Hitru"ius remarks%%an! the coinci!ence is at least curious%%that the ancient tem$les ere al ays ascen!e! by an o!! number of ste$s? an! he assigns as the reason, that, commencing ith the right foot at the bottom, the orshi$$er oul! fin! the same foot foremost hen he entere! the tem$le, hich as consi!ere! as a fortunate omen. But the fact is, that the symbolism of numbers as borro e! by the Masons from Pythagoras, in hose system of $hiloso$hy it $lays an im$ortant $art, an! in hich o!! numbers ere consi!ere! as more $erfect than e"en ones. 9ence, throughout the masonic system e fin! a $re!ominance of o!! numbers? an! hile three, fi"e, se"en, nine, fifteen, an! t enty%se"en, are all%im$ortant symbols, e sel!om fin! a reference to t o, four, si>, eight, or ten. The o!! number of the stairs as therefore inten!e! to symboliGe the i!ea of $erfection, to hich it as the object of the as$irant to attain. As to the $articular number of the stairs, this has "arie! at !ifferent $erio!s. Tracing%boar!s of the last century ha"e been foun!, in hich only Afi"eA ste$s are !elineate!, an! others in hich they amount to Ase"enA. The Prestonian lectures, use! in /nglan! in the beginning of this century, ga"e the hole number as thirty%eight, !i"i!ing them into series of one, three, fi"e, se"en, nine, an! ele"en. The error of making an e"en number, hich as a "iolation of the Pythagorean $rinci$le of o!! numbers as the symbol of $erfection, as correcte! in the 9emming lectures, a!o$te! at the union of the t o Gran! &o!ges of /nglan!, by striking out the ele"en, hich as also objectionable as recei"ing a sectarian e>$lanation. 6n this country the number as still further re!uce! to AfifteenA, !i"i!e! into three series of Athree, fi"eA, an! Ase"enA. 6 shall a!o$t this American !i"ision in e>$laining the symbolism, although, after all, the $articular number of the ste$s, or the $eculiar metho! of their !i"ision into series, ill not in any ay affect the general symbolism of the hole legen!. The can!i!ate, then, in the secon! !egree of Masonry, re$resents a man starting forth on the journey of life, ith the great task before him of self%im$ro"ement. For the faithful $erformance of this task, a re ar! is $romise!, hich re ar! consists in the !e"elo$ment of all his intellectual faculties, the moral an! s$iritual ele"ation of his character, an! the acBuisition of truth an! kno le!ge. <o , the attainment of this moral an! intellectual con!ition su$$oses an ele"ation of character, an ascent from a lo er to a higher life, an! a $assage of toil an! !ifficulty, through ru!imentary instruction, to the full fruition of is!om. This is therefore beautifully symboliGe! by the Ein!ing Stairs? at hose foot the as$irant

stan!s rea!y to climb the toilsome stee$, hile at its to$ is $lace! @that hierogly$hic bright hich none but 5raftsmen e"er sa ,@ as the emblem of !i"ine truth. An! hence a !istinguishe! riter has sai! that @these ste$s, like all the masonic symbols, are illustrati"e of !isci$line an! !octrine, as ell as of natural, mathematical, an! meta$hysical science, an! o$en to us an e>tensi"e range of moral an! s$eculati"e inBuiry.@ The can!i!ate, incite! by the lo"e of "irtue an! the !esire of kno le!ge, an! ithal eager for the re ar! of truth hich is set before him, begins at once the toilsome ascent. At each !i"ision he $auses to gather instruction from the symbolism hich these !i"isions $resent to his attention. At the first $ause hich he makes he is instructe! in the $eculiar organiGation of the or!er of hich he has become a !isci$le. But the information here gi"en, if taken in its nake!, literal sense, is barren, an! un orthy of his labor. The rank of the officers ho go"ern, an! the names of the !egrees hich constitute the institution, can gi"e him no kno le!ge hich he has not before $ossesse!. Ee must look therefore to the symbolic meaning of these allusions for any "alue hich may be attache! to this $art of the ceremony. The reference to the organiGation of the masonic institution is inten!e! to remin! the as$irant of the union of men in society, an! the !e"elo$ment of the social state out of the state of nature. 9e is thus remin!e!, in the "ery outset of his journey, of the blessings hich arise from ci"iliGation, an! of the fruits of "irtue an! kno le!ge hich are !eri"e! from that con!ition. Masonry itself is the result of ci"iliGation? hile, in grateful return, it has been one of the most im$ortant means of e>ten!ing that con!ition of mankin!. All the monuments of antiBuity that the ra"ages of time ha"e left, combine to $ro"e that man ha! no sooner emerge! from the sa"age into the social state, than he commence! the organiGation of religious mysteries, an! the se$aration, by a sort of !i"ine instinct, of the sacre! from the $rofane. Then came the in"ention of architecture as a means of $ro"i!ing con"enient ! ellings an! necessary shelter from the inclemencies an! "icissitu!es of the seasons, ith all the mechanical arts connecte! ith it? an! lastly, geometry, as a necessary science to enable the culti"ators of lan! to measure an! !esignate the limits of their $ossessions. All these are claime! as $eculiar characteristics of S$eculati"e Masonry, hich may be consi!ere! as the ty$e of ci"iliGation, the former bearing the same relation to the $rofane orl! as the latter !oes to the sa"age state. 9ence e at once see the fitness of the symbolism hich commences the as$irant's u$ ar! $rogress in the culti"ation of kno le!ge an! the search after truth, by recalling to his min! the con!ition of ci"iliGation an! the social union of mankin! as necessary $re$arations for the attainment

of these objects. 6n the allusions to the officers of a lo!ge, an! the !egrees of Masonry as e>$lanatory of the organiGation of our o n society, e clothe in our symbolic language the history of the organiGation of society. A!"ancing in his $rogress, the can!i!ate is in"ite! to contem$late another series of instructions. The human senses, as the a$$ro$riate channels through hich e recei"e all our i!eas of $erce$tion, an! hich, therefore, constitute the most im$ortant sources of our kno le!ge, are here referre! to as a symbol of intellectual culti"ation. Architecture, as the most im$ortant of the arts hich con!uce to the comfort of mankin!, is also allu!e! to here, not sim$ly because it is so closely connecte! ith the o$erati"e institution of Masonry, but also as the ty$e of all the other useful arts. 6n his secon! $ause, in the ascent of the Ein!ing Stairs, the as$irant is therefore remin!e! of the necessity of culti"ating $ractical kno le!ge. So far, then, the instructions he has recei"e! relate to his o n con!ition in society as a member of the great social com$act, an! to his means of becoming, by a kno le!ge of the arts of $ractical life, a necessary an! useful member of that society. But his motto ill be, @/>celsior.@ Still must he go on ar! an! for ar!. The stair is still before him? its summit is not yet reache!, an! still further treasures of is!om are to be sought for, or the re ar! ill not be gaine!, nor the Ami!!le chamberA, the abi!ing $lace of truth, be reache!. 6n his thir! $ause, he therefore arri"es at that $oint in hich the hole circle of human science is to be e>$laine!. Symbols, e kno , are in themsel"es arbitrary an! of con"entional signification, an! the com$lete circle of human science might ha"e been as ell symboliGe! by any other sign or series of !octrines as by the se"en liberal arts an! sciences. But Masonry is an institution of the ol!en time? an! this selection of the liberal arts an! sciences as a symbol of the com$letion of human learning is one of the most $regnant e"i!ences that e ha"e of its antiBuity. 6n the se"enth century, an! for a long time after ar!s, the circle of instruction to hich all the learning of the most eminent schools an! most !istinguishe! $hiloso$hers as confine!, as limite! to hat ere then calle! the liberal arts an! sciences, an! consiste! of t o branches, the Atri"iumA an! the ABua!ri"iumA..1J-4 The Atri"iumA inclu!e! grammar, rhetoric, an! logic? the ABua!ri"iumA com$rehen!e! arithmetic, geometry, music, an! astronomy. @These se"en hea!s,@ says /nfiel!, @ ere su$$ose! to inclu!e uni"ersal kno le!ge. 9e ho as master of these as thought to ha"e no nee! of a

$rece$tor to e>$lain any books or to sol"e any Buestions hich lay ithin the com$ass of human reason, the kno le!ge of the Atri"iumA ha"ing furnishe! him ith the key to all language, an! that of the ABua!ri"iumA ha"ing o$ene! to him the secret la s of nature.@ .1JJ4 At a $erio!, says the same riter, hen fe ere instructe! in the Atri"iumA, an! "ery fe stu!ie! the ABua!ri"iumA, to be master of both as sufficient to com$lete the character of a $hiloso$her. The $ro$riety, therefore, of a!o$ting the se"en liberal arts an! sciences as a symbol of the com$letion of human learning is a$$arent. The can!i!ate, ha"ing reache! this $oint, is no su$$ose! to ha"e accom$lishe! the task u$on hich he ha! entere!%%he has reache! the last ste$, an! is no rea!y to recei"e the full fruition of human learning. So far, then, e are able to com$rehen! the true symbolism of the Ein!ing Stairs. They re$resent the $rogress of an inBuiring min! ith the toils an! labors of intellectual culti"ation an! stu!y, an! the $re$aratory acBuisition of all human science, as a $reliminary ste$ to the attainment of !i"ine truth, hich it must be remembere! is al ays symboliGe! in Masonry by the E8(). 9ere let me again allu!e to the symbolism of numbers, hich is for the first time $resente! to the consi!eration of the masonic stu!ent in the legen! of the Ein!ing Stairs. The theory of numbers as the symbols of certain Bualities as originally borro e! by the Masons from the school of Pythagoras. 6t ill be im$ossible, ho e"er, to !e"elo$ this !octrine, in its entire e>tent, on the $resent occasion, for the numeral symbolism of Masonry oul! itself constitute materials for an am$le essay. 6t ill be sufficient to a!"ert to the fact that the total number of the ste$s, amounting in all to AfifteenA, in the American system, is a significant symbol. For AfifteenA as a sacre! number among the 8rientals, because the letters of the holy name :A9, ere, in their numerical "alue, eBui"alent to fifteen? an! hence a figure in hich the nine !igits ere so !is$ose! as to make fifteen either ay hen a!!e! together $er$en!icularly, horiGontally, or !iagonally, constitute! one of their most sacre! talismans..1JD4 The fifteen ste$s in the Ein!ing Stairs are therefore symbolic of the name of Go!. But e are not yet !one. 6t ill be remembere! that a re ar! as $romise! for all this toilsome ascent of the Ein!ing Stairs. <o , hat are the ages of a S$eculati"e MasonF <ot money, nor corn, nor ine, nor oil. All these are but symbols. 9is ages are T(;T9, or that a$$ro>imation to it hich ill be most a$$ro$riate to the !egree into hich he has been initiate!. 6t is one of the most beautiful, but at the same time most abstruse, !octrines of the science of masonic symbolism, that the Mason is e"er to be in search of truth, but is ne"er to fin! it. This !i"ine truth, the object of all his labors, is symboliGe! by the E8(), for hich e all

kno he can only obtain a AsubstituteA? an! this is inten!e! to teach the humiliating but necessary lesson that the kno le!ge of the nature of Go! an! of man's relation to him, hich kno le!ge constitutes !i"ine truth, can ne"er be acBuire! in this life. 6t is only hen the $ortals of the gra"e o$en to us, an! gi"e us an entrance into a more $erfect life, that this kno le!ge is to be attaine!. @9a$$y is the man,@ says the father of lyric $oetry, @ ho !escen!s beneath the hollo earth, ha"ing behel! these mysteries? he kno s the en!, he kno s the origin of life.@ The Mi!!le 5hamber is therefore symbolic of this life, here the symbol only of the or! can be gi"en, here the truth is to be reache! by a$$ro>imation only, an! yet here e are to learn that that truth ill consist in a $erfect kno le!ge of the G.A.8.T.;. This is the re ar! of the inBuiring Mason? in this consist the ages of a Fello 5raft? he is !irecte! to the truth, but must tra"el farther an! ascen! still higher to attain it. 6t is, then, as a symbol, an! a symbol only, that e must stu!y this beautiful legen! of the Ein!ing Stairs. 6f e attem$t to a!o$t it as an historical fact, the absur!ity of its !etails stares us in the face, an! ise men ill on!er at our cre!ulity. 6ts in"entors ha! no !esire thus to im$ose u$on our folly? but offering it to us as a great $hiloso$hical myth, they !i! not for a moment su$$ose that e oul! $ass o"er its sublime moral teachings to acce$t the allegory as an historical narrati"e, ithout meaning, an! holly irreconcilable ith the recor!s of Scri$ture, an! o$$ose! by all the $rinci$les of $robability. To su$$ose that eighty thousan! craftsmen ere eekly $ai! in the narro $recincts of the tem$le chambers, is sim$ly to su$$ose an absur!ity. But to belie"e that all this $ictorial re$resentation of an ascent by a Ein!ing Staircase to the $lace here the ages of labor ere to be recei"e!, as an allegory to teach us the ascent of the min! from ignorance, through all the toils of stu!y an! the !ifficulties of obtaining kno le!ge, recei"ing here a little an! there a little, a!!ing something to the stock of our i!eas at each ste$, until, in the mi!!le chamber of life,%%in the full fruition of manhoo!,%%the re ar! is attaine!, an! the $urifie! an! ele"ate! intellect is in"este! ith the re ar! in the !irection ho to seek Go! an! Go!'s truth,%%to belie"e this is to belie"e an! to kno the true !esign of S$eculati"e Masonry, the only !esign hich makes it orthy of a goo! or a ise man's stu!y. 6ts historical !etails are barren, but its symbols an! allegories are fertile ith instruction.

IIH66.

The &egen! of the Thir! )egree.

The most im$ortant an! significant of the legen!ary symbols of Freemasonry is, un!oubte!ly, that hich relates to the fate of 9iram Abif, commonly calle!, @by ay of e>cellence,@ the &egen! of the Thir! )egree. The first ritten recor! that 6 ha"e been able to fin! of this legen! is containe! in the secon! e!ition of An!erson's 5onstitutions, $ublishe! in 1*3C, an! is in these or!s'%% @6t Kthe tem$leL as finishe! in the short s$ace of se"en years an! si> months, to the amaGement of all the orl!? hen the ca$e%stone as celebrate! by the fraternity ith great joy. But their joy as soon interru$te! by the su!!en !eath of their !ear master, 9iram Abif, hom they !ecently interre!, in the lo!ge near the tem$le, accor!ing to ancient !usage.@ .1J*4 6n the ne>t e!ition of the same ork, $ublishe! in 1*JD, a fe a!!itional circumstances are relate!, such as the $artici$ation of =ing Solomon in the general grief, an! the fact that the king of 6srael @or!ere! his obseBuies to be con!ucte! ith great solemnity an! !ecency.@ .1JC4 Eith these e>ce$tions, an! the citations of the same $assages, ma!e by subseBuent authors, the narrati"e has al ays remaine! un ritten, an! !escen!e!, from age to age, through the means of oral tra!ition. The legen! has been consi!ere! of so much im$ortance that it has been $reser"e! in the symbolism of e"ery masonic rite. <o matter hat mo!ifications or alterations the general system may ha"e un!ergone,%%no matter ho much the ingenuity or the imagination of the foun!ers of rites may ha"e $er"erte! or corru$te! other symbols, abolishing the ol! an! substituting ne ones,%%the legen! of the Tem$le Buil!er has e"er been left untouche!, to $resent itself in all the integrity of its ancient mythical form. Ehat, then, is the signification of this symbol, so im$ortant an! so e>tensi"ely !iffuse!F Ehat inter$retation can e gi"e to it that ill account for its uni"ersal a!o$tionF 9o is it that it has thus become so intimately inter o"en ith Freemasonry as to make, to all a$$earances, a $art of its "ery essence, an! to ha"e been al ays !eeme! inse$arable from itF To ans er these Buestions, satisfactorily, it is necessary to trace, in a brief in"estigation, the remote origin of the institution of Freemasonry, an! its connection ith the ancient systems of initiation.

6t as, then, the great object of all the rites an! mysteries hich constitute! the @S$urious Freemasonry@ of antiBuity to teach the consoling !octrine of the immortality of the soul..1J24 This !ogma, shining as an almost solitary beacon%light in the surroun!ing gloom of $agan !arkness, ha! un!oubte!ly been recei"e! from that ancient $eo$le or $riesthoo!.1D,4 hat has been calle! the system of @Pure Freemasonry,@ an! among hom it $robably e>iste! only in the form of an abstract $ro$osition or a sim$le an! unembellishe! tra!ition. But in the more sensual min!s of the $agan $hiloso$hers an! mystics, the i!ea, hen $resente! to the initiates in their Mysteries, as al ays con"eye! in the form of a scenic re$resentation..1D14 The influence, too, of the early Sabian orshi$ of the sun an! hea"enly bo!ies, in hich the solar orb as a!ore!, on its resurrection, each morning, from the a$$arent !eath of its e"ening setting, cause! this rising sun to be a!o$te! in the more ancient Mysteries as a symbol of the regeneration of the soul. Thus in the /gy$tian Mysteries e fin! a re$resentation of the !eath an! subseBuent regeneration of 8siris? in the Phoenician, of A!onis? in the Syrian, of )ionysus? in all of hich the scenic a$$aratus of initiation as inten!e! to in!octrinate the can!i!ate into the !ogma of a future life. 6t ill be sufficient here to refer sim$ly to the fact, that through the instrumentality of the Tyrian orkmen at the tem$le of =ing Solomon, the s$urious an! $ure branches of the masonic system ere unite! at :erusalem, an! that the same metho! of scenic re$resentation as a!o$te! by the latter from the former, an! the narrati"e of the tem$le buil!er substitute! for that of )ionysus, hich as the myth $eculiar to the mysteries $ractise! by the Tyrian orkmen. The i!ea, therefore, $ro$ose! to be communicate! in the myth of the ancient Mysteries as the same as that hich is no con"eye! in the masonic legen! of the Thir! )egree. 9ence, then, 9iram Abif is, in the masonic system, the symbol of human nature, as !e"elo$e! in the life here an! the life to come? an! so, hile the tem$le as, as 6 ha"e heretofore sho n, the "isible symbol of the orl!, its buil!er became the mythical symbol of man, the ! eller an! orker in that orl!. <o , is not this symbolism e"i!ent to e"ery reflecti"e min!F Man, setting forth on the "oyage of life, ith faculties an! $o ers fitting him for the !ue e>ercise of the high !uties to hose $erformance he has been calle!, hol!s, if he be @a curious an! cunning orkman,@ .1D+4 skille! in all moral an! intellectual $ur$oses Kan! it is only of such men

that the tem$le buil!er can be the symbolL, ithin the gras$ of his attainment the kno le!ge of all that !i"ine truth im$arte! to him as the heirloom of his race%%that race to hom it has been grante! to look, ith e>alte! countenance, on high?.1D34 hich !i"ine truth is symboliGe! by the E8(). Thus $ro"i!e! ith the or! of life, he occu$ies his time in the construction of a s$iritual tem$le, an! tra"els on ar! in the faithful !ischarge of all his !uties, laying !o n his !esigns u$on the trestle%boar! of the future an! in"oking the assistance an! !irection of Go!. But is his $ath al ays o"er flo ery mea!s an! through $leasant gro"esF 6s there no hi!!en foe to obstruct his $rogressF 6s all before him clear an! calm, ith joyous sunshine an! refreshing Ge$hyrsF AlasT not so. @Man is born to trouble, as the s$arks fly u$ ar!.@ At e"ery @gate of life@%%as the 8rientalists ha"e beautifully calle! the !ifferent ages%%he is beset by $eril. Tem$tations allure his youth, misfortunes !arken the $ath ay of his manhoo!, an! his ol! age is encumbere! ith infirmity an! !isease. But clothe! in the armor of "irtue he may resist the tem$tation? he may cast misfortunes asi!e, an! rise trium$hantly abo"e them? but to the last, the !irest, the most ine>orable foe of his race, he must e"entually yiel!? an! stricken !o n by !eath, he sinks $rostrate into the gra"e, Aan! is burie! in the rubbishA of his sin an! human frailty. 9ere, then, in Masonry, is hat as calle! the Aa$hanismA.1D-4 in the ancient Mysteries. The bitter but necessary lesson of !eath has been im$arte!. The li"ing soul, ith the lifeless bo!y hich encase! it, has !isa$$eare!, an! Acan no here be foun!A. All is !arkness%%confusion%%!es$air. )i"ine truth%%the E8()%%for a time is lost, an! the Master Mason may no say, in the language of 9utchinson, @6 $re$are my se$ulchre. 6 make my gra"e in the $ollution of the earth. 6 am un!er the sha!o of !eath.@ But if the mythic symbolism en!e! here, ith this lesson of !eath, then ere the lesson incom$lete. That teaching oul! be "ain an! i!le%%nay, more, it oul! be corru$t an! $ernicious%% hich shoul! sto$ short of the conscious an! innate instinct for another e>istence. An! hence the succee!ing $ortions of the legen! are inten!e! to con"ey the sublime symbolism of a resurrection from the gra"e an! a ne birth into a future life. The !isco"ery of the bo!y, hich, in the initiations of the ancient Mysteries, as calle! the AeuresisA,.1DJ4 an! its remo"al, from the $ollute! gra"e into hich it ha! been cast, to an honore! an! sacre! $lace ithin the $recincts of the tem$le, are all $rofoun!ly an! beautifully symbolic of that great truth, the !isco"ery of hich as the object of all the ancient initiations, as it is almost the hole !esign of Freemasonry, namely, that hen man shall ha"e $asse! the gates of life an! ha"e yiel!e!

to the ine>orable fiat of !eath, he shall then Knot in the $icture! ritual of an earthly lo!ge, but in the realities of that eternal one, of hich the former is but an antity$eL be raise!, at the omnific or! of the Gran! Master of the ;ni"erse, from time to eternity? from the tomb of corru$tion to the chambers of ho$e? from the !arkness of !eath to the celestial beams of life? an! that his !isembo!ie! s$irit shall be con"eye! as near to the holy of holies of the !i"ine $resence as humanity can e"er a$$roach to )eity. Such 6 concei"e to be the true inter$retation of the symbolism of the legen! of the Thir! )egree. 6 ha"e sai! that this mythical history of the tem$le buil!er as uni"ersal in all nations an! all rites, an! that in no $lace an! at no time ha! it, by alteration, !iminution, or a!!ition, acBuire! any essentially ne or !ifferent form' the myth has al ays remaine! the same. But it is not so ith its inter$retation. That hich 6 ha"e just gi"en, an! hich 6 concei"e to be the correct one, has been "ery generally a!o$te! by the Masons of this country. But else here, an! by "arious riters, other inter$retations ha"e been ma!e, "ery !ifferent in their character, although al ays agreeing in retaining the general i!ea of a resurrection or regeneration, or a restoration of something from an inferior to a higher s$here or function. Thus some of the earlier continental riters ha"e su$$ose! the myth to ha"e been a symbol of the !estruction of the 8r!er of the Tem$lars, looking u$on its restoration to its original ealth an! !ignities as being $ro$hetically symboliGe!. 6n some of the high $hiloso$hical !egrees it is taught that the hole legen! refers to the sufferings an! !eath, ith the subseBuent resurrection, of 5hrist..1DD4 9utchinson, ho has the honor of being the earliest $hiloso$hical riter on Freemasonry in /nglan!, su$$oses it to ha"e been inten!e! to embo!y the i!ea of the !eca!ence of the :e ish religion, an! the substitution of the 5hristian in its $lace an! on its ruins..1D*4 )r. 8li"er%%@clarum et "enerabile nomen@%%thinks that it is ty$ical of the mur!er of Abel by 5ain, an! that it symbolically refers to the uni"ersal !eath of our race through A!am, an! its restoration to life in the (e!eemer,.1DC4 accor!ing to the e>$ression of the a$ostle, @As in A!am e all !ie!, so in 5hrist e all li"e.@ (agon makes 9iram a symbol of the sun shorn of its "i"ifying rays an! fructifying $o er by the three inter months, an! its restoration to

generati"e heat by the season of s$ring..1D24 An!, finally, )es /tangs, a!o$ting, in $art, the inter$retation of (agon, a!!s to it another, hich he calls the moral symbolism of the legen!, an! su$$oses that 9iram is no other than eternal reason, hose enemies are the "ices that !e$ra"e an! !estroy humanity..1*,4 To each of these inter$retations it seems to me that there are im$ortant objections, though $erha$s to some less so than to others. As to those ho seek for an astronomical inter$retation of the legen!, in hich the annual changes of the sun are symboliGe!, hile the ingenuity ith hich they $ress their argument cannot but be a!mire!, it is e"i!ent that, by such an inter$retation, they yiel! all that Masonry has gaine! of religious !e"elo$ment in $ast ages, an! fall back u$on that corru$tion an! $er"ersion of Sabaism from hich it as the object, e"en of the S$urious Freemasonry of antiBuity, to rescue its !isci$les. The Tem$lar inter$retation of the myth must at once be !iscar!e! if e oul! a"oi! the !ifficulties of anachronism, unless e !eny that the legen! e>iste! before the abolition of the 8r!er of =nights Tem$lar, an! such !enial oul! be fatal to the antiBuity of Freemasonry..1*14 An! as to the a!o$tion of the 5hristian reference, 9utchinson, an! after him 8li"er, $rofoun!ly $hiloso$hical as are the masonic s$eculations of both, ha"e, 6 am constraine! to belie"e, fallen into a great error in calling the Master Mason's !egree a 5hristian institution. 6t is true that it embraces ithin its scheme the great truths of 5hristianity u$on the subject of the immortality of the soul an! the resurrection of the bo!y? but this as to be $resume!, because Freemasonry is truth, an! 5hristianity is truth, an! all truth must be i!entical. But the origin of each is !ifferent? their histories are !issimilar. The institution of Freemasonry $rece!e! the a!"ent of 5hristianity. 6ts symbols an! its legen!s are !eri"e! from the Solomonic tem$le, an! from the $eo$le e"en anterior to that. 6ts religion comes from the ancient $riesthoo!. 6ts faith as that $rimiti"e one of <oah an! his imme!iate !escen!ants. 6f Masonry ere sim$ly a 5hristian institution, the :e an! the Moslem, the Brahmin an! the Bu!!hist, coul! not conscientiously $artake of its illumination? but its uni"ersality is its boast. 6n its language citiGens of e"ery nation may con"erse? at its altar men of all religions may kneel? to its cree! !isci$les of e"ery faith may subscribe. #et it cannot be !enie!, that since the a!"ent of 5hristianity a 5hristian element has been almost im$erce$tibly infuse! into the masonic system, at least among 5hristian Masons. This has been a necessity? for it is the ten!ency of e"ery $re!ominant religion to $er"a!e ith its influences all that surroun!s it, or is about it, hether religious, $olitical, or

social. This arises from a nee! of the human heart. To the man !ee$ly imbue! ith the s$irit of his religion there is an almost unconscious !esire to accommo!ate an! a!a$t all the business an! the amusements of life, the labors an! the em$loyments of his e"ery%!ay e>istence, to the in! elling faith of his soul. The 5hristian Mason, therefore, hile ackno le!ging an! justly a$$reciating the great !octrines taught in Masonry, an! hile grateful that these !octrines ere $reser"e! in the bosom of his ancient or!er at a time hen they ere unkno n to the multitu!es of the surroun!ing nations, is still an>ious to gi"e to them a 5hristian character, to in"est them, in some measure, ith the $eculiarities of his o n cree!, an! to bring the inter$retation of their symbolism more nearly home to his o n religious sentiments. The feeling is an instincti"e one, belonging to the noblest as$irations of our human nature? an! hence e fin! 5hristian masonic riters in!ulging in it almost to an un arrantable e>cess, an! by the e>tent of their sectarian inter$retations materially affecting the cosmo$olitan character of the institution. This ten!ency to 5hristianiGation has, in some instances, been so uni"ersal, an! has $re"aile! for so long a $erio!, that certain symbols an! myths ha"e been, in this ay, so !ee$ly an! thoroughly imbue! ith the 5hristian element as to lea"e those ho ha"e not $enetrate! into the cause of this $eculiarity, in !oubt hether they shoul! attribute to the symbol an ancient or a mo!ern an! 5hristian origin. As an illustration of the i!ea here a!"ance!, an! as a remarkable e>am$le of the result of a gra!ually 5hristianiGe! inter$retation of a masonic symbol, 6 ill refer to the subor!inate myth Ksubor!inate, 6 mean, to the great legen! of the Buil!erL, hich relates the circumstances connecte! ith the gra"e u$on @Athe bro of a small hill near Mount Moriah.A@ <o , the myth or legen! of a gra"e is a legitimate !e!uction from the symbolism of the ancient S$urious Masonry. 6t is the analogue of the APastosA, A5ouch,A or A5offinA, hich as to be foun! in the ritual of all the $agan Mysteries. 6n all these initiations, the as$irant as $lace! in a cell or u$on a couch, in !arkness, an! for a $erio! "arying, in the !ifferent rites, from the three !ays of the Grecian Mysteries to the fifty of the Persian. This cell or couch, technically calle! the @$astos,@ as a!o$te! as a symbol of the being hose !eath an! resurrection or a$otheosis, as re$resente! in the legen!. The learne! Faber says that this ceremony as !oubtless the same as the !escent into 9a!es,.1*+4 an! that, hen the as$irant entere! into the mystic cell, he as !irecte! to lay himself !o n u$on the be! hich

sha!o e! out the tomb of the Great Father, or <oah, to hom, it ill be recollecte!, that Faber refers all the ancient rites. @Ehile stretche! u$on the holy couch,@ he continues to remark, @in imitation of his figurati"e !ecease! $rototy$e, he as sai! to be ra$$e! in the !ee$ slee$ of !eath. 9is resurrection from the be! as his restoration to life or his regeneration into a ne orl!.@ <o , it is easy to see ho rea!ily such a symbolism oul! be seiGe! by the Tem$le Masons, an! a$$ro$riate! at once to Athe gra"e at the bro of the hillA. At first, the inter$retation, like that from hich it ha! been !eri"e!, oul! be cosmo$olitan? it oul! fit e>actly to the general !ogmas of the resurrection of the bo!y an! the immortality of the soul. But on the a!"ent of 5hristianity, the s$irit of the ne religion being infuse! into the ol! masonic system, the hole symbolism of the gra"e as affecte! by it. The same inter$retation of a resurrection or restoration to life, !eri"e! from the ancient @$astos,@ as, it is true, $reser"e!? but the facts that 5hrist himself ha! come to $romulgate to the multitu!es the same consoling !ogma, an! that Mount 5al"ary, @the $lace of a skull,@ as the s$ot here the (e!eemer, by his o n !eath an! resurrection, ha! testifie! the truth of the !octrine, at once suggeste! to the ol! 5hristian Masons the i!ea of 5hristianiGing the ancient symbol. &et us no e>amine briefly ho that i!ea has been at length !e"elo$e!. 6n the first $lace, it is necessary to i!entify the s$ot here the @ne ly%ma!e gra"e@ as !isco"ere! ith Mount 5al"ary, the $lace of the se$ulchre of 5hrist. This can easily be !one by a "ery fe but striking analogies, hich ill, 6 concei"e, carry con"iction to any thinking min!. 1. Mount 5al"ary as a Asmall hillA..1*34 +. 6t as situate! in a A est ar! !irectionA from the tem$le, an! Anear Mount MoriahA. 3. 6t as on the !irect roa! from :erusalem to :o$$a, an! is thus the "ery s$ot here a A eary brotherA, tra"elling on that roa!, oul! fin! it con"enient to Asit !o n to rest an! refresh himselfA..1*-4 -. 6t as Aoutsi!eA the gate of the tem$le. J. 6t has at least Aone cleft in the rockA, or ca"e, hich as the $lace hich subseBuently became the se$ulchre of our &or!. But this coinci!ence nee! scarcely to be insiste! on, since the hole neighborhoo! aboun!s in rocky clefts, hich meet at once the con!itions of the masonic legen!. But to bring this analogical reasoning before the min! in a more

e>$ressi"e mo!e, it may be obser"e! that if a $arty of $ersons ere to start forth from the tem$le at :erusalem, an! tra"el in a est ar! !irection to ar!s the $ort of :o$$a, Mount 5al"ary oul! be the first hill met ith? an! as it may $ossibly ha"e been use! as a $lace of se$ulture, hich its name of Golgotha.1*J4 seems to im$ort, e may su$$ose it to ha"e been the "ery s$ot allu!e! to in the Thir! )egree, as the $lace here the craftsmen, on their ay to :o$$a, !isco"ere! the e"ergreen acacia. 9a"ing thus trace! the analogy, let us look a little to the symbolism. Mount 5al"ary has al ays retaine! an im$ortant $lace in the legen!ary history of Freemasonry, an! there are many tra!itions connecte! ith it that are highly interesting in their im$ort. 8ne of these tra!itions is, that it as the burial%$lace of A!am, in or!er, says the ol! legen!, that here he lay, ho effecte! the ruin of mankin!, there also might the Sa"ior of the orl! suffer, !ie, an! be burie!. Sir (. Torkington, ho $ublishe! a $ilgrimage to :erusalem in 1J1*, says that @un!er the Mount of 5al"ary is another cha$el of our Blesse! &a!y an! St. :ohn the /"angelist, that as calle! Golgotha? an! there, right un!er the mortise of the cross, as foun! the hea! of our forefather, A!am.@ .1*D4 Golgotha, it ill be remembere!, means, in 9ebre , @the $lace of a skull?@ an! there may be some connection bet een this tra!ition an! the name of Golgotha, by hich the /"angelists inform us, that in the time of 5hrist Mount 5al"ary as kno n. 5al"ary, or 5al"aria, has the same signification in &atin. Another tra!ition states, that it as in the bo els of Mount 5al"ary that /noch erecte! his nine%arche! "ault, an! !e$osite! on the foun!ation%stone of Masonry that 6neffable <ame, hose in"estigation, as a symbol of !i"ine truth, is the great object of S$eculati"e Masonry. A thir! tra!ition !etails the subseBuent !isco"ery of /noch's !e$osit by =ing Solomon, hilst making e>ca"ations in Mount 5al"ary, !uring the buil!ing of the tem$le. 8n this hallo e! s$ot as 5hrist the (e!eemer slain an! burie!. 6t as there that, rising on the thir! !ay from his se$ulchre, he ga"e, by that act, the !emonstrati"e e"i!ence of the resurrection of the bo!y an! the immortality of the soul. An! it as on this s$ot that the same great lesson as taught in Masonry%%the same sublime truth%%the !e"elo$ment of hich e"i!ently forms the !esign of the Thir! or Master Mason's !egree. There is in these analogies a sublime beauty as ell as a on!erful coinci!ence bet een the t o systems of Masonry an! 5hristianity, that

must, at an early $erio!, ha"e attracte! the attention of the 5hristian Masons. Mount 5al"ary is consecrate! to the 5hristian as the $lace here his crucifie! &or! ga"e the last great $roof of the secon! life, an! fully establishe! the !octrine of the resurrection hich he ha! come to teach. 6t as the se$ulchre of him @Eho ca$ti"e le! ca$ti"ity, Eho robbe! the gra"e of "ictory, An! took the sting from !eath.@ 6t is consecrate! to the Mason, also, as the scene of the AeuresisA, the $lace of the !isco"ery, here the same consoling !octrines of the resurrection of the bo!y an! the immortality of the soul are sha!o e! forth in $rofoun!ly symbolic forms. These great truths constitute the "ery essence of 5hristianity, in hich it !iffers from an! e>cels all religious systems that $rece!e! it? they constitute, also, the en!, aim, an! object of all Freemasonry, but more es$ecially that of the Thir! )egree, hose $eculiar legen!, symbolically consi!ere!, teaches nothing more nor less than that there is an immortal an! better $art ithin us, hich, as an emanation from that !i"ine s$irit hich $er"a!es all nature, can ne"er !ie. The i!entification of the s$ot on hich this !i"ine truth as $romulgate! in both systems%%the 5hristian an! the Masonic%%affor!s an a!mirable illustration of the rea!iness ith hich the religious s$irit of the former may be infuse! into the symbolism of the latter. An! hence 9utchinson, thoroughly imbue! ith these 5hristian "ie s of Masonry, has calle! the Master Mason's or!er a 5hristian !egree, an! thus 5hristianiGes the hole symbolism of its mythical history. @The Great Father of all, commiserating the miseries of the orl!, sent his only Son, ho as AinnocenceA itself, to teach the !octrine of sal"ation%%by hom man as raise! from the !eath of sin unto the life of righteousness%%from the tomb of corru$tion unto the chamber of ho$e%%from the !arkness of !es$air to the celestial beams of faith? an! not only orking for us this re!em$tion, but making ith us the co"enant of regeneration? hence e are become the chil!ren of the )i"inity, an! inheritors of the realms of hea"en. @Ee, AMasonsA, !escribing the !e$lorable estate of religion un!er the :e ish la , s$eak in figures' '9er tomb as in the rubbish an! filth cast forth of the tem$le, an! AacaciaA o"e its branches o"er her monuments?' AakakiaA being the Greek or! for innocence, or being free from sin? im$lying that the sins an! corru$tions of the ol! la , an! !e"otees of the

:e ish altar, ha! hi! (eligion from those ho sought her, an! she as only to be foun! here AinnocenceA sur"i"e!, an! un!er the banner of the )i"ine &amb, an!, as to oursel"es, $rofessing that e ere to be !istinguishe! by our AAcacyA, or as true AAcaciansA in our religious faiths an! tenets. @The acBuisition of the !octrine of re!em$tion is e>$resse! in the ty$ical character of A9uramenA K6 ha"e foun! it.%%AGreekAL, an! by the a$$lications of that name ith Masons, it is im$lie! that e ha"e !isco"ere! the kno le!ge of Go! an! his sal"ation, an! ha"e been re!eeme! from the !eath of sin an! the se$ulchre of $ollution an! unrighteousness. @Thus the AMaster MasonA re$resents a man, un!er the 5hristian !octrine, sa"e! from the gra"e of iniBuity an! raise! to the faith of sal"ation.@ 6t is in this ay that Masonry has, by a sort of ine"itable $rocess K hen e look to the religious sentiment of the inter$retersL, been 5hristianiGe! by some of the most illustrious an! learne! riters on masonic science%%by such able men as 9utchinson an! 8li"er in /nglan!, an! by 9arris, by Scott, by Salem To ne, an! by se"eral others in this country. 6 !o not object to the system hen the inter$retation is not straine!, but is $lausible, consistent, an! $ro!ucti"e of the same results as in the instance of Mount 5al"ary' all that 6 conten! for is, that such inter$retations are mo!ern, an! that they !o not belong to, although they may often be !e!uce! from, the ancient system. But the true ancient inter$retation of the legen!,%%the uni"ersal masonic one,%%for all countries an! all ages, un!oubte!ly as, that the fate of the tem$le buil!er is but figurati"e of the $ilgrimage of man on earth, through trials an! tem$tations, through sin an! sorro , until his e"entual fall beneath the blo of !eath an! his final an! glorious resurrection to another an! an eternal life.

IIH666. The S$rig of Acacia.

