I. KiNOS vii. 15.

Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. — II. Chkqn. iii. 15.
And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the top* of the pillars; the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits. — L Kotos vii. 16.
The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the nhapitei upon itvas brass: and th? height of the chapiter three cubits; and Ihe wreatlien work, and pomegranates upon tlio chapiter roimd
L28
GENERAL AHIMAN EEZON.
tbont all of brass: and like imto th^n wreathen work. — n. Kings xxt. 17.*
had the second pillar niUi
THE TWO BRAZEN PILLARS
Which ornamented the porch ol Ring Solo. mon's Temple, were fluted, with sixteen flutes each, a hand's breadth (about four inches) in depth. Their shafts were eighteen cubits high (I. Kings vii. 15; Jebemiah lii. 21), about thirty feet seven inches ; the circumference of the shaft at the base was fourteen cubits, twenty-three feet eleven inches (LXX. version I. Kings vii. 15), giving a diameter of about seven feet seven inch- es. At the top, the circumference was twelve cubits, giving a diameter of six feet eight inches (Jeeemiah lii. 21 ; I. Kings vii. 15). They were surmounted by chapiters; the chapiters were composed of seven wreaths of twisted brass, set perpendicularly on an abacus of seven sides, crowning the shaft of each pillar. These wreaths were three cubits high (II. Kings xxv. 17) ; upon four of these wreaths, in a trapezoidal orm was suspended a latticed Net-work of brass and copper, colored yellow and red; around the curved bottom of which was a brass fringe, ornamented with two
• The dUorepancy as to the height of the pillars, aa given in the book ol Kings and in Chronicles, is to bo reconciled by supposing that in the book of Kings the pillars are spoken of separately, and that in Chronicles their aggre- gate height is calculated; and the reason that, in this latter book, their united height ia placed at thirty-five cubits, instead of thirty-six, which would be the double of eighteen, is because they are there measured aa they appear with the chapiters upon them. Now, half a cubit of each pillar was concealed in what Dr. LioHTTOOT calls "the hole of the chapiter;"— that is, half a cubit's depth of the lower edge of the chapiter covered the top of the pillar, making each pillar apparently only seventeen and a half cubita high, or the two, thirty-flve cubits, as laid do^vn in the book of Chronicles. — ^In a similar way we reconcile lUe difference as to the height of the chapiters. lu I. Kinga and n. Chronicle! the chapiters are aaid to be Jive cubita high, while in II. Kings their height ii described as being only Utree cubita. But it will be noticed that it immediately follows in the aame place, that " there was a wreathen work and x^omegranatea upon the chapiter round about." Now, this expression is conclusive that the height of the chapiters was estimated exclusive and independent of the wreathei) work round about them, which was two cubits more, and thla, added to thi three cuoits of the chapiter proper, will make the five cubits spoken of in all Bthofc parts of Scripture. — I^Iagesy's ifanucd of the Loclae,
FELLOW-CRAFT. 129
rows of brazen Pomegranates, fifty in a row (L Kings vii. 18; IL Cheon. iv. 12; .■"'ebemiah Hi. 23). The pomegranates being aiTunged ninety-six on k side (Jjebemiah lii. 23), two of the pomegranatea hung on each point of suspension; and eight to the cubit for twelve cubits (LXX. version Je-kemiah lii. 22). which was the entire length of the eycloidal arc of the net-work from one point of suspension to the other. Within the net-work was set a hollow Lily of silver, with six pointed leaves; the height of the points of the lily above the abacus was four cubits (L Kings vii. 19). This lily circum- scribed a Spheke of brass (II. Cheon. iv. 12), whose diameter was exactly equal to the diameter of the top of the column (LXX. ver- sion L Kings vii. 20), whose superior convex surface reached an elevation of five cubits above the abacus, making the whole height of the chapiter five cubits (I. Kings vii. 15 ; IL Chuon. iii. 15 ; Je- remiah lii. 21). — SymboU of Framcuorvry, aotericaUy ctmnderedt 6y W. 8. ttoOKWKLL, p. a. it. of Oeorgia.
THE SYMBOLS OP
Are introduced, and their moral application explained. OF THE GLOBES.
The Olobes are two artificial spherical bodies, on the convex surface of which are represented the countries, seas, and various parts of the earth, the face of the heavens, the planetary revolutions, and other important particulars.
THE USE OF THE GLOBES.
Their principal use, besides serving as xnapa to distinguish the outward parts of the earth, and the situation of the fixed stars, is to illus- trate and explain the phenomena arising frort the aunual revolution of the earth around the 6*
130 GENERAL AHIMAN RBZON.
sun and the diurnal rotation upon its own axis They are invaluable instruments for improving the mind, and giving it the most distinct idea oi any problem or proposition, as well as enabling it to solve the same. Contemplating these bodies, we are inspired wdth a due reverence for the Deity and his works, and are induced to en- courage the studies of Astronomy, Geography, Navigation, and the Arts dependent on them, by which society has been so much benefited.
©he ^^ittiltttg ^talyji.
The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of tha Louse; and they went up with winding stairs into the middle cham- ber. — I. Kings ti. 8.*
The Stmbolioai, Stairway, which leads irom the ground-floor to the Middle Chamber of our mystic house, consists of fifteen steps and three divisions. The divisions, we perceive, differ in the num- ber of their st«ps, each having an odd number — "three, five, and seven." While there is no positive evidence thi.i these divisions have any particular reference to Ancient Craft Masonry, yet the lessons taught us, as we ascend, should impress upon the mind of every Freemason the importance of discipline, as well as a knowl- edge of natural, mathematical, and metaphysical science It also opens to him an extensive range of moral and speculative inquiry, which may prove a source of peculiar gratification.
Eeference is here made to the Masonic organization Lato three degrees — the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow- Craft, and the Master Mason; and to its' system ol government by three officers — the Worshipful Master, the Senior Warden, and the Junior Warden.
• vide Lecture JP Oie I(egen4 of tile Wind jjg Stairs, pp. 159-170.
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The Orders or Architectuke are next considered and explained.
OF ORDER IN AECHITECTURB.
By order in architecture is meant a system of all the members, proportions, and ornaments of columns and pilasters; or, it is a i egular arrange- ment of the projecting parts of a building, which, united with those of a column, form a beautiful, perfect, and complete whole.
OF ITS ANTIQUITY.
From the first formation of society, order iu architecture may be traced. When the rigor of seasons obliged men to contrive shelter from the inclemency of the weather, we learn that they first planted trees on end, and then laid others across,- to support a covering. Th© bands which connected those trees at top and bottom are said to have given rise to the idea of the base and capital of pillars : and from this simple hint originally proceeded the more improved art of architecture.
