Preface

HS 155
ra
1894
n H
■
HMM
KB
KHH
*
HYRUM
THE HOUSE OF WISDOM, OR . SOLOMON'S HOUSE
BEING THE SECRET RITUAL OF A LEARNED SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE CULTIVATION AND ADVANCE- MENT OF EXPERIMENTAL AND OCCULT PHILOSOPHY AND THE SCIENCES ••• "Hie incipiunt Constitutiones Artis Geometricce secundum Enclydem.'"
. . . Far hence he souls profane ! The Sibyl cry'd — and from the grove abstain !
VIKGIL, "^NEED," VI.
•••
ILLUSTRATED WITH DIAGRAMS
/
BY
TYLOR
W APR 27 iM
NEW-W J
DICK & FITZGERALD
iv
Copyright, 1894, by Dick & Fitzgerald.
EXPLANATION.
The work in the Laboratory is the last and most important in the series, and therefore the workmen are named from the dnties they perform : —
Worthy Molder, . . . W. M.
Senior Waterer, . . S. W.
Junior Waterer, . . . J. W.
Senior Drawman, . . S. D.
Junior Drawman, „ . . J. D.
Senior Master of Compounds, S. M. C.
Junior Master of Compounds, J. M. C.
Stokers, Sts.
Scribe (Bookkeeper), . . Sc.
TORMENTER, Tr.
Timekeeper (Doorkeeper), . . T.
The three terms of the student's year are styled,
1. Expert Analyst, . . E. A.
2. First Compounder, . . F. C.
3. Master Mixer, . . , M. M.
RDR V BZNS.
1. Clng 'e r'l V of crs.
2. Rdng 'e mnts V 1st cmVn.
3. Rprt 7v cmt' te ?v >nvst-g?n >n prp'ls fr mm'shp.
4. Blt'g fr cnd'ts; rprt ?pn "b. com-te.
5. Skns 7n dsts ; rprt ?v nvs-gtn com-te.
6. Prp-stns fr mm-shp.
7. Nit'n V cndts.
8. Nfn'shd bz-s.
9. Rprt ?v trstz.
10. Trz'zrp't.
11. Rprt W spsl cm'te.
12. Rd'g cm-c'ns.
13. Nu bzns.
14. Rdng mnts W prznt cm-cn.
N >e 'bsns V >e W. M. >e S. W. r J. W. tk >e pis. N ye 'bsns V e S. W. r J. W. >thrz r >pntd 2 fl thr pis-.
^
SNZ.
% W. M.
+ S. M. C
Q S. W.
-r- J. M. C
± J. W.
O Sts.
O S. D.
Sc.
© J. D.
* T.
Tr.
HYKUM
THE HOUSE OF WISDOM; OR, SOLOMON'S HOUSE. *
From an old time account of this Order I quote a passage as an introduction to this brief history :
" These philosophical plotters, in order to cloak the true nature of their proceedings, conducted their conclaves according to the rules prescribed by Lord Bacon, and the same ceremonial and nomenclature they carefully maintain to the present day [1620 A. D.]."
Another and an older writer (1387 A. D.) says? " This scheme was the fusion of all Christian sects into one universal brotherhood, which was to be done by bringing over the most eminent of the mass by the use of such ancient and venerated machinery, and the new society with its old phil- osophy bloomed with fresh vigor under its im- proved organization."
Still earlier it was said (1187 A. D.) a German student and traveler obtained new light from the " College of Arabian Sages," in Cairo, Egypt, which was founded by the Fatimite Sultans in
970 A. D. (A. H. 359), under the name of "The House of Wisdom." The student passed through nine degrees of Obedience, Mysticism, Philosophy, etc. The fine old traveler William of Tyre (1184), in his history (xix, 17), tells how Hugo of Csesa- rea and Geffroi of the Temple, who were envoys to Cairo on business of their Order, were con- ducted through the " Palace " in which the Arabs held their " Mystic Initiation," where they saw " Numerous courts of the richest architecture . . . and the golden throne of the ' Master7 behind curtains of gold cloth studded with pearls."
The ancient brothers of the " Mystic Tie" were marked (tattooed), as Ptolemy Auletes (80 B. c.) was on several parts of his body, with the lotus, the colocynth flower, and the timbrel of Cybele, as we read in Plutarch's " Lives."