6ntimately connecte! ith the legen! of the thir! !egree is the mythical history of the S$rig of Acacia, hich e are no to consi!er. There is no symbol more interesting to the masonic stu!ent than the S$rig

of Acacia, not only on account of its o n $eculiar im$ort, but also because it intro!uces us to an e>tensi"e an! !elightful fiel! of research? that, namely, hich embraces the symbolism of sacre! $lants. 6n all the ancient systems of religion, an! Mysteries of initiation, there as al ays some one $lant consecrate!, in the min!s of the orshi$$ers an! $artici$ants, by a $eculiar symbolism, an! therefore hel! in e>traor!inary "eneration as a sacre! emblem. Thus the i"y as use! in the Mysteries of )ionysus, the myrtle in those of 5eres, the erica in the 8sirian, an! the lettuce in the A!onisian. But to this subject 6 shall ha"e occasion to refer more fully in a subseBuent $art of the $resent in"estigation. Before entering u$on an e>amination of the symbolism of the AAcaciaA, it ill be, $erha$s, as ell to i!entify the true $lant hich occu$ies so im$ortant a $lace in the ritual of Freemasonry. An! here, in $assing, 6 may be $ermitte! to say that it is a "ery great error to !esignate the symbolic $lant of Masonry by the name of @5assia@%%an error hich un!oubte!ly arose, originally, from the "ery common habit among illiterate $eo$le of sinking the soun! of the letter AaA in the $ronunciation of any or! of hich it constitutes the initial syllable. :ust, for instance, as e constantly hear, in the con"ersation of the une!ucate!, the or!s A$othecaryA an! A$renticeA for Aa$othecaryA an! Aa$$renticeA, shall e also fin! AcassiaA use! for AacaciaA..1**4 ;nfortunately, ho e"er, this corru$tion of AacaciaA into AcassiaA has not al ays been confine! to the illiterate' but the long em$loyment of the corru$te! form has at length intro!uce! it, in some instances, among a fe of our riters. /"en the "enerable 8li"er, although ell acBuainte! ith the symbolism of the acacia, an! ha"ing ritten most learne!ly u$on it, has, at times, allo e! himself to use the objectionable corru$tion, un ittingly influence!, in all $robability, by the too freBuent a!o$tion of the latter or! in the /nglish lo!ges. 6n America, but fe Masons fall into the error of s$eaking of the A5assiaA. The $ro$er teaching of the AAcaciaA is here ell un!erstoo!..1*C4 The AcassiaA of the ancients as, in fact, an ignoble $lant ha"ing no mystic meaning an! no sacre! character, an! as ne"er ele"ate! to a higher function than that of being unite!, as Hirgil informs us, ith other o!orous herbs in the formation of a garlan!'%% @..."iolets $ale, The $o$$y's flush, an! !ill hich scents the gale, 5assia, an! hyacinth, an! !affo!il, Eith yello marigol! the cha$let fill.@ .1*24 Alston says that the @5assia lignea of the ancients as the larger branches of the cinnamon tree, cut off ith their bark an! sent together to the !ruggists? their 5assia fistula, or Syrin>, as the same cinnamon

in the bark only?@ but (uaeus says that it also sometimes !enote! the la"en!er, an! sometimes the rosemary. 6n Scri$ture the cassia is only three times mentione!,.1C,4 t ice as the translation of the 9ebre or! Aki!!akA, an! once as the ren!ering of AketGiothA, but al ays as referring to an aromatic $lant hich forme! a constituent $ortion of some $erfume. There is, in!ee!, strong reason for belie"ing that the cassia is only another name for a coarser $re$aration of cinnamon, an! it is also to be remarke! that it !i! not gro in Palestine, but as im$orte! from the /ast. The AacaciaA, on the contrary, as esteeme! a sacre! tree. 6t is the Aacacia "eraA of Tournefort, an! the Amimosa niloticaA of &innaeus. 6t gre abun!antly in the "icinity of :erusalem,.1C14 here it is still to be foun!, an! is familiar to us all, in its mo!ern uses at least, as the tree from hich the gum arabic of commerce is obtaine!. The acacia, hich, in Scri$ture, is al ays calle! AshittahA.1C+4 an! in the $lural AshittimA, as esteeme! a sacre! oo! among the 9ebre s. 8f it Moses as or!ere! to make the tabernacle, the ark of the co"enant, the table for the sho brea!, an! the rest of the sacre! furniture. 6saiah, in recounting the $romises of Go!'s mercy to the 6sraelites on their return from the ca$ti"ity, tells them, that, among other things, he ill $lant in the il!erness, for their relief an! refreshment, the ce!ar, the acacia Kor, as it is ren!ere! in our common "ersion, the AshittahAL, the fir, an! other trees. The first thing, then, that e notice in this symbol of the acacia, is, that it ha! been al ays consecrate! from among the other trees of the forest by the sacre! $ur$oses to hich it as !e"ote!. By the :e the tree from hose oo! the sanctuary of the tabernacle an! the holy ark ha! been constructe! oul! e"er be "ie e! as more sacre! than or!inary trees. The early Masons, therefore, "ery naturally a$$ro$riate! this hallo e! $lant to the eBually sacre! $ur$ose of a symbol hich as to teach an im$ortant !i"ine truth in all ages to come. 9a"ing thus briefly !is$ose! of the natural history of this $lant, e may no $rocee! to e>amine it in its symbolic relations. First. The acacia, in the mythic system of Freemasonry, is $reeminently the symbol of the 6MM8(TA&6T# 8F T9/ S8;&%%that im$ortant !octrine hich it is the great !esign of the institution to teach. As the e"anescent nature of the flo er hich @cometh forth an! is cut !o n@ remin!s us of the transitory nature of human life, so the $er$etual reno"ation of the e"ergreen $lant, hich uninterru$te!ly $resents the a$$earance of youth an! "igor, is a$tly com$are! to that s$iritual life in hich the soul, free! from the corru$tible com$anionshi$ of the bo!y, shall enjoy an

eternal s$ring an! an immortal youth. 9ence, in the im$ressi"e funeral ser"ice of our or!er, it is sai!, @This e"ergreen is an emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul. By this e are remin!e! that e ha"e an immortal $art ithin us, hich shall sur"i"e the gra"e, an! hich shall ne"er, ne"er, ne"er !ie.@ An! again, in the closing sentences of the monitorial lecture of the Thir! )egree, the same sentiment is re$eate!, an! e are tol! that by @the e"er green an! e"er li"ing s$rig@ the Mason is strengthene! @ ith confi!ence an! com$osure to look for ar! to a blesse! immortality.@ Such an inter$retation of the symbol is an easy an! a natural one? it suggests itself at once to the least reflecti"e min!, an! conseBuently, in some one form or another, is to be foun! e>isting in all ages an! nations. 6t as an ancient custom, hich is not, e"en no , altogether !isuse!, for mourners to carry in their han!s at funerals a s$rig of some e"ergreen, generally the ce!ar or the cy$ress, an! to !e$osit it in the gra"e of the !ecease!. Accor!ing to )alcho,.1C34 the 9ebre s al ays $lante! a s$rig of the acacia at the hea! of the gra"e of a !e$arte! frien!. Potter tells us that the ancient Greeks @ha! a custom of be!ecking tombs ith herbs an! flo ers.@ .1C-4 All sorts of $ur$le an! hite flo ers ere acce$table to the !ea!, but $rinci$ally the amaranth an! the myrtle. The "ery name of the former of these $lants, hich signifies @ne"er fa!ing,@ oul! seem to in!icate the true symbolic meaning of the usage, although archaeologists ha"e generally su$$ose! it to be sim$ly an e>hibition of lo"e on the $art of the sur"i"ors. (agon says, that the ancients substitute! the acacia for all other $lants because they belie"e! it to be incorru$tible, an! not liable to injury from the attacks of any kin! of insect or other animal%%thus symboliGing the incorru$tible nature of the soul. 9ence e see the $ro$riety of $lacing the s$rig of acacia, as an emblem of immortality, among the symbols of that !egree, all of hose ceremonies are inten!e! to teach us the great truth, that @the life of man, regulate! by morality, faith, an! justice, ill be re ar!e! at its closing hour by the $ros$ect of eternal bliss.@ .1CJ4 So, therefore, says )r. 8li"er, hen the Master Mason e>claims, @My name is Acacia,@ it is eBui"alent to saying, @6 ha"e been in the gra"e,%%6 ha"e trium$he! o"er it by rising from the !ea!,%%an! being regenerate! in the $rocess, 6 ha"e a claim to life e"erlasting.@ The s$rig of acacia, then, in its most or!inary signification, $resents itself to the Master Mason as a symbol of the immortality of the soul, being inten!e! to remin! him, by its e"ergreen an! unchanging nature, of that better an! s$iritual $art ithin us, hich, as an emanation from the Gran! Architect of the ;ni"erse, can ne"er !ie. An! as this is the most or!inary, the most generally acce$te! signification, so also is it the most im$ortant? for thus, as the $eculiar symbol of immortality, it becomes the most a$$ro$riate to an or!er all of hose teachings are inten!e! to inculcate the great lesson that @life rises out of the gra"e.@

But inci!ental to this the acacia has t o other inter$retations, hich are ell orthy of in"estigation. Secon!ly, then, the acacia is a symbol of 6<<85/<5/. The symbolism here is of a $eculiar an! unusual character, !e$en!ing not on any real analogy in the form or use of the symbol to the i!ea symboliGe!, but sim$ly on a !ouble or com$oun! meaning of the or!. For .Greek' akakia4, in the Greek language, signifies both the $lant in Buestion an! the moral Buality of innocence or $urity of life. 6n this sense the symbol refers, $rimarily, to him o"er hose solitary gra"e the acacia as $lante!, an! hose "irtuous con!uct, hose integrity of life an! fi!elity to his trusts, ha"e e"er been $resente! as $atterns to the craft, an! conseBuently to all Master Masons, ho, by this inter$retation of the symbol, are in"ite! to emulate his e>am$le. 9utchinson, in!ulging in his fa"orite theory of 5hristianiGing Masonry, hen he comes to this signification of the symbol, thus enlarges on the inter$retation' @Ee Masons, !escribing the !e$lorable estate of religion un!er the :e ish la , s$eak in figures' '9er tomb as in the rubbish an! filth cast forth of the tem$le, an! AAcaciaA o"e its branches o"er her monument?' AakakiaA being the Greek or! for innocence, or being free from sin? im$lying that the sins an! corru$tions of the ol! la an! !e"otees of the :e ish altar ha! hi! (eligion from those ho sought her, an! she as only to be foun! here AinnocenceA sur"i"e!, an! un!er the banner of the !i"ine &amb? an! as to oursel"es, $rofessing that e ere to be !istinguishe! by our AAcacyA, or as true AAcaciansA in our religious faith an! tenets.@ .1CD4 Among the nations of antiBuity, it as common thus by $eculiar $lants to symboliGe the "irtues an! other Bualities of the min!. 6n many instances the symbolism has been lost to the mo!erns, but in others it has been retaine!, an! is ell un!erstoo!, e"en at the $resent !ay. Thus the oli"e as a!o$te! as the symbol of $eace, because, says &ee, @its oil is "ery useful, in some ay or other, in all arts manual hich $rinci$ally flourish in times of $eace.@ .1C*4 The Buince among the Greeks as the symbol of lo"e an! ha$$iness?.1CC4 an! hence, by the la s of Solon, in Athenian marriages, the bri!e an! bri!egroom ere reBuire! to eat a Buince together. The $alm as the symbol of "ictory?.1C24 an! hence, in the catacombs of (ome, the burial%$lace of so many of the early 5hristians, the $alm leaf is constantly foun! as an emblem of the 5hristian's trium$h o"er sin an! !eath. The rosemary as a symbol of remembrance, an! hence as use! both at marriages an! at funerals, the memory of the $ast being eBually

a$$ro$riate in both rites..12,4 The $arsley as consecrate! to grief? an! hence all the Greeks !ecke! their tombs ith it? an! it as use! to cro n the conBuerors in the <emean games, hich ere of a funereal character..1214 But it is nee!less to multi$ly instances of this symbolism. 6n a!o$ting the acacia as a symbol of innocence, Masonry has but e>ten!e! the $rinci$le of an ancient an! uni"ersal usage, hich thus consecrate! $articular $lants, by a mystical meaning, to the re$resentation of $articular "irtues. But lastly, the acacia is to be consi!ere! as the symbol of 6<6T6AT68<. This is by far the most interesting of its inter$retations, an! as, e ha"e e"ery reason to belie"e, the $rimary an! original, the others being but inci!ental. 6t lea!s us at once to the in"estigation of that significant fact to hich 6 ha"e alrea!y allu!e!, that in all the ancient initiations an! religious mysteries there as some $lant, $eculiar to each, hich as consecrate! by its o n esoteric meaning, an! hich occu$ie! an im$ortant $osition in the celebration of the rites? so that the $lant, hate"er it might be, from its constant an! $rominent use in the ceremonies of initiation, came at length to be a!o$te! as the symbol of that initiation. A reference to some of these Asacre! $lantsA%%for such as the character they assume!%%an! an in"estigation of their symbolism ill not, $erha$s, be uninteresting or useless, in connection ith the subject of the $resent article. 6n the Mysteries of A!onis, hich originate! in Phoenicia, an! ere after ar!s transferre! to Greece, the !eath an! resurrection of A!onis as re$resente!. A $art of the legen! accom$anying these mysteries as, that hen A!onis as slain by a il! boar, Henus lai! out the bo!y on a be! of lettuce. 6n memorial of this su$$ose! fact, on the first !ay of the celebration, hen funeral rites ere $erforme!, lettuces ere carrie! in the $rocession, Ane ly $lante!A in shells of earth. 9ence the lettuce became the sacre! $lant of the A!onia, or A!onisian Mysteries. The lotus as the sacre! $lant of the Brahminical rites of 6n!ia, an! as consi!ere! as the symbol of their elemental trinity,%%earth, ater, an! air,%%because, as an aBuatic $lant, it !eri"e! its nutriment from all of these elements combine!, its roots being $lante! in the earth, its stem rising through the ater, an! its lea"es e>$ose! to the air..12+4 The /gy$tians, ho borro e! a large $ortion of their religious rites from the /ast, a!o$te! the lotus, hich as also in!igenous to their country, as a mystical $lant, an! ma!e it the symbol of their initiation, or the birth into celestial light. 9ence, as 5ham$ollion obser"es, they often on their

monuments re$resente! the go! Phre, or the sun, as borne ithin the e>$an!e! caly> of the lotus. The lotus bears a flo er similar to that of the $o$$y, hile its large, tongue%sha$e! lea"es float u$on the surface of the ater. As the /gy$tians ha! remarke! that the $lant e>$an!s hen the sun rises, an! closes hen it sets, they a!o$te! it as a symbol of the sun? an! as that luminary as the $rinci$al object of the $o$ular orshi$, the lotus became in all their sacre! rites a consecrate! an! mystical $lant. The /gy$tians also selecte! the AericaA.1234 or heath, as a sacre! $lant. The origin of the consecration of this $lant $resents us ith a singular coinci!ence, that ill be $eculiarly interesting to the masonic stu!ent. Ee are informe! that there as a legen! in the mysteries of 8siris, hich relate!, that 6sis, hen in search of the bo!y of her mur!ere! husban!, !isco"ere! it interre! at the bro of a hill, near hich an erica, or heath $lant, gre ? an! hence, after the reco"ery of the bo!y an! the resurrection of the go!, hen she establishe! the mysteries to commemorate her loss an! her reco"ery, she a!o$te! the erica, as a sacre! $lant,.12-4 in memory of its ha"ing $ointe! out the s$ot here the Amangle! remainsA of 8siris ere conceale!..12J4 The AmistletoeA as the sacre! $lant of )rui!ism. 6ts consecrate! character as !eri"e! from a legen! of the Scan!ina"ian mythology, an! hich is thus relate! in the /!!a, or sacre! books. The go! Bal!er, the son of 8!in, ha"ing !reame! that he as in some great !anger of life, his mother, Friga, e>acte! an oath from all the creatures of the animal, the "egetable, an! the mineral king!oms, that they oul! !o no harm to her son. The mistletoe, contem$tible from its siGe an! eakness, as alone neglecte!, an! of it no oath of immunity as !eman!e!. &ok, the e"il genius, or go! of )arkness, becoming acBuainte! ith this fact, $lace! an arro ma!e of mistletoe in the han!s of 9ol!er, the blin! brother of Bal!er, on a certain !ay, hen the go!s ere thro ing missiles at him in s$ort, an! on!ering at their inability to !o him injury ith any arms ith hich they coul! attack him. But, being shot ith the mistletoe arro , it inflicte! a fatal oun!, an! Bal!er !ie!. /"er after ar!s the mistletoe as re"ere! as a sacre! $lant, consecrate! to the $o ers of !arkness? an! annually it became an im$ortant rite among the )rui!s to $rocee! into the forest in search of the mistletoe, hich, being foun!, as cut !o n by the Arch )rui!, an! its $arts, after a solemn sacrifice, ere !istribute! among the $eo$le. 5la"el.12D4 "ery ingeniously remarks, that it is e"i!ent, in reference to the legen!, that as Bal!er symboliGes the Sun%go!, an! &ok, )arkness, this search for the mistletoe as inten!e! to !e$ri"e the go! of )arkness of the $o er of !estroying the go! of &ight. An! the !istribution of the fragments of the mistletoe among their $ious orshi$$ers, as to assure them that henceforth a similar attem$t of &ok oul! $ro"e aborti"e, an! he as thus !e$ri"e! of the means

of effecting his !esign..12*4 The AmyrtleA $erforme! the same office of symbolism in the Mysteries of Greece as the lotus !i! in /gy$t, or the mistletoe among the )rui!s. The can!i!ate, in these initiations, as cro ne! ith myrtle, because, accor!ing to the $o$ular theology, the myrtle as sacre! to Proser$ine, the go!!ess of the future life. /"ery classical scholar ill remember the gol!en branch ith hich Aeneas as su$$lie! by the Sibyl, before $rocee!ing on his journey to the infernal regions.12C4%%a "oyage hich is no uni"ersally a!mitte! to be a mythical re$resentation of the ceremonies of initiation. 6n all of these ancient Mysteries, hile the sacre! $lant as a symbol of initiation, the initiation itself as symbolic of the resurrection to a future life, an! of the immortality of the soul. 6n this "ie , Freemasonry is to us no in the $lace of the ancient initiations, an! the acacia is substitute! for the lotus, the erica, the i"y, the mistletoe, an! the myrtle. The lesson of is!om is the same? the me!ium of im$arting it is all that has been change!. (eturning, then, to the acacia, e fin! that it is ca$able of three e>$lanations. 6t is a symbol of immortality, of innocence, an! of initiation. But these three significations are closely connecte!, an! that connection must be obser"e!, if e !esire to obtain a just inter$retation of the symbol. Thus, in this one symbol, e are taught that in the initiation of life, of hich the initiation in the thir!%!egree is sim$ly emblematic, innocence must for a time lie in the gra"e, at length, ho e"er, to be calle!, by the or! of the Gran! Master of the ;ni"erse, to a blissful immortality. 5ombine ith this the recollection of the $lace here the s$rig of acacia as $lante!, an! hich 6 ha"e heretofore sho n to be Mount 5al"ary, the $lace of se$ulture of 9im ho @brought life an! immortality to light,@ an! ho, in 5hristian Masonry, is !esignate!, as he is in Scri$ture, as @the lion of the tribe of :u!ah,@ an! remember, too, that in the mystery of his !eath, the oo! of the cross takes the $lace of the acacia, an! in this little an! a$$arently insignificant symbol, but hich is really an! truly the most im$ortant an! significant one in masonic science, e ha"e a beautiful suggestion of all the mysteries of life an! !eath, of time an! eternity, of the $resent an! of the future. Thus rea! Kan! thus all our symbols shoul! be rea!L, Masonry $ro"es something more to its !isci$les than a mere social society or a charitable association. 6t becomes a @lam$ to our feet,@ hose s$iritual light shines on the !arkness of the !eathbe!, an! !issi$ates the gloomy sha!o s of the gra"e.

II6I. The Symbolism of &abor.

6t is one of the most beautiful features of the Masonic 6nstitution, that it teaches not only the necessity, but the nobility, of labor. Among the earliest of the im$lements in hose emblematic use it instructs its neo$hytes is the Trestle Boar!, the ackno le!ge! symbol of the )i"ine &a , in accor!ance ith hose !ecree.1224 labor as originally institute! as the common lot of all? an! therefore the im$ortant lesson that is closely connecte! ith this symbol is, that to labor ell an! truly, to labor honestly an! $ersistently, is the object an! the chief en! of all humanity. To ork out ell the task that is set before us is our highest !uty, an! shoul! constitute our greatest ha$$iness. All men, then, must ha"e their trestle boar!s? for the $rinci$les that gui!e us in the !ischarge of our !uty%%the schemes that e !e"ise%%the $lans that e $ro$ose%%are but the trestle boar!, hose !esigns e follo , for goo! or for e"il, in our labor of life. /arth orks ith e"ery coming s$ring, an! ithin its $rolific bosom !esigns the bursting see!, the ten!er $lant, an! the finishe! tree, u$on its trestle boar!. 8l! ocean orks fore"er%%restless an! murmuring%%but still bra"ely orking? an! storms an! tem$ests, the $urifiers of stagnant nature, are inscribe! u$on its trestle boar!. An! Go! himself, the Gran! Architect, the Master Buil!er of the orl!, has labore! from eternity? an! orking by his omni$otent ill, he inscribes his $lans u$on illimitable s$ace, for the uni"erse is his trestle boar!. There as a saying of the monks of ol! hich is ell orth me!itation. They taught that @Alaborare est orareA@%%labor is orshi$. They !i! not, it is true, al ays $ractise the ise $rece$t. They !i! not al ays make labor a $art of their religion. &ike 8nu$hrius, ho li"e! threescore years an! ten in the !esert, ithout human "oice or human sym$athy to cheer him, because he ha! not learne! that man as ma!e for man, those ol! ascetics ent into the il!erness, an! built cells, an! occu$ie! themsel"es in solitary me!itation an! $rofitless thought. They $raye! much, but they !i! no ork. An! thus they $asse! their li"es, gi"ing no $ity, ai!, or consolation to their fello %men, a!!ing no mite to the treasury of human kno le!ge, an! lea"ing the orl!, hen their selfish $ilgrimage as finishe!, ithout a single contribution, in labor of min! or bo!y, to its

elfare..+,,4 An! men, seeing the uselessness of these ascetic li"es, shrink no from their e>am$le, an! fall back u$on that iser teaching, that he best !oes Go!'s ill ho best !oes Go!'s ork. The orl! no kno s that hea"en is not ser"e! by man's i!leness%%that the @A!olce far nienteA,@ though it might suit an 6talian laGGaroni, is not fit for a bra"e 5hristian man, an! that they ho oul! !o rightly, an! act ell their $art, must take this !istich for their motto'%% @Eith this han! ork, an! ith the other $ray, An! Go! ill bless them both from !ay to !ay.@ <o , this !octrine, that labor is orshi$, is the "ery !octrine that has been a!"ance! an! maintaine!, from time immemorial, as a lea!ing !ogma of the 8r!er of Freemasonry. There is no other human institution un!er the sun hich has set forth this great $rinci$le in such bol! relief. Ee hear constantly of Freemasonry as an institution that inculcates morality, that fosters the social feeling, that teaches brotherly lo"e? an! all this is ell, because it is true? but e must ne"er forget that from its foun!ation%stone to its $innacle, all o"er its "ast tem$le, is inscribe!, in symbols of li"ing light, the great truth that Alabor is orshi$A. 6t has been su$$ose! that, because e s$eak of Freemasonry as a s$eculati"e system, it has nothing to !o ith the $ractical. But this is a most grie"ous error. Freemasonry is, it is true, a s$eculati"e science, but it is a s$eculati"e science base! u$on an o$erati"e art. All its symbols an! allegories refer to this connection. 6ts "ery language is borro e! from the art, an! it is singularly suggesti"e that the initiation of a can!i!ate into its mysteries is calle!, in its $eculiar $hraseology, A orkA. 6 re$eat that this e>$ression is singularly suggesti"e. Ehen the lo!ge is engage! in rea!ing $etitions, hearing re$orts, !ebating financial matters, it is sai! to be occu$ie! in AbusinessA? but hen it is engage! in the form an! ceremony of initiation into any of the !egrees, it is sai! to be at A orkA. 6nitiation is masonic labor. This $hraseology at once suggests the connection of our s$eculati"e system ith an o$erati"e art that $rece!e! it, an! u$on hich it has been foun!e!. This o$erati"e art must ha"e gi"en it form an! features an! organiGation. 6f the s$eculati"e system ha! been foun!e! solely on $hiloso$hical or ethical $rinci$les, if it ha! been !eri"e! from some ancient or mo!ern sect of $hiloso$hers,%%from the Stoics, the /$icureans, or the Platonists of the heathen orl!, or from any of the many !i"isions of the scholastics of the mi!!le ages,%%this origin oul! most certainly ha"e affecte! its interior organiGation as ell as its e>ternal form, an! e shoul! ha"e seen our mo!ern masonic reunions assuming the style of aca!emies or schools. 6ts

technical language%%for, like e"ery institution isolate! from the or!inary an! general $ursuits of mankin!, it oul! ha"e ha! its o n technical !ialect%% oul! ha"e been borro e! from, an! oul! be easily trace! to, the $eculiar $hraseology of the $hiloso$hic sects hich ha! gi"en it birth. There oul! ha"e been the Aso$histsA an! the A$hiloso$hersA? the AgrammatistsA an! the AgrammariansA? the AscholarsA, the AmastersA, an! the A!octorsA. 6t oul! ha"e ha! its Atri"ialA an! its ABua!ri"ialA schools? its occu$ation oul! ha"e been research, e>$eriment, or in"estigation? in a or!, its hole features oul! ha"e been colore! by a grammatical, a rhetorical, or a mathematical cast, accor!ingly as it shoul! ha"e been !eri"e! from a sect in hich any one of these three characteristics as the $re!ominating influence. But in the organiGation of Freemasonry, as it no $resents itself to us, e see an entirely !ifferent a$$earance. 6ts !egrees are e>$ressi"e, not of a!"ancement in $hiloso$hic attainments, but of $rogress in a $urely mechanical $ursuit. 6ts highest gra!e is that of AMaster of the EorkA. 6ts $laces of meeting are not schools, but Alo!gesA, $laces here the orkmen formerly lo!ge!, in the neighborhoo! of the buil!ing on hose construction they ere engage!. 6t !oes not form theories, but buil!s tem$les. 6t kno s nothing of the rules of the !ialecticians,%%of the syllogism, the !ilemma, the enthymeme, or the sorites,%%but it recurs to the homely im$lements of its o$erati"e $arent for its metho!s of instruction, an! ith the $lumb%line it inculcates rectitu!e of con!uct, an! !ra s lessons of morality from the orkman's sBuare. 6t sees in the Su$reme Go! that it orshi$s, not a @Anumen !i"inumA,@ a !i"ine $o er, nor a @Amo!erator rerum omniumA,@ a controller of all things, as the ol! $hiloso$hers !esignate! him, but a AGran! Architect of the ;ni"erseA. The masonic i!ea of Go! refers to 9im as the Mighty Buil!er of this terrestrial globe, an! all the countless orl!s that surroun! it. 9e is not the Aens entiumA, or Ato theionA, or any other of the thousan! titles ith hich ancient an! mo!ern s$eculation has in"este! him, but sim$ly the Architect,%%as the Greeks ha"e it, the .Greek' aLrchoPs4, the chief orkman,%%un!er hom e are all orkmen also?.+,14 an! hence our labor is his orshi$. This i!ea, then, of masonic labor, is closely connecte! ith the history of the organiGation of the institution. Ehen e say @the lo!ge is at ork,@ e recogniGe that it is in the legitimate $ractice of that occu$ation for hich it as originally inten!e!. The Masons that are in it are not occu$ie! in thinking, or s$eculating, or reasoning, but sim$ly an! em$hatically in orking. The !uty of a Mason as such, in his lo!ge, is to ork. Thereby he accom$lishes the !estiny of his 8r!er. Thereby he best fulfils his obligation to the Gran! Architect, for ith the Mason Alaborare est orareA%%labor is orshi$. The im$ortance of masonic labor being thus !emonstrate!, the Buestion ne>t arises as to the nature of that labor. Ehat is the ork that a Mason is

calle! u$on to $erformF Tem$le buil!ing as the original occu$ation of our ancient brethren. &ea"ing out of "ie that system of ethics an! of religious $hiloso$hy, that search after truth, those !octrines of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul, hich alike !istinguish the ancient Mysteries an! the masonic institution, an! hich both must ha"e !eri"e! from a common origin,%%most $robably from some $riesthoo! of the ol!en time,%%let our attention be e>clusi"ely !irecte!, for the $resent, to that $erio!, so familiar to e"ery Mason, hen, un!er the su$$ose! Gran! Mastershi$ of =ing Solomon, Freemasonry first assume! @a local habitation an! a name@ in the holy city of :erusalem. There the labor of the 6sraelites an! the skill of the Tyrians ere occu$ie! in the construction of that noble tem$le hose s$len!or an! magnificence of !ecoration ma!e it one of the on!ers of the orl!. 9ere, then, e see the t o unite! nations !irecting their attention, ith sur$rising harmony, to the task of tem$le buil!ing. The Tyrian orkmen, coming imme!iately from the bosom of the mystical society of )ionysian artificers, hose sole em$loyment as the erection of sacre! e!ifices throughout all Asia Minor, in!octrinate! the :e s ith a $art of their architectural skill, an! besto e! u$on them also a kno le!ge of those sacre! Mysteries hich they ha! $ractise! at Tyre, an! from hich the $resent interior form of Freemasonry is sai! to be !eri"e!. <o , if there be any so incre!ulous as to refuse their assent to the uni"ersally recei"e! masonic tra!ition on this subject, if there be any ho oul! !eny all connection of =ing Solomon ith the origin of Freemasonry, e>ce$t it be in a mythical or symbolical sense, such incre!ulity ill, not at all affect the chain of argument hich 6 am !is$ose! to use. For it ill not be !enie! that the cor$orations of buil!ers in the mi!!le ages, those men ho ere kno n as @Tra"elling Freemasons,@ ere substantial an! cor$oreal, an! that the cathe!rals, abbeys, an! $alaces, hose ruins are still objects of a!miration to all obser"ers, bear conclusi"e testimony that their e>istence as nothing like a myth, an! that their labors ere not a$ocry$hal. But these Tra"elling Freemasons, hether le! into the error, if error it be, by a mistaken rea!ing of history, or by a su$erstitious re"erence for tra!ition, al ays esteeme! =ing Solomon as the foun!er of their 8r!er. So that the first absolutely historical !etails that e ha"e of the masonic institution, connect it ith the i!ea of a tem$le. An! it is only for this i!ea that 6 conten!, for it $ro"es that the first Freemasons of hom e ha"e authentic recor!, hether they ere at :erusalem or in /uro$e, an! hether they flourishe! a thousan! years before or a thousan! years after the birth of 5hrist, al ays su$$ose! that tem$le buil!ing as the $eculiar s$ecialty of their craft, an! that their labor as to be the erection of tem$les in ancient times, an! cathe!rals an! churches in the 5hristian age.

So that e come back at last to the $ro$osition ith hich 6 ha! commence!, namely' that tem$le buil!ing as the original occu$ation of our ancient brethren. An! to this is a!!e! the fact, that after a long la$se of centuries, a bo!y of men is foun! in the mi!!le ages ho ere uni"ersally recogniGe! as Freemasons, an! ho !irecte! their attention an! their skill to the same $ursuit, an! ere engage! in the construction of cathe!rals, abbeys, an! other sacre! e!ifices, these being the 5hristian substitute for the heathen or the :e ish tem$le. An! therefore, hen e "ie the history of the 8r!er as thus !e"elo$e! in its origin an! its !esign, e are justifie! in saying that, in all times $ast, its members ha"e been recogniGe! as men of labor, an! that their labor has been tem$le buil!ing. But our ancient brethren rought in both o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e Masonry, hile e ork only in s$eculati"e. They orke! ith the han!? e ork ith the brain. They !ealt in the material? e in the s$iritual. They use! in their labor oo! an! stones? e use thoughts, an! feelings, an! affections. Ee both !e"ote oursel"es to labor, but the object of the labor an! the mo!e of the labor are !ifferent. The French rituals ha"e gi"en us the key%note to the e>$lanation of hat is masonic labor hen they say that @Freemasons erect tem$les for "irtue an! !ungeons for "ice.@ The mo!ern Freemasons, like the Masons of ol!, are engage! in the construction of a tem$le?%%but ith this !ifference' that the tem$le of the latter as material, that of the former s$iritual. Ehen the o$erati"e art as the $re!ominant characteristic of the 8r!er, Masons ere engage! in the construction of material an! earthly tem$les. But hen the o$erati"e art cease!, an! the s$eculati"e science took its $lace, then the Freemasons symboliGe! the labors of their $re!ecessors by engaging in the construction of a s$iritual tem$le in their hearts, hich as to be ma!e so $ure that it might become the ! elling%$lace of 9im ho is all $urity. 6t as to be @a house not ma!e ith han!s,@ here the he n stone as to be a $urifie! heart. This symbolism, hich re$resents man as a tem$le, a house, a sacre! buil!ing in hich Go! is to ! ell, is not ne , nor $eculiar to the masonic science. 6t as kno n to the :e ish, an! is still recogniGe! by the 5hristian, system. The Talmu!ists ha! a saying that the threefol! re$etition of the or!s @Tem$le of :eho"ah,@ in the se"enth cha$ter an! fourth "erse of the book of :eremiah, as inten!e! to allu!e to the e>istence of three tem$les? an! hence in one of their treatises it is sai!, @T o tem$les ha"e been !estroye!, but the thir! ill en!ure fore"er,@ in hich it is manifest that they referre! to the tem$le of the

immortal soul in man. By a similar allusion, hich, ho e"er, the :e s chose ilfully to misun!erstan!, 5hrist !eclare!, @)estroy this tem$le, an! in three !ays 6 ill raise it u$.@ An! the belo"e! !isci$le, ho recor!s the con"ersation, !oes not allo us to !oubt of the Sa"iour's meaning. @Then sai! the :e s, Forty an! si> years as this tem$le in buil!ing, an! ilt thou rear it u$ in three !aysF @But he s$ake of the tem$le of his bo!y.@ .+,+4 6n more than one $lace the a$ostle Paul has fon!ly ! elt u$on this meta$hor. Thus he tells the 5orinthians that they are @Go!'s buil!ing,@ an! he calls himself the @ ise master buil!er,@ ho as to lay the foun!ation in his truthful !octrine, u$on hich they ere to erect the e!ifice..+,34 An! he says to them imme!iately after ar!s, @=no ye not that ye are the tem$le of Go!, an! that the S$irit of Go! ! elleth in youF@ 6n conseBuence of these teachings of the a$ostles, the i!ea that the bo!y as a tem$le has $er"a!e!, from the earliest times to the $resent !ay, the system of 5hristian or theological symbolism. 6n!ee!, it has sometimes been carrie! to an almost too fanciful e>cess. Thus Samuel &ee, in that curious an! rare ol! ork, @AThe Tem$le of Solomon, $ourtraye! by Scri$ture &ight,A@ thus !ilates on this symbolism of the tem$le'%% @The Afoun!ationA of this tem$le may be lai! in humility an! contrition of s$irit, herein the inhabiter of eternity !elighteth to ! ell? e may refer the A$orchA to the mouth of a saint, herein e"ery holy :acob erects the A$illarsA of Go!'s $raise, calling u$on an! blessing his name for recei"e! mercies? hen songs of !eli"erance are uttere! from the A!oorsA of his li$s. The Aholy $laceA is the rene e! min!, an! the A in!o sA therein may !enote !i"ine illumination from abo"e, cautioning a saint lest they be !arkene! ith the smoke of anger, the mist of grief, the !ust of "ain%glory, or the filthy mire of orl!ly cares. The Agol!en can!lesticks,A the infuse! habits of !i"ine kno le!ge resting ithin the soul. The Ashe %brea!,A the or! of grace e>hibite! in the $romises for the $reser"ation of a 5hristian's life an! glory. The Agol!en altarA of o!ors, the breathings, sufferings, an! groanings after Go!, rea!y to break forth into Abba, Father. The A"eilesA, the righteousness of 5hrist. The Aholy of holiesA may relate to the conscience $urifie! from !ea! orks an! brought into a hea"enly frame.@ .+,-4 An! thus he $rocee!s, symboliGing e"ery $art an! utensil of the tem$le as allu!ing to some emotion or affection of man, but in language too te!ious for Buotation. 6n a similar "ein has the celebrate! :ohn Bunyan, the author of the

@APilgrim's ProgressA@ $rocee!e! in his @ATem$le of Solomon S$iritualiGe!A@ to refer e"ery $art of that buil!ing to a symbolic meaning, selecting, ho e"er, the church, or congregation of goo! men, rather than the in!i"i!ual man, as the object of the symbolism. 6n the mi!!le ages the 9ermetic $hiloso$hers seem to ha"e gi"en the same inter$retation of the tem$le, an! S e!enborg, in his mystical ritings, a!o$ts the i!ea. 9itchcock, ho has ritten an a!mirable little ork on S e!enborg consi!ere! as a 9ermetic Philoso$her, thus allu!es to this subject, an! his language, as that of a learne! an! shre ! in"estigator, is ell orthy of Buotation'%% @Eith, $erha$s, the majority of rea!ers, the Tabernacle of Moses an! the Tem$le of Solomon ere mere buil!ings? "ery magnificent in!ee!, but still mere buil!ings for the orshi$ of Go!. But some are struck ith many $ortions of the account of their erection, a!mitting a moral inter$retation? an! hile the buil!ings are allo e! to stan! Kor to ha"e stoo! onceL "isible objects, these inter$reters are !elighte! to meet ith in!ications that Moses an! Solomon, in buil!ing the tem$les, ere ise in the kno le!ge of Go! an! of man? from hich $oint it is not !ifficult to $ass on to the moral meaning altogether, an! to affirm that the buil!ing hich as erecte! ithout 'the noise of a hammer or a>e, or any tool of iron,' as altogether a moral buil!ing%%a buil!ing of Go!, not ma!e ith han!s' in short, many see in the story of Solomon's tem$le a symbolical re$resentation of MA< as the tem$le of Go!, ith its Aholy of holiesA !ee$%seate! in the centre of the human heart.@ .+,J4 The French Masons ha"e not been inattenti"e to this symbolism. Their alrea!y Buote! e>$ression that the @Freemasons buil! tem$les for "irtue an! !ungeons for "ice,@ has "ery clearly a reference to it, an! their most !istinguishe! riters ne"er lose sight of it. Thus (agon, one of the most learne! of the French historians of Freemasonry, in his lecture to the A$$rentice, says that the foun!ers of our 8r!er @calle! themsel"es Masons, an! $roclaime! that they ere buil!ing a tem$le to truth an! "irtue.@ .+,D4 An! subseBuently he a!!resses the can!i!ate ho has recei"e! the Master's !egree in the follo ing language'%% @Profit by all that has been re"eale! to you. 6m$ro"e your heart an! your min!. )irect your $assions to the general goo!? combat your $reju!ices? atch o"er your thoughts an! your actions? lo"e, enlighten, an! assist your brethren? an! you ill ha"e $erfecte! that Atem$leA of hich you are at once the AarchitectA, the AmaterialA, an! the A orkmanA.@ .+,*4

(ebol!, another French historian of great eru!ition, says, @6f Freemasonry has cease! to erect tem$les, an! by the ai! of its architectural !esigns to ele"ate all hearts to the )eity, an! all eyes an! ho$es to hea"en, it has not therefore !esiste! from its ork of moral an! intellectual buil!ing?@ an! he thinks that the success of the institution has justifie! this change of $ur$ose an! the !isru$tion of the s$eculati"e from the o$erati"e character of the 8r!er..+,C4 /li$has &e"i, ho has ritten abstrusely an! mystically on Freemasonry an! its collateral sciences, sees "ery clearly an allegorical an! a real !esign in the institution, the former being the rebuil!ing of the tem$le of Solomon, an! the latter the im$ro"ement of the human race by a reconstruction of its social an! religious elements..+,24 The Masons of Germany ha"e elaborate! this i!ea ith all the e>hausti"eness that is $eculiar to the German min!, an! the masonic literature of that country aboun!s in essays, lectures, an! treatises, in hich the $rominent to$ic is this buil!ing of the Solomonic tem$le as referring to the construction of a moral tem$le. Thus rites Bro. (ho!e, of Berlin'%% @So soon as any one has recei"e! the consecration of our 8r!er, e say to him that e are buil!ing a mystical tem$le?@ an! he a!!s that @this tem$le hich e Masons are buil!ing is nothing else than that hich ill con!uce to the greatest $ossible ha$$iness of mankin!.@ .+1,4 An! another German brother, Hon Ee!ekin!, asserts that @ e only labor in our tem$le hen e make man our $re!ominating object, hen e unite goo!ness of heart ith $olishe! manners, truth ith beauty, "irtue ith grace.@ .+114 Again e ha"e (einhol! telling us, in true Teutonic e>$ansi"eness of e>$ression, that @by the mystical Solomonic tem$le e are to un!erstan! the high i!eal or archety$e of humanity in the best $ossible con!ition of social im$ro"ement, herein e"ery e"il inclination is o"ercome, e"ery $assion is resol"e! into the s$irit of lo"e, an! herein each for all, an! all for each, kin!ly stri"e to ork.@ .+1+4 An! thus the German Masons call this stri"ing for an almost millennial result Alabor in the tem$leA. The /nglish Masons, although they ha"e not treate! the symbolism of the 8r!er ith the same abstruse in"estigation that has !istinguishe! those of Germany an! France, still ha"e not been insensible to this i!ea that the buil!ing of the Solomonic tem$le is inten!e! to in!icate a culti"ation of the human character. Thus 9utchinson, one of the earliest of the symbolic

riters of /nglan!, sho s a "ery com$etent conce$tion%%for the age in hich he li"e!%%of the mystical meaning of the tem$le? an! later riters ha"e im$ro"e! u$on his cru!e "ie s. 6t must, ho e"er, be ackno le!ge! that neither 9utchinson nor 8li"er, nor any other of the !istinguishe! masonic riters of /nglan!, has ! elt on this $eculiar symbolism of a moral tem$le ith that earnest a$$reciation of the i!ea that is to be foun! in the orks of the French an! German Masons. But although the allusions are rather casual an! inci!ental, yet the symbolic theory is e"i!ently recogniGe!..+134 8ur o n country has $ro!uce! many stu!ents of Masonic symbolism, ho ha"e thoroughly gras$e! this noble thought, an! treate! it ith eloBuence an! eru!ition. Fifty years ago Salem To ne rote thus' @S$eculati"e Masonry, accor!ing to $resent acce$tation, has an ultimate reference to that s$iritual buil!ing erecte! by "irtue in the heart, an! summarily im$lies the arrangement an! $erfection of those holy an! sublime $rinci$les by hich the soul is fitte! for a meet tem$le of Go! in a orl! of immortality.@ .+1-4 5harles Scott has !e"ote! one of the lectures in his @Analogy of Ancient 5raft Masonry to <atural an! (e"eale! (eligion@ to a thorough consi!eration of this subject. The language is too long for Buotation, but the symbol has been ell inter$rete! by him..+1J4 Still more recently, Bro. :ohn A. &oclor has treate! the to$ic in an essay, hich 6 regret has not ha! a larger circulation. A single an! brief $assage may sho the s$irit of the $ro!uction, an! ho com$letely it sustains the i!ea of this symbolism. @Ee may !isguise it as e ill,@ says Bro. &o!or, @ e may e"a!e a scrutiny of it? but our character, as it is, ith its faults an! blemishes, its eaknesses an! infirmities, its "ices an! its stains, together ith its re!eeming traits, its better $arts, is our s$eculati"e tem$le.@ An! he goes on to e>ten! the symbolic i!ea' @&ike the e>em$lar tem$le on Mount Moriah, it shoul! be $reser"e! as a hallo e! shrine, an! guar!e! ith the same "igilant care. 6t shoul! be our $earl of $rice set roun! ith alls an! enclosures, e"en as as the :e ish tem$le, an! the im$ure, the "icious, the guilty, an! the $rofane be banishe! from e"en its outer courts. A faithful sentinel shoul! be $lace! at e"ery gate, a atchman on e"ery all, an! the first a$$roach of a co an an! ea"es!ro$$er be $rom$tly met an! resiste!.@ Teachings like this are no so common that e"ery American Mason ho has stu!ie! the symbolism of his 8r!er belie"es, ith 5arlyle, that @there is but one tem$le in the orl!, an! that is the bo!y of man.@

This inBuiry into the meaning an! object of labor, as a masonic symbol, brings us to these conclusions'%% 1. That our ancient brethren orke! as long as the o$erati"e art $re!ominate! in the institution at material tem$les, the most $rominent of these being the tem$le of =ing Solomon. +. That hen the s$eculati"e science took the $lace of the o$erati"e art, the mo!ern Masons, orking no longer at material tem$les, but hol!ing still to the sacre! thought, the re"erential i!ea, of a holy tem$le, a &or!'s house to be built, began to labor at li"ing tem$les, an! to make man, the true house of the &or!, the tabernacle for the in! elling of the 9oly S$irit. An!, 3. Therefore to e"ery Freemason ho rightly com$rehen!s his art, this construction of a li"ing tem$le is his labor. @&abor,@ says Ga!icke, the German masonic le>icogra$her, @is an im$ortant or! in Masonry? in!ee!, e might say the most im$ortant. For this, an! this alone, !oes a man become a Freemason. /"ery other object is secon!ary or inci!ental. &abor is the accustome! !esign of e"ery lo!ge meeting. But !oes such meeting al ays furnish e"i!ence of in!ustryF The labor of an o$erati"e mason ill be "isible, an! he ill recei"e his re ar! for it, e"en though the buil!ing he has constructe! may, in the ne>t hour, be o"erthro n by a tem$est. 9e kno s that he has !one his labor. An! so must the Freemason labor. 9is labor must be "isible to himself an! to his brethren, or, at least, it must con!uce to his o n internal satisfaction. As e buil! neither a "isible Solomonic tem$le nor an /gy$tian $yrami!, our in!ustry must become "isible in orks that are im$erishable, so that hen e "anish from the eyes of mortals it may be sai! of us that our labor as ell !one.@ An! remembering hat the a$ostle has sai!, that e are the tem$le of Go!, an! that the S$irit of Go! ! elleth in us, e kno that our labor is so to buil! that tem$le that it shall become orthy of its !i"ine ) eller. An! thus, too, at last, e can un!erstan! the saying of the ol! monks that @labor is orshi$?@ an! as Masons e labor in our lo!ge, labor to make oursel"es a $erfect buil!ing, ithout blemish, orking ho$efully for the consummation, hen the house of our earthly tabernacle shall be finishe!, hen the &8ST E8() of !i"ine truth shall at last be !isco"ere!, an! hen e shall be foun! by our o n efforts at $erfection to ha"e !one Go! ser"ice. For so truly is the meaning of those noble or!s%%&AB8( 6S E8(S96P.