Tlii first habitntiona of men were such as Nature afforded, with but little liibor on tlie part of the occupant, and sufficient only to Ratisfy his simple wants. Eacn tribe or people constructed, from the materiiils that presented themselves, such habitations as wer« best suited to this purpose, and at the same time most lonvenieat
132 GENERAL AHIMA5 EEZON.
W^e thus find, in countries remote from other nations, and wherj foreign influences did not exist, an architecture at once singular, and as indigenous as the vegetation itself. The hypogea of the borders of the Indus, the Nile, and the Ganges — the temporary touts of the nomadic tribes of eastern Asia — the oaks of the Gre« fflon forests, fashioned by the ingenuity of man into the humble cabin (the prototype of the prin jipal Grecian order) — are indubi- tably the primitive styles of the Egyptian, the Grecian, and the Oriental structures. Anterior to the discovery of printing, the monument was the tablet upon which the various races chronicled for posterity the annals of their history. In the simple, unhewn altar, we recognize the genius of religion: we trace in it the germ of the development of human intelligence; it bespeaks faith, inge- nuity, ambition. The ancient Babel, and the altars of Scripture — the monuments of Gilgal and Gilead of the Hebrews — the Celtic Dolmens, the Cromlechs, the Peulvens or Menheirs, the Liohavons, (the Trelithous of the Greeks,) the Nurhags; the Talayots, and the Tumuli, (the Latin Mercuriales, ) — are all symbols of pristine faith. With the pagan devotee, the art was made to conform to the moral attributes of the character of the deity in whose honor the monu- ment was erected. With the Greeks, various styles of structure were thus instigated, from the early polygonal formations of the Phoenicians, at Astrea and Tyranthus, to the perfections of design, the imposing Doric, the graceful Ionic, and the magnificent Corin- thian orders. Each nation, at every age, possessed its symbolic monuments, revealing its conception of the attributes of the Infi nite, with the exception of the Persians, who, as we learn from th« Zend Avesta, worshiped in the open air, and who, according to Hebodotus, possessed no temples, but revered the whole circuit of the heavens; and the Assyrians, whose Magi interpreted the silent stars, and worshiped the sun. Among such monuments, we must reckon, as the chief, the Temple of Solomon, that sublime con- ception of the spirit of immateriality, true type, in its massive splendor, of a higher and purer belief; at Elora, the temple of Indra, sacred to Swargas, the god of ether, which, according to the Puranas, was designed by W isvakama, the stapalhi, or architect of the heavens. In China, the ancient Tings, Taas, and Mikosi, were temples of the gods, and the mias, in Japan and Siam, were sacreij structures. The Pyramids were symbolic emblems of the metemp- gyohosian creed of Egypt. The Djebel Pharouni, the pyramids oi Rhamses, the temples of Isis and Osiris, and the Memuon, bespeak
FELLOW-CEAPT.
^iu their colossal size) a vast and botuidless faith. Athens pos- Hcssed her Parthenon, over wnose magnificence presided IMinarva Archegetea,_aDd Rome her Pantheon, "shrine of all saints and altar of all gods." Ancient Cordova had her mosque, on which the Moor.s spent the riches of their oriental taste. Modem Kome pos- sesses her basilica of St. Peters, on whose sublime structure, amid the Tisible decadence of classic art, Michael Angelo lavished his genius. — Of the early achievements and of the progressive steps of the science of architecture, there remain but fragments, though sufficient, with the assistance of history, to teach us their antiqui- ty. The epochs of advancement can be traced progressively from the early elements of structme to the more perfected styles; and throughout the whole globe remains of edifices will be found which proclaim an early possession of certain degrees of architectural knowledge. — The most ancient nation known to us who made any considerable progress in the arts of design is the Babylonian. Their most celebrated monuments were the Temple of Belus, the Kasr, and the hanging gardens which Nebuchadnezzar built for his Lydian bride, the wonderful canal of the Nahar Malca, and the Lake of Palac6pos. An idea of the colossal size of the structures they once composed can be formed from the dimensions of their ruins. The material employed in cementing the burned or sun-dried bricks^ upon which hieroglyphics are to be traced — was the mortar pro- duced by Nature from the fountains of naphtha and bittmien at the river Is, near Babylon. No entire architectural monument has come down to us from the Assyrians, whose capital was embellished with the superb Kalla, Ninoah, and the Khorzabad; nor from the Phcenicians, whose cities — Tyre, Sidon, Arados, and Sarepta — were adorned with equal magnificence; nor from the IsraeUtes, whose temples were wonderful structures; nor from the Syrians, the Phil- istines, and many other nations. Our want of thorough knowledge concerning the architecture of these Oriental nations is attributable partly to the innumerable devastations which have taken place on this great battle-field of the world; but to the perishabihty of the materials that were employed — such as gypsum, alabaster, wood, terra cotta, and brick, with which their ruins abound — ^we munt likewise attribute, in part, this ignorance.
The massive temples of the Hindoos at Elora, Salsitte, and the Island of Elephanta, seem in their awful grandeur like the habita- tions of giants, on whose land some divine malediction has fiiilen. Che Hindoos, in these colossal structures with their endless sculps
134 GENEKAL AHIMAN EEZON.
tured panels, their huge figures, and their astounding and intricate excavati'^ns, e rinoe a perseverance and industry equaled only by the Egyptians. Their pagodas, towering in the air, are likewise wonderful architectural achieTements, quite sj admirable as (heii hypogea. The Indian structures are remarkable for their SBTcre and giotesque appearance. Their temples — whether of Bbahma., the creator of all; Vishnu, the preserver of all; or of Seeb or Sheva, the destroyer of all — exhibit a striding embodiment of the attributes of the deities in whose honor they were erected.
A remarkable resemblance to the Hindoo constructions has been found in the religious monuments or teocdUis of Mexico and Yuca- tan. But the architectural types of these antique structures sini into insignificance when compared with those of Egypt. The obe- lisks, pyramids, temples, palaces, tombs, and other structures with which that country abounds, are on a colossal scale, and such as can have been executed only by a people far advanced in architect- ural ait, and profoundly versed in the science of mechanics. These works, like the Hindoo structures, were remarkable for their gigan- tic proportions and massiveuess. Intricate and highly painted relievo sculptures or hieroglyphics covered the entire extent of theii walls. The prevailing monotony of the hieroglyphic designs which form the chief feature of Egyptian architectural decoration, was superinduced by the circumscribed and limiting laws of their reli- gion. In Egyptian architecture we trace the elements of the early Indian school, blended with more harmonious combinations, aa likewise the introduction of architectural orders. Beside skilled organization of parts, and a just appreciation of pleasing effect, their works in their colossal features evince a thorough knowledge of the geometrical branch of the science of construction. The architectural genius of Egypt lavished its power on mausoleums, and on gorgeous temples to the deities, which, in their sublimity, inspire awe. They were constructed of granite, breccia, sandstone, and brick, which different materials are adjusted with much pre- cision. The huge blocks employed in their various monuments exhibit a perfect acquaintance with the laws of mechanics. We cannot but wonder at their monolithic obelisks, especially when we reflect upon the immense distances Ihey had to be transported, the pyramidal shape pervades most of their works, the walls of their temples inclining inward. The jambs to their entrance-gateg also were generally inclined. The Egyptians never used columna peripterally, even undci the domimor. of the Greeks and Bonutor
FELLOW-CEAIT. 136
when the cclumn wna ased externally, the space intervening waj walled up to a certain height. To these circumstances, togethei with the fact that their monuments were terraced, can be ascribed their massive and solid appearance. With them, columns were employed to form porticos in their interior courts, and also to sup- port the ceilings. The shafts, of different forms, being conical, or cylindrical, or bulging out at the base, sometimes presented a smooth surface; they were rarely fluted, being generally covered with hieroglyphics. Occasionally, they were monoliths, but were generally constructed in la.-ers, and covered with hieroglyphics; a circular plinth formed the b.xse. The capitals resemble the lotus, at times, spreading out at the top; again, the flower appears bound together, assuming the bulbous shape; above is a square tablet forming the abacus. Others, of a later date, present projecting convex lobes; while other capitals are composed of a rectangular block, with a head carved on either side, surmounted by a die, also carved. Caryatic figures were also employed by the Egyptitms, and were generally placed against walls or pillars, thus appearing to Hupport the entablature, composed of a simple architrave and a coved cornice, with a large torus intervening, which descends the angles of the walls. The Pelasgians appear to have been the first people settled in Greece, numerous remains of whose structures are still extant. Subsequently, from the knowledge posses.sed by the indigenous tribes, together with that acquired from the Egj'ptians and the Asiatic nations, the Greeks extracted and developed a style peculiarly their own; and architectural art passed from the gigantic to the elegant and classic foi'ms. During tlie reign of Pekici.es it flourished with meridian splendor, and some of the most superb edifices the world has ever seen wore erected during this period. The Grecian monument belonged to the nation, and upon the public works of the country the government lavished fabulous sums. Hkeben Informs us that the Greeks placed the neces,sai-y appropri- ation of funds for the public works at the head of the goverimient expenditures. The thoughts of the whole Grecian nation, it would Deem, were turned toward the adornment of the country. They forbade by law any architectural display on private residences, and in fact, until after Greece became subject to Macedonia, architectb were permitt
The beauty and grace which pervade aU their works, whethei monumental, mechanical, or industiial, lead us to suppose that, although imperfect as regards c jmfort, they must yet have exhilited
