,transcriber's ,notes3 ,footnotes have  
been renumbered and moved to the end  of
 the work4          ,the ,symbolism of  
,freemasonry3    ,illustrating and      
,explaining  ,its ,science and          
,philosophy1 its ,legends1  ,myths and  
,symbols4      ,by    ,albert ,g4       
,mackey1 ,m4,d4        ,ea enim quae    
scribuntur tria habere decent1          
utilitatem praesentem1    certum finem1 
inexpugnabile fundamentum4              
,cardanus4      #ahhb4    ,entered1     
according to ,act of ,congress1 in the  
year #ahfi1 by ,,albert ,g4  ,,mackey1  
,in the ,clerk's ,office of the         
,district ,court of the ,district of    
,south ,carolina4          ,to ,general 
,john ,c4 ,fremont4        ,my ,dear    
,sir3    ,while any ,american might be  
proud of associating his name with that 
of one  who has done so much to increase
 the renown of his country1 and to      
enlarge  the sum of human knowledge1    
this book is dedicated to you as a      
slight  testimonial of regard for your  

personal character1 and in grateful     
recollection of acts of friendship4     
,yours very truly1    ,a4 ,g4 ,mackey4  
,preface4        ,of the various modes  
of communicating instruction to the     
uninformed1 the  masonic student is     
particularly interested in two2 namely1 
the instruction  by legends and that by 
symbols4 ,it is to these two1 almost    
exclusively1  that he is indebted for   
all that he knows1 and for all that he  
can know1  of the philosophic system    
which is taught in the institution4 ,all
 its  mysteries and its dogmas1 which   
constitute its philosophy1 are intrusted
  for communication to the neophyte1    
sometimes to one1 sometimes to the      
other of these two methods of           
instruction1 and sometimes to both of   
them  combined4 ,the ,freemason has no  
way of reaching any of the esoteric     
teachings of the ,order except through  
the medium of a legend or a symbol4     
,a legend differs from an historical    
narrative only in this--that it is      

without documentary evidence of         
authenticity4 ,it is the offspring      
solely  of tradition4 ,its details may  
be true in part or in whole4 ,there may 
be no  internal evidence to the         
contrary1 or there may be internal      
evidence that  they are altogether      
false4 ,but neither the possibility of  
truth in the one  case1 nor the         
certainty of falsehood in the other1 can
 remove the  traditional narrative from 
the class of legends4 ,it is a legend   
simply  because it rests on no written  
foundation4 ,it is oral1 and therefore  
legendary4    ,in grave problems of     
history1 such as the establishment of   
empires1 the  discovery and settlement  
of countries1 or the rise and fall of   
dynasties1  the knowledge of the truth  
or falsity of the legendary narrative   
will be  of importance1 because the     
value of history is impaired by the     
imputation  of doubt4 ,but it is not so 
in ,freemasonry4 ,here there need be no 
absolute  question of the truth or      

falsity of the legend4 ,the object of   
the masonic  legends is not to establish
 historical facts1 but to convey        
philosophical  doctrines4 ,they are a   
method by which esoteric instruction is 
communicated1 and the student accepts   
them with reference to nothing else     
except their positive use and meaning as
 developing masonic dogmas4 ,take1  for 
instance1 the ,hiramic legend of the    
third degree4 ,of what importance  is it
 to the disciple of ,masonry whether it 
be true or false8 ,all that he  wants to
 know is its internal signification2 and
 when he learns that it is  intended to 
illustrate the doctrine of the          
immortality of the soul1 he is  content 
with that interpretation1 and he does   
not deem it necessary1  except as a     
matter of curious or antiquarian        
inquiry1 to investigate its  historical 
accuracy1 or to reconcile any of its    
apparent contradictions4  ,so of the    
lost keystone2 so of the second temple2 
so of the hidden ark3  these are to him 

legendary narratives1 which1 like the   
casket1 would be of  no value were it   
not for the precious jewel contained    
within4 ,each of  these legends is the  
expression of a philosophical idea4     
,but there is another method of masonic 
instruction1 and that is by  symbols4   
,no science is more ancient than that of
 symbolism4 ,at one time1  nearly all   
the learning of the world was conveyed  
in symbols4 ,and although  modern       
philosophy now deals only in abstract   
propositions1 ,freemasonry  still       
cleaves to the ancient method1 and has  
preserved it in its  primitive          
importance as a means of communicating  
knowledge4    ,according to the         
derivation of the word from the ,greek1 
to symbolize  signifies to compare one  
thing with another4 ,hence a symbol is  
the  expression of an idea that has been
 derived from the comparison or         
contrast of some object with a moral    
conception or attribute4 ,thus we say   
that the plumb is a symbol of rectitude 

of conduct4 ,the physical qualities  of 
the plumb are here compared or          
contrasted with the moral conception of 
virtue1 or rectitude4 ,then to the      
,speculative ,mason it becomes1 after he
  has been taught its symbolic meaning1 
the visible expression of the idea  of  
moral uprightness4    ,but although     
there are these two modes of instruction
 in ,freemasonry1--by  legends and by   
symbols1--there really is no radical    
difference between the  two methods4    
,the symbol is a visible1 and the legend
 an audible  representation of some     
contrasted idea--of some moral          
conception produced  from a comparison4 
,both the legend and the symbol relate  
to dogmas of a  deep religious          
character2 both of them convey moral    
sentiments in the same  peculiar method1
 and both of them are designed by this  
method to  illustrate the philosophy of 
,speculative ,masonry4    ,to           
investigate the recondite meaning of    
these legends and symbols1 and to       

elicit from them the moral and          
philosophical lessons which they were   
intended to teach1 is to withdraw the   
veil with which ignorance and           
indifference seek to conceal the true   
philosophy of ,freemasonry4    ,to study
 the symbolism of ,masonry is the only  
way to investigate its  philosophy4     
,this is the portal of its temple1      
through which alone we can  gain access 
to the sacellum where its aporrheta are 
concealed4    ,its philosophy is engaged
 in the consideration of propositions   
relating to  ,god and man1 to the       
present and the future life4 ,its       
science is the  symbolism by which these
 propositions are presented to the mind4
    ,the work now offered to the public 
is an effort to develop and explain     
this philosophy and science4 ,it will   
show that there are in ,freemasonry  the
 germs of profound speculation4 ,if it  
does not interest the learned1 it  may  
instruct the ignorant4 ,if so1 ,i shall 
not regret the labor and  research that 

have been bestowed upon its composition4
    ,,albert ,g4 ,,mackey1 ,m4,d4       
,,charleston1 ,s4,c41 ,feb4 #bb1 #ahfi4 
,contents4             ,i4 ,preliminary4
      ,,ii4 ,the ,noachidae4     ,,iii4 
,the ,primitive ,freemasonry of         
,antiquity4      ,,iv4 ,the ,spurious   
,freemasonry of ,antiquity4       ,v4   
,the ,ancient ,mysteries4      ,,vi4    
,the ,dionysiac ,artificers4     ,,vii4 
,the ,union of ,speculative and         
,operative ,masonry at the ,temple of   
,solomon4    ,,viii4 ,the ,travelling   
,freemasons of the ,middle ,ages4       
,,ix4 ,disseverance of the ,operative   
,element4       ,x4 ,the ,system of     
,symbolic ,instruction4      ,,xi4 ,the 
,speculative ,science and the ,operative
 ,art4     ,,xii4 ,the ,symbolism of    
,solomon's ,temple4    ,,xiii4 ,the     
,form of the ,lodge4     ,,xiv4 ,the    
,officers of a ,lodge4      ,,xv4 ,the  
,point within a ,circle4     ,,xvi4 ,the
 ,covering of the ,lodge4    ,,xvii4    
,ritualistic ,symbolism4   ,,xviii4 ,the

 ,rite of ,discalceation4     ,,xix4    
,the ,rite of ,investiture4      ,,xx4  
,the ,symbolism of the ,gloves4         
,,xxi4 ,the ,rite of ,circumambulation4 
,,xxii4 ,the ,rite of ,intrusting1 and  
the ,symbolism of ,light4   ,,xxiii4    
,symbolism of the ,corner-stone4        
,,xxiv4 ,the ,ineffable ,name4          
,,xxv4 ,the ,legends of ,freemasonry4   
,,xxvi4 ,the ,legend of the ,winding    
,stairs4   ,,xxvii4 ,the ,legend of the 
,third ,degree4  ,,xxviii4 ,the ,sprig  
of ,acacia4    ,,xxix4 ,the ,symbolism  
of ,labor4     ,,xxx4 ,the ,stone of    
,foundation4    ,,xxxi4 ,the ,lost      
,word4    ,synoptical ,index4           
,i4    ,preliminary4        ,the ,origin
 and ,progress of ,freemasonry4         
,any inquiry into the symbolism and     
philosophy of ,freemasonry must         
necessarily be preceded by a brief      
investigation of the origin and history 
of the institution4 ,ancient and        
universal as it is1 whence did it arise8
  ,what were the accidents connected    

with its birth8 ,from what kindred or   
similar association did it spring8 ,or  
was it original and autochthonic1       
independent1 in its inception1 of any   
external influences1 and unconnected    
with any other institution8 ,these are  
questions which an intelligent          
investigator will be disposed to        
propound in the very commencement of the
  inquiry2 and they are questions which 
must be distinctly answered before  he  
can be expected to comprehend its true  
character as a symbolic  institution4   
,he must know something of its          
antecedents1 before he can  appreciate  
its character4    ,but he who expects to
 arrive at a satisfactory solution of   
this inquiry  must first--as a          
preliminary absolutely necessary to     
success--release  himself from the      
influence of an error into which novices
 in ,masonic  philosophy are too apt to 
fall4 ,he must not confound the doctrine
 of  ,freemasonry with its outward and  
extrinsic form4 ,he must not suppose    

that  certain usages and ceremonies1    
which exist at this day1 but which1 even
  now1 are subject to extensive         
variations in different countries1      
constitute the sum and substance of     
,freemasonry4 ,prudent antiquity1 says  
,lord ,coke1 did for more solemnity and 
better memory and observation of  that  
which is to be done1 express substances 
under ceremonies4 ,but it  must be      
always remembered that the ceremony is  
not the substance4 ,it is  but the outer
 garment which covers and perhaps adorns
 it1 as clothing does  the human figure4
 ,but divest man of that outward        
apparel1 and you still  have the        
microcosm1 the wondrous creation1 with  
all his nerves1 and bones1  and muscles1
 and1 above all1 with his brain1 and    
thoughts1 and feelings4  ,and so take   
from ,masonry these external ceremonies1
 and you still have  remaining its      
philosophy and science4 ,these have1 of 
course1 always  continued the same1     
while the ceremonies have varied in     

different ages1  and still vary in      
different countries4    ,the definition 
of ,freemasonry that it is a science of 
morality1 veiled in  allegory1 and      
illustrated by symbols1 has been so     
often quoted1 that1  were it not for its
 beauty1 it would become wearisome4 ,but
 this definition  contains the exact    
principle that has just been enunciated4
 ,freemasonry  is a science--a          
philosophy--a system of doctrines which 
is taught1 in a  manner peculiar to     
itself1 by allegories and symbols4 ,this
 is its internal  character4 ,its       
ceremonies are external additions1 which
 affect not its  substance4    ,now1    
when we are about to institute an       
inquiry into the origin of              
,freemasonry1 it is of this peculiar    
system of philosophy that we are to     
inquire1 and not of the ceremonies which
 have been foisted on it4 ,if we  pursue
 any other course we shall assuredly    
fall into error4    ,thus1 if we seek   
the origin and first beginning of the   

,masonic philosophy1  we must go away   
back into the ages of remote antiquity1 
when we shall find  this beginning in   
the bosom of kindred associations1 where
 the same  philosophy was maintained and
 taught4 ,but if we confound the        
ceremonies of  ,masonry with the        
philosophy of ,masonry1 and seek the    
origin of the  institution1 moulded into
 outward form as it is to-day1 we can   
scarcely be  required to look farther   
back than the beginning of the          
eighteenth  century1 and1 indeed1 not   
quite so far4 ,for many important       
modifications  have been made in its    
rituals since that period4    ,having1  
then1 arrived at the conclusion that it 
is not the ,masonic ritual1  but the    
,masonic philosophy1 whose origin we are
 to investigate1 the next  question     
naturally relates to the peculiar nature
 of that philosophy4    ,now1 then1 ,i  
contend that the philosophy of          
,freemasonry is engaged in the          
contemplation of the divine and human   

character2 of ,,god as one eternal1     
self-existent being1 in contradiction to
 the mythology of the ancient  peoples1 
which was burdened with a multitude of  
gods and goddesses1 of  demigods and    
heroes2 of ,,man as an immortal being1  
preparing in the present  life for an   
eternal future1 in like contradiction to
 the ancient  philosophy1 which         
circumscribed the existence of man to   
the present life4    ,these two         
doctrines1 then1 of the unity of ,god   
and the immortality of the  soul1       
constitute the philosophy of            
,freemasonry4 ,when we wish to define it
  succinctly1 we say that it is an      
ancient system of philosophy which      
teaches these two dogmas4 ,and hence1   
if1 amid the intellectual darkness  and 
debasement of the old polytheistic      
religions1 we find interspersed  here   
and there1 in all ages1 certain         
institutions or associations which      
taught these truths1 and that1 in a     
particular way1 allegorically and       

symbolically1 then we have a right to   
say that such institutions or           
associations were the incunabula--the   
predecessors--of the ,masonic           
institution as it now exists4    ,with  
these preliminary remarks the reader    
will be enabled to enter upon  the      
consideration of that theory of the     
origin of ,freemasonry which ,i  advance
 in the following propositions3--    #a4
 ,in the first place1 ,i contend that in
 the very earliest ages of the  world   
there were existent certain truths of   
vast importance to the welfare  and     
happiness of humanity1 which had been   
communicated1--no matter how1           
but1--most probably1 by direct          
inspiration from ,god to man4    #b4    
,these truths principally consisted in  
the abstract propositions of the  unity 
of ,god and the immortality of the soul4
 ,of the truth of these two             
propositions there cannot be a          
reasonable doubt4 ,the belief in these  
truths is a necessary consequence of    

that religious sentiment which has      
always formed an essential feature of   
human nature4 ,man is1 emphatically1    
and in distinction from all other       
creatures1 a religious animal4 ,gross   
commences his interesting work on ,the  
,heathen ,religion in its ,popular and  
,symbolical ,development by the         
statement that one of the most          
remarkable  phenomena of the human race 
is the universal existence of religious 
ideas--a belief in something            
supernatural and divine1 and a worship  
corresponding to it4 ,as nature had     
implanted the religious sentiment1 the  
same nature must have directed it in a  
proper channel4 ,the belief and the     
worship must at first have been as pure 
as the fountain whence they  flowed1    
although1 in subsequent times1 and      
before the advent of ,christian  light1 
they may both have been corrupted by the
 influence of the priests  and the poets
 over an ignorant and superstitious     
people4 ,the first and  second          

propositions of my theory refer only to 
that primeval period which  was         
antecedent to these corruptions1 of     
which ,i shall hereafter speak4    #c4  
,these truths of ,god and immortality   
were most probably handed down  through 
the line of patriarchs of the race of   
,seth1 but were1 at all  events1 known  
to ,noah1 and were by him communicated  
to his immediate  descendants4    #d4   
,in consequence of this communication1  
the true worship of ,god  continued1 for
 some time after the subsidence of the  
deluge1 to be  cultivated by the        
,noachidae1 the ,noachites1 or the      
descendants of ,noah4    #e4 ,at a      
subsequent period 7no matter when1 but  
the biblical record places  it at the   
attempted building of the tower of      
,babel71 there was a secession  of a    
large number of the human race from the 
,noachites4    #f4 ,these seceders      
rapidly lost sight of the divine truths 
which had been  communicated to them    
from their common ancestor1 and fell    

into the most  grievous theological     
errors1 corrupting the purity of the    
worship and the  orthodoxy of the       
religious faith which they had primarily
 received4    #g4 ,these truths were    
preserved in their integrity by but a   
very few in the  patriarchal line1 while
 still fewer were enabled to retain only
 dim and  glimmering portions of the    
true light4    #h4 ,the first class was 
confined to the direct descendants of   
,noah1 and the  second was to be found  
among the priests and philosophers1 and1
 perhaps1  still later1 among the poets 
of the heathen nations1 and among those 
whom  they initiated into the secrets of
 these truths4 ,of the prevalence of    
these religious truths among the        
patriarchal descendants of ,noah1 we    
have  ample evidence in the sacred      
records4 ,as to their existence among a 
body  of learned heathens1 we have the  
testimony of many intelligent writers   
who  have devoted their energies to this
 subject4 ,thus the learned ,grote1 in  

his ,history of ,greece1 says1 ,the     
allegorical interpretation of the  myths
 has been1 by several learned           
investigators1 especially by ,creuzer1  
connected with the hypothesis of an     
ancient and highly instructed body of   
priests1 having their origin either in  
,egypt or in the ,east1 and             
communicating to the rude and barbarous 
,greeks religious1 physical1 and        
historical knowledge1 under the veil of 
symbols4 ,what is here said only  of the
 ,greeks is equally applicable to every 
other intellectual nation of  antiquity4
    #i4 ,the system or doctrine of the  
former class has been called by ,masonic
  writers the ,pure or ,primitive       
,freemasonry of antiquity1 and that of  
the  latter class the ,spurious         
,freemasonry of the same period4 ,these 
terms  were first used1 if ,i mistake   
not1 by ,dr4 ,oliver1 and are intended  
to  refer--the word pure to the         
doctrines taught by the descendants of  
,noah  in the ,jewish line and the word 

spurious to his descendants in the      
heathen or ,gentile line4    #aj4 ,the  
masses of the people1 among the         
,gentiles especially1 were totally      
unacquainted with this divine truth1    
which was the foundation stone of  both 
species of ,freemasonry1 the pure and   
the spurious1 and were deeply  immersed 
in the errors and falsities of heathen  
belief and worship4    #aa4 ,these      
errors of the heathen religions were not
 the voluntary  inventions of the       
peoples who cultivated them1 but were   
gradual and almost  unavoidable         
corruptions of the truths which had been
 at first taught by  ,noah2 and1 indeed1
 so palpable are these corruptions1 that
 they can be  readily detected and      
traced to the original form from which1 
however much  they might vary among     
different peoples1 they had1 at one time
 or another1  deviated4 ,thus1 in the   
life and achievements of ,bacchus or    
,dionysus1 we  find the travestied      
counterpart of the career of ,moses1 and

 in the name of  ,vulcan1 the blacksmith
 god1 we evidently see an etymological  
corruption of  the appellation of ,tubal
 ,cain1 the first artificer in metals4  
,for  ,vul-can is but a modified form of
 ,baal-,cain1 the god ,cain4    #ab4    
,but those among the masses--and there  
were some--who were made  acquainted    
with the truth1 received their knowledge
 by means of an  initiation into certain
 sacred ,mysteries1 in the bosom of     
which it was  concealed from the public 
gaze4    #ac4 ,these ,mysteries existed 
in every country of heathendom1 in each 
under  a different name1 and to some    
extent under a different form1 but      
always  and everywhere with the same    
design of inculcating1 by allegorical   
and  symbolic teachings1 the great      
,masonic doctrines of the unity of ,god 
and  the immortality of the soul4 ,this 
is an important proposition1 and the    
fact which it enunciates must never be  
lost sight of in any inquiry into  the  
origin of ,freemasonry2 for the pagan   

,mysteries were to the spurious         
,freemasonry of antiquity precisely what
 the ,masters' lodges are to the        
,freemasonry of the present day4 ,it is 
needless to offer any proof of their    
existence1 since this is admitted and   
continually referred to by all          
historians1 ancient and modern2 and to  
discuss minutely their character  and   
organization would occupy a distinct    
treatise4 ,the ,baron de ,sainte  ,croix
 has written two large volumes on the   
subject1 and yet left it  unexhausted4  
#ad4 ,these two divisions of the        
,masonic ,institution which were defined
 in  the #ith proposition1 namely1 the  
pure or primitive ,freemasonry among the
  ,jewish descendants of the patriarchs1
 who are called1 by way of  distinction1
 the ,noachites1 or descendants of      
,noah1 because they had not  forgotten  
nor abandoned the teachings of their    
great ancestor1 and the  spurious       
,freemasonry practised among the pagan  
nations1 flowed down the  stream of time

 in parallel currents1 often near       
together1 but never  commingling4       
#ae4 ,but these two currents were not   
always to be kept apart1 for1           
springing1 in the long anterior ages1   
from one common fountain1--that  ancient
 priesthood of whom ,i have already     
spoken in the #hth  proposition1--and   
then dividing into the pure and spurious
 ,freemasonry of  antiquity1 and        
remaining separated for centuries upon  
centuries1 they at  length met at the   
building of the great temple of         
,jerusalem1 and were  united1 in the    
instance of the ,israelites under ,king 
,solomon1 and the  ,tyrians under       
,hiram1 ,king of ,tyre1 and ,hiram      
,abif4 ,the spurious  ,freemasonry1 it  
is true1 did not then and there cease to
 exist4 ,on the  contrary1 it lasted for
 centuries subsequent to this period2   
for it was  not until long after1 and in
 the reign of the ,emperor ,theodosius1 
that  the pagan ,mysteries were finally 
and totally abolished4 ,but by the union

  of the ,jewish or pure ,freemasons and
 the ,tyrian or spurious ,freemasons at 
,jerusalem1 there was a mutual infusion 
of their respective doctrines and       
ceremonies1 which eventually terminated 
in the abolition of the two  distinctive
 systems and the establishment of a new 
one1 that may be  considered as the     
immediate prototype of the present      
institution4 ,hence  many ,masonic      
students1 going no farther back in their
 investigations than  the facts         
announced in this #aeth proposition1 are
 content to find the  origin of         
,freemasonry at the temple of ,solomon4 
,but if my theory be  correct1 the truth
 is1 that it there received1 not its    
birth1 but only a  new modification of  
its character4 ,the legend of the third 
degree--the  golden legend1 the legenda 
aurea--of ,masonry was there adopted by 
pure  ,freemasonry1 which before had no 
such legend1 from spurious ,freemasonry4
  ,but the legend had existed under     
other names and forms1 in all the       

,mysteries1 for ages before4 ,the       
doctrine of immortality1 which had      
hitherto been taught by the ,noachites  
simply as an abstract proposition1  was 
thenceforth to be inculcated by a       
symbolic lesson--the symbol of ,hiram   
the ,builder was to become forever after
 the distinctive feature of             
,freemasonry4    #af4 ,but another      
important modification was effected in  
the ,masonic system  at the building of 
the temple4 ,previous to the union which
 then took  place1 the pure ,freemasonry
 of the ,noachites had always been      
speculative1  but resembled the present 
organization in no other way than in the
  cultivation of the same abstract      
principles of divine truth4    #ag4 ,the
 ,tyrians1 on the contrary1 were        
architects by profession1 and1 as  their
 leaders were disciples of the school of
 the spurious ,freemasonry1  they1 for  
the first time1 at the temple of        
,solomon1 when they united with  their  
,jewish contemporaries1 infused into the

 speculative science1 which  was        
practised by the latter1 the elements of
 an operative art4    #ah4 ,therefore   
the system continued thenceforward1 for 
ages1 to present the  commingled        
elements of operative and speculative   
,masonry4 ,we see this in  the ,collegia
 ,fabrorum1 or ,colleges of ,artificers1
 first established at  ,rome by ,numa1  
and which were certainly of a ,masonic  
form in their  organization2 in the     
,jewish sect of the ,essenes1 who       
wrought as well as  prayed1 and who are 
claimed to have been the descendants of 
the temple  builders1 and also1 and     
still more prominently1 in the          
,travelling  ,freemasons of the middle  
ages1 who identify themselves by their  
very name  with their modern successors1
 and whose societies were composed of   
learned  men who thought and wrote1 and 
of workmen who labored and built4 ,and  
so  for a long time ,freemasonry        
continued to be both operative and      
speculative4    #ai4 ,but another change

 was to be effected in the institution  
to make it  precisely what it now is1   
and1 therefore1 at a very recent period 
7comparatively speaking71 the operative 
feature was abandoned1 and  ,freemasonry
 became wholly speculative4 ,the exact  
time of this change is  not left to     
conjecture4 ,it took place in the reign 
of ,queen ,anne1 of  ,england1 in the   
beginning of the eighteenth century4    
,preston gives us the  very words of the
 decree which established this change1  
for he says that  at that time it was   
agreed to that the privileges of        
,masonry should no  longer be restricted
 to operative ,masons1 but extend to men
 of various  professions1 provided they 
were regularly approved and initiated   
into the  order4    ,the nineteen       
propositions here announced contain a   
brief but succinct view  of the progress
 of ,freemasonry from its origin in the 
early ages of the  world1 simply as a   
system of religious philosophy1 through 
all the  modifications to which it was  

submitted in the ,jewish and ,gentile   
races1  until at length it was developed
 in its present perfected form4 ,during 
all  this time it preserved unchangeably
 certain features that may hence be     
considered as its specific              
characteristics1 by which it has always 
been  distinguished from every other    
contemporaneous association1 however    
such  association may have simulated it 
in outward form4 ,these characteristics 
are1 first1 the doctrines which it has  
constantly taught1 namely1 that of  the 
unity of ,god and that of the           
immortality of the soul2 and1 secondly1 
the manner in which these doctrines have
 been taught1 namely1 by symbols  and   
allegories4    ,taking these            
characteristics as the exponents of what
 ,freemasonry is1 we  cannot help       
arriving at the conclusion that the     
speculative ,masonry of the  present day
 exhibits abundant evidence of the      
identity of its origin with  the        
spurious ,freemasonry of the            

ante-,solomonic period1 both systems    
coming  from the same pure source1 but  
the one always preserving1 and the other
  continually corrupting1 the purity of 
the common fountain4 ,this is also  the 
necessary conclusion as a corollary from
 the propositions advanced in  this     
essay4    ,there is also abundant       
evidence in the history1 of which these 
propositions are but a meagre outline1  
that a manifest influence was  exerted  
on the pure or primitive ,freemasonry of
 the ,noachites by the  ,tyrian branch  
of the spurious system1 in the symbols1 
myths1 and legends  which the former    
received from the latter1 but which it  
so modified and  interpreted as to make 
them consistent with its own religious  
system4 ,one  thing1 at least1 is       
incapable of refutation2 and that is1   
that we are  indebted to the ,tyrian    
,masons for the introduction of the     
symbol of ,hiram  ,abif4 ,the idea of   
the symbol1 although modified by the    
,jewish ,masons1 is  not ,jewish in its 

inception4 ,it was evidently borrowed   
from the pagan  mysteries1 where        
,bacchus1 ,adonis1 ,proserpine1 and a   
host of other  apotheosized beings play 
the same rle that ,hiram does in the    
,masonic  mysteries4    ,and lastly1 we 
find in the technical terms of ,masonry1
 in its working  tools1 in the names of 
its grades1 and in a large majority of  
its symbols1  ample testimony of the    
strong infusion into its religious      
philosophy of  the elements of an       
operative art4 ,and history again       
explains this fact by  referring to the 
connection of the institution with the  
,dionysiac  ,fraternity of ,artificers1 
who were engaged in building the temple 
of  ,solomon1 with the ,workmen's       
,colleges of ,numa1 and with the        
,travelling  ,freemasons of the middle  
ages1 who constructed all the great     
buildings of  that period4    ,these    
nineteen propositions1 which have been  
submitted in the present  essay1        
constitute a brief summary or outline of

 a theory of the true  origin of        
,freemasonry1 which long and patient    
investigation has led me to  adopt4 ,to 
attempt to prove the truth of each of   
these propositions in its  order by     
logical demonstration1 or by historical 
evidence1 would involve  the writing of 
an elaborate treatise4 ,they are now    
offered simply as  suggestions on which 
the ,masonic student may ponder4 ,they  
are but intended  as guide-posts1 which 
may direct him in his journey should he 
undertake  the pleasant although        
difficult task of instituting an inquiry
 into the  origin and progress of       
,freemasonry from its birth to its      
present state of  full-grown manhood4   
,but even in this abridged form they are
 absolutely necessary as  preliminary to
 any true understanding of the symbolism
 of ,freemasonry4          ,,ii4    ,the
 ,noachid4        ,i proceed1 then1 to  
inquire into the historical origin of   
,freemasonry1 as  a necessary           
introduction to any inquiry into the    

character of its  symbolism4 ,to do     
this1 with any expectation of rendering 
justice to the  subject1 it is evident  
that ,i shall have to take my point of  
departure at  a very remote era4 ,i     
shall1 however1 review the early and    
antecedent  history of the institution  
with as much brevity as a distinct      
understanding of the subject will admit4
    ,passing over all that is within the
 antediluvian history of the world1 as  
something that exerted1 so far as our   
subject is concerned1 no influence  on  
the new world which sprang forth from   
the ruins of the old1 we find1  soon    
after the cataclysm1 the immediate      
descendants of ,noah in the  possession 
of at least two religious truths1 which 
they received from  their common father1
 and which he must have derived from the
 line of  patriarchs who preceded him4  
,these truths were the doctrine of the  
existence of a ,supreme ,intelligence1  
the ,creator1 ,preserver1 and ,ruler of 
the ,universe1 and1 as a necessary      

corollary1 the belief in the immortality
  of the soul#a1 which1 as an emanation 
from that primal cause1 was to be       
distinguished1 by a future and eternal  
life1 from the vile and perishable  dust
 which forms its earthly tabernacle4    
,the assertion that these doctrines were
 known to and recognized by ,noah  will 
not appear as an assumption to the      
believer in divine revelation4 ,but  any
 philosophic mind must1 ,i conceive1    
come to the same conclusion1            
independently of any other authority    
than that of reason4    ,the religious  
sentiment1 so far1 at least1 as it      
relates to the belief in  the existence 
of ,god1 appears to be in some sense    
innate1 or instinctive1  and            
consequently universal in the human     
mind#b4 ,there is no record of  any     
nation1 however intellectually and      
morally debased1 that has not given     
some evidence of a tendency to such     
belief4 ,the sentiment may be           
perverted1 the idea may be grossly      

corrupted1 but it is nevertheless       
there1 and shows the source whence it   
sprang#c4    ,even in the most debased  
forms of fetichism1 where the negro     
kneels in  reverential awe before the   
shrine of some uncouth and misshapen    
idol1  which his own hands1 perhaps1    
have made1 the act of adoration1        
degrading  as the object may be1 is     
nevertheless an acknowledgment of the   
longing  need of the worshipper to throw
 himself upon the support of some       
unknown  power higher than his own      
sphere4 ,and this unknown power1 be it  
what it  may1 is to him a ,god4#d       
,but just as universal has been the     
belief in the immortality of the soul4  
,this arises from the same longing in   
man for the infinite2 and although1     
like the former doctrine1 it has been   
perverted and corrupted1 there  exists  
among all nations a tendency to its     
acknowledgment4 ,every people1  from the
 remotest times1 have wandered          
involuntarily into the ideal of  another

 world1 and sought to find a place for  
their departed spirits4 ,the            
deification of the dead1 man-worship1 or
 hero-worship1 the next  development of 
the religious idea after fetichism1 was 
simply an  acknowledgment of the belief 
in a future life2 for the dead could not
 have  been deified unless after death  
they had continued to live4 ,the        
adoration  of a putrid carcass would    
have been a form of fetichism lower and 
more  degrading than any that has been  
discovered4    ,but man-worship came    
after fetichism4 ,it was a higher       
development of the  religious sentiment1
 and included a possible hope for1 if   
not a positive  belief in1 a future     
life4    ,reason1 then1 as well as      
revelation1 leads us irresistibly to the
  conclusion that these two doctrines   
prevailed among the descendants of      
,noah1 immediately after the deluge4    
,they were believed1 too1 in all their  
purity and integrity1 because they were 
derived from the highest and  purest    

source4    ,these are the doctrines     
which still constitute the creed of     
,freemasonry2  and hence one of the     
names bestowed upon the ,freemasons from
 the earliest  times was that of the    
,noachidae or ,noachites that is to say1
 the  descendants of ,noah1 and the     
transmitters of his religious dogmas4   
,,iii4    ,the ,primitive ,freemasonry  
of ,antiquity4        ,the next         
important historical epoch which demands
 our attention is that  connected with  
what1 in sacred history1 is known as the
 dispersion at  ,babel4 ,the brightness 
of truth1 as it had been communicated by
 ,noah1  became covered1 as it were1    
with a cloud4 ,the dogmas of the unity  
of ,god  and the immortality of the soul
 were lost sight of1 and the first      
deviation from the true worship occurred
 in the establishment of  ,sabianism1 or
 the worship of the sun1 moon1 and      
stars1 among some peoples1  and the     
deification of men among others4 ,of    
these two deviations1  ,sabianism1 or   

sun-worship1 was both the earlier and   
the more generally  diffused4#e ,it     
seems1 says the learned ,owen1 to have  
had its rise  from some broken          
traditions conveyed by the patriarchs   
touching the  dominion of the sun by day
 and of the moon by night4 ,the mode in 
which  this old system has been modified
 and spiritually symbolized by          
,freemasonry will be the subject of     
future consideration4    ,but           
,sabianism1 while it was the most       
ancient of the religious corruptions1   
was1 ,i have said1 also the most        
generally diffused2 and hence1 even     
among  nations which afterwards adopted 
the polytheistic creed of deified men   
and  factitious gods1 this ancient      
sun-worship is seen to be continually   
exerting its influences4 ,thus1 among   
the ,greeks1 the most refined people    
that cultivated hero-worship1 ,hercules 
was the sun1 and the mythologic  fable  
of his destroying with his arrows the   
many-headed hydra of the  ,lernaean     

marshes was but an allegory to denote   
the dissipation of paludal  malaria by  
the purifying rays of the orb of day4   
,among the ,egyptians1 too1  the chief  
deity1 ,osiris1 was but another name for
 the sun1 while his  arch-enemy and     
destroyer1 ,typhon1 was the typification
 of night1 or  darkness4 ,and lastly1   
among the ,hindus1 the three            
manifestations of their  supreme deity1 
,brahma1 ,siva1 and ,vishnu1 were       
symbols of the rising1  meridian1 and   
setting sun4    ,this early and very    
general prevalence of the sentiment of  
sun-worship is  worthy of especial      
attention on account of the influence   
that it exercised  over the spurious    
,freemasonry of antiquity1 of which ,i  
am soon to speak1  and which is still   
felt1 although modified and             
,christianized in our modern  system4   
,many1 indeed nearly all1 of the masonic
 symbols of the present day  can only be
 thoroughly comprehended and properly   
appreciated by this  reference to       

sun-worship4    ,this divine truth1     
then1 of the existence of one ,supreme  
,god1 the ,grand  ,architect of the     
,universe1 symbolized in ,freemasonry as
 the ,,true ,,word1 was  lost to the    
,sabians and to the polytheists who     
arose after the dispersion  at ,babel1  
and with it also disappeared the        
doctrine of a future life2 and  hence1  
in one portion of the masonic ritual1 in
 allusion to this historic  fact1 we    
speak of the lofty tower of ,babel1     
where language was confounded  and      
,masonry lost4    ,there were1 however1 
some of the builders on the plain of    
,shinar who  preserved these great      
religious and masonic doctrines of the  
unity of ,god  and the immortality of   
the soul in their pristine purity4      
,these were the  patriarchs1 in whose   
venerable line they continued to be     
taught4 ,hence1  years after the        
dispersion of the nations at ,babel1 the
 world presented  two great religious   
sects1 passing onward down the stream of

 time1 side by  side1 yet as diverse    
from each other as light from darkness1 
and truth  from falsehood4    ,one of   
these lines of religious thought and    
sentiment was the idolatrous  and pagan 
world4 ,with it all masonic doctrine1 at
 least in its purity1 was  extinct1     
although there mingled with it1 and at  
times to some extent  influenced it1 an 
offshoot from the other line1 to which  
attention will be  soon directed4       
,the second of these lines consisted1 as
 has already been said1 of the          
patriarchs and priests1 who preserved in
 all their purity the two great  masonic
 doctrines of the unity of ,god and the 
immortality of the soul4    ,this line  
embraced1 then1 what1 in the language of
 recent masonic writers1  has been      
designated as the ,primitive            
,freemasonry of ,antiquity4    ,now1 it 
is by no means intended to advance any  
such gratuitous and  untenable theory as
 that proposed by some imaginative      
writers1 that the  ,freemasonry of the  

patriarchs was in its organization1 its 
ritual1 or its  symbolism1 like the     
system which now exists4 ,we know not   
indeed1 that it  had a ritual1 or even a
 symbolism4 ,i am inclined to think that
 it was made  up of abstract            
propositions1 derived from antediluvian 
traditions4 ,dr4  ,oliver thinks it     
probable that there were a few symbols  
among these  ,primitive and ,pure       
,freemasons1 and he enumerates among    
them the serpent1  the triangle1 and the
 point within a circle2 but ,i can find 
no authority  for the supposition1 nor  
do ,i think it fair to claim for the    
order more  than it is fairly entitled  
to1 nor more than it can be fairly      
proved to  possess4 ,when ,anderson     
calls ,moses a ,grand ,master1 ,joshua  
his ,deputy1 and  ,aholiab and ,bezaleel
 ,grand ,wardens1 the expression is to  
be looked upon  simply as a faon de     
parler1 a mode of speech entirely       
figurative in its  character1 and by no 
means intended to convey the idea which 

is  entertained in respect to officers  
of that character in the present        
system4 ,it would1 undoubtedly1 however1
 have been better that such  language   
should not have been used4    ,all that 
can be claimed for the system of        
,primitive ,freemasonry1 as  practised  
by the patriarchs1 is1 that it embraced 
and taught the two great  dogmas of     
,freemasonry1 namely1 the unity of ,god1
 and the immortality of  the soul4 ,it  
may be1 and indeed it is highly         
probable1 that there was a  secret      
doctrine1 and that this doctrine was not
 indiscriminately  communicated4 ,we    
know that ,moses1 who was necessarily   
the recipient of the  knowledge of his  
predecessors1 did not publicly teach the
 doctrine of the  immortality of the    
soul4 ,but there was among the ,jews an 
oral or secret  law which was never     
committed to writing until after the    
captivity2 and  this law1 ,i suppose1   
may have contained the recognition of   
those dogmas of  the ,primitive         

,freemasonry4    ,briefly1 then1 this   
system of ,primitive                    
,freemasonry1--without ritual or        
symbolism1 that has come down to us1 at 
least1--consisting solely of            
traditionary legends1 teaching only the 
two great truths already alluded  to1   
and being wholly speculative in its     
character1 without the slightest        
infusion of an operative element1 was   
regularly transmitted through the       
,jewish line of patriarchs1 priests1 and
 kings1 without alteration1  increase1  
or diminution1 to the time of ,solomon1 
and the building of the  temple at      
,jerusalem4    ,leaving it1 then1 to    
pursue this even course of descent1 let 
us refer once  more to that other line  
of religious history1 the one passing   
through the  idolatrous and polytheistic
 nations of antiquity1 and trace from it
 the  regular rise and progress of      
another division of the masonic         
institution1  which1 by way of          
distinction1 has been called the        

,spurious ,freemasonry of  ,antiquity4  
,,iv4    ,the ,spurious ,freemasonry of 
,antiquity4        ,in the vast but     
barren desert of polytheism--dark and   
dreary as were its  gloomy              
domains--there were still1 however1 to  
be found some few oases of  truth4 ,the 
philosophers and sages of antiquity had1
 in the course of their  learned        
researches1 aided by the light of       
nature1 discovered something of  those  
inestimable truths in relation to ,god  
and a future state which their          
patriarchal contemporaries had received 
as a revelation made to their  common   
ancestry before the flood1 and which had
 been retained and  promulgated after   
that event by ,noah4    ,they were1 with
 these dim but still purifying          
perceptions1 unwilling to  degrade the  
majesty of the ,first ,great ,cause by  
sharing his attributes  with a ,zeus and
 a ,hera in ,greece1 a ,jupiter and a   
,juno in ,rome1 an ,osiris  and an ,isis
 in ,egypt2 and they did not believe    

that the thinking1 feeling1  reasoning  
soul1 the guest and companion of the    
body1 would1 at the hour of  that body's
 dissolution1 be consigned1 with it1 to 
total annihilation4    ,hence1 in the   
earliest ages after the era of the      
dispersion1 there were  some among the  
heathen who believed in the unity of    
,god and the  immortality of the soul4  
,but these doctrines they durst not     
publicly  teach4 ,the minds of the      
people1 grovelling in superstition1 and 
devoted1  as ,st4 ,paul testifies of the
 ,athenians1 to the worship of unknown  
gods1  were not prepared for the        
philosophic teachings of a pure         
theology4 ,it  was1 indeed1 an axiom    
unhesitatingly enunciated and frequently
 repeated by  their writers1 that there 
are many truths with which it is useless
 for  the people to be made acquainted1 
and many fables which it is not         
expedient that they should know to be   
false4 #f ,such is the language of      
,varro1 as preserved by ,st4 ,augustine2

 and ,strabo1 another of their  writers1
 exclaims1 ,it is not possible for a    
philosopher to conduct a  multitude of  
women and ignorant people by a method of
 reasoning1 and thus  to invite them to 
piety1 holiness1 and faith2 but the     
philosopher must  also make use of      
superstition1 and not omit the invention
 of fables and  the performance of      
wonders4 #g    ,while1 therefore1 in    
those early ages of the world1 we find  
the masses  grovelling in the           
intellectual debasement of a            
polytheistic and idolatrous  religion1  
with no support for the present1 no hope
 for the future1--living  without the   
knowledge of a supreme and              
superintending ,providence1 and  dying  
without the expectation of a blissful   
immortality1--we shall at the  same time
 find ample testimony that these        
consoling doctrines were  secretly      
believed by the philosophers and their  
disciples4    ,but though believed1 they
 were not publicly taught4 ,they were   

heresies  which it would have been      
impolitic and dangerous to have broached
 to the  public ear2 they were truths   
which might have led to a contempt of   
the  established system and to the      
overthrow of the popular superstition4  
,socrates1 the ,athenian sage1 is an    
illustrious instance of the punishment  
that was meted out to the bold innovator
 who attempted to insult the gods  and  
to poison the minds of youth with the   
heresies of a philosophic  religion4    
,they permitted1 therefore1 says a      
learned writer on this  subject#h1 the  
multitude to remain plunged as they were
 in the depth of  a gross and           
complicated idolatry2 but for those     
philosophic few who could  bear the     
light of truth without being confounded 
by the blaze1 they  removed the         
mysterious veil1 and displayed to them  
the ,deity in the  radiant glory of his 
unity4 ,from the vulgar eye1 however1   
these doctrines  were kept inviolably   
sacred1 and wrapped in the veil of      

impenetrable  mystery4        ,the      
consequence of all this was1 that no one
 was permitted to be invested  with the 
knowledge of these sublime truths1 until
 by a course of severe  and arduous     
trials1 by a long and painful           
initiation1 and by a formal  series of  
gradual preparations1 he had proved     
himself worthy and capable  of receiving
 the full light of wisdom4 ,for this    
purpose1 therefore1 those  peculiar     
religious institutions were organized   
which the ancients  designated as the   
,,mysteries1 and which1 from the        
resemblance of their  organization1     
their objects1 and their doctrines1 have
 by masonic writers  been called the    
,spurious ,freemasonry of ,antiquity4   
,warburton1#i in giving a definition of 
what these ,mysteries were1 says1  ,each
 of the pagan gods had 7besides the     
public and open7 a secret worship  paid 
unto him1 to which none were admitted   
but those who had been selected  by     
preparatory ceremonies1 called          

initiation4 ,this secret worship was    
termed the ,mysteries4 ,i shall now     
endeavor briefly to trace the           
connection between these ,mysteries and 
the institution of ,freemasonry2 and  to
 do so1 it will be necessary to enter   
upon some details of the  constitution  
of those mystic assemblies4             
,almost every country of the ancient    
world had its peculiar ,mysteries1      
dedicated to the occult worship of some 
especial and favorite god1 and to  the  
inculcation of a secret doctrine1 very  
different from that which was  taught in
 the public ceremonial of devotion4     
,thus in ,persia the ,mysteries  were   
dedicated to ,mithras1 or the ,sun2 in  
,egypt1 to ,isis and ,osiris2 in        
,greece1 to ,demeter2 in ,samothracia1  
to the gods ,cabiri1 the ,mighty ,ones2 
in ,syria1 to ,dionysus2 while in the   
more northern nations of ,europe1 such  
as ,gaul and ,britain1 the initiations  
were dedicated to their peculiar        
deities1 and were celebrated under the  

general name of the ,druidical  rites4  
,but no matter where or how instituted1 
whether ostensibly in honor  of the     
effeminate ,adonis1 the favorite of     
,venus1 or of the implacable  ,odin1 the
 ,scandinavian god of war and carnage2  
whether dedicated to  ,demeter1 the type
 of the earth1 or to ,mithras1 the      
symbol of all that  fructifies that     
earth1--the great object and design of  
the secret  instruction were identical  
in all places1 and the ,mysteries       
constituted a  school of religion in    
which the errors and absurdities of     
polytheism were  revealed to the        
initiated4 ,the candidate was taught    
that the multitudinous  deities of the  
popular theology were but hidden symbols
 of the various  attributes of the      
supreme god1--a spirit invisible and    
indivisible1--and  that the soul1 as an 
emanation from his essence1 could never 
see  corruption1 but must1 after the    
death of the body1 be raised to an      
eternal life4#aj    ,that this was the  

doctrine and the object of the          
,mysteries is evident from  the         
concurrent testimony both of those      
ancient writers who flourished          
contemporaneously with the practice of  
them1 and of those modern scholars  who 
have devoted themselves to their        
investigation4    ,thus ,isocrates1     
speaking of them in his ,panegyric1     
says1 ,those who have  been initiated in
 the ,mysteries of ,ceres entertain     
better hopes both as to  the end of life
 and the whole of futurity4 #aa         
,epictetus#ab declares that everything  
in these ,mysteries was instituted  by  
the ancients for the instruction and    
amendment of life4    ,and ,plato#ac    
says that the design of initiation was  
to restore the soul  to that state of   
perfection from which it had originally 
fallen4    ,thomas ,taylor1 the         
celebrated ,platonist1 who possessed an 
unusual  acquaintance with the character
 of these ancient rites1 asserts that   
they  obscurely intimated1 by mystic and

 splendid visions1 the felicity of the  
soul1 both here and hereafter1 when     
purified from the defilements of a      
material nature1 and constantly elevated
 to the realities of intellectual       
vision4 #ad    ,creuzer1#ae a           
distinguished ,german writer1 who has   
examined the subject  of the ancient    
,mysteries with great judgment and      
elaboration1 gives a  theory on their   
nature and design which is well worth   
consideration4    ,this theory is1 that 
when there had been placed under the    
eyes of the  initiated symbolical       
representations of the creation of the  
universe1 and  the origin of things1 the
 migrations and purifications of the    
soul1 the  beginning and progress of    
civilization and agriculture1 there was 
drawn  from these symbols and these     
scenes in the ,mysteries an instruction 
destined only for the more perfect1 or  
the epopts1 to whom were  communicated  
the doctrines of the existence of a     
single and eternal ,god1  and the       

destination of the universe and of man4 
,creuzer here1 however1 refers rather to
 the general object of the              
instructions1 than to the character of  
the rites and ceremonies by which  they 
were impressed upon the mind2 for in the
 ,mysteries1 as in  ,freemasonry1 the   
,hierophant1 whom we would now call the 
,master of the  ,lodge1 often1 as       
,lobeck observes1 delivered a mystical  
lecture1 or  discourse1 on some moral   
subject4    ,faber1 who1 notwithstanding
 the predominance in his mind of a      
theory which  referred every rite and   
symbol of the ancient world to the      
traditions of  ,noah1 the ark1 and the  
deluge1 has given a generally correct   
view of the  systems of ancient         
religion1 describes the initiation into 
the ,mysteries  as a scenic             
representation of the mythic descent    
into ,hades1 or the grave1  and the     
return from thence to the light of day4 
,in a few words1 then1 the object of    
instruction in all these ,mysteries was 

the unity of ,god1 and the intention of 
the ceremonies of initiation into  them 
was1 by a scenic representation of      
death1 and subsequent restoration  to   
life1#af to impress the great truths of 
the resurrection of the dead  and the   
immortality of the soul4    ,i need     
scarcely here advert to the great       
similarity in design and  conformation  
which existed between these ancient     
rites and the third or  ,master's degree
 of ,masonry4 ,like it they were all    
funereal in their  character3 they began
 in sorrow and lamentation1 they ended  
in joy2 there  was an aphanism1 or      
burial2 a pastos1 or grave2 an euresis1 
or discovery  of what had been lost2 and
 a legend1 or mythical relation1--all of
 which  were entirely and profoundly    
symbolical in their character4    ,and  
hence1 looking to this strange identity 
of design and form1 between  the        
initiations of the ancients and those of
 the modern ,masons1 writers  have been 
disposed to designate these mysteries as

 the ,,spurious  ,,freemasonry ,,of     
,,antiquity4            ,v4    ,the     
,ancient ,mysteries4        ,i now      
propose1 for the purpose of illustrating
 these views1 and of  familiarizing the 
reader with the coincidences between    
,freemasonry and the  ancient           
,mysteries1 so that he may be better    
enabled to appreciate the  mutual       
influences of each on the other as they 
are hereafter to be  developed1 to      
present a more detailed relation of one 
or more of these  ancient systems of    
initiation4    ,as the first            
illustration1 let us select the         
,mysteries of ,osiris1 as they  were    
practised in ,egypt1 the birthplace of  
all that is wonderful in the  arts or   
sciences1 or mysterious in the religion1
 of the ancient world4    ,it was on the
 ,lake of ,sais that the solemn         
ceremonies of the ,osirian  initiation  
were performed4 ,on this lake1 says     
,herodotus1 it is that the  ,egyptians  
represent by night his sufferings whose 

name ,i refrain from  mentioning2 and   
this representation they call their     
,mysteries4 #ag    ,osiris1 the husband 
of ,isis1 was an ancient king of the    
,egyptians4 ,having  been slain by      
,typhon1 his body was cut into pieces#ah
 by his murderer1  and the mangled      
remains cast upon the waters of the     
,nile1 to be dispersed  to the four     
winds of heaven4 ,his wife1 ,isis1      
mourning for the death and  the         
mutilation of her husband1 for many days
 searched diligently with her           
companions for the portions of the body1
 and having at length found them1       
united them together1 and bestowed upon 
them decent interment1--while  ,osiris1 
thus restored1 became the chief deity of
 his subjects1 and his  worship was     
united with that of ,isis1 as the       
fecundating and fertilizing  powers of  
nature4 ,the candidate in these         
initiations was made to pass  through a 
mimic repetition of the conflict and    
destruction of ,osiris1 and  his        

eventual recovery2 and the explanations 
made to him1 after he had  received the 
full share of light to which the painful
 and solemn  ceremonies through which he
 had passed had entitled him1           
constituted the  secret doctrine of     
which ,i have already spoken1 as the    
object of all the  ,mysteries4          
,osiris1--a real and personal god to the
 people1--to be  worshipped with fear   
and with trembling1 and to be           
propitiated with  sacrifices and burnt  
offerings1 became to the initiate but a 
symbol of the        ,great first cause1
 least understood1    while his death1  
and the wailing of ,isis1 with the      
recovery of the body1  his translation  
to the rank of a celestial being1 and   
the consequent  rejoicing of his spouse1
 were but a tropical mode of teaching   
that after  death comes life eternal1   
and that though the body be destroyed1  
the soul  shall still live4    ,can we  
doubt1 says the ,baron ,sainte ,croix1  
that such ceremonies as  those practised

 in the ,mysteries of ,osiris had been  
originally instituted  to impress more  
profoundly on the mind the dogma of     
future rewards and  punishments8 #ai    
,the sufferings and death of ,osiris1   
says ,mr4 ,wilkinson1#bj were the  great
 ,mystery of the ,egyptian religion2 and
 some traces of it are  perceptible     
among other people of antiquity4 ,his   
being the divine goodness  and the      
abstract idea of 'good1' his            
manifestation upon earth 7like an       
,indian god71 his death and             
resurrection1 and his office as judge of
 the  dead in a future state1 look like 
the early revelation of a future        
manifestation of the deity converted    
into a mythological fable4    ,a similar
 legend and similar ceremonies1 varied  
only as to time1 and  place1 and        
unimportant details1 were to be found in
 all the initiations of  the ancient    
,mysteries4 ,the dogma was the          
same1--future life1--and the  method of 
inculcating it was the same4 ,the       

coincidences between the design  of     
these rites and that of ,freemasonry1   
which must already begin to  appear1    
will enable us to give its full value to
 the expression of  ,hutchinson1 when he
 says that the ,master ,mason represents
 a man under the  ,christian doctrine   
saved from the grave of iniquity and    
raised to the  faith of salvation4 #ba  
,in ,phoenicia similar ,mysteries were  
celebrated in honor of ,adonis1 the     
favorite lover of ,venus1 who1 having1  
while hunting1 been slain by a wild     
boar on ,mount ,lebanon1 was restored to
 life by ,proserpine4 ,the  mythological
 story is familiar to every classical   
scholar4 ,in the popular  theology1     
,adonis was the son of ,cinyras1 king of
 ,cyrus1 whose untimely  death was wept 
by ,venus and her attendant nymphs3 in  
the physical theology  of the           
philosophers1#bb he was a symbol of the 
sun1 alternately present  to and absent 
from the earth2 but in the initiation   
into the ,mysteries of  his worship1 his

 resurrection and return from ,hades    
were adopted as a type  of the          
immortality of the soul4 ,the ceremonies
 of initiation in the ,adonia  began    
with lamentation for his loss1--or1 as  
the prophet ,ezekiel expresses  it1     
,behold1 there sat women weeping for    
,thammuz1--for such was the name  under 
which his worship was introduced among  
the ,jews2 and they ended with  the most
 extravagant demonstrations of joy at   
the representation of his  return to    
life1#bc while the hierophant exclaimed1
 in a congratulatory  strain1--         
,trust1 ye initiates2 the god is safe1  
,and from our grief salvation shall     
arise4    ,before proceeding to an      
examination of those ,mysteries which   
are the most  closely connected with the
 masonic institution1 it will be as well
 to take  a brief view of their general 
organization4    ,the secret worship1 or
 ,mysteries1 of the ancients were always
 divided into  the lesser and the       
greater2 the former being intended only 

to awaken  curiosity1 to test the       
capacity and disposition of the         
candidate1 and by  symbolical           
purifications to prepare him for his    
introduction into the  greater          
,mysteries4    ,the candidate was at    
first called an aspirant1 or seeker of  
the truth1  and the initial ceremony    
which he underwent was a lustration or  
purification by water4 ,in this         
condition he may be compared to the     
,entered  ,apprentice of the masonic    
rites1 and it is here worth adverting to
 the  fact 7which will be hereafter more
 fully developed7 that all the          
ceremonies in the first degree of       
masonry are symbolic of an internal     
purification4    ,in the lesser         
,mysteries#bd the candidate took an oath
 of secrecy1 which  was administered to 
him by the mystagogue1 and then received
 a preparatory  instruction1#be which   
enabled him afterwards to understand the
  developments of the higher and        
subsequent division4 ,he was now called 

a  ,mystes1 or initiate1 and may be     
compared to the ,fellow ,craft of       
,freemasonry4    ,in the greater        
,mysteries the whole knowledge of the   
divine truths1 which  was the object of 
initiation1 was communicated4 ,here we  
find1 among the  various ceremonies     
which assimilated these rites to        
,freemasonry1 the  aphanism1 which was  
the disappearance or death2 the pastos1 
the couch1  coffin1 or grave2 the       
euresis1 or the discovery of the body2  
and the  autopsy1 or full sight of      
everything1 that is1 the complete       
communication of the secrets4 ,the      
candidate was here called an epopt1 or  
eye-witness1 because nothing was now    
hidden from him2 and hence he may be    
compared to the ,master ,mason1 of whom 
,hutchinson says that he has  discovered
 the knowledge of ,god and his          
salvation1 and been redeemed from  the  
death of sin and the sepulchre of       
pollution and unrighteousness4          
,,vi4    ,the ,dionysiac ,artificers4   

,after this general view of the         
religious ,mysteries of the ancient     
world1  let us now proceed to a closer  
examination of those which are more     
intimately connected with the history of
 ,freemasonry1 and whose influence  is1 
to this day1 most evidently felt in its 
organization4    ,of all the pagan      
,mysteries instituted by the ancients   
none were more  extensively diffused    
than those of the ,grecian god          
,dionysus4 ,they were  established in   
,greece1 ,rome1 ,syria1 and all ,asia   
,minor4 ,among the ,greeks1  and still  
more among the ,romans1 the rites       
celebrated on the ,dionysiac  festival  
were1 it must be confessed1 of a        
dissolute and licentious  character4#bf 
,but in ,asia they assumed a different  
form4 ,there1 as  elsewhere1 the legend 
7for it has already been said that each 
,mystery had  its legend7 recounted1 and
 the ceremonies represented1 the murder 
of  ,dionysus by the ,titans4 ,the      
secret doctrine1 too1 among the         

,asiatics1 was  not different from that 
among the western nations1 but there was
 something  peculiar in the organization
 of the system4 ,the ,mysteries of      
,dionysus in  ,syria1 more especially1  
were not simply of a theological        
character4 ,there  the disciples joined 
to the indulgence in their speculative  
and secret  opinions as to the unity of 
,god and the immortality of the soul1   
which  were common to all the           
,mysteries1 the practice of an operative
 and  architectural art1 and occupied   
themselves as well in the construction  
of  temples and public buildings as in  
the pursuit of divine truth4    ,i can  
account for the greater purity of these 
,syrian rites only by  adopting the     
ingenious theory of ,thirwall1#bg that  
all the ,mysteries  were the remains of 
a worship which preceded the rise of the
 ,hellenic  mythology1 and its attendant
 rites1 grounded on a view of nature    
less  fanciful1 more earnest1 and better
 fitted to awaken both philosophical    

thought and religious feeling1 and by   
supposing that the ,asiatics1 not       
being1 from their geographical position1
 so early imbued with the errors  of    
,hellenism1 had been better able to     
preserve the purity and philosophy  of  
the old ,pelasgic faith1 which1 itself1 
was undoubtedly a direct  emanation from
 the patriarchal religion1 or1 as it has
 been called1 the  ,pure ,freemasonry of
 the antediluvian world4    ,be this1   
however1 as it may1 we know that the    
,dionysiacs of ,asia ,minor  were       
undoubtedly an association of architects
 and engineers1 who had the  exclusive  
privilege of building temples1 stadia1  
and theatres1 under the  mysterious     
tutelage of ,bacchus1 and were          
distinguished from the  uninitiated or  
profane inhabitants by the science which
 they possessed1  and by many private   
signs and tokens by which they          
recognized each  other4 #bh    ,this    
speculative and operative               
society#bi--speculative in the esoteric1

  theologic lessons which were taught in
 its initiations1 and operative in  the 
labors of its members as architects--was
 distinguished by many  peculiarities   
that closely assimilate it to the       
institution of  ,freemasonry4 ,in the   
practice of charity1 the more opulent   
were bound to  relieve the wants and    
contribute to the support of the poorer 
brethren4  ,they were divided1 for the  
conveniences of labor and the advantages
 of  government1 into smaller bodies1   
which1 like our lodges1 were directed by
  superintending officers4 ,they        
employed1 in their ceremonial           
observances1  many of the implements of 
operative ,masonry1 and used1 like the  
,masons1 a  universal language2 and     
conventional modes of recognition1 by   
which one  brother might know another in
 the dark as well as the light1 and     
which  served to unite the whole body1  
wheresoever they might be dispersed1 in 
one common brotherhood4#cj    ,i have   
said that in the mysteries of ,dionysus 

the legend recounted the  death of that 
hero-god1 and the subsequent discovery  
of his body4 ,some  further details of  
the nature of the ,dionysiac ritual are1
 therefore1  necessary for a thorough   
appreciation of the points to which ,i  
propose  directly to invite attention4  
,in these mystic rites1 the aspirant was
 made to represent1 symbolically  and in
 a dramatic form1 the events connected  
with the slaying of the god  from whom  
the ,mysteries derived their name4      
,after a variety of preparatory         
ceremonies1 intended to call forth all  
his courage and fortitude1 the  aphanism
 or mystical death of ,dionysus was     
figured out in the ceremonies1  and the 
shrieks and lamentations of the         
initiates1 with the confinement or      
burial of the candidate on the pastos1  
couch1 or coffin1 constituted the  first
 part of the ceremony of initiation4    
,then began the search of ,rhea  for the
 remains of ,dionysus1 which was        
continued amid scenes of the  greatest  

confusion and tumult1 until1 at last1   
the search having been  successful1 the 
mourning was turned into joy1 light     
succeeded to darkness1  and the         
candidate was invested with the         
knowledge of the secret doctrine  of the
 ,mysteries--the belief in the existence
 of one ,god1 and a future  state of    
rewards and punishments4#ca    ,such    
were the mysteries that were practised  
by the architect1--the  ,freemasons1 so 
to speak--of ,asia ,minor4 ,at ,tyre1   
the richest and most  important city of 
that region1 a city memorable for the   
splendor and  magnificence of the       
buildings with which it was decorated1  
there were  colonies or lodges of these 
mystic architects2 and this fact ,i     
request  that you will bear in mind1 as 
it forms an important link in the chain 
that connects the ,dionysiacs with the  
,freemasons4    ,but to make every link 
in this chain of connection complete1 it
 is  necessary that the mystic artists  
of ,tyre should be proved to be at least

  contemporaneous with the building of  
,king ,solomon's temple2 and the        
evidence of that fact ,i shall now      
attempt to produce4    ,lawrie1 whose   
elaborate researches into this subject  
leave us nothing  further to discover1  
places the arrival of the ,dionysiacs in
 ,asia ,minor at  the time of the ,ionic
 migration1 when the inhabitants of     
,attica1  complaining of the narrowness 
of their territory and the              
unfruitfulness of  its soil1 went in    
quest of more extensive and fertile     
settlements4 ,being  joined by a number 
of the inhabitants of surrounding       
provinces1 they  sailed to ,asia ,minor1
 drove out the original inhabitants1 and
 seized upon  the most eligible         
situations1 and united them under the   
name of ,ionia1  because the greatest   
number of the refugees were natives of  
that ,grecian  province4 #cb ,with their
 knowledge of the arts of sculpture and 
architecture1 in which the ,greeks had  
already made some progress1 the         

emigrants brought over to their new     
settlements their religious customs     
also1 and introduced into ,asia the     
mysteries of ,athene and ,dionysus long 
before they had been corrupted by the   
licentiousness of the mother  country4  
,now1 ,playfair places the ,ionic       
migration in the year #ajdd ,b4,c41     
,gillies in  #ajee1 and the ,abb        
,barthelemy in #ajgf4 ,but the latest of
 these periods  will extend as far back 
as forty-four years before the          
commencement of  the temple of ,solomon 
at ,jerusalem1 and will give ample time 
for the  establishment of the ,dionysiac
 fraternity at the city of ,tyre1 and   
the  initiation of ,hiram the ,builder  
into its mysteries4    ,let us now      
pursue the chain of historical events   
which finally united  this purest branch
 of the ,spurious ,freemasonry of the   
pagan nations with  the ,primitive      
,freemasonry of the ,jews at ,jerusalem4
    ,when ,solomon1 king of ,israel1 was
 about to build1 in accordance with the 

purposes of his father1 ,david1 a house 
unto the name of ,jehovah1 his  ,god1 he
 made his intention known to ,hiram1    
king of ,tyre1 his friend and  ally2 and
 because he was well aware of the       
architectural skill of the  ,tyrian     
,dionysiacs1 he besought that monarch's 
assistance to enable him to  carry his  
pious design into execution4 ,scripture 
informs us that ,hiram  complied with   
the request of ,solomon1 and sent him   
the necessary workmen  to assist him in 
the glorious undertaking4 ,among others1
 he sent an  architect1 who is briefly  
described1 in the ,first ,book of       
,kings1 as a  widow's son1 of the tribe 
of ,naphtali1 and his father a man of   
,tyre1 a  worker in brass1 a man filled 
with wisdom and understanding and       
cunning to  work all works in brass2 and
 more fully1 in the ,second ,book of    
,chronicles1 as a cunning man1 endued   
with understanding of ,hiram my         
father's1 the son of a woman of the     
daughters of ,dan1 and his father1 a    

man of ,tyre1 skilful to work in gold1  
and in silver1 in brass1 in iron1 in    
stone1 and in timber1 in purple1 in     
blue1 and in fine linen and in  crimson1
 also to grave any manner of graving1   
and to find out any device  which shall 
be put to him4    ,to this man--this    
widow's son 7as ,scripture history1 as  
well as masonic  tradition informs      
us7--was intrusted by ,king ,solomon an 
important position  among the workmen at
 the sacred edifice1 which was          
constructed on ,mount  ,moriah4 ,his    
knowledge and experience as an          
artificer1 and his eminent  skill in    
every kind of curious and cunning       
workmanship1 readily placed  him at the 
head of both the ,jewish and ,tyrian    
craftsmen1 as the chief  builder and    
principal conductor of the works2 and it
 is to him1 by means  of the large      
authority which this position gave him1 
that we attribute the  union of two     
people1 so antagonistical in race1 so   
dissimilar in manners1  and so opposed  

in religion1 as the ,jews and ,tyrians1 
in one common  brotherhood1 which       
resulted in the organization of the     
institution of  ,freemasonry4 ,this     
,hiram1 as a ,tyrian and an artificer1  
must have been  connected with the      
,dionysiac fraternity2 nor could he have
 been a very  humble or inconspicuous   
member1 if we may judge of his rank in  
the  society1 from the amount of talent 
which he is said to have possessed1 and 
from the elevated position that he held 
in the affections1 and at the  court1 of
 the king of ,tyre4 ,he must1 therefore1
 have been well acquainted  with all the
 ceremonial usages of the ,dionysiac    
artificers1 and must have  enjoyed a    
long experience of the advantages of the
 government and  discipline which they  
practised in the erection of the many   
sacred  edifices in which they were     
engaged4 ,a portion of these ceremonial 
usages  and of this discipline he would 
naturally be inclined to introduce among
  the workmen at ,jerusalem4 ,he        

therefore united them in a society1     
similar  in many respects to that of the
 ,dionysiac artificers4 ,he inculcated  
lessons of charity and brotherly love2  
he established a ceremony of            
initiation1 to test experimentally the  
fortitude and worth of the  candidate2  
adopted modes of recognition2 and       
impressed the obligations of  duty and  
principles of morality by means of      
symbols and allegories4    ,to the      
laborers and men of burden1 the ,ish    
,sabal1 and to the craftsmen1           
corresponding with the first and second 
degrees of more modern ,masonry1  but   
little secret knowledge was confided4   
,like the aspirants in the lesser       
,mysteries of paganism1 their           
instructions were simply to purify and  
prepare them for a more solemn ordeal1  
and for the knowledge of the  sublimest 
truths4 ,these were to be found only in 
the ,master's degree1  which it was     
intended should be in imitation of the  
greater ,mysteries2 and  in it were to  

be unfolded1 explained1 and enforced the
 great doctrines of  the unity of ,god  
and the immortality of the soul4 ,but   
here there must have  at once arisen an 
apparently insurmountable obstacle to   
the further  continuation of the        
resemblance of ,masonry to the          
,mysteries of ,dionysus4  ,in the pagan 
,mysteries1 ,i have already said that   
these lessons were  allegorically taught
 by means of a legend4 ,now1 in the     
,mysteries of  ,dionysus1 the legend was
 that of the death and subsequent       
resuscitation of  the god ,dionysus4    
,but it would have been utterly         
impossible to introduce  such a legend  
as the basis of any instructions to be  
communicated to  ,jewish candidates4    
,any allusion to the mythological fables
 of their  ,gentile neighbors1 any      
celebration of the myths of pagan       
theology1 would  have been equally      
offensive to the taste and repugnant to 
the religious  prejudices of a nation   
educated1 from generation to generation1

 in the  worship of a divine being      
jealous of his prerogatives1 and who had
 made  himself known to his people as   
the ,,jehovah1 the ,god of time present1
 past1  and future4 ,how this obstacle  
would have been surmounted by the       
,israelitish founder of the order ,i am 
unable to say3 a substitute would1  no  
doubt1 have been invented1 which would  
have met all the symbolic  requirements 
of the legend of the ,mysteries1 or     
,spurious ,freemasonry1  without        
violating the religious principles of   
the ,primitive ,freemasonry of  the     
,jews2 but the necessity for such       
invention never existed1 and before  the
 completion of the temple a melancholy  
event is said to have occurred1  which  
served to cut the ,gordian knot1 and the
 death of its chief architect  has      
supplied ,freemasonry with its          
appropriate legend--a legend which1 like
  the legends of all the ,mysteries1 is 
used to testify our faith in the        
resurrection of the body and the        

immortality of the soul4    ,before     
concluding this part of the subject1 it 
is proper that something  should be said
 of the authenticity of the legend of   
the third degree4 ,some  distinguished  
,masons are disposed to give it full    
credence as an  historical fact1 while  
others look upon it only as a beautiful 
allegory4  ,so far as the question has  
any bearing upon the symbolism of       
,freemasonry  it is not of importance2  
but those who contend for its historical
  character assert that they do so on   
the following grounds3--    ,first4     
,because the character of the legend is 
such as to meet all the  requirements of
 the well-known axiom of ,vincentius    
,lirinensis1 as to what  we are to      
believe in traditionary matters4#cc     
,quod semper1 quod ubique1 quod ab      
omnibus traditum      est4    ,that is1 
we are to believe whatever tradition has
 been at all times1 in  all places1 and 
by all persons handed down4    ,with    
this rule the legend of ,hiram ,abif1   

they say1 agrees in every  respect4 ,it 
has been universally received1 and      
almost universally  credited1 among     
,freemasons from the earliest times4 ,we
 have no record of  any ,masonry having 
ever existed since the time of the      
temple without it2  and1 indeed1 it is  
so closely interwoven into the whole    
system1 forming  the most essential part
 of it1 and giving it its most          
determinative  character1 that it is    
evident that the institution could no   
more exist  without the legend1 than the
 legend could have been retained without
 the  institution4 ,this1 therefore1 the
 advocates of the historical character  
of  the legend think1 gives probability 
at least to its truth4    ,secondly4 ,it
 is not contradicted by the scriptural  
history of the  transactions at the     
temple1 and therefore1 in the absence of
 the only  existing written authority on
 the subject1 we are at liberty to      
depend on  traditional information1     
provided the tradition be1 as it is     

contended  that in this instance it is1 
reasonable1 probable1 and supported by  
uninterrupted succession4    ,thirdly4  
,it is contended that the very silence  
of ,scripture in relation to  the death 
of ,hiram1 the ,builder1 is an argument 
in favor of the mysterious  nature of   
that death4 ,a man so important in his  
position as to have been  called the    
favorite of two kings1--sent by one and 
received by the other  as a gift of     
surpassing value1 and the donation      
thought worthy of a  special record1    
would hardly have passed into oblivion1 
when his labor was  finished1 without   
the memento of a single line1 unless his
 death had taken  place in such a way as
 to render a public account of it       
improper4 ,and  this is supposed to have
 been the fact4 ,it had become the      
legend of the  new ,mysteries1 and1 like
 those of the old ones1 was only to be  
divulged  when accompanied with the     
symbolic instructions which it was      
intended to  impress upon the minds of  

the aspirants4    ,but if1 on the other 
hand1 it be admitted that the legend of 
the third  degree is a fiction1--that   
the whole masonic and extra-scriptural  
account  of ,hiram ,abif is simply a    
myth1--it could not1 in the slightest   
degree1  affect the theory which it is  
my object to establish4 ,for since1 in a
  mythic relation1 as the learned       
,mller#cd has observed1 fact and        
imagination1 the real and the ideal1 are
 very closely united1 and since  the    
myth itself always arises1 according to 
the same author1 out of a  necessity and
 unconsciousness on the part of its     
framers1 and by impulses  which act     
alike on all1 we must go back to the    
,spurious ,freemasonry of the           
,dionysiacs for the principle which led 
to the involuntary formation of  this   
,hiramic myth2 and then we arrive at the
 same result1 which has been  already   
indicated1 namely1 that the necessity of
 the religious sentiment  in the ,jewish
 mind1 to which the introduction of the 

legend of ,dionysus  would have been    
abhorrent1 led to the substitution for  
it of that of  ,hiram1 in which the     
ideal parts of the narrative have been  
intimately  blended with real           
transactions4 ,thus1 that there was such
 a man as ,hiram  ,abif2 that he was the
 chief builder at the temple of         
,jerusalem2 that he  was the            
confidential friend of the kings of     
,israel and ,tyre1 which is  indicated  
by his title of ,ab1 or father2 and that
 he is not heard of  after the          
completion of the temple1--are all      
historical facts4 ,that he  died by     
violence1 and in the way described in   
the masonic legend1 may be  also true1  
or may be merely mythical elements      
incorporated into the  historical       
narrative4    ,but whether this be so or
 not1--whether the legend be a fact or a
 fiction1  a history or a myth1--this1  
at least1 is certain3 that it was       
adopted by  the ,solomonic ,masons of   
the temple as a substitute for the      

idolatrous  legend of the death of      
,dionysus which belonged to the         
,dionysiac ,mysteries  of the ,tyrian   
workmen4          ,,vii4    ,the ,union 
of ,speculative and ,operative ,masonry 
at the ,temple of ,solomon4             
,thus1 then1 we arrive at another       
important epoch in the history of the   
origin of ,freemasonry4    ,i have shown
 how the ,primitive ,freemasonry1       
originating in this new world2  with    
,noah1 was handed down to his           
descendants as a purely speculative     
institution1 embracing certain          
traditions of the nature of ,god and of 
the  soul4    ,i have shown how1 soon   
after the deluge1 the descendants of    
,noah  separated1 one portion1 losing   
their traditions1 and substituting in   
their  place idolatrous and polytheistic
 religions1 while the other and smaller 
portion retained and communicated those 
original traditions under the name  of  
the ,primitive ,freemasonry of          
antiquity4    ,i have shown how1 among  

the polytheistic nations1 there were a  
few persons  who still had a dim and    
clouded understanding of these          
traditions1 and  that they taught them  
in certain secret institutions1 known as
 the  ,mysteries1 thus establishing     
another branch of the speculative       
science  which is known under the name  
of the ,spurious ,freemasonry of        
antiquity4    ,again1 ,i have shown how 
one sect or division of these ,spurious 
,freemasons  existed at ,tyre about the 
time of the building of ,king ,solomon's
 temple1  and added to their speculative
 science1 which was much purer than that
 of  their contemporary ,gentile        
mystics1 the practice of the arts of    
architecture and sculpture1 under the   
name of the ,dionysiac ,fraternity of   
,artificers4    ,and1 lastly1 ,i have   
shown how1 at the building of the       
,solomonic temple1 on  the invitation of
 the king of ,israel1 a large body of   
these architects  repaired from ,tyre to
 ,jerusalem1 organized a new            

institution1 or1 rather1  a modification
 of the two old ones1 the ,primitive    
,freemasons among the  ,israelites      
yielding something1 and the ,spurious   
,freemasons among the  ,tyrians yielding
 more2 the former purifying the         
speculative science1 and  the latter    
introducing the operative art1 together 
with the mystical  ceremonies with which
 they accompanied its administration4   
,it is at this epoch1 then1 that ,i     
place the first union of speculative and
  operative ,masonry1--a union which    
continued uninterruptedly to exist until
  a comparatively recent period1 to     
which ,i shall have occasion hereafter  
briefly to advert4    ,the other        
branches of the ,spurious ,freemasonry  
were not1 however1  altogether and at   
once abolished by this union1 but       
continued also to  exist and teach their
 half-truthful dogmas1 for ages after1  
with  interrupted success and diminished
 influence1 until1 in the fifth century 
of the ,christian era1 the whole of them

 were proscribed by the ,emperor        
,theodosius4 ,from time to time1        
however1 other partial unions took      
place1  as in the instance of           
,pythagoras1 who1 originally a member of
 the school  of ,spurious ,freemasonry1 
was1 during his visit to ,babylon1 about
 four  hundred and fifty years after the
 union at the temple of ,jerusalem1     
initiated by the captive ,israelites    
into the rites of ,temple ,masonry1     
whence the instructions of that sage    
approximate much more nearly to the     
principles of ,freemasonry1 both in     
spirit and in letter1 than those of any 
other of the philosophers of antiquity2 
for which reason he is familiarly       
called1 in the modern masonic lectures1 
an ancient friend and brother1  and an  
important symbol of the order1 the      
forty-seventh problem of ,euclid1  has  
been consecrated to his memory4    ,i do
 not now propose to enter upon so       
extensive a task as to trace the        
history of the institution from the     

completion of the first temple to its   
destruction by ,nebuchadnezzar2 through 
the seventy-two years of ,babylonish    
captivity to the rebuilding of the      
second temple by ,zerubbabel2 thence to 
the devastation of ,jerusalem by ,titus1
 when it was first introduced into      
,europe2 through all its struggles in   
the middle ages1 sometimes protected    
and sometimes persecuted by the church1 
sometimes forbidden by the law and      
oftener encouraged by the monarch2      
until1 in the beginning of the          
sixteenth century1 it assumed its       
present organization4 ,the details would
  require more time for their           
recapitulation than the limits of the   
present  work will permit4    ,but my   
object is not so much to give a         
connected history of the progress  of   
,freemasonry as to present a rational   
view of its origin and an  examination  
of those important modifications which1 
from time to time1  were impressed upon 
it by external influences1 so as to     

enable us the more  readily to          
appreciate the true character and design
 of its symbolism4    ,two salient      
points1 at least1 in its subsequent     
history1 especially invite  attention1  
because they have an important bearing  
on its organization1 as  a combined     
speculative and operative institution4  
,,viii4    ,the ,travelling ,freemasons 
of the ,middle ,ages4        ,the first 
of these points to which ,i refer is the
 establishment of a body  of architects1
 widely disseminated throughout ,europe 
during the middle  ages under the avowed
 name of ,travelling ,freemasons4 ,this 
association of  workmen1 said to have   
been the descendants of the ,temple     
,masons1 may be  traced by the massive  
monuments of their skill at as early a  
period as the  ninth or tenth century2  
although1 according to the authority of 
,mr4 ,hope1  who has written elaborately
 on the subject1 some historians have   
found the  evidence of their existence  
in the seventh century1 and have traced 

a  peculiar masonic language in the     
reigns of ,charlemagne of ,france and   
,alfred of ,england4    ,it is to these 
men1 to their preeminent skill in       
architecture1 and to  their             
well-organized system as a class of     
workmen1 that the world is  indebted for
 those magnificent edifices which sprang
 up in such  undeviating principles of  
architectural form during the middle    
ages4    ,wherever they came1 says ,mr4 
,hope1 in the suite of missionaries1 or 
were called by the natives1 or arrived  
of their own accord1 to seek            
employment1 they appeared headed by a   
chief surveyor1 who governed the  whole 
troop1 and named one man out of every   
ten1 under the name of warden1  to      
overlook the nine others1 set themselves
 to building temporary huts#ce  for     
their habitation around the spot where  
the work was to be carried on1          
regularly organized their different     
departments1 fell to work1 sent for     
fresh supplies of their brethren as the 

object demanded1 and1 when all was      
finished1 again raised their encampment1
 and went elsewhere to undertake  other 
jobs4 #cf    ,this society continued to 
preserve the commingled features of     
operative  and speculative masonry1 as  
they had been practised at the temple of
  ,solomon4 ,admission to the community 
was not restricted to professional      
artisans1 but men of eminence1 and      
particularly ecclesiastics1 were        
numbered among its members4 ,these      
latter1 says ,mr4 ,hope1 were           
especially anxious1 themselves1 to      
direct the improvement and erection of  
their churches and monasteries1 and to  
manage the expenses of their  buildings1
 and became members of an establishment 
which had so high and  sacred a         
destination1 was so entirely exempt from
 all local1 civil  jurisdiction1        
acknowledged the pope alone as its      
direct chief1 and only  worked under his
 immediate authority2 and thence we read
 of so many  ecclesiastics of the       

highest rank--abbots1 prelates1         
bishops--conferring  additional weight  
and respectability on the order of      
,freemasonry by  becoming its           
members--themselves giving the designs  
and superintending  the construction of 
their churches1 and employing the manual
 labor of  their own monks in the       
edification of them4    ,thus in        
,england1 in the tenth century1 the     
,masons are said to have  received the  
special protection of ,king ,athelstan2 
in the eleventh  century1 ,edward the   
,confessor declared himself their       
patron2 and in the  twelfth1 ,henry ,i4 
gave them his protection4    ,into      
,scotland the ,freemasons penetrated as 
early as the beginning of the  twelfth  
century1 and erected the ,abbey of      
,kilwinning1 which afterwards  became   
the cradle of ,scottish ,masonry under  
the government of ,king ,robert  ,bruce4
    ,of the magnificent edifices which  
they erected1 and of their exalted      
condition under both ecclesiastical and 

lay patronage in other countries1  it is
 not necessary to give a minute detail4 
,it is sufficient to say that  in every 
part of ,europe evidences are to be     
found of the existence of  ,freemasonry1
 practised by an organized body of      
workmen1 and with whom men  of learning 
were united2 or1 in other words1 of a   
combined operative and  speculative     
institution4    ,what the nature of this
 speculative science continued to be1 we
 may learn  from that very curious1 if  
authentic1 document1 dated at ,cologne1 
in the  year #aece1 and hence designated
 as the ,charter of ,cologne4 ,in that  
instrument1 which purports to have been 
issued by the heads of the order  in    
nineteen different and important cities 
of ,europe1 and is addressed to  their  
brethren as a defence against the       
calumnies of their enemies1 it is       
announced that the order took its origin
 at a time when a few adepts1           
distinguished by their life1 their moral
 doctrine1 and their sacred             

interpretation of the arcanic truths1   
withdrew themselves from the  multitude 
in order more effectually to preserve   
uncontaminated the moral  precepts of   
that religion which is implanted in the 
mind of man4    ,we thus1 then1 have    
before us an aspect of ,freemasonry as  
it existed in  the middle ages1 when it 
presents itself to our view as both     
operative and  speculative in its       
character4 ,the operative element that  
had been infused  into it by the        
,dionysiac artificers of ,tyre1 at the  
building of the  ,solomonic temple1 was 
not yet dissevered from the pure        
speculative element  which had prevailed
 in it anterior to that period4         
,,ix4    ,disseverance of the ,operative
 ,element4        ,the next point to    
which our attention is to be directed is
 when1 a few  centuries later1 the      
operative character of the institution  
began to be  less prominent1 and the    
speculative to assume a pre-eminence    
which  eventually ended in the total    

separation of the two4    ,at what      
precise period the speculative began to 
predominate over the  operative element 
of the society1 it is impossible to say4
 ,the change was  undoubtedly gradual1  
and is to be attributed1 in all         
probability1 to the  increased number of
 literary and scientific men who were   
admitted into the  ranks of the         
fraternity4    ,the ,charter of         
,cologne1 to which ,i have just alluded1
 speaks of learned  and enlightened men 
as constituting the society long before 
the date of  that document1 which was   
#aece2 but the authenticity of this work
 has1 it  must be confessed1 been       
impugned1 and ,i will not1 therefore1   
press the  argument on its doubtful     
authority4 ,but the diary of that       
celebrated  antiquary1 ,elias ,ashmole1 
which is admitted to be authentic1      
describes his  admission in the year    
#afdf into the order1 when there is no  
doubt that the  operative character was 
fast giving way to the speculative4     