III. The Stone of Foun!ation..+1D4

The Stone of Foun!ation constitutes one of the most im$ortant an! abstruse of all the symbols of Freemasonry. 6t is referre! to in numerous legen!s an! tra!itions, not only of the Freemasons, but also of the :e ish (abbins, the Talmu!ic riters, an! e"en the Mussulman !octors. Many of these, it must be confesse!, are a$$arently $uerile an! absur!? but some of them, an! es$ecially the masonic ones, are !ee$ly interesting in their allegorical signification. The Stone of Foun!ation is, $ro$erly s$eaking, a symbol of the higher !egrees. 6t makes its first a$$earance in the (oyal Arch, an! forms, in!ee!, the most im$ortant symbol of that !egree. But it is so intimately connecte!, in its legen!ary history, ith the construction of the Solomonic tem$le, that it must be consi!ere! as a $art of Ancient 5raft Masonry, although he ho confines the range of his in"estigations to the first three !egrees, ill ha"e no means, ithin that narro limit, of $ro$erly a$$reciating the symbolism of the Stone of Foun!ation. As $reliminary to the inBuiry hich is about to be institute!, it is necessary to !istinguish the Stone of Foun!ation, both in its symbolism an! in its legen!ary history, from other stones hich $lay an im$ortant $art in the masonic ritual, but hich are entirely !istinct from it. Such are the Acorner%stoneA, hich as al ays $lace! in the north%east corner of the buil!ing about to be erecte!, an! to hich such a beautiful reference is ma!e in the ceremonies of the first !egree? or the AkeystoneA, hich constitutes an interesting $art of the Mark Master's !egree? or, lastly, the Aca$e%stoneA, u$on hich all the ritual of the Most />cellent Master's !egree is foun!e!. These are all, in their $ro$er $laces, highly interesting an! instructi"e symbols, but ha"e no connection hate"er ith the Stone of Foun!ation or its symbolism. <or, although the Stone of Foun!ation is sai!, for $eculiar reasons, to ha"e been of a cubical form, must it be confoun!e! ith that stone calle! by the continental Masons the Acubical stoneA%%the A$ierre cubiBueA of the French, an! the Acubik steinA of the German Masons, but hich in the /nglish system is kno n as the A$erfect ashlarA. The Stone of Foun!ation has a legen!ary history an! a symbolic signification hich are $eculiar to itself, an! hich !iffer from the history an! meaning hich belong to these other stones. &et us first !efine this masonic Stone of Foun!ation, then collate the

legen!s hich refer to it, an! after ar!s in"estigate its significance as a symbol. To the Mason ho takes a $leasure in the stu!y of the mysteries of his institution, the in"estigation cannot fail to be interesting, if it is con!ucte! ith any ability. But in the "ery beginning, as a necessary $reliminary to any in"estigation of this kin!, it must be !istinctly un!erstoo! that all that is sai! of this Stone of Foun!ation in Masonry is to be strictly taken in a mythical or allegorical sense. )r. 8li"er, the most learne! of our masonic riters, hile un!oubte!ly himself kno ing that it as sim$ly a symbol, has ritten loosely of it, as though it ere a substantial reality? an! hence, if the $assages in his @9istorical &an!marks,@ an! in his other orks hich refer to this celebrate! stone are acce$te! by his rea!ers in a literal sense, they ill $resent absur!ities an! $uerilities hich oul! not occur if the Stone of Foun!ation as recei"e!, as it really is, as a $hiloso$hical myth, con"eying a most $rofoun! an! beautiful symbolism. (ea! in this s$irit, as all the legen!s of Masonry shoul! be rea!, the mythical story of the Stone of Foun!ation becomes one of the most im$ortant an! interesting of all the masonic symbols. The Stone of Foun!ation is su$$ose!, by the theory hich establishes it, to ha"e been a stone $lace! at one time ithin the foun!ations of the tem$le of Solomon, an! after ar!s, !uring the buil!ing of the secon! tem$le, trans$orte! to the 9oly of 9olies. 6t as in form a $erfect cube, an! ha! inscribe! u$on its u$$er face, ithin a !elta or triangle, the sacre! tetragrammaton, or ineffable name of Go!. 8li"er, s$eaking ith the solemnity of an historian, says that Solomon thought that he ha! ren!ere! the house of Go! orthy, so far as human a!ornment coul! effect, for the ! elling of Go!, @ hen he ha! $lace! the celebrate! Stone of Foun!ation, on hich the sacre! name as mystically engra"en, ith solemn ceremonies, in that sacre! !e$ository on Mount Moriah, along ith the foun!ations of )an an! Asher, the centre of the Most 9oly Place, here the ark as o"ersha!o e! by the shekinah of Go!.@ .+1*4 The 9ebre Talmu!ists, ho thought as much of this stone, an! ha! as many legen!s concerning it as the masonic Talmu!ists, calle! it Aeben shatijahA.+1C4 or @Stone of Foun!ation,@ because, as they sai!, it ha! been lai! by :eho"ah as the foun!ation of the orl!? an! hence the a$ocry$hal book of /noch s$eaks of the @stone hich su$$orts the corners of the earth.@ This i!ea of a foun!ation stone of the orl! as most $robably !eri"e! from that magnificent $assage of the book of :ob, in hich the Almighty !eman!s of the afflicte! $atriarch,%% @Ehere ast thou, hen 6 lai! the foun!ation of the earthF )eclare, since thou hast such kno le!geT Eho fi>e! its !imensions, since thou kno estF 8r ho stretche! out the line u$on itF

;$on hat ere its foun!ations fi>e!F An! ho lai! its corner%stone, Ehen the morning stars sang together, An! all the sons of Go! shoute! for joyF@ .+124 <oyes, hose beautiful translation 6 ha"e a!o$te! as not materially !iffering from the common "ersion, but hich is far more $oetical an! more in the strain of the original, thus e>$lains the allusions to the foun!ation%stone' @6t as the custom to celebrate the laying of the corner%stone of an im$ortant buil!ing ith music, songs, shouting, Uc. 9ence the morning stars are re$resente! as celebrating the laying of the corner%stone of the earth.@ .++,4 ;$on this meagre statement ha"e been accumulate! more tra!itions than a$$ertain to any other masonic symbol. The (abbins, as has alrea!y been intimate!, !i"i!e the glory of these a$ocry$hal histories ith the Masons? in!ee!, there is goo! reason for a sus$icion that nearly all the masonic legen!s o e their first e>istence to the imaginati"e genius of the riters of the :e ish Talmu!. But there is this !ifference bet een the 9ebre an! the masonic tra!itions, that the Talmu!ic scholar recite! them as truthful histories, an! s allo e!, in one gul$ of faith, all their im$ossibilities an! anachronisms, hile the masonic stu!ent has recei"e! them as allegories, hose "alue is not in the facts, but in the sentiments hich they con"ey. Eith this un!erstan!ing of their meaning, let us $rocee! to a collation of these legen!s. 6n that blas$hemous ork, the @ATol!oth :eshuA@ or A&ife of :esusA, ritten, it is su$$ose!, in the thirteenth or fourteenth century, e fin! the follo ing account of this on!erful stone'%% @At that time .the time of :esus4 there as in the 9ouse of the Sanctuary .that is, the tem$le4 a Stone of Foun!ation, hich is the "ery stone that our father :acob anointe! ith oil, as it is !escribe! in the t enty%eighth cha$ter of the book of Genesis. 8n that stone the letters of the tetragrammaton ere inscribe!, an! hosoe"er of the 6sraelites shoul! learn that name oul! be able to master the orl!. To $re"ent, therefore, any one from learning these letters, t o iron !ogs ere $lace! u$on t o columns in front of the Sanctuary. 6f any $erson, ha"ing acBuire! the kno le!ge of these letters, !esire! to !e$art from the Sanctuary, the barking of the !ogs, by magical $o er, ins$ire! so much fear, that he su!!enly forgot hat he ha! acBuire!.@ This $assage is cite! by the learne! Bu>torf, in his @A&e>icon Talmu!icumA?@ .++14 but in the co$y of the @ATol!oth :eshuA@ hich 6 ha"e the goo! fortune to $ossess Kfor it is among the rarest of booksL, 6 fin!

another $assage hich gi"es some a!!itional $articulars, in the follo ing or!s'%% @At that time there as in the tem$le the ineffable name of Go!, inscribe! u$on the Stone of Foun!ation. For hen =ing )a"i! as !igging the foun!ation for the tem$le, he foun! in the !e$ths of the e>ca"ation a certain stone, on hich the name of Go! as inscribe!. This stone he remo"e!, an! !e$osite! it in the 9oly of 9olies.@ .+++4 The same $uerile story of the barking !ogs is re$eate!, still more at length. 6t is not $ertinent to the $resent inBuiry, but it may be state! as a mere matter of curious information, that this scan!alous book, hich is throughout a blas$hemous !efamation of our Sa"iour, $rocee!s to say, that he cunningly obtaine! a kno le!ge of the tetragrammaton from the Stone of Foun!ation, an! by its mystical influence as enable! to $erform his miracles. The masonic legen!s of the Stone of Foun!ation, base! on these an! other rabbinical re"eries, are of the most e>traor!inary character, if they are to be "ie e! as histories, but rea!ily reconcilable ith soun! sense, if looke! at only in the light of allegories. They $resent an uninterru$te! succession of e"ents, in hich the Stone of Foun!ation takes a $rominent $art, from A!am to Solomon, an! from Solomon to Nerubbabel. Thus the first of these legen!s, in or!er of time, relates that the Stone of Foun!ation as $ossesse! by A!am hile in the gar!en of /!en? that he use! it as an altar, an! so re"erence! it, that, on his e>$ulsion from Para!ise, he carrie! it ith him into the orl! in hich he an! his !escen!ants ere after ar!s to earn their brea! by the s eat of their bro . Another legen! informs us that from A!am the Stone of Foun!ation !escen!e! to Seth. From Seth it $asse! by regular succession to <oah, ho took it ith him into the ark, an! after the subsi!ence of the !eluge, ma!e on it his first thank%offering. <oah left it on Mount Ararat, here it as subseBuently foun! by Abraham, ho remo"e! it, an! conseBuently use! it as an altar of sacrifice. 9is gran!son :acob took it ith him hen he fle! to his uncle &aban in Meso$otamia, an! use! it as a $illo hen, in the "icinity of &uG, he ha! his celebrate! "ision. 9ere there is a su!!en interru$tion in the legen!ary history of the stane, an! e ha"e no means of conjecturing ho it $asse! from the $ossession of :acob into that of Solomon. Moses, it is true, is sai! to ha"e taken it ith him out of /gy$t at the time of the e>o!us, an! thus it may ha"e finally reache! :erusalem. )r. A!am 5larke.++34 re$eats hat he "ery $ro$erly calls @a foolish tra!ition,@ that the stone on hich :acob reste! his hea! as after ar!s brought to :erusalem, thence carrie! after

a long la$se of time to S$ain, from S$ain to 6relan!, an! from 6relan! to Scotlan!, here it as use! as a seat on hich the kings of Scotlan! sat to be cro ne!. /! ar! 6., e kno , brought a stone, to hich this legen! is attache!, from Scotlan! to Eestminster Abbey, here, un!er the name of :acob's Pillo , it still remains, an! is al ays $lace! un!er the chair u$on hich the British so"ereign sits to be cro ne!, because there is an ol! !istich hich !eclares that here"er this stone is foun! the Scottish kings shall reign..++-4 But this Scottish tra!ition oul! take the Stone of Foun!ation a ay from all its masonic connections, an! therefore it is rejecte! as a masonic legen!. The legen!s just relate! are in many res$ects contra!ictory an! unsatisfactory, an! another series, eBually as ol!, are no "ery generally a!o$te! by masonic scholars, as much better suite! to the symbolism by hich all these legen!s are e>$laine!. This series of legen!s commences ith the $atriarch /noch, ho is su$$ose! to ha"e been the first consecrator of the Stone of Foun!ation. The legen! of /noch is so interesting an! im$ortant in masonic science as to e>cuse something more than a brief reference to the inci!ents hich it !etails. The legen! in full is as follo s' /noch, un!er the ins$iration of the Most 9igh, an! in obe!ience to the instructions hich he ha! recei"e! in a "ision, built a tem$le un!er groun! on Mount Moriah, an! !e!icate! it to Go!. 9is son, Methuselah, constructe! the buil!ing, although he as not acBuainte! ith his father's moti"es for the erection. This tem$le consiste! of nine "aults, situate! $er$en!icularly beneath each other, an! communicating by a$ertures left in each "ault. /noch then cause! a triangular $late of gol! to be ma!e, each si!e of hich as a cubit long? he enriche! it ith the most $recious stones, an! encruste! the $late u$on a stone of agate of the same form. 8n the $late he engra"e! the true name of Go!, or the tetragrammaton, an! $lacing it on a cubical stone, kno n thereafter as the Stone of Foun!ation, he !e$osite! the hole ithin the lo est arch. Ehen this subterranean buil!ing as com$lete!, he ma!e a !oor of stone, an! attaching to it a ring of iron, by hich it might be occasionally raise!, he $lace! it o"er the o$ening of the u$$ermost arch, an! so co"ere! it that the a$erture coul! not be !isco"ere!. /noch himself as not $ermitte! to enter it but once a year, an! after the !ays of /noch, Methuselah, an! &amech, an! the !estruction of the orl! by the !eluge, all kno le!ge of the "ault or subterranean tem$le, an! of the Stone of Foun!ation, ith the sacre! an! ineffable name inscribe! u$on it, as lost for ages to the orl!.

At the buil!ing of the first tem$le of :erusalem, the Stone of Foun!ation again makes its a$$earance. (eference has alrea!y been ma!e to the :e ish tra!ition that )a"i!, hen !igging the foun!ations of the tem$le, foun! in the e>ca"ation hich he as making a certain stone, on hich the ineffable name of Go! as inscribe!, an! hich stone he is sai! to ha"e remo"e! an! !e$osite! in the 9oly of 9olies. That =ing )a"i! lai! the foun!ations of the tem$le u$on hich the su$erstructure as subseBuently erecte! by Solomon, is a fa"orite theory of the legen!%mongers of the Talmu!. The masonic tra!ition is substantiall" the same as the :e ish, but it substitutes Solomon for )a"i!, thereby gi"ing a greater air of $robability to the narrati"e? an! it su$$oses that the stone thus !isco"ere! by Solomon as the i!entical one that ha! been !e$osite! in his secret "ault by /noch. This Stone of Foun!ation, the tra!ition states, as subseBuently remo"e! by =ing Solomon, an!, for ise $ur$oses, !e$osite! in a secret an! safer $lace. 6n this the masonic tra!ition again agrees ith the :e ish, for e fin! in the thir! cha$ter of the @ATreatise on the Tem$leA@ ritten by the celebrate! Maimoni!es, the follo ing narrati"e%% @There as a stone in the 9oly of 9olies, on its est si!e, on hich as $lace! the ark of the co"enant, an! before it the $ot of manna an! Aaron's ro!. But hen Solomon ha! built the tem$le, an! foresa that it as, at some future time, to be !estroye!, he constructe! a !ee$ an! in!ing "ault un!er groun!, for the $ur$ose of concealing the ark, herein :osiah after ar!s, as e learn in the Secon! Book of 5hronicles, >>>". 3, !e$osite! it, ith the $ot of manna, the ro! of Aaron, an! the oil of anointing.@ The Talmu!ical book @A#omaA@ gi"es the same tra!ition, an! says that @the ark of the co"enant as $lace! in the centre of the 9oly of 9olies, u$on a stone rising three fingers' brea!th abo"e the floor, to be, as it ere, a $e!estal for it.@ @This stone,@ says Pri!eau>,.++J4 @the (abbins call the Stone of Foun!ation, an! gi"e us a great !eal of trash about it.@ There is much contro"ersy as to the Buestion of the e>istence of any ark in the secon! tem$le. Some of the :e ish riters assert that a ne one as ma!e? others, that the ol! one as foun! here it ha! been conceale! by Solomon? an! others again conten! that there as no ark at all in the tem$le of Nerubbabel, but that its $lace as su$$lie! by the Stone of Foun!ation on hich it ha! originally reste!. (oyal Arch Masons ell kno ho all these tra!itions are sought to be reconcile! by the masonic legen!, in hich the substitute ark an! the Stone of Foun!ation $lay so im$ortant a $art.

6n the thirteenth !egree of the Ancient an! Acce$te! (ite, the Stone of Foun!ation is cons$icuous as the resting%$lace of the sacre! !elta. 6n the (oyal Arch an! Select Master's !egrees of the AmericaniGe! #ork (ite, the Stone of Foun!ation constitutes the most im$ortant $art of the ritual. 6n both of these it is the rece$tacle of the ark, on hich the ineffable name is inscribe!. &ee, in his @ATem$le of SolomonA@, has !e"ote! a cha$ter to this Stone of Foun!ation, an! thus reca$itulates the Talmu!ic an! (abbinical tra!itions on the subject'%% @Hain an! futilous are the fe"erish !reams of the ancient (abbins concerning the Foun!ation Stone of the tem$le. Some assert that Go! $lace! this stone in the centre of the orl!, for a future basis an! settle! consistency for the earth to rest u$on. 8thers hel! this stone to be the first matter, out of hich all the beautiful "isible beings of the orl! ha"e been he n forth an! $ro!uce! to light. 8thers relate that this as the "ery same stone lai! by :acob for a $illo un!er his hea!, in that night hen he !reame! of an angelic "ision at Bethel, an! after ar!s anointe! an! consecrate! it to Go!. Ehich hen Solomon ha! foun! Kno !oubt by forge! re"elation, or some te!ious search, like another (abbi SelemohL, he !urst not but lay it sure, as the $rinci$al foun!ation stone of the tem$le. <ay, they say further, he cause! to be engra"e! u$on it the tetragrammaton, or the ineffable name of :eho"ah.@ .++D4 6t ill be seen that the masonic tra!itions on the subject of the Stone of Foun!ation !o not !iffer "ery materially from these (abbinical ones, although they gi"e a fe a!!itional circumstances. 6n the masonic legen!, the Foun!ation Stone first makes its a$$earance, as 6 ha"e alrea!y sai!, in the !ays of /noch, ho $lace! it in the bo els of Mount Moriah. There it as subseBuently !isco"ere! by =ing Solomon, ho !e$osite! it in a cry$t of the first tem$le, here it remaine! conceale! until the foun!ations of the secon! tem$le ere lai!, hen it as !isco"ere! an! remo"e! to the 9oly of 9olies. But the most im$ortant $oint of the legen! of the Stone of Foun!ation is its intimate an! constant connection ith the tetragrammaton, or ineffable name. 6t is this name, inscribe! u$on it, ithin the sacre! an! symbolic !elta, that gi"es to the stone all its masonic "alue an! significance. 6t is u$on this fact, that it as so inscribe!, that its hole symbolism !e$en!s. &ooking at these tra!itions in anything like the light of historical narrati"es, e are com$elle! to consi!er them, to use the $lain language of &ee, @but as so many i!le an! absur! conceits.@ Ee must go behin! the legen!, "ie ing it only as an allegory, an! stu!y its symbolism.

The symbolism of the Foun!ation Stone of Masonry is therefore the ne>t subject of in"estigation. 6n a$$roaching this, the most abstruse, an! one of the most im$ortant, symbols of the 8r!er, e are at once im$resse! ith its a$$arent connection ith the ancient !octrine of stone orshi$. Some brief consi!eration of this s$ecies of religious culture is therefore necessary for a $ro$er un!erstan!ing of the real symbolism of the Stone of Foun!ation. The orshi$ of stones is a kin! of fetichism, hich in the "ery infancy of religion $re"aile!, $erha$s, more e>tensi"ely than any other form of religious culture. &or! =ames e>$lains the fact by su$$osing that stones erecte! as monuments of the !ea! became the $lace here $osterity $ai! their "eneration to the memory of the !ecease!, an! that at length the $eo$le, losing sight of the emblematical signification, hich as not rea!ily un!erstoo!, these monumental stones became objects of orshi$. 8thers ha"e sought to fin! the origin of stone% orshi$ in the stone that as set u$ an! anointe! by :acob at Bethel, an! the tra!ition of hich ha! e>ten!e! into the heathen nations an! become corru$te!. 6t is certain that the Phoenicians orshi$$e! sacre! stones un!er the name of ABaetyliaA, hich or! is e"i!ently !eri"e! from the 9ebre ABethelA? an! this un!oubte!ly gi"es some a$$earance of $lausibility to the theory. But a thir! theory su$$oses that the orshi$ of stones as !eri"e! from the unskilfulness of the $rimiti"e scul$tors, ho, unable to frame, by their meagre $rinci$les of $lastic art, a true image of the Go! hom they a!ore!, ere content to substitute in its $lace a ru!e or scarcely $olishe! stone. 9ence the Greeks, accor!ing to Pausanias, originally use! unhe n stones to re$resent their !eities, thirty of hich that historian says he sa in the city of Pharas. These stones ere of a cubical form, an! as the greater number of them ere !e!icate! to the go! 9ermes, or Mercury, they recei"e! the generic name of A9ermaaA. SubseBuently, ith the im$ro"ement of the $lastic art, the hea! as a!!e!..++*4 8ne of these consecrate! stones as $lace! before the !oor of almost e"ery house in Athens. They ere also $lace! in front of the tem$les, in the gymnasia or schools, in libraries, an! at the corners of streets, an! in the roa!s. Ehen !e!icate! to the go! Terminus they ere use! as lan!marks, an! $lace! as such u$on the concurrent lines of neighboring $ossessions. The Thebans orshi$$e! Bacchus un!er the form of a ru!e, sBuare stone. Arnobius.++C4 says that 5ybele as re$resente! by a small stone of a black color. /usebius cites Por$hyry as saying that the ancients

re$resente! the !eity by a black stone, because his nature is obscure an! inscrutable. The rea!er ill here be remin!e! of the black stone A9a!sjar el As a!A, $lace! in the south% est corner of the =aaba at Mecca, hich as orshi$$e! by the ancient Arabians, an! is still treate! ith religious "eneration by the mo!ern Mohamme!ans. The Mussulman $riests, ho e"er, say that it as originally hite, an! of such sur$rising s$len!or that it coul! be seen at the !istance of four !ays' journey, but that it has been blackene! by the tears of $ilgrims. The )rui!s, it is ell kno n, ha! no other images of their go!s but cubical, or sometimes columnar, stones, of hich Tolan! gi"es se"eral instances. The 5hal!eans ha! a sacre! stone, hich they hel! in great "eneration, un!er the name of AMniGurisA, an! to hich they sacrifice! for the $ur$ose of e"oking the Goo! )emon. Stone% orshi$ e>iste! among the early American races. SBuier Buotes Skinner as asserting that the Peru"ians use! to set u$ rough stones in their fiel!s an! $lantations, hich ere orshi$$e! as $rotectors of their cro$s. An! Gam a says that in Me>ico the $resi!ing go! of the s$ring as often re$resente! ithout a human bo!y, an! in $lace thereof a $ilaster or sBuare column, hose $e!estal as co"ere! ith "arious scul$tures. 6n!ee!, so uni"ersal as this stone% orshi$, that 9iggins, in his @A5eltic )rui!sA,@ says that, @throughout the orl! the first object of i!olatry seems to ha"e been a $lain, un rought stone, $lace! in the groun!, as an emblem of the generati"e or $rocreati"e $o ers of nature.@ An! the learne! Bryant, in his @AAnalysis of Ancient MythologyA,@ asserts that @there is in e"ery oracular tem$le some legen! about a stone.@ Eithout further citations of e>am$les from the religious usages of other countries, it ill, 6 think, be conce!e! that the cubical stone forme! an im$ortant $art of the religious orshi$ of $rimiti"e nations. But 5u! orth, Bryant, Faber, an! all other !istinguishe! riters ho ha"e treate! the subject, ha"e long since establishe! the theory that the $agan religions ere eminently symbolic. Thus, to use the language of )u!ley, the $illar or stone @ as a!o$te! as a symbol of strength an! firmness,%%a symbol, also, of the !i"ine $o er, an!, by a rea!y inference, a symbol or i!ol of the )eity himself.@ .++24 An! this symbolism is confirme! by 5ornutus, ho says that the go! 9ermes as re$resente! ithout han!s or feet, being a cubical stone, because the cubical figure betokene! his soli!ity an! stability..+3,4 Thus, then, the follo ing facts ha"e been establishe!, but not $recisely in this or!er' First, that there as a "ery general $re"alence among the earliest nations of antiBuity of the orshi$ of stones as the

re$resentati"es of )eity? secon!ly, that in almost e"ery ancient tem$le there as a legen! of a sacre! or mystical stone? thir!ly, that this legen! is foun! in the masonic system? an! lastly, that the mystical stone there has recei"e! the name of the @Stone of Foun!ation.@ <o , as in all the other systems the stone is a!mitte! to be symbolic, an! the tra!ition connecte! ith it mystical, e are com$elle! to assume the same $re!icates of the masonic stone. 6t, too, is symbolic, an! its legen! a myth or an allegory. 8f the fable, myth, or allegory, Bailly has sai! that, @subor!inate to history an! $hiloso$hy, it only !ecei"es that it may the better instruct us. Faithful in $reser"ing the realities hich are confi!e! to it, it co"ers ith its se!ucti"e en"elo$e the lessons of the one an! the truths of the other.@ .+314 6t is from this stan!%$oint that e are to "ie the allegory of the Stone of Foun!ation, as !e"elo$e! in one of the most interesting an! im$ortant symbols of Masonry. The fact that the mystical stone in all the ancient religions as a symbol of the )eity, lea!s us necessarily to the conclusion that the Stone of Foun!ation as also a symbol of )eity. An! this symbolic i!ea is strengthene! by the tetragrammaton, or sacre! name of Go!, that as inscribe! u$on it. This ineffable name sanctifies the stone u$on hich it is engra"e! as the symbol of the Gran! Architect. 6t takes from it its heathen signification as an i!ol, an! consecrates it to the orshi$ of the true Go!. The $re!ominant i!ea of the )eity, in the masonic system, connects him ith his creati"e an! formati"e $o er. Go! is, to the Freemason, AAl Gabil,A as the Arabians calle! him, that is, AThe Buil!erA? or, as e>$resse! in his masonic title, the AGran! Architect of the ;ni"erseA, by common consent abbre"iate! in the formula G.A.8.T.;. <o , it is e"i!ent that no symbol coul! so a$$ro$riately suit him in this character as the Stone of Foun!ation, u$on hich he is allegorically su$$ose! to ha"e erecte! his orl!. Such a symbol closely connects the creati"e ork of Go!, as a $attern an! e>em$lar, ith the orkman's erection of his tem$oral buil!ing on a similar foun!ation stone. But this masonic i!ea is still further to be e>ten!e!. The great object of all Masonic labor is A!i"ine truthA. The search for the Alost or!A is the search for truth. But !i"ine truth is a term synonymous ith Go!. The ineffable name is a symbol of truth, because Go!, an! Go! alone, is truth. 6t is $ro$erly a scri$tural i!ea. The Book of Psalms aboun!s ith this sentiment. Thus it is sai! that the truth of the &or! @reacheth unto the clou!s,@ an! that @his truth en!ureth unto all generations.@ 6f, then, Go! is truth, an! the Stone of Foun!ation is the masonic symbol of Go!, it follo s that it must also be the symbol of !i"ine truth.

Ehen e ha"e arri"e! at this $oint in our s$eculations, e are rea!y to sho ho all the myths an! legen!s of the Stone of Foun!ation may be rationally e>$laine! as $arts of that beautiful @science of morality, "eile! in allegory an! illustrate! by symbols,@ hich is the ackno le!ge! !efinition of Freemasonry. 6n the masonic system there are t o tem$les? the first tem$le, in hich the !egrees of Ancient 5raft Masonry are concerne!, an! the secon! tem$le, ith hich the higher !egrees, an! es$ecially the (oyal Arch, are relate!. The first tem$le is symbolic of the $resent life? the secon! tem$le is symbolic of the life to come. The first tem$le, the $resent life, must be !estroye!? on its foun!ations the secon! tem$le, the life eternal, must be built. But the mystical stone as $lace! by =ing Solomon in the foun!ations of the first tem$le. That is to say, the first tem$le of our $resent life must be built on the sure foun!ation of !i"ine truth, @for other foun!ation can no man lay.@ But although the $resent life is necessarily built u$on the foun!ation of truth, yet e ne"er thoroughly attain it in this sublunary s$here. The Foun!ation Stone is conceale! in the first tem$le, an! the Master Mason kno s it not. 9e has not the true or!. 9e recei"es only a substitute. But in the secon! tem$le of the future life, e ha"e $asse! from the gra"e, hich ha! been the en! of our labors in the first. Ee ha"e remo"e! the rubbish, an! ha"e foun! that Stone of Foun!ation hich ha! been hitherto conceale! from our eyes. Ee no thro asi!e the substitute for truth hich ha! contente! us in the former tem$le, an! the brilliant effulgence of the tetragrammaton an! the Stone of Foun!ation are !isco"ere!, an! thenceforth e are the $ossessors of the true or!%%of !i"ine truth. An! in this ay, the Stone of Foun!ation, or !i"ine truth, conceale! in the first tem$le, but !isco"ere! an! brought to light in the secon!, ill e>$lain that $assage of the a$ostle, @For no e see through a glass !arkly, but then face to face' no 6 kno in $art? but then shall 6 kno e"en as also 6 am kno n.@ An! so, the result of this inBuiry is, that the masonic Stone of Foun!ation is a symbol of !i"ine truth, u$on hich all S$eculati"e Masonry is built, an! the legen!s an! tra!itions hich refer to it are inten!e! to !escribe, in an allegorical ay, the $rogress of truth in the soul, the search for hich is a Mason's labor, an! the !isco"ery of hich is his re ar!.

III6. The &ost Eor!.

The last of the symbols, !e$en!ing for its e>istence on its connection ith a myth to hich 6 shall in"ite attention, is Athe &ost Eor!, an! the search for itA. Hery a$$ro$riately may this symbol terminate our in"estigations, since it inclu!es ithin its com$rehensi"e sco$e all the others, being itself the "ery essence of the science of masonic symbolism. The other symbols reBuire for their just a$$reciation a kno le!ge of the origin of the or!er, because they o e their birth to its relationshi$ ith kin!re! an! anterior institutions. But the symbolism of the &ost Eor! has reference e>clusi"ely to the !esign an! the objects of the institution. First, let us !efine the symbol, an! then in"estigate its inter$retation. The mythical history of Freemasonry informs us that there once e>iste! a E8() of sur$assing "alue, an! claiming a $rofoun! "eneration? that this Eor! as kno n to but fe ? that it as at length lost? an! that a tem$orary substitute for it as a!o$te!. But as the "ery $hiloso$hy of Masonry teaches us that there can be no !eath ithout a resurrection,%%no !ecay ithout a subseBuent restoration,%%on the same $rinci$le it follo s that the loss of the Eor! must su$$ose its e"entual reco"ery. <o , this it is, $recisely, that constitutes the myth of the &ost Eor! an! the search for it. <o matter hat as the or!, no matter ho it as lost, nor hy a substitute as $ro"i!e!, nor hen nor here it as reco"ere!. These are all $oints of subsi!iary im$ortance, necessary, it is true, for kno ing the legen!ary history, but not necessary for un!erstan!ing the symbolism. The only term of the myth that is to be regar!e! in the stu!y of its inter$retation, is the abstract i!ea of a or! lost an! after ar!s reco"ere!. This, then, $oints us to the goal to hich e must !irect our ste$s in the $ursuit of the in"estigation. But the symbolism, referring in this case, as 6 ha"e alrea!y sai!, solely to the great !esign of Freemasonry, the nature of that !esign at once suggests itself as a $reliminary subject of inBuiry in the in"estigation. Ehat, then, is the !esign of FreemasonryF A "ery large majority of its !isci$les, looking only to its $ractical results, as seen in the e"ery%!ay business of life,%%to the noble charities hich it !is$enses, to the tears

of i!o s hich it has !rie!, to the cries of or$hans hich it has hushe!, to the ants of the !estitute hich it has su$$lie!,%%arri"e ith too much ra$i!ity at the conclusion that 5harity, an! that, too, in its least e>alte! sense of eleemosynary ai!, is the great !esign of the institution. 8thers, ith a still more contracte! "ie , remembering the $leasant reunions at their lo!ge banBuets, the unreser"e! communications hich are thus encourage!, an! the solemn obligations of mutual trust an! confi!ence that are continually inculcate!, belie"e that it as inten!e! solely to $romote the social sentiments an! cement the bon!s of frien!shi$. But, although the mo!ern lectures inform us that Brotherly &o"e an! (elief are t o of @the $rinci$al tenets of a Mason's $rofession,@ yet, from the same authority, e learn that Truth is a thir! an! not less im$ortant one? an! Truth, too, not in its ol! Anglo%Sa>on meaning of fi!elity to engagements,.+3+4 but in that more strictly $hiloso$hical one in hich it is o$$ose! to intellectual an! religious error or falsehoo!. But 6 ha"e sho n that the Primiti"e Freemasonry of the ancients as institute! for the $ur$ose of $reser"ing that truth hich ha! been originally communicate! to the $atriarchs, in all its integrity, an! that the S$urious Masonry, or the Mysteries, originate! in the earnest nee! of the sages, an! $hiloso$hers, an! $riests, to fin! again the same truth hich ha! been lost by the surroun!ing multitu!es. 6 ha"e sho n, also, that this same truth continue! to be the object of the Tem$le Masonry, hich as forme! by a union of the Primiti"e, or Pure, an! the S$urious systems. &astly, 6 ha"e en!ea"ore! to !emonstrate that this truth relate! to the nature of Go! an! the human soul. The search, then, after this truth, 6 su$$ose to constitute the en! an! !esign of S$eculati"e Masonry. From the "ery commencement of his career, the as$irant is by significant symbols an! e>$ressi"e instructions !irecte! to the acBuisition of this !i"ine truth? an! the hole lesson, if not com$lete! in its full e>tent, is at least ell !e"elo$e! in the myths an! legen!s of the Master's !egree. AGo! an! the soulA%%the unity of the one an! the immortality of the other%%are the great truths, the search for hich is to constitute the constant occu$ation of e"ery Mason, an! hich, hen foun!, are to become the chief corner%stone, or the stone of foun!ation, of the s$iritual tem$le%%@the house not ma!e ith han!s@%% hich he is engage! in erecting. <o , this i!ea of a search after truth forms so $rominent a $art of the hole science of Freemasonry, that 6 concei"e no better or more com$rehensi"e ans er coul! be gi"en to the Buestion, AEhat is FreemasonryFA than to say that it is a science hich is engage! in the search after !i"ine truth.

But Freemasonry is eminently a system of symbolism, an! all its instructions are con"eye! in symbols. 6t is, therefore, to be su$$ose! that so $rominent an! so $re"ailing an i!ea as this,%%one that constitutes, as 6 ha"e sai!, the hole !esign of the institution, an! hich may a$$ro$riately be a!o$te! as the "ery !efinition of its science,%%coul! not ith any consistency be left ithout its $articular symbol. The E8(), therefore, 6 concei"e to be the symbol of A)i"ine Truth?A an! all its mo!ifications%%the loss, the substitution, an! the reco"ery%%are but com$onent $arts of the mythical symbol hich re$resents a search after truth. 9o , then, is this symbolism $reser"e!F 9o is the hole history of this Eor! to be inter$rete!, so as to bear, in all its acci!ents of time, an! $lace, an! circumstance, a $atent reference to the substanti"e i!ea that has been symboliGe!F The ans ers to these Buestions embrace hat is, $erha$s, the most intricate as ell as most ingenious an! interesting $ortion of the science of masonic symbolism. This symbolism may be inter$rete!, either in an a$$lication to a general or to a s$ecial sense. The general a$$lication ill embrace the hole history of Freemasonry, from its ince$tion to its consummation. The search after the Eor! is an e$itome of the intellectual an! religious $rogress of the or!er, from the $erio! hen, by the !is$ersion at Babel, the multitu!es ere enshrou!e! in the $rofun!ity of a moral !arkness here truth as a$$arently fore"er e>tinguishe!. The true name of Go! as lost? his true nature as not un!erstoo!? the !i"ine lessons im$arte! by our father <oah ere no longer remembere!? the ancient tra!itions ere no corru$te!? the ancient symbols ere $er"erte!. Truth as burie! beneath the rubbish of Sabaism, an! the i!olatrous a!oration of the sun an! stars ha! taken the $lace of the ol!en orshi$ of the true Go!. A moral !arkness as no s$rea! o"er the face of the earth, as a !ense, im$enetrable clou!, hich obstructe! the rays of the s$iritual sun, an! co"ere! the $eo$le as ith a gloomy $all of intellectual night. But this night as not to last fore"er. A brighter !a n as to arise, an! ami!st all this gloom an! !arkness there ere still to be foun! a fe sages in hom the religious sentiment, orking in them ith $o erful throes, sent forth manfully to seek after truth. There ere, e"en in those !ays of intellectual an! religious !arkness, craftsmen ho ere illing to search for the A&ost Eor!A. An! though they ere unable to fin! it, their

a$$ro>imation to truth as so near that the result of their search may ell be symboliGe! by the ASubstitute Eor!A. 6t as among the i!olatrous multitu!es that the AEor!A ha! been lost. 6t as among them that the Buil!er ha! been smitten, an! that the orks of the s$iritual tem$le ha! been sus$en!e!? an! so, losing at each successi"e stage of their !ecline, more an! more of the true kno le!ge of Go! an! of the $ure religion hich ha! originally been im$arte! by <oah, they finally arri"e! at gross materialism an! i!olatry, losing all sight of the !i"ine e>istence. Thus it as that the truth%%the Eor!%% as sai! to ha"e been lost? or, to a$$ly the language of 9utchinson, mo!ifie! in its reference to the time, @in this situation, it might ell be sai! that the gui!e to hea"en as lost, an! the master of the orks of righteousness as smitten. The nations ha! gi"en themsel"es u$ to the grossest i!olatry, an! the ser"ice of the true Go! as efface! from the memory of those ho ha! yiel!e! themsel"es to the !ominion of sin.@ An! no it as among the $hiloso$hers an! $riests in the ancient Mysteries, or the s$urious Freemasonry, that an an>iety to !isco"er the truth le! to the search for the &ost Eor!. These ere the craftsmen ho sa the fatal%blo hich ha! been gi"en, ho kne that the Eor! as no lost, but ere illing to go forth, manfully an! $atiently, to seek its restoration. An! there ere the craftsmen ho, failing to rescue it from the gra"e of obli"ion into hich it ha! fallen, by any efforts of their o n incom$lete kno le!ge, fell back u$on the !im tra!itions hich ha! been han!e! !o n from $rime"al times, an! through their ai! foun! a substitute for truth in their o n $hiloso$hical religions. An! hence Schmi!tG, s$eaking of these Mysteries of the $agan orl!, calls them the remains of the ancient Pelasgian religion, an! says that @the associations of $ersons for the $ur$ose of celebrating them must therefore ha"e been forme! at the time hen the o"er helming influence of the 9ellenic religion began to gain the u$$er han! in Greece, an! hen $ersons ho still entertaine! a re"erence for the orshi$ of former times unite! together, ith the intention of $reser"ing an! u$hol!ing among themsel"es as much as $ossible of the religion of their forefathers.@ A$$lying, then, our inter$retation in a general sense, the AEor!A itself being the symbol of A)i"ine TruthA, the narrati"e of its loss an! the search for its reco"ery becomes a mythical symbol of the !ecay an! loss of the true religion among the ancient nations, at an! after the !is$ersion on the $lains of Shinar, an! of the attem$ts of the ise men, the $hiloso$hers, an! $riests, to fin! an! retain it in their secret Mysteries an! initiations, hich ha"e hence been !esignate! as the S$urious Freemasonry of AntiBuity. But 6 ha"e sai! that there is a s$ecial, or in!i"i!ual, as ell as a

general inter$retation. This com$oun! or !ouble symbolism, if 6 may so call it, is by no means unusual in Freemasonry. 6 ha"e alrea!y e>hibite! an illustration of it in the symbolism of Solomon's tem$le, here, in a general sense, the tem$le is "ie e! as a symbol of that s$iritual tem$le forme! by the aggregation of the hole or!er, an! in hich each mason is consi!ere! as a stone? an!, in an in!i"i!ual or s$ecial sense, the same tem$le is consi!ere! as a ty$e of that s$iritual tem$le hich each mason is !irecte! to erect in his heart. <o , in this s$ecial or in!i"i!ual inter$retation, the Eor!, ith its accom$anying myth of a loss, a substitute, an! a reco"ery, becomes a symbol of the $ersonal $rogress of a can!i!ate from his first initiation to the com$letion of his course, hen he recei"es a full !e"elo$ment of the Mysteries. The as$irant enters on this search after truth, as an /ntere! A$$rentice, in !arkness, seeking for light%%the light of is!om, the light of truth, the light symboliGe! by the Eor!. For this im$ortant task, u$on hich he starts forth gro$ingly, falteringly, !oubtingly, in ant an! in eakness, he is $re$are! by a $urification of the heart, an! is in"este! ith a first substitute for the true Eor!, hich, like the $illar that ent before the 6sraelites in the il!erness, is to gui!e him on ar!s in his eary journey. 9e is !irecte! to take, as a staff an! scri$ for his journey, all those "irtues hich e>$an! the heart an! !ignify the soul. Secrecy, obe!ience, humility, trust in Go!, $urity of conscience, economy of time, are all inculcate! by im$ressi"e ty$es an! symbols, hich connect the first !egree ith the $erio! of youth. An! then, ne>t in the !egree of Fello 5raft, he fairly enters u$on his journey. #outh has no $asse!, an! manhoo! has come on. <e !uties an! increase! obligations $ress u$on the in!i"i!ual. The thinking an! orking stage of life is here symboliGe!. Science is to be culti"ate!? is!om is to be acBuire!? the lost Eor!%%!i"ine truth%%is still to be sought for. But e"en yet it is not to be foun!. An! no the Master Mason comes, ith all the symbolism aroun! him of ol! age%%trials, sufferings, !eath. An! here, too, the as$irant, $ressing on ar!, Aal ays on ar!A, still cries alou! for @light, more light.@ The search is almost o"er, but the lesson, humiliating to human nature, is to be taught, that in this life%%gloomy an! !ark, earthly an! carnal%%$ure truth has no abi!ing $lace? an! contente! ith a substitute, an! to that Asecon! tem$leA of eternal life, for that true Eor!, that !i"ine Truth, hich ill teach us all that e shall e"er learn of Go! an! his emanation, the human soul. So, the Master Mason, recei"ing this substitute for the lost Eor!, aits ith $atience for the time hen it shall be foun!, an! $erfect is!om

shall be attaine!. But, ork as e ill, this symbolic Eor!%%this kno le!ge of !i"ine Truth%%is ne"er thoroughly attaine! in this life, or in its symbol, the Master Mason's lo!ge. The corru$tions of mortality, hich encumber an! clou! the human intellect, hi!e it, as ith a thick "eil, from mortal eyes. 6t is only, as 6 ha"e just sai!, beyon! the tomb, an! hen release! from the earthly bur!en of life, that man is ca$able of fully recei"ing an! a$$reciating the re"elation. 9ence, then, hen e s$eak of the reco"ery of the Eor!, in that higher !egree hich is a su$$lement to Ancient 5raft Masonry, e intimate that that sublime $ortion of the masonic system is a symbolic re$resentation of the state after !eath. For it is only after the !ecay an! fall of this tem$le of life, hich, as masons, e ha"e been buil!ing, that from its ruins, !ee$ beneath its foun!ations, an! in the $rofoun! abyss of the gra"e, e fin! that !i"ine truth, in the search for hich life as s$ent, if not in "ain, at least ithout success, an! the mystic key to hich !eath only coul! su$$ly. An! no e kno by this symbolism hat is meant by masonic AlaborA, hich, too, is itself but another form of the same symbol. The search for the Eor!%%to fin! !i"ine Truth%%this, an! this only, is a mason's ork, an! the E8() is his re ar!. &abor, sai! the ol! monks, is orshi$%%Alaborare est orareA? an! thus in our lo!ges !o e orshi$, orking for the Eor!, orking for the Truth, e"er looking for ar!, casting no glance behin!, but cheerily ho$ing for the consummation an! the re ar! of our labor in the kno le!ge hich is $romise! to him ho $lays no laggar!'s $art. Goethe, himself a mason an! a $oet, kne an! felt all this symbolism of a mason's life an! ork, hen he rote that beautiful $oem, hich 5arlyle has thus thro n into his o n rough but im$ulsi"e language. @The mason's ays are A ty$e of e>istence,%% An! to his $ersistence 6s as the !ays are 8f men in this orl!. @The future hi!es in it Gla!ness an! sorro ? Ee $ress still thoro , <ought that abi!es in it )aunting us%%on ar!. @An! solemn before us Heile! the !ark $ortal,