136 GENERAL AHIMAN BEZON.
a certaia degiee of elegance. A just idea of the muJdings ani omaments, unequaled for their purity and grace, can be obtained only from personal observation. It is also impossible, from any verbal description, to be able fuUy to appreciate the beauty and harmony of their different styles. It may not be amiss, however, here to lay down some general principles: — These styles may be classed in systems or orders — the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. They also employed, though rarely, caryatides. Innumerable con- jectures exist concerning the origin of these different orders, fn all probability we are indebted to the Dorians for the invention of the Doric; although Champoluon sees in an Egyptian order, which he stvles the proto-Doric, the type of the Grecian order of that name. The oldest example extant is at Corinth. — To the lonians, likewise, is attributed the honor of having first employed the Ionia order, no example of which is to be found in Greece, prior to the Macedonian conquest. As for the origin of the Corinthian, without wishing to discredit the interesting narrative of Viteuvius, wherein he accords to CiLLUMACHUs the invention of the Corinthian capital, it might be weU to state, that foliated capitals, of much greater antiquity than any discovered in Greece, are to be found in Egypt and in Asia Minor. The most perfect Grecian example of this order is employed in the cboragic monument of Ltsiobates; and there nan be little doubt that the Greeks also derived the idea of their caryatio order from the Egyptians, who frequently employed himian figures instead of columns in their structures. — The Doric holds the foremost rank among the Grecian orders, not only on account of its being the most ancient, the most generally employed, and, consequently, the most perfected, but more especially on account of its containing, as it were, the principle of all their architecture, as well as an exact imitation of aU the parts employed in their primitive constructions, which were undoubtedly of wood. This style, typical of majesty and imposing grandeur, was almost univer- sally employed by the Greeks in the construction of their temples; and certainly monumental art does not furnish us with the equal ol a Greek peripteral temple.
To the Etruscans the invention of the arch, constructed on itb true principles, has been generally attributed, as likewise the c position of an order styled Tuscan, a species of simple Doric, no entire examjjle of which, however, has been handed down to na by the ancients.
The history of Boman architecture, under its kings and at Hi*
FEILOW-CEAIT. 137
beginning of the republic, is somewliat obscure, as but few of the momiments of that period remain. The Roman kings fortified the city, and erected various palaces, temples, and tomts It became adorned with coloBsal works of art, whose stupendous features — forming such a contrast with the comparative insignificance of itfl power and condition — would seem to indicate that the future of imperial Eome had baen foreshadowed to its people. The early Romans employed Etruscans in their works. ^Vhen Greece at length fell under the yoke of the Roman empire, Rome became enriched with the spoils of Athens. The Greek artists sought pro- tection and patronage among their conquerors, and adorned the imperial capital with structures which called forth unbounded praise. The Grecian style was blended with the Etruscan during the more early period of the Roman schooL But as the arch, which was the characteristic feature of Roman architecture, re- vealed its treasures, the Grecian elements were employed but as a system of ornamentation. During the middle ages, the spirit of classic art seems to have waned with the glory of the Roman em- pire. The science of building became perverted, and the fame which the Romans had attained in architecture became a memory only. At this period it is supposed that the construction of houses in stories became general. The habitations of the mass of the people were poor, and in'cgularly planted about the to^Ti-hall in cities, or clustered about those massive structures (feudal castles) erected as fortresses, into which the arrogant possessor might retu-e, and whence he might sally at pleasure to harass the country. Many of the castle fortresses were on a plan of great magnitude, consisting of two or more large towers and divers inner buildings, including chapels During the gloom and the disastrous influences of the bloody wars of the middle ages, we find the venerable insti- tution of Freemasonry nourishing, imder the ashes of its ancient mysteries, the social fire of architectural art. While the whole of Europe was convulsed with the international and social stiife and invasions of barbarians, which resulted in its complete reorganiza- tion, the study of the arts, sciences, and hterature, took refuge in 4he monasteries. In Italy, during the tenth century, we find the corporation of Magistri Comacini exercising great influence, and giving to Grecian artists shelter from the political troubles of the East, and from the persecutions of the Iconoclasts. These artists promulgated among the Lombards the Byzantine elements of struc- ture, whose influence as we h
138 GENERAL iHIKAN BEZON.
throughout the architeotuial schools of Europe. Under EbWIB TON Stetnbach, of Germany, during the thirteenth century, the Hiitten, or Lodges, ware organized, one object of which was the study of urchitectm'e, over which they exercised a powerful rnfu- enco. In Strasbourg existed the Lodge of the Haupt-Hiitte. Under GoDOTNE, or JossE DoTTZiNGEB, of Worms, (who in 1444 succeeded the architect J. Hult, ) the various sects of the German Freemasons were incorporated into one body, and, in virtue of an act passed at Eatisbon, the same year, the architect of the cathedral of Stras- bourg was elected the sole Grand Master of the Fraternity. These maguitri lapidum were likewise sole directors or supervisors of all ika religious structures. Protected by the Church, sole depository of the arcana of the early Masters, architecture passed from the old Gothic through various phases of the pointed or ogean styles. The influence, the enterprise, and daring achievements of its promoters seemed to strike the contemporary ages as well as posterity with a religious awe ; and the intellectual power and energy of the people appear to have been concentrated and expended upon architecture. The revival of the spirit of emulation, engendered by the impetus thus given to art, would seem to have possessed a regenerating power, and to have resuscitated Europe from the condition of moral syncope into which it had fallen. The spirit of an age is embodied in its architecture.
The five orders are thus classed: — the Tuscan, Doric, [oNio, Corinthian, and Composite.