,preston tells  us that about thirty    
years before1 when the ,earl of         
,pembroke assumed the  ,grand           
,mastership of ,england1 many eminent1  
wealthy1 and learned men were  admitted4
    ,in the year #affc an assembly of   
the ,freemasons of ,england was held at 
,london1 and the ,earl of ,st4 ,albans  
was elected ,grand ,master4 ,at this    
assembly certain regulations were       
adopted1 in which the qualifications    
prescribed for candidates clearly allude
 to the speculative character of  the   
institution4    ,and1 finally1 at the   
commencement of the eighteenth century1 
and during  the reign of ,queen ,anne1  
who died1 it will be remembered1 in     
#agad1 a  proposition was agreed to by  
the society that the privileges of      
,masonry  should no longer be restricted
 to operative masons1 but extend to men 
of  various professions1 provided that  
they were regularly approved and        
initiated into the order4               
,accordingly the records of the society 

show that from the year #agag1 at       
least1 the era commonly1 but improperly1
 distinguished as the restoration  of   
,masonry1 the operative element of the  
institution has been completely         
discarded1 except so far as its         
influence is exhibited in the choice and
  arrangement of symbols1 and the       
typical use of its technical language4  
99       99       99       99       99  
,the history of the origin of the order 
is here concluded2 and in briefly       
recapitulating1 ,i may say that in its  
first inception1 from the time of  ,noah
 to the building of the temple of       
,solomon1 it was entirely speculative   
in its character2 that at the           
construction of that edifice1 an        
operative  element was infused into it  
by the ,tyrian builders2 that it        
continued to  retain this compound      
operative and speculative organization  
until about  the middle of the          
seventeenth century1 when the latter    
element began to  predominate2 and      

finally1 that at the commencement of the
 eighteenth  century1 the operative     
element wholly disappeared1 and the     
society has  ever since presented itself
 in the character of a simply           
speculative  association4    ,the       
history that ,i have thus briefly       
sketched1 will elicit from every        
reflecting mind at least two deductions 
of some importance to the  intelligent  
,mason4    ,in the first place1 we may  
observe1 that ascending1 as the         
institution  does1 away up the stream of
 time1 almost to the very fountains of  
history1  for its source1 it comes down 
to us1 at this day1 with so venerable an
  appearance of antiquity1 that for that
 cause and on that claim alone it       
demands the respect of the world4 ,it is
 no recent invention of human  genius1  
whose vitality has yet to be tested by  
the wear and tear of time  and          
opposition1 and no sudden growth of     
short-lived enthusiasm1 whose  existence
 may be as ephemeral as its birth was   

recent4 ,one of the oldest  of these    
modern institutions1 the ,carbonarism of
 ,italy1 boasts an age that  scarcely   
amounts to the half of a century1 and   
has not been able to extend  its        
progress beyond the countries of        
,southern ,europe1 immediately adjacent 
to the place of its birth2 while it and 
every other society of our own  times   
that have sought to simulate the outward
 appearance of ,freemasonry1  seem to   
him who has examined the history of this
 ancient institution to  have sprung    
around it1 like mushrooms bursting from 
between the roots and  vegetating under 
the shade of some mighty and venerable  
oak1 the  patriarch of the forest1 whose
 huge trunk and wide-extended branches  
have  protected them from the sun and   
the gale1 and whose fruit1 thrown off in
  autumn1 has enriched and fattened the 
soil that gives these humbler plants    
their power of life and growth4    ,but 
there is a more important deduction to  
be drawn from this narrative4  ,in      

tracing the progress of ,freemasonry1 we
 shall find it so intimately  connected 
with the history of philosophy1 of      
religion1 and of art in all  ages of the
 world1 that it is evident that no      
,mason can expect thoroughly  to        
understand the nature of the            
institution1 or to appreciate its       
character1 unless he shall carefully    
study its annals1 and make himself      
conversant with the facts of history1 to
 which and from which it gives and      
receives a mutual influence4 ,the       
brother who unfortunately supposes that 
the only requisites of a skilful ,mason 
consist in repeating with fluency  the  
ordinary lectures1 or in correctly      
opening and closing the lodge1 or  in   
giving with sufficient accuracy the     
modes of recognition1 will hardly       
credit the assertion1 that he whose     
knowledge of the royal art extends  no  
farther than these preliminaries has    
scarcely advanced beyond the  rudiments 
of our science4 ,there is a far nobler  

series of doctrines with  which         
,freemasonry is connected1 and which no 
student ever began to  investigate who  
did not find himself insensibly led on1 
from step to step  in his researches1   
his love and admiration of the order    
increasing with  the augmentation of his
 acquaintance with its character4 ,it is
 this which  constitutes the science and
 the philosophy of ,freemasonry1 and it 
is this  alone which will return the    
scholar who devotes himself to the task 
a  sevenfold reward for his labor4      
,with this view ,i propose1 in the next 
place1 to enter upon an examination  of 
that science and philosophy as they are 
developed in the system of  symbolism1  
which owes its existence to this        
peculiar origin and  organization of the
 order1 and without a knowledge of      
which1 such as ,i  have attempted to    
portray it in this preliminary inquiry1 
the science  itself could never be      
understood4            ,x4    ,the      
,system of ,symbolic ,instuction4       

,the lectures of the ,english lodges1   
which are far more philosophical than   
our own1--although ,i do not believe    
that the system itself is in general  as
 philosophically studied by our ,english
 brethren as by ourselves1--have        
beautifully defined ,freemasonry to be a
 science of morality veiled in  allegory
 and illustrated by symbols4 ,but       
allegory itself is nothing else  but    
verbal symbolism2 it is the symbol of an
 idea1 or of a series of  ideas1 not    
presented to the mind in an objective   
and visible form1 but  clothed in       
language1 and exhibited in the form of a
 narrative4 ,and  therefore the ,english
 definition amounts1 in fact1 to this3  
that  ,freemasonry is a science of      
morality1 developed and inculcated by   
the  ancient method of symbolism4 ,it is
 this peculiar character as a symbolic  
institution1 this entire adoption of the
 method of instruction by  symbolism1   
which gives its whole identity to       
,freemasonry1 and has caused  it to     

differ from every other association that
 the ingenuity of man has  devised4 ,it 
is this that has bestowed upon it that  
attractive form which  has always       
secured the attachment of its disciples 
and its own perpetuity4    ,the ,roman  
,catholic church#cg is1 perhaps1 the    
only contemporaneous  institution which 
continues to cultivate1 in any degree1  
the beautiful  system of symbolism4 ,but
 that which1 in the ,catholic church1   
is1 in a  great measure1 incidental1 and
 the fruit of development1 is1 in       
,freemasonry1 the very life-blood and   
soul of the institution1 born with it   
at its birth1 or1 rather1 the germ from 
which the tree has sprung1 and  still   
giving it support1 nourishment1 and even
 existence4 ,withdraw from  ,freemasonry
 its symbolism1 and you take from the   
body its soul1 leaving  behind nothing  
but a lifeless mass of effete matter1   
fitted only for a  rapid decay4         
,since1 then1 the science of symbolism  
forms so important a part of the  system

 of ,freemasonry1 it will be well to    
commence any discussion of that  subject
 by an investigation of the nature of   
symbols in general4    ,there is no     
science so ancient as that of           
symbolism1#ch and no mode of            
instruction has ever been so general as 
was the symbolic in former ages4  ,the  
first learning in the world1 says the   
great antiquary1 ,dr4 ,stukely1         
consisted chiefly of symbols4 ,the      
wisdom of the ,chaldeans1 ,phoenicians1 
,egyptians1 ,jews1 of ,zoroaster1       
,sanchoniathon1 ,pherecydes1 ,syrus1    
,pythagoras1 ,socrates1 ,plato1 of all  
the ancients that is come to our hand1  
is symbolic4 ,and the learned ,faber    
remarks1 that allegory and              
personification were peculiarly         
agreeable to the genius of antiquity1   
and  the simplicity of truth was        
continually sacrificed at the shrine of 
poetical decoration4    ,in fact1 man's 
earliest instruction was by symbols4#ci 
,the objective  character of a symbol is

 best calculated to be grasped by the   
infant mind1  whether the infancy of    
that mind be considered nationally or   
individually4 ,and hence1 in the first  
ages of the world1 in its infancy1  all 
propositions1 theological1 political1 or
 scientific1 were expressed in  the form
 of symbols4 ,thus the first religions  
were eminently symbolical1  because1 as 
that great philosophical historian1     
,grote1 has remarked1 ,at a  time when  
language was yet in its infancy1 visible
 symbols were the most  vivid means of  
acting upon the minds of ignorant       
hearers4    ,again3 children receive    
their elementary teaching in symbols4 ,a
 was an  ,archer2 what is this but      
symbolism8 ,the archer becomes to the   
infant mind  the symbol of the letter   
,a1 just as1 in after life1 the letter  
becomes1 to  the more advanced mind1 the
 symbol of a certain sound of the human 
voice4#dj ,the first lesson received by 
a child in acquiring his alphabet  is   
thus conveyed by symbolism4 ,even in the

 very formation of language1 the  medium
 of communication between man and man1  
and which must hence have  been an      
elementary step in the progress of human
 improvement1 it was found  necessary to
 have recourse to symbols1 for words are
 only and truly  certain arbitrary      
symbols by which and through which we   
give an utterance  to our ideas4 ,the   
construction of language was1 therefore1
 one of the  first products of the      
science of symbolism4    ,we must       
constantly bear in mind this fact1 of   
the primary existence and  predominance 
of symbolism in the earliest times4#da  
when we are  investigating the nature of
 the ancient religions1 with which the  
history  of ,freemasonry is so          
intimately connected4 ,the older the    
religion1 the  more the symbolism       
abounds4 ,modern religions may convey   
their dogmas in  abstract propositions2 
ancient religions always conveyed them  
in symbols4  ,thus there is more        
symbolism in the ,egyptian religion than

 in the ,jewish1  more in the ,jewish   
than in the ,christian1 more in the     
,christian than in  the ,mohammedan1    
and1 lastly1 more in the ,roman than in 
the ,protestant4    ,but symbolism is   
not only the most ancient and general1  
but it is also the  most practically    
useful1 of sciences4 ,we have already   
seen how actively it  operates in the   
early stages of life and of society4 ,we
 have seen how the  first ideas of men  
and of nations are impressed upon their 
minds by means  of symbols4 ,it was thus
 that the ancient peoples were almost   
wholly  educated4    ,in the simpler    
stages of society1 says one writer on   
this subject1  mankind can be instructed
 in the abstract knowledge of truths    
only by  symbols and parables4 ,hence we
 find most heathen religions becoming   
mythic1 or explaining their mysteries by
 allegories1 or instructive  incidents4 
,nay1 ,god himself1 knowing the nature  
of the creatures formed by  him1 has    
condescended1 in the earlier revelations

 that he made of himself1  to teach by  
symbols2 and the greatest of all        
teachers instructed the  multitudes by  
parables4#db ,the great exemplar of the 
ancient philosophy  and the grand       
archetype of modern philosophy were     
alike distinguished by  their possessing
 this faculty in a high degree1 and have
 told us that man  was best instructed  
by similitudes4 #dc    ,such is the     
system adopted in ,freemasonry for the  
development and  inculcation of the     
great religious and philosophical       
truths1 of which it  was1 for so many   
years1 the sole conservator4 ,and it is 
for this reason  that ,i have already   
remarked1 that any inquiry into the     
symbolic character  of ,freemasonry1    
must be preceded by an investigation of 
the nature of  symbolism in general1 if 
we would properly appreciate its        
particular use  in the organization of  
the masonic institution4          ,,xi4 
,the ,speculative ,science and the      
,operative ,art4        ,and now1 let us

 apply this doctrine of symbolism to an 
investigation of  the nature of a       
speculative science1 as derived from an 
operative art2 for  the fact is familiar
 to every one that ,freemasonry is of   
two kinds4 ,we  work1 it is true1 in    
speculative ,masonry only1 but our      
ancient brethren  wrought in both       
operative and speculative2 and it is now
 well understood  that the two branches 
are widely apart in design and in       
character--the one  a mere useful art1  
intended for the protection and         
convenience of man and  the             
gratification of his physical wants1 the
 other a profound science1  entering    
into abstruse investigations of the soul
 and a future existence1  and           
originating in the craving need of      
humanity to know something that is      
above and beyond the mere outward life  
that surrounds us with its gross        
atmosphere here below4#dd ,indeed1 the  
only bond or link that unites           
speculative and operative ,masonry is   

the symbolism that belongs  altogether  
to the former1 but which1 throughout its
 whole extent1 is  derived from the     
latter4    ,our first inquiry1 then1    
will be into the nature of the symbolism
 which  operative gives to speculative  
,masonry2 and thoroughly to understand  
this--to know its origin1 and its       
necessity1 and its mode of              
application--we must begin with a       
reference to the condition of a long    
past period of time4    ,thousands of   
years ago1 this science of symbolism was
 adopted by the  sagacious priesthood of
 ,egypt to convey the lessons of worldly
 wisdom and  religious knowledge1 which 
they thus communicated to their         
disciples4#de  ,their science1 their    
history1 and their philosophy were thus 
concealed  beneath an impenetrable veil 
from all the profane1 and only the few  
who  had passed through the severe      
ordeal of initiation were put in        
possession  of the key which enabled    
them to decipher and read with ease     

those mystic  lessons which we still see
 engraved upon the obelisks1 the tombs1 
and the  sarcophagi1 which lie          
scattered1 at this day1 in endless      
profusion along  the banks of the ,nile4
    ,from the ,egyptians the same method
 of symbolic instruction was diffused   
among all the pagan nations of          
antiquity1 and was used in all the      
ancient  ,mysteries#df as the medium of 
communicating to the initiated the      
esoteric  and secret doctrines for whose
 preservation and promulgation these    
singular associations were formed4      
,moses1 who1 as ,holy ,writ informs us1 
was skilled in all the learning of      
,egypt1 brought with him1 from that     
cradle of the sciences1 a perfect       
knowledge of the science of symbolism1  
as it was taught by the priests of      
,isis and ,osiris1 and applied it to the
 ceremonies with which he invested  the 
purer religion of the people for whom he
 had been appointed to  legislate4#dg   
,hence we learn1 from the great ,jewish 

historian1 that1 in the construction  of
 the tabernacle1 which gave the first   
model for the temple at ,jerusalem1  and
 afterwards for every masonic lodge1    
this principle of symbolism was  applied
 to every part of it4 ,thus it was      
divided into three parts1 to  represent 
the three great elementary divisions of 
the universe--the land1  the sea1 and   
the air4 ,the first two1 or exterior    
portions1 which were  accessible to the 
priests and the people1 were symbolic of
 the land and  the sea1 which all men   
might inhabit2 while the third1 or      
interior  division1--the holy of        
holies1--whose threshold no mortal dared
 to cross1  and which was peculiarly    
consecrated to ,,god1 was emblematic of 
heaven1 his  dwelling-place4 ,the veils1
 too1 according to ,josephus1 were      
intended for  symbolic instruction in   
their color and their materials4        
,collectively1  they represented the    
four elements of the universe2 and1 in  
passing1 it  may be observed that this  

notion of symbolizing the universe      
characterized  all the ancient systems1 
both the true and the false1 and that   
the remains  of the principle are to be 
found everywhere1 even at this day1     
pervading  ,masonry1 which is but a     
development of these systems4 ,in the   
four veils of  the tabernacle1 the white
 or fine linen signified the earth1 from
 which  flax was produced2 the scarlet  
signified fire1 appropriately           
represented  by its flaming color2 the  
purple typified the sea1 in allusion to 
the  shell-fish murex1 from which the   
tint was obtained2 and the blue1 the    
color of the firmament1 was emblematic  
of air4#dh    ,it is not necessary to   
enter into a detail of the whole system 
of  religious symbolism1 as developed in
 the ,mosaic ritual4 ,it was but an     
application of the same principles of   
instruction1 that pervaded all the      
surrounding ,gentile nations1 to the    
inculcation of truth4 ,the very idea of 
the ark itself#di was borrowed1 as the  

discoveries of the modern               
,egyptologists have shown us1 from the  
banks of the ,nile2 and the  breastplate
 of the high priest1 with its ,urim and 
,thummim1#ej was  indebted for its      
origin to a similar ornament worn by the
 ,egyptian judge4  ,the system was the  
same2 in its application1 only1 did it  
differ4    ,with the tabernacle of      
,moses the temple of ,king ,solomon is  
closely  connected3 the one was the     
archetype of the other4 ,now1 it is at  
the  building of that temple that we    
must place the origin of ,freemasonry in
  its present organization3 not that the
 system did not exist before1 but  that 
the union of its operative and          
speculative character1 and the mutual   
dependence of one upon the other1 were  
there first established4    ,at the     
construction of this stupendous         
edifice--stupendous1 not in  magnitude1 
for many a parish church has since      
excelled it in size1#ea but  stupendous 
in the wealth and magnificence of its   

ornaments--the wise king  of ,israel1   
with all that sagacity for which he was 
so eminently  distinguished1 and aided  
and counselled by the ,gentile          
experience of the  king of ,tyre1 and   
that immortal architect who             
superintended his workmen1  saw at once 
the excellence and beauty of this method
 of inculcating moral  and religious    
truth1 and gave1 therefore1 the impulse 
to that symbolic  reference of material 
things to a spiritual sense1 which has  
ever since  distinguished the           
institution of which he was the founder4
    ,if ,i deemed it necessary to       
substantiate the truth of the assertion 
that  the mind of ,king ,solomon was    
eminently symbolic in its propensities1 
,i  might easily refer to his writings1 
filled as they are to profusion with    
tropes and figures4 ,passing over the   
,book of ,canticles1--that great        
lyrical drama1 whose abstruse symbolism 
has not yet been fully evolved or       
explained1 notwithstanding the vast     

number of commentators who have  labored
 at the task1--,i might simply refer to 
that beautiful passage in  the twelfth  
chapter of ,ecclesiastes1 so familiar to
 every ,mason as being  appropriated1 in
 the ritual1 to the ceremonies of the   
third degree1 and in  which a           
dilapidated building is metaphorically  
made to represent the  decays and       
infirmities of old age in the human     
body4 ,this brief but  eloquent         
description is itself an embodiment of  
much of our masonic  symbolism1 both as 
to the mode and the subject matter4     
,in attempting any investigation into   
the symbolism of ,freemasonry1 the      
first thing that should engage our      
attention is the general purport of the 
institution1 and the mode in which its  
symbolism is developed4 ,let us  first  
examine it as a whole1 before we        
investigate its parts1 just as we  would
 first view1 as critics1 the general    
effect of a building1 before we  began  
to inquire into its architectural       

details4    ,looking1 then1 in this way1
 at the institution--coming down to us1 
as it  has1 from a remote age--having   
passed unaltered and unscathed through a
  thousand revolutions of nations--and  
engaging1 as disciples in its school  of
 mental labor1 the intellectual of all  
times--the first thing that must        
naturally arrest the attention is the   
singular combination that it  presents  
of an operative with a speculative      
organization--an art with a             
science--the technical terms and        
language of a mechanical profession with
  the abstruse teachings of a profound  
philosophy4    ,here it is before us--a 
venerable school1 discoursing of the    
deepest  subjects of wisdom1 in which   
sages might alone find themselves       
appropriately employed1 and yet having  
its birth and deriving its first  life  
from a society of artisans1 whose only  
object was1 apparently1 the             
construction of material edifices of    
stone and mortar4    ,the nature1 then1 

of this operative and speculative       
combination1 is the  first problem to be
 solved1 and the symbolism which depends
 upon it is the  first feature of the   
institution which is to be developed4   
,freemasonry1 in its character as an    
operative art1 is familiar to every     
one4 ,as such1 it is engaged in the     
application of the rules and principles 
of architecture to the construction of  
edifices for private and public         
use--houses for the dwelling-place of   
man1 and temples for the worship of     
,deity4 ,it abounds1 like every other   
art1 in the use of technical terms1  and
 employs1 in practice1 an abundance of  
implements and materials which  are     
peculiar to itself4    ,now1 if the ends
 of operative ,masonry had here         
ceased1--if this technical  dialect and 
these technical implements had never    
been used for any other  purpose1 nor   
appropriated to any other object1 than  
that of enabling its  disciples to      
pursue their artistic labors with       

greater convenience to                  
themselves1--,freemasonry would never   
have existed4 ,the same principles      
might1 and in all probability would1    
have been developed in some other  way2 
but the organization1 the name1 the mode
 of instruction1 would all  have most   
materially differed4    ,but the        
operative ,masons1 who founded the      
order1 were not content with  the mere  
material and manual part of their       
profession3 they adjoined to  it1 under 
the wise instructions of their leaders1 
a correlative branch of  study4    ,and 
hence1 to the ,freemason1 this operative
 art has been symbolized in  that       
intellectual deduction from it1 which   
has been correctly called  ,speculative 
,masonry4 ,at one time1 each was an     
integrant part of one  undivided system4
 ,not that the period ever existed when 
every operative  mason was acquainted   
with1 or initiated into1 the speculative
 science4  ,even now1 there are         
thousands of skilful artisans who know  

as little of  that as they do of the    
,hebrew language which was spoken by its
 founder4  ,but operative ,masonry was1 
in the inception of our history1 and is1
 in  some measure1 even now1 the        
skeleton upon which was strung the      
living  muscles1 and tendons1 and nerves
 of the speculative system4 ,it was the 
block of marble--rude and unpolished it 
may have been--from which was           
sculptured the life-breathing statue4#eb
    ,speculative ,masonry 7which is but 
another name for ,freemasonary in its   
modern acceptation7 may be briefly      
defined as the scientific application   
and the religious consecration of the   
rules and principles1 the language1  the
 implements and materials of operative  
,masonry to the veneration of  ,god1 the
 purification of the heart1 and the     
inculcation of the dogmas of a          
religious philosophy4          ,,xii4   
,he ,symbolism of ,solomon',s ,temple4  
,i have said that the operative art is  
symbolized--that is to say1 used as  a  

symbol--in the speculative science4 ,let
 us now inquire1 as the subject  of the 
present essay1 how this is done in      
reference to a system of  symbolism     
dependent for its construction on types 
and figures derived from  the temple of 
,solomon1 and which we hence call the   
,temple ,symbolism of  ,freemasonry4    
,bearing in mind that speculative       
,masonry dates its origin from the      
building of ,king ,solomon's temple by  
,jewish and ,tyrian artisans1#ec the    
first important fact that attracts the  
attention is1 that the operative  masons
 at ,jerusalem were engaged in the      
construction of an earthly and  material
 temple1 to be dedicated to the service 
and worship of ,god--a  house in which  
,jehovah was to dwell visibly by his    
,shekinah1 and whence he  was1 by the   
,urim and ,thummim1 to send forth his   
oracles for the  government and         
direction of his chosen people4    ,now1
 the operative art having1 for us1      
ceased1 we1 as speculative  ,masons1    

symbolize the labors of our predecessors
 by engaging in the  construction of a  
spiritual temple in our hearts1 pure and
 spotless1 fit  for the dwelling-place  
of ,him who is the author of            
purity--where ,god is to  be worshipped 
in spirit and in truth1 and whence every
 evil thought and  unruly passion is to 
be banished1 as the sinner and the      
,gentile were  excluded from the        
sanctuary of the ,jewish temple4        
,this spiritualizing of the temple of   
,solomon is the first1 the most         
prominent and most pervading of all the 
symbolic instructions of  ,freemasonry4 
,it is the link that binds the operative
 and speculative  divisions of the      
order4 ,it is this which gives it its   
religious character4  ,take from        
,freemasonry its dependence on the      
temple1 leave out of its  ritual all    
reference to that sacred edifice1 and to
 the legends connected  with it1 and the
 system itself must at once decay and   
die1 or at best  remain only as some    

fossilized bone1 imperfectly to show the
 nature of the  living body to which it 
once belonged4    ,temple worship is in 
itself an ancient type of the religious 
sentiment in  its progress towards      
spiritual elevation4 ,as soon as a      
nation emerged1 in  the world's         
progress1 out of ,fetichism1 or the     
worship of visible  objects1--the most  
degraded form of idolatry1--its people  
began to  establish a priesthood and to 
erect temples4#ed ,the ,scandinavians1  
the  ,celts1 the ,egyptians1 and the    
,greeks1 however much they may have     
differed  in the ritual and the objects 
of their polytheistic worship1 all were 
possessed of priests and temples4 ,the  
,jews first constructed their           
tabernacle1 or portable temple1 and     
then1 when time and opportunity         
permitted1 transferred their            
monotheistic worship to that more       
permanent  edifice which is now the     
subject of our contemplation4 ,the      
mosque of the  ,mohammedan and the      

church or the chapel of the ,christian  
are but  embodiments of the same idea of
 temple worship in a simpler form4      
,the adaptation1 therefore1 of the      
material temple to a science of         
symbolism would be an easy1 and by no   
means a novel task1 to both the  ,jewish
 and the ,tyrian mind4 ,doubtless1 at   
its original conception1 the  idea was  
rude and unembellished1 to be perfected 
and polished only by  future            
aggregations of succeeding intellects4  
,and yet no biblical scholar  will      
venture to deny that there was1 in the  
mode of building1 and in all  the       
circumstances connected with the        
construction of ,king ,solomon's        
temple1 an apparent design to establish 
a foundation for symbolism4#ee    ,i    
propose now to illustrate1 by a few     
examples1 the method in which the       
speculative ,masons have appropriated   
this design of ,king ,solomon to their  
own use4    ,to construct his earthly   
temple1 the operative mason followed the

  architectural designs laid down on the
 trestle-board1 or tracing-board1  or   
book of plans of the architect4 ,by     
these he hewed and squared his          
materials2 by these he raised his walls2
 by these he constructed his  arches2   
and by these strength and durability1   
combined with grace and  beauty1 were   
bestowed upon the edifice which he was  
constructing4    ,the trestle-board     
becomes1 therefore1 one of our          
elementary symbols4 ,for  in the masonic
 ritual the speculative ,mason is       
reminded that1 as the  operative artist 
erects his temporal building1 in        
accordance with the  rules and designs  
laid down on the trestle-board of the   
master-workman1 so  should he erect that
 spiritual building1 of which the       
material is a type1  in obedience to the
 rules and designs1 the precepts and    
commands1 laid  down by the grand       
,architect of the universe1 in those    
great books of  nature and revelation1  
which constitute the spiritual          

trestle-board of  every ,freemason4     
,the trestle-board is1 then1 the symbol 
of the natural and moral law4 ,like     
every other symbol of the order1 it is  
universal and tolerant in its           
application2 and while1 as ,christian   
,masons1 we cling with unfaltering      
integrity to that explanation which     
makes the ,scriptures of both           
dispensations our trestle-board1 we     
permit our ,jewish and ,mohammedan      
brethren to content themselves with the 
books of the ,old ,testament1 or the    
,koran4 ,masonry does not interfere with
 the peculiar form or development of    
any one's religious faith4 ,all that it 
asks is1 that the interpretation  of the
 symbol shall be according to what each 
one supposes to be the  revealed will of
 his ,creator4 ,but so rigidly exacting 
is it that the  symbol shall be         
preserved1 and1 in some rational way1   
interpreted1 that it  peremptorily      
excludes the ,atheist from its          
communion1 because1 believing  in no    

,supreme ,being1 no divine ,architect1  
he must necessarily be without a        
spiritual trestle-board on which the    
designs of that ,being may be  inscribed
 for his direction4    ,but the         
operative mason required materials      
wherewith to construct his  temple4     
,there was1 for instance1 the rough     
ashlar--the stone in its rude  and      
natural state--unformed and unpolished1 
as it had been lying in the  quarries of
 ,tyre from the foundation of the earth4
 ,this stone was to be  hewed and       
squared1 to be fitted and adjusted1 by  
simple1 but appropriate  implements1    
until it became a perfect ashlar1 or    
well-finished stone1  ready to take its 
destined place in the building4         
,here1 then1 again1 in these materials  
do we find other elementary symbols4    
,the rough and unpolished stone is a    
symbol of man's natural                 
state--ignorant1 uncultivated1 and1 as  
the ,roman historian expresses it1      
grovelling to the earth1 like the beasts

 of the field1 and obedient to  every   
sordid appetite2 #ef but when education 
has exerted its salutary  influences in 
expanding his intellect1 in restraining 
his hitherto unruly  passions1 and      
purifying his life1 he is then          
represented by the perfect  ashlar1 or  
finished stone1 which1 under the skilful
 hands of the workman1  has been        
smoothed1 and squared1 and fitted for   
its appropriate place in  the building4 
,here an interesting circumstance in the
 history of the preparation of  these   
materials has been seized and           
beautifully appropriated by our         
symbolic science4 ,we learn from the    
account of the temple1 contained in  the
 ,first ,book of ,kings1 that ,the      
house1 when it was in building1 was     
built of stone1 made ready before it was
 brought thither1 so that there  was    
neither hammer nor axe1 nor any tool of 
iron1 heard in the house while  it was  
in building4 #eg    ,now1 this mode of  
construction1 undoubtedly adopted to    

avoid confusion and  discord among so   
many thousand workmen1#eh has been      
selected as an  elementary symbol of    
concord and harmony--virtues which are  
not more  essential to the preservation 
and perpetuity of our own society than  
they  are to that of every human        
association4    ,the perfect ashlar1    
therefore1--the stone thus fitted for   
its appropriate  position in the        
temple1--becomes not only a symbol of   
human perfection 7in  itself1 of course1
 only a comparative term71 but also1    
when we refer to  the mode in which it  
was prepared1 of that species of        
perfection which  results from the      
concord and union of men in society4 ,it
 is1 in fact1 a  symbol of the social   
character of the institution4    ,there 
are other elementary symbols1 to which  
,i may hereafter have occasion  to      
revert2 the three1 however1 already     
described1--the rough ashlar1 the       
perfect ashlar1 and the                 
trestle-board1--and which1 from their   

importance1  have received the name of  
jewels1 will be sufficient to give some 
idea  of the nature of what may be      
called the symbolic alphabet of         
,masonry4  ,let us now proceed to a     
brief consideration of the method in    
which this  alphabet of the science is  
applied to the more elevated and        
abstruser  portions of the system1 and  
which1 as the temple constitutes its    
most  important type1 ,i have chosen to 
call the ,temple ,symbolism of ,masonry4
    ,both ,scripture and tradition      
inform us that1 at the building of ,king
  ,solomon's temple1 the masons were    
divided into different classes1 each    
engaged in different tasks4 ,we learn1  
from the ,second ,book of ,chronicles1  
that these classes were the bearers of  
burdens1 the hewers of stones1 and  the 
overseers1 called by the old masonic    
writers the ,ish sabal1 the ,ish        
chotzeb1 and the ,menatzchim4 ,now1     
without pretending to say that the      
modern institution has preserved        

precisely the same system of regulations
  as that which was observed at the     
temple1 we shall certainly find a       
similarity in these divisions to the    
,apprentices1 ,fellow ,crafts and       
,master  ,masons of our own day4 ,at all
 events1 the three divisions made by    
,king  ,solomon1 in the workmen at      
,jerusalem1 have been adopted as the    
types of  the three degrees now         
practised in speculative ,masonry2 and  
as such we  are1 therefore1 to consider 
them4 ,the mode in which these three    
divisions  of workmen labored in        
constructing the temple1 has been       
beautifully  symbolized in speculative  
,masonry1 and constitutes an important  
and  interesting part of temple         
symbolism4    ,thus we know1 from our   
own experience among modern workmen1 who
 still  pursue the same method1 as well 
as from the traditions of the order1    
that  the implements used in the        
quarries were few and simple1 the work  
there  requiring necessarily1 indeed1   

but two tools1 namely1 the twenty-four  
inch gauge1 or two foot rule1 and the   
common gavel1 or stone-cutter's  hammer4
 ,with the former implement1 the        
operative mason took the necessary      
dimensions of the stone he was about to 
prepare1 and with the latter1 by        
repeated blows1 skilfully applied1 he   
broke off every unnecessary             
protuberance1 and rendered it smooth and
 square1 and fit to take its place  in  
the building4    ,and thus1 in the first
 degree of speculative ,masonry1 the    
,entered  ,apprentice receives these    
simple implements1 as the emblematic    
working  tools of his profession1 with  
their appropriate symbolical            
instruction4 ,to  the operative mason   
their mechanical and practical use alone
 is signified1  and nothing more of     
value does their presence convey to his 
mind4 ,to the  speculative ,mason the   
sight of them is suggestive of far      
nobler and  sublimer thoughts2 they     
teach him to measure1 not stones1 but   

time2 not to  smooth and polish the     
marble for the builder's use1 but to    
purify and  cleanse his heart from every
 vice and imperfection that would render
 it  unfit for a place in the spiritual 
temple of his body4    ,in the symbolic 
alphabet of ,freemasonry1 therefore1 the
 twenty-four inch  gauge is a symbol of 
time well employed2 the common gavel1 of
 the  purification of the heart4        
,here we may pause for a moment to refer
 to one of the coincidences between     
,freemasonry and those ,mysteries#ei    
which formed so important a part of  the
 ancient religions1 and which           
coincidences have led the writers on    
this  subject to the formation of a     
well-supported theory that there was a  
common connection between them4 ,the    
coincidence to which ,i at present      
allude is this3 in all these            
,mysteries--the incipient ceremony of   
initiation--the first step taken by the 
candidate was a lustration or           
purification4 ,the aspirant was not     

permitted to enter the sacred           
vestibule1 or take any part in the      
secret formula of initiation1 until1 by 
water or by fire1 he was emblematically 
purified from the corruptions of  the   
world which he was about to leave       
behind4 ,i need not1 after this1 do     
more than suggest the similarity of this
 formula1 in principle1 to a            
corresponding one in ,freemasonry1 where
 the first symbols presented to the     
apprentice are those which inculcate a  
purification of the heart1 of which  the
 purification of the body in the ancient
 ,mysteries was symbolic4    ,we no     
longer use the bath or the fountain1    
because in our philosophical  system the
 symbolization is more abstract1 if ,i  
may use the term2 but we  present the   
aspirant with the lamb-skin apron1 the  
gauge1 and the  gavel1 as symbols of a  
spiritual purification4 ,the design is  
the same1  but the mode in which it is  
accomplished is different4    ,let us   
now resume the connected series of      

temple symbolism4    ,at the building of
 the temple1 the stones having been thus
 prepared by the  workmen of the lowest 
degree 7the ,apprentices1 as we now call
 them1 the  aspirants of the ancient    
,mysteries71 we are informed that they  
were  transported to the site of the    
edifice on ,mount ,moriah1 and were     
there  placed in the hands of another   
class of workmen1 who are now           
technically  called the ,fellow ,crafts1
 and who correspond to the ,mystes1 or  
those who  had received the second      
degree of the ancient ,mysteries4 ,at   
this stage of  the operative work more  
extensive and important labors were to  
be  performed1 and accordingly a greater
 amount of skill and knowledge was      
required of those to whom these labors  
were intrusted4 ,the stones1 having     
been prepared by the ,apprentices#fj    
7for hereafter1 in speaking of the      
workmen of the temple1 ,i shall use the 
equivalent appellations of the more     
modern ,masons71 were now to be         

deposited in their destined places in   
the  building1 and the massive walls    
were to be erected4 ,for these purposes 
implements of a higher and more         
complicated character than the gauge and
  gavel were necessary4 ,the square was 
required to fit the joints with         
sufficient accuracy1 the level to run   
the courses in a horizontal line1  and  
the plumb to erect the whole with due   
regard to perfect  perpendicularity4    
,this portion of the labor finds its    
symbolism in the  second degree of the  
speculative science1 and in applying    
this symbolism  we still continue to    
refer to the idea of erecting a         
spiritual temple in  the heart4    ,the 
necessary preparations1 then1 having    
been made in the first degree1  the     
lessons having been received by which   
the aspirant is taught to  commence the 
labor of life with the purification of  
the heart1 as a ,fellow  ,craft he      
continues the task by cultivating those 
virtues which give form  and impression 

to the character1 as well adapted stones
 give shape and  stability to the       
building4 ,and hence the working tools  
of the ,fellow  ,craft are referred1 in 
their symbolic application1 to those    
virtues4 ,in  the alphabet of symbolism1
 we find the square1 the level1 and the 
plumb  appropriated to this second      
degree4 ,the square is a symbol denoting
  morality4 ,it teaches us to apply the 
unerring principles of moral science  to
 every action of our lives1 to see that 
all the motives and results of  our     
conduct shall coincide with the dictates
 of divine justice1 and that  all our   
thoughts1 words1 and deeds shall        
harmoniously conspire1 like the         
well-adjusted and rightly-squared joints
 of an edifice1 to produce a  smooth1   
unbroken life of virtue4    ,the plumb  
is a symbol of rectitude of conduct1 and
 inculcates that  integrity of life and 
undeviating course of moral uprightness 
which can  alone distinguish the good   
and just man4 ,as the operative workman 

erects  his temporal building with      
strict observance of that plumb-line1   
which  will not permit him to deviate a 
hair's breadth to the right or to the   
left1 so the speculative ,mason1 guided 
by the unerring principles of right  and
 truth inculcated in the symbolic       
teachings of the same implement1 is     
steadfast in the pursuit of truth1      
neither bending beneath the frowns of   
adversity nor yielding to the seductions
 of prosperity4#fa    ,the level1 the   
last of the three working tools of the  
operative craftsman1  is a symbol of    
equality of station4 ,not that equality 
of civil or social  position which is to
 be found only in the vain dreams of the
 anarchist or  the ,utopian1 but that   
great moral and physical equality which 
affects the  whole human race as the    
children of one common ,father1 who     
causes his sun  to shine and his rain to
 fall on all alike1 and who has so      
appointed the  universal lot of         
humanity1 that death1 the leveller of   

all human  greatness1 is made to visit  
with equal pace the prince's palace and 
the  peasant's hut4#fb    ,here1 then1  
we have three more signs or             
hieroglyphics added to our  alphabet of 
symbolism4 ,others there are in this    
degree1 but they belong  to a higher    
grade of interpretation1 and cannot be  
appropriately discussed  in an essay on 
temple symbolism only4    ,we now reach 
the third degree1 the ,master ,masons of
 the modern science1  and the ,epopts1  
or beholders of the sacred things in the
 ancient  ,mysteries4    ,in the third  
degree the symbolic allusions to the    
temple of ,solomon1 and  the implements 
of ,masonry employed in its             
construction1 are extended and  fully   
completed4 ,at the building of that     
edifice1 we have already seen  that one 
class of the workmen was employed in the
 preparation of the  materials1 while   
another was engaged in placing those    
materials in their  proper position4    
,but there was a third and higher       

class1--the master  workmen1--whose duty
 it was to superintend the two other    
classes1 and to  see that the stones    
were not only duly prepared1 but that   
the most exact  accuracy had been       
observed in giving to them their true   
juxtaposition in  the edifice4 ,it was  
then only that the last and finishing   
labor#fc was  performed1 and the cement 
was applied by these skilful workmen1 to
 secure  the materials in their         
appropriate places1 and to unite the    
building in  one enduring and connected 
mass4 ,hence the trowel1 we are         
informed1 was  the most important1      
though of course not the only1 implement
 in use among  the master builders4     
,they did not permit this last1         
indelible operation to  be performed by 
any hands less skilful than their own4  
,they required that  the craftsmen      
should prove the correctness of their   
work by the square1  level1 and plumb1  
and test1 by these unerring instruments1
 the accuracy of  their joints2 and1    

when satisfied of the just arrangement  
of every part1  the cement1 which was to
 give an unchangeable union to the      
whole1 was then  applied by themselves4 
,hence1 in speculative ,masonry1 the    
trowel has been assigned to the third   
degree as its proper implement1 and the 
symbolic meaning which accompanies  it  
has a strict and beautiful reference to 
the purposes for which it was  used in  
the ancient temple2 for as it was there 
employed to spread the  cement which    
united the building in one common mass1 
so is it selected as  the symbol of     
brotherly love--that cement whose object
 is to unite our  mystic association in 
one sacred and harmonious band of       
brethren4    ,here1 then1 we perceive   
the first1 or1 as ,i have already called
 it1 the  elementary form of our        
symbolism--the adaptation of the terms1 
and  implements1 and processes of an    
operative art to a speculative science4 
,the temple is now completed4 ,the      
stones having been hewed1 squared1 and  

numbered in the quarries by the         
apprentices1--having been properly      
adjusted by the craftsmen1 and finally  
secured in their appropriate  places1   
with the strongest and purest cement1 by
 the master builders1--the  temple of   
,king ,solomon presented1 in its        
finished condition1 so noble an         
appearance of sublimity and grandeur as 
to well deserve to be selected1 as  it  
has been1 for the type or symbol of that
 immortal temple of the body1  to which 
,christ significantly and symbolically  
alluded when he said1  ,destroy this    
temple1 and in three days ,i will raise 
it up4    ,this idea of representing the
 interior and spiritual man by a        
material  temple is so apposite in all  
its parts as to have occurred on more   
than  one occasion to the first teachers
 of ,christianity4 ,christ himself      
repeatedly alludes to it in other       
passages1 and the eloquent and          
figurative ,st4 ,paul beautifully       
extends the idea in one of his ,epistles

 to  the ,corinthians1 in the following 
language3 ,know ye not that ye are the  
temple of ,god1 and that the spirit of  
,god dwelleth in you8 ,and again1 in  a 
subsequent passage of the same ,epistle1
 he reiterates the idea in a more       
positive form3 ,what1 know ye not that  
your body is the temple of the ,holy    
,ghost which is in you1 which ye have of
 ,god1 and ye are not your own8 ,and    
,dr4 ,adam ,clarke1 while commenting on 
this latter passage1 makes the very     
allusions which have been the topic of  
discussion in the present essay4  ,as   
truly1 says he1 as the living ,god dwelt
 in the ,mosaic tabernacle and  in the  
temple of ,solomon1 so truly does the   
,holy ,ghost dwell in the souls  of     
genuine ,christians2 and as the temple  
and all its utensils were holy1         
separated from all common and profane   
uses1 and dedicated alone to the        
service of ,god1 so the bodies of       
genuine ,christians are holy1 and should
  be employed in the service of ,god    

alone4    ,the idea1 therefore1 of      
making the temple a symbol of the body1 
is not  exclusively masonic2 but the    
mode of treating the symbolism by a     
reference  to the particular temple of  
,solomon1 and to the operative art      
engaged in  its construction1 is        
peculiar to ,freemasonry4 ,it is this   
which isolates it  from all other       
similar associations4 ,having many      
things in common with the  secret       
societies and religious ,mysteries of   
antiquity1 in this temple  symbolism it 
differs from them all4          ,,xiii4 
,the ,form of the ,lodge4          ,in  
the last essay1 ,i treated of that      
symbolism of the masonic system which   
makes the temple of ,jerusalem the      
archetype of a lodge1 and in which1 in  
consequence1 all the symbols are        
referred to the connection of a         
speculative science with an operative   
art4 ,i propose in the present to       
discourse of a higher and abstruser mode
 of symbolism2 and it may be  observed  

that1 in coming to this topic1 we       
arrive1 for the first time1 at  that    
chain of resemblances which unites      
,freemasonry with the ancient  systems  
of religion1 and which has given rise1  
among masonic writers1 to  the names of 
,pure and ,spurious ,freemasonry--the   
pure ,freemasonry being  that system of 
philosophical religion which1 coming    
through the line of  the patriarchs1 was
 eventually modified by influences      
exerted at the  building of ,king       
,solomon's temple1 and the spurious     
being the same system  as it was altered
 and corrupted by the polytheism of the 
nations of  heathendom4#fd    ,as this  
abstruser mode of symbolism1 if less    
peculiar to the masonic  system1 is1    
however1 far more interesting than the  
one which was treated  in the previous  
essay1--because it is more              
philosophical1--,i propose to  give an  
extended investigation of its character4
 ,and1 in the first place1  there is    
what may be called an elementary view of

 this abstruser  symbolism1 which seems 
almost to be a corollary from what has  
already been  described in the preceding
 article4    ,as each individual mason  
has been supposed to be the symbol of a 
spiritual  temple1--a temple not made   
with hands1 eternal in the heavens1--the
  lodge or collected assemblage of these
 masons1 is adopted as a symbol of  the 
world4#fe    ,it is in the first degree 
of ,masonry1 more particularly1 that    
this  species of symbolism is developed4
 ,in its detail it derives the          
characteristics of resemblance upon     
which it is founded1 from the form1  the
 supports1 the ornaments1 and general   
construction and internal  organization 
of a lodge1 in all of which the symbolic
 reference to the  world is beautifully 
and consistently sustained4    ,the form
 of a masonic lodge is said to be a     
parallelogram1 or oblong  square2 its   
greatest length being from east to west1
 its breadth from  north to south4 ,a   
square1 a circle1 a triangle1 or any    

other form but that  of an oblong       
square1 would be eminently incorrect and
 unmasonic1 because  such a figure would
 not be an expression of the symbolic   
idea which is  intended to be conveyed4 
,now1 as the world is a globe1 or1 to   
speak more accurately1 an oblate        
spheroid1 the attempt to make an oblong 
square its symbol would seem1 at  first 
view1 to present insuperable            
difficulties4 ,but the system of masonic
  symbolism has stood the test of too   
long an experience to be easily found   
at fault2 and therefore this very symbol
 furnishes a striking evidence of  the  
antiquity of the order4 ,at the         
,solomonic era--the era of the building 
of the temple at ,jerusalem--the world1 
it must be remembered1 was supposed  to 
have that very oblong form1#ff which has
 been here symbolized4 ,if1 for         
instance1 on a map of the world we      
should inscribe an oblong figure whose  
boundary lines would circumscribe and   
include just that portion which was     

known to be inhabited in the clays of   
,solomon1 these lines1 running a  short 
distance north and south of the         
,mediterranean ,sea1 and extending  from
 ,spain in the west to ,asia ,minor in  
the east1 would form an oblong  square1 
including the southern shore of ,europe1
 the northern shore of  ,africa1 and the
 western district of ,asia1 the length  
of the parallelogram  being about sixty 
degrees from east to west1 and its      
breadth being about  twenty degrees from
 north to south4 ,this oblong square1   
thus enclosing the  whole of what was   
then supposed to be the habitable       
globe1#fg would  precisely represent    
what is symbolically said to be the form
 of the  lodge1 while the ,pillars of   
,hercules in the west1 on each side of  
the  straits of ,gades or ,gibraltar1   
might appropriately be referred to the  
two  pillars that stood at the porch of 
the temple4    ,illustration3 ,map of   
,mediterranean ,sea and surrounding     
area4    ,a masonic lodge is1 therefore1

 a symbol of the world4    ,this symbol 
is sometimes1 by a very usual figure of 
speech1 extended1 in  its application1  
and the world and the universe are made 
synonymous1 when  the lodge becomes1 of 
course1 a symbol of the universe4 ,but  
in this case  the definition of the     
symbol is extended1 and to the ideas of 
length and  breadth are added those of  
height and depth1 and the lodge is said 
to  assume the form of a double cube4#fh
 ,the solid contents of the earth  below
 and the expanse of the heavens above   
will then give the outlines of  the     
cube1 and the whole created universe#fi 
will be included within the  symbolic   
limits of a mason's lodge4    ,by always
 remembering that the lodge is the      
symbol1 in its form and  extent1 of the 
world1 we are enabled1 readily and      
rationally1 to explain  many other      
symbols1 attached principally to the    
first degree2 and we are  enabled to    
collate and compare them with similar   
symbols of other kindred  institutions  

of antiquity1 for it should be observed 
that this symbolism  of the world1      
represented by a place of initiation1   
widely pervaded all  the ancient rites  
and mysteries4    ,it will1 no doubt1 be
 interesting to extend our              
investigations on this  subject1 with a 
particular view to the method in which  
this symbolism of  the world or the     
universe was developed1 in some of its  
most prominent  details2 and for this   
purpose ,i shall select the mystical    
explanation of  the officers of a lodge1
 its covering1 and a portion of its     
ornaments4          ,,xiv4    ,the      
,officers of a ,lodge4        ,the      
,three ,principal ,officers of a lodge  
are1 it is needless to say1  situated in
 the east1 the west1 and the south4     
,now1 bearing in mind that  the lodge is
 a symbol of the world1 or the universe1
 the reference of  these three officers 
to the sun at its rising1 its setting1  
and its  meridian height1 must at once  
suggest itself4    ,this is the first   

development of the symbol1 and a very   
brief inquiry will  furnish ample       
evidence of its antiquity and its       
universality4    ,in the ,brahminical   
initiations of ,hindostan1 which are    
among the earliest  that have been      
transmitted to us1 and may almost be    
considered as the  cradle of all the    
others of subsequent ages and various   
countries1 the  ceremonies were         
performed in vast caverns1 the remains  
of some of which1  at ,salsette1        
,elephanta1 and a few other places1 will
 give the spectator  but a very         
inadequate idea of the extent and       
splendor of these ancient  ,indian      
lodges4#gj ,more imperfect remains than 
these are still to be found  in great   
numbers throughout ,hindostan and       
,cashmere4 ,their form was  sometimes   
that of a cross1 emblematic of the four 
elements of which the  earth is         
composed1--fire1 water1 air1 and        
earth1--but more generally an  oval1 as 
a representation of the mundane egg1    

which1 in the ancient  systems1 was a   
symbol of the world4#ga    ,the interior
 of the cavern of initiation was lighted
 by innumerable lamps1  and there sat in
 the east1 the west1 and the south the  
principal  ,hierophants1 or explainers  
of the ,mysteries1 as the               
representatives of  ,brahma1 ,vishnu1   
and ,siva4 ,now1 ,brahma was the supreme
 deity of the  ,hindoos1 borrowed or    
derived from the ,sun-god of their      
,sabean ancestors1  and ,vishnu and     
,siva were but manifestations of his    
attributes4 ,we learn  from the ,indian 
,pantheon that when the sun rises in the
 east1 he is  ,brahma2 when he gains his
 meridian in the south1 he is ,siva2 and
 when he  sets in the west1 he is       
,vishnu4    ,again1 in the ,zoroasteric 
mysteries of ,persia1 the temple of     
initiation  was circular1 being made so 
to represent the universe2 and the sun  
in the  east1 with the surrounding      
zodiac1 formed an indispensable part of 
the  ceremony of reception4#gb    ,in   

the ,egyptian mysteries of ,osiris1 the 
same reference to the sun is  contained1
 and ,herodotus1 who was himself an     
initiate1 intimates that the  ceremonies
 consisted in the representation of a   
,sun-god1 who had been  incarnate1 that 
is1 had appeared upon earth1 or rose1   
and who was at  length put to death by  
,typhon1 the symbol of darkness1 typical
 of the  sun's setting4    ,in the great
 mysteries of ,eleusis1#gc which were   
celebrated at ,athens1 we  learn from   
,st4 ,chrysostom1 as well as other      
authorities1 that the temple  of        
initiation was symbolic of the universe1
 and we know that one of the  officers  
represented the sun4#gd    ,in the      
,celtic mysteries of the ,druids1 the   
temple of initiation was either  oval1  
to represent the mundane egg--a symbol1 
as has already been said1 of  the world2
 or circular1 because the circle was a  
symbol of the universe2  or cruciform1  
in allusion to the four elements1 or    
constituents of the  universe4 ,in the  

,island of ,lewis1 in ,scotland1 there  
is one combining the  cruciform and     
circular form4 ,there is a circle1      
consisting of twelve  stones1 while     
three more are placed in the east1 and  
as many in the west  and south1 and     
thirty-eight1 in two parallel lines1 in 
the north1 forming  an avenue to the    
circular temple4 ,in the centre of the  
circle is the image  of the god4 ,in the
 initiations into these rites1 the solar
 deity performed  an important part1 and
 the celebrations commenced at daybreak1
 when the  sun was hailed on his        
appearance above the horizon as the god 
of victory1  the king who rises in light
 and ascends the sky4    ,but ,i need   
not multiply these instances of         
sun-worship4 ,every country and         
religion of the ancient world would     
afford one4#ge ,sufficient has been     
cited to show the complete coincidence1 
in reference to the sun1 between  the   
symbolism of ,freemasonry and that of   
the ancient rites and ,mysteries1  and  

to suggest for them a common origin1 the
 sun being always in the  former system1
 from the earliest times of the         
primitive or patriarchal  ,masonry1     
considered simply as a manifestation of 
the ,wisdom1 ,strength1 and  ,beauty of 
the ,divine ,architect1 visibly         
represented by the position of the      
three principal officers of a lodge1    
while by the latter1 in their           
degeneration from1 and corruption of the
 true ,noachic faith1 it was  adopted as
 the special object of adoration4       
,,xv4    ,the ,point ,within a ,circle4 
,the point within a ,circle is another  
symbol of great importance in           
,freemasonry1 and commands peculiar     
attention in this connection with the   
ancient symbolism of the universe and   
the solar orb4 ,everybody who has  read 
a masonic ,monitor is well acquainted   
with the usual explanation of  this     
symbol4 ,we are told that the point     
represents an individual brother1  the  
circle the boundary line of his duty to 

,god and man1 and the two  perpendicular
 parallel lines the patron saints of the
 order--,st4 ,john the  ,baptist and    
,st4 ,john the ,evangelist4    ,now1    
this explanation1 trite and meagre as it
 is1 may do very well for the  exoteric 
teaching of the order2 but the question 
at this time is1 not how  it has been   
explained by modern lecturers and       
masonic system-makers1 but  what was the
 ancient interpretation of the symbol1  
and how should it be  read as a sacred  
hieroglyphic in reference to the true   
philosophic system  which constitutes   
the real essence and character of       
,freemasonry8    ,perfectly to          
understand this symbol1 ,i must refer1  
as a preliminary  matter1 to the worship
 of the ,phallus1 a peculiar            
modification of  sun-worship1 which     
prevailed to a great extent among the   
nations of  antiquity4    ,the ,phallus 
was a sculptured representation of the  
membrum virile1 or  male organ of       
generation1#gf and the worship of it is 

said to have  originated in ,egypt1     
where1 after the murder of ,osiris by   
,typhon1 which is  symbolically to be   
explained as the destruction or         
deprivation of the  sun's light by      
night1 ,isis1 his wife1 or the symbol of
 nature1 in the  search for his         
mutilated body1 is said to have found   
all the parts except  the organs of     
generation1 which myth is simply        
symbolic of the fact1 that  the sun     
having set1 its fecundating and         
invigorating power had ceased4 ,the     
,phallus1 therefore1 as the symbol of   
the male generative principle1 was  very
 universally venerated among the        
ancients1#gg and that too as a          
religious rite1 without the slightest   
reference to any impure or  lascivious  
application4#gh ,he is supposed1 by some
 commentators1 to be  the god mentioned 
under the name of ,baal-peor1 in the    
,book of ,numbers1#gi  as having been   
worshipped by the idolatrous ,moabites4 
,among the eastern  nations of ,india   

the same symbol was prevalent1 under the
 name of  ,lingam4 ,but the ,phallus or 
,lingam was a representation of the male
  principle only4 ,to perfect the circle
 of generation it is necessary to       
advance one step farther4 ,accordingly  
we find in the ,cteis of the  ,greeks1  
and the ,yoni of the ,indians1 a symbol 
of the female generative  principle1 of 
co-extensive prevalence with the        
,phallus4 ,the ,cteis was a  circular   
and concave pedestal1 or receptacle1 on 
which the ,phallus or  column rested1   
and from the centre of which it sprang4 
,the union of the ,phallus and ,cteis1  
or the ,lingam and ,yoni1 in one        
compound figure1 as an object of        
adoration1 was the most usual mode of   
representation4 ,this was in strict     
accordance with the whole system of     
ancient mythology1 which was founded    
upon a worship of the prolific powers   
of nature4 ,all the deities of pagan    
antiquity1 however numerous they may    
be1 can always be reduced to the two    

different forms of the generative       
principle--the active1 or male1 and the 
passive1 or female4 ,hence the gods     
were always arranged in pairs1 as       
,jupiter and ,juno1 ,bacchus and ,venus1
  ,osiris and ,isis4 ,but the ancients  
went farther4 ,believing that the       
procreative and productive powers of    
nature might be conceived to exist in   
the same individual1 they made the older
 of their deities hermaphrodite1  and   
used the term 1 or man-virgin1 to denote
 the union of the  two sexes in the same
 divine person4#hj    ,thus1 in one of  
the ,orphic ,hymns1 we find this line3--
          1    4        ,jove was       
created a male and an unspotted virgin4 
,and ,plutarch1 in his tract ,on ,isis  
and ,osiris1 says1 ,god1 who is a male  
and female intelligence1 being both life
 and light1 brought forth another       
intelligence1 the ,creator of the       
,world4    ,now1 this hermaphrodism of  
the ,supreme ,divinity was again        
supposed to be  represented by the sun1 

which was the male generative energy1   
and by  nature1 or the universe1 which  
was the female prolific principle4#ha   
,and  this union was symbolized in      
different ways1 but principally by the  
point within the circle1 the point      
indicating the sun1 and the circle the  
universe1 invigorated and fertilized by 
his generative rays4 ,and in some  of   
the ,indian cave-temples1 this allusion 
was made more manifest by the           
inscription of the signs of the zodiac  
on the circle4    ,so far1 then1 we     
arrive at the true interpretation of the
 masonic  symbolism of the point within 
the circle4 ,it is the same thing1 but  
under  a different form1 as the ,master 
and ,wardens of a lodge4 ,the ,master   
and  ,wardens are symbols of the sun1   
the lodge of the universe1 or world1    
just  as the point is the symbol of the 
same sun1 and the surrounding circle of 
the universe4    ,but the two           
perpendicular parallel lines remain to  
be explained4 ,every one  is familiar   

with the very recent interpretation1    
that they represent the  two ,saints    
,john1 the ,baptist and the ,evangelist4
 ,but this modern  exposition must be   
abandoned1 if we desire to obtain the   
true ancient  signification4    ,in the 
first place1 we must call to mind the   
fact that1 at two particular  points of 
his course1 the sun is found in the     
zodiacal signs of ,cancer and           
,capricorn4 ,these points are           
astronomically distinguished as the     
summer and  winter solstice4 ,when the  
sun is in these points1 he has reached  
his  greatest northern and southern     
declination1 and produces the most      
evident  effects on the temperature of  
the seasons1 and on the length of the   
days  and nights4 ,these points1 if we  
suppose the circle to represent the     
sun's  apparent course1 will be         
indicated by the points where the       
parallel lines  touch the circle1 or1 in
 other words1 the parallels will        
indicate the  limits of the sun's       

extreme northern and southern           
declination1 when he  arrives at the    
solstitial points of ,cancer and        
,capricorn4    ,but the days when the   
sun reaches these points are1           
respectively1 the #bast  of ,june and   
the #bb;d of ,december1 and this will   
account for their  subsequent           
application to the two ,saints ,john1   
whose anniversaries have  been placed by
 the church near those days4            
,,xvi4    ,the ,covering of the ,lodge4 
,the ,covering of the lodge is another1 
and must be our last reference to  this 
symbolism of the world or the universe4 
,the mere mention of the fact  that this
 covering is figuratively supposed to be
 a clouded canopy1 or  the firmament1 on
 which the host of stars is represented1
 will be enough  to indicate the        
continued allusion to the symbolism of  
the world4 ,the  lodge1 as a            
representative of the world1 is of      
course supposed to have no  other roof  
than the heavens2#hb and it would       

scarcely be necessary to  enter into any
 discussion on the subject1 were it not 
that another  symbol--the theological   
ladder--is so intimately connected with 
it1 that  the one naturally suggests the
 other4 ,now1 this mystic ladder1 which 
connects the ground floor of the lodge  
with its roof or covering1 is  another  
important and interesting link1 which   
binds1 with one common  chain1 the      
symbolism and ceremonies of             
,freemasonry1 and the symbolism and     
rites of the ancient initiations4       
,this mystical ladder1 which in ,masonry
 is referred to the theological  ladder1
 which ,jacob in his vision saw1        
reaching from earth to heaven1 was      
widely dispersed among the religions of 
antiquity1 where it was always  supposed
 to consist of seven rounds or steps4   
,for instance1 in the ,mysteries of     
,mithras1 in ,persia1 where there were  
seven stages or degrees of initiation1  
there was erected in the temples1  or   
rather caves1--for it was in them that  

the initiation was  conducted1--a high  
ladder1 of seven steps or gates1 each of
 which was  dedicated to one of the     
planets1 which was typified by one of   
the metals1  the topmost step           
representing the sun1 so that1 beginning
 at the bottom1  we have ,saturn        
represented by lead1 ,venus by tin1     
,jupiter by brass1  ,mercury by iron1   
,mars by a mixed metal1 the ,moon by    
silver1 and the ,sun by  gold1 the whole
 being a symbol of the sidereal progress
 of the solar orb  through the universe4
    ,in the ,mysteries of ,brahma we    
find the same reference to the ladder of
  seven steps2 but here the names were  
different1 although there was the  same 
allusion to the symbol of the universe4 
,the seven steps were  emblematical of  
the seven worlds which constituted the  
,indian universe4  ,the lowest was the  
,earth2 the second1 the ,world of       
,reexistence2 the third1  ,heaven2 the  
fourth1 the ,middle ,world1 or          
intermediate region between the  lower  

and upper worlds2 the fifth1 the ,world 
of ,births1 in which souls are  again   
born2 the sixth1 the ,mansion of the    
,blessed2 and the seventh1 or  topmost  
round1 the ,sphere of ,truth1 the abode 
of ,brahma1 he himself being  but a     
symbol of the sun1 and hence we arrive  
once more at the masonic  symbolism of  
the universe and the solar orb4    ,dr4 
,oliver thinks that in the ,scandinavian
 ,mysteries he has found the  mystic    
ladder in the sacred tree ,ydrasil2#hc  
but here the reference to  the septenary
 division is so imperfect1 or at least  
abstruse1 that ,i am  unwilling to press
 it into our catalogue of coincidences1 
although there  is no doubt that we     
shall find in this sacred tree the same 
allusion as in  the ladder of ,jacob1 to
 an ascent from earth1 where its roots  
were  planted1 to heaven1 where its     
branches expanded1 which ascent being   
but a  change from mortality to         
immortality1 from time to eternity1 was 
the  doctrine taught in all the         

initiations4 ,the ascent of the ladder  
or of the  tree was the ascent from life
 here to life hereafter--from earth to  
heaven4    ,it is unnecessary to carry  
these parallelisms any farther4 ,any one
 can1  however1 see in them an undoubted
 reference to that septenary division   
which so universally prevailed          
throughout the ancient world1 and the   
influence of which is still felt even in
 the common day life and  observances of
 our time4 ,seven was1 among the        
,hebrews1 their perfect  number2 and    
hence we see it continually recurring in
 all their sacred  rites4 ,the creation 
was perfected in seven days2 seven      
priests1 with  seven trumpets1          
encompassed the walls of ,jericho for   
seven days2 ,noah  received seven days' 
notice of the commencement of the       
deluge1 and seven  persons accompanied  
him into the ark1 which rested on ,mount
 ,ararat on the  seventh month2 ,solomon
 was seven years in building the temple3
 and there  are hundreds of other       

instances of the prominence of this     
talismanic  number1 if there were either
 time or necessity to cite them4        
,among the ,gentiles the same number was
 equally sacred4 ,pythagoras called  it 
a venerable number4 ,the septenary      
division of time into weeks of  seven   
days1 although not universal1 as has    
been generally supposed1 was            
sufficiently so to indicate the         
influence of the number4 ,and it is     
remarkable1 as perhaps in some way      
referring to the seven-stepped ladder   
which we have been considering1 that in 
the ancient ,mysteries1 as ,apuleius    
informs us1 the candidate was seven     
times washed in the consecrated waters  
of ablution4    ,there is1 then1 an     
anomaly in giving to the mystical ladder
 of ,masonry  only three rounds4 ,it is 
an anomaly1 however1 with which ,masonry
 has had  nothing to do4 ,the error     
arose from the ignorance of those       
inventors who  first engraved the       
masonic symbols for our monitors4 ,the  

ladder of  ,masonry1 like the           
equipollent ladders of its kindred      
institutions1 always  had seven steps1  
although in modern times the three      
principal or upper  ones are alone      
alluded to4 ,these rounds1 beginning at 
the lowest1 are  ,temperance1           
,fortitude1 ,prudence1 ,justice1 ,faith1
 ,hope1 and ,charity4  ,charity1        
therefore1 takes the same place in the  
ladder of masonic virtues  as the sun   
does in the ladder of planets4 ,in the  
ladder of metals we find  gold1 and in  
that of colors yellow1 occupying the    
same elevated position4  ,now1 ,st4     
,paul explains ,charity as signifying1  
not alms-giving1 which is  the modern   
popular meaning1 but love--that love    
which suffereth long and  is kind2 and  
when1 in our lectures on this subject1  
we speak of it as the  greatest of      
virtues1 because1 when ,faith is lost   
and ,hope has ceased1 it  extends beyond
 the grave to realms of endless bliss1  
we there refer it  to the ,divine ,love 

of our ,creator4 ,but ,portal1 in his   
,essay on ,symbolic  ,colors1 informs us
 that the sun represents ,divine ,love1 
and gold indicates  the goodness of     
,god4    ,so that if ,charity is        
equivalent to ,divine ,love1 and ,divine
 ,love is  represented by the sun1 and  
lastly1 if ,charity be the topmost round
 of the  masonic ladder1 then again we  
arrive1 as the result of our researches1
 at  the symbol so often already        
repeated of the solar orb4 ,the natural 
sun or  the spiritual sun--the sun1     
either as the vivifying principle of    
animated  nature1 and therefore the     
special object of adoration1 or as the  
most  prominent instrument of the       
,creator's benevolence--was ever a      
leading idea  in the symbolism of       
antiquity4    ,its prevalence1          
therefore1 in the masonic institution1  
is a pregnant  evidence of the close    
analogy existing between it and all     
these systems4  ,how that analogy was   
first introduced1 and how it is to be   

explained1  without detriment to the    
purity and truthfulness of our own      
religious  character1 would involve a   
long inquiry into the origin of         
,freemasonry1  and the history of its   
connection with the ancient systems4    
,these researches might have been       
extended still farther2 enough1 however1
  has been said to establish the        
following leading principles3--    #a4  
,that ,freemasonry is1 strictly         
speaking1 a science of symbolism4    #b4
 ,that in this symbolism it bears a     
striking analogy to the same science1   
as seen in the mystic rites of the      
ancient religions4    #c4 ,that as in   
these ancient religions the universe was
 symbolized to the  candidate1 and the  
sun1 as its vivifying principle1 made   
the object of his  adoration1 or at     
least of his veneration1 so1 in         
,masonry1 the lodge is  made the        
representative of the world or the      
universe1 and the sun is  presented as  
its most prominent symbol4    #d4 ,that 

this identity of symbolism proves an    
identity of origin1 which  identity of  
origin can be shown to be strictly      
compatible with the true  religious     
sentiment of ,masonry4    #e4 ,and      
fifthly and lastly1 that the whole      
symbolism of ,freemasonry has an        
exclusive reference to what the         
,kabalists have called the              
,,algabil--the  ,master ,builder--him   
whom ,freemasons have designated as the 
,grand  ,architect of the ,universe4    
,,xvii4    ,ritualistic ,symbolism4     
,we have hitherto been engaged in the   
consideration of these simple  symbols1 
which appear to express one single and  
independent idea4 ,they  have sometimes 
been called the alphabet of             
,freemasonry1 but improperly1  ,i think1
 since the letters of the alphabet have1
 in themselves1 unlike  these masonic   
symbols1 no significance1 but are simply
 the component parts  of words1         
themselves the representatives of ideas4
    ,these masonic symbols rather may be

 compared to the elementary characters  
of the ,chinese language1 each of which 
denotes an idea2 or1 still better1  to  
the hieroglyphics of the ancient        
,egyptians1 in which one object was     
represented in full by another which    
bore some subjective relation to it1  as
 the wind was represented by the wings  
of a bird1 or courage by the head  and  
shoulders of a lion4    ,it is in the   
same way that in ,masonry the plumb     
represents rectitude1 the  level1 human 
equality1 and the trowel1 concord or    
harmony4 ,each is1 in  itself1          
independent1 each expresses a single    
elementary idea4    ,but we now arrive  
at a higher division of masonic         
symbolism1 which1  passing beyond these 
tangible symbols1 brings us to those    
which are of a  more abstruse nature1   
and which1 as being developed in a      
ceremonial form1  controlled and        
directed by the ritual of the order1 may
 be designated as  the ritualistic      
symbolism of ,freemasonry4    ,it is to 

this higher division that ,i now invite 
attention2 and for the  purpose of      
exemplifying the definition that ,i have
 given1 ,i shall select a  few of the   
most prominent and interesting          
ceremonies of the ritual4    ,our first 
researches were into the symbolism of   
objects2 our next will be  into the     
symbolism of ceremonies4    ,in the     
explanations which ,i shall venture to  
give of this ritualistic  symbolism1 or 
the symbolism of ceremonies1 a reference
 will constantly be  made to what has so
 often already been alluded to1 namely1 
to the analogy  existing between the    
system of ,freemasonry and the ancient  
rites and  ,mysteries1 and hence we will
 again develop the identity of their    
origin4    ,each of the degrees of      
,ancient ,craft ,masonry contains some  
of these  ritualistic symbols3 the      
lessons of the whole order are1 indeed1 
veiled in  their allegoric clothing2 but
 it is only to the most important that  
,i can  find opportunity to refer4      