Goal of all mortal? Stars silent rest o'er us Gra"es un!er us silent. @Ehile earnest thou gaGest 5ome bo!ing of terror, 5omes $hantasm an! error, Per$le>ing the bra"est Eith !oubt an! misgi"ing. @But hear! are the "oices, 9ear! are the sages, The orl!s an! the ages? '5hoose ell? your choice is Brief an! yet en!less. @'9ere eyes !o regar! you, 6n eternity's stillness? 9ere is all fullness, #e, bra"e to re ar! you? Eork an! !es$air not.'@ 7 7 7 7 7

An! no , in conclu!ing this ork, so ina!eBuate to the im$ortance of the subjects that ha"e been !iscusse!, one !e!uction, at least, may be !ra n from all that has been sai!. 6n tracing the $rogress of Freemasonry, an! in !etailing its system of symbolism, it has been foun! to be so intimately connecte! ith the history of $hiloso$hy, of religion, an! of art, in all ages of the orl!, that the con"iction at once forces itself u$on the min!, that no mason can e>$ect thoroughly to com$rehen! its nature, or to a$$reciate its character as a science, unless he shall !e"ote himself, ith some labor an! assi!uity, to this stu!y of its system. That skill hich consists in re$eating, ith fluency an! $recision, the or!inary lectures, in com$lying ith all the ceremonial reBuisitions of the ritual, or the gi"ing, ith sufficient accuracy, the a$$ointe! mo!es of recognition, $ertains only to the "ery ru!iments of the masonic science. But there is a far nobler series of !octrines ith hich Freemasonry is connecte!, an! hich it has been my object, in this ork, to $resent in some im$erfect ay. 6t is these hich constitute the science an! the $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry, an! it is these alone hich ill return the stu!ent ho !e"otes himself to the task, a se"enfol! re ar! for his labor. Freemasonry, "ie e! no longer, as too long it has been, as a merely social

institution, has no assume! its original an! un!oubte! $osition as a s$eculati"e science. Ehile the mere ritual is still carefully $reser"e!, as the casket shoul! be hich contains so bright a je el? hile its charities are still !is$ense! as the necessary though inci!ental result of all its moral teachings? hile its social ten!encies are still culti"ate! as the tenacious cement hich is to unite so fair a fabric in symmetry an! strength, the masonic min! is e"ery here beginning to look an! ask for something, hich, like the manna in the !esert, shall fee! us, in our $ilgrimage, ith intellectual foo!. The uni"ersal cry, throughout the masonic orl!, is for light? our lo!ges are henceforth to be schools? our labor is to be stu!y? our ages are to be learning? the ty$es an! symbols, the myths an! allegories, of the institution are beginning to be in"estigate! ith reference to their ultimate meaning? our history is no trace! by Gealous inBuiries as to its connection ith antiBuity? an! Freemasons no thoroughly un!erstan! that often Buote! !efinition, that @Masonry is a science of morality "eile! in allegory an! illustrate! by symbols.@ Thus to learn Masonry is to kno our ork an! to !o it ell. Ehat true mason oul! shrink from the taskF

Syno$tical 6n!e>.

A AB. The 9ebre or! AB signifies @father,@ an! as among the 9ebre s a title of honor. From it, by the a!!ition of the $ossessi"e $ronoun, is com$oun!e! the or! AAbifA, signifying @his father,@ an! a$$lie! to the Tem$le Buil!er. AB6F. See A9iram AbifA. AB</T. The ban! or a$ron, ma!e of fine linen, "ariously rought, an! orn by the :e ish $riesthoo!. 6t seems to ha"e been borro e! !irectly from the /gy$tians, u$on the re$resentations of all of hose go!s is to be foun! a similar gir!le. &ike the Gennaar, or sacre! cor! of the Brahmins, an! the hite shiel! of the Scan!ina"ians, it is the analogue of the masonic a$ron. A5A56A, SP(6G 8F. <o symbol is more interesting to the masonic stu!ent than the s$rig of acacia.

6t is the Amimosa niloticaA of &innaeus, the AshittahA of the 9ebre riters, an! gro s abun!antly in Palestine. 6t is $reeminently the symbol of the immortality of the soul. 6t as for this reason $lante! by the :e s at the hea! of a gra"e. This symbolism is !eri"e! from its ne"er%fa!ing character as an e"ergreen. 6t is also a symbol of innocence, an! this symbolism is !eri"e! from the !ouble meaning of the or! .Greek' akakia4, hich in Greek signifies the $lant, an! innocence? in this $oint of "ie 9utchinson has 5hristianiGe! the symbol. 6t is, lastly, a symbol of initiation. This symbolism is !eri"e! from the fact that it is the sacre! $lant of Masonry? an! in all the ancient rites there ere sacre! $lants, hich became in each rite the res$ecti"e symbol of initiation into its Mysteries? hence the i!ea as borro e! by Freemasonry. A)8<6A. The Mysteries of A!onis, $rinci$ally celebrate! in Phoenicia an! Syria. They laste! for t o !ays, an! ere commemorati"e of the !eath an! restoration of A!onis. The ceremonies of the first !ay ere funereal in their character, an! consiste! in the lamentations of the initiates for the !eath of A!onis, hose $icture or image as carrie! in $rocession. The secon! !ay as !e"ote! to mirth an! joy for the return of A!onis to life. 6n their s$irit an! their mystical !esign, these Mysteries bore a "ery great resemblance to the thir! !egree of Masonry, an! they are Buote! to sho the striking analogy bet een the ancient an! the mo!ern initiations. A)8<6S. 6n mythology, the son of 5inyras an! Myrrha, ho as greatly belo"e! by Henus, or A$hro!ite. 9e as slain by a il! boar, an! ha"ing !escen!e! into the realm of Pluto, Perse$hone became enamoure! of him. This le! to a contest for him bet een Henus an! Perse$hone, hich as finally settle! by his restoration to life u$on the con!ition that he shoul! s$en! si> months u$on earth, an! si> months in the inferior regions. 6n the mythology of the $hiloso$hers, A!onis as a symbol of the sun? but his !eath by "iolence, an! his subseBuent restoration to life, make him the analogue of 9iram Abif in the masonic system, an! i!entify the s$irit of the initiation in his Mysteries, hich as to teach the secon! life ith that of the thir! !egree of Freemasonry. A9(6MA<, or A(6MA</S. 6n the religious system of Noroaster, the $rinci$le of e"il, or !arkness, hich as $er$etually o$$osing 8rmuG!, the $rinci$le of goo!, or light. See ANoroasterA.

A&FA)/(. The father of all, or the uni"ersal Father. The $rinci$al !eity of the Scan!ina"ian mythology. The /!!a gi"es t el"e names of Go!, of hich Alfa!er is the first an! most ancient, an! is the one most generally use!. A&GAB6&. 8ne of the names of the Su$reme Being among the 5abalists. 6t signifies @the Master Buil!er,@ an! is eBui"alent to the masonic e$ithet of @Gran! Architect of the ;ni"erse.@ A&&/G8(#. A !iscourse or narrati"e, in hich there is a literal an! a figurati"e sense, a $atent an! a conceale! meaning? the literal or $atent sense being inten!e! by analogy or com$arison to in!icate the figurati"e or conceale! one. 6ts !eri"ation from the Greek .Greek' aLllos4 an! .Greek' aLgorein4, Ato say something !ifferent,A that is, to say something here the language is one thing, an! the true meaning !ifferent, e>actly e>$resses the character of an allegory. 6t has been sai! in the te>t that there is no essential !ifference bet een an allegory an! a symbol. There is not in !esign, but there is this in their character' An allegory may be inter$rete! ithout any $re"ious con"entional agreement, but a symbol cannot. Thus the legen! of the thir! !egree is an allegory e"i!ently to be inter$rete! as teaching a restoration to life? an! this e learn from the legen! itself, ithout any $re"ious un!erstan!ing. The s$rig of acacia is a symbol of the immortality of the soul. But this e kno only because such meaning ha! been con"entionally !etermine! hen the symbol as first establishe!. 6t is e"i!ent, then, that an allegory hich is obscure is im$erfect. The enigmatical meaning shoul! be easy of inter$retation? an! hence &emiere, a French $oet, has sai!, @&'allegorie habite un $alais !ia$hane@%%AAllegory li"es in a trans$arent $alace.A All the legen!s of Freemasonry are more or less allegorical, an! hate"er truth there may be in some of them in an historical $oint of "ie , it is only as allegories, or legen!ary symbols, that they are im$ortant. A&&%S//6<G /#/. A symbol of the thir! !egree, of great antiBuity. See A/yeA. A<56/<T 5(AFT MAS8<(#. The first three !egrees of Freemasonry? "iG., /ntere! A$$rentice, Fello 5raft, an! Master Mason. They are so calle! because they alone are su$$ose! to ha"e been $ractise! by the ancient craft. 6n the agreement bet een the t o gran! lo!ges of /nglan! in 1C13, the !efinition as ma!e to inclu!e the (oyal Arch !egree. <o if by the @ancient craft@ are meant the orkmen at the first tem$le, the !efinition ill be rong, because the (oyal Arch !egree coul! ha"e ha! no e>istence until the time of the buil!ing of the secon! tem$le. But if by the @ancient craft@ is meant the bo!y of orkmen ho intro!uce! the rites of Masonry into /uro$e in the early ages of the history of the 8r!er, then

it ill be correct? because the (oyal Arch !egree al ays, from its origin until the mi!!le of the eighteenth century, forme! a $art of the Master's. @Ancient 5raft Masonry,@ ho e"er, in this country, is generally un!erstoo! to embrace only the first three !egrees. A<)/(S8<. :ames An!erson, ).)., is celebrate! as the com$iler an! e!itor of @The 5onstitutions of the Freemasons,@ $ublishe! by or!er of the Gran! &o!ge of /nglan!, in 1*+3. A secon! e!ition as $ublishe! by him in 1*3C. Shortly after, An!erson !ie!, an! the subseBuent e!itions, of hich there are se"eral, ha"e been e!ite! by other $ersons. The e!ition of 1*+3 has become e>cee!ingly rare, an! co$ies of it bring fancy $rices among the collectors of ol! masonic books. 6ts intrinsic "alue is !eri"e! only from the fact that it contains the first $rinte! co$y of the @8l! 5harges,@ an! also the @General (egulations.@ The history of Masonry hich $rece!es these, an! constitutes the bo!y of the ork, is fanciful, unreliable, an! $retentious to a !egree that often lea!s to absur!ity. The craft are greatly in!ebte! to An!erson for his labors in reorganiGing the institution, but !oubtless it oul! ha"e been better if he ha! contente! himself ith gi"ing the recor!s of the Gran! &o!ge from 1*1* to 1*3C hich are containe! in his secon! e!ition, an! ith $reser"ing for us the charges an! regulations, hich ithout his in!ustry might ha"e been lost. <o masonic riter oul! no "enture to Buote An!erson as authority for the history of the 8r!er anterior to the eighteenth century. 6t must also be a!!e! that in the re$ublication of the ol! charges in the e!ition of 1*3C, he ma!e se"eral im$ortant alterations an! inter$olations, hich justly ga"e some offence to the Gran! &o!ge, an! hich ren!er the secon! e!ition of no authority in this res$ect. A<6MA& E8(S96P. The orshi$ of animals is a s$ecies of i!olatry that as es$ecially $ractise! by the ancient /gy$tians. Tem$les ere erecte! by this $eo$le in their honor, in hich they ere fe! an! care! for !uring life? to kill one of them as a crime $unishable ith !eath? an! after !eath, they ere embalme!, an! interre! in the catacombs. This orshi$ as !eri"e! first from the earlier a!oration of the stars, to certain constellations of hich the names of animals ha! been gi"en? ne>t, from an /gy$tian tra!ition that the go!s, being $ursue! by Ty$hon, ha! conceale! themsel"es un!er the forms of animals? an! lastly, from the !octrine of the metem$sychosis, accor!ing to hich there as a continual circulation of the souls of men an! animals. But behin! the o$en an! $o$ular e>ercise of this !egra!ing orshi$ the $riests conceale! a symbolism full of $hiloso$hical conce$tions. 9o this symbolism as corru$te! an! misinter$rete! by the uninitiate! $eo$le, is sho n by Gli!!on, an! Buote! in the te>t. AP9A<6SM KGreek .Greek' aL$haniOGo4, Ato concealAL. 6n each of the initiations of the ancient Mysteries, there as a scenic re$resentation of the !eath or !isa$$earance of some go! or hero, hose a!"entures

constitute! the legen! of the Mystery. That $art of the ceremony of initiation hich relate! to an! re$resente! the !eath or !isa$$earance as calle! the Aa$hanismA. Freemasonry, hich has in its ceremonial form been frame! after the mo!el of these ancient Mysteries, has also its a$hanism in the thir! !egree. AP8((9/TA KGreek .Greek' a$orLrKeOta4L. The holy things in the ancient Mysteries hich ere kno n only to the initiates, an! ere not to be !isclose! to the $rofane, ere calle! the Aa$orrhetaA. Ehat are the a$orrheta of FreemasonryF hat are the arcana of hich there can be no !isclosureF is a Buestion that for some years $ast has gi"en rise to much !iscussion among the !isci$les of the institution. 6f the s$here an! number of these a$orrheta be "ery consi!erably e>ten!e!, it is e"i!ent that much "aluable in"estigation by $ublic !iscussion of the science of Masonry ill be $rohibite!. 8n the other han!, if the a$orrheta are restricte! to only a fe $oints, much of the beauty, the $ermanency, an! the efficacy of Freemasonry, hich are !e$en!ent on its organiGation as a secret an! mystical association, ill be lost. Ee mo"e bet een Scylla an! 5haryb!is, an! it is !ifficult for a masonic riter to kno ho to steer so as, in a"oi!ing too frank an e>$osition of the $rinci$les of the 8r!er, not to fall by too much reticence into obscurity. The /uro$ean Masons are far more liberal in their "ie s of the obligation of secrecy than the /nglish or the American. There are fe things, in!ee!, hich a French or German masonic riter ill refuse to !iscuss ith the utmost frankness. 6t is no beginning to be "ery generally a!mitte!, an! /nglish an! American riters are acting on the a!mission, that the only real a$orrheta of Freemasonry are the mo!es of recognition, an! the $eculiar an! !istincti"e ceremonies of the 8r!er? an! to these last it is claime! that reference may be $ublicly ma!e for the $ur$oses of scientific in"estigation, $ro"i!e! that the reference be so ma!e as to be obscure to the $rofane, an! intelligible only to the initiate!. AP(8<. The lambskin, or hite leather a$ron, is the $eculiar an! !istincti"e ba!ge of a mason. 6ts color must be hite, an! its material a lambskin. 6t is a symbol of $urity, an! it !eri"es this symbolism from its color, hite being symbolic of $urity? from its material, the lamb ha"ing the same symbolic character? an! from its use, hich is to $reser"e the garments clean. The a$ron, or abnet, orn by the /gy$tian an! the 9ebre $riests, an! hich has been consi!ere! as the analogue of the masonic a$ron, is su$$ose! to ha"e been a symbol of authority? but the use of the a$ron in Freemasonry originally as an im$lement of labor, is an e"i!ence of the

!eri"ation of the s$eculati"e science from an o$erati"e art. AP;&/6;S. &ucius A$uleius, a &atin riter, born at Me!aura, in Africa, flourishe! in the reigns of the em$erors Antoninus an! Marcus Aurelius. 9is most celebrate! book, entitle! @Metamor$hoses, or the Gol!en Ass,@ as ritten, Bisho$ Earburton thinks, for the e>$ress $ur$ose of recommen!ing the ancient Mysteries. 9e ha! been initiate! into many of them, an! his !escri$tions of them, an! es$ecially of his o n initiation into those of the /gy$tian 6sis, are highly interesting an! instructi"e, an! shoul! be rea! by e"ery stu!ent of the science of masonic symbolism. A(59/T#P/. The $rinci$al ty$e, figure, $attern, or e>am$le, hereby an! hereon a thing is forme!. 6n the science of symbolism, the archety$e is the thing a!o$te! as a symbol, hence the symbolic i!ea is !eri"e!. Thus e say the tem$le is the archety$e of the lo!ge, because the former is the symbol hence all the tem$le symbolism of the latter is !eri"e!. A(596T/5T;(/. The art hich teaches the $ro$er metho! of constructing $ublic an! $ri"ate e!ifices. 6t is to Freemasonry the @ars artium,@ the art of arts, because to it the institution is in!ebte! for its origin in its $resent organiGation. The architecture of Freemasonry is altogether relate! to the construction of $ublic e!ifices, an! $rinci$ally sacre! or religious ones,%%such as tem$les, cathe!rals, churches,%%an! of these, masonically, the tem$le of Solomon is the archety$e. Much of the symbolism of Freemasonry is !ra n from the art of architecture. Ehile the im$ro"ements of Greek an! (oman architecture are recogniGe! in Freemasonry, the three ancient or!ers, the )oric, 6onic, an! 5orinthian are alone symboliGe!. <o symbolism attaches to the Tuscan an! 5om$osite. A(= 8F T9/ 58H/<A<T. 8ne of the most sacre! objects among the 6sraelites. 6t as a chest ma!e of shittim oo!, or acacia, richly !ecorate!, forty%fi"e inches long, an! eighteen inches i!e, an! containe! the t o tables of stone on hich the ten comman!ments ere engra"e!, the gol!en $ot that hel! manna, an! Aaron's ro!. 6t as $lace! in the holy of holies, first of the tabernacle, an! then of the tem$le. Such is its masonic an! scri$tural history. The i!ea of this ark as e"i!ently borro e! from the /gy$tians, in hose religious rites a similar chest or coffer is to be foun!. 9ero!otus mentions se"eral instances. S$eaking of the festi"al of Pa$remis, he says Kii. D3L that the image of the go! as ke$t in a small oo!en shrine co"ere! ith $lates of gol!, hich shrine as con"eye! in a $rocession of the $riests an! $eo$le from the tem$le into a secon! sacre! buil!ing. Among the scul$tures are to be foun! bass reliefs of the ark of 6sis. The greatest of the religious ceremonies of the /gy$tians as the $rocession of the shrines mentione! in the (osetta stone, an! hich is often foun! !e$icte! on the scul$tures. These shrines ere of t o kin!s, one a cano$y, but the other, calle! the great shrine, as an ark or sacre! boat. 6t as borne on the shoul!ers of $riests by means of sta"es $assing

through rings in its si!es, an! as taken into the tem$le an! !e$osite! on a stan!. Some of these arks containe!, says Eilkinson KA<otes to 9ero!.A 66. JC, An.A 2L, the elements of life an! stability, an! others the sacre! beetle of the sun, o"ersha!o e! by the ings of t o figures of the go!!ess Thmei. 6n all this e see the ty$e of the :e ish ark. The intro!uction of the ark into the ceremonies of Freemasonry e"i!ently is in reference to its loss an! reco"ery? an! hence its symbolism is to be inter$rete! as connecte! ith the masonic i!ea of loss an! reco"ery, hich al ays allu!es to a loss of life an! a reco"ery of immortality. 6n the first tem$le of this life the ark is lost? in the secon! tem$le of the future life it is reco"ere!. An! thus the ark of the co"enant is one of the many masonic symbols of the resurrection. A(TS A<) S56/<5/S, &6B/(A&. 6n the se"enth century, an! for many centuries after ar!s, all learning as limite! to an! com$rise! in hat ere calle! the se"en liberal arts an! sciences? namely, grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, an! astronomy. The e$ithet @liberal@ is a fair translation of the &atin @ingenuus,@ hich means @free%born?@ thus 5icero s$eaks of the @artes ingenuae,@ or the arts befitting a free%born man? an! 8"i! says in the ell%kno n lines,%% @6ngenuas !i!icisse fi!eliter artes /mollit mores nec sinit esse feros,@%% ATo ha"e stu!ie! carefully the liberal arts refines the manners, an! $re"ents us from being brutish.A An! Philli$s, in his @<e Eorl! of Eor!s@ K1*,DL, !efines the liberal arts an! sciences to be @such as are fit for gentlemen an! scholars, as mechanic tra!es an! han!icrafts for meaner $eo$le.@ As Freemasons are reBuire! by their lan!marks to be Afree%bornA, e see the $ro$riety of incor$orating the arts of free%born men among their symbols. As the system of Masonry !eri"e! its $resent form an! organiGation from the times hen the stu!y of these arts an! sciences constitute! the labors of the isest men, they ha"e "ery a$$ro$riately been a!o$te! as the symbol of the com$letion of human learning. AS9&A(. 6n buil!ers' language, a stone taken from the Buarries. AS9&A(, P/(F/5T. A stone that has been he e!, sBuare!, an! $olishe!, so as to be fit for use in the buil!ing. Masonically, it is a symbol of the state of $erfection attaine! by means of e!ucation. An! as it is the object of S$eculati"e Masonry to $ro!uce this state of $erfection, it may in that $oint of "ie be also consi!ere! as a symbol of the social character of the institution of Freemasonry. AS9&A(, (8;G9. A stone in its ru!e an! natural state. Masonically, it is a symbol of men's natural state of ignorance. But if the $erfect ashlar be, in reference to its mo!e of $re$aration, consi!ere! as a symbol of the

social character of Freemasonry, then the rough ashlar must be consi!ere! as a symbol of the $rofane orl!. 6n this s$ecies of symbolism, the rough an! $erfect ashlars bear the same relation to each other as ignorance !oes to kno le!ge, !eath to life, an! light to !arkness. The rough ashlar is the $rofane, the $erfect ashlar is the initiate. AS9M8&/, /&6AS. A celebrate! antiBuary of /nglan!, ho as born in 1D1*. 9e has ritten an autobiogra$hy, or rather !iary of his life, hich e>ten!s to ithin eight years of his !eath. ;n!er the !ate of 8ctober 1D, 1D-D, he has ma!e the follo ing entry' @6 as ma!e a Free%Mason at Earrington, in &ancashire, ith 5ol. 9enry Main aring, of 5articham, in 5heshire? the names of those that ere then at the lo!ge' Mr. (ichar! Penket, ar!en? Mr. :ames 5ollier, Mr. (ichar! Sankey, 9enry &ittler, :ohn /llam an! 9ugh Bre er.@ Thirty%si> years after ar!s, un!er !ate of March 1,, 1DC+, he makes the follo ing entry' @6 recei"e! a summons to a$$ear at a lo!ge to be hel! the ne>t !ay at Masons' 9all, in &on!on. 11. Accor!ingly 6 ent, an! about noon as a!mitte! into the fello shi$ of Freemasons by Sir Eilliam Eilson, =night, 5a$tain (ichar! Borth ick, Mr. Eilliam Eoo!man, Mr. Eilliam Grey, Mr. Samuel Taylour, an! Mr. Eilliam Eise. 6 as the senior fello among them Kit being thirty%fi"e years since 6 as a!mitte!L? there as $resent besi!e myself the fello s after name!' Mr. Thomas Eise, master of the Masons' 5om$any this year? Mr. Thomas Shorthose, Mr. Thomas Sha!bolt, %%%% Eai!sffor!, /sB., Mr. <icholas #oung, Mr. :ohn Shorthose, Mr. Eilliam 9amon, Mr. :ohn Thom$son, an! Mr. Eilliam Stanton. Ee all !ine! at the 9alf%Moon Ta"ern, in 5hea$si!e, at a noble !inner $re$are! at the charge of the ne %acce$te! Masons.@ The titles of some of the $ersons name! in these t o rece$tions confirm hat is sai! in the te>t, that the o$erati"e as at that time being su$erse!e! by the s$eculati"e element. 6t is !ee$ly to be regrette! that Ashmole !i! not carry out his $rojecte! !esign of riting a history of Freemasonry, for hich it is sai! that he ha! collecte! abun!ant materials. 9is 9istory of the 8r!er of the Garter sho s hat e might ha"e e>$ecte! from his treatment of the masonic institution. ASP6(A<T. 8ne ho as$ires to or seeks after the truth. The title gi"en to the can!i!ate in the ancient Mysteries. AT9/&STA<. =ing of /nglan!, ho ascen!e! the throne in 2+-. An!erson cites the ol! constitutions as saying that he encourage! the Masons, an! brought many o"er from France an! else here. 6n his reign, an! in the year 2+D, the celebrate! General Assembly of the 5raft as hel! in the city of #ork, ith $rince /! ar!, the king's brother, for Gran! Master, hen ne constitutions ere frame!. From this assembly the #ork (ite !ates its origin. A;T8PS# KGreek .Greek' ayLto$siOa4, Aa seeing ith one's o n eyesAL. The com$lete communication of the secrets in the ancient Mysteries, hen the

as$irant as a!mitte! into the sacellum, or most sacre! $lace, an! as in"este! by the 9iero$hant ith all the a$orrheta, or sacre! things, hich constitute! the $erfect kno le!ge of the initiate. A similar ceremony in Freemasonry is calle! the (ite of 6ntrusting. A;M. The triliteral name of Go! in the Brahminical mysteries, an! eBui"alent among the 9in!oos to the tetragrammaton of the :e s. 6n one of the Puranas, or sacre! books of the 9in!oos, it is sai!, @All the rites or!aine! in the He!as, the sacrifices to fire, an! all other solemn $urifications, shall $ass a ay? but that hich shall ne"er $ass a ay is the or! A;M, for it is the symbol of the &or! of all things.@

B BAB/&. The biblical account of the !is$ersion of mankin! in conseBuence of the confusion of tongues at Babel, has been incor$orate! into the history of Masonry. The te>t has sho n the $robability that the $ure an! abstract $rinci$les of the Primiti"e Freemasonry ha! been $reser"e! by <oah an! his imme!iate !escen!ants? an! also that, as a conseBuence of the !is$ersion, these $rinci$les ha! been lost or greatly corru$te! by the Gentiles, ho ere remo"e! from the influence an! teachings of the great $atriarch. <o there as in the ol! rituals a formula in the thir! !egree, $reser"e! in some $laces to the $resent !ay, hich teaches that the can!i!ate has come Afrom the to er of Babel, here language as confoun!e! an! Masonry lostA, an! that he is tra"elling Ato the threshing%floor of 8rnan the :ebusite, here language as restore! an! Masonry foun!A. An attenti"e $erusal of the nineteen $ro$ositions set forth in the $reliminary cha$ter of this ork ill furnish the rea!er ith a key for the inter$retation of this formula. The $rinci$les of the Primiti"e Freemasonry of the early $riesthoo! ere corru$te! or lost at Babel by the !efection of a $ortion of mankin! from <oah, the conser"ator of those $rinci$les. &ong after, the !escen!ants of this $eo$le unite! ith those of <oah at the tem$le of Solomon, hose site as the threshing%floor of 8rnan the :ebusite, from hom it ha! been bought by )a"i!? an! here the lost $rinci$les ere restore! by this union of the S$urious Freemasons of Tyre ith the Primiti"e Freemasons of :erusalem. An! this e>$lains the latter clause of the formula. BAB#&8<6S9 5APT6H6T#. Ehen the city an! tem$le of :erusalem ere !estroye! by the army of <ebucha!neGGar, an! the inhabitants con"eye! as ca$ti"es to Babylon, e ha"e a right to su$$ose,%%that is to say, if there be any truth in masonic history, the !e!uction is legitimate,%%that among these ca$ti"es ere many of the !escen!ants of the orkmen at the tem$le. 6f so,

then they carrie! ith them into ca$ti"ity the $rinci$les of Masonry hich they ha! acBuire! at home, an! the city of Babylon became the great seat of S$eculati"e Masonry for many years. 6t as !uring the ca$ti"ity that the $hiloso$her Pythagoras, ho as tra"elling as a seeker after kno le!ge, "isite! Babylon. Eith his ar!ent thirst for is!om, he oul! naturally hol! freBuent inter"ie s ith the lea!ing Masons among the :e ish ca$ti"es. As he suffere! himself to be initiate! into the Mysteries of /gy$t !uring his "isit to that country, it is not unlikely that he may ha"e sought a similar initiation into the masonic Mysteries. This oul! account for the many analogies an! resemblances to Masonry that e fin! in the moral teachings, the symbols, an! the $eculiar organiGation of the school of Pythagoras%%resemblances so e>traor!inary as to ha"e justifie!, or at least e>cuse!, the rituals for calling the sage of Samos @our ancient brother.@ BA559;S. 8ne of the a$$ellations of the @many%name!@ go! )ionysus. The son of :u$iter an! Semele as to the Greeks )ionysus, to the (omans Bacchus. BA(/ F//T. A symbol of re"erence hen both feet are unco"ere!. 8ther ise the symbolism is mo!ern? an! from the ritualistic e>$lanation hich is gi"en in the first !egree, it oul! seem to reBuire that the single bare foot shoul! be inter$rete! as the symbol of a co"enant. B&A5=. Pythagoras calle! this color the symbol of the e"il $rinci$le in nature. 6t as eBui"alent to !arkness, hich is the antagonist of light. But in masonic symbolism the inter$retation is !ifferent. There, black is a symbol of grief, an! al ays refers to the fate of the tem$le%buil!er. B(A9MA. 6n the mythology of the 9in!oos there is a trimurti, or trinity, the Su$reme Being e>hibiting himself in three manifestations? as, Brahma the 5reator, Hishnu the Preser"er, an! Si"a the )estroyer,%%the unite! go!hea! being a symbol of the sun. Brahma as a symbol of the rising sun, Si"a of the sun at meri!ian, an! Hishnu of the setting sun. B(;5/. The intro!uction of Freemasonry into Scotlan! has been attribute! by some riters to =ing (obert Bruce, ho is sai! to ha"e establishe! in 131- the 8r!er of 9ero!om, for the rece$tion of those =nights Tem$lars ho ha! taken refuge in his !ominions from the $ersecutions of the Po$e an! the =ing of France. &a rie, ho is e>cellent authority for Scottish Masonry, !oes not a$$ear, ho e"er, to gi"e any cre!it to the narrati"e. Ehate"er Bruce may ha"e !one for the higher !egrees, there is no !oubt that Ancient 5raft Masonry as intro!uce! into Scotlan! at an earlier $erio!. See A=il inningA. #et the te>t is right in making Bruce one of the $atrons an! encouragers of Scottish Freemasonry.

B(#A<T. :acob Bryant, freBuently Buote! in this ork, as a !istinguishe! /nglish antiBuary, born in the year 1*1J, an! !ecease! in 1C,-. 9is most celebrate! ork is @A <e System of Ancient Mythology,@ hich a$$eare! in 1**3%*D. Although objectionable on account of its too conjectural character, it contains a fun! of !etails on the subject of symbolism, an! may be consulte! ith a!"antage by the masonic stu!ent. B;6&)/(. The chief architect of the tem$le of Solomon is often calle! @the Buil!er.@ But the or! is also a$$lie! generally to the craft? for e"ery S$eculati"e Mason is as much a buil!er as as his o$erati"e $re!ecessor. An American riter KF.S. Eoo!, of ArkansasL thus allu!es to this symbolic i!ea. @Masons are calle! moral buil!ers. 6n their rituals, they !eclare that a more noble an! glorious $ur$ose than sBuaring stones an! he ing timbers is theirs, fitting immortal nature for that s$iritual buil!ing not ma!e ith han!s, eternal in the hea"ens.@ An! he a!!s, @The buil!er buil!s for a century? masons for eternity.@ 6n this sense, @the buil!er@ is the noblest title that can be besto e! u$on a mason. B;<#A<, :89<. Familiar to e"ery one as the author of the @Pilgrim's Progress.@ 9e li"e! in the se"enteenth century, an! as the most celebrate! allegorical riter of /nglan!. 9is ork entitle! @Solomon's Tem$le S$iritualiGe!@ ill su$$ly the stu!ent of masonic symbolism ith many "aluable suggestions.

5 5ABA&A. The mystical $hiloso$hy of the :e s. The or! hich is !eri"e! from a 9ebre root, signifying Ato recei"eA, has sometimes been use! in an enlarge! sense, as com$rehen!ing all the e>$lanations, ma>ims, an! ceremonies hich ha"e been tra!itionally han!e! !o n to the :e s? but in that more limite! acce$tation, in hich it is intimately connecte! ith the symbolic science of Freemasonry, the cabala may be !efine! to be a system of $hiloso$hy hich embraces certain mystical inter$retations of Scri$ture, an! meta$hysical s$eculations concerning the )eity, man, an! s$iritual beings. 6n these inter$retations an! s$eculations, accor!ing to the :e ish !octors, ere en"elo$e! the most $rofoun! truths of religion, hich, to be com$rehen!e! by finite beings, are oblige! to be re"eale! through the me!ium of symbols an! allegories. Bu>torf K&e>. Talm.L !efines the 5abala to be a secret science, hich treats in a mystical an! enigmatical manner of things !i"ine, angelical, theological, celestial, an! meta$hysical, the subjects being en"elo$e! in striking symbols an! secret mo!es of teaching. 5ABA&6ST. A :e ish $hiloso$her. 8ne ho un!erstan!s an! teaches the

!octrines of the 5abala, or the :e ish $hiloso$hy. 5AB6(6. 5ertain go!s, hose orshi$ as first establishe! in the 6slan! of Samothrace, here the 5abiric Mysteries ere $ractise! until the beginning of the 5hristian era. They ere four in number, an! by some are su$$ose! to ha"e referre! to <oah an! his three sons. 6n the Mysteries there as a legen! of the !eath an! restoration to life of Atys, the son of 5ybele. The can!i!ate re$resente! 5a!millus, the youngest of the 5abiri, ho as slain by his three brethren. The legen! of the 5abiric Mysteries, as far as it can be un!erstoo! from the faint allusions of ancient authors, as in s$irit an! !esign "ery analogous to that of the thir! !egree of Masonry. 5A)M6&&;S. 8ne of the go!s of the 5abiri, ho as slain by his brothers, on hich circumstance the legen! of the 5abiric or Samothracian Mysteries is foun!e!. 9e is the analogue of the Buil!er in the 9iramic legen! of Freemasonry. +JD 5A6(<S. 9ea$s of stones of a conical form, erecte! by the )rui!s. Some su$$ose them to ha"e been se$ulchral monuments, others altars. They ere un!oubte!ly of a religious character, since sacrificial fires ere lighte! u$on them, an! $rocessions ere ma!e aroun! them. These $rocessions ere analogous to the circumambulations in Masonry, an! ere con!ucte! like them ith reference to the a$$arent course of the sun. 5ASS6A. A gross corru$tion of AAcaciaA. The cassia is an aromatic $lant, but it has no mystical or symbolic character. 5/&T65 M#ST/(6/S. The religious rites of ancient Gaul an! Britain, more familiarly kno n as A)rui!ismA, hich see.. 1,2 5/(/M8<6/S. The outer garments hich co"er an! a!orn Freemasonry as clothing !oes the human bo!y. Although ceremonies gi"e neither life nor truth to !octrines or $rinci$les, yet they ha"e an a!mirable influence, since by their use certain things are ma!e to acBuire a sacre! character hich they oul! not other ise ha"e ha!? an! hence &or! 5oke has most isely sai! that @$ru!ent antiBuity !i!, for more solemnity an! better memory an! obser"ation of that hich is to be !one, e>$ress substances un!er ceremonies.@. 5/(/S. Among the (omans the go!!ess of agriculture? but among the more $oetic Greeks she became, as )emeter, the symbol of the $rolific earth. See A)emeterA. 59A(T/( 8F 58&8G</. A masonic !ocument of great celebrity, but not of unBuestione! authenticity. 6t is a !eclaration or affirmation of the

!esign an! $rinci$les of Freemasonry, issue! in the year 1J3J, by a con"ention of masons ho ha! assemble! in the city of 5ologne. The original is in the &atin language. The assertors of the authenticity of the !ocument claim that it as foun! in the chest of a lo!ge at Amster!am in 1D3*, an! after ar!s regularly transmitte! from han! to han! until the year 1C1D, hen it as $resente! to Prince Fre!erick of <assau, through hom it as at that time ma!e kno n to the masonic orl!. 8thers assert that it is a forgery, hich as $er$etrate! about the year 1C1D. &ike the &elan! manuscri$t, it is one of those "e>e! Buestions of masonic literary history o"er hich so much !oubt has been thro n, that it ill $robably ne"er be satisfactorily sol"e!. For a translation of the charter, an! co$ious e>$lanatory notes, by the author of this ork, the rea!er is referre! to the @American Muarterly (e"ie of Freemasonry,@ "ol. ii. $. J+. 59(6ST6A<6NAT68< 8F F(//MAS8<(#. The inter$retation of its symbols from a 5hristian $oint of "ie . This is an error into hich 9utchinson an! 8li"er in /nglan!, an! Scott an! one or t o others of less celebrity in this country, ha"e fallen. 6t is im$ossible to !eri"e Freemasonry from 5hristianity, because the former, in $oint of time, $rece!e! the latter. 6n fact, the symbols of Freemasonry are Solomonic, an! its religion as !eri"e! from the ancient $riesthoo!. The infusion of the 5hristian element as, ho e"er, a natural result of surroun!ing circumstances? yet to sustain it oul! be fatal to the cosmo$olitan character of the institution. Such inter$retation is therefore mo!ern, an! !oes not belong to the ancient system. 56(5;&A( T/MP&/S. These ere use! in the initiations of the religion of Noroaster. &ike the sBuare tem$les of Masonry, an! the other Mysteries, they ere symbolic of the orl!, an! the symbol as com$lete! by making the circumference of the circle a re$resentation of the Go!iac. 56(5;MAMB;&AT68<. The ceremony of $erambulating the lo!ge, or going in $rocession aroun! the altar, hich as uni"ersally $ractise! in the ancient initiations an! other religious ceremonies, an! as al ays $erforme! so that the $ersons mo"ing shoul! ha"e the altar on their right han!. The rite as symbolic of the a$$arent !aily course of the sun from the east to the est by the ay of the south, an! as un!oubte!ly !eri"e! from the ancient sun% orshi$. 56H6&6NAT68<. Freemasonry is a result of ci"iliGation, for it e>ists in no sa"age or barbarous state of society? an! in return it has $ro"e!, by its social an! moral $rinci$les, a means of e>ten!ing an! ele"ating the ci"iliGation hich ga"e it birth.