THE TUSCAN
Is the most simple and solid of the five orders. It was invented in Tuscany, whence it derives its name. Its column is seven diameters high, and its capital, base, and entablature have but few moldings. The simplicity of the construc- tion of this column renders it eligible where ornament would be superfluous.
raXLOW-CBAIT. 139
THE DORIC,
Wbicli is plain and natural, is the most anrieut, and was invented by tlie Greeks. Its column is eight diameters high, and has seldom any orna- ments on base or capital, except moldings — though the frieze is distinguished by triglypha and metopes, and triglyphs compose the orna- ments of the frieze. The solid composition of this order gives it a preference, in structures where strength and a noble simplicity are chiefly required. The Doric is the best proportioned of all the orders. The several parts of which it is composed are founded on the natural position of solid bodies. In its first invention, it was more simple than in its present state. In after- times, when it began to be adorned, it gained the name of Doric: for when it was constructed in its primitive and simple form, the name of Tuscan was conferred on it. Hence the Tuscan precedes the Doric in rank, on account of its resemblance to that pillar in its original state.
THE IONIC
Bears a kind of mean proportion between the more solid and delicate orders. Its coliuim is
140 GENERAL AHIMAN EEZON.
nine diameters high; its capital is adorned with volutes, and its cornice has dentils. There is both delicacy and ingenuity displayed in this pillar, the invention of which is attributed to the lonians, as the famous " Temple of Diana," at Bphesus, was of this order. It is said to have been formed after the model of an agreeable young woman, of an elegant shape, dressed in her hair; as a contrast to the Doric order, which was formed after that of a strong, robust man.
THE CORINTHIAN,
The richest of the five orders, is deemed a master- piece of art. Its column is ten diameters high, and its capital is adorned with two rows of leaves, and eight volutes, which sustain the abacus. The frieze is ornamented with curious devices; the cornice with dentils and modiUions. This order is used in stately and superb struc- tures. It was invented at Corinth by Oallima- OHUS, who is said to have taken the hint of the capital of this piUar from the following remark- able circumstance: — Accidentally passing by the tomb of a young lady, he perceived a basket of toys, covered with a tile, placed over an acan- thus-root, having been left there by her nurse.
PELLOW-CEAPI. 141
A.S the branches grew up, they encompassed the basket until, arriving at the tile, they met with an obstruction, and bent downwards. Callbi- AOHUS, struck with the object, set abont imitat- ing the figure; the vase of the capital he made to represent the basket; the abacus, the tUe; and the volutes, the bending leaves.
THE COMPOSITE
Is compounded of the other orders, and was contrived by the Romans. Its capital has the two rows of leaves of the Corinthian, and the volutes of the Ionic. Its column has quarter- rounds, as the Tuscan and Doric orders; is ten diameters high, and its cornice has dentils, or simple modillions. This piUar is generally found in buildings where strength, elegance and beauty are displayed.
THE INVENTION OF ORDER IN AECHITECTURE.
The ancient and original orders of architecture, revered by Masons, are no more than three: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, which were invented by the Greeks. To these, the Romans have added two — the Tuscan, which they made plainer than the Doric, and the Composite, whicli was
142 GENERAL AHIMAN EEZON.
more ornamental, if not more beautiful, than the Corinthian. The first three orders alone, how- ever, show invention and particular characler, and essentially differ from each other; the two others have nothing but what is borrowed, and differ only accidentally: the Tuscan is the Doric in its earliest state; and the Composite is the Corinthian enriched with the Ionic. To the Greeks, therefore, and not to the Romans, we arc indebted for what is great, judicious, and distinct in architecture.
Of these five orders, the Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian, as the most ancient, are most es- teemed by Masons.
An analysis of the human faculties is next given in this Beetion, in which the five external senses particularly claim attention.
The senses we are to consider as the gifts of Nature, and though not the acqmsition of oiu reasoning faculty, yet, in the use of them, are Btih subject to reason. Reason, properly em- ployed, confirms the regulations of Nature, which are always true and wholesome: she distinguishes
PEIXOW-CRATT. 14:S
the good from the bad; rejects the last with modesty — adheres to the first with reverence. Tlie objects of human knowledge are innmner- able ; the channels by which this knowledge ia conveyed are few. Among these, the perception of external things by the senses, and the in- formation we receive from human testimony, are not the least considerable: the analogy between them is obvious. In the testimony of Nature, given by the senses, as well as in human testi- mony, given by information, things are signified by signs. In one as well as the other, the mind, either by original principles or by custom, passes from the sign to the conception and belief of the thing signified. The signs in the natural lan- guage, as well as the signs in our original per- ceptions, have the same signification in aU cU- mates and nations, and the skiU of interpreting them is not acquired, but innate.
Having made these observations, we shall pro- ceed to give a brief description of the five senses;
HEAEING
Is that sense by which we distinguish sounds, and are capable of enjoying all the agreeable charms of music. By it we are enabled to enjoy
144: GE^fEIUL AHIMAN EEZON.
the pleasures of society, and reciprocally to com- municate to each other our thoughts and inten- tions — our purposes and desires; and thus our reason is rendered capable of exerting its utmost power and energy. The wise and beneficent Author of Nature intended, by the formation of this sense, that we should be social creatures, and receive the greatest and most important part of our knowledge from social intercourse with each other. For these purposes we are endowed with hearing, that, by a proper exertion of our rational powers, our happiness may be complete.
SEEING
Is that sense by which we distinguish objects, and in an instai t of time, without change of place or situation, view armies in battle array, figures of the most stately structures, and all the agreeable variety displayed in the landscape of Nature. By this sense, we find our way on the pathless ocean, traverse the globe of earth, de- termine its figure and dimensions, and delineate any region or quarter of it. By it we measure the planetary orbs, and make new discoveries in the sphere of the fixed stars. Nay, raore, by it we perceive the tempers ard dispositions, the
FELLOW-CRAFT. 145
passions and affections of our fellow-creatures, wlien they wisli most to conceal them; so that, though the tongue may be taught to lie and dissemble, the countenance will display the hypocripy to the discerning eye. In fine, the rays of light which administer to this sense, are the most astonishing parts of the animated creation, and render the eye a pecuhar object of admiration.
Of all the faculties, sight is the noblest. The structure of the eye, and its appurtenances, evince the admirable contrivance of Nature for performing all its various external and internal motions; while the variety displayed in the eyes of different animals, suited to their several ways of life, clearly demonstrate this organ to be th« master-piece of Nature's works.
FEELING
Is that sense by which we distinguish the differ- ent qualities of bodies: — such as heat and cold, hardness and softness, roughness and smoothness, figure, solidity, motion, and extension.
These three senses, Hearing, Seeing and Feeling, arc deemed peculiarly essential among Masons.
»♦«*♦*♦
7
GENEEAL AHTMAN KEZON. SMELLING
Is that sease by which we distinguish odors, the Various kinds of which convey different impres- sions to the mind. Animal and vegetable bodies, and indeed most other bodies, while exposed to the air, continually send forth effluvia of vast subtilily, as well in a state of Hfe and growth, as in the state of fermentation and putrefaction. These effluvia, being drawn into the nostrils along with the air, are the means by which all bodies are distinguished. Hence it is evident, that there is a manifest appearance of design in the great Creator's having planted the organ of smell in the inside of that canal through which the air continually passes in respiration.