,such1 among others1 are the rites of   
discalceation1 of investiture1 of       
circumambulation1 and of intrusting4    
,each of these will furnish an          
appropriate subject for consideration4  
,,xviii4    ,the ,rite of               
,discalceation4        ,the rite of     
discalceation1 or uncovering the feet on
 approaching holy  ground1 is derived   
from the ,latin word discalceare1 to    
pluck off one's  shoes4 ,the usage has  
the prestige of antiquity and           
universality in its  favor4    ,that it 
not only very generally prevailed1 but  
that its symbolic  signification was    
well understood in the days of ,moses1  
we learn from that  passage of ,exodus  
where the angel of the ,lord1 at the    
burning bush1  exclaims to the          
patriarch1 ,draw not nigh hither2 put   
off thy shoes from  off thy feet1 for   
the place whereon thou standest is holy 
ground4 #hd  ,clarke#he thinks it is    
from this command that the ,eastern     
nations have  derived the custom of     

performing all their acts of religious  
worship with  bare feet4 ,but it is much
 more probable that the ceremony was in 
use long  anterior to the circumstance  
of the burning bush1 and that the       
,jewish  lawgiver at once recognized it 
as a well-known sign of reverence4      
,bishop ,patrick#hf entertains this     
opinion1 and thinks that the custom  was
 derived from the ancient patriarchs1   
and was transmitted by a general        
tradition to succeeding times4          
,abundant evidence might be furnished   
from ancient authors of the existence   
of the custom among all nations1 both   
,jewish and ,gentile4 ,a few of them1   
principally collected by ,dr4 ,mede1    
must be curious and interesting4    ,the
 direction of ,pythagoras to his        
disciples was in these words3     2 that
 is1 ,offer sacrifice and worship with  
thy shoes off4#hg    ,justin ,martyr    
says that those who came to worship in  
the sanctuaries and  temples of the     
,gentiles were commanded by their       

priests to put off their  shoes4        
,drusius1 in his ,notes on the ,book of 
,joshua1 says that among most of the    
,eastern nations it was a pious duty to 
tread the pavement of the temple  with  
unshod feet4#hh    ,maimonides1 the     
great expounder of the ,jewish law1     
asserts that it was  not lawful for a   
man to come into the mountain of ,god's 
house with his  shoes on his feet1 or   
with his staff1 or in his working       
garments1 or with  dust on his feet4 #hi
    ,rabbi ,solomon1 commenting on the  
command in ,leviticus xix4 #cj1 ,ye     
shall  reverence my sanctuary1 makes the
 same remark in relation to this custom4
  ,on this subject ,dr4 ,oliver         
observes1 ,now1 the act of going with   
naked  feet was always considered a     
token of humility and reverence2 and the
  priests1 in the temple worship1 always
 officiated with feet uncovered1        
although it was frequently injurious to 
their health4 #ij    ,mede quotes ,zago 
,zaba1 an ,ethiopian bishop1 who was    

ambassador from ,david1  ,king of       
,abyssinia1 to ,john ,,iii41 of         
,portugal1 as saying1 ,we are not       
permitted to enter the church1 except   
barefooted4 #ia    ,the ,mohammedans1   
when about to perform their devotions1  
always leave their  slippers at the door
 of the mosque4 ,the ,druids practised  
the same custom  whenever they          
celebrated their sacred rites2 and the  
ancient ,peruvians are  said always to  
have left their shoes at the porch when 
they entered the  magnificent temple    
consecrated to the worship of the sun4  
,adam ,clarke thinks that the custom of 
worshipping the ,deity barefooted was   
so general among all nations of         
antiquity1 that he assigns it as one of 
his thirteen proofs that the whole human
 race have been derived from one        
family4#ib    ,a theory might be        
advanced as follows3 ,the shoes1 or     
sandals1 were worn on  ordinary         
occasions as a protection from the      
defilement of the ground4 ,to  continue 

to wear them1 then1 in a consecrated    
place1 would be a tacit  insinuation    
that the ground there was equally       
polluted and capable of  producing      
defilement4 ,but1 as the very character 
of a holy and consecrated  spot         
precludes the idea of any sort of       
defilement or impurity1 the             
acknowledgment that such was the case   
was conveyed1 symbolically1 by          
divesting the feet of all that          
protection from pollution and           
uncleanness  which would be necessary in
 unconsecrated places4    ,so1 in modern
 times1 we uncover the head to express  
the sentiment of  esteem and respect4   
,now1 in former days1 when there was    
more violence to  be apprehended than   
now1 the casque1 or helmet1 afforded an 
ample  protection from any sudden blow  
of an unexpected adversary4 ,but we can 
fear no violence from one whom we esteem
 and respect2 and1 therefore1 to        
deprive the head of its accustomed      
protection1 is to give an evidence of   

our unlimited confidence in the person  
to whom the gesture is made4    ,the    
rite of discalceation is1 therefore1 a  
symbol of reverence4 ,it  signifies1 in 
the language of symbolism1 that the spot
 which is about to  be approached in    
this humble and reverential manner is   
consecrated to some  holy purpose4      
,now1 as to all that has been said1 the 
intelligent mason will at once see  its 
application to the third degree4 ,of all
 the degrees of ,masonry1 this  is by   
far the most important and sublime4 ,the
 solemn lessons which it  teaches1 the  
sacred scene which it represents1 and   
the impressive  ceremonies with which it
 is conducted1 are all calculated to    
inspire the  mind with feelings of awe  
and reverence4 ,into the holy of holies 
of the  temple1 when the ark of the     
covenant had been deposited in its      
appropriate  place1 and the ,shekinah   
was hovering over it1 the high priest   
alone1 and  on one day only in the whole
 year1 was permitted1 after the most    

careful  purification1 to enter with    
bare feet1 and to pronounce1 with       
fearful  veneration1 the tetragrammaton 
or omnific word4    ,and into the       
,master ,mason's lodge--this holy of    
holies of the masonic  temple1 where the
 solemn truths of death and immortality 
are  inculcated--the aspirant1 on       
entering1 should purify his heart from  
every  contamination1 and remember1 with
 a due sense of their symbolic          
application1 those words that once broke
 upon the astonished ears of the  old   
patriarch1 ,put off thy shoes from off  
thy feet1 for the place whereon  thou   
standest is holy ground4          ,,xix4
    ,the ,rite of ,investiture4         
,another ritualistic symbolism1 of still
 more importance and interest1 is  the  
rite of investiture4    ,the rite of    
investiture1 called1 in the colloquially
 technical language of  the order1 the  
ceremony of clothing1 brings us at once 
to the  consideration of that well-known
 symbol of ,freemasonry1 the            

,,lamb-,,skin  ,,apron4    ,this rite of
 investiture1 or the placing upon the   
aspirant some garment1  as an indication
 of his appropriate preparation for the 
ceremonies in  which he was about to    
engage1 prevailed in all the ancient    
initiations4 ,a  few of them only it    
will be requisite to consider4    ,thus 
in the ,levitical economy of the        
,israelites the priests always wore  the
 abnet1 or linen apron1 or girdle1 as a 
part of the investiture of the          
priesthood4 ,this1 with the other       
garments1 was to be worn1 as the text   
expresses it1 for glory and for beauty1 
or1 as it has been explained by  a      
learned commentator1 as emblematical of 
that holiness and purity which  ever    
characterize the divine nature1 and the 
worship which is worthy of  him4    ,in 
the ,persian ,mysteries of ,mithras1 the
 candidate1 having first received       
light1 was invested with a girdle1 a    
crown or mitre1 a purple tunic1 and1    
lastly1 a white apron4    ,in the       

initiations practised in ,hindostan1 in 
the ceremony of investiture  was        
substituted the sash1 or sacred zennaar1
 consisting of a cord1  composed of nine
 threads twisted into a knot at the end1
 and hanging from  the left shoulder to 
the right hip4 ,this was1 perhaps1 the  
type of the  masonic scarf1 which is1 or
 ought to be1 always worn in the same   
position4    ,the ,jewish sect of the   
,essenes1 who approached nearer than any
 other  secret institution of antiquity 
to ,freemasonry in their organization1  
always invested their novices with a    
white robe4    ,and1 lastly1 in the     
,scandinavian rites1 where the military 
genius of the  people had introduced a  
warlike species of initiation1 instead  
of the  apron we find the candidate     
receiving a white shield1 which was1    
however1  always presented with the     
accompaniment of some symbolic          
instruction1 not  very dissimilar to    
that which is connected with the masonic
 apron4    ,in all these modes of       

investiture1 no matter what was the     
material or the  form1 the symbolic     
signification intended to be conveyed   
was that of  purity4    ,and hence1 in  
,freemasonry1 the same symbolism is     
communicated by the  apron1 which1      
because it is the first gift which the  
aspirant  receives1--the first symbol in
 which he is instructed1--has been      
called  the badge of a mason4 ,and most 
appropriately has it been so called2    
for1  whatever may be the future        
advancement of the candidate in the     
,royal  ,art1 into whatever deeper      
arcana his devotion to the mystic       
institution  or his thirst for knowledge
 may carry him1 with the apron--his     
first  investiture--he never parts4     
,changing1 perhaps1 its form and its    
decorations1 and conveying at each step 
some new and beautiful allusion1  its   
substance is still there1 and it        
continues to claim the honorable  title 
by which it was first made known to him 
on the night of his  initiation4    ,the

 apron derives its significance1 as the 
symbol of purity1 from two              
sources--from its color and from its    
material4 ,in each of these points of   
view it is1 then1 to be considered1     
before its symbolism can be properly    
appreciated4    ,and1 first1 the color  
of the apron must be an unspotted white4
 ,this color  has1 in all ages1 been    
esteemed an emblem of innocence and     
purity4 ,it was  with reference to this 
symbolism that a portion of the         
vestments of the  ,jewish priesthood was
 directed to be made white4 ,and hence  
,aaron was  commanded1 when he entered  
into the holy of holies to make an      
expiation  for the sins of the people1  
to appear clothed in white linen1 with  
his  linen apron1 or girdle1 about his  
loins4 ,it is worthy of remark that the 
,hebrew word ,,laban1 which signifies to
 make white1 denotes also to  purify2   
and hence we find1 throughout the       
,scriptures1 many allusions to  that    
color as an emblem of purity4 ,though   

thy sins be as scarlet1 says  ,isaiah1  
they shall be white as snow2 and        
,jeremiah1 in describing the  once      
innocent condition of ,zion1 says1 ,her 
,nazarites were purer than  snow2 they  
were whiter than milk4    ,in the       
,apocalypse a white stone was the reward
 promised by the ,spirit to  those who  
overcame2 and in the same mystical book 
the apostle is  instructed to say1 that 
fine linen1 clean and white1 is the     
righteousness of the saints4    ,in the 
early ages of the ,christian church a   
white garment was always  placed upon   
the catechumen who had been recently    
baptized1 to denote that  he had been   
cleansed from his former sins1 and was  
thenceforth to lead a  life of innocence
 and purity4 ,hence it was presented to 
him with this  appropriate charge3      
,receive the white and undefiled        
garment1 and produce  it unspotted      
before the tribunal of our ,lord ,jesus 
,christ1 that you may  obtain immortal  
life4    ,the white alb still           

constitutes a part of the vestments of  
the ,roman  church1 and its color is    
said by ,bishop ,england to excite to   
piety by  teaching us the purity of     
heart and body which we should possess  
in being  present at the holy mysteries4
    ,the heathens paid the same         
attention to the symbolic signification 
of this  color4 ,the ,egyptians1 for    
instance1 decorated the head of their   
principal  deity1 ,osiris1 with a white 
tiara1 and the priests wore robes of the
  whitest linen4    ,in the school of   
,pythagoras1 the sacred hymns were      
chanted by the  disciples clothed in    
garments of white4 ,the ,druids gave    
white vestments to  those of their      
initiates who had arrived at the        
ultimate degree1 or that  of perfection4
 ,and this was intended1 according to   
their ritual1 to teach  the aspirant    
that none were admitted to that honor   
but such as were  cleansed from all     
impurities1 both of body and mind4      
,in all the ,mysteries and religions    

rites of the other nations of  antiquity
 the same use of white garments was     
observed4    ,portal1 in his ,treatise  
on ,symbolic ,colors1 says that white1  
the symbol  of the divinity and of the  
priesthood1 represents divine wisdom2   
applied  to a young girl1 it denotes    
virginity2 to an accused person1        
innocence2 to  a judge1 justice2 and he 
adds--what in reference to its use in   
,masonry  will be peculiarly            
appropriate--that1 as a characteristic  
sign of purity1  it exhibits a promise  
of hope after death4 ,we see1 therefore1
 the  propriety of adopting this color  
in the masonic system as a symbol of    
purity4 ,this symbolism pervades the    
whole of the ritual1 from the lowest  to
 the highest degree1 wherever white     
vestments or white decorations are      
used4    ,as to the material of the     
apron1 this is imperatively required to 
be of  lamb-skin4 ,no other substance1  
such as linen1 silk1 or satin1 could be 
substituted without entirely destroying 

the symbolism of the vestment4  ,now1   
the lamb has1 as the ritual expresses   
it1 been1 in all ages1 deemed  an emblem
 of innocence2 but more particularly in 
the ,jewish and ,christian  churches has
 this symbolism been observed4          
,instances of this need hardly  be      
cited4 ,they abound throughout the ,old 
,testament1 where we learn that a  lamb 
was selected by the ,israelites for     
their sin and burnt offerings1 and  in  
the ,new1 where the word lamb is almost 
constantly employed as  synonymous with 
innocence4 ,the paschal lamb1 says      
,didron1 which was  eaten by the        
,israelites on the night preceding their
 departure1 is the  type of that other  
divine ,lamb1 of whom ,christians are to
 partake at  ,easter1 in order thereby  
to free themselves from the bondage in  
which they  are held by vice4 ,the      
paschal lamb1 a lamb bearing a cross1   
was1  therefore1 from an early period1  
depicted by the ,christians as referring
  to ,christ crucified1 that spotless   

,lamb of ,god1 who was slain from the   
foundation of the world4    ,the        
material1 then1 of the apron1 unites    
with its color to give to the           
investiture of a mason the symbolic     
signification of purity4 ,this1 then1   
together with the fact which ,i have    
already shown1 that the ceremony of     
investiture was common to all the       
ancient religious rites1 will form      
another proof of the identity of origin 
between these and the masonic           
institution4    ,this symbolism also    
indicates the sacred and religious      
character which its  founders sought to 
impose upon ,freemasonry1 and to which  
both the moral  and physical            
qualifications of our candidates        
undoubtedly have a  reference1 since it 
is with the masonic lodge as it was with
 the ,jewish  church1 where it was      
declared that no man that had a blemish 
should come  nigh unto the altar2 and   
with the heathen priesthood1 among whom 
we are  told that it was thought to be a

 dishonor to the gods to be served by   
any  one that was maimed1 lame1 or in   
any other way imperfect2 and with both1 
also1 in requiring that no one should   
approach the sacred things who was  not 
pure and uncorrupt4    ,the pure1       
unspotted lamb-skin apron is1 then1 in  
,masonry1 symbolic of that  perfection  
of body and purity of mind which are    
essential qualifications  in all who    
would participate in its sacred         
mysteries4          ,,xx4    ,the       
,symbolism of the ,gloves4        ,the  
investiture with the gloves is very     
closely connected with the  investiture 
with the apron1 and the consideration of
 the symbolism of the  one naturally    
follows the consideration of the        
symbolism of the other4    ,in the      
continental rites of ,masonry1 as       
practised in ,france1 in ,germany1  and 
in other countries of ,europe1 it is an 
invariable custom to present  the       
newly-initiated candidate not only1 as  
we do1 with a white leather  apron1 but 

also with two pairs of white kid gloves1
 one a man's pair for  himself1 and the 
other a woman's1 to be presented by him 
in turn to his  wife or his betrothed1  
according to the custom of the ,german  
masons1 or1  according to the ,french1  
to the female whom he most esteems1     
which1  indeed1 amounts1 or should      
amount1 to the same thing4    ,there is 
in this1 of course1 as there is in      
everything else which pertains  to      
,freemasonry1 a symbolism4 ,the gloves  
given to the candidate for himself  are 
intended to teach him that the acts of a
 mason should be as pure and  spotless  
as the gloves now given to him4 ,in the 
,german lodges1 the word  used for acts 
is of course handlungen1 or handlings1  
the works of  his hands1 which makes the
 symbolic idea more impressive4    ,dr4 
,robert ,plott--no friend of ,masonry1  
but still an historian of much          
research--says1 in his ,natural ,history
 of ,staffordshire1 that the  ,society  
of ,freemasons1 in his time 7and he     

wrote in #affj71 presented their        
candidates with gloves for themselves   
and their wives4 ,this shows that the   
custom still preserved on the continent 
of ,europe was formerly practised  in   
,england1 although there as well as in  
,america1 it is discontinued1  which is1
 perhaps1 to be regretted4    ,but      
although the presentation of the gloves 
to the candidate is no longer  practised
 as a ceremony in ,england or ,america1 
yet the use of them as a  part of the   
proper professional clothing of a mason 
in the duties of the  lodge1 or in      
processions1 is still retained1 and in  
many well-regulated  lodges the members 
are almost as regularly clothed in their
 white gloves  as in their white aprons4
    ,the symbolism of the gloves1 it    
will be admitted1 is1 in fact1 but a    
modification of that of the apron4 ,they
 both signify the same thing2 both  are 
allusive to a purification of life4 ,who
 shall ascend1 says the  ,psalmist1 into
 the hill of the ,lord8 or who shall    

stand in his holy  place8 ,he that hath 
clean hands and a pure heart4 ,the apron
 may be said  to refer to the pure      
heart1 the gloves to the clean hands4   
,both are  significant of               
purification--of that purification which
 was always  symbolized by the ablution 
which preceded the ancient initiations  
into the  sacred ,mysteries4 ,but while 
our ,american and ,english masons have  
adhered  only to the apron1 and rejected
 the gloves as a ,masonic symbol1 the   
latter appear to be far more important  
in symbolic science1 because the        
allusions to pure or clean hands are    
abundant in all the ancient writers4    
,hands1 says ,wemyss1 in his ,clavis    
,symbolica1 are the symbols of human    
actions2 pure hands are pure actions2   
unjust hands are deeds of  injustice4   
,there are numerous references in sacred
 and profane writers to  this symbolism4
 ,the washing of the hands has the      
outward sign of an  internal            
purification4 ,hence the ,psalmist says1

 ,i will wash my hands in  innocence1   
and ,i will encompass thine altar1      
,jehovah4    ,in the ancient ,mysteries 
the washing of the hands was always an  
introductory ceremony to the initiation1
 and1 of course1 it was used            
symbolically to indicate the necessity  
of purity from crime as a  qualification
 of those who sought admission into the 
sacred rites2 and  hence on a temple in 
the ,island of ,crete this inscription  
was placed3  ,cleanse your feet1 wash   
your hands1 and then enter4    ,indeed1 
the washing of hands1 as symbolic of    
purity1 was among the  ancients a       
peculiarly religious rite4 ,no one dared
 to pray to the gods  until he had      
cleansed his hands4 ,thus ,homer makes  
,hector say1--         '   4--,iliad1   
vi4 #bff4        ,i dread with unwashed 
hands to bring      ,my incensed wine to
 ,jove an offering4    ,in a similar    
spirit of religion1 neas1 when leaving  
burning ,troy1 refuses  to enter the    
temple of ,ceres until his hands1       

polluted by recent strife1  had been    
washed in the living stream4        ,me 
bello e tanto digressum et cde recenti1 
,attrectare nefas1 donec me flumine vivo
      ,abluero4--n4 ii4 #gah4        ,in
 me1 now fresh from war and recent      
strife1      ',tis impious the sacred   
things to touch      ,till in the living
 stream myself ,i bathe4    ,the same   
practice prevailed among the ,jews1 and 
a striking instance of the  symbolism is
 exhibited in that well-known action of 
,pilate1 who1 when the  ,jews clamored  
for ,jesus1 that they might crucify him1
 appeared before the  people1 and1      
having taken water1 washed his hands1   
saying at the same  time1 ,i am innocent
 of the blood of this just man4 ,see ye 
to it4 ,in the  ,christian church of the
 middle ages1 gloves were always worn by
 bishops or  priests when in the        
performance of ecclesiastical functions4
 ,they were  made of linen1 and were    
white2 and ,durandus1 a celebrated      
ritualist1 says  that by the white      

gloves were denoted chastity and purity1
 because the  hands were thus kept clean
 and free from all impurity4    ,there  
is no necessity to extend examples any  
further4 ,there is no doubt  that the   
use of the gloves in ,masonry is a      
symbolic idea borrowed from the  ancient
 and universal language of symbolism1   
and was intended1 like the  apron1 to   
denote the necessity of purity of life4 
,we have thus traced the gloves and the 
apron to the same symbolic source4  ,let
 us see if we cannot also derive them   
from the same historic origin4    ,the  
apron evidently owes its adoption in    
,freemasonry to the use of that         
necessary garment by the operative      
masons of the middle ages4 ,it is one of
  the most positive evidences--indeed we
 may say1 absolutely1 the most  tangible
 evidence--of the derivation of our     
speculative science from an  operative  
art4 ,the builders1 who associated in   
companies1 who traversed  ,europe1 and  
were engaged in the construction of     

palaces and cathedrals1  have left to   
us1 as their descendants1 their name1   
their technical  language1 and that     
distinctive piece of clothing by which  
they protected  their garments from the 
pollutions of their laborious           
employment4 ,did they  also bequeath to 
us their gloves8 ,this is a question    
which some modern  discoveries will at  
last enable us to solve4    ,m4 ,didron1
 in his ,annales ,archeologiques1       
presents us with an engraving1  copied  
from the painted glass of a window in   
the cathedral of ,chartres1 in  ,france4
 ,the painting was executed in the      
thirteenth century1 and  represents a   
number of operative masons at work4     
,three of them are  adorned with laurel 
crowns4 ,may not these be intended to   
represent the  three officers of a      
lodge8 ,all of the ,masons wear gloves4 
,m4 ,didron  remarks that in the old    
documents which he has examined1 mention
 is often  made of gloves which are     
intended to be presented to masons and  

stone-cutters4 ,in a subsequent number  
of the ,annales1 he gives the  following
 three examples of this fact3--    ,in  
the year #acca1 the ,chatelan of        
,villaines1 in ,duemois1 bought a       
considerable quantity of gloves1 to be  
given to the workmen1 in order1 as  it  
is said1 to shield their hands from the 
stone and lime4    ,in ,october1 #achc1 
as he learns from a document of that    
period1 three dozen  pairs of gloves    
were bought and distributed to the      
masons when they  commenced the         
buildings at the ,chartreuse of ,dijon4 
,and1 lastly1 in #adhf or #adhg1        
twenty-two pair of gloves were given to 
the  masons and stone-cutters who were  
engaged in work at the city of ,amiens4 
,it is thus evident that the            
builders--the operative masons--of the  
middle  ages wore gloves to protect     
their hands from the effects of their   
work4  ,it is equally evident that the  
speculative masons have received from   
their  operative predecessors the gloves

 as well as the apron1 both of which1   
being used by the latter for practical  
uses1 have been1 in the spirit of       
symbolism1 appropriated by the former to
 a more noble and glorious  purpose4    
,,xxi4    ,the ,rite of                 
,circumambulation4        ,the rite of  
circumambulation will supply us with    
another ritualistic  symbol1 in which we
 may again trace the identity of the    
origin of  ,freemasonry with that of the
 religious and mystical ceremonies of   
the  ancients4    ,circumambulation is  
the name given by sacred archaeologists 
to that  religious rite in the ancient  
initiations which consisted in a formal 
procession around the altar1 or other   
holy and consecrated object4    ,the    
prevalence of this rite among the       
ancients appears to have been           
universal1 and it originally 7as ,i     
shall have occasion to show7 alluded to 
the apparent course of the sun in the   
firmament1 which is from east to  west  
by the way of the south4    ,in ancient 

,greece1 when the priests were engaged  
in the rites of  sacrifice1 they and the
 people always walked three times around
 the altar  while chanting a sacred hymn
 or ode4 ,sometimes1 while the people   
stood  around the altar1 the rite of    
circumambulation was performed by the   
priest alone1 who1 turning towards the  
right hand1 went around it1 and         
sprinkled it with meal and holy water4  
,in making this circumambulation1 it    
was considered absolutely necessary that
 the right side should always be  next  
to the altar1 and consequently1 that the
 procession should move from  the east  
to the south1 then to the west1 next to 
the north1 and afterwards  to the east  
again4 ,it was in this way that the     
apparent revolution was  represented4   
,this ceremony the ,greeks called moving
    1 from the right  to the right1     
which was the direction of the motion1  
and the ,romans  applied to it the term 
dextrovorsum1 or dextrorsum1 which      
signifies  the same thing4 ,thus        

,plautus makes ,palinurus1 a character  
in his comedy of  ,curculio1 say1 ,if   
you would do reverence to the gods1 you 
must turn to  the right hand4           
,gronovius1 in commenting on this       
passage of ,plautus1  says1 ,in         
worshipping and praying to the gods they
 were accustomed to  turn to the right  
hand4    ,a hymn of ,callimachus has    
been preserved1 which is said to have   
been  chanted by the priests of ,apollo 
at ,delos1 while performing this        
ceremony  of circumambulation1 the      
substance of which is1 ,we imitate the  
example of  the sun1 and follow his     
benevolent course4    ,it will be       
observed that this circumambulation     
around the altar was  accompanied by the
 singing or chanting of a sacred ode4   
,of the three parts  of the ode1 the    
strophe1 the antistrophe1 and the epode1
 each was to  be sung at a particular   
part of the procession4 ,the analogy    
between this  chanting of an ode by the 
ancients and the recitation of a passage

 of  ,scripture in the masonic          
circumambulation1 will be at once       
apparent4    ,among the ,romans1 the    
ceremony of circumambulation was always 
used in the  rites of sacrifice1 of     
expiation or purification4 ,thus ,virgil
 describes  ,corynasus as purifying his 
companions1 at the funeral of ,misenus1 
by  passing three times around them     
while aspersing them with the lustral   
waters2 and to do so conveniently1 it   
was necessary that he should have  moved
 with his right hand towards them4      
,idem ter socios pura circumtulit unda1 
,spargens rore levi et ramo felicis     
oliv4      n4 vi4 #bbi4        ,thrice  
with pure water compassed he the crew1  
,sprinkling1 with olive branch1 the     
gentle dew4    ,in fact1 so common was  
it to unite the ceremony of             
circumambulation with  that of expiation
 or purification1 or1 in other words1 to
 make a  circuitous procession1 in      
performing the latter rite1 that the    
term  lustrare1 whose primitive meaning 

is to purify1 came at last to be        
synonymous with circuire1 to walk round 
anything2 and hence a  purification and 
a circumambulation were often expressed 
by the same word4    ,among the         
,hindoos1 the same rite of              
circumambulation has always been        
practised4 ,as an instance1 we may cite 
the ceremonies which are to be          
performed by a ,brahmin upon first      
rising from bed in the morning1 an      
accurate account of which has been given
 by ,mr4 ,colebrooke in the ,asiatic    
,researches4 ,the priest1 having first  
adored the sun while directing his  face
 to the east1 then walks towards the    
west by the way of the south1  saying1  
at the same time1 ,i follow the course  
of the sun1 which he thus  explains3 ,as
 the sun in his course moves round the  
world by the way of  the south1 so do ,i
 follow that luminary1 to obtain the    
benefit arising  from a journey round   
the earth by the way of the south4 #ic  
,lastly1 ,i may refer to the            

preservation of this rite among the     
,druids1  whose mystical dance around   
the cairn1 or sacred stones1 was nothing
  more nor less than the rite of        
circumambulation4 ,on these occasions   
the  priest always made three circuits1 
from east to west1 by the right hand1   
around the altar or cairn1 accompanied  
by all the worshippers4 ,and so  sacred 
was the rite once considered1 that we   
learn from ,toland#id that in  the      
,scottish ,isles1 once a principal seat 
of the ,druidical religion1 the  people 
never come to the ancient sacrificing   
and fire-hallowing cairns1  but they    
walk three times around them1 from east 
to west1 according to the  course of the
 sun4 ,this sanctified tour1 or round by
 the south1 he  observes1 is called     
,deiseal1 as the contrary1 or unhallowed
 one by the  north1 is called ,tuapholl4
 ,and he further remarks1 that this word
  ,deiseal was derived from ,deas1 the  
right 7understanding hand7 and  soil1   
one of the ancient names of the sun1 the

 right hand in this round  being ever   
next the heap4    ,i might pursue these 
researches still further1 and trace this
 rite of  circumambulation to other     
nations of antiquity2 but ,i conceive   
that enough  has been said to show its  
universality1 as well as the tenacity   
with which  the essential ceremony of   
performing the motion a mystical number 
of  times1 and always by the right hand1
 from the east1 through the south1 to   
the west1 was preserved4 ,and ,i think  
that this singular analogy to the  same 
rite in ,freemasonry must lead us to the
 legitimate conclusion1 that  the common
 source of all these rites is to be     
found in the identical  origin of the   
,spurious ,freemasonry or pagan         
mysteries1 and the pure1  ,primitive    
,freemasonry1 from which the former     
seceded only to be  deteriorated4    ,in
 reviewing what has been said on this   
subject1 it will at once be  perceived  
that the essence of the ancient rite    
consisted in making the                 

circumambulation around the altar1 from 
the east to the south1 from the  south  
to the west1 thence to the north1 and to
 the east again4    ,now1 in this the   
masonic rite of circumambulation        
strictly agrees with the  ancient one4  
,but this circuit by the right hand1 it 
is admitted1 was done as a              
representation of the sun's motion4 ,it 
was a symbol of the sun's apparent      
course around the earth4    ,and so1    
then1 here again we have in ,masonry    
that old and often-repeated  allusion to
 sun-worship1 which has already been    
seen in the officers of a  lodge1 and in
 the point within a circle4 ,and as the 
circumambulation is  made around the    
lodge1 just as the sun was supposed to  
move around the  earth1 we are brought  
back to the original symbolism with     
which we  commenced--that the lodge is a
 symbol of the world4          ,,xxii4  
,the ,rite of ,intrusting1 and the      
,symbolism of ,light4        ,the rite  
of intrusting1 to which we are now to   

direct our attention1  will supply us   
with many important and interesting     
symbols4    ,there is an important      
period in the ceremony of masonic       
initiation1 when  the candidate is about
 to receive a full communication of the 
mysteries  through which he has passed1 
and to which the trials and labors which
 he  has undergone can only entitle him4
 ,this ceremony is technically called   
the rite of intrusting1 because it is   
then that the aspirant begins to  be    
intrusted with that for the possession  
of which he was seeking4#ie  ,it is     
equivalent to what1 in the ancient      
,mysteries1 was called the  autopsy1 #if
 or the seeing of what only the         
initiated were permitted to  behold4    
,this rite of intrusting is1 of course1 
divided into several parts or  periods2 
for the aporreta1 or secret things of   
,masonry1 are not to be  given at once1 
but in gradual progression4 ,it begins1 
however1 with the  communication of     
,,light1 which1 although but a          

preparation for the  development of the 
mysteries which are to follow1 must be  
considered as  one of the most important
 symbols in the whole science of masonic
  symbolism4 ,so important1 indeed1 is  
it1 and so much does it pervade with    
its influence and its relations the     
whole masonic system1 that ,freemasonry 
itself anciently received1 among other  
appellations1 that of ,lux1 or  ,light1 
to signify that it is to be regarded as 
that sublime doctrine of  ,divine ,truth
 by which the path of him who has       
attained it is to be  illuminated in his
 pilgrimage of life4    ,the ,hebrew    
cosmogonist commences his description of
 the creation by the  declaration that  
,god said1 ,let there be light1 and     
there was light--a  phrase which1 in the
 more emphatic form that it has received
 in the  original language of ,be light1
 and light was1 #ig is said to have won 
the praise1 for its sublimity1 of the   
greatest of ,grecian critics4 ,the      
singularly emphatic summons1 says a     

profound modern writer1#ih by which     
light is called into existence1 is      
probably owing to the preminent  utility
 and glory of that element1 together    
with its mysterious nature1  which made 
it seem as        ',the ,god of this new
 world1'    and won for it the earliest 
adoration of mankind4    ,light was1 in 
accordance with this old religious      
sentiment1 the great  object of         
attainment in all the ancient religious 
,mysteries4 ,it was there1  as it is    
now1 in ,masonry1 made the symbol of    
truth and knowledge4 ,this  was always  
its ancient symbolism1 and we must never
 lose sight of this  emblematic meaning1
 when we are considering the nature and 
signification  of masonic light4 ,when  
the candidate makes a demand for light1 
it is not  merely for that material     
light which is to remove a physical     
darkness2  that is only the outward     
form1 which conceals the inward         
symbolism4 ,he  craves an intellectual  
illumination which will dispel the      

darkness of  mental and moral ignorance1
 and bring to his view1 as an           
eye-witness1 the  sublime truths of     
religion1 philosophy1 and science1 which
 it is the great  design of ,freemasonry
 to teach4    ,in all the ancient       
systems this reverence for light1 as the
 symbol of  truth1 was predominant4 ,in 
the ,mysteries of every nation1 the     
candidate  was made to pass1 during his 
initiation1 through scenes of utter     
darkness1  and at length terminated his 
trials by an admission to the           
splendidly-illuminated sacellum1 or     
sanctuary1 where he was said to have    
attained pure and perfect light1 and    
where he received the necessary         
instructions which were to invest him   
with that knowledge of the divine  truth
 which it had been the object of all his
 labors to gain1 and the  design of the 
institution1 into which he had been     
initiated1 to bestow4    ,light1        
therefore1 became synonymous with truth 
and knowledge1 and  darkness with       

falsehood and ignorance4 ,we shall find 
this symbolism  pervading not only the  
institutions1 but the very languages1 of
 antiquity4    ,thus1 among the         
,hebrews1 the word ,,aur1 in the        
singular1 signified  light1 but in the  
plural1 ,,aurim1 it denoted the         
revelation of the divine  will2 and the 
aurim  and thummim1 literally the lights
 and truths1  constituted a part of the 
breastplate whence the high priest      
obtained  oracular responses to the     
questions which he proposed4#ii         
,there is a peculiarity about the word  
light1 in the old ,egyptian  language1  
which is well worth consideration in    
this connection4 ,among the  ,egyptians1
 the hare was the hieroglyphic of eyes  
that are open2 and it  was adopted      
because that timid animal was supposed  
never to close his  organs of vision1   
being always on the watch for his       
enemies4 ,the hare was  afterwards      
adopted by the priests as a symbol of   
the mental illumination  or mystic light

 which was revealed to the neophytes1 in
 the contemplation  of divine truth1    
during the progress of their initiation2
 and hence1  according to ,champollion1 
the hare was also the symbol of ,osiris1
 their  chief god2 thus showing the     
intimate connection which they believed 
to  exist between the process of        
initiation into their sacred rites and  
the  contemplation of the divine nature4
 ,but the ,hebrew word for hare is      
,a,r,na,be,t4 ,now1 this is compounded  
of the two words ,,aur1 light1 and      
,na,ba,t1  to behold1 and therefore the 
word which in the ,egyptian denoted     
initiation1 in the ,hebrew signified to 
behold the light4 ,in two  nations so   
intimately connected in history as the  
,hebrew and the ,egyptian1  such a      
coincidence could not have been         
accidental4 ,it shows the prevalence  of
 the sentiment1 at that period1 that the
 communication of light was the         
prominent design of the ,mysteries--so  
prominent that the one was made the     

synonyme of the other4#ajj    ,the      
worship of light1 either in its pure    
essence or in the forms of  sun-worship 
and fire-worship1 because the sun and   
the fire were causes of  light1 was     
among the earliest and most universal   
superstitions of the  world4 ,light was 
considered as the primordial source of  
all that was holy  and intelligent2 and 
darkness1 as its opposite1 was viewed as
 but another  name for evil and         
ignorance4 ,dr4 ,beard1 in an article on
 this subject1 in  ,kitto's ,cyclopaedia
 of ,biblical ,literature1 attributes   
this view of the  divine nature of      
light1 which was entertained by the     
nations of the ,east1  to the fact that1
 in that part of the world1 light has a 
clearness and  brilliancy1 is           
accompanied by an intensity of heat1 and
 is followed in its  influence by a     
largeness of good1 of which the         
inhabitants of less genial  climates    
have no conception4 ,light easily and   
naturally became1 in  consequence1 with 

,orientals1 a representative of the     
highest human good4  ,all the more      
joyous emotions of the mind1 all the    
pleasing sensations of  the frame1 all  
the happy hours of domestic intercourse1
 were described  under imagery derived  
from light4 ,the transition was         
natural--from earthly  to heavenly1 from
 corporeal to spiritual things2 and so  
light came to  typify true religion and 
the felicity which it imparts4 ,but as  
light not  only came from ,god1 but also
 makes man's way clear before him1 so it
 was  employed to signify moral truth1  
and preminently that divine system of   
truth which is set forth in the ,bible1 
from its earliest gleamings onward  to  
the perfect day of the ,great ,sun of   
,righteousness4    ,i am inclined to    
believe that in this passage the learned
 author has  erred1 not in the          
definition of the symbol1 but in his    
deduction of its  origin4 ,light became 
the object of religious veneration1 not 
because of  the brilliancy and clearness

 of a particular sky1 nor the warmth and
  genial influence of a particular      
climate1--for the worship was universal1
  in ,scandinavia as in ,india1--but    
because it was the natural and          
inevitable  result of the worship of the
 sun1 the chief deity of ,sabianism--a  
faith  which pervaded to an             
extraordinary extent the whole religious
 sentiment of  antiquity4#aja    ,light 
was venerated because it was an         
emanation from the sun1 and1 in the     
materialism of the ancient faith1 light 
and darkness were both  personified as  
positive existences1 the one being the  
enemy of the other4  ,two principles    
were thus supposed to reign over the    
world1 antagonistic to  each other1 and 
each alternately presiding over the     
destinies of  mankind4#ajb    ,the      
contests between the good and evil      
principle1 symbolized by light and      
darkness1 composed a very large part of 
the ancient mythology in all  countries4
    ,among the ,egyptians1 ,osiris was  

light1 or the sun2 and his arch-enemy1  
,typhon1 who ultimately destroyed him1  
was the representative of darkness4     
,zoroaster1 the father of the ancient   
,persian religion1 taught the same      
doctrine1 and called the principle of   
light1 or good1 ,ormuzd1 and the        
principle of darkness1 or evil1         
,ahriman4 ,the former1 born of the      
purest  light1 and the latter1 sprung   
from utter darkness1 are1 in this       
mythology1  continually making war on   
each other4    ,manes1 or ,manichaeus1  
the founder of the sect of ,manichees1  
in the third  century1 taught that there
 are two principles from which all      
things  proceed2 the one is a pure and  
subtile matter1 called ,light1 and the  
other  a gross and corrupt substance1   
called ,darkness4 ,each of these is     
subject  to the dominion of a           
superintending being1 whose existence is
 from all  eternity4 ,the being who     
presides over the light is called ,god2 
he that  rules over the darkness is     

called ,hyle1 or ,demon4 ,the ruler of  
the  light is supremely happy1 good1 and
 benevolent1 while the ruler over       
darkness is unhappy1 evil1 and          
malignant4    ,pythagoras also          
maintained this doctrine of two         
antagonistic principles4  ,he called the
 one1 unity1 light1 the right hand1     
equality1 stability1  and a straight    
line2 the other he named binary1        
darkness1 the left hand1  inequality1   
instability1 and a curved line4 ,of the 
colors1 he attributed  white to the good
 principle1 and black to the evil one4  
,the ,cabalists gave a prominent place  
to light in their system of  cosmogony4 
,they taught that1 before the creation  
of the world1 all space  was filled with
 what they called ,aur en soph1 or the  
,eternal ,light1  and that when the     
,divine ,mind determined or willed the  
production of  ,nature1 the ,eternal    
,light withdrew to a central point1     
leaving around it  an empty space1 in   
which the process of creation went on by

 means of  emanations from the central  
mass of light4 ,it is unnecessary to    
enter into  the ,cabalistic account of  
creation2 it is sufficient here to      
remark that  all was done through the   
mediate influence of the ,aur en soph1  
or  eternal light1 which produces coarse
 matter1 but one degree above           
nonentity1 only when it becomes so      
attenuated as to be lost in darkness4   
,the ,brahminical doctrine was1 that    
light and darkness are esteemed the     
world's eternal ways2 he who walketh in 
the former returneth not2 that is  to   
say1 he goeth to eternal bliss2 whilst  
he who walketh in the latter  cometh    
back again upon earth1 and is thus      
destined to pass through  further       
transmigrations1 until his soul is      
perfectly purified by  light4#ajc    ,in
 all the ancient systems of initiation  
the candidate was shrouded in  darkness1
 as a preparation for the reception of  
light4 ,the duration varied  in the     
different rites4 ,in the ,celtic        

,mysteries of ,druidism1 the period in  
which the aspirant was immersed in      
darkness was nine days and nights2      
among the ,greeks1 at ,eleusis1 it was  
three times as long2 and in the still   
severer rites of ,mithras1 in ,persia1  
fifty days of darkness1 solitude1 and   
fasting were imposed upon the           
adventurous neophyte1 who1 by these     
excessive trials1 was at length entitled
 to the full communication of the  light
 of knowledge4    ,thus it will be      
perceived that the religious sentiment  
of a good and an  evil principle gave to
 darkness1 in the ancient symbolism1 a  
place equally  as prominent as that of  
light4    ,the same religious sentiment 
of the ancients1 modified1 however1 in  
its  details1 by our better knowledge of
 divine things1 has supplied            
,freemasonry with a double              
symbolism--that of ,light and ,darkness4
    ,darkness is the symbol of          
initiation4 ,it is intended to remind   
the  candidate of his ignorance1 which  

,masonry is to enlighten2 of his evil   
nature1 which ,masonry is to purify2 of 
the world1 in whose obscurity he  has   
been wandering1 and from which ,masonry 
is to rescue him4    ,light1 on the     
other hand1 is the symbol of the        
autopsy1 the sight of the  mysteries1   
the intrusting1 the full fruition of    
masonic truth and  knowledge4           
,initiation precedes the communication  
of knowledge in ,masonry1 as darkness   
preceded light in the old cosmogonies4  
,thus1 in ,genesis1 we see that in  the 
beginning the world was without form1   
and void1 and darkness was on  the face 
of the deep4 ,the ,chaldean cosmogony   
taught that in the beginning  all was   
darkness and water4 ,the ,phoenicians   
supposed that the beginning  of all     
things was a wind of black air1 and a   
chaos dark as ,erebus4 #ajd    ,but out 
of all this darkness sprang forth light1
 at the divine command1  and the sublime
 phrase1 ,let there be light1 is        
repeated1 in some  substantially        

identical form1 in all the ancient      
histories of creation4    ,so1 too1 out 
of the mysterious darkness of ,masonry  
comes the full blaze of  masonic light4 
,one must precede the other1 as the     
evening preceded the  morning4 ,so the  
evening and the morning were the first  
day4    ,this thought is preserved in   
the great motto of the ,order1 ,lux e   
tenebris--,light out of darkness4 ,it is
 equivalent to this other  sentence3    
,truth out of initiation4 ,lux1 or      
light1 is truth2 tenebrae1  or darkness1
 is initiation4    ,it is a beautiful   
and instructive portion of our          
symbolism1 this  connection of darkness 
and light1 and well deserves a further  
investigation4    ,genesis and the      
cosmogonies1 says ,portal1 mention the  
antagonism of  light and darkness4 ,the 
form of this fable varies according to  
each  nation1 but the foundation is     
everywhere the same4 ,under the symbol  
of the  creation of the world it        
presents the picture of regeneration and

  initiation4 #aje    ,plutarch says    
that to die is to be initiated into the 
greater ,mysteries2  and the ,greek word
 1 which signifies to die1 means also to
 be  initiated4 ,but black1 which is the
 symbolic color of darkness1 is also    
the symbol of death4 ,and hence1 again1 
darkness1 like death1 is the symbol  of 
initiation4 ,it was for this reason that
 all the ancient initiations  were      
performed at night4 ,the celebration of 
the ,mysteries was always  nocturnal4   
,the same custom prevails in            
,freemasonry1 and the explanation is    
the same4 ,death and the resurrection   
were taught in the ,mysteries1 as  they 
are in ,freemasonry4 ,the initiation was
 the lesson of death4 ,the full         
fruition or autopsy1 the reception of   
light1 was the lesson of  regeneration  
or resurrection4    ,light is1          
therefore1 a fundamental symbol in      
,freemasonry4 ,it is1 in fact1  the     
first important symbol that is presented
 to the neophyte in his  instructions1  

and contains within itself the very     
essence of ,speculative  ,masonry1 which
 is nothing more than the contemplation 
of intellectual  light or truth4#ajf    
,,xxiii4    ,symbolism of the           
,corner-,stone4        ,we come next1 in
 a due order of precedence1 to the      
consideration of the  symbolism         
connected with an important ceremony in 
the ritual of the first  degree of      
,masonry1 which refers to the north-east
 corner of the lodge4 ,in  this ceremony
 the candidate becomes the              
representative of a spiritual           
corner-stone4 ,and hence1 to thoroughly 
comprehend the true meaning of the      
emblematic ceremony1 it is essential    
that we should investigate the          
symbolism of the corner-stone4    ,the  
corner-stone1#ajg as the foundation on  
which the entire building is  supposed  
to rest1 is1 of course1 the most        
important stone in the whole  edifice4  
,it is1 at least1 so considered by      
operative masons4 ,it is laid  with     

impressive ceremonies2 the assistance of
 speculative masons is often1  and      
always ought to be1 invited1 to give    
dignity to the occasion2 and the  event 
is viewed by the workmen as an important
 era in the construction of  the        
edifice4#ajh    ,in the rich imagery of 
,orientalism1 the corner-stone is       
frequently  referred to as the          
appropriate symbol of a chief or prince 
who is the  defence and bulwark of his  
people1 and more particularly in        
,scripture1 as  denoting that promised  
,messiah who was to be the sure prop and
 support of  all who should put their   
trust in his divine mission4#aji    ,to 
the various properties that are         
necessary to constitute a true          
corner-stone1--its firmness and         
durability1 its perfect form1 and its   
peculiar position as the connecting link
 between the walls1--we must  attribute 
the important character that it has     
assumed in the language of  symbolism4  
,freemasonry1 which alone1 of all       

existing institutions1 has  preserved   
this ancient and universal language1    
could not1 as it may well  be supposed1 
have neglected to adopt the corner-stone
 among its most  cherished and          
impressive symbols2 and hence it has    
referred to it many of  its most        
significant lessons of morality and     
truth4    ,i have already alluded to    
that peculiar mode of masonic symbolism 
by which  the speculative mason is      
supposed to be engaged in the           
construction of a  spiritual temple1 in 
imitation of1 or1 rather1 in reference  
to1 that  material one which was erected
 by his operative predecessors at       
,jerusalem4  ,let us again1 for a few   
moments1 direct our attention to this   
important  fact1 and revert to the      
connection which originally existed     
between the  operative and speculative  
divisions of ,freemasonry4 ,this is an  
essential  introduction to any inquiry  
into the symbolism of the corner-stone4 
,the difference between operative and   

speculative ,masonry is simply          
this--that while the former was engaged 
in the construction of a material       
temple1 formed1 it is true1 of the most 
magnificent materials which the         
quarries of ,palestine1 the mountains of
 ,lebanon1 and the golden shores of     
,ophir could contribute1 the latter     
occupies itself in the erection of a    
spiritual house1--a house not made with 
hands1--in which1 for stones and  cedar1
 and gold and precious stones1 are      
substituted the virtues of the  heart1  
the pure emotions of the soul1 the warm 
affections gushing forth  from the      
hidden fountains of the spirit1 so that 
the very presence of  ,jehovah1 our     
,father and our ,god1 shall be enshrined
 within us as his  ,shekinah was in the 
holy of holies of the material temple at
 ,jerusalem4    ,the ,speculative       
,mason1 then1 if he rightly comprehends 
the scope and  design of his profession1
 is occupied1 from his very first       
admission into  the order until the     

close of his labors and his life1--and  
the true  mason's labor ends only with  
his life1--in the construction1 the     
adornment1 and the completion of this   
spiritual temple of his body4 ,he  lays 
its foundation in a firm belief and an  
unshaken confidence in the  wisdom1     
power1 and goodness of ,god4 ,this is   
his first step4 ,unless his  trust is in
 ,god1 and in him only1 he can advance  
no further than the  threshold of       
initiation4 ,and then he prepares his   
materials with the gauge  and gavel of  
,truth1 raises the walls by the         
plumb-line of ,rectitude1  squares his  
work with the square of ,virtue1        
connects the whole with the  cement of  
,brotherly ,love1 and thus skilfullv    
erects the living edifice of  thoughts1 
and words1 and deeds1 in accordance with
 the designs laid down  by the ,master  
,architect of the universe in the great 
,book of ,revelation4    ,the aspirant  
for masonic light--the ,neophyte--on his
 first entrance within  our sacred      

porch1 prepares himself for this        
consecrated labor of erecting  within   
his own bosom a fit dwelling-place for  
the ,divine ,spirit1 and thus  commences
 the noble work by becoming himself the 
corner-stone on which  this spiritual   
edifice is to be erected4    ,here1     
then1 is the beginning of the symbolism 
of the corner-stone2 and it  is         
singularly curious to observe how every 
portion of the archetype has  been made 
to perform its appropriate duty in      
thoroughly carrying out the  emblematic 
allusions4    ,as1 for example1 this    
symbolic reference of the corner-stone  
of a material  edifice to a mason1 when1
 at his first initiation1 he commences  
the  intellectual task of erecting a    
spiritual temple in his heart1 is       
beautifully sustained in the allusions  
to all the various parts and  qualities 
which are to be found in a well-formed1 
true and trusty  corner-stone4#aaj ,its 
form and substance are both seized by   
the  comprehensive grasp of the symbolic

 science4    ,let us trace this         
symbolism in its minute details4 ,and1  
first1 as to the  form of the           
corner-stone4    ,the corner-stone of an
 edifice must be perfectly square on its
 surfaces1  lest1 by a violation of this
 true geometric figure1 the walls to be 
erected upon it should deviate from the 
required line of perpendicularity  which
 can alone give strength and proportion 
to the building4    ,perfectly square on
 its surfaces1 it is1 in its form and   
solid contents1 a  cube4 ,now1 the      
square and the cube are both important  
and significant  symbols4    ,the square
 is an emblem of morality1 or the strict
 performance of every  duty4#aaa ,among 
the ,greeks1 who were a highly poetical 
and imaginative  people1 the square was 
deemed a figure of perfection1 and the  
--the square or cubical man1 as the     
words may be  translated--was a term    
used to designate a man of unsullied    
integrity4  ,hence one of their most    
eminent metaphysicians#aab has said that

 he who  valiantly sustains the shocks  
of adverse fortune1 demeaning himself   
uprightly1 is truly good and of a square
 posture1 without reproof2 and he  who  
would assume such a square posture      
should often subject himself to the     
perfectly square test of justice and    
integrity4    ,the cube1 in the language
 of symbolism1 denotes truth4#aac ,among
 the  pagan mythologists1 ,mercury1 or  
,hermes1 was always represented by a    
cubical stone1 because he was the type  
of truth1#aad and the same form  was    
adopted by the ,israelites in the       
construction of the tabernacle1 which   
was to be the dwelling-place of divine  
truth4    ,and1 then1 as to its         
material3 ,this1 too1 is an essential   
element of all  symbolism4 ,constructed 
of a material finer and more polished   
than that  which constitutes the        
remainder of the edifice1 often carved  
with  appropriate devices and fitted for
 its distinguished purpose by the utmost
  skill of the sculptor's art1 it       

becomes the symbol of that beauty of    
holiness with which the ,hebrew         
,psalmist has said that we are to       
worship  ,jehovah4#aae    ,the ceremony1
 then1 of the north-east corner of the  
lodge1 since it  derives all its typical
 value from this symbolism of the       
corner-stone1 was  undoubtedly intended 
to portray1 in this consecrated         
language1 the  necessity of integrity   
and stability of conduct1 of            
truthfulness and  uprightness of        
character1 and of purity and holiness of
 life1 which1 just  at that time and in 
that place1 the candidate is most       
impressively charged  to maintain4      
,but there is also a symbolism about the
 position of the corner-stone1  which is
 well worthy of attention4 ,it is       
familiar to every one1--even to  those  
who are without the pale of             
initiation1--that the custom of laying  
the corner-stones of public buildings   
has always been performed by the        
masonic order with peculiar and         

impressive ceremonies1 and that this    
stone  is invariably deposited in the   
north-east corner of the foundation of  
the  intended structure4 ,now1 the      
question naturally suggests itself1     
,whence  does this ancient and          
invariable usage derive its origin8 ,why
 may not the  stone be deposited in any 
other corner or portion of the edifice1 
as  convenience or necessity may        
dictate8 ,the custom of placing the     
foundation-stone in the north-east      
corner must have been originally        
adopted for some good and sufficient    
reason2 for we have a right to  suppose 
that it was not an arbitrary            
selection4#aaf ,was it in reference  to 
the ceremony which takes place in the   
lodge8 ,or is that in reference  to the 
position of the material stone8 ,no     
matter which has the precedence  in     
point of time1 the principle is the     
same4 ,the position of the stone in  the
 north-east corner of the building is   
altogether symbolic1 and the  symbolism 

exclusively alludes to certain doctrines
 which are taught in the  speculative   
science of ,masonry4    ,the            
interpretation1 ,i conceive1 is briefly 
this3 ,every ,speculative ,mason  is    
familiar with the fact that the east1 as
 the source of material light1  is a    
symbol of his own order1 which professes
 to contain within its bosom  the pure  
light of truth4 ,as1 in the physical    
world1 the morning of each  day is      
ushered into existence by the reddening 
dawn of the eastern sky1  whence the    
rising sun dispenses his illuminating   
and prolific rays to  every portion of  
the visible horizon1 warming the whole  
earth with his  embrace of light1 and   
giving new-born life and energy to      
flower and tree1  and beast and man1    
who1 at the magic touch1 awake from the 
sleep of  darkness1 so in the moral     
world1 when intellectual night was1 in  
the  earliest days1 brooding over the   
world1 it was from the ancient          
priesthood  living in the east that     

those lessons of ,god1 of nature1 and of
 humanity  first emanated1 which1       
travelling westward1 revealed to man his
 future  destiny1 and his dependence on 
a superior power4 ,thus every new and   
true  doctrine1 coming from these wise  
men of the east1 was1 as it were1 a new 
day arising1 and dissipating the clouds 
of intellectual darkness and  error4 ,it
 was a universal opinion among the      
ancients that the first  learning came  
from the east2 and the often-quoted line
 of ,bishop  ,berkeley1 that--          
,westward the course of empire takes its
 way--    is but the modern utterance of
 an ancient thought1 for it was always  
believed that the empire of truth and   
knowledge was advancing from the  east  
to the west4    ,again3 the north1 as   
the point in the horizon which is most  
remote from  the vivifying rays of the  
sun when at his meridian height1 has1   
with equal  metaphorical propriety1 been
 called the place of darkness1 and is1  
therefore1 symbolic of the profane      

world1 which has not yet been           
penetrated and illumined by the         
intellectual rays of masonic light4 ,all
  history concurs in recording the fact 
that1 in the early ages of the  world1  
its northern portion was enveloped in   
the most profound moral and  mental     
darkness4 ,it was from the remotest     
regions of ,northern ,europe that  those
 barbarian hordes came down like the    
wolf on the fold1 and  devastated the   
fair plains of the south1 bringing with 
them a dark curtain  of ignorance1      
beneath whose heavy folds the nations of
 the world lay for  centuries           
overwhelmed4 ,the extreme north has ever
 been1 physically and  intellectually1  
cold1 and dark1 and dreary4 ,hence1 in  
,masonry1 the north  has ever been      
esteemed the place of darkness2 and1 in 
obedience to this  principle1 no        
symbolic light is allowed to illumine   
the northern part of  the lodge4    ,the
 east1 then1 is1 in ,masonry1 the symbol
 of the order1 and the north the  symbol

 of the profane world4    ,now1 the     
spiritual corner-stone is deposited in  
the north-east corner of  the lodge1    
because it is symbolic of the position  
of the neophyte1 or  candidate1 who     
represents it in his relation to the    
order and to the  world4 ,from the      
profane world he has just emerged4 ,some
 of its  imperfections are still upon   
him2 some of its darkness is still about
 him2  he as yet belongs in part to the 
north4 ,but he is striving for light and
  truth2 the pathway upon which he has  
entered is directed towards the east4   
,his allegiance1 if ,i may use the word1
 is divided4 ,he is not altogether a    
profane1 nor altogether a mason4 ,if he 
were wholly in the world1 the north     
would be the place to find him--the     
north1 which is the reign of darkness4  
,if he were wholly in the order1--a     
,master ,mason1--the east would have    
received him--the east1 which is the    
place of light4 ,but he is neither2 he  
is an ,apprentice1 with some of the     

ignorance of the world cleaving to him1 
and some of the light of the order      
beaming upon him4 ,and hence this       
divided allegiance--this double         
character--this mingling of the         
departing  darkness of the north with   
the approaching brightness of the       
east--is well  expressed1 in our        
symbolism1 by the appropriate position  
of the spiritual  corner-stone in the   
north-east corner of the lodge4 ,one    
surface of the  stone faces the north1  
and the other surface faces the east4   
,it is neither  wholly in the one part  
nor wholly in the other1 and in so far  
it is a  symbol of initiation not fully 
developed--that which is incomplete and 
imperfect1 and is1 therefore1 fitly     
represented by the recipient of the     
first degree1 at the very moment of his 
initiation4#aag    ,but the strength and
 durability of the corner-stone are also
 eminently  suggestive of symbolic      
ideas4 ,to fulfil its design as the     
foundation and  support of the massive  

building whose erection it precedes1 it 
should be  constructed of a material    
which may outlast all other parts of the
  edifice1 so that when that eternal    
ocean whose waves are years shall  have 
ingulfed all who were present at the    
construction of the building in  the    
vast vortex of its ever-flowing current2
 and when generation after  generation  
shall have passed away1 and the         
crumbling stones of the ruined  edifice 
shall begin to attest the power of time 
and the evanescent nature  of all human 
undertakings1 the corner-stone will     
still remain to tell1 by  its           
inscriptions1 and its form1 and its     
beauty1 to every passer-by1 that  there 
once existed in that1 perhaps then      
desolate1 spot1 a building  consecrated 
to some noble or some sacred purpose by 
the zeal and  liberality of men who now 
no longer live4    ,so1 too1 do this    
permanence and durability of the        
corner-stone1 in  contrast with the     
decay and ruin of the building in whose 

foundations it  was placed1 remind the  
mason that when this earthly house of   
his  tabernacle shall have passed away1 
he has within him a sure foundation of  
eternal life--a corner-stone of         
immortality--an emanation from that     
,divine  ,spirit which pervades all     
nature1 and which1 therefore1 must      
survive the  tomb1 and rise1 triumphant 
and eternal1 above the decaying dust of 
death  and the grave4#aah    ,it is in  
this way that the student of masonic    
symbolism is reminded by the            
corner-stone--by its form1 its position1
 and its permanence--of  significant    
doctrines of duty1 and virtue1 and      
religious truth1 which it  is the great 
object of ,masonry to teach4    ,but ,i 
have said that the material corner-stone
 is deposited in its  appropriate place 
with solemn rites and ceremonies1 for   
which the order  has established a      
peculiar ritual4 ,these1 too1 have a    
beautiful and  significant symbolism1   
the investigation of which will next    

attract our  attention4    ,and here it 
may be observed1 in passing1 that the   
accompaniment of such an  act of        
consecration to a particular purpose1   
with solemn rites and  ceremonies1      
claims our respect1 from the prestige   
that it has of all  antiquity4 ,a       
learned writer on symbolism makes1 on   
this subject1 the  following judicious  
remarks1 which may be quoted as a       
sufficient defence  of our masonic      
ceremonies3--    ,it has been an        
opinion1 entertained in all past ages1  
that by the  performance of certain     
acts1 things1 places1 and persons       
acquire a  character which they would   
not have had without such performances4 
,the  reason is plain3 certain acts     
signify firmness of purpose1 which1 by  
consigning the object to the intended   
use1 gives it1 in the public  opinion1  
an accordant character4 ,this is most   
especially true of things1  places1 and 
persons connected with religion and     
religious worship4 ,after  the          

performance of certain acts or rites1   
they are held to be altogether          
different from what they were before2   
they acquire a sacred character1 and  in
 some instances a character absolutely  
divine4 ,such are the effects  imagined 
to be produced by religious dedication4 
#aai    ,the stone1 therefore1 thus     
properly constructed1 is1 when it is to 
be  deposited by the constituted        
authorities of our order1 carefully     
examined  with the necessary implements 
of operative masonry1--the square1 the  
level1 and the plumb1--and declared to  
be well-formed1 true1 and trusty4  ,this
 is not a vain nor unmeaning ceremony4  
,it teaches the mason that his  virtues 
are to be tested by temptation and      
trial1 by suffering and  adversity1     
before they can be pronounced by the    
,master ,builder of souls to  be        
materials worthy of the spiritual       
building of eternal life1 fitted as     
living stones1 for that house not made  
with hands1 eternal in the  heavens4    

,but if he be faithful1 and withstand   
these trials1--if he shall  come forth  
from these temptations and sufferings   
like pure gold from the  refiner's      
fire1--then1 indeed1 shall he be deemed 
well-formed1 true1 and  trusty1 and     
worthy to offer unto the ,lord an       
offering in righteousness4    ,in the   
ceremony of depositing the corner-stone1
 the sacred elements of  masonic        
consecration are then produced1 and the 
stone is solemnly set  apart by pouring 
corn1 wine1 and oil upon its surface4   
,each of these  elements has a beautiful
 significance in our symbolism4         
,collectively1 they allude to the ,corn 
of ,nourishment1 the ,wine of           
,refreshment1 and the ,oil of ,joy1     
which are the promised rewards of a     
faithful and diligent performance of    
duty1 and often specifically refer to   
the anticipated success of the          
undertaking whose incipiency they have  
consecrated4 ,they are1 in fact1 types  
and symbols of all those abundant  gifts

 of ,divine ,providence for which we are
 daily called upon to make an  offering 
of our thanks1 and which are enumerated 
by ,king ,david1 in his  catalogue of   
blessings1 as wine that maketh glad the 
heart of man1 and  oil to make his face 
to shine1 and bread which strengtheneth 
man's heart4    ,wherefore1 my brethren1
 says ,harris1 do you carry corn1 wine1 
and oil  in your processions1 but to    
remind you that in the pilgrimage of    
human  life you are to impart a portion 
of your bread to feed the hungry1 to    
send  a cup of your wine to cheer the   
sorrowful1 and to pour the healing oil  
of  your consolation into the wounds    
which sickness hath made in the bodies1 
or affliction rent in the hearts1 of    
your fellow-travellers8 #abj    ,but1   
individually1 each of these elements of 
consecration has also an  appropriate   
significance1 which is well worth       
investigation4    ,corn1 in the language
 of ,scripture1 is an emblem of the     
resurrection1 and  ,st4 ,paul1 in that  

eloquent discourse which is so familiar 
to all1 as a  beautiful argument for the
 great ,christian doctrine of a future  
life1  adduces the seed of grain1 which1
 being sown1 first dieth1 and then      
quickeneth1 as the appropriate type of  
that corruptible which must put on      
incorruption1 and of that mortal which  
must assume immortality4 ,but1 in       
,masonry1 the sprig of acacia1 for      
reasons purely masonic1 has been always 
adopted as the symbol of immortality1   
and the ear of corn is appropriated  as 
the symbol of plenty4 ,this is in       
accordance with the ,hebrew derivation  
of the word1 as well as with the usage  
of all ancient nations4 ,the word       
dagan1  which signifies corn1 is derived
 from the verb  dagah1 1 to increase1 to
 multiply1 and in all the ancient       
religions the horn or vase1 filled with 
fruits and with grain1 was the          
recognized symbol of plenty4 ,hence1 as 
an element of consecration1 corn is     
intended to remind us of those temporal 

blessings of life and health1 and       
comfortable support1 which we derive    
from the ,giver of all good1 and to     
merit which we should strive1 with clean
 hands and a pure heart1 to  erect on   
the corner-stone of our initiation a    
spiritual temple1 which  shall be       
adorned with the beauty of holiness4    
,wine is a symbol of that inward and    
abiding comfort with which the heart  of
 the man who faithfully performs his    
part on the great stage of life is  to  
be refreshed2 and as1 in the figurative 
language of the ,east1 ,jacob           
prophetically promises to ,judah1 as his
 reward1 that he shall wash his         
garments in wine1 and his clothes in the
 blood of the grape1 it seems  intended1
 morally1 to remind us of those immortal
 refreshments which1 when  the labors of
 this earthly lodge are forever closed1 
we shall receive in  the celestial lodge
 above1 where the ,g4,a4,o4,t4,u4       
forever presides4    ,oil is a symbol of
 prosperity1 and happiness1 and joy4    

,the custom of  anointing every thing or
 person destined for a sacred purpose is
 of  venerable antiquity4#aba ,the      
statues of the heathen deities1 as well 
as  the altars on which the sacrifices  
were offered to them1 and the priests   
who presided over the sacred rites1 were
 always anointed with perfumed          
ointment1 as a consecration of them to  
the objects of religious worship4       
,when ,jacob set up the stone on which  
he had slept in his journey to          
,padan-aram1 and where he was blessed   
with the vision of ascending and        
descending angels1 he anointed it with  
oil1 and thus consecrated it as an      
altar to ,god4 ,such an inunction was1  
in ancient times1 as it still  continues
 to be in many modern countries and     
contemporary religions1 a  symbol of the
 setting apart of the thing or person so
 anointed and  consecrated to a holy    
purpose4    ,hence1 then1 we are        
reminded by this last impressive        
ceremony1 that the  cultivation of      

virtue1 the practice of duty1 the       
resistance of temptation1  the          
submission to suffering1 the devotion to
 truth1 the maintenance of  integrity1  
and all those other graces by which we  
strive to fit our  bodies1 as living    
stones1 for the spiritual building of   
eternal life1  must1 after all1 to make 
the object effectual and the labor      
successful1 be  consecrated by a holy   
obedience to ,god's will and a firm     
reliance on ,god's  providence1 which   
alone constitute the chief corner-stone 
and sure  foundation1 on which any man  
can build with the reasonable hope of a 
prosperous issue to his work4    ,it may
 be noticed1 in concluding this topic1  
that the corner-stone seems  to be      
peculiarly a ,jewish symbol4 ,i can find
 no reference to it in any of  the      
ancient pagan rites1 and the ,,eben     
,,pinah1 the corner-stone1 which is  so 
frequently mentioned in ,scripture as   
the emblem of an important  personage1  
and most usually1 in the ,old           

,testament1 of the expected  ,messiah1  
appears1 in its use in ,masonry1 to have
 had1 unlike almost every  other symbol 
of the order1 an exclusively temple     
origin4          ,,xxiv4    ,the        
,ineffable ,name4        ,another       
important symbol is the ,ineffable      
,name1 with which the series of         
ritualistic symbols will be concluded4  
,the ,tetragrammaton1#abb or ,ineffable 
,word1--the ,incommunicable ,name1--is  
a symbol--for rightly-considered it is  
nothing more than a symbol--that  has   
more than any other 7except1 perhaps1   
the symbols connected with              
sun-worship71 pervaded the rites of     
antiquity4 ,i know1 indeed1 of no       
system of ancient initiation in which it
 has not some prominent form and  place4
    ,but as it was1 perhaps1 the        
earliest symbol which was corrupted by  
the  spurious ,freemasonry of the       
pagans1 in their secession from the     
primitive  system of the patriarchs and 
ancient priesthood1 it will be most     

expedient  for the thorough discussion  
of the subject which is proposed in the 
present paper1 that we should begin the 
investigation with an inquiry into  the 
nature of the symbol among the          
,israelites4    ,that name of ,god1     
which we1 at a venture1 pronounce       
,jehovah1--although  whether this is1 or
 is not1 the true pronunciation can now 
never be  authoritatively settled1--was 
ever held by the ,jews in the most      
profound  veneration4 ,they derived its 
origin from the immediate inspiration of
 the  ,almighty1 who communicated it to 
,moses as his especial appellation1 to  
be  used only by his chosen people2 and 
this communication was made at the      
,burning ,bush1 when he said to him1    
,thus shalt thou say unto the children  
of ,israel3 ,jehovah1 the ,god of your  
fathers1 the ,god of ,abraham1 the ,god 
of ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob1 hath 
sent me unto you3 this ,jehovah is  my  
name forever1 and this is my memorial   
unto all generations4 #abc ,and  at a   

subsequent period he still more         
emphatically declared this to be his    
peculiar name3 ,i am ,jehovah2 and ,i   
appeared unto ,abraham1 unto ,isaac1    
and unto ,jacob1 by the name of ,el     
,shaddai2 but by my name ,jehovah was   
,i not known unto them4 #abd    ,it will
 be perceived that ,i have not here     
followed precisely the somewhat         
unsatisfactory version of ,king ,james's
 ,bible1 which1 by translating or       
anglicizing one name1 and not the other1
 leaves the whole passage less          
intelligible and impressive than it     
should be4 ,i have retained the         
original ,hebrew for both names4 ,el    
,shaddai1 the ,almighty ,one1 was the   
name by which he had been heretofore    
known to the preceding patriarchs2 in   
its meaning it was analogous to ,elohim1
 who is described in the first  chapter 
of ,genesis as creating the world4 ,but 
his name of ,jehovah was now  for the   
first time to be communicated to his    
people4    ,ushered to their notice with

 all the solemnity and religious        
consecration  of these scenes and       
events1 this name of ,god became        
invested among the  ,israelites with the
 profoundest veneration and awe4 ,to add
 to this  mysticism1 the ,cabalists1 by 
the change of a single letter1 read the 
passage1 ,this is my name forever1 or1  
as it is in the original1 ,zeh  shemi   
l'olam1    as if written ,zeh shemi     
l'alam1     that is to say1 ,this is my 
name to be concealed4    ,this          
interpretation1 although founded on a   
blunder1 and in all probability  an     
intentional one1 soon became a precept1 
and has been strictly obeyed to  this   
day4#abe ,the word ,jehovah is never    
pronounced by a pious ,jew1  who1       
whenever he meets with it in ,scripture1
 substitutes for it the word  ,adonai or
 ,lord--a practice which has been       
followed by the translators  of the     
common ,english version of the ,bible   
with almost ,jewish  scrupulosity1 the  
word ,jehovah in the original being     

invariably  translated by the word      
,lord4 #abf ,the pronunciation of the   
word1 being  thus abandoned1 became     
ultimately lost1 as1 by the peculiar    
construction  of the ,hebrew language1  
which is entirely without vowels1 the   
letters1  being all consonants1 can give
 no possible indication1 to one who has 
not  heard it before1 of the true       
pronunciation of any given word4    ,to 
make this subject plainer to the reader 
who is unacquainted with the  ,hebrew1  
,i will venture to furnish an           
explanation which will1 perhaps1 be     
intelligible4    ,the ,hebrew alphabet  
consists entirely of consonants1 the    
vowel sounds  having always been        
inserted orally1 and never marked in    
writing until the  vowel points1 as they
 are called1 were invented by the       
,masorites1 some  six centuries after   
the ,christian era4 ,as the vowel sounds
 were originally  supplied by the       
reader1 while reading1 from a knowledge 
which he had  previously received1 by   

means of oral instruction1 of the proper
  pronunciation of the word1 he was     
necessarily unable to pronounce any word
  which had never before been uttered in
 his presence4 ,as we know that ,dr4  is
 to be pronounced ,doctor1 and ,mr4     
,mister1 because we have always  heard  
those peculiar combinations of letters  
thus enunciated1 and not  because the   
letters themselves give any such sound2 
so the ,jew knew from  instruction and  
constant practice1 and not from the     
power of the letters1  how the          
consonants in the different words in    
daily use were to be  vocalized4 ,but as
 the four letters which compose the word
 ,jehovah1 as we  now call it1 were     
never pronounced in his presence1 but   
were made to  represent another word1   
,adonai1 which was substituted for it1  
and as the  combination of these four   
consonants would give no more indication
 for any  sort of enunciation than the  
combinations ,dr4 or ,mr4 give in our   
language1 the ,jew1 being ignorant of   

what vocal sounds were to be  supplied1 
was unable to pronounce the word1 so    
that its true pronunciation  was in time
 lost to the masses of the people4      
,there was one person1 however1 who1 it 
is said1 was in possession of the       
proper sound of the letters and the true
 pronunciation of the word4 ,this  was  
the high priest1 who1 receiving it from 
his predecessor1 preserved the          
recollection of the sound by pronouncing
 it three times1 once a year1 on  the   
day of the atonement1 when he entered   
the holy of holies of the  tabernacle or
 the temple4    ,if the traditions of   
,masonry on this subject are correct1   
the kings1 after  the establishment of  
the monarchy1 must have participated in 
this  privilege2 for ,solomon is said to
 have been in possession of the word1   
and  to have communicated it to his two 
colleagues at the building of the       
temple4    ,this is the word which1 from
 the number of its letters1 was called  
the  tetragrammaton1 or four-lettered   

name1 and1 from its sacred              
inviolability1 the ineffable or         
unutterable name4    ,the ,cabalists and
 ,talmudists have enveloped it in a host
 of mystical  superstitions1 most of    
which are as absurd as they are         
incredible1 but all  of them tending to 
show the great veneration that has      
always been paid to  it4#abg ,thus they 
say that it is possessed of unlimited   
powers1 and that  he who pronounces it  
shakes heaven and earth1 and inspires   
the very angels  with terror and        
astonishment4    ,the ,rabbins called it
 shem hamphorash1 that is to say1 the   
name that is  declaratory1 and they say 
that ,david found it engraved on a stone
 while  digging into the earth4    ,from
 the sacredness with which the name was 
venerated1 it was seldom1 if  ever1     
written in full1 and1 consequently1 a   
great many symbols1 or  hieroglyphics1  
were invented to express it4 ,one of    
these was the letter   or ,yod1         
equivalent nearly to the ,english ,i1 or

 ,j1 or ,y1  which was the initial of   
the word1 and it was often inscribed    
within an  equilateral triangle1 thus3  
_/        _/         _/         _/      
---------    the triangle itself being a
 symbol of ,deity4    ,this symbol of   
the name of ,god is peculiarly worthy of
 our attention1  since not only is the  
triangle to be found in many of the     
ancient  religions occupying the same   
position1 but the whole symbol itself is
  undoubtedly the origin of that        
hieroglyphic exhibited in the second    
degree  of ,masonry1 where1 the         
explanation of the symbolism being the  
same1 the  form of it1 as far as it     
respects the letter1 has only been      
anglicized by  modern innovators4 ,in my
 own opinion1 the letter ,g1 which is   
used in the  ,fellow ,craft's degree1   
should never have been permitted to     
intrude into  ,masonry2 it presents an  
instance of absurd anachronism1 which   
would never  have occurred if the       
original ,hebrew symbol had been        

retained4 ,but being  there now1 without
 the possibility of removal1 we have    
only to remember  that it is in fact but
 the symbol of a symbol4#abh    ,widely 
spread1 as ,i have already said1 was    
this reverence for the name of  ,god2   
and1 consequently1 its symbolism1 in    
some peculiar form1 is to be  found in  
all the ancient rites4    ,thus the     
,ineffable ,name itself1 of which we    
have been discoursing1 is said  to have 
been preserved in its true pronunciation
 by the ,essenes1 who1 in  their secret 
rites1 communicated it to each other    
only in a whisper1 and  in such form1   
that while its component parts were     
known1 they were so  separated as to    
make the whole word a mystery4    ,among
 the ,egyptians1 whose connection with  
the ,hebrews was more immediate  than   
that of any other people1 and where1    
consequently1 there was a  greater      
similarity of rites1 the same sacred    
name is said to have been  used as a    
password1 for the purpose of gaining    

admission to their  ,mysteries4    ,in  
the ,brahminic ,mysteries of ,hindostan 
the ceremony of initiation was          
terminated by intrusting the aspirant   
with the sacred1 triliteral name1  which
 was ,,aum1 the three letters of which  
were symbolic of the creative1          
preservative1 and destructive principles
 of the ,supreme ,deity1 personified  in
 the three manifestations of ,bramah1   
,siva1 and ,vishnu4 ,this word was      
forbidden to be pronounced aloud4 ,it   
was to be the subject of silent         
meditation to the pious ,hindoo4    ,in 
the rites of ,persia an ineffable name  
was also communicated to the  candidate 
after his initiation4#abi ,mithras1 the 
principal divinity in  these rites1 who 
took the place of the ,hebrew ,jehovah1 
and represented the  sun1 had this      
peculiarity in his name--that the       
numeral value of the  letters of which  
it was composed amounted to precisely   
#cfe1 the number of  days which         
constitute a revolution of the earth    

around the sun1 or1 as  they then       
supposed1 of the sun around the earth4  
,in the ,mysteries introduced by        
,pythagoras into ,greece we again find  
the  ineffable name of the ,hebrews1    
obtained doubtless by the ,samian ,sage 
during his visit to ,babylon4#acj ,the  
symbol adopted by him to express it     
was1 however1 somewhat different1 being 
ten points distributed in the  form of a
 triangle1 each side containing four    
points1 as in the annexed  figure4      
4       4 4      4 4 4     4 4 4 4      
,the apex of the triangle was           
consequently a single point then        
followed  below two others1 then three2 
and lastly1 the base consisted of four4 
,these points were1 by the number in    
each rank1 intended1 according to the   
,pythagorean system1 to denote          
respectively the monad1 or active       
principle of nature2 the duad1 or       
passive principle2 the triad1 or  world 
emanating from their union2 and the     
quaterniad1 or intellectual  science2   

the whole number of points amounting to 
ten1 the symbol of  perfection and      
consummation4 ,this figure was called by
 ,pythagoras the  tetractys--a word     
equivalent in signification to the      
tetragrammaton2  and it was deemed so   
sacred that on it the oath of secrecy   
and fidelity  was administered to the   
aspirants in the ,pythagorean rites4#aca
    ,among the ,scandinavians1 as among 
the ,jewish ,cabalists1 the ,supreme    
,god  who was made known in their       
mysteries had twelve names1 of which the
  principal and most sacred one was     
,alfader1 the ,universal ,father4       
,among the ,druids1 the sacred name of  
,god was ,hu#acb--;a name which1        
although it is supposed1 by ,bryant1 to 
have been intended by them for  ,noah1  
will be recognized as one of the        
modifications of the ,hebrew            
tetragrammaton4 ,it is1 in fact1 the    
masculine pronoun in ,hebrew1 and may   
be considered as the symbolization of   
the male or generative principle in     

nature--a sort of modification of the   
system of ,phallic worship4    ,this    
sacred name among the ,druids reminds me
 of what is the latest1 and  undoubtedly
 the most philosophical1 speculation on 
the true meaning1 as  well as           
pronunciation1 of the ineffable         
tetragrammaton4 ,it is from the         
ingenious mind of the celebrated ,lanci2
 and ,i have already1 in another  work1 
given it to the public as ,i received it
 from his pupil1 and my  friend1 ,mr4   
,gliddon1 the distinguished             
archaeologist4 ,but the results are  too
 curious to be omitted whenever the     
tetragrammaton is discussed4            
,elsewhere ,i have very fully alluded to
 the prevailing sentiment among the     
ancients1 that the ,supreme ,deity was  
bisexual1 or hermaphrodite1 including   
in the essence of his being the male and
 female principles1 the generative  and 
prolific powers of nature4 ,this was the
 universal doctrine in all the  ancient 
religions1 and was very naturally       

developed in the symbol of the  phallus 
and cteis among the ,greeks1 and in the 
corresponding one of  the lingam and    
yoni among the ,orientalists2 from which
 symbols the  masonic point within a    
circle is a legitimate derivation4 ,they
 all  taught that ,god1 the ,creator1   
was both male and female4    ,now1 this 
theory is undoubtedly unobjectionable on
 the score of orthodoxy1  if we view it 
in the spiritual sense1 in which its    
first propounders must  necessarily have
 intended it to be presented to the     
mind1 and not in the  gross1 sensual    
meaning in which it was subsequently    
received4 ,for1 taking  the word sex1   
not in its ordinary and colloquial      
signification1 as  denoting the         
indication of a particular physical     
organization1 but in that  purely       
philosophical one which alone can be    
used in such a connection1 and  which   
simply signifies the mere manifestation 
of a power1 it is not to be  denied that
 the ,supreme ,being must possess in    

himself1 and in himself  alone1 both a  
generative and a prolific power4 ,this  
idea1 which was so  extensively         
prevalent among all the nations of      
antiquity1#acc has also  been traced in 
the tetragrammaton1 or name of ,jehovah1
 with singular  ingenuity1 by ,lanci2   
and1 what is almost equally as          
interesting1 he has1  by this discovery1
 been enabled to demonstrate what was1  
in all  probability1 the true           
pronunciation of the word4    ,in giving
 the details of this philological       
discovery1 ,i will endeavor to  make it 
as comprehensible as it can be made to  
those who are not  critically acquainted
 with the construction of the ,hebrew   
language2 those  who are will at once   
appreciate its peculiar character1 and  
will excuse  the explanatory details1 of
 course unnecessary to them4    ,the    
ineffable name1 the tetragrammaton1 the 
shem hamphorash1--for it is  known by   
all these appellations1--consists of    
four letters1 yod1 heh1  vau1 and heh1  

forming the word 4 ,this word1 of       
course1 in  accordance with the genius  
of the ,hebrew language1 is read1 as we 
would  say1 backward1 or from right to  
left1 beginning with yod 1 and ending   
with heh 4    ,of these letters1 the    
first1 yod 1 is equivalent to the       
,english i  pronounced as e in the word 
machine4    ,the second and fourth      
letter1 heh 1 is an aspirate1 and has   
here the  sound of the ,english h4      
,and the third letter1 vau 1 has the    
sound of open o4    ,now1 reading these 
four letters1 1 or ,i1 1 or ,h1 1 or ,o1
 and 1 or ,h1  as the ,hebrew requires1 
from right to left1 we have the word 1  
equivalent in ,english to ,,ih-,,oh1    
which is really as near to the          
pronunciation as we can well come1      
notwithstanding it forms neither of the 
seven ways in which the word is said to 
have been pronounced1 at different      
times1 by the patriarchs4#acd    ,but1  
thus pronounced1 the word gives us no   
meaning1 for there is no such  word in  