Freemasonry is therefore a ty$e of ci"iliGation, bearing the same relation to the $rofane orl! that ci"iliGation !oes to the sa"age state. 58&&/G/S 8F A(T6F65/(S. The A5ollegia FabrorumA, or Eorkmen's 5olleges, ere establishe! in (ome by <uma, ho for this $ur$ose !istribute! all the artisans of the city into com$anies, or colleges, accor!ing to their arts an! tra!es. They resemble! the mo!ern cor$orations, or Aguil!sA, hich s$rang u$ in the mi!!le ages. The rule establishe! by their foun!er, that not less than three coul! constitute a college,%%@Atres faciunt collegiumA,@%%has been retaine! in the regulations of the thir! !egree of masonry, to a lo!ge of hich these colleges bore other analogies. 58&8G</, 59A(T/( 8F. See A5harter of 5ologneA. 58MM8< GAH/&. See AGa"elA. 58<S/5(AT68<. The a$$ro$riating or !e!icating, ith certain ceremonies, anything to sacre! $ur$oses or offices, by se$arating it from common use. Masonic lo!ges, like ancient tem$les an! mo!ern churches, ha"e al ays been consecrate!. 9obbes, in his A&e"iathanA K$. i". c. --L, gi"es the best !efinition of this ceremony. @To consecrate is in Scri$ture to offer, gi"e, or !e!icate, in $ious an! !ecent language an! gesture, a man, or any other thing, to Go!, by se$arating it from common use.@. 58<S/5(AT68<, /&/M/<TS 8F. Those things, the use of hich in the ceremony as constituent an! elementary $arts of it, are necessary to the $erfecting an! legaliGing of the act of consecration. 6n Freemasonry, these elements of consecration are AcornA, A ineA, an! AoilA,%% hich see. 58(<. 8ne of the three elements of masonic consecration, an! as a symbol of $lenty it is inten!e!, un!er the name of the @corn of nourishment,@ to remin! us of those tem$oral blessings of life, su$$ort, an! nourishment hich e recei"e from the Gi"er of all goo!. 58(</( ST8</. The most im$ortant stone in the e!ifice, an! in its symbolism referring to an im$ressi"e ceremony in the first !egree of Masonry. The ancients lai! it ith $eculiar ceremonies, an! among the 8riental nations it as the symbol of a $rince, or chief. 6t is one of the most im$ressi"e symbols of Masonry. 6t is a symbol of the can!i!ate on his initiation. As a symbol it is e>clusi"ely masonic, an! confine! to a tem$le origin.

58H/(6<G 8F T9/ &8)G/. ;n!er the technical name of the @clou!e! cano$y or starry%!ecke! hea"ens,@ it is a symbol of the future orl!,%%of the celestial lo!ge abo"e, here the G.A.8.T.;. fore"er $resi!es, an! hich constitutes the @foreign country@ hich e"ery mason ho$es to reach. 5(/;N/(. George Fre!erick 5reuGer, ho as born in Germany in 1**1, an! as a $rofessor at the ;ni"ersity of 9ei!elberg, !e"ote! himself to the stu!y of the ancient religions, an! ith $rofoun! learning, establishe! a $eculiar system on the subject. Many of his "ie s ha"e been a!o$te! in the te>t of the $resent ork. 9is theory as, that the religion an! mythology of the ancient Greeks ere borro e! from a far more ancient $eo$le,%%a bo!y of $riests coming from the /ast,%% ho recei"e! them as a re"elation. The myths an! tra!itions of this ancient $eo$le ere a!o$te! by 9esio!, 9omer, an! the later $oets, although not ithout some misun!erstan!ing of them, an! they ere finally $reser"e! in the Mysteries, an! became subjects of in"estigation for the $hiloso$hers. This theory 5reuGer has !e"elo$e! in his most im$ortant ork, entitle! @Symbolik un! Mythologie !er alten Hoelker, beson!ers !er Greichen,@ hich as $ublishe! at &ei$sic in 1C12. There is no translation of this ork into /nglish, but Guigniaut $ublishe! at Paris, in 1C+-, a $ara$hrastic translation of it, un!er the title of @(eligions !e l'AntiBuite consi!erees $rinci$alement !ans leur Formes SymboliBues et MythologiBues.@ 5reuGer's "ie s thro much light on the symbolic history of Freemasonry. 5(8SS. <o symbol as so uni"ersally !iffuse! at an early $erio! as the cross. 6t as, says Faber K5abir. ii. 32,L, a symbol throughout the $agan orl! long $re"ious to its becoming an object of "eneration to 5hristians. 6n ancient symbology it as a symbol of eternal life. M. !e Mortillet, ho in 1CDD $ublishe! a ork entitle! @&e Signe !e la 5roi> a"ant le 5hristianisme,@ foun! in the "ery earliest e$ochs three $rinci$al symbols of uni"ersal occurrences? "iG., the AcircleA, the A$yrami!A, an! the AcrossA. &eslie KMan's 8rigin an! )estiny, $. 31+L, Buoting from him in reference to the ancient orshi$ of the cross, says @6t seems to ha"e been a orshi$ of such a $eculiar nature as to e>clu!e the orshi$ of i!ols.@ This sacre!ness of the crucial symbol may be one reason hy its form as often a!o$te!, es$ecially by the 5elts in the construction of their tem$les, though 6 ha"e a!mitte! in the te>t the commonly recei"e! o$inion that in cross%sha$e! tem$les the four limbs of the cross referre! to the four elements. But in a "ery interesting ork lately $ublishe!%%@The Myths of the <e Eorl!@ K<.#., 1CD3L%%Mr. Brinton assigns another symbolism. @The symbol,@ says this riter, @that beyon! all others has fascinate! the human min!, T9/ 5(8SS, fin!s here its source an! meaning. Scholars ha"e $ointe! out its sacre!ness in many natural religions, an! ha"e re"erently acce$te! it as a mystery, or offere! scores of conflicting, an! often !ebasing, inter$retations. A6t is but another symbol of the four car!inal $oints, the four in!s of hea"en.A This ill luminously a$$ear by a stu!y

of its use an! meaning in America.@ K$. 2J.L An! Mr. Brinton gi"es many instances of the religious use of the cross by se"eral of the aboriginal tribes of this continent, here the allusion, it must be confesse!, seems e"i!ently to be to the four car!inal $oints, or the four in!s, or four s$irits, of the earth. 6f this be so, an! if it is $robable that a similar reference as a!o$te! by the 5eltic an! other ancient $eo$les, then e oul! ha"e in the cruciform tem$le as much a symbolism of the orl!, of hich the four car!inal $oints constitute the boun!aries, as e ha"e in the sBuare, the cubical, an! the circular. 5T/6S. A re$resentation of the female generati"e organ. 6t as, as a symbol, al ays accom$anie! by the $hallus, an!, like that symbol, as e>tensi"ely "enerate! by the nations of antiBuity. 6t as a symbol of the $rolific $o ers of nature. See APhallusA. 5;B/. A geometrical figure, consisting of si> eBual si!es an! si> eBual angles. 6t is the sBuare soli!ifie!, an! as among the ancients a symbol of truth. The same symbolism is recogniGe! in Freemasonry.

) )A(=</SS. 6t !enotes falsehoo! an! ignorance, an! as a "ery uni"ersal symbol among the nations of antiBuity. 6n all the ancient initiations, the as$irant as $lace! in !arkness for a $erio! !iffering in each,%%among the )rui!s for three !ays, among the Greeks for t enty%se"en, an! in the Mysteries of Mithras for fifty. 6n all of these, as ell as in Freemasonry, !arkness is the symbol of initiation not com$lete. )/AT9. Because it as belie"e! to be the entrance to a better an! eternal life, hich as the !ogma of the Mysteries, !eath became the symbol of initiation? an! hence among the Greeks the same or! signifie! Ato !ieA, an! Ato be initiate!A. 6n the British Mysteries, says )a"ies KMythol. of the British )rui!sL, the no"itiate $asse! the ri"er of !eath in the boat of Garanhir, the 5haron of the Greeks? an! before he coul! be a!mitte! to this $ri"ilege, it as reBuisite that he shoul! ha"e been mystically burie!, as ell as mystically !ea!. )/F6<6T68< 8F F(//MAS8<(#. The !efinition Buote! in the te>t, that it is a science of morality, "eile! in allegory an! illustrate! by symbols, is the one hich is gi"en in the /nglish lectures.

But a more com$rehensi"e an! e>act !efinition is, that it is a science hich is engage! in the search after !i"ine truth. )/&TA. 6n the higher !egrees of Masonry, the triangle is so calle! because the Greek letter of that name is of a triangular form. 6t is a symbol of )eity, because it is the first $erfect figure in geometry? it is the first figure in hich s$ace is enclose! by lines. )/M/T/(. Eorshi$$e! by the Greeks as the symbol of the $rolific earth. She as the 5eres of the (omans. To her is attribute! the institution of the /leusinian Mysteries in Greece, the most $o$ular of all the ancient initiations. )/S6G< 8F F(//MAS8<(#. 6t is not charity or alms%gi"ing. <or the culti"ation of the social sentiment? for both of these are merely inci!ental to its organiGation. But it is the search after truth, an! that truth is the unity of Go!, an! the immortality of the soul. )6/S/A&. A term use! by the )rui!s to !esignate the circumambulation aroun! the sacre! cairns, an! is !eri"e! from t o or!s signifying @on the right of the sun,@ because the circumambulation as al ays in imitation of the course of the sun, ith the right han! ne>t to the cairn or altar. )68<#S6A5 A(T6F65/(S. An association of architects ho $ossesse! the e>clusi"e $ri"ilege of erecting tem$les an! other $ublic buil!ings in Asia Minor. The members ere !istinguishe! from the uninitiate! inhabitants by the $ossession of $eculiar marks of recognition, an! by the secret character of their association. They ere intimately connecte! ith the )ionysiac Mysteries, an! are su$$ose! to ha"e furnishe! the buil!ers for the construction of the tem$le of Solomon. )68<#S6A5 M#ST/(6/S. 6n a!!ition to hat is sai! in the te>t, 6 a!! the follo ing, slightly con!ense!, from the $en of that accom$lishe! riter, Albert Pike' @The initiates in these Mysteries ha! $reser"e! the ritual an! ceremonies that accor!e! ith the sim$licity of the earliest ages, an! the manners of the first men. The rules of Pythagoras ere follo e! there. &ike the /gy$tians, ho hel! ool unclean, they burie! no initiate in oollen garments. They abstaine! from bloo!y sacrifices, an! li"e! on fruits or "egetables. They imitate! the life of the contem$lati"e sects of the 8rient. 8ne of the most $recious a!"antages $romise! by their initiation as to $ut man in communion ith the go!s by $urifying his soul of all the $assions that interfere ith that enjoyment, an! !im the

rays of !i"ine light that are communicate! to e"ery soul ca$able of recei"ing them. The sacre! gates of the tem$le, here the ceremonies of initiation ere $erforme!, ere o$ene! but once in each year, an! no stranger as allo e! to enter. <ight thre her "eil o"er these august Mysteries. There the sufferings of )ionysus ere re$resente!, ho, like 8siris, !ie!, !escen!e! to hell, an! rose to life again? an! ra flesh as !istribute! to the initiates, hich each ate in memory of the !eath of the !eity torn in $ieces by the Titans.@ )68<#S;S. 8r Bacchus? mythologically sai! to be the son of Neus an! Semele. 6n his Mysteries he as i!entifie! ith 8siris, an! regar!e! as the sun. 9is Mysteries $re"aile! in Greece, (ome, an! Asia, an! ere celebrate! by the )ionysiac artificers%%those buil!ers ho unite! ith the :e s in the construction of =ing Solomon's tem$le. 9ence, of all the ancient Mysteries, they are the most interesting to the masonic stu!ent. )6SS/H/(A<5/. The !isse"erance of the o$erati"e from the s$eculati"e element of Freemasonry occurre! at the beginning of the eighteenth century. )6S5A&5/AT68<, (6T/ 8F. The ceremony of unco"ering the feet, or taking off the shoes? from the &atin A!iscalceareA. 6t is a symbol of re"erence. See ABare FeetA. )(;6)65A& M#ST/(6/S. The 5eltic Mysteries celebrate! in Britain an! Gaul. They resemble!, in all material $oints, the other mysteries of antiBuity, an! ha! the same !esign. The as$irant as subjecte! to se"ere trials, un!er ent a mystical !eath an! burial in imitation of the !eath of the go! 9u, an! as e"entually enlightene! by the communication to him of the great truths of Go! an! immortality, hich it as the object of all the Mysteries to teach. );A&6SM. A mythological an! $hiloso$hical !octrine, hich su$$oses the orl! to ha"e been al ays go"erne! by t o antagonistic $rinci$les, !istinguishe! as the goo! an! the e"il $rinci$le. This !octrine $er"a!e! all the 8riental religions, an! its influences are to be seen in the system of S$eculati"e Masonry, here it is !e"elo$e! in the symbolism of &ight an! )arkness.

/ /AST. That $art of the hea"ens here the sun rises? an! as the source of material light to hich e figurati"ely a$$ly the i!ea of intellectual light, it has been a!o$te! as a symbol of the 8r!er of Freemasonry. An!

this symbolism is strengthene! by the fact that the earliest learning an! the earliest religion came from the east, an! ha"e e"er been tra"elling to the est. 6n Freemasonry, the east has al ays been consi!ere! the most sacre! of the car!inal $oints, because it is the $lace here light issues? an! it as originally referre! to the $rimiti"e religion, or sun% orshi$. But in Freemasonry it refers es$ecially to that east hence an ancient $riesthoo! first !isseminate! truth to enlighten the orl!? herefore the east is masonically calle! @the $lace of light.@ /GG. The mun!ane egg is a ell%recogniGe! symbol of the orl!. @The ancient $agans,@ says Faber, @in almost e"ery $art of the globe, ere ont to symboliGe the orl! by an egg. 9ence this symbol is intro!uce! into the cosmogony of nearly all nations? an! there are fe $ersons, e"en among those ho ha"e not ma!e mythology their stu!y, to hom the AMun!ane /ggA is not $erfectly familiar. 6t as em$loye! not only to re$resent the earth, but also the uni"erse in its largest e>tent.@ A8rigin of Pag. 6!olatryA, i. 1*J. /GG A<) &;</TT/. The egg, being a symbol not only of the resurrection, but also of the orl! rescue! from !estruction by the <oachic ark, an! the lunette, or horiGontal crescent, being a symbol of the Great Father, re$resente! by <oah, the egg an! lunette combine!, hich as the hierogly$hic of the go! &unus, at 9elio$olis, as a symbol of the orl! $rocee!ing from the Great Father. /G#PT. /gy$t has been consi!ere! as the cra!le not only of the sciences, but of the religions of the ancient orl!. Although a monarchy, ith a king nominally at the hea! of the state, the go"ernment really as in the han!s of the $riests, ho ere the sole !e$ositaries of learning, an! ere alone acBuainte! ith the religious formularies that in /gy$t controlle! all the $ublic an! $ri"ate actions of the life of e"ery inhabitant. /&/P9A<TA. An islan! in the Bay of Bombay, celebrate! for the stu$en!ous ca"erns artificially e>ca"ate! out of the soli! rock, hich ere a$$ro$riate! to the initiations in the ancient 6n!ian Mysteries. /&/;S6<6A< M#ST/(6/S. 8f all the Mysteries of the ancients these ere the most $o$ular. They ere celebrate! at the "illage of /leusis, near Athens, an! ere !e!icate! to )emeter. 6n them the loss an! the restoration of Perse$hone ere scenically re$resente!, an! the !octrines of the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul ere taught. See A)emeterA. /<T/(/) APP(/<T65/. The first !egree of Ancient 5raft Masonry, analogous to the as$irant in the &esser Mysteries.

6t is "ie e! as a symbol of chil!hoo!, an! is consi!ere! as a $re$aration an! $urification for something higher. /P8PT. KFrom the Greek .Greek' eL$oOPtes4, Aan eye itnessA.L 8ne ho, ha"ing been initiate! in the Greater Mysteries of $aganism, has seen the a$orrheta. /(A 8F MAS8<(#. The legen!ary statement that the origin of Masonry is coe"al ith the beginning of the orl!, is only a $hiloso$hical myth to in!icate the eternal nature of its $rinci$les. /(65A. The tree heath? a sacre! $lant among the /gy$tians, an! use! in the 8sirian Mysteries as the symbol of immortality, an! the analogue of the masonic acacia. /SS/</S. A society or sect of the :e s, ho combine! labor ith religious e>ercises, hose organiGation $artook of a secret character, an! ho ha"e been claime! to be the !escen!ants of the buil!ers of the tem$le of Solomon. /;5&6). The masonic legen! hich refers to /ucli! is altogether historically untrue. 6t is really a $hiloso$hical myth inten!e! to con"ey a masonic truth. /;(/S6S. KFrom the Greek .Greek' eyLOresis4, Aa !isco"eryA.L That $art of the initiation in the ancient Mysteries hich re$resente! the fin!ing of the bo!y of the go! or hero hose !eath as the subject of the initiation. The euresis has been a!o$te! in Freemasonry, an! forms an essential $art of the ritual of the thir! !egree. /H/(G(//<. A symbol of the immortality of the soul. Plante! by the 9ebre s an! other ancient $eo$les at the hea!s of gra"es. For this $ur$ose the 9ebre s $referre! the acacia, because its oo! as incorru$tible, an! because, as the material of the ark, it as alrea!y consi!ere! as a sacre! $lant. /#/, A&&%S//6<G. A symbol of the omniscient an! atchful $ro"i!ence of Go!. 6t is a "ery ancient symbol, an! is su$$ose! by some to be a relic of the $rimiti"e sun% orshi$. Holney says KA&es (uinesA, $. 1CDL that in most of the ancient languages of Asia, the AeyeA an! the AsunA are e>$resse! by the same or!. Among the /gy$tians the eye as the symbol of their su$reme go!, 8siris, or the sun.

F FAB/(. The orks of the (e". G.S. Faber, on the 8rigin of Pagan 6!olatry, an! on the 5abiri, are "aluable contributions to the science of mythology. They aboun! in matters of interest to the in"estigator of masonic symbolism an! $hiloso$hy, but shoul! be rea! ith a careful "ie of the $reconcei"e! theory of the learne! author, ho refers e"erything in the ancient religions to the influences of the <oachic cataclysm, an! the arkite orshi$ hich he su$$oses to ha"e resulte! from it. F/&&8E 5(AFT. The secon! !egree of Ancient 5raft Masonry, analogous to the mystes in the ancient Mysteries. The symbol of a youth setting forth on the journey of life. F/T6596SM. The orshi$ of uncouth an! missha$en i!ols, $ractise! only by the most ignorant an! !ebase! $eo$les, an! to be foun! at this !ay among some of the least ci"iliGe! of the negro tribes of Africa. @Their fetiches,@ says )u 5haillu, s$eaking of some of the African races, @consiste! of fingers an! tails of monkeys? of human hair, skin, teeth, bones? of clay, ol! nails, co$$er chains? shells, feathers, cla s, an! skulls of bir!s? $ieces of iron, co$$er, or oo!? see!s of $lants, ashes of "arious substances, an! 6 cannot tell hat more.@ A/Buatorial AfricaA, $. 23. F6FT//<. A sacre! number, symbolic of the name of Go!, because the letters of the holy name :A9 are eBual, in the 9ebre mo!e of numeration by the letters of the al$habet, to fifteen? for .9ebre ' yo!4 is eBual to ten, an! .9ebre ' heh4 is eBual to fi"e. 9ence, from "eneration for this sacre! name, the 9ebre s !o not, in or!inary com$utations, hen they ish to e>$ress the number 1J, make use of these t o letters, but of t o others, hich are eBui"alent to 2 an! D. F8(T#%S/H/<T9 P(8B&/M. The forty%se"enth $roblem of the first book of /ucli! is, that in any right%angle! triangle the sBuare hich is !escribe! u$on the si!e subten!ing the right angle is eBual to the sBuares !escribe! u$on the si!es hich contain the right angle. 6t is sai! to ha"e been !isco"ere! by Pythagoras hile in /gy$t, but as most $robably taught to him by the $riests of that country, in hose rites he ha! been initiate!? it is a symbol of the $ro!uction of the orl! by the generati"e an! $rolific $o ers of the 5reator? hence the /gy$tians ma!e the $er$en!icular an! base the re$resentati"es of 8siris an! 6sis, hile the hy$othenuse re$resente! their chil! 9orus. )r. &ar!ner says KA5om. on /ucli!A, $. D,L of this $roblem, @Ehether e consi!er the forty%se"enth $ro$osition ith reference to the $eculiar an! beautiful relation establishe! by it, or to

its innumerable uses in e"ery !e$artment of mathematical science, or to its fertility in the conseBuences !eri"able from it, it must certainly be esteeme! the most celebrate! an! im$ortant in the hole of the elements, if not in the hole range of mathematical science.@ F8;(T//<. Some symbologists ha"e referre! the fourteen $ieces into hich the mutilate! bo!y of 8siris as !i"i!e!, an! the fourteen !ays !uring hich the bo!y of the buil!er as burie!, to the fourteen !ays of the !isa$$earance of the moon. The Sabian orshi$$ers of @the hosts of hea"en@ ere im$resse! ith the alternate a$$earance an! !isa$$earance of the moon, hich at length became a symbol of !eath an! resurrection. 9ence fourteen as a sacre! number. As such it as "ie e! in the 8sirian Mysteries, an! may ha"e been intro!uce! into Freemasonry ith other relics of the ol! orshi$ of the sun an! $lanets. F(//MAS8<(#, )/F6<6T68< 8F. See A)efinitionA. F(//MAS8<S, T(AH/&&6<G. The tra"elling Freemasons ere a society e>isting in the mi!!le ages, an! consisting of learne! men an! $relates, un!er hom ere o$erati"e masons. The o$erati"e masons $erforme! the labors of the craft, an! tra"elling from country to country, ere engage! in the construction of cathe!rals, monasteries, an! castles. @There are fe $oints in the history of the mi!!le ages,@ says Go! in, @more $leasing to look back u$on than the e>istence of the associate! masons? they are the bright s$ot in the general !arkness of that $erio!? the $atch of "er!ure hen all aroun! is barren.@ AThe Buil!erA, i>. -D3

G G. The use of the letter G in the Fello 5raft's !egree is an anachronism. 6t is really a corru$tion of, or $erha$s rather a substitution for, the 9ebre letter Kyo!L, hich is the initial of the ineffable name. As such, it is a symbol of the life%gi"ing an! life%sustaining $o er of Go!. G.A.8.T.;. A masonic abbre"iation use! as a symbol of the name of Go!, an! signifying the AGran! Architect of the ;ni"erseA. 6t as a!o$te! by the Freemasons in accor!ance ith a similar $ractice among all the nations of antiBuity of noting the )i"ine <ame by a symbol. GAH/&. Ehat is calle! in Masonry a common ga"el is a stone%cutter's hammer? it is one of the orking tools of an /ntere! A$$rentice, an! is a symbol of the $urification of the heart. G&8H/S. 8n the continent of /uro$e they are gi"en to can!i!ates at the

same time that they are in"este! ith the a$ron? the same custom formerly $re"aile! in /nglan!? but although the in"estiture of the glo"es is aban!one! as a ceremony both there an! in America, they are orn as a $art of masonic clothing. They are a symbol of $urification of life. 6n the mi!!le ages glo"es ere orn by o$erati"e masons. G8), ;<6T# 8F. See A;nity of Go!A. G8), <AM/ 8F. See A<ameA. G8&G8T9A. 6n 9ebre an! Syriac it means Aa skullA? a name of Mount 5al"ary, an! so calle!, $robably, because it as the $lace of $ublic e>ecution. The &atin A5al"ariaA, hence Mount 5al"ary, means also a skull. G(AH/. 6n the Master's !egree, a symbol hich is the analogue of the $astos, or couch, in the ancient Mysteries. The symbolism has been 5hristianiGe! by some masonic riters, an! the gra"e has thus been referre! to the se$ulchre of 5hrist. G(6PS A<) S6G<S. They are "aluable only for social $ur$oses as mo!es of recognition.

9 9A<). The han! is a symbol of human actions? $ure han!s symboliGe $ure actions, an! im$ure or unclean han!s symboliGe im$ure actions. 9A(/. Among the /gy$tians the hare as a hierogly$hic of Aeyes that are o$enA, an! as the symbol of initiation into the Mysteries of 8siris. The 9ebre or! for AhareA is AarnabetA, an! this is com$oun!e! of t o or!s that signify Ato behol! the lightA. The connection of i!eas is a$$arent. 9/&&/<6SM. The religion of the 9elles, or ancient Greeks ho imme!iately succee!e! the Pelasgians in the settlement of that country. 6t as, in conseBuence of the intro!uction of the $oetic element, more refine! than the ol! Pelasgic orshi$ for hich it as substitute!. 6ts myths ere more $hiloso$hical an! less gross than those of the religion to hich it succee!e!. 9/(MA/. Stones of a cubical form, hich ere originally unhe n, by hich

the Greeks at first re$resente! all their !eities. They came in the $rogress of time to be es$ecially !e!icate! by the Greeks to the go! 9ermes, hence the name, an! by the (omans to the go! Terminus, ho $resi!e! o"er lan!marks. 9/(8 E8(S96P. The orshi$ of men !eifie! after !eath. 6t is a theory of some, both ancient an! mo!ern riters, that all the $agan go!s ere once human beings, an! that the legen!s an! tra!itions of mythology are mere embellishments of the acts of these $ersonages hen ali"e. 6t as the !octrine taught by /uhemerus among the ancients, an! has been maintaine! among the mo!erns by such !istinguishe! authorities as Bochart, Bryant, Hoss, an! Banier. 9/(M/T65 P96&8S8P9#. The system of the Alchemists, the A!e$ts, or seekers of the $hiloso$her's stone. <o system has been more misun!erstoo! than this. 6t as secret, esoteric, an! highly symbolical. <o one has so ell re"eale! its true !esign as /.A. 9itchcock, ho, in his !elightful ork entitle! @(emarks u$on Alchemy an! the Alchemists,@ says, @The genuine Alchemists ere religious men, ho $asse! their time in legitimate $ursuits, earning an honest subsistence, an! in religious contem$lation, stu!ying ho to realiGe in themsel"es the union of the !i"ine an! human nature, e>$resse! in man by an enlightene! submission to Go!'s ill? an! they thought out an! $ublishe!, after a manner of their o n, a metho! of attaining or entering u$on this state, as the only rest of the soul.@ There is a "ery great similarity bet een their !octrines an! those of the Freemasons? so much so that the t o associations ha"e sometimes been confoun!e!. 96/(8P9A<T. KFrom the Greek .Greek' iKeroPs4, Aholy, sacre!A, an! .Greek' $haiOno4 Ato sho A.L 8ne ho instructs in sacre! things? the e>$lainer of the a$orrheta, or secret !octrines, to the initiates in the ancient Mysteries. 9e as the $resi!ing officer, an! his rank an! !uties ere analogous to those of the master of a masonic lo!ge. 96(AM AB6F. The architect of Solomon's tem$le. The or! @Abif@ signifies in 9ebre @his father,@ an! is use! by the riter of Secon! 5hronicles Ki". 1DL hen he says, @These things !i! A9iram his fatherA .in the original A9iram Abif A4 !o for =ing Solomon.@. The legen! relating to him is of no "alue as a mere narrati"e, but of "ast im$ortance in a symbolical $oint of "ie , as illustrating a great $hiloso$hical an! religious truth? namely, the !ogma of the immortality of the soul. 9ence, 9iram Abif is the symbol of man in the abstract sense, or human nature, as !e"elo$e! in the life here an! in the life to come.

96(AM 8F T#(/. The king of Tyre, the frien! an! ally of =ing Solomon, hom he su$$lie! ith men an! materials for buil!ing the tem$le. 6n the recent, or hat 6 am incline! to call the gran! lecturer's symbolism of Masonry Ka sort of symbolism for hich 6 ha"e "ery little "enerationL, 9iram of Tyre is style! the symbol of strength, as 9iram Abif is of beauty. But 6 !oubt the antiBuity or authenticity of any such symbolism. 9iram of Tyre can only be consi!ere!, historically, as being necessary to com$lete the myth an! symbolism of 9iram Abif. The king of Tyre is an historical $ersonage, an! there is no necessity for transforming him into a symbol, hile his historical character len!s cre!it an! "ali!ity to the $hiloso$hical myth of the thir! !egree of Masonry. 96(AM T9/ B;6&)/(. An e$ithet of 9iram Abif. For the full significance of the term, see the or! ABuil!erA. 98%96. A cabalistic $ronunciation of the tetragrammaton, or ineffable name of Go!? it is most $robably the true one? an! as it literally means 9/%S9/, it is su$$ose! to !enote the herma$hro!itic essence of :eho"ah, as containing ithin himself the male an! the female $rinci$le,%%the generati"e an! the $rolific energy of creation. 98. The sacre! name of Go! among the )rui!s. Bryant su$$oses that by it they inten!e! the Great Father <oah? but it is "ery $ossible that it as a mo!ification of the 9ebre tetragrammaton, being the last syllable rea! cabalistically Ksee Aho%hiAL? if so, it signifie! the great male $rinci$le of nature. But 9; is claime! by Talmu!ic riters to be one of the names of Go!? an! the $assage in 6saiah >lii. C, in the original Aani :eho"ah, 9u shemiA, hich is in the common "ersion @6 am the &8()? that is my name,@ they inter$ret, @6 am :eho"ah? my name is 9u.@ 9;T596<S8<, E6&&6AM. A !istinguishe! masonic riter of /nglan!, ho li"e! in the eighteenth century. 9e is the author of @The S$irit of Masonry,@ $ublishe! in 1**J. This as the first /nglish ork of any im$ortance that sought to gi"e a scientific inter$retation of the symbols of Freemasonry? it is, in fact, the earliest attem$t of any kin! to treat Freemasonry as a science of symbolism. 9utchinson, ho e"er, has to some e>tent im$aire! the "alue of his labors by conten!ing that the institution is e>clusi"ely 5hristian in its character an! !esign.

6 69%98. See A9o%hiA. 6MM8(TA&6T# 8F T9/ S8;&. This is one of the t o religious !ogmas hich

ha"e al ays been taught in S$eculati"e Masonry. 6t as also taught in all the (ites an! Mysteries of antiBuity. The !octrine as taught as an abstract $ro$osition by the ancient $riesthoo! of the Pure or Primiti"e Freemasonry of antiBuity, but as con"eye! to the min! of the initiate, an! im$resse! u$on him by a scenic re$resentation in the ancient Mysteries, or the S$urious Freemasonry of the ancients. 6<58MM;<65AB&/ <AM/. The tetragrammaton, so calle! because it as not common to, an! coul! not be besto e! u$on, nor share! by, any other being. 6t as $ro$er to the true Go! alone. Thus )rusius KTetragrammaton, si"e !e <omine )ei $ro$rio, $. 1,CL says, @<omen Buatuor literarum $ro$rie et absolute non tribui nisi )eo "ero. ;n!e !octores catholici !icunt AincommunicabileA .not common4 esse creaturae.@ 6</FFAB&/ <AM/. The tetragrammaton. So calle! because it is AineffabileA, or un$ronounceable. See ATetragrammatonA. 6<T(;ST6<G, (6T/ 8F. That $art of the ceremony of initiation hich consists in communicating to the as$irant or can!i!ate the a$orrheta, or secrets of the mystery. 6<;<5T68<. The act of anointing. This as a religious ceremony $ractise! from the earliest times. By the $ouring on of oil, $ersons an! things ere consecrate! to sacre! $ur$oses. 6<H/ST6T;(/, (6T/ 8F. That $art of the ceremony of initiation hich consists of clothing the can!i!ate masonically. 6t is a symbol of $urity. 6S9 598TN/B. 9ebre , Ahe ers of stonesA. The Fello 5rafts at the tem$le of Solomon. K+ 5hron. ii. +.L. 6S9 SABA&. 9ebre , Abearers of bur!ensA. The A$$rentices at the tem$le of Solomon. K+ 5hron. ii. +.L.

: :A9. 6t is in 9ebre .9ebre ' yo!%heh4 hence Maimoni!es calls it @the t o%lettere! name,@ an! !eri"es it from the tetragrammaton, of hich it is an abbre"iation. 8thers ha"e !enie! this, an! assert that A:ahA is a name in!e$en!ent of :eho"ah, but e>$ressing the same i!ea of the !i"ine essenee. See Gataker, A)e <om. Tetrag.A.

:/98HA9. The incommunicable, ineffable name of Go!, in 9ebre .9ebre ' yo!%heh%"au%heh4, an! calle!, from the four letters of hich it consists, the tetragrammaton, or four%lettere! name.

& &AB8(. Since the article on the Symbolism of &abor as ritten, 6 ha"e met ith an a!!ress !eli"ere! in 1CDC by brother Troue, before St. Peter's &o!ge in Martinico, hich contains sentiments on the relation of Masonry to labor hich are ell orth a translation from the original French. See ABulletin !u Gran! 8rient !e FranceA, )ecember, 1CDC. @8ur name of Mason, an! our emblems, !istinctly announce that our object is the ele"ation of labor. @Ee !o not, as masons, consi!er labor as a $unishment inflicte! on man? but on the contrary, e ele"ate it in our thought to the height of a religious act, hich is the most acce$table to Go! because it is the most useful to man an! to society. @Ee !ecorate oursel"es ith the emblems of labor to affirm that our !octrine is an incessant $rotest against the stigma bran!e! on the la of labor, an! hich an error of a$$rehension, $rocee!ing from the ignorance of men in $rimiti"e times has erecte! into a !ogma? an error that has resulte! in the $ro!uction of this anti%social $henomenon hich e meet ith e"ery !ay? namely, that the !egra!ation of the orkman is the greater as his labor is more se"ere, an! the ele"ation of the i!ler is higher as his i!leness is more com$lete. But the stu!y of the la s hich maintain or!er in nature, release! from the fetters of $reconcei"e! i!eas, has le! the Freemasons to that !octrine, far more moral than the contrary belief, that labor is not an e>$iation, but a la of harmony, from the subjection to hich man cannot be release! ithout im$airing his o n ha$$iness, an! !eranging the or!er of creation. The !esign of Freemasons is, then, the rehabilitation of labor, hich is in!icate! by the a$ron hich e ear, an! the ga"el, the tro el, an! the le"el, hich are foun! among our symbols.@ 9ence the !octrine of this ork is, that Freemasonry teaches not only the necessity, but the nobility, of labor. An! that labor is the $ro$er orshi$ !ue by man to Go!. &A))/(. A symbol of $rogressi"e a!"ancement from a lo er to a higher

s$here, hich is common to Masonry, an! to many, if not all, of the ancient Mysteries. &A))/(, B(A9M6<65A&. The symbolic la!!er use! in the Mysteries of Brahma. 6t ha! se"en ste$s, symbolic of the se"en orl!s of the 6n!ian uni"erse. &A))/(, M6T9(A6T65. The symbolic la!!er use! in the Persian Mysteries of Mithras. 6t ha! se"en ste$s, symbolic of the se"en $lanets an! the se"en metals. &A))/(, S5A<)6<AH6A<. The symbolic la!!er use! in the Gothic Mysteries. )r. 8li"er refers it to the #ggrasil, or sacre! ash tree. But the symbolism is either "ery abstruse or "ery !oubtful. &A))/(, T9/8&8G65A&. The symbolic la!!er of the masonic Mysteries. 6t refers to the la!!er seen by :acob in his "ision, an! consists, like all symbolical la!!ers, of se"en roun!s, allu!ing to the four car!inal an! the three theological "irtues. &AMB. A symbol of innocence. A "ery ancient symbol. &AMB, PAS59A&. See APaschal &ambA. &AMBS=6< AP(8<. See AA$ronA. &AE, 8(A&. See A8ral &a A. &/G/<). A narrati"e, hether true or false, that has been tra!itionally $reser"e! from the time of its first oral communication. Such is the !efinition of a masonic legen!. The authors of the 5on"ersations%&e>icon, referring to the monkish &i"es of the Saints hich originate! in the t elfth an! thirteenth centuries, say that the title Alegen!A as gi"en to all fictions hich make $retensions to truth. Such a remark, ho e"er correct it may be in reference to these monkish narrati"es, hich ere often in"ente! as ecclesiastical e>ercises, is by no means a$$licable to the legen!s of Freemasonry. These are not necessarily fictitious, but are either base! on actual an! historical facts hich ha"e been but slightly mo!ific!, or they are the offs$ring an! e>$ansion of some symbolic i!ea in hich latter res$ect they !iffer entirely from the monastic legen!s, hich often ha"e only the fertile imagination of some stu!ious monk for the basis of their construction. &/G/<) 8F T9/ (8#A& A(59 )/G(//. Much of this legen! is a mythical history? but some $ortion of it is un!oubte!ly a $hiloso$hical myth. The !estruction an! the ree!ification of the tem$le, the ca$ti"ity an! the return of the ca$ti"es, are matters of history? but many of the !etails ha"e been in"ente! an! intro!uce! for the $ur$ose of gi"ing form to a

symbolic i!ea. &/G/<) 8F T9/ T96() )/G(//. 6n all $robability this legen! is a mythical history, in hich truth is "ery largely an! $re$on!eratingly mi>e! ith fiction. 6t is the most im$ortant an! significant of the legen!ary symbols of Freemasonry. 9as !escen!e! from age to age by oral tra!ition, an! has been $reser"e! in e"ery masonic rite. <o essential alteration of it has e"er been ma!e in any masonic system, but the inter$retations of it ha"e been "arious? the most general one is, that it is a symbol of the resurrection an! the immortality of the soul. Some continental riters ha"e su$$ose! that it as a symbol of the !o nfall of the 8r!er of Tem$lars, an! its ho$e!%for restoration. 6n some of the high $hiloso$hical !egrees it is su$$ose! to be a symbol of the sufferings, !eath, an! resurrection 5hrist. 9utchinson thought it a symbol of the !eca!ence of the :e ish religion, an! the rise of the 5hristian on its ruins. 8li"er says that it symbolically refers to the mur!er of Abel, the !eath of our race through A!am, an! its restoration through 5hrist. (agon thinks that it is a symbol of the sun shorn of its "igor by the three inter months, an! restore! to generati"e $o er by the s$ring. An! lastly, )es /tangs says that it is a symbol of eternal reason, hose enemies are the "ices that !e$ra"e an! finally !estroy humanity. But none of these inter$retations, e>ce$t the first, can be sustaine!. &/TT;5/. The sacre! $lant of the Mysteries of A!onis? a symbol of immortality, an! the analogue of the acacia. &/H/&. 8ne of the orking tools of a Fello 5raft. 6t is a symbol of the eBuality of station of all men before Go!. &6B/(A& A(TS A<) S56/<5/S. 6n the se"enth century, all learning as limite! to the se"en liberal arts an! sciences? their intro!uction into Freemasonry, referring to this theory, is a symbol of the com$letion of human learning. &6G9T. 6t !enotes truth an! kno le!ge, an! is so e>$laine! in all the ancient systems? in initiation, it is not material but intellectual light that is sought. 6t is $re!ominant as a symbol in all the ancient initiations.

There it as re"ere! because it as an emanation trom the sun, the common object of orshi$? but the theory a!"ance! by some riters, that the "eneration of light originally $rocee!e! from its $hysical Bualities, is not correct. Pythagoras calle! it the goo! $rinci$le in nature? an! the 5abalists taught that eternal light fille! all s$ace before the creation, an! that after creation it retire! to a central s$ot, an! became the instrument of the )i"ine Min! in creating matter. 6t is the symbol of the auto$sy, or the full $erfection an! fruition of initiation. 6t is therefore a fun!amental symbol in Freemasonry, an! contains ithin itself the "ery essence of the s$eculati"e science. &6<GAM. The $hallus as so calle! by the 6n!ian nations of the /ast. See APhallusA. &8)G/. The $lace here Freemasons meet, an! also the congregation of masons so met. The or! is !eri"e! from the Alo!gesA occu$ie! by the tra"elling Freemasons of the mi!!le ages. 6t is a symbol of the orl!, or uni"erse. 6ts form, an oblong sBuare, is symbolic of the su$$ose! oblong form of the orl! as kno n to the ancients. &8ST E8(). There is a masonic myth that there as a certain or! hich as lost an! after ar!s reco"ere!. 6t is not material hat the or! as, nor ho lost, nor hen reco"ere!' the symbolism refers only to the abstract i!ea of a loss an! a reco"ery. 6t is a symbol of !i"ine truth. The search for it as also ma!e by the $hiloso$hers an! $riests in the Mysteries of the S$urious Freemasonry. &8T;S. The sacre! $lant of the Brahminical Mysteries, an! the analogue of the acacia. 6t as also a sacre! $lant among the /gy$tians. &;ST(AT68<. A $urification by ashing the han!s or bo!y in consecrate! ater, $ractise! in the ancient Mysteries. See APurificationA.

&;I KAlightAL. 8ne of the a$$ellations besto e! u$on Freemasonry, to in!icate that it is that sublime !octrine of truth by hich the $ath ay of him ho has attaine! it is to be illumine! in the $ilgrimage of life. Among the (osicrucians, light as the kno le!ge of the $hiloso$her's stone? an! Mosheim says that in chemical language the cross as an emblem of light, because it contains ithin its figure the forms of the three figures of hich &HI, or light, is com$ose!. &;I / T/</B(6S KAlight out of !arknessAL. A motto of the Masonic 8r!er, hich is eBui"alent to @truth out of initiation?@ light being the symbol of truth, an! !arkness the symbol of initiation commence!.