TASTING
Enables us to make a proper distinction in the choice of our food. The organ of this sense guards the entrance of the alimentary canal, as that of smelling guards the entrance of the canal for respiration. Prom the situation of both these organs, it is plain that they were intended by Nature to distinguish wholesome food from that which is nauseous. Every thing that enters into
FELLOW-CSAFT Ikl
the stoiuach must undergo the scrutiny of tast- ing; and by it we are capable of discerning the changes which the same body undergoes in the different compositions of art, cookery, chemis- try, pharmacy, etc.
Smelling and tasting are inseparably connect- ed; and it is by the unnatural kind of Ufe men commonly lead in society, that these senses are rendered less fit to perform their natural offices.
The proper use of these five senses enables us to form just and accurate notions of the operations of Nature; and when we reflect on the objects with which our senses are gratified, we become conscious of them, and are enabled to attend to them till they become familiar &b jects of thought.
On the mind all our knowledge must depend. What, therefore, can be a more proper subject for the investigation of Masons?
To sum up the whole of this transcendent measure of God's bounty to man, we shall add, that Memory, Imagination, Taste, Keasoning, Moral Perception, and all the active powers of the soul, present a vast and boundless field for philosophical disquisition, which far exceeds
148 GENEEAL AHntAH KEZON.
human inquiry, and are peculiar mysteries, known only to Nature and to Nature's God, tc whom all are indebted for creation, preserva- tion, and every blessing we enjoy.
Which are Grammar, Khetorio, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Mu- sic, and Astronomy, are here illustrated. Grammar is the science which teaches us to express our ideas in appropriate words, which we may afterward beautify and adorn by means of Bhetoric; while Logic instructs us how to think and reason with propriety, and to make language subordinate to thought. Arithmetic, which is the science of computing by numbers, is absolutely essential, not only to a thorough knowledge of all mathematical science, but also to a proper pursuit of our daily avoeations. Geometry, or the appli- cation of Arithmetic to sensible quantities, is of all sciences the most important, since by it we are enabled to measure and survey the globe that we inhabit. Its principles extend to other spheres; and, occupied in the contemplation and measurement of the sun, moon, and heavenly bodies, constitute the science of Astronomy; and, lai.tly, when our minds are filled, and our thoughts enlarged, by the contemplation of all the wonders which these sciences open to our view, Music comes forward, to soften oui hearts and cultivate our affections by its soothing influences.
GRAMMAR
Is the key by which alone the door can be opened to the understanding of speech. It is Grammar which reveals the admirable art of language, and unfolds its various constituent parts — its names, definitions, and respective offices; it unravels, as it were, the thread of which the web of speech Is composed. T^hese reflections seldom occur to
FELLOW-CRAFT. 149
any one before their acquaintance with the art; yet it is most certain that, without a knowledge of Grammar, it is very difficult to speak with propriety, precision, and purity.
RnETORIC.
It is by Rhetoric that the art of speaking elo- quently is acquired. To be an eloquent speaker, in the proper sense of the word, is far from being either a common or an easy attainment: it is the art of being persuasive and commanding; the art, not only of pleasing the fancy, but of speaking both to the understanding and to the heart.
LOGIC
Is that science which directs us how to form clear and distinct ideas of things, and thereby prevents us from being misled by their simili- tude or resemblance. Of all the human sciences, that concerning man is certainly most worthy of the human mind, and the proper manner of conducting its several powers in the attainment of truth and knowledge. This science ought to be cultivated as the foundation or ground-work of our inquiries; particularly in the pursuit of those subhme principles which claim oiu' atten* tion as Masons.
150 OENERAI. AUIMAN BEZON.
AEITHMETIO
Is the art of numbering, or that part of the mathematics which considers the properties of numbers in general. "We have but a very imper- fect idea of things without quantity, and as imperfect of quantity itself, without the help of Arithmetic. All the works of the Almighty are made in number, weight, and measure; therefore, to understand them rightly, we ought to under- stand arithmetical calculations; and the greater advancement we make in the mathematical sciences, the more capable we shall be of con- sidering such things as are the ordinary objects of our conceptions, and be thereby led to a more comprehensive knowledge of our great Creator and the works of the creation.
GEOMETRY
Treats of the powers and properties of magnitudes in general, where length, breadth, and thickness are considered — from a. point to a line, from a line to a superfices, and from a superfices to a solid.
A point is the beginning of all geometrical matter.
A line is a continuation of the same.
FELLOW CBAFT. 151
A super/ices is length and breadth, without a git'eii thickness.
A solid is length and breadth, with a given Ihickness, whicL forms a cube, and comprehends the whole.
THE ADVANTAGES OF GEOMETRY.
By this science, the architect is enabled to construct his plans and execute his designs; the general, to arrange his soldiers; the engineer, to mark out grounds for encampments; the geogra- pher, to give us the dimensions of the world, and all things therein contahied; to dehneate the extent of seas, and specify the divisions of em- pires, kingdoms, and provinces. By it, also, the astronomer is enabled to make his observations, and to fix the duration of times and seasons, years and cycles. In fine. Geometry is the foundation of architecture, and the root of the mathematics.
The contemplation of this science, in a moral and comprehensive view, fills the mind with rapture. To the true geometrician, the regions of matter with which he is surrounded afford ample scope for his admiration, while they open a sublime field for his inquiry and disquisition.
Eveiy particle of matter on which he b-eads, every blade of grasf which covers the field, every flower which blows, and every insect which wings its way in this expanded space, proves the existence of a First Cause, and yields pleasure to the intelligent mind.
The Bjinmetry, beauty, and order displayed in the various parti
152 GENERAL AHIMAN EEZON.
of the animate and inanimate creati. n, is a pleasing and delighlfiil tlieme, and naturally leads to the source whence the -whole is do- rived. When we bring within the focus of the eye the variegated oai-pet of the terrestrial theater, and survey the progress of the vegetative system, our admiration is justly excited. Every plant which grows, every flowering shrub which breathes its sweets, affords instruction and delight. When we extend our views to the animal creation, and contemplate the varied clothing of every spe- cies, we are equally struck with astonishment. And when we trace the lines of geometry drawn by the Divine pencil in the beautiful plumage of the feathered tribe, how exalted is our conception of the heavenly work ! The admirable structure of plants and animals, and the infinite number of fibers and vessels which run through the whole, with the apt disposition of one part to another, is a per- petual subject of study to the geometrician, who, while he adverts to the changes which all undergo in their progress to maturity, is lost in rapture and veneration of the Great Cause which governs the system.
When he descends into the bowels of the earth, and explores the kingdom of ores, minerals, and fossils, he finds the same instances of Divine Wisdom and Goodness displayed in their formation and structure: every gem and pebble proclaims the handiwork of an Almighty Creator.
When he surveys the watery elements, and directs his attention to the wonders of the deep, with all the inhabitants of the mighty ocean, he perceives emblems of the same supreme intelligence. The scales of the largest fish, as well as the penciled shell of the minutest bivalve, equally yield a theme for his contemplation, on which he fondly dwells, while the symmetry of their formation, and the delicacy of their tints, evince the wisdom of the Divine Artist.