,hebrew as ihoh2 and1 as all the ,hebrew
 names were significative  of something1
 it is but fair to conclude that this   
was not the original  pronunciation1 and
 that we must look for another which    
will give a  meaning to the word4 ,now1 
,lanci proceeds to the discovery of this
 true  pronunciation1 as follows3--     
,in the ,cabala1 a hidden meaning is    
often deduced from a word by            
transposing or reversing its letters1   
and it was in this way that the         
,cabalists concealed many of their      
mysteries4    ,now1 to reverse a word in
 ,english is to read its letters from   
right to  left1 because our normal mode 
of reading is from left to right4 ,but  
in  ,hebrew the contrary rule takes     
place1 for there the normal mode of     
reading  is from right to left2 and     
therefore1 to reverse the reading of a  
word1  is to read it from left to right4
    ,lanci applied this cabalistic mode 
to the tetragrammaton1 when he found    
that ,,ih-,,oh1 being read reversely1   

makes the word ,,ho-,,hi4#ace    ,but in
 ,hebrew1 ho is the masculine pronoun1  
equivalent to the ,english  he2 and hi  
is the feminine pronoun1 equivalent to  
she2 and therefore  the word ,,ho-,,hi1 
literally translated1 is equivalent to  
the ,english  compound ,,he-,,she2 that 
is to say1 the ,ineffable ,name of ,god 
in ,hebrew1  being read cabalistically1 
includes within itself the male and     
female  principle1 the generative and   
prolific energy of creation2 and here we
  have1 again1 the widely-spread        
symbolism of the phallus and the cteis1 
the  lingam and the yoni1 or their      
equivalent1 the point within a circle1  
and  another pregnant proof of the      
connection between ,freemasonry and the 
ancient ,mysteries4    ,and here1       
perhaps1 we may begin to find some      
meaning for the hitherto                
incomprehensible passage in ,genesis 7i4
 #bg73 ,so ,god created man in his  own 
image2 in the image of ,god created he  
him2 male and female created  he them4  

,they could not have been in the image  
of ,,ihoh1 if they had not  been male   
and female4    ,the ,cabalists have     
exhausted their ingenuity and           
imagination in  speculations on this    
sacred name1 and some of their fancies  
are really  sufficiently interesting to 
repay an investigation4 ,sufficient1    
however1  has been here said to account 
for the important position that it      
occupies  in the masonic system1 and to 
enable us to appreciate the symbols by  
which  it has been represented4    ,the 
great reverence1 or indeed the          
superstitious veneration1 entertained   
by the ancients for the name of the     
,supreme ,being1 led them to express it 
rather in symbols or hieroglyphics than 
in any word at length4    ,we know1 for 
instance1 from the recent researches of 
the archaeologists1  that in all the    
documents of the ancient ,egyptians1    
written in the demotic  or common       
character of the country1 the names of  
the gods were invariably  denoted by    

symbols2 and ,i have already alluded to 
the different modes by  which the ,jews 
expressed the tetragrammaton4 ,a similar
 practice prevailed  among the other    
nations of antiquity4 ,freemasonry has  
adopted the same  expedient1 and the    
,grand ,architect of the ,universe1 whom
 it is the usage1  even in ordinary     
writing1 to designate by the initials   
,g4,a4,o4,t4,u41 is  accordingly        
presented to us in a variety of symbols1
 three of which  particularly require   
attention4 ,these are the letter ,g1 the
 equilateral  triangle1 and the         
,all-,seeing ,eye4    ,of the letter ,g 
,i have already spoken4 ,a letter of the
 ,english alphabet  can scarcely be     
considered an appropriate symbol of an  
institution which  dates its            
organization and refers its primitive   
history to a period long  anterior to   
the origin of that language4 ,such a    
symbol is deficient in the  two elements
 of antiquity and universality which    
should characterize every  masonic      

symbol4 ,there can1 therefore1 be no    
doubt that1 in its present  form1 it is 
a corruption of the old ,hebrew symbol1 
the letter yod1 by  which the sacred    
name was often expressed4 ,this letter  
is the initial of  the word ,jehovah1 or
 ,ihoh1 as ,i have already stated1 and  
is constantly  to be met with in ,hebrew
 writings as the symbol or abbreviature 
of  ,jehovah1 which word1 it will be    
remembered1 is never written at length4 
,but because ,g is1 in like manner1 the 
initial of ,god1 the equivalent  of     
,jehovah1 this letter has been          
incorrectly1 and1 ,i cannot refrain from
  again saying1 most injudiciously1     
selected to supply1 in modern lodges1   
the place of the ,hebrew symbol4        
,having1 then1 the same meaning and     
force as the ,hebrew yod1 the letter  ,g
 must be considered1 like its prototype1
 as the symbol of the  life-giving and  
life-sustaining power of ,god1 as       
manifested in the meaning  of the word  
,jehovah1 or ,ihoh1 the generative and  

prolific energy of the  ,creator4       
,the ,all-,seeing ,eye is another1 and a
 still more important1 symbol of the    
same great ,being4 ,both the ,hebrews   
and the ,egyptians appear to have       
derived its use from that natural       
inclination of figurative minds to      
select an organ as the symbol of the    
function which it is intended           
peculiarly to discharge4 ,thus the foot 
was often adopted as the symbol of      
swiftness1 the arm of strength1 and the 
hand of fidelity4 ,on the same          
principle1 the open eye was selected as 
the symbol of watchfulness1 and  the eye
 of ,god as the symbol of divine        
watchfulness and care of the  universe4 
,the use of the symbol in this sense is 
repeatedly to be found in  the ,hebrew  
writers4 ,thus the ,psalmist says 7,ps4 
xxxiv4 #ae71 ,the eyes of  the ,lord are
 upon the righteous1 and his ears are   
open to their cry1  which explains a    
subsequent passage 7,ps4 cxxi4 #d71 in  
which it is said1  ,behold1 he that     

keepeth ,israel shall neither slumber   
nor sleep4 #acf    ,on the same         
principle1 the ,egyptians represented   
,osiris1 their chief  deity1 by the     
symbol of an open eye1 and placed this  
hieroglyphic of him  in all their       
temples4 ,his symbolic name1 on the     
monuments1 was represented  by the eye  
accompanying a throne1 to which was     
sometimes added an  abbreviated figure  
of the god1 and sometimes what has been 
called a  hatchet1 but which1 ,i        
consider1 may as correctly be supposed  
to be a  representation of a square4    
,the ,all-,seeing ,eye may1 then1 be    
considered as a symbol of ,god          
manifested  in his omnipresence--his    
guardian and preserving character--to   
which  ,solomon alludes in the ,book of 
,proverbs 7xv4 #c71 when he says1 ,the  
eyes  of ,jehovah are in every place1   
beholding 7or as it might be more       
faithfully translated1 watching7 the    
evil and the good4 ,it is a symbol of   
the ,omnipresent ,deity4    ,the        

triangle is another symbol which is     
entitled to our consideration4  ,there  
is1 in fact1 no other symbol which is   
more various in its  application or more
 generally diffused throughout the whole
 system of both  the ,spurious and the  
,pure ,freemasonry4    ,the equilateral 
triangle appears to have been adopted by
 nearly all the  nations of antiquity as
 a symbol of the ,deity4    ,among the  
,hebrews1 it has already been stated    
that this figure1 with a  yod in the    
centre1 was used to represent the       
tetragrammaton1 or  ineffable name of   
,god4    ,the ,egyptians considered the 
equilateral triangle as the most perfect
 of  figures1 and a representative of   
the great principle of animated         
existence1 each of its sides referring  
to one of the three departments of      
creation--the animal1 the vegetable1 and
 the mineral4    ,the symbol of         
universal nature among the ,egyptians   
was the right-angled  triangle1 of which
 the perpendicular side represented     

,osiris1 or the male  principle2 the    
base1 ,isis1 or the female principle2   
and the hypothenuse1  their offspring1  
,horus1 or the world emanating from the 
union of both  principles4    ,all this1
 of course1 is nothing more nor less    
than the phallus and cteis1  or lingam  
and yoni1 under a different form4       
,the symbol of the right-angled triangle
 was afterwards adopted by  ,pythagoras 
when he visited the banks of the ,nile2 
and the discovery which  he is said to  
have made in relation to the properties 
of this figure1 but  which he really    
learned from the ,egyptian priests1 is  
commemorated in  ,masonry by the        
introduction of the forty-seventh       
problem of ,euclid's ,first  ,book among
 the symbols of the third degree4 ,here 
the same mystical  application is       
supplied as in the ,egyptian figure1    
namely1 that the union  of the male and 
female1 or active and passive principles
 of nature1 has  produced the world4    
,for the geometrical proposition being  

that the squares  of the perpendicular  
and base are equal to the square of the 
hypothenuse1  they may be said to       
produce it in the same way as ,osiris   
and ,isis are  equal to1 or produce1 the
 world4    ,thus the                    
perpendicular--,osiris1 or the active1  
male principle--being  represented by a 
line whose measurement is #c2 and the   
base--,isis1 or the  passive1 female    
principle--by a line whose measurement  
is #d2 then their  union1 or the        
addition of the squares of these        
numbers1 will produce a  square whose   
root will be the hypothenuse1 or a line 
whose measurement  must be #e4 ,for the 
square of #c is #i1 and the square of #d
 is #af1 and the  square of #e is #be2  
but #i added to #af is equal to #be2 and
 thus1 out of the  addition1 or coming  
together1 of the squares of the         
perpendicular and  base1 arises the     
square of the hypothenuse1 just as1 out 
of the coming  together1 in the         
,egyptian system1 of the active and     

passive principles1  arises1 or is      
generated1 the world4    ,in the        
mediaeval history of the ,christian     
church1 the great ignorance of  the     
people1 and their inclination to a sort 
of materialism1 led them to  abandon the
 symbolic representations of the ,deity1
 and to depict the  ,father with the    
form and lineaments of an aged man1 many
 of which  irreverent paintings1 as far 
back as the twelfth century1 are to be  
found  in the religious books and       
edifices of ,europe4#acg ,but1 after the
 period  of the renaissance1 a better   
spirit and a purer taste began to       
pervade the  artists of the church1 and 
thenceforth the ,supreme ,being was     
represented  only by his name--the      
tetragrammaton--inscribed within an     
equilateral  triangle1 and placed within
 a circle of rays4 ,didron1 in his      
invaluable  work on ,christian          
,iconography1 gives one of these        
symbols1 which was  carved on wood in   
the seventeenth century1 of which ,i    

annex a copy4    ,illustration3         
tetragrammaton inscribed with an        
equilateral triangle and  placed within 
a circle of rays    ,but even in the    
earliest ages1 when the ,deity was      
painted or sculptured as  a personage1  
the nimbus1 or glory1 which surrounded  
the head of the  ,father1 was often made
 to assume a triangular form4 ,didron   
says on this  subject1 ,a nimbus1 of a  
triangular form1 is thus seen to be the 
exclusive  attribute of the ,deity1 and 
most frequently restricted to the       
,father  ,eternal4 ,the other persons of
 the trinity sometimes wear the         
triangle1 but  only in representations  
of the trinity1 and because the ,father 
is with  them4 ,still1 even then1 beside
 the ,father1 who has a triangle1 the   
,son  and the ,holy ,ghost are often    
drawn with a circular nimbus only4 #ach 
,the triangle has1 in all ages and in   
all religions1 been deemed a symbol  of 
,deity4    ,the ,egyptians1 the ,greeks1
 and the other nations of antiquity1    

considered  this figure1 with its three 
sides1 as a symbol of the creative      
energy  displayed in the active and     
passive1 or male and female1 principles1
 and  their product1 the world2 the     
,christians referred it to their dogma  
of the  trinity as a manifestation of   
the ,supreme ,god2 and the ,jews and the
  primitive masons to the three periods 
of existence included in the            
signification of the tetragrammaton--the
 past1 the present1 and the  future4    
,in the higher degrees of ,masonry1 the 
triangle is the most important of  all  
symbols1 and most generally assumes the 
name of the ,delta1 in  allusion to the 
fourth letter of the ,greek alphabet1   
which is of the same  form and bears    
that appellation4    ,the ,delta1 or    
mystical triangle1 is generally         
surrounded by a circle of  rays1 called 
a glory4 ,when this glory is distinct   
from the figure1 and  surrounds it in   
the form of a circle 7as in the example 
just given from  ,didron71 it is then an

 emblem of ,god's eternal glory4 ,when1 
as is most  usual in the masonic symbol1
 the rays emanate from the centre of the
  triangle1 and1 as it were1 enshroud it
 in their brilliancy1 it is symbolic  of
 the ,divine ,light4 ,the perverted     
ideas of the pagans referred these rays 
of light to their ,sun-god and their    
,sabian worship4    ,but the true       
masonic idea of this glory is1 that it  
symbolizes that  ,eternal ,light of     
,wisdom which surrounds the ,supreme    
,architect as with a  sea of glory1 and 
from him1 as a common centre1 emanates  
to the universe  of his creation1 and to
 which the prophet ,ezekiel alludes in  
his eloquent  description of ,jehovah3  
,and ,i saw as the color of amber1 as   
the  appearance of fire round about     
within it1 from the appearance of his   
loins  even upward1 and from his loins  
even downward1 ,i saw1 as it were1 the  
appearance of fire1 and it had          
brightness round about4 7,chap4 #a1     
ver4 #bg47    ,dante has also           

beautifully described this circumfused  
light of ,deity3--        ,there is in  
heaven a light whose goodly shine       
,makes the ,creator visible to all      
,created1 that in seeing him1 alone     
,have peace2 and in a circle spreads so 
far1      ,that the circumference were  
too loose a zone      ,to girdle in the 
sun4    ,on a recapitulation1 then1 of  
the views that have been advanced in    
relation to these three symbols of the  
,deity which are to be found in the     
masonic system1 we may say that each one
 expresses a different attribute4       
,the letter ,g is the symbol of the     
self-existent ,jehovah4    ,the         
,all-,seeing ,eye is the symbol of the  
omnipresent ,god4    ,the triangle#aci  
is the symbol of the ,supreme ,architect
 of the  ,universe--the ,creator2 and   
when surrounded by rays of glory1 it    
becomes a  symbol of the ,architect and 
,bestower of ,light4    ,and now1 after 
all1 is there not in this whole         
prevalence of the name of  ,god1 in so  

many different symbols1 throughout the  
masonic system1  something more than a  
mere evidence of the religious          
proclivities of the  institution8 ,is   
there not behind this a more profound   
symbolism1 which  constitutes1 in fact1 
the very essence of ,freemasonry8 ,the  
names of ,god1  said a learned          
theologian at the beginning of this     
century1 were intended  to communicate  
the knowledge of ,god himself4 ,by      
these1 men were enabled to  receive some
 scanty ideas of his essential majesty1 
goodness1 and power1  and to know both  
whom we are to believe1 and what we are 
to believe of  him4    ,and this train  
of thought is eminently applicable to   
the admission of the  name into the     
system of ,masonry4 ,with us1 the name  
of ,god1 however  expressed1 is a symbol
 of ,,divine ,,truth1 which it should be
 the incessant  labor of a ,mason to    
seek4          ,,xxv4    ,the ,legends  
of ,freemasonry4        ,the compound   
character of a speculative science and  

an operative art1  which the masonic    
institution assumed at the building of  
,king ,solomon's  temple1 in consequence
 of the union1 at that era1 of the ,pure
 ,freemasonry  of the ,noachidae#adj    
with the ,spurious ,freemasonry of the  
,tyrian workmen1  has supplied it with  
two distinct kinds of symbols--the      
mythical1 or  legendary1 and the        
material2 but these are so thoroughly   
united in  object and design1 that it is
 impossible to appreciate the one       
without an  investigation of the other4 
,thus1 by way of illustration1 it may be
 observed1 that the temple itself  has  
been adopted as a material symbol of the
 world 7as ,i have already  shown in    
former articles71 while the legendary   
history of the fate of its  builder is a
 mythical symbol of man's destiny in the
 world4 ,whatever is  visible or        
tangible to the senses in our types and 
emblems--such as the  implements of     
operative masonry1 the furniture and    
ornaments of a lodge1  or the ladder of 

seven steps--is a material symbol2 while
 whatever  derives its existence from   
tradition1 and presents itself in the   
form of  an allegory or legend1 is a    
mythical symbol4 ,hiram the ,builder1   
therefore1 and all that refers to the   
legend of his connection with the       
temple1 and his fate1--such as the sprig
 of acacia1 the hill near ,mount        
,moriah1 and the lost word1--are to be  
considered as belonging to the class  of
 mythical or legendary symbols4    ,and 
this division is not arbitrary1 but     
depends on the nature of the types  and 
the aspect in which they present        
themselves to our view4    ,thus the    
sprig of acacia1 although it is         
material1 visible1 and tangible1  is1   
nevertheless1 not to be treated as a    
material symbol2 for1 as it  derives all
 its significance from its intimate     
connection with the legend  of ,hiram   
,abif1 which is a mythical symbol1 it   
cannot1 without a violent  and          
inexpedient disruption1 be separated    

from the same class4 ,for the same      
reason1 the small hill near ,mount      
,moriah1 the search of the twelve       
,fellow  ,crafts1 and the whole train of
 circumstances connected with the lost  
word1  are to be viewed simply as       
mythical or legendary1 and not as       
material  symbols4    ,these legends of 
,freemasonry constitute a considerable  
and a very  important part of its       
ritual4 ,without them1 the most valuable
 portions of  the masonic as a          
scientific system would cease to exist4 
,it is1 in fact1  in the traditions and 
legends of ,freemasonry1 more1 even1    
than in its  material symbols1 that we  
are to find the deep religious          
instruction which  the institution is   
intended to inculcate4 ,it must be      
remembered that  ,freemasonry has been  
defined to be a system of morality1     
veiled in  allegory and illustrated by  
symbols4 ,symbols1 then1 alone1 do not  
constitute the whole of the system3     
allegory comes in for its share2 and    

this allegory1 which veils the divine   
truths of masonry1 is presented to  the 
neophyte in the various legends which   
have been traditionally  preserved in   
the order4    ,the close connection1 at 
least in design and method of execution1
 between  the institution of            
,freemasonry and the ancient ,mysteries1
 which were  largely imbued with the    
mythical character of the ancient       
religions1 led1  undoubtedly1 to the    
introduction of the same mythical       
character into the  masonic system4     
,so general1 indeed1 was the diffusion  
of the myth or legend among the         
philosophical1 historical1 and religious
 systems of antiquity1 that ,heyne      
remarks1 on this subject1 that all the  
history and philosophy of the  ancients 
proceeded from myths4#ada    ,the word  
myth1 from the ,greek 1 a story1 in its 
original  acceptation1 signified simply 
a statement or narrative of an event1   
without any necessary implication of    
truth or falsehood2 but1 as the word  is

 now used1 it conveys the idea of a     
personal narrative of remote date1      
which1 although not necessarily untrue1 
is certified only by the internal       
evidence of the tradition itself4#adb   
,creuzer1 in his ,symbolik1 says that   
myths and symbols were derived1 on  the 
one hand1 from the helpless condition   
and the poor and scanty  beginnings of  
religious knowledge among the ancient   
peoples1 and on the  other1 from the    
benevolent designs of the priests       
educated in the ,east1 or  of ,eastern  
origin1 to form them to a purer and     
higher knowledge4    ,but the           
observations of that profoundly         
philosophical historian1 ,mr4  ,grote1  
give so correct a view of the probable  
origin of this universality  of the     
mythical element in all the ancient     
religions1 and are1 withal1 so          
appropriate to the subject of masonic   
legends which ,i am now about to        
discuss1 that ,i cannot justly refrain  
from a liberal quotation of his         

remarks4    ,the allegorical            
interpretation of the myths1 he says1   
has been1 by  several learned           
investigators1 especially by ,creuzer1  
connected with the  hypothesis of an    
ancient and highly-instructed body of   
priests1 having  their origin either in 
,egypt or the ,east1 and communicating  
to the rude  and barbarous ,greeks      
religious1 physical1 and historical     
knowledge1 under  the veil of symbols4  
,at a time 7we are told7 when language  
was yet in its  infancy1 visible symbols
 were the most vivid means of acting    
upon the  minds of ignorant hearers4    
,the next step was to pass to symbolical
  language and expressions2 for a plain 
and literal exposition1 even if         
understood at all1 would at least have  
been listened to with indifference1  as 
not corresponding with any mental       
demand4 ,in such allegorizing way1      
then1 the early priests set forth their 
doctrines respecting ,god1 nature1  and 
humanity1--a refined monotheism and     

theological philosophy1--and to  this   
purpose the earliest myths were turned4 
,but another class of myths1  more      
popular and more captivating1 grew up   
under the hands of the  poets--myths    
purely epical1 and descriptive of real  
or supposed past  events4 ,the          
allegorical myths1 being taken up by the
 poets1 insensibly  became confounded in
 the same category with the purely      
narrative myths2  the matter symbolized 
was no longer thought of1 while the     
symbolizing  words came to be construed 
in their own literal meaning1 and the   
basis of  the early allegory1 thus lost 
among the general public1 was only      
preserved  as a secret among various    
religious fraternities1 composed of     
members  allied together by initiation  
in certain mystical ceremonies1 and     
administered by hereditary families of  
presiding priests4    ,in the ,orphic   
and ,bacchic sects1 in the ,eleusinian  
and ,samothracian  ,mysteries1 was thus 
treasured up the secret doctrine of the 

old  theological and philosophical      
myths1 which had once constituted the   
primitive legendary stock of ,greece in 
the hands of the original  priesthood   
and in the ages anterior to ,homer4     
,persons who had gone through  the      
preliminary ceremonies of initiation    
were permitted at length to hear1       
though under strict obligation of       
secrecy1 this ancient religion and      
cosmogonic doctrine1 revealing the      
destination of man and the certainty  of
 posthumous rewards and punishments1 all
 disengaged from the corruptions  of    
poets1 as well as from the symbols and  
allegories under which they  still      
remained buried in the eyes of the      
vulgar4 ,the ,mysteries of ,greece  were
 thus traced up to the earliest ages1   
and represented as the only  faithful   
depositaries of that purer theology and 
physics which had been  originally      
communicated1 though under the          
unavoidable inconvenience of a          
symbolical expression1 by an enlightened

 priesthood1 coming from abroad1  to the
 then rude barbarians of the country4   
#adc    ,in this long but interesting   
extract we find not only a philosophical
  account of the origin and design of   
the ancient myths1 but a fair synopsis  
of all that can be taught in relation to
 the symbolical construction of         
,freemasonry1 as one of the depositaries
 of a mythical theology4    ,the myths  
of ,masonry1 at first perhaps nothing   
more than the simple  traditions of the 
,pure ,freemasonry of the antediluvian  
system1 having been  corrupted and      
misunderstood in the separation of the  
races1 were again  purified1 and adapted
 to the inculcation of truth1 at first  
by the  disciples of the ,spurious      
,freemasonry1 and then1 more fully and  
perfectly1  in the development of that  
system which we now practise4 ,and if   
there be  any leaven of error still     
remaining in the interpretation of our  
masonic  myths1 we must seek to         
disengage them from the corruptions with

 which they  have been invested by      
ignorance and by misinterpretation4 ,we 
must give to  them their true           
significance1 and trace them back to    
those ancient  doctrines and faith      
whence the ideas which they are intended
 to embody  were derived4    ,the myths 
or legends which present themselves to  
our attention in the  course of a       
complete study of the symbolic system of
 ,freemasonry may be  considered as     
divided into three classes3--        #a4
 ,the historical myth4      #b4 ,the    
philosophical myth4      #c4 ,the       
mythical history4    ,and these three   
classes may be defined as follows3--    
#a4 ,the myth may be engaged in the     
transmission of a narrative of early    
deeds and events1 having a foundation in
 truth1 which truth1 however1 has  been 
greatly distorted and perverted by the  
omission or introduction of             
circumstances and personages1 and then  
it constitutes the historical  myth4    
#b4 ,or it may have been invented and   

adopted as the medium of enunciating a  
particular thought1 or of inculcating a 
certain doctrine1 when it becomes  a    
philosophical myth4    #c4 ,or1 lastly1 
the truthful elements of actual history 
may greatly  predominate over the       
fictitious and invented materials of the
 myth1 and  the narrative may be1 in the
 main1 made up of facts1 with a slight  
coloring of imagination1 when it forms a
 mythical history4#add    ,these form   
the three divisions of the legend or    
myth 7for ,i am not  disposed1 on the   
present occasion1 like some of the      
,german mythological  writers1 to make a
 distinction between the two words#ade72
 and to one of  these three divisions we
 must appropriate every legend which    
belongs to  the mythical symbolism of   
,freemasonry4    ,these masonic myths   
partake1 in their general character1 of 
the nature of  the myths which          
constituted the foundation of the       
ancient religions1 as  they have just   
been described in the language of ,mr4  

,grote4 ,of these  latter myths1        
,mller#adf says that their source is to 
be found1 for the  most part1 in oral   
tradition1 and that the real and the    
ideal--that is to  say1 the facts of    
history and the inventions of           
imagination--concurred1 by  their union 
and reciprocal fusion1 in producing the 
myth4    ,those are the very principles 
that govern the construction of the     
masonic  myths or legends4 ,these1 too1 
owe their existence entirely to oral    
tradition1 and are made up1 as ,i have  
just observed1 of a due admixture of    
the real and the ideal--the true and the
 false--the facts of history and  the   
inventions of allegory4    ,dr4 ,oliver 
remarks that the first series of        
historical facts1 after the  fall of    
man1 must necessarily have been         
traditional1 and transmitted from       
father to son by oral communication4    
#adg ,the same system1 adopted in  all  
the ,mysteries1 has been continued in   
the masonic institution2 and all  the   

esoteric instructions contained in the  
legends of ,freemasonry are  forbidden  
to be written1 and can be communicated  
only in the oral  intercourse of        
,freemasons with each other4#adh    ,de 
,wette1 in his ,criticism on the ,mosaic
 ,history1 lays down the test by  which 
a myth is to be distinguished from a    
strictly historical narrative1  as      
follows1 namely3 that the myth must owe 
its origin to the intention of  the     
inventor not to satisfy the natural     
thirst for historical truth by a  simple
 narration of facts1 but rather to      
delight or touch the feelings1 or  to   
illustrate some philosophical or        
religious truth4    ,this definition    
precisely fits the character of the     
myths of ,masonry4  ,take1 for instance1
 the legend of the master's degree1 or  
the myth of  ,hiram ,abif4 ,as a simple 
narration of facts1 it is of no great   
value--certainly not of value           
commensurate with the labor that has    
been  engaged in its transmission4 ,its 

invention--by which is meant1 not the   
invention or imagination of all the     
incidents of which it is composed1 for  
there are abundant materials of the true
 and real in its details1 but its       
invention or composition in the form of 
a myth by the addition of some          
features1 the suppression of others1 and
 the general arrangement of the         
whole--was not intended to add a single 
item to the great mass of history1  but 
altogether1 as ,de ,wette says1 to      
illustrate a philosophical or  religious
 truth1 which truth1 it is hardly       
necessary for me to say1 is  the        
doctrine of the immortality of the soul4
    ,it must be evident1 from all that  
has been said respecting the analogy in 
origin and design between the masonic   
and the ancient religious myths1  that  
no one acquainted with the true science 
of this subject can1 for a  moment1     
contend that all the legends and        
traditions of the order are1 to  the    
very letter1 historical facts4 ,all that

 can be claimed for them is1  that in   
some there is simply a substratum of    
history1 the edifice  constructed on    
this foundation being purely inventive1 
to serve us a  medium for inculcating   
some religious truth2 in others1 nothing
 more than  an idea to which the legend 
or myth is indebted for its existence1  
and of  which it is1 as a symbol1 the   
exponent2 and in others1 again1 a great 
deal  of truthful narrative1 more or    
less intermixed with fiction1 but the   
historical always predominating4        
,thus there is a legend1 contained in   
some of our old records1 which states   
that ,euclid was a distinguished ,mason1
 and that he introduced ,masonry  among 
the ,egyptians4#adi ,now1 it is not at  
all necessary to the orthodoxy  of a    
,mason's creed that he should literally 
believe that ,euclid1 the great         
geometrician1 was really a ,freemason1  
and that the ancient ,egyptians were    
indebted to him for the establishment of
 the institution among them4  ,indeed1  

the palpable anachronism in the legend  
which makes ,euclid the  contemporary of
 ,abraham necessarily prohibits any such
 belief1 and shows  that the whole story
 is a sheer invention4 ,the intelligent 
,mason1 however1  will not wholly reject
 the legend1 as ridiculous or absurd2   
but1 with a  due sense of the nature and
 design of our system of symbolism1 will
 rather  accept it as what1 in the      
classification laid down on a preceding 
page1  would be called a philosophical  
myth--an ingenious method of conveying1 
symbolically1 a masonic truth4          
,euclid is here very appropriately used 
as a type of geometry1 that science  of 
which he was so eminent a teacher1 and  
the myth or legend then  symbolizes the 
fact that there was in ,egypt a close   
connection between  that science and the
 great moral and religious system1 which
 was among the  ,egyptians1 as well as  
other ancient nations1 what ,freemasonry
 is in the  present day--a secret       
institution1 established for the        

inculcation of the  same principles1 and
 inculcating them in the same symbolic  
manner4 ,so  interpreted1 this legend   
corresponds to all the developments of  
,egyptian  history1 which teach us how  
close a connection existed in that      
country  between the religious and      
scientific systems4 ,thus ,kenrick tells
 us1 that  when we read of foreigners in
 ,egypt being obliged to submit to      
painful  and tedious ceremonies of      
initiation1 it was not that they might  
learn the  secret meaning of the rites  
of ,osiris or ,isis1 but that they might
 partake  of the knowledge of astronomy1
 physic1 geometry1 and theology4 #aej   
,another illustration will be found in  
the myth or legend of the ,winding      
,stairs1 by which the ,fellow ,crafts   
are said to have ascended to the  middle
 chamber to receive their wages4 ,now1  
this myth1 taken in its  literal sense1 
is1 in all its parts1 opposed to history
 and probability4  ,as a myth1 it finds 
its origin in the fact that there was a 

place in the  temple called the ,middle 
,chamber1 and that there were winding   
stairs  by which it was reached2 for we 
read1 in the ,first ,book of ,kings1    
that  they went up with winding stairs  
into the middle chamber4 #aea ,but we   
have no historical evidence that the    
stairs were of the construction1 or     
that the chamber was used for the       
purpose1 indicated in the mythical      
narrative1 as it is set forth in the    
ritual of the second degree4 ,the  whole
 legend is1 in fact1 an historical myth1
 in which the mystic number  of the     
steps1 the process of passing to the    
chamber1 and the wages there  received1 
are inventions added to or ingrafted on 
the fundamental history  contained in   
the sixth chapter of ,kings1 to         
inculcate important symbolic            
instruction relative to the principles  
of the order4 ,these lessons might1  it 
is true1 have been inculcated in a dry1 
didactic form2 but the  allegorical and 
mythical method adopted tends to make a 

stronger and  deeper impression on the  
mind1 and at the same time serves more  
closely  to connect the institution of  
,masonry with the ancient temple4       
,again3 the myth which traces the origin
 of the institution of ,freemasonry  to 
the beginning of the world1 making its  
commencement coeval with the            
creation1--a myth which is1 even at this
 day1 ignorantly interpreted1 by  some1 
as an historical fact1 and the reference
 to which is still preserved  in the    
date of anno lucis1 which is affixed to 
all masonic  documents1--is but a       
philosophical myth1 symbolizing the idea
 which  analogically connects the       
creation of physical light in the       
universe with  the birth of masonic or  
spiritual and intellectual light in the 
candidate4  ,the one is the type of the 
other4 ,when1 therefore1 ,preston says  
that from  the commencement of the world
 we may trace the foundation of         
,masonry1 and  when he goes on to assert
 that ever since symmetry began1 and    

harmony  displayed her charms1 our order
 has had a being1 we are not to suppose 
that ,preston intended to teach that a  
masonic lodge was held in the ,garden   
of ,eden4 ,such a supposition would     
justly subject us to the ridicule of    
every intelligent person4 ,the only idea
 intended to be conveyed is this3  that 
the principles of ,freemasonry1 which1  
indeed1 are entirely  independent of any
 special organization which it may have 
as a society1  are coeval with the      
existence of the world2 that when ,god  
said1 ,let there  be light1 the material
 light thus produced was an antitype of 
that  spiritual light that must burst   
upon the mind of every candidate when   
his  intellectual world1 theretofore    
without form and void1 becomes adorned  
and peopled with the living thoughts and
 divine principles which  constitute the
 great system of ,speculative ,masonry1 
and when the spirit of  the institution1
 brooding over the vast deep of his     
mental chaos1 shall1  from intellectual 

darkness1 bring forth intellectual      
light4#aeb    ,in the legends of the    
,master's degree and of the ,royal ,arch
 there is a  commingling of the         
historical myth and the mythical        
history1 so that  profound judgment is  
often required to discriminate these    
differing  elements4 ,as1 for example1  
the legend of the third degree is1 in   
some of  its details1 undoubtedly       
mythical--in others1 just as undoubtedly
  historical4 ,the difficulty1 however1 
of separating the one from the other1   
and of distinguishing the fact from the 
fiction1 has necessarily produced  a    
difference of opinion on the subject    
among masonic writers4 ,hutchinson1     
and1 after him1 ,oliver1 think the whole
 legend an allegory or  philosophical   
myth4 ,i am inclined1 with ,anderson and
 the earlier writers1  to suppose it a  
mythical history4 ,in the ,royal ,arch  
degree1 the legend of  the rebuilding of
 the temple is clearly historical2 but  
there are so many  accompanying         

circumstances1 which are uncertified1   
except by oral  tradition1 as to give to
 the entire narrative the appearance of 
a mythical  history4 ,the particular    
legend of the three weary sojourners is 
undoubtedly a myth1 and perhaps merely a
 philosophical one1 or the  enunciation 
of an idea--namely1 the reward of       
successful perseverance1  through all   
dangers1 in the search for divine truth4
    ,to form symbols and to interpret   
symbols1 says the learned ,creuzer1     
were the main occupation of the ancient 
priesthood4 ,upon the studious  ,mason  
the same task of interpretation         
devolves4 ,he who desires properly  to  
appreciate the profound wisdom of the   
institution of which he is the          
disciple1 must not be content1 with     
uninquiring credulity1 to accept all    
the traditions that are imparted to him 
as veritable histories2 nor yet1  with  
unphilosophic incredulity1 to reject    
them in a mass1 as fabulous  inventions4
 ,in these extremes there is equal      

error4 ,the myth1 says  ,hermann1 is the
 representation of an idea4 ,it is for  
that idea that the  student must search 
in the myths of ,masonry4 ,beneath every
 one of them  there is something richer 
and more spiritual than the mere        
narrative4#aec  ,this spiritual essence 
he must learn to extract from the ore in
 which1  like a precious metal1 it lies 
imbedded4 ,it is this that constitutes  
the  true value of ,freemasonry4        
,without its symbols1 and its myths or  
legends1  and the ideas and conceptions 
which lie at the bottom of them1 the    
time1  the labor1 and the expense       
incurred in perpetuating the            
institution1 would  be thrown away4     
,without them1 it would be a vain and   
empty show4 ,its  grips and signs are   
worth nothing1 except for social        
purposes1 as mere  means of recognition4
 ,so1 too1 would be its words1 were it  
not that they  are1 for the most part1  
symbolic4 ,its social habits and its    
charities are  but incidental points in 

its constitution--of themselves good1 it
 is true1  but capable of being attained
 in a simpler way4 ,its true value1 as a
  science1 consists in its symbolism--in
 the great lessons of divine truth      
which it teaches1 and in the admirable  
manner in which it accomplishes  that   
teaching4 ,every one1 therefore1 who    
desires to be a skilful ,mason1  must   
not suppose that the task is            
accomplished by a perfect knowledge of  
the mere phraseology of the ritual1 by a
 readiness in opening and closing  a    
lodge1 nor by an off-hand capacity to   
confer degrees4 ,all these are good  in 
their places1 but without the internal  
meaning they are but mere  child's play4
 ,he must study the myths1 the          
traditions1 and the symbols of  the     
order1 and learn their true             
interpretation2 for this alone          
constitutes  the science and the        
philosophy--the end1 aim1 and design of 
,speculative  ,masonry4          ,,xxvi4
    ,the ,legend of the ,winding        

,stairs4        ,before proceeding to   
the examination of those more important 
mythical  legends which appropriately   
belong to the ,master's degree1 it will 
not1 ,i  think1 be unpleasing or        
uninstructive to consider the only one  
which is  attached to the ,fellow       
,craft's degree--that1 namely1 which    
refers to the  allegorical ascent of the
 ,winding ,stairs to the ,middle        
,chamber1 and the  symbolic payment of  
the workmen's wages4    ,although the   
legend of the ,winding ,stairs forms an 
important tradition of  ,ancient ,craft 
,masonry1 the only allusion to it in    
,scripture is to be found  in a single  
verse in the sixth chapter of the ,first
 ,book of ,kings1 and is  in these      
words3 ,the door for the middle chamber 
was in the right side of  the house2 and
 they went up with winding stairs into  
the middle chamber1  and out of the     
middle into the third4 ,out of this     
slender material has  been constructed  
an allegory1 which1 if properly         

considered in its  symbolical relations1
 will be found to be of surpassing      
beauty4 ,but it is  only as a symbol    
that we can regard this whole tradition2
 for the  historical facts and the      
architectural details alike forbid us   
for a  moment to suppose that the       
legend1 as it is rehearsed in the second
 degree  of ,masonry1 is anything more  
than a magnificent philosophical myth4  
,let us inquire into the true design of 
this legend1 and learn the lesson  of   
symbolism which it is intended to teach4
    ,in the investigation of the true   
meaning of every masonic symbol and     
allegory1 we must be governed by the    
single principle that the whole  design 
of ,freemasonry as a speculative science
 is the investigation of  divine truth4 
,to this great object everything is     
subsidiary4 ,the ,mason is1  from the   
moment of his initiation as an ,entered 
,apprentice1 to the time at  which he   
receives the full fruition of masonic   
light1 an investigator--a  laborer in   

the quarry and the temple--whose reward 
is to be ,truth4 ,all the  ceremonies   
and traditions of the order tend to this
 ultimate design4 ,is  there light to be
 asked for8 ,it is the intellectual     
light of wisdom and  truth4 ,is there a 
word to be sought8 ,that word is the    
symbol of truth4 ,is  there a loss of   
something that had been promised8 ,that 
loss is typical of  the failure of man1 
in the infirmity of his nature1 to      
discover divine  truth4 ,is there a     
substitute to be appointed for that     
loss8 ,it is an  allegory which teaches 
us that in this world man can only      
approximate to  the full conception of  
truth4    ,hence there is in            
,speculative ,masonry always a progress1
 symbolized by its  peculiar ceremonies 
of initiation4 ,there is an advancement 
from a lower to  a higher state--from   
darkness to light--from death to        
life--from error to  truth4 ,the        
candidate is always ascending2 he is    
never stationary2 he  never goes back1  

but each step he takes brings him to    
some new mental  illumination--to the   
knowledge of some more elevated         
doctrine4 ,the  teaching of the ,divine 
,master is1 in respect to this continual
 progress1  the teaching of             
,masonry--,no man having put his hand to
 the plough1 and  looking back1 is fit  
for the kingdom of heaven4 ,and similar 
to this is  the precept of ,pythagoras3 
,when travelling1 turn not back1 for if 
you do  the ,furies will accompany you4 
,now1 this principle of masonic         
symbolism is apparent in many places in 
each of the degrees4 ,in that of the    
,entered ,apprentice we find it         
developed in the theological ladder1    
which1 resting on earth1 leans its  top 
upon heaven1 thus inculcating the idea  
of an ascent from a lower to a  higher  
sphere1 as the object of masonic labor4 
,in the ,master's degree we  find it    
exhibited in its most religious form1 in
 the restoration from  death to life--in
 the change from the obscurity of the   

grave to the holy  of holies of the     
,divine ,presence4 ,in all the degrees  
we find it presented  in the ceremony of
 circumambulation1 in which there is a  
gradual  inquisition1 and a passage from
 an inferior to a superior officer4 ,and
  lastly1 the same symbolic idea is     
conveyed in the ,fellow ,craft's degree 
in  the legend of the ,winding ,stairs4 
,in an investigation of the symbolism of
 the ,winding ,stairs we shall be       
directed to the true explanation by a   
reference to their origin1 their        
number1 the objects which they recall1  
and their termination1 but above  all by
 a consideration of the great design    
which an ascent upon them was  intended 
to accomplish4    ,the steps of this    
,winding ,staircase commenced1 we are   
informed1 at the  porch of the temple2  
that is to say1 at its very entrance4   
,but nothing is  more undoubted in the  
science of masonic symbolism than that  
the temple  was the representative of   
the world purified by the ,shekinah1 or 

the  ,divine ,presence4 ,the world of   
the profane is without the temple2 the  
world  of the initiated is within its   
sacred walls4 ,hence to enter the       
temple1 to  pass within the porch1 to be
 made a ,mason1 and to be born into the 
world  of masonic light1 are all        
synonymous and convertible terms4 ,here1
 then1  the symbolism of the ,winding   
,stairs begins4    ,the ,apprentice1    
having entered within the porch of the  
temple1 has begun  his masonic life4    
,but the first degree in ,masonry1 like 
the lesser  ,mysteries of the ancient   
systems of initiation1 is only a        
preparation and  purification for       
something higher4 ,the ,entered         
,apprentice is the child in  ,masonry4  
,the lessons which he receives are      
simply intended to cleanse the  heart   
and prepare the recipient for that      
mental illumination which is to  be     
given in the succeeding degrees4    ,as 
a ,fellow ,craft1 he has advanced       
another step1 and as the degree is      

emblematic of youth1 so it is here that 
the intellectual education of the       
candidate begins4 ,and therefore1 here1 
at the very spot which separates  the   
,porch from the ,sanctuary1 where       
childhood ends and manhood begins1 he   
finds stretching out before him a       
winding stair which invites him1 as it  
were1 to ascend1 and which1 as the      
symbol of discipline and instruction1   
teaches him that here must commence his 
masonic labor--here he must enter  upon 
those glorious though difficult         
researches1 the end of which is to be   
the possession of divine truth4 ,the    
,winding ,stairs begin after the        
candidate has passed within the ,porch  
and between the pillars of ,strength    
and ,establishment1 as a significant    
symbol to teach him that as soon as he  
has passed beyond the years of          
irrational childhood1 and commenced his 
entrance upon manly life1 the laborious 
task of self-improvement is the  first  
duty that is placed before him4 ,he     

cannot stand still1 if he would  be     
worthy of his vocation2 his destiny as  
an immortal being requires him  to      
ascend1 step by step1 until he has      
reached the summit1 where the  treasures
 of knowledge await him4    ,the number 
of these steps in all the systems has   
been odd4 ,vitruvius  remarks--and the  
coincidence is at least curious--that   
the ancient temples  were always        
ascended by an odd number of steps2 and 
he assigns as the  reason1 that1        
commencing with the right foot at the   
bottom1 the worshipper  would find the  
same foot foremost when he entered the  
temple1 which was  considered as a      
fortunate omen4 ,but the fact is1 that  
the symbolism of  numbers was borrowed  
by the ,masons from ,pythagoras1 in     
whose system of  philosophy it plays an 
important part1 and in which odd numbers
 were  considered as more perfect than  
even ones4 ,hence1 throughout the       
masonic  system we find a predominance  
of odd numbers2 and while three1 five1  

seven1 nine1 fifteen1 and twenty-seven1 
are all-important symbols1 we  seldom   
find a reference to two1 four1 six1     
eight1 or ten4 ,the odd number  of the  
stairs was therefore intended to        
symbolize the idea of perfection1  to   
which it was the object of the aspirant 
to attain4    ,as to the particular     
number of the stairs1 this has varied at
 different  periods4 ,tracing-boards of 
the last century have been found1 in    
which only  five steps are delineated1  
and others in which they amount to      
seven4  ,the ,prestonian lectures1 used 
in ,england in the beginning of this    
century1  gave the whole number as      
thirty-eight1 dividing them into series 
of one1  three1 five1 seven1 nine1 and  
eleven4 ,the error of making an even    
number1  which was a violation of the   
,pythagorean principle of odd numbers as
 the  symbol of perfection1 was         
corrected in the ,hemming lectures1     
adopted at  the union of the two ,grand 
,lodges of ,england1 by striking out the

 eleven1  which was also objectionable  
as receiving a sectarian explanation4   
,in this  country the number was still  
further reduced to fifteen1 divided into
  three series of three1 five1 and      
seven4 ,i shall adopt this ,american    
division in explaining the symbolism1   
although1 after all1 the particular     
number of the steps1 or the peculiar    
method of their division into  series1  
will not in any way affect the general  
symbolism of the whole  legend4    ,the 
candidate1 then1 in the second degree of
 ,masonry1 represents a man  starting   
forth on the journey of life1 with the  
great task before him of                
self-improvement4 ,for the faithful     
performance of this task1 a reward is   
promised1 which reward consists in the  
development of all his intellectual     
faculties1 the moral and spiritual      
elevation of his character1 and the     
acquisition of truth and knowledge4     
,now1 the attainment of this moral and  
intellectual condition supposes an      

elevation of character1 an ascent from  
a lower to a higher life1 and a passage 
of toil and difficulty1 through         
rudimentary instruction1 to the full    
fruition of wisdom4 ,this is therefore  
beautifully symbolized by the ,winding  
,stairs2 at whose foot the aspirant     
stands ready to climb the toilsome      
steep1 while at its top is placed that  
hieroglyphic bright which none but      
,craftsmen ever saw1 as the emblem of   
divine truth4 ,and hence a distinguished
 writer has said that these steps1  like
 all the masonic symbols1 are           
illustrative of discipline and doctrine1
  as well as of natural1 mathematical1  
and metaphysical science1 and open to   
us an extensive range of moral and      
speculative inquiry4    ,the candidate1 
incited by the love of virtue and the   
desire of knowledge1  and withal eager  
for the reward of truth which is set    
before him1 begins  at once the toilsome
 ascent4 ,at each division he pauses to 
gather  instruction from the symbolism  

which these divisions present to his    
attention4    ,at the first pause which 
he makes he is instructed in the        
peculiar  organization of the order of  
which he has become a disciple4 ,but the
  information here given1 if taken in   
its naked1 literal sense1 is barren1    
and unworthy of his labor4 ,the rank of 
the officers who govern1 and the  names 
of the degrees which constitute the     
institution1 can give him no  knowledge 
which he has not before possessed4 ,we  
must look therefore to the  symbolic    
meaning of these allusions for any value
 which may be attached to  this part of 
the ceremony4    ,the reference to the  
organization of the masonic institution 
is intended  to remind the aspirant of  
the union of men in society1 and the    
development  of the social state out of 
the state of nature4 ,he is thus        
reminded1 in  the very outset of his    
journey1 of the blessings which arise   
from  civilization1 and of the fruits of
 virtue and knowledge which are derived 

from that condition4 ,masonry itself is 
the result of civilization2 while1  in  
grateful return1 it has been one of the 
most important means of  extending that 
condition of mankind4    ,all the       
monuments of antiquity that the ravages 
of time have left1 combine  to prove    
that man had no sooner emerged from the 
savage into the social  state1 than he  
commenced the organization of religious 
mysteries1 and the  separation1 by a    
sort of divine instinct1 of the sacred  
from the profane4  ,then came the       
invention of architecture as a means of 
providing convenient  dwellings and     
necessary shelter from the inclemencies 
and vicissitudes of  the seasons1 with  
all the mechanical arts connected with  
it2 and lastly1  geometry1 as a         
necessary science to enable the         
cultivators of land to  measure and     
designate the limits of their           
possessions4 ,all these are  claimed as 
peculiar characteristics of ,speculative
 ,masonry1 which may be  considered as  

the type of civilization1 the former    
bearing the same  relation to the       
profane world as the latter does to the 
savage state4  ,hence we at once see the
 fitness of the symbolism which         
commences the  aspirant's upward        
progress in the cultivation of knowledge
 and the search  after truth1 by        
recalling to his mind the condition of  
civilization and  the social union of   
mankind as necessary preparations for   
the attainment  of these objects4 ,in   
the allusions to the officers of a      
lodge1 and the  degrees of ,masonry as  
explanatory of the organization of our  
own society1  we clothe in our symbolic 
language the history of the organization
 of  society4    ,advancing in his      
progress1 the candidate is invited to   
contemplate another  series of          
instructions4 ,the human senses1 as the 
appropriate channels  through which we  
receive all our ideas of perception1 and
 which1  therefore1 constitute the most 
important sources of our knowledge1 are 

here referred to as a symbol of         
intellectual cultivation4 ,architecture1
 as  the most important of the arts     
which conduce to the comfort of mankind1
 is  also alluded to here1 not simply   
because it is so closely connected with 
the operative institution of ,masonry1  
but also as the type of all the  other  
useful arts4 ,in his second pause1 in   
the ascent of the ,winding  ,stairs1 the
 aspirant is therefore reminded of the  
necessity of cultivating  practical     
knowledge4    ,so far1 then1 the        
instructions he has received relate to  
his own condition  in society as a      
member of the great social compact1 and 
to his means of  becoming1 by a         
knowledge of the arts of practical life1
 a necessary and  useful member of that 
society4    ,but his motto will be1     
,excelsior4 ,still must he go onward and
 forward4  ,the stair is still before   
him2 its summit is not yet reached1 and 
still  further treasures of wisdom are  
to be sought for1 or the reward will not

  be gained1 nor the middle chamber1 the
 abiding place of truth1 be  reached4   
,in his third pause1 he therefore       
arrives at that point in which the whole
  circle of human science is to be      
explained4 ,symbols1 we know1 are in    
themselves arbitrary and of conventional
 signification1 and the complete  circle
 of human science might have been as    
well symbolized by any other  sign or   
series of doctrines as by the seven     
liberal arts and sciences4 ,but         
,masonry is an institution of the olden 
time2 and this selection of the  liberal
 arts and sciences as a symbol of the   
completion of human learning  is one of 
the most pregnant evidences that we have
 of its antiquity4    ,in the seventh   
century1 and for a long time afterwards1
 the circle of  instruction to which all
 the learning of the most eminent       
schools and most  distinguished         
philosophers was confined1 was limited  
to what were then  called the liberal   
arts and sciences1 and consisted of two 

branches1 the  trivium and the          
quadrivium4#aed ,the trivium included   
grammar1  rhetoric1 and logic2 the      
quadrivium comprehended arithmetic1     
geometry1  music1 and astronomy4        
,these seven heads1 says ,enfield1 were 
supposed to include universal           
knowledge4 ,he who was master of these  
was thought to have no need of a        
preceptor to explain any books or to    
solve any questions which lay within    
the compass of human reason1 the        
knowledge of the trivium having         
furnished him with the key to all       
language1 and that of the quadrivium    
having opened to him the secret laws of 
nature4 #aee    ,at a period1 says the  
same writer1 when few were instructed in
 the  trivium1 and very few studied the 
quadrivium1 to be master of both was    
sufficient to complete the character of 
a philosopher4 ,the propriety1          
therefore1 of adopting the seven liberal
 arts and sciences as a symbol of  the  
completion of human learning is         

apparent4 ,the candidate1 having        
reached this point1 is now supposed to  
have accomplished the task upon  which  
he had entered--he has reached the last 
step1 and is now ready to  receive the  
full fruition of human learning4    ,so 
far1 then1 we are able to comprehend the
 true symbolism of the ,winding         
,stairs4 ,they represent the progress of
 an inquiring mind with the toils  and  
labors of intellectual cultivation and  
study1 and the preparatory  acquisition 
of all human science1 as a preliminary  
step to the attainment  of divine truth1
 which it must be remembered is always  
symbolized in  ,masonry by the ,,word4  
,here let me again allude to the        
symbolism of numbers1 which is for the  
first time presented to the             
consideration of the masonic student in 
the  legend of the ,winding ,stairs4    
,the theory of numbers as the symbols of
  certain qualities was originally      
borrowed by the ,masons from the school 
of  ,pythagoras4 ,it will be impossible1

 however1 to develop this doctrine1 in  
its entire extent1 on the present       
occasion1 for the numeral symbolism of  
,masonry would itself constitute        
materials for an ample essay4 ,it will  
be  sufficient to advert to the fact    
that the total number of the steps1     
amounting in all to fifteen1 in the     
,american system1 is a significant      
symbol4 ,for fifteen was a sacred number
 among the ,orientals1 because the      
letters of the holy name ,,jah1 1 were1 
in their numerical  value1 equivalent to
 fifteen2 and hence a figure in which   
the nine digits  were so disposed as to 
make fifteen either way when added      
together  perpendicularly1 horizontally1
 or diagonally1 constituted one of their
  most sacred talismans4#aef ,the       
fifteen steps in the ,winding ,stairs   
are  therefore symbolic of the name of  
,god4    ,but we are not yet done4 ,it  
will be remembered that a reward was    
promised  for all this toilsome ascent  
of the ,winding ,stairs4 ,now1 what are 

the  wages of a ,speculative ,mason8    
,not money1 nor corn1 nor wine1 nor oil4
 ,all  these are but symbols4 ,his wages
 are ,,truth1 or that approximation to  
it  which will be most appropriate to   
the degree into which he has been       
initiated4 ,it is one of the most       
beautiful1 but at the same time most    
abstruse1 doctrines of the science of   
masonic symbolism1 that the ,mason is   
ever to be in search of truth1 but is   
never to find it4 ,this divine truth1   
the object of all his labors1 is        
symbolized by the ,,word1 for which we  
all  know he can only obtain a          
substitute2 and this is intended to     
teach the  humiliating but necessary    
lesson that the knowledge of the nature 
of ,god  and of man's relation to him1  
which knowledge constitutes divine      
truth1  can never be acquired in this   
life4 ,it is only when the portals of   
the  grave open to us1 and give us an   
entrance into a more perfect life1 that 
this knowledge is to be attained4 ,happy

 is the man1 says the father of  lyric  
poetry1 who descends beneath the hollow 
earth1 having beheld these  mysteries2  
he knows the end1 he knows the origin of
 life4    ,the ,middle ,chamber is      
therefore symbolic of this life1 where  
the symbol  only of the word can be     
given1 where the truth is to be reached 
by  approximation only1 and yet where we
 are to learn that that truth will      
consist in a perfect knowledge of the   
,g4,a4,o4,t4,u4 ,this is the reward of  
the  inquiring ,mason2 in this consist  
the wages of a ,fellow ,craft2 he is    
directed to the truth1 but must travel  
farther and ascend still higher to      
attain it4    ,it is1 then1 as a symbol1
 and a symbol only1 that we must study  
this  beautiful legend of the ,winding  
,stairs4 ,if we attempt to adopt it as  
an  historical fact1 the absurdity of   
its details stares us in the face1 and  
wise men will wonder at our credulity4  
,its inventors had no desire thus to    
impose upon our folly2 but offering it  

to us as a great philosophical  myth1   
they did not for a moment suppose that  
we would pass over its  sublime moral   
teachings to accept the allegory as an  
historical narrative1  without meaning1 
and wholly irreconcilable with the      
records of ,scripture1  and opposed by  
all the principles of probability4 ,to  
suppose that eighty  thousand craftsmen 
were weekly paid in the narrow precincts
 of the temple  chambers1 is simply to  
suppose an absurdity4 ,but to believe   
that all this  pictorial representation 
of an ascent by a ,winding ,staircase to
 the place  where the wages of labor    
were to be received1 was an allegory to 
teach us  the ascent of the mind from   
ignorance1 through all the toils of     
study and  the difficulties of obtaining
 knowledge1 receiving here a little and 
there  a little1 adding something to the
 stock of our ideas at each step1 until1
  in the middle chamber of life1--in the
 full fruition of manhood1--the  reward 
is attained1 and the purified and       

elevated intellect is invested  with the
 reward in the direction how to seek    
,god and ,god's truth1--to  believe this
 is to believe and to know the true     
design of ,speculative  ,masonry1 the   
only design which makes it worthy of a  
good or a wise man's  study4    ,its    
historical details are barren1 but its  
symbols and allegories are  fertile with
 instruction4          ,,xxvii4    ,the 
,legend of the ,third ,degree4          
,the most important and significant of  
the legendary symbols of ,freemasonry   
is1 undoubtedly1 that which relates to  
the fate of ,hiram ,abif1 commonly      
called1 by way of excellence1 the       
,legend of the ,third ,degree4    ,the  
first written record that ,i have been  
able to find of this legend is          
contained in the second edition of      
,anderson's ,constitutions1 published in
  #agch1 and is in these words3--    ,it
 7the temple7 was finished in the short 
space of seven years and six  months1 to
 the amazement of all the world2 when   

the cape-stone was  celebrated by the   
fraternity with great joy4 ,but their   
joy was soon  interrupted by the sudden 
death of their dear master1 ,hiram      
,abif1 whom  they decently interred1 in 
the lodge near the temple1 according to 
ancient  dusage4 #aeg    ,in the next   
edition of the same work1 published in  
#agef1 a few additional  circumstances  
are related1 such as the participation  
of ,king ,solomon in  the general grief1
 and the fact that the king of ,israel  
ordered his  obsequies to be conducted  
with great solemnity and decency4 #aeh  
,with  these exceptions1 and the        
citations of the same passages1 made by 
subsequent authors1 the narrative has   
always remained unwritten1 and          
descended1 from age to age1 through the 
means of oral tradition4    ,the legend 
has been considered of so much          
importance that it has been  preserved  
in the symbolism of every masonic rite4 
,no matter what  modifications or       
alterations the general system may have 

undergone1--no  matter how much the     
ingenuity or the imagination of the     
founders of rites  may have perverted or
 corrupted other symbols1 abolishing the
 old and  substituting new ones1--the   
legend of the ,temple ,builder has ever 
been  left untouched1 to present itself 
in all the integrity of its ancient     
mythical form4    ,what1 then1 is the   
signification of this symbol1 so        
important and so  extensively diffused8 
,what interpretation can we give to it  
that will  account for its universal    
adoption8 ,how is it that it has thus   
become so  intimately interwoven with   
,freemasonry as to make1 to all         
appearances1 a  part of its very        
essence1 and to have been always deemed 
inseparable from  it8    ,to answer     
these questions1 satisfactorily1 it is  
necessary to trace1 in a  brief         
investigation1 the remote origin of the 
institution of ,freemasonry1  and its   
connection with the ancient systems of  
initiation4    ,it was1 then1 the great 

object of all the rites and mysteries   
which  constituted the ,spurious        
,freemasonry of antiquity to teach the  
consoling doctrine of the immortality of
 the soul4#aei ,this dogma1  shining as 
an almost solitary beacon-light in the  
surrounding gloom of  pagan darkness1   
had undoubtedly been received from that 
ancient people or  priesthood#afj what  
has been called the system of ,pure     
,freemasonry1 and  among whom it        
probably existed only in the form of an 
abstract proposition  or a simple and   
unembellished tradition4 ,but in the    
more sensual minds of  the pagan        
philosophers and mystics1 the idea1 when
 presented to the  initiates in their   
,mysteries1 was always conveyed in the  
form of a scenic  representation4#afa   
,the influence1 too1 of the early       
,sabian worship of  the sun and heavenly
 bodies1 in which the solar orb was     
adored1 on its  resurrection1 each      
morning1 from the apparent death of its 
evening  setting1 caused this rising sun

 to be adopted in the more ancient      
,mysteries as a symbol of the           
regeneration of the soul4    ,thus in   
the ,egyptian ,mysteries we find a      
representation of the death and         
subsequent regeneration of ,osiris2 in  
the ,phnician1 of ,adonis2 in the       
,syrian1 of ,dionysus2 in all of which  
the scenic apparatus of initiation  was 
intended to indoctrinate the candidate  
into the dogma of a future  life4    ,it
 will be sufficient here to refer simply
 to the fact1 that through the          
instrumentality of the ,tyrian workmen  
at the temple of ,king ,solomon1 the    
spurious and pure branches of the       
masonic system were united at           
,jerusalem1  and that the same method of
 scenic representation was adopted by   
the  latter from the former1 and the    
narrative of the temple builder         
substituted for that of ,dionysus1 which
 was the myth peculiar to the  mysteries
 practised by the ,tyrian workmen4      
,the idea1 therefore1 proposed to be    

communicated in the myth of the  ancient
 ,mysteries was the same as that which  
is now conveyed in the  masonic legend  
of the ,third ,degree4    ,hence1 then1 
,hiram ,abif is1 in the masonic system1 
the symbol of human  nature1 as         
developed in the life here and the life 
to come2 and so1 while  the temple was1 
as ,i have heretofore shown1 the visible
 symbol of the  world1 its builder      
became the mythical symbol of man1 the  
dweller and  worker in that world4      
,now1 is not this symbolism evident to  
every reflective mind8    ,man1 setting 
forth on the voyage of life1 with       
faculties and powers  fitting him for   
the due exercise of the high duties to  
whose performance  he has been called1  
holds1 if he be a curious and cunning   
workman1 #afb  skilled in all moral and 
intellectual purposes 7and it is only of
 such men  that the temple builder can  
be the symbol71 within the grasp of his 
attainment the knowledge of all that    
divine truth imparted to him as the     

heirloom of his race--that race to whom 
it has been granted to look1 with       
exalted countenance1 on high2#afc which 
divine truth is symbolized by the       
,,word4    ,thus provided with the word 
of life1 he occupies his time in the    
construction of a spiritual temple1 and 
travels onward in the faithful          
discharge of all his duties1 laying down
 his designs upon the  trestle-board of 
the future and invoking the assistance  
and direction of  ,god4    ,but is his  
path always over flowery meads and      
through pleasant groves8 ,is  there no  
hidden foe to obstruct his progress8 ,is
 all before him clear and  calm1 with   
joyous sunshine and refreshing zephyrs8 
,alas6 not so4 ,man is  born to trouble1
 as the sparks fly upward4 ,at every    
gate of life--as  the ,orientalists have
 beautifully called the different       
ages--he is beset  by peril4            
,temptations allure his youth1          
misfortunes darken the pathway of  his  
manhood1 and his old age is encumbered  

with infirmity and disease4 ,but        
clothed in the armor of virtue he may   
resist the temptation2 he may cast      
misfortunes aside1 and rise triumphantly
 above them2 but to the last1 the       
direst1 the most inexorable foe of his  
race1 he must eventually yield2  and    
stricken down by death1 he sinks        
prostrate into the grave1 and is  buried
 in the rubbish of his sin and human    
frailty4    ,here1 then1 in ,masonry1 is
 what was called the aphanism#afd in the
  ancient ,mysteries4 ,the bitter but   
necessary lesson of death has been      
imparted4 ,the living soul1 with the    
lifeless body which encased it1 has     
disappeared1 and can nowhere be found4  
,all is darkness--confusion--  despair4 
,divine truth--the ,,word--for a time is
 lost1 and the ,master ,mason  may now  
say1 in the language of ,hutchinson1 ,i 
prepare my sepulchre4 ,i make  my grave 
in the pollution of the earth4 ,i am    
under the shadow of death4    ,but if   
the mythic symbolism ended here1 with   

this lesson of death1 then  were the    
lesson incomplete4 ,that teaching would 
be vain and idle--nay1  more1 it would  
be corrupt and pernicious--which should 
stop short of the  conscious and innate 
instinct for another existence4 ,and    
hence the  succeeding portions of the   
legend are intended to convey the       
sublime  symbolism of a resurrection    
from the grave and a new birth into a   
future  life4 ,the discovery of the     
body1 which1 in the initiations of the  
ancient  ,mysteries1 was called the     
euresis1#afe and its removal1 from the  
polluted grave into which it had been   
cast1 to an honored and sacred place    
within the precincts of the temple1 are 
all profoundly and beautifully  symbolic
 of that great truth1 the discovery of  
which was the object of all  the ancient
 initiations1 as it is almost the whole 
design of ,freemasonry1  namely1 that   
when man shall have passed the gates of 
life and have yielded  to the inexorable
 fiat of death1 he shall then 7not in   

the pictured ritual  of an earthly      
lodge1 but in the realities of that     
eternal one1 of which  the former is but
 an antitype7 be raised1 at the omnific 
word of the ,grand  ,master of the      
,universe1 from time to eternity2 from  
the tomb of corruption  to the chambers 
of hope2 from the darkness of death to  
the celestial beams  of life2 and that  
his disembodied spirit shall be conveyed
 as near to the  holy of holies of the  
divine presence as humanity can ever    
approach to  ,deity4    ,such ,i        
conceive to be the true interpretation  
of the symbolism of the  legend of the  
,third ,degree4    ,i have said that    
this mythical history of the temple     
builder was universal  in all nations   
and all rites1 and that in no place and 
at no time had it1  by alteration1      
diminution1 or addition1 acquired any   
essentially new or  different form3 the 
myth has always remained the same4      
,but it is not so with its              
interpretation4 ,that which ,i have just

 given1  and which ,i conceive to be the
 correct one1 has been very generally   
adopted by the ,masons of this country4 
,but elsewhere1 and by various  writers1
 other interpretations have been made1  
very different in their  character1     
although always agreeing in retaining   
the general idea of a  resurrection or  
regeneration1 or a restoration of       
something from an  inferior to a higher 
sphere or function4    ,thus some of the
 earlier continental writers have       
supposed the myth to  have been a symbol
 of the destruction of the ,order of the
 ,templars1  looking upon its           
restoration to its original wealth and  
dignities as being  prophetically       
symbolized4    ,in some of the high     
philosophical degrees it is taught that 
the whole  legend refers to the         
sufferings and death1 with the          
subsequent  resurrection1 of            
,christ4#aff    ,hutchinson1 who has the
 honor of being the earliest            
philosophical writer  on ,freemasonry in

 ,england1 supposes it to have been     
intended to embody the  idea of the     
decadence of the ,jewish religion1 and  
the substitution of the  ,christian in  
its place and on its ruins4#afg    ,dr4 
,oliver--clarum et venerabile           
nomen--thinks that it is typical of the 
murder of ,abel by ,cain1 and that it   
symbolically refers to the universal    
death of our race through ,adam1 and its
 restoration to life in the             
,redeemer1#afh according to the         
expression of the apostle1 ,as in ,adam 
we  all died1 so in ,christ we all live4
    ,ragon makes ,hiram a symbol of the 
sun shorn of its vivifying rays and     
fructifying power by the three winter   
months1 and its restoration to          
generative heat by the season of        
spring4#afi    ,and1 finally1 ,des      
,etangs1 adopting1 in part1 the         
interpretation of ,ragon1  adds to it   
another1 which he calls the moral       
symbolism of the legend1 and  supposes  
that ,hiram is no other than eternal    

reason1 whose enemies are the  vices    
that deprave and destroy humanity4#agj  
,to each of these interpretations it    
seems to me that there are important    
objections1 though perhaps to some less 
so than to others4    ,as to those who  
seek for an astronomical interpretation 
of the legend1 in  which the annual     
changes of the sun are symbolized1 while
 the ingenuity  with which they press   
their argument cannot but be admired1 it
 is evident  that1 by such an           
interpretation1 they yield all that     
,masonry has gained  of religious       
development in past ages1 and fall back 
upon that corruption  and perversion of 
,sabaism from which it was the object1  
even of the  ,spurious ,freemasonry of  
antiquity1 to rescue its disciples4     
,the ,templar interpretation of the myth
 must at once be discarded if we  would 
avoid the difficulties of anachronism1  
unless we deny that the  legend existed 
before the abolition of the ,order of   
,knights ,templar1 and  such denial     

would be fatal to the antiquity of      
,freemasonry4#aga    ,and as to the     
adoption of the ,christian reference1   
,hutchinson1 and after  him ,oliver1    
profoundly philosophical as are the     
masonic speculations of  both1 have1 ,i 
am constrained to believe1 fallen into a
 great error in  calling the ,master    
,mason's degree a ,christian            
institution4 ,it is true that  it       
embraces within its scheme the great    
truths of ,christianity upon the        
subject of the immortality of the soul  
and the resurrection of the body2  but  
this was to be presumed1 because        
,freemasonry is truth1 and              
,christianity is truth1 and all truth   
must be identical4 ,but the origin of   
each is different2 their histories are  
dissimilar4 ,the institution of         
,freemasonry preceded the advent of     
,christianity4 ,its symbols and its     
legends are derived from the ,solomonic 
temple1 and from the people even        
anterior to that4 ,its religion comes   

from the ancient priesthood4 ,its  faith
 was that primitive one of ,noah and his
 immediate descendants4 ,if  ,masonry   
were simply a ,christian institution1   
the ,jew and the ,moslem1 the  ,brahmin 
and the ,buddhist1 could not            
conscientiously partake of its          
illumination2 but its universality is   
its boast4 ,in its language citizens  of
 every nation may converse2 at its altar
 men of all religions may kneel2  to its
 creed disciples of every faith may     
subscribe4    ,yet it cannot be denied1 
that since the advent of ,christianity a
 ,christian  element has been almost    
imperceptibly infused into the masonic  
system1 at  least among ,christian      
,masons4 ,this has been a necessity2 for
 it is the  tendency of every           
predominant religion to pervade with its
 influences all  that surrounds it1 or  
is about it1 whether religious1         
political1 or  social4 ,this arises from
 a need of the human heart4 ,to the man 
deeply  imbued with the spirit of his   

religion there is an almost unconscious 
desire to accommodate and adapt all the 
business and the amusements of  life1   
the labors and the employments of his   
every-day existence1 to the  indwelling 
faith of his soul4    ,the ,christian   
,mason1 therefore1 while acknowledging  
and justly  appreciating the great      
doctrines taught in ,masonry1 and while 
grateful  that these doctrines were     
preserved in the bosom of his ancient   
order at a  time when they were unknown 
to the multitudes of the surrounding    
nations1  is still anxious to give to   
them a ,christian character1 to invest  
them1 in  some measure1 with the        
peculiarities of his own creed1 and to  
bring the  interpretation of their      
symbolism more nearly home to his own   
religious  sentiments4    ,the feeling  
is an instinctive one1 belonging to the 
noblest aspirations of  our human       
nature2 and hence we find ,christian    
masonic writers indulging in  it almost 
to an unwarrantable excess1 and by the  

extent of their sectarian               
interpretations materially affecting the
 cosmopolitan character of the          
institution4    ,this tendency to       
,christianization has1 in some          
instances1 been so  universal1 and has  
prevailed for so long a period1 that    
certain symbols  and myths have been1 in
 this way1 so deeply and thoroughly     
imbued with the  ,christian element as  
to leave those who have not penetrated  
into the cause  of this peculiarity1 in 
doubt whether they should attribute to  
the symbol  an ancient or a modern and  
,christian origin4    ,as an            
illustration of the idea here advanced1 
and as a remarkable example  of the     
result of a gradually ,christianized    
interpretation of a masonic  symbol1 ,i 
will refer to the subordinate myth      
7subordinate1 ,i mean1 to the  great    
legend of the ,builder71 which relates  
the circumstances connected  with the   
grave upon the brow of a small hill near
 ,mount ,moriah4    ,now1 the myth or   

legend of a grave is a legitimate       
deduction from the  symbolism of the    
ancient ,spurious ,masonry4 ,it is the  
analogue of the  ,pastos1 ,couch1 or    
,coffin1 which was to be found in the   
ritual of all  the pagan ,mysteries4 ,in
 all these initiations1 the aspirant was
 placed in  a cell or upon a couch1 in  
darkness1 and for a period varying1 in  
the  different rites1 from the three    
days of the ,grecian ,mysteries to the  
fifty  of the ,persian4 ,this cell or   
couch1 technically called the pastos1   
was  adopted as a symbol of the being   
whose death and resurrection or         
apotheosis1 was represented in the      
legend4    ,the learned ,faber says that
 this ceremony was doubtless the same as
 the  descent into ,hades1#agb and that1
 when the aspirant entered into the     
mystic cell1 he was directed to lay     
himself down upon the bed which         
shadowed out the tomb of the ,great     
,father1 or ,noah1 to whom1 it will be  
recollected1 that ,faber refers all the 

ancient rites4 ,while stretched  upon   
the holy couch1 he continues to remark1 
in imitation of his  figurative deceased
 prototype1 he was said to be wrapped in
 the deep sleep  of death4 ,his         
resurrection from the bed was his       
restoration to life or his  regeneration
 into a new world4    ,now1 it is easy  
to see how readily such a symbolism     
would be seized by the  ,temple ,masons1
 and appropriated at once to the grave  
at the brow of the  hill4 ,at first1 the
 interpretation1 like that from which it
 had been  derived1 would be            
cosmopolitan2 it would fit exactly to   
the general dogmas  of the resurrection 
of the body and the immortality of the  
soul4    ,but on the advent of          
,christianity1 the spirit of the new    
religion being  infused into the old    
masonic system1 the whole symbolism of  
the grave was  affected by it4 ,the same
 interpretation of a resurrection or    
restoration  to life1 derived from the  
ancient pastos1 was1 it is true1        

preserved2  but the facts that ,christ  
himself had come to promulgate to the   
multitudes  the same consoling dogma1   
and that ,mount ,calvary1 the place of a
 skull1  was the spot where the         
,redeemer1 by his own death and         
resurrection1 had  testified the truth  
of the doctrine1 at once suggested to   
the old  ,christian ,masons the idea of 
,christianizing the ancient symbol4     
,let us now examine briefly how that    
idea has been at length developed4      
,in the first place1 it is necessary to 
identify the spot where the  newly-made 
grave was discovered with ,mount        
,calvary1 the place of the  sepulchre of
 ,christ4 ,this can easily be done by a 
very few but striking  analogies1 which 
will1 ,i conceive1 carry conviction to  
any thinking mind4    #a4 ,mount        
,calvary was a small hill4#agc    #b4   
,it was situated in a westward direction
 from the temple1 and near  ,mount      
,moriah4    #c4 ,it was on the direct   
road from ,jerusalem to ,joppa1 and is  

thus the very  spot where a weary       
brother1 travelling on that road1 would 
find it  convenient to sit down to rest 
and refresh himself4#agd    #d4 ,it was 
outside the gate of the temple4    #e4  
,it has at least one cleft in the rock1 
or cave1 which was the place  which     
subsequently became the sepulchre of our
 ,lord4 ,but this coincidence  need     
scarcely to be insisted on1 since the   
whole neighborhood abounds in  rocky    
clefts1 which meet at once the          
conditions of the masonic legend4       
,but to bring this analogical reasoning 
before the mind in a more  expressive   
mode1 it may be observed that if a party
 of persons were to  start forth from   
the temple at ,jerusalem1 and travel in 
a westward  direction towards the port  
of ,joppa1 ,mount ,calvary would be the 
first hill  met with2 and as it may     
possibly have been used as a place of   
sepulture1  which its name of           
,golgotha#age seems to import1 we may   
suppose it to have  been the very spot  

alluded to in the ,third ,degree1 as the
 place where the  craftsmen1 on their   
way to ,joppa1 discovered the evergreen 
acacia4    ,having thus traced the      
analogy1 let us look a little to the    
symbolism4    ,mount ,calvary has always
 retained an important place in the     
legendary  history of ,freemasonry1 and 
there are many traditions connected with
 it  that are highly interesting in     
their import4    ,one of these          
traditions is1 that it was the          
burial-place of ,adam1 in  order1 says  
the old legend1 that where he lay1 who  
effected the ruin of  mankind1 there    
also might the ,savior of the world     
suffer1 die1 and be  buried4 ,sir ,r4   
,torkington1 who published a pilgrimage 
to ,jerusalem in  #aeag1 says that under
 the ,mount of ,calvary is another      
chapel of our  ,blessed ,lady and ,st4  
,john the ,evangelist1 that was called  
,golgotha2 and  there1 right under the  
mortise of the cross1 was found the head
 of our  forefather1 ,adam4 #agf        