M MA<. (e$eate!ly referre! to by 5hrist an! the a$ostles as the symbol of a tem$le. MAST/( MAS8<. The thir! !egree of Ancient 5raft Masonry, analogous to the e$o$t of the ancient Mysteries. M/<ATN596M. 9ebre Asu$erinten!entsA, or Ao"erseersA. The Master Masons at the tem$le of Solomon. K+ 5hron. ii. +.L M/<;. 6n the 6n!ian mythology, Menu is the son of Brahma, an! the foun!er of the 9in!oo religion. Thirteen other Menus are sai! to e>ist, se"en of hom ha"e alrea!y reigne! on earth. But it is the first one hose instructions constitute the hole ci"il an! religious $olity of the 9in!oos. The co!e attribute! to him by the Brahmins has been translate! by Sir Eilliam :ones, ith the title of @The 6nstitutes of Menu.@ M6))&/ 59AMB/(. A $art of the Solomonic tem$le, hich as a$$roache! by in!ing stairs, but hich as certainly not a$$ro$riate! to the $ur$ose in!icate! in the Fello 5raft's !egree. The legen! of the Ein!ing Stairs is therefore only a $hiloso$hical myth. 6t is a symbol of this life an! its labors. M6ST&/T8/. The sacre! $lant of )rui!ism? commemorate! also in the Scan!ina"ian rites. 6t is the analogue of the acacia, an! like all the other sacre! $lants of antiBuity, is a symbol of the immortality of the soul. &est the language of the te>t shoul! be misun!erstoo!, it may be remarke! here that the )rui!ical an! the Scan!ina"ian rites are not

i!entical. The former are 5eltic, the latter Gothic. But the fact that in both the mistletoe as a sacre! $lant affor!s a "iolent $resum$tion that there must ha"e been a common $oint from hich both religions starte!. There as, as 6 ha"e sai!, an i!entity of origin for the same ancient an! general symbolic i!ea. M6T9(AS. 9e as the go! orshi$$e! by the ancient Persians, an! celebrate! in their Mysteries as the symbol of the sun. 6n the initiation in these Mysteries, the can!i!ate $asse! through many terrible trials, an! his courage an! fortitu!e ere e>$ose! to the most rigorous tests. Among others, after ascen!ing the mystical la!!er of se"en ste$s, he $asse! through a scenic re$resentation of 9a!es, or the infernal regions? out of this an! the surroun!ing !arkness he as a!mitte! into the full light of /lysium, here he as obligate! by an oath of secrecy, an! in"este! by the Archimagus, or 9igh Priest, ith the secret instructions of the rite, among hich as a kno le!ge of the 6neffable <ame. M8;<T 5A&HA(#. A small hill of :erusalem, in a esterly !irection, an! not far from Mount Moriah. 6n the legen!s of Freemasonry it is kno n as @a small hill near Mount Moriah,@ an! is referre! to in the thir! !egree. This @small hill@ ha"ing been !etermine! as the burial%$lace of :esus, the symbol has been 5hristianiGe! by many mo!ern masons. There are many masonic tra!itions, $rinci$ally borro e! from the Talmu!, connecte! ith Mount 5al"ary? such as, that it as the $lace here A!am as burie!, Uc. M8;<T M8(6A9. The hill in :erusalem on hich the tem$le of Solomon as built. M#(T&/. The sacre! $lant in the /leusinian Mysteries, an!, as symbolic of a resurrection an! immortality, the analogue of the acacia. M#ST/(6/S. A secret orshi$ $ai! by the ancients to se"eral of the $agan go!s, to hich none ere a!mitte! but those ho ha! been solemnly initiate!. The object of instruction in these Mysteries as, to teach the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. They ere !i"i!e! into &esser an! Greater Mysteries. The former ere merely $re$aratory. 6n the latter the hole kno le!ge as communicate!. S$eaking of the !octrine that as communicate! to the initiates, Philo :u!aeus says that @it is an incorru$tible treasure, not like gol! or sil"er, but more $recious than e"erything besi!e? for it is the kno le!ge of the Great 5ause, an! of nature, an! of that hich is born of both.@ An! his subseBuent language sho s that there as a confraternity e>isting among the initiates like that of the masonic institution? for he says, ith his $eculiar mysticism, @6f you meet an initiate, besiege him ith your $rayers that he conceal from you no ne mysteries that he may kno ? an! rest not until you ha"e

obtaine! them. For me, although 6 as initiate! into the Great Mysteries by Moses, the frien! of Go!, yet, ha"ing seen :eremiah, 6 recogniGe! him not only as an 6nitiate, but as a 9iero$hant? an! 6 follo e! his school.@ So, too, the mason ackno le!ges e"ery initiate as his brother, an! is e"er rea!y an! an>ious to recei"e all the light that can be besto e! on the Mysteries in hich he has been in!octrinate!. M#ST/S. KFrom the Greek .Greek' myOo4, Ato shut the eyesA.L 8ne ho ha! been initiate! into the &esser Mysteries of $aganism. 9e as no blin!, but hen he as initiate! into the Greater Mysteries he as calle! an /$o$t, or one ho sa . M#T9. Grote's !efinition of the myth, hich is cite! in the te>t, may be a$$lie! ithout mo!ification to the myths of Freemasonry, although inten!e! by the author only for the myths of the ancient Greek religion. The myth, then, is a narrati"e of remote !ate, not necessarily true or false, but hose truth can only be certifie! by internal e"i!ence. The or! as first a$$lie! to those fables of the $agan go!s hich ha"e !escen!e! from the remotest antiBuity, an! in all of hich there $re"ails a symbolic i!ea, not al ays, ho e"er, ca$able of a $ositi"e inter$retation. As a$$lie! to Freemasonry, the or!s AmythA an! Alegen!A are synonymous. From this !efinition it ill a$$ear that the myth is really only the inter$retation of an i!ea. But ho e are to rea! these myths ill best a$$ear from these noble or!s of Ma> Mueller' @/"erything is true, natural, significant, if e enter ith a re"erent s$irit into the meaning of ancient art an! ancient language. /"erything becomes false, miraculous, an! unmeaning, if e inter$ret the !ee$ an! mighty or!s of the seers of ol! in the shallo an! feeble sense of mo!ern chroniclers.@ KScience of &anguage, +! Ser. $. J*C.L. M#T9, 96ST8(65A&. An historical myth is a myth that has a kno n an! recogniGe! foun!ation in historical truth, but ith the a!mi>ture of a $re$on!erating amount of fiction in the intro!uction of $ersonages an! circumstances. Bet een the historical myth an! the mythical history, the !istinction as lai! !o n in the te>t cannot al ays be $reser"e!, because e are not al ays able to !etermine hether there is a $re$on!erance of truth or of fiction in the legen! or narrati"e un!er e>amination. M#T965A& 96ST8(#. A myth or legen! in hich the historical an! truthful greatly $re$on!erate o"er the in"entions of fiction. M#T98&8G#. &iterally, the science of myths? an! this is a "ery a$$ro$riate !efinition, for mythology is the science hich treats of the religion of the ancient $agans, hich as almost altogether foun!e! on myths, or

$o$ular tra!itions an! legen!ary tales? an! hence =eightly KMythol. of Ancient Greece an! 6taly, $. +L says that @mythology may be regar!e! as the re$ository of the early religion of the $eo$le.@ 6ts interest to a masonic stu!ent arises from the constant antagonism that e>iste! bet een its !octrines an! those of the Primiti"e Freemasonry of antiBuity an! the light that the mythological Mysteries thro u$on the ancient organiGation of S$eculati"e Masonry. M#T9, P96&8S8P965A&. This is a myth or legen! that is almost holly unhistorical, an! hich has been in"ente! only for the $ur$ose of enunciating an! illustrating a $articular thought or !ogma.

< <AM/. All 9ebre names are significant, an! ere originally im$ose! ith reference to some fact or feature in the history or character of the $ersons recei"ing them. 5am!en says that the same custom $re"aile! among all the nations of antiBuity. So im$ortant has this subject been consi!ere!, that @8nomastica,@ or treatises on the signification of names ha"e been ritten by /usebius an! St. :erome, by Simonis an! 9illerus, an! by se"eral other scholars, of hom /usebe Sal"erte is the most recent an! the most satisfactory. Shuckfor! K5onnect. ii. 3**L says that the :e ish (abbins thought that the true kno le!ge of names as a science $referable to the stu!y of the ritten la . <AM/ 8F G8). The true $ronunciation, an! conseBuently the signification, of the name of Go! can only be obtaine! through a cabalistical inter$retation. 6t is a symbol of !i"ine truth. <one but those ho are familiar ith the subject can ha"e any notion of the im$ortance besto e! on this symbol by the 8rientalists. The Arabians ha"e a science calle! A6sm AllahA, or the Ascience of the name of Go!A? an! the Talmu!ists an! (abbins ha"e ritten co$iously on the same subject. The Mussulmans, says Sal"erte K/ssai sur les <oms, ii. *L, ha"e one hun!re! names of Go!, hich they re$eat hile counting the bea!s of a rosary. </8P9#T/. KFrom the Greek .Greek' neOon4 an! .Greek' $hyioPn4, Aa ne $lantA.L 8ne ho has been recently initiate! in the Mysteries. St. Paul uses the same or! K6 Tim. iii. DL to !enote one ho ha! been recently con"erte! to the 5hristian faith. <8A596)A/. The !escen!ants of <oah, an! the transmitters of his religious !ogmas, hich ere the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. The

name has from the earliest times been besto e! u$on the Freemasons, ho teach the same !octrines. Thus in the @ol! charges,@ as Buote! by An!erson K5onst. e!it. 1*3C, $. 1-3L, it is sai!, @A mason is oblige! by his tenure to obser"e the moral la as a true <oachi!ae.@ <8A596T/S. The same as A<oachi!aeA, hich see. <8(T9. That $art of the earth hich, being most remo"e! from the influence of the sun at his meri!ian height, is in Freemasonry calle! @a $lace of !arkness.@ 9ence it is a symbol of the $rofane orl!. <8(T9%/AST 58(</(. An im$ortant ceremony of the first !egree, hich refers to the north%east corner of the lo!ge, is e>$laine! by the symbolism of the corner%stone. The corner%stone of a buil!ing is al ays lai! in the north%east corner, for symbolic reasons. The north%east $oint of the hea"ens as es$ecially sacre! among the 9in!oos. 6n the symbolism of Freemasonry, the north refers to the outer or $rofane orl!, an! the east to the inner orl! of Masonry? an! hence the north%east is symbolic of the !ouble $osition of the neo$hyte, $artly in the !arkness of the former, $artly in the light of the latter. <;MB/(S. The symbolism of sacre! numbers, hich $re"ails "ery e>tensi"ely in Freemasonry, as un!oubte!ly borro e! from the school of Pythagoras? but it is just as likely that he got it from /gy$t or Babylon, or from both. The Pythagorean !octrine as, accor!ing to Aristotle KMet. >ii. CL, that all things $rocee! from numbers. M. )acier, ho e"er, in his life of the $hiloso$her, !enies that the !octrine of numbers as taught by Pythagoras himself, but attributes it to his later !isci$les. But his arguments are not conclusi"e or satisfactory.

8 8AT9 8F S/5(/5#. 6t as al ays a!ministere! to the can!i!ate in the ancient Mysteries. 8)) <;MB/(S. 6n the system of Pythagoras, o!! numbers ere symbols of $erfection. 9ence the sacre! numbers of Freemasonry are all o!!. They are 3, J, *, 2, 1J, +*, 33, an! C1.

86&. An element of masonic consecration, an!, as a symbol of $ros$erity an! ha$$iness, is inten!e!, un!er the name of the @oil of joy,@ to in!icate the e>$ecte! $ro$itious results of the consecration of any thing or $erson to a sacre! $ur$ose. 8&6H/. 6n a secon!ary sense, the symbol of $eace an! of "ictory? but in its $rimary meaning, like all the other Sacre! $lants of antiBuity, a symbol of immortality? an! thus in the Mysteries it as the analogue of the acacia of the Freemasons. 8&6H/(. The (e". George 8li"er, ).)., of &incolnshire, /nglan!, ho !ie! in 1CDC, is by far the most !istinguishe! an! the most "oluminous of the /nglish riters on Freemasonry. &ooking to his "ast labors an! researches in the arcana of the science, no stu!ent of masonry can s$eak of his name or his memory ithout $rofoun! re"erence for his learning, an! !ee$ gratitu!e for the ser"ices that he has accom$lishe!. To the author of this ork the recollection ill e"er be most grateful that he enjoye! the frien!shi$ of so goo! an! so great a man? one of hom e may testify, as :ohnson sai! of Gol!smith, that @nihil Buo! tetigit non orna"it.@ 6n his ritings he has tra"erse! the hole fiel! of masonic literature an! science, an! has treate!, al ays ith great ability an! on!erful research, of its history, its antiBuities, its rites an! ceremonies, its ethics, an! its symbols. 8f all his orks, his @9istorical &an!marks,@ in t o "olumes, is the most im$ortant, the most useful, an! the one hich ill $erha$s the longest $er$etuate his memory. 6n the stu!y of his orks, the stu!ent must be careful not to follo too im$licitly all his conclusions. These ere in his o n min! controlle! by the theory hich he ha! a!o$te!, an! hich he continuously maintaine!, that Freemasonry as a 5hristian institution, an! that the connection bet een it an! the 5hristian religion as absolute an! incontro"ertible. 9e follo e! in the footste$s of 9utchinson, but ith a far more e>$an!e! "ie of the masonic system. 8P/(AT6H/ MAS8<(#. Masonry consi!ere! merely as a useful art, inten!e! for the $rotection an! the con"enience of man by the erection of e!ifices hich may su$$ly his intellectual, religious, an! $hysical ants. 6n contra!istinction to S$eculati"e Masonry, therefore, it is sai! to be engage! in the construction of a material tem$le. 8(A& &AE. The oral la among the :e s as the commentary on an! the inter$retation of the ritten containe! in the Pentateuch? an! the tra!ition is, that it as !eli"ere! to Moses at the same time, accom$anie! by the !i"ine comman!, @Thou shalt not !i"ulge the or!s hich 6 ha"e sai! to thee out of my mouth.@ The oral la as, therefore, ne"er intruste! to books? but being $reser"e! in the memories of the ju!ges, $ro$hets, $riests, an! ise men, as han!e! !o n from one to the other through a

long succession of ages. But after the !estruction of :erusalem by the (omans un!er A!rian, A.). 13J, an! the final !is$ersion of the :e s, fears being entertaine! that the oral la oul! be lost, it as then committe! to riting, an! no constitutes the te>t of the Talmu!. 8(M;N). Eorshi$$e! by the !isci$les of Noroaster as the $rinci$le of goo!, an! symboliGe! by light. See AAhrimanA. 8S6(6S. The chief go! of the ancient /gy$tians, an! orshi$$e! as a symbol of the sun, an! more $hiloso$hically as the male or generati"e $rinci$le. 6sis, his ife, as the female or $rolific $rinci$le? an! 9orus, their chil!, as matter, or the orl!%%the $ro!uct of the t o $rinci$les. 8S6(6S, M#ST/(6/S 8F. The 8sirian Mysteries consiste! in a scenic re$resentation of the mur!er of 8siris by Ty$hon, the subseBuent reco"ery of his mutilate! bo!y by 6sis, an! his !eification, or restoration to immortal life. 8HA& T/MP&/S. Tem$les of an o"al form ere re$resentations of the mun!ane egg, a symbol of the orl!.

P PA&M T(//. 6n its secon!ary sense the $alm tree is a symbol of "ictory? but in its $rimary signification it is a symbol of the "ictory o"er !eath, that is, immortality. PA(AB&/. A narrati"e in hich one thing is com$are! ith another. 6t is in $rinci$le the same as a symbol or an allegory. PA(A&&/& &6</S. The lines touching the circle in the symbol of the $oint ithin a circle. They are sai! to re$resent St. :ohn the Ba$tist an! St. :ohn the /"angelist? but they really refer to the solstitial $oints 5ancer an! 5a$ricorn, in the Go!iac. PAST8S. KFrom the Greek .Greek' $astoPs4, Aa nu$tial couchA.L The coffin or gra"e hich containe! the bo!y of the go! or hero hose !eath as scenically re$resente! in the ancient Mysteries. 6t is the analogue of the gra"e in the thir! !egree of Masonry. P/&ASG6A< (/&6G68<. The Pelasgians ere the ol!est if not the aboriginal inhabitants of Greece. Their religion !iffere! from that of the 9ellenes ho succee!e! them in being less $oetical, less mythical, an! more

abstract. Ee kno little of their religious orshi$, e>ce$t by conjecture? but e may su$$ose it resemble! in some res$ects the !octrines of the Primiti"e Freemasonry. 5reuGer thinks that the Pelasgians ere either a nation of $riests or a nation rule! by $riests. P9A&&;S. A re$resentation of the "irile member, hich as "enerate! as a religious symbol "ery uni"ersally, an! ithout the slightest lasci"iousness, by the ancients. 6t as one of the mo!ifications of sun orshi$, an! as a symbol of the fecun!ating $o er of that luminary. The masonic $oint ithin a circle is un!oubte!ly of $hallic origin. P96&8S8P9# 8F F(//MAS8<(#. The !ogmas taught in the masonic system constitute its $hiloso$hy. These consist in the contem$lation of Go! as one an! eternal, an! of man as immortal. 6n other or!s, the $hiloso$hy of Freemasonry inculcates the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. P&;MB. 8ne of the orking tools of a Fello 5raft, an! a symbol of rectitu!e of con!uct. P86<T E6T96< A 56(5&/. 6t is !eri"e! from the ancient sun orshi$, an! is in reality of $hallic origin. 6t is a symbol of the uni"erse, the sun being re$resente! by the $oint, hile the circumference is the uni"erse. P8(59 8F T9/ T/MP&/. A symbol of the entrance into life. P(6M6T6H/ F(//MAS8<(#. The Primiti"e Freemasonry of the ante!ilu"ians is a term for hich e are in!ebte! to 8li"er, although the theory as broache! by earlier riters, an! among them by the 5he"alier (amsay. The theory is, that the $rinci$les an! !octrines of Freemasonry e>iste! in the earliest ages of the orl!, an! ere belie"e! an! $ractise! by a $rimiti"e $eo$le, or $riesthoo!, un!er the name of Pure or Primiti"e Freemasonry. That this Freemasonry, that is to say, the religious !octrine inculcate! by it, as, after the floo!, corru$te! by the $agan $hiloso$hers an! $riests, an!, recei"ing the title of AS$urious FreemasoryA, as e>hibite! in the ancient Mysteries. The <oachi!ae, ho e"er, $reser"e! the $rinci$les of the Primiti"e Freemasonry, an! transmitte! them to succee!ing ages, hen at length they assume! the name of AS$eculati"e MasonryA. The Primiti"e Freemasonry as $robably ithout ritual or symbolism, an! consiste! only of a series of abstract $ro$ositions !eri"e! from ante!ilu"ian tra!itions. 6ts !ogmas ere the unity of Go! an! the immortality of the soul. P(8FA</. 8ne ho has not been initiate! as a Freemason. 6n the technical language of the 8r!er, all ho are not Freemasons are $rofanes. The term is !eri"e! from the &atin or!s A$ro fanoA, hich literally signify @in front of the tem$le,@ because those in the ancient religions ho ere not initiate! in the sacre! rites or Mysteries of any !eity ere not $ermitte! to enter the tem$le, but ere com$elle! to remain outsi!e, or in front of

it. They ere ke$t on the outsi!e. The e>$ression a A$rofaneA is not recogniGe! as a noun substanti"e in the general usage of the language? but it has been a!o$te! as a technical term in the !ialect of Freemasonry, in the same relati"e sense in hich the or! AlaymanA is use! in the $rofessions of la an! !i"inity. P;(/ F(//MAS8<(# 8F A<T6M;6T#. The same as Primiti"e Freemasonry,%% hich see. P;(6F65AT68<. A religious rite $ractise! by the ancients, an! hich as $erforme! before any act of !e"otion. 6t consiste! in ashing the han!s, an! sometimes the hole bo!y, in lustral or consecrate! ater. 6t as inten!e! as a symbol of the internal $urification of the heart. 6t as a ceremony $re$aratory to initiation in all the ancient Mysteries. P#T9AG8(AS. A Grecian $hiloso$her, su$$ose! to ha"e been born in the islan! of Samos, about JC- B.5. 9e tra"elle! e>tensi"ely for the $ur$ose of acBuiring kno le!ge. 6n /gy$t he as initiate! in the Mysteries of that country by the $riests. 9e also re$aire! to Babylon, here he became acBuainte! ith the mystical learning of the 5hal!eans, an! ha!, no !oubt, much communication ith the 6sraelitish ca$ti"es ho ha! been e>ile! from :erusalem, an! ere then ! elling in Babylon. 8n his return to /uro$e he establishe! a school, hich in its organiGation, as ell as its !octrines, bore consi!erable resemblance to S$eculati"e Masonry? for hich reason he has been claime! as @an ancient frien! an! brother@ by the mo!ern Freemasons.

( (/S;((/5T68<. This !octrine as taught in the ancient Mysteries, as it is in Freemasonry, by a scenic re$resentation. The initiation as !eath, the auto$sy as resurrection. Freemasonry !oes not interest itself ith the $recise mo!e of the resurrection, or hether the bo!y burie! an! the bo!y raise! are in all their $arts i!entical. Satisfie! ith the general teaching of St. Paul, concerning the resurrection that @it is so n a natural bo!y, it is raise! a s$iritual bo!y,@ Freemasonry inculcates by its !octrine of the resurrection the sim$le fact of a $rogressi"e a!"ancement from a lo er to a higher s$here, an! the raising of the soul from the bon!age of !eath to its inheritance of eternal life. (6T;A&. The forms an! ceremonies use! in conferring the !egrees, or in con!ucting the labors, of a lo!ge are calle! the ritual. There are many rites of Freemasonry, hich !iffer from each other in the number an! !i"ision of the !egrees, an! in their rituals, or forms an! ceremonies.

But the great $rinci$les of Freemasonry, its $hiloso$hy an! its symbolism, are alike in all. 6t is e"i!ent, then, that in an in"estigation of the symbolism of Freemasonry, e ha"e no concern ith its ritual, hich is but an outer co"ering that is inten!e! to conceal the treasure that is ithin. (8S65(;56A<S. A sect of hermetical $hiloso$hers, foun!e! in the fifteenth century, ho ere engage! in the stu!y of abstruse sciences. 6t as a secret society much resembling the masonic in its organiGation, an! in some of the subjects of its in"estigation? but it as in no other ay connecte! ith Freemasonry. 6t is, ho e"er, ell orth the stu!y of the masonic stu!ent on account of the light that it thro s u$on many of the masonic symbols. (8#A& A(T. Freemasonry is so calle! because it is su$$ose! to ha"e been foun!e! by t o kings,%%the kings of 6srael an! Tyre,%%an! because it has been subseBuently encourage! an! $atroniGe! by monarchs in all countries.

S SAB6A<6SM, or SABA6SM. The orshi$ of the sun, moon, an! stars, the TSABA A9ashmaimA, @the host of hea"en.@ 6t as $ractise! in Persia, 5hal!ea, 6n!ia, an! other 8riental countries, at an early $erio! of the orl!'s history. Sun% orshi$ has ha! a $o erful influence on subseBuent an! more rational religions, an! relics of it are to be foun! e"en in the symbolism of Freemasonry. SA5/&&;M. A sacre! $lace consecrate! to a go!, an! containing an altar. SA6<T/ 5(86I. The ork of the Baron !e Sainte 5roi>, in t o "olumes, entitle!, @(echerches 9istoriBues et 5ritiBues sur les Mysteres !u Paganisme,@ is one of the most "aluable an! instructi"e orks that e ha"e in any language on the ancient Mysteries,%%those religious associations hose history an! !esign so closely connect them ith Freemasonry. To the stu!ent of masonic $hiloso$hy an! symbolism this ork of Sainte 5roi> is absolutely essential. SA&S/TT/. An islan! in the Bay of Bombay, celebrate! for stu$en!ous ca"erns e>ca"ate! artificially out of the soli! rock, an! hich ere a$$ro$riate! to the initiations in the ancient Mysteries of 6n!ia. S/<S/S, F6H/ 9;MA<. A symbol of intellectual culti"ation. S/T9. 6t is the masonic theory that the $rinci$les of the Pure or

Primiti"e Freemasonry ere $reser"e! in the race of Seth, hich ha! al ays ke$t se$arate from that of 5ain, but that after the floo! they became corru$te!, by a secession of a $ortion of the Sethites, ho establishe! the S$urious Freemasonry of the Gentiles. S/H/<. A sacre! number among the :e s an! the Gentiles, an! calle! by Pythagoras a @"enerable number.@ S9/M 9AMP98(AS9. KAthe !eclaratory nameA.L The tetragrammaton is so calle!, because, of all the names of Go!, it alone !istinctly !eclares his nature an! essence as self%e>istent an! eternal. S98/. See A6n"estiture, (ite ofA. S6G<S. There is abun!ant e"i!ence that they ere use! in the ancient Mysteries. They are "aluable only as mo!es of recognition. But hile they are absolutely con"entional, they ha"e, un!oubte!ly, in Freemasonry, a symbolic reference. S6HA. 8ne of the manifestations of the su$reme !eity of the 9in!oos, an! a symbol of the sun in its meri!ian. S8<S 8F &6G9T. Freemasons are so calle! because A&u>A, or A&ightA, is one of the names of S$eculati"e Masonry. S8&8M8<. The king of 6srael, an! the foun!er of the tem$le of :erusalem an! of the tem$le organiGation of Freemasonry. That his min! as eminently symbolic in its $ro$ensities, is e"i!ent from all the ritings that are attribute! to him. SP/5;&AT6H/ MAS8<(#. Freemasonry consi!ere! as a science hich s$eculates on the character of Go! an! man, an! is engage! in $hiloso$hical in"estigations of the soul an! a future e>istence, for hich $ur$ose it uses the terms of an o$erati"e art. 6t is engage! symbolically in the construction of a s$iritual tem$le. There is in it al ays a $rogress%%an a!"ancement from a lo er to a higher s$here. SP6(6T;A& T/MP&/. The bo!y of man? that tem$le allu!e! to by 5hrist an! St. Paul? the tem$le, in the construction of hich the S$eculati"e Mason is engage!, in contra!istinction to that material tem$le hich occu$ies the labors of the 8$erati"e Mason. SP;(68;S F(//MAS8<(# 8F A<T6M;6T#. A term a$$lie! to the initiations in

the Mysteries of the ancient $agan orl!, an! to the !octrines taught in those Mysteries. See AMysteriesA. SM;A(/. A geometric figure consisting of four eBual si!es an! eBual angles. 6n Freemasonry it is a symbol of morality, or the strict $erformance of e"ery !uty. The Greeks !eeme! it a figure of $erfection, an! the @sBuare man@ as a man of unsullie! integrity. SM;A(/, T(#6<G. 8ne of the orking%tools of a Fello 5raft, an! a symbol of morality. ST8</ 8F F8;<)AT68<. A "ery im$ortant symbol in the masonic system. 6t is like the A or!A, the symbol of !i"ine truth. ST8</ E8(S96P. A "ery early form of fetichism. The Pelasgians are su$$ose! to ha"e gi"en to their statues of the go!s the general form of cubical stones, hence in 9ellenic times came the 9ermae, or images of 9ermes. S;BST6T;T/ E8(). A symbol of the unsuccessful search after !i"ine truth, an! the !isco"ery in this life of only an a$$ro>imation to it. S;<, (6S6<G. 6n the Sabian orshi$ the rising sun as a!ore! on its resurrection from the a$$arent !eath of its e"ening setting. 9ence, in the ancient Mysteries, the rising sun as a symbol of the regeneration of the soul. S;<%E8(S96P. The most ancient of all su$erstitions. 6t $re"aile! es$ecially in Phoenicia, 5hal!ea. an! /gy$t, an! traces of it ha"e been !isco"ere! in Peru an! Me>ico. 6ts influence as felt in the ancient Mysteries, an! abun!ant allusions to it are to be foun! in the symbolism of Freemasonry. SE/)/<B8(G. A S e!ish $hiloso$her, an! the foun!er of a religious sect. 5la"el, (agon, an! some other riters ha"e sought to make him the foun!er of a masonic rite also, but ithout authority. 6n 1*D* 5hastanier establishe! the rite of 6lluminate! Theoso$hists, hose instructions are !eri"e! from the ritings of S e!enborg, but the sage himself ha! nothing to !o ith it. #et it cannot be !enie! that the min! of S e!enborg as eminently symbolic in character, an! that the masonic stu!ent may !eri"e many "aluable i!eas from $ortions of his numerous orks, es$ecially from his @5elestial Arcana@ an! his @A$ocaly$se (e"eale!.@ S#MB8&. A "isible sign ith hich a s$iritual feeling, emotion, or i!ea is connecte!.%%AMuellerA. /"ery natural thing hich is ma!e the sign or re$resentation of a moral i!ea is a symbol. S#MB8&, 58MP8;<). A s$ecies of symbol not unusual in Freemasonry, here

the symbol is to be taken in a !ouble sense, meaning in its general a$$lication one thing, an! then in a s$ecial a$$lication another. S#MB8&6SM, S56/<5/ 8F. To hat has been sai! in the te>t, may be a!!e! the follo ing a$$osite remarks of SBuier' @6n the absence of a ritten language or forms of e>$ression ca$able of con"eying abstract i!eas, e can rea!ily com$rehen! the necessity, among a $rimiti"e $eo$le, of a symbolic system. That symbolism in a great !egree resulte! from this necessity, is "ery ob"ious? an! that, associate! ith man's $rimiti"e religious systems, it as after ar!s continue!, hen in the a!"ance! stage of the human min!, the $re"ious necessity no longer e>iste!, is eBually un!oubte!. 6t thus came to constitute a kin! of sacre! language, an! became in"este! ith an esoteric significance un!erstoo! only by the fe .@%%AThe Ser$ent Symbol in AmericaA, $. 12.

T TAB/(<A5&/. /recte! by Moses in the il!erness as a tem$orary $lace for !i"ine orshi$. 6t as the antity$e of the tem$le of :erusalem, an!, like it, as a symbol of the uni"erse. TA&6SMA<. A figure either car"e! in metal or stone, or !elineate! on $archment or $a$er, ma!e ith su$erstitious ceremonies un!er hat as su$$ose! to be the s$ecial influence of the $lanetary bo!ies, an! belie"e! to $ossess occult $o ers of $rotecting the maker or $ossessor from !anger. The figure in the te>t is a talisman, an! among the 8rientals no talisman as more sacre! than this one here the nine !igits are so !is$ose! as to make 1J each ay. The Arabians calle! it AGahalA, hich as the name of the $lanet Saturn, because the nine !igits a!!e! together make -J, an! the letters of the or! AGahalA are, accor!ing to the numerical $o ers of the Arabic al$habet, eBui"alent to -J. The cabalists esteem it because 1J as the numerical $o er of the letters com$osing the or! :A9, hich is one of the names of Go!. TA&M;). The mystical $hiloso$hy of the :e ish (abbins is containe! in the Talmu!, hich is a collection of books !i"i!e! into t o $arts, the AMishnaA, hich contains the recor! of the oral la , first committe! to riting in the secon! or thir! century, an! the AGemaraA, or commentaries on it. 6n the Talmu! much ill be foun! of great interest to the masonic stu!ent. T/MP&/. The im$ortance of the tem$le in the symbolism of Freemasonry ill authoriGe the follo ing citation from the learne! Montfaucon KAAnt.A ii. 1. ii. ch. ii.L' @5oncerning the origin of Atem$lesA, there is a "ariety

of o$inions. Accor!ing to 9ero!otus, the /gy$tians ere the first that ma!e altars, statues, an! tem$les. 6t !oes not, ho e"er, a$$ear that there ere any in /gy$t in the time of Moses, for he ne"er mentions them, although he ha! many o$$ortunities for !oing so. &ucian says that the /gy$tians ere the first $eo$le ho built tem$les, an! that the Assyrians !eri"e! the custom from them, all of hich is, ho e"er, "ery uncertain. The first allusion to the subject in Scri$ture is the Tabernacle, hich as, in fact, a $ortable tem$le, an! containe! one $lace ithin it more holy an! secret than the others, calle! the A9oly of 9oliesA, an! to hich the Aa!ytumA in the $agan tem$les corres$on!e!. The first heathen tem$le mentione! in Scri$ture is that of )agon, the go! of the Philistines. The Greeks, ho ere in!ebte! to the Phoenicians for many things, may be su$$ose! to ha"e learne! from them the art of buil!ing tem$les? an! it is certain that the (omans borro e! from the Greeks both the orshi$ of the go!s an! the construction of tem$les.@ T/MP&/ B;6&)/(. The title by hich 9iram Abif is sometimes !esignate!. T/MP&/ 8F S8&8M8<. The buil!ing erecte! by =ing Solomon on Mount Moriah, in :erusalem, has been often calle! @the cra!le of Freemasonry,@ because it as there that that union took $lace bet een the o$erati"e an! s$eculati"e masons, hich continue! for centuries after ar!s to $resent the true organiGation of the masonic system. As to the siGe of the tem$le, the !imensions gi"en in the te>t may be consi!ere! as accurate so far as they agree ith the !escri$tion gi"en in the First Book of =ings. :ose$hus gi"es a larger measure, an! makes the length 1,J feet, the brea!th 3J feet, an! the height +1, feet? but e"en these ill not in"ali!ate the statement in the te>t, that in siGe it as sur$asse! by many a $arish church. T/MP&/ S#MB8&6SM. That symbolism hich is !eri"e! from the tem$le of Solomon. 6t is the most fertile of all kin!s of symbolism in the $ro!uction of materials for the masonic science. T/(M6<;S. 8ne of the most ancient of the (oman !eities. 9e as the go! of boun!aries an! lan!marks, an! his statue consiste! only of a cubical stone, ithout arms or legs, to sho that he as immo"able. T/T(A5T#S. A figure use! by Pythagoras, consisting of ten $oints, arrange! in a triangular form so as to re$resent the mona!, !ua!, tria!, an! Buarternia!. 6t as consi!ere! as "ery sacre! by the Pythagoreans, an! as to them hat the tetragrammaton as to the :e s. T/T(AG(AMMAT8<. KFrom the Greek .Greek' tetraPs4, AfourA, an! .Greek' graPmma4, a letter. The four%lettere! name of Go! in the 9ebre language, hich consiste! of four letters, "iG. .9ebre ' yo!%heh%"au%heh4

commonly, but incorrectly, $ronounce! A:eho"ahA. As a symbol it greatly $er"a!e! the rites of antiBuity, an! as $erha$s the earliest symbol corru$te! by the S$urious Freemasonry of the $agan Mysteries. 6t as hel! by the :e s in $rofoun! "eneration, an! its origin su$$ose! to ha"e been by !i"ine re"elation at the burning bush. The or! as ne"er $ronounce!, but here"er met ith AA!onaiA as substitute! for it, hich custom as !eri"e! from the $er"erte! rea!ing of a, $assage in the Pentateuch. The true $ronunciation conseBuently as utterly lost? this is e>$laine! by the ant of "o els in the 9ebre al$habet, so that the true "ocaliGation of a or! cannot be learne! from the letters of hich it is com$ose!. The true $ronunciation as intruste! to the high $riest? but lest the kno le!ge of it shoul! be lost by his su!!en !eath, it as also communicate! to his assistant? it as kno n also, $robably, to the kings of 6srael. The 5abalists an! Talmu!ists en"elo$e! it in a host of su$erstitions. 6t as also use! by the /ssenes in their sacre! rites, an! by the /gy$tians as a $ass% or!. 5abalistically rea! an! $ronounce!, it means the male an! female $rinci$le of nature, the generati"e an! $rolific energy of creation. T9AMM;N. A Syrian go!, ho as orshi$$e! by those omen of the 9ebre s ho ha! fallen into i!olatry. The i!ol as the same as the Phoenician A!onis, an! the Mysteries of the t o ere i!entical. T(AH/&&6<G F(//MAS8<S. See AFreemasons, Tra"ellingA. T(/ST&/ B8A(). The boar! or tablet on hich the !esigns of the architect are inscribe!. 6t is a symbol of the moral la as set forth in the re"eale! ill of Go!. /"ery man must ha"e his trestle boar!, because it is the !uty of e"ery man to ork out the task hich Go!, the chief Architect, has assigne! to him. T(6A<G&/. A symbol of )eity. This symbolism is foun! in many of the ancient religions. Among the /gy$tians it as a symbol of uni"ersal nature, or of the $rotection of the orl! by the male an! female energies of creation.

T(6A<G&/, (A)6AT/). A triangle $lace! ithin a circle of rays. 6n 5hristian art it is a symbol of Go!? then the rays are calle! a AgloryA. Ehen they surroun! the triangle in the form of a circle, the triangle is a symbol of the glory of Go!. Ehen the rays emanate from the centre of the triangle, it is a symbol of !i"ine light. This is the true form of the masonic ra!iate! triangle. T(6&6T/(A& <AM/. This is the or! A;M, hich is the ineffable name of Go! among the 9in!oos, an! symboliGes the three manifestations of the Brahminical su$reme go!, Brahma, Si"a, an! Hishnu. 6t as ne"er to be $ronounce! alou!, an! as analogous to the sacre! tetragrammaton of the :e s. T(8E/&. 8ne of the orking tools of a Master Mason. 6t is a symbol of brotherly lo"e. T(;T9. 6t as not al ays taught $ublicly by the ancient $hiloso$hers to the $eo$le. The search for it is the object of Freemasonry. 6t is ne"er foun! on earth, but a substitute for it is $ro"i!e!. T;AP98&&. A term use! by the )rui!s to !esignate an unhallo e! circumambulation aroun! the sacre! cairn, or altar, the mo"ement being against the sun, that is, from est to east by the north, the cairn being on the left han! of the circumambulator. T;BA& 5A6<. 8f the "arious etymologies of this name, only one is gi"en in the te>t? but most of the others in some ay i!entify him ith Hulcan. Eellsfor! KAMithri!ates MinorA $. -L gi"es a singular etymology, !eri"ing the name of the 9ebre $atriarch from the !efinite article .9ebre ' heh4 con"erte! into ATA an! ABaalA, @&or!,@ ith the Arabic AkaynA, @a blacksmith,@ so that the or! oul! then signify @the lor! of the blacksmiths.@ Masonic riters ha"e, ho e"er, generally a!o$te! the more usual !eri"ation of A5ainA, from a or! signifying A$ossessionA? an! 8li"er !escants on Tubal 5ain as a symbol of orl!ly $ossessions. As to the i!entity of Hulcan ith Tubal 5ain, e may learn something from the !efinition of the offices of the former, as gi"en by )io!orus Siculus' @Hulcan as the first foun!er of orks in iron, brass, gol!, sil"er, an! all fusible metals? an! he taught the uses to hich fire can be a$$lie! in the arts.@ See Genesis' @Tubal 5ain, an instructor of e"ery artificer in brass an! iron.@ TE/<T#%F8;( 6<59 GA;G/. A t o%foot rule. 8ne of the orking%tools of an /ntere! A$$rentice, an! a symbol of time ell em$loye!. T#P98<. The brother an! slayer of 8siris in the /gy$tian mythology. As

8siris as a ty$e or symbol of the sun, Ty$hon as the symbol of inter, hen the "igor, heat, an!, as it ere, life of the sun are !estroye!, an! of !arkness as o$$ose! to light. T#(/. A city of Phoenicia, the resi!ence of =ing 9iram, the frien! an! ally of Solomon, hom he su$$lie! ith men an! materials for the construction of the tem$le. T#(6A< F(//MAS8<S. These ere the members of the Society of )ionysiac Artificers, ho at the time of the buil!ing of Solomon's tem$le flourishe! at Tyre. Many of them ere sent to :erusalem by 9iram, =ing of Tyre, to assist =ing Solomon in the construction of his tem$le. There, uniting ith the :e s, ho ha! only a kno le!ge of the s$eculati"e $rinci$les of Freemasonry, hich ha! been transmitte! to them from <oah, through the $atriarchs, the Tyrian Freemasons organiGe! that combine! system of 8$erati"e an! S$eculati"e Masonry hich continue! for many centuries, until the beginning of the eighteenth, to characteriGe the institution. See A)ionysiac ArtificersA.

; ;<68<. The union of the o$erati"e ith the s$eculati"e element of Freemasonry took $lace at the buil!ing of =ing Solomon's tem$le. ;<6T# 8F G8). This, as !istinguishe! from the $agan !octrine of $olytheism, or a multitu!e of go!s, is one of the t o religious truths taught in S$eculati"e Masonry, the other being the immortality of the soul.

E E/A(# S8:8;(</(S. The legen! of the @three eary sojourners@ in the (oyal Arch !egree is un!oubte!ly a $hiloso$hical myth, symboliGing the search after truth. E96T/. A symbol of innocence an! $urity. Among the Pythagoreans it as a symbol of the goo! $rinci$le in nature, eBui"alent to light. E6)8E'S S8<. An e$ithet besto e! u$on the chief architect of the tem$le,

because he as @a i!o 's son of the tribe of <a$hthali.@ 1 =ings "ii. 1-. E6<)6<G STA6(S, &/G/<) 8F. A legen! in the Fello 5raft's !egree ha"ing no historical truth, but being sim$ly a $hiloso$hical myth or legen!ary symbol inten!e! to communicate a masonic !ogma. 6t is the symbol of an ascent from a lo er to a higher s$here. 6t commences at the $orch of the tem$le, hich is a symbol of the entrance into life. The number of ste$s are al ays o!!, because o!! numbers are a symbol of $erfection. But the fifteen ste$s in the American system are a symbol of the name of Go!, A:ahA. E6</. An element of masonic consecration, an!, as a symbol of the in ar! refreshment of a goo! conscience, is inten!e! un!er the name of the @ ine of refreshment,@ to remin! us of the eternal refreshments hich the goo! are to recei"e in the future life for the faithful $erformance of !uty in the $resent. E8(). 6n Freemasonry this is a technical an! symbolic term, an! signifies !i"ine truth. The search after this or! constitutes the hole system of s$eculati"e masonry. E8(), &8ST. See A&ost Eor!A. E8(), S;BST6T;T/. See ASubstitute Eor!A. E8(=. 6n Freemasonry the initiation of a can!i!ate is calle! A orkA. 6t is suggesti"e of the !octrine that labor is a masonic !uty.

# #GG)(AS6&. The sacre! ash tree in the Scan!ina"ian Mysteries. )r. 8li"er $ro$oun!s the theory that it is the analogue of the theological la!!er in the Masonic Mysteries. But it is !oubtful hether this theory is tenable. #8). A 9ebre letter an! about eBui"alent to the /nglish 6 or #. 6t is the initial letter of the tetragrammaton, an! is often use!, es$ecially enclose! ithin a triangle, as a substitute for, or an abri!gement of, that sacre! or!.

6t is a symbol of the life%gi"ing an! sustaining $o er of Go!. #8<6. Among the nations an! religions of 6n!ia the yoni as the re$resentation of the female organ of generation, an! as the symbol of the $rolific $o er of nature. 6t is the same as the ActeisA among the 8cci!ental nations.

N N/<<AA(. The sacre! gir!le of the 9in!oos. 6t is su$$ose! to be the analogue of the masonic a$ron. N8(8AST/(. A !istinguishe! $hiloso$her an! reformer, hose !octrines ere $rofesse! by the ancient Persians. The religion of Noroaster as a !ualism, in hich the t o antagoniGing $rinci$les ere 8rmuG! an! Abriman, symbols of &ight an! )arkness. 6t as a mo!ification an! $urification of the ol! fire% orshi$, in hich the fire became a symbol of the sun, so that it as really a s$ecies of sun% orshi$. Mithras, re$resenting the sun, becomes the me!iator bet een 8rmuG!, or the $rinci$le of )arkness, an! the orl!.