When he exalts his view to the more noble and elevated ports of Nature, and surveys the celestial orbs, how much greater is his astonishment! If, on the principles of geometry and true philoso- phy, he contemplate the sun, the moon, the stars, and the whole concave of heaven, his pride wiU be humbled, whUe he is lost in awful admiration of the Maker. The immense magnitude of those bodies, the regularity and velocity of their motions, and the incon- ceivable extent of space through which they move, are equally wonderful and incomprehensible, so as to baffle his most daring eonoeptions, while he labors in considering the immensity of th« theme'
FEIiOW-CEiFT. 163
MUSIC
Is that elevated science which affects the passions by sound. There are few who have not felt its charms, and acknowledged its expression to be intelhgible to the heart. It is a language of delightful sensations, far more eloquent than words; it breathes to the ear the clearest intim'i- tions; it touches and gently agitates the agre J- able and sublime passions; it wraps us in mela; i- choly, and elevates us in joy; it dissolves ai d inflames; it melts us in tenderness, and excitss us to war. This science is truly congenial to the nature of man; for by its powerful charms the most discordant passions may be harmonized, and brought into perfect unison; but it never sounds with such seraphic harmony as when employed in singing hymns of gratitude to the Creator of the universe.
ASTROXOMT
Is that sublime science which inspires the con- templative mind to soar aloft, and read the wis- dom, stiength, and beauty of the great Creator in the heavens. How nobly eloquent of the Deity is the celestial hemisphere ! — spangled with the most magnificent heralds of his infinite
7*
151 GENERAL AHIMAN KEZON.
glory! They speak to the whole universe; foi there is no speech so barbarous, but their lan- guage is understood; nor nation so distant, but (heir voices are heard among them.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God;
The firmament declareth the works of his hands.
Assisted by Astronomy we ascertain the laws which govern the heavenly bodies, and by which their motions are directed; investigate the power by which they circulate in their orbs, discovei their size, determine their distance, explain theii various phenomena, and correct the Mlacy of the senses by the light of truth.
An Emblem of PLENTY is introduced and explained.
What does it denote?
Plenty.
How represented 1
By a sheaf of corn suspended near a water-ford, which teache« us that while we have bread to eat, and pure running water ta drink, we have enough of all that nature requires.
By whom was this « * * * instituted ?
By Jephthah, a Jud^e of Israel, in a war with the Ephraimites. The Ephraimites had long been a stubborn and rebellious people, whom Jephthah had often sought to subdue by mild and lenient measures, but without effect. They being highly incensed at Jephthah for not being called to fight and share in the rich spoils of the Amonitish war, gathered together a mighty army, crossed the river Jordan, and prepared to give Jephthah battle ; but he being apprised of their approach, called together the men of Israel went out, gave them battle, and put them to flight. Tc uake his victory more complete, he stationed guards at the dif>
FELLOW-CEAPT. 156
ferent passes on the banks of the river, and said an to them : " If yon see any strangers pass this way, say unto them, » » * *." The Ephraimites, being of a different tribe, could not frame t« pronounce * * * *, and there fell that day on the field of bat- tle, and at the different passes on the banks of the river, forty and two thousand ; after which Jephthah ruled quietly in Israel until the time of his death, which was six years.
CORN. •WINK. OIIi.
» • » « *
THE MORAL ADVANTAGES OF GEOMETRY.
Geometry, the first and noblest of sciences, is the basis on which the superstructure of Free- masonry is erected. By Geometry, we may curi- ously trace Nature through her various windings, to her most concealed recesses. By it, we dis- cover the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Grand Artificer of the universe, and view with delight the proportions which connect this vast machine. By it, we discover how the planets move in their respective orbits, and demonstrate their various revolutions. By it, we account for the return of the seasons, and the variety of scenes which each season displays to the discern- ing eye. Numberless worlds are around us, all framed by the same Divine Artist, which roll through the vast expanse, and are all conducted by the same unerring law of nature.
A survey of nature, and the ohservation of hei
156 GENERAL AHIMAN REZON.
beautiful proportions, first determined man to imitate tlie divine plan, and study symmetry and order. This gave rise to societies, and birth to every useful art. The architect began to design; and the plans which he laid down, being improved by time and experience, have produced works which are the admiration of every age.
The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of igno- rance, and the devastations of war, have laid waste and destroyed many valuable monuments of antiquity, on which the utmost exertions of human genius have been employed. Even thp Temple of Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, and constructed by so many celebrated artists, escaped not the unsparing ravages of barbarous force. Freemasonry, notwithstanding, has still survived. The Attentive JEar receives the sound from the Instnictwe Tongue, and the mysteries of Masonry are safely lodged in the repository of Faithful Breasts. Tools and implements of archi- tecture, and symbolic emblems, most expressive, are selected by the Fraternity, to imprint on the mind wise and serious truths; and thus, through a succession of ages, are transmitted unimpaired the most sxceUent tenets of our institution.
FELLOW-CRAJT. 151
m
The lectnre doses by paying profound homage to tht Baered name of the Grand Geometrician of the TJniTerse, before whom all Masons, from the youngest B. A., who stands in the north-east corner of the Lodge, to the W. M., who presides in the East, humbly, reverently, and devoutly bow.
OHAEQE TO THE CANDIDATE.
Brother: Being advanced to the second de- gree of Freemasonry, we congratulate you on your preferment. The internal, and not the ex- ternal qualifications of a man are what Masonry regards. As you increase in knowledge, you will improve in social intercourse.
It is unnecessary to recapitulate the duties which, as a Fellow-Craft, you are bound to dis- charge, or to enlarge on the necessity of a strict adherence to them, as your own experience must have established their value. Our laws and regulations you are strenuously to support; and be always ready to assist in seeing them duly executed. You are not to palHate or aggravate the offences of your brethren; but in the decision
158 GENEEAL AHIMAN EEZON.
of every trespass against our rules, you are to judge with candor, admonish with friendship, and reprehend with justice.
The study of the Liberal Arts, that valuable branch of education, which tends so efifectually to polish and adorn the mind, is earnestly recom- mended to your consideration; especially the science of Geometry, which is established as the basis of our art. Geometry, or Masonry, origui- ally synonymous terms, being of a divine and moral nature, is enriched with the most useful knowledge; while it proves the wonderful prop- erties of Nature, it demonstrates the more im- portant truths of morality.
Your past behavior and regular deportment have merited the honor which we have now con- ferred, and in your new character, it is expected that you will conform to the principles of the Order, by steadily persevering in the practice of every commendable virtue. Such is the nature of your engagements as a Fellow-Craft, and to these duties you arc bound by the most sacred lies.
LECTUEE
ON THE
LEGEND OF THE WL\DING STAIRS.
ET ALBERT G. MACKET, M. D.
AxTHouGH the legend of the "Winding Stairs forms at impoi-tant tradition of Ancient Craft Masonry, the onh allusion to it in scripture is to be found in a single verse in the 6th chapter of the 1st Book of Kings, and is in these words: "The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house; and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third." Out of this slender material has been constructed an allegory, which, if properly considered in its symbolical relations, wLU be found to be of surpassing beauty. But it is only as a sj-mbol that we can regard this whole tradition; for the his- torical facts and the architectural details alike forbid u.s for a moment to suppose that the legend, as it is re- hearsed in the second degree of Masonry, is anything mure than a magnificent philosophical myth.
Let us inquire into the true design of this legend, and learn the lesson of symbolism which it is intended to toach.
