further predicted that he should dwell in the presence of all his brethren. This may appear contradictory, but it is not so in reality. His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and yet, he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. The descendants of Ishmael are a pastoral people; and have remained so from their establishment as a nation unto this day. They have courted neither power nor conquest. They have occasionally assisted other nations in war, but neither as tributary nor hired forces,

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The Bedouins are said to be of a noble and martial spirit, but furious and implacable, so that they would rather die than forego their revenge. This principle is so inherent, that a thirst after the blood of their enemy will often descend from father to son, for many generations, and can only be wiped away by the blood of some individual in the family of the offending person. As Ishmael lived by rapine, so his posterity support themselves by robbery. And they defend the practice by alleging "the hard usage of their father Ishmael; who being turned out of doors by Abraham, had the open plains and deserts given him by God for his patrimony, with permission to take whatever he could find there. And on this account they think they may, with a safe conscience, indemnify themselves, as well as they can, not only on the posterity of Isaac, but on everybody else; always imagining a sort of relationship between themselves and those they plunder. And in relating their adventures of this kind, they think it sufficient to exchange the expression, and instead of saying I robbed a person of such and such a thing, they say 'I gained it.'" (Sale. ut. Supra, p. 40.)

8 Ishmael had certain propensities and pursuits-his posterity have the same. No fluctuations of human politics or passions for four thousand years has made any alteration in the descendants of Ishmael. He dwelt in the wilderness-so do they. He neither sowed nor planted-they neither sow nor plant. He won his sustenance by his sword and his bow-so do they. He lived a wandering life-they continually change their situation; nor could all the united power of the most potent nations confine them to a settled abode.

for they have always preserved their freedom and independence unsullied; and are the same as their father was before them, wild and ferocious, occupying the same land, with the same simple manners and customs, and almost the same language.

And can this remarkable fact in the history of nations be the work of chance? By no means; because, if we except the case of the Jews, who are under the same direction, it is the only instance on record of a people remaining unchanged amidst the revolutions of the world. They are free and independent; they dwell in the presence of all their brethren; their hand is against every man, and every man's hand is against them. And this in defiance of every attempt which has been made to subdue them, and reduce them to the rank of a tributary people. This extraordinary fact cannot be attributed to any other cause than that of a divine interposition. Nor can we desire a better proof of the truth of scripture prophecy and Masonic tradition, than the opportunity which our own age affords of seeing a people precisely in the state they are represented in holy writ, and thus having ocular demonstration of its truth.

LECTURE IV.

THE ENTERED APPRENTICE'S TRACING-BOARD EXPLAINED.

"Masonry, according to the general acceptation of the term, is founded on the principles of Geometry, and directed to the convenience and enlightenment of the world. But, embracing a wider range, and having a more extensive object in view, viz., the cultivation and improvement of the human mind, it assumes the form of a noble science; and availing itself of the terms used in geometrical calculations, it inculcates the principles of the purest morality, by lessons which are, for the most part, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”—E. A. P. LECTURE, from Dr. Hemming.

THE system of Freemasonry is distinguished from all other institutions, by a series of peculiar rites and ceremonies, indicated by significant emblems, which are intelligible to the fraternity, although they constitute an extricable enigma to all the world besides. It forms an universal language' which is understood by

The learned Mr. Locke, before he was initiated, says, “An universal language has been much desired by the learned of many ages. It is a thing rather to be wished than hoped for. But it seems the Masons pretend to have such a thing among them. If it be true, I guess it must be something like the language of the pantomimes among the ancient Romans, who are said to be able, by signs only, to express and deliver any oration intelligibly to men of all nations and languages. A man who has all these arts and advantages is certainly in a condition to be envied; but we are told that this is not the case with all Masons: for though these arts are among them, and all have a right and an opportunity to know them, yet some want capacity, and others industry to acquire them."

Masons of every dialect and tongue under heaven.2 Nor is this a novel method of concealing, and by the same process illustrating secret mysteries, and conveying instruction through the medium of inanimate objects presented to the external senses. The most insignificant appearances to the common eye, and the unobservant imagination, equally with the most brilliant and magnificent phenomena of nature, are

3

* The Grand Lodge of Hamburg, in an address to the Grand Lodge of New York, thus expresses its views of the intention of Freemasonry: “Let us use all our endeavours to preserve peace within our borders; to beware of overstepping our Landmarks, and to understand the spirit of our order. May every Lodge, and every Brother, only strive after Truth and Perfection. Let forms be honoured, though they may differ, and let every Mason aim at the great object of the institution, and not be satisfied with performing cold and heartless ceremonies, but studying and comprehending their mystic sense; so shall every Brother become daily more and more a Free Mason. Masonry works daily without noise, regarding all Brethren with love and honour; not asking one which system he follows, nor another the colour of his decoration, or how many degrees he has, but judging only from his works; not minding what his business may be, or what sect he belongs to, but if he be a faithful workman whose example may be followed. Thus will Freemasonry increase, the different systems and forms will vanish, and the true Fraternity form a chain of Truth and Light."

3 If a person wishes to become a candidate for Masonry, he should make up his mind to watch the progress of all the ceremonies, through which he may pass, with attention, and search into their propriety, their origin, and their symbolical reference. He may be quite sure that men of sense and standing in the world,―men whose reputation for wisdom and common prudence is of some value, would not subject him to any test which might cast an imputation upon themselves. At a first view, the ceremonies of initiation, passing, and raising, may be considered unnecessary-all ceremonies abstractedly may be thus interpreted-but they are in reality, of the utmost importance. They convey to the mind, by action, a series of

thus made the depositories of useful knowledge; and a rough stone taken from the pavement, is not less charged with moral instruction, than a star in the firmament or the sun shining in his meridian glory." This mode of conveying useful information was not unknown wholesome truths-they make a strong and lasting impression; and as the lesson which they teach is connected with his mental improvement, both in science and morals, a serious attention to the explanation of the ceremonial will be amply repaid by the beautiful developement of the Masonic system which this process cannot fail to establish.

'The advantages of this system are recorded as having produced striking effects amongst the disciples of Pythagoras. Many instances might be produced, but one shall suffice. It is related by Iamblichus that one of the Fraternity travelling on foot, lost his way in a desert, and arriving, exhausted with fatigue, at an inn, he fell seriously indisposed. When at the point of death, unable to recompense the care and kindness with which he had been treated, he traced some symbolical marks, with a trembling hand, on a tablet, which he directed to be exposed to view on the public road. A long time after, chance brought to these remote places a disciple of Pythagoras, who, informed by the enigmatical characters he saw before him, of the misfortunes of the first traveller, stopped, paid the innkeeper the expenses he had been at with interest, and then continued his journey. (Anacharsis, vol. vi. p. 300.)

5"If we go back thousands of years," says Bro. Husenbeth, P. D. P. G. M. for Bristol," and examine, unprejudiced by early impressions, the laws, customs, and religious observances of early nations, we find that the Indians, Ethiopians, Egyptians, the Jews, the Greeks, and the Romans, concealed their principal learning under hieroglyphics and many other symbols; and this proves that sensual representations, or signs, work closer upon our hearts, according to that vacillating Swiss philosopher, Rousseau, than words. Masonic society has to this day retained many most interesting symbols in its instructions, when properly explained by a scientific lecturer, and not garbled by ignorant pretenders, who, by dint of merely a good memory and some assurance, intrude themselves on a well-informed assembly of Brethren, by giving a Lecture, not com