dispensations, which, in the construction of our symbolical system, has been left untouched. The forms and ceremonies, secrets and landmarks, the types and allegories of Freemasonry, present copious subjects of investigation, which cannot be easily exhausted. The nature of the Lodge, its form," dimensions, and support; its ground, situation, and covering; its ornaments, furniture, and jewels, all unite their aid to form a perfect code of moral and theological philosophy; which, while it fascinates the understanding, improves the mind, until it becomes polished like the perfect ashlar, and can only be tried by the square of God's word, and the unerring compass of conscience. and the proper illustration of them is essential to the well-being of the Order. Those who affect to consider Masonry a modern institution, either overlook this fact, or doubt the genuineness of the Landmarks; either of which is disingenuous, to say the least of it. But while we are employed in tracing our legitimate Landmarks to a very remote period, we cannot divest ourselves of a concurrence in the fact, that, as a history of the times in which a Landmark occurs, becomes a regular Masonic pursuit, so the antiquity of the science may be proved, if not to demonstration, at least so far as may be necessary to satisfy the scruples of the most fastidious Brother. In the degree of Sublime Scotch Masonry, it is asserted that St. John the Evangelist was the first man who held a Lodge of Perfection. The form of a Blue Lodge is an oblong square; but the Lodge of the Degree of Grand Pontiff, which is the nineteenth in the rit ancien, represents a city of four equal sides, with three gates on each side. In the middle is a tree, which bears twelve different kinds of fruit. The city is suspended on clouds, crushing a three headed hydra. It is intended as a symbol of ancient Freemasonry, under the title of Grand Pontiff, which has been commissioned to replace the temple of Solomon, although our Saviour predicted it should never be rebuilt. It has already been said that the form of the Lodge is an oblong square, or parallelogram," or, more cor In Bro. Rosenberg's Chart, Le Miroir de la Sagesse, he has presented us with an allegorical diagram of the form of a Lodge, accompanied with names of the ten Sephiroth applied to the chief officers; thus,- To the above diagram our ingenious Brother adds, "dans le temple de Salomon à Jérusalem, dix colonnes avaient été elévees portant ces dix inscriptions, et placées sous l'invocation des choeurs d'anges résumés dans ces hiérarchies célestes." I give the figure as I find it, without any remark on the propriety of assigning Wisdom to the Orator instead of the W. M., and placing the S. W. in the south, and the J. W. in the north. The Helvetian ritual directs that the Treasurer shall be placed "in the corner of the Amorites," but here he is situated in the north along with the Secretary, who occupies his legitimate situation. The arrangement may be in accordance with the French system; but if so, it differs materially from our own. rectly speaking, a double cube. Now, a square is esteemed by Masons as one of its Greater Lights," and a compound part of the furniture of the Lodge. The square was the first geometrical figure which was brought into practical use by operative Masons." In the construction of cities, and private dwellings, camps and fastnesses, right angles were generally used; as 12 10 An old system of lecturing, now before me, taught that "every duty in practice, if perfect and complete, is of a square surface; for every part of the practice of that duty should be supported by a line of sincerity, of equal length with the duty itself; for any duty is of the same length or extent with the sincerity with which it should be performed. The truth of this depends on the supposition. that all parts of any duty are of equal length. What obedience the Supreme Legislator enjoins, is exactly of the same length or extent as the Will by which it is enjoined. And every part of that obedience is built or founded on that very same Will; wherefore obedience to any one particular command, is like a perfect square." "It was asserted by Aristotle, that "he who bears the shocks of fortune valiantly, and demeans himself uprightly, is truly good, and of a SQUARE POSTURE, without reproof." And "he that would assume such a perfect square posture, should often subject himself to the perfectly square test of justice and equity. But that we may not mistake the application of the square, it will be necessary to understand its construction, and then its use will be easy. The square, then, is the theory of universal duty, and consisteth of two right lines, forming an angle of perfect sincerity, or ninety degrees; the longest side is the sum of the lengths of the several duties which we owe to the Supreme Being; the other is made up of the lengths of the several duties we owe to all men. And every man should be agreeable to this square, when perfectly finished." Such was the illustration of the Master's Jewel in the old York Lectures of Masonry. 