In the investigation of the true meaning of every Masonic symbol and allegory, we must be governed by the single principle that the whole design of Freenia- soiiry as a speculative science is the investigation of DivixE Teut h. To this great object everything is sub- sidiary. The Mason is, from the moment of his initia- tion as an Entered Apprentice to the time at which he receives the full fi-uition of Masonic light, an investiga-
160 I/EGEND OF THE WINDING STAIBS.
tor — a laborer in the quarry and tlie Temple — whosa reward is to be Tbuth. All the ceremonies and tradi- tions of the Order tend to this ultimate design. Is there light to be asked for ? It is the intellectual light of wisdom and truth Is there a word to be sought? That word is the symbol of truth. Is there a loss oi eomethtag that had been promised ? That loss is typical of the failure of man, in the infirmity of his nature, to discover Divine truth. Is there a substitute to be ap- pointed for that loss ? It is an allegory which teaches us that in this world man can approximate only to the full conception of truth.
Hence there is in Speculative Masonry always a pro- gress, symbolized by its peculiar ceremonies of initiation. There is an advancement from a lower to a higher state — from darkness to light — from death to Ufe — from error to truth. The candidate is always ascend- ing; he is never stationary; never goes back, but each step he takes brings him to some new mental illumina- tion — to the knowledge ot some more elevated doctrine. The teaching of the Divine Master is, in respect to this continual progress, the teaching of Masonry — "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven." And similar to this is the precept of Pythagoias: "When traveling, turn not back, for if you do, the furies will accompany you."
Now, this principle of Maaonic symbolism is apparent in many places in each of tho degrees. In that of the En- tered Apprentice we find it developed in the theological ladder, which resting on earth, Jeans its top upon heaven, thus inculcating the idea of an ascent from a lower to a higher sphere, as the objects ot Msisonic laboi. In the Master's degree we find it exhibited in Its most roUgioua form, in the restoration from dedlh to Ufe— in ths
LEGEND OF THE WINDING 8TAIES. 161
change from the obscurity of the grave to the holy ol holies of the Divine Presence. In aU the degrees we find it presented in the ceremony of circumambulation, in which there is a gi-adnal examination by, and a passage from, an inferior to a superior ofBcer. And lastly, the same symbolic idea is conveyed in the Fellow Craft's degTeo in the legend of the Winding Stairs. In an investigation of the symbolism of the Winding Stairs we will be directed to the true explanation by a refer- ence to their origin, their number, the objects which they recall, and their termination, but above all by a consideration of the great object which an ascent upon them was intended to accomplish.
The steps of this Winding Staircase commenced, we are informed, at the porch of the Temple, that is to say, at its very entrance. But nothing is more un- doubted in the science of Masonic symboKsm than that the Temple was the riepresentative of the world purified by the Shekinah, or the Divine Presence. The world of the profane is without the Temple; the world of the initiated is within its sacred walls. Hence to enter the Temple, to pass within the porch, to be made a Mason, and to be born into the world of Masonic light, are all synonymous and convertible terms. Here, then, the symbolism of the Winding Stairs begins.
The Apprentice, having entered within the porch oi the Temple, has begun his Masonic life. But the first degree in Masonry, like the lesser mysteries of the ancient systems of initiation, is only a preparation and purification for something higher. The Entered Ap prentice is the child in Masonry. The lessons ■which he receives are simply intended to cleanse the heart and prepai'e the recipient for that mental UluminatioD which is to be given in the succeeding degrees.
162 GENERAL AHIMAN REZON.
As a Fellow Craft, he has advanced another step, and as the degree is emblematic of youth, so it is here that the intellectual education of the candidate begins, A-nd therefore, here, at the very spot which, separates the Porch from the Sanctuary, where childhood enda and manhood begins, he finds stretching out before him a winding stair which invites him, as it were, to ascend, and which, as the symbol of discipline and instruction, teaches him that here must commence his Masonic labor — here he must enter upon those glorious though difficult researches, the end of which is to be the pos- session of Divine truth. The Winding Stairs begin >ifter the candidate has passed within the Porch, and between the Pillars of Strength and Establishment, as a significant symbol to teach him that as soon as he had passed beyond the years of irrational childhood, and commenced his entrance upon manly life, the labo- rious task of self-improvement is the first duty that is placed before him. He cannot stand still, if he would be worthy of his vocation; his destiny as an immortal being requires him to ascend, step by step, until he has reached the summit, where the treasures of knowledge await him.
The number of these steps in all the systems have been odd. ViTHTJvrns remarks, and the coincidence is at least curious, that the ancient temples were always ascer ded by an odd number of steps, and he assigns aa the reason, that commencing with the right foot at the bottom, the worshiper would find the same foot fore- most when he entered the Temple, which was consid- ered as a fortunate omen. But the fact is that the symbol of numbers was borrowed by the Masons from Ptteagoeas, in whose system of philosophy it plays an important part, and in which odd numbers were cop
LEGEND OF THE WINDIXG STAIBS. 163
sidered as more perfect than even ones. Hence, throughout the Masonic system we find a predomi- nance of odd numbers; and, while three, five, seven, nine, fifteen, and twenty-seven, are all important sym- bols, we seldom find a reference to two, four, six, eight, or ten. The odd number of the stairs was therefore intended to symbolize the idea of perfection, to which it was the object of the aspirant to attain.
As to the particular number of the stairs, this has varied at difterent periods. Tracing-boards of the lust centm-y have been found, in which only^ue steps are delineated, and others in which they amount to seven. The Pres- tonian lectures used in England, in the beginning oi this century, gave the whole number as thirty-eight, dividing them into series of one, three, five, seven, nine, and eleven. The error of making an even number, which was a violation of the Pythagorean principle oi odd numbers as the symbol of perfection, was corrected in the HEMiriNa lectures, adopted at the union of the two Grand Lodges of England, by striking out the eleven, which was also objectionable as receiving a sec- tarian explanation. In this country the number was still further reduced to fifteen, divided into three series of three, five, and seven. We shall adopt this American division as the basis of our explanations, although, after all, the particular number of the steps, or the pecu- liar method of their division into series, will not in auj ■vay affect the general symbolism of the whole legend.
The candidate, then, in the second degree of Masonry, represents a man starting forth on the journey of life, with the great task before him of self-improvement. For the faithful performance of this task, a rewai'd is promised, which reward consists in the development of all lis intellectual faculties, the moral and spiritt^a]
164 GENERAL aHIMAN ItEZON.
elevation of his character, and the acqtusition of trutt and knowledge. Now, the attainment of this moral and intellectual condition supposes an ele-vation of charac- ter, an ascent from a lower to a higher life, and a passage of toil and difficulty, through rudimentary instruction, to the full fruition of wisdom. This is, therefore, beautifully symbolized by the Winding Stairs; at whose foot the aspirant stands ready to climb the toilsome steep, while at its top is placed " that hiero- glyphic bright which none but Craftsmen ever saw," as the emblem of Divine truth. And, hence, a distin- guished writer has said that "these steps, like all the Masonic symbols, are illustrative of discipline and doctrine, as well as of natural, mathematical, and meta- physical science, and open to us an extensive range ol moral and speculative inquiry."
The candidate, iacited by the love of virtue and the desire of knowledge, and withal, eager for the reward of truth which is set before him, begins at once the toil- some ascent. At each division, he pauses to gather instruction from the symbolism which these divisions present to his attention.