In Revelations (xiii. 17) we read: "No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name, or the number of his name." This text shows there were three kinds of marks in use, probably to distinguish the different degrees of progress made by the student or the initiate. The mark was a special figure selected by or for the student; the name was his own, and the number was a shorter way of writing both. This custom came from India, where the votaries of the vari- ous deities are marked with an image of the deity
8
they worship, and it is placed in the forehead. Of course, a secret society could not so mark their members, and therefore the marks are now pre- served in another manner.
Antiquarians and archaeologists have collected a large number of those marks, and the number is augmented every year by explorers among the remains of ancient cities and temples in all parts of the Eastern World. The "Western World, especially in Central America, Mexico, and Peru, has yielded a goodly number of symbols and em- blems, many of which are yet unexplained.
In the Museum of Innsbruck, Switzerland, are some tablets engraved with "The Twelve Tor- tures," which were the ancient trials of courage applied to every initiate. They are: 1. A man with a dagger pointed at the throat of a kneeling figure ) 2. A naked man reposing, head on hand, on the ground; 3. Man standing in a crescent, with hands uplifted ; 4. Man with a cap on rushes into a blazing fire ) 5. Man swimming a stream ; 6. Bull ) 7. Four men at a crescent form table on which is a roasted boar ; 8. Youth guided up a stairway; 9. Youth kneels before a man in long robes ; 10. Same figures in different posi- tions ; 11. Youth, naked, kneels before a seated figure; 12. Naked man holding a cow by the hind legs.
9
These and other mystic symbols and emblems have been described in a learned work by von Hammer ("Mysterium Baphometis Revelatum") on the " Mysteries of the Baphomet Revealed."
Some of these may with propriety be described here ; for they were destroyed in Rome by Grac- chus (125 B. c), and lately recovered from the rains of the Mithraic chapel, and now preserved in the Museum of Antiquities in Rome. Figures in marble, jasper, carnelian, porphyry, emerald, glass, terra-cotta, gold, and in silver, of a raven (corax), Kneef (Egyptian serpent god), armed man, lion over a slain man, youth in Persian garb, the Sun (as a star with eight rays, or as Phoebus in his car), Bromios (the Bakchic god called " the noisy"), and a youth who holds a torch in each hand, one turned down as the setting sun.
There were found in the vineyard of Signor Orazio Muti, opposite the Church St.Vitale, some very curious remains of the ancient mystics. One was a figure in marble, three feet nine inches high, which stood on a pedestal in an empty chamber, whose door was walled up, evidently to protect it in time of danger. The image had a lion's head, body of a man, and stood on a globe from which rose a serpent, which wound around the man, and its head entered the lion's mouth. The hands were crossed on its breast, with a key
10
in each; four wings were fastened on the shoul- ders behind, two pointing up, two down.
The meaning is " dominion over the world," shown by standing on the globe; " foretelling the future" (serpent in the mouth); " sovereignty," by the keys; and the wings meant " presence everywhere." The image was called " Pater Bro- mius," a title of the god Bakchos among the Greeks, who borrowed the idea from the Hindoo 1 Nri-singha- avatar of Vishnoo. In the "Archaeo- logia," vol. XL VII, p. 205, is an account of another Mithras cave, discovered in 1878 in the city of Spoieto, Italy, which had its image, two torch-bearers, altar, and other well-known acces- sories of the mystic rites.
The antiquity of the " Great Name " used in our Order is vouched for by the ancient historian Diodorus Sikulus (60 b. a), who says, " Amongst the Jews Moses pretended that the god IAO gave him his laws." And Clemens of Alexandria (220 A. D.) says, "The Hebrew tetragrammaton, the Mystic Name, is written IAOU, and signifies, ' He that is and shaU be.' " Theodoret (390 A. d.) says the four letters were pronounced by the Samaritans I ABE (Jave), and by the Jews IAO. Jerome (340 A. D.), in his comment on Psalm viii, says, "the name of the Lord" amongst Hebrews is of four letters, Yod, He, Vau, He, which is
11
properly the name of God, and may be read as I AHO, but which is held by the Jews for unutter- able, that is, not to be pronounced vulgarly. In the Talmud we are informed that the Name of God is composed of 12 letters, made up of IAO repeated four times. In another passage it is said the name contains 42 letters. The Egyptians wrote the name with the seven vowels IEHOOVA, which form was used on many talismans. When a Rabbi is ordained, the half of the holy name is whispered to him, and he is expected to find out the other half by his wisdom.