Footnotes

.14 @The !octrine of the immortality of the soul, if it is a real a!"antage, follo s una"oi!ably from the i!ea of Go!. The AbestA Being, he must A illA the best of goo! things? the A isestA, he must !e"ise $lans for that effect? the Amost $o erfulA, he must bring it about. <one can !eny this.@%%T9/8. PA(=/(, A)iscourse of Matters $ertaining to (eligionA, b. ii. ch. "iii. $. +,J. .+4 @This institution of religion, like society, frien!shi$, an! marriage, comes out of a $rinci$le, !ee$ an! $ermanent in the heart' as humble, an! transient, an! $artial institutions come out of humble, transient, an! $artial ants, an! are to be trace! to the senses an! the $henomena of life, so this sublime, $ermanent, an! useful institution came out from sublime, $ermanent, an! uni"ersal ants, an! must be referre! to the soul, an! the unchanging realities of life.@%%PA(=/(, A)iscourse of (eligionA, b. i. ch. i. $. 1-.

.34 @The sages of all nations, ages, an! religions ha! some i!eas of these sublime !octrines, though more or less !egra!e!, a!ulterate! an! obscure!? an! these scattere! hints an! "estiges of the most sacre! an! e>alte! truths ere originally rays an! emanations of ancient an! $rimiti"e tra!itions, han!e! !o n from, generation to generation, since the beginning of the orl!, or at least since the fall of man, to all mankin!.@%%59/H. (AMSA#, APhilos. Princ. of <at. an! (e". (elig.,A "ol ii. $. C. .-4 @6n this form, not only the common objects abo"e enumerate!, but gems, metals, stones that fell from hea"en, images, car"e! bits of oo!, stuffe! skins of beasts, like the me!icine%bags of the <orth American 6n!ians, are reckone! as !i"inities, an! so become objects of a!oration. But in this case, the "isible object, is i!ealiGe!? not orshi$$e! as the brute thing really is, but as the ty$e an! symbol of Go!.@%%PA(=/(, A)isc. of (elig.A b. i. ch. ". $. J,. .J4 A recent riter thus eloBuently refers to the uni"ersality, in ancient times, of sun% orshi$' @Sabaism, the orshi$ of light, $re"aile! amongst all the lea!ing nations of the early orl!. By the ri"ers of 6n!ia, on the mountains of Persia, in the $lains of Assyria, early mankin! thus a!ore!, the higher s$irits in each country rising in s$iritual thought from the solar orb u$ to 9im hose "icegerent it seems%%to the Sun of all being, hose !i"ine light irra!iates an! $urifies the orl! of soul, as the solar ra!iance !oes the orl! of sense. /gy$t, too, though its faith be but !imly kno n to us, joine! in this orshi$? Syria raise! her gran! tem$les to the sun? the joyous Greeks s$orte! ith the thought hile feeling it, almost hi!ing it un!er the mythic in!i"i!uality hich their li"ely fancy su$erim$ose! u$on it. /"en $rosaic 5hina makes offerings to the yello orb of !ay? the an!ering 5elts an! Teutons hel! feasts to it, ami!st the $rime"al forests of <orthern /uro$e? an!, ith a sa"agery characteristic of the American aborigines, the sun tem$les of Me>ico streame! ith human bloo! in honor of the beneficent orb.@%%AThe 5astes an! 5ree!s of 6n!ia,A Black . Mag., "ol. l>>>i. $. 31*.%%@There is no $eo$le hose religion is kno n to us,@ says the Abbe Banier, @neither in our o n continent nor in that of America, that has not $ai! the sun a religious orshi$, if e e>ce$t some inhabitants of the torri! Gone, ho are continually cursing the sun for scorching them ith his beams.@%%AMythologyA, lib. iii. ch. iii.%%Macrobius, in his ASaturnalia,A un!ertakes to $ro"e that all the go!s of Paganism may be re!uce! to the sun. .D4 @Harro !e religionibus loBuens, e"i!enter !icit, multa esse "era, Buae "ulgo scire non sit utile? multaBue, Buae tametsi falsa sint, aliter e>istimare $o$ulum e>$e!iat.@%%St. A;G;ST6</, A)e 5i"il. )ei.A%%Ee must regret, ith the learne! Halloisin, that the si>teen books of Harro, on the religious antiBuities of the ancients, ha"e been lost? an! the regret

is enhance! by the reflection that they e>iste! until the beginning of the fourteenth century, an! !isa$$eare! only hen their $reser"ation for less than t o centuries more oul!, by the !isco"ery of $rinting, ha"e secure! their $er$etuity. .*4 Strabo, Geog., lib. i. .C4 Maurice, 6n!ian AntiBuities, "ol. ii. $. +2*. .24 )i". &eg., "ol. i. b. ii. Sec. i". $. 123, 1,th &on!. e!it. .1,4 The hi!!en !octrines of the unity of the )eity an! the immortality of the soul ere taught originally in all the Mysteries, e"en those of 5u$i! an! Bacchus.%%EA(B;(T8<, a$u! S$ence's AAnec!otesA, $. 3,2. .114 6soc. Paneg., $. J2. .1+4 A$u! Arrian. )issert., lib. iii. c. >>i. .134 Phae!o. .1-4 )issert. on the /leusinian an! Bacchic Mysteries, in the Pam$hleteer, "ol. "iii. $. J3. .1J4 Symbol. un! Mythol. !er Alt. Hoelk. .1D4 6n these Mysteries, after the $eo$le ha! for a long time be aile! the loss of a $articular $erson, he as at last su$$ose! to be restore! to life.%%B(#A<T, AAnal. of Anc. MythologyA, "ol. iii. $. 1*D. .1*4 9ero!. 9ist., lib. iii. c. cl>>i. .1C4 The legen! says it as cut into AfourteenA $ieces. 5om$are this ith the AfourteenA !ays of burial in the masonic legen! of the thir! !egree. Ehy the $articular number in eachF 6t has been thought by some, that in the latter legen! there as a reference to the half of the moon's age, or its !ark $erio!, symbolic of the !arkness of !eath, follo e! by the fourteen !ays of bright moon, or restoration to life. .124 Mysteres !u Paganisme, tom. i. $. D. .+,4 <otes to (a linson's 9ero!otus, b. ii. ch. cl>>i. Mr. Bryant e>$resses the same o$inion' @The $rinci$al rites in /gy$t ere confesse!ly for a $erson lost an! consigne! for a time to !arkness, ho as at last foun!. This $erson 6 ha"e mentione! to ha"e been !escribe! un!er the character of 8siris.@%%AAnalysis of Ancient MythologyA, "ol. iii. $. 1**.

.+14 S$irit of Masonry, $. 1,,. .++4 Harro, accor!ing to St. Augustine K)e 5i". )ei, "i. JL, says that among the ancients there ere three kin!s of theology%%a AmythicalA, hich as use! by the $oets? a A$hysicalA, by the $hiloso$hers, an! a Aci"ilA, by the $eo$le. .+34 @Tous les ans,@ says Sainte 5roi>, @$en!ant les jours consacres au sou"enir !e sa mort, tout etoit $longe !ans la tristesse' on ne cessoit !e $ousser !es gemissemens? on alloit meme jusBu'a se flageller et se !onner !es cou$s. &e !ernier jour !e ce !euil, on faisoit !es sacrifices funebres en l'honneur !e ce !ieu. &e jour sui"ant, on rece"oit la nou"elle Bu'A!onis "enoit !'etre ra$$ele a la "ie, Bui mettoit fin a leur !euil.@%%A(echerches sur les Myst. !u PaganismeA, tom. ii. $. 1,J. .+-4 5lement of Ale>an!ria calls them .Greek' mysteOria taP $roP mysteriOon4, @the mysteries before the mysteries.@ .+J4 &es $etits mysteres ne consistoient Bu'en ceremonies $re$aratoires.%%ASainte 5roi>A, i. +2*.%%As to the oath of secrecy, Bryant says, @The first thing at these a ful meetings as to offer an oath of secrecy to all ho ere to be initiate!, after hich they $rocee!e! to the ceremonies.@%%AAnal. of Anc. Myth.A, "ol. iii. $. 1*-.%%The 8r$hic Argonautics allu!e to the oath' .Greek' metaP !' oKrkia MyOsiRais, k. t. l.4, @after the oath as a!ministere! to the mystes,@ Uc.%%A8r$h. Argon.A, ". 11. .+D4 The satirical $en of Aristo$hanes has not s$are! the )ionysiac festi"als. But the raillery an! sarcasm of a comic riter must al ays be recei"e! ith many grains of allo ance. 9e has, at least, been can!i! enough to confess that no one coul! be initiate! ho ha! been guilty of any crime against his country or the $ublic security.%%A(anaeA, ". 3D,%3DJ.%%/uri$i!es makes the chorus in his Bacchae $roclaim that the Mysteries ere $ractise! only for "irtuous $ur$oses. 6n (ome, ho e"er, there can be little !oubt that the initiations $artook at length of a licentious character. @8n ne $eut !outer,@ says Ste. 5roi>, @Bue l'intro!uction !es fetes !e Bacchus en 6talie n'ait accelere les $rogres !u libertinage et !e la !ebauche !ans cette contree.@%%AMyst. !u Pag.A, tom. ii. $. 21.%%St. Augustine K)e 5i". )ei, lib. "ii. c. >>i.L in"eighs against the im$urity of the ceremonies in 6taly of the sacre! rites of Bacchus. But e"en he !oes not !eny that the moti"e ith hich they ere $erforme! as of a religious, or at least su$erstitious nature%%@Sic "i!elicet &iber !eus $lacan!us fuerat.@ The $ro$itiation of a !eity as certainly a religious act. .+*4 9ist. Greece, "ol. ii. $. 1-,.

.+C4 This language is Buote! from (obison KAProofs of a 5ons$iracyA, $. +,, &on!. e!it. 1*2*L, hom none ill sus$ect or accuse of an un!ue "eneration for the antiBuity or the morality of the masonic or!er. .+24 Ee must not confoun! these Asiatic buil!ers ith the $lay%actors, ho ere subseBuently calle! by the Greeks, as e learn from Aulus Gellius Klib. >>. ca$. -L, @artificers of )ionysus@%%.Greek' )ionysiakoi technitaiP4. .3,4 There is abun!ant e"i!ence, among ancient authors, of the e>istence of signs an! $ass or!s in the Mysteries. Thus A$uleius, in his A$ology, says, @Si Bui forte a!est eorun!em Solemnium mihi $artice$s, signum !ato,@ etc.? that is, @6f any one ha$$ens to be $resent ho has been initiate! into the same rites as myself, if he ill gi"e me the sign, he shall then be at liberty to hear hat it is that 6 kee$ ith so much care.@ Plautus also allu!es to this usage, hen, in his @Miles Gloriosus,@ act i". sc. +, he makes Mil$hi!i$$a say to Pyrgo$olonices, @5e!o signum, si harunc Baccharum es?@ i.e., @Gi"e the sign if you are one of these Bacchae,@ or initiates into the Mysteries of Bacchus. 5lemens Ale>an!rinus calls these mo!es of recognition .Greek' sothemata4, as if Ameans of safetyA. A$uleius else here uses AmemoraculaA, 6 think to !enote $ass or!s, hen he says, @sanctissime sacrorum signa et memoracula custo!ire,@ hich 6 am incline! to translate, @most scru$ulously to $reser"e the signs an! $ass or!s of the sacre! rites.@ .314 The Baron !e Sainte 5roi> gi"es this brief "ie of the ceremonies' @)ans ces mysteres on em$loyoit, $our rem$lir l'ame !es assistans !'une sainte horreur, les memes moyens Bu'a /leusis. &'a$$arition !e fantomes et !e !i"ers objets $ro$res a effrayer, sembloit !is$oser les es$rits a la cre!ulite. 6ls en a"oient sans !oute besoin, $our ajouter foi a toutes les e>$lications !es mystagogues' elles rouloient sur le massacre !e Bacchus $ar les Titans,@ Uc.%%A(echerches sur les Mysteres !u PaganismeA, tom. ii. sect. "ii. art. iii. $. C2. .3+4 &a rie, 9ist. of Freemasonry, $. +*. .334 Hincentius &irinensis or Hincent of &irens, ho li"e! in the fifth century of the 5hristian era, rote a contro"ersial treatise entitle! @5ommonitorium,@ remarkable for the blin! "eneration hich it $ays to the "oice of tra!ition. The rule hich he there lays !o n, an! hich is cite! in the te>t, may be consi!ere!, in a mo!ifie! a$$lication, as an a>iom by hich e may test the A$robabilityA, at least, of all sorts of tra!itions. <one out of the $ale of Hincent's church ill go so far as he !i! in making it the criterion of $ositi"e truth. .3-4 Prolog. Gu einer issenshaftlich. Mythologie.

.3J4 6n German AhuttenA, in /nglish Alo!gesA, hence the masonic term. .3D4 9istorical /ssay on Architecture, ch. >>i. .3*4 Bisho$ /nglan!, in his @/>$lanation of the Mass,@ says that in e"ery ceremony e must look for three meanings' @the first, the literal, natural, an!, it may be sai!, the original meaning? the secon!, the figurati"e or emblematic signification? an! thir!ly, the $ious or religious meaning' freBuently the t o last ill be foun! the same? sometimes all three ill be foun! combine!.@ 9ere lies the true !ifference bet een the symbolism of the church an! that of Masonry. 6n the former, the symbolic meaning as an afterthought a$$lie! to the original, literal one? in the latter, the symbolic as al ays the original signification of e"ery ceremony. .3C4 OP @Eas not all the kno le!ge 8f the /gy$tians rit in mystic symbolsF S$eak not the Scri$tures oft in $arablesF Are not the choicest fables of the $oets, That ere the fountains an! first s$rings of is!om, Era$$e! in $er$le>e! allegoriesF@ B/< :8<S8<, AAlchemistA, act ii. sc. i. PO .324 The !istinguishe! German mythologist Mueller !efines a symbol to be @an eternal, "isible sign, ith hich a s$iritual feeling, emotion, or i!ea is connecte!.@ 6 am not a are of a more com$rehensi"e, an! at the same time !istincti"e, !efinition. .-,4 An! it may be a!!e!, that the or! becomes a symbol of an i!ea? an! hence, 9arris, in his @9ermes,@ !efines language to be @a system of articulate "oices, the symbols of our i!eas, but of those $rinci$ally hich are general or uni"ersal.@%%A9ermesA, book iii. ch. 3. .-14 @Symbols,@ says Mueller, @are e"i!ently coe"al ith the human race? they result from the union of the soul ith the bo!y in man? nature has im$lante! the feeling for them in the human heart.@%%A6ntro!uction to a Scientific System of MythologyA, $. 12D, &eitch's translation.%%(.E. Mackay says, @The earliest instruments of e!ucation ere symbols, the most uni"ersal symbols of the multitu!inously $resent )eity, being earth or hea"en, or some selecte! object, such as the sun or moon, a tree or a stone, familiarly seen in either of them.@%%AProgress of the 6ntellectA, "ol. i $. 13-. .-+4 Bet een the allegory, or $arable, an! the symbol, there is, as 6 ha"e sai!, no essential !ifference. The Greek "erb .Greek' $araballo4, hence comes the or! A$arableA, an! the "erb .Greek' symballo4 in the same language, hich is the root of the or! AsymbolA, both ha"e the synonymous meaning @to com$are.@ A $arable is only a s$oken symbol. The !efinition of

a $arable gi"en by A!am 5larke is eBually a$$licable to a symbol, "iG.' @A com$arison or similitu!e, in hich one thing is com$are! ith another, es$ecially s$iritual things ith natural, by hich means these s$iritual things are better un!erstoo!, an! make a !ee$er im$ression on the attenti"e min!.@ .-34 <orth British (e"ie , August, 1CJ1. Faber $asses a similar encomium. @9ence the language of symbolism, being so $urely a language of i!eas, is, in one res$ect, more $erfect than any or!inary language can be' it $ossesses the "ariegate! elegance of synonymes ithout any of the obscurity hich arises from the use of ambiguous terms.@%%A8n the Pro$heciesA, ii. $. D3. .--4 @By s$eculati"e Masonry e learn to sub!ue our $assions, to act u$on the sBuare, to kee$ a tongue of goo! re$ort, to maintain secrecy, an! $ractise charity.@%%A&ect. of Fel. 5raft.A But this is a "ery meagre !efinition, un orthy of the $lace it occu$ies in the lecture of the secon! !egree. .-J4 @Animal orshi$ among the /gy$tians as the natural an! una"oi!able conseBuence of the misconce$tion, by the "ulgar, of those emblematical figures in"ente! by the $riests to recor! their o n $hiloso$hical conce$tion of absur! i!eas. As the $ictures an! effigies sus$en!e! in early 5hristian churches, to commemorate a $erson or an e"ent, became in time objects of orshi$ to the "ulgar, so, in /gy$t, the esoteric or s$iritual meaning of the emblems as lost in the gross materialism of the behol!er. This esoteric an! allegorical meaning as, ho e"er, $reser"e! by the $riests, an! communicate! in the mysteries alone to the initiate!, hile the uninstructe! retaine! only the grosser conce$tion.@%%G&6))8<, A8tia Aegy$tiacaA, $. 2-. .-D4 @To $er$etuate the esoteric signification of these symbols to the initiate!, there ere establishe! the Mysteries, of hich institution e ha"e still a trace in Freemasonry.@%%G&6))8<, A8tia Aegy$.A $. 2J. .-*4 Philo :u!aeus says, that @Moses ha! been initiate! by the /gy$tians into the $hiloso$hy of symbols an! hierogly$hics, as ell as into the ritual of the holy animals.@ An! 9engstenberg, in his learne! ork on @/gy$t an! the Books of Moses,@ conclusi"ely sho s, by numerous e>am$les, ho !irect ere the /gy$tian references of the Pentateuch? in hich fact, in!ee!, he recogniGes @one of the most $o erful arguments for its cre!ibility an! for its com$osition by Moses.@%%9/<GST/<B/(G, $. +32, (obbins's trans. .-C4 :ose$hus, AAntiB.A book iii. ch. *. .-24 The ark, or sacre! boat, of the /gy$tians freBuently occurs on the

alls of the tem$les. 6t as carrie! in great $om$ by the $riests on the occasion of the @$rocession of the shrines,@ by means of sta"es $asse! through metal rings in its si!e. 6t as thus con!ucte! into the tem$le, an! !e$osite! on a stan!. The re$resentations e ha"e of it bear a striking resemblance to the :e ish ark, of hich it is no a!mitte! to ha"e been the $rototy$e. .J,4 @The /gy$tian reference in the ;rim an! Thummim is es$ecially !istinct an! incontro"ertible.@%%9/<GST/<B/(G, $. 1JC. .J14 Accor!ing to the estimate of Bisho$ 5umberlan!, it as only one hun!re! an! nine feet in length, thirty%si> in brea!th, an! fifty%four in height. .J+4 @Thus !i! our ise Gran! Master contri"e a $lan, by mechanical an! $ractical allusions, to instruct the craftsmen in $rinci$les of the most sublime s$eculati"e $hiloso$hy, ten!ing to the glory of Go!, an! to secure to them tem$oral blessings here an! eternal life hereafter, as ell as to unite the s$eculati"e an! o$erati"e Masons, thereby forming a t ofol! a!"antage, from the $rinci$les of geometry an! architecture on the one $art, an! the $rece$ts of is!om an! ethics on the other.@%%5A&58TT, A5an!i! )isBuisitionA, $. 31, e!. 1*D2. .J34 This $ro$osition 6 ask to be conce!e!? the e"i!ences of its truth are, ho e"er, abun!ant, ere it necessary to $ro!uce them. The craft, generally, ill, 6 $resume, assent to it. .J-4 @The gro"es ere Go!'s first tem$les. /re man learne! To he the shaft, an! lay the architra"e, An! s$rea! the roof abo"e them%%ere he frame! The lofty "ault, to gather an! roll back The soun! of anthems%%in the !arkling oo!, Ami! the cool an! silence, he knelt !o n, An! offere! to the Mightiest solemn thanks An! su$$lication.@%%B(#A<T. .JJ4 Theologians ha"e al ays gi"en a s$iritual a$$lication to the tem$le of Solomon, referring it to the mysteries of the 5hristian !is$ensation. For this, consult all the biblical commentators. But 6 may $articularly mention, on this subject, Bunyan's @Solomon's Tem$le S$iritualiGe!,@ an! a rare ork in folio, by Samuel &ee, Fello of Ea!ham 5ollege, 8>for!, $ublishe! at &on!on in 1DJ2, an! entitle! @8rbis Miraculum, or the Tem$le of Solomon $ortraye! by Scri$ture &ight.@ A co$y of this scarce ork, hich treats "ery learne!ly of @the s$iritual mysteries of the gos$el "eile! un!er the tem$le,@ 6 ha"e lately been, by goo! fortune, enable! to

a!! to my library. .JD4 Heluti $ecora, Buae natura fin>it $rona et obe!ientia "entri.%%SA&&;ST, ABell. 5atil.A i. .J*4 6 =ings "i. *. .JC4 6n further illustration of the is!om of these tem$le contri"ances, it may be mentione! that, by marks $lace! u$on the materials hich ha! been thus $re$are! at a !istance, the in!i"i!ual $ro!uction of e"ery craftsman as easily ascertaine!, an! the means ere $ro"i!e! of re ar!ing merit an! $unishing in!olence. .J24 @/ach of the $agan go!s ha! Kbesi!es the A$ublicA an! Ao$enAL a Asecret orshi$A $ai! unto him? to hich none ere a!mitte! but those ho ha! been selecte! by $re$aratory ceremonies, calle! 6nitiation. This Asecret% orshi$A as terme! the Mysteries.@%%EA(B;(T8<, A)i". &eg. 6. i. $. 1C2A. .D,4 6t must be remarke!, ho e"er, that many of the Fello 5rafts ere also stone%cutters in the mountains, AchotGeb bahorA, an!, ith their nicer im$lements, more accurately a!juste! the stones hich ha! been im$erfectly $re$are! by the a$$rentices. This fact !oes not at all affect the character of the symbolism e are !escribing. The !ue $re$aration of the materials, the symbol of $urification, as necessarily continue! in all the !egrees. The task of $urification ne"er ceases. .D14 The classical rea!er ill here be remin!e! of that beautiful $assage of 9orace, commencing ith @:ustum et tenacem $ro$ositi "irum.@%%&ib. iii. o!. 3. .D+4 @Palli!a mors aeBuo $ulsat $e!e $au$erum tabernas (egumBue turres.@%%98(. lib. i. o!. -. .D34 6t is orth noticing that the "erb AnatGachA, from hich the title of the AmenatGchimA Kthe o"erseers or Master Masons in the ancient tem$leL, is !eri"e!, signifies also in 9ebre Ato be $erfecte!, to be com$lete!A. The thir! !egree is the $erfection of the symbolism of the tem$le, an! its lessons lea! us to the com$letion of life. 6n like manner the Mysteries, says 5hristie, @ ere terme! .Greek' teletaiP4, A$erfectionsA, because they ere su$$ose! to in!uce a $erfectness of life. Those ho ere $urifie! by them ere style! .Greek' teloumeOnoi4, an! .Greek' tetelesmeOnoi4, that is, brought to $erfection.@%%A8bser"ations on 8u"aroff's /ssay on the /leusinian MysteriesA, $. 1C3. .D-4 )r. 8li"er, in the first or $reliminary lecture of his @9istorical

&an!marks,@ "ery accurately !escribes the !ifference bet een the $ure or $rimiti"e Freemasonry of the <oachites, an! the s$urious Freemasonry of the heathens. .DJ4 The i!ea of the orl!, as symbolically re$resenting Go!'s tem$le, has been thus beautifully !e"elo$e! in a hymn by <.P. Eillis, ritten for the !e!ication of a church'%% @The $erfect orl! by A!am tro! Eas the first tem$le built by Go!? 9is fiat lai! the corner stone, An! hea"e! its $illars, one by one. @9e hung its starry roof on high%% The broa!, illimitable sky? 9e s$rea! its $a"ement, green an! bright, An! curtaine! it ith morning light. @The mountains in their $laces stoo!, The sea, the sky, an! 'all as goo!?' An! hen its first $ure $raises rang, The 'morning stars together sang.' @&or!, 'tis not ours to make the sea, An! earth, an! sky, a house for thee? But in thy sight our offering stan!s, A humbler tem$le, ma!e ith han!s.@ .DD4 @The i!ea,@ says )u!ley, @that the earth is a le"el surface, an! of a sBuare form, is so likely to ha"e been entertaine! by $ersons of little e>$erience an! limite! obser"ation, that it may be justly su$$ose! to ha"e $re"aile! generally in the early ages of the orl!.@%%A<aologyA, $. *. .D*4 The Bua!rangular form of the earth is $reser"e! in almost all the scri$tural allusions that are ma!e to it. Thus 6saiah K>i. 1+L says, @The &or! shall gather together the !is$erse! of :u!ah from the Afour cornersA of the earth?@ an! e fin! in the A$ocaly$se K>>. 2L the $ro$hetic "ersion of @four angels stan!ing on the Afour cornersA of the earth.@ .DC4 @The form of the lo!ge ought to be a !ouble cube, as an e>$ressi"e emblem of the $o ers of !arkness an! light in the creation.@%%8&6H/(, A&an!marksA, i. $. 13J, note 3*. .D24 <ot that hole "isible uni"erse, in its mo!ern signification, as inclu!ing solar systems u$on solar systems, rolling in illimitable s$ace, but in the more contracte! "ie of the ancients, here the earth forme! the floor, an! the sky the ceiling. @To the "ulgar an! untaught eye,@ says

)u!ley, @the hea"en or sky abo"e the earth a$$ears to be co%e>tensi"e ith the earth, an! to take the same form, enclosing a cubical s$ace, of hich the earth as the base, the hea"en or sky the u$$er surface.@%%A<aologyA, *.%%An! it is to this notion of the uni"erse that the masonic symbol of the lo!ge refers. .*,4 @These rocky shrines, the formation of hich Mr. Grose su$$oses to ha"e been a labor eBual to that of erecting the Pyrami!s of /gy$t, are of "arious height, e>tent, an! !e$th. They are $artitione! out, by the labor of the hammer an! the chisel, into many se$arate chambers, an! the roof, hich in the $ago!a of /le$hanta is flat, but in that of Salsette is arche!, is su$$orte! by ro s of $illars of great thickness, an! arrange! ith much regularity. The alls are cro !e! ith gigantic figures of men an! omen, engage! in "arious actions, an! $ortraye! in "arious himsical attitu!es? an! they are a!orne! ith se"eral e"i!ent symbols of the religion no $re"ailing in 6n!ia. Abo"e, as in a sky, once $robably a!orne! ith gol! an! aGure, in the same manner as Mr. Sa"ary lately obser"e! in the ruinous remains of some ancient /gy$tian tem$les, are seen floating the chil!ren of imagination, genii an! !e tahs, in multitu!es, an! along the cornice, in high relief, are the figures of ele$hants, horses, an! lions, e>ecute! ith great accuracy. T o of the $rinci$al figures at Salsette are t enty%se"en feet in height, an! of $ro$ortionate magnitu!e? the "ery bust only of the tri$le%hea!e! !eity in the gran! $ago!a of /le$hanta measures fifteen feet from the base to the to$ of the ca$, hile the face of another, if Mr. Grose, ho measure! it, may be cre!ite!, is abo"e fi"e feet in length, an! of corres$on!ing brea!th.@%%MA;(65/, A6n!. Ant.A "ol. ii. $. 13J. .*14 Accor!ing to Faber, the egg as a symbol of the orl! or megacosm, an! also of the ark, or microcosm, as the lunette or crescent as a symbol of the Great Father, the egg an! lunette%% hich as the hierogly$hic of the go! &unus, at 9elio$olis%% as a symbol of the orl! $rocee!ing from the Great Father.%%APagan 6!olatryA, "ol. i. b. i. ch. i". .*+4 Noroaster taught that the sun as the most $erfect fire of Go!, the throne of his glory, an! the resi!ence of his !i"ine $resence, an! he therefore instructe! his !isci$les @to !irect all their orshi$ to Go! first to ar!s the sun K hich they calle! MithrasL, an! ne>t to ar!s their sacre! fires, as being the things in hich Go! chiefly ! elt? an! their or!inary ay of orshi$ as to !o so to ar!s both. For hen they came before these fires to orshi$, Athey al ays a$$roache! them on the est si!eA, that, ha"ing their faces to ar!s them an! also to ar!s the rising sun at the same time, they might !irect their orshi$ to both. An! in this $osture they al ays $erforme! e"ery act of their orshi$.@%%P(6)/A;I. A5onnection.A i. +1D. .*34 @The mysteries of 5eres Kor /leusisL are $rinci$ally !istinguishe!

from all others as ha"ing been the !e$ositories of certain tra!itions coe"al ith the orl!.@%%8;HA(8FF, A/ssay on the Mysteries of /leusisA, $. D. .*-4 The !a!ouchus, or torch%bearer, carrie! a symbol of the sun. .*J4 @6n!ee!, the most ancient su$erstition of all nations,@ says Maurice, @has been the orshi$ of the sun, as the lor! of hea"en an! the go"ernor of the orl!? an! in $articular it $re"aile! in Phoenicia, 5hal!aea, /gy$t, an! from later information e may a!!, Peru an! Me>ico, re$resente! in a "ariety of ays, an! conceale! un!er a multitu!e of fanciful names. Through all the re"olutions of time the great luminary of hea"en hath e>acte! from the generations of men the tribute of !e"otion.@%%A6n!ian AntiBuitiesA, "ol. ii. $. 21. .*D4 Facciolatus thus !efines the Phallus' @$enis ligneus, "el "itreus, "el coriaceus, Buem in Bacchi festis $laustro im$ositum $er rura et urbes magno honore circumferebant.@%%A&e>. in "oc.A .**4 The e>hibition of these images in a colossal form, before the gates of ancient tem$les, as common. &ucian tells us of t o colossal Phalli, each one hun!re! an! eighty feet high, hich stoo! in the fore court of the tem$le at 9iera$olis. Mailer, in his @Ancient Art an! its (emains,@ mentions, on the authority of &eake, the fact that a colossal Phallus, hich once stoo! on the to$ of the tomb of the &y!ian king 9alyattes, is no lying near the same s$ot? it is not an entire Phallus, but only the hea! of one? it is t el"e feet in !iameter belo an! nine feet o"er the glan!s. The Phallus has e"en been foun!, so uni"ersal as this orshi$, among the sa"ages of America. )r. Arthaut !isco"ere!, in the year 1*2,, a marble Phallic image in a ca"e of the islan! of St. )omingo.%%5&AH/&, A9ist. PittoresB. !es (eligionsA, $. 2. .*C4 Sonnerat KHoyage au> 6n!es 8rient, i. $. 11CL obser"es, that the $rofessors of this orshi$ ere of the $urest $rinci$les an! most unblemishe! con!uct, an! it seems ne"er to ha"e entere! into the hea!s of the 6n!ian legislator an! $eo$le that anything natural coul! be grossly obscene.%%Sir Eilliam :ones remarks KAsiatic (esearches, i. +J-L, that from the earliest $erio!s the omen of Asia, Greece, an! 6taly ore this symbol as a je el, an! 5la"el tells us that a similar usage $re"ails at this !ay among the omen in some of the "illages of Brittany. Seely tells us that the &ingam, or 6n!ian Phallus, is an emblem as freBuently met ith in 9in!ostan as the cross is in 5atholic countries.%%AEon!ers of /lora.A $. +*C. .*24 <um. >>". 1%3. See also Psalm c"i. +C' @They joine! themsel"es also unto Baal%$eor, an! ate the sacrifices of the !ea!.@ This last e>$ression, accor!ing to (ussel, has a !istinct reference to the $hysical Bualities of

matter, an! to the time hen !eath, by the inter absence of the solar heat, gets, as it ere, $ossession of the earth. Baal%$eor as, he says, the sun e>ercising his $o ers of fecun!ity.%%A5onnection of Sacre! an! Profane 9istoryA .C,4 6s there not a seeming reference to this thought of !i"ine herma$hro!ism in the ell%kno n $assage of GenesisF @So Go! create! man in his o n image, in the image of Go! create! he him' Amale an! femaleA create! he them.@ An! so being create! @male an! female,@ they ere @in the image of Go!.@ .C14 The orl! being animate! by man, says 5reuGer, in his learne! ork on Symbolism, recei"e! from him the t o se>es, re$resente! by hea"en an! the earth. 9ea"en, as the fecun!ating $rinci$le, as male, an! the source of fire? the earth, as the fecun!ate!, as female, an! the source of humi!ity. All things issue! from the alliance of these t o $rinci$les. The "i"ifying $o ers of the hea"ens are concentrate! in the sun, an! the earth, eternally fi>e! in the $lace hich it occu$ies, recei"es the emanations from the sun, through the me!ium of the moon, hich she!s u$on the earth the germs hich the sun ha! !e$osite! in its fertile bosom. The &ingam is at once the symbol an! the mystery of this religious i!ea. .C+4 Such as the o$inion of some of the ancient sun% orshi$$ers, hose a!orations ere al ays $erforme! in the o$en air, because they thought no tem$le as s$acious enough to contain the sun? an! hence the saying, @Mun!us uni"ersus est tem$lum solis@%%the uni"erse is the tem$le of the sun. &ike our ancient brethren, they orshi$$e! only on Athe highest hillsA. Another analogy. .C34 AAsgar!A, the abo!e of the go!s, is sha!e! by the ash tree, A#!rasilA, here the go!s assemble e"ery !ay to !o justice. The branches of this tree e>ten! themsel"es o"er the hole orl!, an! reach abo"e the hea"ens. 6t hath three roots, e>tremely !istant from each other' one of them is among the go!s? the secon! is among the giants, here the abyss formerly as? the thir! co"ers A<iflheimA, or hell, an! un!er this root is the fountain AHergelmerA, hence flo the infernal ri"ers.%%A/!!a, Fab.A C. .C-4 />o!. iii. J. .CJ4 5ommentaries Ain locoA. .CD4 5ommentary on />o!. iii. J. .C*4 6amblichi Hita Pythag. c. 1,J. 6n another $lace he says, @.Greek' ThyOein chreP aLny$oO!eton, kai $roPs ta iKeraP $rostieOnai4,@%%Ee must sacrifice an! enter tem$les ith the shoes off. 6bi!. c. CJ.

.CC4 @Muo! etiam nunc a$u! $lerasBue 8rientis nationes $iaculum sit, calceato $e!e tem$lorum $a"imenta calcasse.@ .C24 Beth 9abbechirah, ca$. "ii. .2,4 9istor. &an!m. "ol. ii. $. -C1. .214 @<on !atur nobis $otestas a!eun!i tem$lum nisi nu!ibus $e!ibus.@ .2+4 5ommentaries, Aut su$raA. .234 See a $a$er @on the religious ceremonies of the 9in!us,@ by 9.T. 5olebrooke, /sB. in the Asiatic (esearches, "ol. "i. $. 3J*. .2-4 A S$ecimen of the 5ritical 9istory of the 5eltic (eligion an! &earning. &etter ii. Sec. >"ii. .2J4 )r. 8li"er, referring to the @t el"e gran! $oints in Masonry,@ hich forme! a $art of the ol! /nglish lectures, says, @Ehen the can!i!ate as Aintruste!A, he re$resente! Asher, for he as then $resente! ith the glorious fruit of masonic kno le!ge, as Asher as re$resente! by fatness an! royal !ainties.@%%A9ist. &an!m.A, "ol. i. lect. >i. $. 313. .2D4 From the Greek .Greek' ayLto$siOa4, signifying Aa seeing ith ones o n eyesA. The can!i!ate, ho ha! $re"iously been calle! a AmystesA, or a Ablin! manA, from .Greek' miOo4, to Ashut the eyesA, began at this $oint to change his title to that of an Ae$o$tA, or an Aeye% itnessA. .2*4 A#ehi aur "a yehi aur.A .2C4 (obert Eilliam Mackay, Progress of the 6ntellect, "ol. i. $. 23. .224 @An! thou shalt $ut in the breast$late of ju!gment the ;rim an! the Thummim.@%%A/>o!.A >>"iii. 3,.%%The /gy$tian ju!ges also ore breast$lates, on hich as re$resente! the figure of A(aA, the sun, an! AThmeA, the go!!ess of Truth, re$resenting, says Gli!!on, @A(aA, or the sun, in a !ouble ca$acity%%$hysical an! intellectual light? an! AThmeA, in a !ouble ca$acity%%justice an! truth.@%%AAncient /gy$tA, $. 33. .1,,4 Ee o e this interesting !isco"ery to F. Portal, ho has gi"en it in his elaborate ork on /gy$tian symbols as com$are! ith those of the 9ebre s. To those ho cannot consult the original ork in French, 6 can safely recommen! the e>cellent translation by my esteeme! frien!, Bro. :ohn E. Simons, of <e #ork, an! hich ill be foun! in the thirtieth "olume of the @;ni"ersal Masonic &ibrary.@