At the first pause which he makes he is instructed ia the peculiar organization of the Order of which he has become a disciple. But the information here given, if taken in its naked, Uteral sense, is barren and unworthy of his labor. The rank of the officers who govern, and the names of the degrees which constitute the institu- tion, can give him no knowledge which he has not before possessed. "We must look, therefore, to th6 symbolic meaning of these allusions for any value which piay be attached to this part of the ceremony.
The reference to the organization of the Masonic instituticn is intended to remind the aspirant of tba
LEGEND OF THE WIKDIXG STAIRS. 165
onion of men in society, and the development of the social state out of the state of nature. He is thus reminded, in the Tery outset of his journey, of the blessings which arise from civilization, and of the fruits of virtue and knowledge which are derived from that aondition. Masonry itself is the result of civilization; while in grateful return it has been one of the most im portant means of extending that condition ol mankind. All the monuments of antiquity, that the ravages ol time have left, combine to prove that man had no sooner emerged from the savage into the social state than he commenced the organization of religious mys teries, and the separation, by a sort of divine instinct, of the sacred from the profane. Then came the inven- tion of architecture as a means of providing convenient dwellings and necessary shelter from the inclemencies and vicissitudes of the seasons, with all the mechanical arts connected with it, and lastly, geometry, as a neces- sary science to enable the cultivators of land to measure and designate the limits of their possessions. AU these are claimed as peculiar characteristics of speculative Masonry, which may be considered as the type ol civilization, the former bearing the same relation to the profane world as the latter does to the savage state. 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 trntli, by recalling to his mind the condition of civilization and the social union of mankind as necessary prepara- tions for the attainment of these objects. In the allu- sions to the officers of a Loilge, and the degrees ol Masonry as explanatory of the organization of our own society, we clothe in our symbolic language the historj of the organization of society.
166 GKNER4L AHIMAN EEZON.
Advancing in his progress, the candidate is invited to contemplate another series of instructions. The htiman senses, as the appropriate channels through ■which wa receive all our ideas of perception, and which, there- fore, constitute the most important sources of our knowledge, are here referred to as a symbol of intel- lectual cultivation. Architecture, as the most impor- tant of the arts which conduce to the comfort of man- kind, is also alluded to here, not simply because it is so closely connected with the operative institution oi Masonrj', but also, as the type of all the other useful arts. In his second pause, in the ascent of the Winding Stairs, the aspirant is, therefore, remiaded of the neces- sity of cultivating practical knowledge.
So far, then, the instructions he has received relate to his own condition in society as a member of the great social compact and to his means of becoming, by a knowledge of the arts of practical life, a necessai-y and useful member of that society.
But his motto will be " Excelsior." Still must he go onward and forward. The stair is still before him; its summit is not yet reached, and stUl further treasures oi wisdom are to be sought for, or the reward wUl not be gained, nor the middle chamber, the abiding place of truth, be reached.
In his third pause, be, therefore, arrives at that point in which the whole circle of human science is to be exi^lained. Symbols, we know, are in themselves ftrbitrary and of conventional signification, and the complete circle of human science might have been aa w(!l] symbolized by any other sign or series of doctrines as by the seven liberal arts and sciences. But Masonry is an institution of the olden time; and this selection of the liberal arts and sciences as a symbol of the com
LEGEND OF THE TVTNDING STAlIiS. 167
pletion of human learning is one of the most pregnant evidences that we have of its antiquity.
In the seventh centurj-, and for a long time aftenvard, the circle of instiiiction to which all the learning of the most eminent schools and most distinguished philos- ophers was confined, was limited to what was then called the liberal arts and sciences, and consisted oJ two branches, the trivium and the quadrivium.* The tri- vium includes grammar, rhetoric, and logic; the quadri- vium comprehended arithmetic, geometiy, music, and astronomy.
These seven heads were supposed to include univer- sal knowledge. He who was master of these was thought to have no need of a preceptor to explain any books or to solve any questions M'hich lay within the compass of human reason; the knowledge of the Irivutm having furnished him with the key to all language, and that of the quadrivium having opened to him the secret laws of nature.
At a period when few were instructed in the trivium, and very few studied the quadrivium, to be master oi both was sufficient to complete the character of a philosopher. The propriety, therefore, of adopting the seven liberal arts and scie^nces as a symbol of the completion of human learning is apparent. The can- didate having reached this point is now supposed to have accomplished the task upon which he had entered
• The worils themselves me purely clnssical, bnt the meanings bore given to them are of a iiKiliiuvnl or oornipt LatiuUv- Among the oiil Komaus, a trivium meant a place -where three ways root, nud a qiutdrivium, where fonr, or what we now call a cross-ro.'vl, 'Wheii we speak of tho paths of learning, wo readily discover the orn-in of the signilloation given by the scholasUo philosopheii to Cies* terms.
168 GENEBAL AHIMAN REZON.
— he lias reached the last step, and is now ready to receive the full fruition of human learning.
So far, then, we are able to comprehend the tme symbolism of the Winding Stairs. They represent the progress of an inquiring mind with the toils and labors of intellectual cultivation and study, and the prepara- tory acquisition of all human science, as a preliminary step to the attainment of divine truth, which it must be remembered is always symbolized in Masonry by the Word.
Here we may again allude to the symbolism of num- bers, which is for the first time presented to the con- sideration of the Masonic student in the legend of the Winding Stairs. The theory of numbers as the symbols of certain qualities was originally borrowed by the Masons from the school of Pythagoras. We do not expect, however, to develop this doctrine, in its entire extent, on the present occasion, for the numeral symbolism of Masonry would itself con- stitute materials for an ample essay. It will be suf- ficient to advert to the fact that the total number of the steps, amounting in all to fifteen, in the American system, is a significant symbol. For fifteen was a sacred number among the Orientals, because the letters of the holy name JAH, jii, were, in their numerical value, equivalent to fifteen; and hence a figure, in which the nine digits were so disposed as to make fifteen either way way when added together perpendicularly, horizontally or diagonally, constituted one of their most sacred talismans. The fifteen steps in the Winding Stairs are therefore symbolic of the name of God.
And so we close with this theory: The Fellow Grafl epresents a man laboring in the pursuit of truth; and the Winding Staifs are '^he devious pathways of that pursuit.
THIRD DEGREE.
MASTEE MASON.
"In the ceremonial of the Third Degree the last grand mysierj Is attempted to be illustrated in a forcible and peculiar manner showing, by striking analogy, that the Master Mason cannot be deemed perfect in the glorious science until by the cultivation of his intellectual powers he has gained such moral government of his passions, such serenity of mind, that in synonymous apposition with mastership. iilJ operative .. art his thoughts, like his actions, have become as useful as human intelligence will pei-mit ; and that, having passed through the trials of life with fortitude and faith, he is -fitted- for that grand, solemn, and mysterious consummation by which alone ho can become acquainted "^ith the great security of Eternity. Unlike the Entered Apprentice and Fellow-Craft, who each anticipate improvement as they advance, the Master Mason can learn nothing beyond the Third Degi-ee; his hopes, therefore, with his thoughts and wishes, should be directed to the Grand Lodge above, where the world's great Ai-chitect lives and reigns forever. The ceremonial and the lecture beautifully illustrate this all- engrossing subject, and the conclusion we arrive at is that youth properly directed leads us to honorable and virtuous maturity, and that the life of man regulated by morality, faith and justice, will be rewarded at its closing hour by the prospect of Eternal Bliss. '— Du. Cbucetcl
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