This idea of a holy name was borrowed from India by the Egyptians, who passed it to the Greeks; and the Jews had it from them after the conquest of Alexander the Great. The Hindoos say that AUM envelops a great mystery, and the mystics say IAO signifies: I, "all goeth out" (that is, "is created "); A, "all returneth within" (that is, "all creation returns to God — Brahma, or Buddha"); and 0, "an end of ends." This is the doctrine of emanation, the return and annihilation of the universe.
IAO is the title of the Supreme as represented by the Sun, and by the Greeks named Bakchos, Dionysos, Apollon, Helios, Zeus, Hades, Aidon- eus, and Herakles; and by the Egyptians Am- nion and Ra, the hawk-headed, meaning the
12
Supreme mind, and Serapis, as well as many other titles.
The ancient author Epiphanius (Hseres, xxxvii), says, " They kept a tame serpent in a sacred ark, and laid loaves of bread before it on a table, and then called the serpent to come forth, which he did, and twined around the bread. Then they broke the loaves in pieces and distributed it among the persons present, who ate it as their perfect sacrifice or Eucharist."
One branch of modern Freemasonry is called the Scottish Rite, and it is properly so named; for history tells us their ancestors, the Picts (that is, " the marked") ,were so named because it was their custom to tattoo their bodies for certain mystical purposes. Our Order has preserved the marks and their meaning, as every initiated person knows. In a manuscript of the ninth century an initial letter is ornamented by various scrolls and a figure of a man, who is tattooed with many secret society marks.
Our Order has been fitly described in a sen- tence which is quoted here : " The beginning of perfection is the knowledge of Man; absolute perfection is the knowledge of Grod," — that is to say, the being and providence of God, and the creation and destiny of man.
We welcome all who have a desire for such
13
true wisdom, and stand ready to instruct them in the philosophy, the arts, the sciences, and the mysteries of our Order, — The House of Wisdom.
Scientific Unions — as well as unions of work- men— are ancient in origin and honorable in purpose. They have benefited man by ennobling his motives and occupations, and in leading him to be saving of his earnings for his own sake, or for the sake of his family, and also to broaden his mind by displacing superstition and ignorance by knowledge and truth.
They are a ready means of introduction to the member who travels away from home, for the Order has branches among every civilized or semicivilized people on the globe.
By the help of this Record every member may become proficient in the Method and Order of doing business in the Assembly of Workmen, or Scientific Molders ) for the custom is to discuss whatever questions may arise in a certain man- ner, which has been handed down from the earliest recorded annals of the ancients. Only those who become proficient in this branch of the history and work can hope to be honored by ele- vation from one level to another, higher, and the most expert will the soonest arrive at the top of the ladder of promotion and honors.
"A word to the wise is sufficient."
14
Tr.
W.M.
Sc.
2
15 12
S.D.
13;
- - - - - -o
8
: E si : 2: ;
... .1
•14 9*7 11 4*6
'fi
M
MS
s
1
QT
16
THE FIRST TERM
OF
EXPERT ANALYST.
Worthy Holder. Th. of-crs wl tk th?r st-tns, 'nd the brs. wl b. cl-th?d.
Br. Junior Wetter, th frst grt cr ?v Molders whn cnv'nd?
J. W. 2 c tht th'y r d-ly t— Id.
W. M. >T-tnd 2 tht d-ty ?nd 'nfrrn th Timekeeper tht i 7m ?b?t 2 7pn th □ ?n th .-. d dg V M— . Dr-ct >m 2 tk du ntc thrif, ?n gv'rn hm'slf ?c-crd-ngly ?— Wr. M. w-r d-ly t-ld.
W. M. H w R w- t— Id §
J. D. B- a Master Molder wth -t, rm'd wth th prpr mpl-mnts V hs of-c. 2 17
18
W. M. H s d 1 th r!
J. D. 2 ?bsrv th p-prch v c-wns ?n ?vs- drp-rs; C tht n-n p-s 7r r-ps xcpt s-ch ?z R d-ly qlfd ?n hv prms-sn frm th W. M.
W. M. ?T'z w— 1.
Br. Senior Waterer, r ol prs-nt Master Holders f
8. W. i wl s-cr-tn thru m- prpr ?f-cr ?n rp-rt. Br. J. D. r o?l prs-nt M. M.
J. D. Br. S. W. ol prs-nt R M. M.
S.W. W. M. ol prs-nt r M. M.
W. M. >Z a frthr Vdnc tht ol prs-nt r