.1,14 @The most early !efection to 6!olatry,@ says Bryant, @consiste! in the a!oration of the sun an! the orshi$ of !emons, style! Baalim.@%%AAnalysts of Anc. Mythol.A "ol. iii. $. -31. .1,+4 The remarks of Mr. )uncan on this subject are ell orth $erusal. @&ight has al ays forme! one of the $rimary objects of heathen a!oration. The glorious s$ectacle of animate! nature oul! lose all its interest if man ere !e$ri"e! of "ision, an! light e>tinguishe!? for that hich is unseen an! unkno n becomes, for all $ractical $ur$oses, as "alueless as if it ere non%e>istent. &ight is a source of $ositi"e ha$$iness? ithout it, man coul! barely e>ist? an! since all religious o$inion is base! on the i!eas of $leasure an! $ain, an! the corres$on!ing sensations of ho$e an! fear, it is not to be on!ere! if the heathen re"erence! light. )arkness, on the contrary, by re$lunging nature, as it ere, into a state of nothingness, an! !e$ri"ing man of the $leasurable emotions con"eye! through the organ of sight, as e"er hel! in abhorrence, as a source of misery an! fear. The t o o$$osite con!itions in hich man thus foun! himself $lace!, occasione! by the enjoyment or the banishment of light, in!uce! him to imagine the e>istence of t o antagonist $rinci$les in nature, to hose !ominion he as alternately subject. &ight multi$lie! his enjoyments, an! !arkness !iminishe! them. The former, accor!ingly, became his frien!, an! the latter his enemy. The or!s 'light' an! 'goo!,' an! '!arkness' an! 'e"il,' con"eye! similar i!eas, an! became, in sacre! language, synonymous terms. But as goo! an! e"il ere not su$$ose! to flo from one an! the same source, no more than light an! !arkness ere su$$ose! to ha"e a common origin, t o !istinct an! in!e$en!ent $rinci$les ere establishe!, totally !ifferent in their nature, of o$$osite characters, $ursuing a conflicting line of action, an! creating antagonistic effects. Such as the origin of this famous !ogma, recogniGe! by all the heathens, an! incor$orate! ith all the sacre! fables, cosmogonies, an! mysteries of antiBuity.@%%AThe (eligions of Profane AntiBuityA, $. 1CD. .1,34 See the @Bhag"at Geeta,@ one of the religious books of Brahminism. A riter in Black oo!, in an article on the @5astes an! 5ree!s of 6n!ia,@ "ol. l>>>i. $. 31D, thus accounts for the a!oration of light by the early nations of the orl!' @5an e on!er at the orshi$ of light by those early nationsF 5arry our thoughts back to their remote times, an! our only on!er oul! be if they !i! not so a!ore it. The sun is life as ell as light to all that is on the earth%%as e of the $resent !ay kno e"en better than they of ol!. Mo"ing in !aGGling ra!iance or brilliant%hue! $ageantry through the sky, scanning in calm royalty all that $asses belo , it seems the "ery go! of this fair orl!, hich li"es an! blooms but in his smile.@ .1,-4 The A6nstitutes of MenuA, hich are the ackno le!ge! co!e of the Brahmins, inform us that @the orl! as all !arkness, un!iscernible,

un!istinguishable altogether, as in a $rofoun! slee$, till the self%e>istent, in"isible Go!, making it manifest ith fi"e elements an! other glorious forms, $erfectly !is$elle! the gloom.@%%Sir E6&&6AM :8</S, A8n the Go!s of Greece. Asiatic (esearchesA, i. +--. Among the (osicrucians, ho ha"e, by some, been im$ro$erly confoun!e! ith the Freemasons, the or! Alu>A as use! to signify a kno le!ge of the $hiloso$her's stone, or the great !esi!eratum of a uni"ersal eli>ir an! a uni"ersal menstruum. This as their AtruthA. .1,J4 8n Symbolic 5olors, $. +3, 6nman's translation. .1,D4 Freemasonry ha"ing recei"e! the name of Alu>A, or light, its !isci$les ha"e, "ery a$$ro$riately, been calle! @the Sons of &ight.@ Thus Burns, in his celebrate! Fare ell'%% @8ft ha"e 6 met your social ban!, An! s$ent the cheerful, festi"e night? 8ft, honore! ith su$reme comman!, Presi!e! o'er the Asons of lightA.@ .1,*4 Thus !efine!' @The stone hich lies at the corner of t o alls, an! unites them? the $rinci$al stone, an! es$ecially the stone hich forms the corner of the foun!ation of an e!ifice.@%%Eebster. .1,C4 Among the ancients the corner%stone of im$ortant e!ifices as lai! ith im$ressi"e ceremonies. These are ell !escribe! by Tacitus, in his history of the rebuil!ing of the 5a$itol. After !etailing the $reliminary ceremonies hich consiste! in a $rocession of "estals, ho ith cha$lets of flo ers encom$asse! the groun! an! consecrate! it by libations of li"ing ater, he a!!s that, after solemn $rayer, 9el"i!ius, to hom the care of rebuil!ing the 5a$itol ha! been committe!, @lai! his han! u$on the fillets that a!orne! the foun!ation stone, an! also the cor!s by hich it as to be !ra n to its $lace. 6n that instant the magistrates, the $riests, the senators, the (oman knights, an! a number of citiGens, all acting ith one effort an! general !emonstrations of joy, lai! hol! of the ro$es an! !ragge! the $on!erous loa! to its !estine! s$ot. They then thre in ingots of gol! an! sil"er, an! other metals, hich ha! ne"er been melte! in the furnace, but still retaine!, untouche! by human art, their first formation in the bo els of the earth.@%%ATac. 9ist.A, 1. i". c. J3, Mur$hy's transl. .1,24 As, for instance, in Psalm c>"iii. ++, @The stone hich the buil!ers refuse! is become the hea!%stone of the corner,@ hich, 5larke says, @seems to ha"e been originally s$oken of )a"i!, ho as at first rejecte! by the :e ish rulers, but as after ar!s chosen by the &or! to be the great ruler of his $eo$le in 6srael?@ an! in 6saiah >>"iii. 1D, @Behol!, 6

lay in Nion, for a foun!ation, a stone, a trie! stone, a $recious corner%stone, a sure foun!ation,@ hich clearly refers to the $romise! Messiah. .11,4 6n the ritual @obser"e! at laying the foun!ation%stone of $ublic structures,@ it is sai!, @The $rinci$al architect then $resents the orking tools to the Gran! Master, ho a$$lies the $lumb, sBuare, an! le"el to the stone, in their $ro$er $ositions, an! $ronounces it to be A ell%forme!, true, an! trustyA.@%%E/BB'S AMonitorA, $. 1+,. .1114 @The sBuare teaches us to regulate our con!uct by the $rinci$les of morality an! "irtue.@%%A(itual of the /. A. )egree.A%%The ol! #ork lectures !efine the sBuare thus' @The sBuare is the theory of uni"ersal !uty, an! consisteth in t o right lines, forming an angle of $erfect sincerity, or ninety !egrees? the longest si!e is the sum of the lengths of the se"eral !uties hich e o e to all men. An! e"ery man shoul! be agreeable to this sBuare, hen $erfectly finishe!.@ .11+4 Aristotle. .1134 @The cube is a symbol of truth, of is!om, an! moral $erfection. The ne :erusalem, $romise! in the A$ocaly$se, is eBual in length, brea!th, an! height. The Mystical city ought to be consi!ere! as a ne church, here !i"ine is!om ill reign.@%%8&6H/('S A&an!marksA, ii. $. 3J*.%%An! he might ha"e a!!e!, here eternal truth ill be $resent. .11-4 6n the most $rimiti"e times, all the go!s a$$ear to ha"e been re$resente! by cubical blocks of stone? an! Pausanias says that he sa thirty of these stones in the city of Pharae, hich re$resente! as many !eities. The first of the kin!, it is $robable, ere !e!icate! to 9ermes, hence they !eri"e! their name of @9ermae.@ .11J4 @Gi"e unto :eho"ah the glory !ue unto 9is name? orshi$ :eho"ah in the beauty of holiness.@%%APsalmA >>i>. +. .11D4 6t is at least a singular coinci!ence that in the Brahminical religion great res$ect as $ai! to the north%east $oint of the hea"ens. Thus it is sai! in the 6nstitutes of Menu, @6f he has any incurable !isease, let him a!"ance in a straight $ath to ar!s Athe in"incible north%east $ointA, fee!ing on ater an! air till his mortal frame totally !ecay, an! his soul become unite! ith the Su$reme.@ .11*4 This symbolism of the !ouble $osition of the corner%stone has not esca$e! the attention of the religious symbologists. /tsius, an early commentator, in 1DC+, referring to the $assage in /$hesians ii. +,, says, @That is calle! the corner%stone, or chief corner%stone, hich is $lace! in the e>treme angle of a foun!ation, conjoining an! hol!ing together t o

alls of the $ile, meeting from !ifferent Buarters. An! the a$ostle not only oul! be un!erstoo! by this meta$hor that 5hrist is the $rinci$al foun!ation of the hole church, but also that in him, as in a corner%stone, the t o $eo$les, :e s an! Gentiles, are conjoine!, an! so conjoine! as to rise together into one e!ifice, an! become one church.@ An! :ulius Firmicius, ho rote in the si>teenth century, says that 5hrist is calle! the corner%stone, because, being $lace! in the angle of the t o alls, hich are the 8l! an! the <e Testament, he collects the nations into one fol!. @&a$is sanctus, i.e. 5hristus, aut fi!ei fun!amenta sustentat aut in angulo $ositus !uorum $arietum membra aeBuata mo!eratione conjungit, i.e., Heteris et <o"i Testamenti in unum colligit gentes.@%%A)e /rrore $rofan. (eligionumA, cha$. >>i. .11C4 This $ermanence of $osition as also attribute! to those cubical stones among the (omans hich re$resente! the statues of the go! Terminus. They coul! ne"er la fully be remo"e! from the s$ot hich they occu$ie!. 9ence, hen TarBuin as about to buil! the tem$le of :u$iter, on the 5a$itoline 9ill, all the shrines an! statues of the other go!s ere remo"e! from the eminence to make ay for the ne e!ifice, e>ce$t that of Terminus, re$resente! by a stone. This remaine! untouche!, an! as enclose! ithin the tem$le, to sho , says )u!ley, @that the stone, ha"ing been a $ersonification of the Go! Su$reme, coul! not be reasonably reBuire! to yiel! to :u$iter himself in !ignity an! $o er.@%%);)&/#'S A<aologyA, $ 1-J. .1124 )u!ley's <aology, $. -*D. .1+,4 Masonic )iscourses, )is. i". $. C1. .1+14 @The act of consecration chiefly consiste! in the unction, hich as a ceremony !eri"e! from the most $rimiti"e antiBuity. The sacre! tabernacle, ith all the "essels an! utensils, as also the altar an! the $riests themsel"es, ere consecrate! in this manner by Moses, at the !i"ine comman!. 6t is ell kno n that the :e ish kings an! $ro$hets ere a!mitte! to their se"eral offices by unction. The $atriarch :acob, by the same right, consecrate! the altars hich he ma!e use of? in !oing hich it is more $robable that he follo e! the tra!ition of his forefathers, than that he as the author of this custom. The same, or something like it, as also continue! !o n to the times of 5hristianity.@%%P8TT/('S AArchaeologia GraecaA, b. ii. $. 1*D. .1++4 From the Greek .Greek' tetraPs4, four, an! .Greek' graOmma4, letter, because it is com$ose! of four 9ebre letters. Bran!e thus !efines it' @Among se"eral ancient nations, the name of the mystic number AfourA, hich as often symboliGe! to re$resent the )eity, hose name as e>$resse! by four letters.@ But this !efinition is incorrect. The tetragrammaton is not the name of the number AfourA, but the or! hich

e>$resses the name of Go! in four letters, an! is al ays a$$lie! to the 9ebre or! only. .1+34 />o!. iii. 1J. 6n our common "ersion of the Bible, the or! @&or!@ is substitute! for @:eho"ah,@ hence the true im$ort of the original is lost. .1+-4 />o!. "i. +. 3. .1+J4 @The :e s ha"e many su$erstitious stories an! o$inions relati"e to this name, hich, because they ere forbi!!en to mention Ain "ainA, they oul! not mention Aat allA. They substitute! AA!onaiA, Uc., in its room, hene"er it occurre! to them in rea!ing or s$eaking, or else sim$ly an! em$hatically style! it Athe <ameA. Some of them attribute! to a certain re$etition of this name the "irtue of a charm, an! others ha"e ha! the bol!ness to assert that our blesse! Sa"ior rought all his miracles Kfor they !o not !eny them to be suchL by that mystical use of this "enerable name. See the ATol!oth :eschuA, an infamously scurrilous life of :esus, ritten by a :e not later than the thirteenth century. 8n $. *, e!ition of Eagenseilius, 1DC1, is a succinct !etail of the manner in hich our Sa"ior is sai! to ha"e entere! the tem$le an! obtaine! $ossession of the 9oly <ame. &eus!en says that he ha! offere! to gi"e a sum of money to a "ery $oor :e at Amster!am, if he oul! only once !eliberately $ronounce the name A:eho"ahA? but he refuse! it by saying that he !i! not !are.@%%A9orae SolitariaeA, "ol. i. $. 3.%%@A Brahmin ill not $ronounce the name of the Almighty, ithout !ra ing !o n his slee"e an! $lacing it on his mouth ith fear an! trembling.@%%M;((A#, ATruth of (e"elationA, $. 3+1. .1+D4 The same scru$ulous a"oi!ance of a strict translation has been $ursue! in other "ersions. For :eho"ah, the Se$tuagint substitutes @.Greek' =yOrios4,@ the Hulgate @)ominus,@ an! the German @!er 9err,@ all eBui"alent to @the &or!.@ The French "ersion uses the title @l'/ternel.@ But, ith a better com$rehension of the "alue of the or!, &o th in his @6saiah,@ the S e!enborgian "ersion of the Psalms, an! some other recent "ersions, ha"e restore! the original name. .1+*4 6n the Talmu!ical treatise, AMajan 9achochimaA, Buote! by Ste$helin K(abbinical &iterature, i. $. 131L, e are informe! that rightly to un!erstan! the shem ham$horash is a key to the unlocking of all mysteries. @There,@ says the treatise, @shalt thou un!erstan! the or!s of men, the or!s of cattle, the singing of bir!s, the language of beasts, the barking of !ogs, the language of !e"ils, the language of ministering angels, the language of !ate%trees, the motion of the sea, the unity of hearts, an! the murmuring of the tongue%%nay, e"en the thoughts of the reins.@ .1+C4 The gamma, .Greek' G4, or Greek letter G, is sai! to ha"e been

sacre! among the Pythagoreans as the initial of .Greek' GeomeiriOa4 or Geometry. .1+24 Hi!e 8li"er, A9ist. 6nit.A $. DC, note. .13,4 :amblichus says that Pythagoras $asse! o"er from Miletus to Si!on, thinking that he coul! thence go more easily into /gy$t, an! that hile there he cause! himself to be initiate! into all the mysteries of Byblos an! Tyre, an! those hich ere $ractise! in many $arts of Syria, not because he as un!er the influence of any su$erstitious moti"es, but from the fear that if he ere not to a"ail himself of these o$$ortunities, he might neglect to acBuire some kno le!ge in those rites hich as orthy of obser"ation. But as these mysteries ere originally recei"e! by the Phoenicians from /gy$t, he $asse! o"er into that country, here he remaine! t enty%t o years, occu$ying himself in the stu!y of geometry, astronomy, an! all the initiations of the go!s K.Greek' $aOsas theoRn teletaOs4L, until he as carrie! a ca$ti"e into Babylon by the sol!iers of 5ambyses, an! that t el"e years after ar!s he returne! to Samos at the age of si>ty years.%%AHit. PythagA, ca$. iii., i". .1314 @The sacre! or!s ere intruste! to him, of hich the 6neffable Tetractys, or name of Go!, as the chief.@%%8&6H/(, A9ist. 6nit.A $. 1,2. .13+4 @9u, the mighty, hose history as a $atriarch is $recisely that of <oah, as $romote! to the rank of the $rinci$al !emon%go! among the Britons? an!, as his chariot as com$ose! of rays of the sun, it may be $resume! that he as orshi$$e! in conjunction ith that luminary, an! to the same su$erstition e may refer hat is sai! of his light an! s ift course.@%%)AH6/S, AMythol. an! (ites of the Brit. )rui!sA, $. 11,. .1334 @All the male go!s Kof the ancientsL may be re!uce! to one, the generati"e energy? an! all the female to one, the $rolific $rinci$le. 6n fact, they may all be inclu!e! in the one great 9erma$hro!ite, the .Greek' aLrKrLenothelys4 ho combines in his nature all the elements of $ro!uction, an! ho continues to su$$ort the "ast creation hich originally $rocee!e! from his ill.@%%(;SS/&&'S A5onnectionA, i. $. -,+. .13-4 6t is a tra!ition that it as $ronounce! in the follo ing se"en !ifferent ays by the $atriarchs, from Methuselah to )a"i!, "iG.' A:uha, :e"a, :o"a, :e"o, :e"eh, :oheA, an! A:eho"ahA. 6n all these or!s the AjA is to be $ronounce! as AyA, the AaA as AahA, the AeA as a, an! the A"A as A A. .13J4 The AiA is to be $ronounce! as AeA, an! the hole or! as if s$elle! in /nglish Aho%heA. .13D4 6n the a$ocry$hal @Book of the 5on"ersation of Go! ith Moses on

Mount Sinai,@ translate! by the (e". E. 5ureton from an Arabic MS. of the fifteenth century, an! $ublishe! by the Philobiblon Society of &on!on, the i!ea of the eternal atchfulness of Go! is thus beautifully allegoriGe!'%% @Then Moses sai! to the &or!, 8 &or!, !ost thou slee$ or notF The &or! sai! unto Moses, 6 ne"er slee$' but take a cu$ an! fill it ith ater. Then Moses took a cu$ an! fille! it ith ater, as the &or! comman!e! him. Then the &or! cast into the heart of Moses the breath of slumber? so he sle$t, an! the cu$ fell from his han!, an! the ater hich as therein as s$ille!. Then Moses a oke from his slee$. Then sai! Go! to Moses, 6 !eclare by my $o er, an! by my glory, that if 6 ere to ith!ra my $ro"i!ence from the hea"ens an! the earth for no longer a s$ace of time than thou hast sle$t, they oul! at once fall to ruin an! confusion, like as the cu$ fell from thy han!.@ .13*4 6 ha"e in my $ossession a rare co$y of the Hulgate Bible, in black letter, $rinte! at &yons, in 1J++. The frontis$iece is a coarsely e>ecute! oo! cut, !i"i!e! into si> com$artments, an! re$resenting the si> !ays of the creation. The Father is, in each com$artment, $icture! as an age! man engage! in his creati"e task. .13C4 5hristian 6conogra$hy, Millington's trans., "ol. i. $. J2. .1324 The triangle, or !elta, is the symbol of )eity for this reason. 6n geometry a single line cannot re$resent a $erfect figure? neither can t o lines? three lines, ho e"er, constitute the triangle or first $erfect an! !emonstrable figure. 9ence this figure symboliGes the /ternal Go!, infinitely $erfect in his nature. But the triangle $ro$erly refers to Go! only in his Buality as an /ternal Being, its three si!es re$resenting the Past, the Present, an! the Future. Some 5hristian symbologists ha"e ma!e the three si!es re$resent the Father, Son, an! 9oly Ghost? but they e"i!ently thereby !estroy the !i"ine unity, making a trinity of Go!s in the unity of a Go!hea!. The Gnostic trinity of Manes consiste! of one Go! an! t o $rinci$les, one of goo! an! the other of e"il. The 6n!ian trinity, symboliGe! also by the triangle, consiste! of Brahma, Si"a, an! Hishnu, the 5reator, Preser"er, an! )estroyer, re$resente! by /arth, Eater, an! Air. This symbolism of the /ternal Go! by the triangle is the reason hy a trinitarian scheme has been so $re"alent in all religions%%the three si!es naturally suggesting the three !i"isions of the Go!hea!. But in the Pagan an! 8riental religions this trinity as nothing else but a tritheism. .1-,4 <oachi!ae, or <oachites, the !escen!ants of <oah. This $atriarch ha"ing alone $reser"e! the true name an! orshi$ of Go! ami! a race of im$ious i!olaters, the Freemasons claim to be his !escen!ants, because they $reser"e that $ure religion hich !istinguishe! this secon! father of the human race from the rest of the orl!. KSee the author's A&e>icon of FreemasonryA.L The Tyrian orkmen at the tem$le of Solomon ere the

!escen!ants of that other !i"ision of the race ho fell off, at Shinar, from the true orshi$, an! re$u!iate! the $rinci$les of <oah. The Tyrians, ho e"er, like many other ancient mystics, ha! reco"ere! some $ortion of the lost light, an! the com$lete re$ossession as finally achie"e! by their union ith the :e ish masons, ho ere <oachi!ae. .1-14 @A mythis omnis $riscorum hominum tum historia tum $hiloso$hia $roce!it.@%%AA! A$ollo!. Athen. Biblioth. not.A f. $. 3.%%An! Faber says, @Allegory an! $ersonification ere $eculiarly agreeable to the genius of antiBuity? an! the sim$licity of truth as continually sacrifice! at the shrine of $oetical !ecoration.@%%A8n the 5abiri.A .1-+4 See Grote, 9istory of Greece, "ol. i. ch. >"i. $. -*2, hence this !efinition has been substantially !eri"e!. The !efinitions of 5reuGer, 9ermann, Buttmann, 9eyne, Eelcker, Hoss, an! Mueller are none of them Better, an! some of them not as goo!. .1-34 9ist. of Greece, "ol. i. ch. >"i. $. J*2. The i!ea of the e>istence of an enlightene! $eo$le, ho li"e! at a remote era, an! came from the /ast, as a "ery $re"alent notion among the ancient tra!itions. 6t is corroborati"e of this that the 9ebre or! Ake!emA, signifies, in res$ect to $lace, Athe eastA, an!, in res$ect to time, Aol!en time, ancient !aysA. The $hrase in 6saiah >i>. 11, hich rea!s, @6 am the son of the ise, the son of ancient kings,@ might just as ell ha"e been translate! @the son of kings of the /ast.@ 6n a note to the $assage /Gek. >liii. +, @the glory of the Go! of 6srael came from the ay of the /ast,@ A!am 5larke says, @All kno le!ge, all religion, an! all arts an! sciences, ha"e tra"elle!, accor!ing to the Acourse of the sunA, F(8M /AST T8 E/STT@ BaGot tells us Kin his Manuel !u Franc%macon, $. 1J-L that @the "eneration hich masons entertain for the east confirms an o$inion $re"iously announce!, that the religious system of Masonry came from the east, an! has reference to the A$rimiti"e religionA, hose first corru$tion as the orshi$ of the sun.@ An! lastly, the masonic rea!er ill recollect the ans er gi"en in the &elan! MS. to the Buestion res$ecting the origin of Masonry, namely, @6t !i! begin@ K6 mo!erniGe the orthogra$hyL @ ith the first men in the east, hich ere before the first men of the est? an! coming esterly, it hath brought here ith all comforts to the il! an! comfortless.@ &ocke's commentary on this ans er may conclu!e this note' @6t shoul! seem, by this, that masons belie"e there ere men in the east before A!am, ho is calle! the 'first man of the est,' an! that arts an! sciences began in the east. Some authors, of great note for learning, ha"e been of the same o$inion? an! it is certain that /uro$e an! Africa K hich, in res$ect to Asia, may be calle! estern countriesL ere il! an! sa"age long after arts an! $oliteness of manners ere in great $erfection in 5hina an! the 6n!ies.@ The Talmu!ists make the same allusions to the su$eriority of the east. Thus, (abbi Bechai says, @A!am as create! ith his face to ar!s the east that he might behol! the

light an! the rising sun, hence the east as to him the anterior $art of the orl!.@ .1--4 Strauss makes a !i"ision of myths into historical, $hiloso$hical, an! $oetical.%%A&eben :esu.A%%9is $oetical myth agrees ith my first !i"ision, his $hiloso$hical ith my secon!, an! his historical ith my thir!. But 6 object to the or! A$oeticalA, as a !istincti"e term, because all myths ha"e their foun!ation in the $oetic i!ea. .1-J4 ;lmann, for instance, !istinguishes bet een a myth an! a legen!%%the former containing, to a great !egree, fiction combine! ith history, an! the latter ha"ing but a fe faint echoes of mythical history. .1-D4 6n his @Prolegomena Gu einer issenshaftlichen Mythologie,@ ca$. i". This "aluable ork as translate! in 1C--, by Mr. :ohn &eitch. .1-*4 9istorical &an!marks, i. J3. .1-C4 See an article, by the author, on @The ;n ritten &an!marks of Freemasonry,@ in the first "olume of the Masonic Miscellany, in hich this subject is treate! at consi!erable length. .1-24 As a matter of some interest to the curious rea!er, 6 insert the legen! as $ublishe! in the Gentleman's MagaGine of :une, 1C1J, from, it is sai!, a $archment roll su$$ose! to ha"e been ritten early in the se"enteenth century, an! hich, if so, as in all $robability co$ie! from one of an ol!er !ate'%% @Moreo"er, hen Abraham an! Sara his ife ent into /gi$t, there he taught the Sea"en Scyences to the /gi$tians? an! he ha! a orthy Scoller that height / cly!e, an! he learne! right ell, an! as a master of all the "ij Sciences liberall. An! in his !ayes it befell that the lor! an! the estates of the realme ha! soe many sonns that they ha! gotten some by their ifes an! some by other la!yes of the realme? for that lan! is a hott lan! an! a $lentious of generacion. An! they ha! not com$etent li"eho!e to fin! ith their chil!ren? herefor they ma!e much care. An! then the =ing of the lan! ma!e a great counsell an! a $arliament, to itt, ho they might fin! their chil!ren honestly as gentlemen. An! they coul! fin! no manner of goo! ay. An! then they !i! crye through all the realme, if there ere any man that coul! enforme them, that he shoul! come to them, an! he shoul! be soe re ar!e! for his tra"ail, that he shoul! hol! him $lease!. @After that this cry as ma!e, then came this orthy clarke / cly!e, an! sai! to the =ing an! to all his great lor!s' '6f yee ill, take me your chil!ren to go"erne, an! to teach them one of the Sea"en Scyences, here ith they may li"e honestly as gentlemen shoul!, un!er a con!icion

that yee ill grant mee an! them a commission that 6 may ha"e $o er to rule them after the manner that the science ought to be rule!.' An! that the =inge an! all his counsell grante! to him anone, an! seale! their commission. An! then this orthy tooke to him these lor!s' sonns, an! taught them the science of Geometric in $ractice, for to ork in stones all manner of orthy orke that belongeth to buil!inge churches, tem$les, castells, to res, an! mannors, an! all other manner of buil!ings.@ .1J,4 Ancient /gy$t un!er the Pharaohs, "ol. 6 $. 323. .1J14 1 =ings "i. C. .1J+4 An allusion to this symbolism is retaine! in one of the ell%kno n mottoes of the or!er%%@A&u> e tenebris.A@ .1J34 @An allegory is that in hich, un!er borro e! characters an! allusions, is sha!o e! some real action or moral instruction? or, to kee$ more strictly to its !eri"ation K.Greek' aLOllos4, AaliusA, an! .Greek' aLgoreyOo4, A!icoAL, it is that in hich one thing is relate! an! another thing is un!erstoo!. 9ence it is a$$arent that an allegory must ha"e t o senses%%the literal an! mystical? an! for that reason it must con"ey its instruction un!er borro e! characters an! allusions throughout.@%%AThe AntiBuity, /"i!ence, an! 5ertainty of 5hristianity can"asse!, or )r. Mi!!leton's />amination of the Bisho$ of &on!on's )iscourses on Pro$hecy. By Anselm Bayly, &&.B., Minor 5anon of St. Paul's.A &on!, 1*J1. .1J-4 The or!s themsel"es are $urely classical, but the meanings here gi"en to them are of a me!iae"al or corru$t &atinity. Among the ol! (omans, a Atri"iumA meant a $lace here three ays met, an! a ABua!ri"iumA here four, or hat e no call a Across%roa!A. Ehen e s$eak of the A$aths of learningA, e rea!ily !isco"er the origin of the signification gi"en by the scholastic $hiloso$hers to these terms. .1JJ4 9ist. of Philos. "ol. ii. $. 33*. .1JD4 Such a talisman as the follo ing figure'%% %%%%%%%%%%% SCS1SDS S%%%S%%%S%%%S S3SJS*S S%%%S%%%S%%%S S-S2S+S %%%%%%%%%%% .1J*4 An!erson's 5onstitutions, +! e!. 1*3C, $. 1-.

.1JC4 An!erson's 5onstitutions, 3! e!. 1*JD, $. +-. .1J24 @The hi!!en !octrines of the unity of the )eity an! the immortality of the soul ere originally in all the Mysteries, e"en those of 5u$i! an! Bacchus.@%%EA(B;(T8<, Ain S$ence's Anec!otes,A $. 3,2. .1D,4 @The allegorical inter$retation of the myths has been, by se"eral learne! in"estigators, es$ecially by 5reuGer, connecte! ith the hy$othesis of an ancient an! highly instructe! bo!y of $riests, ha"ing their origin either in /gy$t or in the /ast, an! communicating to the ru!e an! barbarous Greeks religious, $hysical, an! historical kno le!ge, un!er the "eil of symbols.@%%G(8T/, A9ist. of Greece,A "ol. i. ch. >"i. $. J*2.%%An! the 5he"alier (amsay corroborates this theory' @Hestiges of the most sublime truths are to be foun! in the sages of all nations, times, an! religions, both sacre! an! $rofane, an! these "estiges are emanations of the ante!ilu"ian an! noe"ian tra!ition, more or less !isguise! an! a!ulterate!.@%%APhiloso$hical Princi$les of <atural an! (e"eale! (eligion unfol!e! in a Geometrical 8r!er,A "ol. 1, $. i". .1D14 8f this there is abun!ant e"i!ence in all the ancient an! mo!ern riters on the Mysteries. A$uleius, cautiously !escribing his initiation into the Mysteries of 6sis, says, @6 a$$roache! the confines of !eath, an! ha"ing tro! on the threshol! of Proser$ine, 6 returne! therefrom, being borne through all the elements. At mi!night 6 sa the sun shining ith its brilliant light? an! 6 a$$roache! the $resence of the go!s beneath, an! the go!s of hea"en, an! stoo! near an! orshi$$e! them.@%%AMetam.A lib. "i. The conte>t sho s that all this as a scenic re$resentation. .1D+4 AAish hakam io!ea binah,A @a cunning man, en!ue! ith un!erstan!ing,@ is the !escri$tion gi"en by the king of Tyre of 9iram Abif. See + 5hron. ii. 13. 6t is nee!less to say that @cunning@ is a goo! ol! Sa>on or! meaning AskilfulA. .1D34 @PronaBue cum s$ectent animalia caetera terram? 8s homini sublime !e!it' coelumBue tueri :ussit, et erectos a! si!era tollere "ultus.@ 8H6), AMet.A i. C-. @Thus, hile the mute creation !o n ar! ben! Their sight, an! to their earthly mother ten!, Man looks aloft, an! ith erecte! eyes Behol!s his o n here!itary skies.@

)(#)/<. .1D-4 @.Greek' AL$hanismoPs4, !isa$$earance, !estruction, a $erishing, !eath, from .Greek' aL$haniOGo4, to remo"e from one's "ie , to conceal,@ Uc.%%ASchre"el. &e>.A .1DJ4 @.Greek' /yRresis4, a fin!ing, in"ention, !isco"ery.@%%ASchre"el. &e>.A .1DD4 A French riter of the last century, s$eaking of the !egree of @Tres Parfait Maitre,@ says, @5'est ici Bu'on "oit reellement Bu'9iram n'a ete Bue le ty$e !e :esus 5hrist, Bue le tem$le et les autres symboles maconniBues sont !es allegories relati"es a l'/glise, a la Foi, et au> bonnes moeurs.@%%A8rigine et 8bjet !e la Franchemaconnerie, $ar le F.B.A Paris, 1**-. .1D*4 @This our or!er is a $ositi"e contra!iction to the :u!aic blin!ness an! infi!elity, an! testifies our faith concerning the resurrection of the bo!y.@%%9;T596<S8<, AS$irit of Masonry,A lect. i>. $. 1,1.%%The hole lecture is occu$ie! in a!"ancing an! su$$orting his $eculiar theory. .1DC4 @Thus, then, it a$$ears that the historical reference of the legen! of S$eculati"e Freemasonry, in all ages of the orl!, as%%to our !eath in A!am an! life in 5hrist. Ehat, then, as the origin of our tra!itionF 8r, in other or!s, to hat $articular inci!ent !i! the legen! of initiation refer before the floo!F 6 concei"e it to ha"e been the offering an! assassination of Abel by his brother 5ain? the esca$e of the mur!erer? the !isco"ery of the bo!y by his !isconsolate $arents, an! its subseBuent interment, un!er a certain belief of its final resurrection from the !ea!, an! of the !etection an! $unishment of 5ain by !i"ine "engeance.@%%8&6H/(, A9istorical &an!marks of FreemasonryA, "ol. ii. $. 1*1. .1D24 @&e gra!e !e Maitre "a !onc nous retracer allegoriBuement la mort !u A!ieu%lumiereA%%mourant en hi"er $our re$araitre et ressusciter au $rintem$s.@%%(AG8<, A5ours Philos. et 6nter$. !es 6nit.A $. 1JC. .1*,4 @)ans l'or!re moral, 9iram n'est autre chose Bue la raison eternelle, $ar Bui tout est $on!ere, regle, conser"e.@%%)/S /TA<GS, A8eu"res MaconniBuesA, $. 2,. .1*14 Eith the same argument oul! 6 meet the hy$othesis that 9iram as the re$resentati"e of 5harles 6. of /nglan!%%an hy$othesis no so generally aban!one!, that 6 ha"e not thought it orth noticing in the te>t. .1*+4 @The initiation into the Mysteries,@ he says, @scenically re$resente! the mythic !escent into 9a!es an! the return from thence to

the light of !ay? by hich as meant the entrance into the Ark an! the subseBuent liberation from its !ark enclosure. Such Mysteries ere establishe! in almost e"ery $art of the $agan orl!? an! those of 5eres ere substantially the same as the 8rgies of A!onis, 8siris, 9u, Mithras, an! the 5abiri. They all eBually relate! to the allegorical !isa$$earance, or !eath, or !escent of the great father at their commencement, an! to his in"ention, or re"i"al, or return from 9a!es, at their conclusion.@%%A8rigin of Pagan 6!olatry,A "ol. i". b. i". ch. ". $. 3C-%%But this Arkite theory, as it is calle!, has not met ith the general a$$robation of subseBuent riters. .1*34 Mount 5al"ary is a small hill or eminence, situate! in a esterly !irection from that Mount Moriah on hich the tem$le of Solomon as built. 6t as originally a hillock of notable eminence, but has, in mo!ern times, been greatly re!uce! by the e>ca"ations ma!e in it for the construction of the 5hurch of the 9oly Se$ulchre. Buckingham, in his Palestine, $. +C3, says, @The $resent rock, calle! 5al"ary, an! enclose! ithin the 5hurch of the 9oly Se$ulchre, bears marks, in e"ery $art that is nake!, of its ha"ing been a roun! no!ule of rock stan!ing abo"e the common le"el of the surface.@ .1*-4 )r. Bear!, in the art. @Golgotha,@ in =itto's /ncyc. of Bib. &it., reasons in a similar metho! as to the $lace of the crucifi>ion, an! su$$osing that the sol!iers, from the fear of a $o$ular tumult, oul! hurry :esus to the most con"enient s$ot for e>ecution, says, @Then the roa! to :o$$a or )amascus oul! be most con"enient, an! no s$ot in the "icinity oul! $robably be so suitable as the slight roun!e! ele"ation hich bore the name of 5al"ary.@ .1*J4 Some ha"e su$$ose! that it as so calle! because it as the $lace of $ublic e>ecution. AGulgolethA in 9ebre , or AgogulthoA in Syriac, means Aa skullA. .1*D4 Muote! in 8li"er, A&an!marksA, "ol. i. $. JC*, note. .1**4 8li"er's i!ea KA&an!marksA, ii. 1-2L that AcassiaA has, since the year 1*3,, been corru$te! into AacaciaA, is contrary to all etymological e>$erience. Eor!s are corru$te!, not by lengthening, but by abbre"iating them. The une!ucate! an! the careless are al ays $rone to cut off a syllable, not to a!! a ne one. .1*C4 An! yet 6 ha"e been sur$rise! by seeing, once or t ice, the or! @5assia@ a!o$te! as the name of a lo!ge. @5innamon@ or @san!al oo!@ oul! ha"e been as a$$ro$riate, for any masonic meaning or symbolism. .1*24 /clog. ii. -2.

@Pallentes "iolas et summa $a$a"era car$ens, <arcissum et florem jungit bene olentis anethi' Tum casia, atBue aliis inte>ens sua"ibus herbis, Mollia luteola $ingit "accinia, caltha.@ .1C,4 />o!. >>>. +-, /Gek. >>"ii. 2, an! Ps. >l". C. .1C14 8li"er, it is true, says, that @there is not the smallest trace of any tree of the kin! gro ing so far north as :erusalem@ KA&an!m.A ii. 13DL? but this statement is refute! by the authority of &ieutenant &ynch, ho sa it gro ing in great abun!ance at :ericho, an! still farther north.%%A/>$e!. to the )ea! SeaA, $. +D+.%%The (abbi :ose$h Sch arG, ho is e>cellent authority, says, @The Acacia KShittimL Tree, Al Sunt, is foun! in Palestine of !ifferent "arieties? it looks like the Mulberry tree, attains a great height, an! has a har! oo!. The gum hich is obtaine! from it is the gum Arabic.@%%A)escri$ti"e Geogra$hy an! 9istorical Sketch of PalestineA, $. 3,C, &eeser's translation. Phila., 1CJ,.%%Sch arG as for si>teen years a resi!ent of Palestine, an! rote from $ersonal obser"ation. The testimony of &ynch an! Sch arG shoul!, therefore, fore"er settle the Buestion of the e>istence of the acacia in Palestine. .1C+4 5almet, Parkhurst, Gesenius, 5larke, Sha , an! all the best authorities, concur in saying that the AotGi shittimA, or shittim oo! of />o!us, as the common acacia or mimosa nilotica of &innaeus. .1C34 @This custom among the 9ebre s arose from this circumstance. Agreeably to their la s, no !ea! bo!ies ere allo e! to be interre! ithin the alls of the city? an! as the 5ohens, or $riests, ere $rohibite! from crossing a gra"e, it as necessary to $lace marks thereon, that they might a"oi! them. For this $ur$ose the acacia as use!.@%%)A&598, A8rationA, $. +*, note.%%6 object to the reason assigne! by )alcho? but of the e>istence of the custom there can be no Buestion, not ithstan!ing the !enial or !oubt of )r. 8li"er. Blount KATra"els in the &e"antA, $. 12*L says, s$eaking of the :e ish burial customs, @those ho besto a marble stone o"er any .gra"e4 ha"e a hole a yar! long an! a foot broa!, in hich Athey $lant an e"ergreenA, hich seems to gro from the bo!y, an! is carefully atche!.@ 9asselBuist KATra"elsA, $. +CL confirms his testimony. 6 borro the citations from Bro n KAAntiBuities of the :e sA, "ol. ii. $. 3JDL, but ha"e "erifie! the reference to 9asselBuist. The ork of Blount 6 ha"e not been enable! to consult. .1C-4 AntiBuities of Greece, $. JD2. .1CJ4 )r. 5rucefi>, MS., Buote! by 8li"er, A&an!marksA, ii. +. .1CD4 S$irit of Masonry, lect. i>. $. 22.

.1C*4 The Tem$le of Solomon, ch. i>. $. +33. .1CC4 6t is $robable that the Buince !eri"e! this symbolism, like the acacia, from its name? for there seems to be some connection bet een the Greek or! .Greek' ky!oOnios4, hich means Aa BuinceA, an! the $artici$le .Greek' ky!iOon4, hich signifies Arejoicing, e>ultingA. But this must ha"e been an afterthought, for the name is !eri"e! from 5y!on, in 5rete, of hich islan! the Buince is a nati"e. .1C24 )es$reG, s$eaking of the $alm as an emblem of "ictory, says KA5omment. in 9orat. 8!.A 6. i. JL, @Palma "ero signum "ictoriae $assim a$u! omnes statuitur, e> Plutarcho, $ro$terea Buo! ea est ejus natura ligni, ut urgentibus o$$rimentibusBue minime ce!at. ;n!e est illu! Alciati e$igramma,%% '<ititur in $on!us $alma, et consurgit in altum' MuoBue magis $remitur, hoc mage tollit onus.'@ 6t is in the eighth book of his Sym$osia that Plutarch states this $eculiar $ro$erty of the $alm to resist the o$$ression of any su$erincumbent eight, an! to rise u$ against it, hence it as a!o$te! as the symbol of "ictory. 5o ley also allu!es to it in his A)a"i!eisA. @Eell !i! he kno ho $alms by o$$ression s$ee! Hictorious, an! the "ictor's sacre! mee!.@ .12,4 @(osemary as anciently su$$ose! to strengthen the memory, an! as not only carrie! at funerals, but orn at e!!ings.@%%ST//H/<S, A<otes on 9amletA, a. i". s. J.%%)ouce KA6llustrations of Shaks$eareA, i. 3-JL gi"es the follo ing ol! song in reference to this subject'%% @(osemarie is for remembrance Bet eene us !aie an! night, Eishing that 6 might al ays ha"e #ou $resent in my sight.@ .1214 Ste. 5roi> KA(echerches sur les MysteresA, i. JDL says that in the Samothracian Mysteries it as forbi!!en to $ut $arsley on the table, because, accor!ing to the mystagogues, it ha! been $ro!uce! by the bloo! of 5a!millus, slain by his brothers. .12+4 @The 9in!oos,@ says Faber, @re$resent their mun!ane lotus, as ha"ing four large lea"es an! four small lea"es $lace! alternately, hile from the centre of the flo er rises a $rotuberance. <o , the circular cu$ forme! by the eight lea"es they !eem a symbol of the earth, floating on the surface

of the ocean, an! consisting of four large continents an! four interme!iate smaller islan!s? hile the centrical $rotuberance is "ie e! by them as re$resenting their sacre! Mount Menu.@%%A5ommunication to Gent. Mag.A "ol. l>>>"i. $. -,C. .1234 The Aerica arboreaA or tree heath. .12-4 (agon thus allu!es to this mystical e"ent' @6sis foun! the bo!y of 8siris in the neighborhoo! of Biblos, an! near a tall $lant calle! the AericaA. 8$$resse! ith grief, she seate! herself on the margin of a fountain, hose aters issue! from a rock. This rock is the Asmall hill Amentione! in the ritual? the erica has been re$lace! by the acacia, an! the grief of 6sis has been change! for that of the fello crafts.@%%A5ours !es 6nitiations,A $. 1J1. .12J4 6t is singular, an! $erha$s significant, that the or! AerikoA, in Greek, .Greek' eLriOko4, hence AericaA is $robably !eri"e!, means Ato break in $ieces, to mangleA. .12D4 9istoire PittoresBue !es (eligions, t. i. $. +1*. .12*4 Accor!ing to Tolan! KAEorksA, i. *-L, the festi"al of searching, cutting, an! consecrating the mistletoe, took $lace on the 1,th of March, or <e #ear's !ay. @This,@ he says, @is the ceremony to hich Hirgil allu!es, by his Agol!en branch,A in the Si>th Book of the A/nei!.@ <o !oubt of it? for all these sacre! $lants ha! a common origin in some ancient an! general symbolic i!ea. .12C4 @;n!er this branch is figure! the reath of myrtle, ith hich the initiate! ere cro ne! at the celebration of the Mysteries.@%%EA(B;(T8<, A)i"ine &egation,A "ol. i. $. +22. .1224 @6n the s eat of thy face shalt thou eat brea!.@ Gen. iii. 12. Bush inter$rets the !ecree to mean that @some s$ecies of toilsome occu$ation is the a$$ointe! lot of all men.@ .+,,4 Aristotle says, @9e that cannot contract society ith others, or ho, through his o n self%sufficiency .Greek' ayLtaOrkeian4, !oes not nee! it, forms no $art of the community, but is either a il! beast or a go!.@ .+,14 @)er Arbeiter,@ says &enning, @ist !er symbolische <ame eines Freimaurers@%%the Eorkman is the symbolic name of a Freemason.%%A/ncyclo$. !er Fraumererei.A .+,+4 :ohn iii. 12%+1. .+,34 6 5orinth, iii. 2.

.+,-4 8rbis Miraculum, or the Tem$le of Solomon, $ourtraye! by Scri$ture &ight, ch. i>. $. 12+. &on!on, 1DJ2. .+,J4 S e!enborg a 9ermetic Philoso$her, Uc., $. +1,. The object of the author is to sho that the S e!ish sage as an a!e$t, an! that his ritings may be inter$rete! from the $oint of "ie of 9ermetic $hiloso$hy. .+,D4 5ours Philoso$hiBue et 6nter$retatif !es 6nitiations Anciennes et Mo!ernes, $. 22. .+,*4 6bi!., $. 1*D. .+,C4 9istoire Generale !e la Franc%maconnerie, $. J+. .+,24 9istoire !e la Magie, li". ". ch. "ii. $. 1,,. .+1,4 Horlesung ueber !as Symbol !es Tem$els, in the @:arbuechern !er Gross. &oge (oy. #ork Gur Freun!schaft,@ cite! by &enning, /ncyc., "oc. ATem$elA. .+114 6n an /ssay on the Masonic 6!ea of Man's )estination, cite! by &enning, Aut su$raA, from the Altenburg ANeitschift !er FreimaurereiA. .+1+4 5ite! by &enning, Aut su$.A .+134 Thus )r. 8li"er, hile treating of the relation of the tem$le to the lo!ge, thus briefly allu!es to this im$ortant symbol' @As our ancient brethren erecte! a material tem$le, ithout the use of a>e, hammer, or metal tool, so is our moral tem$le constructe!.@%%A9istorical &an!marksA, lect. >>>i. .+1-4 System of S$eculati"e Masonry, ch. "i. $. D3. .+1J4 8n the S$eculati"e Tem$le%%an essay rea! in 1CD1 before the Gran! &o!ge of Alabama. .+1D4 A $ortion of this essay, but in a "ery abri!ge! form, as use! by the author in his ork on @5ry$tic Masonry.@ .+1*4 9ist. &an!marks, i. -J2, note J+. .+1C4 See the Gemara an! Bu>torf &e>. Talm., $. +J-1. .+124 :ob >>>"iii. -%*. .++,4 A <e Translation of the Book of :ob, notes, $. 12D.

.++14 6n "oc. .9ebre ' shint%ta"%yo!%yo!%heh4, here some other curious e>tracts from the Talmu! an! Talmu!ic riters on the subject of the Stone of Foun!ation are gi"en. .+++4 Se$her Tol!oth :eshu, $. D. The abominably scurrilous character of this ork arouse! the in!ignation of the 5hristians, ho, in the fifteenth century, ere not !istinguishe! for a s$irit of tolerance, an! the :e s, becoming alarme!, ma!e e"ery effort to su$$ress it. But, in 1DC1, it as re$ublishe! by Eagenselius in his @Tela 6gnea Satanae,@ ith a &atin translation. .++34 5omment, on Gen. >>"iii. 1C. .++-4 @<i fallit fatum, Scoti BuocunBue locatum 6n"enient la$i!em, regnare tenentur ibi!em.@ .++J4 8l! an! <e Testament connecte!, "ol. i. $. 1-C. .++D4 The Tem$le of Solomon, $ourtraye! by Scri$ture &ight, ch. i>. $. 12-. 8f the Mysteries lai! u$ in the Foun!ation of the Tem$le. .++*4 See Pausanias, lib. i". .++C4 The @)is$utationes a!"ersus Gentes@ of Arnobius su$$lies us ith a fun! of information on the symbolism of the classic mythology. .++24 <aology, ch. iii. $. 112. .+3,4 5ornut. !e <at. )eor. c. 1D. .+314 /ssais sur les Fables, t. i. lett. +. $. 2. .+3+4 Bos orth KAAug. Sa>. )ict.AL !efines Atreo thA to signify @troth, truth, treaty, league, $le!ge, co"enant.@

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