,golgotha1 it will be remembered1 means1
 in  ,hebrew1 the place of a skull2 and 
there may be some connection between    
this tradition and the name of          
,golgotha1 by which the ,evangelists    
inform  us1 that in the time of ,christ 
,mount ,calvary was known4 ,calvary1 or 
,calvaria1 has the same signification in
 ,latin4    ,another tradition states1  
that it was in the bowels of ,mount     
,calvary that  ,enoch erected his       
nine-arched vault1 and deposited on the 
foundation-stone  of ,masonry that      
,ineffable ,name1 whose investigation1  
as a symbol of divine  truth1 is the    
great object of ,speculative ,masonry4  
,a third tradition details the          
subsequent discovery of ,enoch's deposit
 by  ,king ,solomon1 whilst making      
excavations in ,mount ,calvary1 during  
the  building of the temple4    ,on this
 hallowed spot was ,christ the ,redeemer
 slain and buried4 ,it was  there that1 
rising on the third day from his        
sepulchre1 he gave1 by that  act1 the   

demonstrative evidence of the           
resurrection of the body and the        
immortality of the soul4    ,and it was 
on this spot that the same great lesson 
was taught in  ,masonry--the same       
sublime truth--the development of which 
evidently forms  the design of the      
,third or ,master ,mason's degree4      
,there is in these analogies a sublime  
beauty as well as a wonderful           
coincidence between the two systems of  
,masonry and ,christianity1 that  must1 
at an early period1 have attracted the  
attention of the ,christian  ,masons4   
,mount ,calvary is consecrated to the   
,christian as the place where his       
crucified ,lord gave the last great     
proof of the second life1 and fully     
established the doctrine of the         
resurrection which he had come to teach4
  ,it was the sepulchre of him          
,who captive led captivity1      ,who   
robbed the grave of victory1      ,and  
took the sting from death4    ,it is    
consecrated to the ,mason1 also1 as the 

scene of the euresis1 the  place of the 
discovery1 where the same consoling     
doctrines of the  resurrection of the   
body and the immortality of the soul are
 shadowed  forth in profoundly symbolic 
forms4    ,these great truths constitute
 the very essence of ,christianity1 in  
which  it differs from and excels all   
religious systems that preceded it2 they
  constitute1 also1 the end1 aim1 and   
object of all ,freemasonry1 but more    
especially that of the ,third ,degree1  
whose peculiar legend1 symbolically     
considered1 teaches nothing more nor    
less than that there is an immortal  and
 better part within us1 which1 as an    
emanation from that divine spirit  which
 pervades all nature1 can never die4    
,the identification of the spot on which
 this divine truth was promulgated  in  
both systems--the ,christian and the    
,masonic--affords an admirable          
illustration of the readiness with which
 the religious spirit of the  former may
 be infused into the symbolism of the   

latter4 ,and hence  ,hutchinson1        
thoroughly imbued with these ,christian 
views of ,masonry1 has  called the      
,master ,mason's order a ,christian     
degree1 and thus ,christianizes  the    
whole symbolism of its mythical history4
    ,the ,great ,father of all1         
commiserating the miseries of the world1
 sent  his only ,son1 who was innocence 
itself1 to teach the doctrine of        
salvation--by whom man was raised from  
the death of sin unto the life of       
righteousness--from the tomb of         
corruption unto the chamber of          
hope--from  the darkness of despair to  
the celestial beams of faith2 and not   
only  working for us this redemption1   
but making with us the covenant of      
regeneration2 whence we are become the  
children of the ,divinity1 and          
inheritors of the realms of heaven4     
,we1 ,masons1 describing the deplorable 
estate of religion under the  ,jewish   
law1 speak in figures3 ',her tomb was in
 the rubbish and filth cast  forth of   

the temple1 and acacia wove its branches
 over her monuments2'  akakia being the 
,greek word for innocence1 or being free
 from sin2  implying that the sins and  
corruptions of the old law1 and devotees
 of the  ,jewish altar1 had hid         
,religion from those who sought her1 and
 she was only  to be found where        
innocence survived1 and under the banner
 of the ,divine  ,lamb1 and1 as to      
ourselves1 professing that we were to be
 distinguished by  our ,acacy1 or as    
true ,acacians in our religious faiths  
and tenets4    ,the acquisition of the  
doctrine of redemption is expressed in  
the typical  character of ,huramen 7,i  
have found it4--,greek71 and by the     
applications of that name with ,masons1 
it is implied that we have  discovered  
the knowledge of ,god and his salvation1
 and have been redeemed  from the death 
of sin and the sepulchre of pollution   
and unrighteousness4    ,thus the       
,master ,mason represents a man1 under  
the ,christian doctrine1  saved from the

 grave of iniquity and raised to the    
faith of salvation4    ,it is in this   
way that ,masonry has1 by a sort of     
inevitable process 7when  we look to the
 religious sentiment of the             
interpreters71 been  ,christianized by  
some of the most illustrious and learned
 writers on  masonic science--by such   
able men as ,hutchinson and ,oliver in  
,england1 and  by ,harris1 by ,scott1 by
 ,salem ,towne1 and by several others in
 this  country4    ,i do not object to  
the system when the interpretation is   
not strained1 but  is plausible1        
consistent1 and productive of the same  
results as in the  instance of ,mount   
,calvary3 all that ,i contend for is1   
that such  interpretations are modern1  
and that they do not belong to1 although
 they  may often be deduced from1 the   
ancient system4    ,but the true ancient
 interpretation of the legend1--the     
universal masonic  one1--for all        
countries and all ages1 undoubtedly was1
 that the fate of  the temple builder is

 but figurative of the pilgrimage of man
 on earth1  through trials and          
temptations1 through sin and sorrow1    
until his eventual  fall beneath the    
blow of death and his final and glorious
 resurrection to  another and an eternal
 life4          ,,xxviii4    ,the ,sprig
 of ,acacia4        ,intimately         
connected with the legend of the third  
degree is the mythical  history of the  
,sprig of ,acacia1 which we are now to  
consider4    ,there is no symbol more   
interesting to the masonic student than 
the ,sprig  of ,acacia1 not only on     
account of its own peculiar import1 but 
also  because it introduces us to an    
extensive and delightful field of       
research2  that1 namely1 which embraces 
the symbolism of sacred plants4 ,in all 
the  ancient systems of religion1 and   
,mysteries of initiation1 there was     
always  some one plant consecrated1 in  
the minds of the worshippers and        
participants1 by a peculiar symbolism1  
and therefore held in extraordinary     

veneration as a sacred emblem4 ,thus the
 ivy was used in the ,mysteries of      
,dionysus1 the myrtle in those of       
,ceres1 the erica in the ,osirian1 and  
the  lettuce in the ,adonisian4 ,but to 
this subject ,i shall have occasion to  
refer more fully in a subsequent part of
 the present investigation4    ,before  
entering upon an examination of the     
symbolism of the ,acacia1 it  will be1  
perhaps1 as well to identify the true   
plant which occupies so  important a    
place in the ritual of ,freemasonry4    
,and here1 in passing1 ,i may be        
permitted to say that it is a very great
  error to designate the symbolic plant 
of ,masonry by the name of  ,cassia--an 
error which undoubtedly arose1          
originally1 from the very  common habit 
among illiterate people of sinking the  
sound of the letter  a in the           
pronunciation of any word of which it   
constitutes the initial  syllable4      
,just1 for instance1 as we constantly   
hear1 in the conversation  of the       

uneducated1 the words pothecary and     
prentice for apothecary  and apprentice1
 shall we also find cassia used for     
acacia4#agg  ,unfortunately1 however1   
this corruption of acacia into cassia   
has not  always been confined to the    
illiterate3 but the long employment of  
the  corrupted form has at length       
introduced it1 in some instances1 among 
a few  of our writers4 ,even the        
venerable ,oliver1 although well        
acquainted with  the symbolism of the   
acacia1 and having written most         
learnedly upon it1  has1 at times1      
allowed himself to use the objectionable
 corruption1  unwittingly influenced1 in
 all probability1 by the too frequent   
adoption  of the latter word in the     
,english lodges4 ,in ,america1 but few  
,masons fall  into the error of speaking
 of the ,cassia4 ,the proper teaching of
 the  ,acacia is here well              
understood4#agh    ,the cassia of the   
ancients was1 in fact1 an ignoble plant 
having no  mystic meaning and no sacred 

character1 and was never elevated to a  
higher  function than that of being     
united1 as ,virgil informs us1 with     
other  odorous herbs in the formation of
 a garland3--        444violets pale1   
,the poppy's flush1 and dill which      
scents the gale1      ,cassia1 and      
hyacinth1 and daffodil1      ,with      
yellow marigold the chaplet fill4 #agi  
,alston says that the ,cassia lignea of 
the ancients was the larger  branches of
 the cinnamon tree1 cut off with their  
bark and sent together  to the          
druggists2 their ,cassia fistula1 or    
,syrinx1 was the same cinnamon  in the  
bark only2 but ,ruus says that it also  
sometimes denoted the  lavender1 and    
sometimes the rosemary4    ,in          
,scripture the cassia is only three     
times mentioned1#ahj twice as the       
translation of the ,hebrew word kiddak1 
and once as the rendering of  ketzioth1 
but always as referring to an aromatic  
plant which formed a  constituent       
portion of some perfume4 ,there is1     

indeed1 strong reason for  believing    
that the cassia is only another name for
 a coarser preparation  of cinnamon1 and
 it is also to be remarked that it did  
not grow in  ,palestine1 but was        
imported from the ,east4    ,the acacia1
 on the contrary1 was esteemed a sacred 
tree4 ,it is the  acacia vera of        
,tournefort1 and the mimosa nilotica of 
,linnus4 ,it  grew abundantly in the    
vicinity of ,jerusalem1#aha where it is 
still to be  found1 and is familiar to  
us all1 in its modern uses at least1 as 
the tree  from which the gum arabic of  
commerce is obtained4    ,the acacia1   
which1 in ,scripture1 is always called  
shittah#ahb and in  the plural shittim1 
was esteemed a sacred wood among the    
,hebrews4 ,of it  ,moses was ordered to 
make the tabernacle1 the ark of the     
covenant1 the  table for the showbread1 
and the rest of the sacred furniture4   
,isaiah1 in  recounting the promises of 
,god's mercy to the ,israelites on their
 return  from the captivity1 tells them1

 that1 among other things1 he will plant
 in  the wilderness1 for their relief   
and refreshment1 the cedar1 the acacia  
7or1 as it is rendered in our common    
version1 the shittah71 the fir1 and     
other trees4    ,the first thing1 then1 
that we notice in this symbol of the    
acacia1 is1  that it had been always    
consecrated from among the other trees  
of the  forest by the sacred purposes to
 which it was devoted4 ,by the ,jew the 
tree  from whose wood the sanctuary of  
the tabernacle and the holy ark had been
  constructed would ever be viewed as   
more sacred than ordinary trees4 ,the   
early ,masons1 therefore1 very naturally
 appropriated this hallowed plant  to   
the equally sacred purpose of a symbol  
which was to teach an important  divine 
truth in all ages to come4    ,having   
thus briefly disposed of the natural    
history of this plant1 we may  now      
proceed to examine it in its symbolic   
relations4    ,first4 ,the acacia1 in   
the mythic system of ,freemasonry1 is   

preeminently  the symbol of the         
,,immortality ,,of ,,the ,,soul--that   
important doctrine which  it is the     
great design of the institution to      
teach4 ,as the evanescent  nature of the
 flower which cometh forth and is cut   
down reminds us of  the transitory      
nature of human life1 so the perpetual  
renovation of the  evergreen plant1     
which uninterruptedly presents the      
appearance of youth  and vigor1 is aptly
 compared to that spiritual life in     
which the soul1  freed from the         
corruptible companionship of the body1  
shall enjoy an  eternal spring and an   
immortal youth4 ,hence1 in the          
impressive funeral  service of our      
order1 it is said1 ,this evergreen is an
 emblem of our  faith in the immortality
 of the soul4 ,by this we are reminded  
that we have  an immortal part within   
us1 which shall survive the grave1 and  
which shall  never1 never1 never die4   
,and again1 in the closing sentences of 
the  monitorial lecture of the ,third   

,degree1 the same sentiment is repeated1
  and we are told that by the ever green
 and ever living sprig the ,mason  is   
strengthened with confidence and        
composure to look forward to a  blessed 
immortality4 ,such an interpretation of 
the symbol is an easy and  a natural    
one2 it suggests itself at once to the  
least reflective mind1  and             
consequently1 in some one form or       
another1 is to be found existing in  all
 ages and nations4 ,it was an ancient   
custom1 which is not1 even now1         
altogether disused1 for mourners to     
carry in their hands at funerals a      
sprig of some evergreen1 generally the  
cedar or the cypress1 and to  deposit it
 in the grave of the deceased4          
,according to ,dalcho1#ahc the  ,hebrews
 always planted a sprig of the acacia at
 the head of the grave of a  departed   
friend4 ,potter tells us that the       
ancient ,greeks had a custom of         
bedecking tombs with herbs and flowers4 
#ahd ,all sorts of purple and  white    

flowers were acceptable to the dead1 but
 principally the amaranth  and the      
myrtle4 ,the very name of the former of 
these plants1 which  signifies never    
fading1 would seem to indicate the true 
symbolic meaning  of the usage1 although
 archaeologists have generally supposed 
it to be  simply an exhibition of love  
on the part of the survivors4 ,ragon    
says1  that the ancients substituted the
 acacia for all other plants because    
they  believed it to be incorruptible1  
and not liable to injury from the       
attacks  of any kind of insect or other 
animal--thus symbolizing the            
incorruptible  nature of the soul4      
,hence we see the propriety of placing  
the sprig of acacia1 as an emblem of    
immortality1 among the symbols of that  
degree1 all of whose ceremonies are     
intended to teach us the great truth1   
that the life of man1 regulated by      
morality1 faith1 and justice1 will be   
rewarded at its closing hour by the     
prospect of eternal bliss4 #ahe ,so1    

therefore1 says ,dr4 ,oliver1 when the  
,master ,mason exclaims1 ,my name is    
,acacia1 it is equivalent to saying1 ,i 
have been in the grave1--,i have        
triumphed over it by rising from the    
dead1--and being regenerated in the     
process1 ,i have a claim to life        
everlasting4    ,the sprig of acacia1   
then1 in its most ordinary              
signification1 presents  itself to the  
,master ,mason as a symbol of the       
immortality of the soul1  being intended
 to remind him1 by its evergreen and    
unchanging nature1 of  that better and  
spiritual part within us1 which1 as an  
emanation from the  ,grand ,architect of
 the ,universe1 can never die4 ,and as  
this is the most  ordinary1 the most    
generally accepted signification1 so    
also is it the  most important2 for     
thus1 as the peculiar symbol of         
immortality1 it  becomes the most       
appropriate to an order all of whose    
teachings are  intended to inculcate the
 great lesson that life rises out of the

 grave4  ,but incidental to this the    
acacia has two other interpretations1   
which  are well worthy of investigation4
    ,secondly1 then1 the acacia is a    
symbol of ,,innocence4 ,the symbolism   
here is  of a peculiar and unusual      
character1 depending not on any real    
analogy in  the form or use of the      
symbol to the idea symbolized1 but      
simply on a  double or compound meaning 
of the word4 ,for 1 in the ,greek       
language1 signifies both the plant in   
question and the moral quality of       
innocence or purity of life4 ,in this   
sense the symbol refers1 primarily1  to 
him over whose solitary grave the acacia
 was planted1 and whose  virtuous       
conduct1 whose integrity of life and    
fidelity to his trusts1 have  ever been 
presented as patterns to the craft1 and 
consequently to all  ,master ,masons1   
who1 by this interpretation of the      
symbol1 are invited to  emulate his     
example4    ,hutchinson1 indulging in   
his favorite theory of ,christianizing  

,masonry1  when he comes to this        
signification of the symbol1 thus       
enlarges on the  interpretation3 ,we    
,masons1 describing the deplorable      
estate of religion  under the ,jewish   
law1 speak in figures3 ',her tomb was in
 the rubbish and  filth cast forth of   
the temple1 and ,acacia wove its        
branches over her  monument2' akakia    
being the ,greek word for innocence1 or 
being free from  sin2 implying that the 
sins and corruptions of the old law and 
devotees of  the ,jewish altar had hid  
,religion from those who sought her1 and
 she was  only to be found where        
innocence survived1 and under the banner
 of the  divine ,lamb2 and as to        
ourselves1 professing that we were to be
  distinguished by our ,acacy1 or as    
true ,acacians in our religious faith   
and tenets4 #ahf    ,among the nations  
of antiquity1 it was common thus by     
peculiar plants to  symbolize the       
virtues and other qualities of the mind4
 ,in many instances  the symbolism has  

been lost to the moderns1 but in others 
it has been  retained1 and is well      
understood1 even at the present day4    
,thus the olive  was adopted as the     
symbol of peace1 because1 says ,lee1 its
 oil is very  useful1 in some way or    
other1 in all arts manual which         
principally  flourish in times of peace4
 #ahg    ,the quince among the ,greeks  
was the symbol of love and              
happiness2#ahh and  hence1 by the laws  
of ,solon1 in ,athenian marriages1 the  
bride and  bridegroom were required to  
eat a quince together4    ,the palm was 
the symbol of victory2#ahi and hence1 in
 the catacombs of  ,rome1 the           
burial-place of so many of the early    
,christians1 the palm leaf  is          
constantly found as an emblem of the    
,christian's triumph over sin and       
death4    ,the rosemary was a symbol of 
remembrance1 and hence was used both at 
marriages and at funerals1 the memory of
 the past being equally  appropriate in 
both rites4#aij    ,the parsley was     

consecrated to grief2 and hence all the 
,greeks decked  their tombs with it2 and
 it was used to crown the conquerors in 
the ,nemean  games1 which were of a     
funereal character4#aia    ,but it is   
needless to multiply instances of this  
symbolism4 ,in adopting  the acacia as a
 symbol of innocence1 ,masonry has but  
extended the  principle of an ancient   
and universal usage1 which thus         
consecrated  particular plants1 by a    
mystical meaning1 to the representation 
of  particular virtues4    ,but lastly1 
the acacia is to be considered as the   
symbol of ,,initiation4  ,this is by far
 the most interesting of its            
interpretations1 and was1 we  have every
 reason to believe1 the primary and     
original1 the others being  but         
incidental4 ,it leads us at once to the 
investigation of that  significant fact 
to which ,i have already alluded1 that  
in all the ancient  initiations and     
religious mysteries there was some      
plant1 peculiar to  each1 which was     

consecrated by its own esoteric meaning1
 and which  occupied an important       
position in the celebration of the      
rites2 so that  the plant1 whatever it  
might be1 from its constant and         
prominent use in  the ceremonies of     
initiation1 came at length to be adopted
 as the symbol  of that initiation4     
,a reference to some of these sacred    
plants--for such was the character  they
 assumed--and an investigation of their 
symbolism will not1 perhaps1  be        
uninteresting or useless1 in connection 
with the subject of the present         
article4    ,in the ,mysteries of       
,adonis1 which originated in ,phoenicia1
 and were  afterwards transferred to    
,greece1 the death and resurrection of  
,adonis was  represented4 ,a part of the
 legend accompanying these mysteries    
was1 that  when ,adonis was slain by a  
wild boar1 ,venus laid out the body on a
 bed of  lettuce4 ,in memorial of this  
supposed fact1 on the first day of the  
celebration1 when funeral rites were    

performed1 lettuces were carried in  the
 procession1 newly planted in shells of 
earth4 ,hence the lettuce  became the   
sacred plant of the ,adonia1 or         
,adonisian ,mysteries4    ,the lotus was
 the sacred plant of the ,brahminical   
rites of ,india1 and was  considered as 
the symbol of their elemental           
trinity1--earth1 water1 and             
air1--because1 as an aquatic plant1 it  
derived its nutriment from all of  these
 elements combined1 its roots being     
planted in the earth1 its stem  rising  
through the water1 and its leaves       
exposed to the air4#aib ,the            
,egyptians1 who borrowed a large portion
 of their religious rites from the      
,east1 adopted the lotus1 which was also
 indigenous to their country1 as a      
mystical plant1 and made it the symbol  
of their initiation1 or the birth  into 
celestial light4 ,hence1 as ,champollion
 observes1 they often on their          
monuments represented the god ,phre1 or 
the sun1 as borne within the  expanded  

calyx of the lotus4 ,the lotus bears a  
flower similar to that of  the poppy1   
while its large1 tongue-shaped leaves   
float upon the surface of  the water4   
,as the ,egyptians had remarked that the
 plant expands when the  sun rises1 and 
closes when it sets1 they adopted it as 
a symbol of the  sun2 and as that       
luminary was the principal object of the
 popular worship1  the lotus became in  
all their sacred rites a consecrated and
 mystical  plant4    ,the ,egyptians    
also selected the erica#aic or heath1 as
 a sacred plant4  ,the origin of the    
consecration of this plant presents us  
with a singular  coincidence1 that will 
be peculiarly interesting to the masonic
 student4  ,we are informed that there  
was a legend in the mysteries of        
,osiris1 which  related1 that ,isis1    
when in search of the body of her       
murdered husband1  discovered it        
interred at the brow of a hill1 near    
which an erica1 or  heath plant1 grew2  
and hence1 after the recovery of the    

body and the  resurrection of the god1  
when she established the mysteries to   
commemorate her loss and her recovery1  
she adopted the erica1 as a sacred      
plant1#aid in memory of its having      
pointed out the spot where the  mangled 
remains of ,osiris were concealed4#aie  
,the mistletoe was the sacred plant of  
,druidism4 ,its consecrated  character  
was derived from a legend of the        
,scandinavian mythology1 and  which is  
thus related in the ,edda1 or sacred    
books4 ,the god ,balder1 the  son of    
,odin1 having dreamed that he was in    
some great danger of life1 his  mother1 
,friga1 exacted an oath from all the    
creatures of the animal1 the  vegetable1
 and the mineral kingdoms1 that they    
would do no harm to her  son4 ,the      
mistletoe1 contemptible from its size   
and weakness1 was alone  neglected1 and 
of it no oath of immunity was demanded4 
,lok1 the evil  genius1 or god of       
,darkness1 becoming acquainted with this
 fact1 placed an  arrow made of         

mistletoe in the hands of ,holder1 the  
blind brother of  ,balder1 on a certain 
day1 when the gods were throwing        
missiles at him in  sport1 and wondering
 at their inability to do him injury    
with any arms  with which they could    
attack him4 ,but1 being shot with the   
mistletoe  arrow1 it inflicted a fatal  
wound1 and ,balder died4    ,ever       
afterwards the mistletoe was revered as 
a sacred plant1 consecrated  to the     
powers of darkness2 and annually it     
became an important rite among  the     
,druids to proceed into the forest in   
search of the mistletoe1 which1  being  
found1 was cut down by the ,arch ,druid1
 and its parts1 after a solemn          
sacrifice1 were distributed among the   
people4 ,clavel#aif very ingeniously    
remarks1 that it is evident1 in         
reference to the legend1 that as ,balder
  symbolizes the ,sun-god1 and ,lok1    
,darkness1 this search for the mistletoe
  was intended to deprive the god of    
,darkness of the power of destroying the

  god of ,light4 ,and the distribution  
of the fragments of the mistletoe among 
their pious worshippers1 was to assure  
them that henceforth a similar  attempt 
of ,lok would prove abortive1 and he was
 thus deprived of the means  of         
effecting his design4#aig    ,the myrtle
 performed the same office of symbolism 
in the ,mysteries of  ,greece as the    
lotus did in ,egypt1 or the mistletoe   
among the ,druids4 ,the  candidate1 in  
these initiations1 was crowned with     
myrtle1 because1  according to the      
popular theology1 the myrtle was sacred 
to ,proserpine1  the goddess of the     
future life4 ,every classical scholar   
will remember the  golden branch with   
which ,aeneas was supplied by the       
,sibyl1 before  proceeding on his       
journey to the infernal regions#aih--;a 
voyage which  is now universally        
admitted to be a mythical representation
 of the  ceremonies of initiation4      
,in all of these ancient ,mysteries1    
while the sacred plant was a symbol of  

initiation1 the initiation itself was   
symbolic of the resurrection to a       
future life1 and of the immortality of  
the soul4 ,in this view1 ,freemasonry   
is to us now in the place of the ancient
 initiations1 and the acacia is         
substituted for the lotus1 the erica1   
the ivy1 the mistletoe1 and the  myrtle4
 ,the lesson of wisdom is the same2 the 
medium of imparting it is  all that has 
been changed4    ,returning1 then1 to   
the acacia1 we find that it is capable  
of three  explanations4 ,it is a symbol 
of immortality1 of innocence1 and of    
initiation4 ,but these three            
significations are closely connected1   
and that  connection must be observed1  
if we desire to obtain a just           
interpretation  of the symbol4 ,thus1 in
 this one symbol1 we are taught that in 
the  initiation of life1 of which the   
initiation in the third-degree is simply
  emblematic1 innocence must for a time 
lie in the grave1 at length1  however1  
to be called1 by the word of the ,grand 

,master of the ,universe1 to  a blissful
 immortality4 ,combine with this the    
recollection of the place  where the    
sprig of acacia was planted1 and which  
,i have heretofore shown  to be ,mount  
,calvary1 the place of sepulture of ,him
 who brought life and  immortality to   
light1 and who1 in ,christian ,masonry1 
is designated1 as he  is in ,scripture1 
as the lion of the tribe of ,judah1 and 
remember1 too1  that in the mystery of  
his death1 the wood of the cross takes  
the place of  the acacia1 and in this   
little and apparently insignificant     
symbol1 but  which is really and truly  
the most important and significant one  
in  masonic science1 we have a beautiful
 suggestion of all the mysteries of     
life and death1 of time and eternity1 of
 the present and of the future4  ,thus  
read 7and thus all our symbols should be
 read71 ,masonry proves  something more 
to its disciples than a mere social     
society or a charitable  association4   
,it becomes a lamp to our feet1 whose   

spiritual light shines  on the darkness 
of the deathbed1 and dissipates the     
gloomy shadows of the  grave4           
,,xxix4    ,the ,symbolism of ,labor4   
,it is one of the most beautiful        
features of the ,masonic ,institution1  
that  it teaches not only the necessity1
 but the nobility1 of labor4 ,among the 
earliest of the implements in whose     
emblematic use it instructs its         
neophytes is the ,trestle ,board1 the   
acknowledged symbol of the ,divine ,law1
  in accordance with whose decree#aii   
labor was originally instituted as  the 
common lot of all2 and therefore the    
important lesson that is closely        
connected with this symbol is1 that to  
labor well and truly1 to labor  honestly
 and persistently1 is the object and the
 chief end of all  humanity4    ,to work
 out well the task that is set before us
 is our highest duty1 and  should       
constitute our greatest happiness4 ,all 
men1 then1 must have their  trestle     
boards2 for the principles that guide us

 in the discharge of our  duty--the     
schemes that we devise--the plans that  
we propose--are but the  trestle board1 
whose designs we follow1 for good or for
 evil1 in our labor  of life4    ,earth 
works with every coming spring1 and     
within its prolific bosom  designs the  
bursting seed1 the tender plant1 and the
 finished tree1 upon  its trestle board4
    ,old ocean works forever--restless  
and murmuring--but still bravely        
working2 and storms and tempests1 the   
purifiers of stagnant nature1 are       
inscribed upon its trestle board4       
,and ,god himself1 the ,grand           
,architect1 the ,master ,builder of the 
world1 has  labored from eternity2 and  
working by his omnipotent will1 he      
inscribes  his plans upon illimitable   
space1 for the universe is his trestle  
board4    ,there was a saying of the    
monks of old which is well worth        
meditation4  ,they taught that laborare 
est orare--labor is worship4 ,they did  
not1  it is true1 always practise the   

wise precept4 ,they did not always make 
labor a part of their religion4 ,like   
,onuphrius1 who lived threescore years  
and ten in the desert1 without human    
voice or human sympathy to cheer him1   
because he had not learned that man was 
made for man1 those old ascetics  went  
into the wilderness1 and built cells1   
and occupied themselves in  solitary    
meditation and profitless thought4 ,they
 prayed much1 but they did  no work4    
,and thus they passed their lives1      
giving no pity1 aid1 or  consolation to 
their fellow-men1 adding no mite to the 
treasury of human  knowledge1 and       
leaving the world1 when their selfish   
pilgrimage was  finished1 without a     
single contribution1 in labor of mind or
 body1 to its  welfare4#bjj    ,and men1
 seeing the uselessness of these ascetic
 lives1 shrink now from  their example1 
and fall back upon that wiser teaching1 
that he best does  ,god's will who best 
does ,god's work4 ,the world now knows  
that heaven is  not served by man's     

idleness--that the dolce far niente1    
though it  might suit an ,italian       
lazzaroni1 is not fit for a brave       
,christian man1  and that they who would
 do rightly1 and act well their part1   
must take  this distich for their       
motto3--        ,with this hand work1   
and with the other pray1      ,and ,god 
will bless them both from day to day4   
,now1 this doctrine1 that labor is      
worship1 is the very doctrine that has  
been advanced and maintained1 from time 
immemorial1 as a leading dogma of  the  
,order of ,freemasonry4 ,there is no    
other human institution under the  sun  
which has set forth this great principle
 in such bold relief4 ,we hear          
constantly of ,freemasonry as an        
institution that inculcates morality1   
that  fosters the social feeling1 that  
teaches brotherly love2 and all this is 
well1 because it is true2 but we must   
never forget that from its              
foundation-stone to its pinnacle1 all   
over its vast temple1 is inscribed1  in 

symbols of living light1 the great truth
 that labor is worship4    ,it has been 
supposed that1 because we speak of      
,freemasonry as a  speculative system1  
it has nothing to do with the practical4
 ,but this is a  most grievous error4   
,freemasonry is1 it is true1 a          
speculative science1  but it is a       
speculative science based upon an       
operative art4 ,all its  symbols and    
allegories refer to this connection4    
,its very language is  borrowed from the
 art1 and it is singularly suggestive   
that the initiation  of a candidate into
 its mysteries is called1 in its        
peculiar phraseology1  work4    ,i      
repeat that this expression is          
singularly suggestive4 ,when the lodge  
is  engaged in reading petitions1       
hearing reports1 debating financial     
matters1  it is said to be occupied in  
business2 but when it is engaged in the 
form and ceremony of initiation into any
 of the degrees1 it is said to be  at   
work4 ,initiation is masonic labor4     

,this phraseology at once suggests  the 
connection of our speculative system    
with an operative art that  preceded it1
 and upon which it has been founded4    
,this operative art must  have given it 
form and features and organization4 ,if 
the speculative  system had been founded
 solely on philosophical or ethical     
principles1 if  it had been derived from
 some ancient or modern sect of         
philosophers1--from the ,stoics1 the    
,epicureans1 or the ,platonists of the  
heathen world1 or from any of the many  
divisions of the scholastics of the     
middle ages1--this origin would most    
certainly have affected its interior    
organization as well as its external    
form1 and we should have seen our       
modern masonic reunions assuming the    
style of academies or schools4 ,its     
technical language--for1 like every     
institution isolated from the ordinary  
and general pursuits of mankind1 it     
would have had its own technical        
dialect--would have been borrowed from1 

and would be easily traced to1 the      
peculiar phraseology of the philosophic 
sects which had given it birth4  ,there 
would have been the sophists and the    
philosophers2 the  grammatists and the  
grammarians2 the scholars1 the masters1 
and  the doctors4 ,it would have had its
 trivial and its quadrivial  schools2   
its occupation would have been research1
 experiment1 or  investigation2 in a    
word1 its whole features would have been
 colored by a  grammatical1 a           
rhetorical1 or a mathematical cast1     
accordingly as it  should have been     
derived from a sect in which any one of 
these three  characteristics was the    
predominating influence4    ,but in the 
organization of ,freemasonry1 as it now 
presents itself to us1  we see an       
entirely different appearance4 ,its     
degrees are expressive1 not  of         
advancement in philosophic attainments1 
but of progress in a purely  mechanical 
pursuit4 ,its highest grade is that of  
,master of the ,work4 ,its  places of   

meeting are not schools1 but lodges1    
places where the workmen  formerly      
lodged1 in the neighborhood of the      
building on whose construction  they    
were engaged4 ,it does not form         
theories1 but builds temples4 ,it knows 
nothing of the rules of the             
dialecticians1--of the syllogism1 the   
dilemma1  the enthymeme1 or the         
sorites1--but it recurs to the homely   
implements of  its operative parent for 
its methods of instruction1 and with the
  plumb-line it inculcates rectitude of 
conduct1 and draws lessons of  morality 
from the workman's square4 ,it sees in  
the ,supreme ,god that it  worships1 not
 a numen divinum1 a divine power1 nor a 
moderator rerum  omnium1 a controller of
 all things1 as the old philosophers    
designated  him1 but a ,grand ,architect
 of the ,universe4 ,the masonic idea of 
,god  refers to ,him as the ,mighty     
,builder of this terrestrial globe1 and 
all the  countless worlds that surround 
it4 ,he is not the ens entium1 or to    

theion1 or any other of the thousand    
titles with which ancient and modern    
speculation has invested him1 but simply
 the ,architect1--as the ,greeks  have  
it1 the 1 the chief workman1--under whom
 we are all workmen  also2#bja and hence
 our labor is his worship4    ,this     
idea1 then1 of masonic labor1 is closely
 connected with the history  of the     
organization of the institution4 ,when  
we say the lodge is at  work1 we        
recognize that it is in the legitimate  
practice of that  occupation for which  
it was originally intended4 ,the ,masons
 that are in it  are not occupied in    
thinking1 or speculating1 or reasoning1 
but simply  and emphatically in working4
 ,the duty of a ,mason as such1 in his  
lodge1 is  to work4 ,thereby he         
accomplishes the destiny of his ,order4 
,thereby he best  fulfils his obligation
 to the ,grand ,architect1 for with the 
,mason  laborare est orare--labor is    
worship4    ,the importance of masonic  
labor being thus demonstrated1 the      

question next  arises as to the nature  
of that labor4 ,what is the work that a 
,mason is  called upon to perform8      
,temple building was the original       
occupation of our ancient brethren4     
,leaving out of view that system of     
ethics and of religious philosophy1     
that search after truth1 those doctrines
 of the unity of ,god and the           
immortality of the soul1 which alike    
distinguish the ancient ,mysteries and  
the masonic institution1 and which both 
must have derived from a common         
origin1--most probably from some        
priesthood of the olden time1--let our  
attention be exclusively directed1 for  
the present1 to that period1 so         
familiar to every ,mason1 when1 under   
the supposed ,grand ,mastership of      
,king ,solomon1 ,freemasonry first      
assumed a local habitation and a name in
  the holy city of ,jerusalem4 ,there   
the labor of the ,israelites and the    
skill of the ,tyrians were occupied in  
the construction of that noble  temple  

whose splendor and magnificence of      
decoration made it one of the  wonders  
of the world4    ,here1 then1 we see the
 two united nations directing their     
attention1 with  surprising harmony1 to 
the task of temple building4 ,the       
,tyrian workmen1  coming immediately    
from the bosom of the mystical society  
of ,dionysian  artificers1 whose sole   
employment was the erection of sacred   
edifices  throughout all ,asia ,minor1  
indoctrinated the ,jews with a part of  
their  architectural skill1 and bestowed
 upon them also a knowledge of those    
sacred ,mysteries which they had        
practised at ,tyre1 and from which the  
present interior form of ,freemasonry is
 said to be derived4    ,now1 if there  
be any so incredulous as to refuse their
 assent to the  universally received    
masonic tradition on this subject1 if   
there be any  who would deny all        
connection of ,king ,solomon with the   
origin of  ,freemasonry1 except it be in
 a mythical or symbolical sense1 such   

incredulity will1 not at all affect the 
chain of argument which ,i am  disposed 
to use4 ,for it will not be denied that 
the corporations of  builders in the    
middle ages1 those men who were known as
 ,travelling  ,freemasons1 were         
substantial and corporeal1 and that the 
cathedrals1  abbeys1 and palaces1 whose 
ruins are still objects of admiration to
 all  observers1 bear conclusive        
testimony that their existence was      
nothing like  a myth1 and that their    
labors were not apocryphal4 ,but these  
,travelling  ,freemasons1 whether led   
into the error1 if error it be1 by a    
mistaken  reading of history1 or by a   
superstitious reverence for tradition1  
always  esteemed ,king ,solomon as the  
founder of their ,order4 ,so that the   
first  absolutely historical details    
that we have of the masonic institution1
  connect it with the idea of a temple4 
,and it is only for this idea that ,i   
contend1 for it proves that the first   
,freemasons of whom we have authentic   

record1 whether they were at ,jerusalem 
or in ,europe1 and whether they         
flourished a thousand years before or a 
thousand years after the birth of       
,christ1 always supposed that temple    
building was the peculiar specialty of  
their craft1 and that their labor was to
 be the erection of temples in  ancient 
times1 and cathedrals and churches in   
the ,christian age4    ,so that we come 
back at last to the proposition with    
which ,i had  commenced1 namely3 that   
temple building was the original        
occupation of our  ancient brethren4    
,and to this is added the fact1 that    
after a long lapse  of centuries1 a body
 of men is found in the middle ages who 
were  universally recognized as         
,freemasons1 and who directed their     
attention and  their skill to the same  
pursuit1 and were engaged in the        
construction of  cathedrals1 abbeys1 and
 other sacred edifices1 these being the 
,christian  substitute for the heathen  
or the ,jewish temple4    ,and          

therefore1 when we view the history of  
the ,order as thus developed in  its    
origin and its design1 we are justified 
in saying that1 in all times  past1 its 
members have been recognized as men of  
labor1 and that their  labor has been   
temple building4    ,but our ancient    
brethren wrought in both operative and  
speculative  ,masonry1 while we work    
only in speculative4 ,they worked with  
the hand2 we  work with the brain4 ,they
 dealt in the material2 we in the       
spiritual4  ,they used in their labor   
wood and stones2 we use thoughts1 and   
feelings1  and affections4 ,we both     
devote ourselves to labor1 but the      
object of the  labor and the mode of the
 labor are different4    ,the ,french   
rituals have given us the key-note to   
the explanation of what  is masonic     
labor when they say that ,freemasons    
erect temples for virtue  and dungeons  
for vice4    ,the modern ,freemasons1   
like the ,masons of old1 are engaged in 
the  construction of a temple2--but with

 this difference3 that the temple of    
the latter was material1 that of the    
former spiritual4 ,when the operative   
art was the predominant characteristic  
of the ,order1 ,masons were engaged  in 
the construction of material and earthly
 temples4 ,but when the  operative art  
ceased1 and the speculative science took
 its place1 then the  ,freemasons       
symbolized the labors of their          
predecessors by engaging in the         
construction of a spiritual temple in   
their hearts1 which was to be made  so  
pure that it might become the           
dwelling-place of ,him who is all       
purity4  ,it was to be a house not made 
with hands1 where the hewn stone was to 
be  a purified heart4    ,this          
symbolism1 which represents man as a    
temple1 a house1 a sacred  building in  
which ,god is to dwell1 is not new1 nor 
peculiar to the masonic  science4 ,it   
was known to the ,jewish1 and is still  
recognized by the  ,christian1 system4  
,the ,talmudists had a saying that the  

threefold  repetition of the words      
,temple of ,jehovah1 in the seventh     
chapter and  fourth verse of the book of
 ,jeremiah1 was intended to allude to   
the  existence of three temples2 and    
hence in one of their treatises it is   
said1 ,two temples have been destroyed1 
but the third will endure  forever1 in  
which it is manifest that they referred 
to the temple of the  immortal soul in  
man4    ,by a similar allusion1 which1  
however1 the ,jews chose wilfully to    
misunderstand1 ,christ declared1        
,destroy this temple1 and in three days 
,i  will raise it up4 ,and the beloved  
disciple1 who records the conversation1 
does not allow us to doubt of the       
,saviour's meaning4    ,then said the   
,jews1 ,forty and six years was this    
temple in building1 and  wilt thou rear 
it up in three days8    ,but he spake of
 the temple of his body4 #bjb    ,in    
more than one place the apostle ,paul   
has fondly dwelt upon this  metaphor4   
,thus he tells the ,corinthians that    

they are ,god's building1  and he calls 
himself the wise master builder1 who was
 to lay the  foundation in his truthful 
doctrine1 upon which they were to erect 
the  edifice4#bjc ,and he says to them  
immediately afterwards1 ,know ye not    
that ye are the temple of ,god1 and that
 the ,spirit of ,god dwelleth in  you8  
,in consequence of these teachings of   
the apostles1 the idea that the body    
was a temple has pervaded1 from the     
earliest times to the present day1 the  
system of ,christian or theological     
symbolism4 ,indeed1 it has sometimes    
been carried to an almost too fanciful  
excess4 ,thus ,samuel ,lee1 in that     
curious and rare old work1 ,the ,temple 
of ,solomon1 pourtrayed by  ,scripture  
,light1 thus dilates on this symbolism  
of the temple3--    ,the foundation of  
this temple may be laid in humility and 
contrition of  spirit1 wherein the      
inhabiter of eternity delighteth to     
dwell2 we may  refer the porch to the   
mouth of a saint1 wherein every holy    

,jacob erects  the pillars of ,god's    
praise1 calling upon and blessing his   
name for  received mercies2 when songs  
of deliverance are uttered from the     
doors  of his lips4 ,the holy place is  
the renewed mind1 and the windows       
therein may denote divine illumination  
from above1 cautioning a saint lest     
they be darkened with the smoke of      
anger1 the mist of grief1 the dust of   
vain-glory1 or the filthy mire of       
worldly cares4 ,the golden              
candlesticks1 the infused habits of     
divine knowledge resting within the     
soul4 ,the shew-bread1 the word of grace
 exhibited in the promises for  the     
preservation of a ,christian's life and 
glory4 ,the golden altar of  odors1 the 
breathings1 sufferings1 and groanings   
after ,god1 ready to break  forth into  
,abba1 ,father4 ,the veiles1 the        
righteousness of ,christ4 ,the  holy of 
holies may relate to the conscience     
purified from dead works and  brought   
into a heavenly frame4 #bjd ,and thus he

 proceeds1 symbolizing  every part and  
utensil of the temple as alluding to    
some emotion or  affection of man1 but  
in language too tedious for quotation4  
,in a similar vein has the celebrated   
,john ,bunyan1 the author of the        
,pilgrim's ,progress proceeded in his   
,temple of ,solomon  ,spiritualized to  
refer every part of that building to a  
symbolic  meaning1 selecting1 however1  
the church1 or congregation of good men1
  rather than the individual man1 as the
 object of the symbolism4    ,in the    
middle ages the ,hermetic philosophers  
seem to have given the same             
interpretation of the temple1 and       
,swedenborg1 in his mystical writings1  
adopts the idea4    ,hitchcock1 who has 
written an admirable little work on     
,swedenborg  considered as a ,hermetic  
,philosopher1 thus alludes to this      
subject1 and  his language1 as that of a
 learned and shrewd investigator1 is    
well worthy  of quotation3--    ,with1  
perhaps1 the majority of readers1 the   

,tabernacle of ,moses and the  ,temple  
of ,solomon were mere buildings2 very   
magnificent indeed1 but still  mere     
buildings for the worship of ,god4 ,but 
some are struck with many  portions of  
the account of their erection1 admitting
 a moral  interpretation2 and while the 
buildings are allowed to stand 7or to   
have  stood once7 visible objects1 these
 interpreters are delighted to meet with
  indications that ,moses and ,solomon1 
in building the temples1 were wise in   
the knowledge of ,god and of man2 from  
which point it is not difficult to  pass
 on to the moral meaning altogether1 and
 to affirm that the building  which was 
erected without 'the noise of a hammer  
or axe1 or any tool of  iron1' was      
altogether a moral building--a building 
of ,god1 not made with  hands3 in short1
 many see in the story of ,solomon's    
temple a symbolical  representation of  
,,man as the temple of ,god1 with its   
holy of holies  deep-seated in the      
centre of the human heart4 #bje    ,the 

,french ,masons have not been           
inattentive to this symbolism4 ,their   
already quoted expression that the      
,freemasons build temples for virtue    
and dungeons for vice1 has very clearly 
a reference to it1 and their most       
distinguished writers never lose sight  
of it4    ,thus ,ragon1 one of the most 
learned of the ,french historians of    
,freemasonry1 in his lecture to the     
,apprentice1 says that the founders of  
our ,order called themselves ,masons1   
and proclaimed that they were  building 
a temple to truth and virtue4 #bjf ,and 
subsequently he  addresses the candidate
 who has received the ,master's degree  
in the  following language3--    ,profit
 by all that has been revealed to you4  
,improve your heart and your  mind4     
,direct your passions to the general    
good2 combat your prejudices2  watch    
over your thoughts and your actions2    
love1 enlighten1 and assist  your       
brethren2 and you will have perfected   
that temple of which you are  at once   

the architect1 the material1 and the    
workman4 #bjg    ,rebold1 another       
,french historian of great erudition1   
says1 ,if ,freemasonry  has ceased to   
erect temples1 and by the aid of its    
architectural designs  to elevate all   
hearts to the ,deity1 and all eyes and  
hopes to heaven1 it  has not therefore  
desisted from its work of moral and     
intellectual  building2 and he thinks   
that the success of the institution has 
justified  this change of purpose and   
the disruption of the speculative from  
the  operative character of the         
,order4#bjh    ,eliphas ,levi1 who has  
written abstrusely and mystically on    
,freemasonry and  its collateral        
sciences1 sees very clearly an          
allegorical and a real  design in the   
institution1 the former being the       
rebuilding of the temple  of ,solomon1  
and the latter the improvement of the   
human race by a  reconstruction of its  
social and religious elements4#bji      
,the ,masons of ,germany have elaborated

 this idea with all the  exhaustiveness 
that is peculiar to the ,german mind1   
and the masonic  literature of that     
country abounds in essays1 lectures1 and
 treatises1 in  which the prominent     
topic is this building of the ,solomonic
 temple as  referring to the            
construction of a moral temple4    ,thus
 writes ,bro4 ,rhode1 of ,berlin3--     
,so soon as any one has received the    
consecration of our ,order1 we say to   
him that we are building a mystical     
temple2 and he adds that this temple    
which we ,masons are building is nothing
 else than that which will conduce  to  
the greatest possible happiness of      
mankind4 #baj    ,and another ,german   
brother1 ,von ,wedekind1 asserts that we
 only labor in  our temple when we make 
man our predominating object1 when we   
unite  goodness of heart with polished  
manners1 truth with beauty1 virtue with 
grace4 #baa    ,again we have ,reinhold 
telling us1 in true ,teutonic           
expansiveness of  expression1 that by   

the mystical ,solomonic temple we are to
 understand  the high ideal or archetype
 of humanity in the best possible       
condition of  social improvement1       
wherein every evil inclination is       
overcome1 every  passion is resolved    
into the spirit of love1 and wherein    
each for all1  and all for each1 kindly 
strive to work4 #bab    ,and thus the   
,german ,masons call this striving for  
an almost millennial  result labor in   
the temple4    ,the ,english ,masons1   
although they have not treated the      
symbolism of the  ,order with the same  
abstruse investigation that has         
distinguished those of  ,germany and    
,france1 still have not been insensible 
to this idea that the  building of the  
,solomonic temple is intended to        
indicate a cultivation of  the human    
character4 ,thus ,hutchinson1 one of the
 earliest of the symbolic  writers of   
,england1 shows a very competent        
conception--for the age in  which he    
lived--of the mystical meaning of the   

temple2 and later writers  have improved
 upon his crude views4 ,it must1        
however1 be acknowledged that  neither  
,hutchinson nor ,oliver1 nor any other  
of the distinguished masonic  writers of
 ,england1 has dwelt on this peculiar   
symbolism of a moral temple  with that  
earnest appreciation of the idea that is
 to be found in the  works of the       
,french and ,german ,masons4 ,but       
although the allusions are  rather      
casual and incidental1 yet the symbolic 
theory is evidently  recognized4#bac    
,our own country has produced many      
students of ,masonic symbolism1 who have
  thoroughly grasped this noble thought1
 and treated it with eloquence and      
erudition4    ,fifty years ago ,salem   
,towne wrote thus3 ,speculative         
,masonry1 according to  present         
acceptation1 has an ultimate reference  
to that spiritual building  erected by  
virtue in the heart1 and summarily      
implies the arrangement and  perfection 
of those holy and sublime principles by 

which the soul is  fitted for a meet    
temple of ,god in a world of            
immortality4 #bad    ,charles ,scott has
 devoted one of the lectures in his     
,analogy of ,ancient  ,craft ,masonry to
 ,natural and ,revealed ,religion to a  
thorough  consideration of this subject4
 ,the language is too long for          
quotation1 but  the symbol has been well
 interpreted by him4#bae    ,still more 
recently1 ,bro4 ,john ,a4 ,loclor has   
treated the topic in an  essay1 which ,i
 regret has not had a larger            
circulation4 ,a single and brief        
passage may show the spirit of the      
production1 and how completely it       
sustains the idea of this symbolism4    
,we may disguise it as we will1 says    
,bro4 ,lodor1 we may evade a scrutiny   
of it2 but our character1 as it is1 with
 its faults and blemishes1 its          
weaknesses and infirmities1 its vices   
and its stains1 together with its       
redeeming traits1 its better parts1 is  
our speculative temple4 ,and he  goes on

 to extend the symbolic idea3 ,like the 
exemplar temple on ,mount  ,moriah1 it  
should be preserved as a hallowed       
shrine1 and guarded with the  same      
vigilant care4 ,it should be our pearl  
of price set round with walls  and      
enclosures1 even as was the ,jewish     
temple1 and the impure1 the  vicious1   
the guilty1 and the profane be banished 
from even its outer  courts4 ,a faithful
 sentinel should be placed at every     
gate1 a watchman on  every wall1 and the
 first approach of a cowan and          
eavesdropper be  promptly met and       
resisted4    ,teachings like this are   
now so common that every ,american      
,mason who has  studied the symbolism of
 his ,order believes1 with ,carlyle1    
that there is  but one temple in the    
world1 and that is the body of man4     
,this inquiry into the meaning and      
object of labor1 as a masonic symbol1   
brings us to these conclusions3--    #a4
 ,that our ancient brethren worked as   
long as the operative art  predominated 

in the institution at material temples1 
the most prominent of  these being the  
temple of ,king ,solomon4    #b4 ,that  
when the speculative science took the   
place of the operative art1  the modern 
,masons1 working no longer at material  
temples1 but holding  still to the      
sacred thought1 the reverential idea1 of
 a holy temple1 a  ,lord's house to be  
built1 began to labor at living temples1
 and to make  man1 the true house of the
 ,lord1 the tabernacle for the          
indwelling of the  ,holy ,spirit4       
,and1 #c4 ,therefore to every ,freemason
 who rightly comprehends his art1 this  
construction of a living temple is his  
labor4    ,labor1 says ,gadicke1 the    
,german masonic lexicographer1 is an    
important  word in ,masonry2 indeed1 we 
might say the most important4 ,for this1
 and  this alone1 does a man become a   
,freemason4 ,every other object is      
secondary  or incidental4 ,labor is the 
accustomed design of every lodge        
meeting4 ,but  does such meeting always 

furnish evidence of industry8 ,the labor
 of an  operative mason will be visible1
 and he will receive his reward for it1 
even though the building he has         
constructed may1 in the next hour1 be   
overthrown by a tempest4 ,he knows that 
he has done his labor4 ,and so must  the
 ,freemason labor4 ,his labor must be   
visible to himself and to his  brethren1
 or1 at least1 it must conduce to his   
own internal satisfaction4  ,as we build
 neither a visible ,solomonic temple nor
 an ,egyptian pyramid1  our industry    
must become visible in works that are   
imperishable1 so that  when we vanish   
from the eyes of mortals it may be said 
of us that our  labor was well done4    
,and remembering what the apostle has   
said1 that we are the temple of ,god1   
and that the ,spirit of ,god dwelleth in
 us1 we know that our labor is so to    
build that temple that it shall become  
worthy of its divine ,dweller4    ,and  
thus1 too1 at last1 we can understand   
the saying of the old monks that  labor 

is worship2 and as ,masons we labor in  
our lodge1 labor to make  ourselves a   
perfect building1 without blemish1      
working hopefully for the  consummation1
 when the house of our earthly          
tabernacle shall be finished1  when the 
,,lost ,,word of divine truth shall at  
last be discovered1 and when  we shall  
be found by our own efforts at          
perfection to have done ,god  service4  
,for so truly is the meaning of those   
noble words--,,labor ,,is  ,,worship4   
,,xxx4    ,the ,stone of                
,foundation4#baf        ,the ,stone of  
,foundation constitutes one of the most 
important and abstruse  of all the      
symbols of ,freemasonry4 ,it is referred
 to in numerous legends  and traditions1
 not only of the ,freemasons1 but also  
of the ,jewish  ,rabbins1 the ,talmudic 
writers1 and even the ,mussulman        
doctors4 ,many of  these1 it must be    
confessed1 are apparently puerile and   
absurd2 but some  of them1 and          
especially the masonic ones1 are deeply 

interesting in their  allegorical       
signification4    ,the ,stone of        
,foundation is1 properly speaking1 a    
symbol of the higher  degrees4 ,it makes
 its first appearance in the ,royal     
,arch1 and forms1  indeed1 the most     
important symbol of that degree4 ,but it
 is so intimately  connected1 in its    
legendary history1 with the construction
 of the  ,solomonic temple1 that it must
 be considered as a part of ,ancient    
,craft  ,masonry1 although he who       
confines the range of his investigations
 to the  first three degrees1 will have 
no means1 within that narrow limit1 of  
properly appreciating the symbolism of  
the ,stone of ,foundation4    ,as       
preliminary to the inquiry which is     
about to be instituted1 it is  necessary
 to distinguish the ,stone of           
,foundation1 both in its symbolism  and 
in its legendary history1 from other    
stones which play an important  part in 
the masonic ritual1 but which are       
entirely distinct from it4 ,such  are   

the corner-stone1 which was always      
placed in the north-east corner  of the 
building about to be erected1 and to    
which such a beautiful  reference is    
made in the ceremonies of the first     
degree2 or the  keystone1 which         
constitutes an interesting part of the  
,mark ,master's  degree2 or1 lastly1 the
 cape-stone1 upon which all the ritual  
of the  ,most ,excellent ,master's      
degree is founded4 ,these are all1 in   
their proper  places1 highly interesting
 and instructive symbols1 but have no   
connection  whatever with the ,stone of 
,foundation or its symbolism4 ,nor1     
although the  ,stone of ,foundation is  
said1 for peculiar reasons1 to have been
 of a  cubical form1 must it be         
confounded with that stone called by the
  continental ,masons the cubical       
stone--the pierre cubique of the        
,french1 and the cubik stein of the     
,german ,masons1 but which in the       
,english system is known as the perfect 
ashlar4    ,the ,stone of ,foundation   

has a legendary history and a symbolic  
signification which are peculiar to     
itself1 and which differ from the       
history and meaning which belong to     
these other stones4    ,let us first    
define this masonic ,stone of           
,foundation1 then collate the  legends  
which refer to it1 and afterwards       
investigate its significance as  a      
symbol4 ,to the ,mason who takes a      
pleasure in the study of the mysteries  
of his institution1 the investigation   
cannot fail to be interesting1 if it  is
 conducted with any ability4    ,but in 
the very beginning1 as a necessary      
preliminary to any investigation  of    
this kind1 it must be distinctly        
understood that all that is said of     
this ,stone of ,foundation in ,masonry  
is to be strictly taken in a mythical   
or allegorical sense4 ,dr4 ,oliver1 the 
most learned of our masonic writers1    
while undoubtedly himself knowing that  
it was simply a symbol1 has written     
loosely of it1 as though it were a      

substantial reality2 and hence1 if the  
passages in his ,historical ,landmarks1 
and in his other works which refer  to  
this celebrated stone are accepted by   
his readers in a literal sense1  they   
will present absurdities and puerilities
 which would not occur if the  ,stone of
 ,foundation was received1 as it really 
is1 as a philosophical  myth1 conveying 
a most profound and beautiful symbolism4
 ,read in this  spirit1 as all the      
legends of ,masonry should be read1 the 
mythical story  of the ,stone of        
,foundation becomes one of the most     
important and  interesting of all the   
masonic symbols4    ,the ,stone of      
,foundation is supposed1 by the theory  
which establishes it1  to have been a   
stone placed at one time within the     
foundations of the  temple of ,solomon1 
and afterwards1 during the building of  
the second  temple1 transported to the  
,holy of ,holies4 ,it was in form a     
perfect cube1  and had inscribed upon   
its upper face1 within a delta or       

triangle1 the  sacred tetragrammaton1 or
 ineffable name of ,god4 ,oliver1       
speaking with the  solemnity of an      
historian1 says that ,solomon thought   
that he had rendered  the house of ,god 
worthy1 so far as human adornment could 
effect1 for the  dwelling of ,god1 when 
he had placed the celebrated ,stone of  
,foundation1  on which the sacred name  
was mystically engraven1 with solemn    
ceremonies1  in that sacred depository  
on ,mount ,moriah1 along with the       
foundations of  ,dan and ,asher1 the    
centre of the ,most ,holy ,place1 where 
the ark was  overshadowed by the        
shekinah of ,god4 #bag ,the ,hebrew     
,talmudists1 who  thought as much of    
this stone1 and had as many legends     
concerning it as  the masonic           
,talmudists1 called it eben shatijah#bah
 or ,stone of  ,foundation1 because1 as 
they said1 it had been laid by ,jehovah 
as the  foundation of the world2 and    
hence the apocryphal book of ,enoch     
speaks of  the stone which supports the 

corners of the earth4    ,this idea of a
 foundation stone of the world was most 
probably derived  from that magnificent 
passage of the book of ,job1 in which   
the ,almighty  demands of the afflicted 
patriarch1--        ,where wast thou1   
when ,i laid the foundation of the      
earth8      ,declare1 since thou hast   
such knowledge6      ,who fixed its     
dimensions1 since thou knowest8      ,or
 who stretched out the line upon it8    
,upon what were its foundations fixed8  
,and who laid its corner-stone1         
,when the morning stars sang together1  
,and all the sons of ,god shouted for   
joy8 #bai    ,noyes1 whose beautiful    
translation ,i have adopted as not      
materially  differing from the common   
version1 but which is far more poetical 
and more  in the strain of the original1
 thus explains the allusions to the     
foundation-stone3 ,it was the custom to 
celebrate the laying of the             
corner-stone of an important building   
with music1 songs1 shouting1 c4  ,hence 

the morning stars are represented as    
celebrating the laying of the           
corner-stone of the earth4 #bbj    ,upon
 this meagre statement have been        
accumulated more traditions than        
appertain to any other masonic symbol4  
,the ,rabbins1 as has already been      
intimated1 divide the glory of these    
apocryphal histories with the ,masons2  
indeed1 there is good reason for a      
suspicion that nearly all the masonic   
legends owe their first existence to the
 imaginative genius of the writers  of  
the ,jewish ,talmud4 ,but there is this 
difference between the ,hebrew and  the 
masonic traditions1 that the ,talmudic  
scholar recited them as truthful        
histories1 and swallowed1 in one gulp of
 faith1 all their impossibilities  and  
anachronisms1 while the masonic student 
has received them as  allegories1 whose 
value is not in the facts1 but in the   
sentiments which  they convey4    ,with 
this understanding of their meaning1 let
 us proceed to a collation of  these    

legends4    ,in that blasphemous work1  
the ,toldoth ,jeshu or ,life of ,jesus1 
written1 it is supposed1 in the         
thirteenth or fourteenth century1 we    
find  the following account of this     
wonderful stone3--    ,at that time the 
time of ,jesus there was in the ,house  
of the ,sanctuary  that is1 the temple a
 ,stone of ,foundation1 which is the    
very stone that  our father ,jacob      
anointed with oil1 as it is described in
 the  twenty-eighth chapter of the book 
of ,genesis4 ,on that stone the letters 
of  the tetragrammaton were inscribed1  
and whosoever of the ,israelites should 
learn that name would be able to master 
the world4 ,to prevent1 therefore1  any 
one from learning these letters1 two    
iron dogs were placed upon two  columns 
in front of the ,sanctuary4 ,if any     
person1 having acquired the  knowledge  
of these letters1 desired to depart from
 the ,sanctuary1 the  barking of the    
dogs1 by magical power1 inspired so much
 fear1 that he  suddenly forgot what he 

had acquired4    ,this passage is cited 
by the learned ,buxtorf1 in his ,lexicon
  ,talmudicum2 #bba but in the copy of  
the ,toldoth ,jeshu which ,i have  the  
good fortune to possess 7for it is among
 the rarest of books71 ,i find  another 
passage which gives some additional     
particulars1 in the following  words3-- 
,at that time there was in the temple   
the ineffable name of ,god1 inscribed   
upon the ,stone of ,foundation4 ,for    
when ,king ,david was digging the       
foundation for the temple1 he found in  
the depths of the excavation a  certain 
stone1 on which the name of ,god was    
inscribed4 ,this stone he  removed1 and 
deposited it in the ,holy of ,holies4   
#bbb    ,the same puerile story of the  
barking dogs is repeated1 still more at 
length4 ,it is not pertinent to the     
present inquiry1 but it may be stated   
as a mere matter of curious information1
 that this scandalous book1 which  is   
throughout a blasphemous defamation of  
our ,saviour1 proceeds to say1  that he 

cunningly obtained a knowledge of the   
tetragrammaton from the  ,stone of      
,foundation1 and by its mystical        
influence was enabled to perform  his   
miracles4    ,the masonic legends of the
 ,stone of ,foundation1 based on these  
and other  rabbinical reveries1 are of  
the most extraordinary character1 if    
they are  to be viewed as histories1 but
 readily reconcilable with sound sense1 
if  looked at only in the light of      
allegories4 ,they present an            
uninterrupted  succession of events1 in 
which the ,stone of ,foundation takes a 
prominent  part1 from ,adam to ,solomon1
 and from ,solomon to ,zerubbabel4      
,thus the first of these legends1 in    
order of time1 relates that the ,stone  
of ,foundation was possessed by ,adam   
while in the garden of ,eden2 that he   
used it as an altar1 and so reverenced  
it1 that1 on his expulsion from         
,paradise1 he carried it with him into  
the world in which he and his           
descendants were afterwards to earn     

their bread by the sweat of their  brow4
    ,another legend informs us that from
 ,adam the ,stone of ,foundation        
descended  to ,seth4 ,from ,seth it     
passed by regular succession to ,noah1  
who took it  with him into the ark1 and 
after the subsidence of the deluge1 made
 on it  his first thank-offering4 ,noah 
left it on ,mount ,ararat1 where it was 
subsequently found by ,abraham1 who     
removed it1 and consequently used it as 
an altar of sacrifice4 ,his grandson    
,jacob took it with him when he fled to 
his uncle ,laban in ,mesopotamia1 and   
used it as a pillow when1 in the        
vicinity of ,luz1 he had his celebrated 
vision4    ,here there is a sudden      
interruption in the legendary history of
 the  stane1 and we have no means of    
conjecturing how it passed from the     
possession of ,jacob into that of       
,solomon4 ,moses1 it is true1 is said to
  have taken it with him out of ,egypt  
at the time of the exodus1 and thus it  
may have finally reached ,jerusalem4    

,dr4 ,adam ,clarke#bbc repeats what he  
very properly calls a foolish tradition1
 that the stone on which ,jacob  rested 
his head was afterwards brought to      
,jerusalem1 thence carried after  a long
 lapse of time to ,spain1 from ,spain to
 ,ireland1 and from ,ireland to         
,scotland1 where it was used as a seat  
on which the kings of ,scotland sat  to 
be crowned4 ,edward ,i41 we know1       
brought a stone1 to which this legend   
is attached1 from ,scotland to          
,westminster ,abbey1 where1 under the   
name of  ,jacob's ,pillow1 it still     
remains1 and is always placed under the 
chair  upon which the ,british sovereign
 sits to be crowned1 because there is an
  old distich which declares that       
wherever this stone is found the        
,scottish  kings shall reign4#bbd       
,but this ,scottish tradition would take
 the ,stone of ,foundation away from    
all its masonic connections1 and        
therefore it is rejected as a masonic   
legend4    ,the legends just related are

 in many respects contradictory and     
unsatisfactory1 and another series1     
equally as old1 are now very generally  
adopted by masonic scholars1 as much    
better suited to the symbolism by  which
 all these legends are explained4       
,this series of legends commences with  
the patriarch ,enoch1 who is supposed   
to have been the first consecrator of   
the ,stone of ,foundation4 ,the legend  
of ,enoch is so interesting and         
important in masonic science as to      
excuse  something more than a brief     
reference to the incidents which it     
details4    ,the legend in full is as   
follows3 ,enoch1 under the inspiration  
of the ,most  ,high1 and in obedience to
 the instructions which he had received 
in a  vision1 built a temple under      
ground on ,mount ,moriah1 and dedicated 
it to  ,god4 ,his son1 ,methuselah1     
constructed the building1 although he   
was not  acquainted with his father's   
motives for the erection4 ,this temple  
consisted of nine vaults1 situated      

perpendicularly beneath each other1 and 
communicating by apertures left in each 
vault4    ,enoch then caused a          
triangular plate of gold to be made1    
each side of  which was a cubit long2 he
 enriched it with the most precious     
stones1 and  encrusted the plate upon a 
stone of agate of the same form4 ,on the
 plate  he engraved the true name of    
,god1 or the tetragrammaton1 and placing
 it  on a cubical stone1 known          
thereafter as the ,stone of ,foundation1
 he  deposited the whole within the     
lowest arch4    ,when this subterranean 
building was completed1 he made a door  
of stone1  and attaching to it a ring of
 iron1 by which it might be occasionally
  raised1 he placed it over the opening 
of the uppermost arch1 and so  covered  
it that the aperture could not be       
discovered4 ,enoch himself was  not     
permitted to enter it but once a year1  
and after the days of ,enoch1           
,methuselah1 and ,lamech1 and the       
destruction of the world by the deluge1 

all knowledge of the vault or           
subterranean temple1 and of the ,stone  
of  ,foundation1 with the sacred and    
ineffable name inscribed upon it1 was   
lost  for ages to the world4    ,at the 
building of the first temple of         
,jerusalem1 the ,stone of ,foundation   
again makes its appearance4 ,reference  
has already been made to the ,jewish    
tradition that ,david1 when digging the 
foundations of the temple1 found in  the
 excavation which he was making a       
certain stone1 on which the ineffable   
name of ,god was inscribed1 and which   
stone he is said to have removed and    
deposited in the ,holy of ,holies4 ,that
 ,king ,david laid the foundations of   
the temple upon which the superstructure
 was subsequently erected by  ,solomon1 
is a favorite theory of the             
legend-mongers of the ,talmud4    ,the  
masonic tradition is substantiallv the  
same as the ,jewish1 but it  substitutes
 ,solomon for ,david1 thereby giving a  
greater air of probability  to the      

narrative2 and it supposes that the     
stone thus discovered by  ,solomon was  
the identical one that had been         
deposited in his secret vault  by       
,enoch4 ,this ,stone of ,foundation1 the
 tradition states1 was subsequently     
removed by ,king ,solomon1 and1 for wise
 purposes1 deposited in a secret and    
safer place4    ,in this the masonic    
tradition again agrees with the ,jewish1
 for we find in  the third chapter of   
the ,treatise on the ,temple written by 
the  celebrated ,maimonides1 the        
following narrative--    ,there was a   
stone in the ,holy of ,holies1 on its   
west side1 on which was  placed the ark 
of the covenant1 and before it the pot  
of manna and ,aaron's  rod4 ,but when   
,solomon had built the temple1 and      
foresaw that it was1 at  some future    
time1 to be destroyed1 he constructed a 
deep and winding vault  under ground1   
for the purpose of concealing the ark1  
wherein ,josiah  afterwards1 as we learn
 in the ,second ,book of ,chronicles1   

xxxv4 #c1  deposited it1 with the pot of
 manna1 the rod of ,aaron1 and the oil  
of  anointing4    ,the ,talmudical book 
,yoma gives the same tradition1 and says
 that the  ark of the covenant was      
placed in the centre of the ,holy of    
,holies1 upon a  stone rising three     
fingers' breadth above the floor1 to be1
 as it were1 a  pedestal for it4 ,this  
stone1 says ,prideaux1#bbe the ,rabbins 
call the  ,stone of ,foundation1 and    
give us a great deal of trash about it4 
,there is much controversy as to the    
question of the existence of any ark  in
 the second temple4 ,some of the ,jewish
 writers assert that a new one was      
made2 others1 that the old one was found
 where it had been concealed by         
,solomon2 and others again contend that 
there was no ark at all in the  temple  
of ,zerubbabel1 but that its place was  
supplied by the ,stone of  ,foundation  
on which it had originally rested4      
,royal ,arch ,masons well know how all  
these traditions are sought to be       

reconciled by the masonic legend1 in    
which the substitute ark and the  ,stone
 of ,foundation play so important a     
part4    ,in the thirteenth degree of   
the ,ancient and ,accepted ,rite1 the   
,stone of  ,foundation is conspicuous as
 the resting-place of the sacred delta4 
,in the ,royal ,arch and ,select        
,master's degrees of the ,americanized  
,york  ,rite1 the ,stone of ,foundation 
constitutes the most important part of  
the  ritual4 ,in both of these it is the
 receptacle of the ark1 on which the    
ineffable name is inscribed4    ,lee1 in
 his ,temple of ,solomon1 has devoted a 
chapter to this ,stone of  ,foundation1 
and thus recapitulates the ,talmudic and
 ,rabbinical traditions  on the         
subject3--    ,vain and futilous are the
 feverish dreams of the ancient ,rabbins
  concerning the ,foundation ,stone of  
the temple4 ,some assert that ,god      
placed  this stone in the centre of the 
world1 for a future basis and settled   
consistency for the earth to rest upon4 

,others held this stone to be the  first
 matter1 out of which all the beautiful 
visible beings of the world  have been  
hewn forth and produced to light4       
,others relate that this was  the very  
same stone laid by ,jacob for a pillow  
under his head1 in that  night when he  
dreamed of an angelic vision at ,bethel1
 and afterwards  anointed and           
consecrated it to ,god4 ,which when     
,solomon had found 7no doubt  by forged 
revelation1 or some tedious search1 like
 another ,rabbi ,selemoh71  he durst not
 but lay it sure1 as the principal      
foundation stone of the  temple4 ,nay1  
they say further1 he caused to be       
engraved upon it the  tetragrammaton1 or
 the ineffable name of ,jehovah4 #bbf   
,it will be seen that the masonic       
traditions on the subject of the ,stone 
of  ,foundation do not differ very      
materially from these ,rabbinical ones1 
although they give a few additional     
circumstances4    ,in the masonic       
legend1 the ,foundation ,stone first    

makes its appearance1 as  ,i have       
already said1 in the days of ,enoch1 who
 placed it in the bowels of  ,mount     
,moriah4 ,there it was subsequently     
discovered by ,king ,solomon1 who       
deposited it in a crypt of the first    
temple1 where it remained concealed     
until the foundations of the second     
temple were laid1 when it was           
discovered and removed to the ,holy of  
,holies4 ,but the most important point  
of the legend of the ,stone of          
,foundation is its intimate and constant
  connection with the tetragrammaton1 or
 ineffable name4 ,it is this name1      
inscribed upon it1 within the sacred and
 symbolic delta1 that gives to the      
stone all its masonic value and         
significance4 ,it is upon this fact1    
that  it was so inscribed1 that its     
whole symbolism depends4    ,looking at 
these traditions in anything like the   
light of historical  narratives1 we are 
compelled to consider them1 to use the  
plain language  of ,lee1 but as so many 

idle and absurd conceits4 ,we must go   
behind the  legend1 viewing it only as  
an allegory1 and study its symbolism4   
,the symbolism of the ,foundation ,stone
 of ,masonry is therefore the next      
subject of investigation4    ,in        
approaching this1 the most abstruse1 and
 one of the most important1  symbols of 
the ,order1 we are at once impressed    
with its apparent  connection with the  
ancient doctrine of stone worship4 ,some
 brief  consideration of this species of
 religious culture is therefore         
necessary  for a proper understanding of
 the real symbolism of the ,stone of    
,foundation4    ,the worship of stones  
is a kind of fetichism1 which in the    
very infancy  of religion prevailed1    
perhaps1 more extensively than any other
 form of  religious culture4 ,lord      
,kames explains the fact by supposing   
that stones  erected as monuments of the
 dead became the place where posterity  
paid  their veneration to the memory of 
the deceased1 and that at length the    

people1 losing sight of the emblematical
 signification1 which was not  readily  
understood1 these monumental stones     
became objects of worship4    ,others   
have sought to find the origin of       
stone-worship in the stone that  was set
 up and anointed by ,jacob at ,bethel1  
and the tradition of which had  extended
 into the heathen nations and become    
corrupted4 ,it is certain that  the     
,phoenicians worshipped sacred stones   
under the name of ,baetylia1  which word
 is evidently derived from the ,hebrew  
,bethel2 and this  undoubtedly gives    
some appearance of plausibility to the  
theory4    ,but a third theory supposes 
that the worship of stones was derived  
from  the unskilfulness of the primitive
 sculptors1 who1 unable to frame1 by    
their meagre principles of plastic art1 
a true image of the ,god whom they      
adored1 were content to substitute in   
its place a rude or scarcely  polished  
stone4 ,hence the ,greeks1 according to 
,pausanias1 originally used  unhewn     

stones to represent their deities1      
thirty of which that historian  says he 
saw in the city of ,pharas4 ,these      
stones were of a cubical form1  and as  
the greater number of them were         
dedicated to the god ,hermes1 or        
,mercury1 they received the generic name
 of ,hermaa4 ,subsequently1 with  the   
improvement of the plastic art1 the head
 was added4#bbg    ,one of these        
consecrated stones was placed before the
 door of almost every  house in ,athens4
 ,they were also placed in front of the 
temples1 in the  gymnasia or schools1 in
 libraries1 and at the corners of       
streets1 and in  the roads4 ,when       
dedicated to the god ,terminus they were
 used as landmarks1  and placed as such 
upon the concurrent lines of neighboring
 possessions4    ,the ,thebans          
worshipped ,bacchus under the form of a 
rude1 square stone4    ,arnobius#bbh    
says that ,cybele was represented by a  
small stone of a  black color4 ,eusebius
 cites ,porphyry as saying that the     

ancients  represented the deity by a    
black stone1 because his nature is      
obscure and  inscrutable4 ,the reader   
will here be reminded of the black stone
 ,hadsjar  el ,aswad1 placed in the     
south-west corner of the ,kaaba at      
,mecca1 which  was worshipped by the    
ancient ,arabians1 and is still treated 
with  religious veneration by the modern
 ,mohammedans4 ,the ,mussulman priests1 
however1 say that it was originally     
white1 and of such surprising splendor  
that it could be seen at the distance of
 four days' journey1 but that it  has   
been blackened by the tears of pilgrims4
    ,the ,druids1 it is well known1 had 
no other images of their gods but       
cubical1 or sometimes columnar1 stones1 
of which ,toland gives several          
instances4    ,the ,chaldeans had a     
sacred stone1 which they held in great  
veneration1  under the name of          
,mnizuris1 and to which they sacrificed 
for the purpose  of evoking the ,good   
,demon4    ,stone-worship existed among 

the early ,american races4 ,squier      
quotes  ,skinner as asserting that the  
,peruvians used to set up rough stones  
in  their fields and plantations1 which 
were worshipped as protectors of their  
crops4 ,and ,gam a says that in ,mexico 
the presiding god of the spring was     
often represented without a human body1 
and in place thereof a pilaster or      
square column1 whose pedestal was       
covered with various sculptures4        
,indeed1 so universal was this          
stone-worship1 that ,higgins1 in his    
,celtic ,druids1 says that1 throughout  
the world the first object of  idolatry 
seems to have been a plain1 unwrought   
stone1 placed in the  ground1 as an     
emblem of the generative or procreative 
powers of nature4  ,and the learned     
,bryant1 in his ,analysis of ,ancient   
,mythology1 asserts  that there is in   
every oracular temple some legend about 
a stone4    ,without further citations  
of examples from the religious usages of
 other  countries1 it will1 ,i think1 be

 conceded that the cubical stone formed 
an  important part of the religious     
worship of primitive nations4 ,but      
,cudworth1 ,bryant1 ,faber1 and all     
other distinguished writers who have    
treated the subject1 have long since    
established the theory that the pagan   
religions were eminently symbolic4      
,thus1 to use the language of ,dudley1  
the pillar or stone was adopted as a    
symbol of strength and firmness1--a     
symbol1 also1 of the divine power1 and1 
by a ready inference1 a symbol or  idol 
of the ,deity himself4 #bbi ,and this   
symbolism is confirmed by  ,cornutus1   
who says that the god ,hermes was       
represented without hands or  feet1     
being a cubical stone1 because the      
cubical figure betokened his  solidity  
and stability4#bcj    ,thus1 then1 the  
following facts have been established1  
but not precisely  in this order3       
,first1 that there was a very general   
prevalence among the  earliest nations  
of antiquity of the worship of stones as

 the  representatives of ,deity2        
secondly1 that in almost every ancient  
temple  there was a legend of a sacred  
or mystical stone2 thirdly1 that this   
legend is found in the masonic system2  
and lastly1 that the mystical stone     
there has received the name of the      
,stone of ,foundation4    ,now1 as in   
all the other systems the stone is      
admitted to be symbolic1  and the       
tradition connected with it mystical1 we
 are compelled to assume  the same      
predicates of the masonic stone4 ,it1   
too1 is symbolic1 and its  legend a myth
 or an allegory4    ,of the fable1 myth1
 or allegory1 ,bailly has said that1    
subordinate to  history and philosophy1 
it only deceives that it may the better 
instruct  us4 ,faithful in preserving   
the realities which are confided to it1 
it  covers with its seductive envelope  
the lessons of the one and the truths   
of the other4 #bca ,it is from this     
stand-point that we are to view the     
allegory of the ,stone of ,foundation1  

as developed in one of the most         
interesting and important symbols of    
,masonry4    ,the fact that the mystical
 stone in all the ancient religions was 
a symbol  of the ,deity1 leads us       
necessarily to the conclusion that the  
,stone of  ,foundation was also a symbol
 of ,deity4 ,and this symbolic idea is  
strengthened by the tetragrammaton1 or  
sacred name of ,god1 that was  inscribed
 upon it4 ,this ineffable name          
sanctifies the stone upon which it  is  
engraved as the symbol of the ,grand    
,architect4 ,it takes from it its       
heathen signification as an idol1 and   
consecrates it to the worship of the    
true ,god4    ,the predominant idea of  
the ,deity1 in the masonic system1      
connects him  with his creative and     
formative power4 ,god is1 to the        
,freemason1 ,al  ,gabil1 as the         
,arabians called him1 that is1 ,the     
,builder2 or1 as  expressed in his      
masonic title1 the ,grand ,architect of 
the ,universe1 by  common consent       

abbreviated in the formula              
,g4,a4,o4,t4,u4 ,now1 it is evident     
that no symbol could so appropriately   
suit him in this character as the       
,stone of ,foundation1 upon which he is 
allegorically supposed to have  erected 
his world4 ,such a symbol closely       
connects the creative work of  ,god1 as 
a pattern and exemplar1 with the        
workman's erection of his  temporal     
building on a similar foundation stone4 
,but this masonic idea is still further 
to be extended4 ,the great object of    
all ,masonic labor is divine truth4 ,the
 search for the lost word is the  search
 for truth4 ,but divine truth is a term 
synonymous with ,god4 ,the  ineffable   
name is a symbol of truth1 because ,god1
 and ,god alone1 is truth4  ,it is      
properly a scriptural idea4 ,the ,book  
of ,psalms abounds with this  sentiment4
 ,thus it is said that the truth of the 
,lord reacheth unto the  clouds1 and    
that his truth endureth unto all        
generations4 ,if1 then1 ,god  is truth1 

and the ,stone of ,foundation is the    
masonic symbol of ,god1 it  follows that
 it must also be the symbol of divine   
truth4    ,when we have arrived at this 
point in our speculations1 we are ready 
to  show how all the myths and legends  
of the ,stone of ,foundation may be     
rationally explained as parts of that   
beautiful science of morality1  veiled  
in allegory and illustrated by symbols1 
which is the acknowledged  definition of
 ,freemasonry4    ,in the masonic system
 there are two temples2 the first       
temple1 in which  the degrees of        
,ancient ,craft ,masonry are concerned1 
and the second temple1  with which the  
higher degrees1 and especially the      
,royal ,arch1 are related4  ,the first  
temple is symbolic of the present life2 
the second temple is  symbolic of the   
life to come4 ,the first temple1 the    
present life1 must be  destroyed2 on its
 foundations the second temple1 the life
 eternal1 must be  built4    ,but the   
mystical stone was placed by ,king      