12 The four right angles of the square possess this property, that they will fill the space about a point without leaving any vacuum. In planes, this can only be accomplished by the equilateral triangle, in the ark of Noah, the camp of the Israelites, the cities of Babylon and Nineveh, with the temples of Egypt and India, or the established forms of a Mason's Lodge. The square is a symbol of the perfection and happiness arising out of morality and justice, and, with this meaning in view, it has been assigned to the W. M.13 the square, and the hexagon; viz., by six equilateral triangles, four squares, and three hexagons. But, in solids, the pyramid and cube alone can fill the place which is about one point. Of the first part of this admirable theorem, which is also mentioned with the praise it deserves by Proclus, in his Commentary on the First Book of Euclid, the following demonstration is given by Jacquet. In order that any regular figures frequently repeated may fill space, viz., may form one continued superficies, it is requisite that the angles of many figures of that species, composed about one point, make four right angles; for so many exist about one point, as is evident from Coroll., 3 Prop. 13 of the first Book of Euclid. Thus, for instance, that equilateral triangles may fill place, it is requisite that some angles of such triangles composed about one point should make four right angles. But six equilateral triangles make four right angles; for one makes two-thirds of one right angle, and, therefore, six make twelve-thirds of one right, i. e., four right angles. The four angles of a square, also, as is evident, make four right angles, and this is likewise the case with the three angles of a hexagon. For one makes four-thirds of one right, and, consequently, three make twelve-thirds of one right, that is again four right. But that no other figure can effect this, will clearly appear, if its angle being found, it is multiplied by any number; for the angles will always be less than, or exceed, four right angles. (See Taylor's Proclus. p. 17.) 13 Plutarch informs us that "the incense offered at the evening sacrifice in Egypt is composed of no less than sixteen different ingredients; because the number of these ingredients forms the square of a square, and is the only number which, having all its sides equal, makes its perimeter equal to its area, and also on account of the rich aromatic nature of those ingredients." 14 But the interior of the Lodge is not correctly described with reference to its superficial form alone;' it embraces also EXTENT-length, breadth, depth, and height; 15 and, therefore, partakes of the nature of the cube, single or double. And it is well known that 14 "The decorations of a Lodge on the Continent are most superb. The following description of the Temple, &c., at Paris, may be interesting:-"Le Temple (de la Grande Loge centrale) brille d'un éclat extraordinaire; la magnificence de sa décoration annonce que la cérémonie sera imposante et remarquable. Une riche draperie de la couleur voulue par le rituel de l'Ecossisme couvre les parois de sa vaste basilique, et sous la galerie qui règne à l'entour de ses voûtes, on voit flotter les bannières de chaque Atelier du Rit en activité à Paris, implantées régulierement sur les flancs des pilastres de la nef. L'étendard de l'Ill.. Grande Loge et le drapeau national de France se déploient à l'orient. Au centre du carré long est un piedestal supportant un coussin destiné à l'offrande qui doit avoir lieu des insignes de la puissance. La disposition à la fois élégante et symbolique du dais qui couvre le Trône de l'est, le scintillement des rayons du delta, le parfum des fleurs, tout concourt, avec l'attente de la cérémonie annoncée, à faire naître dans les cœurs un sentiment d'émotion qui prépare convenablement les F. F. .. aux travaux du jour." 15 In describing the space occupied by the supreme deity of the Hindus, Southey expresses himself as follows : "In form a fiery column did he tower, Whose head above the highest height extended, And yet no base he found. Upward to reach its head, Ten myriad years the aspiring Brahma soar'd, And still as up he fled, Above him still the immeasurable spread." (Kehama, xix.) |