,solomon in the foundations of  the     
first temple4 ,that is to say1 the first
 temple of our present life  must be    
built on the sure foundation of divine  
truth1 for other  foundation can no man 
lay4    ,but although the present life  
is necessarily built upon the foundation
 of  truth1 yet we never thoroughly     
attain it in this sublunary sphere4 ,the
  ,foundation ,stone is concealed in the
 first temple1 and the ,master ,mason   
knows it not4 ,he has not the true word4
 ,he receives only a substitute4    ,but
 in the second temple of the future     
life1 we have passed from the  grave1   
which had been the end of our labors in 
the first4 ,we have removed  the        
rubbish1 and have found that ,stone of  
,foundation which had been  hitherto    
concealed from our eyes4 ,we now throw  
aside the substitute for  truth which   
had contented us in the former temple1  
and the brilliant  effulgence of the    
tetragrammaton and the ,stone of        
,foundation are  discovered1 and        

thenceforth we are the possessors of the
 true word--of  divine truth4 ,and in   
this way1 the ,stone of ,foundation1 or 
divine truth1  concealed in the first   
temple1 but discovered and brought to   
light in the  second1 will explain that 
passage of the apostle1 ,for now we see 
through  a glass darkly1 but then face  
to face3 now ,i know in part2 but then  
shall  ,i know even as also ,i am known4
    ,and so1 the result of this inquiry 
is1 that the masonic ,stone of          
,foundation is a symbol of divine truth1
 upon which all ,speculative ,masonry   
is built1 and the legends and traditions
 which refer to it are intended to      
describe1 in an allegorical way1 the    
progress of truth in the soul1 the      
search for which is a ,mason's labor1   
and the discovery of which is his       
reward4            ,,xxxi4    ,the ,lost
 ,word4        ,the last of the symbols1
 depending for its existence on its     
connection  with a myth to which ,i     
shall invite attention1 is the ,lost    

,word1 and the  search for it4 ,very    
appropriately may this symbol terminate 
our  investigations1 since it includes  
within its comprehensive scope all the  
others1 being itself the very essence of
 the science of masonic symbolism4  ,the
 other symbols require for their just   
appreciation a knowledge of the  origin 
of the order1 because they owe their    
birth to its relationship with  kindred 
and anterior institutions4 ,but the     
symbolism of the ,lost ,word has        
reference exclusively to the design and 
the objects of the institution4         
,first1 let us define the symbol1 and   
then investigate its interpretation4    
,the mythical history of ,freemasonry   
informs us that there once existed a    
,,word of surpassing value1 and claiming
 a profound veneration2 that this  ,word
 was known to but few2 that it was at   
length lost2 and that a  temporary      
substitute for it was adopted4 ,but as  
the very philosophy of  ,masonry teaches
 us that there can be no death without a

 resurrection1--no  decay without a     
subsequent restoration1--on the same    
principle it follows  that the loss of  
the ,word must suppose its eventual     
recovery4    ,now1 this it is1          
precisely1 that constitutes the myth of 
the ,lost ,word and  the search for it4 
,no matter what was the word1 no matter 
how it was lost1  nor why a substitute  
was provided1 nor when nor where it was 
recovered4  ,these are all points of    
subsidiary importance1 necessary1 it is 
true1 for  knowing the legendary        
history1 but not necessary for          
understanding the  symbolism4 ,the only 
term of the myth that is to be regarded 
in the study  of its interpretation1 is 
the abstract idea of a word lost and    
afterwards  recovered4    ,this1 then1  
points us to the goal to which we must  
direct our steps in the  pursuit of the 
investigation4    ,but the symbolism1   
referring in this case1 as ,i have      
already said1 solely  to the great      
design of ,freemasonry1 the nature of   

that design at once  suggests itself as 
a preliminary subject of inquiry in the 
investigation4    ,what1 then1 is the   
design of ,freemasonry8 ,a very large   
majority of its  disciples1 looking only
 to its practical results1 as seen in   
the every-day  business of life1--to the
 noble charities which it dispenses1 to 
the tears  of widows which it has dried1
 to the cries of orphans which it has   
hushed1  to the wants of the destitute  
which it has supplied1--arrive with too 
much  rapidity at the conclusion that   
,charity1 and that1 too1 in its least   
exalted sense of eleemosynary aid1 is   
the great design of the institution4    
,others1 with a still more contracted   
view1 remembering the pleasant  reunions
 at their lodge banquets1 the unreserved
 communications which are  thus         
encouraged1 and the solemn obligations  
of mutual trust and  confidence that are
 continually inculcated1 believe that it
 was intended  solely to promote the    
social sentiments and cement the bonds  

of  friendship4    ,but1 although the   
modern lectures inform us that          
,brotherly ,love and ,relief  are two of
 the principal tenets of a ,mason's     
profession1 yet1 from the  same         
authority1 we learn that ,truth is a    
third and not less important one2  and  
,truth1 too1 not in its old             
,anglo-,saxon meaning of fidelity to    
engagements1#bcb but in that more       
strictly philosophical one in which it  
is opposed to intellectual and religious
 error or falsehood4    ,but ,i have    
shown that the ,primitive ,freemasonry  
of the ancients was  instituted for the 
purpose of preserving that truth which  
had been  originally communicated to the
 patriarchs1 in all its integrity1 and  
that  the ,spurious ,masonry1 or the    
,mysteries1 originated in the earnest   
need of  the sages1 and philosophers1   
and priests1 to find again the same     
truth  which had been lost by the       
surrounding multitudes4 ,i have shown1  
also1  that this same truth continued to

 be the object of the ,temple ,masonry1 
which was formed by a union of the      
,primitive1 or ,pure1 and the ,spurious 
systems4 ,lastly1 ,i have endeavored to 
demonstrate that this truth related  to 
the nature of ,god and the human soul4  
,the search1 then1 after this truth1 ,i 
suppose to constitute the end and       
design of ,speculative ,masonry4 ,from  
the very commencement of his career1    
the aspirant is by significant symbols  
and expressive instructions  directed to
 the acquisition of this divine truth2  
and the whole lesson1 if  not completed 
in its full extent1 is at least well    
developed in the myths  and legends of  
the ,master's degree4 ,god and the      
soul--the unity of the  one and the     
immortality of the other--are the great 
truths1 the search for  which is to     
constitute the constant occupation of   
every ,mason1 and which1  when found1   
are to become the chief corner-stone1 or
 the stone of  foundation1 of the       
spiritual temple--the house not made    

with  hands--which he is engaged in     
erecting4    ,now1 this idea of a search
 after truth forms so prominent a part  
of the  whole science of ,freemasonry1  
that ,i conceive no better or more      
comprehensive answer could be given to  
the question1 ,what is  ,freemasonry8   
than to say that it is a science which  
is engaged in the  search after divine  
truth4    ,but ,freemasonry is eminently
 a system of symbolism1 and all its     
instructions are conveyed in symbols4   
,it is1 therefore1 to be supposed  that 
so prominent and so prevailing an idea  
as this1--one that  constitutes1 as ,i  
have said1 the whole design of the      
institution1 and  which may             
appropriately be adopted as the very    
definition of its  science1--could not  
with any consistency be left without its
 particular  symbol4    ,the ,,word1    
therefore1 ,i conceive to be the symbol 
of ,divine ,truth2 and  all its         
modifications--the loss1 the            
substitution1 and the recovery--are  but

 component parts of the mythical symbol 
which represents a search after  truth4 
,how1 then1 is this symbolism preserved8
 ,how is the whole history of this      
,word to be interpreted1 so as to bear1 
in all its accidents of time1 and       
place1 and circumstance1 a patent       
reference to the substantive idea that  
has been symbolized8    ,the answers to 
these questions embrace what is1        
perhaps1 the most  intricate as well as 
most ingenious and interesting portion  
of the science  of masonic symbolism4   
,this symbolism may be interpreted1     
either in an application to a general   
or to a special sense4    ,the general  
application will embrace the whole      
history of ,freemasonry1  from its      
inception to its consummation4 ,the     
search after the ,word is an  epitome of
 the intellectual and religious progress
 of the order1 from the  period when1 by
 the dispersion at ,babel1 the          
multitudes were enshrouded in  the      
profundity of a moral darkness where    

truth was apparently forever            
extinguished4 ,the true name of ,god was
 lost2 his true nature was not          
understood2 the divine lessons imparted 
by our father ,noah were no longer      
remembered2 the ancient traditions were 
now corrupted2 the ancient symbols  were
 perverted4 ,truth was buried beneath   
the rubbish of ,sabaism1 and the        
idolatrous adoration of the sun and     
stars had taken the place of the olden  
worship of the true ,god4 ,a moral      
darkness was now spread over the face of
  the earth1 as a dense1 impenetrable   
cloud1 which obstructed the rays of  the
 spiritual sun1 and covered the people  
as with a gloomy pall of  intellectual  
night4    ,but this night was not to    
last forever4 ,a brighter dawn was to   
arise1 and  amidst all this gloom and   
darkness there were still to be found a 
few  sages in whom the religious        
sentiment1 working in them with powerful
  throes1 sent forth manfully to seek   
after truth4 ,there were1 even in those 

days of intellectual and religious      
darkness1 craftsmen who were willing to 
search for the ,lost ,word4 ,and though 
they were unable to find it1 their      
approximation to truth was so near that 
the result of their search may  well be 
symbolized by the ,substitute ,word4    
,it was among the idolatrous multitudes 
that the ,word had been lost4 ,it  was  
among them that the ,builder had been   
smitten1 and that the works of  the     
spiritual temple had been suspended2 and
 so1 losing at each successive  stage of
 their decline1 more and more of the    
true knowledge of ,god and of  the pure 
religion which had originally been      
imparted by ,noah1 they finally  arrived
 at gross materialism and idolatry1     
losing all sight of the divine          
existence4 ,thus it was that the        
truth--the ,word--was said to have been 
lost2 or1 to apply the language of      
,hutchinson1 modified in its reference  
to the time1 in this situation1 it might
 well be said that the guide to  heaven 

was lost1 and the master of the works of
 righteousness was smitten4  ,the       
nations had given themselves up to the  
grossest idolatry1 and the  service of  
the true ,god was effaced from the      
memory of those who had  yielded        
themselves to the dominion of sin4      
,and now it was among the philosophers  
and priests in the ancient  ,mysteries1 
or the spurious ,freemasonry1 that an   
anxiety to discover the  truth led to   
the search for the ,lost ,word4 ,these  
were the craftsmen who  saw the         
fatal-blow which had been given1 who    
knew that the ,word was now  lost1 but  
were willing to go forth1 manfully and  
patiently1 to seek its  restoration4    
,and there were the craftsmen who1      
failing to rescue it from  the grave of 
oblivion into which it had fallen1 by   
any efforts of their  own incomplete    
knowledge1 fell back upon the dim       
traditions which had  been handed down  
from primeval times1 and through their  
aid found a  substitute for truth in    

their own philosophical religions4      
,and hence ,schmidtz1 speaking of these 
,mysteries of the pagan world1 calls    
them the remains of the ancient         
,pelasgian religion1 and says that the  
associations of persons for the purpose 
of celebrating them must therefore  have
 been formed at the time when the       
overwhelming influence of the  ,hellenic
 religion began to gain the upper hand  
in ,greece1 and when persons  who still 
entertained a reverence for the worship 
of former times united  together1 with  
the intention of preserving and         
upholding among themselves  as much as  
possible of the religion of their       
forefathers4    ,applying1 then1 our    
interpretation in a general sense1 the  
,word itself  being the symbol of       
,divine ,truth1 the narrative of its    
loss and the  search for its recovery   
becomes a mythical symbol of the decay  
and loss of  the true religion among the
 ancient nations1 at and after the      
dispersion  on the plains of ,shinar1   

and of the attempts of the wise men1 the
  philosophers1 and priests1 to find and
 retain it in their secret ,mysteries   
and initiations1 which have hence been  
designated as the ,spurious             
,freemasonry of ,antiquity4    ,but ,i  
have said that there is a special1 or   
individual1 as well as a  general       
interpretation4 ,this compound or double
 symbolism1 if ,i may so  call it1 is by
 no means unusual in ,freemasonry4 ,i   
have already exhibited  an illustration 
of it in the symbolism of ,solomon's    
temple1 where1 in a  general sense1 the 
temple is viewed as a symbol of that    
spiritual temple  formed by the         
aggregation of the whole order1 and in  
which each mason is  considered as a    
stone2 and1 in an individual or special 
sense1 the same  temple is considered as
 a type of that spiritual temple which  
each mason  is directed to erect in his 
heart4    ,now1 in this special or      
individual interpretation1 the ,word1   
with its  accompanying myth of a loss1 a

 substitute1 and a recovery1 becomes a  
symbol of the personal progress of a    
candidate from his first initiation  to 
the completion of his course1 when he   
receives a full development of  the     
,mysteries4    ,the aspirant enters on  
this search after truth1 as an ,entered 
,apprentice1  in darkness1 seeking for  
light--the light of wisdom1 the light of
 truth1  the light symbolized by the    
,word4 ,for this important task1 upon   
which he  starts forth gropingly1       
falteringly1 doubtingly1 in want and in 
weakness1  he is prepared by a          
purification of the heart1 and is       
invested with a  first substitute for   
the true ,word1 which1 like the pillar  
that went  before the ,israelites in the
 wilderness1 is to guide him onwards in 
his  weary journey4 ,he is directed to  
take1 as a staff and scrip for his      
journey1 all those virtues which expand 
the heart and dignify the soul4         
,secrecy1 obedience1 humility1 trust in 
,god1 purity of conscience1 economy  of 

time1 are all inculcated by impressive  
types and symbols1 which connect  the   
first degree with the period of youth4  
,and then1 next in the degree of ,fellow
 ,craft1 he fairly enters upon his      
journey4 ,youth has now passed1 and     
manhood has come on4 ,new duties and    
increased obligations press upon the    
individual4 ,the thinking and working   
stage of life is here symbolized4       
,science is to be cultivated2 wisdom is 
to be acquired2 the lost ,word--divine  
truth--is still to be sought for4  ,but 
even yet it is not to be found4    ,and 
now the ,master ,mason comes1 with all  
the symbolism around him of old         
age--trials1 sufferings1 death4 ,and    
here1 too1 the aspirant1 pressing       
onward1 always onward1 still cries aloud
 for light1 more light4 ,the  search is 
almost over1 but the lesson1 humiliating
 to human nature1 is to  be taught1 that
 in this life--gloomy and dark1 earthly 
and carnal--pure  truth has no abiding  
place2 and contented with a substitute1 

and to that  second temple of eternal   
life1 for that true ,word1 that divine  
,truth1  which will teach us all that we
 shall ever learn of ,god and his       
emanation1  the human soul4    ,so1 the 
,master ,mason1 receiving this          
substitute for the lost ,word1 waits    
with patience for the time when it shall
 be found1 and perfect wisdom  shall be 
attained4    ,but1 work as we will1 this
 symbolic ,word--this knowledge of      
divine  ,truth--is never thoroughly     
attained in this life1 or in its symbol1
 the  ,master ,mason's lodge4 ,the      
corruptions of mortality1 which encumber
 and  cloud the human intellect1 hide   
it1 as with a thick veil1 from mortal   
eyes4 ,it is only1 as ,i have just said1
 beyond the tomb1 and when released     
from the earthly burden of life1 that   
man is capable of fully receiving  and  
appreciating the revelation4 ,hence1    
then1 when we speak of the  recovery of 
the ,word1 in that higher degree which  
is a supplement to  ,ancient ,craft     

,masonry1 we intimate that that sublime 
portion of the  masonic system is a     
symbolic representation of the state    
after death4 ,for  it is only after the 
decay and fall of this temple of life1  
which1 as  masons1 we have been         
building1 that from its ruins1 deep     
beneath its  foundations1 and in the    
profound abyss of the grave1 we find    
that divine  truth1 in the search for   
which life was spent1 if not in vain1 at
 least  without success1 and the mystic 
key to which death only could supply4   
,and now we know by this symbolism what 
is meant by masonic labor1 which1  too1 
is itself but another form of the same  
symbol4 ,the search for the  ,word--to  
find divine ,truth--this1 and this only1
 is a mason's work1 and  the ,,word is  
his reward4    ,labor1 said the old     
monks1 is worship--laborare est orare2  
and thus in  our lodges do we worship1  
working for the ,word1 working for the  
,truth1  ever looking forward1 casting  
no glance behind1 but cheerily hoping   

for  the consummation and the reward of 
our labor in the knowledge which is     
promised to him who plays no laggard's  
part4    ,goethe1 himself a mason and a 
poet1 knew and felt all this symbolism  
of a  mason's life and work1 when he    
wrote that beautiful poem1 which        
,carlyle  has thus thrown into his own  
rough but impulsive language4           
,the mason's ways are      ,a type of   
existence1--      ,and to his           
persistence      ,is as the days are    
,of men in this world4        ,the      
future hides in it      ,gladness and   
sorrow2      ,we press still thorow1    
,nought that abides in it      ,daunting
 us--onward4        ,and solemn before  
us      ,veiled the dark portal1        
,goal of all mortal2      ,stars silent 
rest o'er us      ,graves under us      
silent4        ,while earnest thou      
gazest      ,come boding of terror1     
,comes phantasm and error1              
,perplexing the bravest      ,with doubt
 and misgiving4        ,but heard are   

the voices1      ,heard are the sages1  
,the worlds and the ages2      ',choose 
well2 your choice is      ,brief and yet
 endless4        ',here eyes do regard  
you1      ,in eternity's stillness2     
,here is all fullness1      ,ye1 brave  
to reward you2      ,work and despair   
not4'           99       99       99    
99       99    ,and now1 in concluding  
this work1 so inadequate to the         
importance of the  subjects that have   
been discussed1 one deduction1 at least1
 may be drawn  from all that has been   
said4    ,in tracing the progress of    
,freemasonry1 and in detailing its      
system of  symbolism1 it has been found 
to be so intimately connected with the  
history of philosophy1 of religion1 and 
of art1 in all ages of the world1  that 
the conviction at once forces itself    
upon the mind1 that no mason can  expect
 thoroughly to comprehend its nature1 or
 to appreciate its character  as a      
science1 unless he shall devote himself1
 with some labor and  assiduity1 to this

 study of its system4 ,that skill which 
consists in  repeating1 with fluency and
 precision1 the ordinary lectures1 in   
complying  with all the ceremonial      
requisitions of the ritual1 or the      
giving1 with  sufficient accuracy1 the  
appointed modes of recognition1 pertains
 only to  the very rudiments of the     
masonic science4    ,but there is a far 
nobler series of doctrines with which   
,freemasonry is  connected1 and which it
 has been my object1 in this work1 to   
present in  some imperfect way4 ,it is  
these which constitute the science and  
the  philosophy of ,freemasonry1 and it 
is these alone which will return the    
student who devotes himself to the task1
 a sevenfold reward for his labor4      
,freemasonry1 viewed no longer1 as too  
long it has been1 as a merely social    
institution1 has now assumed its        
original and undoubted position as a    
speculative science4 ,while the mere    
ritual is still carefully preserved1  as
 the casket should be which contains so 

bright a jewel2 while its  charities are
 still dispensed as the necessary though
 incidental result of  all its moral    
teachings2 while its social tendencies  
are still cultivated  as the tenacious  
cement which is to unite so fair a      
fabric in symmetry and  strength1 the   
masonic mind is everywhere beginning to 
look and ask for  something1 which1 like
 the manna in the desert1 shall feed us1
 in our  pilgrimage1 with intellectual  
food4 ,the universal cry1 throughout the
  masonic world1 is for light2 our      
lodges are henceforth to be schools2 our
  labor is to be study2 our wages are to
 be learning2 the types and symbols1    
the myths and allegories1 of the        
institution are beginning to be         
investigated with reference to their    
ultimate meaning2 our history is now    
traced by zealous inquiries as to its   
connection with antiquity2 and          
,freemasons now thoroughly understand   
that often quoted definition1 that      
,masonry is a science of morality veiled

 in allegory and illustrated by         
symbols4    ,thus to learn ,masonry is  
to know our work and to do it well4     
,what true  mason would shrink from the 
task8          ,synoptical ,index4      
,a      ,,ab4 ,the ,hebrew word 1 ,,ab1 
signifies father1 and was among  the    
,hebrews a title of honor4 ,from it1 by 
the addition of the possessive  pronoun1
 is compounded the word ,abif1          
signifying his father1 and  applied to  
the ,temple ,builder4    ,,abif4 ,see   
,hiram ,abif4    ,,abnet4 ,the band or  
apron1 made of fine linen1 variously    
wrought1 and worn  by the ,jewish       
priesthood4 ,it seems to have been      
borrowed directly from the  ,egyptians1 
upon the representations of all of whose
 gods is to be found a  similar girdle4 
,like the zennaar1 or sacred cord of the
 ,brahmins1 and the  white shield of the
 ,scandinavians1 it is the analogue of  
the masonic  apron4    ,,acacia1 ,,sprig
 ,,of4 ,no symbol is more interesting to
 the masonic student  than the sprig of 

acacia4    ,it is the mimosa nilotica of
 ,linnus1 the shittah of the ,hebrew    
writers1 and grows abundantly in        
,palestine4    ,it is preeminently the  
symbol of the immortality of the soul4  
,it was for this reason planted by the  
,jews at the head of a grave4    ,this  
symbolism is derived from its           
never-fading character as an evergreen4 
,it is also a symbol of innocence1 and  
this symbolism is derived from the      
double meaning of the word 1 which in   
,greek signifies the plant1 and         
innocence2 in this point of view        
,hutchinson has ,christianized the      
symbol4    ,it is1 lastly1 a symbol of  
initiation4    ,this symbolism is       
derived from the fact that it is the    
sacred plant of  ,masonry2 and in all   
the ancient rites there were sacred     
plants1 which  became in each rite the  
respective symbol of initiation into its
  ,mysteries2 hence the idea was        
borrowed by ,freemasonry4    ,,adonia4  
,the ,mysteries of ,adonis1 principally 

celebrated in ,phoenicia and  ,syria4   
,they lasted for two days1 and were     
commemorative of the death and          
restoration of ,adonis4 ,the ceremonies 
of the first day were funereal in  their
 character1 and consisted in the        
lamentations of the initiates for  the  
death of ,adonis1 whose picture or image
 was carried in procession4 ,the  second
 day was devoted to mirth and joy for   
the return of ,adonis to life4  ,in     
their spirit and their mystical design1 
these ,mysteries bore a very  great     
resemblance to the third degree of      
,masonry1 and they are quoted to  show  
the striking analogy between the ancient
 and the modern initiations4            
,,adonis4 ,in mythology1 the son of     
,cinyras and ,myrrha1 who was greatly   
beloved by ,venus1 or ,aphrodite4 ,he   
was slain by a wild boar1 and having    
descended into the realm of ,pluto1     
,persephone became enamoured of him4    
,this led to a contest for him between  
,venus and ,persephone1 which was       

finally settled by his restoration to   
life upon the condition that he  should 
spend six months upon earth1 and six    
months in the inferior  regions4 ,in the
 mythology of the philosophers1 ,adonis 
was a symbol of the  sun2 but his death 
by violence1 and his subsequent         
restoration to life1  make him the      
analogue of ,hiram ,abif in the masonic 
system1 and identify  the spirit of the 
initiation in his ,mysteries1 which was 
to teach the  second life with that of  
the third degree of ,freemasonry4       
,,ahriman1 or ,,arimanes4 ,in the       
religious system of ,zoroaster1 the     
principle  of evil1 or darkness1 which  
was perpetually opposing ,ormuzd1 the   
principle  of good1 or light4 ,see      
,zoroaster4    ,,alfader4 ,the father of
 all1 or the universal ,father4 ,the    
principal deity  of the ,scandinavian   
mythology4    ,the ,edda gives twelve   
names of ,god1 of which ,alfader is the 
first and most  ancient1 and is the one 
most generally used4    ,,algabil4 ,one 

of the names of the ,supreme ,being     
among the ,cabalists4 ,it  signifies the
 ,master ,builder1 and is equivalent to 
the masonic epithet  of ,grand          
,architect of the ,universe4            
,,allegory4 ,a discourse or narrative1  
in which there is a literal and a       
figurative sense1 a patent and a        
concealed meaning2 the literal or patent
  sense being intended by analogy or    
comparison to indicate the figurative   
or concealed one4 ,its derivation from  
the ,greek  and 1 to say  something     
different1 that is1 to say something    
where the language is one  thing1 and   
the true meaning different1 exactly     
expresses the character of  an allegory4
 ,it has been said in the text that     
there is no essential  difference       
between an allegory and a symbol4 ,there
 is not in design1 but  there is this in
 their character3 ,an allegory may be   
interpreted without  any previous       
conventional agreement1 but a symbol    
cannot4 ,thus the legend  of the third  

degree is an allegory evidently to be   
interpreted as teaching  a restoration  
to life2 and this we learn from the     
legend itself1 without  any previous    
understanding4 ,the sprig of acacia is a
 symbol of the  immortality of the soul4
 ,but this we know only because such    
meaning had  been conventionally        
determined when the symbol was first    
established4 ,it  is evident1 then1 that
 an allegory which is obscure is        
imperfect4 ,the  enigmatical meaning    
should be easy of interpretation2 and   
hence ,lemire1 a  ,french poet1 has     
said1 ,l'allgorie habite un palais      
diaphane--,allegory  lives in a         
transparent palace4 ,all the legends of 
,freemasonry are more or  less          
allegorical1 and whatever truth there   
may be in some of them in an  historical
 point of view1 it is only as           
allegories1 or legendary symbols1  that 
they are important4    ,,all-,,seeing   
,,eye4 ,a symbol of the third degree1 of
 great antiquity4 ,see  ,eye4           

,,ancient ,,craft ,,masonry4 ,the first 
three degrees of ,freemasonry2 viz41    
,entered ,apprentice1 ,fellow ,craft1   
and ,master ,mason4 ,they are so called 
because they alone are supposed to have 
been practised by the ancient  craft4   
,in the agreement between the two grand 
lodges of ,england in #ahac1  the       
definition was made to include the      
,royal ,arch degree4 ,now if by the     
ancient craft are meant the workmen at  
the first temple1 the definition  will  
be wrong1 because the ,royal ,arch      
degree could have had no existence      
until the time of the building of the   
second temple4 ,but if by the  ancient  
craft is meant the body of workmen who  
introduced the rites of  ,masonry into  
,europe in the early ages of the history
 of the ,order1 then  it will be        
correct2 because the ,royal ,arch degree
 always1 from its origin  until the     
middle of the eighteenth century1 formed
 a part of the ,master's4  ,ancient     
,craft ,masonry1 however1 in this       

country1 is generally understood  to    
embrace only the first three degrees4   
,,anderson4 ,james ,anderson1 ,d4,d41 is
 celebrated as the compiler and editor  
of ,the ,constitutions of the           
,freemasons1 published by order of the  
,grand  ,lodge of ,england1 in #agbc4 ,a
 second edition was published by him in 
#agch4  ,shortly after1 ,anderson died1 
and the subsequent editions1 of which   
there  are several1 have been edited by 
other persons4 ,the edition of #agbc has
  become exceedingly rare1 and copies of
 it bring fancy prices among the        
collectors of old masonic books4 ,its   
intrinsic value is derived only from    
the fact that it contains the first     
printed copy of the ,old ,charges1 and  
also the ,general ,regulations4 ,the    
history of ,masonry which precedes      
these1 and constitutes the body of the  
work1 is fanciful1 unreliable1 and      
pretentious to a degree that often leads
 to absurdity4 ,the craft are  greatly  
indebted to ,anderson for his labors in 

reorganizing the  institution1 but      
doubtless it would have been better if  
he had contented  himself with giving   
the records of the ,grand ,lodge from   
#agag to #agch which  are contained in  
his second edition1 and with preserving 
for us the  charges and regulations1    
which without his industry might have   
been lost4  ,no masonic writer would now
 venture to quote ,anderson as authority
 for the  history of the ,order anterior
 to the eighteenth century4 ,it must    
also be  added that in the republication
 of the old charges in the edition of   
#agch1  he made several important       
alterations and interpolations1 which   
justly  gave some offence to the ,grand 
,lodge1 and which render the second     
edition  of no authority in this        
respect4    ,,animal ,,worship4 ,the    
worship of animals is a species of      
idolatry that was  especially practised 
by the ancient ,egyptians4 ,temples were
 erected by  this people in their honor1
 in which they were fed and cared for   

during  life2 to kill one of them was a 
crime punishable with death2 and after  
death1 they were embalmed1 and interred 
in the catacombs4 ,this worship was     
derived first from the earlier adoration
 of the stars1 to certain               
constellations of which the names of    
animals had been given2 next1 from an   
,egyptian tradition that the gods1 being
 pursued by ,typhon1 had concealed      
themselves under the forms of animals2  
and lastly1 from the doctrine of  the   
metempsychosis1 according to which there
 was a continual circulation  of the    
souls of men and animals4 ,but behind   
the open and popular exercise  of this  
degrading worship the priests concealed 
a symbolism full of  philosophical      
conceptions4 ,how this symbolism was    
corrupted and  misinterpreted by the    
uninitiated people1 is shown by         
,gliddon1 and quoted  in the text4      
,,aphanism 7,greek 1 to conceal74 ,in   
each of the initiations of the  ancient 
,mysteries1 there was a scenic          

representation of the death or          
disappearance of some god or hero1 whose
 adventures constituted the legend  of  
the ,mystery4 ,that part of the ceremony
 of initiation which related to  and    
represented the death or disappearance  
was called the aphanism4                
,freemasonry1 which has in its          
ceremonial form been framed after the   
model  of these ancient ,mysteries1 has 
also its aphanism in the third degree4  
,,aporrheta 7,greek 74 ,the holy things 
in the ancient ,mysteries which  were   
known only to the initiates1 and were   
not to be disclosed to the  profane1    
were called the aporrheta4 ,what are the
 aporrheta of  ,freemasonry8 what are   
the arcana of which there can be no     
disclosure8 is a  question that for some
 years past has given rise to much      
discussion among  the disciples of the  
institution4 ,if the sphere and number  
of these  aporrheta be very considerably
 extended1 it is evident that much      
valuable  investigation by public       

discussion of the science of ,masonry   
will be  prohibited4 ,on the other hand1
 if the aporrheta are restricted to only
 a  few points1 much of the beauty1 the 
permanency1 and the efficacy of         
,freemasonry1 which are dependent on its
 organization as a secret and  mystical 
association1 will be lost4 ,we move     
between ,scylla and ,charybdis1  and it 
is difficult for a masonic writer to    
know how to steer so as1 in  avoiding   
too frank an exposition of the          
principles of the ,order1 not to  fall  
by too much reticence into obscurity4   
,the ,european ,masons are far  more    
liberal in their views of the obligation
 of secrecy than the ,english  or the   
,american4 ,there are few things1       
indeed1 which a ,french or ,german      
masonic writer will refuse to discuss   
with the utmost frankness4 ,it is now   
beginning to be very generally admitted1
 and ,english and ,american writers  are
 acting on the admission1 that the only 
real aporrheta of ,freemasonry  are the 

modes of recognition1 and the peculiar  
and distinctive ceremonies  of the      
,order2 and to these last it is claimed 
that reference may be  publicly made for
 the purposes of scientific             
investigation1 provided that  the       
reference be so made as to be obscure to
 the profane1 and intelligible  only to 
the initiated4    ,,apron4 ,the         
lambskin1 or white leather apron1 is the
 peculiar and  distinctive badge of a   
mason4    ,its color must be white1 and 
its material a lambskin4    ,it is a    
symbol of purity1 and it derives this   
symbolism from its color1  white being  
symbolic of purity2 from its material1  
the lamb having the  same symbolic      
character2 and from its use1 which is to
 preserve the  garments clean4    ,the  
apron1 or abnet1 worn by the ,egyptian  
and the ,hebrew priests1 and  which has 
been considered as the analogue of the  
masonic apron1 is  supposed to have been
 a symbol of authority2 but the use of  
the apron in  ,freemasonry originally as

 an implement of labor1 is an evidence  
of the  derivation of the speculative   
science from an operative art4          
,,apuleius4 ,lucius ,apuleius1 a ,latin 
writer1 born at ,medaura1 in ,africa1   
flourished in the reigns of the emperors
 ,antoninus and ,marcus ,aurelius4  ,his
 most celebrated book1 entitled         
,metamorphoses1 or the ,golden ,ass1 was
  written1 ,bishop ,warburton thinks1   
for the express purpose of recommending 
the ancient ,mysteries4 ,he had been    
initiated into many of them1 and his    
descriptions of them1 and especially of 
his own initiation into those of  the   
,egyptian ,isis1 are highly interesting 
and instructive1 and should be  read by 
every student of the science of masonic 
symbolism4    ,,archetype4 ,the         
principal type1 figure1 pattern1 or     
example1 whereby and  whereon a thing is
 formed4 ,in the science of symbolism1  
the archetype is  the thing adopted as a
 symbol1 whence the symbolic idea is    
derived4 ,thus  we say the temple is the

 archetype of the lodge1 because the    
former is the  symbol whence all the    
temple symbolism of the latter is       
derived4    ,,architecture4 ,the art    
which teaches the proper method of      
constructing  public and private        
edifices4 ,it is to ,freemasonry the ars
 artium1 the  art of arts1 because to it
 the institution is indebted for its    
origin in  its present organization4    
,the architecture of ,freemasonry is    
altogether  related to the construction 
of public edifices1 and principally     
sacred or  religious ones1--such as     
temples1 cathedrals1 churches1--and of  
these1  masonically1 the temple of      
,solomon is the archetype4 ,much of the 
symbolism  of ,freemasonry is drawn from
 the art of architecture4 ,while the    
improvements of ,greek and ,roman       
architecture are recognized in          
,freemasonry1 the three ancient orders1 
the ,doric1 ,ionic1 and ,corinthian  are
 alone symbolized4 ,no symbolism        
attaches to the ,tuscan and ,composite4 

,,ark ,,of ,,the ,,covenant4 ,one of the
 most sacred objects among the          
,israelites4  ,it was a chest made of   
shittim wood1 or acacia1 richly         
decorated1  forty-five inches long1 and 
eighteen inches wide1 and contained the 
two  tables of stone on which the ten   
commandments were engraved1 the golden  
pot that held manna1 and ,aaron's rod4  
,it was placed in the holy of holies1   
first of the tabernacle1 and then of the
 temple4 ,such is its masonic and       
scriptural history4 ,the idea of this   
ark was evidently borrowed from the     
,egyptians1 in whose religious rites a  
similar chest or coffer is to be  found4
 ,herodotus mentions several instances4 
,speaking of the festival of  ,papremis1
 he says 7ii4 #fc7 that the image of the
 god was kept in a small  wooden shrine 
covered with plates of gold1 which      
shrine was conveyed in a  procession of 
the priests and people from the temple  
into a second sacred  building4 ,among  
the sculptures are to be found bass     

reliefs of the ark of  ,isis4 ,the      
greatest of the religious ceremonies of 
the ,egyptians was the  procession of   
the shrines mentioned in the ,rosetta   
stone1 and which is  often found        
depicted on the sculptures4 ,these      
shrines were of two kinds1  one a       
canopy1 but the other1 called the great 
shrine1 was an ark or sacred  boat4 ,it 
was borne on the shoulders of priests by
 means of staves passing  through rings 
in its sides1 and was taken into the    
temple and deposited on  a stand4 ,some 
of these arks contained1 says ,wilkinson
 7,notes to ,herod4  ,,ii4 #eh1 n4 #i71 
the elements of life and stability1 and 
others the sacred  beetle of the sun1   
overshadowed by the wings of two figures
 of the goddess  ,thmei4 ,in all this we
 see the type of the ,jewish ark4 ,the  
introduction of  the ark into the       
ceremonies of ,freemasonry evidently is 
in reference to  its loss and recovery2 
and hence its symbolism is to be        
interpreted as  connected with the      

masonic idea of loss and recovery1 which
 always alludes  to a loss of life and a
 recovery of immortality4 ,in the first 
temple of  this life the ark is lost2 in
 the second temple of the future life it
 is  recovered4 ,and thus the ark of the
 covenant is one of the many masonic    
symbols of the resurrection4    ,,arts  
,,and ,,sciences1 ,,liberal4 ,in the    
seventh century1 and for many centuries 
afterwards1 all learning was limited to 
and comprised in what were called  the  
seven liberal arts and sciences2 namely1
 grammar1 rhetoric1 logic1  arithmetic1 
geometry1 music1 and astronomy4 ,the    
epithet liberal is a  fair translation  
of the ,latin ingenuus1 which means     
free-born2 thus  ,cicero speaks of the  
artes ingenu1 or the arts befitting a   
free-born  man2 and ,ovid says in the   
well-known lines1--                     
,ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes     
,emollit mores nec sinit esse feros1--  
,to have studied carefully the liberal  
arts refines the manners1 and  prevents 

us from being brutish4 ,and ,phillips1  
in his ,new ,world of ,words  7#agjf71  
defines the liberal arts and sciences to
 be such as are fit for  gentlemen and  
scholars1 as mechanic trades and        
handicrafts for meaner  people4 ,as     
,freemasons are required by their       
landmarks to be free-born1  we see the  
propriety of incorporating the arts of  
free-born men among  their symbols4 ,as 
the system of ,masonry derived its      
present form and  organization from the 
times when the study of these arts and  
sciences  constituted the labors of the 
wisest men1 they have very appropriately
  been adopted as the symbol of the     
completion of human learning4           
,,ashlar4 ,in builders' language1 a     
stone taken from the quarries4          
,,ashlar1 ,,perfect4 ,a stone that has  
been hewed1 squared1 and polished1 so as
  to be fit for use in the building4    
,masonically1 it is a symbol of the     
state of perfection attained by means of
 education4 ,and as it is the  object of

 ,speculative ,masonry to produce this  
state of perfection1 it may  in that    
point of view be also considered as a   
symbol of the social  character of the  
institution of ,freemasonry4            
,,ashlar1 ,,rough4 ,a stone in its rude 
and natural state4 ,masonically1 it is a
  symbol of men's natural state of      
ignorance4 ,but if the perfect ashlar   
be1  in reference to its mode of        
preparation1 considered as a symbol of  
the  social character of ,freemasonry1  
then the rough ashlar must be considered
  as a symbol of the profane world4 ,in 
this species of symbolism1 the rough    
and perfect ashlars bear the same       
relation to each other as ignorance does
  to knowledge1 death to life1 and light
 to darkness4 ,the rough ashlar is  the 
profane1 the perfect ashlar is the      
initiate4    ,,ashmole1 ,,elias4 ,a     
celebrated antiquary of ,england1 who   
was born in #afag4  ,he has written an  
autobiography1 or rather diary of his   
life1 which  extends to within eight    

years of his death4 ,under the date of  
,october #af1  #afdf1 he has made the   
following entry3 ,i was made a          
,free-,mason at  ,warrington1 in        
,lancashire1 with ,col4 ,henry          
,mainwaring1 of ,carticham1 in          
,cheshire2 the names of those that were 
then at the lodge3 ,mr4 ,richard        
,penket1 warden2 ,mr4 ,james ,collier1  
,mr4 ,richard ,sankey1 ,henry ,littler1 
,john  ,ellam and ,hugh ,brewer4        
,thirty-six years afterwards1 under date
 of ,march  #aj1 #afhb1 he makes the    
following entry3 ,i received a summons  
to appear at  a lodge to be held the    
next day at ,masons' ,hall1 in ,london4 
#aa4  ,accordingly ,i went1 and about   
noon was admitted into the fellowship of
  ,freemasons by ,sir ,william ,wilson1 
,knight1 ,captain ,richard ,borthwick1  
,mr4  ,william ,woodman1 ,mr4 ,william  
,grey1 ,mr4 ,samuel ,taylour1 and ,mr4  
,william  ,wise4 ,i was the senior      
fellow among them 7it being thirty-five 
years since  ,i was admitted72 there was

 present beside myself the fellows after
 named3  ,mr4 ,thomas ,wise1 master of  
the ,masons' ,company this year2 ,mr4   
,thomas  ,shorthose1 ,mr4 ,thomas       
,shadbolt1 ---- ,waidsfford1 ,esq41 ,mr4
 ,nicholas ,young1  ,mr4 ,john          
,shorthose1 ,mr4 ,william ,hamon1 ,mr4  
,john ,thompson1 and ,mr4 ,william      
,stanton4 ,we all dined at the          
,half-,moon ,tavern1 in ,cheapside1 at a
 noble  dinner prepared at the charge of
 the new-accepted ,masons4 ,the titles  
of  some of the persons named in these  
two receptions confirm what is said in  
the text1 that the operative was at that
 time being superseded by the           
speculative element4 ,it is deeply to be
 regretted that ,ashmole did not  carry 
out his projected design of writing a   
history of ,freemasonry1 for  which it  
is said that he had collected abundant  
materials4 ,his ,history of  the ,order 
of the ,garter shows what we might have 
expected from his  treatment of the     
masonic institution4    ,,aspirant4 ,one

 who aspires to or seeks after the      
truth4 ,the title given to  the         
candidate in the ancient ,mysteries4    
,,athelstan4 ,king of ,england1 who     
ascended the throne in #ibd4 ,anderson  
cites  the old constitutions as saying  
that he encouraged the ,masons1 and     
brought  many over from ,france and     
elsewhere4 ,in his reign1 and in the    
year #ibf1  the celebrated ,general     
,assembly of the ,craft was held in the 
city of ,york1  with prince ,edward1 the
 king's brother1 for ,grand ,master1    
when new  constitutions were framed4    
,from this assembly the ,york ,rite     
dates its  origin4    ,,autopsy 7,greek 
1 a seeing with one's own eyes74 ,the   
complete  communication of the secrets  
in the ancient ,mysteries1 when the     
aspirant  was admitted into the         
sacellum1 or most sacred place1 and was 
invested by  the ,hierophant with all   
the aporrheta1 or sacred things1 which  
constituted  the perfect knowledge of   
the initiate4 ,a similar ceremony in    

,freemasonry  is called the ,rite of    
,intrusting4    ,,aum4 ,the triliteral  
name of ,god in the ,brahminical        
mysteries1 and  equivalent among the    
,hindoos to the tetragrammaton of the   
,jews4 ,in one of  the ,puranas1 or     
sacred books of the ,hindoos1 it is     
said1 ,all the rites  ordained in the   
,vedas1 the sacrifices to fire1 and all 
other solemn  purifications1 shall pass 
away2 but that which shall never pass   
away is  the word ,,aum1 for it is the  
symbol of the ,lord of all things4      
,b      ,,babel4 ,the biblical account  
of the dispersion of mankind in         
consequence of  the confusion of tongues
 at ,babel1 has been incorporated into  
the history  of ,masonry4 ,the text has 
shown the probability that the pure and 
abstract  principles of the ,primitive  
,freemasonry had been preserved by ,noah
 and his  immediate descendants2 and    
also that1 as a consequence of the      
dispersion1  these principles had been  
lost or greatly corrupted by the        

,gentiles1 who  were removed from the   
influence and teachings of the great    
patriarch4    ,now there was in the old 
rituals a formula in the third degree1  
preserved  in some places to the present
 day1 which teaches that the candidate  
has  come from the tower of ,babel1     
where language was confounded and       
,masonry  lost1 and that he is          
travelling to the threshing-floor of    
,ornan the  ,jebusite1 where language   
was restored and ,masonry found4 ,an    
attentive  perusal of the nineteen      
propositions set forth in the           
preliminary chapter  of this work will  
furnish the reader with a key for the   
interpretation of  this formula4 ,the   
principles of the ,primitive            
,freemasonry of the early  priesthood   
were corrupted or lost at ,babel by the 
defection of a portion  of mankind from 
,noah1 the conservator of those         
principles4 ,long after1 the            
descendants of this people united with  
those of ,noah at the temple of         

,solomon1 whose site was the            
threshing-floor of ,ornan the ,jebusite1
 from  whom it had been bought by       
,david2 and here the lost principles    
were  restored by this union of the     
,spurious ,freemasons of ,tyre with the 
,primitive ,freemasons of ,jerusalem4   
,and this explains the latter clause of 
the formula4    ,,babylonish            
,,captivity4 ,when the city and temple  
of ,jerusalem were destroyed  by the    
army of ,nebuchadnezzar1 and the        
inhabitants conveyed as captives to     
,babylon1 we have a right to            
suppose1--that is to say1 if there be   
any  truth in masonic history1 the      
deduction is legitimate1--that among    
these  captives were many of the        
descendants of the workmen at the       
temple4 ,if so1  then they carried with 
them into captivity the principles of   
,masonry which  they had acquired at    
home1 and the city of ,babylon became   
the great seat  of ,speculative ,masonry
 for many years4 ,it was during the     

captivity that  the philosopher         
,pythagoras1 who was travelling as a    
seeker after  knowledge1 visited        
,babylon4 ,with his ardent thirst for   
wisdom1 he would  naturally hold        
frequent interviews with the leading    
,masons among the  ,jewish captives4 ,as
 he suffered himself to be initiated    
into the ,mysteries  of ,egypt during   
his visit to that country1 it is not    
unlikely that he may  have sought a     
similar initiation into the masonic     
,mysteries4 ,this would  account for the
 many analogies and resemblances to     
,masonry that we find in  the moral     
teachings1 the symbols1 and the peculiar
 organization of the  school of         
,pythagoras--resemblances so            
extraordinary as to have justified1  or 
at least excused1 the rituals for       
calling the sage of ,samos our  ancient 
brother4    ,,bacchus4 ,one of the      
appellations of the many-named god      
,dionysus4 ,the son  of ,jupiter and    
,semele was to the ,greeks ,dionysus1 to

 the ,romans ,bacchus4    ,,bare ,,feet4
 ,a symbol of reverence when both feet  
are uncovered4 ,otherwise  the symbolism
 is modern2 and from the ritualistic    
explanation which is  given in the first
 degree1 it would seem to require that  
the single bare  foot should be         
interpreted as the symbol of a covenant4
    ,,black4 ,pythagoras called this    
color the symbol of the evil principle  
in  nature4 ,it was equivalent to       
darkness1 which is the antagonist of    
light4  ,but in masonic symbolism the   
interpretation is different4 ,there1    
black is  a symbol of grief1 and always 
refers to the fate of the               
temple-builder4    ,,brahma4 ,in the    
mythology of the ,hindoos there is a    
trimurti1 or trinity1  the ,supreme     
,being exhibiting himself in three      
manifestations2 as1 ,brahma  the        
,creator1 ,vishnu the ,preserver1 and   
,siva the ,destroyer1--the united       
godhead being a symbol of the sun4      
,brahma was a symbol of the rising sun1 

,siva of the sun at meridian1 and       
,vishnu of the setting sun4    ,,bruce4 
,the introduction of ,freemasonry into  
,scotland has been attributed  by some  
writers to ,king ,robert ,bruce1 who is 
said to have established in  #acad the  
,order of ,herodom1 for the reception of
 those ,knights ,templars who  had taken
 refuge in his dominions from the       
persecutions of the ,pope and  the ,king
 of ,france4 ,lawrie1 who is excellent  
authority for ,scottish  ,masonry1 does 
not appear1 however1 to give any credit 
to the narrative4  ,whatever ,bruce may 
have done for the higher degrees1 there 
is no doubt  that ,ancient ,craft       
,masonry was introduced into ,scotland  
at an earlier  period4 ,see ,kilwinning4
 ,yet the text is right in making ,bruce
 one of the  patrons and encouragers of 
,scottish ,freemasonry4    ,,bryant4    
,jacob ,bryant1 frequently quoted in    
this work1 was a distinguished  ,english
 antiquary1 born in the year #agae1 and 
deceased in #ahjd4 ,his most  celebrated

 work is ,a ,new ,system of ,ancient    
,mythology1 which appeared in  #aggc-gf4
 ,although objectionable on account of  
its too conjectural  character1 it      
contains a fund of details on the       
subject of symbolism1 and  may be       
consulted with advantage by the masonic 
student4    ,,builder4 ,the chief       
architect of the temple of ,solomon is  
often called the  ,builder4 ,but the    
word is also applied generally to the   
craft2 for every  ,speculative ,mason is
 as much a builder as was his operative 
predecessor4  ,an ,american writer      
7,f4,s4 ,wood1 of ,arkansas7 thus       
alludes to this symbolic  idea4 ,masons 
are called moral builders4 ,in their    
rituals1 they declare  that a more noble
 and glorious purpose than squaring     
stones and hewing  timbers is theirs1   
fitting immortal nature for that        
spiritual building not  made with hands1
 eternal in the heavens4 ,and he adds1  
,the builder builds  for a century2     
masons for eternity4 ,in this sense1 the

 builder is the  noblest title that can 
be bestowed upon a mason4    ,,bunyan1  
,,john4 ,familiar to every one as the   
author of the ,pilgrim's  ,progress4 ,he
 lived in the seventeenth century1 and  
was the most  celebrated allegorical    
writer of ,england4 ,his work entitled  
,solomon's  ,temple ,spiritualized will 
supply the student of masonic symbolism 
with  many valuable suggestions4        
,c      ,,cabala4 ,the mystical         
philosophy of the ,jews4 ,the word which
 is derived  from a ,hebrew root1       
signifying to receive1 has sometimes    
been used in an  enlarged sense1 as     
comprehending all the explanations1     
maxims1 and  ceremonies which have been 
traditionally handed down to the ,jews2 
but in  that more limited acceptation1  
in which it is intimately connected with
  the symbolic science of ,freemasonry1 
the cabala may be defined to be a       
system of philosophy which embraces     
certain mystical interpretations of     
,scripture1 and metaphysical            

speculations concerning the ,deity1 man1
 and  spiritual beings4 ,in these       
interpretations and speculations1       
according to  the ,jewish doctors1 were 
enveloped the most profound truths of   
religion1  which1 to be comprehended by 
finite beings1 are obliged to be        
revealed  through the medium of symbols 
and allegories4 ,buxtorf 7,lex4 ,talm47 
defines  the ,cabala to be a secret     
science1 which treats in a mystical and 
enigmatical manner of things divine1    
angelical1 theological1 celestial1  and 
metaphysical1 the subjects being        
enveloped in striking symbols and       
secret modes of teaching4    ,,cabalist4
 ,a ,jewish philosopher4 ,one who       
understands and teaches the  doctrines  
of the ,cabala1 or the ,jewish          
philosophy4    ,,cabiri4 ,certain gods1 
whose worship was first established in  
the ,island of  ,samothrace1 where the  
,cabiric ,mysteries were practised until
 the beginning  of the ,christian era4  
,they were four in number1 and by some  

are supposed  to have referred to ,noah 
and his three sons4 ,in the ,mysteries  
there was a  legend of the death and    
restoration to life of ,atys1 the son of
 ,cybele4  ,the candidate represented   
,cadmillus1 the youngest of the ,cabiri1
 who was  slain by his three brethren4  
,the legend of the ,cabiric ,mysteries1 
as far  as it can be understood from the
 faint allusions of ancient authors1 was
  in spirit and design very analogous to
 that of the third degree of  ,masonry4 
,,cadmillus4 ,one of the gods of the    
,cabiri1 who was slain by his brothers1 
on which circumstance the legend of the 
,cabiric or ,samothracian ,mysteries  is
 founded4 ,he is the analogue of the    
,builder in the ,hiramic legend of      
,freemasonry4 #bef    ,,cairns4 ,heaps  
of stones of a conical form1 erected by 
the ,druids4 ,some  suppose them to have
 been sepulchral monuments1 others      
altars4 ,they were  undoubtedly of a    
religious character1 since sacrificial  
fires were lighted  upon them1 and      

processions were made around them4      
,these processions were  analogous to   
the circumambulations in ,masonry1 and  
were conducted like  them with reference
 to the apparent course of the sun4     
,,cassia4 ,a gross corruption of        
,acacia4 ,the cassia is an aromatic     
plant1  but it has no mystical or       
symbolic character4    ,,celtic         
,,mysteries4 ,the religious rites of    
ancient ,gaul and ,britain1 more        
familiarly known as ,druidism1 which    
see44 #aji    ,,ceremonies4 ,the outer  
garments which cover and adorn          
,freemasonry as  clothing does the human
 body4    ,although ceremonies give     
neither life nor truth to doctrines or  
principles1 yet they have an admirable  
influence1 since by their use  certain  
things are made to acquire a sacred     
character which they would not          
otherwise have had2 and hence ,lord     
,coke has most wisely said that prudent 
antiquity did1 for more solemnity and   
better memory and observation of  that  

which is to be done1 express substances 
under ceremonies44    ,,ceres4 ,among   
the ,romans the goddess of agriculture2 
but among the more  poetic ,greeks she  
became1 as ,demeter1 the symbol of the  
prolific earth4  ,see ,demeter4         
,,charter ,,of ,,cologne4 ,a masonic    
document of great celebrity1 but not of 
unquestioned authenticity4 ,it is a     
declaration or affirmation of the       
design and principles of ,freemasonry1  
issued in the year #aece1 by a          
convention of masons who had assembled  
in the city of ,cologne4 ,the  original 
is in the ,latin language4 ,the         
assertors of the authenticity of  the   
document claim that it was found in the 
chest of a lodge at ,amsterdam  in      
#afcg1 and afterwards regularly         
transmitted from hand to hand until the 
year #ahaf1 when it was presented to    
,prince ,frederick of ,nassau1 through  
whom it was at that time made known to  
the masonic world4 ,others assert  that 
it is a forgery1 which was perpetrated  

about the year #ahaf4 ,like the  ,leland
 manuscript1 it is one of those vexed   
questions of masonic literary  history  
over which so much doubt has been       
thrown1 that it will probably  never be 
satisfactorily solved4 ,for a           
translation of the charter1 and  copious
 explanatory notes1 by the author of    
this work1 the reader is  referred to   
the ,american ,quarterly ,review of     
,freemasonry1 vol4 ii4 p4  #eb4         
,,christianization ,,of ,,freemasonry4  
,the interpretation of its symbols from 
a  ,christian point of view4 ,this is an
 error into which ,hutchinson and       
,oliver in ,england1 and ,scott and one 
or two others of less celebrity in  this
 country1 have fallen4 ,it is impossible
 to derive ,freemasonry from            
,christianity1 because the former1 in   
point of time1 preceded the latter4  ,in
 fact1 the symbols of ,freemasonry are  
,solomonic1 and its religion was        
derived from the ancient priesthood4    
,the infusion of the ,christian element 

was1 however1 a natural result of       
surrounding circumstances2 yet to       
sustain it would be fatal to the        
cosmopolitan character of the           
institution4    ,such interpretation is 
therefore modern1 and does not belong to
 the  ancient system4    ,,circular     
,,temples4 ,these were used in the      
initiations of the religion of          
,zoroaster4 ,like the square temples of 
,masonry1 and the other ,mysteries1     
they were symbolic of the world1 and the
 symbol was completed by making  the    
circumference of the circle a           
representation of the zodiac4           
,,circumambulation4 ,the ceremony of    
perambulating the lodge1 or going in    
procession around the altar1 which was  
universally practised in the  ancient   
initiations and other religious         
ceremonies1 and was always  performed so
 that the persons moving should have the
 altar on their right  hand4 ,the rite  
was symbolic of the apparent daily      
course of the sun from  the east to the 

west by the way of the south1 and was   
undoubtedly derived  from the ancient   
sun-worship4    ,,civilization4         
,freemasonry is a result of             
civilization1 for it exists in no       
savage or barbarous state of society2   
and in return it has proved1 by its     
social and moral principles1 a means of 
extending and elevating the             
civilization which gave it birth4       
,freemasonry is therefore a type of     
civilization1 bearing the same relation 
to the profane world that civilization  
does to the savage state4    ,,colleges 
,,of ,,artificers4 ,the ,collegia       
,fabrorum1 or ,workmen's ,colleges1     
were established in ,rome by ,numa1 who 
for this purpose distributed all the    
artisans of the city into companies1 or 
colleges1 according to their arts  and  
trades4 ,they resembled the modern      
corporations1 or guilds1 which  sprang  
up in the middle ages4 ,the rule        
established by their founder1 that  not 
less than three could constitute a      

college1--tres faciunt  collegium1--has 
been retained in the regulations of the 
third degree of  masonry1 to a lodge of 
which these colleges bore other         
analogies4    ,,cologne1 ,,charter ,,of4
 ,see ,charter of ,cologne4    ,,common 
,,gavel4 ,see ,gavel4    ,,consecration4
 ,the appropriating or dedicating1 with 
certain ceremonies1  anything to sacred 
purposes or offices1 by separating it   
from common use4  ,masonic lodges1 like 
ancient temples and modern churches1    
have always been  consecrated4 ,hobbes1 
in his ,leviathan 7p4 iv4 c4 #dd71 gives
 the best  definition of this ceremony4 
,to consecrate is in ,scripture to      
offer1  give1 or dedicate1 in pious and 
decent language and gesture1 a man1 or  
any  other thing1 to ,god1 by separating
 it from common use44    ,,consecration1
 ,,elements ,,of4 ,those things1 the use
 of which in the ceremony  as           
constituent and elementary parts of it1 
are necessary to the perfecting  and    
legalizing of the act of consecration4  

,in ,freemasonry1 these elements  of    
consecration are corn1 wine1 and        
oil1--which see4    ,,corn4 ,one of the 
three elements of masonic consecration1 
and as a symbol  of plenty it is        
intended1 under the name of the corn of 
nourishment1 to  remind us of those     
temporal blessings of life1 support1 and
 nourishment  which we receive from the 
,giver of all good4    ,,corner ,,stone4
 ,the most important stone in the       
edifice1 and in its  symbolism referring
 to an impressive ceremony in the first 
degree of  ,masonry4    ,the ancients   
laid it with peculiar ceremonies1 and   
among the ,oriental  nations it was the 
symbol of a prince1 or chief4    ,it is 
one of the most impressive symbols of   
,masonry4    ,it is a symbol of the     
candidate on his initiation4    ,as a   
symbol it is exclusively masonic1 and   
confined to a temple origin4            
,,covering ,,of ,,the ,,lodge4 ,under   
the technical name of the clouded canopy
 or  starry-decked heavens1 it is a     

symbol of the future world1--of the     
celestial lodge above1 where the        
,g4,a4,o4,t4,u4 forever presides1 and   
which  constitutes the foreign country  
which every mason hopes to reach4       
,,creuzer4 ,george ,frederick ,creuzer1 
who was born in ,germany in #agga1 and  
was a professor at the ,university of   
,heidelberg1 devoted himself to the     
study of the ancient religions1 and with
 profound learning1 established a       
peculiar system on the subject4 ,many of
 his views have been adopted in the     
text of the present work4 ,his theory   
was1 that the religion and mythology  of
 the ancient ,greeks were borrowed from 
a far more ancient people1--a  body of  
priests coming from the ,east1--who     
received them as a revelation4  ,the    
myths and traditions of this ancient    
people were adopted by ,hesiod1  ,homer1
 and the later poets1 although not      
without some misunderstanding of  them1 
and they were finally preserved in the  
,mysteries1 and became  subjects of     

investigation for the philosophers4     
,this theory ,creuzer has  developed in 
his most important work1 entitled       
,symbolik und ,mythologie  der alten    
,vlker1 besonders der ,greichen1 which  
was published at ,leipsic  in #ahai4    
,there is no translation of this work   
into ,english1 but ,guigniaut  published
 at ,paris1 in #ahbd1 a paraphrastic    
translation of it1 under the  title of  
,religions de l',antiquit considres     
principalement dans leur  ,formes       
,symboliques et ,mythologiques4         
,creuzer's views throw much light on    
the symbolic history of ,freemasonry4   
,,cross4 ,no symbol was so universally  
diffused at an early period as the      
cross4 ,it was1 says ,faber 7,cabir4 ii4
 #cij71 a symbol throughout the pagan   
world long previous to its becoming an  
object of veneration to ,christians4    
,in ancient symbology it was a symbol of
 eternal life4 ,m4 de ,mortillet1 who   
in #ahff published a work entitled ,le  
,signe de la ,croix avant le            

,christianisme1 found in the very       
earliest epochs three principal symbols 
of universal occurrences2 viz41 the     
circle1 the pyramid1 and the  cross4    
,leslie 7,man's ,origin and ,destiny1 p4
 #cab71 quoting from him in  reference  
to the ancient worship of the cross1    
says ,it seems to have been  a worship  
of such a peculiar nature as to exclude 
the worship of idols4  ,this sacredness 
of the crucial symbol may be one reason 
why its form was  often adopted1        
especially by the ,celts in the         
construction of their  temples1 though  
,i have admitted in the text the        
commonly received opinion  that in      
cross-shaped temples the four limbs of  
the cross referred to the  four         
elements4 ,but in a very interesting    
work lately published--,the ,myths  of  
the ,new ,world 7,n4,y41 #ahfc7--,mr4   
,brinton assigns another symbolism4     
,the symbol1 says this writer1 that     
beyond all others has fascinated the    
human mind1 ,,the ,,cross1 finds here   

its source and meaning4 ,scholars have  
pointed out its sacredness in many      
natural religions1 and have reverently  
accepted it as a mystery1 or offered    
scores of conflicting1 and often        
debasing1 interpretations4 ,it is but   
another symbol of the four cardinal     
points1 the four winds of heaven4 ,this 
will luminously appear by a study  of   
its use and meaning in ,america4 7p4    
#ie47 ,and ,mr4 ,brinton gives many     
instances of the religious use of the   
cross by several of the aboriginal      
tribes of this continent1 where the     
allusion1 it must be confessed1 seems   
evidently to be to the four cardinal    
points1 or the four winds1 or four      
spirits1 of the earth4 ,if this be so1  
and if it is probable that a similar    
reference was adopted by the ,celtic and
 other ancient peoples1 then we  would  
have in the cruciform temple as much a  
symbolism of the world1 of  which the   
four cardinal points constitute the     
boundaries1 as we have in  the square1  

the cubical1 and the circular4          
,,cteis4 ,a representation of the female
 generative organ4 ,it was1 as a        
symbol1 always accompanied by the       
phallus1 and1 like that symbol1 was     
extensively venerated by the nations of 
antiquity4 ,it was a symbol of the      
prolific powers of nature4 ,see         
,phallus4    ,,cube4 ,a geometrical     
figure1 consisting of six equal sides   
and six equal  angles4 ,it is the square
 solidified1 and was among the ancients 
a symbol  of truth4 ,the same symbolism 
is recognized in ,freemasonry4          
,d      ,,darkness4 ,it denotes         
falsehood and ignorance1 and was a very 
universal  symbol among the nations of  
antiquity4    ,in all the ancient       
initiations1 the aspirant was placed in 
darkness for a  period differing in     
each1--among the ,druids for three days1
 among the  ,greeks for twenty-seven1   
and in the ,mysteries of ,mithras for   
fifty4    ,in all of these1 as well as  
in ,freemasonry1 darkness is the symbol 

of  initiation not complete4    ,,death4
 ,because it was believed to be the     
entrance to a better and eternal  life1 
which was the dogma of the ,mysteries1  
death became the symbol of  initiation2 
and hence among the ,greeks the same    
word signified to die1  and to be       
initiated4 ,in the ,british ,mysteries1 
says ,davies 7,mythol4 of  the ,british 
,druids71 the novitiate passed the river
 of death in the boat  of ,garanhir1 the
 ,charon of the ,greeks2 and before he  
could be admitted to  this privilege1 it
 was requisite that he should have been 
mystically  buried1 as well as          
mystically dead4    ,,definition ,,of   
,,freemasonry4 ,the definition quoted in
 the text1 that it is a  science of     
morality1 veiled in allegory and        
illustrated by symbols1 is the  one     
which is given in the ,english lectures4
    ,but a more comprehensive and exact 
definition is1 that it is a science     
which is engaged in the search after    
divine truth4    ,,delta4 ,in the higher

 degrees of ,masonry1 the triangle is so
 called because  the ,greek letter of   
that name is of a triangular form4      
,it is a symbol of ,deity1 because it is
 the first perfect figure in  geometry2 
it is the first figure in which space is
 enclosed by lines4    ,,demeter4       
,worshipped by the ,greeks as the symbol
 of the prolific earth4 ,she  was the   
,ceres of the ,romans4 ,to her is       
attributed the institution of the       
,eleusinian ,mysteries in ,greece1 the  
most popular of all the ancient         
initiations4    ,,design ,,of           
,,freemasonry4 ,it is not charity or    
alms-giving4    ,nor the cultivation of 
the social sentiment2 for both of these 
are merely  incidental to its           
organization4    ,but it is the search  
after truth1 and that truth is the unity
 of ,god1 and  the immortality of the   
soul4    ,,dieseal4 ,a term used by the 
,druids to designate the                
circumambulation  around the sacred     
cairns1 and is derived from two words   

signifying on the  right of the sun1    
because the circumambulation was always 
in imitation of  the course of the sun1 
with the right hand next to the cairn or
 altar4    ,,dionysiac ,,artificers4 ,an
 association of architects who possessed
 the  exclusive privilege of erecting   
temples and other public buildings in   
,asia  ,minor4 ,the members were        
distinguished from the uninitiated      
inhabitants by  the possession of       
peculiar marks of recognition1 and by   
the secret  character of their          
association4 ,they were intimately      
connected with the  ,dionysiac          
,mysteries1 and are supposed to have    
furnished the builders for  the         
construction of the temple of ,solomon4 
,,dionysiac ,,mysteries4 ,in addition to
 what is said in the text1 ,i add the   
following1 slightly condensed1 from the 
pen of that accomplished writer1        
,albert ,pike3 ,the initiates in these  
,mysteries had preserved the ritual  and
 ceremonies that accorded with the      

simplicity of the earliest ages1 and    
the manners of the first men4 ,the rules
 of ,pythagoras were followed there4    
,like the ,egyptians1 who held wool     
unclean1 they buried no initiate in     
woollen garments4 ,they abstained from  
bloody sacrifices1 and lived on  fruits 
or vegetables4 ,they imitated the life  
of the contemplative sects of  the      
,orient4 ,one of the most precious      
advantages promised by their  initiation
 was to put man in communion with the   
gods by purifying his  soul of all the  
passions that interfere with that       
enjoyment1 and dim the  rays of divine  
light that are communicated to every    
soul capable of  receiving them4 ,the   
sacred gates of the temple1 where the   
ceremonies of  initiation were          
performed1 were opened but once in each 
year1 and no  stranger was allowed to   
enter4 ,night threw her veil over these 
august  ,mysteries4 ,there the          
sufferings of ,dionysus were            
represented1 who1 like  ,osiris1 died1  

descended to hell1 and rose to life     
again2 and raw flesh was  distributed to
 the initiates1 which each ate in memory
 of the death of the  deity torn in     
pieces by the ,titans4    ,,dionysus4   
,or ,bacchus2 mythologically said to be 
the son of ,zeus and  ,semele4 ,in his  
,mysteries he was identified with       
,osiris1 and regarded as  the sun4 ,his 
,mysteries prevailed in ,greece1 ,rome1 
and ,asia1 and were  celebrated by the  
,dionysiac artificers--those builders   
who united with the  ,jews in the       
construction of ,king ,solomon's temple4
 ,hence1 of all the  ancient ,mysteries1
 they are the most interesting to the   
masonic student4    ,,disseverance4 ,the
 disseverance of the operative from the 
speculative  element of ,freemasonry    
occurred at the beginning of the        
eighteenth  century4    ,,discalceation1
 ,,rite ,,of4 ,the ceremony of          
uncovering the feet1 or taking off  the 
shoes2 from the ,latin discalceare4 ,it 
is a symbol of reverence4 ,see  ,bare   

,feet4    ,,druidical ,,mysteries4 ,the 
,celtic ,mysteries celebrated in        
,britain and ,gaul4  ,they resembled1 in
 all material points1 the other         
mysteries of antiquity1  and had the    
same design4 ,the aspirant was subjected
 to severe trials1  underwent a mystical
 death and burial in imitation of the   
death of the god  ,hu1 and was          
eventually enlightened by the           
communication to him of the  great      
truths of ,god and immortality1 which it
 was the object of all the  ,mysteries  
to teach4    ,,dualism4 ,a mythological 
and philosophical doctrine1 which       
supposes the  world to have been always 
governed by two antagonistic principles1
  distinguished as the good and the evil
 principle4 ,this doctrine pervaded  all
 the ,oriental religions1 and its       
influences are to be seen in the  system
 of ,speculative ,masonry1 where it is  
developed in the symbolism of  ,light   
and ,darkness4        ,e      ,,east4   
,that part of the heavens where the sun 

rises2 and as the source of  material   
light to which we figuratively apply the
 idea of intellectual  light1 it has    
been adopted as a symbol of the ,order  
of ,freemasonry4 ,and  this symbolism is
 strengthened by the fact that the      
earliest learning and  the earliest     
religion came from the east1 and have   
ever been travelling to  the west4      
,in ,freemasonry1 the east has always   
been considered the most sacred of the  
cardinal points1 because it is the place
 where light issues2 and it was         
originally referred to the primitive    
religion1 or sun-worship4 ,but in       
,freemasonry it refers especially to    
that east whence an ancient priesthood  
first disseminated truth to enlighten   
the world2 wherefore the east is        
masonically called the place of light4  
,,egg4 ,the mundane egg is a            
well-recognized symbol of the world4    
,the  ancient pagans1 says ,faber1 in   
almost every part of the globe1 were    
wont  to symbolize the world by an egg4 

,hence this symbol is introduced into   
the  cosmogony of nearly all nations2   
and there are few persons1 even among   
those who have not made mythology their 
study1 to whom the ,mundane ,egg  is not
 perfectly familiar4 ,it was employed   
not only to represent the  earth1 but   
also the universe in its largest extent4
 ,origin of ,pag4  ,idolatry1 i4 #age4  
,,egg ,,and ,,lunette4 ,the egg1 being a
 symbol not only of the resurrection1   
but also of the world rescued from      
destruction by the ,noachic ark1 and the
  lunette1 or horizontal crescent1 being
 a symbol of the ,great ,father1        
represented by ,noah1 the egg and       
lunette combined1 which was the         
hieroglyphic of the god ,lunus1 at      
,heliopolis1 was a symbol of the world  
proceeding from the ,great ,father4     
,,egypt4 ,egypt has been considered as  
the cradle not only of the sciences1    
but of the religions of the ancient     
world4 ,although a monarchy1 with a     
king nominally at the head of the state1

 the government really was in the  hands
 of the priests1 who were the sole      
depositaries of learning1 and were      
alone acquainted with the religious     
formularies that in ,egypt controlled   
all the public and private actions of   
the life of every inhabitant4           
,,elephanta4 ,an island in the ,bay of  
,bombay1 celebrated for the stupendous  
caverns artificially excavated out of   
the solid rock1 which were  appropriated
 to the initiations in the ancient      
,indian ,mysteries4    ,,eleusinian     
,,mysteries4 ,of all the ,mysteries of  
the ancients these were the  most       
popular4 ,they were celebrated at the   
village of ,eleusis1 near ,athens1  and 
were dedicated to ,demeter4 ,in them the
 loss and the restoration of            
,persephone were scenically represented1
 and the doctrines of the unity of  ,god
 and the immortality of the soul were   
taught4 ,see ,demeter4    ,,entered     
,,apprentice4 ,the first degree of      
,ancient ,craft ,masonry1 analogous  to 

the aspirant in the ,lesser ,mysteries4 
,it is viewed as a symbol of childhood1 
and is considered as a preparation  and 
purification for something higher4      
,,epopt4 7,from the ,greek 1 an eye     
witness47 ,one who1 having been         
initiated in the ,greater ,mysteries of 
paganism1 has seen the aporrheta4       
,,era ,,of ,,masonry4 ,the legendary    
statement that the origin of ,masonry is
  coeval with the beginning of the      
world1 is only a philosophical myth to  
indicate the eternal nature of its      
principles4    ,,erica4 ,the tree heath2
 a sacred plant among the ,egyptians1   
and used in the  ,osirian ,mysteries as 
the symbol of immortality1 and the      
analogue of the  masonic acacia4        
,,essenes4 ,a society or sect of the    
,jews1 who combined labor with religious
  exercises1 whose organization partook 
of a secret character1 and who have     
been claimed to be the descendants of   
the builders of the temple of  ,solomon4
    ,,euclid4 ,the masonic legend which 

refers to ,euclid is altogether         
historically untrue4 ,it is really a    
philosophical myth intended to convey  a
 masonic truth4    ,,euresis4 7,from the
 ,greek 1 a discovery47 ,that part of   
the  initiation in the ancient          
,mysteries which represented the finding
 of the  body of the god or hero whose  
death was the subject of the initiation4
    ,the euresis has been adopted in    
,freemasonry1 and forms an essential    
part  of the ritual of the third degree4
    ,,evergreen4 ,a symbol of the       
immortality of the soul4    ,planted by 
the ,hebrews and other ancient peoples  
at the heads of graves4    ,for this    
purpose the ,hebrews preferred the      
acacia1 because its wood was            
incorruptible1 and because1 as the      
material of the ark1 it was already     
considered as a sacred plant4    ,,eye1 
,,all-,,seeing4 ,a symbol of the        
omniscient and watchful providence of   
,god4 ,it is a very ancient symbol1 and 
is supposed by some to be a relic of    

the primitive sun-worship4 ,volney says 
7,les ,ruines1 p4 #ahf7 that in most  of
 the ancient languages of ,asia1 the eye
 and the sun are expressed by  the same 
word4 ,among the ,egyptians the eye was 
the symbol of their supreme  god1       
,osiris1 or the sun4        ,f          
,,faber4 ,the works of the ,rev4 ,g4,s4 
,faber1 on the ,origin of ,pagan        
,idolatry1  and on the ,cabiri1 are     
valuable contributions to the science of
 mythology4  ,they abound in matters of 
interest to the investigator of masonic 
symbolism and philosophy1 but should be 
read with a careful view of the         
preconceived theory of the learned      
author1 who refers everything in the    
ancient religions to the influences of  
the ,noachic cataclysm1 and the  arkite 
worship which he supposes to have       
resulted from it4    ,,fellow ,,craft4  
,the second degree of ,ancient ,craft   
,masonry1 analogous to the  mystes in   
the ancient ,mysteries4    ,the symbol  
of a youth setting forth on the journey 

of life4    ,,fetichism4 ,the worship of
 uncouth and misshapen idols1 practised 
only by  the most ignorant and debased  
peoples1 and to be found at this day    
among  some of the least civilized of   
the negro tribes of ,africa4 ,their     
fetiches1 says ,du ,chaillu1 speaking of
 some of the ,african races1  consisted 
of fingers and tails of monkeys2 of     
human hair1 skin1 teeth1  bones2 of     
clay1 old nails1 copper chains2 shells1 
feathers1 claws1 and  skulls of birds2  
pieces of iron1 copper1 or wood2 seeds  
of plants1 ashes  of various substances1
 and ,i cannot tell what more4          
,equatorial ,africa1  p4 #ic4           
,,fifteen4 ,a sacred number1 symbolic of
 the name of ,god1 because the letters  
of the holy name 1 ,,jah1 are equal1 in 
the ,hebrew mode of  numeration by the  
letters of the alphabet1 to fifteen2 for
  is  equal to ten1 and  is equal to    
five4 ,hence1 from veneration for  this 
sacred name1 the ,hebrews do not1 in    
ordinary computations1 when they  wish  

to express the number #ae1 make use of  
these two letters1 but of two  others1  
which are equivalent to #i and #f4      
,,forty-,,seventh ,,problem4 ,the       
forty-seventh problem of the first book 
of  ,euclid is1 that in any right-angled
 triangle the square which is described 
upon the side subtending the right angle
 is equal to the squares described  upon
 the sides which contain the right      
angle4 ,it is said to have been         
discovered by ,pythagoras while in      
,egypt1 but was most probably taught to 
him by the priests of that country1 in  
whose rites he had been initiated2  it  
is a symbol of the production of the    
world by the generative and  prolific   
powers of the ,creator2 hence the       
,egyptians made the perpendicular  and  
base the representatives of ,osiris and 
,isis1 while the hypothenuse            
represented their child ,horus4 ,dr4    
,lardner says 7,com4 on ,euclid1 p4 #fj7
  of this problem1 ,whether we consider 
the forty-seventh proposition with      

reference to the peculiar and beautiful 
relation established by it1 or to  its  
innumerable uses in every department of 
mathematical science1 or to  its        
fertility in the consequences derivable 
from it1 it must certainly be  esteemed 
the most celebrated and important in the
 whole of the elements1  if not in the  
whole range of mathematical science4    
,,fourteen4 ,some symbologists have     
referred the fourteen pieces into which 
the mutilated body of ,osiris was       
divided1 and the fourteen days during   
which the body of the builder was       
buried1 to the fourteen days of the     
disappearance of the moon4 ,the ,sabian 
worshippers of the hosts of heaven  were
 impressed with the alternate appearance
 and disappearance of the  moon1 which  
at length became a symbol of death and  
resurrection4 ,hence  fourteen was a    
sacred number4 ,as such it was viewed in
 the ,osirian  ,mysteries1 and may have 
been introduced into ,freemasonry with  
other relics  of the old worship of the 

sun and planets4    ,,freemasonry1      
,,definition ,,of4 ,see ,definition4    
,,freemasons1 ,,travelling4 ,the        
travelling ,freemasons were a society   
existing  in the middle ages1 and       
consisting of learned men and prelates1 
under whom  were operative masons4 ,the 
operative masons performed the labors of
 the  craft1 and travelling from country
 to country1 were engaged in the        
construction of cathedrals1 monasteries1
 and castles4 ,there are few  points in 
the history of the middle ages1 says    
,godwin1 more pleasing to  look back    
upon than the existence of the          
associated masons2 they are the  bright 
spot in the general darkness of that    
period2 the patch of verdure  when all  
around is barren4 ,the ,builder1 ix4    
#dfc        ,g      ,g4 ,the use of the 
letter ,g in the ,fellow ,craft's degree
 is an anachronism4  ,it is really a    
corruption of1 or perhaps rather a      
substitution for1 the  ,hebrew letter   
7yod71 which is the initial of the      

ineffable  name4 ,as such1 it is a      
symbol of the life-giving and           
life-sustaining power  of ,god4         
,g4,a4,o4,t4,u4 ,a masonic abbreviation 
used as a symbol of the name of ,god1   
and  signifying the ,grand ,architect of
 the ,universe4 ,it was adopted by the  
,freemasons in accordance with a similar
 practice among all the nations of      
antiquity of noting the ,divine ,name by
 a symbol4    ,,gavel4 ,what is called  
in ,masonry a common gavel is a         
stone-cutter's  hammer2 it is one of the
 working tools of an ,entered           
,apprentice1 and is a  symbol of the    
purification of the heart4    ,,gloves4 
,on the continent of ,europe they are   
given to candidates at the  same time   
that they are invested with the apron2  
the same custom formerly  prevailed in  
,england2 but although the investiture  
of the gloves is  abandoned as a        
ceremony both there and in ,america1    
they are worn as a part  of masonic     
clothing4    ,they are a symbol of      

purification of life4    ,in the middle 
ages gloves were worn by operative      
masons4    ,,god1 ,,unity ,,of4 ,see    
,unity of ,god4    ,,god1 ,,name ,,of4  
,see ,name4    ,,golgotha4 ,in ,hebrew  
and ,syriac it means a skull2 a name of 
,mount  ,calvary1 and so called1        
probably1 because it was the place of   
public  execution4 ,the ,latin          
,calvaria1 whence ,mount ,calvary1 means
 also a skull4    ,,grave4 ,in the      
,master's degree1 a symbol which is the 
analogue of the  pastos1 or couch1 in   
the ancient ,mysteries4    ,the         
symbolism has been ,christianized by    
some masonic writers1 and the  grave has
 thus been referred to the sepulchre of 
,christ4    ,,grips ,,and ,,signs4 ,they
 are valuable only for social purposes  
as modes of  recognition4        ,h     
,,hand4 ,the hand is a symbol of human  
actions2 pure hands symbolize pure      
actions1 and impure or unclean hands    
symbolize impure actions4    ,,hare4    
,among the ,egyptians the hare was a    

hieroglyphic of eyes that are  open1 and
 was the symbol of initiation into the  
,mysteries of ,osiris4 ,the  ,hebrew    
word for hare is arnabet1 and this is   
compounded of two words  that signify to
 behold the light4 ,the connection of   
ideas is apparent4    ,,hellenism4 ,the 
religion of the ,helles1 or ancient     
,greeks who immediately  succeeded the  
,pelasgians in the settlement of that   
country4 ,it was1 in  consequence of the
 introduction of the poetic element1    
more refined than  the old ,pelasgic    
worship for which it was substituted4   
,its myths were more  philosophical and 
less gross than those of the religion to
 which it  succeeded4    ,,hermae4      
,stones of a cubical form1 which were   
originally unhewn1 by which  the ,greeks
 at first represented all their deities4
 ,they came in the  progress of time to 
be especially dedicated by the ,greeks  
to the god  ,hermes1 whence the name1   
and by the ,romans to the god ,terminus1
 who  presided over landmarks4    ,,hero

 ,,worship4 ,the worship of men deified 
after death4 ,it is a theory of  some1  
both ancient and modern writers1 that   
all the pagan gods were once  human     
beings1 and that the legends and        
traditions of mythology are mere        
embellishments of the acts of these     
personages when alive4 ,it was the      
doctrine taught by ,euhemerus among the 
ancients1 and has been maintained  among
 the moderns by such distinguished      
authorities as ,bochart1 ,bryant1       
,voss1 and ,banier4    ,,hermetic       
,,philosophy4 ,the system of the        
,alchemists1 the ,adepts1 or seekers  of
 the philosopher's stone4 ,no system has
 been more misunderstood than  this4 ,it
 was secret1 esoteric1 and highly       
symbolical4 ,no one has so well         
revealed its true design as ,e4,a4      
,hitchcock1 who1 in his delightful work 
entitled ,remarks upon ,alchemy and the 
,alchemists1 says1 ,the genuine         
,alchemists were religious men1 who     
passed their time in legitimate         

pursuits1 earning an honest subsistence1
 and in religious contemplation1        
studying how to realize in themselves   
the union of the divine and human       
nature1 expressed in man by an          
enlightened submission to ,god's will2  
and  they thought out and published1    
after a manner of their own1 a method of
  attaining or entering upon this state1
 as the only rest of the soul4  ,there  
is a very great similarity between their
 doctrines and those of the             
,freemasons2 so much so that the two    
associations have sometimes been        
confounded4    ,,hierophant4 7,from the 
,greek 1 holy1 sacred1 and  to show47   
,one who instructs in sacred things2 the
 explainer of the aporrheta1 or  secret 
doctrines1 to the initiates in the      
ancient ,mysteries4 ,he was the         
presiding officer1 and his rank and     
duties were analogous to those of the   
master of a masonic lodge4    ,,hiram   
,,abif4 ,the architect of ,solomon's    
temple4 ,the word ,abif signifies  in   

,hebrew his father1 and is used by the  
writer of ,second ,chronicles  7iv4 #af7
 when he says1 ,these things did ,hiram 
his father in the  original ,hiram ,abif
  do for ,king ,solomon44    ,the legend
 relating to him is of no value as a    
mere narrative1 but of vast  importance 
in a symbolical point of view1 as       
illustrating a great  philosophical and 
religious truth2 namely1 the dogma of   
the immortality of  the soul4    ,hence1
 ,hiram ,abif is the symbol of man in   
the abstract sense1 or human  nature1 as
 developed in the life here and in the  
life to come4    ,,hiram ,,of ,,tyre4   
,the king of ,tyre1 the friend and ally 
of ,king ,solomon1 whom  he supplied    
with men and materials for building the 
temple4 ,in the recent1  or what ,i am  
inclined to call the grand lecturer's   
symbolism of ,masonry 7a  sort of       
symbolism for which ,i have very little 
veneration71 ,hiram of ,tyre  is styled 
the symbol of strength1 as ,hiram ,abif 
is of beauty4 ,but ,i doubt  the        

antiquity or authenticity of any such   
symbolism4 ,hiram of ,tyre can  only be 
considered1 historically1 as being      
necessary to complete the myth  and     
symbolism of ,hiram ,abif4 ,the king of 
,tyre is an historical personage1  and  
there is no necessity for transforming  
him into a symbol1 while his  historical
 character lends credit and validity to 
the philosophical myth  of the third    
degree of ,masonry4    ,,hiram ,,the    
,,builder4 ,an epithet of ,hiram ,abif4 
,for the full significance of  the term1
 see the word ,builder4    ,,ho-,,hi4 ,a
 cabalistic pronunciation of the        
tetragrammaton1 or ineffable name  of   
,god2 it is most probably the true one2 
and as it literally means  ,,he-,,she1  
it is supposed to denote the            
hermaphroditic essence of ,jehovah1 as  
containing within himself the male and  
the female principle1--the  generative  
and the prolific energy of creation4    
,,ho ,the sacred name of ,god among the 
,druids4 ,bryant supposes that by it    

they intended the ,great ,father ,noah2 
but it is very possible that it was a   
modification of the ,hebrew             
tetragrammaton1 being the last syllable 
read  cabalistically 7see ho-hi72 if so1
 it signified the great male principle  
of nature4 ,but ,,hu1 in ,hebrew 1 is   
claimed by ,talmudic writers  to be one 
of the names of ,god2 and the passage in
 ,isaiah xlii4 #h1 in the  original ani 
,jehovah1 ,hu shemi1 which is in the    
common version ,i am the  ,,lord2 that  
is my name1 they interpret1 ,i am       
,jehovah2 my name is ,hu4               
,,hutchinson1 ,,william4 ,a             
distinguished masonic writer of         
,england1 who lived  in the eighteenth  
century4 ,he is the author of ,the      
,spirit of ,masonry1  published in      
#agge4 ,this was the first ,english work
 of any importance that  sought to give 
a scientific interpretation of the      
symbols of ,freemasonry2  it is1 in     
fact1 the earliest attempt of any kind  
to treat ,freemasonry as a  science of  

symbolism4 ,hutchinson1 however1 has to 
some extent impaired the  value of his  
labors by contending that the           
institution is exclusively  ,christian  
in its character and design4        ,i  
,,ih-,,ho4 ,see ,ho-hi4    ,,immortality
 ,,of ,,the ,,soul4 ,this is one of the 
two religious dogmas which  have always 
been taught in ,speculative ,masonry4   
,it was also taught in all the ,rites   
and ,mysteries of antiquity4    ,the    
doctrine was taught as an abstract      
proposition by the ancient  priesthood  
of the ,pure or ,primitive ,freemasonry 
of antiquity1 but was  conveyed to the  
mind of the initiate1 and impressed upon
 him by a scenic  representation in the 
ancient ,mysteries1 or the ,spurious    
,freemasonry of  the ancients4          
,,incommunicable ,,name4 ,the           
tetragrammaton1 so called because it was
 not  common to1 and could not be       
bestowed upon1 nor shared by1 any other 
being4  ,it was proper to the true ,god 
alone4 ,thus ,drusius 7,tetragrammaton1 

sive de  ,nomine ,dei proprio1 p4 #ajh7 
says1 ,nomen quatuor literarum proprie  
et  absolute non tribui nisi ,deo vero4 
,unde doctores catholici dicunt         
incommunicabile not common esse         
creaturae4    ,,ineffable ,,name4 ,the  
tetragrammaton4 ,so called because it is
 ineffabile1  or unpronounceable4 ,see  
,tetragrammaton4    ,,intrusting1 ,,rite
 ,,of4 ,that part of the ceremony of    
initiation which  consists in           
communicating to the aspirant or        
candidate the aporrheta1 or  secrets of 
the mystery4    ,,inunction4 ,the act of
 anointing4 ,this was a religious       
ceremony practised  from the earliest   
times4 ,by the pouring on of oil1       
persons and things were  consecrated to 
sacred purposes4    ,,investiture1      
,,rite ,,of4 ,that part of the ceremony 
of initiation which  consists of        
clothing the candidate masonically4 ,it 
is a symbol of purity4    ,,ish         
,,chotzeb4 ,hebrew  1 hewers of stones4 
,the ,fellow  ,crafts at the temple of  

,solomon4 7#b ,chron4 ii4 #b474    ,,ish
 ,,sabal4 ,hebrew  1 bearers of burdens4
 ,the ,apprentices  at the temple of    
,solomon4 7#b ,chron4 ii4 #b474         
,j      ,,jah4 ,it is in ,hebrew  whence
 ,maimonides calls it the two-lettered  
name1 and derives it from the           
tetragrammaton1 of which it is an       
abbreviation4 ,others have denied this1 
and assert that ,jah is a name          
independent of ,jehovah1 but expressing 
the same idea of the divine  essenee4   
,see ,gataker1 ,de ,nom4 ,tetrag44      
,,jehovah4 ,the incommunicable1         
ineffable name of ,god1 in ,hebrew 1 and
  called1 from the four letters of which
 it consists1 the tetragrammaton1 or    
four-lettered name4        ,l           
,,labor4 ,since the article on the      
,symbolism of ,labor was written1 ,i    
have met  with an address delivered in  
#ahfh by brother ,trou1 before ,st4     
,peter's  ,lodge in ,martinico1 which   
contains sentiments on the relation of  
,masonry  to labor which are well worth 

a translation from the original ,french4
 ,see  ,bulletin du ,grand ,orient de   
,france1 ,december1 #ahfh4    ,our name 
of ,mason1 and our emblems1 distinctly  
announce that our object  is the        
elevation of labor4    ,we do not1 as   
masons1 consider labor as a punishment  
inflicted on man2  but on the contrary1 
we elevate it in our thought to the     
height of a  religious act1 which is the
 most acceptable to ,god because it is  
the most  useful to man and to society4 
,we decorate ourselves with the emblems 
of labor to affirm that our  doctrine is
 an incessant protest against the stigma
 branded on the law of  labor1 and which
 an error of apprehension1 proceeding   
from the ignorance  of men in primitive 
times has erected into a dogma2 an error
 that has  resulted in the production of
 this anti-social phenomenon which we   
meet  with every day2 namely1 that the  
degradation of the workman is the       
greater  as his labor is more severe1   
and the elevation of the idler is higher

 as  his idleness is more complete4 ,but
 the study of the laws which maintain   
order in nature1 released from the      
fetters of preconceived ideas1 has led  
the ,freemasons to that doctrine1 far   
more moral than the contrary belief1    
that labor is not an expiation1 but a   
law of harmony1 from the subjection  to 
which man cannot be released without    
impairing his own happiness1 and        
deranging the order of creation4 ,the   
design of ,freemasons is1 then1 the     
rehabilitation of labor1 which is       
indicated by the apron which we wear1   
and the gavel1 the trowel1 and the      
level1 which are found among our        
symbols4    ,hence the doctrine of this 
work is1 that ,freemasonry teaches not  
only the  necessity1 but the nobility1  
of labor4    ,and that labor is the     
proper worship due by man to ,god4      
,,ladder4 ,a symbol of progressive      
advancement from a lower to a higher    
sphere1 which is common to ,masonry1 and
 to many1 if not all1 of the  ancient   

,mysteries4    ,,ladder1 ,,brahminical4 
,the symbolic ladder used in the        
,mysteries of ,brahma4  ,it had seven   
steps1 symbolic of the seven worlds of  
the ,indian universe4    ,,ladder1      
,,mithraitic4 ,the symbolic ladder used 
in the ,persian ,mysteries of  ,mithras4
 ,it had seven steps1 symbolic of the   
seven planets and the seven  metals4    
,,ladder1 ,,scandinavian4 ,the symbolic 
ladder used in the ,gothic ,mysteries4  
,dr4 ,oliver refers it to the ,yggrasil1
 or sacred ash tree4 ,but the  symbolism
 is either very abstruse or very        
doubtful4    ,,ladder1 ,,theological4   
,the symbolic ladder of the masonic     
,mysteries4 ,it  refers to the ladder   
seen by ,jacob in his vision1 and       
consists1 like all  symbolical ladders1 
of seven rounds1 alluding to the four   
cardinal and the  three theological     
virtues4    ,,lamb4 ,a symbol of        
innocence4 ,a very ancient symbol4      
,,lamb1 ,,paschal4 ,see ,paschal ,lamb4 
,,lambskin ,,apron4 ,see ,apron4        

,,law1 ,,oral4 ,see ,oral ,law4         
,,legend4 ,a narrative1 whether true or 
false1 that has been traditionally      
preserved from the time of its first    
oral communication4 ,such is the        
definition of a masonic legend4 ,the    
authors of the ,conversations-,lexicon1 
referring to the monkish ,lives of the  
,saints which originated in the  twelfth
 and thirteenth centuries1 say that the 
title legend was given to  all fictions 
which make pretensions to truth4 ,such a
 remark1 however  correct it may be in  
reference to these monkish narratives1  
which were  often invented as           
ecclesiastical exercises1 is by no means
 applicable to  the legends of          
,freemasonry4 ,these are not necessarily
 fictitious1 but are  either based on   
actual and historical facts which have  
been but slightly  modificd1 or they are
 the offspring and expansion of some    
symbolic idea in  which latter respect  
they differ entirely from the monastic  
legends1 which  often have only the     

fertile imagination of some studious    
monk for the  basis of their            
construction4    ,,legend ,,of ,,the    
,,royal ,,arch ,,degree4 ,much of this  
legend is a mythical  history2 but some 
portion of it is undoubtedly a          
philosophical myth4 ,the  destruction   
and the redification of the temple1 the 
captivity and the  return of the        
captives1 are matters of history2 but   
many of the details  have been invented 
and introduced for the purpose of giving
 form to a  symbolic idea4    ,,legend  
,,of ,,the ,,third ,,degree4 ,in all    
probability this legend is a mythical   
history1 in which truth is very largely 
and preponderatingly mixed with         
fiction4    ,it is the most important   
and significant of the legendary symbols
 of  ,freemasonry4    ,has descended    
from age to age by oral tradition1 and  
has been preserved in  every masonic    
rite4    ,no essential alteration of it 
has ever been made in any masonic       
system1  but the interpretations of it  

have been various2 the most general one 
is1  that it is a symbol of the         
resurrection and the immortality of the 
soul4    ,some continental writers have 
supposed that it was a symbol of the    
downfall of the ,order of ,templars1 and
 its hoped-for restoration4 ,in some  of
 the high philosophical degrees it is   
supposed to be a symbol of the          
sufferings1 death1 and resurrection     
,christ4 ,hutchinson thought it a symbol
  of the decadence of the ,jewish       
religion1 and the rise of the ,christian
 on  its ruins4 ,oliver says that it    
symbolically refers to the murder of    
,abel1  the death of our race through   
,adam1 and its restoration through      
,christ4    ,ragon thinks that it is a  
symbol of the sun shorn of its vigor by 
the  three winter months1 and restored  
to generative power by the spring4 ,and 
lastly1 ,des ,etangs says that it is a  
symbol of eternal reason1 whose  enemies
 are the vices that deprave and finally 
destroy humanity4    ,but none of these 

interpretations1 except the first1 can  
be sustained4    ,,lettuce4 ,the sacred 
plant of the ,mysteries of ,adonis2 a   
symbol of  immortality1 and the analogue
 of the acacia4    ,,level4 ,one of the 
working tools of a ,fellow ,craft4 ,it  
is a symbol of the  equality of station 
of all men before ,god4    ,,liberal    
,,arts ,,and ,,sciences4 ,in the seventh
 century1 all learning was  limited to  
the seven liberal arts and sciences2    
their introduction into  ,freemasonry1  
referring to this theory1 is a symbol of
 the completion of  human learning4     
,,light4 ,it denotes truth and          
knowledge1 and is so explained in all   
the  ancient systems2 in initiation1 it 
is not material but intellectual light  
that is sought4    ,it is predominant as
 a symbol in all the ancient            
initiations4    ,there it was revered   
because it was an emanation trom the    
sun1 the common  object of worship2 but 
the theory advanced by some writers1    
that the  veneration of light originally

 proceeded from its physical qualities1 
is  not correct4    ,pythagoras called  
it the good principle in nature2 and the
 ,cabalists  taught that eternal light  
filled all space before the creation1   
and that  after creation it retired to a
 central spot1 and became the instrument
 of  the ,divine ,mind in creating      
matter4    ,it is the symbol of the     
autopsy1 or the full perfection and     
fruition of  initiation4    ,it is      
therefore a fundamental symbol in       
,freemasonry1 and contains within       
itself the very essence of the          
speculative science4    ,,lingam4 ,the  
phallus was so called by the ,indian    
nations of the ,east4 ,see  ,phallus4   
,,lodge4 ,the place where ,freemasons   
meet1 and also the congregation of      
masons so met4 ,the word is derived from
 the lodges occupied by the  travelling 
,freemasons of the middle ages4    ,it  
is a symbol of the world1 or universe4  
,its form1 an oblong square1 is symbolic
 of the supposed oblong form of the     

world as known to the ancients4         
,,lost ,,word4 ,there is a masonic myth 
that there was a certain word which was 
lost and afterwards recovered4    ,it is
 not material what the word was1 nor how
 lost1 nor when recovered3  the         
symbolism refers only to the abstract   
idea of a loss and a recovery4    ,it is
 a symbol of divine truth4    ,the      
search for it was also made by the      
philosophers and priests in the         
,mysteries of the ,spurious             
,freemasonry4    ,,lotus4 ,the sacred   
plant of the ,brahminical ,mysteries1   
and the analogue of  the acacia4    ,it 
was also a sacred plant among the       
,egyptians4    ,,lustration4 ,a         
purification by washing the hands or    
body in consecrated  water1 practised in
 the ancient ,mysteries4 ,see           
,purification4    ,,lux 7light74 ,one of
 the appellations bestowed upon         
,freemasonry1 to  indicate that it is   
that sublime doctrine of truth by which 
the pathway of  him who has attained it 

is to be illumined in the pilgrimage of 
life4  ,among the ,rosicrucians1 light  
was the knowledge of the philosopher's  
stone2 and ,mosheim says that in        
chemical language the cross was an      
emblem  of light1 because it contains   
within its figure the forms of the three
  figures of which ,,lvx1 or light1 is  
composed4    ,,lux ,e ,,tenebris 7light 
out of darkness74 ,a motto of the       
,masonic ,order1  which is equivalent to
 truth out of initiation2 light being   
the symbol  of truth1 and darkness the  
symbol of initiation commenced4         
,m      ,,man4 ,repeatedly referred to  
by ,christ and the apostles as the      
symbol of a  temple4    ,,master        
,,mason4 ,the third degree of ,ancient  
,craft ,masonry1 analogous to the  epopt
 of the ancient ,mysteries4             
,,menatzchim4 ,hebrew  superintendents1 
or overseers4 ,the  ,master ,masons at  
the temple of ,solomon4 7#b ,chron4 ii4 
#b47    ,,menu4 ,in the ,indian         
mythology1 ,menu is the son of ,brahma1 

and the founder  of the ,hindoo         
religion4 ,thirteen other ,menus are    
said to exist1 seven of  whom have      
already reigned on earth4 ,but it is the
 first one whose  instructions          
constitute the whole civil and religious
 polity of the  ,hindoos4 ,the code     
attributed to him by the ,brahmins has  
been translated by  ,sir ,william       
,jones1 with the title of ,the          
,institutes of ,menu4    ,,middle       
,,chamber4 ,a part of the ,solomonic    
temple1 which was approached by  winding
 stairs1 but which was certainly not    
appropriated to the purpose  indicated  
in the ,fellow ,craft's degree4    ,the 
legend of the ,winding ,stairs is       
therefore only a philosophical myth4    
,it is a symbol of this life and its    
labors4    ,,mistletoe4 ,the sacred     
plant of ,druidism2 commemorated also in
 the  ,scandinavian rites4 ,it is the   
analogue of the acacia1 and like all the
  other sacred plants of antiquity1 is a
 symbol of the immortality of the  soul4

 ,lest the language of the text should  
be misunderstood1 it may be  remarked   
here that the ,druidical and the        
,scandinavian rites are not  identical4 
,the former are ,celtic1 the latter     
,gothic4 ,but the fact that in  both the
 mistletoe was a sacred plant affords a 
violent presumption that  there must    
have been a common point from which both
 religions started4  ,there was1 as ,i  
have said1 an identity of origin for the
 same ancient and  general symbolic     
idea4    ,,mithras4 ,he was the god     
worshipped by the ancient ,persians1 and
 celebrated  in their ,mysteries as the 
symbol of the sun4 ,in the initiation in
 these  ,mysteries1 the candidate passed
 through many terrible trials1 and his  
courage and fortitude were exposed to   
the most rigorous tests4 ,among  others1
 after ascending the mystical ladder of 
seven steps1 he passed  through a scenic
 representation of ,hades1 or the       
infernal regions2 out of  this and the  
surrounding darkness he was admitted    

into the full light of  ,elysium1 where 
he was obligated by an oath of secrecy1 
and invested by the  ,archimagus1 or    
,high ,priest1 with the secret          
instructions of the rite1  among which  
was a knowledge of the ,ineffable ,name4
    ,,mount ,,calvary4 ,a small hill of 
,jerusalem1 in a westerly direction1 and
 not  far from ,mount ,moriah4 ,in the  
legends of ,freemasonry it is known as a
  small hill near ,mount ,moriah1 and is
 referred to in the third degree4  ,this
 small hill having been determined as   
the burial-place of ,jesus1 the  symbol 
has been ,christianized by many modern  
masons4    ,there are many masonic      
traditions1 principally borrowed from   
the ,talmud1  connected with ,mount     
,calvary2 such as1 that it was the place
 where ,adam  was buried1 c4    ,,mount 
,,moriah4 ,the hill in ,jerusalem on    
which the temple of ,solomon was  built4
    ,,myrtle4 ,the sacred plant in the  
,eleusinian ,mysteries1 and1 as symbolic
 of  a resurrection and immortality1 the

 analogue of the acacia4    ,,mysteries4
 ,a secret worship paid by the ancients 
to several of the pagan  gods1 to which 
none were admitted but those who had    
been solemnly  initiated4 ,the object of
 instruction in these ,mysteries was1 to
 teach the  unity of ,god and the       
immortality of the soul4 ,they were     
divided into  ,lesser and ,greater      
,mysteries4 ,the former were merely     
preparatory4 ,in the  latter the whole  
knowledge was communicated4 ,speaking of
 the doctrine that  was communicated to 
the initiates1 ,philo ,judaeus says that
 it is an  incorruptible treasure1 not  
like gold or silver1 but more precious  
than  everything beside2 for it is the  
knowledge of the ,great ,cause1 and of  
nature1 and of that which is born of    
both4 ,and his subsequent language      
shows that there was a confraternity    
existing among the initiates like  that 
of the masonic institution2 for he says1
 with his peculiar mysticism1  ,if you  
meet an initiate1 besiege him with your 

prayers that he conceal  from you no new
 mysteries that he may know2 and rest   
not until you have  obtained them4 ,for 
me1 although ,i was initiated into the  
,great ,mysteries  by ,moses1 the friend
 of ,god1 yet1 having seen ,jeremiah1 ,i
 recognized him  not only as an         
,initiate1 but as a ,hierophant2 and ,i 
followed his school4  ,so1 too1 the     
mason acknowledges every initiate as his
 brother1 and is ever  ready and anxious
 to receive all the light that can be   
bestowed on the  ,mysteries in which he 
has been indoctrinated4    ,,mystes4    
7,from the ,greek 1 to shut the eyes47  
,one who had been  initiated into the   
,lesser ,mysteries of paganism4 ,he was 
now blind1 but  when he was initiated   
into the ,greater ,mysteries he was     
called an ,epopt1  or one who saw4      
,,myth4 ,grote's definition of the myth1
 which is cited in the text1 may be     
applied without modification to the     
myths of ,freemasonry1 although         
intended by the author only for the     

myths of the ancient ,greek religion4   
,the myth1 then1 is a narrative of      
remote date1 not necessarily true or    
false1 but whose truth can only be      
certified by internal evidence4 ,the    
word was first applied to those fables  
of the pagan gods which have  descended 
from the remotest antiquity1 and in all 
of which there prevails  a symbolic     
idea1 not always1 however1 capable of a 
positive  interpretation4 ,as applied to
 ,freemasonry1 the words myth and legend
  are synonymous4    ,from this         
definition it will appear that the myth 
is really only the  interpretation of an
 idea4 ,but how we are to read these    
myths will best  appear from these noble
 words of ,max ,mller3 ,everything is   
true1 natural1  significant1 if we enter
 with a reverent spirit into the meaning
 of  ancient art and ancient language4  
,everything becomes false1 miraculous1  
and unmeaning1 if we interpret the deep 
and mighty words of the seers of  old in
 the shallow and feeble sense of modern 

chroniclers4 7,science of  ,language1   
#b;d ,ser4 p4 #egh474    ,,myth1        
,,historical4 ,an historical myth is a  
myth that has a known and  recognized   
foundation in historical truth1 but with
 the admixture of a  preponderating     
amount of fiction in the introduction of
 personages and  circumstances4 ,between
 the historical myth and the mythical   
history1 the  distinction as laid down  
in the text cannot always be preserved1 
because  we are not always able to      
determine whether there is a            
preponderance of  truth or of fiction in
 the legend or narrative under          
examination4    ,,mythical ,,history4 ,a
 myth or legend in which the historical 
and truthful  greatly preponderate over 
the inventions of fiction4              
,,mythology4 ,literally1 the science of 
myths2 and this is a very appropriate   
definition1 for mythology is the science
 which treats of the religion of  the   
ancient pagans1 which was almost        
altogether founded on myths1 or  popular

 traditions and legendary tales2 and    
hence ,keightly 7,mythol4 of  ,ancient  
,greece and ,italy1 p4 #b7 says that    
mythology may be regarded as  the       
repository of the early religion of the 
people4 ,its interest to a  masonic     
student arises from the constant        
antagonism that existed between  its    
doctrines and those of the ,primitive   
,freemasonry of antiquity and the  light
 that the mythological ,mysteries throw 
upon the ancient organization  of       
,speculative ,masonry4    ,,myth1       
,,philosophical4 ,this is a myth or     
legend that is almost wholly            
unhistorical1 and which has been        
invented only for the purpose of        
enunciating and illustrating a          
particular thought or dogma4        ,n  
,,name4 ,all ,hebrew names are          
significant1 and were originally imposed
 with  reference to some fact or feature
 in the history or character of the     
persons receiving them4 ,camden says    
that the same custom prevailed among    

all the nations of antiquity4 ,so       
important has this subject been         
considered1 that ,onomastica1 or        
treatises on the signification of names 
have been written by ,eusebius and ,st4 
,jerome1 by ,simonis and ,hillerus1 and 
by several other scholars1 of whom      
,eusebe ,salverte is the most recent and
  the most satisfactory4 ,shuckford     
7,connect4 ii4 #cgg7 says that the      
,jewish  ,rabbins thought that the true 
knowledge of names was a science        
preferable  to the study of the written 
law4    ,,name ,,of ,,god4 ,the true    
pronunciation1 and consequently the     
signification1  of the name of ,god can 
only be obtained through a cabalistical 
interpretation4    ,it is a symbol of   
divine truth4 ,none but those who are   
familiar with the  subject can have any 
notion of the importance bestowed on    
this symbol by  the ,orientalists4 ,the 
,arabians have a science called ,ism    
,allah1 or the  science of the name of  
,god2 and the ,talmudists and ,rabbins  

have written  copiously on the same     
subject4 ,the ,mussulmans1 says         
,salverte 7,essai sur  les ,noms1 ii4   
#g71 have one hundred names of ,god1    
which they repeat while  counting the   
beads of a rosary4    ,,neophyte4 7,from
 the ,greek  and 1 a new plant47 ,one   
who has been  recently initiated in the 
,mysteries4 ,st4 ,paul uses the same    
word 7,i ,tim4  iii4 #f7 to denote one  
who had been recently converted to the  
,christian  faith4    ,,noachidae4 ,the 
descendants of ,noah1 and the           
transmitters of his religious  dogmas1  
which were the unity of ,god and the    
immortality of the soul4 ,the  name has 
from the earliest times been bestowed   
upon the ,freemasons1 who  teach the    
same doctrines4 ,thus in the old        
charges1 as quoted by ,anderson         
7,const4 edit4 #agch1 p4 #adc71 it is   
said1 ,a mason is obliged by his tenure 
to observe the moral law as a true      
,noachidae4    ,,noachites4 ,the same as
 ,noachidae1 which see4    ,,north4     

,that part of the earth which1 being    
most removed from the influence  of the 
sun at his meridian height1 is in       
,freemasonry called a place of          
darkness4 ,hence it is a symbol of the  
profane world4    ,,north-,,east        
,,corner4 ,an important ceremony of the 
first degree1 which refers  to the      
north-east corner of the lodge1 is      
explained by the symbolism of  the      
corner-stone4    ,the corner-stone of a 
building is always laid in the          
north-east corner1  for symbolic        
reasons4    ,the north-east point of the
 heavens was especially sacred among the
  ,hindoos4    ,in the symbolism of     
,freemasonry1 the north refers to the   
outer or profane  world1 and the east to
 the inner world of ,masonry2 and hence 
the  north-east is symbolic of the      
double position of the neophyte1 partly 
in  the darkness of the former1 partly  
in the light of the latter4             
,,numbers4 ,the symbolism of sacred     
numbers1 which prevails very extensively

  in ,freemasonry1 was undoubtedly      
borrowed from the school of ,pythagoras2
  but it is just as likely that he got  
it from ,egypt or ,babylon1 or from     
both4 ,the ,pythagorean doctrine was1   
according to ,aristotle 7,met4 xii4 #h71
  that all things proceed from numbers4 
,m4 ,dacier1 however1 in his life of    
the philosopher1 denies that the        
doctrine of numbers was taught by       
,pythagoras himself1 but attributes it  
to his later disciples4 ,but his        
arguments are not conclusive or         
satisfactory4        ,o      ,,oath ,,of
 ,,secrecy4 ,it was always administered 
to the candidate in the  ancient        
,mysteries4    ,,odd ,,numbers4 ,in the 
system of ,pythagoras1 odd numbers were 
symbols of  perfection4 ,hence the      
sacred numbers of ,freemasonry are all  
odd4 ,they are  #c1 #e1 #g1 #i1 #ae1    
#bg1 #cc1 and #ha4    ,,oil4 ,an element
 of masonic consecration1 and1 as a     
symbol of prosperity  and happiness1 is 
intended1 under the name of the oil of  

joy1 to  indicate the expected          
propitious results of the consecration  
of any thing  or person to a sacred     
purpose4    ,,olive4 ,in a secondary    
sense1 the symbol of peace and of       
victory2 but in  its primary meaning1   
like all the other ,sacred plants of    
antiquity1 a  symbol of immortality2 and
 thus in the ,mysteries it was the      
analogue of  the acacia of the          
,freemasons4    ,,oliver4 ,the ,rev4    
,george ,oliver1 ,d4,d41 of             
,lincolnshire1 ,england1 who died  in   
#ahfh1 is by far the most distinguished 
and the most voluminous of the  ,english
 writers on ,freemasonry4 ,looking to   
his vast labors and researches  in the  
arcana of the science1 no student of    
masonry can speak of his name  or his   
memory without profound reverence for   
his learning1 and deep  gratitude for   
the services that he has accomplished4  
,to the author of this  work the        
recollection will ever be most grateful 
that he enjoyed the  friendship of so   

good and so great a man2 one of whom we 
may testify1 as  ,johnson said of       
,goldsmith1 that nihil quod tetigit non 
ornavit4 ,in his  writings he has       
traversed the whole field of masonic    
literature and  science1 and has        
treated1 always with great ability and  
wonderful  research1 of its history1 its
 antiquities1 its rites and ceremonies1 
its  ethics1 and its symbols4 ,of all   
his works1 his ,historical ,landmarks1  
in  two volumes1 is the most important1 
the most useful1 and the one which  will
 perhaps the longest perpetuate his     
memory4 ,in the study of his works1  the
 student must be careful not to follow  
too implicitly all his  conclusions4    
,these were in his own mind controlled  
by the theory which he  had adopted1 and
 which he continuously maintained1 that 
,freemasonry was a  ,christian          
institution1 and that the connection    
between it and the  ,christian religion 
was absolute and incontrovertible4 ,he  
followed in the  footsteps of           

,hutchinson1 but with a far more        
expanded view of the masonic  system4   
,,operative ,,masonry4 ,masonry         
considered merely as a useful art1      
intended for  the protection and the    
convenience of man by the erection of   
edifices  which may supply his          
intellectual1 religious1 and physical   
wants4    ,in contradistinction to      
,speculative ,masonry1 therefore1 it is 
said to be  engaged in the construction 
of a material temple4    ,,oral ,,law4  
,the oral law among the ,jews was the   
commentary on and the  interpretation of
 the written contained in the           
,pentateuch2 and the  tradition is1 that
 it was delivered to ,moses at the same 
time1 accompanied  by the divine        
command1 ,thou shalt not divulge the    
words which ,i have said  to thee out of
 my mouth4 ,the oral law was1 therefore1
 never intrusted to  books2 but being   
preserved in the memories of the judges1
 prophets1  priests1 and wise men1 was  
handed down from one to the other       

through a  long succession of ages4 ,but
 after the destruction of ,jerusalem by 
the  ,romans under ,adrian1 ,a4,d4 #ace1
 and the final dispersion of the ,jews1 
fears  being entertained that the oral  
law would be lost1 it was then committed
  to writing1 and now constitutes the   
text of the ,talmud4    ,,ormuzd4       
,worshipped by the disciples of         
,zoroaster as the principle of good1    
and symbolized by light4 ,see ,ahriman4 
,,osiris4 ,the chief god of the ancient 
,egyptians1 and worshipped as a symbol  
of the sun1 and more philosophically as 
the male or generative principle4       
,isis1 his wife1 was the female or      
prolific principle2 and ,horus1 their   
child1 was matter1 or the world--the    
product of the two principles4          
,,osiris1 ,,mysteries ,,of4 ,the        
,osirian ,mysteries consisted in a      
scenic  representation of the murder of 
,osiris by ,typhon1 the subsequent      
recovery  of his mutilated body by      
,isis1 and his deification1 or          

restoration to  immortal life4    ,,oval
 ,,temples4 ,temples of an oval form    
were representations of the mundane     
egg1 a symbol of the world4        ,p   
,,palm ,,tree4 ,in its secondary sense  
the palm tree is a symbol of victory2   
but in its primary signification it is a
 symbol of the victory over death1  that
 is1 immortality4    ,,parable4 ,a      
narrative in which one thing is compared
 with another4 ,it is in  principle the 
same as a symbol or an allegory4        
,,parallel ,,lines4 ,the lines touching 
the circle in the symbol of the point   
within a circle4 ,they are said to      
represent ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and   
,st4  ,john the ,evangelist2 but they   
really refer to the solstitial points   
,cancer  and ,capricorn1 in the zodiac4 
,,pastos4 7,from the ,greek 1 a nuptial 
couch47 ,the coffin or grave  which     
contained the body of the god or hero   
whose death was scenically  represented 
in the ancient ,mysteries4    ,it is the
 analogue of the grave in the third     

degree of ,masonry4    ,,pelasgian      
,,religion4 ,the ,pelasgians were the   
oldest if not the aboriginal            
inhabitants of ,greece4 ,their religion 
differed from that of the ,hellenes  who
 succeeded them in being less poetical1 
less mythical1 and more  abstract4 ,we  
know little of their religious worship1 
except by conjecture2  but we may       
suppose it resembled in some respects   
the doctrines of the  ,primitive        
,freemasonry4 ,creuzer thinks that the  
,pelasgians were either a  nation of    
priests or a nation ruled by priests4   
,,phallus4 ,a representation of the     
virile member1 which was venerated as a 
religious symbol very universally1 and  
without the slightest  lasciviousness1  
by the ancients4 ,it was one of the     
modifications of sun  worship1 and was a
 symbol of the fecundating power of that
 luminary4 ,the  masonic point within a 
circle is undoubtedly of phallic origin4
    ,,philosophy ,,of ,,freemasonry4    
,the dogmas taught in the masonic system

  constitute its philosophy4 ,these     
consist in the contemplation of ,god as 
one and eternal1 and of man as immortal4
 ,in other words1 the philosophy of     
,freemasonry inculcates the unity of    
,god and the immortality of the soul4   
,,plumb4 ,one of the working tools of a 
,fellow ,craft1 and a symbol of         
rectitude of conduct4    ,,point        
,,within ,a ,,circle4 ,it is derived    
from the ancient sun worship1 and is  in
 reality of phallic origin4 ,it is a    
symbol of the universe1 the sun  being  
represented by the point1 while the     
circumference is the universe4          
,,porch ,,of ,,the ,,temple4 ,a symbol  
of the entrance into life4              
,,primitive ,,freemasonry4 ,the         
,primitive ,freemasonry of the          
antediluvians is a  term for which we   
are indebted to ,oliver1 although the   
theory was broached  by earlier writers1
 and among them by the ,chevalier       
,ramsay4 ,the theory is1  that the      
principles and doctrines of ,freemasonry

 existed in the earliest  ages of the   
world1 and were believed and practised  
by a primitive people1  or priesthood1  
under the name of ,pure or ,primitive   
,freemasonry4 ,that this  ,freemasonry1 
that is to say1 the religious doctrine  
inculcated by it1 was1  after the flood1
 corrupted by the pagan philosophers and
 priests1 and1  receiving the title of  
,spurious ,freemasory1 was exhibited in 
the ancient  ,mysteries4 ,the           
,noachidae1 however1 preserved the      
principles of the  ,primitive           
,freemasonry1 and transmitted them to   
succeeding ages1 when at  length they   
assumed the name of ,speculative        
,masonry4 ,the ,primitive  ,freemasonry 
was probably without ritual or          
symbolism1 and consisted only  of a     
series of abstract propositions derived 
from antediluvian traditions4  ,its     
dogmas were the unity of ,god and the   
immortality of the soul4    ,,profane4  
,one who has not been initiated as a    
,freemason4 ,in the technical  language 

of the ,order1 all who are not          
,freemasons are profanes4 ,the term  is 
derived from the ,latin words pro fano1 
which literally signify in  front of the
 temple1 because those in the ancient   
religions who were not  initiated in the
 sacred rites or ,mysteries of any deity
 were not permitted  to enter the       
temple1 but were compelled to remain    
outside1 or in front of  it4 ,they were 
kept on the outside4 ,the expression a  
profane is not  recognized as a noun    
substantive in the general usage of the 
language2 but  it has been adopted as a 
technical term in the dialect of        
,freemasonry1 in  the same relative     
sense in which the word layman is used  
in the  professions of law and divinity4
    ,,pure ,,freemasonry ,,of           
,,antiquity4 ,the same as ,primitive    
,freemasonry1--which  see4              
,,purification4 ,a religious rite       
practised by the ancients1 and which was
  performed before any act of devotion4 
,it consisted in washing the hands1  and

 sometimes the whole body1 in lustral or
 consecrated water4 ,it was  intended as
 a symbol of the internal purification  
of the heart4 ,it was a  ceremony       
preparatory to initiation in all the    
ancient ,mysteries4    ,,pythagoras4 ,a 
,grecian philosopher1 supposed to have  
been born in the  island of ,samos1     
about #ehd ,b4,c4 ,he travelled         
extensively for the purpose  of         
acquiring knowledge4 ,in ,egypt he was  
initiated in the ,mysteries of that     
country by the priests4 ,he also        
repaired to ,babylon1 where he became   
acquainted with the mystical learning of
 the ,chaldeans1 and had1 no doubt1     
much communication with the ,israelitish
 captives who had been exiled from      
,jerusalem1 and were then dwelling in   
,babylon4 ,on his return to ,europe he  
established a school1 which in its      
organization1 as well as its doctrines1 
bore considerable resemblance to        
,speculative ,masonry2 for which reason 
he  has been claimed as an ancient      

friend and brother by the modern        
,freemasons4        ,r                  
,,resurrection4 ,this doctrine was      
taught in the ancient ,mysteries1 as it 
is  in ,freemasonry1 by a scenic        
representation4 ,the initiation was     
death1 the  autopsy was resurrection4   
,freemasonry does not interest itself   
with the  precise mode of the           
resurrection1 or whether the body buried
 and the body  raised are in all their  
parts identical4 ,satisfied with the    
general  teaching of ,st4 ,paul1        
concerning the resurrection that it is  
sown a  natural body1 it is raised a    
spiritual body1 ,freemasonry inculcates 
by  its doctrine of the resurrection the
 simple fact of a progressive           
advancement from a lower to a higher    
sphere1 and the raising of the soul     
from the bondage of death to its        
inheritance of eternal life4            
,,ritual4 ,the forms and ceremonies used
 in conferring the degrees1 or in       
conducting the labors1 of a lodge are   

called the ritual4 ,there are many      
rites of ,freemasonry1 which differ from
 each other in the number and  division 
of the degrees1 and in their rituals1 or
 forms and ceremonies4  ,but the great  
principles of ,freemasonry1 its         
philosophy and its  symbolism1 are alike
 in all4 ,it is evident1 then1 that in  
an investigation  of the symbolism of   
,freemasonry1 we have no concern with   
its ritual1 which  is but an outer      
covering that is intended to conceal the
 treasure that is  within4              
,,rosicrucians4 ,a sect of hermetical   
philosophers1 founded in the fifteenth  
century1 who were engaged in the study  
of abstruse sciences4 ,it was a  secret 
society much resembling the masonic in  
its organization1 and in  some of the   
subjects of its investigation2 but it   
was in no other way  connected with     
,freemasonry4 ,it is1 however1 well     
worth the study of the  masonic student 
on account of the light that it throws  
upon many of the  masonic symbols4      

,,royal ,,art4 ,freemasonry is so called
 because it is supposed to have been    
founded by two kings1--the kings of     
,israel and ,tyre1--and because it has  
been subsequently encouraged and        
patronized by monarchs in all countries4
        ,s      ,,sabianism1 or         
,,sabaism4 ,the worship of the sun1     
moon1 and stars1 the    ,,tsaba         
,hashmaim1 the host of heaven4 ,it was  
practised in ,persia1 ,chaldea1 ,india1 
and other ,oriental countries1 at an    
early period of the world's history4    
,sun-worship has had a powerful         
influence on subsequent and more        
rational religions1 and relics of it are
  to be found even in the symbolism of  
,freemasonry4    ,,sacellum4 ,a sacred  
place consecrated to a god1 and         
containing an altar4    ,,sainte        
,,croix4 ,the work of the ,baron de     
,sainte ,croix1 in two volumes1         
entitled1 ,recherches ,historiques et   
,critiques sur les ,mystres du          
,paganisme1 is one of the most valuable 

and instructive works that we have  in  
any language on the ancient             
,mysteries1--those religious            
associations  whose history and design  
so closely connect them with            
,freemasonry4 ,to the  student of       
masonic philosophy and symbolism this   
work of ,sainte ,croix is  absolutely   
essential4    ,,salsette4 ,an island in 
the ,bay of ,bombay1 celebrated for     
stupendous  caverns excavated           
artificially out of the solid rock1 and 
which were  appropriated to the         
initiations in the ancient ,mysteries of
 ,india4    ,,senses1 ,,five ,,human4 ,a
 symbol of intellectual cultivation4    
,,seth4 ,it is the masonic theory that  
the principles of the ,pure or          
,primitive ,freemasonry were preserved  
in the race of ,seth1 which had always  
kept separate from that of ,cain1 but   
that after the flood they became        
corrupted1 by a secession of a portion  
of the ,sethites1 who established  the  
,spurious ,freemasonry of the ,gentiles4

    ,,seven4 ,a sacred number among the 
,jews and the ,gentiles1 and called by  
,pythagoras a venerable number4         
,,shem ,,hamphorash4 7  the declaratory 
name47 ,the  tetragrammaton is so       
called1 because1 of all the names of    
,god1 it alone  distinctly declares his 
nature and essence as self-existent and 
eternal4    ,,shoe4 ,see ,investiture1  
,rite of4    ,,signs4 ,there is abundant
 evidence that they were used in the    
ancient  ,mysteries4 ,they are valuable 
only as modes of recognition4 ,but while
 they  are absolutely conventional1 they
 have1 undoubtedly1 in ,freemasonry1 a  
symbolic reference4    ,,siva4 ,one of  
the manifestations of the supreme deity 
of the ,hindoos1 and a  symbol of the   
sun in its meridian4    ,,sons ,,of     
,,light4 ,freemasons are so called      
because ,lux1 or ,light1 is one  of the 
names of ,speculative ,masonry4         
,,solomon4 ,the king of ,israel1 and the
 founder of the temple of ,jerusalem    
and of the temple organization of       

,freemasonry4    ,that his mind was     
eminently symbolic in its propensities1 
is evident from  all the writings that  
are attributed to him4    ,,speculative 
,,masonry4 ,freemasonry considered as a 
science which speculates  on the        
character of ,god and man1 and is       
engaged in philosophical  investigations
 of the soul and a future existence1 for
 which purpose it  uses the terms of an 
operative art4    ,it is engaged        
symbolically in the construction of a   
spiritual temple4    ,there is in it    
always a progress--an advancement from a
 lower to a higher  sphere4             
,,spiritual ,,temple4 ,the body of man2 
that temple alluded to by ,christ and   
,st4 ,paul2 the temple1 in the          
construction of which the ,speculative  
,mason  is engaged1 in contradistinction
 to that material temple which occupies 
the labors of the ,operative ,mason4    
,,spurious ,,freemasonry ,,of           
,,antiquity4 ,a term applied to the     
initiations in  the ,mysteries of the   

ancient pagan world1 and to the         
doctrines taught in  those ,mysteries4  
,see ,mysteries4    ,,square4 ,a        
geometric figure consisting of four     
equal sides and equal  angles4 ,in      
,freemasonry it is a symbol of morality1
 or the strict  performance of every    
duty4 ,the ,greeks deemed it a figure of
 perfection1  and the square man was a  
man of unsullied integrity4    ,,square1
 ,,trying4 ,one of the working-tools of 
a ,fellow ,craft1 and a symbol  of      
morality4    ,,stone ,,of ,,foundation4 
,a very important symbol in the masonic 
system4 ,it is  like the word1 the      
symbol of divine truth4    ,,stone      
,,worship4 ,a very early form of        
fetichism4 ,the ,pelasgians are supposed
  to have given to their statues of the 
gods the general form of cubical        
stones1 whence in ,hellenic times came  
the ,hermae1 or images of ,hermes4      
,,substitute ,,word4 ,a symbol of the   
unsuccessful search after divine truth1 
and the discovery in this life of only  

an approximation to it4    ,,sun1       
,,rising4 ,in the ,sabian worship the   
rising sun was adored on its            
resurrection from the apparent death of 
its evening setting4 ,hence1 in the     
ancient ,mysteries1 the rising sun was a
 symbol of the regeneration of the      
soul4    ,,sun-,,worship4 ,the most     
ancient of all superstitions4 ,it       
prevailed  especially in ,phoenicia1    
,chaldea4 and ,egypt1 and traces of it  
have been  discovered in ,peru and      
,mexico4 ,its influence was felt in the 
ancient  ,mysteries1 and abundant       
allusions to it are to be found in the  
symbolism  of ,freemasonry4             
,,swedenborg4 ,a ,swedish philosopher1  
and the founder of a religious sect4    
,clavel1 ,ragon1 and some other writers 
have sought to make him the founder  of 
a masonic rite also1 but without        
authority4 ,in #agfg ,chastanier        
established the rite of ,illuminated    
,theosophists1 whose instructions are   
derived from the writings of            

,swedenborg1 but the sage himself had   
nothing  to do with it4 ,yet it cannot  
be denied that the mind of ,swedenborg  
was  eminently symbolic in character1   
and that the masonic student may derive 
many valuable ideas from portions of his
 numerous works1 especially from  his   
,celestial ,arcana and his ,apocalypse  
,revealed4    ,,symbol4 ,a visible sign 
with which a spiritual feeling1 emotion1
 or idea is  connected4--,mller4 ,every 
natural thing which is made the sign or 
representation of a moral idea is a     
symbol4    ,,symbol1 ,,compound4 ,a     
species of symbol not unusual in        
,freemasonry1 where  the symbol is to be
 taken in a double sense1 meaning in its
 general  application one thing1 and    
then in a special application another4  
,,symbolism1 ,,science ,,of4 ,to what   
has been said in the text1 may be added 
the  following apposite remarks of      
,squier3 ,in the absence of a written   
language or forms of expression capable 
of conveying abstract ideas1 we  can    

readily comprehend the necessity1 among 
a primitive people1 of a  symbolic      
system4 ,that symbolism in a great      
degree resulted from this  necessity1 is
 very obvious2 and that1 associated with
 man's primitive  religious systems1 it 
was afterwards continued1 when in the   
advanced stage  of the human mind1 the  
previous necessity no longer existed1 is
 equally  undoubted4 ,it thus came to   
constitute a kind of sacred language1   
and  became invested with an esoteric   
significance understood only by the     
few4--,the ,serpent ,symbol in ,america1
 p4 #ai4        ,t      ,,tabernacle4   
,erected by ,moses in the wilderness as 
a temporary place for  divine worship4  
,it was the antitype of the temple of   
,jerusalem1 and1 like  it1 was a symbol 
of the universe4    ,,talisman4 ,a      
figure either carved in metal or stone1 
or delineated on  parchment or paper1   
made with superstitious ceremonies under
 what was  supposed to be the special   
influence of the planetary bodies1 and  

believed  to possess occult powers of   
protecting the maker or possessor from  
danger4  ,the figure in the text is a   
talisman1 and among the ,orientals no   
talisman  was more sacred than this one 
where the nine digits are so disposed as
 to  make #ae each way4 ,the ,arabians  
called it zahal1 which was the name of  
the planet ,saturn1 because the nine    
digits added together make #de1 and the 
letters of the word zahal are1 according
 to the numerical powers of the  ,arabic
 alphabet1 equivalent to #de4 ,the      
cabalists esteem it because #ae was  the
 numerical power of the letters         
composing the word ,,jah1 which is one  
of  the names of ,god4    ,,talmud4 ,the
 mystical philosophy of the ,jewish     
,rabbins is contained in the  ,talmud1  
which is a collection of books divided  
into two parts1 the  ,mishna1 which     
contains the record of the oral law1    
first committed to  writing in the      
second or third century1 and the        
,gemara1 or commentaries  on it4 ,in the

 ,talmud much will be found of great    
interest to the masonic  student4       
,,temple4 ,the importance of the temple 
in the symbolism of ,freemasonry will   
authorize the following citation from   
the learned ,montfaucon 7,ant4  ii4 #a4 
ii4 ch4 ii473 ,concerning the origin of 
temples1 there is a  variety of         
opinions4 ,according to ,herodotus1 the 
,egyptians were the first  that made    
altars1 statues1 and temples4 ,it does  
not1 however1 appear that  there were   
any in ,egypt in the time of ,moses1 for
 he never mentions them1  although he   
had many opportunities for doing so4    
,lucian says that the  ,egyptians were  
the first people who built temples1 and 
that the ,assyrians  derived the custom 
from them1 all of which is1 however1    
very uncertain4  ,the first allusion to 
the subject in ,scripture is the        
,tabernacle1 which  was1 in fact1 a     
portable temple1 and contained one place
 within it more  holy and secret than   
the others1 called the ,holy of ,holies1

 and to which  the adytum in the pagan  
temples corresponded4 ,the first heathen
 temple  mentioned in ,scripture is that
 of ,dagon1 the god of the ,philistines4
 ,the  ,greeks1 who were indebted to the
 ,phoenicians for many things1 may be   
supposed to have learned from them the  
art of building temples2 and it is      
certain that the ,romans borrowed from  
the ,greeks both the worship of the     
gods and the construction of temples4   
,,temple ,,builder4 ,the title by which 
,hiram ,abif is sometimes designated4   
,,temple ,,of ,,solomon4 ,the building  
erected by ,king ,solomon on ,mount     
,moriah1  in ,jerusalem1 has been often 
called the cradle of ,freemasonry1      
because  it was there that that union   
took place between the operative and    
speculative masons1 which continued for 
centuries afterwards to present  the    
true organization of the masonic system4
    ,as to the size of the temple1 the  
dimensions given in the text may be     
considered as accurate so far as they   

agree with the description given in  the
 ,first ,book of ,kings4 ,josephus gives
 a larger measure1 and makes the  length
 #aje feet1 the breadth #ce feet1 and   
the height #baj feet2 but even  these   
will not invalidate the statement in the
 text1 that in size it was  surpassed by
 many a parish church4    ,,temple      
,,symbolism4 ,that symbolism which is   
derived from the temple of  ,solomon4   
,it is the most fertile of all kinds of 
symbolism in the  production of         
materials for the masonic science4      
,,terminus4 ,one of the most ancient of 
the ,roman deities4 ,he was the god of  
boundaries and landmarks1 and his statue
 consisted only of a cubical  stone1    
without arms or legs1 to show that he   
was immovable4    ,,tetractys4 ,a figure
 used by ,pythagoras1 consisting of ten 
points1 arranged  in a triangular form  
so as to represent the monad1 duad1     
triad1 and  quarterniad4 ,it was        
considered as very sacred by the        
,pythagoreans1 and was  to them what the

 tetragrammaton was to the ,jews4       
,,tetragrammaton4 7,from the ,greek 1   
four1 and 1 a letter74 ,the             
four-lettered name of ,god in the       
,hebrew language1 which consisted of    
four  letters1 viz4  commonly1 but      
incorrectly1 pronounced ,jehovah4 ,as a 
symbol it greatly pervaded the rites of 
antiquity1 and was perhaps the  earliest
 symbol corrupted by the ,spurious      
,freemasonry of the pagan  ,mysteries4  
,it was held by the ,jews in profound   
veneration1 and its origin supposed to  
have been by divine revelation at the   
burning bush4    ,the word was never    
pronounced1 but wherever met with       
,adonai was  substituted for it1 which  
custom was derived from the perverted   
reading of  a1 passage in the           
,pentateuch4 ,the true pronunciation    
consequently was  utterly lost2 this is 
explained by the want of vowels in the  
,hebrew  alphabet1 so that the true     
vocalization of a word cannot be learned
 from  the letters of which it is       

composed4    ,the true pronunciation was
 intrusted to the high priest2 but lest 
the  knowledge of it should be lost by  
his sudden death1 it was also           
communicated to his assistant2 it was   
known also1 probably1 to the kings  of  
,israel4    ,the ,cabalists and         
,talmudists enveloped it in a host of   
superstitions4    ,it was also used by  
the ,essenes in their sacred rites1 and 
by the  ,egyptians as a pass-word4      
,cabalistically read and pronounced1 it 
means the male and female principle  of 
nature1 the generative and prolific     
energy of creation4    ,,thammuz4 ,a    
,syrian god1 who was worshipped by those
 women of the ,hebrews  who had fallen  
into idolatry4 ,the idol was the same as
 the ,phoenician  ,adonis1 and the      
,mysteries of the two were identical4   
,,travelling ,,freemasons4 ,see         
,freemasons1 ,travelling4    ,,trestle  
,,board4 ,the board or tablet on which  
the designs of the architect  are       
inscribed4 ,it is a symbol of the moral 

law as set forth in the  revealed will  
of ,god4    ,every man must have his    
trestle board1 because it is the duty of
 every man  to work out the task which  
,god1 the chief ,architect1 has assigned
 to him4    ,,triangle4 ,a symbol of    
,deity4    ,this symbolism is found in  
many of the ancient religions4    ,among
 the ,egyptians it was a symbol of      
universal nature1 or of the  protection 
of the world by the male and female     
energies of creation4    ,,triangle1    
,,radiated4 ,a triangle placed within a 
circle of rays4 ,in  ,christian art it  
is a symbol of ,god2 then the rays are  
called a glory4  ,when they surround the
 triangle in the form of a circle1 the  
triangle is a  symbol of the glory of   
,god4 ,when the rays emanate from the   
centre of the  triangle1 it is a symbol 
of divine light4 ,this is the true form 
of the  masonic radiated triangle4      
,,triliteral ,,name4 ,this is the word  
,,aum1 which is the ineffable name of   
,god  among the ,hindoos1 and symbolizes

 the three manifestations of the        
,brahminical supreme god1 ,brahma1      
,siva1 and ,vishnu4 ,it was never to be 
pronounced aloud1 and was analogous to  
the sacred tetragrammaton of the  ,jews4
    ,,trowel4 ,one of the working tools 
of a ,master ,mason4 ,it is a symbol of 
brotherly love4    ,,truth4 ,it was not 
always taught publicly by the ancient   
philosophers to  the people4    ,the    
search for it is the object of          
,freemasonry4 ,it is never found on     
earth1 but a substitute for it is       
provided4    ,,tuapholl4 ,a term used by
 the ,druids to designate an unhallowed 
circumambulation around the sacred      
cairn1 or altar1 the movement being     
against the sun1 that is1 from west to  
east by the north1 the cairn being  on  
the left hand of the circumambulator4   
,,tubal ,,cain4 ,of the various         
etymologies of this name1 only one is   
given in  the text2 but most of the     
others in some way identify him with    
,vulcan4  ,wellsford 7,mithridates      

,minor p4 #d7 gives a singular          
etymology1 deriving  the name of the    
,hebrew patriarch from the definite     
article  converted  into 1 or ,t and    
,baal1 ,lord1 with the ,arabic kayn1 a  
blacksmith1  so that the word would then
 signify the lord of the blacksmiths4   
,masonic  writers have1 however1        
generally adopted the more usual        
derivation of  ,cain1 from a word       
signifying possession2 and ,oliver      
descants on ,tubal  ,cain as a symbol of
 worldly possessions4 ,as to the        
identity of ,vulcan with  ,tubal ,cain1 
we may learn something from the         
definition of the offices of  the       
former1 as given by ,diodorus ,siculus3 
,vulcan was the first founder of  works 
in iron1 brass1 gold1 silver1 and all   
fusible metals2 and he taught  the uses 
to which fire can be applied in the     
arts4 ,see ,genesis3 ,tubal  ,cain1 an  
instructor of every artificer in brass  
and iron4    ,,twenty-,,four ,,inch     
,,gauge4 ,a two-foot rule4 ,one of the  

working-tools of an  ,entered           
,apprentice1 and a symbol of time well  
employed4    ,,typhon4 ,the brother and 
slayer of ,osiris in the ,egyptian      
mythology4 ,as  ,osiris was a type or   
symbol of the sun1 ,typhon was the      
symbol of winter1  when the vigor1 heat1
 and1 as it were1 life of the sun are   
destroyed1 and  of darkness as opposed  
to light4    ,,tyre4 ,a city of         
,phoenicia1 the residence of ,king      
,hiram1 the friend and  ally of         
,solomon1 whom he supplied with men and 
materials for the  construction of the  
temple4    ,,tyrian ,,freemasons4 ,these
 were the members of the ,society of    
,dionysiac  ,artificers1 who at the time
 of the building of ,solomon's temple   
flourished  at ,tyre4 ,many of them were
 sent to ,jerusalem by ,hiram1 ,king of 
,tyre1 to  assist ,king ,solomon in the 
construction of his temple4 ,there1     
uniting with  the ,jews1 who had only a 
knowledge of the speculative principles 
of  ,freemasonry1 which had been        

transmitted to them from ,noah1 through 
the  patriarchs1 the ,tyrian ,freemasons
 organized that combined system of      
,operative and ,speculative ,masonry    
which continued for many centuries1     
until the beginning of the eighteenth1  
to characterize the institution4  ,see  
,dionysiac ,artificers4        ,u       
,,union4 ,the union of the operative    
with the speculative element of         
,freemasonry took place at the building 
of ,king ,solomon's temple4    ,,unity  
,,of ,,god4 ,this1 as distinguished from
 the pagan doctrine of  polytheism1 or a
 multitude of gods1 is one of the two   
religious truths  taught in ,speculative
 ,masonry1 the other being the          
immortality of the  soul4        ,w     
,,weary ,,sojourners4 ,the legend of the
 three weary sojourners in the ,royal   
,arch degree is undoubtedly a           
philosophical myth1 symbolizing the     
search  after truth4    ,,white4 ,a     
symbol of innocence and purity4         
,among the ,pythagoreans it was a symbol

 of the good principle in nature1       
equivalent to light4    ,,widow',s      
,,son4 ,an epithet bestowed upon the    
chief architect of the temple1  because 
he was a widow's son of the tribe of    
,naphthali4 #a ,kings vii4 #ad4         
,,winding ,,stairs1 ,,legend ,,of4 ,a   
legend in the ,fellow ,craft's degree   
having no  historical truth1 but being  
simply a philosophical myth or legendary
  symbol intended to communicate a      
masonic dogma4    ,it is the symbol of  
an ascent from a lower to a higher      
sphere4    ,it commences at the porch of
 the temple1 which is a symbol of the   
entrance  into life4    ,the number of  
steps are always odd1 because odd       
numbers are a symbol of  perfection4    
,but the fifteen steps in the ,american 
system are a symbol of the name of      
,god1 ,jah4    ,,wine4 ,an element of   
masonic consecration1 and1 as a symbol  
of the inward  refreshment of a good    
conscience1 is intended under the name  
of the wine  of refreshment1 to remind  

us of the eternal refreshments which the
 good  are to receive in the future life
 for the faithful performance of duty in
  the present4    ,,word4 ,in           
,freemasonry this is a technical and    
symbolic term1 and signifies  divine    
truth4 ,the search after this word      
constitutes the whole system of         
speculative masonry4    ,,word1 ,,lost4 
,see ,lost ,word4    ,,word1            
,,substitute4 ,see ,substitute ,word4   
,,work4 ,in ,freemasonry the initiation 
of a candidate is called work4 ,it is   
suggestive of the doctrine that labor is
 a masonic duty4        ,y              
,,yggdrasil4 ,the sacred ash tree in the
 ,scandinavian ,mysteries4 ,dr4 ,oliver 
propounds the theory that it is the     
analogue of the theological ladder in   
the ,masonic ,mysteries4 ,but it is     
doubtful whether this theory is tenable4
    ,,yod4 ,a ,hebrew letter1 in form   
thus 1 and about equivalent to  the     
,english ,i or ,y4 ,it is the initial   
letter of the tetragrammaton1 and is    

often used1 especially enclosed within a
 triangle1 as a substitute for1 or  an  
abridgement of1 that sacred word4    ,it
 is a symbol of the life-giving and     
sustaining power of ,god4    ,,yoni4    
,among the nations and religions of     
,india the yoni was the  representation 
of the female organ of generation1 and  
was the symbol of  the prolific power of
 nature4 ,it is the same as the cteis   
among the  ,occidental nations4         
,z      ,,zennaar4 ,the sacred girdle of
 the ,hindoos4 ,it is supposed to be the
  analogue of the masonic apron4        
,,zoroaster4 ,a distinguished           
philosopher and reformer1 whose         
doctrines were  professed by the ancient
 ,persians4 ,the religion of ,zoroaster 
was a  dualism1 in which the two        
antagonizing principles were ,ormuzd and
 ,abriman1  symbols of ,light and       
,darkness4 ,it was a modification and   
purification of  the old fire-worship1  
in which the fire became a symbol of the
 sun1 so  that it was really a species  

of sun-worship4 ,mithras1 representing  
the  sun1 becomes the mediator between  
,ormuzd1 or the principle of ,darkness1 
and the world4          ,footnotes      
#a ,the doctrine of the immortality of  
the soul1 if it is a real  advantage1   
follows unavoidably from the idea of    
,god4 ,the best ,being1 he  must will   
the best of good things2 the wisest1 he 
must devise plans  for that effect2 the 
most powerful1 he must bring it about4  
,none can  deny this4--,,theo4 ,,parker1
 ,discourse of ,matters pertaining to   
,religion1  b4 ii4 ch4 viii4 p4 #bje4   
#b ,this institution of religion1 like  
society1 friendship1 and marriage1      
comes out of a principle1 deep and      
permanent in the heart3 as humble1 and  
transient1 and partial institutions come
 out of humble1 transient1 and  partial 
wants1 and are to be traced to the      
senses and the phenomena of  life1 so   
this sublime1 permanent1 and useful     
institution came out from  sublime1     
permanent1 and universal wants1 and must

 be referred to the soul1  and the      
unchanging realities of life4--,,parker1
 ,discourse of ,religion1  b4 i4 ch4 i4 
p4 #ad4    #c ,the sages of all nations1
 ages1 and religions had some ideas of  
these  sublime doctrines1 though more or
 less degraded1 adulterated and         
obscured2  and these scattered hints and
 vestiges of the most sacred and exalted
  truths were originally rays and       
emanations of ancient and primitive     
traditions1 handed down from1 generation
 to generation1 since the  beginning of 
the world1 or at least since the fall of
 man1 to all  mankind4--,,chev4         
,,ramsay1 ,philos4 ,princ4 of ,nat4 and 
,rev4 ,relig41 vol ii4  p4 #h4    #d ,in
 this form1 not only the common objects 
above enumerated1 but gems1  metals1    
stones that fell from heaven1 images1   
carved bits of wood1 stuffed  skins of  
beasts1 like the medicine-bags of the   
,north ,american ,indians1 are  reckoned
 as divinities1 and so become objects of
 adoration4 ,but in this  case1 the     

visible object1 is idealized2 not       
worshipped as the brute thing  really   
is1 but as the type and symbol of       
,god4--,,parker1 ,disc4 of ,relig4  b4  
i4 ch4 v4 p4 #ej4    #e ,a recent writer
 thus eloquently refers to the          
universality1 in ancient  times1 of     
sun-worship3 ,sabaism1 the worship of   
light1 prevailed amongst  all the       
leading nations of the early world4 ,by 
the rivers of ,india1 on the  mountains 
of ,persia1 in the plains of ,assyria1  
early mankind thus adored1  the higher  
spirits in each country rising in       
spiritual thought from the  solar orb up
 to ,him whose vicegerent it seems--to  
the ,sun of all being1  whose divine    
light irradiates and purifies the world 
of soul1 as the solar  radiance does the
 world of sense4 ,egypt1 too1 though its
 faith be but  dimly known to us1 joined
 in this worship2 ,syria raised her     
grand temples  to the sun2 the joyous   
,greeks sported with the thought while  
feeling it1  almost hiding it under the 

mythic individuality which their lively 
fancy  superimposed upon it4 ,even      
prosaic ,china makes offerings to the   
yellow orb  of day2 the wandering ,celts
 and ,teutons held feasts to it1 amidst 
the  primeval forests of ,northern      
,europe2 and1 with a savagery           
characteristic  of the ,american        
aborigines1 the sun temples of ,mexico  
streamed with human  blood in honor of  
the beneficent orb4--,the ,castes and   
,creeds of ,india1  ,blackw4 ,mag41 vol4
 lxxxi4 p4 #cag4--,there is no people   
whose religion is  known to us1 says the
 ,abb ,banier1 neither in our own       
continent nor in  that of ,america1 that
 has not paid the sun a religious       
worship1 if we  except some inhabitants 
of the torrid zone1 who are continually 
cursing  the sun for scorching them with
 his beams4--,mythology1 lib4 iii4 ch4  
iii4--,macrobius1 in his ,saturnalia1   
undertakes to prove that all the  gods  
of ,paganism may be reduced to the sun4 
#f ,varro de religionibus loquens1      

evidenter dicit1 multa esse vera1 quae  
vulgo scire non sit utile2 multaque1    
quae tametsi falsa sint1 aliter         
existimare populum expediat4--,st4      
,,augustine1 ,de ,civil4 ,dei4--,we must
  regret1 with the learned ,valloisin1  
that the sixteen books of ,varro1 on    
the religious antiquities of the        
ancients1 have been lost2 and the regret
  is enhanced by the reflection that    
they existed until the beginning of the 
fourteenth century1 and disappeared only
 when their preservation for less  than 
two centuries more would1 by the        
discovery of printing1 have secured     
their perpetuity4    #g ,strabo1 ,geog41
 lib4 i4    #h ,maurice1 ,indian        
,antiquities1 vol4 ii4 p4 #big4    #i   
,div4 ,leg41 vol4 i4 b4 ii4  iv4 p4     
#aic1 #ajth ,lond4 edit4    #aj ,the    
hidden doctrines of the unity of the    
,deity and the immortality of  the soul 
were taught originally in all the       
,mysteries1 even those of ,cupid  and   
,bacchus4--,,warburton1 apud ,spence's  

,anecdotes1 p4 #cji4    #aa ,isoc4      
,paneg41 p4 #ei4    #ab ,apud ,arrian4  
,dissert41 lib4 iii4 c4 xxi4    #ac     
,phaedo4    #ad ,dissert4 on the        
,eleusinian and ,bacchic ,mysteries1 in 
the ,pamphleteer1  vol4 viii4 p4 #ec4   
#ae ,symbol4 und ,mythol4 der ,alt4     
,vlk4    #af ,in these ,mysteries1 after
 the people had for a long time bewailed
 the  loss of a particular person1 he   
was at last supposed to be restored to  
life4--,,bryant1 ,anal4 of ,anc4        
,mythology1 vol4 iii4 p4 #agf4    #ag   
,herod4 ,hist41 lib4 iii4 c4 clxxi4     
#ah ,the legend says it was cut into    
fourteen pieces4 ,compare this with  the
 fourteen days of burial in the masonic 
legend of the third degree4  ,why the   
particular number in each8 ,it has been 
thought by some1 that in  the latter    
legend there was a reference to the half
 of the moon's age1 or  its dark period1
 symbolic of the darkness of death1     
followed by the  fourteen days of bright
 moon1 or restoration to life4    #ai   

,mystres du ,paganisme1 tom4 i4 p4 #f4  
#bj ,notes to ,rawlinson's ,herodotus1  
b4 ii4 ch4 clxxi4 ,mr4 ,bryant          
expresses the same opinion3 ,the        
principal rites in ,egypt were          
confessedly  for a person lost and      
consigned for a time to darkness1 who   
was at last  found4 ,this person ,i have
 mentioned to have been described under 
the  character of ,osiris4--,analysis of
 ,ancient ,mythology1 vol4 iii4 p4 #agg4
    #ba ,spirit of ,masonry1 p4 #ajj4   
#bb ,varro1 according to ,st4 ,augustine
 7,de ,civ4 ,dei1 vi4 #e71 says that    
among the ancients there were three     
kinds of theology--a mythical1 which    
was used by the poets2 a physical1 by   
the philosophers1 and a civil1  by the  
people4    #bc ,tous les ans1 says      
,sainte ,croix1 pendant les jours       
consacrs au  souvenir de sa mort1 tout  
toit plong dans la tristesse3 on ne     
cessoit de  pousser des gmissemens2 on  
alloit mme jusqu' se flageller et se    
donner  des coups4 ,le dernier jour de  

ce deuil1 on faisoit des sacrifices     
funbres  en l'honneur de ce dieu4 ,le   
jour suivant1 on recevoit la nouvelle   
qu',adonis venoit d'tre rappel  la vie1 
qui mettoit fin  leur                   
deuil4--,recherches sur les ,myst4 du   
,paganisme1 tom4 ii4 p4 #aje4    #bd    
,clement of ,alexandria calls them    1 
the  mysteries before the mysteries4    
#be ,les petits mystres ne consistoient 
qu'en crmonies  prparatoires4--,sainte  
,croix1 i4 #big4--;,as to the oath of   
secrecy1 ,bryant  says1 ,the first thing
 at these awful meetings was to offer an
 oath of  secrecy to all who were to be 
initiated1 after which they proceeded to
 the  ceremonies4--,anal4 of ,anc4      
,myth41 vol4 iii4 p4 #agd4--,the ,orphic
  ,argonautics allude to the oath3  '  1
 4 4 41 after  the oath was administered
 to the mystes1 c4--,orph4 ,argon41 v4  
#aa4    #bf ,the satirical pen of       
,aristophanes has not spared the        
,dionysiac  festivals4 ,but the raillery
 and sarcasm of a comic writer must     

always be  received with many grains of 
allowance4 ,he has1 at least1 been      
candid  enough to confess that no one   
could be initiated who had been guilty  
of  any crime against his country or the
 public security4--,ranae1 v4           
#cfj-cfe4--;,euripides makes the chorus 
in his ,bacchae proclaim that the       
,mysteries were practised only for      
virtuous purposes4 ,in ,rome1 however1  
there can be little doubt that the      
initiations partook at length of a      
licentious character4 ,on ne peut       
douter1 says ,ste4 ,croix1 que          
l'introduction des ftes de ,bacchus en  
,italie n'ait accler les progrs  du     
libertinage et de la dbauche dans cette 
contre4--,myst4 du ,pag41  tom4 ii4 p4  
#ia4--,st4 ,augustine 7,de ,civ4 ,dei1  
lib4 vii4 c4 xxi47 inveighs  against the
 impurity of the ceremonies in ,italy of
 the sacred rites of  ,bacchus4 ,but    
even he does not deny that the motive   
with which they were  performed was of a
 religious1 or at least superstitious   

nature--,sic  videlicet ,liber deus     
placandus fuerat4 ,the propitiation of a
 deity was  certainly a religious act4  
#bg ,hist4 ,greece1 vol4 ii4 p4 #adj4   
#bh ,this language is quoted from       
,robison 7,proofs of a ,conspiracy1 p4  
#bj1 ,lond4 edit4 #agig71 whom none will
 suspect or accuse of an undue          
veneration for the antiquity or the     
morality of the masonic order4    #bi   
,we must not confound these ,asiatic    
builders with the play-actors1 who  were
 subsequently called by the ,greeks1 as 
we learn from ,aulus ,gellius  7lib4 xx4
 cap4 #d71 artificers of ,dionysus-- 4  
#cj ,there is abundant evidence1 among  
ancient authors1 of the existence  of   
signs and passwords in the ,mysteries4  
,thus ,apuleius1 in his ,apology1  says1
 ,si qui forte adest eorundem ,solemnium
 mihi particeps1 signum dato1  etc42    
that is1 ,if any one happens to be      
present who has been initiated  into the
 same rites as myself1 if he will give  
me the sign1 he shall then  be at       

liberty to hear what it is that ,i keep 
with so much care4 ,plautus  also       
alludes to this usage1 when1 in his     
,miles ,gloriosus1 act iv4 sc4 #b1  he  
makes ,milphidippa say to               
,pyrgopolonices1 ,cedo signum1 si harunc
  ,baccharum es2 i4e41 ,give the sign if
 you are one of these ,bacchae1 or      
initiates into the ,mysteries of        
,bacchus4 ,clemens ,alexandrinus calls  
these  modes of recognition 1 as if     
means of safety4 ,apuleius elsewhere    
uses memoracula1 ,i think to denote     
passwords1 when he says1 sanctissim     
sacrorum signa et memoracula custodire1 
which ,i am inclined to translate1  most
 scrupulously to preserve the signs and 
passwords of the sacred  rites4    #ca  
,the ,baron de ,sainte ,croix gives this
 brief view of the ceremonies3  ,dans   
ces mystres on employoit1 pour remplir  
l'me des assistans d'une  sainte        
horreur1 les mmes moyens qu' ,eleusis4  
,l'apparition de fantmes et  de divers  
objets propres  effrayer1 sembloit      

disposer les esprits  la  crdulit4 ,ils 
en avoient sans doute besoin1 pour      
ajouter foi  toutes les  explications   
des mystagogues3 elles rouloient sur le 
massacre de ,bacchus  par les ,titans1  
c4--,recherches sur les ,mystres du     
,paganisme1 tom4 ii4  sect4 vii4 art4   
iii4 p4 #hi4    #cb ,lawrie1 ,hist4 of  
,freemasonry1 p4 #bg4    #cc ,vincentius
 ,lirinensis or ,vincent of ,lirens1 who
 lived in the fifth  century of the     
,christian era1 wrote a controversial   
treatise entitled  ,commonitorium1      
remarkable for the blind veneration     
which it pays to the  voice of          
tradition4 ,the rule which he there lays
 down1 and which is cited  in the text1 
may be considered1 in a modified        
application1 as an axiom by  which we   
may test the probability1 at least1 of  
all sorts of traditions4  ,none out of  
the pale of ,vincent's church will go so
 far as he did in  making it the        
criterion of positive truth4    #cd     
,prolog4 zu einer wissenshaftlich4      

,mythologie4    #ce ,in ,german hutten1 
in ,english lodges1 whence the masonic  
term4    #cf ,historical ,essay on      
,architecture1 ch4 xxi4    #cg ,bishop  
,england1 in his ,explanation of the    
,mass1 says that in every  ceremony we  
must look for three meanings3 the first1
 the literal1  natural1 and1 it may be  
said1 the original meaning2 the second1 
the  figurative or emblematic           
signification2 and thirdly1 the pious or
  religious meaning3 frequently the two 
last will be found the same2  sometimes 
all three will be found combined4 ,here 
lies the true difference  between the   
symbolism of the church and that of     
,masonry4 ,in the former1  the symbolic 
meaning was an afterthought applied to  
the original1 literal  one2 in the      
latter1 the symbolic was always the     
original signification of  every        
ceremony4    #ch _/,p ,was not all the  
knowledge ,of the ,egyptians writ in    
mystic  symbols8 ,speak not the         
,scriptures oft in parables8 ,are not   

the choicest  fables of the poets1 ,that
 were the fountains and first springs of
 wisdom1  ,wrapped in perplexed         
allegories8    ,,ben ,,jonson1          
,alchemist1 act ii4 sc4 i4 ,p_/    #ci  
,the distinguished ,german mythologist  
,mller defines a symbol to be  an       
eternal1 visible sign1 with which a     
spiritual feeling1 emotion1 or  idea is 
connected4 ,i am not aware of a more    
comprehensive1 and at the  same time    
distinctive1 definition4    #dj ,and it 
may be added1 that the word becomes a   
symbol of an idea2 and  hence1 ,harris1 
in his ,hermes1 defines language to be a
 system of  articulate voices1 the      
symbols of our ideas1 but of those      
principally  which are general or       
universal4--,hermes1 book iii4 ch4 #c4  
#da ,symbols1 says ,mller1 are evidently
 coeval with the human race2  they      
result from the union of the soul with  
the body in man2 nature has  implanted  
the feeling for them in the human       
heart4--,introduction to a  ,scientific 

,system of ,mythology1 p4 #aif1         
,leitch's translation4--,r4,w4  ,mackay 
says1 ,the earliest instruments of      
education were symbols1 the most        
universal symbols of the multitudinously
 present ,deity1 being earth or  heaven1
 or some selected object1 such as the   
sun or moon1 a tree or a  stone1        
familiarly seen in either of            
them4--,progress of the ,intellect1     
vol4 i p4 #acd4    #db ,between the     
allegory1 or parable1 and the symbol1   
there is1 as ,i have  said1 no essential
 difference4 ,the ,greek verb 1 whence  
comes the  word parable1 and the verb   
in the same language1 which is the  root
 of the word symbol1 both have the      
synonymous meaning to compare4  ,a      
parable is only a spoken symbol4 ,the   
definition of a parable given by  ,adam 
,clarke is equally applicable to a      
symbol1 viz43 ,a comparison or          
similitude1 in which one thing is       
compared with another1 especially       
spiritual things with natural1 by which 

means these spiritual things are  better
 understood1 and make a deeper          
impression on the attentive mind4    #dc
 ,north ,british ,review1 ,august1      
#ahea4 ,faber passes a similar encomium4
  ,hence the language of symbolism1     
being so purely a language of ideas1 is1
  in one respect1 more perfect than any 
ordinary language can be3 it  possesses 
the variegated elegance of synonymes    
without any of the  obscurity which     
arises from the use of ambiguous        
terms4--,on the  ,prophecies1 ii4 p4    
#fc4    #dd ,by speculative ,masonry we 
learn to subdue our passions1 to act    
upon  the square1 to keep a tongue of   
good report1 to maintain secrecy1 and   
practise charity4--,lect4 of ,fel4      
,craft4 ,but this is a very meagre      
definition1 unworthy of the place it    
occupies in the lecture of the second   
degree4    #de ,animal worship among the
 ,egyptians was the natural and         
unavoidable  consequence of the         
misconception1 by the vulgar1 of those  

emblematical  figures invented by the   
priests to record their own             
philosophical  conception of absurd     
ideas4 ,as the pictures and effigies    
suspended in  early ,christian churches1
 to commemorate a person or an event1   
became in  time objects of worship to   
the vulgar1 so1 in ,egypt1 the esoteric 
or  spiritual meaning of the emblems was
 lost in the gross materialism of the   
beholder4 ,this esoteric and allegorical
 meaning was1 however1 preserved by  the
 priests1 and communicated in the       
mysteries alone to the initiated1  while
 the uninstructed retained only the     
grosser conception4--,,gliddon1  ,otia  
,aegyptiaca1 p4 #id4    #df ,to         
perpetuate the esoteric signification of
 these symbols to the  initiated1 there 
were established the ,mysteries1 of     
which institution we  have still a trace
 in ,freemasonry4--,,gliddon1 ,otia     
,aegyp4 p4 #ie4    #dg ,philo ,judaeus  
says1 that ,moses had been initiated by 
the ,egyptians  into the philosophy of  

symbols and hieroglyphics1 as well as   
into the  ritual of the holy animals4   
,and ,hengstenberg1 in his learned work 
on  ,egypt and the ,books of ,moses1    
conclusively shows1 by numerous         
examples1  how direct were the ,egyptian
 references of the ,pentateuch2 in which
 fact1  indeed1 he recognizes one of the
 most powerful arguments for its        
credibility and for its composition by  
,moses4--,,hengstenberg1 p4 #bci1       
,robbins's trans4    #dh ,josephus1     
,antiq4 book iii4 ch4 #g4    #di ,the   
ark1 or sacred boat1 of the ,egyptians  
frequently occurs on the  walls of the  
temples4 ,it was carried in great pomp  
by the priests on the  occasion of the  
procession of the shrines1 by means of  
staves passed  through metal rings in   
its side4 ,it was thus conducted into   
the temple1  and deposited on a stand4  
,the representations we have of it bear 
a  striking resemblance to the ,jewish  
ark1 of which it is now admitted to     
have been the prototype4    #ej ,the    

,egyptian reference in the ,urim and    
,thummim is especially  distinct and    
incontrovertible4--,,hengstenberg1 p4   
#aeh4    #ea ,according to the estimate 
of ,bishop ,cumberland1 it was only one 
hundred and nine feet in length1        
thirty-six in breadth1 and fifty-four in
  height4    #eb ,thus did our wise     
,grand ,master contrive a plan1 by      
mechanical and  practical allusions1 to 
instruct the craftsmen in principles of 
the most  sublime speculative           
philosophy1 tending to the glory of     
,god1 and to secure  to them temporal   
blessings here and eternal life         
hereafter1 as well as to  unite the     
speculative and operative ,masons1      
thereby forming a twofold  advantage1   
from the principles of geometry and     
architecture on the one  part1 and the  
precepts of wisdom and ethics on the    
other4--,,calcott1  ,candid             
,disquisition1 p4 #ca1 ed4 #agfi4    #ec
 ,this proposition ,i ask to be         
conceded2 the evidences of its truth    

are1 however1 abundant1 were it         
necessary to produce them4 ,the craft1  
generally1 will1 ,i presume1 assent to  
it4    #ed        ,the groves were      
,god's first temples4 ,ere man learned  
,to hew the shaft1 and lay the          
architrave1      ,and spread the roof   
above them--ere he framed      ,the     
lofty vault1 to gather and roll back    
,the sound of anthems--in the darkling  
wood1      ,amid the cool and silence1  
he knelt down1      ,and offered to the 
,mightiest solemn thanks      ,and      
supplication4--,,bryant4    #ee         
,theologians have always given a        
spiritual application to the temple  of 
,solomon1 referring it to the mysteries 
of the ,christian dispensation4  ,for   
this1 consult all the biblical          
commentators4 ,but ,i may particularly  
mention1 on this subject1 ,bunyan's     
,solomon's ,temple ,spiritualized1 and a
  rare work in folio1 by ,samuel ,lee1  
,fellow of ,wadham ,college1 ,oxford1   
published at ,london in #afei1 and      

entitled ,orbis ,miraculum1 or the      
,temple  of ,solomon portrayed by       
,scripture ,light4 ,a copy of this      
scarce work1  which treats very         
learnedly of the spiritual mysteries of 
the gospel  veiled under the temple1 ,i 
have lately been1 by good fortune1      
enabled to  add to my library4    #ef   
,veluti pecora1 quae natura finxit prona
 et obedientia  ventri4--,,sallust1     
,bell4 ,catil4 i4    #eg ,i ,kings vi4  
#g4    #eh ,in further illustration of  
the wisdom of these temple contrivances1
  it may be mentioned that1 by marks    
placed upon the materials which had     
been thus prepared at a distance1 the   
individual production of every          
craftsman was easily ascertained1 and   
the means were provided of rewarding    
merit and punishing indolence4    #ei   
,each of the pagan gods had 7besides the
 public and open7 a  secret worship paid
 unto him2 to which none were admitted  
but those who  had been selected by     
preparatory ceremonies1 called          

,initiation4 ,this  secret-worship was  
termed the ,mysteries4--,,warburton1    
,div4 ,leg4 ,i4 i4  p4 #ahi4    #fj ,it 
must be remarked1 however1 that many of 
the ,fellow ,crafts were  also          
stone-cutters in the mountains1 chotzeb 
bahor1 and1 with their  nicer           
implements1 more accurately adjusted the
 stones which had been  imperfectly     
prepared by the apprentices4 ,this fact 
does not at all affect  the character of
 the symbolism we are describing4 ,the  
due preparation of  the materials1 the  
symbol of purification1 was necessarily 
continued in  all the degrees4 ,the task
 of purification never ceases4    #fa   
,the classical reader will here be      
reminded of that beautiful passage  of  
,horace1 commencing with ,justum et     
tenacem propositi virum4--,lib4 iii4    
od4 #c4    #fb ,pallida mors aequo      
pulsat pede pauperum tabernas ,regumque 
turres4--,,hor4 lib4 i4 od4 #d4    #fc  
,it is worth noticing that the verb     
natzach1 from which the title of  the   

menatzchim 7the overseers or ,master    
,masons in the ancient temple71  is     
derived1 signifies also in ,hebrew to be
 perfected1 to be completed4  ,the third
 degree is the perfection of the        
symbolism of the temple1 and its        
lessons lead us to the completion of    
life4 ,in like manner the ,mysteries1   
says ,christie1 were termed 1           
perfections1 because they were  supposed
 to induce a perfectness of life4 ,those
 who were purified by them  were styled 
1 and 1 that is1 brought to             
perfection4--,observations on           
,ouvaroff's ,essay on the ,eleusinian   
,mysteries1 p4 #ahc4    #fd ,dr4        
,oliver1 in the first or preliminary    
lecture of his ,historical  ,landmarks1 
very accurately describes the difference
 between the pure or  primitive         
,freemasonry of the ,noachites1 and the 
spurious ,freemasonry of  the heathens4 
#fe ,the idea of the world1 as          
symbolically representing ,god's temple1
 has  been thus beautifully developed in

 a hymn by ,n4,p4 ,willis1 written for  
the  dedication of a church3--          
,the perfect world by ,adam trod        
,was the first temple built by ,god2    
,his fiat laid the corner stone1        
,and heaved its pillars1 one by one4    
,he hung its starry roof on high--      
,the broad1 illimitable sky2      ,he   
spread its pavement1 green and bright1  
,and curtained it with morning light4   
,the mountains in their places stood1   
,the sea1 the sky1 and 'all was good2'  
,and when its first pure praises rang1  
,the 'morning stars together sang4'     
,lord1 'tis not ours to make the sea1   
,and earth1 and sky1 a house for thee2  
,but in thy sight our offering stands1  
,a humbler temple1 made with hands4     
#ff ,the idea1 says ,dudley1 that the   
earth is a level surface1 and of a      
square form1 is so likely to have been  
entertained by persons of little        
experience and limited observation1 that
 it may be justly supposed to have      
prevailed generally in the early ages of

 the world4--,naology1 p4 #g4    #fg    
,the quadrangular form of the earth is  
preserved in almost all the  scriptural 
allusions that are made to it4 ,thus    
,isaiah 7xi4 #ab7 says1 ,the  ,lord     
shall gather together the dispersed of  
,judah from the four corners  of the    
earth2 and we find in the ,apocalypse   
7xx4 #i7 the prophetic version  of four 
angels standing on the four corners of  
the earth4    #fh ,the form of the lodge
 ought to be a double cube1 as an       
expressive  emblem of the powers of     
darkness and light in the               
creation4--,,oliver1  ,landmarks1 i4 p4 
#ace1 note #cg4    #fi ,not that whole  
visible universe1 in its modern         
signification1 as  including solar      
systems upon solar systems1 rolling in  
illimitable space1  but in the more     
contracted view of the ancients1 where  
the earth formed  the floor1 and the sky
 the ceiling4 ,to the vulgar and        
untaught eye1 says  ,dudley1 the heaven 
or sky above the earth appears to be    

co-extensive with  the earth1 and to    
take the same form1 enclosing a cubical 
space1 of which  the earth was the base1
 the heaven or sky the upper            
surface4--,naology1  #g4--;,and it is to
 this notion of the universe that the   
masonic symbol of  the lodge refers4    
#gj ,these rocky shrines1 the formation 
of which ,mr4 ,grose supposes to  have  
been a labor equal to that of erecting  
the ,pyramids of ,egypt1 are of  various
 height1 extent1 and depth4 ,they are   
partitioned out1 by the labor  of the   
hammer and the chisel1 into many        
separate chambers1 and the roof1  which 
in the pagoda of ,elephanta is flat1 but
 in that of ,salsette is  arched1 is    
supported by rows of pillars of great   
thickness1 and arranged  with much      
regularity4 ,the walls are crowded with 
gigantic figures of men  and women1     
engaged in various actions1 and         
portrayed in various whimsical          
attitudes2 and they are adorned with    
several evident symbols of the  religion

 now prevailing in ,india4 ,above1 as in
 a sky1 once probably  adorned with gold
 and azure1 in the same manner as ,mr4  
,savary lately  observed in the ruinous 
remains of some ancient ,egyptian       
temples1 are seen  floating the children
 of imagination1 genii and dewtahs1 in  
multitudes1  and along the cornice1 in  
high relief1 are the figures of         
elephants1  horses1 and lions1 executed 
with great accuracy4 ,two of the        
principal  figures at ,salsette are     
twenty-seven feet in height1 and of     
proportionate  magnitude2 the very bust 
only of the triple-headed deity in the  
grand  pagoda of ,elephanta measures    
fifteen feet from the base to the top of
 the  cap1 while the face of another1 if
 ,mr4 ,grose1 who measured it1 may be   
credited1 is above five feet in length1 
and of corresponding                    
breadth4--,,maurice1 ,ind4 ,ant4 vol4   
ii4 p4 #ace4    #ga ,according to       
,faber1 the egg was a symbol of the     
world or megacosm1  and also of the ark1

 or microcosm1 as the lunette or        
crescent was a symbol  of the ,great    
,father1 the egg and lunette--which was 
the hieroglyphic of  the god ,lunus1 at 
,heliopolis--was a symbol of the world  
proceeding from  the ,great             
,father4--,pagan ,idolatry1 vol4 i4 b4  
i4 ch4 iv4    #gb ,zoroaster taught that
 the sun was the most perfect fire of   
,god1 the  throne of his glory1 and the 
residence of his divine presence1 and he
  therefore instructed his disciples to 
direct all their worship to ,god  first 
towards the sun 7which they called      
,mithras71 and next towards their       
sacred fires1 as being the things in    
which ,god chiefly dwelt2 and their     
ordinary way of worship was to do so    
towards both4 ,for when they came       
before these fires to worship1 they     
always approached them on the west      
side1 that1 having their faces towards  
them and also towards the rising  sun at
 the same time1 they might direct their 
worship to both4 ,and in this  posture  

they always performed every act of their
 worship4--,,prideaux4  ,connection4 i4 
#baf4    #gc ,the mysteries of ,ceres   
7or ,eleusis7 are principally           
distinguished  from all others as having
 been the depositories of certain       
traditions  coeval with the             
world4--,,ouvaroff1 ,essay on the       
,mysteries of ,eleusis1 p4  #f4    #gd  
,the dadouchus1 or torch-bearer1 carried
 a symbol of the sun4    #ge ,indeed1   
the most ancient superstition of all    
nations1 says ,maurice1  has been the   
worship of the sun1 as the lord of      
heaven and the governor  of the world2  
and in particular it prevailed in       
,phoenicia1 ,chaldaea1  ,egypt1 and from
 later information we may add1 ,peru and
 ,mexico1 represented  in a variety of  
ways1 and concealed under a multitude of
 fanciful names4  ,through all the      
revolutions of time the great luminary  
of heaven hath  exacted from the        
generations of men the tribute of       
devotion4--,indian  ,antiquities1 vol4  

ii4 p4 #ia4    #gf ,facciolatus thus    
defines the ,phallus3 penis ligneus1 vel
 vitreus1  vel coriaceus1 quem in       
,bacchi festis plaustro impositum per   
rura et urbes  magno honore             
circumferebant4--,lex4 in voc4    #gg   
,the exhibition of these images in a    
colossal form1 before the gates  of     
ancient temples1 was common4 ,lucian    
tells us of two colossal ,phalli1  each 
one hundred and eighty feet high1 which 
stood in the fore court of  the temple  
at ,hierapolis4 ,mailer1 in his ,ancient
 ,art and its ,remains1  mentions1 on   
the authority of ,leake1 the fact that a
 colossal ,phallus1  which once stood on
 the top of the tomb of the ,lydian king
 ,halyattes1 is  now lying near the same
 spot2 it is not an entire ,phallus1 but
 only the  head of one2 it is twelve    
feet in diameter below and nine feet    
over the  glands4 ,the ,phallus has even
 been found1 so universal was this      
worship1  among the savages of ,america4
 ,dr4 ,arthaut discovered1 in the year  

#agij1 a  marble ,phallic image in a    
cave of the island of ,st4              
,domingo4--,,clavel1  ,hist4 ,pittoresq4
 des ,religions1 p4 #i4    #gh ,sonnerat
 7,voyage aux ,indes ,orient1 i4 p4     
#aah7 observes1 that the  professors of 
this worship were of the purest         
principles and most  unblemished        
conduct1 and it seems never to have     
entered into the heads of  the ,indian  
legislator and people that anything     
natural could be grossly  obscene4--,sir
 ,william ,jones remarks 7,asiatic      
,researches1 i4 #bed71 that  from the   
earliest periods the women of ,asia1    
,greece1 and ,italy wore this  symbol as
 a jewel1 and ,clavel tells us that a   
similar usage prevails at  this day     
among the women in some of the villages 
of ,brittany4 ,seely tells  us that the 
,lingam1 or ,indian ,phallus1 is an     
emblem as frequently met with  in       
,hindostan as the cross is in ,catholic 
countries4--,wonders of ,elora4  p4     
#bgh4    #gi ,num4 xxv4 #a-c4 ,see also 

,psalm cvi4 #bh3 ,they joined themselves
 also  unto ,baal-peor1 and ate the     
sacrifices of the dead4 ,this last      
expression1  according to ,russel1 has a
 distinct reference to the physical     
qualities of  matter1 and to the time   
when death1 by the winter absence of the
 solar  heat1 gets1 as it were1         
possession of the earth4 ,baal-peor was1
 he says1  the sun exercising his powers
 of fecundity4--,connection of ,sacred  
and  ,profane ,history    #hj ,is there 
not a seeming reference to this thought 
of divine  hermaphrodism in the         
well-known passage of ,genesis8 ,so ,god
 created man in  his own image1 in the  
image of ,god created he him3 male and  
female  created he them4 ,and so being  
created male and female1 they were in   
the image of ,god4    #ha ,the world    
being animated by man1 says ,creuzer1 in
 his learned work on  ,symbolism1       
received from him the two sexes1        
represented by heaven and the  earth4   
,heaven1 as the fecundating principle1  

was male1 and the source of  fire2 the  
earth1 as the fecundated1 was female1   
and the source of  humidity4 ,all things
 issued from the alliance of these two  
principles4 ,the  vivifying powers of   
the heavens are concentrated in the sun1
 and the  earth1 eternally fixed in the 
place which it occupies1 receives the   
emanations from the sun1 through the    
medium of the moon1 which sheds upon    
the earth the germs which the sun had   
deposited in its fertile bosom4 ,the    
,lingam is at once the symbol and the   
mystery of this religious idea4    #hb  
,such was the opinion of some of the    
ancient sun-worshippers1 whose          
adorations were always performed in the 
open air1 because they thought no       
temple was spacious enough to contain   
the sun2 and hence the saying1  ,mundus 
universus est templum solis--the        
universe is the temple of the  sun4     
,like our ancient brethren1 they        
worshipped only on the highest  hills4  
,another analogy4    #hc ,asgard1 the   

abode of the gods1 is shaded by the ash 
tree1  ,ydrasil1 where the gods assemble
 every day to do justice4 ,the branches 
of this tree extend themselves over the 
whole world1 and reach above the        
heavens4 ,it hath three roots1 extremely
 distant from each other3 one of  them  
is among the gods2 the second is among  
the giants1 where the abyss  formerly   
was2 the third covers ,niflheim1 or     
hell1 and under this root is  the       
fountain ,vergelmer1 whence flow the    
infernal rivers4--,edda1 ,fab4  #h4     
#hd ,exod4 iii4 #e4    #he ,commentaries
 in loco4    #hf ,commentary on ,exod4  
iii4 #e4    #hg ,iamblichi ,vita        
,pythag4 c4 #aje4 ,in another place he  
says1    1     1--,we must sacrifice and
 enter  temples with the shoes off4     
,ibid4 c4 #he4    #hh ,quod etiam nunc  
apud plerasque ,orientis nationes       
piaculum sit1  calceato pede templorum  
pavimenta calcasse4    #hi ,beth        
,habbechirah1 cap4 vii4    #ij ,histor4 
,landm4 vol4 ii4 p4 #dha4    #ia ,non   

datur nobis potestas adeundi templum    
nisi nudibus pedibus4    #ib            
,commentaries1 ut supra4    #ic ,see a  
paper on the religious ceremonies of the
 ,hindus1 by ,h4,t4  ,colebrooke1 ,esq4 
in the ,asiatic ,researches1 vol4 vi4 p4
 #ceg4    #id ,a ,specimen of the       
,critical ,history of the ,celtic       
,religion and  ,learning4 ,letter ii4   
xvii4    #ie ,dr4 ,oliver1 referring to 
the twelve grand points in ,masonry1    
which  formed a part of the old ,english
 lectures1 says1 ,when the candidate was
  intrusted1 he represented ,asher1 for 
he was then presented with the  glorious
 fruit of masonic knowledge1 as ,asher  
was represented by fatness  and royal   
dainties4--,hist4 ,landm41 vol4 i4 lect4
 xi4 p4 #cac4    #if ,from the ,greek 1 
signifying a seeing with ones own eyes4 
,the  candidate1 who had previously been
 called a mystes1 or a blind man1  from 
1 to shut the eyes1 began at this point 
to change his title to  that of an      
epopt1 or an eye-witness4    #ig        

,yehi aur va yehi aur4    #ih ,robert   
,william ,mackay1 ,progress of the      
,intellect1 vol4 i4 p4 #ic4    #ii ,and 
thou shalt put in the breastplate of    
judgment the ,urim and the              
,thummim4--,exod4 xxviii4 #cj4--,the    
,egyptian judges also wore              
breastplates1 on which was represented  
the figure of ,ra1 the sun1 and  ,thme1 
the goddess of ,truth1 representing1    
says ,gliddon1 ,ra1 or the  sun1 in a   
double capacity--physical and           
intellectual light2 and ,thme1 in  a    
double capacity--justice and            
truth4--,ancient ,egypt1 p4 #cc4    #ajj
 ,we owe this interesting discovery to  
,f4 ,portal1 who has given it in  his   
elaborate work on ,egyptian symbols as  
compared with those of the  ,hebrews4   
,to those who cannot consult the        
original work in ,french1 ,i can  safely
 recommend the excellent translation by 
my esteemed friend1 ,bro4  ,john ,w4    
,simons1 of ,new ,york1 and which will  
be found in the thirtieth  volume of the

 ,universal ,masonic ,library4    #aja  
,the most early defection to ,idolatry1 
says ,bryant1 consisted in  the         
adoration of the sun and the worship of 
demons1 styled  ,baalim4--,analysts of  
,anc4 ,mythol4 vol4 iii4 p4 #dca4       
#ajb ,the remarks of ,mr4 ,duncan on    
this subject are well worth perusal4    
,light has always formed one of the     
primary objects of heathen adoration4   
,the glorious spectacle of animated     
nature would lose all its interest if   
man were deprived of vision1 and light  
extinguished2 for that which is  unseen 
and unknown becomes1 for all practical  
purposes1 as valueless as if  it were   
non-existent4 ,light is a source of     
positive happiness2 without it1  man    
could barely exist2 and since all       
religious opinion is based on the  ideas
 of pleasure and pain1 and the          
corresponding sensations of hope and    
fear1 it is not to be wondered if the   
heathen reverenced light4 ,darkness1  on
 the contrary1 by replunging nature1 as 

it were1 into a state of  nothingness1  
and depriving man of the pleasurable    
emotions conveyed  through the organ of 
sight1 was ever held in abhorrence1 as a
 source of  misery and fear4 ,the two   
opposite conditions in which man thus   
found  himself placed1 occasioned by the
 enjoyment or the banishment of light1  
induced him to imagine the existence of 
two antagonist principles in  nature1 to
 whose dominion he was alternately      
subject4 ,light multiplied his          
enjoyments1 and darkness diminished     
them4 ,the former1 accordingly1 became  
his friend1 and the latter his enemy4   
,the words 'light' and 'good1' and      
'darkness' and 'evil1' conveyed similar 
ideas1 and became1 in sacred  language1 
synonymous terms4 ,but as good and evil 
were not supposed to flow  from one and 
the same source1 no more than light and 
darkness were  supposed to have a common
 origin1 two distinct and independent   
principles  were established1 totally   
different in their nature1 of opposite  

characters1 pursuing a conflicting line 
of action1 and creating  antagonistic   
effects4 ,such was the origin of this   
famous dogma1 recognized  by all the    
heathens1 and incorporated with all the 
sacred fables1  cosmogonies1 and        
mysteries of antiquity4--,the ,religions
 of ,profane  ,antiquity1 p4 #ahf4      
#ajc ,see the ,bhagvat ,geeta1 one of   
the religious books of ,brahminism4 ,a  
writer in ,blackwood1 in an article on  
the ,castes and ,creeds of ,india1  vol4
 lxxxi4 p4 #caf1 thus accounts for the  
adoration of light by the early  nations
 of the world3 ,can we wonder at the    
worship of light by those  early        
nations8 ,carry our thoughts back to    
their remote times1 and our only  wonder
 would be if they did not so adore it4  
,the sun is life as well as  light to   
all that is on the earth--as we of the  
present day know even  better than they 
of old4 ,moving in dazzling radiance or 
brilliant-hued  pageantry through the   
sky1 scanning in calm royalty all that  

passes below1  it seems the very god of 
this fair world1 which lives and blooms 
but in  his smile4    #ajd ,the         
,institutes of ,menu1 which are the     
acknowledged code of the  ,brahmins1    
inform us that the world was all        
darkness1 undiscernible1                
undistinguishable altogether1 as in a   
profound sleep1 till the  self-existent1
 invisible ,god1 making it manifest with
 five elements and  other glorious      
forms1 perfectly dispelled the          
gloom4--,sir ,,william ,,jones1  ,on the
 ,gods of ,greece4 ,asiatic ,researches1
 i4 #bdd4    ,among the ,rosicrucians1  
who have1 by some1 been improperly      
confounded with  the ,freemasons1 the   
word lux was used to signify a knowledge
 of the  philosopher's stone1 or the    
great desideratum of a universal elixir 
and a  universal menstruum4 ,this was   
their truth4    #aje ,on ,symbolic      
,colors1 p4 #bc1 ,inman's translation4  
#ajf ,freemasonry having received the   
name of lux1 or light1 its  disciples   

have1 very appropriately1 been called   
the ,sons of ,light4 ,thus  ,burns1 in  
his celebrated ,farewell3--        ,oft 
have ,i met your social band1           
,and spent the cheerful1 festive night2 
,oft1 honored with supreme command1     
,presided o'er the sons of light4       
#ajg ,thus defined3 ,the stone which    
lies at the corner of two walls1 and    
unites them2 the principal stone1 and   
especially the stone which forms the    
corner of the foundation of an          
edifice4--,webster4    #ajh ,among the  
ancients the corner-stone of important  
edifices was laid  with impressive      
ceremonies4 ,these are well described by
 ,tacitus1 in his  history of the       
rebuilding of the ,capitol4 ,after      
detailing the preliminary  ceremonies   
which consisted in a procession of      
vestals1 who with chaplets  of flowers  
encompassed the ground and consecrated  
it by libations of  living water1 he    
adds that1 after solemn prayer1         
,helvidius1 to whom the  care of        

rebuilding the ,capitol had been        
committed1 laid his hand upon the       
fillets that adorned the foundation     
stone1 and also the cords by which it   
was to be drawn to its place4 ,in that  
instant the magistrates1 the  priests1  
the senators1 the ,roman knights1 and a 
number of citizens1 all  acting with one
 effort and general demonstrations of   
joy1 laid hold of the  ropes and dragged
 the ponderous load to its destined     
spot4 ,they then threw  in ingots of    
gold and silver1 and other metals1 which
 had never been  melted in the furnace1 
but still retained1 untouched by human  
art1 their  first formation in the      
bowels of the earth4--,tac4 ,hist41 #a4 
iv4 c4 #ec1  ,murphy's transl4    #aji  
,as1 for instance1 in ,psalm cxviii4    
#bb1 ,the stone which the builders      
refused is become the head-stone of the 
corner1 which1 ,clarke says1  seems to  
have been originally spoken of ,david1  
who was at first rejected  by the       
,jewish rulers1 but was afterwards      

chosen by the ,lord to be the  great    
ruler of his people in ,israel2 and in  
,isaiah xxviii4 #af1 ,behold1 ,i  lay in
 ,zion1 for a foundation1 a stone1 a    
tried stone1 a precious  corner-stone1 a
 sure foundation1 which clearly refers  
to the promised  ,messiah4    #aaj ,in  
the ritual observed at laying the       
foundation-stone of public  structures1 
it is said1 ,the principal architect    
then presents the  working tools to the 
,grand ,master1 who applies the plumb1  
square1 and  level to the stone1 in     
their proper positions1 and pronounces  
it to be  well-formed1 true1 and        
trusty4--,,webb',s ,monitor1 p4 #abj4   
#aaa ,the square teaches us to regulate 
our conduct by the principles of        
morality and virtue4--,ritual of the ,e4
 ,a4 ,degree4--,the old ,york  lectures 
define the square thus3 ,the square is  
the theory of universal  duty1 and      
consisteth in two right lines1 forming  
an angle of perfect  sincerity1 or      
ninety degrees2 the longest side is the 

sum of the lengths  of the several      
duties which we owe to all men4 ,and    
every man should be  agreeable to this  
square1 when perfectly finished4    #aab
 ,aristotle4    #aac ,the cube is a     
symbol of truth1 of wisdom1 and moral   
perfection4 ,the  new ,jerusalem1       
promised in the ,apocalypse1 is equal in
 length1 breadth1  and height4 ,the     
,mystical city ought to be considered as
 a new church1  where divine wisdom will
 reign4--,,oliver',s ,landmarks1 ii4 p4 
#ceg4--;,and  he might have added1 where
 eternal truth will be present4    #aad 
,in the most primitive times1 all the   
gods appear to have been  represented by
 cubical blocks of stone2 and ,pausanias
 says that he saw  thirty of these      
stones in the city of ,pharae1 which    
represented as many  deities4 ,the first
 of the kind1 it is probable1 were      
dedicated to ,hermes1  whence they      
derived their name of ,hermae4    #aae  
,give unto ,jehovah the glory due unto  
,his name2 worship ,jehovah in  the     

beauty of holiness4--,psalm xxix4 #b4   
#aaf ,it is at least a singular         
coincidence that in the ,brahminical    
religion great respect was paid to the  
north-east point of the heavens4  ,thus 
it is said in the ,institutes of ,menu1 
,if he has any incurable  disease1 let  
him advance in a straight path towards  
the invincible  north-east point1       
feeding on water and air till his mortal
 frame totally  decay1 and his soul     
become united with the ,supreme4    #aag
 ,this symbolism of the double position 
of the corner-stone has not  escaped the
 attention of the religious             
symbologists4 ,etsius1 an early         
commentator1 in #afhb1 referring to the 
passage in ,ephesians ii4 #bj1 says1    
,that is called the corner-stone1 or    
chief corner-stone1 which is placed  in 
the extreme angle of a foundation1      
conjoining and holding together two     
walls of the pile1 meeting from         
different quarters4 ,and the apostle not
  only would be understood by this      

metaphor that ,christ is the principal  
foundation of the whole church1 but also
 that in him1 as in a  corner-stone1 the
 two peoples1 ,jews and ,gentiles1 are  
conjoined1 and so  conjoined as to rise 
together into one edifice1 and become   
one church4  ,and ,julius ,firmicius1   
who wrote in the sixteenth century1 says
 that ,christ  is called the            
corner-stone1 because1 being placed in  
the angle of the two  walls1 which are  
the ,old and the ,new ,testament1 he    
collects the nations  into one fold4    
,lapis sanctus1 i4e4 ,christus1 aut     
fidei fundamenta  sustentat aut in      
angulo positus duorum parietum membra   
aequata moderatione  conjungit1 i4e41   
,veteris et ,novi ,testamenti in unum   
colligit gentes4--,de  ,errore profan4  
,religionum1 chap4 xxi4    #aah ,this   
permanence of position was also         
attributed to those cubical  stones     
among the ,romans which represented the 
statues of the god ,terminus4  ,they    
could never lawfully be removed from the

 spot which they occupied4  ,hence1 when
 ,tarquin was about to build the temple 
of ,jupiter1 on the  ,capitoline ,hill1 
all the shrines and statues of the other
 gods were  removed from the eminence to
 make way for the new edifice1 except   
that of  ,terminus1 represented by a    
stone4 ,this remained untouched1 and was
  enclosed within the temple1 to show1  
says ,dudley1 that the stone1 having    
been a personification of the ,god      
,supreme1 could not be reasonably       
required to yield to ,jupiter himself in
 dignity and power4--,,dudley',s        
,naology1 p #ade4    #aai ,dudley's     
,naology1 p4 #dgf4    #abj ,masonic     
,discourses1 ,dis4 iv4 p4 #ha4    #aba  
,the act of consecration chiefly        
consisted in the unction1 which was  a  
ceremony derived from the most primitive
 antiquity4 ,the sacred  tabernacle1    
with all the vessels and utensils1 as   
also the altar and the  priests         
themselves1 were consecrated in this    
manner by ,moses1 at the  divine        

command4 ,it is well known that the     
,jewish kings and prophets were         
admitted to their several offices by    
unction4 ,the patriarch ,jacob1 by the  
same right1 consecrated the altars which
 he made use of2 in doing which it  is  
more probable that he followed the      
tradition of his forefathers1 than  that
 he was the author of this custom4 ,the 
same1 or something like it1 was  also   
continued down to the times of          
,christianity4--,,potter',s             
,archaeologia ,graeca1 b4 ii4 p4 #agf4  
#abb ,from the ,greek 1 four1 and 1     
letter1 because it is  composed of four 
,hebrew letters4 ,brande thus defines   
it3 ,among several  ancient nations1 the
 name of the mystic number four1 which  
was often  symbolized to represent the  
,deity1 whose name was expressed by four
  letters4 ,but this definition is      
incorrect4 ,the tetragrammaton is not   
the  name of the number four1 but the   
word which expresses the name of ,god in
  four letters1 and is always applied to

 the ,hebrew word only4    #abc ,exod4  
iii4 #ae4 ,in our common version of the 
,bible1 the word ,lord  is substituted  
for ,jehovah1 whence the true import of 
the original is  lost4    #abd ,exod4   
vi4 #b4 #c4    #abe ,the ,jews have many
 superstitious stories and opinions     
relative to  this name1 which1 because  
they were forbidden to mention in vain1 
they  would not mention at all4 ,they   
substituted ,adonai1 c41 in its room1   
whenever it occurred to them in reading 
or speaking1 or else simply and         
emphatically styled it  the ,name4 ,some
 of them attributed  to a certain       
repetition of this name the virtue of a 
charm1 and others  have had the boldness
 to assert that our blessed ,savior     
wrought all his  miracles 7for they do  
not deny them to be such7 by that       
mystical use of  this venerable name4   
,see the ,toldoth ,jeschu1 an infamously
 scurrilous  life of ,jesus1 written by 
a ,jew not later than the thirteenth    
century4 ,on  p4 #g1 edition of         

,wagenseilius1 #afha1 is a succinct     
detail of the manner in  which our      
,savior is said to have entered the     
temple and obtained  possession of the  
,holy ,name4 ,leusden says that he had  
offered to give a  sum of money to a    
very poor ,jew at ,amsterdam1 if he     
would only once  deliberately pronounce 
the name ,jehovah2 but he refused it by 
saying  that he did not dare4--,horae   
,solitariae1 vol4 i4 p4 #c4--;,a        
,brahmin will  not pronounce the name of
 the ,almighty1 without drawing down his
 sleeve  and placing it on his mouth    
with fear and trembling4--,,murray1     
,truth of  ,revelation1 p4 #cba4    #abf
 ,the same scrupulous avoidance of a    
strict translation has been  pursued in 
other versions4 ,for ,jehovah1 the      
,septuagint substitutes  1 the ,vulgate 
,dominus1 and the ,german der ,herr1 all
  equivalent to the ,lord4 ,the ,french 
version uses the title l',eternel4      
,but1 with a better comprehension of the
 value of the word1 ,lowth in his       

,isaiah1 the ,swedenborgian version of  
the ,psalms1 and some other recent      
versions1 have restored the original    
name4    #abg ,in the ,talmudical       
treatise1 ,majan ,hachochima1 quoted by 
,stephelin  7,rabbinical ,literature1 i4
 p4 #aca71 we are informed that rightly 
to  understand the shem hamphorash is a 
key to the unlocking of all mysteries4  
,there1 says the treatise1 shalt thou   
understand the words of men1 the  words 
of cattle1 the singing of birds1 the    
language of beasts1 the barking  of     
dogs1 the language of devils1 the       
language of ministering angels1 the     
language of date-trees1 the motion of   
the sea1 the unity of hearts1 and  the  
murmuring of the tongue--nay1 even the  
thoughts of the reins4    #abh ,the     
gamma1 1 or ,greek letter ,g1 is said to
 have been sacred among  the            
,pythagoreans as the initial of  or     
,geometry4    #abi ,vide ,oliver1 ,hist4
 ,init4 p4 #fh1 note4    #acj           
,jamblichus says that ,pythagoras passed

 over from ,miletus to ,sidon1  thinking
 that he could thence go more easily    
into ,egypt1 and that while  there he   
caused himself to be initiated into all 
the mysteries of ,byblos  and ,tyre1 and
 those which were practised in many     
parts of ,syria1 not  because he was    
under the influence of any superstitious
 motives1 but from  the fear that if he 
were not to avail himself of these      
opportunities1 he  might neglect to     
acquire some knowledge in those rites   
which was worthy of  observation4 ,but  
as these mysteries were originally      
received by the  ,phoenicians from      
,egypt1 he passed over into that        
country1 where he  remained twenty-two  
years1 occupying himself in the study of
 geometry1  astronomy1 and all the      
initiations of the gods 7  71 until  he 
was carried a captive into ,babylon by  
the soldiers of ,cambyses1 and  that    
twelve years afterwards he returned to  
,samos at the age of sixty              
years4--,vit4 ,pythag1 cap4 iii41 iv4   

#aca ,the sacred words were intrusted to
 him1 of which the ,ineffable           
,tetractys1 or name of ,god1 was the    
chief4--,,oliver1 ,hist4 ,init4 p4 #aji4
    #acb ,hu1 the mighty1 whose history 
as a patriarch is precisely that of     
,noah1 was promoted to the rank of the  
principal demon-god among the  ,britons2
 and1 as his chariot was composed of    
rays of the sun1 it may be  presumed    
that he was worshipped in conjunction   
with that luminary1 and to  the same    
superstition we may refer what is said  
of his light and swift                  
course4--,,davies1 ,mythol4 and ,rites  
of the ,brit4 ,druids1 p4 #aaj4    #acc 
,all the male gods 7of the ancients7 may
 be reduced to one1 the  generative     
energy2 and all the female to one1 the  
prolific principle4 ,in  fact1 they may 
all be included in the one great        
,hermaphrodite1 the   who combines in   
his nature all the elements of          
production1 and  who continues to       
support the vast creation which         

originally proceeded from  his          
will4--,,russell',s ,connection1 i4 p4  
#djb4    #acd ,it is a tradition that it
 was pronounced in the following seven  
different ways by the patriarchs1 from  
,methuselah to ,david1 viz43 ,juha1     
,jeva1 ,jova1 ,jevo1 ,jeveh1 ,johe1 and 
,jehovah4 ,in all these words the j  is 
to be pronounced as y1 the a as ah1 the 
e as a1 and the v as  w4    #ace ,the i 
is to be pronounced as e1 and the whole 
word as if spelled  in ,english ho-he4  
#acf ,in the apocryphal ,book of the    
,conversation of ,god with ,moses on    
,mount ,sinai1 translated by the ,rev4  
,w4 ,cureton from an ,arabic ,,ms4 of   
the  fifteenth century1 and published by
 the ,philobiblon ,society of ,london1  
the  idea of the eternal watchfulness of
 ,god is thus beautifully allegorized3--
    ,then ,moses said to the ,lord1 ,o  
,lord1 dost thou sleep or not8 ,the     
,lord  said unto ,moses1 ,i never sleep3
 but take a cup and fill it with water4 
,then ,moses took a cup and filled it   

with water1 as the ,lord commanded him4 
,then the ,lord cast into the heart of  
,moses the breath of slumber2 so he     
slept1 and the cup fell from his hand1  
and the water which was therein was     
spilled4 ,then ,moses awoke from his    
sleep4 ,then said ,god to ,moses1 ,i    
declare by my power1 and by my glory1   
that if ,i were to withdraw my          
providence from the heavens and the     
earth for no longer a space of time     
than thou hast slept1 they would at once
 fall to ruin and confusion1 like  as   
the cup fell from thy hand4    #acg ,i  
have in my possession a rare copy of the
 ,vulgate ,bible1 in black  letter1     
printed at ,lyons1 in #aebb4 ,the       
frontispiece is a coarsely executed     
wood cut1 divided into six compartments1
 and representing the six days of  the  
creation4 ,the ,father is1 in each      
compartment1 pictured as an aged man    
engaged in his creative task4    #ach   
,christian ,iconography1 ,millington's  
trans41 vol4 i4 p4 #ei4    #aci ,the    

triangle1 or delta1 is the symbol of    
,deity for this reason4 ,in  geometry a 
single line cannot represent a perfect  
figure2 neither can two  lines2 three   
lines1 however1 constitute the triangle 
or first perfect and  demonstrable      
figure4 ,hence this figure symbolizes   
the ,eternal ,god1  infinitely perfect  
in his nature4 ,but the triangle        
properly refers to ,god  only in his    
quality as an ,eternal ,being1 its three
 sides representing the  ,past1 the     
,present1 and the ,future4 ,some        
,christian symbologists have made  the  
three sides represent the ,father1 ,son1
 and ,holy ,ghost2 but they  evidently  
thereby destroy the divine unity1 making
 a trinity of ,gods in  the unity of a  
,godhead4 ,the ,gnostic trinity of      
,manes consisted of one ,god  and two   
principles1 one of good and the other of
 evil4 ,the ,indian trinity1  symbolized
 also by the triangle1 consisted of     
,brahma1 ,siva1 and ,vishnu1  the       
,creator1 ,preserver1 and ,destroyer1   

represented by ,earth1 ,water1 and      
,air4 ,this symbolism of the ,eternal   
,god by the triangle is the reason why a
  trinitarian scheme has been so        
prevalent in all religions--the three   
sides  naturally suggesting the three   
divisions of the ,godhead4 ,but in the  
,pagan  and ,oriental religions this    
trinity was nothing else but a          
tritheism4    #adj ,noachidae1 or       
,noachites1 the descendants of ,noah4   
,this patriarch  having alone preserved 
the true name and worship of ,god amid a
 race of  impious idolaters1 the        
,freemasons claim to be his descendants1
 because  they preserve that pure       
religion which distinguished this second
 father of  the human race from the rest
 of the world4 7,see the author's       
,lexicon of  ,freemasonry47 ,the ,tyrian
 workmen at the temple of ,solomon were 
the  descendants of that other division 
of the race who fell off1 at ,shinar1   
from the true worship1 and repudiated   
the principles of ,noah4 ,the ,tyrians1 

however1 like many other ancient        
mystics1 had recovered some portion of  
the lost light1 and the complete        
repossession was finally achieved by    
their union with the ,jewish masons1 who
 were ,noachidae4    #ada ,a mythis     
omnis priscorum hominum tum historia tum
 philosophia  procedit4--,ad ,apollod4  
,athen4 ,biblioth4 not4 f4 p4 #c4--;,and
 ,faber says1  ,allegory and            
personification were peculiarly         
agreeable to the genius of  antiquity2  
and the simplicity of truth was         
continually sacrificed at the  shrine of
 poetical decoration4--,on the ,cabiri4 
#adb ,see ,grote1 ,history of ,greece1  
vol4 i4 ch4 xvi4 p4 #dgi1 whence this   
definition has been substantially       
derived4 ,the definitions of ,creuzer1  
,hermann1 ,buttmann1 ,heyne1 ,welcker1  
,voss1 and ,mller are none of them      
,better1 and some of them not as good4  
#adc ,hist4 of ,greece1 vol4 i4 ch4 xvi4
 p4 #egi4 ,the idea of the existence  of
 an enlightened people1 who lived at a  

remote era1 and came from the  ,east1   
was a very prevalent notion among the   
ancient traditions4 ,it is              
corroborative of this that the ,hebrew  
word 1 kedem1  signifies1 in respect to 
place1 the east1 and1 in respect to     
time1  olden time1 ancient days4 ,the   
phrase in ,isaiah xix4 #aa1 which reads1
 ,i  am the son of the wise1 the son of 
ancient kings1 might just as well have  
been translated the son of kings of the 
,east4 ,in a note to the passage  ,ezek4
 xliii4 #b1 the glory of the ,god of    
,israel came from the way of the  ,east1
 ,adam ,clarke says1 ,all knowledge1 all
 religion1 and all arts and  sciences1  
have travelled1 according to the course 
of the sun1 ,,from ,,east  ,,to ,,west6 
,bazot tells us 7in his ,manuel du      
,franc-maon1 p4 #aed7 that the          
veneration which masons entertain for   
the east confirms an opinion  previously
 announced1 that the religious system of
 ,masonry came from the  east1 and has  
reference to the primitive religion1    

whose first  corruption was the worship 
of the sun4 ,and lastly1 the masonic    
reader  will recollect the answer given 
in the ,leland ,,ms4 to the question    
respecting the origin of ,masonry1      
namely1 ,it did begin 7,i modernize the 
orthography7 with the first men in the  
east1 which were before the first  men  
of the west2 and coming westerly1 it    
hath brought herewith all  comforts to  
the wild and comfortless4 ,locke's      
commentary on this answer  may conclude 
this note3 ,it should seem1 by this1    
that masons believe  there were men in  
the east before ,adam1 who is called the
 'first man of  the west1' and that arts
 and sciences began in the east4 ,some  
authors1 of  great note for learning1   
have been of the same opinion2 and it is
 certain  that ,europe and ,africa      
7which1 in respect to ,asia1 may be     
called western  countries7 were wild and
 savage long after arts and politeness  
of manners  were in great perfection in 
,china and the ,indies4 ,the ,talmudists

 make the  same allusions to the        
superiority of the east4 ,thus1 ,rabbi  
,bechai says1  ,adam was created with   
his face towards the east that he might 
behold the  light and the rising sun1   
whence the east was to him the anterior 
part of  the world4    #add ,strauss    
makes a division of myths into          
historical1 philosophical1  and         
poetical4--,leben ,jesu4--,his poetical 
myth agrees with my first  division1 his
 philosophical with my second1 and his  
historical with my  third4 ,but ,i      
object to the word poetical1 as a       
distinctive term1 because  all myths    
have their foundation in the poetic     
idea4    #ade ,ulmann1 for instance1    
distinguishes between a myth and a      
legend--the  former containing1 to a    
great degree1 fiction combined with     
history1 and  the latter having but a   
few faint echoes of mythical history4   
#adf ,in his ,prolegomena zu einer      
wissenshaftlichen ,mythologie1 cap4 iv4 
,this valuable work was translated in   

#ahdd1 by ,mr4 ,john ,leitch4    #adg   
,historical ,landmarks1 i4 #ec4    #adh 
,see an article1 by the author1 on ,the 
,unwritten ,landmarks of  ,freemasonry1 
in the first volume of the ,masonic     
,miscellany1 in which this  subject is  
treated at considerable length4    #adi 
,as a matter of some interest to the    
curious reader1 ,i insert the  legend as
 published in the ,gentleman's ,magazine
 of ,june1 #ahae1 from1 it is  said1 a  
parchment roll supposed to have been    
written early in the  seventeenth       
century1 and which1 if so1 was in all   
probability copied from  one of an older
 date3--    ,moreover1 when ,abraham and
 ,sara his wife went into ,egipt1 there 
he taught  the ,seaven ,scyences to the 
,egiptians2 and he had a worthy ,scoller
 that  height ,ewclyde1 and he learned  
right well1 and was a master of all the 
vij  ,sciences liberall4 ,and in his    
dayes it befell that the lord and the   
estates of the realme had soe many sonns
 that they had gotten some by  their    

wifes and some by other ladyes of the   
realme2 for that land is a  hott land   
and a plentious of generacion4 ,and they
 had not competent  livehode to find    
with their children2 wherefor they made 
much care4 ,and  then the ,king of the  
land made a great counsell and a        
parliament1 to witt1  how they might    
find their children honestly as         
gentlemen4 ,and they could  find no     
manner of good way4 ,and then they did  
crye through all the realme1  if there  
were any man that could enforme them1   
that he should come to  them1 and he    
should be soe rewarded for his travail1 
that he should hold  him pleased4       
,after that this cry was made1 then came
 this worthy clarke ,ewclyde1 and  said 
to the ,king and to all his great lords3
 ',if yee will1 take me your  children  
to governe1 and to teach them one of the
 ,seaven ,scyences1  wherewith they may 
live honestly as gentlemen should1 under
 a condicion  that yee will grant mee   
and them a commission that ,i may have  

power to  rule them after the manner    
that the science ought to be ruled4'    
,and that  the ,kinge and all his       
counsell granted to him anone1 and      
sealed their  commission4 ,and then this
 worthy tooke to him these lords' sonns1
 and  taught them the science of        
,geometric in practice1 for to work in  
stones  all manner of worthy worke that 
belongeth to buildinge churches1        
temples1  castells1 towres1 and mannors1
 and all other manner of buildings4     
#aej ,ancient ,egypt under the          
,pharaohs1 vol4 ,i p4 #cic4    #aea #a  
,kings vi4 #h4    #aeb ,an allusion to  
this symbolism is retained in one of the
 well-known  mottoes of the order--,lux 
e tenebris4    #aec ,an allegory is that
 in which1 under borrowed characters and
  allusions1 is shadowed some real      
action or moral instruction2 or1 to keep
  more strictly to its derivation 71    
alius1 and 1 dico71 it  is that in which
 one thing is related and another thing 
is understood4  ,hence it is apparent   

that an allegory must have two          
senses--the literal  and mystical2 and  
for that reason it must convey its      
instruction under  borrowed characters  
and allusions throughout4--,the         
,antiquity1 ,evidence1  and ,certainty  
of ,christianity canvassed1 or ,dr4     
,middleton's ,examination of  the       
,bishop of ,london's ,discourses on     
,prophecy4 ,by ,anselm ,bayly1 ,,ll4,b41
  ,minor ,canon of ,st4 ,paul's4 ,lond1 
#agea4    #aed ,the words themselves are
 purely classical1 but the meanings here
  given to them are of a mediaeval or   
corrupt ,latinity4 ,among the old       
,romans1 a trivium meant a place where  
three ways met1 and a quadrivium  where 
four1 or what we now call a cross-road4 
,when we speak of the  paths of         
learning1 we readily discover the origin
 of the signification  given by the     
scholastic philosophers to these terms4 
#aee ,hist4 of ,philos4 vol4 ii4 p4     
#ccg4    #aef ,such a talisman was the  
following figure3--         ----------- 

#h  #a  #f       ---------       #c  #e 
#g       ---------       #d  #i  #b     
-----------      #aeg ,anderson's       
,constitutions1 #b;d ed4 #agch1 p4 #ad4 
#aeh ,anderson's ,constitutions1 #c;d   
ed4 #agef1 p4 #bd4    #aei ,the hidden  
doctrines of the unity of the ,deity and
 the immortality  of the soul were      
originally in all the ,mysteries1 even  
those of ,cupid and                     
,bacchus4--,,warburton1 in ,spence's    
,anecdotes1 p4 #cji4    #afj ,the       
allegorical interpretation of the myths 
has been1 by several  learned           
investigators1 especially by ,creuzer1  
connected with the  hypothesis of an    
ancient and highly instructed body of   
priests1 having  their origin either in 
,egypt or in the ,east1 and             
communicating to the rude  and barbarous
 ,greeks religious1 physical1 and       
historical knowledge1 under  the veil of
 symbols4--,,grote1 ,hist4 of ,greece1  
vol4 i4 ch4 xvi4 p4  #egi4--;,and the   
,chevalier ,ramsay corroborates this    

theory3 ,vestiges of the  most sublime  
truths are to be found in the sages of  
all nations1 times1  and religions1 both
 sacred and profane1 and these vestiges 
are emanations  of the antediluvian and 
noevian tradition1 more or less         
disguised and                           
adulterated4--,philosophical ,principles
 of ,natural and ,revealed ,religion    
unfolded in a ,geometrical ,order1 vol4 
#a1 p4 iv4    #afa ,of this there is    
abundant evidence in all the ancient and
 modern  writers on the ,mysteries4     
,apuleius1 cautiously describing his    
initiation  into the ,mysteries of      
,isis1 says1 ,i approached the confines 
of death1 and  having trod on the       
threshold of ,proserpine1 ,i returned   
therefrom1 being  borne through all the 
elements4 ,at midnight ,i saw the sun   
shining with its  brilliant light2 and  
,i approached the presence of the gods  
beneath1 and  the gods of heaven1 and   
stood near and worshipped them4--,metam4
 lib4  vi4 ,the context shows that all  

this was a scenic representation4       
#afb ,aish hakam iodea binah1 a cunning 
man1 endued with  understanding1 is the 
description given by the king of ,tyre  
of ,hiram  ,abif4 ,see #b ,chron4 ii4   
#ac4 ,it is needless to say that cunning
 is a good  old ,saxon word meaning     
skilful4    #afc        ,pronaque cum   
spectent animalia ctera terram2      ,os
 homini sublime dedit3 coelumque tueri  
,jussit1 et erectos ad sidera tollere   
vultus4        ,,ovid1 ,met4 i4 #hd4    
,p_/        ,thus1 while the mute       
creation downward bend      ,their      
sight1 and to their earthly mother tend1
      ,man looks aloft1 and with erected
 eyes      ,beholds his own hereditary  
skies4        ,,dryden4    #afd 1       
disappearance1 destruction1 a perishing1
 death1 from  1 to remove from one's    
view1 to conceal1 c4--,schrevel4 ,lex4  
#afe 1 a finding1 invention1            
discovery4--,schrevel4 ,lex4    #aff ,a 
,french writer of the last century1     
speaking of the degree of ,trs  ,parfait

 ,maitre1 says1 ,c'est ici qu'on voit   
rellement qu',hiram n'a t  que le type  
de ,jsus ,christ1 que le temple et les  
autres symboles  maonniques sont des    
allegories relatives  l',eglise1  la    
,foi1 et aux  bonnes moeurs4--,origine  
et ,objet de la ,franchemaonnerie1 par  
le ,f4,b4  ,paris1 #aggd4    #afg ,this 
our order is a positive contradiction to
 the ,judaic blindness  and infidelity1 
and testifies our faith concerning the  
resurrection of the                     
body4--,,hutchinson1 ,spirit of         
,masonry1 lect4 ix4 p4 #aja4--,the whole
  lecture is occupied in advancing and  
supporting his peculiar theory4    #afh 
,thus1 then1 it appears that the        
historical reference of the legend  of  
,speculative ,freemasonry1 in all ages  
of the world1 was--to our death in      
,adam and life in ,christ4 ,what1 then1 
was the origin of our tradition8 ,or1   
in other words1 to what particular      
incident did the legend of initiation   
refer before the flood8 ,i conceive it  

to have been the offering and           
assassination of ,abel by his brother   
,cain2 the escape of the murderer2 the  
discovery of the body by his            
disconsolate parents1 and its subsequent
  interment1 under a certain belief of  
its final resurrection from the dead1   
and of the detection and punishment of  
,cain by divine vengeance4--,,oliver1   
,historical ,landmarks of ,freemasonry1 
vol4 ii4 p4 #aga4    #afi ,le grade de  
,matre va donc nous retracer            
allegoriquement la mort du              
dieu-lumire--mourant en hiver pour      
reparatre et ressusciter au             
printemps4--,,ragon1 ,cours ,philos4 et 
,interp4 des ,init4 p4 #aeh4    #agj    
,dans l'ordre moral1 ,hiram n'est autre 
chose que la raison  ternelle1 par qui  
tout est pondr1 rgl1 conserv4--,,des    
,,etangs1  uvres ,maonniques1 p4 #ij4   
#aga ,with the same argument would ,i   
meet the hypothesis that ,hiram was  the
 representative of ,charles ,i4 of      
,england--an hypothesis now so          

generally abandoned1 that ,i have not   
thought it worth noticing in the  text4 
#agb ,the initiation into the           
,mysteries1 he says1 scenically         
represented the mythic descent into     
,hades and the return from thence to    
the light of day2 by which was meant the
 entrance into the ,ark and the         
subsequent liberation from its dark     
enclosure4 ,such ,mysteries were        
established in almost every part of the 
pagan world2 and those of ,ceres  were  
substantially the same as the ,orgies of
 ,adonis1 ,osiris1 ,hu1 ,mithras1  and  
the ,cabiri4 ,they all equally related  
to the allegorical disappearance1  or   
death1 or descent of the great father at
 their commencement1 and to his         
invention1 or revival1 or return from   
,hades1 at their conclusion4--,origin   
of ,pagan ,idolatry1 vol4 iv4 b4 iv4 ch4
 v4 p4 #chd--;,but this ,arkite  theory1
 as it is called1 has not met with the  
general approbation of  subsequent      
writers4    #agc ,mount ,calvary is a   

small hill or eminence1 situated in a   
westerly  direction from that ,mount    
,moriah on which the temple of ,solomon 
was built4  ,it was originally a hillock
 of notable eminence1 but has1 in modern
 times1  been greatly reduced by the    
excavations made in it for the          
construction of  the ,church of the     
,holy ,sepulchre4 ,buckingham1 in his   
,palestine1 p4 #bhc1  says1 ,the present
 rock1 called ,calvary1 and enclosed    
within the ,church of  the ,holy        
,sepulchre1 bears marks1 in every part  
that is naked1 of its  having been a    
round nodule of rock standing above the 
common level of the  surface4    #agd   
,dr4 ,beard1 in the art4 ,golgotha1 in  
,kitto's ,encyc4 of ,bib4 ,lit41        
reasons in a similar method as to the   
place of the crucifixion1 and  supposing
 that the soldiers1 from the fear of a  
popular tumult1 would  hurry ,jesus to  
the most convenient spot for execution1 
says1 ,then the  road to ,joppa or      
,damascus would be most convenient1 and 

no spot in the  vicinity would probably 
be so suitable as the slight rounded    
elevation  which bore the name of       
,calvary4    #age ,some have supposed   
that it was so called because it was the
 place of  public execution4 ,gulgoleth 
in ,hebrew1 or gogultho in ,syriac1     
means a  skull4    #agf ,quoted in      
,oliver1 ,landmarks1 vol4 i4 p4 #ehg1   
note4    #agg ,oliver's idea            
7,landmarks1 ii4 #adi7 that cassia has1 
since the  year #agcj1 been corrupted   
into acacia1 is contrary to all         
etymological  experience4 ,words are    
corrupted1 not by lengthening1 but by   
abbreviating  them4 ,the uneducated and 
the careless are always prone to cut off
 a  syllable1 not to add a new one4     
#agh ,and yet ,i have been surprised by 
seeing1 once or twice1 the word  ,cassia
 adopted as the name of a lodge4        
,cinnamon or sandal wood would  have    
been as appropriate1 for any masonic    
meaning or symbolism4    #agi ,eclog4   
ii4 #di4        ,pallentes violas et    

summa papavera carpens1       ,narcissum
 et florem jungit ben olentis anethi3   
,tum casia1 atque aliis intexens        
suavibus herbis1       ,mollia luteola  
pingit vaccinia1 caltha4    #ahj ,exod4 
xxx4 #bd1 ,ezek4 xxvii4 #i1 and ,ps4    
xlv4 #h4    #aha ,oliver1 it is true1   
says1 that there is not the smallest    
trace of  any tree of the kind growing  
so far north as ,jerusalem 7,landm4 ii4 
#acf72 but this statement is refuted by 
the authority of ,lieutenant ,lynch1    
who saw it growing in great abundance at
 ,jericho1 and still farther            
north4--,exped4 to the ,dead ,sea1 p4   
#bfb4--,the ,rabbi ,joseph ,schwarz1 who
  is excellent authority1 says1 ,the    
,acacia 7,shittim7 ,tree1 ,al ,sunt1 is 
found in ,palestine of different        
varieties2 it looks like the ,mulberry  
tree1 attains a great height1 and has a 
hard wood4 ,the gum which is  obtained  
from it is the gum                      
,arabic4--,descriptive ,geography and   
,historical ,sketch of ,palestine1 p4   

#cjh1 ,leeser's translation4 ,phila41   
#ahej4--,schwarz was for sixteen years a
 resident of ,palestine1 and wrote  from
 personal observation4 ,the testimony of
 ,lynch and ,schwarz should1  therefore1
 forever settle the question of the     
existence of the acacia in  ,palestine4 
#ahb ,calmet1 ,parkhurst1 ,gesenius1    
,clarke1 ,shaw1 and all the best        
authorities1 concur in saying that the  
otzi shittim1 or shittim wood of        
,exodus1 was the common acacia or mimosa
 nilotica of ,linnus4    #ahc ,this     
custom among the ,hebrews arose from    
this circumstance4  ,agreeably to their 
laws1 no dead bodies were allowed to be 
interred within  the walls of the city2 
and as the ,cohens1 or priests1 were    
prohibited from  crossing a grave1 it   
was necessary to place marks thereon1   
that they might  avoid them4 ,for this  
purpose the acacia was used4--,,dalcho1 
,oration1 p4  #bg1 note4--,i object to  
the reason assigned by ,dalcho2 but of  
the existence  of the custom there can  

be no question1 notwithstanding the     
denial or  doubt of ,dr4 ,oliver4       
,blount 7,travels in the ,levant1 p4    
#aig7 says1  speaking of the ,jewish    
burial customs1 those who bestow a      
marble stone  over any grave have a hole
 a yard long and a foot broad1 in which 
they  plant an evergreen1 which seems to
 grow from the body1 and is carefully   
watched4 ,hasselquist 7,travels1 p4 #bh7
 confirms his testimony4 ,i borrow  the 
citations from ,brown 7,antiquities of  
the ,jews1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cef71 but  have 
verified the reference to ,hasselquist4 
,the work of ,blount ,i have not  been  
enabled to consult4    #ahd ,antiquities
 of ,greece1 p4 #efi4    #ahe ,dr4      
,crucefix1 ,,ms41 quoted by ,oliver1    
,landmarks1 ii4 #b4    #ahf ,spirit of  
,masonry1 lect4 ix4 p4 #ii4    #ahg ,the
 ,temple of ,solomon1 ch4 ix4 p4 #bcc4  
#ahh ,it is probable that the quince    
derived this symbolism1 like the        
acacia1 from its name2 for there seems  
to be some connection between the       

,greek word 1 which means a quince1 and 
the participle 1  which signifies       
rejoicing1 exulting4 ,but this must have
 been an  afterthought1 for the name is 
derived from ,cydon1 in ,crete1 of which
  island the quince is a native4    #ahi
 ,desprez1 speaking of the palm as an   
emblem of victory1 says  7,comment4 in  
,horat4 ,od4 ,i4 i4 #e71 ,palma ver     
signum victoriae passim  apud omnes     
statuitur1 ex ,plutarcho1 propterea quod
 ea est ejus natura  ligni1 ut          
urgentibus opprimentibusque minim cedat4
 ,unde est illud ,alciati  epigramma1-- 
',nititur in pondus palma1 et consurgit 
in altum3      ,quoque magis premitur1  
hoc mag tollit onus4'    ,it is in the  
eighth book of his ,symposia that       
,plutarch states this  peculiar property
 of the palm to resist the oppression of
 any  superincumbent weight1 and to rise
 up against it1 whence it was adopted as
  the symbol of victory4 ,cowley also   
alludes to it in his ,davideis4         
,well did he know how palms by          

oppression speed      ,victorious1 and  
the victor's sacred meed4      #aij     
,rosemary was anciently supposed to     
strengthen the memory1 and was  not only
 carried at funerals1 but worn at       
weddings4--,,steevens1 ,notes on        
,hamlet1 a4 iv4 s4 #e4--;,douce         
7,illustrations of ,shakspeare1 i4 #cde7
 gives  the following old song in       
reference to this subject3--            
,rosemarie is for remembrance           
,betweene us daie and night1            
,wishing that ,i might always have      
,you present in my sight4    #aia ,ste4 
,croix 7,recherches sur les ,mystres1 i4
 #ef7 says that in the  ,samothracian   
,mysteries it was forbidden to put      
parsley on the table1  because1         
according to the mystagogues1 it had    
been produced by the blood  of          
,cadmillus1 slain by his brothers4      
#aib ,the ,hindoos1 says ,faber1        
represent their mundane lotus1 as having
  four large leaves and four small      
leaves placed alternately1 while from   

the  centre of the flower rises a       
protuberance4 ,now1 the circular cup    
formed by  the eight leaves they deem a 
symbol of the earth1 floating on the    
surface  of the ocean1 and consisting of
 four large continents and four         
intermediate smaller islands2 while the 
centrical protuberance is viewed  by    
them as representing their sacred ,mount
 ,menu4--,communication to ,gent4  ,mag4
 vol4 lxxxvi4 p4 #djh4    #aic ,the     
erica arborea or tree heath4    #aid    
,ragon thus alludes to this mystical    
event3 ,isis found the body of  ,osiris 
in the neighborhood of ,biblos1 and near
 a tall plant called the  erica4        
,oppressed with grief1 she seated       
herself on the margin of a  fountain1   
whose waters issued from a rock4 ,this  
rock is the small hill  mentioned in the
 ritual2 the erica has been replaced by 
the acacia1 and  the grief of ,isis has 
been changed for that of the fellow     
crafts4--,cours  des ,initiations1 p4   
#aea4    #aie ,it is singular1 and      

perhaps significant1 that the word      
eriko1 in  ,greek1 1 whence erica is    
probably derived1 means to break in     
pieces1 to mangle4    #aif ,histoire    
,pittoresque des ,religions1 t4 i4 p4   
#bag4    #aig ,according to ,toland     
7,works1 i4 #gd71 the festival of       
searching1  cutting1 and consecrating   
the mistletoe1 took place on the #ajth  
of ,march1  or ,new ,year's day4 ,this1 
he says1 is the ceremony to which       
,virgil  alludes1 by his golden branch1 
in the ,sixth ,book of the neid4 ,no    
doubt  of it2 for all these sacred      
plants had a common origin in some      
ancient and  general symbolic idea4     
#aih ,under this branch is figured the  
wreath of myrtle1 with which the        
initiated were crowned at the           
celebration of the                      
,mysteries4--,,warburton1  ,divine      
,legation1 vol4 i4 p4 #bii4    #aii ,in 
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat    
bread4 ,gen4 iii4 #ai4 ,bush  interprets
 the decree to mean that some species of

 toilsome occupation is  the appointed  
lot of all men4    #bjj ,aristotle says1
 ,he that cannot contract society with  
others1 or  who1 through his own        
self-sufficiency 1 does not need it1    
forms  no part of the community1 but is 
either a wild beast or a god4    #bja   
,der ,arbeiter1 says ,lenning1 ist der  
symbolische ,name eines                 
,freimaurers--the ,workman is the       
symbolic name of a                      
,freemason4--,encyclop4  der            
,fraumererei4    #bjb ,john iii4 #ai-ba4
    #bjc ,i ,corinth1 iii4 #i4    #bjd  
,orbis ,miraculum1 or the ,temple of    
,solomon1 pourtrayed by ,scripture      
,light1 ch4 ix4 p4 #aib4 ,london1 #afei4
    #bje ,swedenborg a ,hermetic        
,philosopher1 c41 p4 #baj4 ,the object  
of the  author is to show that the      
,swedish sage was an adept1 and that his
  writings may be interpreted from the  
point of view of ,hermetic philosophy4  
#bjf ,cours ,philosophique et           
,interprtatif des ,initiations          

,anciennes et  ,modernes1 p4 #ii4       
#bjg ,ibid41 p4 #agf4    #bjh ,histoire 
,gnrale de la ,franc-maonnerie1 p4 #eb4 
#bji ,histoire de la ,magie1 liv4 v4 ch4
 vii4 p4 #ajj4    #baj ,vorlesung ber   
das ,symbol des ,tempels1 in the        
,jarbchern der ,gross4  ,loge ,roy4     
,york zur ,freundschaft1 cited by       
,lenning1 ,encyc41 voc4 ,tempel4    #baa
 ,in an ,essay on the ,masonic ,idea of 
,man's ,destination1 cited by  ,lenning1
 ut supra1 from the ,altenburg          
,zeitschift der ,freimaurerei4    #bab  
,cited by ,lenning1 ut sup4    #bac     
,thus ,dr4 ,oliver1 while treating of   
the relation of the temple to the       
lodge1 thus briefly alludes to this     
important symbol3 ,as our ancient       
brethren erected a material temple1     
without the use of axe1 hammer1 or      
metal tool1 so is our moral temple      
constructed4--,historical ,landmarks1   
lect4 xxxi4    #bad ,system of          
,speculative ,masonry1 ch4 vi4 p4 #fc4  
#bae ,on the ,speculative ,temple--an   

essay read in #ahfa before the ,grand   
,lodge of ,alabama4    #baf ,a portion  
of this essay1 but in a very abridged   
form1 was used by  the author in his    
work on ,cryptic ,masonry4    #bag      
,hist4 ,landmarks1 i4 #dei1 note #eb4   
#bah   ,see the ,gemara and ,buxtorf    
,lex4 ,talm41 p4 #beda4    #bai ,job    
xxxviii4 #d-g4    #bbj ,a ,new          
,translation of the ,book of ,job1      
notes1 p4 #aif4    #bba ,in voc4 1 where
 some other curious extracts from the   
,talmud and ,talmudic writers on the    
subject of the ,stone of ,foundation are
  given4    #bbb ,sepher ,toldoth       
,jeshu1 p4 #f4 ,the abominably          
scurrilous character of  this work      
aroused the indignation of the          
,christians1 who1 in the fifteenth      
century1 were not distinguished for a   
spirit of tolerance1 and the ,jews1     
becoming alarmed1 made every effort to  
suppress it4 ,but1 in #afha1 it was     
republished by ,wagenselius in his ,tela
 ,ignea ,satanae1 with a ,latin         

translation4    #bbc ,comment1 on ,gen4 
xxviii4 #ah4    #bbd ,ni fallit fatum1  
,scoti quocunque locatum ,invenient     
lapidem1 regnare  tenentur ibidem4      
#bbe ,old and ,new ,testament connected1
 vol4 i4 p4 #adh4    #bbf ,the ,temple  
of ,solomon1 pourtrayed by ,scripture   
,light1 ch4 ix4 p4  #aid4 ,of the       
,mysteries laid up in the ,foundation of
 the ,temple4    #bbg ,see ,pausanias1  
lib4 iv4    #bbh ,the ,disputationes    
adversus ,gentes of ,arnobius supplies  
us with a  fund of information on the   
symbolism of the classic mythology4     
#bbi ,naology1 ch4 iii4 p4 #aai4    #bcj
 ,cornut4 de ,nat4 ,deor4 c4 #af4       
#bca ,essais sur les ,fables1 t4 i4     
lett4 #b4 p4 #i4    #bcb ,bosworth      
7,aug4 ,sax4 ,dict47 defines treowth to 
signify troth1  truth1 treaty1 league1  
pledge1 covenant4